Irritant contact, dermati is causes significant disability to numerous consumers and individuals in industry. Irritant contact dermatitis accounts for more than half of contact dermatitis in the general population and this is highest in industrialized countries. The incidence of irritant contact dermatitis is difficult to evaluate because of majority of these patients never seek medical advice for their problem. Only a fev, typical characteristics for an irritant contact dermatitis can be stated. The diagnosis is generally made on the basis of the clinical picture. Several non-invasive bioengineering methods for quantifying and obtaining information that is not detectable clinically have been developed in recent decades. Recently rnany reports on experimental irritant contact de matitis using these new non-invasive bioengineering methods have been published. Irritancy test rported by many authors have been performed using various exposure methods and evaluated by several clinical scoring systems. It is not surprising therefore that there is nowadays a multitude of irritancy testing methods, which hampers the interpretation of results from different laboratories. This article reviews the various irritancy testing methods and patch test procedures t,hat affect the skin react,ion in exper mental irritant cont,act dermatitis.
Bioengineering ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Developed Countries ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Patch Tests ; Skin Tests* ; Skin*

Irritant contact, dermati is causes significant disability to numerous consumers and individuals in industry. Irritant contact dermatitis accounts for more than half of contact dermatitis in the general population and this is highest in industrialized countries. The incidence of irritant contact dermatitis is difficult to evaluate because of majority of these patients never seek medical advice for their problem. Only a fev, typical characteristics for an irritant contact dermatitis can be stated. The diagnosis is generally made on the basis of the clinical picture. Several non-invasive bioengineering methods for quantifying and obtaining information that is not detectable clinically have been developed in recent decades. Recently rnany reports on experimental irritant contact de matitis using these new non-invasive bioengineering methods have been published. Irritancy test rported by many authors have been performed using various exposure methods and evaluated by several clinical scoring systems. It is not surprising therefore that there is nowadays a multitude of irritancy testing methods, which hampers the interpretation of results from different laboratories. This article reviews the various irritancy testing methods and patch test procedures t,hat affect the skin react,ion in exper mental irritant cont,act dermatitis.
Bioengineering ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Developed Countries ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Patch Tests ; Skin Tests* ; Skin*

The morphologic study of noninfiltrating and infiltrating duct carcinoma of the breast disclosed profound alterations along the parenchymal-stromal junction. But fate of myoepithelial cell, changes of basement membrane and the relationship of fibroblast to myofibroblast remain uncertain. To study the morphologic changes of myoepithelial cell, basement membane and stromal fibroblast, a series of 32 not otherwise specified (NOS) type of infiltrating duct carcinoma of the breast with regional lymph node metastases was examined light microscopically after S-100 protein immunoperoxidase staining by biotinavidin system (BAS) and ultrastructurally. The results were as follows. 1) In 18 out of 32 cases, S-100 protein positive myoepithelial cells were observed individually in the parenchyma at the periphery of some carcinomatous duct-like structures or cancer cell nests. The cells were noted in 7 cases of metastatic regional lymph nodes. In 5 cases contained with 2 cases of infiltrating duct carcinoma with focal sarcomatous metaplasia, S-100 protein positive cells were seen in fibroblast-like spindle cells in stroma adjacent to cancer nests. 2) Ultrastructural features of myoepithelial cells showed significant loss of fine microfilament and hemides-mosomes and relative imcrease of coarse large filaments. Morphologic transformation of myoepithelial cells to neoplastic epithelial cells or stromal fibroblast-like spindle cells were suggested in 3 NOR type and 2 metaplastic type carcinomas. 3) The ultrastructural changes of basement membrane disclosed some variations from case to case and even within a single tumor if large number of blocks were studied. Focal destruction, splitting, segmentation and extensive loss of basement membrane arround cancer nests were noted. On the other hand, basement membrane material surrounded cancer nests or individual cancer cells irregularly. 4) Most stromal fibroblasts in infiltrating duct carcinoma had abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum with enlarged plump cytoplasm. Some of them were transformed to myofibroblasts which had perinuclear rough endoplasmic reticulum and peripheral microfilaments with dense bodies in their cytoplasm.
Neoplasm Metastasis ; Breast Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Muscle, Skeletal* ; Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel* ; Ryanodine* ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum*

OBJECTIVE: To assess the scavenging effect of carnitine derivatives on oxidative damage to sperm during sperm processing cryopreservation and thawing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fresh semen samples from 20 normal healthy volunteers were collected by masturbation after at least 48 hours abstinence. After liquefaction of semen samples at room temperature, the specimens were diluted with sperm wash media (Ham's F-10, Life technologics) to a uniform density of 20x106/ml. L-carnitine or acetylcarnitine were added with various concentration of 0 micrometer, 10 micrometer, 30 micrometer in semen sample or cryoprotectant. All specimens were cryopreservated at -196degrees C LN2 for 3 days. Sperm motility, vitality, fertilizing capacity, reactive oxygen species formation and the level of lipid peroxidation were analyzed by computer assisted semen analyzer, eosin-nigrosin stain, hypo-osmotic swelling test, chemiluminescence and thiobarbituric acid method, respectively, during sperm processing, cryopreservation and thawing. RESULTS: The sperm motility was only increased in proportion to the concentration of acetylcarnitine with no statistical significance (p>0.05). The sperm vitality was also significantly improved in proportion to the concentration of acetylcarnitine with statistical significance (p<0.05). The sperm fertilizing capacity was significantly increased in proportion to the concentration of L-carnitine and acetylcarnitine and reactive oxygen species generation and lipid peroxidation were significantly decreased with same fashion(p<0.05). On comparison of effects between L-carnitine and acetylcarnitine, acetylcarnitine was superior to L-carnitine on the improvement of sperm motility and vitality as well as the suppression of reactive oxygen species generation and lipid peroxidation. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that carnitine derivatives have a scavenging effect against oxidative damages during sperm processing, cryopreservation and thawing. Therefore, carnitine derivatives may be useful as an oral antioxidant in patients with male infertility due to increased ROS generation.
Acetylcarnitine* ; Carnitine* ; Cryopreservation ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Luminescence ; Male ; Masturbation ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Semen ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa*

No abstract available.
Coronary Vessels* ; Endothelium* ; Norepinephrine*

Previously we reported the result of topical immunotherapy of warts with I -chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene(DNCB) solution using two different methods. In this study, we treated the warts with DNCB ointment and compared the therapeutic result with previous study. In addition, in order to evaluate the possible rnechanlarn of DNCB-induced wart regression by histologic rnethod, 5 regressing warts were biopsied and we observed the histopathologic findings. Thirty-six patients with various warts which were resistant to the conventional measures were treated by challeng application with 100mg% or 10mg% DNCB ointment directly on several randomly selected wart lesions after sensitization. with l?000mcg of DNCR in solution on normal skin of upper arm. In 5 pat:ients showing regression of warts, one wart lesion which was not challenged with DNCR was biopsied. The results are summarized as follows; 1. We treated the 36 patients having various warts with DNCB ointment and 25 patients (69.4%) were cured. Most(72%) of the eured warts began to regress within one month. 2. We cornpared the therapeutic result in this study with the results in theprevious study in which we used DNCB solution with two different methods, Comparing the results obtained by the R different methods, we found no statistically different cure rate, however the present method might be more convement because the ointment can be maintained longer without any change of the ingredient concentration and can be applied more easily than the solution. 3. On histologic examination, we observed moderate to severe patchy perivasce
Arm ; Dinitrochlorobenzene* ; Humans ; Immunotherapy* ; Skin ; Warts*

We are reporting a case of multiple dermatofibromas which occuired during the treatment of systemic lupus erythematous with prednisolone for 3 years in a 30-yenr-old woman, All of the 26 lesions were 0.5-2cm sized. and had the same appearanes ad usual dermatofibromas coccurring singly. Histopathologic examination showed typical findings of dermatofibroma which were characterized hy proliferation of fibroblasts intermingled with collagen in irregular arrangement and proliferation of small vessels and endothelial cells.
Collagen ; Endothelial Cells ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous* ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Prednisolone

Eosinophils play a major role in the airway inflammation in asthma. to verify an association between airway responsiveness of asthmatics and eosinophil and/or ECP, we measured serum ECP in 23 children with atopic asthma during acute attacks and stable states, and in 10 normal healthy controls. Peak flows were monitored in 15 children. The data suggest that serum ECP levels were higher in acutely ill asthmatics than in stable state. With successful therapy for asthma, serum ECP levels were mostly decreased. However, rising ECP values after treatment may suggest unsatisfactory results with conventional therapy despite a predicatable PEFR. ECP should prove a helpful for monitoring airway responsiveness which had been evoked by inflammation and/or late phase reaction in asthma.
Asthma* ; Child* ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein ; Eosinophils* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate

This study was designed to investigate the effect of substitution of strontium for calcium on mechanical activity in isolated perfused spontaneously beating rat hearts. The mechanical activity of the hearts of Langendorff's preparation in conditions of low calcium and strontium-substitution for calcium was compared. The effect of norepinephrine and verapamil were also observed in those conditions. The results were as follows: 1. In low calcium, the mechanical activity of the heart preparation was significantly reduced, but when the equimolar strontium was substituted for the reduced calcium, the activity was kept at similar level to the normal condition. 2. When equimolar strontium was substituted for the total calcium in perfusate, the heart preparation stopped its beating, and it was not restored in spite of reperfusion with normal calcium perfusate. 3. Norepinephrine-induced positive inotropic effect was inhibited in low-calcium condition especially with low concentration of norepinephrine, but not in strontium-substitution for calcium. 4. Verapamil reduced the activity of the heart both in low-calcium and strontium-substitution as well as in normal calcium conditions. From above results, it was concluded that strontium served as a substitute of calcium in maintaining mechanical activity and in responsiveness to norepinephrine, and the influx of strontium through cell membrane is inhibited by verapamil as the influx of calcium.
Animals ; Calcium ; Cell Membrane ; Heart* ; Norepinephrine* ; Rats* ; Reperfusion ; Strontium* ; Verapamil