PURPOSE: Telomerase functions to maintain telomere length and its activity are generally present in most cancer cells, germ line cells but typically are not present in normal somatic cells. Among few exceptions, telomerase activity is detected in hematopoietic stem cells and in physiologically renewable cell populations. The adult rat penis exhibits the ability to regenerate during androgen replacement after castration, we hypothesized that a pool of cells with regenerating potential is present in the adult rat penis, and therefore assayed for the telomerase activity in the castrated and androgen replaced adult rat penis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups; control, castration, and androgen(testosterone, DHT) replacement after castration. Percentage of apoptotic cells assessed by morphological analysis(apoptotic index, TUNEL), and proliferating cells incorporating Ki-67(proliferating index) were analyzed. Telomerase activity was detected by using a PCR-based telomerase assay(Telomeric repeat amplification protocol). RESULTS: Following castration, serum testosterone significantly decreased from day 1. Normal penis was found to be telomerase positive. Since serum testosterone decreased after castration, a significant decrease for the activity of telomerase was noted with a decrease in the proliferating index and an increase in apoptotic index in the penis. Replacement of androgen after castration increased the telomerase activity with an increase in the proliferating index and a decrease in apoptotic index in the penis. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence for the ability of androgen to regulate telomerase activity in the adult rat penis, and the adult rat penis retains throughout life the potential to regenerate in response to androgen replacement following castration-induced apoptotic cell death.
Adult* ; Animals ; Castration ; Cell Death ; Germ Cells ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Male ; Penis* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Telomerase* ; Telomere ; Testosterone

PURPOSE: We performed this study to evaluate the usefulness and the limitation of magnetic resonance angiography in imaging portal vein and hepatic vein. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Magnetic resonance portography was performed in five normal subjects and seven patients with hepatomas, two patients with Budd-Chiari syndromes, one patient with liver cirrhosis and one patient with hepatic metastasis from stomach cancer. Magnetic resonance angiography was done with a 1.5-T Scanner. Breath-hold two-dimensional time-of flight images with spoiled gradient echo technique were acquired. Scan parameters were 34/8/40degrees(TR ms/TE ms/flip angle). The portal vein and the hepatic vein were selectively imaged by applying two presaturation bands. These images were then postprocessed by a maximum intensity projection algorithm. MRA findings were compared with ultrasonography in all cases of the hepatic disease, and conventional angiography (SMA portography) in four cases. RESULTS: In normal subjects, the splenic vein, intrahepatic and extrahepatic portions of the portal vein, and the hepatic veins were well visualized. In the patients with hepatic diseases, the varices (4 cases), the splenorenal shunts (2 cases), and the recanalized umbilical vein (1 case) were demonstrated. There were portal vein thrombosis in the cases of hepatomas and hepatic metastasis. In the cases of Budd-Chiari syndrome, the hepatic veins were not visualized and there were inferior vena cava obstructions with multiple collateral vessels. CONCLUSION: Compared with ultrasonography, MRP may be useful in evaluation of varices, splenorenal shunts, and other collaterals, though less accurate than conventional angiography. MRP can be useful as a noninvasive screening alternative in the evaluation of portal vein and hepatic veins.
Angiography ; Budd-Chiari Syndrome ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Hepatic Veins ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography ; Mass Screening ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Portal Vein ; Portography* ; Splenic Vein ; Splenorenal Shunt, Surgical ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Ultrasonography ; Umbilical Veins ; Varicose Veins ; Vena Cava, Inferior ; Venous Thrombosis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Intracardiac pathology results in 15 - 20% of ischemic stroke, but transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) has a number of limitations because of suboptimal precordial windows or ultrasound interference with prosthetic materials. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) provides superior resolution of basal structures such as the left atrium, left atrial appendage, mitral valvular apparatus, atrial septum, and aorta. The purpose of this study was to describe the various TEE findings which were sources of cerebral emboli. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The study population was comprised of 122 patients (mean age:54.5, male 83, female 39) who were admitted to Severance Hospital because of ischemic stroke from 1991 to 1997. All patients underwent TEE with agitated saline contrast administration. Patients without a definitive cardiac source of embolism underwent Holtor monitoring, internal carotid and cerebral angiography, as well as transcranial Doppler. RESULTS: 1) The number of patients diagnosed as cardioembolic stroke was 55 (45.1%). Atrial fibrillation was noted in 31 patients of cardioembolic stroke and it was the most frequent finding. Among these patients, 16 did not have any other cardiac problem. 2) We were able to find the possible source of embolism in 49 (40.2%) patients with TEE. Among these patients, 12 did not have dysrhythmia or any known previous heart problem. We found spontaneous echo contrast in the left atrium and left atrial appendage in 33 cases. There were 8 patients who had intracardiac thrombus. Among these patients, 6 patients had thrombi in the left atrial appendage, 1 in left atrium and 1 in left ventricular apex. We found patent foramen ovale in 3 cases and atrial aneurysm in 1 case. We found atheromatous plaque and/or thrombi of the aorta in 16 cases, while there were 4 cases where lesions located in the ascending aorta and aortic arch and which were considered as the source of embolism. Small thrombi in the left atrial appendage and left atrium were only detectable with TEE. CONCLUSIONS: We described TEE findings in ischemic stroke patients. And we assert TEE is a useful diagnostic tool in detecting the source of cardioembolic stroke and it may be used as a primary diagnostic tool in patients who are being evaluated for ischemic stroke.
Aneurysm ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Atrial Appendage ; Atrial Fibrillation ; Atrial Septum ; Cerebral Angiography ; Dihydroergotamine ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Embolism ; Female ; Foramen Ovale, Patent ; Heart ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Intracranial Embolism ; Male ; Pathology ; Stroke* ; Thrombosis ; Ultrasonography

Although some cases of benign positional vertigo are associated with a chronic ipsilateral sensorineural hearing loss, an association with simultaneous ipsilateral sudden deafness is rare. We report a 53-year old woman with sudden deaf-ness with simultaneous positional vertigo in the same ear characterized by benign paroxysmal positional vertigo of pos-terior semicircular canal type. After a modified Epley particle-repositioning maneuver, the patient's vertigo was resolved. Clinical and neuro-otologic evaluations suggested that the lesion responsible for this patient was probably located within inner ear rather than within the vestibulocochlear nerve. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(4):410~412, 2001)
Ear ; Ear, Inner ; Female ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Hearing Loss, Sudden* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Semicircular Canals ; Vertigo* ; Vestibulocochlear Nerve

The classical triad of abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloody stool is absent in chronic intussusception for more than 2 weeks. Here, we report a 6-year-old female with recurrent abdominal pain for 2 months. Ultrasonography of the abdomen revealed an ileocolic-type intussusception. The lesion accompanying the tight fibrous adhesion was treated by resection and ileocolic anastomosis. It was diagnosed as intussusception with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. A high index of suspicion for abdominal pain in children should result in the correct diagnosis and appropriate management.
Abdominal Pain/*etiology/ultrasonography ; Child ; Constipation/*etiology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Intussusception/diagnosis/*etiology/surgery ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/*complications/*diagnosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

To identify the central innervating the mammary nerve, viral retrograde transneuronal labelling methods were employed. Pseudorabies virus 6 microliter was injected into the mammary nerve of adult female Sprague-Dawley rats. After 4 days of survival, the animals were perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde-lysine periodate and their brains were processed for immunohistochemistry and double immunofluorescent staining of Pseudorabies virus or oxytocin using polyclonal antibodies. Several nuclei in brain were retrogradely labelled with Pesudorabies virus.Only a few magnocellular neurons of the paraventricular nucleus throughout whole brain showed double immunoreactivity to Pseudorabies virus and oxytocin. Approximately 11 percent of the oxytocinergic cells of the paraventricular nucleus,especially in three subnuclei[dorsomedial cap, lateral magnocelluar part and ventral part] showed double positive reaction to both Pseudorabies virus and oxytocin. These data demonstrate that some CNS cells projecting to the mammary nerve contained oxytocin and it may acts as a neurotransmitter in this pathway and a hormone targeting milk production and secretion.
Adult ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Brain ; Female ; Herpesvirus 1, Suid ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Milk ; Neurons ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Oxytocin ; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus ; Pseudorabies ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

PURPOSE: Acute bronchiolitis is a lower respiratory tract disease, resulting from inflammatory obstruction of the small airway. The main treatment of acute bronchiolitis is supportive but, numerous investigators have examined the efficacy of beta agonist as bronchodilators. In acute bronchiolitis, mucosal edema in the bronchioles may be an important cause of airway obstruction therefore, an alpha and beta agonist might be useful in the treatment of this disease. So we examined the efficacy and safety of repeated nebulized epinephrine compared to fenoterol. METHODS: This randomized double blind study involved 106 hospitalized infants with wheezing, under one year age and acute onset of respiratory distress. They were randomly separated into two groups, and treated with either nebulized 0.1% epinephrine 0.5 mg in 3.5 mL of 0.9% saline solution (group 1; n=50) or nebulized fenoterol 0.5 mg in 2 mL of 0.9% saline solution(group 2; n=50). This therapy was repeated at six hour intervals after hospital admission. Observations were made at admission and just before, 30 minutes after nebulization. The primary outcome measures used were the degree of change in clinical scores. The secondary outcome measures used were the length of the hospital stay. RESULTS: A significant improvement in the clinical score was noted during 72 hours of hospitalization in both groups(P<0.001). But, there were no significant differences between the groups in clinical score improvement. There were no significant differences between the groups in the length of the hospital stay(P=0.055). No adverse effects were associated with nebulized therapy. CONCLUSION: There were no group differences in the effectiveness of therapy for infants hospitalized with acute bronchiolitis.
Infant ; Male ; Female ; Humans

A neonate may incur liver injury during spontaneous delivery. The liver is the organ most likely to be injured during the birth process. Breech presentation and manipulation are the most common causes of hepatic trauma. However, hepatic hemorrhage can occur in any infant, regardless of size and the type of delivery. Infants with subcapsular hemorrhage are usually asymptomatic at birth, and gross hepatic rupture from these lesions is unusual. In patient with primary rupture, major bleeding takes place immediately, explaining the high percentage of neonatal deaths with massive liver rupture. If subcapsular hemorrhage remain intracapsular with spontaneous resolution, the only treatment needed in subcapsular hemorrhage may be transfusion. We experienced one case of neonatal subcapsular hemorrhage with persistent hyperbilirubinemia. We report this case with the brief review of related literature.
Breech Presentation ; Female ; Hematoma* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia ; Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal* ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Liver ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Rupture

Primary aldosteronism is in most cases due either to a unilateral adrenal adenama or to a bilateral hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex. But, a few of bilateral adrena1 tumors in primary aldosteronism also have been reported. In these cases, it is important to differentiate the bilateral aldosterone producing adenomas from the unilateral aldosteronoma in the presence of a contralateral nonhmctioning adenoma for marking a treatment plan. We report a case of primary aldosteronism due to a unilateral aldosteronoma in the presence of a contralateral nonfunctioning adenoma. Abdominal CT sean revealed bilateral adrenal tumors, of which the functioning one was successfully localized using adrenal scintigraphy and selective adrenal venous sampling.
Adenoma ; Adrenal Cortex ; Aldosterone* ; Hyperaldosteronism* ; Hyperplasia ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed