PURPOSE: Lentinus edodes is used in both foods and drugs, and is also known to be an antioxidant agent. Some investigators have noted that renal scarring following pyelonephritis is closely related to inflammation or free oxygen radicals, rather than to direct injury due to bacterial infection. The efficiency of the antioxidant agent, lentinus edodes, in preventing the renal scarring caused by experimental pyelonephritis was evaluated in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty eight male Sprague Dawley rats (n=28) were injected into both renal parenchyma with 0.1ml of a solution containing Escherichia coli (10(8)/ml). The control group, consisting of 4 rats, received an injection of isotonic saline instead of the bacterial solution. Three days after surgery, the animals were given the following treatments: in the pyelonephritis group, 7 rats received isotonic saline for 5 days; in the antibiotics treatment group, 6 rats were treated with an antibiotic only, ciprofloxacin, for 5 days. In the lentinus edodes treatment group, 5 rats were treated with lentinus edodes only. In the combined group, 6 rats received both lentinus edodes and ciprofloxacin. The kidneys were harvested 6 weeks after infection, and histopathologically examined for renal scarring. RESULTS: Delayed treatment with antibiotics-only or lentinus edodes-only had no effect on the scarring compared with the untreated controls. However, the addition of lentinus edodes to the delayed antibiotic therapy significantly inhibited the renal scarring compared with the pyelonephritis, antibiotic-only treated and the lentinus edodes-only treated groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The administration of lentinus edodes in combination with antibiotics significantly reduced the renal scar formation in pyelonephritis.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacterial Infections ; Cicatrix* ; Ciprofloxacin ; Escherichia coli ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Kidney ; Lentinula* ; Male ; Pyelonephritis* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Research Personnel ; Shiitake Mushrooms*

PURPOSE: We investigated if there are some differences in clinical charecteristics of acute epididymitis between child and adult and if ordinary therapeutic regimen based on antibiotics is the most appropriate one. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed medical records of 64 patients with acute epididymitis retrospectively, who took admission treatment from July, 1996 to June, 1998 at our hospital. These patients were divided into two groups, child and adult group, younger and older than 16 years respectively. The diagnosis of acute epididymitis was made by symptoms, physical examinations, doppler sonography, and/or radionuclide scan. Chronic epididymitis, recurrent epididymitis, patients taken antibiotics before admission, and surgical epididymis were excluded from this study. We investigated the age of the patients, symptoms, symptom duration and signs. Complete blood count, urinalysis, and urine culture were performed. Independent-samples T-test was used for the comparative analysis of the results. RESULTS: Symptoms including scrotal swelling and pain were not different between two groups significantly. Signs including scrotal tenderness, fever, and leucocytosis were not different between two groups significantly. However, there were statistically significant differences between two groups in studies of urine. Pyuria or positive urine culture were 20.8%(5 of 24) in child group and 52.5%(21 of 40) in adult group(p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In acute epididymitis, evidences of urinary tract infection were significantly lower in children than in adults. So, although further studies are needed to find out the exact cause of acute epididymitis, at least ordinary therapeutic regimen based on antibiotics would not be the best one for the majority of children without evidence of urinary tract infection.
Adult* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Blood Cell Count ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Epididymis ; Epididymitis* ; Fever ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Physical Examination ; Pyuria ; Retrospective Studies ; Urinalysis ; Urinary Tract Infections

PURPOSE: To elucidate high-resolution CT(HRCT) findings and their pathologic basis in pulmonary oil embolism induced by LipiodoI-Adriamycin emulsion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pulmonary oil embolism was induced by infusing LipiodoI-Adriamycin emulsion through a peripheral vein in twelve Yorkshire pigs. Serial HRCT scans were performed on 2rid, 4th, 7th, 14th, and 28th day after the procedure. The pigs were sacrificed immediately after HRCT and histologic specimens were prepared in the same plane and level with HRCT. RESULTS: The basic pathology was reversible hemorrhagic edema of the lung. On HRCT, intraalveolar hemorrhage and edema in the acute stage manifested as ground-glass opacity or air-space consolidation of the whole secondary Iobule. The lesions were predominantly distributed over the dependent posterior lung fields because the specific gravity of Lipiodol is 1.28. Interlobular septal thickening due to edematous fluid collection was also associated. With the elapse of time, the extent and severity of the acute lesions resolved and, sometimes, changed into small nodular opacities. Pulmonary opacity was most severe on the post-embolization 2nd day and completely resolved within 2 weeks. CONCLUSION: Pulmonary embolization of LipiodoI-Adriamycin emulsion causes reversible hemorrhagic edema of the lung and Lipiodol toxicity seems to play a major role. HRCT findings of pulmonary oil embolism are quite different from those of pneumonia and pulmonary metastasis, which suggests the possibility of clincal application.
Edema ; Embolism* ; Ethiodized Oil ; Hemorrhage ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pathology ; Pneumonia ; Specific Gravity ; Swine ; Veins

It has recently been known that the temperature of the brain during a period of transient cerebral ischemia can critically influence neuropathologic outcome in experimental animals. Thus the severity of brain edema may be thought to be changed according to body temperature during acute stage of cerebral ischemia. We investigated the effects of hypothermia and hyperthermia on the acute brain edema during the transient global ischemia in Mongolian gerbils. During 20 miuntes of global ischemia, body temperatures were maintained at 35* in the hypothermic group (n=10). 37* in the normothermic group (n=10). 39* in the hyperthermic group (n=10). Respectively. During the period of reperfusion. Body temperatures were maintained at 37* in each group. Two hours after reperfusion. The animals were decapitated and the waler content of the brain was determined by oven dry method. The uater content were high in (1) the hyperthermic group (79.5+0.3%). (2) the normothermic group (79.2+0.2%). (3) the hypothermic group (79.0+0.2%) the control group (78.6+0.3%) in order of amount. Also there were significant differences of the water content among four groups according to the changes of intraischemic body temperature (p<0.05). At the same time we carried out another experiment for comparing the survival rates in each group. The survival rate of the hypothermic group was sillgificantly higher than that of the normothermic or the hyperthermic groups (p<0.005).
Animals ; Body Temperature* ; Brain Edema* ; Brain Ischemia ; Brain* ; Fever ; Gerbillinae* ; Hypothermia ; Ischemia* ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; Reperfusion ; Survival Rate* ; Water

ERCP was performed in 38 cases of clonorchiasis of the liver, which was confirmed by stool egg test withStoll's dilution method from Apr. 1979 to Oct. 1982. The resuls were as follows 1. The sex distribution ofclonorchiasis showed marked male predominance by 97.4% and age distrigution were higher in 5th and 6th decades. 2.Multiple small filling defects in the intrahepatic bile duct was the most characteristic finding in ERCP and widespread irregular stenosis, dilatation of terminal portion, disturbance of peripheral filling, fuziness andraggedness of intrahepatic duct were also noted. 3. The severity of clonorchiasis by ERCP were classifed asfollows; Grade I-7 cases (18.4%), GradeII-9 cases(23.7%) Grade III-12 cases (31.6%) and Grade IV-10 cases(26.3%)4. Chronic cholecystitis 10 cases(26.3%), Billary tree stone 7 cases (18.4%), malignancy of distal CBD 1 case(2.6%) were found with clonorchiasis by ERCP. 5. Three cases, treated with Niclofolan, showed marked improvementof pathology on follow-up ERCP.
Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Cholecystitis ; Clonorchiasis ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Dilatation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver ; Male ; Methods ; Niclofolan ; Ovum ; Pathology ; Sex Distribution ; Trees

Cancer management has become a major policy goal for the government of the Korea. As such, the government introduced the National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP) to reduce the individual and social burdens caused by cancer and to promote national health. During the past 25 years, 3 phases of the NCCP have been completed. During this time, the NCCP has changed significantly in all aspects of cancer control from prevention to survival. The targets for cancer control are increasing, and although some blind spots remain, new demands are emerging. The government initiated the fourth NCCP in March 2021, with the vision of “A Healthy Country with No Concerns about Cancer Anywhere at Any Time,” which aims to build and disseminate high-quality cancer data, reduce preventable cancer cases, and reduce gaps in cancer control. Its main strategies include (1) activation of cancer big data, (2) advancement of cancer prevention and screening, (3) improvement in cancer treatment and response, and (4) establishment of a foundation for balanced cancer control. The fourth NCCP has many positive expectations, similar to the last 3 plans; however, cross-domain support and participation are required to achieve positive results in cancer control. Notably, cancer remains the leading cause of death despite decades of management efforts and should continue to be managed carefully from a national perspective.

Susceptibilities of 5 different mice strains, including C3H/HeN, BALB/c, C57BL6, FvB and ICR, to Echinostoma hortense infection, was evaluated. The worm expulsion rate, worm size and egg production were observed from 1 to 8 weeks after infection with 30 metacercariae. C3H/HeN and ICR mice showed the highest worm maturation rates. The worm recovery rate and the number of eggs per gram (EPG) of feces was also higher in C3H/HeN and ICR mice than in BALB/c, C57BL6, and FvB mice. It is suggested that E. hortense is highly infectious to ICR and C3H/HeN mice, but not to the other strains of mice. Based on the results obtained, we believe that the susceptibility of different mouse strains to E. hortense infection is dependent on the genetic and immunologic background of mice.
Animals ; Echinostoma/*growth & development ; Echinostomiasis/genetics/*parasitology ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Intestines/parasitology ; Mice/*parasitology ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C3H ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Parasite Egg Count

Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) are major regulators of insulin-like growth factor bioavailability and activity in metabolic signaling. Seven IGFBP family isoforms have been identified. Recent studies have shown that IGFBPs play a pivotal role in metabolic signaling and disease, including the pathogenesis of obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Although many studies have documented the various roles played by IGFBPs, transcriptional regulation of IGFBPs is not well understood. In this review, we focus on the regulatory mechanisms of IGFBP gene expression, and we summarize the findings of transcription factor activity in the IGFBP promoter region.
Biological Availability ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 2* ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins ; Liver ; Metabolic Diseases ; Obesity ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Protein Isoforms ; Transcription Factors

Acute necrotizing pancreatitis is a disease with high morbidity and mortality despite the progress made in intensive care. Gas gangrene of the pancreas, usually caused by anaerobe infection, is an extremely rare, but severe form of acute necrotizing pancreatitis. Several severity-of-illness classifications for acute pancreatitis are used to identify patients at risk for complications. Pancreatic necrosis is diagnosed radiographically by dynamic intravenous contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen. Early CT in patients with suspected necrotizing pancreatitis contributes to early intervention and many advantageously enhance survival. We report here on two cases of necrotizing pancreatitis with gas gangrene in 49-year-old male patient and 86-year-old female patient.
Abdomen ; Aged, 80 and over ; Classification ; Critical Care ; Early Intervention (Education) ; Female ; Gas Gangrene* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Necrosis ; Pancreas ; Pancreatitis* ; Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing

A survey was made to find the extent of intestinal parasite infection in Kampongcham, Cambodia in February 2002. A total of 251 fecal specimens were collected from Tonlebat primary school children and examined by formalin-ether sedimentation technique. The overall infection rate of intestinal parasite was 54.2% (males, 57.3%; females, 50.8%). The infection rate of intestinal helminths by the species were as follows: Ascaris lumbricoides 26.3%, Echinostoma sp. 15.6%, hookworm 6.4%, Opisthorchis sp. 4.0%, Rhabditis sp. 2.4%, and Trichuris trichiura 0.4%. The infection rate of intestinal protozoa were as follows: E. coli 7.6%, G. lamblia 3.2%, I. butschlii 3.2%, and E. histolytica 0.8%. More than two different kinds of parasites were found in 16.7% of the stool samples. All the children infected were treated with albendazole, praziquantel and metronidazole according to parasite species. The results showed that intestinal parasites are highly endemic in this area.
Age Factors ; Animals ; Antiparasitic Agents/therapeutic use ; Cambodia/epidemiology ; Child ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Human ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/drug therapy/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Intestines/parasitology ; Male ; Parasites/isolation & purification ; Prevalence ; Schools/*statistics & numerical data