Recently, we found and analyzed vitamin B12 in some Korean traditional plant foods which had not reported, yet. This study was to investigate vitamin B12 intake and its dietary sources and the vitamin B12 status in the very old elderly Koreans. We measured serum vitamin B12 level and estimated the amounts of vitamin B12 intake from different dietary sources in female elderly Koreans aged 85 and over who had consumed a relatively low animal traditional diet for the whole life. The average age of the subjects (n = 127) was 98.0 years (85-108 years). The assessment on energy and nutrient intake involved a one-day 24-hour recall, and serum vitamin B12 concentration was measured by radioimmunoassay. Overall diet pattern was not different between the 85-99 yr-old group and centenarians, except centenarians were taking more dairy product. The average ratio of plant food to animal food consumption was 87.5:12.5 in weight. The average vitamin B12 intake of our subjects was 3.2 microg/day, and 52.7% of subjects consumed under estimated average requirement, 2.0 microg/day. On dietary source, 67.3% of dietary vitamin B12 was from meat, eggs and fishes and 30.6% was from plant foods, such as soybean-fermented foods, seaweeds, and kimchi. The average serum vitamin B12 concentration was 450.5 pg/mL, and low serum vitamin B12 (< 200 pg/mL) was found in 9.6% of subjects. Dietary vitamin B12 intake was significantly lower in subjects with low serum vitamin B12 (0.79 microg/day) than those with normal serum vitamin B12 (3.47 microg/day). There were no significant difference in vitamin B12 intake and its dietary sources and serum vitamin B12 level between the 85-99 yr-old group and centenarians. In conclusion, several plant-origin foods including seaweed, soybean-fermented foods, and kimchi, may contribute significantly to good vitamin B12 status in very old elderly Koreans.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Dairy Products ; Diet ; Eggs ; Female ; Fishes ; Humans ; Meat ; Ovum ; Plants ; Radioimmunoassay ; Seaweed ; Vitamin B 12 ; Vitamins

Integrating textual criticism literatures with field survey, the name, classification and botanical originals of breeds of Tibetan medicine "Dida" were discussed in this paper. The results showed that it's very intricate and confusion in the names, breeds and botanical originals of "Dida", and those were the key restricting factors resulting in shortfall and difficult formulation in quality standard of "Dida". The similar situations are existing universally in ethnodrugs, and reflecting the necessity and urgency to collate ethnodrug breeds. On the other hand, Because of the morphologic description on the botanical origins of drug was often simple in the ancient literatures, and in most cases, the botanical origins of the drug were difficult to identify accurately on the basis of the literatures. So, in the collating the breeds, it's necessary to follow the principle of "according to the ancient literatures but no rigidly", and to pay attention to the historical vicissitude of the drug breeds and origins, and the survey of present resources and clinical using, draw actively on outcome of chemical and biological active researches. That inherited the characteristics and advantages of ethnodrugs, and promoted them them modernization.
Breeding ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Medicine in Literature ; Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; history ; Plant Extracts ; analysis ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification ; Terminology as Topic ; Tibet

OBJECTIVE: The authors analyzed the effectiveness and therapeutic response of Novalis shaped beam radiosurgery for metastatic brain tumors, and the prognostic factors which influenced the outcome. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 106 patients who underwent 159 treatments for 640 metastatic brain lesions between January 2000 and April 2008. The pathologies of the primary tumor were mainly lung (45.3%), breast (18.2%) and GI tract (13.2%). We classified the patients using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Recursive Partitioning Analysis (RPA) and then analyzed the survival and prognostic factors according to the Kaplan Meier method and univariate analysis. RESULTS: The overall median actuarial survival rate was 7.3 months from the time of first radiosurgery treatment while 1 and 2 year actuarial survival estimates were 31% and 14.4%, respectively. Median actuarial survival rates for RPA classes I, II, and III were 31.3 months, 7.5 months and 1.7 months, respectively. Patients' life spans, higher Karnofsky performance scores and age correlated closely with RPA classes. However, sex and the number of lesions were not found to be significantly associated with length of survival. CONCLUSION: This result suggests that Novalis radiosurgery can be a good treatment option for treatment of the patients with brain metastases.
Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Breast ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiosurgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

Methyl gallate (meGAL) is known as one of major antioxidants. To investigate whether meGAL protects human cells from oxidative stress, meGAL extracted from Korean medicinal plant, Cercis chinensis leaves, was primarily screened using cell viability assay against oxidative stress. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with three different concentrations of meGAL for indicated time. After or during meGAL treatment, H2O2 was added and incubated. meGAL showed free radical scavenging effect at low concentration (0.02 mM) and cell protective effect against H2O2-mediated oxidative stress. meGAL recovered viability of HUVECs damaged by H2O2-treatment, reduced the lipid peroxidation (LPO) and decreased the internal reactive oxygen species (ROS) level elevated by H2O2-treatment. Free radical scavenging effect of meGAL was proven to be very high. Differential display reverse transcription-PCR analysis showed that meGAL upregulated the levels of regulator of chromatin condensation 1, type 1 sigma receptor and phosphate carrier protein expressions, respectively. Based on structural similarity compared with meGAL, 14 chemicals were chosen and viability assay was performed. Four chemicals, haematommic acid (56.2% enhancement of viability), gallic acid (35.0%), methylorsellinic acid (23.7%), and syringic acid (20.8%), enhanced more potent cell viability than meGAL, which showed only 18.1% enhancement of cell viability. These results suggest that meGAL and four meGAL-related chemicals protect HUVECs from oxidative stress.
Antioxidants/*chemistry/*pharmacology ; Biological Assay ; Catalase/analysis ; Endothelial Cells/*drug effects/enzymology ; Fabaceae/*metabolism ; Free Radical Scavengers/chemistry/pharmacology ; Gallic Acid/*analogs & derivatives/chemistry/pharmacology ; Gene Expression/drug effects ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Oxidative Stress/*drug effects/genetics ; Plant Extracts/chemistry/pharmacology ; Plant Leaves/metabolism ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Superoxide Dismutase/analysis ; Umbilical Veins/cytology ; Water/pharmacology

Coumarins comprise a group of natural phenolic compounds found in a variety of plant sources. In view of the established low toxicity, relative cheapness, presence in the diet and occurrence in various herbal remedies of coumarins, it appears prudent to evaluate their properties and applications further. The purpose of this study is to investigate cellular protective activity of coumarin compound, fraxin extracted from Weigela florida var. glabbra, under oxidative stress, to identify genes expressed differentially by fraxin and to compare antioxidative effect of fraxin with its structurally related chemicals. Of the coumarins, protective effects of fraxin against cytotoxicity induced by H2O2 were examined in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Fraxin showed free radical scavenging effect at high concentration (0.5 mM) and cell protective effect against H2O2-mediated oxidative stress. Fraxin recovered viability of HUVECs damaged by H2O2- treatment and reduced the lipid peroxidation and the internal reactive oxygen species level elevated by H2O2 treatment. Differential display reverse transcription-PCR revealed that fraxin upregulated antiapoptotic genes (clusterin and apoptosis inhibitor 5) and tumor suppressor gene (ST13). Based on structural similarity comparing with fraxin, seven chemicals, fraxidin methyl ether (29.4% enhancement of viability), prenyletin (26.4%), methoxsalen (20.8 %), diffratic acid (19.9%), rutoside (19.1%), xanthyletin (18.4%), and kuhlmannin (18.2%), enhanced more potent cell viability in the order in comparison with fraxin, which showed only 9.3% enhancement of cell viability. These results suggest that fraxin and fraxin-related chemicals protect HUVECs from oxidative stress.
Catalase/metabolism ; Cell Survival/drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Coumarins/*chemistry/*pharmacology ; Endothelial Cells/drug effects/metabolism ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide/pharmacology ; Lipid Peroxidation/drug effects ; Molecular Structure ; Oxidative Stress/*drug effects ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Structure-Activity Relationship ; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism ; Umbilical Cord/drug effects/metabolism

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the uroflow parameters of the pregnant women before delivery and immediate postpartum period. METHODS: Forty four patients delivered by spontaneous vaginal delivery (NVD group) and 46 patients by Cesarean section (C/SEC group) and 28 non-pregnant young women (Control group) were included in this study. Uroflow were checked 1 day before and 2 days after delivery by Jupiter 8000 (FM Wiest(R)) uroflowmetry. Mean value of the uroflow parameters in each group was compared using ANOVA t-test. For continuous data, linear associations with each of the uroflow parameters were assessed using a Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Maximal (18.48+/-5.21 mL/sec) and mean flow rate (9.45+/-3.73 mL/sec) of pregnant women were lower than control group (22.75+/-5.14 mL/sec), and were not changed after delivery (18.79+/-6.03 mL/ sec). Total flow time of pregnant woman (14.06+/-6.09 sec) was longer than control group (8.05+/-5.32 sec) before delivery, and increased after delivery especially after cesarean delivery. Time to peak flow of pregnant women (8.44+/-9.48 sec) was shorter than control group (16.33+/-6.11 sec) before delivery, and was similar to control group after delivery. Total voided volume (121.39+/-50.17 mL) was less than control group before delivery, and was increased after delivery (246.77+/-127.42 mL). Total voided volume after delivery was not different with control group statistically. CONCLUSION: There was no statistically differences before and after delivery in maximal flow rate, but was lower than non-pregnant women. Total flow time was much prolonged after delivery, especially after cesarean delivery. Time to peak flow and voided volume were restored to levels of non-pregnant women after delivery.
Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Humans ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women

A 61-year-old man presented with cognitive dysfunction and an 8-month history of progressive gait disturbance. Brain MRI revealed communicating hydrocephalus. Under the impression of normal pressure hydrocephalus, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) study was done and showed unusually increased opening pressure (40 cm H2O) and protein concentration (650 mg/dl). Spine MRI was performed to rule out the possibility of intraspinal tumor. It revealed cauda equina mass, which was confirmed to be schwannoma pathologically. Intraspinal tumor should be suspected in patients with abnormally increased CSF opening pressure and/or CSF protein who presented as normal pressure hydrocephalus.
Brain ; Cauda Equina* ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Gait ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Neurilemmoma* ; Spine

We experienced two cases of empyema thoracis which were caused by migrated acupuncture needle. Two patients were transferred from oriental hospitals because of dyspnea and high fever. Simple chest radiography and computed tomography(CT) of the two cases on admission showed haziness of the lower lung and acupuncture needles in the lung and pleural cavity on admission. Removal of acupuncture needles and decortication were performed.
Acupuncture* ; Dyspnea ; Empyema* ; Fever ; Humans ; Lung ; Needles* ; Pleural Cavity ; Radiography ; Thorax

No abstract available.
Needles* ; Prostatitis*

PURPOSE: Splenic artery aneurysm is uncommon, but the increased frequency in use of arteriography, computed tomography, and ultrasonography has resulted in increasing clinical recognition of these lesions. This paper relates our experience in the outcome and management of aneurysms of the splenic artery. METHODS: From January 1992 to October 1999, 12 patients were diagnosed with splenic artery aneurysms. They were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The male to female ratio was 1:4 and the mean age was 46.3 years. The mean of pregnancy history of all women was 3.0 and there were no pregnant women during operation. The associated diseases that might have caused the aneurysms were pancreatitis in 5 patients, portal hypertension in 1, operative trauma in 1, and ill defined pathogenesis in 5 patients. The size of the aneurysms was larger than 2 cm in all patients. The splenic artery aneurysms was located at distal in 9 patients, mid in 1, and proximal in 2 patients. 7 patients were treated surgically (aneurysmectomy without splenectomy in 1 patient, aneurysmectomy with splenectomy in 6 patients). Transcatheter embolization was used in 4 patients. One of them was treated with distal pancreatectomy after two months because of pancreatic pseudocyst. One patient without treatment died 2 years after diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Although surgery remains necessary in splenic artery aneurysms larger than 2 cm, transcatheter embolization is effective in initial treatment of the high risk group in splenic artery aneurysms.
Aneurysm* ; Angiography ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; Male ; Pancreatectomy ; Pancreatic Pseudocyst ; Pancreatitis ; Pregnant Women ; Reproductive History ; Retrospective Studies ; Splenectomy ; Splenic Artery* ; Ultrasonography