OBJECTIVE: Several water channels (aquapoins; AQP) that belong to the MIP (major intrinsic protein) family have identified. In the selected tissues including red blood cells or renal tubules, water movements are abundant and/or physiologically important. Unexpectedly, a high water permeability of human and ram sperm has been reported. Recent studies showed that AQP7 and AQP8 are present in testes so that the high water permeability of human sperm suggested to be mediated by AQPs. METHOD: To identify the identity of aquaporins expressed in testes, RT-PCR was performed using degenerative primers, which were designed to correspond to highly conserved sequences surrounding the Asn-Pro-Ala (NPA) motifs in the aquaporins. New expressed AQP series were reconfirmed by immunohistochemical study using rabbit polyclonal antibodies. RESULTS: DNA sequencing of PCR products revealed that AQP2 and AQP3 mRNA as well as AQP7 and AQP8 are expressed in human and rat testes, AQP2 are expressed in spermatozoa, interstitial cells and myofibroblasts and AQP3 are expressed in myofibroblasts of semineferous tubules on immunocytochemical stain. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that multiple aquaporins are expressed in testes, and that they may have important roles in the spermatogenesis and the germ cell function of testis.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Aquaporins* ; Conserved Sequence ; Erythrocytes ; Germ Cells ; Humans* ; Myofibroblasts ; Permeability ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Spermatogenesis ; Spermatozoa ; Testis* ; Water Movements

BACKGROUND: Purified major allergens of house dust mite are essential for evaluation of the allergic mechanism in molecular basis and development of new modalities of immunemodulation. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to purif group 1 and group 2 allergens from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp). In addition, cDNAs corresponding to Der pI and II in Korean Dp were isolated and recombinant Der p1 and Der pII were synthesized. MATERIALS AND and METHOD: Der pI allergen was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, anion -exchange column chromatography, and gel filtrat,ion chromatography. Der pII allergen was purified by anion exchange chromatography, gel filtration chromatography, and a preparative isoelectric focusing method. RESULTS: Eight hundred ug of Der pI and 50 ug of Der pII were obtained from 100 g of culture medium and 1 g of mite bodies, respectively. The purities of these allergens were confirmed by SDS PAGE and the strong reactivity to the patient sera was identified. In order to produce a recombinant allergens, poly(A) RNA from house dust mites were isolated and used for cDNA synthesis by RT PCR. The cDNA was inserted into prokaryotic expression vector and the vectors were transformed into E. coli. A little amount of recombinant Der pI protein was produced due to the low solubility, and 1.2 mg of recombinant Der pII was produced from 1 L of E. coli culture medium. The antigenicity of Der pI was relatively weak, however, Der pII showed a strong antigenicity. Amino acid sequence of the amplified cDNA deduced from DNA sequences of Der pII showed 6 different variants. The variation of amino acid sequences suggests the possibility of high incidence of mutation of Der pII protein. CONCLUSION: A simplified method for the purification of Der pI and Der pII was developed. Recombinant allergens will be useful for the diagnosis and treatment of allergy with lower costs.
Allergens* ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Ammonium Sulfate ; Base Sequence ; Chromatography ; Chromatography, Gel ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus* ; Diagnosis ; DNA, Complementary ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Incidence ; Isoelectric Focusing ; Mites ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pyroglyphidae* ; RNA, Messenger ; Solubility

Medulloepithelioma(diktyoma) is a uncommon congenital tumor that is generally believed to arise from the embryonic neuroepithelium of the medullary tube. This tumor usually arises from the ciliary body epithelium. But medulloepitheliomas of the retina and optic nerve may also occur, although it is extremely rare, because the embryonal medullary epithelium that lines the optic vesicle is continuous with the epithelium lining the cavity of the optic nerve during the early embryonal period. The occurrence of medulloepithelioma of the optic nerve is exceptionally rare, with only a few cases have been previously reported. We report a first case of medulloep-ithelioma of the optic nerve head in Korea in a 5-year-old girl who presented with a poor vision and squint of the left eye.
Child, Preschool ; Ciliary Body ; Epithelium ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive* ; Optic Disk* ; Optic Nerve* ; Retina ; Strabismus

Progressive renal fibrosis is considered to be the final common pathway leading to chronic renal insufficiency, however, the mechanism regarding renal fibrosis in renal injury is not well understood. Recently, several kinds of cytokines have been known to be related to fibrosis after renal injury. The interaction between elements regulating fibrogenesis would be better understood by looking at the effect of TGF-beta1 on the synthesis and accumulation of extracellular matrix, especially collagenous proteins. Crescentic glomerulonephritis (CGN) was induced in New Zealand White rabbits by administration of guinea pig anti-GBM IgG after sensitization with guinea pig IgG; and their kidneys were analyzed for the development of crescents and fibrosis through sequential renal biopsies. Serum creatinine levels in a time course progressively increased until day 15. We semi-quantitatively assayed the levels of the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA and TGF-beta1 mRNA factored for GAPDH mRNA using RT-PCR. We observed a progressive interstitial fibrosis and the expression of collagen I both in the cortex and medulla. The effect of repeated renal biopsy itself on pathology and on the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA and TGF-beta1 mRNA in a time course were not significant, but a very mild increase of the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA was noted at day 15. Histology showed a progressive crescent formation and interstitial fibrosis in a time course that roughly paralleled the expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA in both cortex and medulla. TGF-beta1 mRNA was hardly expressed at day 0 in cortex as well as in medulla. It was elevated from day 1, peaked at day 7, and then decreased. In medulla, TGF-beta1 mRNA was noticeably expressed at day 1, peaked at day 4, and then decreased. The expression of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA was seen even before inducing CGN. It was gradually and continuously increased until day 15 both in cortex and medulla. These results suggest that the expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA precedes that of alpha1(I) collagen mRNA in the early stage of CGN and has a central role for provoking the accumulation the collagen I, the most representative interstitial extracellular matrix, in the rabbit model CGN induced by anti-GBM antibody. We conclude that the measurement of the expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA and/or alpha1(I) collagen mRNA in a biopsy sample can be a useful predictor for renal outcome.
Animals ; Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease ; Biopsy ; Collagen ; Creatinine ; Cytokines ; Extracellular Matrix* ; Fibrosis ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Guinea Pigs ; Immunoglobulin G ; Kidney ; Pathology ; Rabbits ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; RNA, Messenger* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

This study was designed to develop the life moking cessation program with multidisciplinary approach using the Bandura's theory of self-efficacy and confirm the effect of it on the self-efficacy and smoking amount in college students. For this purpose non-equivalent control group, pretest-posttest design was used. The participating subjects in this study were 46 male college freshmen, 23 in experimental and 23 in control group. The experimental group received the 8 sessions of lecture and small group discussions for 4 weeks and a telephone coaching program for a period of 8 weeks. The control group received 5 sessions of lecture without further treatments. The data was collected from March 15 to June 11, 1999, and analysed by SAS/PC program with X2 test, simple t, paired t test. The results were as follows. 1. The score of self-efficacy was significantly increased over time in the experimental group than those of the control group. 2. The amount of urine cotinine was decreased over time in the experimental group, number of cigarettes smoked a day were significantly decreased, and they were significantly less than those of the control group. In conclusion it was found that the Life Smoking Cessation Program with Multidisciplinary Approach was an effective nursing intervention for increasing self efficacy and reducing the amount of smoking in male college students. Therefore, future smoking cessation programs should always consider the concept of self-efficacy and ways to positively reinforce it.
Cotinine ; Humans ; Male ; Nursing ; Self Efficacy ; Smoke* ; Smoking Cessation* ; Smoking* ; Telephone ; Tobacco Products

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Apnea* ; Doxapram*

Neonatal hepatitis(NH) and congenital extrahepatic biliary atresia(BA) are two major causes of neonatal cholestasis. The method of therapeutic trials for each disease is essentially different. Nonetheless it is very difficult to differentiate these diseases histologically, since most of the hepatic changes are mutual in both of them. This study is to aimed to find out major differences between the two by scoring various histological parameters. A total of 63 consecutive liver biopsies taken from 54 patients with suggested NH and BA were examined by applying morphometric scoring system. The detailed clinical histories, laboratory data including serology for HBsAg and TORCH infection and radiologic operative findings were reviewed. Among 54 patients, 27 were diagnosed as NH and 20 as BA. In two cases, features of both diseases were coexistent. The pathological diagnosis was not compatible with the final diagnosis in 5 cases(10.7%). In all of these 5 cases, biopsy had been performed at the age of one to two months. The seropositivity for TORCH was 59.3%(16.27) in NH, but 25.0%(5/20) in BA. Serum AST, ALT and alpha-fetoprotein values were higher in NH, and total bilirubin in BA. Of various histological parameters, scores of portal fibrosis, bile duct and ductular proliferation and bile thrombi were much higher in BA, and at the age of less than 2 months, extramedullary hemopoiesis(EMH) was found much more frequently in NH. Giant cell transformation of hepatocytes(GCT) was more commonly observed in NH. The numbers of GCT and EMH were particulary plentiful when the patients' sera were positive for HBsAg or TORCH. These results indicate that portal fibrosis, biliary proliferation and bile thrombi are the three major histologic features of BA, and therefore erroneous histological diagnosis may ensue when scores of those features are low as in some early BA.
Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Biopsy

No abstract available.

Most ectopic pregnancies occur in the fallopian tubes. There have been numerous theories to explain the occurrence of ectopic pregnancy in fallopian tubes. The most commonly held view is that the passage of the fertilized ovum through the fallopian tube is delayed or hindered by chronic inflammation and its sequelae. We designed a study to evaluate the details of histopathologic changes and the location of implantation and how they relate to the clinical history. 182 fallopian tube specimens from patients who had undergone total or partial salpingectomy were examined. A high incidence of non-specific inflammation of plicae and wall of tube (31.9%) and salpingitis isthmica nodosa (12.6%) were observed. Other associated findings included acute salpingitis, complex plicae or complex hyperplasia of tubal epithelium, fibrous adhesion with ovary, endometriosis, and calcification. History of previous ectopic tubal pregnancy was found in 8 cases. The cases with serum beta-HCG value above 2,500 I.U./L (group I, n=97) were more frequently noted in those exhibiting myosalpingeal invasion of trophoblast (67 cases) than in those without invasion (30 cases). Of the 182 tubal pregnancies, 117 (64.3%) cases were found in the ampulla and 47 (25.8%) cases in isthmic location. In 117 ampullary pregnancies, the products of conception were found intraluminally in 71 cases (60.7%), and extraluminally in 34 (29.1%) cases, of which the products of conception were found entirely extraluminal. The products of conception, found both within and outside the tubal lumen, were found in 12 cases (10.2%). Of 47 tubes with isthmic pregnancies, 33 cases were intraluminal (70.2%), 12 cases were extraluminal (25.5%), and two cases were mixed (4.3%). In conclusion, significant histopathologic abnormalities accompany a majority of ectopic tubal pregnancy, and myosalpingeal invasion of trophoblast is correlated with high serum beta-HCG. Thus, it is necessary to confirm not only the ectopic placental tissue but also the accompanying details of the other histopathologic findings or the pathologic evaluation of ectopic tubal pregnancy.
Endometriosis ; Epithelium ; Fallopian Tubes ; Female ; Fertilization ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Ovary ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic ; Pregnancy, Tubal* ; Salpingectomy ; Salpingitis ; Trophoblasts ; Zygote