We provide the reader with a brief introduction to the neurobiology of neuropeptides. Several comprehensive reviews of the distribution and neurochemical. neurophysiological. neuropharmacological and behavioral effects of the major neuropeptides have recently appeared. In reviews of the large number of neuropeptides in brain and their occurance in brain regions thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of major psychiatric disorders, investigators have sought to determine whether alternations in neuropeptide systems are associated with schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, alcoholism and neurodegenerative disease. There is no longer any doubt that neuropeptide-containing are altered in several neuropsychiatric disorders. One of the factors that has hindered neuropeptide research to a considerable extent is the lack of pharmacological agents that specifically alter the synaptic availability of neuropeptides. With the exception of naloxone and naltrexone, the opiate-receptor antagonists, there are few available neuropeptide-receptor antagonists. Two independent classes of neuropeptide-receptor antagonists has been expected to be clinically useful. Naltrexone a potent micro-receptor antagonist has been used successfully to reduce the need for alcohol consumption. And cholecycstokinin antagonists are now in development as a new class of anxiolytics, which would be expected to be free from tolerance and physical dependence and lack of sedation. In this review, we deal with these two kinds of neuropeptide system, the opioid system and cholesystokinins in the brain. The role of opioid systems in the reinforcement after alcohol consumtion and that of cholesystokinins in the pathogenesis of anxiety will be discussed briefly. As we know, the future for neuropeptides in psychiatry remains bright indeed.
Alcohol Drinking ; Alcoholism ; Anti-Anxiety Agents ; Anxiety ; Anxiety Disorders ; Brain ; Cholecystokinin* ; Endorphins* ; Humans ; Mood Disorders ; Naloxone ; Naltrexone ; Neurobiology ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neuropeptides* ; Panic ; Research Personnel ; Schizophrenia

Achilles tendon is the most powerful and the biggest tendon of the body and its rupture is frequently sports-related. Many authors reported the effects of mobilization, electricity, ultrasound and various drugs as factors influencing the injured tendon. We studied the effects of early passive mobilization after firm suture using plantaris tendon as tension suture material and reinforcing membrane on the repair of a ruptured Achilles tendon. From March 1992 to December 1995, twenty-two operations on the Achilles tendon were carried out in our hospital. 1. Fourteen patients were male and eight patients were female. The mean patient age was 38 years, ranging from 13 to 68 years. Average follow-up periods was 2 years and 7 months, ranging from 12 months to 3 years and 8 months. 2. The rupture site was 4.7cm proximal to the tendon insertion into the calcaneus on average. 3. We performed the operations with end to end suture technique. After approximation of the ruptured ends of the tendon with a No. 5 Ethibond tension suture using a modified Kessler stitch, placed plantaris tendon in a fascial needle and pass it circumferentially and distal plantaris tendon is fanned out and tacked over the repair. 4. Postoperative treatment was done as following protocol Short leg cast was done with equinus position for initial 3 weeks, and then cast was removed, hydrotherapy and passive exercises was employed. About 6 weeks after operation when the foot can be brought to right angle, a reverse 90degrees ankle stop short leg brace was applied for additional 6 weeks and partial weight bearing was aUowed. 5. Follow-up results were classified according to the Arner-Lindholm scale. We had 16 excellent results and 6 satisfactory results. After rigid suture it may be possible to introduce a regimen of progressive isometric stimulation and protected loading and streching combined with removable orthosis. Such early exercises are likely to improve the rate of rehabilitation over plaster immobilization.
Achilles Tendon* ; Ankle ; Braces ; Calcaneus ; Electricity ; Exercise ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Humans ; Hydrotherapy ; Immobilization ; Leg ; Male ; Membranes ; Needles ; Orthotic Devices ; Rehabilitation ; Rupture* ; Suture Techniques ; Sutures ; Tendons ; Ultrasonography ; Weight-Bearing

Resorcin is widely being used in the fields of the therapeutics, cosmetics, industry, but allergic contact dermatitis is an infrequent adverse reaction. We have experienced a case of allergic contact dermatitis to resorcin. A 59-year-old male with Kaposi's sarcoma on the right foot developed linear erythematous vesicular eruption along the marking areas 4 days after application of Castellanis paint, used as a skin marking solution for radiation therapy. He showed patch test positive reaction to Castellani's paint as well as its individual components, resorcin and phenol.
Dermatitis, Allergic Contact* ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Foot ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Paint ; Patch Tests ; Phenol ; Sarcoma, Kaposi ; Skin*

