Irradiation which acts directly and produces the reactive oxygen radicals by ionizing water molecules, causes significant morbidity and mortality. The muscle is damaged by direct action, oxygen radicals and the alterations of microcirculation and metabolism after irradiation. The changes of SOD immunoreactivities in muscles of the rats after irradiation were observed. The ultrastructural changes of the irradiated muscles with the pretreatment of SOD (superoxide dismutase) or without were also investigated. A total of 60 healthy Sprague-Dawley male rats weighing from 200g to 250g were used as experimental animals. Under urethane (1.15g/kg. IP.2 times) anesthesia,30 Gy irradiation to lower extremities by PICKER-C9 Cobalt-60 teletherapy unit was done. 15,000 unit/kg of SOD was administered intraperitoneally 1 hour before irradiation. The experimental animals were sacrificed 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after irradiation. The superficial portions of the mid-belly of the rectus femoris muscles were obtained and sliced into portions, 2 mm in length, 1 mm in width and in thickness. The specimens were prepared by routine methods for the electron microscopic observation. All preparations were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate and observed with a Hitachi-600 electron microscope. The other parts of mid-belly of the rictus femoris muscles were sectioned in 14 micrometer thickness with cryostat at -20 degrees C. The immunoreactivities of SOD by use of antihuman Cu, Zn-and Mn-SOD antibodies were observed. The results were obtained as follows . 1. After irradiation, the immunoreactivities of SOD in the rictus femoris muscle were decreased. 2 weeks after irradiation, the immunoreactivities of Cu, Zn-SOD were trace, which was lowest.4 weeks after irradiation, the immunoreactivities were trace or weak. 1 day after irradiation, the immunoreactivities of Mn-SOD were trace, which was lowest. The immunoreactivities of Mn-SOD were increased gradually 4 weeks after irradiation, the immunoreactivities of Mn- SOD were moderate or weak. 2. The ultrastructural changes in the rectus femoris muscles of the rats were getting severer and severer after irradiation. 2 weeks after irradiation, unclear A band and I band, myofibrillolysis, increased and dilated cistemae of sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria with dilated cristae and electron lucent matrix were seen. 4 weeks after irradiation, lysis of sarcomere and increased cisternae of sarcoplasmic reticulum were seen. 3. The ultrastructural changes in the rectus femoris muscles of the rats were getting worse and worse after 3 days of irradiation with the pretreatment of SOD. 2 weeks after irradiation with the pretreatment of SOD, myofibrillolysis, increased and dilated cisternae of sarcoplasmic reticulum and damaged mitochondria were seen. 4 weeks after irradiation with the pretreatment of SOD, the ultrastructures of rectus femoris muscles were recovered to normal. Consequently, after irradiation of 30 Gy, the immunoreactivities of SOD are decreased and SOD attenuates the reversible changes of ultrastructures in muscles.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Citric Acid ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Metabolism ; Microcirculation ; Mitochondria ; Mortality ; Muscles ; Quadriceps Muscle* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Sarcomeres ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Urethane

No abstract available.
Thoracic Nerves*

No abstract available.
Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory* ; Spinal Stenosis* ; Spine*

No abstract available.
H-Reflex*

No abstract available.
Spinal Stenosis*

The changes of electroencephalogram(EEG) in patients with dementia are most commonly studied by analyzing power or magnitude in certain traditionally defined frequency bands. However because of the absence of on identified metric which quantifies the complex amount of information, there are many limitations in using such a linear method. According to chaos theory, irregular signals of EEG cal also result from low dimensional deterministic chaos. Chaotic nonlinear dynamics in the EEG can be studied by calculating the correlation dimension. The authors have analyzed EEG epochs from three patients with dementia of Alzheimer type and three matched control subject. The result showed that patients with dementia of Alzheimer type had significantly lower correlation dimension than non-demented controls on 12 channels. Topographic analysis showed that the correlation dimensions were significantly lower in patients with Alzheimer's disease on frontal, temporal, central, and occipital head regions. These results show that brains of patients with dementia with dementia of Alzheimer type have a decreased complexity of electrophysiological behavior. We conclude that the nonlinear analysis such as calculating correlation dimension can be a promising tool for detecting changes in the complexity of brain dynamics.
Alzheimer Disease ; Brain ; Dementia* ; Electroencephalography* ; Head ; Humans ; Nonlinear Dynamics*

