This study was performed to determine the effects of nitric oxide on human sperm cell function. Semen samples were obtained from normal healthy volunteers. Motile spermatozoas collected by swim-up method were incubated up to 24 hours in Ham's F-10 medium supplemented with a various concentration of sodium nitroprusside (nitric oxide releasing agent). Sperm motility, hyperactivation, acrosome reaction rate, and acrosin activity were determined. The results are as follows; 1. 1mM of SNP resulted in a significant decrease in sperm motility (44.8%+/- 8.9%:78.1%+/-6.3%, and hyperactivation (10.4%+/-6.4%:477%+/-9.5%) after incubation for 3 hours compared with the control group (Ham's F-10 alone), but had no effect on acrosome reaction. 2. At 100muM SNP, sperm motility was reduced after incubation for 6 hours (54.8%+/- 3.2%) compared with that of the control group (82.7% +/- 8.9%), but hyperactivation and acrosome reaction were not affected. 3. However, a lower concentration (less than 101M) of SNP had no effect on sperm motility and hyperactivation for 8 hours of incubation but significantly decreased them when incubation periods were increased up to 24 hours compared with the control group. On the other hand, 1muM and l0muM SNP significantly increased the acrosome reaction rate in both acrosomal status (17.3%+/-5.2%,23.5%+/-4.7%, respectively) and acrosin activity (34.3muIU+/- 10.5muIU, 45.6muIU+/-5.6muIU, respectively) as compared with the control group (7.0%+/-4.0%, 9.5muIU+/-3.4muIU). These results indicate that SNP, NO releasing agent, has a dose-dependent effects on the sperm cell function. Therefore it may positively affect the fertilization by promoting acrosomal reaction at a lower concentration (less than 101M).
Acrosin ; Acrosome Reaction ; Fertilization ; Hand ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Nitroprusside ; Semen ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa*

Post-traumatic tricuspid insufficiency is a rare condition and may be clinically silent and imprecise. The diagnosis may be difficult when it progreses slowly and other acute lesions exist concomittantly. Two-dimenstional Doppler echocardiography appears to be an essential procedure in diagnosting the rupture of chordae tendineae or papillary muscle following traumatic injury. We report a case of tricuspid insufficiency of which symptom developed 8 years later following a blunt chest trauma. The patient was operated by tricuspid vlave repair with chordal replacement and ring annuloplasty successfully. We would like to emphasize that patients sustaining major thoracic trauma should be carefully examine for possible blunt chest trauma including cardiac valve rupture or tear.
Chordae Tendineae ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Heart Valves ; Humans ; Papillary Muscles ; Rupture ; Thorax*

OBJECTIVE: Inappropriate neural control of the quadriceps femoris muscle group has been implicated in patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) and the methods of biomechanical assessment of PFPS has been developed recently. The aims of the present investigation were to evaluate the effects of therapeutic exercise in the alleviation of PFPS and to develope objective clinical test for PFPS. METHOD: We investigated the onset time of the isometric contraction of vastus medialis oblique muscle (VMO) and the vastus lateralis muscle (VL) under four different conditions: knee flexion and extension in weight bearing (standing) and non-weight bearing (sitting on chair) situations. For each condition, onset times of EMG activities and onset times for VMO and VL were determined from five trials of isometric contraction. In addition, we compared knee flexor and extensor torques in control group and subjects with PFPS. To evaluate the effects of the exercise we compared the onset time difference (onset time of VL-onset time of VM) and quadriceps muscle torque at pre- and post- exercise in PFPS groups. RESULTS: In PFPS group, onset time of VMO during knee extension was significantly longer than the onset time of VL and the knee extensor torque was considerably weaker in comparison with normal group. Although onset time difference was not changed after exercise program, there were significant increase in knee extensor torque in subjects with PFPS. CONCLUSION: The role of exercise in the rehabilitation of quadriceps functions is to reduce the pain, to strengthen the knee extensor, and further accurate diagnostic tools and methods for the result of therapeutic exercise in PFPS are needed.
Isometric Contraction ; Knee ; Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome* ; Quadriceps Muscle ; Rehabilitation ; Torque ; Weight-Bearing

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical usefulness of the phenol red thread test as a diagnostic tool of dry eye by comparing the phenol red thread test, Schirmer's test and tear break-up time. METHODS: The present study included 30 dry eye patients belonging to dry eye workshop grade 1 or 2 and 25 normal subjects. Phenol red thread test, Schirmer's test, and tear break-up time were performed on each subject's right eye. The sensitivity, specificity and repeatability of each test were compared, and the correlations between the 3 tests were also analyzed. RESULTS: Tear break-up time was superior to the other tests in terms of sensitivity and repeatability. The phenol red thread test was better than Schirmer's test in terms of specificity and repeatability. In all 55 patients including dry eye patients and normal subjects, the phenol red thread test showed a greater correlation with tear break-up time than did Schirmer's test. In addition, in 25 dry eye patients, the correlation between the phenol red thread test and Schirmer's test increased significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The phenol red thread test is less irritating and requires a shorter testing time than Schirmer's test. Additionally, the phenol red thread test is superior to Schirmer's test in terms of specificity, repeatability, and relation to tear break-up time. In addition, the correlation between the phenol red thread test and Schirmer's test significantly increases in dry eye patients. Therefore, the phenol red thread test is a good substitute option for Schirmer's test in diagnosing dry eye.
Eye ; Humans ; Phenol ; Phenolsulfonphthalein ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tears

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the compatability of high school students' desks and chairs to the fittness of their physique, to examine the factors related the posture and pain while they use the classroom desks and chairs, and to analyze the curvature of spine in sitting position. METHOD: Measurements of the dimensions of desks and chairs and a written survey to question students' habits regarding to the usage of classroom desks and chairs along with the physical examinations of spine including the analysis of spine curvature in sitting position with an electrogoniometer. RESULTS: Seven hundred forty nine among 831 male students, and 1,017 among 1,074 female students, complained of discomforts associated with the usage of classroom desks and chiairs. An examination of spine in sitting position using an electrogoniometer showed that both male and female subjects displayed the spine curvatures in the order of thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, and scoliosis. All subjects displayed pain in the order of low back(38.8%), posterior neck(23.9%), shoulder and elbow joints(15.8%), and buttock(15.7%). CONCLUSION: The study revealed an urgent need for the adaptation of classroom desks and chairs according to the growing physique of the adolescents. A majority of the teenaged subjects experienced the discomfort from the use of improper funiture and a poor posture. Authors highly recommend a formal education to the students regarding the importance of proper posture and the usage of adjustable desks and chairs.
Adolescent* ; Animals ; Education ; Elbow ; Female ; Humans ; Kyphosis ; Lordosis ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Posture ; Scoliosis ; Shoulder ; Spine

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of commonly available analgesics in the management of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) over an 8-day period, and to compare the efficacy between aspirin and acetaminophen. METHOD: Forty-two subjects were recruited. DOMS was induced by using the isokinetic dynamometer (KinCom(R)) in standardized fashion in the nondominant knee extensor with subjects seated at 30 degree-angle velocity. Subjects were asked to extend their non-dominant knee with concentric method and to hold the knee with eccentric flexion force at 30 degree-angle velocity, with maximal efforts. On this way, they did 10 repetitions, and then 3 cycles. We categorized four groups (n=10, for each group), that were control group with no medication, placebo group with placebo medication (antacid tablets), aspirin group with medication of 900 mg of aspirin, and acetaminophen group with medication with 3,900 mg of acetaminophen. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS: twice a day, until on day 8). and McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ: on day 1 and 3) were measured. RESULTS: We didn't find any significant difference of peak VAS score and relief time between four groups (P>0.05), The score of MPQ was not different between four groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: We concluded that the medication may not be beneficial, at least at the doses stated, in the management of DOMS.
2,5-Dimethoxy-4-Methylamphetamine ; Acetaminophen* ; Analgesics ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Aspirin* ; Knee ; Myalgia* ; Pain Measurement

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of spinal deformities such as scoliosis, thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis in Korean elementary school students. METHOD: Five hundred forty Korean elementary school students were preliminary screened for spinal deformities by physical examinations and the three dimensional skeletal analysis system. The study time and pain regions were investigated in sitting on chairs that commonly used in Korean elementary school. RESULTS: The prevalence of scoliosis, thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis were 9.8%, 18.7% and 23.1%. There was a significant difference in study time between spinal deformity group and control group (p<0.01). In spinal deformity group, pain regions were low back (45%), posterior neck (23%), buttock (21%) and shoulder and elbow joints (11%). CONCLUSION: The spinal deformities showed high prevalence in elementary school students assessed by the three dimensional skeletal system analyser. The long term follow-up evaluation and confirmative radiographic study will be necessary to assess curve progression in spinal deformity group.
Animals ; Buttocks ; Congenital Abnormalities* ; Elbow Joint ; Humans ; Kyphosis ; Lordosis ; Neck ; Physical Examination ; Prevalence ; Scoliosis ; Shoulder

Purpose: We report two cases of sudden intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation in children after steroid treatment.Case summary: (Case 1) An 8-year-old boy visited the hospital with vomiting and headache that had begun 3 days after application of dexamethasone eyedrops. IOPs were 55 and 62 mmHg in the right and left eyes, respectively; both anterior chambers were normal. The eyedrops were stopped and timolol/dorzolamide was applied twice daily. After intravenous mannitol injection, the IOPs of both eyes decreased to 18 mmHg within 24 hours. (Case 2) A 10-year-old boy diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 three days prior had been prescribed methylprednisolone 4 mg twice daily; he visited the hospital with headache, eye pain, and decreased vision that began 1 day after medication. IOPs were 41 and 54 mmHg in the right and left eyes, respectively; both anterior chambers were normal. After drug discontinuation, timolol/dorzolamide, brimonidine, and latanoprost eyedrops were applied. Subsequently, after intravenous mannitol injection, the IOPs decreased within 24 hours to 7 and 16 mmHg in the right and left eyes, respectively; they remained stable. However, thinning was observed in the retinal nerve fiber and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer. Conclusions Children can develop rapid IOP elevation after even 1 day of steroid use; residual structural damage may be present, despite prompt treatment. Clinicians must closely monitor such patients for atypical IOP elevation.

BACKGROUND: Cryosurgery has been used to treat primary malignant pulmonary tumors at our institute since November 2004. In this study we analyzed our treatment results and complication rates. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A retrospective study using medical charts and imaging data was conducted involving 17 patients with a total of 17 malignant pulmonary tumors who were treated between November 2004 and March 2007. Fourteen patients were males and 3 were females. The median age of the patients was 64 years (range, 54~77 years). The average size of the tumors was 48.8 mm (range, 36~111 mm) in diameter. The patients were followed with chest CT scans 7 days, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. PET scans were obtained between 6 and 9 months postoperatively. The treatment response was analyzed according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria. RESULT: Six months after treatment, 6 tumors (35.3%) showed a complete response, 4 (23.5%) had a partial response, 3 (17.6%) had stable disease, and 4 (23.5%) showed disease progression. In tumors <4 cm in diameter, a complete response was reported in 50% of the tumors. A chi-square-test showed that in tumors <4 cm in diameter, the p-value for results better than a partial response was 0.034. With respect to procedural complications, there was 1 case of blood-tinged sputum which resolved spontaneously within 1 or 2 days, a spontaneously relieved case of subcutaneous emphysema, and 1 patient with a fever. There were no mortalities and the average hospital stay was 6.3 days. CONCLUSION: The effects of cryosurgery on primary lung cancer is greatest in patients with small tumors. Considering the facts that cryosurgery is minimally invasive, has a low complication rate, and can be performed repetitively, we believe that it may play an important role in the treatment of high risk lung cancer patients.
Cryosurgery ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Male ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Retrospective Studies ; Sputum ; Subcutaneous Emphysema ; Thorax

The function of inspiratory muscles is crucial for effective cough as well as expiratory muscles in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). However, there is no report on the correlation between cough and inspiratory muscle strength. To investigate the relationships of voluntary cough capacity, assisted cough techniques, and inspiratory muscle strength as well as expiratory muscle strength in patients with DMD (n=32). The vital capacity (VC), maximum insufflation capacity (MIC), maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) were measured. Unassisted peak cough flow (UPCF) and three different techniques of assisted PCF were evaluated. The mean value of MICs (1918 +/- 586 mL) was higher than that of VCs (1474 +/- 632 mL) (p < 0.001). All three assisted cough methods showed significantly higher value than unassisted method (212 +/- 52 L/min) (F = 66.13, p < 0.001). Combined assisted cough technique (both manual and volume assisted PCF; 286 +/- 41 L/min) significantly exceeded manual assisted PCF (MPCF; 246 +/- 49 L/ min) and volume assisted PCF (VPCF; 252 +/- 45 L/min) (F = 66.13, p < 0.001). MIP (34 +/- 13 cmH2O) correlated significantly with both UPCF and all three assisted PCFs as well as MEP (27 +/- 10 cmH2O) (p < 0.001). Both MEP and MIP, which are the markers of respiratory muscle weakness, should be taken into account in the study of cough effectiveness.
Respiratory Muscles/*pathology ; Pressure ; *Oxygen Consumption ; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne/*genetics ; Muscles/pathology ; Muscle Weakness/pathology ; Models, Statistical ; Male ; Inspiratory Capacity ; Humans ; Cough ; Biopsy ; Adult ; Adolescent