OBJECTIVE: To evaluate mouse embryos development in conventional medium IVF-20 versus vero cell coculture. METHODS: Female ICR mice aged 6 to 8 weeks, were stimulated with 5IU PMSG and 48 hours later were injected 5IU of hCG, then female and male mice were mated. At 48 hour post-hCG injection, oviducts were dissected out and 2-cell embryos were flushed. The 2-cell embryos were cultured in IVF-20 media or media containing vero cell (African green monkey kidney epithelial cell lines) for 120 hours. Coculture techniques have been applied in mouse 2-cell embryos culture used vero cell lines. RESULTS: 1. After 48 hours culture, 60.7% and 55.7% of 2 cell embryos developed to 4 cell and morulae stage, respectively, in IVF-20 culture medium, but significantly less embryos developed to 4 cell (47.6%, p<0.05) and momlae (42.9%, p<0.05) in vero cell coculture. 2. After 72 hours culture, 51.6% of 2 cell embryos developed to blastocyst and expanded blastocyst in IVF-20 culture medium, but significantly less embryos developed to blastocyst and expanded blastocyst (25.9%, p<0.01) in vero cell coculture. 3. After 96 hours culture, 37.7% and 32.6% of 2 cell embryos similar developed to expanded blastocyst and hatching in IVF-20 culture medium and vero cell coculture, respectively. 4. After 120 hours culture, 36.9% and 37.4% of 2 cell embryos similar developed to expanded blastocyst and hatching in IVF-20 culture medium and vero cell coculture, respectively. CONCLUSION: There was no difference of embryo development rates between the two culture groups. IVF-20 medium alone gives a benefit to the viability of an embryo compared with a vero cell coculture.
Animals ; Blastocyst ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Coculture Techniques* ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures* ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney ; Male ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Morula ; Oviducts ; Pregnancy ; Vero Cells*

There are many kinds of treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) such as surgical resection, liver transplantation, chemotherapy, interventional therapy [TACE, ethanol embolization, Immuno -chemoembolization, I131 -lipiodol embolization], thermal therapy, cryotherapy, and radiation therapy. Generally spontaneous remission is not common in HCC, however underlying mechanism of spontaneous remission is uncertain. We report a case of complete remission after one time TACE in ruptured HCC with review of literature about the effect of TACE and spontaneous remission. We conclude that arterial embolization is an effective alternative to surgery for hepatic hemostasis in patients with spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Cryotherapy ; Drug Therapy ; Ethanol ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Liver Transplantation ; Remission, Spontaneous ; Rupture, Spontaneous

We experience a case of pseudopolycytemia in dilated cardiomyopathy in a 62 years old man with chronic alcoholism. The patient was successfully managed by stress reduction, stopping of smoking, abstaining from alcohol drinking, use of digoxin, small dose lasix, and phlebotomy. To our knowledge, this is the first case of pseudopolycytemia in dilated cardiomyopathy in Korea. We reported this case with a review of literatures.
Alcohol Drinking ; Alcoholism ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Digoxin ; Furosemide ; Humans ; Korea ; Phlebotomy ; Smoke ; Smoking

Isolated noncompaction of the left ventricular myocardium is a rare cardiac disorder due to an arrest in myocardial morphogenesis. It is characterized by prominent and excessive trabeculation in a ventricular wall segment, with deep intertrabecular spaces perfused from the ventricular cavity. Echocardiographic findings are important clues for the diagnosis. Clinical symptoms include signs of left ventricular systolic dysfunction even to the point of heart failure, ventricular arrhythmias, and embolic events. We describe two cases of isolated noncompaction of the myocardium, with ventricular tachycardia in one, and chest pain due to microvascular dysfunction in the other.
Adult* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Chest Pain ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Morphogenesis ; Myocardium* ; Tachycardia, Ventricular

Hypereosinophilic syndrome is characterized by prolonged eosinophilia of blood and tissue without an identifiable underlying cause and multiorgan system dysfunction by eosinophil-related tissue damage to variable organs: liver, heart, lung, kidney, gastrointestinal tract, skin, nerve. Some case of hypereosinophilic syndrome with hepatic and gastrointestinal involvement have been reported, but not much. We are reporting a case of hypereosinophilic syndrome with hepatic and gastrointestinal involvement in 56-year-old man who presented general weakness and epigastric discomfort. In abdominal US, CT and MRI, intrahepatic multifocal ill-defined lesions were detected. The patient was treated with prednisolone for 16 weeks and recovered from eosinophilia and gastric involvement. A gastric biopsy was taken to confirm recovery. Also, the ill-defined lesions in US and CT disappeared after treatment.
Biopsy ; Eosinophilia ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome* ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Prednisolone ; Skin