This study investigated the effects of xylooligosaccharide on feces bifidobacteria proliferation, lactic acid concen-tration and lipid metabolism in healthy woman. Fourteen volunteers were randomly assigned to 2 groups : 1.4 g/day xylooligosaccharide intake group, 2.8 g/day xylooligosaccharide intake group. The duration of the study was 28 days. The amount of feces and excretion time were not affected by xylooligosaccharide intake. The color of feces changed to yellow brown, and hardness of stool and effort to evacuation were reduced by xylooligosaccharide intake. Xylooligo-saccharide intake reduced the fecal pH significantly after 14 days in 2.8 g/day intake group (p <0.05 ). The number of fecal bifidobacteria were significantly increased after 28 days in 1.4 g/day intake group (p <0.05 ), and in 2.8 g/day in-take group, the number of fecal bifidobacteria significantly increased after 14 days (p <0.05 ). Water contents of feces were not affected by xyloolgosacchride intake. The fecal triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations were increased in 2.8 g/day intake group (p <0.05 ), and in 1.4 g/day intake group, fecal cholesterol concentration only was increased (p <0.05 ). The fecal lactic acid concentration was significantly increased in 2.8 g/day intake group (p <0.05 ). Serum trigly-ceride, cholesterol and glucose concentration were significantly decreased in 2.8 g/day intake group (p <0.05 ). In conclusion, xylooligosaccharide dietary supplementation may be beneficial to gastrointestinal health and lipid metabolism, and 2.8 g/day intake was more effective than 1.4 g/day intake.
Cholesterol ; Dietary Supplements ; Feces ; Female ; Glucose ; Hardness ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Lactic Acid ; Lipid Metabolism* ; Triglycerides ; Volunteers

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to provide a basis for non-humidified low flow oxygen by nasal cannula and to provide a guide for consistent care in nursing practice. METHODS: A methodological study on the development of guidelines with experts' opinions on collected items, framing PICO questions, evaluating and synthesizing texts which were searched with the key words (low flow oxygen, nasal cannula, humidification of oxygen, guideline) from web search engines. RESULTS: Of the 45 researched texts on the web, 9 texts relevant to the theme were synthesized and evaluated. All patients with humidified or non-humidified oxygen therapy reported that they had no discomfort. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that there are no tangible grounds for patients' perceived differences between the humidified and non-humidified oxygen under 4L/min supplied by nasal cannula. with oxygen. Therefore, non-humidification oxygen therapy is strongly advised when suppling under 4L/min oxygen by nasal cannula (recommended grade A).
Catheters ; Humans ; Oxygen

The HELLP syndrome, which is characterized by hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets, complicates 4 to 14% of preeclamptic or eclamptic pregnancy. Its course is usually benign except when spontaneous hepatic rupture, a rare catastrophic event, threatens life. The authors have experienced one case of spontaneous hepatic rupture in HELLP syndrome during immediate postpartum period, which was treated with surgical intervention on the first postpartum day. We report this case with a brief review of the literatures.
Female ; HELLP Syndrome* ; Hemolysis ; Hemorrhage* ; Liver ; Postpartum Period* ; Pregnancy ; Rupture*

Epinephrine is used with lidocaine to provide bloodless surgical field and to prolong the action of local anesthetics. But epinephrine also has many adverse reactions, such as agitation, restlessness, headache, tachycardia, hypertension, and some significantly more dangerous conditions including myocardial ischemia, ventricular arrhythmia, cerebral hemorrhage and pulmonary edema, cardiac arrest, etc. We have experienced epinephrine-induced acute pulmonary edema due to submucosal intranasal application of epinephrine soaked gauze during septoplasty. The patient was successfully treated in intensive care unit with positive pressure ventilation, diuretics, and inotropic support. He was extubated after 5 hours and discharged after 7 days without any complications.
Anesthetics, Local ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Dihydroergotamine ; Diuretics ; Epinephrine ; Headache ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intensive Care Units ; Lidocaine ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Positive-Pressure Respiration ; Psychomotor Agitation ; Pulmonary Edema* ; Tachycardia

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Cadmium is a toxic metal that is an occupational and environmental concern especially because of its human carcinogenicity; it induces serious adverse effects in various organs and tissues. Even low levels of exposure to cadmium could be harmful owing to its extremely long half-life in the body. Cadmium intoxication may be prevented by the consumption of dietary components that potentially reduce its accumulation in the body. Dietary chitosan is a polysaccharide derived from animal sources; it has been known for its ability to bind to divalent cations including cadmium, in addition to other beneficial effects including hypocholesterolemic and anticancer effects. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of dietary chitosan in reducing cadmium accumulation using an in vivo system. MATERIALS/METHODS: Cadmium was administered orally at 2 mg (three times per week) to three groups of Sprague-Dawley rats: control, low-dose, and high-dose (0, 3, and 5%, respectively) chitosan diet groups for eight weeks. Cadmium accumulation, as well as tissue functional and histological changes, was determined. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, rats fed the chitosan diet showed significantly lower levels of cadmium in blood and tissues including the kidneys, liver, and femur. Biochemical analysis of liver function including the determination of aspartate aminotransferase and total bilirubin levels showed that dietary chitosan reduced hepatic tissue damage caused by cadmium intoxication and prevented the associated bone disorder. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that dietary chitosan has the potential to reduce cadmium accumulation in the body as well as protect liver function and bone health against cadmium intoxication.
Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Bilirubin ; Cadmium* ; Cations, Divalent ; Chitosan* ; Diet ; Femur ; Half-Life ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

The role that antioxidants play in the process of carcinogenesis has recently gained considerable attention. alpha-Lipoic acid, a naturally occurring disulfide molecule, is a powerful antioxidant that reportedly exerts beneficial effects in patients with advanced cancer by reducing the level of reactive oxygen species and increasing glutathione peroxidase activity. In this study, we examined changes in the protein and mRNA expression associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cultured in the presence of various concentrations (0, 250, 500, and 1000 micromol/L) of alpha-lipoic acid. The results revealed that alpha-lipoic acid inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells in a dose-independent manner (P < 0.05). Additionally, ErbB2 and ErbB3 protein and mRNA expressions were significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner in response to alpha-lipoic acid (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the protein expression of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) levels and total Akt, and the mRNA expression of Akt were decreased dose-dependently in cells that were treated with alpha-lipoic acid (P < 0.05). Bcl-2 protein and mRNA expressions were also decreased in cells that were treated with alpha-lipoic acid (P < 0.05). However, Bax protein and mRNA expressions were increased in cells treated with alpha-lipoic acid (P < 0.05). Finally, caspase-3 activity was significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner in cells treated with alpha-lipoic acid (P < 0.05). In conclusion, we demonstrated that alpha-lipoic acid inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines.
Antioxidants ; Apoptosis ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; Humans ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; RNA, Messenger ; Thioctic Acid

Syndrome of 4q deletion is characterized by an abnormal shape of the skull, craniofacial dysmorphism, cardiovascular malformations, genitourinary defects, limb and digital anomalies, and developmental delay. We experienced a case of 4q interstitial deletion in a 2 day-old female neonate who showed short extremities, partial agenesis of corpus callosum and congenital heart defects. We report the case with a brief review of the literature.
Agenesis of Corpus Callosum* ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 4 ; Extremities ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Skull

Vascular injury caused by a central venous catheter (CVC) has been reported to be a rare complication, especially delayed vascular injury due to CVC has a few cases and it can be fatal because of delayed recognition and more serious complications. A 59-year-old woman with no available medical history was admitted for treatment of ovarian cancer. For the surgery, a triple-lumen CVC was placed through the left subclavian vein. Parenteral nutrition through the CVC was used for postoperative nutritional management in the first postoperative day. On the sixth postoperative day (POD), the patient suddenly complained of dyspnea. The CT revealed bilateral pleural effusion and irregular soft tissue density and air bubble in anterior mediastinum suggesting migration of the distal portion of the CVC into the anterior mediastium. In the intensive care unit (ICU) bilateral thoracentesis and percutaneous drainage were performed. She was discharged from the ICU in 3 days later and transferred to the general ward. This case emphasizes the possibility of the delayed vascular injury related to CVC and some strategies for prevention of vascular injury.
Central Venous Catheters* ; Drainage ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Mediastinitis* ; Mediastinum ; Middle Aged ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total* ; Patients' Rooms ; Pleural Effusion ; Subclavian Vein ; Thoracentesis ; Vascular System Injuries*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential effects of mild hypoxia in the mature and immature brain. METHODS: We prepared organotypic slice cultures of the hippocampus and used hippocampal tissue cultures at 7 and 14 days in vitro (DIV) to represent the immature and mature brain, respectively. Tissue cultures were exposed to 10% oxygen for 60 minutes. Twenty-four hours after this hypoxic insult, propidium iodide fluorescence images were obtained, and the damaged areas in the cornu ammonis 1 (CA1), CA3, and dentate gyrus (DG) were measured using image analysis. RESULTS: In the 7-DIV group compared to control tissue, hypoxia-exposed tissue showed decreased damage in two regions (CA1: 5.59%+/-2.99% vs. 4.80%+/-1.37%, P=0.900; DG: 33.88%+/-12.53% vs. 15.98%+/-2.37%, P=0.166), but this decrease was not statistically significant. In the 14-DIV group, hypoxia-exposed tissue showed decreased damage compared to control tissues; this decrease was not significant in the CA3 (24.51%+/-6.05% vs. 18.31%+/-3.28%, P=0.373) or DG (15.72%+/-3.47% vs. 9.91%+/-2.11%, P=0.134), but was significant in the CA1 (50.91%+/-5.90% vs. 32.30%+/-3.34%, P=0.004). CONCLUSION: Although only CA1 tissues cultured for 14 DIV showed significantly less damage after exposure to hypoxia, the other tissues examined in this study showed a tendency towards less damage after hypoxic exposure. Therefore, mild hypoxia might play a protective role in the brain.
Anoxia* ; Brain ; Dentate Gyrus ; Fluorescence ; Hippocampus ; Neuroprotective Agents* ; Oxygen ; Propidium

BACKGROUND: Even though tuberculosis (TB) is still a major public concern in Korea, there are few data on the management of TB patients and its outcome in the private sector in contrast with those of the public sector. METHODS: The nine-hundred-twelve TB patients who were registered in a private university hospital from 2001 to 2002 were enrolled. The patients were divided into pulmonary (TB(P)), extrapulmonary (TB(E)), and combined (TB(P+E)) groups, and were also divided into initial and retreatment groups. The clinical characteristics, diagnostic methods, treatment regimens, and outcomes were analyzed and compared between the groups. RESULTS: The mean age of 912 patients was 49.2 years and the male-to-female ratio was 56%:44%. The number of patients of the initial and retreatment groups of TB(P), and those of (TB(E)+TB(P)+E) were 449, 169, 237, 57, respectively. The bacteriological study was performed in 97.9%, and positive culture was confirmed in 54.5% and 29.6% of patients with TB(P) and (TB(E)+TB(P)+E), respectively (P<0.05). The AFB smear was positive in 40.8% of TB(P) patients. The PCR was done in 63.6% of (TB(E)+TB(P)+E) group. The MDR was detected in 7.6% of isolates. Overall, treatment completion rate was 74.6%, default rate 13.7%, and death rate 0.5%. CONCLUSION: Even though the management of TB patients in a private hospital was satisfactory in terms of national guidelines, the high default rate was still a problem. Efforts to decrease the default rate is needed independently or in cooperation with the public sector.
Diagnosis* ; Hospitals, Private ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mortality ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Private Sector ; Public Sector ; Retreatment ; Treatment Outcome ; Tuberculosis