Due to the great deal of effort that has gone into the study of osteoclastic differentiation and activation over the last few decades, the mechanisms of these two events have been discovered gradually. Nitric oxide(NO-), which is produced from arginine by a nitric oxide synthase, opened up a new area of biological research. Recently, it has been reported that NO- is produced by osteoblasts stimulated by lipopolysaccharide and several other cytokines. In this study, the effect of sodium nitroprusside(SNP), a donor of nitric oxide(NO-), on osteoclast-like cell formation and on mature osteoclast function was examined. To determine the mechanism of the inhibitory effects of SNP decreased not only the basal 45Ca release but also thee bone resorption induced by PTH and l,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (I ,25[OH]2D3). The inhibitory effect of SNP on bone resorption induced by PTH appeared 2 days after treatment, whereas SNP effect on inhibiting bone resorption induced by l,25[OH]2D3 appeared at the third days. When chicken and rat osteoclasts were cultured on dentin slices, treatment of 300micronM SNP resulted in a significant decrease in dentin resorption by osteoclasts in terms of total resorption area and average individual area. We also examined the effect of SNP on formation of osteoclast-like cells that is TRAP-positive multinucleated cells from chicken and rat bone marrow cells in the presence or absence of 10(-8)M l,25[OH]2D3. The addition of 300 micronM SNP inhibited the formation of TRAP-positive multinucleated cells. The present data suggest that SNP, possibly as a NO- donor, inhibits the osteoclastic differentiation and osteoclastic activity.
Animals ; Arginine ; Bone Marrow Cells ; Bone Resorption ; Chickens ; Cytokines ; Dentin ; Humans ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Nitroprusside* ; Osteoblasts ; Osteoclasts* ; Rats ; Sodium* ; Tissue Donors

This study analyzed the practical education in fundamentals of nursing, for the 36 nursing schools including 12 4-year nursing schools and 24 junior college nursing schools. This survey was done from september 5th to october 5th in 1995. The results of this study were as follows : 1. Required credit in fundamentals of nursing. 1) The highest incidence of the total required credit was 7 in 4-year nursing school and 9 in junior college. 2) For the lecture course credit, the large number of 4-year nursing school gave 5 credit lessons and 6 credits provided in junior nursing colleges. 3) For the credit of practical education the major portion of 4-year nursing school gave 2 credits instruction, however junior nursing school provided 3 credits. 2. Laboratory practice in fundamentals of nursing. In laboratory practice, the ratio of instructor and student was 1 : 20 in 83.4% of the 4-year nursing school and in 66.7% of the junior nursing school. 3. Contents and hours of fundamental nursing practice. 1) In the area of health assessment and nursing process, the large number of schools allocated following hours : 6 hours for vital signs, 4 hours for nursing process, 2 hours for recording but practice for physical examination and communication was done in few schools. 2) In the area of functional health pattern, the large number of schools allocated practice hours like following : 2 hours for I/O, 2 hours for gavage feeding, 2 hours for elimination, 6 hours for catheterization, 6 hours for bed making, 2 hours for positioning, 6 hours for personal hygiene, 2 hours for R.O.M, 4 hours for moving turning lifting, 2 hours for inhalation and suction, But C.P.R and terminally ill patient care were taught in smaller number of schools. 3) In the area of special nursing measures, the major portion of nursing schools allocated hours like followings. It consisted of 6 hours for a sepsis, 16-18 hours for medication, 2 hours for heat and cold application, 2 hours for wound care. 4) 22.2% of the nursing schools had total review practice time and 36.1% of the nursing schools had the students clinical practice. Based on above mentioned results, 4-year nursing school had faithful practical education of fundamental nursing than junior nursing school,. But for the contents and allocated hours for practice education, junior nursing schools were much more contents and hours than 4 year school.
Catheterization ; Catheters ; Education* ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Incidence ; Inhalation ; Lifting ; Nursing Process ; Nursing* ; Patient Care ; Physical Examination ; Schools, Nursing ; Sepsis ; Suction ; Terminally Ill ; Vital Signs ; Wounds and Injuries

Soft tissue coverage of heel defects has long been a difficult problem. In 1982, Iron reported eight cases of heel defects in children using an ipsilateral posterior thigh flap with use of the Hoff-man's skeletal fixation apparatus for immobilization. We report three cases of heel defects treatment in children using ipsilateral posterior thigh flap and detach flap in an average 13 days with aid of single photon emission computed tomography(SPECT) for evaluation of circulation status of flap.
Child ; Fracture Fixation ; Heel ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Iron ; Thigh ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

The Saville's index of the lumbar spine and the Singh's index of the femoral neck is very simple method to measure degree of osteoporosis. Authors compared Singh's index and Savilles index with Dual Photon Absorptiometry(D.P.X.) and studied the reliability and clinical usefulness of two indices. We took the D.P.X. and simple L-spine lateral view in 103 patients in same time and also performed D.P.X. and both hips A-P view in 70 patients, then analyzed and compared each two indices with D.P.X. The Singh's index had less interpersonal difference and intrapersonal difference compared with Saville's spine index. There was some confidence of Singh's index and Saville's spine index compared with the D.P.X., but the relationship between Saville's spine index and D.P.X. was less promising than that of Singh's index. Authors suggest that the Saville's spine index has less clinical usefulness than Singh's index in measurement of osteoporosis.
Femur Neck ; Hip ; Humans ; Methods ; Osteoporosis ; Spine

No abstract available.
Prospective Studies*

No abstract available.
Infertility* ; Laparoscopy*

N,N-Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) has been proved to have carcinogenic potential in the initiation or promotion stage and the transformed cells proliferate to form preneoplastic nodules which are positive for placental form of glutathione S-transferase (GST-P). E-Cadherin, a member of the cadherin family, is expressed in epithelial cells. To evaluate the role of adhesion molecules (E-Cadherin, alpha-catenin, and beta-catenin), which have not been well understood in carcinogenesis, we investigated the changes of E-cadherin, alpha-Catenin and beta-Catenins by immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting in DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis of rat liver. In addition, the sequential analysis of histopathology and the expression of GST-P were also examined. Immunoreactive areas for GST-P were gradually increased from early period of carcinogenesis and strong GST-P positive foci were noted in various lesions, especially in the clear cell and eosinophilic cell nodules. Immunohistochemically, the E-Cadherin expression was increased in DEN-treated preneoplastic nodules in 4 and 10 weeks and hepatocellular carcinomas displayed relatively reduced expression compared with the hyperplastic nodules. But alpha- and beta-catenin expression was increased in hyperplastic nodules and hepatocellular carcinomas. Immunoblotting studies revealed that the level of alpha-catenin (cytosol and membranous fraction) was overexpressed in hyperplastic nodules as well as hepatocellular carcinomas, which showed markedly increased expression. The membranous fraction of beta-catenin was markedly increased in 10 weeks of DEN treatment and slightly reduced in hepatocellular carcinomas. These findings suggest that during DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis, the clear cell and eosinophilic cell nodules expressing GST-P in their cytoplasm are early transformed cell nodules. The altered expression of E-Cadherin and catenins is closely related with tumor propagation. Loss or reduced expression of E-cadherin may play a role in the progression of late hyperplastic nodule to hepatocellular carcinoma in DEN-induced rat hepato carcinogenesis.
alpha Catenin ; Animals ; beta Catenin ; Cadherins* ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Catenins* ; Cytoplasm ; Eosinophils ; Epithelial Cells ; Glutathione Transferase* ; Glutathione* ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver* ; Rats*

BACKGROUND: The proper management of the patients with hypotention remains a difficult clinical problem. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of gepefrin in the treament of symptomatic hypotensive patients in outpatient clinic of university hospital. METHODS: Thirty milligrams of Gepefrin was given twice daily for 4 weeks in 30 patients with hypotension(6 males, 24 females ; 23-60 years of age). Blood pressure, heart rate, subjective symptoms and side effects were checked before medication and at the end of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th week of medication. RESULTS: 1) Grpefrin increased sitting systolic blood pressure significantly(p<0.05) by the end of 1st week and thereafter. 2) Hypotensive symptoms were improved in 76% of hypotensive patients and overall rate of usefulness was 70%. 3) Heart rate did not change significantly. 4) One patient complained of loose bowel movement and another one, of anorexia among 30 study patients and all laboratory parameters were within normal limits before and after drug treatment, thus the rate of safety was 93%. CONCLUSION: Results from this study suggests that gepefrin 60mg daily increases the blood pressure mildly and improves the symptoms moderately in symptomatic hypotensive patients.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Anorexia ; Blood Pressure ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypotension* ; Male ; Quality of Life

Thymic cyst is relatively rare tumor which usually occurs in the neck or mediastinum. Cervical thymic cyst is usually situated laterally and deep to the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, simulating a branchial cyst. Thymic cyst of the mediastinum is usually detected incidentally and differential diagnoses include cystic degeneration of thymoma, and cystic teratoma. Two case of a cervical and a mediastinal thymic cysts were reported. The one was a cervical thymic cyst developed slowly growing mass in a 53-year-old male a for 10 years. The cyst was unilocular and measures 5.4x2.9x2.8 cm with columnar or squamous cell linings. The other is a mediastinal thymic cyst developed in a 37-year-old female with chest discomfort for 7 months. The cyst was uniocular and measures 2.8x2.2x2.0 cm. The epithelial lining of the cyst was largely desquamated and covered by macrophages with cholesterol granuloma. Involutional thymic stissue in their walls were noted in both cysts. In both cases presence of thymic tissue in the wall of the cyst thought to be the most important diagnostic feature.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cysts

We present an ultrastructure of an incidentally found renomedullary interstitial tumor also called as medullary fibroma in a 77 year-old female who had a metastatic adenocarcinoma of colon to the ureter. This tumor was a small and grayish white nodule in renal medulla, measuring 0.4 x 0.4 cm. Microscopically the tumor composed of spindle cells, with some vacuolation and intercellular collagen fibers. The electron microscopic observation of the spindle cells reveal that nuclei are spindle to oval shape and cytoplasm contain abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum, polyribosome without microfilaments and cisterna like structures supporting that the renomedullary interstitial cell tumor is renal interstitial cell origin than fibroblasts.
Female ; Humans ; Adenocarcinoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis