This study aimed to evaluate the effect of seminal vesicle fluid (SVF) on the acrosome reaction (AR) occurred spontaneously or induced by Ca2+ ionophore A23187, follicular fluid, and progesterone in mouse epididymal sperm. SVF was divided into high (MW>10 kM)) and low (MW<10 kD) fractions by ultrafiltration. The low MW fraction of SVF decreased the rate of spontaneous AR, however the high MW fraction did not. It suggested that the low MW fraction of SVF might have contained decapacitation factor(s) responsible for prolonging of time need for capacitation. When sperm preincubated for 60 min in the presence of SVF, the rate of AR induced by A23187 was decreased, but prolongation of preincubation time for 120 min significantly potentiated the AR by A23187. It suggested that addition of SVF into sperm preincubation medium imposed the epididymal sperm a condition similar to ejaculation. AR induced by human follicular fluid or progesterone was also inhibited by SVF. It suggested that substance in SVF might have affected AR of mouse sperm by inhibiting the interaction between AR inducing ligands and sperm surface receptors involved in acrosomal exocytosis.
Acrosome Reaction* ; Acrosome* ; Animals ; Calcimycin ; Ejaculation ; Exocytosis ; Female ; Follicular Fluid ; Humans ; Ligands ; Male ; Mice* ; Progesterone ; Seminal Vesicles* ; Spermatozoa* ; Ultrafiltration

M-mode, pulsed Doppler and Doppler color flow mapping, in addition to two-dimensional echocardiography, have greatly improved imaging of the fetal heart through identification of abnormal cardiac anatomy and rhythm in utero. The early detection of cardiac disturbance in utero permits alteration in obstetric management such as delivery in a high-risk center for optimal neonatal care and/or decision in optimal delivery time. We report two cases of the neonatal arrhy-thmia which were observed by fetal echocardiography. In the first case, female baby showed neonatal arrhythmias including tachycardia and brady-cardia until 3 days after birth, and then turned to bradyarrhythmia due to non-conducted atrial bigeminy. These events lead us to review the fetal echocardiographs of the patient carefully. Premature atrial contractions were observed in her fetal echocardiography. At 2 months after birth, the patient's electrocardiogram showed normal sinus rhythm. Severe neonatal bradycardia of the second case was due to congenital complete heart block, identified clearly by electrocardiogram after birth. This case also showed complete heart block in her fetal echocardiography. After insertion of the temporary pacemaker, cardiomegaly was improved. Both the neonate and the mother had positive anti-SSA/Ro autoantibody. But any other symptoms and signs of neonatal lupus did not appear in the neonate. Patient's mother also did not show any symptoms and signs of systemic lupus erythematosus. Since the prognosis depends upon the cause of bradyarrhythmia in fetus and neonates, differential diagnosis is important in obstetric management and optimal neonatal treatment.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac* ; Atrial Premature Complexes ; Bradycardia ; Cardiomegaly ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Echocardiography* ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Fetal Heart ; Fetus ; Heart Block ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Prognosis ; Tachycardia

No abstract available.
Animals ; Epithelium* ; Mice* ; Oocytes* ; Oviducts* ; Phenobarbital*

