BACKGROUND: Although hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPC) and hypoxic coronary vasodilatation (HCD) have been recognized by many researchers, the precise mechanism remains unknown. As isolated arteries will constrict or relax in vitro in response to hypoxia, the oxygen sensor/transduction mechanism must reside in the arterial smooth muscle, the endothelium, or both. Unfortunately, much of the current evidence is conflicting, especially concerning to the dependency of HPC and HCD on the endothelium and the role of the K+ channel. Therefore, this experiment was attempted to clarify the dependency of HPC and HCD on the endothelium and the role of the K+ channel on HPC and HCD. METHODS: HPC was investigated in isolated main pulmonary arteries precontracted with norepinephrine (NE). HCD was investigated in isolated left circumflex coronary artery precontracted with prostaglandin F2 alpha. Vascular rings were suspended for isometric tension recording in an organ chamber filled with Krebs-Henseleit solution. Hypoxia was induced by gassing the chamber with 95% N2 +5% CO2, which was maintained for 15 - 25 min. RESULTS: 1)Hypoxia elicited a vasoconstriction in NE-precontracted pulmonary arteries with endothelium, but a vasodilatation in PGF 2 alpha-precontracted coronary arteries with and without endothelium. There was no difference between the amplitude of the HPC and HCD induced by two consecutive hypoxic challenges and the effect of normoxic and hyperoxic control Krebs-Henseleit solution on subsequent response to hypoxia. 2)Inhibition of NO synthesis by the treatment with Nw-nitro-L-arginine reduced HPC in pulmonary arteries, but inhibition of the cyclooxygenase pathway by treatment with indomethacin had no effect on HPC and HCD, respectively. 3)Blockades of the TEA-sensitive K+ channel abolished HPC and HCD. 4)Apamin, a small conductance Ca2+/-activated K+ (KCa) channel blocker, and iberiotoxin, a large conductance KCa channel blocker, had no effect on the HCD. 5)Glibenclamide, an ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel blocker, reduced HCD. 6)Cromakalim, an K(ATP) channel opener, relaxed the coronary artery precontracted with prostaglandin F2 alpha. The degree of relaxation by cromakalim was similar to that by hypoxia and glibenclamide reduced both hypoxia- and cromakalim-induced vasodilations. 7)Verapamil, a Ca2+ entry blocker, caffeine, a Ca2+ emptying drug; and ryanodine, an inhibitor of Ca2+ release from SR, reduced HPC, respectively. CONCLUSION: HPC is dependent on the endothelium and is considered to be induced by inhibition of the mechanisms of NO-dependent vasodilation while HCD is independent of the endothelium and is considered to be induced by activation of the K(ATP) channel.
Anoxia ; Arteries ; Caffeine ; Coronary Vessels ; Cromakalim ; Dinoprost ; Endothelium ; Glyburide ; Indomethacin ; Muscle, Smooth ; Norepinephrine ; Oxygen ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Prostaglandins F ; Pulmonary Artery ; Relaxation ; Ryanodine ; Vasoconstriction* ; Vasodilation*

OBJECTIVE: p16INK4 and p15INK4B genes are known to be tumor suppressor genes which reside in p21 region of chromosome 9 and are related to cell cycle control as an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent-kinase. We designed this study to search for deletion and decreased expression of p16INK4 and p15INK4B genes in advanced ovarian carcinomas. METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based analysis was performed to search for deletion of p16INK4 and p15INK4B using DNA extracted from frozen tissue in liquid nitrogen of thirty-one advanced ovarian carcinoma patients. The intensities of PCR bands were analyzed using an imaging densitometer to determine gene dosage in tumor samples and the relative gene dosage was calculated by comparing band intesity of p16INK4 or p15INK4B with that of beta-globin gene. Homozygous deletions were assigned to tumors in which the ratio was reduced to less than 25% in any one of exons of p16INK4 and p15INK4B. Immunohistochemical techniques were used to study the expression of p16INK4. p16-negative cells were characterized by the absence of nuclear staining, whereas cytoplasmic staining was variable. Clinico-pathologic features, complete remission rates and survivals were analyzed according to the status of p16INK4 and p15INK4B genes. RESULTS: Homozygous deletion of p16INK4 was detected in 12.9% of advanced ovarian carcinoma patients and that of p15INK4B in 35.5%. Clinico-pathologic features such as FIGO stage, histological grade, serum CA-125 levels were not different from groups with homozygously deleted p16INK4 and p15INK4B to those with normal genes. The survival of patients (13 [6-20] months) with homozygously deleted p16INK4 was significantly shorter than that (30 [8-52] months) of patients with normal p16INK4 (p=0.046; Log-rank test). CONCLUSION: These observations indicate that deletions of p16INK4 and p15INK4B gene might be involved in tumorigenesis of ovarian carcinoma and could be useful as a prognostic factor. A prospective, controlled study with more patients will be mandatory in the future.
beta-Globins ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 ; Cytoplasm ; DNA ; Exons ; Gene Dosage ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Nitrogen ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

No abstract available.
Humans ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord* ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*

Although oxcarbazepine (OXC)-induced hyponatremia is usually asymptomatic, it can lead to serious complications. We reports two cases of symptomatic hyponatremia induced by OXC. First case was 39-year-old female with partial epilepsy who developed the exceeding tiredness, headache, and seizures under OXC with a serum sodium level of 121 mEq/L. After the discontinuation of OXC, serum sodium was normalized and the clinical symptoms disappeared. Second case was 48-year-old female with partial epilepsy who complained of the fluctuating tiredness and fatigability, and then eventually developed seizures after OXC was increased in dosage. At that time, serum sodium was 121 mEq/L. She remained asymptomatic with normal level of serum sodium even if OXC was maintained with topiramate. Our cases may suggest that symptomatic hyponatremia is not rare unlike the results from previous studies. Therefore, clinician should be alert to mild symptoms such as headache, lethargy, and tiredness in patients treated with OXC.
Adult ; Epilepsies, Partial ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Hyponatremia* ; Lethargy ; Middle Aged ; Seizures ; Sodium

INTRODUCTION: REM sleep which shows characteristic muscle atonia and increased resistance of upper respiratory track is known to be vulnerable to sleep apnea. Previous studies reported that REM sleep-dependent (or related) obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (REM-dependent OSA) could be one of sleep disordered breathing. The present study aimed to investigate clinical findings and polysomnographic variables of REM-dependent OSA. METHODS: Fifty-six patients diagnosed with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea by overnight polysomnography (52. We compared clinical and polysomnographic findings between REM-dependent OSA and No REM-dependent OSA patients. RESULTS: Among 56 patients, 37.5% (n=21, average age of 52.3+/-19.7 years, 14 males) met the REM-dependent OSA criteria. There were no significant differences in age, sex and body mass index between two groups. After controlling for age, sex, body mass index and periodic leg movements index, REM-dependent OSA patients showed significantly lower AHI, lower number of oxygen desaturation events and higher stage 2 sleep proportion compared to No REM-dependent OSA patients (p=0.010, p=0.006, p=0.031, respectively). After controlling for age, sex, body mass index and periodic legs movements index, AHI-REM was positively correlated with the number of oxygen desaturation events in REM-dependent OSA group (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Current results suggested that 37.5% of patients with mild to moderate severity of obstructive sleep apnea could be classified into REM-dependent OSA. REM-dependent OSA was more common in mild severity of OSA, equally prevalent in both sexes and accompanied with sleep architecture changes, i.e. increased proportion of stage 2. In addition, apneic events during REM sleep in REM-dependent OSA were related to oxygen desaturation.
Body Mass Index ; Humans ; Leg ; Muscles ; Oxygen ; Polysomnography ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; Sleep, REM ; Track and Field

No abstract available.
Activities of Daily Living* ; Humans

Since the pattern of the frequency distribution of a parasite within a host showed an overdispersed pattern, various statistical models such as Poisson, negative binomial and lognormal distributions have been applied on the population dynamics in host-parasite relations. The observed data on the number of metacercariae of Clonorchis sinensis in a suitable intermediate host, Pseudorasbora parva which were collected from an endemic area, Juk-Rim River, Kim-Hae Goon, South Kyong-Sang Do were applied on the statistical models. The results obtained are as follows: By the calculation of the raw data, 258(94.9 percent) out of 272 fish showed positive to the metacercarial infection of C. sinensis. The mean number of metacercaria in a fish was 335.1. The standard deviation was 250.6 and the mode was observed between 250 and 299. The frequency distribution pattern of metacercariae of C. sinensis within the fish host in surveyed area was fitted to the lognormal distribution (0.05 parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Clonorchis sinensis ; metacercaria ; Pseudorasbora parva ; frequency distribution ; host

To understand the mode of transmission in clonorchiasis, a survey was made in Kim-hae Goon, South Kyong-sang Do (=Province). The mathematical analysis of the age prevalence was done on the egg positive rates. And another analysis for the comparison was also made to the cited data from two areas, North Kyong-sang Do and Ko-yang Goon, Kyong-gi Do. Some catalytic models of H. Muench (1959) were applied to the observed age prevalence. Because the both parameters, such as force of infection(a) and loss of positivity(b) were considered to be constant for a long period in the surveyed area, the two stage catalytic model by Muench was chosen to the analysis. In the surveyed area, Kim-hae Goon where the egg positive rates were 56.2 percent and 61.2 percent (by Kim, 1974), the constant values of 'a' were found to be 0.051 and 0.089 respectively. In other words, the force of infection was 51, 89 per 1,000 susceptibles. The values of 'b' were found to be 0.006 and 0.005. This means that the rates of disappearance from egg positive cases to negative were 6 and 5 per annum per l,000 positive cases in above area. Therefore, the two catalytic curves were expressed by the following equations, y = 1.133 {e(-0.006t) - e(-0.051t)} and y = 1.047 {e(-0.005t) - e(-0.089t)} respectively. In the cases of North Kyong-sang Do and Ko-yang Goon, Kyong-gi Do where the egg positive rates of clonorchis shown as 27.7 percent and 15.2 percent by Shin (1964) and Kim (l974), the curves were expressed by y = 1.769 {e(-0.010t) - e(-0.034t)} and y = 2.857 {e(-0.020t) - e(-0.027t)} respectively. From the above mathematical analyses by age prevalence in clonorchiasis, it was considered that the mode of transmission of clonorchiasis in the surveyed area, Kim-hae Goon presented more rapid pattern than those of North Kyong-sang Do and Ko-yang Goon, Kyong-gi Do.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; clonorchiasis-Clnorchis sinensis ; epidemiology ; transmission

No abstract available.
Cisplatin* ; Sodium*

No abstract available.
Congenital Hypothyroidism*