Excitatory amino acids have been implicated as one of the important putative cellular toxins in ischemic brain. Ketamine antagonizes the excitotoxic action of excitatory amino acids in the central nervous system. The present study was undertaken to determine whether ketamine anesthesia protect the formation of brain edema in the model of focal cerebral ischemia in rats. Forty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing between 300gm and 400gm were used in this study. The animals were anesthetized with either halothane or ketamine, and then right middle cerebral artery occlusion were performed. After 4 hours of ischemia, the brain water and ion contents(Na+ and K+) were determined in the central, intermediate, and outer zones of each cortical mantle. In both halothane and ketamine anesthetized groups, there were significant brain edema in the ischemic central and intermediate zones. Ionic shifts were also observed in the ischemic central and intermediate zones to approximately same extent as the brain water content in both groups. However, there were no significant differences of brain edema between the two groups in the corresponding ischemic zones. These results suggest that ketamine anesthesia does not have significant protective effect on the formation of brain edema during the early stages of permanent incomplete cerebral ischemia.
Adult ; Anesthesia* ; Animals ; Brain Edema* ; Brain Ischemia ; Brain* ; Central Nervous System ; Excitatory Amino Acids ; Halothane ; Humans ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; Ischemia* ; Ketamine* ; Male ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

No abstract available.
Fingers*

The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of anxiety for the mothers of leukemic children and to provide the fundamental data for the better performance of caring to them. The subject were 292 mothers : 100 mothers whose children had a leukemia, 80 mothers whose children had taken a tonsillectomy, 112 mothers whose children with medical disease except cancer. The data were collected through the state-Trait Anxiety Inventory of Spilberger and analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe test. The results were as follows ; 1. The state anxiety mean score of mothers with leukemic children was 54.16. 2. The state anxiety of mothers with leukemic children was higher than that of the rest (F=8.00, P=0.0004). 3. There was no significant difference in anxiety of mothers with leukemic children in relation to leukemic children's and their mother's general characteristics.
Anxiety* ; Child* ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Mothers* ; Tonsillectomy ; Child Health

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans

The intramedullary glioma of spinal cord has occupied 22.5% of intraspinal neoplasm, and is the most common among the intramedullary spinal cord tumor, and the first successful operative removal was performed in 1907 by Elsberg. The intramedullary astrocytoma has frequent incidence in the thoracic and cervical region of the spinal cord, which has more frequent grade I astrocytoma. We experienced a case of intramedullary grade II astrocytoma of the thoracolumbar region which has associated a paraplegia as neurological deficit. A 26 year old Korean female has admitted to our clinic because of paraplegia with incontinence for 2 years. On admission, the neurological examination revealed a paraparesis below T12 level with urinary and fecal incontinence and then local tenderness from T10 to L1 level. The simple X-ray film of the thracolumbar spine has showed erosion of both pedicle, widening of interpeduncular distance and scalloping change of posterior vertebral margin from T12 to L1, which were similar to the picture of intramedullary spinal cord tumor. We performed a myelography by pantopaque through the lumbar and cisternal puncture for accurate site of lesion, and found a complete block at L1 level and T10 level on myelogram. Then the immediate total laminectomy from T8 to L1 was applied. The operative finding was a intramedullary mass with cystic fluid, which has compressed the spinal cord. After aspiration of cystic fluid, we removed the tumor mass incompletely because of intermingling with spinal cord but the decompression was enough. The neurological defict was improved gradually for post-operative 4 weeks, thereafter improvement was stopped and remained the paraparesis. The post-operative pathological diagnosis was grade II astrocytoma, which composed of anaplastic cell and radiotherapy has followed.
Adult ; Astrocytoma* ; Decompression ; Diagnosis ; Fecal Incontinence ; Female ; Glioma ; Humans ; Incidence ; Iophendylate ; Laminectomy ; Myelography ; Neurologic Examination ; Paraparesis ; Paraplegia ; Pectinidae ; Punctures ; Radiotherapy ; Spinal Cord Neoplasms ; Spinal Cord* ; Spine ; X-Ray Film

