No abstract available.
Parturition* ; Seasons*

BACKGROUND: Intracellular calcium overload is a common final feature of the ischemic-reperfused heart and mediates the genesis of irreversible cell damage. Reactive oxygen medabolites have been known to play and important role as toxic mediators in myocardial injuries resulting from ischemia and reperfusion. In order to investigate the mechanism of intracellular calcium accumulation in the ischemic-reperfused myocardium, the present study observed the possible contribution of the reactive oxygen metabolite to the calcium transport of cardiac mitochondria. METHODS: Mitochondrial were isolated from rabbit hearts. The effects of a reactive oxygen metabolite, H2O2 on calcium uptake and release, redox states of endogenous pyridine nucleotides and glutathiones of mitochondria respiring with succinate were observed. Calcium uptake and release were monitored by dual-wave length spectrophotometer using a calcium indicator, arsenaze III. Contents and redox states of pyridine nucleotides and glutathiones were measured by enzymatic methods using spectrofluorometer and HPLC. RESULTS: Hydrogen peroxide(10-500microM) promoted calcium release dose-dependently from CA++-preloaded mitochondria, but did not affect the mitochondrial calcium uptake. The H2O2-induced calcium release was accompanied by simultaneous oxidation of the pyridine nucleotides and decrease in the content of the reduced form of glutathione(GSH). When mitochondria were treated with BCNU(N,N=bis(2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea) to inhibit glutathione reductase and so as to reduce the GSH content, there were no increase in calcium release from the mitochondria. These results may indicate that H2O2 increases the permeability of cardiac mitochondrial membrane to calcium in association with the changes in redox state of endogenous pyridine nucleotides, but not with that of glutathiones. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that the reactive oxygen metabolites induce the release of calcium from mitochondria by altering the redox state of pyridine nucleotides, and it may partly be involved in the elevation of cytosolic calcium concentration in the ischemic-reperfused myocardial cells.
Calcium* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Cytosol ; Glutathione Reductase ; Heart ; Hydrogen ; Ischemia ; Mitochondria* ; Mitochondrial Membranes ; Myocardium ; Nucleotides ; Oxidation-Reduction ; Oxygen* ; Permeability ; Reperfusion ; Succinic Acid

Changes of blood pressure, heart rate, ECG, respiration rate and pupil size by intracerebroventricular(ICV) infusion of hypertonic NaCl with 0.04 ml/min for 5 min(total 0.2ml) were observed in urethane-anesthetized rabbits. ICV infusion of 0.75M NaCl produced slight pressor effect (11mmHg) and did not affect other parameters. ICV infusion of 1.5M NaCl began to increase blood pressure from 2~3 min after the infusion and produced maximal increase(24mmHg) at 5~10 min. Then the pressor effect was recovered to the original level at 30~60 min. Change of heart rate by the infusion was not clear, but ST-segment of ECG was markedly depressed. Respiration rate increased about 1.5 times than the control in accordance with the pressor effect and the state was continued even after the recover of the pressor effect. Both pupils dilated markedly and light-reflex was lost. Changes of parameters by ICV infusion of 3.0M NaCl were similar to those by 1.5M NaCl and some rabbits caused severe arrhythmias and died. The purpose of present study is to investigate the mechansim(s) of the pressor effect induced by the ICV infusion of 1.5M NaCl. The pressor effect of 1.5M NaCl was attenuated by the continuous infusion of vasopressin antagonist(20microm/kg/min) but not affected by intravenous treatment with 2mg/kg phentolamine, 2mg/kg propranolol and 1mg/kg chlorisondamine. The pressor effect was not altered with ICV 0.12mg/kg phenoxybenzamine, 0.4mg diltiazem, 0.1mg/kg mecamylamine and 0.2mg/kg atropine. After ICV infusion of 25microg/kg/min of diazepam, however, the pressor effect was completely abolished and restored 3~4 hours after stopping diazepam infusion. The pressor effect was rather potentiated than inhibited in bilateral adrenalectomized or nephrectomized rabbits. Infusion of 2microg/kg/min of saralasin for 10 min in the bliateral adrenalectomized rabbit did not affect the pressor effect at all. These results suggest that hypertensive effect induced by ICV infusion of hypertonic NaCl is mediated by the increase of vasopressin secretion.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atropine ; Blood Pressure ; Chlorisondamine ; Diazepam ; Diltiazem ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Rate ; Infusions, Intraventricular* ; Mecamylamine ; Phenoxybenzamine ; Phentolamine ; Propranolol ; Pupil ; Rabbits* ; Respiratory Rate ; Saralasin ; Vasopressins

