Aorta-right atrial tunnel is a rare and distinct congenital anomaly. It is a vascular channel that originates from one of the sinuses of Valsalva with a tortuous course anterior or posterior to the ascending aorta, and terminates either in the superior vena cava or in the right atrium (RA). We report a 42-year-old female briefly with aorta-right atrial tunnel in which the left coronary artery arose from the tunnel and terminated into the RA.
Adult ; Aorta ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies ; Coronary Vessels ; Female ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Vena Cava, Superior

The diameter and collapsibility of the inferior vena cava (IVC) should be interpreted in consideration with other clinical and echocardiographic parameters before drawing definitive diagnostic conclusions. We report a case of a 46-year-old female with isolated IVC dilation and diminished inspiratory collapse without other abnormalities, and provide a brief review of the literature.
Atrial Function, Right ; Atrial Pressure ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Dilatation, Pathologic ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Phlebography/methods ; Respiratory Mechanics ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vena Cava, Inferior/*pathology/physiopathology/radiography/ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a condition characterized by a cluster of metabolic disorders and is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study analyzed data from the Korean Health and Genome Study to examine the impact of MetS on CVD. METHODS: A total of 8,898 subjects (4,241 males and 4,657 females), 40 to 69 years of age, were enrolled and evaluated for the development of new onset CVD from 2001 to 2012 (median 8.1 years of follow-up). RESULTS: The prevalence of MetS at baseline was 22.0% (932/4,241) and 29.7% (1,383/4,657) in males and females, respectively. MetS was associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD; hazard ratio [HR], 1.818; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.312 to 2.520 in males; HR, 1.789; 95% CI, 1.332 to 2.404 in females) and CVD (HR, 1.689; 95% CI, 1.295 to 2.204 in males; HR, 1.686; 95% CI, 1.007 to 2.192 in females). Specifically, MetS was associated with risk of future stroke in females only (HR, 1.486; 95% CI, 1.007 to 2.192). Among MetS components, abdominal obesity and hypertension were independent predictors of both CHD and CVD. In addition, a higher number of MetS components correlated with higher CVD risk. CONCLUSION: MetS is a significant risk factor for the development of CVD although its impact varies between sexes.
Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Coronary Disease ; Female ; Genome ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors* ; Stroke

BACKGROUND: The effects of glucose on cardiovascular events or mortality in nondiabetic patients has been recently reported. However, since atherosclerosis can be formed over a long period of time, it is necessary to devote several years to unveil the relationship between the two factors. Here, we attempted to find out the relationship between the mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level and HbA1c variability for 5 years and coronary artery disease (CAD) by using coronary angiography (CAG) to assess nondiabetic patients. METHODS: We reviewed patients who performed CAG who were followed up for at least 5 years after the initial diagnosis. The fasting blood test was performed annually for glucose and HbA1c level. CAD was defined as more than 50% of luminal narrowing. The severity of CAD was divided into two groups depending on whether no vessels were involved or one more vessel were involved (CAD(-) or CAD(+), respectively). RESULTS: The patients in CAD(+) group had higher mean HbA1c level for 5 years than CAD(-) group (5.71+/-0.40 vs. 5.86+/-0.68; P=0.04). Mean HbA1c was a significant predictor for CAD in multiple regression (odds ratio, 2.224; P=0.028). The percentage of patients with CAD was significantly higher in patients with >6.2% of mean HbA1c levels compared to patients with <6.2% of mean HbA1c levels (P<0.019). CONCLUSION: When the mean HbA1c levels were above 6.2%, the risk of CAD was higher. Also this study shows that HbA1c level can be one of the predictors for CAD even if the patients do not have diabetes.
Atherosclerosis ; Coronary Angiography* ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Diagnosis ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Hematologic Tests ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Humans ; Mortality ; Phenobarbital

BACKGROUND/AIMS: With the increasing incidence of cardiovascular disease, angiocardiography using contrast-enhancing media has become an essential diagnostic and therapeutic tool, despite the risk of contrast-medium-induced acute kidney injury (CIAKI). CIAKI may be exacerbated by renin-angiotensin-system (RAS) blockers, which are also used in a variety of cardiovascular disorders. This study evaluated the effects of RAS blockade on CIAKI after coronary angiography. METHODS: Patients who underwent coronary angiography in our hospital between May 2009 and July 2011 were reviewed. Serum creatinine levels before and after coronary angiography were recorded. CIAKI was diagnosed according to an increase in serum creatinine > 0.5 mg/dL or 25% above baseline. RESULTS: A total of 1,472 subjects were included in this study. Patients taking RAS blockers were older, had a higher baseline creatinine level, lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and had received a greater volume of contrast medium. After propensity score matching, no difference was observed between the RAS (+) and RAS (.) groups. Multiple logistic regression identified RAS blockade, age, severe heart failure, contrast volume used, hemoglobin level, and eGFR as predictors of CIAKI. Multiple logistic regression after propensity matching showed that RAS blockade was associated with CIAKI (odds ratio, 1.552; p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the incidence of CIAKI was increased in patients treated with RAS blockers.
Acute Kidney Injury/*chemically induced/diagnosis/epidemiology/physiopathology ; Aged ; Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers/*adverse effects ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/*adverse effects ; Biological Markers/blood ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Contrast Media/*adverse effects/diagnostic use ; Coronary Angiography/*adverse effects ; Creatinine/blood ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate/drug effects ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney/*drug effects/physiopathology ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Odds Ratio ; Propensity Score ; Renin-Angiotensin System/*drug effects ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors

Fucoidan, a fucose-rich sulfated polysaccharide derived from brown seaweed in the class Phaeophyceae, has been widely studied for its possible health benefits. However, the potential of fucoidan as a possible treatment for hyperpigmentation is not fully understood. This study investigated the effects of fucoidan on melanogenesis and related signaling pathways using Mel-Ab cells. Fucoidan significantly decreased melanin content. While fucoidan treatment decreased tyrosinase activity, it did not do so directly. Western blot analysis indicated that fucoidan downregulated microphthalmia-associated transcription factor and reduced tyrosinase protein expression. Further investigation showed that fucoidan activated the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway, suggesting a possible mechanism for the inhibition of melanin synthesis. Treatment with PD98059, a specific ERK inhibitor, resulted in the recovery of melanin production. Taken together, these findings suggest that fucoidan inhibits melanogenesis via ERK phosphorylation.
Blotting, Western ; Hyperpigmentation ; Insurance Benefits ; Melanins ; Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Phaeophyta ; Phosphorylation ; Phosphotransferases ; Seaweed

This study investigated the effects of proline-serine (PS) and valine-serine (VS) dipeptides on melanogenesis in Mel-Ab cells. Proline-serine and VS significantly inhibited melanin synthesis in a concentration-dependent manner, though neither dipeptide directly inhibited tyrosinase activity in a cell-free system. Both PS and VS down-regulated the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and tyrosinase. In a follow-up study also described here, the effects of these dipeptides on melanogenesis-related signal transduction were quantified. Specifically, PS and VS induced ERK phosphorylation, though they had no effect on phosphorylation of the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB). These data suggest that PS and VS inhibit melanogenesis through ERK phosphorylation and subsequent down-regulation of MITF and tyrosinase. Properties of these dipeptides are compatible with application as skin-whitening agents.
Cell-Free System ; Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein ; Dipeptides ; Down-Regulation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Melanins ; Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Phosphorylation ; Signal Transduction

In this study we investigated the effects of fucoidan on the proliferation of fibroblasts and the reconstruction of a skin equivalent (SE). Fucoidan significantly stimulated the proliferation of CCD-25Sk human fibroblasts and Western blot analysis demonstrated that fucoidan markedly increased the expression of cyclin D1 and decreased the expression of p27. Fucoidan was used to reconstruct SE. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the addition of fucoidan to dermal equivalents increased expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and p63. In addition, expression of alpha6-integrin was significantly increased by fucoidan, whereas expression of beta1-integrin, type 1 collagen, elastin, fibronectin did not markedly change. These results suggest that fucoidan has positive effects on epidermal reconstruction and will therefore be beneficial in the reconstruction of SE.
Blotting, Western ; Collagen Type I ; Cyclin D1 ; Elastin ; Fibroblasts ; Fibronectins ; Humans ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Skin*

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and carotid artery atherosclerosis beyond metabolic disorders. METHODS: We studied 320 non-diabetic patients with ultrasonographically diagnosed NAFLD and 313 non-diabetic patients without NAFLD who have less than 40 g alcohol/week drinking history. Carotid atherosclerotic burden was assessed by carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque. All subjects were divided to the metabolic syndrome (MetS) according to International Diabetes Federation criteria. RESULTS: NAFLD patients had a significantly increased mean carotid IMT (0.79 +/- 0.18 vs. 0.73 +/- 0.13 mm; p < 0.001) than those without the condition. The prevalence of increased IMT, defined as IMT > or = 1 mm, and carotid plaque were 52.5% and 34.1% in the patients with NAFLD vs. 35.8% and 18.8% in the patients without this condition (p < 0.001). The difference in IMT and prevalence of plaque was also significant even in patients without MetS as well as those with MetS (all p < 0.05). NAFLD-associated adjusted odds ratio for increased IMT was 1.236 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.023-1.467, p = 0.016] without MetS and 1.178 (95% CI, 1.059-1.311, p = 0.003) with MetS. NAFLD-associated adjusted odds ratio of carotid plaque was 1.583 (95% CI, 1.309-1.857, p = 0.024) without MetS and 1.536 (95% CI, 0.512-4.604, p = 0.444) with MetS. CONCLUSION: NAFLD is significantly associated with carotid atherosclerosis in non-diabetic outpatients even without MetS. Carotid screening for NAFLD might be beneficial for assessment of future atherosclerotic complications.
Atherosclerosis ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery Diseases ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Drinking ; Fatty Liver ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Odds Ratio ; Outpatients ; Prevalence

The purpose of this study is to characterize the effects of KHG26792 (3-(naphthalen-2-yl(propoxy) methyl)azetidine hydrochloride), a potential skin whitening agent, on melanin synthesis and identify the underlying mechanism of action. Our data showed that KHG26792 significantly reduced melanin synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, KHG26792 downregulated microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and tyrosinase, the rate-limiting enzyme in melanogenesis, although tyrosinase was not inhibited directly. KHG26792 activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), whereas an ERK pathway inhibitor, PD98059, rescued KHG26792-induced hypopigmentation. These results suggest that KHG26792 decreases melanin production via ERK activation. Moreover, the hypopigmentary effects of KHG26792 were confirmed in a pigmented skin equivalent model using Cervi cornus Colla (deer antler glue), in which the color of the pigmented artificial skin became lighter after treatment with KHG26792. In summary, our findings suggest that KHG26792 is a novel skin whitening agent.
Animals ; Antlers ; Cornus ; Hypopigmentation ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Melanins* ; Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Phosphotransferases ; Skin Lightening Preparations ; Skin* ; Skin, Artificial