High output heart failure due to congenital arteriovenous fistula is a rare disease and is difficult to treat. A 27 year old man, suffering from dyspnea, palpitation, lower extremity edema, and abdominal distension admitted May, 1987. At admission there were continuous thrill and bruit at left supraclavicular and infraclavicular area. The heart sound was irregular and rapid, and grade IV/VI pansystolic murmur was audible at the apex. Chest PA showed marked cardiomegaly with pleural effusion and notching at superior aspect of left 2nd rib. Selective left subclavian artery angiogram showed extensive congenital arteriovenous fistula at the area of left subclavian artery and its branches. After setrial feeding artery embolization and palliative operation, the fistula size decreased much with clinical improvement.
Adult ; Arteries ; Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Cardiomegaly ; Dyspnea ; Edema ; Fistula ; Heart Failure ; Heart Sounds ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Pleural Effusion ; Rare Diseases ; Ribs* ; Subclavian Artery* ; Thorax

PURPOSE: To evaluate the antiproliferative and antifibrotic effects of alpha-tocotrienols in primary cultured orbital fibroblasts from thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) patients. METHODS: Orbital fibroblasts were cultured (5 eyes from TAO patients, 5 eyes from normal patients) and classified into a control group, alpha-tocotrienol group and alpha-tocopherol group. The cell viability was measured using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The proliferation of orbital fibroblasts was measured using the Click-iT(TM) assay. The collagen production of the control and alpha-tocotrienol groups was measured using a hydroxyproline assay. RESULTS: The alpha-tocotrienol and alpha-tocopherol groups showed no cytotoxicity up to 150 microm in orbital fibroblasts from TAO and normal patients. The proliferation of orbital fibroblasts from TAO and normal patients was significantly inhibited with alpha-tocotrienol at 80 microm and 120 microm. The collagen production of orbital fibroblasts from TAO patients was significantly inhibited with alpha-tocotrienol at 120 microm. CONCLUSIONS: The results from the present study indicate that non-toxic concentrations of alpha-tocotrienol have significant antiproliferative and antifibrotic effects on orbital fibroblasts from TAO patients.
alpha-Tocopherol ; Cell Survival ; Collagen ; Eye ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis ; Graves Ophthalmopathy ; Humans ; Hydroxyproline ; Orbit ; Tetrazolium Salts ; Thiazoles ; Troleandomycin ; Vitamin E

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Liver*

Rhabdomyosarcoma originating from the chest wall is a rare malignant tumor in children and was considered to be guarded in prognosis previously. However, recent advances in multidisciplinary treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma in children have improved the disease free survival rate. Authors report a case of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, stage III, originating from the chest wall who is surviving free of disease for 15 months with aggressive chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Child ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Rhabdomyosarcoma ; Rhabdomyosarcoma, Alveolar* ; Thoracic Wall* ; Thorax*

Direct exposure of renal tubular brush-border membranes (BBM) to free cadmium (Cd) causes a reduction in phosphate (Pi) transport capacity. Biochemical mechanism of this reduction was investigated in the present study. Renal proximal tubular brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV) were isolated from rabbit kidney outer cortex by Mg precipitation method. Vesicles were exposed to 50~200 muM CdCl2 for 30 min, then the phosphate transporter activity was determined. The range of Cd concentration employed in this study was comparable to that of the unbound Cd documented in renal cortical tissues of Cd-exposed animals at the time of onset of renal dysfunction. The rate of sodium-dependent phosphate transport (Na+-Pi cotransport) by BBMV was determined by 32P-labeled inorganic phosphate uptake, and the number of Na+/-Pi cotransporters in the BBM was assessed by Pi-protectable 14C-labeled phosphonoformic acid ((14C)PFA) binding. The exposure of BBMV to Cd decreased the Na+-Pi cotransport activity in proportion to the Cd concentration in the preincubation medium, but it showed no apparent effect on the Pi-protectable PFA binding. These results indicate that an interaction of renal BBM with free Cd induces a reduction in Na+-Pi cotransport activity without altering the carrier density in the membrane. This, in turn, suggest that the suppression of phosphate transport capacity (Vmax) observed in Cd-treated renal BBM is due to a reduction in Na+-Pi translocation by existing carriers, possibly by Cd-induced fall in membrane fluidity.
Animals ; Cadmium ; Cadmium Chloride ; Foscarnet* ; Kidney ; Membrane Fluidity ; Membranes* ; Phosphate Transport Proteins*

No abstract available.
Herpes Simplex ; Herpes Zoster ; Humans ; Methylmethacrylates ; Polystyrenes

