To observe the role of oxygen free radical and enzymatic scavengers in cerebral ischemia, an infarction model was made using transorbital occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in cats. The changes of the superoxide radical production and the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were measured. The results were as follows ; 1) The infarction of the left middle cerebral artery(MCA) territory was identified with intracardiac perfusion of a TTC solution after transorbital occlusion. 2) The superoxide radical activities after occlusion of the left MCA were not changed in all groups except for the decrease in 6 hours group of the right side compared to the control group(p<0.05). 3) The Mn-superoxide dismutase activities of the left side in the 12 hours group were significantly higher than those of the right side(p<0.01) and those in the control group(p<0.05). 4) The Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase activities of the left side in the 3 hours group after occlusion of the left MCA were significantly higher than those in the control group(p<0.05). 5) The catalase activities of the left side in the 3 hours, 6 hours and 12 hours groups after occlusion of the left MCA were significantly higher than those of the right side(p<0.05). 6) The catalase activities of the left side in the 12 hours group after occlusion of the left MCA were significantly higher than those in the control group(p<0.05). The authors suggest that the enzymatic scavangers such as Mn-SOD, Cu, Zn-SOD and catalase increased in the infarcted brain, which means an involvement of free radicals in cerebral infarction.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain Ischemia ; Catalase* ; Cats ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Free Radicals ; Infarction ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Oxygen ; Perfusion ; Superoxide Dismutase* ; Superoxides*

A retrospective study 40 patients with moderate or severe diffuse axonal injury which is defined as posttraumatic coma for over 24 hours without mass lesions or ischemic insults was conducted in order to identify prognostic parameters. The sign of hypothalamic damage and motor reactivities of 40 patients were reviewed and compared to the outcome. The results were as follows ; 1) The ratio of male to female was about 3 to 1 and the peak incidence was at the first decade. 2) Of abnormal brain stem signs, fever of central origin was observed at the early posttraumatic phase and correlated with nonrecovery of consciousness(P<0.05). 3) Of abnormal brain stem signs, abnormal ADH secretion was significantly correlated with nonrecovery of consciousness(P<0.005). 4) Abnormal motor reactivity to pain was significantly correlated with nonrecovery of consciousness(P<0.005). 5) In the group of recovery of consciousness, initial Glasgow coma scale in 40 patients with moderate or severe DAI was significantly correlated with their outcome(P<0.005).
Brain Stem ; Coma ; Consciousness ; Diffuse Axonal Injury* ; Female ; Fever ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Aneurysm* ; Carotid Artery, Internal*

The purpose of this study was to investigate the morphologic changes of the bile canaliculi and its associated structures of the liver induced by common bile duct ligation(CBDL) in the rat. The canalicular surface and lateral surface of the dry-fractured hepatocytes was studied with scanning electron microscopy at 1~6 weeks post ligation. The first week after CBDL, the bile canaliculi were dilated. The microvilli were increased in number and the lumens contained granular materials After 2 weeks or more, the bile canaliculi were dilated to a variable degree, and with irregularity, measuring from 1.5 to 5 micrometer in diameter, and in the advanced stage, the canaliculi showed blunting and the disappearance of microvilli. Some canaliculi had sprouting side branches. At 4~6 weeks post-ligation, the lateral surface of the hepatocytes also showed some irregularity and a tortuous appearance, and numerous small sized microvillous projections were formed. The tubular structures of the proliferated SER distributed adjacent to the lateral surface of the hepatocytes, and the direct connection of a tubular structure and the cytoplasmic membrane was observed. These results suggest that the deformity and loss of microvilli of bile canaliculi reflect the disturbance of bile secretion from the hepatocytes. And prolonged obstruction of bile flow may result in bile excretion via the lateral surface of hepatocytes.
Rats ; Animals

No abstract available.
Myxoma*

Injury to specific areas of the immature brain, in both the human and animals, can result in compensatory reorganization in undamaged adjacent or contralateral areas. The functional plasticity of such compensatory hypertrophy is not well known, but in some cases may be responsible for recovery of function. In order to investigate the effect of unilateral ischemic injury on the contralateral cerebral hemisphere in neonatal rats, early and late changes in various areas of both cerebral hemispheres were assessed. Seventy-seven seven-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats underwent unilateral carotid artery ligation and were then exposed to hypoxia(8% oxygen) for 3 hours. The animals were killed one week(Group I, 58 rats) and three months(Group II, 19 rats) later. Twelve rats, comprising Group III, were exposed to hypoxia for 3 hours without carotid artery ligation. The control group, consisting of 19 rats, did not undergo any of the above procedures. In each slice of brain tissue(4mm posterior to the bregma), the area of the whole brain, each hemisphere, and the frontoparietal, temporal and hippocampal regions in each hemisphere were measured, using the image analysis program(Optimas 5.2), and to assess which regions were affected, proportions of each hemisphere occupied by each region were compared. In Group II, the proportional areas of the frontoparietal(p<0.05) and temporal(p<0.01) regions in the contralateral hemisphere increased significantly, compared with the control group, but the hippocampal region showed no significant change. In Group I, there was no contralateral hypertrophy. The ipsilateral hemisphere showed significant atrophy and there was weight reduction in Groups I(p<0.001) and II(p<0.001). This study suggests that unilateral hypoxia-ischemia results in ipsilateral hemispheric atrophy and contralateral hypertrophy, especially in the frontoparietal and temporal areas, may contribute to some functional recovery and compensation in addition to uncrossed corticospinal or other descending motor systems.
Animals ; Anoxia ; Atrophy ; Brain* ; Carotid Arteries ; Cerebrum* ; Compensation and Redress ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain* ; Ligation ; Plastics ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Recovery of Function ; Weight Loss