Fractures of the tibial shaft are the most common among the long bone fractures, and have much difficulty in treatment due to their enumerous complications. 21 patients with fracture of the tibial shaft were treated with Ender nails under the image intensifier at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yeungnam University Hospital from December 1986 to September 1988. The result was sumarized as follows :1. The average age was 37.3 and the number of male was three times of the female. The most common cause was traffic accident. 2. 14 cases out of 22 were closed fracture and the remsining 5 were open. The comminuted and segmental fractures were 17(77.3%) and the most common fracture site was middle one third. 3. Aversge interval from injury to operation was 6.5 days and in 15 cases show the associated injurues. 4. The mean duration of the bone union was 17.6 weeks and in 2 cases show the delayd union. 5. 10 complications were noted such as shortening, varus deformity, delayed union, ankle motion limitation, nail irritation, and soft tissue infection.
Accidents, Traffic ; Ankle ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Female ; Fractures, Bone ; Fractures, Closed ; Humans ; Male ; Orthopedics ; Soft Tissue Infections ; Tibia

With the recent development of tumor prosthesis, limb salvage technique has attributed to the preservation of the limb function in patients with malignant bone tumors around the knee without substantial difference of local recurrence and the survival rate. From Feb., 1991 to Sep., 1992, 9 patients were treated with limb salvage operation with total knee arthroplasty due to the malignant bone tumor around the knee at Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery, Kyungpook National University Hospital. We applied the above procedure mainly to young adult whose tumor was expected to be excised wide marginally without damaging major neurovascular structures. We evaluated the functional status of all 9 patients(4 osteosarcoma, 2 chodrosarcoma, 2 malignant fibrohistiocytoma, 1 malignant giant cell tumor) to estimate the efficacy of limb salvage operation with tumor prosthesis total knee arthroplasty. Mean follow up period was 10 months. Primary tumor site was 4 in distal femur, 5 in proximal tibia and stage was 4 IIa, 5 IIb. Range of the motion of knee is maximum 0°
Arthroplasty ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Artificial Limbs ; Extremities ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Giant Cells ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Knee ; Limb Salvage ; Methods ; Orthopedics ; Osteosarcoma ; Prostheses and Implants ; Recurrence ; Survival Rate ; Tibia ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens* ; Humans ; Prevalence*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Family Practice* ; Humans ; Primary Health Care*

We treated three cases of bone tumors-giant cell tumor, chondroblastoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma-with a custom-made prosthetic replacement. The patients were followed from 10 months to 18 months, postoperatively. The results of these study are as follows: 1. Satisfactory anatomic restoration 2. Early ambulation 3. Good function 4. Biomechanically sound reconstruction
Chondroblastoma ; Early Ambulation ; Humans

To observe the change in the status of stresses according to three different postural angulation of an intervertebral disc with or without nucleus pulposus, 6 specimens of a 3-dimensional photoelastic model of the spine were made of epoxy. The nucleus pulposus portion was replaced with silicon in three models, and the three were made without silicon. Through axial application of a vertical compressive load of 8 kg, the peculiar patterns of the isochromatic fringes were observed. Stresses on the intervertebral disc were analyzed according to three different postural angulations of the intervertebral disc with the nucleus pulposus and without the nucleus pulposus. The results of these study are as follow: 1. In an erect neutral posture with the nucleus pulposus, the stress concentration was much increased at the posterior portion rather than at the anterior portion. Also, the high stress was concentrated at the medial and central portion. In an erect neutral posture without the nucleus pulposus, the stress concentration was much increased at the anterior portion rather than at the posterior portion and the stress distribution seemed to be locally concentrated. 2. In a maximal flexed posture, the stress concentration was much increased at the posterior portion rather than at the anterior portion. Comparing the presence of the nucleus pulposus with the absence of the nucleus pulposus, the stress concentration was lower at the anterior portion in the presence of the nucleus pulposus than in the absence of the nucleus pulposus. However, the stress distribution at the posterior portion was nearly same in the two groups. According to the analysis of the stress distribution diagram, as a whole, the stress pattern around the disc was evenly distributed. 3. In a maximal extended posture, the higher concentration of the stress distribution at the anterior and medial portion rather than in the posterior and lateral portion was observed. The stress concentration was higher in the presence of the nucleus pulposus than in the absence of the nucleus pulposus. 4. Comparing the maximal flexed posture with the erect neutral posture, the stress concentration in the flexed posture was much decreased in the posterior portion rather than in the erect neutral posture, and an even distribution of the stress pattern in the flexed posture was observed. 5. In the presence of the nucleus pulposus, at the anterior and posterior portion, the stress concentration in the flexed posture was much decreased compared with the extended posture. In the absence of the nucleus pulposus, at the anterior and posterior portion, the stress concentration in the extended posture was much decreased compared with the flexed posture.
Intervertebral Disc* ; Posture ; Silicon ; Spine