No Abstract Available.

The effect of amiodarone on reperfusion arrhthmias after release of left anterior descending coronary artery(LAD) occlusion was studied in 22 anesthetized cats. All cats underwent 20 minutes LAD occlusion followed by reperfusion and amiodarone(20mg/Kg) or normal saline was given on cats which had reperfusion arrhythmias through the left ventricular catheter to observe the antiarrhythmic effect of amiodarone. And also the incidence and type of arrhymias during occlusion and reperfusion were analyzed. During the 20 minute LAD occlusion, 10 of 22 cats(45%) had no arrhythmias, and 12 cats(55%) had nonsustatined ventricular tachycardia. After release of occlusion, 5 of 22 cats(23%) had no arrthmias, and 17 cats(77%) developed sustained ventricular arrhythmias(ventricular tachycardia (n=5), ventricular fibrillation(n=12)). The 17 cats which had reperfusion arrhythmias were randomly divided and given normal saline(control(n=8)) or amiodarone(amiodarone group(n=9)). There was no difference on 2 groups. The reperfusion arrhythmias disappeared in 6 out of 9 cats(66.7%) vs none of 8 controls(P<0.01). We conclude that amiodarone seems to be the effective antiarrhythmic drug on reperfusion arrhythmias after release of LAD occlusion in anesthetized cats, and might be useful for the treatment of reperfusion arrhythmias in human.
Amiodarone* ; Animals ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac* ; Catheters ; Cats ; Humans ; Incidence ; Reperfusion* ; Tachycardia ; Tachycardia, Ventricular

BACKGROUND: Calcipotrol, topical vitamin D analogue, has been demonstrated to have an effect for the treatment of psoriasis with good tolerability. It is required to have comparative studies with the other topical agents which are widely used for the treatment of psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose is to compare calcipotriol with desoxymethasone ointemtn in their therapeutic efficacy and ability to affect dermal inflammatory cellular events. METHODS: This study was a randomized, double blind, right/left comparison over 8weeks in 10 patients. The ointments were applied twice daily to the lesions of psoriasis. Clinical efficacy, as measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index(PASI) was assessed at 2, 4, 6 and 8weeks after starting treatments. The changes in the numbers of dermal immunocytes were assessed on frozen and paraffin-embedded sections by using immunohistochemical stain methods before and after the treatemtns. RESULTS: Reduction of PASI was statistically significant at all time points for both of the treatments (P<0.01) but there was no significant defference between the two treatment modalities. At the completion of 8 weeks of treatments, the mean PASI reduction was 65 percents and 67 percents for calcipotriol and desoxymethasone ointments, respectively. On immunohistochemical staining, the numbers of LCA and HLA-DR positive cells were decreased significantly(P<0.05), and IL-2R and CD4 positive cells were not significaltly reduced in each group after the treatment. CONCLUSION: Calcipotriol ointment was as effective as desoxymethasone ointment, judged by the PASI and the dermal inflammatory cellular events on immunohistochemical staining.
Dermatitis, Atopic ; Desoximetasone* ; HLA-DR Antigens ; Humans ; Ointments* ; Psoriasis* ; Vitamin D

We report a case of congenital giant pigmented nevus with malignant melanoma of brain in a 14-year-old male patient. He had giant pigmented nevus on the back and neck, and multiple satellite lesions over the whole body since birth. One year prior to visit to our hospital, the patient suffered from various neurologie symptoms including headache, nausea, vomiting, seizure and right side motor weakness. Flistologic findings of skin lesions were benign nevocytic nevi. Computed tomogram of brain demonstrated increased densities in the both fronto-parietal leptameninges and brain parenchyme. Histologic findings of brain parenchyme by stereotaxic long needle biopsy showed the infiltration of melanin containing atypical melanocytes. There was no evidence of malignant melanoma at other organs. All of these findings suggested that origin of malignant melanoma of brain parenchyme was leptomeninges rather than skin.
Adolescent ; Biopsy, Needle ; Brain* ; Headache ; Humans ; Male ; Melanins ; Melanocytes ; Melanoma* ; Nausea ; Neck ; Nevus ; Nevus, Pigmented* ; Parturition ; Seizures ; Skin ; Vomiting

Broncho-gastric fistula caused by benign gastric ulcer perforation after esophagectomy is very rare. In general anesthesia of a patient with broncho-gastric fistula, in spite of hyperventilation, leakage of the anesthetic gases through fistula may make the patient hypercapneic, and positive pressure ventilation may increase the risk of the pulmanary aspiration by the regurgitation of gastric fluid by stomach distension. For that reason, in this patient, denitrogenation was performed during patient's voluntary respiration with 100% oxygen for 5 minutes, and induction was performed without positive pressure ventilation, and one lung ventilation was carried out. Hypoxemia was followed by one lung ventilation because his pulmonary function was moderate obstructive type and his lung was damaged by aspiration of gastric fluid via broncho-gastric fistula. A low level of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has no significant hemodynamic effect and can maintain the patency of nonventilated lung, so hypoxemia induced by one lung ventilation may be reduced. Thus we carried out one lung ventilation with CPAP (10 cmH2O) in nonventilated lung and blocked broncho-gastric fistula with a bronchial blocker for prevention of both regurgitation of gastric fluid and leakage of anesthetic gases. One lung anesthesia was performed without any problem in this case.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General* ; Anesthetics, Inhalation ; Anoxia ; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ; Esophagectomy ; Fistula* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hyperventilation ; Lung ; One-Lung Ventilation ; Oxygen ; Positive-Pressure Respiration ; Respiration ; Stomach ; Stomach Ulcer

