BACKGROUND: In spite of appropriate therapy and control for tuberculosis, the prevalence of tuberculosis is still frequent in Korea. Emerging infection and rapid detection of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) are major interests in microbiologic laboratories. In this study, we evaluated the usefulness of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) genotyping for molecular epidemiological characteristics of MDR-TB. METHODS: We analyzed 64 clinical strains of M. tuberculosis including 35 strains which showed resistance to one or more antimycobacterial drugs and M. tuberculosis H37Rv (ATCC 27294), as a drug-sensitive control strain. RAPD genotyping analysis was carried out under eight reaction conditions and using ten random primers (A-1245, AP-50, B-1245, DKU-44, DKU-49, Leg-1, INS-2, IS-986-FP, PF-15 and MBR). RESULTS: RAPD patterns using six primers (IS-986-FP, DKU-44, DKU-49, INS-2, B-1245, and AP-50) showed marked polymorphisms that were easier to discriminate than those with other primers. RAPD patterns represented various polymorphisms among 64 strains. However, RAPD could not discriminate MDR-TB strains from drug-sensitive ones. CONCLUSIONS: RAPD genotyping is assumed a preferable technique for discrimination among clinical strains of M. tuberculosis but not for specifying MDR-TB strains.
Discrimination (Psychology) ; DNA* ; Korea ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Prevalence ; Tuberculosis

PURPOSE: The mechanism of hypoxic damage is mainly intracellular influx of calcium ions through the glutamate ionotropic receptor. This study was performed to determine alterations in distribution and expression of kainate receptor subunits after 1 hour of moderate hypoxia in the newborn piglet brain, as in a condition of mild to moderate perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. METHODS: Ten newborn piglets were ventilated at PaO2 over 80mmHg for 30min. Thereafter, the control group(n=5) was ventilated with 21% oxygen, and hypoxic group(n=5) with 6% oxygen at PaO2 below 25mmHg for 1 hour. Concentrations of protein, ATP and phosphocreatine were determined. The proteins were immunostained with anti-rat GluR6/7 and anti-rat KA2 antibody. RESULTS: Hypoxia(PaO2 20+/-1mmHg) and acidosis(pH 7.06+/-0.09) developed significantly in the hypoxic group compared to the control group(PaO2 104+/-4mmHg, pH 7.44+/-0.03, respectively, P<0.01). The concentrations of ATP(2.84+/-1.28micromol/kg brain, P<0.05) and phosphocreatine(0.78+/-1.07micromol/kg brain, P<0.001) were reduced compared to the control group(5.04+/-0.25micromol/kg brain, 4.03+/-0.31micromol/kg brain, respectively). The protein contents of GluR6/7 subunits were ordered; cerebral cortex>hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus>basal ganglia, cerebellum>white matter, and KA2 subunits were ordered : hippocampus, basal ganglia>cerebral cortex>thalamus, cerebellum>hypothalamus, white matter. The distribution of the subunits between the hypoxic group and control group were similar. CONCLUSION: Cerebral cortex, hippocampus and basal ganglia may be the most vulnerable to excitotoxic injury. Kainate receptor subunits did not change after 1 hour of moderate hypoxia.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Anoxia ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain* ; Calcium ; Cerebral Cortex ; Ganglia ; Glutamic Acid ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; Infant, Newborn* ; Ions ; Oxygen ; Phosphocreatine ; Receptors, Kainic Acid ; Thalamus

PURPOSE: The mechanism of hypoxic damage is mainly intracellular influx of calcium ions through the glutamate ionotropic receptor. This study was performed to determine alterations in distribution and expression of kainate receptor subunits after 1 hour of moderate hypoxia in the newborn piglet brain, as in a condition of mild to moderate perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. METHODS: Ten newborn piglets were ventilated at PaO2 over 80mmHg for 30min. Thereafter, the control group(n=5) was ventilated with 21% oxygen, and hypoxic group(n=5) with 6% oxygen at PaO2 below 25mmHg for 1 hour. Concentrations of protein, ATP and phosphocreatine were determined. The proteins were immunostained with anti-rat GluR6/7 and anti-rat KA2 antibody. RESULTS: Hypoxia(PaO2 20+/-1mmHg) and acidosis(pH 7.06+/-0.09) developed significantly in the hypoxic group compared to the control group(PaO2 104+/-4mmHg, pH 7.44+/-0.03, respectively, P<0.01). The concentrations of ATP(2.84+/-1.28micromol/kg brain, P<0.05) and phosphocreatine(0.78+/-1.07micromol/kg brain, P<0.001) were reduced compared to the control group(5.04+/-0.25micromol/kg brain, 4.03+/-0.31micromol/kg brain, respectively). The protein contents of GluR6/7 subunits were ordered; cerebral cortex>hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus>basal ganglia, cerebellum>white matter, and KA2 subunits were ordered : hippocampus, basal ganglia>cerebral cortex>thalamus, cerebellum>hypothalamus, white matter. The distribution of the subunits between the hypoxic group and control group were similar. CONCLUSION: Cerebral cortex, hippocampus and basal ganglia may be the most vulnerable to excitotoxic injury. Kainate receptor subunits did not change after 1 hour of moderate hypoxia.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Anoxia ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain* ; Calcium ; Cerebral Cortex ; Ganglia ; Glutamic Acid ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; Infant, Newborn* ; Ions ; Oxygen ; Phosphocreatine ; Receptors, Kainic Acid ; Thalamus

