BACKGROUND: The relaxative response of blood vessels to acetylcholine (ACh) is known to be abnormal in diabetic rat due to changes in endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) and/or endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF)-mediated action. Oxygen free radical (OFR) interferes with endothelium dependent relaxation to ACh in diabetic rats; this effect rnay be prevented by superoxide dismutase (SOD), OFR scavenger. Then, we determined the effect of SOD on modulation of OFR-induced damage to EDRF and EDHF-mediated relaxations to ACh in diabetic rat aortas. METHODS: After aortas were incubated with free radical generating system for 15 min with or without SOD pretreatment (150 U/mL) and contracted submaximally by norepinephrine (10 (-5) M), relaxative responses to cumulative concentrations (10 (-9) M to 10 (-5) M) of ACh were measured in aortas isolated from the control and 6-8 week streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat. We measured relaxative responses to ACh in these aortas treated with calmidazolium (100uM) or N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (luM) after exposure to OFR with/without SOD pretreatment, RESULTS: The ACh-induced relaxation (10 (-9)M to 10 (-5) M) was significantly decreased in diabetic than in control rat aortas (p<0.05). ACh-induced relaxation in diabetic rat aortas was significantly impaired from 79.3% to 71.2% after exposure to OFR (p<0.05), and the degree of ACh-induced relaxation was recovered from 71.2% to 84.0% after pretreatment with SOD (p<0.05). EDRF-mediated relaxation to ACh in diabetic rat aortas was significantly impaired from 71.2% to 61.6% after exposure to OFR (p<0.05), and the degree of impairment of ACh-induced EDRF-mediated relaxation was recovered from 61.6% to 76.0% after pretreatment with SOD. After exposure to OFR, EDHF-mediated relaxation to ACh in diabetic rat aortas was not significanlty impaired. However, the degree of impairment of EDHF-mediated relaxation to ACh was recovered from 46.0% to 59.5% after pretreatment with SOD. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that OFR may impair mainly EDRF-mediated relaxation to ACh and SOD may protect rnainly OFR-induced damage to EDRF-mediated relaxation to ACh in diabetic rat aortas.
Acetylcholine ; Animals ; Aorta* ; Blood Vessels ; Endothelium ; Endothelium-Dependent Relaxing Factors ; Free Radicals* ; Norepinephrine ; Oxygen* ; Rats* ; Relaxation* ; Superoxide Dismutase* ; Superoxides*

BACKGROUND: The stomach can be generally classified anatomically into three parts; fundus, corpus, and antrum. It has not been well demonstrated how the three regions contribute to specified gastric motility. In the present study, the regional differences on contractile response and intracellular Ca2+ levels ([Ca2+]i) were investigated in a mouse gastric muscle. METHODS: An isometrical contraction was measured with a computerized physiograph, and [Ca2+]i was measured with fura-PE3/AM, a fluorescent Ca2+ indicator in gastric smooth muscle from mice. RESULTS: Carbachol (CCh), a potent muscarinic receptor agonist, generated rhythmic contractions in a dose dependent manner, superimposed on tonic components in the antral muscle. Whereas similar contractile responses to CCh was obtained in the antrum, CCh evoked tonic components predominantly. CCh increased [Ca2+]i in a dose dependent manner in both the antral and fundic smooth muscle. However, the increment of [Ca2+]i in the fundus was greater than that of the antrum. Verapamil (10nM), a l-type Ca2+ channel blocker, inhibited completely the contraction and [Ca2+]i induced by CCh in the antral strips, whereas the responses in the fundus showed a resistance to verapamil. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that muscarinic stimulation has a regional difference on muscle contractility and [Ca2+]i, which is mediated by differences of Ca2+ movement in mouse gastric muscle.
Animals ; Carbachol ; Mice ; Muscle, Smooth* ; Receptors, Muscarinic ; Stomach ; Verapamil

Patients with acromegaly have a reduced life expectancy rnainly due to cardiovascular, respiratory or cerebrovascular diseas-. Malignancy also seems to occur with greater than the expected incidence. In particular, the published retrospective or prospective studies have suggested a strong association of colonic neoplasia with acromegaly. But, there were a few reports of thyroid cancer in acrornegaly. We report a case of thyroid papillary cancer derived from diffuse goiter in acromegaly, sugge- sting the possible carcinogenic role of growth hormone.
Acromegaly ; Bites and Stings ; Colon ; Goiter ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Incidence ; Life Expectancy ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the prevalence of asbestos exposure-induced pleural thickening on chest radiograph in repairing shipyard workers. METHODS: A total of 2,114 incumbent and retired workers in a shipyard underwent chest radiograph, questionnaire study, interview, and physical exam from 2005 to 2007. Finally, 1,702 workers were selected and classified into two groups according to asbestos exposure: exposure and non-exposure groups. The characteristics in the exposure group were investigated. RESULTS: The prevalence of pleural thickening on chest radiograph was 5.2 % and 3.1 % in the exposure and non-exposure groups, respectively (p<0.05). In those aged 50 years or above, the prevalence was 17.6 % and 8.7 % in the exposure and non-exposure groups, respectively (p<0.05). The prevalence was 16.5 % and 30.2 % and the odds ratio was 2.34 (95% CI; 1.15-4.77) and 2.95 (95%CI; 1.08-8.07) in the workers with an exposure duration of 20-29 years and more than 30 years, respectively. The prevalence was higher when considering tuberculosis history. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence was increased with increasing exposure duration was more than 20 years. The authors therefore suggest that this group should be followed up periodically by special program and that a longitudinal study with repairing shipyard workers as the cohort should be undertaken.
Aged ; Asbestos ; Cohort Studies ; Humans ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the prevalence of asbestos exposure-induced pleural thickening on chest radiograph in repairing shipyard workers. METHODS: A total of 2,114 incumbent and retired workers in a shipyard underwent chest radiograph, questionnaire study, interview, and physical exam from 2005 to 2007. Finally, 1,702 workers were selected and classified into two groups according to asbestos exposure: exposure and non-exposure groups. The characteristics in the exposure group were investigated. RESULTS: The prevalence of pleural thickening on chest radiograph was 5.2 % and 3.1 % in the exposure and non-exposure groups, respectively (p<0.05). In those aged 50 years or above, the prevalence was 17.6 % and 8.7 % in the exposure and non-exposure groups, respectively (p<0.05). The prevalence was 16.5 % and 30.2 % and the odds ratio was 2.34 (95% CI; 1.15-4.77) and 2.95 (95%CI; 1.08-8.07) in the workers with an exposure duration of 20-29 years and more than 30 years, respectively. The prevalence was higher when considering tuberculosis history. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence was increased with increasing exposure duration was more than 20 years. The authors therefore suggest that this group should be followed up periodically by special program and that a longitudinal study with repairing shipyard workers as the cohort should be undertaken.
Aged ; Asbestos ; Cohort Studies ; Humans ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: Since the use of opioid analgesics is frequent in operation rooms (OR), the risk of medication error is high; however the use of medication in the OR has been operating independently with the hospital pharmacy. Therefore, the assessment on management of medication use in operation and the pharmacist's role is needed. METHODS: We conducted the literature review and survey from anesthesiologists, operating nurses at Chung-Ang Hospital on management of medication for operation use, awareness on need for medication management efficiency, need for satellite pharmacy in the operating room and its effect. RESULTS: 56% of medical staffs responded that management of medication in the operating room is efficient; however, 82.6% responded that they felt the inconvenience in medication delivery to the OR when additional prescription was ordered. 51.5% also responded that extra time was required for management of narcotics and inventory/record keeping. 80% agreed that there could be lost costs due to prescription missed. Medical staffs responded improving the drug management system could increase the OR efficiency (87%), and eventually bring the increase in hospital revenue (80.4%). Those who responded that implementation of OR satellite pharmacy was needed include physicians (84.6%), nurses (63.6%), and also responded that it'd bring more profit to the hospital by increasing the efficiency in OR (60.9%). CONCLUSION: For efficient management of medications, implementation of OR satellite pharmacy would lead to improved drug management and increased efficiency in OR and reduced cost and improved patient care.
Analgesics, Opioid ; Humans ; Medical Staff ; Medication Errors ; Narcotics ; Operating Rooms* ; Patient Care ; Pharmaceutical Services ; Pharmacy ; Prescriptions ; Tertiary Care Centers*

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is important for embryonic development and the formation of various tissues or organs. However, EMT dysfunction in normal cells leads to diseases, such as cancer or fibrosis. During the EMT, epithelial cells are converted into more invasive and active mesenchymal cells. E-box-binding proteins, including Snail, ZEB and helix-loop-helix family members, serve as EMT-activating transcription factors. These transcription factors repress the expression of epithelial markers, for example, E-cadherin, rearrange the cytoskeleton and promote the expression of mesenchymal markers, such as vimentin, fibronectin and other EMT-activating transcription factors. Signaling pathways that induce EMT, including transforming growth factor-beta, Wnt/glycogen synthase kinase-3beta, Notch and receptor tyrosine kinase signaling pathways, interact with each other for the regulation of this process. Although the mechanism(s) underlying EMT in cancer or embryonic development have been identified, the mechanism(s) in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) remain unclear. In this review, we describe the underlying mechanisms of important EMT factors, indicating a precise role for EMT in ESCs, and characterize the relationship between EMT and ESCs.
Animals ; Cadherins/metabolism ; Embryonic Stem Cells/*cytology/metabolism ; *Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Humans ; Signal Transduction ; Transcription Factors/metabolism

BACKGROUND: We studied the interaction between Succinylcholine (SCh) and mivacurium when mivacurium was administered during early and late recovery from SCh block was investigated. METHODS: Eighty patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia were studied. General anesthesia was induced and maintained with propofol under TCI control. Neuromuscular function was measured in response to TOF stimulation of the ulnar nerve using an electromyographic method. The patients were allocated randomly to the following four groups; group 1 (n = 20): a bolus intravenous injection of 0.08 mg/kg mivacurium; group 2 (n = 20): intravenous injection of 0.08 mg/kg mivacurium after 2 minutes of 1 mg/kg SCh injection; group 3 (n = 20): intravenous injection of 0.08 mg/kg mivacurium after 25% recovery of initial twitch height from twitch height depression induced by 1 mg/kg SCh; group 4 (n = 20): intravenous injection of 0.08 mg/kg mivacurium after 75% recovery of initial twitch height from twitch height depression induced by 1 mg/kg SCh. The onset and duration of neuromuscular blockade, recovery rate and TOF ratio at T75% were measured. RESULTS: The onset of block in groups 3 and 4 were slower than in group 1 (5.2 +/- 0.7 and 2.3 +/- 0.6 vs 2.5 +/- 0.4 min P < 0.05). The clinical duration in groups 2 and 3 were longer than in groups 1 and 4 (12.5 +/- 2.1 min and 11.3 +/- 1.7 min vs 17.0 +/- 3.0 min and 18.5 +/- 2.6 min, p < 0.05). There was no difference in recovery index all groups. The TOF ratio of groups 2, 3 and 4 were smaller than for group 1 (38.2 +/- 5.3, 32.3 +/- 5.6 and 31.5 +/- 4.2 vs 56.0 +/- 7.3, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The Previous 1 mg/kg SCh injection was affected the time course of action of mivacurium 0.08 mg/kg-induced neuromuscular block.
Anesthesia, General ; Depression ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Neuromuscular Blockade* ; Propofol ; Succinylcholine* ; Ulnar Nerve

No abstract available.
Antibodies ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Purpose: This study aimed to describe the meaning of spiritual care as perceived by nursing students. Methods: This study used a descriptive research design, and the participants were 126 fourth-year nursing students from three nursing colleges. Data were collected from August to September 2019, and were analyzed using the content analysis method. Results: Four themes of spiritual care with 15 sub-themes were extracted from the content analysis: 1) “promoting spiritual well-being” (sub-themes: “providing religious help”, “caring for the patient as a spiritual being”, and “presupposing human dignity regardless of religion”); 2) “taking place in actual nursing practice” (representative sub-themes: “considering the perspective of the patient”, “reducing suffering”); 3) “caring for the multifaceted needs of human beings” (representative sub-themes: “providing physical, mental, and spiritual care”, “caring for both the mental and physical health of the patient”), and 4) “growing together”(sub-themes: “positively affecting patient well-being”, “beginning with the nurse’s self-transcendence”). Conclusion These results suggest that nursing students consider spiritual care to be a highly positive and practical form of nursing care. However, because few students have been exposed to religion and spirituality, more systematic training should be provided.