BACKGROUND: The paired vestibular end organs lie within the semicircular canal of the inner ear in the temporal bones. It plays a role on the control of posture through the vestibuloocular reflex and the vestibulo-spinal reflex. Motion sickness-like symptoms induced by the abnormal stimulation of the vestibular system suggested that the vestibular system participate in the autonomic nervous function. The present study was carried out to determine the role of the vestibular system on the control of blood pressure by way of the autonomic nervous system. METHODS: Blood pressure was measured by means of pressure transducer during stimulation of the vestibular system or following bilateral labyrinthectomies in Sprague-Dawley rats weighing from 200 to 300g. RESULTS: 1) Blood pressure was elevated by electrical stimulation of the vestibular nerve. 2) Also, the pressure was elevated when the vestibular system was excited or inhibited by rotatory stimulation or galvanic stimulation. 3) The pattern of elevation in blood pressure which induced by electrical stimulation of the vestibular nucleus showed a dynamic response at stimulation frequency of 200Hz and a static response at 50Hz. 4) Elevation of blood pressure induced by vestibular sitmulation was more inhibited following bilateral cervical sympathectomies than following bilateral vagotomies. 5) Decreasing the blood pressure induced by positional change of the body was reinforced following bilateral labyrinthectomies. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the vestibular system plays a role on the control of blood pressure by way of the autonomic nervous system as well as on the control of posture, therefore, the vestibular system prevents blood pressure from decreasing by positional change of the body.
Animals ; Autonomic Nervous System ; Blood Pressure* ; Ear, Inner ; Electric Stimulation ; Posture ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reflex ; Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular ; Semicircular Canals ; Sympathectomy ; Temporal Bone ; Transducers, Pressure ; Vagotomy ; Vestibular Nerve

Vimentin is an intermediate filament protein normally expressed in mesenchymal cells, but the evidence of the aberrant expression of vimentin in epithelial cancer cells suggests that the vimentin expression might be related to local invasiveness and metastatic potential. There have been a few previous studies on the vimentin expression in human cervical carcinogenesis using in vivo and in vitro models. We examined the immunohistochemical vimentin expression in various squamous epithelial neoplasms of the uterine cervix, including the cervical intraepithelial neoplasia group (n=25), the microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma group (n=15), the invasive squamous cell carcinoma group (n=15) and the metastatic squamous cell carcinoma group (n=8). Vimentin positivity was significantly higher in the invasive than in the intraepithelial group, and in the cases with lymph node metastasis than in those without metastasis, suggesting a relationship between the vimentin expression and progression of the uterine cervical epithelial tumors.
Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; Cervix Uteri* ; Female ; Humans ; Intermediate Filaments ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial* ; Vimentin*

The managements of fractures of femoral shaft in children differ in many ways from those in adults. Fourty eight cases of fractures of femoral shaft in children who were treated at Masan Korea General Hospital from March 1981 to February 1984 were analyzed both clinically and radiologically and the following results were obtained. l. Among 48 cases, the ratio of male and female was about 2.7:1 and the highest incidence was between the age of 3 and 8 years(52.1%). 2. The main cause of fracture was traffic accident(66.7%) and the other was falling or slip down injury. 3. Middle 1/3 of femoral shaft was most commonly injured(45.8%) and transverse type was common (41.7 %). 4. The common associated injuries were head injuries, fracture of the lower extremities and fracture of pelvis. 5. 43 cases were treated with traction method and 5 with open reduction and internal fixation. 6. In general, angulation at fracture site was under 10 degrees and no clinical deformity was resulted in. 7. Among 48 cases, overring of fractured fragment was occured in 28 cases and the average length of overring was 7.5mm.
Accidental Falls ; Adult ; Child ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Methods ; Pelvis ; Traction