Mucormycosis is an infectious disease caused by fungi of the order Mucorales. Almost all patients have a serious uriderlying condition such as diabetes mallitus, imrnunosuppression, starvation, burn, but a few cais have been reported in previously heilthy subjects. In order to successfully treat this infection, diagnosis must be prompt and acior. panied by aggressive debridement and parenteral administration of amphotericin B. We report a case of primary cutaneous mucormycosis in 58-year-old man. The lesion was a well-circumscribed erythematous plaque with central necrcis Histopathologically, a biopsy revealed broad, nonsptate with branches occuring at right anghles.
Amphotericin B ; Biopsy ; Burns ; Communicable Diseases ; Debridement ; Diagnosis ; Fungi ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mucorales ; Mucormycosis* ; Starvation

No abstract available.
Lissencephaly* ; Walker-Warburg Syndrome

We analyzed the mRNA expression patterns of major potassium channel genes to determine the mechanism of hypokalemia in familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis. We used quantitative RT-PCR to examine the mRNA levels of both inward (KCNJ2, KCNJ6, and KCNJ14) and delayed rectifi er (KCNQ1 and KCNA2) potassium channel genes in skeletal muscle cells from both normal and patient groups, prior to and after exposure to 4 mM and 50 mM potassium buffers. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed no changes in the mRNA levels of these genes in normal and patient cells on exposure to 4 mM potassium buffer. However, after exposure to 50 mM potassium buffer, which was used to induce depolarization, normal cells showed a signifi cant decrease in KCNJ2, KCNJ6, and KCNJ14 expression, but no change in KCNQ1 and KCNA2 expression. In contrast, patient cells showed no change in KCNJ2 and KCNJ6 expression, but an increase in KCNJ14 expression. Furthermore, KCNQ1 and KCNA2 showed decreased expression. We found that the expression levels of both inward and delayed rectifi er potassium channel genes in patient cells differ from those in normal cells. Altered potassium channel gene expression in patient cells may suggest a possible mechanism for hypokalemia in familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis.

Purpose: Edible insect extracts have been used as an alternative source for medicinal supplements due to their significant antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activity. Recent studies have reported that anti-microbial peptides from insects have neuroprotective effects on dopamine toxins. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective functions of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) extract (MWE) on N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)–induced cellular toxicity in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Methods: Cellular toxicity induced by the MPTP toxin and the impact of MWE on cell survival were analyzed using MTT assays. DAPI staining was performed to observe apoptotic phenomena caused by MPTP. Changes in caspase-3 activity and protein expression were observed using enzyme activity assays and western blot assays, respectively. Results: MWE exerted significant antioxidant activity, which was measured by both DPPH and ABTS radical assays, with a dose-dependent relationship. Furthermore, MWE resulted in cellular proliferation in SH-SY5Y cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, MWE pretreatment significantly inhibited MPTP-induced cytotoxicity, with a dose-dependent relationship. The morphological characteristics of apoptosis and increased reactive oxygen species induced by MPTP were also significantly reduced by MWE pretreatment. Conclusion MWE treatment significantly attenuated MPTP-induced changes in the levels of proteins associated with apoptosis, such as caspase-3 and PARP. These findings suggest that MWE exerts neuroprotective effects on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells subject to MPTP-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration.

Background: Puromycin aminonucleoside (PA) can induce nephrotic syndrome in rats, and proteinuria is an important mediator of tubulointerstitial injury in glomerulopathy. We assumed that glomerular proteinuria may affect tubular function, such as urinary concentration, and investigated whether a urinary concentration defect is associated with proteinuria in puromycin aminonucleoside nephrosis (PAN). We also investigated the defect response to enalapril. Methods: Glomerular proteinuria was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of PA (150 mg/kg BW) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. In a half of these rats, enalapril (35 mg/kg BW) was administered daily in a food mixture for two weeks.After the animal experiment, kidneys were harvested for immunoblot analysis and histopathologic examination. Results: Compared with the control group, PA-treated rats had severe proteinuria, polyuria, and a lower urine osmolality. PA treatment induced remarkable tubulointerstitial injury and significant reductions in protein abundances of aquaporin-1 and Na-K-2Cl co-transporter type 2 (NKCC2). Proteinuria significantly correlated with osteopontin expression in the kidney and inversely correlated with renal expression of aquaporin-1, aquaporin-2, and NKCC2. The degree of tubulointerstitial injury significantly correlated with proteinuria, urine output, and osteopontin expression and inversely correlated with urine osmolality and renal expression of aquaporin-1, aquaporin-2, and NKCC2. No significant differences in parameters were found between PA-treated rats with and without enalapril. Conclusion In PAN, glomerular proteinuria was associated with tubulointerstitial injury and water diuresis. Downregulation of aquaporin-1 and NKCC2 can impair countercurrent multiplication and cause a urinary concentration defect in PAN.