No abstract available.
Cicatrix* ; Contracture*

To reveal the association between blood selenium level and the gastric diseases, 180 persons received the gastrofiberscopic examination at the outpatients department of the two university hospitals from July to September 1987, after the exclusion of the persons having the esophageal varix, were randomly selected. Their general characteristics such as age, sex and educational level and so on, were investigated. Five microliter venous blood was collected from each subjects and stored at 0 degrees C in heparinized vaccum tube. The blood selenium level was measured by the flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. In the procedure of data analysis, five subjects having benign tumor and anomaly of the stomach, were also excluded. The mean blood selenium levels of the 155.5 microgram/l among gastritis cases, the 154.8 microgram/l gastric ulcer and the 133.0 microgram/l gastric malignancy were significantly lower(p<0.05) than that of the 173.3 microgram/l among normal controls. In men the mean blood selenium levels among gastritis, gastric ulcer and gastric malignancy cases were significantly lower(p<0.05) than that among normal controls. In females, the mean blood selenium levels among gastritis and gastric maligancy cases were significantly lower(P<0.05) than that among normal controls(169.7 microgram/l), buy that among gastric ulcer cases(177.7 microgram/l) was not significantly higher. In the logistic analysis, coefficient of the blood selenium level was -0.0436(p<0.05 ; odds ratio 0.957) for gastritis, -0.0197(p=0.17 ; 0.981) for gastric ulcer, -0.4876(p<0.05 ; 0.614) for gastric malignancy and -0.0411(p<0.05 ; 0.960) for gastric diseases including the gastritis, the gastric ulcer and the gastric malignancy. These data support the hypothesis that the gastric diseases are to be associated with the low selenium level but, for the gastric ulcer, the further research is recommended.
Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Female ; Gastritis ; Heparin ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Outpatients ; Selenium* ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic ; Statistics as Topic ; Stomach ; Stomach Diseases* ; Stomach Ulcer

To observe the role of oxygen free radical and enzymatic scavengers in cerebral ischemia, an infarction model was made using transorbital occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in cats. The changes of the superoxide radical production and the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were measured. The results were as follows ; 1) The infarction of the left middle cerebral artery(MCA) territory was identified with intracardiac perfusion of a TTC solution after transorbital occlusion. 2) The superoxide radical activities after occlusion of the left MCA were not changed in all groups except for the decrease in 6 hours group of the right side compared to the control group(p<0.05). 3) The Mn-superoxide dismutase activities of the left side in the 12 hours group were significantly higher than those of the right side(p<0.01) and those in the control group(p<0.05). 4) The Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase activities of the left side in the 3 hours group after occlusion of the left MCA were significantly higher than those in the control group(p<0.05). 5) The catalase activities of the left side in the 3 hours, 6 hours and 12 hours groups after occlusion of the left MCA were significantly higher than those of the right side(p<0.05). 6) The catalase activities of the left side in the 12 hours group after occlusion of the left MCA were significantly higher than those in the control group(p<0.05). The authors suggest that the enzymatic scavangers such as Mn-SOD, Cu, Zn-SOD and catalase increased in the infarcted brain, which means an involvement of free radicals in cerebral infarction.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain Ischemia ; Catalase* ; Cats ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Free Radicals ; Infarction ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Oxygen ; Perfusion ; Superoxide Dismutase* ; Superoxides*

No abstract available.
Aneurysm* ; Carotid Artery, Internal*

A retrospective study 40 patients with moderate or severe diffuse axonal injury which is defined as posttraumatic coma for over 24 hours without mass lesions or ischemic insults was conducted in order to identify prognostic parameters. The sign of hypothalamic damage and motor reactivities of 40 patients were reviewed and compared to the outcome. The results were as follows ; 1) The ratio of male to female was about 3 to 1 and the peak incidence was at the first decade. 2) Of abnormal brain stem signs, fever of central origin was observed at the early posttraumatic phase and correlated with nonrecovery of consciousness(P<0.05). 3) Of abnormal brain stem signs, abnormal ADH secretion was significantly correlated with nonrecovery of consciousness(P<0.005). 4) Abnormal motor reactivity to pain was significantly correlated with nonrecovery of consciousness(P<0.005). 5) In the group of recovery of consciousness, initial Glasgow coma scale in 40 patients with moderate or severe DAI was significantly correlated with their outcome(P<0.005).
Brain Stem ; Coma ; Consciousness ; Diffuse Axonal Injury* ; Female ; Fever ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: Lowe and Ernst's square root of time model employs direct injection of liquid agent into breathing circuit for low flow anesthesia. Intermittent injections of the agent by Lowe's method change rapidly arterial partial pressure of the agent and fail to maintain hemodynamic stability to surgical stimuli. We designed to investigate the possibility and safety of low flow anesthesia with continuous infusion of liquid enflurane into breathing circuit. METHODS: Twenty patients, ASA physical status I or II, undergoing gastrectomy under inhalational general anesthesia were randomly divided into two groups. Anesthesia was maintained with a fresh gas flow of O2 500 ml/min and continuous infusion of liquid enflurane. An identical semiclosed Dr ger circle anesthesia system was used to all patients. Liquid enflurane calculated by the Lowe's method (group I) or simplified by patient's weight (group II) was continuously infused directly into inspiratory limb of breathing circuit using syringe pump. Inspiratory and expiratory concentrations of enflurane, enflurane consumptions, hemodynamic parameters, carboxyheomoglobin were checked intraoperatively. Hepatic and renal functions were evaluted postoperatively. RESULTS: Liquid enfurane was initially infused at a rate in ml/hr of 16.1 0.8 weight in kg in group I and 1.0 weight in kg in group II. After 5 minutes the infusion rate was reduced to 20% of this value and then well adjusted to maintain blood pressure within 20% of the reference preoperative value. Enflurane consumptions and recovery time were similar between the two groups. There were no clinical significant changes in arterial blood gas, carboxyheomoglobin, and hepatic and renal functions. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that low flow anesthesia with continuous infusion of liquid enflurane into breathing circuit is safe and effective, and that the infusion method simplified by patient's weight may easily be applied to clinical practice for low flow anesthesia.
Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, General ; Blood Pressure ; Enflurane* ; Extremities ; Gastrectomy ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Partial Pressure ; Respiration* ; Syringes

Resistance to antibiotics is becoming a very serious problem, with so-called superbugs exhibiting resistance to nearly all conventional antibiotic drugs. Consequently, these organisms often cause severe illness and even death. Alternatives to conventional antibiotics are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). These widely expressed short peptides, which have been isolated from insects, plants, marine organisms and mammals, including humans, show strong antimicrobial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Most AMPs act by disrupting the bacterial membrane through "Barrel-stave", "Toroidal pore", "carpet" mechanism. In addition, AMPs may prevent septic shock through strongly binding lipopolysaccharides and lipoteichoic acid located on the bacterial membrane. The action mechanisms of AMP to minimize the likelihood developing resistance to the peptides would be particular advantage. For these reasons, we anticipate that AMPs will replace conventional antibiotic drugs in a variety of contexts.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aquatic Organisms ; Gram-Positive Bacteria ; Humans ; Insects ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Mammals ; Membranes* ; Peptides* ; Shock, Septic

The gene encoding the 66 kilodalton (kDa) protein of Borrelia hermsii HS1 was cloned and sequenced. Chromosomal DNA was prepared from purified B. hermsii and used in construction of genomic library. The library was screened for positive clones by 314 bp DIG-labeled probe synthesized on the basis of the part of the sequence of B. hermsii. Positive clone was subcloned into p2ErO vector and was designated as pBH11. pBH11 were subcloned into pBluscript vector and were designated as pBH11-1 (500 bp), pBH11-2 (800 bp), pBH11-3 (600 bp) and pBH11-4 (800 bp). The plasmids were sequenced and determined the nucleotide sequence of p66. The open reading frame of the p66 consisted of 1803 base pairs coding for 600 amino acid protein. The basic information on the p66 gene of B. hermsii HS1 obtained from this study will be useful for further analysis and experiment of pathogenesis of the borrelia.
Base Pairing ; Base Sequence ; Borrelia* ; Clinical Coding ; Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism* ; DNA ; Genomic Library ; Open Reading Frames ; Plasmids

No abstract available.
Hemorrhage*

No abstract available.
Hemorrhage*