OBJECTS: Sanjoin, the seeds of Zizyphus vulgaris var. spinosus has been used as the most important hypnotic agent in chinese medicine to treat insomnia. This research was performed in order to examine the effect of betulinic acid and sanjoinine-A which are components of Sanjoin. METHOD: Sleeping time, sleep recordings of EEG, serum serotonin level, and locomotor activity were measured in rats which received betulinic acid and sanjoinine-A as sleep induction material extracted from Sanjoin. RESULTS: 1) Groups received betulinic acid, sanjoinine-A, and lorazepam showed increased sleep time than control group with saline. 2) Groups with betulinic acid, sanjoinine-A, lorazepam and saline recorded beta-wave in sleep recording of EEG. In there was no significant difference among all groups. 3) No significant difference in serum serotonin level among all groups was found. 4) In autonomic activity testing, groups of betulinic acid, sanjoinine-A, and lorazepam showed significantly more decreased in activity than saline group. In comparison of groups of betulinic acid and sanjoinine-A with a group of lorazepam, there was no significant difference. CONCLUSION: These results suggests that betulinic acid and sanjoinine-A have the sedative effect like lorazepam rather than sleep effect.
Animals ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Brain* ; Electroencephalography* ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Lorazepam ; Motor Activity ; Rats* ; Serotonin* ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Ziziphus

PURPOSE: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is associated and might be one of the first signs of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to assess whether men with vasculogenic ED have an increased risk of CVD by evaluating the relationship between erectile function and the intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid arteries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 40 men were divided into 4 groups according to their erectile function as evaluated by the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)-15 and the presence of vascular risk factors (VRF). The risk free (RF) group (n=10) included men with ED and no evidence of VRF, the low-risk (LR) group (n=10) included the vasculogenic ED subjects who were overweight or dyslipidemic, and high-risk (HR) group (n=10) consisted of ED subjects with hypertension or diabetes. An age-matched healthy group without ED served as the control (n=10). Blood pressure, height, weight, the lipid profile and the IMT of the carotid arteries were evaluated. RESULTS: The control group and the vasculogenic ED groups showed significant differences in the IIEF scores and IMT (p<0.05). Spearman's test of the entire subjects revealed a significant correlation between the severity of ED and IMT (p<0.01), which was not present in the control group (p=0.523). However, a significant correlation of the severity of ED and IMT was found in the groups with ED (p<0.05). In addition, the evaluated parameters of the control group and the RF group revealed no significant difference except for the IIEF scores. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that ED might be a prodrome of cardiovascular diseases. Thus, screening on cardiovascular risk factors and taking preventive measures are considered in ED patients, especially if the ED is severe.
Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Erectile Dysfunction* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Overweight ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of transcatheter arterial embolization(TAE) in children with blunt splenicinjury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The results of transcatheter splenic arterial embolization in nine children whosuffered splenic injury after blunt abdominal trauma were retrospectively studied. This injury was demonstrated byCT, and the findings were evaluated according to the classification of Mirvis et al. ; two patients were grade 3and seven were grade 4. All were carefully observed in intensive care before embolization. TAE was performed if apatient satisfied the following criteria : (1) transfusion and/or fluid replacement required to maintainhemodynamic stability ; or (2) rapid Hb/Hct decrease ; or (3) both. Splenic function was subsequently estimatedaccording to the results of 99mTc-sulfur colloid scintigraphy and/or CT scanning. RESULT: TAE was suscessful inall nine children. Two were embolized with a coil only, three with gelfoam, and four with gelfoam and a coil.Seven were embolized in the main trunk of the splenic artery and others in both the main trunk and its branches.Splenic function was preserved in all nine children, during follow-up, none suffered rebleeding. CONCLUSION: TAEof the splenic artery can be a safe and effective nonsurgical approach to the management of blunt splenic injuryin children, and can preserve splenic function.
Child* ; Classification ; Colloids ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gelatin Sponge, Absorbable ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Retrospective Studies ; Splenic Artery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We report the imaging features of three cases of tuberculous otitis media. All three patients underwenttemporal bone CT scanning, and in two, additional MRI scanning was performed. The three cases showed soft tissuedensity in the external auditory canal, and in two, destruction of the trabeculation and internal cortex of themastoid bone was noted. In two patients with facial palsy, erosion of the facial canal was seen. On MRI, abundantgranulomatous tissue was noted in the middle ear cavity and mastoid air cells. In one case, abnormal enhancementof the cochlea, and of the facial and eighth cranial nerve in the internal acoustic canal was seen. Another caseshowed enhancement of the vestibule and lateral semicircular canal. If radiologic evaluation of chronic otitismedia reveals destruction of the tegmen and trabeculation of the mastoid bone, together with abundant granulationtissue and enhancement of the internal ear, tuberculous otitis media may be included in the differentialdiagnosis.
Acoustics ; Cochlea ; Ear Canal ; Ear, Inner ; Ear, Middle ; Facial Paralysis ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mastoid ; Otitis Media* ; Otitis* ; Semicircular Canals ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis ; Vestibulocochlear Nerve

Pseudoaneurysm is one of the undesirable complications of interventional cardiology procedures involving peripheral puncture site. Nowadays, it is not uncommon as a consequences of more complex interventional preocedures, larger catheters and prolonged anticoagulation treatment. Surgical repair has been mainstay of treatment for pesudoaneurysm. However, sucessful closures of pseudoaneurysms have been reported recently by using direct compression guided by color doppler ultrasound. We report a case of pseudoaneurysm in femoral artery, which was developed at the right inguinal puncture site in 38 year old male patient with unstabel angina who had received continuous intravenous infusion of heparin and had undergone coronary angiography treated successfully with direct compression guided by color doppler ultrasound.
Adult ; Aneurysm, False* ; Cardiology ; Catheters ; Coronary Angiography ; Femoral Artery* ; Heparin ; Humans ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Male ; Punctures ; Ultrasonography*

Undifferentiated sarcomas are rarely identified in the intracranial region. A 23-year-old man was admitted with a chief complaint of headache. Initial magnetic resonance images showed signs of low-grade glioma in the frontal lobe. Stereotactic biopsy was performed, and a diagnosis of diffuse astrocytoma was confirmed. Three months later, the patient presented with a high-grade tumor as seen on imaging studies. He underwent total resection of the tumor and histopathological tests identified an undifferentiated sarcoma. The patient died eight months later due to massive tumor bleeding. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of undifferentiated sarcoma arising from low-grade glioma without any chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Astrocytoma ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Frontal Lobe ; Glioma* ; Headache ; Hemorrhage ; Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous ; Humans ; Radiotherapy ; Sarcoma* ; Young Adult

The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of Tetracycline-HCl on the change of implant surface microstructure according to application time. Anodic oxidation surface were utilized. Implant surface was rubbed with 50mg/ml Tetracycline-HCl solution for 1/2min., 1min., 1 1/2min., 2min., 2 1/2min. and 3min. respectively in the test group. Then, specimens were processed for Ra Value test and scanning electron microscopic observation. The results of this study were as follows. 1. The anodic oxidation surface roughness tests don't show significant difference on conditioning with saline and Tetracycline-HCl. 2. The anodic oxidized surfaces showed the craterous structures. The surface conditioning with Tetracycline-HCl didn't influence on its micro-morphology. In conclusion, Anodic oxidation implant surface is stable to detoxificate with 50mg/ml Tetracycline-HCl of implant surface.

Ruptured dissecting aneurysm of the vertebral artery requires a rapid treatment because of the high rate of fatal early rebleeding. Stent-assisted coil embolization has been introduced as an effective procedure for both aneurysmal occlusion and parent artery preservation. We report a case of successful urgent treatment of ruptured dissecting aneurysm using a self-expandable, intracranial stent (Neuroform(R)) and a coated coil (HydroCoil(R)).
Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Dissecting* ; Arteries ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Humans ; Parents ; Stents* ; Vertebral Artery*

Occipitocervical posterior fusion itself is an uncommon cause of severe dysphagia. But occipitocervical malalignment after posterior fusion can be a cause of severe dysphagia. A 46-year-old man was referred to the department of rehabilitation medicine because of swallowing difficulty. He complained of severe dysphagia immediately after the occipitocervical posterior fusion. From the lateral view of video-fluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS), we could conclude that the mechanical cricopharyngeal relaxation failure was a direct cause of his dysphagia and this was due to malalignment of the occipitocervical fixation. His occipitoaxial angle was fixed in hyperflexed position and this lead to the severe dysphagia and even dyspnea. After the revision operation, his dysphagia and dyspnea symptom was dramatically resolved. The occipitoaxial angle can be a useful index, which measure the anatomic relation of the occiput and the cervical vertebrae on sagittal plane, on evaluation of the swallowing function in the patient who had occipitocervical posterior fusion.
Cervical Vertebrae ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Relaxation

A 26-year-old man presented with lower abdominal discomfort and a palpable mass in the right lower quadrant. An abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan revealed an abdominal wall mass that extended from the dome of the bladder. Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron-emission tomography/CT (PET/CT) showed hypermetabolic wall thickening around the bladder dome area that extended to the abdominal wall and hypermetabolic mesenteric infiltration. Differential diagnosis included a urachal tumor with invasion into adjacent organs and chronic inflammatory disease. Partial cystectomy with abdominal wall mass excision was performed, and the final pathologic report was consistent with urachal actinomycosis.
Abdominal Wall ; Actinomycosis ; Adult ; Cystectomy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Urachal Cyst ; Urinary Bladder