PURPOSE: The replacement of functional genes into cells that lack genes or mutant genes is the basis of gene therapy. In cancer, where cells often have multiple genetic defects, the replacement of critical genes may suffice to suppress cell growth or induce cell death. In malignant brain tumors, p53 mutation are among the most frequently observed genetic findings and inactivation p53 suggests that p53 plays a critical role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Therefore, we study the successful transfer of the wild-type p53 gene using a replicative deficient adenovirus vector into human glioma and medulloblastoma c~ell lines. Meterials and Methods: The human glioma cell line T-98G, U-87MG, U-373MG were used. To determine the efficiency of the adenovirus vector, cell lines were transfected with the Ad-p gal and analysed with X-Gal staining. Cell viability was determined by trypan blue exclusion every day after infection and Westem blot analysis was used to conform the expression of the exogenous p53 protein. RESULTS: Cell growth of the Ad-CMV-p53 infected U-373MG, and U-87MG was significantly suppressed. It appeared that exogenous p53 protein expression had an earlier ad more profound suppressive effect on U-373MG having a mutated p53 gene than on U-87MG having a wild-type p53. The expression of the exogenous p53 was more than 10 times higher than the expression of the endogenous p53. To examine the decreased viability, U-373MG was stained with Hochest 33258 and detected nuclear condensation and apoptic body. Staining results suggest that cells undergo apoptosis. CONCLUSION: The replicative deficient adenoviral vector can transfer and express p53 in human glioma cell lines in vitro, restoring wild-type p53 tumor suppressor functions. The restoration of normal p53-encoded protein in the mutant ceil lines induced cell death. The high expression of the newly transduced protein had different effects on the growth rate of the infected cell lines depending on the p53 status of the cells.
Adenoviridae* ; Apoptosis ; Brain Neoplasms ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Death ; Cell Line* ; Cell Survival ; Genes, p53 ; Genetic Therapy ; Glioma* ; Humans ; Medulloblastoma ; Trypan Blue

In order to evaluate the efficiency of serological typing of A. baumannii in practical application, a total of 63 strains of A. baumannii and 234 strains of Gram-negative, lactose non-fermenting bacteria were tested with polyclonal rabbit immunized sera (RIS) against heat-killed A. baumannii strains by slide agglutination tests. Six typing sera of RIS were finally obtained after the checkerboard agglutination test and reciprocal cross-absorption. Species identification of sixty-three strains of A. baumannii were confirmed by ribotyping. Forty-seven (74.6%) of the 63 strains of A. baumannii showed strong positive reaction by slide agglutination tests. Thirty-nine strains could be serotypable and thus classified into 6 distinct serovars of A. baumannii, but 8 strains were unable to classify into specific serovar. Serovar 4 was the most frequent arbitrary serovar and included 17 strains among the 39. When slide agglutination tests were performed with 50-fold diluted pooled polyclonal RIS, there was no cross-reactions except one of E. coli strain among 234 strains of various Gram-negative lactose non-fermenting. Although each profile of LPS-gel electrophoresis of A. baumannii appeared to be unrelated with serovar, the patterns of western-blot of LPS after immunostaining with homologous RIS showed serovar-specificity. Several fractions of low molecular weight LPS showed cross-reaction with antisera of other serovars. In conclusion, the sensitivity and specificity of serological identification of A. baumannii strains were 74.6% and 99.6%, respectively. This result suggests that serotyping is a useful method for the identification of A. baumannii strains as well as is the epidemiological tool to trace back the source of the nosocomial outbreaks.
Acinetobacter baumannii* ; Acinetobacter* ; Agglutination Tests ; Bacteria ; Disease Outbreaks ; Electrophoresis ; Immune Sera ; Lactose ; Molecular Weight ; Ribotyping ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Serotyping

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Female ; Humans ; Polycystic Kidney Diseases*

