Vanadate is a trace element in animal tissues and has been known to inhibit NA(+)-K(+) ATPase in various tissues including skeletal and cardiac muscles and smooth muscles. Vanadate shows contractile actions on various types of smooth muscles. Prolonged dietary administration of vanadate has been shown to cause arterial hypertension, increased peripheral resistance, and a marked reduction of coronary, visceral and renal blood flow.In isolated vascular smooth muscle of aorta, application of vanadate caused contraction. These studies have been conducted the preparation of vascular smooth muscles from which endothelial cell were removed. It has been reported that endothelial cell releases relaxing factor(s) (endothelium-derived relaxing factor, EDRF) in response to acetylcholine and a number of other stimuli and also produces vasoconstrictor substances (endothelium-derived contracting factor, EDCF). The aim of this present experiment is to elucidate whether vascular response of isolated rabbit aorta induced by vanadate are endothelium dependent or not. The result obtained were summarized as follows ; 1) When endothelium was intact, vanadate induced vascular relaxation of aorta precontracted with norepinephrine. But K+ induced contraction was augmented by vanadate in the aorta with or without endothelium. Whereas relaxation produced by vanadate precontracted with angiotensin II was endothelium-independent. 2) Hemoglobin, methylene blue, hydroquinone, and verapamil inhibited vanadate-induced vascular relaxation. But indomethacin and quinacrine had no effect on vanadate induced vascular relaxation. From the above results, it is speculated the vanadate act on endothelium, modifies the synthesis or release of endothelium-dependent relaxing factor and thus changes the contractile responses to norepinephrine in rabbit aorta.
Acetylcholine ; Adenosine Triphosphatases ; Angiotensin II ; Animals ; Aorta ; Endothelial Cells ; Endothelium ; Endothelium-Dependent Relaxing Factors ; Hypertension ; Indomethacin ; Methylene Blue ; Muscle, Smooth ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Myocardium ; Norepinephrine ; Quinacrine ; Relaxation ; Vanadates* ; Vascular Resistance ; Verapamil

No abstract available.
Animals ; Flowmeters* ; Magnets* ; Male ; Models, Animal* ; Penile Erection* ; Rats*

BACKGROUND: An aggressive skin cancer on the nose, tends to have poorly defined clinical margins, and has a higher recurrence rate. A small tumor on the nose is usually easily treated by any of the standard methods. However, removal and reconstruction with preserved cosmesis is more laborous in a basal cell carcinoma larger than 10 mm in diameter. This is because the nose has complex contoures, unique skin color and texture, and the limited availability of mobile adjacent skin. When available Mohs micrographic surgery is the preferred treatment for these large tumors. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to investigate the preferred reconstruction method(especially, local flap reconstruction) by the cosmetic unit of the nose after Mohs micrographic surgery. METHODS: From March 1991 to February 1997, twenty-one patients were diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma on the nose at our department. All the tumors were removed with Mohs micrographic surgery, and then the defects were reconstructed with a primary closure, skin graft, and local flap.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Humans ; Mohs Surgery* ; Nose* ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Skin Neoplasms ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Child* ; Heel* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Acinar Cells* ; Arthritis* ; Carcinoma, Acinar Cell* ; Humans ; Panniculitis*

BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata(AA) is believed to be an autoimmune disease in which a mononuclear cell infiltrate develops in and around anagen hair follicles. There is no clearly superior therapy in the treatment of AA, especially AA with atopic dermatitis and alopecia universalis. The theory of autoimmune pathogenesis of alopecia areata suggests a potential therapeutic effect of cyclosporin-A(CsA). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of CsA in the treatment of AA. METHOD: 12 patients with severe or refractory AA were treated with DPCP for at least 12 months. They showed resistance to treatment using DPCP. CsA was made up as a 0.01M, 0.005M solution in an ethanol preparation. 1cc of 0.01M CsA solution was applied on the Lt. side scalp and 1cc of 0.005M CsA solution was applied on the Rt. side scalp. The drug was applied once per week. Response to treatment was evaluated as follows: complete recovery, more than a 80% extent of hair regrowth; marked recovery, hair regrowth of 60% to 80%, moderate recovery, hair regrowth of 40% to 60%; slight recovery, hair regrowth of 20% to 40%; no response, hair regrowth of 0% to 20%. RESULT: The Six patients with focal type AA showed a moderate recovery. Of the six patients with alopecia totalis, 4 patients showed a moderate recovery, two patients showed no response. CONCLUSION: Topical CsA therapy is recommended in severe and refractory AA.
Alopecia Areata* ; Alopecia* ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Ethanol ; Hair ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Scalp

