The transpetrosal transtentorial supra- and infratentorial combined approach has been used by many skull base surgeons for the total removal of large tumors in the cerebellopontine, petroclival, and dumbbell-shaped mass of the middle and posterior cranial bases. When surgeons use the retrolabyrinthine approach for hearing preservation, adequate exposure of the presigmoid dura might be hard to achive. In order to get a wider operating field with hearing preservation, the authors used the transpetrosal approach with partial labyrinthectomy for a large dermoid cyst in the cerebellopontine angle which extened to the middle cranial base through the Meckel's cave.
Cerebellopontine Angle ; Dermoid Cyst ; Hearing* ; Skull Base

Neurilemmoma, also refired to as Schwannoma, neurinoma and perineural fibroblastoma, is well capsulated solitary tumor of Schwann cell origin. The most common sites for benign solitary neurilemmoma are the extremities or the head and neck region. In the retroperitoneum, they are commonly seen in the presacral region. It is incidentally detected and confirmed by pathologic findings. We report a case of retroperitoneal neurilemmoma arising from adjacent to kidney, in 49 years old man.
Extremities ; Head ; Humans ; Kidney* ; Middle Aged ; Neck ; Neurilemmoma*

Purpose: This study was conducted to effectively apply the nutrition and hygiene education program for improving the nutritional status of the elderly aged 65 years and above. Methods: The first study was conducted by enrolling 121 willing elderly subjects from welfare centers in four regions of Chungbuk. The second study included 347 people from 10 regions of Chungbuk. Data were analyzed using the SPSS (version 12.0) and SAS (version 9.2) programs. Results: Most participants in both studies were women, ranging from 70-79 years of age. In the first study, the performance rates of subjects, after imparting the education on hygiene, eating habits, and nutritional knowledge, were significantly increased for all factors. Goesan and Boeun areas were highly effective in hygiene practice and eating habits after education.In the second study, Chungju had the most educational effect on hygiene education, with a score of 6.41 points before education and 7.68 points after education. The greatest impact of education on eating habits was obtained at Goesan, with 9.23 points and 11.26 points before and after education, respectively. Large regional differences were determined for the effect of the education program. For nutritional knowledge, the combined average score of Boeun and Goesan showed a maximum increase after education. When considering satisfaction, the scores of Cheongju and Jeungpyeong increased the most after education, whereas Goesan showed that the average scores before and after education were close to perfect. Surprisingly, the Okcheon area, where there was no significant difference in the educational effect after the education program in the first study, showed significant improvement for all factors after the second education program. The current study indicates that continuous education programs are essential for improving the nutritional status of the elderly. Conclusion Therefore, continuous nutrition and hygiene education programs are recommended to improve the nutritional status of the elderly.

Purpose: Histidine-containing dipeptides, which are rich in chicken, have been reported to reduce the risk of metabolic abnormalities via anticarbonylation mechanism in animal models. To determine the effect of dietary histidine-containing dipeptides on metabolic risk factors in humans, the relation between chicken consumption and insulin resistance were determined in a population consuming high carbohydrate and low protein. Methods: A total of 7,183 subjects (2,929 men and 4,254 women) aged ≥50 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) were divided into three groups according to chicken consumption (rarely, monthly, and weekly), and evaluated for the metabolic risk factors using homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) in this cross-sectional study. The fourth and fifth (IV-1–3 & V-1) KNHANES, which had blood insulin data, were chosen for the current study. Results: The chicken consumption was significantly associated with insulin (p for trend = 0.018) and HOMA-IR (p for trend = 0.023) in men. In particular, the ‘weekly’ chicken consuming men in the lowest tertile (< 65.0%) of carbohydrate intake group had significantly lower HOMA-IR (p for trend = 0.033) and higher QUICKI (p for trend = 0.043) than the ‘rarely’ intake group. In addition, the odds ratio for abnormal HOMA-IR was 0.55 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.31–0.99) and QUICKI was 0.47 (95% CI, 0.26–0.86) for the ‘weekly’ chicken consuming group. Conclusion The ‘weekly’ chicken consumption had a beneficial effect on insulin resistance and it may partially be due to the major bioactive components in chicken, histidinecontaining dipeptides.

