BACKGROUND: Relative changes of astroglial volume constitute the major part of brain edema, which is related to delayed neuronal damage. Several factors including glutamate may contribute to astroglial swelling. Intravenous anesthetic, ketamine was known to restore neuronal damage by inhibiting NMDA receptor activity. Therefore, we decided to investigate the effect of ketamine on the astrocyte swelling by glutamate in the present study. METHODS: To analyze cell swelling in vitro, glial cell line, U1242MG was used. The effects of glutamate (1, 2, 3 mM), and glutamate with ketamine (1 mM) on the regulation of astrocyte volume were achieved by flow cytometry system. To eliminate the dead cells from experimental cell suspension and to assess cell viability, fluorescent dye propidium iodide was used. RESULTS: Glutamate addition (1, 2, 3mM) caused astroglial swelling both in calcium present and calcium absent buffer. The difference of cellular swelling dependent on glutamate concentration was only seen in calcium free buffer (p<0.05). Ketamine per se did not affect astroglial volume. However, when it was added to glutamate perfusion, 1 mM ketamine diminished cellular swelling by glutamate during first 10 minutes (p<0.05), and cellular shrinkage by glutamate after 1 hour incubation (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ketamine (1 mM) is effective in the regulation of astroglial volume alterations induced by glutamate in both short time and long time perfusion.
Astrocytes ; Brain Edema ; Calcium ; Cell Survival ; Flow Cytometry ; Glutamic Acid* ; Ketamine* ; N-Methylaspartate ; Neuroglia ; Neurons ; Perfusion ; Propidium

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging findings of cerebral venous angiomas, and to compare those findings with those of cerebral angiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the findings of gadolinium-enhanced MR images of 11 cases with angiographically proved cerebral venous angiomas. We obtained Tl-and T2-weighted images with gadoliniumenhanced Tl-weighted images at a 0.5 T MR imager with a spin-echo technique. We analyzed the location and signal intensity of the lesion, pattern of contrast enhancement, the distribution of draining veins and medullary veins before and after contrast enhancement, and then compared with the findings of cerebral angiography. RESULTS: The characteristic central tubular signal void structure showed low signal intensity on Tl-weighted images and high signal intensity on T2-weighted images in all cases. After gadolinium enhancement, we could find a characteristic enhancement of all medullary and central veins in 7 cases. CONCLUSION: Gadolinium-enhanced MR image was useful in the diagnosis of venous angiomas especially in the detection of medullary veins. The invasive cerebral angiography could be replaced by this technique in this disease.
Central Nervous System Venous Angioma* ; Cerebral Angiography* ; Diagnosis ; Gadolinium ; Gadolinium DTPA* ; Hemangioma ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Veins

No abstract available.
Clonidine* ; Depression* ; Growth Hormone* ; Humans ; Panic Disorder* ; Panic*

458 female workers working in the small and medium scaled industries in Inchon area were surveyed to study their general characteristics, health behavior, working and environmental conditions, current health status etc. Self-administered questionnaire was developed by authors and distributed to the female workers with the explanation by trained interviewer on the purpose of survey and the method how to answer. The results were as follows: t. General characteristics showed that most(75.3%) of workers were living in their own home, and their age distribution was relatively even from teenagers to the forties. The level of education was high school graduate(including drop-out) in 69.4%, suggesting that the education level of female workers was increasing gradually. The marrital status was 69% in unmarried, and 31% in married state. 2. Survey on their health status showed that more than 20% of female workers complained that they have some kind of disease and most of them complained that they have chronic symptoms more than three kinds. Also, they complained at least two or three symptoms in physical, mental or sensoryneural symptoms respectively. But their medical care utility rate was only 22%. 3. There were no significantly correlated variables between health status and general characteristics(by x2-test). Among the variables on the health behavior, only alcohol drinking was significant to health status. Perceived health status related to the working environment was significantly different to the degree of work satisfaction and awareness for the exposure to harzadous materials. 4. Multivariable analysis showed that work satisfaction, awareness for the exposure to harzadous materials, alcohol drinking, type of employment were significantly related to the physical or mental health index, and also marrital status was to the physical health index. Work satisfaction, awareness for the exposure to harzadous materials, marrital status were related to the sensoryneural health index. Alcohol drinking, work satisfaction, awareness for the exposure to harzadous materials, marrital status were significantly related to the number of complained chronic symptoms. In summary, this study showed that inspite of wide and various range of the general characteristics of female industrial workers in Korea comparing to the past, there was high prevalence of disease due to the poor working conditions and low work satisfaction etc. Therefore, more detailed disease preventive policies or improvement of the work environment, and systematic management to raise the work satisfaction of female workers are urgently needed. And also, occupational health policies increasing the access to health care to provide the adequate health service for the workers who have perceived need are necessary.
Adolescent ; Age Distribution ; Alcohol Drinking ; Education ; Employment ; Female* ; Health Behavior ; Health Services ; Health Services Accessibility ; Humans ; Incheon ; Job Satisfaction ; Korea ; Mental Health ; Occupational Health ; Prevalence ; Single Person ; Surveys and Questionnaires

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

A total of 4757 apparently healthy aged persons over 65 years of age was surveyed for geriatric hypertension. A single blood pressure measurement was taken in the sitting position. Mean systolic blood pressure rose significantly with age in female but didn't in male and mean diastolic blood pressure didn't change with age in both sex. The prevalence of pure systolic hypertension, i.e., a systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 160 mmhg and a diastolic blood pressure less than 95mmhg, increased with age. The prevalence was slighty lower for female than it was for male, being 7.0% for female and 8.0% for male. The prevalence of classical hypertension-defined as diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 95mmhg - was 42.7% for female and 48.2% for male and it rose with age in female. The prevalence of both pure systolic and classical hypertension was 49.7% for female and 56.1% for male.
Blood Pressure ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Korea* ; Male ; Prevalence

No abstract available.
Intervertebral Disc*

Twin pregnancy is at increased risk for congenital anomalies. Although twins were relatively infrequent, they accaunted for a disproportionately large portion of adverse pregnancy outcome, primarily as a consequence of preterm delivery, gestational diabetes, and pregnancy induced hypertension. In case of twin pregnancy with a single anomalous fetus, the clinicians are faced with difficult decision-making processes regarding the route of delivery, when to deliver, how aggressively to attempt to prevent delivery. Twin pregnancy discordant for a fetal abnormality can be managed expectantly or by selective fetocide of abnormal twin. Recently we experienced two cases of twin pregnancy with a single anornalous fetus. We reported cases with concerned literatures.
Diabetes, Gestational ; Female ; Fetus* ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy, Twin*

BACKGROUND: As of alpha2-agonist, clonidine reduces generalized sympathetic outflow in nervous system and also reduces acetylcholine release at cholinergic terminals presynaptically. So clonidine premedication is possibly able to decrease muscle contraction and prolong the duration of neuromuscular blockers. Therefore, the aim of our current study is to investigate the effect of oral clonidine on the duration of vecuronium. METHODS: Forty patients (ASA I or II) sheduled for elective low abdominal or extrimities operation were randomly divided into 2 groups. Clonidine group (n=20) received 5 microgram/kg oral clonidine at 90 min before operation. Control group (n=20) received nothing. Neuromuscular transmission was measured with relaxograph. After injection of vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg, we measured onset time (the time from injection of vecuronium to decrease to the 25% of baseline value, duration 1 (the time interval between injection and recovery of the first twitch to 25% of the baseline value), and duration 2 (the time interval between second injection of 0.02 mg/kg vecuronium and recovery of the first twitch to 25% of the baseline value). RESULTS: There were no statistical differences between control and clonidine group in onset time (2.6 +/- 0.6 min vs 2.7 +/- 0.5 min), duration 1 (37.5 +/- 8.9 min vs 40.3 +/- 8.6 min) and duration 2 (22.0 +/- 6.8 min vs 24.4 +/- 6.1 min). CONCLUSIONS: Five microgram/kg of oral clonidine premedication did not prolong the duration of vecuronium.
Acetylcholine ; Clonidine* ; Humans ; Muscle Contraction ; Nervous System ; Neuromuscular Blockade ; Neuromuscular Blocking Agents ; Premedication ; Vecuronium Bromide*

No abstract available.
DNA* ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders*