No abstract available.
Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Mothers*

Laryngoscopy and intubation cause an adrenergic response manifested by tachycardia and hypertension. Various phamacological agents have been administered prior to induction in an attempt to attenuate the adrenergic response but they all have limitations. The objective of our study was to determine if esmolol would be equally effective when adrninistered in a bolus with and without fentanyl. A double-blind, randomized trial was conducted in sixty ASA physical status 1 patients undergoing elective surgery. All patients were premedicated with 0.2 mg/kg diazepam orally and glycopyrrolate 0.04 mg/kg intramuseularyly 1 hour beforehand. Induction of anesthesia was accomplished with 4 mg/kg thiopental intravenously foUowed immediately by 0.15-0.2 mg/kg vecuronium and study drug (placebo, esmolol 150 mg, esmolol 150 mg and fentanyl 100 mcg). Endotracheal intubation was performed at 2 minutes after study drug adrninistration. Anesthesia was maintained with 1 MAC (+/-10%) isoflurane in 60% nitrous oxide in oxygen at a 5 L/min flow for 6 minutes. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured every minute by an automatic recording device. After laryngoscopy and intubation, maximum increase in stolic blood pressure above awake levels was 33 mmHg (p<0.05) and 14 mmHg (p<0.05) in esmolol 150 mg, esmolol 150 mg with fentanyl 100 mcg respectively, whereas systolic blood pressure increased 62 mmHg after tracheal intubation in patients with placebo. In six patients with esmolol 150 mg, rate-pressure product reached a level considered potentially dangerous to patients with coronary artery disease. However, when used with fentanyl, esmolol provides effectvie protection against the adrenergic response and increase of the rate-pressure product to laryngoscopy and intubation.
Anesthesia ; Blood Pressure* ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Diazepam ; Fentanyl* ; Glycopyrrolate ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal* ; Isoflurane ; Laryngoscopy ; Nitrous Oxide ; Oxygen ; Tachycardia ; Thiopental ; Vecuronium Bromide

Hearing loss in the contralateral functioning ear is a rare and distressing complication after vetibular schwannoma removal. Various possible mechanisms have been proposed, however, the etiology of hearing loss is not clear. Fortunately, this is an extremely rare occurrence, sporadic case reports have appeared in the literatures. We report two cases of acute contralateral hearing loss after vestibular schwannoma removal and discuss the possible mechanisms of the phenomenon. Although permanent deafness may result, in our cases, the hearing loss was temporary, returning to near preoperative level within one month. The etiology of hearing loss in one case is thought to be cerebrospinal fluid leakage. However, in the other case, the cause of hearing loss is not clear. A better understanding of these events may lead to preventive measures to avoid contralateral hearing loss after vestibular schwannoma removal.
Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Deafness ; Ear* ; Hearing Loss* ; Hearing* ; Neurilemmoma ; Neuroma, Acoustic*

Skin metastasis from carcinoma of uterine cervix is extremely rare and its incidence is reported as 0.1~1.3%. Common pattern of occurrence is multiple nodules in abdomen, external genitalia, or lower extremeties. It is believed that the pathogenesis of skin metastasis is a result of retrograde spread of the tumor secondary to lymphatic obstruction. Treatment of skin metastasis may consist of surgical excision, local irradiation, or chemotherapy, but the prognosis is very poor and median survival is about 3 months. We have experienced such a case and report the case with brief review of literatures.
Abdomen ; Cervix Uteri ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Genitalia ; Incidence ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Prognosis ; Skin* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Arteries* ; Humans

PURPOSE: Mechanical thrombectomy using a Solitaire stent has been associated with a high recanalization rate and favorable clinical outcome in intra-arterial thrombolysis. To achieve a higher recanalization rate for mechanical Solitaire thrombectomy, we used an intra-arterial low-dose booster tirofiban injection into the occluded segment after stent deployment. We report the safety and recanalization rates for mechanical Solitaire thrombectomy with a low-dose booster tirofiban injection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February and March 2013, 13 consecutive patients underwent mechanical Solitaire thrombectomy with low-dose booster tirofiban injection. The occlusion sites included the proximal middle cerebral artery (5 patients), the internal carotid artery (5 patients), the top of the basilar artery (2 patients) and the distal middle cerebral artery (M2 segment, 1 patient). Six patients underwent bridge treatment, including intravenous tissue plasminogen activator. Tirofiban of 250 µg was used in all patients except one (500 µg). All occluded vessels were recanalized after 3 attempts at stent retrieval (1 time, n=9; 2 times, n=2; 3 times, n=2). RESULTS: Successful recanalization was achieved in all patients (TICI 3, n=8; TICI 2b, n=5). Procedural complications developed in 3 patients (subarachnoid hemorrhage, n=2; hemorrhagic transformation, n=1). Mortality occurred in one patient with a basilar artery occlusion due to reperfusion brain swelling after mechanical Solitaire thrombectomy with low-dose booster tirofiban injection. Favorable clinical outcome (mRS≤2) was observed in 8 patients (61.5%). CONCLUSION: Our modified mechanical Solitaire thrombectomy method using a low-dose booster tirofiban injection might enhance the recanalization rate with no additive hemorrhagic complications.
Basilar Artery ; Brain Edema ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Methods ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Mortality ; Reperfusion ; Stents ; Thrombectomy* ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator

No abstract available.
Animals ; Rats*

Chaenomeles sinensis is known to inhibit the development and progression of many age-related diseases, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unclear. In the present study, we observed that the ethanol extract of Chaenomeles sinensis scavenged 2,2’-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl and 2,2’-azinobis diammonium radicals in vitro. The ethanol extract of Chaenomeles sinensisactivated antioxidant response element-luciferase activity and induced expression of NRF2 target genes in HaCaT cells. The ethanol extract of Chaenomeles sinensis also suppressed LPS-induced expression of COX-2 and iNOS proteins, and mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-2 in RAW264.7 cells. Finally, the ethanol extract of Chaenomeles sinensis significantly suppressed testosterone propionate-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia in mice. Together, our study provides the evidence that the ethanol extract of Chaenomeles sinensis inhibits the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia by exhibiting anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

In this study, the prevalence of Hepatitis B virus(HBV) DNA in the needle biopsied paraffin embedded liver tissues of chronic hepatitis B patients by rapid nested PCR was examined. DNA was extracted by NaOH with boiling, and amplified by rapid air thermocycler with glass capillary tubes and nested PCR with two primer sets specific for the surface and the core genes of HBV. The PCR results were compared to that of serum HBeAg, serum HBV DNA by dot blot hybridization with a radioactive DNA probe, and tissue immunohistochemical (HBsAg/ HBcAg) studies. Among 44 patients with chronic hepatitis with serum HBsAg positivity, HBV DNA could be detected by PCR in 43 liver tissues (98%). This results were comparable to the positive rates of 94%(31/33) for serum HBV DNA, 80%(35/44) for serum HBeAg, and 59%(26/44) and 75%(33/44) for tissue HBsAg and HBcAg, respectively. The accordance rate between tissue PCR and serum DNA probe testing was 91%. The results indicate that HBV DNA detection by rapid nested PCR of paraffin embedded liver tissues by needle biopsy is a more sensitive method to detect the HBV DNA carrier than the serum HBeAg or tissue HBsAg/HBcAg status, and is well correlated with the result of serum HBV DNA probe testing. Therefore this method is a practical indicator for the diagnosis and replication status in retrospective analysis.
Biopsy

Laminins, a subset of glycoproteins, are main components of the basement membrane along with fibronectin, type IV collagen, and heparan sulfate proteoglycan and influence the biologic features, such as growth and polarization, of all tissues attached on the basement membrane. Although evidence has been suggested that laminins are involved in the process of hair follicle formation in mammalian skin tissues, the significance of laminin on the physiology of hair follicles remains to be fully understood. In this study, we assessed whether the distribution of laminin is associated with the growth of hair follicles and whether all-trans retinoic acid (RA), a stimulus of hair follicle growth, affects the expression profile of laminins. To observe the distribution of laminin varied depending on the developmental stages, fetuses(at day 20 of gestation) and pups(at day 1 and 3 after birth) of Sprague- Dawley rats were used. To examine the effect of RA, 5 days-old pups were administered with RA and their skin tissues were removed post mortem 2, 4, or 7 days later. Skin specimens were sectioned and observed using the immunohistochemical staining, immunogold staining for electron microscopy, and in situ RT-PCR assays. In fetuses at day 20 of gestation and 1 and 3-days-old pups, the distribution of laminin within hair follicles was restricted in the cytoplasm of fibroblasts located in hair papilla and dermal root sheath, basement membrane, and glassy membrane. Following RA treatment for 2 and 4 days, laminin expression was increased in the basement membrane, glassy membrane, outer root sheath, and dermal root sheath in hair follicles. Following RA treatment for 2 and 4 days, the level of laminin was increased in fibroblasts and matrix cells present in hair follicles, as shown in immunogold staining. The expression of laminin at day 7 post administration with RA was decreased at the level comparable with that of untreated controls. In in situ RT-PCR assays, matrix cells in hair follicles exhibited an increase in the levels of laminin alpha1 and beta1 transcripts following RA administration. Thus, these results suggest that matrix cells play a role in the growth of hair by enhancing laminin gene expression and all-trans retinoic acid promotes this induction.
Animals ; Basement Membrane ; Collagen Type IV ; Cytoplasm ; Fetus ; Fibroblasts ; Fibronectins ; Gene Expression ; Glycoproteins ; Hair Follicle* ; Hair* ; Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans ; Laminin* ; Membranes ; Microscopy, Electron ; Physiology ; Pregnancy ; Rats* ; Skin ; Tretinoin*