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to explain the effect and reciprocal action among tumor necrosis factor (TNF) like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK), fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14 (Fn14), and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) on degeneration of human intervertebral disc (IVD). METHODS: Human intervertebral disc tissues and cells were cultured with Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium/Nutrient F-12 Ham (DMEM/F-12) media in 37degrees C, 5% CO2 incubator. When IVD tissues were cultured with TWEAK, Fn14 that is an antagonistic receptor for TWEAK and TGF-beta1, the level of sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) was estimated by dimethyl methyleneblue (DMMB) assay and sex determining region Y (SRY)-box 9 (Sox9) and versican messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels were estimated by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: When human IVD tissue was cultured for nine days, the sGAG content was elevated in proportion to culture duration. The sGAG was decreased significantly by TWEAK 100 ng/mL, however, Fn14 500 ng/mL did not change the sGAG production of IVD tissue. The Fn14 increased versican and Sox9 mRNA levels decreased with TWEAK in IVD tissue TGF-beta1 20 ng/mL elevated the sGAG concentration 40% more than control. The sGAG amount decreased with TWEAK was increased with Fn14 or TGF-beta1 but the result was insignificant statistically. TGF-beta1 increased the Sox9 mRNA expression to 180% compared to control group in IVD tissue. Sox9 and versican mRNA levels decreased by TWEAK were increased with TGF-beta1 in primary cultured IVD cells, however, Fn14 did not show increasing effect on Sox9 and versican. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that TWEAK would act a role in intervertebral disc degeneration through decreasing sGAG and the mRNA level of versican and Sox9.
Apoptosis ; Fibroblasts ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Humans ; Incubators ; Intervertebral Disc ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Versicans

BACKGROUND: The PUVA therapy of psoriasis is a very effective therapeutic modality that combines the action of light and drugs. Generally the conventional PUVA therapy based on patient's skin type is used in Korea. But there are many reported that conventional PUVA therapy is not suitable in several instances including the determination of oral 8-methoxypsoralen(8-MOP) dose, initial and incremental UVA dose and so on. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to establish a new protocol of PUVA therapy that is photomedically acceptable. METHOD: From 1997 to 2001, twenty psoriasis patients of moderate to severe grade who visited our clinic, were treated with PUVA therapy. Initial UVA dose was the same as MPD of each patient and proportion of weekly incremental UVA dose was 20% added to previous dose. All patients received PUVA therapy twice a week. The 8-MOP dose was determined by body surface area. RESULT: Total of 8 patients were skin type III, and 12 patients were skin type IV. The average of initial MPD in skin type III was 1.75J/cm2(0.5~2.5J/cm2) and skin type IV was 3.25J/cm2(2.5~4.5J/cm2). The average number of treatments to the end of therapy were 13.63(10~16) in skin type III, and 12.5(8~18) in skin type IV. The total cumulative UVA dose was 44.73J/cm2(30~68.2J/cm2) in skin type III, and 67.98J/cm2(31.6~109J/cm2) in skin type IV. CONCLUSION: The excellent effectiveness and safety of our new PUVA protocol have been demonstrated. We conclude that this PUVA protocol is a very effective, safe, and efficient method for the treatment of psoriatic patients.
Body Surface Area ; Humans ; Korea ; Methoxsalen ; Psoriasis* ; PUVA Therapy* ; Skin

No abstract available.
Aged* ; Arm* ; Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous ; Humans

No abstract available.
Dermatitis*