Intracellular pH regulation of osteoblasts is of a great importance in the process of bone formation and resorption, and has been suggested to be mediated via intracellular Ca2+ and cAMP messenger systems. To elucidate the mechanism of modulation of intracellular pH by parathyroid hormone and PMA(Phorbo1-12-myristate-13-acetate), effects of these agonists on the individual transporter system, Na+-H+ antiporter and Cl−-HCO3-(−OH−) exchanger, were investigated. Intracellular pH and Ca2+ were measured by using the fluorescent dye BCECF and fura-2, respectively, in UMR-106 cell monolayer grown on glass coverslip. Addition of tumor promotor, PMA(luM) caused 0.14 unit pH rise of resting intracellular pH(pHi) and 38% increase of the initial rate of pHi recovery after cytosolic acid load. Perfusion of Cl−-free solution resulted in rapid cytosolic alkalinization of which the rate was increased 26% by preincubation of PMA. Ca2+ ionophore, ionomycin (1uM) decreased resting pHi by 0.17 unit, but had no effect on the initial rate of pHi recovery after cytosolic acid load. However, the addition of ionomycin augmented the initial rate of pHi increase after Cl−-depletion outside the cells by 34% over the control. Stimulation of cells with parathyroid hormone(10-8M) caused an initial acidification (0.27 unit) followed by cytosolic alkalinization, with inhibiting effect on the initial rate of pHi recovery after acid load (42%). But parathyroid hormone did not have any significant effect on the rate of pHi increase after Cl−-depletion. PMA caused a sustained increase of intracellular Ca2+, of which the peak depended on the concentration of Ca2+ in extracellular medium. Ionomycin caused a transient increase of Ca2+ but PTH had no significant increase of intracellular Ca2+ in the concentration range of 10-6M to 10-12M tested. 10-8M PTH increased cAMP levels by about 10-fold and 10-10M PTH did by 1.6-fold. PMA, which increased cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, also had an stimulatory effect on cAMP production in the concentration range of 10-5M to 10-6M by 2-fold. These findings suggest that in UMR-106 cells Ca2+ and cAMP can influence pHi by altering the activity of pHi regulatory transporter system, and parathyroid hormones modulate pHi by inhibiting Na+-H+ antiporter via intracellular increase of cAMP, which is probably accounts for the inhibitory effect of parathyroid hormone on the proliferation of osteoblasts.
Cytosol ; Fura-2 ; Glass ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Ion Transport ; Ionomycin ; Osteoblasts ; Osteogenesis ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Perfusion

About one tenth of all CNS neoplasms involves the brain. Due to their location in the ventricles they often present similar nonspecific clinical manifestation. Localization and differential diagnosis are dependent on radiological investigation. For the identification of specific CT characteristics of the intraventricular tumors and the differental diagnosis, we retrospectively analyzed 22 pathologically proved cases seen on CT. Important differential features included age and sex of the patient, the location within the ventricle, and the morpholgic appearance of the mass and density on CT before and after intravenous administration of contrast material. Meningiomas (4 cases) and a germinoma showed increased density on the precontrast CT scans, and demonstrated dense uniform enhancement of the postenhanced scan. Choroid plexus papillomas (3 cases) showed dense uniform contrast enhancement. Intraventricular neurocytomas (3 cases) demonstrated characteristic attachment to the septum pellucidum, confinement of the lateral and third ventricle, and calcification within the mass Colloid cysts (2 cases) showed characteristic location of anterosuperior aspect of the third ventricle. In conclusion, CT findings of intraventricular tumors are usually nonspecific. The location of the mass and the patient's age are the most helpful information in the differential diagnosis.
Administration, Intravenous ; Brain ; Colloid Cysts ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Germinoma ; Humans ; Meningioma ; Neurocytoma ; Papilloma, Choroid Plexus ; Retrospective Studies ; Septum Pellucidum ; Third Ventricle ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: To describe the HRCT and pathologic findings of squalene-induced lipoid pneumonia in rabbits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three ml of squalene was instilled into the trachea between the second and the third tracheal ring in 16 rabbits. Serial HRCT scans were obtained on day 4 (n=8), at 1 week (n=7), 2 weeks (n=1), 4 weeks(n=1), 6 weeks (n=2) and 20 weeks (n=1) after squalene instillation. With sacrifice of the rabbits pathology was reviewed at 1 week (n=3), 4 weeks (n=3), and 6 weeks (n=4) after CT scans. RESULTS: Lipoid pneumonia was induced in 8 rabbits; lesions were distributed mainly in the dependent posterior lung. On serial HRCT scans, airspace consolidation, as seen on an air-bronchogrm, and nodular opacities were early findings; these gradually diminshed and with time were replaced by nodular & linear opacities. Histologically, pulmonary fibrosis appeared one week after squalene instillation and progressed over time. Alveolar septal thickening and cuboidal change of the alveolar lining epithelium were more prominent at week 6. CONCLUSION: The early change of squalene-induced lipoidpneumonia in rabbits is the proliferation of intraalveolar macrophage, which is responsible for air-space consolidation with air-bronchograms on HRCT. Nodular and linear opacities on HRCT are due to the appearance of pulmonary fibrosis one week after squalene instillation, and its subsequent progression.
Animals ; Epithelium ; Lung ; Macrophages ; Pathology ; Pneumonia* ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; Rabbits* ; Squalene ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Trachea

