No abstract available.
Helicobacter*

No abstract available.
Helicobacter*

No abstract available.
Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Echocardiography*

To investigate the effect of tumor removal and administration of OK432 on the splenic natural killer (NK) cell activity in the subcutaneous tumor bearing rats, NK cell activity assay using a 4-hour 51Cr release assay and flow cytometric analysis for NK cell population were performed. The results were as follows: 1. Splenic NK cell activity and population in the subcutaneous tumor bearing rats decreased along with the growth of the tumor. 2. The rats with subcutaneous tumor removal showed decrease of splenic NK cell activity, but splenic NK cell population was not decreased. 3. In the rats with subcutaneous tumor removal and OK432 administration, splenic NK cell activity was significantly increased 1 week after administration of OK432 and then gradually returned to normal, whereas increase of NK cell population was not significant. In the present study, splenic NK cell activity was significantly decreased despite removal of subcutaneous tumor. But with the administration of OK432, splenic NK cell activity returned to normal. Considering the role of NK cells on the first line of defense against the metastatic implantation of circulating tumor emboli, we suggest that perioperative administration of immunopotentiator such as OK432 may improve the patient's outcome after surgery of human neoplasm.
Animals ; Humans ; Killer Cells, Natural* ; Picibanil* ; Rats* ; Spleen

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study was aimed to examine if FB1 induced-hepatotoxicity involves apoptosis, and cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CS) pre-treatment would selectively interfere with FB1 induced-apoptosis of hepatocytes. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were intravenousely injected with FB1 (1.25 mg/kg/day) for two days, and were sacrificed at 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after injection. Another experiment group was composed of rats with pretreatment of CS (100 mg/kg/day, i.p.) before FB1 injection. RESULTS: This study demonstrated that administration of hepatotoxic dose of FB1 to Sprague-Dawley rats resulted in liver injury leading to cell death by apoptosis. FB1-induced apoptosis was preceded by early elevation in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total cholesterol, and appearance of injured pre-apoptotic cells at 12 hours was followed by massive fragmentation and margination of heterochromatin at 24 hours. CS pre-treatment prior to FB1 injection ameliorated serum biochemistry and hepatic injury with apoptosis, demonstrated by histological, ultrastructural and TUNEL (terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end labeling) methods. In addition, there was remarkable decrease in number of PCNA (proliferative cell nuclear antigen)-positive proliferating hepatocytes compared to that of FB1 treated group. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that apoptosis significantly contributes to FB1-induced hepatotoxicity in vivo, and pre-exposure of rat to CS prevents FB1-induced hepatic apoptosis and proliferation.
Alanine Transaminase ; Animals ; Apoptosis* ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Biochemistry ; Cell Death ; Cholesterol ; Hepatocytes* ; Heterochromatin ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Liver* ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

This case report describes a patient with semipedunclated granuylar cell tumor(granular cell myoblastoma) of the proximal ascending colon removed by endoscopic polypectomy. A 39-year old femalie was visited to our hospital for intermittent abdominal pain and loose stool. Colonoscopic examination showed a semipedunclated lesion covered with yellowish white smooth mucosa in the proximal ascending colon. The tumor was removed by endoscopic polypectomy. The collected specimen was 0.9x0.8 cm in size. The cut surface of the specimen showed a white round firm tumor covered with mormal epithelium of the colon. Using immunohistochemical study, the tumor cells were to be positively stained by S-100 protein and negatively stained by desmin, which supports the concept of the Schwann cell origin of granular cell tumor. In Korea, 2 cases of granular cell tumor of the colon and rectum, which were treated by surgical removal, have been reported. This case in the first endoscopic polypectomy of granular cell tumor of the colon and retum in Korea. The endoscopic polypectomy is thought to be useful for the therapy of small pedunclated or semipedunclated granular cell tumor, intracolonic type.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Colon ; Colon, Ascending* ; Desmin ; Epithelium ; Granular Cell Tumor* ; Humans ; Korea ; Mucous Membrane ; Rectum ; S100 Proteins

Pheochromocytomas can arise wherever chromaffin cells are found, and most of them(90%) are in one or both adrenal glands. But they may be located anywhere along the sympathetic chain and rarely in aberrant sites. One of the common extra-adrenal sites from which these tumors can arise is a collection of para-aortic and para-ganglion cells around the origin of the inferior mesenteric artery. We experienced a case of extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma located at the organ of Zukerkandl in a 21-year-old female patient with abdominal colic and paroxysmal hypertension, whose symptoms and blood pressure returned to normal after successful surgical excision of the tumor.
Adrenal Glands ; Blood Pressure ; Chromaffin Cells ; Colic* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Mesenteric Artery, Inferior ; Pheochromocytoma* ; Young Adult

To investigate the morphologic evidence of acute renal failure by folate, histological, histochemical (PAS), enzyme histochemical (Na-K-ATPase, G6PD, and ALP), and ultrastructural studies were performed. The results are as follows: l) Oliguria was most severe 3 hours after folate and the urine volume was 24.8% that of the control group. 2) Histologically, dilatation of tubules, degeneration and focal necrosis of the cortical tubules, and PAS(+) droplets in the tubular lumen were noted. And also frequent mitoses, mild interstital connective tissue proliferation, and neutrophilic infiltrates were observed in the late stage. 3) On enzyme histochemical examination, the activities of Na-K-ATPase and ALP were decreased, but G6PD activity was increased in comparison with the control group. 4) The ultrastructural studies revealed cytoplasmic vacuoles, apical cytoplasmic blebbing, dense bodies, mildly swollen mitochondria, dilated endoplasmic reticulum, loss bf brush border of the proximal tubules, and loss of microvilli of the thin limb of Henle's loop. Later, marked attenuation or loss of infoldings of basal plasma membrane of the cortical tubules was recognized. According to above results, the cause of acute renal failure by late is thought to be the injuries of tubular epithelial cells including sodium pump secondary to tubular obstruction.
Rats ; Animals

BACKGROUND: ELISA test is commonly used for diagnosis of parasite infection. This experiment was performed for detecting positive sera against Clonorchis sinensis, Paragonimus westermani, cysticercus, sparganum, Aisakis larvae, Toxoplasma gondii and Trichomonas vaginalis in patient's sera with ELISA and Western blot analysis. METHODS: Two hundred sera were collected from clinical laboratory of Hanyang University Hospital(Seoul, Kuri). Antigens of parasites were prepared from rabbit (C. sinensis), dog (P. westermani), hog (cysticercus, from Yonsei University), patient (sparganum), mackerel (Anisakis larvae), mouse (T. gondii), cultivation in Trypticase-Yeast extract-Maltose medium (T. vaginalis). ELISA and Western blot was conducted with several parasite antigens and patient's sera. RESULTS: Positive antibody titers of P. westermani, Anisakis, C. sinensis were observed 12.7%, 11.0%, and 7.0% of patient's sera, respectively. Nineteen sera among 200 patients showed cross reactions with other parasites. On Western blot, there were several antigenic bands with patient's sera, i.e., 3/5 sera of C. sinensis, 2/2 sera of P. westermani, 1/4 sera of sparganum, and 0/4 sera of cysticercus. COCLUSIONS: ELISA is a convenient method for detecting parasite infections. But purification of antigens is necessary and Western blot analysis may reduce the false positive reactions of infection.
Animals ; Anisakis ; Blotting, Western ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Cross Reactions ; Cysticercus ; Diagnosis* ; Dogs ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay* ; False Positive Reactions ; Humans ; Larva ; Mice ; Paragonimus westermani ; Parasites ; Perciformes ; Sparganum ; Toxoplasma ; Trichomonas vaginalis

OBJECTIVE: Epigallocatethin gallate(EGCG) is a major green tea polyphenol and is known to have potent antioxidative and antiproliferative actions. This study is performed to investigate the antioxidative effect of EGCG on the various oxidative insults in mouse cerebral cortical cell cultures. METHODS: Mixed cortical cell cultures containing both neuron and glia prepared by plating fetal mice cortical cells on to an established glia of 24 well vessels. At 13-15 days in vitro, oxidative neuronal deaths were induced by the addition of oxidants into the cortical cultures. Iron ion(FeCl2), copper ion(CuCl2), sodium nitroprusside(SNP) and buthionine sulfoximine(BSO, a glutathione depletor) were used as oxidants. Cell death was assessed by LDH assay after microscopic examination. RESULTS: All four oxidants induced neuronal cell death associated with cell body swelling, which was markedly inhibited by Trolox(100muM), a vitamin E analog. EGCG(1-10muM) markedly inhibited the neuronal cell death induced by 20muM CuCl2, 1muM SNP, or 1mM BSO. Unexpectedly the neuronal cell death induced by 20muM FeCl2 was augmented by treatment with 1 or 3muM EGCG. EGCG itself induced concentration- and exposure time-dependent cell death at more than 30muM concentrations. EGCG(30, 100muM) injured not only neuronal cells but glial cells after 48 hour exposure. The EGCG-induced cytotoxicity was partially inhibited by protein synthesis inhibitors, cycloheximide(0.1 or 1mug/ml) and emetine (1mug/ml) or high potassium media(10 or 25mM) but was not affected by Trolox. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the dual antioxidative-cytotoxic actions of EGCG are concentration-dependent and that the antioxidative aciton depends on the kind of oxidative insults, and that the EGCG-induced cytotoxicity be relevant to protein synthesis and/or membrane depolarization.
Animals ; Cell Culture Techniques* ; Cell Death ; Copper ; Emetine ; Glutathione ; Iron ; Membranes ; Mice ; Neuroglia ; Neurons ; Oxidants ; Potassium ; Protein Synthesis Inhibitors ; Sodium ; Tea ; Vitamin E ; Vitamins