No abstract available.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics or the potassium channels existing in the rat urinary bladders. Smooth muscle strips of rat detrusor urinae were examined by isometric myography. Relaxation responses of detrusor muscle strips to the three potassium channel openers pinacidil, a cyanoguanidine derivative, BRL 38227, a benzopyran derivative and RP 52891, a tertrahydrothiopyran derivative were examined. The potassium channel openers reduced the basal tone, and the rank order of potency was RP 52891>pincidil>BRL 38227. Procaine, an inhibitor of the voltage-sensitive potassium channel tended to increase the basal tone, but it did not affect the relaxant effects of the calcium-activated potassium channel opener did not antagonize the relaxant effects, but it reduced the Emax of RP 52891 and BRL 38227. Glibenclamide, an inhibitor of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel, antagonized the relaxant effects of pinacidil, RP 52891 and BRL 38227 reducing the Emax of RP 52891 and BRl 38227. Galanin which inhibits secretion of insulin through opening the ATP-sensitive potassium channels in pancreatic β-cells rather increased the basal tone of the isolated detrusor strips. These results suggest that the urinary bladder of the rat has mainly the ATP-sensitive, glibenclamide sensitive potassium channel, which is a different type from that in the pancreatic β-islet cells.
Animals ; Cromakalim ; Galanin ; Glyburide ; Insulin ; KATP Channels ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myography ; Pinacidil ; Potassium Channels* ; Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated ; Potassium* ; Procaine ; Rats* ; Relaxation ; Urinary Bladder

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the findings of normal facial nerve, as seen on oblique sagittal MRI using a TMJ (tem-poromandibular joint) surface coil, and then to evaluate abnormal findings of peripheral facial nerve palsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the MR findings of 20 patients with peripheral facial palsy and 50 normal facial nerves of 36 patients without facial palsy. All underwent oblique sagittal MRI using a TMJ surface coil. We analyzed the course, signal intensity, thickness, location, and degree of enhancement of the facial nerve. According to the angle made by the proximal parotid segment on the axis of the mastoid seg-ment, course was classified as anterior angulation (obtuse and acute, or buckling), straight and posterior angu-lation. RESULTS: Among 50 normal facial nerves, 24 (48%) were straight, and 23 (46%) demonstrated anterior angula-tion; 34 (68%) showed iso signal intensity on T1WI. In the group of patients, course on the affected side was either straight (40%) or showed anterior angulation (55%), and signal intensity in 80% of cases was isointense. These findings were similar to those in the normal group, but in patients with post-traumatic or post-operative facial palsy, buckling, of course, appeared. In 12 of 18 facial palsy cases (66.6%) in which contrast materials were administered, a normal facial nerve of the opposite facial canal showed mild enhancement on more than one segment, but on the affected side the facial nerve showed diffuse enhancement in all 14 patients with acute facial palsy. Eleven of these (79%) showed fair or marked enhancement on more than one segment, and in 12 (86%), mild enhancement of the proximal parotid segment was noted. Four of six chronic facial palsy cases (66.6%) showed atrophy of the facial nerve. CONCLUSION: When oblique sagittal MR images are obtained using a TMJ surface coil, enhancement of the proximal parotid segment of the facial nerve and fair or marked enhancement of at least one segment within the facial canal always suggests pathology of the facial nerve. The use of this modality, together with the coil, is, therefore, an effective complementary technique for the evaluation of a facial nerve.
Atrophy ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Contrast Media ; Facial Nerve* ; Facial Paralysis ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Mastoid ; Paralysis* ; Pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Temporomandibular Joint*

Purpose: To investigate the resistance rate of Enterococcus faecalis which is one of the causative strains of endophthalmitis to three fluoroquinolone drugs, the quinolone resistance gene mutation patterns, and the presence of virulence factor genes. Methods: Between April 1, 2014, and January 16, 2018, 416 eyes of 208 patients undergoing cataract surgery, intravitreal injection, or vitrectomy were examined to identify conjunctival commensals. Patients with infective keratitis and infective endophthalmitis were also examined for the presence of E. faecalis. Before the procedure and surgery, samples for identification of conjunctival commensals were collected from the lower conjunctival sac of both eyes. In addition, corneal and vitreous specimens were collected from patients with keratitis and endophthalmitis, respectively. E. faecalis isolated by culturing the samples was tested for drug susceptibility, the presence of gene sequence mutations, and virulence factor genes. Results: In total, 342 strains were identified in samples from the conjunctiva and included six isolates of E. faecalis. The study was conducted with a total of 16 isolates of E. faecalis, including two from cases of keratitis and eight from cases of endophthalmitis. Six of the 16 strains (37.5%) were resistant to quinolone antibiotics. Point mutations were detected mainly in gyrA and parC. The virulence factors esp, efba, asa1, ace, cylA, and gelE were present in the strains and showed no differences between the quinolone-resistant and quinolone-sensitive strains. Gelatinase activity test was negative for all strains. Conclusions The resistance rate of enterococcal clinical isolates identified in the ocular area was 37.5%. The increase in resistance to quinolone antibiotics seems to be related to the presence of mutations in gyrA and parC genes. E. faecalis identified in the eye is thought to possess the virulence factors genes esp, efba, asa1, ace, cylA, and gelE.

No abstract available.
Condylomata Acuminata* ; Dermoscopy* ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Lymphangioma* ; Vulva*

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted in order to evaluate the effects of inhalants on color vision impairment. METHODS: The inhalation group consisted of 81 neurotoxic chemical substance abusers at Bugok National Hospital and Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, Ministry of Justice. The control group consisted of 41 employees of Bugok National Hospital. The Lanthony D-15 desaturated hue test was administered to both groups. For the qualitative analysis, we classified the results by the morphological characteristics of color vision impairment. For the quantitative analysis, we calculated the total color distance score (TCDS) and the color confusion index (CCI) and determined that the individual was abnormal if the TCDS was over 65.0 or the CCI was over 1.25. RESULTS: The TCDS of the inhalation group was 75.58+/-21.07 and the CCI was 1.34+/-0.37 in the right eye, and 75.47+/-23.63 and 1.34+/-0.42, respectively in the left eye. These results are higher than those found for the control group. In regards to the TCDS, 50 (61.8%) of the abusers in the inhalation group had color vision impairment in the right eye and 48 (59.2%) had impairment in the left eye. 11 (26.8%) of the employees in the control group had color vision impairment in the right eye and 13 (31.7%) had impairment in the left eye. In regards to the CCI, 38 (46.9%) of the abusers in the inhalation group had color vision impairment in the right eye and 35 (43.2%) had impairment in the left eye. 4 (9.8%) of the employees in the control group had color vision impairment in the right eye and 7 (17.0%) had impairment in the left eye. The results of multiple logistic regression analysis for acquired color vision impairment showed that the inhalation period (OR=1.20, 95% CI: 1.03~1.40) was the significant variable. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that the inhalation of neurotoxic substances may impair the color vision, and the period inhaled with neurotoxic substances is significant variable affecting on the acquired color vision impairment.
Color Vision ; Eye ; Forensic Psychiatry ; Inhalation ; Logistic Models ; Social Justice

No abstract available.
Humans ; Physicians, Family*

PURPOSE: To compare the detectability and conspicuity of focal hepatic lesions among conventional spin echo techniqueniques and fast scanning techniqueniques in MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHOD: 36 patients (24 men and 12 women, mean age of 54 years) with suspected liver mass on CT scan and US underwent MR imaging at 1.5 T system. Conventional spin echo T1, T2 weighted imaging, T2 weighted fast spin echo, T1 weighted fast multiplanar spoiled gradient recalled(FMPSPGR) imaging and Gd-enhanced FMPSPGR(Gd-FMPSPGR) were performed. 16 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, 13 cases of hemangioma, 3 cases of metastasis, 3 cases of cholangiocarcinoma, and 1 case of lymphoma were included. Lesion conspicuity and number of detected hepatic masses were compared among the MR sequences. RESULTS: Overall 63 hepatic lesions were detected in 36 patients. Lesion detection' was 63(100%) with Gd-FMPSPGR, 62(98%) with non-enhanced FMPSPGR, 58(92%) with SE T2WI, 56(89%) with SE T1WI and 54 (86%)with FSE. For solid tumors, the contrast to noise ratio was greatest on Gd-FMPSPGR which was significantly higher than any other sequences. For hemangiomas it was greatest on SE T2WI and was significantly higher than SE T1WI. In the qualitative assessment, Gd-FMPSPGR was preferred for both solid mass lesion and hemangioma. FSE was inferior to SE T2WI for lesion detection and conspicuity without statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: For the evaluation of focal hepatic lesions, breath-hold FMPSPGR with and without contrast enhancement may replace the conventional SE T1WI. Because FSE was inferior to SE T2WI when the later is used with respiratory compensation in some cases, it is difficult to replace the SE T2WI with FSE. But FSE, FMPSPGR and Gd-FMPSPGR images, when combined, may replace SE T1WI and SE T2WI.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Compensation and Redress ; Female ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Liver ; Lymphoma ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Noise ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Dermoscopy ; Melanoma*