No abstract available.
Risk Factors*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Clomipramine* ; Preoptic Area* ; Rats* ; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors* ; Serotonin*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Flowmeters* ; Magnets* ; Male ; Models, Animal* ; Penile Erection* ; Rats*

PURPOSE: We evaluated the clinical, plain radiographic, and anglographic findings of congenital vascular malformation of the soft tissue. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Retrospective analysis was performed in 36 patients. Pathological diagnosis was done in 25 patients by surgery and the others were clinically and anglographically diagnosed. On the basis of anglographic findings, we classified the lesions to three groups as arteriovenous malformation(AVM), hemangioma, and venous malformation. In pathologically proven 25 cases, we compared the anglographic diagnosis with the pathologic diagnosis. RESULTS: By anglographic classification, AVM was 13 cases, hemangioma 16 cases, and venous malformation 7 cases. The locations of the lesions were upper extremities in 14 cases, lower extremities in 20 cases, both extremities in 1 case, and back in 1 case. Clinical findings were bruit and thrill in 13 cases(12 AVMs, 1 hemangioma) and varicosities in 16 cases(11 AVMs, 3 hemangiomas and 2 venous malformations). The varicosities in AVM were pulsating nature, but not in hemangioma and venous realformation. The concordance rate of the anglographic and pathologic diagnosis was 100%(6/6) in AVM, 71%(10/14) in hemangioma and 60% (3/5) in venous malformation. CONCLUSION: We think that angiography is an essential study for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment of congenital vascular malformation.
Angiography ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Retrospective Studies ; Upper Extremity ; Vascular Malformations*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to assess the clinical and radiological results of the early primary repair for acute ankle sprains. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From October 2002 to September 2005, nine patients with acute ankle sprain were analyzed. Among them, eight patients took the inversion stress X-ray at local clinics, and the mean talar tilting angle was 28 degrees. We observed avulsion fragment near lateral malleolus in the other. The average age at the time of operation was 24 years and average follow-up period was 29 months. We evaluated postoperative symptoms by Hasegawa's clinical rating system, postoperative complications, and compared the talar tilting angle and anterior draw distance between both ankles at the final follow-up X-rays. RESULTS: Anterior talofibular ligament was ruptured at fibula in 4, at midsubstance in 3, at talus in 1 and at fibula and midsubstance simultaneously in 1. Calcaneofibular ligament was ruptured at fibula in 3 including a case of avulsion fracture, at midsubstance in 2, and at calcaneus in 4. And posterior talofibular ligament was ruptured at midsubstance in 2. Clinical results were rated as excellent in all. We did not find major postoperative complications except for one sural nerve irritation. Both (injured ankle/uninjured ankle) talar tilting angle averaged 6.8/8.2 degrees and anterior draw distance averaged 2.9/3.7 mm at final follow-up X-rays. CONCLUSION: Early primary repair is recommended for treating acute severe ankle sprains and in case found avulsion fracture in X-ray taken after ankle sprain.
Ankle Injuries* ; Ankle* ; Calcaneus ; Fibula ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lateral Ligament, Ankle ; Ligaments ; Postoperative Complications ; Sural Nerve ; Talus

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to assess the results of the autologous osteochondral grafting harvested from medial side of talus for relatively large osteochondral lesion of the medial talar dome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From October 2004 to September 2005, 12 patients with osteochondral lesion measured more than 10 mm in axial MRI who were followed up more than 1 year after operation were analyzed. We evaluated postoperative symptoms by Mann and Reynolds scale, morbidity of donor site, and compared the range of both ankle motion. We also evaluated the union at the medial malleolar osteotomy site, trabecular connection between the grafted osteochondral mass and talus, irregularity of the articular surface in lesion. RESULTS: Clinical results were rated as excellent in 4, good in 7, fair in 1. The mean angle of the total range of motion in affected ankle was decreased by 3 degrees compared to that in unaffected ankle. We did not observe abnormal findings at donor site. The osteotomized bone was united at mean 9 weeks (range, 8-12 weeks). We observed trabecular connection between grafted osteochondral mass and talus at mean 14 weeks (range, 12-16 weeks). We also observed irregular articular surface in osteochondral lesions in 6, smooth articular surface in 6. CONCLUSION: The local autologous osteochondral graft for relatively large osteochondral lesion of the medial talar dome is useful operative method with advantages of wide operative field, low morbidity of donor site, and high satisfaction rate.
Ankle ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Osteotomy ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Talus ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Hydronephrosis*

PURPOSE: The development of a new series drugs for treating erectile dysfunction presents the a need for an easy and inexpensive animal experimental models for evaluating the drug effects on penile erectile function. The intracavernous pressure (ICP) is a suitable index for evaluating a penile erection. However, the continuous monitoring of the changes in the penile blood flow volume with an electromagnetic blood flowmeter may provide a new model for measuring the peak penile blood flow volume velocity (PBFVV) as a new index for a penile erection in a rat. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To establish a new suitable index for evaluating a penile erection in rats, measuring both the PBFVV with an electromagnetic blood flowmeter and the ICP with a polygraph were performed and compared. Fifty male adult Sprague-Dawley rats (250 gm) were divided into ICP and PBFVV measurement groups. The rats were anesthetized with 50mg/kg of pentobarbital sodium by an intraperitoneal injection. The left carotid artery was cannulated to measure the systemic blood pressure. Saline or papaverine were injected intracavernously. The ICP was measured with a pressure transducer and a polygraph. The PBFVV was measured after the penile shaft was placed in the ring of a electromagnetic blood flowmeter probe. RESULTS: Both the ICP and peak PBFVV following the intracavernous injection of papaverine were higher compared to both the ICP and peak PBFVV following the saline injection. Both the ICP and PBFVV after an intracavernous papaverine injection increased up to a peak value and then decreased. There was no significant concomitant changes in the systemic blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: The PBFVV in rats were higher and reflected the veno-occlusive response following the intracavernous papaverine injection as well as the ICP. It is suggested that the peak PBFVV with the electromagnetic blood flowmeter as well as the ICP represents a suitable index for evaluating a penile erection in a rats.
Adult ; Animal Experimentation ; Animals ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Blood Pressure ; Carotid Arteries ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Flowmeters* ; Humans ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Magnets* ; Male ; Papaverine ; Penile Erection* ; Pentobarbital ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Transducers, Pressure

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome contains binding sites for hepatocyte nuclear factors (HNF) 3 and 4 in the core domain of enhancer 1 (Enh1), and mutations in this domain have a strong impact on virus replication. We aimed to identify frequent base-mutation sites in the core domain of Enh1 and to examine the impact of these mutations on viral replication. METHODS: We studied virological characteristics and genetic sequences in 387 patients with chronic hepatitis B. We evaluated functional differences associated with specific mutations within the core domain of Enh1. RESULTS: Mutations in the core domain were found with significant frequency in C1126 (122/387 [31.5%], the binding site for HNF3) and in C1134 (106/387 [27.4%], the binding site for HNF4). A single mutation at nt 1126 (C1126) was identified in 17/123 (13.8%), and 105/123 (85.4%) had double mutations (C1126/1134). The level of HBV DNA (log10 copies/mL) was lower in single mutants (C1126, 5.81+/-1.25) than in wild (6.80+/-1.65) and double mutants (C1126/1134, 6.81+/-1.54). Similarly, the relative luciferase activity of C1126 and C1126/C1134 was 0.18 and 1.12 times that of the wild-type virus, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Mutations in the HNF3 binding site inhibit viral replication, whereas mutations at the HNF4 binding site restore viral replication.
Binding Sites ; DNA ; Genome ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Hepatocyte Nuclear Factors ; Humans ; Luciferases ; Virus Replication ; Viruses

Excitatory amino acids play a crucial role in the initiation of various pathophysiological events that ultimately lead to neuronal death during cerebral ischemia. Nitric oxide(NO) is an important messenger molecule which has been implicated in various physiological functions in periphery as well as central nervous system. This study was designed to examine the neuroprotective effects of NO synthase inhibitor in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia. Halothane-anesthetized, mechanically ventilated adult Sprague-Dawley rats underwent one hour of right middle cerebral artery(MCA) occlusion and three hours of reperfusion after they were randomly assigned to receive either intravenous Nw-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester(L-NAME:10mg/kg, n=10 in each group) before and during the ischemic procedure or L-NAME plus L-arginine(300mg, n=10) and control group which received the equal volume of diluent(saline 3 mg/kg/hr, n=10). Continuous monitoring of blood pressure was made and serial cerebral blood flow(CBF) measurements were performed by hydrogen clearence and ischemic injury volume was calculated by 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining. CBF decreased to the nearly same extent as the initial MCA occlusion and progressively recovered during ischemia. There were no difference between those groups that received L-NAME and those that did not. Injured volume of ischemic brains in L-NAME treated groups before and during MCA occlusion(mean 55+/-16%) were smaller than saline(81+/-9%) or L-NAME with L-Arginine treated groups(83+/-24%) in caudate area but there were no differences in the cerebral cortex area(p<0.05). These data indicated that inhibition of NO synthase by L-NAME protected the transient focal ischemic injury in caudate region and were not correlated to the CBF or blood pressure changes.
Adult ; Animals ; Arginine ; Blood Pressure ; Brain Ischemia ; Brain* ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebral Cortex ; Excitatory Amino Acids ; Humans ; Hydrogen ; Ischemia ; Models, Animal ; Neurons ; Neuroprotective Agents ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Nitric Oxide Synthase* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury* ; Reperfusion*