BACKGROUND: Food restriction has been reported to ameliorate diabetes and obesity. In this study, we examined the effects of the food restriction on phenotypes of TALLYHO/JngJ (TH) mouse, a recently developed diabetic model animal. METHODS: 3 week-old TH mice were divided into 2 groups (n = 20 each for food-restricted (THR) and free-fed (THF)) and THR mice were fed the same amount of food as normal control mice (C57BL/6, n = 20). Body weight was weekly monitored till 14 weeks of age. The half of animals were sacrificed at 8 weeks of age, and liver, kidney, and fat weight were measured. The histopathology of liver and brown fat tissues and mRNA expression of leptin in adipose tissue were analyzed. The oral glucose tolerance test and insulin resistance test was done at 14 weeks of age. The plasma concentrations of glucose, free fatty acid, triglyceride, cholesterol and leptin were analyzed. RESULTS: The THR mice had lower body weights than the THF mice, similar to C57BL/6 mice, with reduced fat deposition in liver and brown fat tissue. The plasma levels of glucose, triglyceride and free fatty acid were decreased in the THR group. The THR mice, however, carried more fat than normal mice, with increased plasma leptin concentration and leptin mRNA expression in fats and no alteration in plasma cholesterol levels. Furthermore, the THR mice revealed glucose intolerance with impaired after-meal insulin secretion and slight insulin resistance CONCLUSION: The food restriction apparently ameliorated the obesity and diabetic phenotypes of TH mice. However, plasma concentration of cholesterol were not improved in THR mice with increased adiposity index and glucose intolerance, suggesting the genetically prone tendency of obesity and diabetes development in TH mice possibly with an impairment in cholesterol metabolism.
Adipose Tissue ; Adipose Tissue, Brown ; Adiposity ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Fats ; Glucose ; Glucose Intolerance ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Kidney ; Leptin ; Liver ; Mice ; Obesity ; Phenotype ; Plasma ; RNA, Messenger

Sarcoidosis, in general, has a low mortality rate. But cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is a serious condition which may lead to death. Here, we report a rare case of CS that was treated by heart transplantation. A 47-year-old male had occasional syncopes and atypical chest pain. Ventricular tachycardia with right bundle branch block was noted by electrocardiogram. Multiple fixed myocardial perfusion defects in the interventricular septum and both the inferior-posterior ventricular walls were observed by thallium scan. Coronary angiography was unremarkable. Neither perihilar nor mediastinal lymphadenopathy was noted. The patient also suffered three times from tonic-clonic generalized seizures in 3 years, but no neurologic abnormalities were detected. The explanted heart displayed multiple white patches on the endomyocardial surface, measuring up to 8x7 cm. On microscopic examination, the lesion consisted of multiple well-formed and confluent granulomas with numerous scattered multinucleated giant cells, CD68-positive epithelioid histiocytes, and T-lymphocytes. Neither microorganisms nor foreign material was identified on special stain and culture study. It has been six months since the heart transplant, and the patient has been doing well.
Bundle-Branch Block ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Angiography ; Electrocardiography ; Giant Cells ; Granuloma ; Heart ; Heart Transplantation* ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Perfusion ; Sarcoidosis* ; Seizures ; Syncope ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Thallium

Recent evidence shows that transcriptional silencing as a consequence of hypermethylation of CpG islands is an important mechanism in the inactivation of p16INK4 tumor suppressor gene. This study is designed to clarify the significance of p16INK4 hypermethylation in 23 cases of glioblastomas (GBMs) by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and p16 immunostaining. Fourteen cases (60.9%) out of 23 GBMs revealed hypermethylation on p16. p16 immunostaining revealed that 13 (93%) of these 14 hypermethylation cases showed complete loss of immunoreactivity and only one (7%) case retained immunoreactivity. Among 9 methylation-negative cases, 4 were immunonegative, which might be related to mutations or deletions other than hypermethylation. The most significant finding was that of 17 cases with immunonegativity, 13 cases (76.5%) showed hypermethylation. We reconfirmed that p16 hypermethylation may be one of the major mechanisms of tumorigenesis of GBMs and the results between the methylation specific-PCR study and p16 immunostaining had a good correlation.
5' Untranslated Regions/metabolism* ; 5' Untranslated Regions/genetics ; Adult ; Antisense Elements (Genetics) ; Brain Neoplasms/pathology ; Brain Neoplasms/genetics* ; Brain Neoplasms/chemistry ; CpG Islands/physiology* ; DNA Methylation* ; Female ; Gene Silencing/physiology ; Glioblastoma/pathology ; Glioblastoma/genetics* ; Glioblastoma/chemistry ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Protein p16/genetics* ; Protein p16/analysis

OBJECTIVE: A hepatic mesenchymal hamartoma is an uncommon benign tumor in children and little is known about the spectrum of its radiological features. The purpose of this study is to describe the spectrum of radiological features of a hepatic mesenchymal hamartoma in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen children with a pathologically confirmed hepatic mesenchymal hamartoma (M:F = 7:6; mean age, 3 years 2 months) were included in our study. Ultrasonography (US) was performed in nine patients including color and power Doppler US (n = 7). CT scans were performed in all patients. We evaluated the imaging findings of the hepatic mesenchymal hamartomas and the corresponding pathological features. RESULTS: Each patient had a single tumor (mean diameter: 13 cm [1.8-20 cm]). On CT and/or US, four patients (31%) had a "multiseptated cystic tumor", five patients (38%) had a " mixed solid and cystic tumor", and four patients (31%) had a "solid tumor." The septa of the cystic portion were thin in the multiseptated cystic tumors and irregularly thick in the mixed solid and cystic tumors as seen on US. On a post-contrast CT scan, solid portions or thick septa of the tumors showed heterogeneous enhancement. The amount of hepatocytes was significantly different among the three tumor groups according to the imaging spectrum (p = 0.042). CONCLUSION: A hepatic mesenchymal hamartoma in children can show a wide spectrum of radiological features, from a multiseptated cystic tumor to a mixed solid and cystic tumor, and even a solid tumor.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; Contrast Media/administration & dosage ; Female ; Hamartoma/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Infant ; Liver/*radiography/ultrasonography ; Liver Neoplasms/*diagnosis ; Male ; Mesoderm/*radiography/ultrasonography ; Observer Variation ; Radiographic Image Enhancement/methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color/methods

Background: Neonatal porcine pancreatic cell clusters (NPCCs) have been proposed as an alternative source of β cells for islet transplantation because of their low cost and growth potential after transplantation. However, the delayed glucose lowering effect due to the immaturity of NPCCs and immunologic rejection remain as a barrier to NPCC’s clinical application. Here, we demonstrate accelerated differentiation and immune-tolerant NPCCs by in vitro chemical treatment and microencapsulation. Methods: NPCCs isolated from 3-day-old piglets were cultured in F-10 media and then microencapsulated with alginate on day 5. Differentiation of NPCCs is facilitated by media supplemented with activin receptor-like kinase 5 inhibitor II, triiodothyronine and exendin-4 for 2 weeks. Marginal number of microencapsulated NPCCs to cure diabetes with and without differentiation were transplanted into diabetic mice and observed for 8 weeks. Results: The proportion of insulin-positive cells and insulin mRNA levels of NPCCs were significantly increased in vitro in the differentiated group compared with the undifferentiated group. Blood glucose levels decreased eventually after transplantation of microencapsulated NPCCs in diabetic mice and normalized after 7 weeks in the differentiated group. In addition, the differentiated group showed nearly normal glucose tolerance at 8 weeks after transplantation. In contrast, neither blood glucose levels nor glucose tolerance were improved in the undifferentiated group. Retrieved graft in the differentiated group showed greater insulin response to high glucose compared with the undifferentiated group. Conclusion in vitro differentiation of microencapsulated immature NPCCs increased the proportion of insulin-positive cells and improved transplant efficacy in diabetic mice without immune rejection.

PURPOSE: The object of present study was to investigate the relationship between LCPD and the abnormality of certain plasma proteins affecting clot mechanism and fibrinolysis in patients with LCP disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five consecutive patients who had been diagnosed as LCP disease were matched with twenty-five controls for gender, age (2-year range) , and the time of presentation (1-year range) . There were twenty-three boys and two girls. The mean age of the children when the LCP disease was diagnosed was 6.7 years ( range, 2.1-12.8 years) , and the mean age at the time of the present study was 7.9 years ( range, 3.4 - 13 year) . Thrombotic disorders were investigated for protein C activity/antigenicity, protein S activity/antigenicity, antithrombin III, anticardiolipin antibody Ig G, anticardiolipin antibody Ig M, lupus antibody. Fibrinolytic disorders were investigated for tissue type plasminogen activator (t-PA) , plasminogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) , alpha 2 plasmin inhibitor, lipoprotein (a) . Wilcoxon rank sum test was used for the comparison. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in coagulation system and fibrinolytic system between patients and controls. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that abnormality in coagulation and fibrinolytic system is not associated with Legg-Calv -Perthes disease.
alpha-2-Antiplasmin ; Antibodies, Anticardiolipin ; Antithrombin III ; Blood Proteins ; Child ; Female ; Fibrinolysis ; Humans ; Lipoprotein(a) ; Plasminogen ; Plasminogen Activators ; Protein C ; Protein S ; Thrombophilia* ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It has been reported that lymph node (LN) metastasis occurs in approximately 10 percent of patients with submucosally invasive colorectal carcinoma. The present study was performed to determine the clinical significance of absolute and relative depth of submucosal invasion and to find the associated pathological risk factors of LN metastasis in submucosally invasive colorectal carcinoma. METHODS: From June, 1989 to May, 1999, 2,580 patients were pathologically confirmed as having colorectal carcinoma. Of these patients, a total of 61 subjects with submucosally invasive carcinoma could be reviewed pathologically and were included in this retrospective analysis. The relative depth of submucosal invasion was evaluated by Kudo (sm1, 2, 3) and modified Haggitt (L1, 2, 3) classifications, and the absolute depth was measured. RESULTS: The absolute depth of submucosal invasion was significantly correlated with the relative depth evaluated by both Kudo and modified Haggitt classifications (p<0.01). Of 51 patients in whom the status of LN metastasis could be evaluated, six (11.8%) showed LN metastasis. Among the patients with LN metastasis, there was no one with sm1 or L1 in the relative depth and 500 micrometer or less in the absolute depth. The risk of LN metastasis was related to the gross type, and lymphatic or vessel invasion (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The risk factors for LN metastasis in submucosally invasive colorectal carcinoma were the gross type and lymphatic or vessel invasion. The results also suggest that the absolute depth of submucosal invasion might be a useful parameter to select the patients for the endoscopic treatment.
Classification ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes* ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors*