BACKGROUND: Endotoxins play important roles in the pathophysiologic alterations associated with sepsis so the authors examined the effects of hydroxocobalamin, NW-nitro-L-arginine-metyl ester (L-NAME) and aminoguanidine on thiopental-induced contractile responses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated and control rat aortic rings. METHODS: Aortic ring preparation was obtained from LPS-treated (1.5mg/kg, i.p. for 18h) rats. Cumulative doses of thiopental (10-4~3x10- 3M) were added to construct contraction response curves. Hydroxocobalamin (10-5M), L-NAME (10-6M) or aminoguanidine (10-6M) were added as NO scavenger or as NOS inhibitors. Contraction curves by cumulative doses of thiopental (10-4~3x10-3M) were remeasured after treatment of NO scavenger or NOS inhibitors. Statistical significances (p<00.05) were analyzed according to data characteristics by Student's t-test, paired t-test or ANOVA. RESULTS: The vascular responses of cumulative thiopental (10-4~3x10 3M) administration were dose- dependent contraction and LPS-treated rat was less contracted (p<00.05). There was significant increment on vascular contraction induced by thiopental after hydroxocobalamin pretreatment in LPS-treated rat (p<0.05), in spite of L-NAME, aminoguanidine pretreatment was failed to increase contractile forces in control and LPS-treated rats. CONCLUSIONS: From these results, viewed from maintenance of vasomotor tone in septic state, it is suggested that hydroxocobalamin may be candidate for vasopressor during usual induction of general anesthesia.
Anesthesia, General ; Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic* ; Endotoxins ; Hydroxocobalamin* ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Rats* ; Sepsis ; Thiopental

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No abstract available.

A soft rot of fruits caused by Rhizopus nigricans occurred on peach (Prunus persica var. vulgaris ) in The Chinju City Agricultural Products Wholesale Marke during in summer season of 2000. The disease infection usually started from wounding after harvest fruits, and then moved to outside. At first, the lesions started with water soaked and rapidly softened and diseased area gradually expanded. In severely infected film house, the rate of infected fruits reached 65.2%. Numerous sporangiospores were produced on the diseased fruits. Most of the sporangiospores were appeared to be readily dispersed in the air. The mycelia grew surface of fruits and produced stolons. Colonies on potato dextrose agar at 25~30degrees C white cottony at first becoming heavily speckled by the presence of sporangia and the browinish black at maturity, spreading rapidly by means of stolons fired at various points to the substrate by rhizoids. Sporangia were 85.3~243.5x53.4~219.2microm in size and were globose or sub-globose with. somewhat flattened base. The color of sporangia was white at first and then turned black with many spores, and never over-hanging. Sporangiophores were 8.9~36.6microm in width, smooth-walled, non-septate, light brown, simple, long, arising in groups of 3~5 from stolons opposite rhizoids. Sporangiospores was 9.7~24.8x5.9~15.8microm, irregular, round, oval, elongate, angular, and browinish-black streaked. Columella was 70.2x149.7microm. brownish gray, and umberella-shaped when dehisced. The causal organism was identified as. Rhizopus nigricans Lind on the basis of the morphiogical characteristics of the fungus. Rhizopus soft rot on peach (Prunus persica ) caused by the fungi has not been reported in Korea. This is the first report of rhizopus soft rot on peach caused by Rhizopus nigricans in Korea.
Agar ; Fires ; Fruit ; Fungi ; Glucose ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Korea* ; Prunus persica* ; Rhizopus* ; Seasons ; Solanum tuberosum ; Sporangia ; Spores ; Water ; Wounds and Injuries

A black scab disease occurred on sword bean (Canavalia gladiata) in plastic film houses around Chinju area during the spring season of 1999. The disease started from flower bud, then moved to flower stalk, pod, petiole, cirrus, stem and leaves. The lesions started with small dark brown spots then were gradually expanded. Severely infected plants reached 37.4% of whole plant covered with scab. Numerous conidia were produced on the diseased flower disk, pod, floral axis, stem and leaves. Most of the conidia were appeared to be readily dispersed in the air, but the mycelia were not suggested causing of sooty mold by ectoparasitism. A fungus was isolated from the diseased stem, and inoculated to healthy plants to satisfy the Koch's postulates and proved the fungus was the causal agent of the disease. The isolated fungus grew on potato dextrose agar, forming greenish black to pale brown colonies. Conidia were ellipsoidal, fusiform or subspherical, mostly one-celled but occasionally septated. The conidia were 3.9~34.1x2.7~5.1microm in size and formed in long branched chains on the erected conidiophores which were pale olivaceous brown and variable in length between 7.2~210.7microm in size. Ramoconidia were 7.6~29.2x3.2~14.4microm in size. The fungus was identified as Cladosporium cucumerinum based on the above morphological characteristics. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth and conidial formation was about 15 to 25degrees C. Cladosporium scab of sword bean caused by the fungi has not been reported in Korea previously.
Agar ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Cladosporium* ; Flowers ; Fungi ; Glucose ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Korea* ; Plants ; Plastics ; Seasons ; Solanum tuberosum ; Spores, Fungal

BACKGROUND: Recent studies revealed that inhalational anesthetics (IA) attenuate NO production. But the hemodynamic changes produced by IA in septic syndrome patient are still sufficient to threaten patient, surgeon and anesthesiologist. So we examined which IA is proper to maintain vascular contractile force and evaluated the effects of NOS inhibitors on contractile force of septic rat aorta under IA. METHODS: Aortic ring preparation was obtained from LPS-treated (1.5 mg/kg, i.p. for 18h) rats. The development of sepsis was confirmed by iNOS activity and iNOS expression using RT-PCR. Contractile responses of aorta to phenylephrine admministation in the presence or absence of halothane, enflurane and isoflurane were evaluated. We also evaluated the effects of NOS inhibitors, one is NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and the other is aminoguanidine. Statistical significances (p<0.05) were analyzed according to data characteristics by unpaired t-test and paired t-test. RESULTS: The contractile responses to phenylephrine admministration were attenuated in LPS-treated rings. Isoflurane, even at the dose of 2 MAC, didn't affect the contractile response while both halothane and enflurane decreased the contractile response even at the dose of 1 MAC. The potentiation of contractile responses by NOS inhibitors were not affected during administeration of IA. CONCLUSIONS: From these results, it is suggested that isoflurane is the safest inhalational anesthetic and NOS inhibitors, especially L-NAME, may be very useful in the therapy of septic shock patients during general anesthesia.
Anesthesia, General ; Anesthetics* ; Animals ; Aorta ; Enflurane ; Halothane ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Isoflurane ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Nitric Oxide Synthase* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Phenylephrine ; Rats* ; Sepsis ; Shock, Septic

PURPOSE: To determine the usefulness of three-dimensional CT angiography using multidetector-row CT (MDCT) for delineating the arterial anatomy of the liver. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hepatic arterial three-dimensional CT angiography was performed using MDCT (Lightspeed Qx/I; GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, Wis., U.S.A.) in 45 patients with HCC undergoing conventional angiography for transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization. The scanning parameters during the early arterial phase were 2.5 mm slice thickness, 7.5 mm rotation of table speed, and a pitch of 3. Images were obtained by one radiologist using maximum intensity projection from axial CT images obtained during the early arterial phase. Two radiologists blinded to the findings of conventional angiography independently evaluated the hepatic arterial anatomy and the quality of the images obtained. RESULTS: Compared with conventional angiography, reader A correctly evaluated the hepatic arterial anatomy depicted at three-dimensional CT angiography. Reader B's evaluation was correct in 40 of 45 patients. Interobserver agreement was good (kappa value, 0.73), and both readers assessed the quality of three-dimensional CT angiography as excellent. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional CT angiography using MDCT was accurate for delineating the arterial anatomy of the liver, and interobserver agreement was good. The modality may provide, prior to conventional angiography, valuable information regarding a patient's hepatic arterial anatomy.
Angiography* ; Hepatic Artery* ; Humans ; Liver

The changes of the serum calcium, sodium and potassium concentrations after use of succinylcholine, d-tubocurarine and pancuronium were compared before anesthesia with during anesthesia in 60 surgical patients. In succinylcholine administration group, potassium concentration was significantly increased at 20 and 30 minutes and calcium concentration was slightly decreased at 10, 20 and 30 minutes and sodium concentration was decreased at 10 minutes and increased at 20minutes slightly. In d-tubocurarine administration group, sodium concentration was significantly decreased at 10 and 20 minutes, but calcium and potassium concentration were not changed during anesthesia. In pancuronium administration group, clacium, sodium and potassium concentration were not cahgnes during anesthesia.
Anesthesia ; Calcium ; Humans ; Pancuronium ; Potassium ; Sodium ; Succinylcholine ; Tubocurarine

The present study was undertaken to measure the effects of thiopental and thiamylal on isolated thoracic aortic hlical strips in normotensive Wistar rats(NWR) and spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR). Phenylphrine(10(-9) ~ 10(-5) M) caused a dose-dependant contraction in thoracic aortic strips contracted with 30mM KCI in NWR and SHR. The contraction induced by 30mM KCI was taken as 100% and the mean absolute values of NWR and SHR were 463+/-30 and 457+/-38mg, respectively. The ED50 of phenylphrine in thoracic aortic strips contracted with 30mM KCI in NWR and SHR was (2.3+/-1.2) X 10(-8) M and (2.1+/-1.1) X 10(-9) M, respectively. There were no significant differences in the contractile response of thoracic aorta from NWR and SHR to 30mM KCI. In helically cut strips of thoracic aorts contracted with 30mM KCI, the cumulative administration of thiopental (10(-5) ~ 10(-3) M) caused a dose related contraction in NWR and SHR. The contraction induced by 30mM KCI was taken as 100% and the mean absolute values of NWR and SHR were 496+/-31 and 541+/-69mg, respectively. There were significant differences (p<0.05 and p<0.01) in the contractile responses of thoracic aorta from NWR and SHR to thiamylal(3X10(-4) and 10(-3) M). The dose-related contraction to thiamylal was greater than that to thiopental in NWR and SHR.
Aorta, Thoracic* ; Rats, Inbred SHR* ; Thiamylal* ; Thiopental*