BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: AT-1 cells have been derived from the left atrial tissue in which the ANF promoter targeted SV40 large T antigen expression. When cultured, clusters of spontaneously contracting cells were observed after 4-5 days and contiguous sheets of synchronously beating cardiomyocytes were formed after 10 days. In this study, expression of several cell cycle regulatory genes were monitored through Northern blot analyses in AT-1 cells during beating and after formation of beating sheets (BS). MATERIALS AND METHOD: AT-1 RNAs were obtained in 3 days after plating, during beating and after formation of BS, and used for Northern blot analyses. RESULTS: alpha-Cardiac myosin heavy chain expression was prominent in beating cells, as would be expected for this contractile protein isoform but ANF was decreased after beating. Gax was not expressed in cultured AT-1 cells but in AT-1 tumor and murine heart. p53 and p21 were decreased after beating which indicate transcription level of p53 and p21 correlated well in AT-1 cells. In contrast, pRB and p107 were increased after beating but p68 (2.4 kb) which arose by alternative splicing of p107 and lacks the pocket domain B was decreased in beating cells. pTCS2, murine tuberous sclerosis gene, represented similar levels during beating but a little was decreased after formation of BS. mRAD50, the murine homologue of yeast DNA recombinational repair gene RAD50, was increased in beating cells, a similar pattern to p107 and pRB. But the p50 arose by alternative splicing of mRAD50 and has 3' half of mRAD50 had unexpectedly appeared and maintained after beating. CONCLUSION: The expression of cell cycle regulatory genes after beating and formation of BS in AT-1 cells showed gene-specific pattern and the p50 which has homology to the mRAD50 may participate in differentiation of cardiomyocytes.
Alternative Splicing ; Antigens, Viral, Tumor ; Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; Blotting, Northern ; Cell Cycle* ; Genes, Regulator* ; Heart ; Myocytes, Cardiac* ; Myosin Heavy Chains ; Recombinational DNA Repair ; RNA ; Tuberous Sclerosis ; Yeasts

No abstract available.

Revascularizations of 14 occlusive arterial diseases in the lower extremities with the Transluminal Endarterectomy Catheter was done successfully. The causes of occlusions were atherosclerosis in 9 cases and cardiogenic thromboembolism in 5 cases. The site of lesions were at the common femoral artery in 1 case, the superficial femoral artery in 6 cases and the popliteal artery in 7 cases. The length of the lesion were below 5cm(n=3), 5-10cm(n=2), 11-20cm(n=6) and 21-30cm(n=3). Complications were distal embolism(n=1) and hematoma at the puncture site(n=1). No symptoms recurred in any cases during 2 months -15 months followup. Endarterectomy with Transluminal Endarterectomy Catheter was found to be an effective method for revasculizations of occlusive arterial disease in the lower extremity, especially in long segmental occlusion.
Atherosclerosis ; Catheters ; Endarterectomy* ; Femoral Artery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoma ; Lower Extremity* ; Methods ; Popliteal Artery ; Punctures ; Thromboembolism

No abstract available.
Kasabach-Merritt Syndrome*

Acute pyogenic arthritis in renal transplant patient is one of the serious problem resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this paper is to analyze seven patients in whom acute pyogenic arthritis developed following renal transplantation. Pyogenic arthritis developed in seven (0.7%) out of 958 renal transplant patients whose transplanted kidney functioned well for more than two years. The age of the patients ranged from 37 to 65 years with a mean of 48 years. All patients were male. Pyogenic arthritis developed between the period of one and 12 years (mean: 4.5+/-4.2 years) following transplantation. Causative organisms were Staphylococcus aureus (three), E. coli (two), Salmonella (one) and Acinetobacter bananii (one). Involved joints were four knees, one hip, one elbow and one finger. Two patients improved on a conservative regimen of bed rest and antibiotics and five patients required open drainage. However, pyogenic arthritis recurred in three years, four years and seven years after renal transplant in one patient. Looking at the probable risk factors of age, sex, immunosuppresants, diabetics and acute graft rejection, diabetics and older age (over 40 years old) are highly associated with post renal transplant pyogenic arthritis.
Acinetobacter ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arthritis* ; Bed Rest ; Drainage ; Elbow ; Fingers ; Graft Rejection ; Hip ; Humans ; Joints ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Knee ; Male ; Mortality ; Risk Factors ; Salmonella ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Transplantation*

No abstract available.
Dermatitis, Allergic Contact

No abstract available.
Angiofibroma ; Carbon ; Carbon Dioxide ; Lasers, Gas

Although it has been suggested that the calcium antagonist verapamil has beneficial effects on ischemic myocardium, its effect during coronary reperfusion has not been studied in detail. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of verapamil on myocardial damage quantitatively using 111 In-anticardiac myosin antibody (ACM Ab) and qualitatively using electronmicroscopic method. Anesthetized open-chest dogs were subjected to 1 hour of occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) followed by 90 minutes of reperfusion. Regional myocardial blood flow was determined by injecting 85Sr-microsphere prior to LAD reperfusion, and regional myocardial damage was measured by injecting 111In-ACm Ab at 30 minutes after LAD reperfusion. Six dogs were randomly selected as saline control and verapamil-treated (0.6 mg/kg. hr) groups each. Saline or verapamil was infused at 40 minutes after LAD occlusion and continued through the experiment. 1) Verapamil produced significant (P<0.05 by Wilcoxon rank sum test) decrease in heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure and double product. There was no significant change in pulmonary hemodynamics or cardiac output. 2) Stroke volume was reduced significantly (P<0.05 by Wilcoxon rank sum test) after 30 minutes of LAD reperfusion in the control group, but it was preserved in the verapamil-treated group. 3) There was an inverse exponential relationship between 111In-ACm Ab localization and regional blood flow in both control (r=-0.86) and verapamil treated (r=-0.71) groups. Significant difference between the two groups was found in exponential curve (p[t]<0.05). 4) A lesser uptake of 111in-ACM Ab was observed in the verapamil treated group compared with that in the control group in the region where the regional blood flow was lower than 30+/- of normal. 5) In the control group, the myocardium showed swelling, contraction bands, and electron dense granules in the mitochondria which were proven to be calcium aggregates. In the verapamiltreated grooup, the myocardium showed fewer electro dense granules and mild degree of contraction bands. This study supports the concept that verapamil reduces the myocardial damage following coronary reperfusion in myocardial infarction and may reduce contraction band necrosis.
Animals ; Arterial Pressure ; Calcium* ; Cardiac Output ; Coronary Vessels ; Dogs ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Mitochondria ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardial Reperfusion* ; Myocardium* ; Myosins ; Necrosis ; Regional Blood Flow ; Reperfusion ; Stroke Volume ; Verapamil

The presence of A-V shunting in hepatocellular carcinoma is an important factor for deciding the prognosis and in the management with transarterial chemoembolization. Twenty-four patients with hepatocellular carcinoma performed with CO2-DSA and iodinated-DSA were reviewed for the evaluation of visibility of A-V shunting. It was classified by the visibility into clearly visible, faintly visible and invisible. Also the authors evaluated neovascularity and tumor staining. And we checked side effects after the injection of CO2 gas during CO2-DSA. A-V shunting was noted in 19 cases(63%), which were clearly visible in 15 of 19 cases(79%) on CO2-DSA and in 7 of 19 cases(37%) on iodinated-DSA. In 3 cases, A-V shunting was noted only on CO2-DSA. CO2-DSA(17%)was inferior to iodinated-DSA in detection of neovasculaity and tumor staining. Side effects from CO2-DSA were abdominal pain(1 case) and chest discomfort(1 case) but improved within several minutes. In conclusion, CO2-DSA is a sensitive and effective method for the detection of A-V shunting in hepatoma.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Humans ; Methods ; Prognosis ; Thorax

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to compare CO2 DSA and nonionic contrast media angiography in respect to the quality of the opacification of collaterals and incidence of side-effects in peripheral occlusive arterial disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients who were suspected to have peripheral occlusive arterial disease were performed angiography with nonionic contrast media and CO2 at the same location with the same catheter. The causes of the lesions were atherosclerosis(n=7) and Buerger's disease(n:9). CO2 DSA was compared with nonionic contrast media angiography in respect to the quality of image in the diagnosis of the lesions, opacifications of collaterals and side-effects. RESULTS: In atherosclerosis;quality of the images of CO2 DSA was same as that of nonionic contrast media angiography in 6 patients and was poor in 1 patient;opacifications of collaterals of CO2 DSA were same as that of nonionic contrast media angiography in 5 patients and was poor in 2 patients. In Buerger's disease;quality of the images of CO2 DSA was same as that of nonionic contrast media angiography in 2 patients and was poor in 7 patients;opacifications of collaterals of CO2 DSA were same as that of nonionic contrast media angiography in 1 patient and was poor in 8 patients. Leg pain was the only side-effect after CO2 injection occuring in 4 out of 16 patients. CONCLUSION: CO2 could be used as safe contrast media in patient with risk factors for nonionic contrast media and for diagnosis of the atherosclerosis in lower extremity. For the procedures such as vascular intervention reguiring large amount of contrast media CO2 could effectively replace nonionic contrast media.
Angiography* ; Atherosclerosis ; Catheters ; Contrast Media ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leg ; Lower Extremity* ; Risk Factors