Clinical study was carried out on the 64 hemodialysis patients(HD) with chronic renal failure who had been treated from December 1992 to July 1993 in Yeungnam University Hospital. The following results were obitained. In hematologic parameters, MCH was 28.8±2.0pg, and MCV was 92.4±4.7fl. Result revealed normochromic and normocytic anemia. Mean values of serum ferritin were 657.4±292.0ng/ml in men and 511.5±370g in women. Mean values of serum iron were 145.5±63.7µg/dl. Mean values of transferrin saturation was 61.6±28.4%. Serum frerritin, serum iron and transferrin saturation were higher in HD group than normal reference. In erythropoeitin treatment group, Hb and Hct were significantly higher than non-erythropoietin treatment group. Amount of transfusion was significantly higher in non-erythropoietin treatment group than erythropoeitin treatment group(p<0.05). Values of iron, transferrin saturation were significantly higher in abnormal liver function test(LFT0 hemodialysis group than normal LFT group(p<0.05). Transfusion amounts revealed positive correlation with ferritin(r=0.4675), transferrin satruation (r=0.3823) and iron(r=0.3386) (p<0.05).
Anemia* ; Clinical Study ; Erythropoietin* ; Female ; Ferritins ; Humans ; Iron ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Liver ; Male ; Renal Dialysis ; Transferrin

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic*

Spirochetes were isolated from the midgut of Ixodes persulcatus ticks captured at Chungju, Korea and identified as Borrelia afzelii strains by polymerase chain reaction. To determine the pathogenicity of the B. afzelii strains isolated in Korea, the microbiological and pathological features of Lyme disease were observed in C3H/He mice after intraperitoneal inoculation of the fresh isolate of B. afzelii strain. The results are summarized as follows 1) The Borrelia were detected in the tissues of heart, spleen, kidney, urinary bladder and knee joint within 7 days after inoculation of infection by dark field microscopic examination. The isolation rate from heart, urinary bladder and joint was significantly higher than the rate from spleen, kidney, and blood samples. 2) The Borrelia was detected in heart muscle by indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. 3) Antibody to the Borrelia was detected as early as one week after inoculation. 4) The marked tropism of the Borrelia was observed in myocardial, urinary tract and joint tissue. The main pathological features are inflammation in tissues of heart, kidney, joint and urinary bladder. From these results, the Borrelia afzelii strain isolated in Korea were determined as pathogenic strain.
Animals ; Borrelia burgdorferi Group* ; Borrelia burgdorferi* ; Borrelia* ; Chungcheongbuk-do ; Heart ; Inflammation ; Ixodes ; Joints ; Kidney ; Knee Joint ; Korea* ; Lyme Disease ; Mice ; Myocardium ; Pathology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Spirochaetales ; Spleen ; Ticks ; Tropism ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Tract ; Virulence*

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic* ; Sterilization, Tubal*

Core decompression is still widely used in avascular necrosis of the femoral head but the results are unpredictable and the indications are not settled yet. The reparative process of the decompressed femoral head is poorly understood. Seven cases in 5 patients were undertaken THRA following failed decompression and these were studied for the radiological and pathological changes of the core tracts. The lesions of failed cases were involved more than 1/3 of femoral head on MRI and all cases were stage II A or B. The extent of the necrotic area in MRI was enlarged with crack, sclerosis and sometimes gas collection. Depression of the subchondral plates were also observed. Capillary ingrowth or neovascularization was not found at all and there were only fibrosis, inflammatory response and foreign body reactions.
Capillaries ; Decompression* ; Depression ; Fibrosis ; Foreign Bodies ; Head* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Necrosis* ; Sclerosis

No abstract available.
Cardiotocography* ; Meconium* ; Pregnancy*

We report a case of disseminated calcific cysticercosis of brain, accompanied with marked hydrocephalus. Histopathologically, the calcific spots consisted of mummified scolex and bladder of cysticercus cellulosae with a diffuse calcification, but no area of cystic change were noted. Surrounding brain tissue showed a dense fibrous reaction and gliosis with little foreign body reaction.
Brain* ; Cysticercosis ; Cysticercus ; Foreign-Body Reaction ; Gliosis ; Hydrocephalus ; Urinary Bladder