BACKGROUND: The proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cell(VSMC) is a part of the major pathogenic mechanism for atheroscle- rosis. It has been reported that L-type calcium channel plays a role in the VSMC proliferation in diabetic rats. But there is a little study results about the association between L-type calcium channel and VSMC proliferation by glucose concentrations in culture media. So we examined the association between voltage-dependent L-type calcium channel of VSMCs and the proliferative activity of vascular smooth muscle cells. METHODS: Rat aortic VSMCs were isolated from the aorta of OLETF rat by enzyme method. VSMCs were cultured in various concentrations of glucose(5.5, 25 mM). The VSMCs(1x104 cells in 24-well plates) were incubated in the presence of Bay K 8644 (10-6M) with/without verapamil(10-6M) for 48 hours. Then the proliferation was assessed by MTT(methylthiazole tetrazolium) assay and expression of L-type calcium channel mRNA was measured by RT-PCR. RESULTS: The proliferative ability and the expression of L-type calcium channel of cultured VSMCs were increased dose-dependently by the glucose concentrations(p<0.05). Bay K 8644 enhanced the proliferation of VSMC and verapamil blocked the incremental effects induced by Bay K 8644. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that L-type calcium channel may play a role in VSMC proliferation of OLETF rat.
3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-, Methyl ester ; Animals ; Aorta ; Calcium Channels, L-Type* ; Cell Proliferation* ; Culture Media ; Glucose* ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred OLETF* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Verapamil

No abstract available.
Child* ; Dust* ; Humans ; Lymphocytes* ; Pyroglyphidae*

No abstract available.
Laurence-Moon Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Laurence-Moon Syndrome*

The etiologic factors causing low back pain are numerous and variable. Orthopaedic sugreons tend to focus attention to any defects of structural and functional origins such as pine, discs and facet joints. Clinically, however, the fact remains that not all abnormal findings produce back pain and vice vera. Among the many modalities of investigation to determine the etiology of back pain, plain X-ray of the lumbosacral spine is the single most important acreening method. In addition to antero-posterior, lateral and oblique views, stress view of the spine gives certain clue to predict the disc degeneration. The X-ray findings of a total of 503 patients with low back pain (the study group). admitted during the year of 1977 to the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National Medical Center, were reviewed and compared with the control group of 100 patients without relevance to back pain (the control group). Our intention was to explore the relationship between the abnormal findings of plain X-rays and occurence of back pain. and to further entrance the diagnostic value of the spine. The study group of 503 patients (86 cases of which were operated on) were diagnosed not only by routine plain X-rays but also by contrast myelography and tomography in addition to detailed physical examination. Following observations were made: 1. The sex was nearly equally distributed in the atudy group of 503 patients. The age ranged from the second to the eighth decade, dominant group being the third to fifth decades. 2. The causes of the low back pain were herniated disc, spondylosis, spondylolysis, and infection, in that order. 119 patients (23.7%) out of the 503 showed no roentgenologicaI abnormal findings. 3. 384 cases out of the 503 revealed abnormal findings, mainly congenital or developmental and degenerative changes in that order. 4. In a comparative study with the control group, congenital or developmental anomalies and degenerative changes were not related to low back pain. Disc. space narrowing, supposed to be valuable in establishing the diagnosis of low back pain was present in 26% of the cases in study group and in 11% in the control group. 5. The age incidence of the low back pain with congenital or developmental anomalies was mainly in th second and third decades, while that of disc space narrowing was in the third to fifth decade. The degenerative changes of the spine appeared after the fourth decade. 6. Transitional vertebra and tropism are supposed to plsy a role on the degenerative change of the spine. 7. The stress study of the spine had some benifit it the diagnosis of disc degeneration. The mobility of the L4-5 lesion with low back pain was increased to mean 15.1 and standard deviation 3.7, in comparison to the mean 12.3 and standard deviation 3.7 in the control group.
Back Pain ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intention ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Low Back Pain ; Methods ; Myelography ; Physical Examination ; Spine ; Spondylolysis ; Spondylosis ; Tropism ; Zygapophyseal Joint

No abstract available in English.
Gangrene

Purpose: We performed intra-arterial thrombolysis within 6 hours of presentation in Korean patients with acute retinal artery occlusion. The treatment outcomes of our patients were compared with those from a literature review of this procedure. Methods: Visual acuity, intraocular pressure, fundus photo, and fluorescein angiography were examined in five Korean patients who ultimately underwent intra-arterial thrombolysis due to central retinal artery occlusion. The visual acuity of patients was evaluated after the procedure. The treatment outcomes of our patients were compared with those presented in six foreign intra-arterial thrombolysis studies with respect to age, sex, and visual acuity before and after intra-arterial thrombolysis. Results: In our five cases (three males and two females), the average age was 63.4 years and the average time to the procedure of intra-arterial thrombolysis was 4.8 hours. In the five cases, the visual acuity before intra-arterial thrombolysis were hand movements, 0.1, finger counting at 30 cm, hand movements, and 0.08. Visual acuity after intra-arterial thrombolysis were 0.9, 0.5, finger counting at 30 cm, 0.7, and 1.2. The average age of patients in the six studies from the literature was 60 years, and the most common visual acuity before intra-arterial thrombolysis was light perception and hand movements. A slight improvement in visual acuity (>0 to 0.1) was common in most of the studies; however, three studies showed a partial recovery (from 0.2 to 0.4). Conclusions For retinal artery occlusion, intra-arterial thrombolysis within 6 hours should be considered as a treatment option.

Purpose: We performed intra-arterial thrombolysis within 6 hours of presentation in Korean patients with acute retinal artery occlusion. The treatment outcomes of our patients were compared with those from a literature review of this procedure. Methods: Visual acuity, intraocular pressure, fundus photo, and fluorescein angiography were examined in five Korean patients who ultimately underwent intra-arterial thrombolysis due to central retinal artery occlusion. The visual acuity of patients was evaluated after the procedure. The treatment outcomes of our patients were compared with those presented in six foreign intra-arterial thrombolysis studies with respect to age, sex, and visual acuity before and after intra-arterial thrombolysis. Results: In our five cases (three males and two females), the average age was 63.4 years and the average time to the procedure of intra-arterial thrombolysis was 4.8 hours. In the five cases, the visual acuity before intra-arterial thrombolysis were hand movements, 0.1, finger counting at 30 cm, hand movements, and 0.08. Visual acuity after intra-arterial thrombolysis were 0.9, 0.5, finger counting at 30 cm, 0.7, and 1.2. The average age of patients in the six studies from the literature was 60 years, and the most common visual acuity before intra-arterial thrombolysis was light perception and hand movements. A slight improvement in visual acuity (>0 to 0.1) was common in most of the studies; however, three studies showed a partial recovery (from 0.2 to 0.4). Conclusions For retinal artery occlusion, intra-arterial thrombolysis within 6 hours should be considered as a treatment option.

No abstract available.
Mastoid* ; Mastoiditis* ; Otitis Media* ; Otitis* ; Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial*

Serovars of 22 leptospiral field isolates from rats trapped in Korea were identified by cross-agglutinin absorption test (CAAT). Genomic characteristics of 7 selected isolates and 6 antigenically closely related reference serovars of lai, yeonchon, birkini, gem, mwogolo, and canicola were differentiated by arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR) and southern blot hybridization using 16S rRNA gene probe from Borrelia burgdorferi. Among the 22 isolates, 21 strains were identified as serovar lai by CAAT, while the serological reactivity of NR13 did not accord with that of serovar lai. Results of AP-PCR using primers RSP, KF and PB-1 were in general agreement with those obtained by serological identification, and all 7 isolates including NR13 showed the same profile with serovar lai or yeonchon. In the southern blot hybridization with 16S rRNA gene probe, the isolates were divided into two ribotype groups when HindIII and BamHI digests were employed: isolates NR4, NR13, and serovar lai showed the same profile, and isolates JR34, JR57, KR48, JR77, and JR82 were classified as the another ribotype group. Isolate NR13 and serovar yeonchon, which were isolated in Korea and showed serological differences with serovar lai, were indistinguishable from serovar lai in this DNA study using AP-PCR and ribotyping. These results demonstrate that Korean leptospiral isolates were closely related in DNA level, and ribotyping would be useful for subgrouping of field isolates.
Absorption ; Animals ; Blotting, Southern ; Borrelia burgdorferi ; DNA ; Genes, rRNA ; Korea ; Leptospira* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Rats ; Ribotyping*