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical usefulness of the relatively short instrument, the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K), for testing the association between cognition and language function in subacute post-stroke aphasia patients. METHODS: Medical charts of 111 post-stroke patients (65 men; age 69.6±10.0 years; 124.6±80.6 days post-onset) were reviewed retrospectively. All patients were assessed longitudinally for aphasia using the validated Korean version of the Western Aphasia Battery (K-WAB) and for cognition using the MMSE-K. Patients were categorized and analyzed according to 3 aphasia-severity clusters. RESULTS: All subscales of the K-WAB showed significant improvement in follow-up assessments in all groups (p<0.05 or p<0.01). Only the scores of orientation, language function, and total score of MMSE-K showed significant improvement in all groups (p<0.01). The more severely impaired group showed stronger Pearson correlation coefficients between cognition and language function. Additionally, comparisons between correlation coefficients showed that the association of improvement in orientation with that of fluency and AQ% (aphasia quotient %) was significant in the more severely impaired group. CONCLUSION: Among subacute post-stroke aphasic patients, patients with more severe aphasia showed greater impairments to cognitive function; in addition, recovery of orientation may be related to recovery of language function.
Aphasia ; Cognition ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Stroke

Morus alba L., known as white mulberry, is a medicinal plant belongs to family Moraceae. It has long been used commonly in Ayurvedic for the treatment of lung-heat, cough, asthma, hematemesis, dropsy and hypertension. In the present study, seven prenylated flavonoids, along with four benzofuran compounds were isolated by means of repeated column chromatography. The structures of the known compounds were identified as kuwanon G (1), kuwanon E (2), kuwanon T (3), morusin (4), sanggenon A (5), sanggenon M (6), sanggenol A (7), moracin R (8), mulberofuran G (9), mulberofuran A (10) and mulberofuran B (11), by comparing their spectroscopic data with those reported in the literature. For these isolates, containing trace compounds, the inhibitory activity against IL-6 production in TNF-α stimulated MG-63 cells was examined. All isolated compounds (1
Asthma ; Chromatography ; Cough ; Edema ; Flavonoids ; Hematemesis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Interleukin-6 ; Moraceae ; Morus ; Plants, Medicinal

This primary study was done to develop an ethical guideline for organ transplantation, a life-saving treatment which helps improve the quality of life. This study tried to identify the current situation in Korea, in terms of ethical considerations in organ transplantations. This study collected basic data in organ transplantations, in the hope that procedure of organ transplantations could be developed that would be fair to both organ donors and recipients. The immediate goals of this study were : 1)to identify staff in charge of organ transplantations and their jobs in the hospital, 2) to survey whether there exists a Hospital Ethics Committee(HEC), 3) to research what consideration are formally taken in selecting recipients, and 4) to accumulate data on how consent from donors are currently obtained. The study used a survey questionnaire and received responses from 31 hospitals out of 45 hospitals where organ transplantation are being done. Organ transplantation coordinators were found in 16 hospitals, but the job description varied among hospitals. The survey showed that all 16 hospitals with and HEC that health care personnel unnecessarily dominate the committee. The study notes that HECs should be vitalized by recruiting, as members, ethicists, theologians, patients, guardians, as well as the general public outside of the hospital. The study revealed that in selecting recipients the hospital take into account ABO blood type, histocompatibility, age, waiting time, and level of patient compliance. Finally, it was shown that in the cases of living donors the transplanting hospitals seek a formal consent, whereas there are no common consenting practice established for cadaveric donors. The study concludes with three proposals. First, a nationwide institution responsible exclusively for procurement and distribution of cadaveric organs for transplantation should be established. Second, we should rebuild the national health insurance system so that have costly organ transplantation expenses are substantially covered. Last, but certainly not least, there is a need to emphasize the HEC's committment to prepare a proper ethical guideline for organ transplantation in general.
Cadaver ; Delivery of Health Care ; Ethicists ; Ethics, Institutional ; Histocompatibility ; Hope ; Humans ; Job Description ; Korea* ; Living Donors ; Methods ; National Health Programs ; Organ Transplantation* ; Patient Compliance ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants*

We measured selenium, zinc, copper and manganese concentrations in the human milk of Korean mothers who gave birth to preterm infants, and compared these measurements with the recommended daily intakes. The samples of human milk were collected postpartum at week-1, -2, -4, -6, -8, and -12, from 67 mothers who gave birth to preterm infants (< 34 weeks, or birth weight < 1.8 kg). All samples were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The concentrations of selenium were 11.8 +/- 0.5, 11.4 +/- 0.8, 12.7 +/- 0.9, 11.4 +/- 0.8, 10.8 +/- 0.9, and 10.5 +/- 1.3 microg/L, zinc were 7.8 +/- 0.5, 9.1 +/- 0.8, 7.2 +/- 0.9, 8.0 +/- 0.8, 7.4 +/- 0.9, and 6.6 +/- 1.2 mg/L, copper were 506 +/- 23.6, 489 +/- 29.4, 384 +/- 33.6, 356 +/- 32.9, 303 +/- 35.0, and 301 +/- 48.0 microg/L and manganese were 133 +/- 4.0, 127 +/- 6.0, 125 +/- 6.0, 123 +/- 6.0, 127 +/- 6.0, and 108 +/- 9.0 microg/L at week-1, -2, -4, -6, -8, and -12, respectively. The concentrations of selenium and zinc meet the daily requirements but that of copper is low and of manganese exceeds daily requirements recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Nutrition.
Adult ; Copper/analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Longitudinal Studies ; Manganese/analysis ; Milk, Human/*chemistry ; Postpartum Period ; Republic of Korea ; Selenium/analysis ; *Spectrophotometry, Atomic ; Trace Elements/*analysis ; Zinc/analysis

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant* ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight* ; Lung Diseases* ; Lung* ; Vitamin A* ; Vitamins*

This study was conducted to describe the incidence, risk factors, and current treatment status of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants registered in the Korean Neonatal Network database. Medical records of 2,009 VLBW infants born between January 2013 and June 2014 who underwent examination by an ophthalmologist were reviewed. The total incidence of ROP was 34.1%. Of the patients, 11.6% showed ROP stage > or = 3 and 11.5% received treatment of VLBW. Among all infants who received treatment of ROP, 63.6% underwent operation only; 16.9%, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment only; and 19.5%, both operation and anti-VEGF treatment. The mean gestational age (GA) and birth weight (BW) were significantly lower and the prevalence rates of respiratory distress syndrome, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), invasive ventilator duration, and sepsis were significantly higher in the VLBW infants with ROP than in those without ROP. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, PDA (odd ratio [OR], 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-3.79) and invasive ventilator duration (OR, 1.0; 95% CI, 1.00-1.02) were significant risk factors of ROP and ROP stage > or = 3. In conclusion, the high incidence of ROP is associated with low GA and BW, and attempt to reduce the aforementioned risk factors could reduce the incidence of ROP stage > or = 3 in VLBW infants.
Antibodies/therapeutic use ; Birth Weight ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant Mortality ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; *Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retinopathy of Prematurity/drug therapy/*epidemiology/mortality ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/immunology

PURPOSE: In preterm infants, neonatologists often encounter abnormally high level of 17-alpha-hydroxy progesterone (17-OHP), however as there is no normative reference level for Korean preterm neonates, repeated tests for 17-OHP are conducted until the level reaches the normal value of term infants. The aim for the study is to investigate the longitudinal follow up of 17 OHP levels according to gestational age. METHODS: The samples for 17-OHP were obtained as tandem mass spectrometry (TMS) by heel prick between the 3rd and 7th day of life from 1,040 preterm infants who were born at Asan Medical Center from June 2008 to June 2010. If initial 17-OHP level was abnormal (>12 ng/mL), the serum levels were followed every 2-4 weeks until normalization. RESULTS: The mean levels of 17-OHP obtained from initial TMS according to gestational age were as follows: 24-26 weeks (26.4+/-20.7 ng/mL, n=20); 27-28 weeks (14.8+/-14.6 ng/mL, n=39); 29-30 weeks (7.6+/-7.3 ng/mL, n=54); 31-32 weeks (5.1+/-5.8 ng/mL, n=86); 33-34 weeks (4.6+/-3.9 ng/mL, n=186); 35 weeks (5.0+/-5.5 ng/mL, n=251); and 36 week (3.6+/-2.3 ng/mL, n=403). The mean and 99.5 percentile 17-OHP levels correlated inversely with gestational age. Those 63 infants (mean gestational age 28.6+/-4.1 weeks) whose initial 17-OHP levels were abnormally high, all became normalized at mean of 67.2+/-49.0 days. The mean number of follow-up was 2.9+/-1.9 times (range: 1-7 times) until normalization. CONCLUSION: The 17-OHP levels correlated inversely with gestational age and the number of false-positive results in the absence of congenital adrenal hyperplasia is high among preterm population. The percentile values presented here for 17-OHP in relation to gestational age could serve as a useful guideline for 17-OHP level follow up.
Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gestational Age ; Heel ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Neonatal Screening ; Progesterone ; Reference Values ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry