OBJECTIVE: To investigate new signal transduction cascade through integrin, FAK and ERK in the suppressed cell proliferation by GnRH-I and -II. METHOD: Human endometrial cancer cells (HEC1A) were cultured under the following condition: DMEM/F12 (10% FBS). GnRH-I and -II were treated time (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 min; 100 nM) and dose (10 nM or 100 nM; 20 min) dependent manner according to experimental purposes. Cell proliferation was measured using [3H] thymidine incorporation assay. Immunoblotting was utilized to detect proteins. RESULTS: GnRH-I and -II inhibited proliferation of HEC1A cells and induced expression of integrin beta3. Phosphorylation of FAK and ERK were induced by GnRH-I and -II. CONCLUSION: GnRH inhibited cell proliferation via the expression of integrin and FAK, ERK phosphorylation.
Cell Proliferation* ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Integrin beta3 ; Phosphorylation ; Signal Transduction ; Thymidine

BACKGROUND: Lumbar plexus block by posterior approach has been used for thigh and hip surgery and unilateral low back pain and/or low extremity pain control. We measured the needle depth from the skin to the lumbar plexus and its relation with body indices in Korean. METHODS: Forty-eight (male 35, female 13) patients with unilateral low back pain and/or low extremity pain received lumbar plexus block by the posterior approach known as "psoas compartment block". We measured the distance from the skin to the lumbar plexus with the aid of a nerve stimulator and evaluated its relation to body mass indices such as weight, height, abdominal circumference and body mass index (BMI; kg/m2). RESULTS: The distance described above was 7.42 +/- 0.82 cm (range 6.0-9.5 cm) in males and 7.18 +/- 1.24 cm (range 5.3-10.0 cm) in females. Its relation to body weight was greater than with other body indices. The Pearson's coefficient between the distance and body weight was 0.745 in males and 0.842 in females. The predicted distance (cm) was 4.23 + 0.0471 x weight (kg) in males (adjusted R2 = 0.532) and 1.25 + 0.0975 x weight in females (adjusted R2 = 0.682). CONCLUSIONS: Body weight is the most important factor for prediction of the distance from the skin to the lumbar plexus. The distance was about 6-10 cm in korean patients.
Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Extremities ; Female ; Hip ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Lumbosacral Plexus* ; Male ; Needles* ; Sagittal Abdominal Diameter ; Skin ; Thigh

We conducted a prospective study to compare MMC subconjunctival injection with MMC soaking for surgical outcome and postoperative complications as an adjunct to trabeculectomy in eyes with glaucoma. Eleven patients with bilateral glaucoma had undergone primary trabeculectomy with adjunctive subconjunctival mitomycin-C injection in one eye[Group I] and primary trabeculectomy with subconjunctival mitomycin-C soaking in the other eye[Group II]. Minimal follow-up period was 6 months and mean follow-up period was 12.8 months. Preoperative mean IOP was 35+/-10.9 mmHg in the group Iand 33+/-14.4 mmHg in the group II, and there was no statistical significance. Postoperative mean IOP at 1, 3, 6 months were 13+/-2.3, 13+/-3.1, 13.6+/-2.9 mmHg in the group I, and 11.3+/-3.3, 12.2+/-3.4, 12.9+/-2.7 mmHg in the group IIand no statistical significance. Each of ten eyes[91%] in both groups achieved intraocular pressure of less than 21 mmHg and good bleb formation without any medication. Postoperative complications were transient hyphema[18% in the group I, 9% in the group II], cystic bleb[9% in the group I, 27% in the group II] and shallow anterior chamber[9% in the group II]. Postoperative corneal endothelial cell density per square millimeter averaged 2, 221+/-306/mm2[mean+/-standard deviation] in the group I and 2, 195+/-272/mm2in the group II and there was no statistical significance. The rates of surgical success and postoperative complications were similiar in the two groups. Subconjunctival injection has similar effect to soaking method. This method enables us to have accurate control of concentration and amount of MMC, and thereby reduces complications and improves surgical outcomes in trabeculectomy.
Blister ; Endothelial Cells ; Filtering Surgery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Mitomycin* ; Postoperative Complications ; Prospective Studies ; Trabeculectomy*

We expierenced two cases of intradural verteral artery dissecting aneurysms. The presenting symptom was subarachnoid hemorrhage in one case and ischemic symptom in the other. The preoperative angiographic finding typically showed fusiform dilatation and proximal and/or distal narrowing of the affected artery. In one case, the vertebral artery was clipped distal to the PICA and in the other case trapping was performed through the extreme lateral transcondylar approaches. This approach permits a control of the aneurysm through the direct view of whole length of the vertebral artery, lower cranial nerves and ventral brain stem. In order to obtain ample view and to save the lower cranial nerves and perforating vessels, jugular tubercle should be sufficiently drilled out. Postoperitive neurological outcomes were favorable except mild hoarseness for some period in trapping case.
Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Dissecting* ; Arteries ; Brain Stem ; Cranial Nerves ; Dilatation ; Hoarseness ; Pica ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Vertebral Artery

Eight infants or children with congenital heart disease underwent coorrective cardiac surgery suing hypothemia, cardioulmminary bypass, and total circulatory arrest. Threr were no signisifants change in pH, PaiP2, and arterial bicarbonate ion concentraion between pre-arrest and post-arrest times.
Bicarbonates ; Blood Gas Analysis* ; Child ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hypothermia* ; Infant ; Thoracic Surgery*

Eight infants or children with congenital heart disease underwent coorrective cardiac surgery suing hypothemia, cardioulmminary bypass, and total circulatory arrest. Threr were no signisifants change in pH, PaiP2, and arterial bicarbonate ion concentraion between pre-arrest and post-arrest times.
Bicarbonates ; Blood Gas Analysis* ; Child ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hypothermia* ; Infant ; Thoracic Surgery*

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to evaluate the relation of the lumbar plexus with the psoas compartment, to measure the distance from skin to psoas compartment, and to determine the efficacy of psoas compartment block for the unilateral leg pain and/or low back pain. METHOD: Six cadavers were dissected and the computed tomography of the lumbar region were performed in 22 subjects. The psoas compartment block of 10 ml of 0.5 percent lidocaine were performed in 31 patients with unilateral leg pain and/or low back pain. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and sensory, motor functions were assessed before the block and 5, 30 minutes, and 1, 2, 3 hours and 1 week after the block. The distance from skin to psoas compartment were measured during the procedure. The questionnaires on the procedure were completed after 1 week. RESULTS: Cadaver dissections demonstrated that the 3 main nerves of lumbar plexus were within the psoas compartment between the level of L4 and L5. Computed tomography provided that the average distances of anterior and posterior borders of psoas major from the low back skin were 10.8 & 6.3 cm and that of medial & lateral borders from the median sagital plane were 2.9 & 7.1 cm respectively. There were statistically significant correlations between distance from skin to psoas compartment and body weight, abdominal circumference as well as body mass index (p<0.0001). The VAS was 7.7 before the block and 5.4 1 week after the block (p<0.05) and satisfactory outcomes were shown in 71 percent of the subjects. CONCLUSION: Psoas compartment block was effective for the patients with unilateral leg pain and/or low back pain without major side effects and complications.
Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Cadaver ; Humans ; Leg ; Lidocaine ; Low Back Pain ; Lumbosacral Plexus ; Lumbosacral Region ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Skin ; Visual Analog Scale

BACKGROUND: A major pathway leading toward neuronal injury following ischemia-reperfusion of the brain involves elevation of extracellular glutamate and activation of glutamate receptors, with a subsequent increase in intracellular calcium, resulting in a generation of free radicals. Oxygen free radicals cause brain injury following resuscitation from cardiac arrest. Oxyradicals produce strand breakage in DNA, which triggers energy-consuming DNA repair mechanisms and activates the nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase(PARS). However, excessive PARS activation leads to energy depletion and exacerbation of neuronal damage in cerebral ischemia. METHODS: We investigated the effect of a potent, free-radical scavenger, N-acetylcysteine(NAC), on hippocampal neuronal death in an asphyxial cardiac arrest model of rats. The effect of NAC on hippocampal neuronal death was studied in 32 rats which were subjected to asphyxial cardiac arrest for 7 minutes, followed by resuscitation. The animals were divided into four group(8 rats in each group) as follows: Group I was saline treated for 3 days, Group II was NAC treated for 3 days, Group III was saline treated for 6 days, and Group IV was NAC treated for 6 days. In the NAC-treated groups, NAC(150 mg/kg) was intravenously injected after return of spontaneous circulation. The coronal sections with hippocampus levels were stained with hematoxylin-eosin(H-E) and PARS antibodies at 3 and 6 days after survival. In addition, the levels of myeloperoxidase(MPO) and malondialdehyde(MDA) were determined in the brains of each group. RESULTS: The results are as follows: 1. MPO and MDA levels were significantly lower in the NAC-treated groups, II and IV, than in the saline-treated groups, I and III. 2. The histologic damage score(HDS), as determined by H-E staining, was significantly lower in the NAC-treated groups, II and IV, than in the saline-treated groups, I and III. 3. In PARS immunohistochemical staining, the HDS was significantly lower in the NAC-treated groups, II and IV, than in the saline-treated groups, I and III. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that a free-radical scavenger, N-acetylcysteine, may effectively prevent neuronal damages after reperfusion from asphyxial cardiac arrest in rats. Further studies will be required to examine both the mechanism of the action and the clinical application of NAC in patients with cardiac arrest.
Acetylcysteine* ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Brain Ischemia ; Calcium ; DNA ; DNA Repair ; Free Radicals ; Glutamic Acid ; Heart Arrest* ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Neurons ; Neuroprotective Agents* ; Oxygen ; Poly Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose ; Rats* ; Receptors, Glutamate ; Reperfusion ; Reperfusion Injury ; Resuscitation

"13q-"syndrome is known to have widely variable manifestations, including retinoblastoma, mental and growth retardation, malformation of brain and heart, anal atresia, and anomalies of the face and limbs. Here we report a case of del(13)(q22) with multiple major congenital anomalies for the first time in Korea. The patient was born at 36+4 weeks of pregnancy by caesarian section. Birth weight was 1490g. On examination the following features were noted: - imperforate anus, ambiguous genitalia (bifid scrotum, penoscrotal transposition, hypospadia), syndactyly of toes, absence of thumbs, abnormal facies (dolichocephaly, telecanthus, large low set ears, saddle nose, high arched palate, micrognathia). Neurocranial ultrasonography showed atrophy of the corpus callosum and multiple calcifications. He died at 14 days. Post-mortem autopsy findings showed cholestasis and fatty metamorphosis of liver, abnormal lobulation (Rt:2, Lt:1) and lymphangiectasis of the lung, VSD, ASD, PDA of heart, and acute tubular necrosis of kidney. Cytogenetic studies was confirmed to 46,XY,del(13) (q22) by Giemsa banded chromosomes from peripheral blood lymphocytes.
Abnormalities, Multiple/*genetics ; Anus, Imperforate/*complications ; Case Report ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 13/*genetics ; Fatal Outcome ; *Gene Deletion ; Human ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Penis/*abnormalities ; Scrotum/*abnormalities

A case of sphenoid sinus mucoceles that also partially involved posterior ethmoid and frontal sinuses is described. Diplopia following severe headache of sudden onset developed to 43 year old man. MRI revealed high signal intensity either on T1WI and on T2 WI. The mucoceles of sphenoid sinus and ethmoid sinus were removed by transnasal simple drainage and the postoperative result was satisfactory.
Adult ; Diplopia ; Drainage ; Ethmoid Sinus ; Frontal Sinus ; Headache ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mucocele* ; Sphenoid Sinus*