No abstract available.
Mitral Valve*

No abstract available.
Myiasis*

Life can be kept in suspended animation either before fertilization at oocyte stage or after fertilization at different stages of embryonic development for a variety of reasons. It not only has potential applications in fertility preservation and management in human but also has important roles in the preservation and management of animal genetic resources, low-cost international movement of selected genetics, and rapid dissemination of germplasm through assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and genetic engineering. Currently, slow-freezing and vitrification are the two approaches by which oocytes and embryos can be cryopreserved for long-term storage. Both of these methods have their own advantages and disadvantages but allow the cryopreservation of oocytes and embryos with comparable efficiency. Vitrification of oocyte and embryos, although proven successful just 13 years after slow-freezing, is generally considered an emerging technology and appears to slow gain acceptance in both animal and human ART despite having controversial storage and contamination issues. In this manuscript, we discuss the basic techniques of oocyte/embryo cryopreservation and review the current status and recent developments in vitrification.
Animals ; Cryopreservation ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Fertility Preservation ; Fertilization ; Genetic Engineering ; Humans ; Oocytes ; Pregnancy ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; Vitrification

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic* ; Sterilization, Tubal*

Spontaneous regression of an intracranial lesion, as seen in sequential CT or MRI images, does not necessarily indicate a self-limiting process such as trauma or vascular disease. This report describes two cases of intracranial enhancing lesions which, on follow-up, showed complete resolution of the changes seen on MRI, without any treatment other than the administration of corticosteroid for a short period. We review several reports of "disappearing CT lesions", and discuss the possible mechanism of disappearance of intracranial lesions.
Follow-Up Studies ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Vascular Diseases

Telomerase is an enzyme that maintains telomeres and prevents telomere shortening, and may be linked with cellular proliferation or the aging process. The purpose was to examine telomerase activity in human chorionic villi from early and term normal pregnancies, and to analyze the correlation of telomerase activity (TA) with MIB-1 & bcl-2. A total of 37 placentae were obtained from 16 early and 21 term pregnancies. TA was assayed by telomeric repeat amplification protocol, and immunohistochemical staining was performed for MIB-1 & bcl-2 expression. TA & MIB-1 expression were strong in early placenta, but bcl-2 was highly expressed in term placentae. Thirteen (81.25%) of 16 early placentae showed TA, but only 2 (9.52%) of 21 term placentae expressed TA (p<0.01). MIB-1 was observed in nuclei of cytotrophoblast, and the expression rate was 16.09% in early placentae and 2.87% in term placentae (p<0.01). bcl-2 was observed only in the cytoplasm of syncytiotrophoblast. Term placenta demonstrated stronger expression of bcl-2 compared to early placentae (p<0.05). These findings suggest that TA, MIB-1 & bcl-2 expression are critically regulated over the course of gestation: cytotrophoblast, main cells of early chorionic villi, may be a common source of telomerase and proliferative activity. The TA showed good correlation with cellular proliferative activity. Syncytiotrophoblast, may be a main source of bcl-2 expression which is stronger in the term placentae.
Aging ; Cell Proliferation ; Chorion* ; Chorionic Villi* ; Cytoplasm ; Humans* ; Placenta ; Pregnancy* ; Telomerase* ; Telomere ; Telomere Shortening ; Trophoblasts

Changes of deviated angle in monocular exotropic patients with amblyopia were studied in 18 patients who had undergone occlusion therapy to investigate the possibility that occlusion may have an influence on the amount of preexisting exodeviation and fixation. Average follow up time was 9.7 months and average age was 6.3 years old. The size of the deviation angle was changed from 27.00 +/- 6.57 Prism diopter(PD) to 21.05 +/- 10.07 PD at near fixation, and from 28.56 +/- 8.67 PD to 22.05 +/- 10.08 PD at distance fixation(P<0.001). The size of deviation angle decreased more than 6 PD in 7 cases(38.9%) at near fixation and in 8 cases(44.4%) at distance fixation. The preference pattern was changed from monocular to alternating type in 14 cases(77.8%). After occluson in monocular exotropic patients with amblyopia, the visual acuity was improved and deviated angle was changed more than 6 PD. The changed angle was decreased or increased, but one patient was increased less than 5 PD. The remained deviation of angle after occlusion was less than 10 PD in 2 patients and fixation pattern was changed to exophoria in 1 patient. This results were not required surgical treatment in 3 patients. This result suggest that we should be attempt to treat by occlusion before surgery, because the occlusion therapy is helpful to improvement of visual acuity, deviated angle and fixation pattern.
Amblyopia* ; Exotropia* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Visual Acuity