Echocardiography was done on 51 cases with various cardiovascular disease and on 23 cases of normal control subjects from April, 1981 to March, 1982 in the Department of internal medicine, Eul Ji General Hospital, Seoul, Korea. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The left ventricular mass estimated by the measurements made with standard convention was 261+/-8gm in patient group and 126+/-6gm in control group. With penn convention, the left ventricular mass of the patients group was 297+/-11gm and that of control group was 127+/-6gm. The differences between both conventions were significant statistically. 2. In measurements made with standard convention, those who showed increased left ventricular posterior wall thickness were 37 cases(73%) and those who showed increased left ventricular internal dimension were 15 cases(29%). On the other hand, number of cases who showed increased left ventricular mass were 45 cases(88%) and this results suggested estimation of left ventricular mass seems to be more useful method in the diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy than simple measurements of left ventricular posterior wall thickness of left ventricular internal dimension. 3. The correlation coefficient between left ventricular mass and maximum voltage of electrocardiography, left ventricular posterior wall thickness left ventricularinternal dimension was 0.70, 0.74 0.51 respectively in standard method and 0.82, 0.76, 0.44 respectively in penn convention. Left ventricular mass was correlated fairly closely with the maximum voltage of electrocardiography and left ventricular posterior wall thickeness, less closely with the left ventricular internal dimension.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Diagnosis* ; Echocardiography* ; Electrocardiography ; Hand ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular* ; Internal Medicine ; Korea ; Seoul

Baicalein, a natural flavonoid obtained from the rhizome of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, has been reported to have anticancer activities in several human cancer cell lines. However, its antimetastatic effects and associated mechanisms in melanoma cells have not been extensively studied. The current study examined the effects of baicalein on cell motility and anti-invasive activity using mouse melanoma B16F10 cells. Within the noncytotoxic concentration range, baicalein significantly inhibited the cell motility and invasiveness of B16F10 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Baicalein also reduced the activity and expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9; however, the levels of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 and -2 were concomitantly increased. The inhibitory effects of baicalein on cell motility and invasiveness were found to be associated with its tightening of tight junction (TJ), which was demonstrated by an increase in transepithelial electrical resistance and downregulation of the claudin family of proteins. Additionally, treatment with baicalein markedly reduced the expression levels of lipopolysaccharide-induced phosphorylated Akt and the invasive activity in B16F10 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that baicalein inhibits B16F10 melanoma cell migration and invasion by reducing the expression of MMPs and tightening TJ through the suppression of claudin expression, possibly in association with a suppression of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway.
Animals ; Cell Line ; Cell Movement ; Down-Regulation ; Electric Impedance ; Humans ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; Melanoma* ; Mice* ; Rhizome ; Scutellaria baicalensis ; Tight Junctions ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Zanthoxylum schinifolium is traditionally used as a spice for cooking in East Asian countries. This study was undertaken to evaluate the anti-proliferative potential of ethanol extracts of Z. schinifolium leaves (EEZS) against human bladder cancer T24 cells.MATERIALS/METHODS: Subsequent to measuring the cytotoxicity of EEZS, the anti-cancer activity was measured by assessing apoptosis induction, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). In addition, we determined the underlying mechanism of EEZS-induced apoptosis through various assays, including Western blot analysis. RESULTS: EEZS treatment concentration-dependently inhibited T24 cell survival, which is associated with apoptosis induction. Exposure to EEZS induced the expression of Fas and Fas-ligand, activated caspases, and subsequently resulted to cleavage of poly (ADPribose) polymerase. EEZS also enhanced the expression of cytochrome c in the cytoplasm by suppressing MMP, following increase in the ratio of Bax:Bcl-2 expression and truncation of Bid. However, EEZS-mediated growth inhibition and apoptosis were significantly diminished by a pan-caspase inhibitor. Moreover, EEZS inhibited activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway, and the apoptosis-inducing potential of EEZS was promoted in the presence of PI3K/Akt inhibitor. In addition, EEZS enhanced the production of ROS, whereas N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger, markedly suppressed growth inhibition and inactivation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway induced by EEZS. Furthermore, NAC significantly attenuated the EEZS-induced apoptosis and reduction of cell viability. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our results indicate that exposure to EEZS exhibits anticancer activity in T24 bladder cancer cells through ROS-dependent induction of apoptosis and inactivation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.