No abstract available.
Wound Healing* ; Wounds and Injuries*

In orper to measure the levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol in psoriasis, 60 psoriatic patients and 30 healthy subjects were included in this study. Lopez-Virells methos was applied for measuring the serum level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol. The results were obtained as follows. The level of serurn HDL cholesterol was 58. 39+17. 40 mg/dl in psoratcs and 50.3+0.31 mg/dl in healthy subjects and 50. 43+ 10. 31 mg/dl in healthy subjects. No significant differences were noted between psoriatics & healthy subjects. 2. The level of serum HDL cholesterol was 56. 40+19. 10 mg/dl in male group of psoriatics and 60. 00+15.47 mg/dl in female group of psoriatics and 48.3+9. 50 mg/dl in healthy male group and 52.60 -10.59 mg/dl in healthy female group. No significant differences of serum HDL cholesteol levels were noted in both sexes.3. The mean value of serum HDL cholesterol by age groups of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 years old with psoriasis were 50. 70 mg/dl, 61. 97 mg/dl, 57. 44 mg/dl, 49. 11 mg/dl and 70. 36 mg/dl, respectively and those of healthy groups were 57. 25 mg/ dl, 45. 17 rng/dl, 50. 97 rng/dl, 48. 07 mg/dl and 46. 98 mg/dl, respectively.
Cholesterol, HDL* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Psoriasis*

Livedoid vasculitis is characterized clinically by smooth or depressed ivory-white scars surrounded by hyperpigmentation and telangiectasia with or without preceding purpuric in-filtrated papules and plaques and histologically by intravascular deposition of fibrin. Its pathophysiology is still obscure. Many treatment modalities have been used, but results are not satisfactory. Recently, there have been experiences of successful treatments with danazol, a synthetic androgen. We used danazol in three patients who presented with livedoid vasculitis and were relatively resistant to treatments with aspirin and/or pentoxifylline. After 4 to 8 weeks, there was remarkable clinical improvement in all three patients.
Aspirin ; Cicatrix ; Danazol* ; Fibrin ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Pentoxifylline ; Telangiectasis ; Vasculitis*

Epithelioid sarcoma is malignant tumor described by Enzinger, that is likely to be confused with a varety of benign and malignant conditions, especially a granulomatous process, a synovial sarcoma Or an ulerating squamous cell carcinoma. The tumor occurs chiefly in young adult and most commonly affects the soft tissue of the hand, the forearm and the pretibial region. The tumor is characteristically a slowly growing lesion but frequent recurrence is common and metastasis were most frequent in the lung. In this paper, we reported one case which is believed to be epithelioid sarcoma in the forearm.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Forearm ; Hand ; Humans ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Recurrence ; Sarcoma ; Sarcoma, Synovial ; Young Adult

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prognostic significance of argyrophilic nucleoalr organizer regions (AgNORs) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) by using DMBA hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis which provides a good experimental model in reproducing steps from precancerous lesions to invasive squamous cell carcinomas. The buccal pouches of 50 Syrian hamsters were applied with 0.5% DMBA in mineral oil three times a week to reproduce various lesions from precancerous ones such as hyperkeratosis or epithelial dysplasia to invasive squamous cell carcinomas. Their sections were stained with H & E, and silver colloid, and processed immunohistochemically by being applied with monoclonal antibody to PCNA. The histopathologic examainations were done and the counts of AgNORs were evaluated. The PCNA labelling indices on each lesions were evaluated. The correlation between histopathological grades and counts of AgNORs or PCNA labelling indices were evaluated. The number of AgNORs was 2.22+/-0.22 in control group, 3.46+/-0.72 in carcinoma in situ (CIS), 3.78+/-0.63 in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), respectively. AgNORs significantly increased in severe epithelial dysplasia, CIS, and SCC compared with normal tissue (P<0.05). The PCNA Labeling Index (LI) was 39.47+/-6.68% in control group, 79.61+/-4.14% in CIS, and 85.43+/-6.25% in SCC, respectively. PCNA LI also significantly increased in epithelial dysplasia, CIS, and SCC compared with normal tissue (P<0.05). The number of AgNORs, AgNOR area, and PCNA LI slightly increased in the advancing front than in the center of SCC, but, it was not statistically significant. It appeared that there were a good correlation between the number of AgNORs and PCNA LI (Pierson correlation coefficient : 0.649, P<0.001). These results suggested that the number of AgNORs and the PCNA LI could be useful markers for evaluating the risk of malignant transformation and prognosis of SCC. It was thought that the clinical usefulness of these markers should be verified by using human tissue specimens.
9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene ; Animals ; Carcinogenesis* ; Carcinoma in Situ ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Colloids ; Cricetinae* ; Humans ; Mesocricetus ; Mineral Oil ; Models, Theoretical ; Prognosis ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen* ; Silver

To know the pattern of visual field (VF) defect of low tension glaucoma (LTG), its diffuse and localized VF defects were compared using the significance values (p-value) of mean deviation (MD) and corrected pattern standard deviation (CPSD), which are calculated with STATPAC in Humphrey Visual Field Analyser. Sixteen eyes of LTG were enrolled and 34 eyes of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) were used as controls. The degree of VF defects in LTG and POAG was relatively mild with the p-value of MD equal to or greater than 1%. Neither mean MD nor mean CPSD of LTG was significantly different from each of POAG (p > 0.8 and p > 0.2, respectively). Comparing the p-values of MD and CPSD, many patients showed more significant p-value of MD in LTG and POAG (62.5% and 61.8%, respectively). However, relatively more severe defect of CPSD tended to occur more frequently in LTG than in POAG (25% and 5.9%, respectively, chi-square = 4.964, p < 0.09). The relation between p-values of MD and CPSD was not significantly influenced by the intraocular pressure, MD or vertical cup to disc ratio in either LTG or POAG.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle/*pathology/physiopathology ; Humans ; *Intraocular Pressure ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Optic Disk/*pathology ; Probability ; Vision Disorders/*pathology ; *Visual Fields

OBJECTIVE: This study was to examine the effects of DRD2 TaqI A polymorphism on the smoking in Koreans. Also this study examined molecular heterosis and gender difference in the genetic effect of cigarette smoking. METHODS: DRD2 TaqI A RFLP genotyping was carried out with DNA extracted from blood samples of 187 healthy individuals including 94 smokers and 93 non-smokers, RESULTS: Among the total subjects, the smokers were not significantly different from the non-smokers in respect to the frequency and prevalence of A1 allele, the genotype distribution, or the frequency of heterozygotes. Separating the subjects by gender, however, in male subjects smokers showed a significantly higher frequency (p=0.049) and prevalence of A1 allele (p=0.016) than non-smokers. Also, genotype distribution (p=0.055) and frequency of heterozygotes (p=0.058) of smokers showed some different distributions, but there were no significant statistical difference. In contrast, female subjects showed significant difference between smokers and non-smokers in the comparison of frequency of heterozygotes (p=0.018), but not in the comparison of the frequency (p=0.582) and prevalence (p=0.082) of A1 allele and genotype distribution (p=0.060). CONCLUSION: No significant difference between smokers and non-smokers in the genotype distributions of the total sample could be explained by the reciprocal effects of gender difference in the genetic effect of DRD2 A1 allele of the smoking. Our findings support gender difference and molecular heterosis at the DRD2 gene effects of smoking.
Alleles ; DNA ; Dopamine* ; Female ; Genotype ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Hybrid Vigor ; Male ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Prevalence ; Receptors, Dopamine D2* ; Smoke ; Smoking* ; Tobacco Products*