There has been numerous experimental liver transplantation models in the rodent : orthotopic versus hetrerotopic; whole liver versus partial liver; microvascular suture versus cuff method in technical aspects. Several simplified modifications were introduced for experimental liver transplantation for improving animal-survival rate. Liver transplantation without arterial reconstruction, the cuff tchnique or stent method were the examples of simplifing modification. In practice, complications related to biliary reconstruction are frequent causes of intraabdominal infection in our rat liver transplantation. Here we propose using simple liver transplantation model of partial heterotopic liver transplantation without artery and bile duct reconstruction in the studies which need only observation of immediate graft survival or very short-term follow-up. Here we examined the serial histologic changes of auxiliary liver grafts without biliary reconstruction during short period after transplantation. Until 7 days of transplantation, bile duct proliferation was confined in the portal area of grafts and did not distort the lobular structure. Early graft-survival and rapid immunologic response might be evaluated by this easy transplantation model.
Animals ; Arteries ; Bile Ducts* ; Bile* ; Graft Survival ; Intraabdominal Infections ; Liver Transplantation* ; Liver* ; Rats* ; Rodentia ; Stents ; Sutures ; Transplants

There has been numerous experimental liver transplantation models in the rodent : orthotopic versus hetrerotopic; whole liver versus partial liver; microvascular suture versus cuff method in technical aspects. Several simplified modifications were introduced for experimental liver transplantation for improving animal-survival rate. Liver transplantation without arterial reconstruction, the cuff tchnique or stent method were the examples of simplifing modification. In practice, complications related to biliary reconstruction are frequent causes of intraabdominal infection in our rat liver transplantation. Here we propose using simple liver transplantation model of partial heterotopic liver transplantation without artery and bile duct reconstruction in the studies which need only observation of immediate graft survival or very short-term follow-up. Here we examined the serial histologic changes of auxiliary liver grafts without biliary reconstruction during short period after transplantation. Until 7 days of transplantation, bile duct proliferation was confined in the portal area of grafts and did not distort the lobular structure. Early graft-survival and rapid immunologic response might be evaluated by this easy transplantation model.
Animals ; Arteries ; Bile Ducts* ; Bile* ; Graft Survival ; Intraabdominal Infections ; Liver Transplantation* ; Liver* ; Rats* ; Rodentia ; Stents ; Sutures ; Transplants

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of spiral CT in predicting the depth of tumor invasion in patients with gastric cancer by comparing with histopathological finding. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied spiral CT scans of forty-eight patients, in whom gastric cancer was proven by gastrofibroscopic biopsy and surgery. After distending the stomach with 400ml tap water or effervescent granules, 100ml of contrast media was given intravenously at a rate of 3ml/sec. CT scanning was started at 45 sec after administration of the contrast material. Gastric tumors were subdivided into five types according to enhancing pattern from the inner layer of gastric wall to the outer layer. These pattern were correlated with histopathologic results. RESULT: The tumor masses were detected on CT scan in 10(77%) of 13 patients with early gastric cancer, while, the tumor masses were seen on CT scan in all patients with advanced gastric cancer. Of 9 patients with type 1 or type 2 enhancing pattern, early gastric cancer(T1) were proven in 7 patients(78%), serosal invasion (T3) in 2 patients(22%). In contrast, among 29 patients with type 4 and type 5, 22 patients(76%) were proven as serosal invasion(T3). Of 7 patients with type 3, 3 patients(43%) were proven as serosal invasion(T3), three(43%) as subserosal invasion(T2), one as early gastric cancer(T1). CONCLUSION: Analysis of morphological enhancing pattern on spiral CT is useful in predicting the depth of tumor invasion in patients with gastric cancer.
Biopsy ; Contrast Media ; Humans ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Tomography, Spiral Computed* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Water

In page 155, Yoon Kyung Imshould be changed as Yun Kyong Lim.

