This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of action of baclofen on the detrusor muscle isolated from rat. Rats (Sprague-Dawley) were sacrificed by decapitation and exsanguination. Horizontal muscle strips of 2 mm x 15mm were prepared for isometric myography in isolated muscle chamber bubbled with 95% / 5%-OZ / CO2 at 371C, and the pH was maintained at 7.4 Detrusor strips. contracted responding to the.. electrical field stimulation (EFS) by 2 Hz, 2U msec, monophasic square wave of 60 VDC. The initial peak of EFS-Induced contraction was tended to be suppresed by a,p-methylene-adenosine 5'-triphosphate (mATP), a partial agonist of purinergic receptor, and baclofen, a GABAB receptor agonist (statistically nonsignificant). The late sustained contraction by EFS was suppressed significantly (p < 0.05) by additions of atropione, a cholinergic muscarinic receptor antagonist and baclofen. The adenosine 5'-triphosphate-induced contraction was completely abolished by mA TP but not by baclofen. In the presence of atropine, the subsequent addition of acetylcholine could not contract the muscle strips: but the addition of acetylcholine in the presence of baclofen evoked a contraction to a remarkable extent.
Acetylcholine ; Adenosine ; Animals ; Atropine ; Baclofen* ; Decapitation ; Exsanguination ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Myography ; Rats* ; Receptors, Muscarinic

Congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is the most common intra-abdominal disease required surgery during the first few months of life. The expression of pyloric stenosis is dependent upon the genetic influence of ancestors affected with the disease, as well as unknown environmental influences in the postnatal period. Pyloric stenosis has been reported in multiple sibs in a family, which suggests the genetic influence on the expression of this disease. Until now, the genetic influence is thought a sex-modified polygenic or multifactorial background which facilitates the expression of a common dominant gene. We experienced a case of congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in a two siblings. The siblings suffered projectile vomiting for 2~4 days at 16 days old of age and 15 days old of age. After we confirmed the diagnosis by upper gastrointestinal series and abdominal sonogram, the Fredet-Ramstedt pyloromyotomy was done successfully. This case suggests the genetic influence on the expression of this disease.
Diagnosis ; Genes, Dominant ; Humans ; Pyloric Stenosis ; Pyloric Stenosis, Hypertrophic* ; Siblings* ; Vomiting

The lung nodule is one of the pleuropulmonary menifestations in rheumatoid arthritis. We report here a case exhibiting hydropneumothorax due to a bronchoplerual fistula resulting from a ruptured rheumatoid lung nodule complicated with a aspergilloma in it. A 39 year-old man with rheumatoid arthritis was admitted because of cough for one month. Multiple subcutaneous nodules were noted and multiple lung nodules were seen on chest X-ray, Peripheral white cells were 9,600/mm3 with 1896 of eosinophils. The percutaneous needle aspiration biopsy of the largest lung nodule of right upper lobe showed massive necrosis without acid fast bacillus, fungus, or malignant cell. Three months after discharge, air-meniscus sign was seen on the biopsied lung nodule on X-ray. Five months later, the patient was readmitted due to dyspnea and chest pain and simple chest X-ray showed hydropneumothorax on the right side. The pneumothorax was not healed after closed thoracotomy and tube drainage, and high fever developed. The pleural fluid culture revealed Pseudomonas aeroginosa and Aspergillus fumigatus. Seventy days after admission, exploratory thoracotomy was done. Aspergilloma was found in the cavitated lung nodule which was ruptured into the pleural cavity through bronchopleural fistula.
Adult ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Aspergillus fumigatus ; Bacillus ; Biopsy, Needle ; Chest Pain ; Cough ; Drainage ; Dyspnea ; Eosinophilia* ; Eosinophils ; Fever ; Fistula* ; Fungi ; Humans ; Hydropneumothorax ; Lung* ; Necrosis ; Needles ; Pleural Cavity ; Pneumothorax ; Pseudomonas ; Thoracotomy ; Thorax

Splenosis is defined as the autotransplantation of splenic tissue after a traumatic splenic injury or a splenectomy. It has often been mistaken as an endometriosis, an intraperitoneal carcinoma, a hemangioma and an accessory spleen. It is clinically significant in that it requires no treatment if it is asymptomatic. Here we report a case of 34 year-old woman who had a pelvic splenosis with cyclic abdominal pain for several years, which was initially misdiagnosed as ovarian dermoid cyst. At the time of exploration, a splenosis was observed in the pelvic cavity. After surgery, a multiple splenosis in the abdominal cavity was found through a Tc-99m heat denatured red blood cell scan. The removal of the splenosis in the pelvic cavity resulted in an improvement in her symptoms.
Abdominal Cavity ; Abdominal Pain* ; Adult ; Autografts ; Dermoid Cyst* ; Endometriosis ; Erythrocytes ; Female ; Hemangioma ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Spleen ; Splenectomy ; Splenosis*

No abstract available.
Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

No abstract available.
Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

No abstract available.
Down Syndrome* ; Primary Myelofibrosis*

The most commonly reported sexual problems in diabetic women are sexual arousal disorder and a lack of vaginal lubrication. The aims of this study were to investigate the vaginal structural changes and expressions of TGF-beta1, Ec-NOS and estrogen receptor alphaby histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis in diabetic and insulin-treated diabetic rats. The mean blood glucose levels were significantly increased in the diabetic rats (453+/-88.4 mg/dL)compared to the control group (79+/-6 mg/dL)and insulin-treated diabetic rats (56.7+/-0.6 mg/dL).The vaginal wall in control rat showed 6~11 layered stratified squamous epithelial lining and submucosal smooth muscle, connective tissue and vasculatures. In diabetic rat, the vaginal epithelium was reduced to 2~6 layers and the submucosal vasculatures were decreased n size and number.Collagen fibers were increased and irregularly distorted arrangement. Insulin-treated diabetic rat showed similar morphologic features as control rat.In diabetic rat, TGF-beta1 expression was upregulated by 1.65 times and Ec-NOS expression was 40% downregulated compared to control and insulin-treated diabetic rats in Western blot analysis. In control and insulin-treated diabetic rats, TGF-beta1 immunoreactivity was detected in fibroblasts and the collagen fibers, Ec-NOS immunoreactivity in the endothelial cells of blood vessels, and estrogen receptor alphaimmunoreactivity in the basal and intermediate cell layers of stratified squamous epithelium, smooth muscle fibers, and nerve fibers. In diabetic rat, expression of TGF-beta1, Ec-NOS, and estrogen receptor alphawas exhibited comparable cellular patterns of labeling, but signal intensity was increased in TGF-beta1 and decreased in Ec-NOS and estrogen receptor alpha. These results suggest that vaginal tissue fibrosis in diabetes mellitus may be caused by altered expression of TGF-beta1, NOS and estrogen. It also mplies that sexual arousal disorder and lack of vaginal lubrication in the diabetic women could be protected or delayed by controlling blood glucose levels.
Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Vessels ; Blotting, Western ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Endothelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Estrogen Receptor alpha ; Estrogens ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Insulin* ; Lubrication ; Muscle, Smooth ; Nerve Fibers ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Rats* ; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Vagina*

The damage of vascular endothelial cells leads to the progression of vascular disease. Apoptotic damage of endothelial cells is an important mechanism in vascular disease. Recently, it has been reported that radiocontrast can induce vascular endothelial cell injury. The present study used terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) and FACScan analysis to examine whether radiocontrast agenst, such as iopromide, sodium-meglumine-ioxithalamate or gadopentetate dimeglumine, induce apoptotic injury in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In the study, iopromide, sodium-meglumine-ioxithalamate and gadopentetate dimeglumine brought about human umbilical vein endothelial cell death in phase-contrast microscopic findings. According to TUNEL and FACScan analysis, iopromide and sodium-meglumine- ioxithalamate induced apoptosis in vascular endothelial cells in a dose-dependent. The apoptotic effect of sodium-meglumine-ioxithalamate was shown to be greater than that of iopromide. Gadopentetate dimeglumine also induced apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells as observed by TUNEL and FACScan analysis. These results suggest that iopromide, which is a non-ionic radiocontrast agent, proved to be less apoptotic than sodium-meglumine-ioxithalamate. Gadopentetate dimeglumine, which is used MRI, has an apoptotic effect in vascular endothelial cells. Thus, apoptosis of endothelial cells by radiocontrast agents might induce deleterious effects on vascular endothelial integrity.
Apoptosis ; Contrast Media* ; Endothelial Cells ; Gadolinium DTPA ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells* ; Humans* ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Umbilical Veins ; Vascular Diseases

PURPOSE: We investigated the effect of antisense TGF-beta1 oligonucleotides on the expression of TGF-beta1 in the penile corpus cavernosum of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty Sprague-Dawley male rats (200-210 g) were divided into two groups: control (n=10) and experimental group (n=30). The experimental group was received intravenous injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). After 2 weeks, development of diabetes was verified by measuring body weight and blood sugar levels. The experimental group was divided further into 3 groups: vehicle (liposome only), sense oligomer group, and antisense oligomer (5'-CCGAGGGCGGCATGGGGGA-3') group. Penile tissues were used to perform Western analysis and immunohistochemistry for the TGF-beta1 expression. RESULTS: The mean glucose concentrations were 86 9 mg/dl in the control group and 485 119 mg/dl in the experimental group. Downregulation of TGF-beta1 protein expression was noted in the antisense oligomer group compared to sense oligomer group. In the immunohistochemistry, control group showed weak immunoreactivity whereas vehicle or sense oligomer group showed strong immunoreactivity both after 1 and 5 days of treatment. Antisense oligomer treated diabetic group showed weak immunoreactivity similar to control group after 1 day of treatment, even though they showed similar immunoreactivity as vehicle or sense oligomer group after 5 days of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Antisense TGF-beta1 oligonucleotides suppressed the expression of TGF-beta1 in the corpus cavernosum of diabetic rats. It implies that penile corpus cavernosal fibrosis may be prevented by the application of antisense TGF-beta1 oligonucleotides.
Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Body Weight ; Down-Regulation* ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Fibrosis ; Glucose ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Injections, Intravenous ; Male ; Oligonucleotides* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Streptozocin ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1*