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of hepatitis C in blood donors have been reported to be 1.5% to 2.0% and 85 90% of post transfusion hepatitis patients show anti HCV positive results. Most agree that hepatitis C is readily spread by way of contact with blood, but a discernible history of parenteral exposure is identified in only 40% to 50% of cases. Thus other possible nonparenteral routes of transmission such as vertical, sexual and intrafamilial contact transmission need to be explored. In this study, we investigated the clinical characteristics of anti HCV seropositives and the infection patterns of hepatitis C in their families not only by anti HCV but also by HCV PCR to explore the possibility of HCV infection through nonparenteral household contact. METHODS: Past history, physical examination, liver function tests, HCV PCR, hepatitis B viral markers, abdominal ultrasonography and liver biopsy were done in 161 anti HCV seropositives from May, 1991 to August, 1996. Of the 161 seropositives, 42 seropositives' family members, 98 subjects, were available for investigation by anti HCV, HCV PCR and liver function tests to document intrafamilial HCV infection;their respective relationships to the index seropositive were noted. RESULTS: The 161 anti HCV seropositives were classified as follows:34 in the carrier group(21.1%), 41 in the acute hepatitis group (25.5%), 32 in the chronic hepatitis group(19.9%), 24 in the liver cirrhosis group(14.9%) and 30 in the hepatoma group(18.6%). The positive rates of HCV PCR were 55.2% in total, 46.1% in the carrier group, 55.0% in the acute hepatitis group, 76.4% in the chronic hepatitis group, 40.0% in the liver cirrhosis group, and 42.8% in the hepatoma group. The 98 family members were all anti HCV seronegative. The positive rates of HCV PCR in these family members were 10.2% in total, 7.1% in spouses, 28.6% in siblings, and 8.3% in children. CONCLUSION: Anti HCV seropositives were in various clinical states of liver disease due to HCV infecton. Although none of the family members showed anti HCV positive results, HCV PCR was positive in 10.2% of the family members indicating the need to perform HCV PCR to detect HCV infection.
Biomarkers ; Biopsy ; Blood Donors ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Child ; Family Characteristics ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Function Tests ; Physical Examination ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Prevalence ; Siblings ; Spouses ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: The potential adverse effects of ketamine in neurosurgical anesthesia have been well established. However, the effects of ketamine on intracranial pressure (ICP) and hemodynamics during general anesthesia remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of ketamine on hemodynamics and ICP in anesthetized, ventilated rabbits. METHODS: Thirty rabbits were divided into three groups: Group 1 (n=10) received 1 ml/kg normal saline iv; Group 2 (n=10) received 0.5 mg/kg ketamine iv; Group 3 (n=10) received 1.0 mg/kg ketamine iv. After induction with thiopental, anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane and nitrous oxide in oxygen. During controlled ventilation, ICP, mean arterial pressure (MAP), cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and heart rate (HR) were measured. The ICP was measured using Ladd ICP monitoring system. All variables were evaluated at baseline and for 30 min following ketamine. RESULTS: In group 1, ICP, MAP, CPP and HR were unchanged over the course of the study. In group 2, ICP, MAP and CPP were unchanged. HR increased at 1, 3 and 5 min (p<0.01), 10 and 20 min (p<0.05) after injection. In group 3, ICP, MAP and CPP increased at 1 and 3 min (p<0.01) after injection. HR increased at 1, 3 and 10 min (p<0.01), 5 min (p<0.05) after injection. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg of ketamine don't significantly affect the hemodynamics and ICP in anesthetized, mechanically ventilated rabbits.
Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, General ; Arterial Pressure ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics* ; Intracranial Pressure* ; Isoflurane ; Ketamine* ; Nitrous Oxide ; Oxygen ; Perfusion ; Rabbits* ; Thiopental ; Ventilation

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of IL-10 on development of collagen-induced arthritis, on humoral and cellular immunity and on the endogenous production of IL-10 in DBA/1J mice. METHODS: DBA/1J mice were immunized with chicken type II collagen in Freund s complete adjuvant. Murine recombinant IL-10 was given intraperitoneally twice a week from the day of second immunization (week 3) in doses of 0.002ug, 0. 02ug and 0. 2ug for 3 different groups, respectively. Dexamethasone was injected in one group to suppress the arthritis development and this group was used as negative control group. Levels of anti-collagen antibodies, serum IL-10 and stimulation indices of splenic monocytes to collagen were measured at the end of study. RESULTS: The 0. 02ug IL-10 and 0. 2ug IL-10 treated groups developed earlier and more severe arthritis (week 6 and 8) compared to that of the control group while the 0. 002ug IL-10 group has shown similar course to the control group in terms of incidence and severity of arthritis, At week 10, all groups with or without IL-10 injections developed arthritis with similar degree of severity while dexamethasone group showed far less incidence and severity of arthritis. The serum levels of anti-collagen antibody, IL-10 and spleen monocyte stimulation indices to collagen antigen showed no difference among control group, IL-10 injected groups and dexamethasone injected group. CONCLUSION: This study shows IL-10 could worsen the arthritis in CIA with the dosage used in this study without significant influence on the level of anti-collagen antibodies or stimulation indices of spenic monocyte to collagen.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Experimental* ; Chickens ; Collagen ; Collagen Type II ; Dexamethasone ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunization ; Incidence ; Interleukin-10* ; Mice ; Monocytes ; Spleen

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Humans