BACKGROUND: Korea is one of the endemic areas of viral hepatitis B, and 6-8% of general population are hepatitis B virus carriers. Although there have been little reduction in morbidity and infectivity of viral hepatitis B owlng to newer vaccines and the effects of immunizations, there are some differences among physicians in managing hepatitis B virus infection, and guidelines have not been established. Therefore in this study, we investigated general practitioners' concept and the practical management of viral hepatitis B in comparison with the hepatologists'. METHODS: Information was obtained through questionnaires sent to 67 hepatologists and 400 general practitioners(general internists, general surgeons, family physicians, general physicians, and public health center managers) in Pusan during the 5 months from April to August, 1997. Overall respondents were 142(116 General practitioners, 26 Hepatologists), and the response rate was 32.9%. RESULTS: In general practitioners, the most commonly used serologic test for viral hepatitis was HBsAg/MBsAb(71.0%). 51.9% of subjects underwent anti-HBs test 3-5 months later after vaccination. The most common revaccination method for healthy non-responders of initial vaccination was 3 series of immunizations with the same vaccine of equal dosage (36.9% ). 65.7% of subjects were tested for LFT every 6 months for chronic carriers, and 41.5% of them were advised - interferon treatment for chronic active hepatitis patients only if the patients requested it. In comparison with general practitioners, hepatologists had a tendency to add anti-HCV test for the serologic evaluation of hepatitis(56.6% vs 26.2%), to limit age for vaccination(82.6% vs 54.1% ), and to delay prescribing hepatotonics until the AST and ALT levels increased up to 2 folds normal(53.8% vs 39.1%). 38.5% of hepatologists did not recommend giving booster injection of hepatitis. CONCLUSIONS: Practioal guidelines is necessary to manage viral hepatitis B patients.
Busan ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; General Practitioners* ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Immunization ; Immunization, Secondary ; Interferons ; Korea ; Physicians, Family ; Public Health ; Serologic Tests ; Vaccination ; Vaccines

It has been well known that ischemia reperfusion injury to skeletal muscle following an acute arterial occlusion causes significant morbidity and mortality. There are many causes of reperfusion injury, but the oxygen free radicals have a significant role. During ischemia the ATP is catalyzed to hypoxanthine anaerobically and hypoxanthine dehydrogenase is converted to xanthine oxidase under the presence of O2 resulting in the production of cytotoxic oxygen free radical, which are harmful to muscle. The reactivity of superoxide dismutase(SOD), one of the major antioxidant enzymes, is increased against the formation of the superoxide radical during reperfusion. SOD metabolyzes the superoxide radical to H2 O2 and O2.The severity of ischemic damage deports on the duration of muscle ischemia. The reversible changes in the muscle occur afar 2 hours of ischemia and recover within 24 hours after reperfusion. After 6 hours ischemia, irreversible damage occurs and causes necrosis of muscle. The authors performed the resent study to investigate the changes of Mn-SOD and the effects of allopurinol, the inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, by measuring the immunoreactivitiy of the ischemic reperfused rectus femoris muscle of rats after 2 hours and 6 hours ischemia and timely reperfusion. A total of 176 healthy spraque-Dawley rats weighing from 200 gm to 250 gm were used. Under urthane(3.0 gm/kg.,IP) anesthesia, a lower-abdominal incision was made and the left common iliac artery was ligated by using a vascular clamp for 2 hours and 6 hours. Rectus femoris muscle was obtained at 0 hour, 1 hour, 2 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours after removal of the vascular clamp. The specimens were sectioned in 14micro miter thickness with a cryostat. The immunoreactivities of Mn-SOD were observed by using Mn-SOD antibodies. The result were as follows. 1. The immunoreactivies of Mn-SOD around sarcolemma were stronger than those on the sarcoplasm. 2. The immunoreactivities of Mn-S0D after 2 hours of ischemia increased to moderate or weak reactivities at 1 hour and 2 hours of reperfusion and returned to week or trace reactivities at 24 hours and 48 hours of reperfusion 3. The pretreatment of allopurinol decreased the immunoreactivies of Mn-SOD during reperfusion. The pattern of changes of SOD immunoreactivies were similar, but the range of changes significantly decreased. 4. The immunoreactivies of Mn-SOD after 6 hours of ischemia increased after 6 hours of ischemia increased after reperfusion and showed peak at 2 hours and 24 hours specimen. After 48 hours in the reperfused group, the reactivities slightly decreased. 5. After 6 hours in the ischemia-reperfused group, the pretreatment of allopurinol decreased the immunoreactivies of Mn-SOD during reperfusion, but the effects were weak. These results suggest that the immunoreactivities of the 6 hours ischemia reperfused group were higher than those of 2-hours ischemia reperfused group in the rectus femoris muscle of rats and that allopurinol pretreatment can be credited with decreasing ischemia reperfusion injury within a reversible period.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Allopurinol ; Anesthesia ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Free Radicals ; Hypoxanthine ; Iliac Artery ; Ischemia ; Mortality ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Necrosis ; Oxygen ; Quadriceps Muscle* ; Rats* ; Reperfusion Injury* ; Reperfusion* ; Sarcolemma ; Superoxide Dismutase* ; Superoxides ; Xanthine Oxidase

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by demyelination, focal infiltration of inflammatory cells and axonal injury, which leads to loss of neurological function. The exact cause of the disease remains unclear, but an autoimmune response directed against CNS antigens is suspected. Studies in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS, have provided important insights into mechanisms of T cell-mediated CNS autoimmune disease. It appears likely that when a genetically susceptible host encounters a common environmental antigen (such as an infectious organism), a process called 'molecular mimicry' results in the peripheral activation of cross-reactive T cells that can migrate to the CNS and mount pro-inflammatory responses to myelin epitopes. This review describes the current understanding on the immunopathogenesis of MS and the mechanisms of action of currently available disease-modifying therapies in the context of the underlying immunopathogenic processes they are thought to affect.
Autoimmune Diseases ; Autoimmunity ; Axons ; Central Nervous System ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental ; Epitopes ; Models, Animal ; Multiple Sclerosis* ; Myelin Sheath ; T-Lymphocytes

PURPOSE: To evaluate trochanter stabilizing plate and compression hip screw can prevent excessive impaction and cutting-out in unstable intertrochanteric fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred twenty-one patients with intertrochanteric fractures were treated between December 1999 and March 2002. Of the patients, twenty-four patients were treated with an additional TSP on the CHS. Nineteen patients were followed for more than six months. The fractures were classified according to the AO classification. Impactions of compression lag screw were measured immediate postoperatively and postoperatively three months later on simple radiographs. Functional results were followed Salvati-Wilson assessment score at postoperative six months later. RESULTS: The group consisted of seven men and twelve women, and the mean age was 73 years. Two were classified as A2.2, six A2.3, one A3.2, and ten A3.3 fractures. Mean impaction was 5.4 mm (range 1.8 to 11.4 mm). Functional results were excellent in 32% and good in 53%. Eighteen patients had healed after operation. One complication required a bipolar hemiarthroplasty due to cutting-out of lag screw. CONCLUSION: In three-part and four-part intertrochanteric fractures with lateral cortex breakage or vertical fracture in greater trochanter, the addition of TSP to CHS can prevent abductor muscle weakness due to fracture impaction, limb shortening and additional lateral cortical fracture. It also helps early weight bearing and bone healing.
Classification ; Extremities ; Female ; Femur* ; Hemiarthroplasty ; Hip Fractures* ; Hip* ; Humans ; Male ; Muscle Weakness ; Weight-Bearing