BACKGROUND: Curcumin has been reported to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antifungal, antitumor, and antinociceptive activity when administered systemically. We investigated the analgesic efficacy of intrathecal curcumin in a rat model of inflammatory pain. METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats were prepared for intrathecal catheterization. Pain was evoked by injection of formalin solution (5%, 50 microl) into the hind paw. Curcumin doses of 62.5, 125, 250, and 500 microg were delivered through an intrathecal catheter to examine the flinching responses. The ED50 values (half-maximal effective dose) with 95% confidence intervals of curcumin for both phases of the formalin test were calculated from the dose-response lines fitted by least-squares linear regression on a log scale. RESULTS: In rats with intrathecal administration of curcumin, the flinching responses were significantly decreased in both phases. The slope of the regression line was significantly different from zero only in phase 2, and the ED50 value (95% confidence interval) of curcumin was 511.4 microg (23.5-1126.5). There was no apparent abnormal behavior following the administration of curcumin. CONCLUSIONS: Intrathecal administration of curcumin decreased inflammatory pain in rats, and further investigation to elucidate the precise mechanism of spinal action of curcumin is warranted.
Animals ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Curcumin ; Formaldehyde ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Male ; Pain Measurement ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord

PURPOSE: Pretransplant peripheral vascular examination in renal transplant recipient is not common even though the uremic status is a risk factor of developing atherosclerosis. Since that kind of atherosclerotic stenosis is inadequate for renal artery anastomosis, surgeons should perform certain procedures in that area. Until now, we have no written report about the results of renal transplant recipient who have been done endarterectomy at anastomosing iliac artery. The aim of this paper is to review the results of renal allograft recepient whose anastomosed iliac artery is endarterectomized at the time of transplantation. METHODS: Among 161 living donor renal allografts which were performed between January 1993 through June 1998, 21 allografts needed recipient iliac artery endarterectomy before vascular anastomosis. Their graft survivals, serial changes of blood pressure, serum creatinine level, and ultrasonic measure of renal arterial diameter and peak systolic velocity with their wave patterns were compared between endarterectomy group and non-endarterectomy group (control group). Mean age of endarterectomy group was older than control group (45.4 vs 32.9). Endarterectomy was done at internal iliac artery in 18 patients and both common and external iliac arteries in 3 patients. RESULTS: One and 3 year graft survivals showed higher in endarterectomy group than control group (90.9% vs 82.3%). Uncontrolled hypertension of endarterectomy group was 6.3%, 11.5%, 27.3% in 12, 24, 36 months and that of control group was 18.9%, 23.6%, 25.1%, but there was no statistical significance between groups. Serial changes of serum creatinine level of endarterectomy group was maintained low until the end of 3 years compare to control group (1.2 0.9 mg/ml vs 1.9 1.1). There was no difference between groups in peak systolic velocity and wave pattern proximal and distal to the anastomotic site of renal artery, and also no difference in measured arterial diameter and resistance index. CONCLUSION: Endarterectomy of recipient iliac artery before transplant renal vascular anastomosis show no adverse effect on recipient blood pressure, renal allograft function, graft survival and renal artery restenosis at least up to 3 years after graft.
Allografts* ; Atherosclerosis ; Blood Pressure ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Creatinine ; Endarterectomy* ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Iliac Artery ; Living Donors ; Renal Artery ; Risk Factors ; Transplantation ; Transplants ; Ultrasonics

OBJECTIVE: p63 is a member of the p53 gene family. The main aim of this study was to compare p63 and p53 expression in precancerous lesions and invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. METHODS: Total 81 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (22 cases), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (42 cases) and invasive squamous cell carcinomas (17 cases) in the uterine cervix were stained by immunohistochemistry for expression of p63, p53 and topoisomerase II-alpha. RESULTS: p63 was statistically significant higher immunoreactivity according to progression of uterine cervical squamous lesions, but p53 was not significant. No statistical correlation was found between p63 and p53. Topoisomerase II-alpha index was statistically significant higher according to increase of p63 expression. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the expression of p63 protein may play a roles in progression and proliferative activities of the uterine cervical squamous lesions.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cervix Uteri* ; Female ; Genes, p53 ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry

The authors would like to amend a reference (Lee et al., 2003) that was cited in "Cell culture" section of "Materials and Methods". Instead of "(Lee et al., 2003)", we would like to change the reference to "(Kim et al., 2003)". In "References", it also needs to include the following reference. Kim YY, Seol HW, Ahn HJ. Temporal expression of differentiation markers in embryoid bodies from various human embryonic stem cell line. International Society for Stem Cell Research 1st Annual Meeting, Washington, DC. U.S.A. June 8-11, 2003, Abstract No. 35. The authors apologize for any inconvenience.