PURPOSE: Our study was aimed to investigate the characteristics of seizures as well as to determine whether the expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression(nNOS) of hippocampus has an affect in the hyperthermic seizure in developing rat. METHODS: Hyperthermic seizures were repeatedly induced twice a week for four weeks in 20-day old Spraque-Dowley rats. Fifty two rats were used as a hyperthermic group and 30 rats used as a normothermic control group. Hyperthermic seizures were induced in a water bath at 45degreesC+/-1 for 4 min. The characteristics of seizures were recorded. Using western blot, hippocampal nNOS expression was measured in normothermic control, hyperthermic non-seizure, and hyperthermic seizure groups, respectively. RESULTS:Eighty seven percent of hyperthermia exposed rats showed generalized tonic-clonic seizure most frequently. The duration of seizure was ranged from 12 to 145 sec(mean 55 sec) and the latency to seizure ranged from 158 to 240 sec(mean 204 sec). The duration of seizure was prolonged but there was no significant difference in the seizure latency as the rat exposed more number of hyperthermia. Interestingly, the expression level of hippocampal nNOS in hyperthermic seizure and hyperthermic non-seizure groups was not different from each other, however, the expression in these groups was lower than that of the control group. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that nNOS do not have an affect in this repeated hyperthermic seizures. Further studies are required to clarify a role of nNOS in hyperthermic seizure.
Animals ; Baths ; Blotting, Western ; Fever ; Hippocampus* ; Neurons* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I* ; Rats* ; Seizures* ; Water

We studied the regulation of fibronectin (FN) gene expression by cAMP and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) in HT-1080 human fibrosarcoma cells. Dibutyryl cAMP increased FN synthesis and mRNA levels, while PMA inhibited the cAMP-induced FN synthesis. In transient transfection assays, cAMP increased FN promoter activity, while PMA paradoxically enhanced the cAMP-induced promoter activity. Stable transfection experiments, however, showed that neither cAMP or PMA alone nor together affected FN promoter activity. These results suggest that PMA antagonizes the cAMP-induced FN gene expression and that both the action of cAMP and the inhibition of its action by PMA may occur at the posttranscriptional level in HT-1080 cells.
Blotting, Northern ; Bucladesine/pharmacology* ; Bucladesine/antagonists & inhibitors ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fibronectins/metabolism ; Fibronectins/genetics* ; Fibrosarcoma/genetics* ; Gene Expression Regulation* ; Human ; Luciferase/metabolism ; Precipitin Tests ; Promoter Regions (Genetics) ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism ; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate/pharmacology* ; Transfection ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; beta-Galactosidase/metabolism

No abstract available.
Aquaporins* ; Kidney* ; Physiology*

BACKGROUND: We examined whether puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN)-induced nephrotic syndrome (NS) is associated with altered renal handling of water and sodium along with changes of renal abundance of aquaporins (AQP1 and AQP2) and NHE3. Next we tested the effects of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha- MSH), a potent anti-inflammatory drug, on the PAN-induced renal functional derangement and the changes of renal AQPs and NHE3 abundance. METHODS: PAN was administered to Sprague-Dawley rats using two protocols: protocol 1 (180 mg/kg, single iv injection) and protocol 2 (100 mg/kg, single iv injection). RESULTS: In both protocols, PAN-induced NS was associated with decreased urine concentration, manifested by an increased urine output and decreased urine osmolality and TcH2O. Consistent with this, a marked downregulation of vasopressin-regulated collecting duct AQP2 expression was seen in PAN-induced NS. In protocol 2 where rats treated with moderate dose of PAN, alpha-MSH cotreatment prevented the reduction of urine osmolality and the increase of the FENa in the PAN-induced NS. This suggests that alpha-MSH may have protective effects against the renal functional deterioration induced by PAN. The renal abundance of the AQP1, AQP2 and NHE3 was reduced in PAN-induced NS in protocol 2, as seen in protocol 1. In contrast to the functional improvement, alpha-MSH cotreatment had marginal effects in the prevention of renal AQP1, AQP2 and NHE3 downregulation in PAN-induced NS. CONCLUSION: PAN-induced NS was associated with decreased urine concentration along with reduced renal AQP2, AQP1 and NHE3 abundance. Alpha-MSH may have protective effects against the renal functional deterioration (e.g., urine osmolality and FENa). However, alpha-MSH treatment alone is less likely to prevent the marked reduction of AQP2, AQP1 and NHE3 abundance in PAN-induced NS, in contrast to the previously known dramatic effects against the ischemia-reperfusion injury in kidney and small intestine.
alpha-MSH* ; Animals ; Aquaporins ; Down-Regulation ; Intestine, Small ; Kidney ; Nephritis, Interstitial ; Nephrotic Syndrome* ; Osmolar Concentration ; Puromycin Aminonucleoside* ; Puromycin* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; Sodium