Oral and maxillofacial infections are most commonly odontogenic in origin. The present study was implemented for patients with oral and maxillofacial infections in order to determine what differences were present in cultured bacteria, depending upon the different types of infection. For the present study, the epidemiological characteristics, the state of infection, and the results of the pus culture and antibiotic susceptibility tests were analyzed for the 159 cases where pus culture tests were performed. The patients were treated at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Department of Chonnam National University Hospital during an 18-months period from March 2003 to August 2004. Among the total 159 pus culture specimens, bacteria were cultured in 111 cases (69.8%). In the 111 pus culture specimens, Streptococcus species, Neisseria species, and Staphylococcus species were cultured from 69 cases (51.1%), 21 cases (15.6%), and 15 cases (11.1%), respectively and were determined to be bacterial strains the predominant bacteria responsible for oral and maxillofacial infectious diseases. Twenty four cases (15.1%) among the 159 specimens showed mixed infections. The mostly isolated bacteria from each of the space abscess, dentoalveolar abscess, inflammatory cyst, and pericoronitis cases were the Viridans streptococci. There was little relevance between the type of infection and the type of cultured bacteria. Antibiotic susceptibility tests showed a high level of susceptibility to teicoplanin(100%), vancomycin(100%), chloramphenicol(96.4%), ofloxacin(88.3%), imipenem(83.3%), erythromycin(82.5%) and a low susceptibility to cefazolin(40.0%), oxacillin(44.7%), ampicillin(49.4%), penicillin(51.1%). These results indicate that there was no significant difference among the cultured bacteria depending on the type of infections and their susceptibility to cephalosporin and penicillin G was low.
Abscess ; Bacteria ; Coinfection ; Communicable Diseases ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Neisseria ; Penicillin G ; Pericoronitis ; Staphylococcus ; Streptococcus ; Suppuration ; Viridans Streptococci

The intradural cavernous hemangioma of the spinal cord is a rare vascular malformation. We report a case of cavernous hemangioma of the cauda equina in a 46-year-old female who presented with intermittent low-back pain and radiating pain to both lower extremities. A intradural mass was detected by spinal MRI. She underwent complete removal of the mass through L1 total laminectomy. Her symptoms were improved. The clinical, radiological, histopathological feature of this lesion are discussed toghther a review of the literature.
Cauda Equina* ; Female ; Hemangioma, Cavernous* ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Lower Extremity ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Cord ; Vascular Malformations

The intradural cavernous hemangioma of the spinal cord is a rare vascular malformation. We report a case of cavernous hemangioma of the cauda equina in a 46-year-old female who presented with intermittent low-back pain and radiating pain to both lower extremities. A intradural mass was detected by spinal MRI. She underwent complete removal of the mass through L1 total laminectomy. Her symptoms were improved. The clinical, radiological, histopathological feature of this lesion are discussed toghther a review of the literature.
Cauda Equina* ; Female ; Hemangioma, Cavernous* ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Lower Extremity ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Cord ; Vascular Malformations

Gastric bezoars are large masses or concretions, composed with plant fiber, hair and miscellaneous foreign bodies, found in the stomach and occur usually as sequele of gastric surgery. We experienced 2 cases of fat bezoars which developed after drinking of melted beef fst. They had postprandial epigastric fullness and pain, those were relieved on supine and left recumbent position. Upper gastrointestinal series showed a large movable mass in the stomach in hoth cases. On gastrofibercopic examination, a large egg sized white bezoar was cordirmed in both cases and a gastrie ulcer at antrum associated in one case. In attempt to removal of the bezoars, we tried to break them, but failed because of its character. The patients were treated with pancreatic lipase containg digestives, Pancreon-F and Azintal. From one day after this treatment, symptoms were completely relieved. Five days later, we confirmed disappearance of bezoars by gastrofiberscopy. and upper gastrointestinal barium
Barium ; Bezoars* ; Drinking ; Foreign Bodies ; Hair ; Humans ; Lipase* ; Ovum ; Plants ; Stomach ; Ulcer