Non-typhoidal salmonellosis, which is increasing nowadays in Korea as well as in the developed countries, is manifested as enteritis in most cases, but it also encompasses bacteremia, intraabdominal infections, and bone, joint and soft tissue infections. These rare diseases are known to result from primary gastrointestinal infection and subsequent bacteremia with or without symptoms. We experienced a case of neck abscess caused by Salmonella serotype D, which is a rare but important differential diagnosis of neck abscess. We herein report it.
Abscess/*diagnosis/*microbiology ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; *Liver Cirrhosis ; Neck/*microbiology/*pathology ; Salmonella/*physiology ; Salmonella Infections/*complications

The effects of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on pacemaker activities of cultured interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) from murine small intestine were investigated using whole-cell patch-clamp technique at 30degrees C and Ca2+ image analysis. ICC generated spontaneous pacemaker currents at a holding potential of -70 mV. The treatment of ICC with EGCG resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in the frequency and amplitude of pacemaker currents. SQ-22536, an adenylate cyclase inhibitor, and ODQ, a guanylate cyclase inhibitor, did not inhibit the effects of EGCG. EGCG-induced effects on pacemaker currents were not inhibited by glibenclamide, an ATP-sensitive K+ channel blocker and TEA, a Ca2+-activated K+ channel blocker. Also, we found that EGCG inhibited the spontaneous [Ca2+]i oscillations in cultured ICC. In conclusion, EGCG inhibited the pacemaker activity of ICC and reduced [Ca2+]i oscillations by cAMP-, cGMP-, ATP-sensitive K+channel-independent manner.
Adenine ; Adenylyl Cyclases ; Animals ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Glyburide ; Guanylate Cyclase ; Interstitial Cells of Cajal ; Intestine, Small ; Mice ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Tea

Acute mediastinitis is a life threatening disorder that causes severe morbidity in affected patient. We experienced a case of acute mediastinitis in a 56 year-old man as a result of swallowing a fish bone (Order Perciformes, Family Pomacentridae). Conservative treatment, including starvation therapy and the injection of antibiotic drugs, were successful in treating this patient. Although the optimal treatment for acute mediastinitis remains controversial, it is important to choose the appropriate strategies when encountering cases of acute mediastinitis.
Male ; Humans

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It has been suggested that nitric oxide (NO) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) share a final common pathway for vascular smooth muscle relaxation. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of NO on the hypotensive and vasorelaxant effects of ANP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 250-300 g each were anesthetized with thiopental (50 mg/kg IP). The femoral artery was cannulated and the arterial blood pressure and heart rate were continuously monitored in the anesthetized rats (n=19). ANP was administered into the jugular vein after L-NAME treatment. In vitro experiments were performed on intact and endothelium-denuded isolated thoracic aortic rings (n=51) in the presence of either L-NAME or methylene blue. RESULTS: Intravenous administration of ANP (5 ug/kg bolus and 0.2 ug/kg/min infusion) caused a decrease in the mean arterial pressure. L-NAME-pretreatment (1 mg/kg) suppressed the depressor response of ANP. In vitro, the ANP caused a dose-dependent relaxation, and the relaxation response to ANP was attenuated by L-NAME (10-4 M). Endothelium removal or methylene blue (10-5 M) also inhibited the ANP-induced vascular relaxation. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the hypotensive and the vasorelaxant effect of ANP are, at least in part, NO-dependent.
Administration, Intravenous ; Animals ; Arterial Pressure ; Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; Endothelium ; Femoral Artery ; Heart Rate ; Jugular Veins ; Methylene Blue ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Nitric Oxide* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Relaxation ; Thiopental

BACKGROUND: It has been established that hypertension is characterized by a dysfunctional endothelium. Among the endothelial factors that cause vasorelaxation, nitric oxide has been most widely known, which is synthesized by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase. This study was aimed to evaluate the role of the inducible nitric oxide synthase in chronic two-kidney, one clip (2K1C) hypertensive rats. METHODS: 2K1C hypertension was made by clipping the left renal artery and age- matched rats received a sham treatment served as control. In vitro experiments were preformed on intact and endothelium-denuded isolated thoracic aortic rings from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated rats, in the presence of aminoguanidine alone, considered to be a selective inhibitor of the inducible nitric oxide synthase and of aminoguanidine and the nonselective nitric oxide synthase inhibitor Nomega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA). RESULTS: LPS treatment induced a shift to the right of concentration-response curves to norepinephrine in aortic rings with or without endothelium from sham- clipped control rats, while it did not modify in 2K1C hypertensive rats. In aortic rings with endothelium, aminoguanidine caused a significant shift of the norepinephrine concentration-response curve to the left in LPS-treated control rats, but had no effect in hypertensive rats. L-NNA caused an additional shift of the concentration-response curve to norepinephrine in both control and hypertensive rats, although the magnitude was diminished in hypertensive rats. In the endothelium-denuded rings, norepinephrine-induced contractions were enhanced by aminoguanidine in LPS- treated control rats, whereas no significant changes were observed in hypertensive rats. LPS treatment inhibited the relaxation response to acetylcholine in aortic rings from control rats, while it was without effect in hypertensive rats. L-arginine caused a dose-dependent relaxation in endothelium-denuded rings from LPS-treated rats. The relaxation response to L-arginine was attenuated by aminoguanidine in control rats, but no significant changes were noted in hypertensive rats. CONCLUSION: These results provide indirect evidence for an impaired activity of the inducible nitric oxide synthase in 2K1C hypertension, although involvement of an altered activity of constitutive nitric oxide synthase in the endothelium cannot be excluded.
Acetylcholine ; Animals ; Arginine ; Endothelium ; Hypertension ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Norepinephrine ; Placebos ; Rats* ; Relaxation ; Renal Artery ; Vasodilation

PURPOSE: Hypertension may be involved an alteration of intrinsic basal tone in vascular smooth muscle. The purpose of this study was to investigate the vasorelaxant effect of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) on isolated non-contracted aorta from two-kidney, one clip (2K1C) renovascular hypertensive rats. METHODS: 2K1C hypertension was induced by clipping the left renal artery and were used 6 weeks later. Age-matched rats receiving a sham treatment, which served as controls. The thoracic aortae were mounted in tissue baths to measure the isometric tension. RESULTS: ANP diminished basal tone in previously unstimulated thoracic aortic rings from 2K1C hypertensive rats, while it had no effect in the control rats. Endothelial destruction potentiated the vasorelaxant effect of ANP on basal tone in 2K1C rats. A similar potentiation of the ANP response was observed by pre-treatment with N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or methylene blue in aortic rings with endothelium. Treatment with calcium-free Krebs decreased basal tone and abolished ANPresponse. These effects were observed only in aortic rings from 2K1C rats. Similarly, staurosporine and calphostin C, inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC), lowered basal tone and abolished ANP-response in hypertensive rats. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that ANP has a vasorelaxant effect on basal tone in 2K1C renovascular hypertension. Inhibition of ANP effects on basal tone by calcium-free Krebs and PKC antagonists suggests that altered Ca2+ -active tone is involved in hypertension, that modifies the response of vascular smooth muscle to the ANP.
Animals ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; Baths ; Endothelium ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Renovascular ; Methylene Blue ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Naphthalenes ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Placebos ; Protein Kinase C ; Rats ; Renal Artery ; Salicylamides ; Staurosporine