Intestinal lymphangiectasia is characterized by protein- losing enteropathy, and is diagnosed by a small bowel biopsy demonstrating dilated lymphatics in the mucosa, submucosa and serosa in the absence of coexistent inflammation. We report a case of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia that occurred in a 2-year-6-month-old girl who was treated successfully with antiplasmin and octreotide. Initially, the patient was treated with a lipid restriction diet with medium chain triglyceride oil, but her symptoms were not relieved. This case shows that antiplasmin and octreotide therapy might be useful for treating refractory primary intestinal lymphangiectasia.
Biopsy ; Diet ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Mucous Membrane ; Octreotide* ; Serous Membrane ; Triglycerides

PURPOSE: To investigate the anti-tumor effect of capsaicin on human pharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells (FaDu). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of apoptosis/cell cycle-related proteins (or genes) was examined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting and ELISA methods, while the apoptotic cell population, cell morphology and DNA fragmentation levels were assessed using flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy and agarose gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: Capsaicin was found to inhibit the growth and proliferation of FaDu cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Apoptotic cell death was confirmed by observing increases in nuclear condensation, nuclear DNA fragmentation and sub-G1 DNA content. The observed increase in cytosolic cytochrome c, activation of caspase 3 and PARP (p85) levels following capsaicin treatment indicated that the apoptotic response was mitochondrial pathway-dependent. Gene/protein expression analysis of Bcl-2, Bad and Bax further revealed decreased anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein and increased pro-apoptotic Bad/Bax expression. Furthermore, capsaicin suppressed the cell cycle progression at the G1/S phase in FaDu cells by decreasing the expression of the regulators of cyclin B1 and D1, as well as cyclin-dependent protein kinases cdk-1, cdk-2 and cdk-4. CONCLUSION: Our current data show that capsaicin induces apoptosis in FaDu cells and this response is associated with mitochondrial pathways, possibly by mediating cell cycle arrest at G1/S.
Apoptosis/drug effects ; Blotting, Western ; Capsaicin/*pharmacology ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/*metabolism ; Cell Cycle/drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Pharyngeal Neoplasms/*metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/genetics/metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/genetics/metabolism ; bcl-Associated Death Protein/genetics/metabolism

PURPOSE: Fetal echocardiography is used for the prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease. Fetal echocardiography allows decisions to be made in advance where the fetal abnormality is not compatible with life after delivery or where early correction is required. Our fetal echocardiographic experience was analysed retrospectively to guide future clinical application. METHODS: 138 mothers had fetal echocardiography from April 1992 to December 1995. Their echo findings were recorded on VHS video tape. We followed up the infant after delivery. Data was collected from obstetric outpatient records and admission records, pediatric admission records and outpaitent records. RESULTS: 1)138 mothers had fetal echocardiography. Serious heart disease was found in 9 cases with a detection rate of 6.4%. Average age of the mother was 28.9+/-4.2 years (range 17-44 years). Average gestational period was 24.0+/-5.1 weeks(range 10-36 weeks). 2)Indications for fetal echocardiography were as follows; maternal factors 77 cases, including 34 cases of alpha fetoprotein abnormality. fetal factor 32 cases including 18 cases of arrhythmia, genetic factors 29 cases, including 26 cases of family history of congenital heart disease. 3)Serious cardiac anomalies were 5 cases. Serious arrhythmia were present in 4 cases(Total 9 cases with detection rate of 6.5%). Mild arrhythmia was detected in 7 cases(5.1 %). 4)The serious cardiac anomalies were mitral hypoplasia, right atrial tumor, AVSD, TOF and VSD. 5)The Serious arrhythmia were complete atrioventricular block 1 case, second degree atrioventricular block 1 case, transient cardiac arrest 1 case and atrial flutter 1 case. 6)The Mild arrhythmia were premature atrial contraction 4 cases and premature ventricular contraction 3 cases. 7)The non-cardiac anomalies were one case of hydrocephalus, cerebral arteriovenous fistula, diaphragmatic hernia, agenesis of right kidney, sacrococcygeal teratoma, fetal ascites and 4p-syndrome. There were 2 cases of spontaneous abortion without definite anomaly. During the study period, there were 8 terminations of pregnancy including 3 cases of spontaneous abortion. 8) 105 infants were followed up after birth. 25 cases were missing. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the congenital heart disease confirmed by fetal echocardiography was predicted by antenatal ultrasound. Most of the fetal echocardiography was performed to confirm the congenital heart diseas when any of the fetal abnoramlities were found. In some of the treatable heart disease, especially like fetal arrhythmia, maternal adminstration of adequate medication make a good treatment results.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Arteriovenous Fistula ; Ascites ; Atrial Flutter ; Atrial Premature Complexes ; Atrioventricular Block ; Diagnosis* ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Fetus ; Heart ; Heart Arrest ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Diseases ; Hernia, Diaphragmatic ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infant ; Kidney ; Mothers ; Outpatients ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Teratoma ; Ultrasonography ; Ventricular Premature Complexes

PURPOSE: The present study investigates the effects of pharmacologic pupil dilatation on ocular, corneal and internal aberrations. METHODS: Sixty-two right eyes of 62 healthy participants were included in the present study. Ocular, corneal and internal aberrations were measured with a KR-1W wavefront aberrometer (Topcon Corp., Tokyo, Japan) before mydriasis in mesopic conditions. After pupil dilatation with a mydriatic drug (phenylephrine chloride 0.5% + tropicamide 0.5%) (Mydrin-P, Santen, Osaka, Japan), the measurements were repeated. The wavefront data of 4-mm and 6-mm diameter zones were analyzed. The changes of aberrations before and after mydriasis were evaluated by paired t-test. RESULTS: The values of ocular, corneal and internal spherical aberrations before and after mydriasis on the 4-mm diameter pupil zone were not statistically significantly different. On the 6-mm diameter zone, the ocular and internal spherical aberrations were statistically significantly different (p = 0.025, p = 0.002, respectively, paired t-test). However, the corneal aberrations did not show significant changes. The internal aberrations average before mydriasis was -0.043 (+/-0.21) microm and was shifted in a negative direction to -0.093 (+/-0.17) microm after mydriasis. The ocular aberrations average also changed toward negative after mydriasis. The high-order aberrations and astigmatism did not change significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The ocular and internal spherical aberrations changed toward negative with mydriasis in the participants' eyes suggesting the change of the ocular spherical aberration to be attributed to internal changes.
Astigmatism ; Dilatation ; Eye ; Mydriasis ; Pupil ; Tokyo ; Tropicamide

The major issue in the development of nucleic acid based therapeutics is the inefficient delivery of these agents into cells. We prepared cholesterol conjugated spermine and evaluated its usefulness as a delivery modality for antisense oligonucleotides in HeLa-Luc cells. A 2'-O-methyl antisense oligonucleotide sequence, designed to correct splicing at an aberrant intron inserted into a normal luciferase reporter gene, was used for complex formation with cholesterol conjugated spermine. Effective delivery of this antisense agent into nucleus would results in the expression of a luciferasereporter gene product. The cholesterol-spermine formed stable complexes with the antisense oligonucleotide and showed modest delivery activity. Furthermore, this delivery activity was maintained even in the presence of serum proteins, mimicking in vivo conditions. Cholesterol-spermine thus has potential as a delivery system for antisense oligonucleotides into cells.
Blood Proteins ; Cholesterol* ; Genes, Reporter ; Introns ; Luciferases ; Oligonucleotides, Antisense ; Spermine*

Typical programmed cell death requires de novo macromolecular synthesis and shares common morphological changes referred to as apoptosis. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of apoptosis, we isolated 13 cDNA clones of zinc finger genes that are differentially expressed in calcium ionophore-induced apoptosis of Ramos human B cell by 'targeted RNA fingerprinting' protocol (Stone & Wharton, 1993). According to DNA sequence analysis of the 13 cDNA clones, three clones are identical with ZNF7, ZNF143 and MTB-Zf, respectively, and 8 out of the other 10 clones showed partial homology to known zinc finger genes. Differential expression was confirmed in the three known zinc finger genes by ribonuclease protection assay. ZNF7 and ZNF143 are up-regulated after induction of apoptosis, and, in contrast, MTB-Zf is down-regulated. According to the previous reports on these three genes, all of the three genes have been suspected to be tumor suppressor genes, but their functions have not been identified yet. Taken together, our results suggest that many of the novel and known zinc finger genes might play important roles in regulation of apoptosis and that these findings also provide clues as to the functions of the three putative tumor suppressor genes, ZNF7, ZNF143 and MTB-Zf in terms of apoptosis. In addition, the isolation of zinc finger genes by targeted RNA fingerprinting could be a straightforward approach for the identification of novel candidate genes associated with apoptosis.
Apoptosis* ; B-Lymphocytes* ; Calcium ; Cell Death ; Clone Cells ; Dermatoglyphics ; DNA, Complementary ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans ; Ribonucleases ; RNA ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Zinc Fingers* ; Zinc*