PURPOSE: To determine if the urine specific gravity(SG) plays a role in enuresis, the first morning urine SG of the healthy preschool nocturnal enuretic was compared with that of the nonenuretic. The results of desmopressin were analyzed according to the pretreatment urine SG to know if the urine SG can predict the responsiveness of the medication. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five hundred twenty healthy preschool children aged 3-6 years were entered in this prospective observer-blinded study. A comparison was made between SG of the first morning urine specimen and results of questionnaire concerning the bed wetting and voiding habits of children. The responsiveness to oral desmopressin(0.2-0.4mg h.s.) in 14-day treatment periods was also analyzed according to the urine SG in 28 children with enuresis. The responder group was defined as a reduction of at least 50% from the number of wet night. RESULTS: The incidence of enuresis was 8.6 percent. Stastistically significant difference was found between the bedwetter and nonbedwetter group with regard to the urine SG(p<0.05). The overall response rate of desmopressin was 68 percent. There was no significant difference between the responder and nonresponder group with respect to urine SG. CONCLUSIONS: The first morning urine of the enuretic showed higher probability of lower level of the SG than that of the nonenuretic. Treatment with desmopressin was associated with a significant decrease in the number of wet night, but clinical response was not predictable based on the first morning urine SG.
Child ; Child, Preschool* ; Deamino Arginine Vasopressin ; Enuresis* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Penetrating chest trauma caused by the components of one's own car is rare in motor vehicle accidents. We experienced two cases of penetrating chest injury caused by the sideview mirror of the patient's vehicle. One was a 25-year-old man. The sideview mirror penetrated the left chest, went through the diaphragm, and ruptured the spleen. He was in shock upon arrival at the emergency room. An emergency thoracotomy and laparotomy were done. The ruptured spleen was resected, the lung and the diaphragm were debrided and repaired, and the chest wall was reconstructed. The other patient was a 57-year-old male, who was transported to our emergency room with the sideview mirror of his truck stuck into his right chest wall as the result of an accident. He also had a right Bennet's fracture and an open fracture of the right tibia. Air had been sucked into the right pleural cavity through the wound. Multiple rib fractures and lung lacerations had also occurred. Removal of the sideview mirror, repair of the lacerated lung, and reconstruction of chest wall were done immediately. Both patients recovered without complication and were discharged.
Adult ; Diaphragm ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Fractures, Open ; Humans ; Lacerations ; Laparotomy ; Lung ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Motor Vehicles ; Pleural Cavity ; Rib Fractures ; Shock ; Spleen ; Thoracic Injuries* ; Thoracic Wall ; Thoracotomy ; Thorax* ; Tibia ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics of serum ferrum, TIBC and ferritin's circadian rhythm in normal adults and to prepare a standard to determine the examination material extraction time. METHOD: Nine women and ten men made up the convenience sample for this study. they were from the staff of D university hospital and students in D medical School located in K city who met the qualifications for inclusion in the sample. The value of serum ferrum, TIBC and circadian rhythm were calculated as follows; First, each variable's amplitude, the acrophase and average were measured for a 24 hour cycle using the cosinor method, and then each person's rhythm was analyzed. RESULTS: There were significant serum iron circadian rhythm for both men and women (p<.05). For the men, mesor was 105.91 microgram/dl, amplitude was 29.52 microgram/dl, and the acrophase was 9.76 hour. For the women, mesor was 108.17 microgram/dl, amplitude was 28.09 microgram/dl, and the acrophase was 11.42 hour. The rhythm change of TIBC was only significant for the women (p<.05), mesor was 383.39 mg/dl, amplitude was 60.29 mg/dl, and the acrophase was 14.93hour. As for the circadian rhythm of the ferritin, there are no diurnal variation in either sex, men were between 134.0 ng/ml and 137.4 ng/ml, and women, between 29.1 ng/ml and 30.1 ng/ml. CONCLUSION: To help diagnose the boundary line between normal or deficiency in iron, measurement should be carried out at a fixed time in the morning and evening, or a more proper time would be in the afternoon at the time when the width of amplitude is the least.
Adult* ; Circadian Rhythm* ; Female ; Ferritins ; Humans ; Iron ; Male ; Schools, Medical