BACKGROUND: The proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cell(VSMC) is a part of the major pathogenic mechanism for atheroscle- rosis. It has been reported that L-type calcium channel plays a role in the VSMC proliferation in diabetic rats. But there is a little study results about the association between L-type calcium channel and VSMC proliferation by glucose concentrations in culture media. So we examined the association between voltage-dependent L-type calcium channel of VSMCs and the proliferative activity of vascular smooth muscle cells. METHODS: Rat aortic VSMCs were isolated from the aorta of OLETF rat by enzyme method. VSMCs were cultured in various concentrations of glucose(5.5, 25 mM). The VSMCs(1x104 cells in 24-well plates) were incubated in the presence of Bay K 8644 (10-6M) with/without verapamil(10-6M) for 48 hours. Then the proliferation was assessed by MTT(methylthiazole tetrazolium) assay and expression of L-type calcium channel mRNA was measured by RT-PCR. RESULTS: The proliferative ability and the expression of L-type calcium channel of cultured VSMCs were increased dose-dependently by the glucose concentrations(p<0.05). Bay K 8644 enhanced the proliferation of VSMC and verapamil blocked the incremental effects induced by Bay K 8644. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that L-type calcium channel may play a role in VSMC proliferation of OLETF rat.
3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-, Methyl ester ; Animals ; Aorta ; Calcium Channels, L-Type* ; Cell Proliferation* ; Culture Media ; Glucose* ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred OLETF* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Verapamil

One of the most common symptoms in gynecologic disorders is an abnormal utirine bleeding, of which dysfuncyional uterine bleeding (DUB) is frequently encountered. DUB is defined as an endocrinologic imbalance of the axis of hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary-endometrium without organic diseases such as a neoplasm, and inflammation, a pregnancy, a trauma, Although the correct diagnosis of DUB depends on various assessements such as a menstrual cycle, basal body temperature, endocrine assay, vaginal cytology and endometrial histology, in many circumstances pathologist have only the endometrial histology with trivial clinical information to make a diagnosis. Therefore, the present study was aimed at assessing the pattern of the endometrium as precisely as possible. The histologic pattern was classified according to the Handrickson and kempson classification (1980). The authors also attempted to correlate the non-neoplastic metaplasia with the endometrial histology. The material consisted of 447 cases of endometrial curettage specimens diagnosed clinically as DUB during recent 4 years. The histologic examination was carried out through the routine formalin fixed-paraffin embedding method, followed by hematoxylin-eosin staining in routine and other special staining as required. The following results were obtained; 1) The pattern of the endometrium in DUB was predominently the proliferative type (239 cases, 65.55%). Of these 293 cases, 144 were of the abnormal proliferatrive phase, and particulary most were the disordered proliferative phase. The remaining 154 cases (34.45%) were found to have secretory endometrium, of which 50 cases belonged to the abnormal secretory type. Most of the cases shewing abnormal secretory patterns appeared dyssynchronous or underdeveloped. 2) Of the 361 patients with DUB for whom the clinical records were available, 197 (54.57%) were non-ovulatory and 118 (32.69%) were ovulatory. 3) Non-neoplasic metaplasia was found in 87 cases, of which ciliiated and papillary types were most common. The endometrium was of the proliferative phase in 73.56% of the cases with metaplasia, and the disordered proliferative pattern showed a particular correlation with the metaplasia (44 cases). 4) Among 63 postmenopausal DUB patients, 52 (82.53%) appeared to have the proliferative endometrium, and in particular 23 (36.51%) had the disordered proliferative endometrium.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans

Keratosis lichenoides chronica is rare chronic dermatosis characterized by progressive development of licheniod papulonodules especially on the extremities and trunk. A 15-year-old male patient had erythematous to violaceous scaly patches and plaques on the left side of trunk and lower extremity along Blaschko's lines. Clinical and histologic findings were compatible with keratosis lichenoides chronica showing unilateral distribution.
Adolescent ; Extremities ; Humans ; Keratosis* ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Skin Diseases

BACKGROUND: Excessive sweating, especially of the palms, soles and axillae, is a socially and an occupationally distressing, and sometimes disabling condition. A variety of treatment methods are used to reduce profuse sweating including topical agents, iontophoresis and symphatectomy. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether a 20% aluminum chloride solution is efficient in the treatment of axillary and palmoplantar hyperhidrosis using a skin surface hydrometer. METHODS: We treated 31 patients (7; male, 24; female) by Drysol once a day at bedtime for four weeks. We had measured the conductances on the stratum corneum of the palms, soles and axillae using a skin surface hydrometer before and after treatment every week for four week RESULTS: There was a reduction of conductances after the treatment by Drysol (p<0.05). The reduction of conductances was continued for four weeks (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Drysol is an efficient, safe, and simple method for initial treatment of the primary hyperhidrosis.
Aluminum* ; Axilla ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis* ; Iontophoresis ; Male ; Methods ; Occupations ; Skin ; Sweat ; Sweating

In 1908 Leiner described the peculiar skin condition among infants to which he applied the name erythroderma desquamativa. The four cardinal features of Leiners disease are generalized seborrheic dermatitis, intractable severe diarrhea, recurrent local and systemic infections usually of gram negative etiology, and marked wasting and cyst rophy. A 2-month-old female presented to our clinic with generalized seborrheic erythrodermic eruption and intractable diarrhea. She had sufferd from these symptoms since birth. Her body weight was 3.4kg (below 3rd percentile). Her scalp was covered with thick yellowish crsts. There was generalized erythroderma covered vith scales and crusts. Laboratory result; revealed gram negative sepsis and DIC. Chest X-ray showed the findings of minimal aspir ition pneumonia in the right upper lobe. She expired on the following day.
Body Weight ; Dacarbazine ; Dermatitis, Exfoliative ; Dermatitis, Seborrheic ; Diarrhea ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Parturition ; Pneumonia ; Scalp ; Sepsis ; Skin ; Thorax ; Weights and Measures

No abstract available.
Dermatitis* ; Streptococcus pyogenes

The clinical study on recurrent dislocation of the shoulder was performed on fourteen cases who were treated by Putti-Platt operation from July 1967 to November 1968. The cases studied were treated at the 17th Army Hospital in Kwang-ju and U.S. 121st Evacuation Hospital in Bu-pyung. Ages in initial dislocation were varied from 11 to 25 with an average of 18 years. Five cases of them were recurred over ten times prior to operation. On radiological findings, Hill-Sachs lesion has been revelaed in 57.1%. On pathological finding, Bankart lesion was seen in 78.5% and detachment of the glenoid labrum with capsular separation in 28.6%. No recurrence has been encountered in this s ries, and average rarige of abduction was gained upto 165 and external rotation 30°.
Clinical Study ; Dislocations ; Gwangju ; Hospitals, Military ; Recurrence ; Shoulder

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Ixodes* ; Tick Bites* ; Ticks*

Many investigators have reported that collagen gel contraction reflects the mechanism of wound contraction. In 1995, Tsai et al. reported that hypertrophic scar-derived fibroblasts in a connective tissue model possessed the greatest contraction potency when compared with those of normal skin and normal oral mucosa-derived CTMs. In this study, we studied the effect of collagen gel contraction by growth factors such as epidermal growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, transforming growth factor-bata1, and transforming growth factor-bata3, Skin fibroblasts used in this study were obtained from the explant of rat skin culture. Fibroblasts were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum. Growth factors were added per FPCL in the desired concentrations and we measured the collagen gel diameters in growth factor-treated FPCL on day 1,2,3, and 4 respectively after starting incubation. We examined the effects of EGF, PDGF, TGF-bata1, TGF-bata3 and the effects of combinations of TGF-bata1 + EGF, TGF-bata1 + PDGF, and TGF-bata1 + TGF-bata3 to contract a collagen gel. EGF has little influence on collagen gel contraction. TGF-bata1 and TGF-bata3 increase the collagen contraction. TGF-bata1 enhanced the contractility of collagen gel according to the concentrations. While TGF-bata3 alone had stimulatory contraction effects at low dose, high doses of TGF-bata3 decreased the potency of collagen gel contraction. A combination of TGF-bata1 and EGF minimally decrease TGF-bata1 activity. A combination of TGF-bata1and PDGF had an effect similar to TGF-bata1 activity. A combination of TGF-bata1 and TGF-bata3 decreased TGF-bata1 activity. According to reports that FPCL contraction is equivalent to the process of wound contraction, growth factors which enhance gel contraction may be related to wound contraction and wound healing. TGF-bata1 is reported to enhance scar formation in fetal wound. EGF accelerates wound healing and inhibits the promotion of hypertrophic scar formation. Compared to the effect of collagen gel contraction in this study, the combination of TGF-bata1 and TGF-bata3 that inhibited the promotion of collagen gel contraction are thought to diminish the formation of scar tissue. As well, EGF that has not enhanced collagen gel contraction is thought to diminish the production of scar tissue. We will study the interactive effects of TGF-bata3, EGF and TGF-bata1 on the contraction of collagen gels in the future.
Animals ; Cicatrix ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Collagen* ; Connective Tissue ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Fibroblasts ; Gels ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins* ; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor ; Rats ; Research Personnel ; Skin ; Wound Healing ; Wounds and Injuries*