PURPOSE: Temporal lobe epilepsy in infants and children have been the focus of many clinical investigations and observations. Several prognostic aspects of nonlesional temporal lobe epilepsy (NLTLE) in childhood remain unclear or controversial. This study was aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics of NLTLE influencing short-term remission and whether the short-term seizure outcome has any impact on long-term prognosis. METHODS: The study was performed between June 1994 and August 1997. There were 32 newly-referred patients who had diagnosed of NLTLE from the data registry of Pediatric Epilepsy Clinic of Ajou University Medical Center. The patients identification was based on the careful review of hospital records, EEGs, and brain MRI. We have evaluated 6 months terminal remission rate (6M-TR) at one year of continuous antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment as short-term outcome. The predictive value of clinical parameters of NLTLE was comparatively analyzed between the patient who attained 6M-TR and who did not. To identify the long-term prognosis in NLTLE, we analyzed continuous seizure free rate during the next one year and compared between the patient who attained 6M-TR and who did not. RESULTS: 1) Among total 32 NLTLE patients, 18 (56.2%) patients attained 6M-TR at one year of AED treatment. 2) We cannot find any statistically significant clinical parameters influencing the short-term outcome between the two groups : age of onset (P=0.467), duration of illness (P=0.408), seizure type (P=0.725), abnormality of EEG (P=0.473), MRI findings (hippocampal sclerosis or temporal neocortical atrophy) (P=0.685). However, a previous history of perinatal asphyxia (P=0.367) and febrile seizure (P=0.253) were not statistically significant but those clinical parameters suggest clinical significance of influencing short-term outcome of NLTLE. 3) Patients with 6M-TR have showed the next one year remission in significantly higher proportion (77.8%) than those without 6M-TR (28.6%) (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Early short-term outcome of NLTLE is relatively good and significant proportion of patients with early 6M-TR enters the next one year remission period. So we conclude that short-term remission of NLTLE may be an important determinant in predicting long-term prognosis.
Academic Medical Centers ; Age of Onset ; Asphyxia ; Brain ; Child ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe* ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Infant ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prognosis ; Sclerosis ; Seizures ; Seizures, Febrile ; Temporal Lobe*

OBJECTIVE: This study was to investigate the expression of CDK inhibitors, p27kip1 and p57kip2 during the growth and differentiation of mouse placenta. METHODS: Total RNA and protein were extracted from placenta of mouse sacrificed at day 12, 14, 16, 18 post-coitum (p.c.), then semi-quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting of p27kip1 and p57kip2 was carried out, respectively. RESULTS: p27kip1 mRNA was highly expressed in 18 days p.c. then other groups. But, p57kip2 mRNA expression was high in 12, 14, and 16 days p.c., then decreased in 18 days p.c. p27kip1 expression pattern was similar with mRNA. But, p57kip2 was higher in 14 days p.c. than other groups. CONCLUSION: This result shows that p27kip1 may play a role in late period of mouse placental development, and p57kip2 may play a role in middle period of mouse placental development.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Mice* ; Placenta* ; Placentation ; Pregnancy* ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger

Fractures, Comminuted ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Incidence ; Mandibular Fractures ; Wounds and Injuries

OBJECTIVE: This study was to investigate the localization of CDK inhibitor, p57(kip2) in mouse endometrium during the estrus cycle and pre- and peri-implantation periods. METHODS: The p57(kip2) protein was immunostained from endometrium of mouse sacrificed at diestrus, proestrus, estrus, and metestrus cycle, and at day 1-6 post-coitum (p.c.). RESULTS: The staining in the luminal epithelium was very weak in comparison with glandular and stromal cells. In diestrus stage, immunoreactivity of p57(kip2) was heterogeneously strong in parts of decidualized or degenerated stromal cells. In proestrus stage, strong immunoreactivity p57(kip2) was largely found in stromal cells. But, p57(kip2) was showed low immunoreactivity in estrus stage. In metestrus stage, immunoreactivity of p57(kip2) was heterogeneously strong in decidualized stromal cells. In day 1-2 p.c., immunoreactivity of p57(kip2) was low in some endometrial stromal cells. In day 3-4 p.c., immunoreactivity of p57(kip2) was strong in some endometrial stromal cells. In day 5-6 p.c., immunoreactivity of p57(kip2) was strong in decidual cells. CONCLUSION: These suggest that p57(kip2) may play an essential role in endometrial differentiation for maintenance of implantation, especially decidualization of endometrial stromal cells.
Animals ; Diestrus ; Endometrium* ; Epithelium ; Estrus* ; Female ; Metestrus ; Mice* ; Phenobarbital ; Proestrus ; Stromal Cells

OBJECTIVE: This study was to investigate the expression of CDK inhibitors, p27(kip1) and p57(kip2) in mouse endometrium during the estrus cycle and pregnant period. METHODS: Total RNA and protein were extracted from endometrium of mouse sacrificed at diestrus, proestrus, estrus, and metestrus cycle, and at day 1-6 post-coitum (p.c.), then semi-quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting of p27(kip1) and p57(kip2) was carried out. RESULTS: p27(kip1) and p57(kip2) mRNA was highly expressed in diestrus and proestrus stage than estrus and metestrus stage. In comparison with estrus cycle, p27(kip1) and p57(kip2) mRNA level was highly maintained in gestational endometrium (except p27(kip1) of day 5 p.c). p57(kip2) protein level was relatively low from day 1 p.c. to day 4 p.c. But it was significantly increased in day 5 p.c. and day 6 p.c. CONCLUSION: These results show that p27(kip1) and p57(kip2) may play a role in endometrial differentiation for regular estrus cycle and implantation, and especially p57(kip2) may play an essential role in endometrial differentiation for maintenance of implantation.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Diestrus ; Endometrium* ; Estrus ; Female ; Metestrus ; Mice* ; Proestrus ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger

In the studies on the hatching mechanisms in mammals, many investigators focused on the embryonic intrinsic factor(s) in in vitro culture, but the uterine environment as the extrinsic factor(s) is thought to play an important role in hatching mechanism. Therefore, to evaluate the effect of uterine environment on the hatching event in vivo, the immature(GV) and ovulated(MII) oocytes, and the late 2-cell embryos of mouse were transferred to pseudopregnant foster mother's uterus during peri-implantation period. So it was verified whether there would happen hatching by only uterine environment independently on embryonic stage. The ultrastructural changes of the zona surface of transferred group were compared with those of in vivo and vitro group by SEM. 36 hrs after transfer, the immature and ovulated oocytes almost degenerated, and the late 2-cell embryos developed to various embryonic stages. However, the embryos which didn't develop to blastula stage did not hatch. The ultrastructural network of ZP in transferred group seemed to be smoothed uniformly, which was different from in vitro group. In conclusion, it is suggested that the uterine environment during peri-implantation period enhances the embryo hatching by provoking the structural change of ZP.
Animals ; Blastula ; Embryonic Structures* ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Mammals ; Mice* ; Oocytes* ; Research Personnel ; Uterus ; Zona Pellucida*

BACKGROUND: Monocytes/macrophages play a central role in determining the host response during Gram-negative infection through secretion of a variety of mediators after stimulation of LPS. Even though cytokine production has been shown to play an important role in host defense during sepsis cytokine release may also lead to tissue injury. Thus, regulation of macrophage response to LPS is critical for host survival during Gram-neg-alive sepsis. In animals exposed to nonlethal doses of endotoxin a characteristic hyporesponsiveness to subsequent administration of endotoxin has been observed. This phenomenon was knowm as 'LPS tolerance'. However, little information is availavble regarding the underlying mechanism of U)S tolerance. METHOD: Peripheral blood monocyte(PBMC) was isolated from peripheral blood of normal volunteers by adhesion purification method. To evaluate conditions to obtain LPS tolerance. preculture was carried out with LPS at 10ng/ml for 24 hours. For stimulation culture plates were washed two times and were stimulated with LPS at 1ng/ml for 4, 6 and 26 hours. To assess the underlying mechanisms of LPS tolerance, autologous serum, PMA, anti-CD14 Ab, Indomethacin or PGF2 were added to preculture solution respectively. Cytokine concentrations in culture supernatants were measured using ELISA for TNF-α and IL-8 and mRNA of TNF-α and IL-8 were determined by Northern blot analysis. RESULTS: The exposure of PBMC to low dose of LPS suppressed the cytokine production and mRNA expression of TNF-α, but not IL-8. Anti-CDl4 Ab partially recovered production of TNF-α which was suppressed by preculture with low dose LPS. The preculture with PMA induces US tolerance, as preculture with low dose LPS. CONCLUSION: LPS tolerance to TNF-α is regulated pretranslationally and is influenced by protein kinase C pathway and CD14.
Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Dinoprost ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Healthy Volunteers ; Indomethacin ; Interleukin-8* ; Macrophages ; Monocytes* ; Protein Kinase C ; RNA, Messenger ; Sepsis ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*