BACKGROUND: There is considerable controversy about the exact molecular mechanisms of excitatory amino acid receptors in epileptogenesis. METHODS: We used in situ hybridization to examine the hybridization density (HD) of n-methyl- D-aspartic acid receptor type 1 (NMDAR-1) and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy -5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (AMPA) receptor type 2 (GluR-2) mRNA, in the hippocampus obtained from the kainic acid (KA)-induced status epilep-ticus (SE) model. Some Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with KA (10 mg/Kg; I.p.), and others with MK-801 (4 mg/kg) 20 minutes prior to KA. The rats were allowed to have 4-hour SE and were killed at 8 hours or 4 weeks after KA or MK-801/KA injection. HD of NMDAR-1 and GluR-2 mRNA in subfields of the hippocampus was measured by an image analysis system. RESULTS: A typical neuropathological finding of hippocampal sclerosis and spontaneous repetitive seizures (SRS) were observed in the KA injected rats, but not in the MK-801 pretreated rats, killed at 4 weeks. Compared with controls, the rats killed at 8 hours after KA showed increased CA1, CA2, and CA3 NMDAR-1 HD, and stratum granulosum (SG) GluR-2 HD. The increase of NMDAR-1, not GluR-2, HD was blocked effectively by MK-801. The increase of SG GluR-2 HD remained until 4 weeks after the KA injection. CONCLUSIONS: Not only the NMDAR-1activa-tionbut also the GluR-2 activation is an important factor in delaying hippocampal neuronal loss and epileptogenesis. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(1):36~44, 2001
alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid ; Animals ; D-Aspartic Acid ; Dizocilpine Maleate ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe ; Gene Expression* ; Glutamic Acid* ; Hippocampus ; In Situ Hybridization ; Kainic Acid ; N-Methylaspartate ; Neurons ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Glutamate* ; RNA, Messenger ; Sclerosis ; Seizures ; Temporal Lobe*

No abstract available.
Chin* ; Hemangioma*

The present study was aimed at investigating the molecular regulation of the renin- angiotensin system (RAS) in two-kidney, one clip (2K1C) hypertension. The expression of renin, angiotensinogen and angiotensin II receptor genes was determined by Northern blot analysis in rats made 2K1C hypertensive for 2 or 4 weeks. The expression of renin gene was increased in the clipped kidney and decreased in the contralateral non-clipped kidney at weeks 2 and 4. The expression of angiotensinogen gene was not significantly altered at week 2, but increased at week 4 in the clipped kidney. However, it was not significantly altered in the contralateral kidney either at week 2 or 4. Nor was the expression of angiotensinogen gene significantly altered in the liver either at week 2 or 4. On the other hand, the expression of angiotensin II receptor gene was decreased at week 2, and increased at week 4 in the clipped kidney, whereas it was not significantly changed in the contralateral kidney either at week 2 or 4. In the liver, the expression of angiotensin II receptor gene was not significantly altered at week 2, but decreased at week 4. These results suggest that the components of RAS are transcriptionally regulated in 2K1C hypertension in a manner dependent on tissues and duration of hypertension.
Angiotensin II* ; Angiotensinogen* ; Angiotensins* ; Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Hand ; Hypertension ; Kidney ; Liver ; Rats* ; Receptors, Angiotensin* ; Renin

Neurons in the nucleus raphe magnus are involved in descending modulation of nociceptive transmission. In this study, we attempted to investigate electrophysiological properties of the NRM neurons dissociated from the postnatal rat medulla. The NRM neurons in the coronal slices of and the dissociated neurons from the postnatal rat medullae were immunohistochemically identified using antibody against serotonin. Relatively small number of neurons were positively stained in both preparations. The positively stained neurons displayed large cell body with double or multiple neurites. Using whole-cell patch clamp configuration ionic currents were recorded from the dissociated NRM-like neurons selected by criteria such as size and shape of cell body and cell population. Two types, high- and low-threshold, of voltage-dependent calcium currents were recorded from the dissociated NRM-like neurons. Some neurons displayed both types of calcium currents, whereas others displayed only high-threshold calcium current. Voltage-dependent potassium currents were also recorded from the dissociated NRM neurons. Some neurons displayed both transient outward and delayed rectifier currents but others showed only delayed rectifier current. These results suggest that there are at least two types of calcium currents and two types of potassium currents in the dissociated NRM neurons.
Animals ; Calcium ; Neurites ; Neurons* ; Potassium ; Rats* ; Serotonin

The present study was designed to investigate whether endogenous nitric oxide (EDNO) is involved in submandibular vasodilation and salivation induced by parasympathetic nerve stimulation. Effects of Nw-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME) which blocks the synthesis of EDNO from L-arginine on the submandibular vasodilation and salivation induced by chorda stimulation or administration of various vasodilators were examined in anesthetized cats. Effect of L-NAME on K+ efflux induced by carbachol was also examined using the excised submandibular slice in vitro. In the submandibular slices, acetylcholine (10(-5) mol/L) or vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP, 10(-5) mol/L) increased NO2 contents, which was prevented by pretreatment with L-NAME. Salivary secretion in response to the chorda stimulation (3 V, 1 msec, 10 ~ 20 Hz) was completely blocked by treatment with atropine (1 mg/kg). Increased blood flow response to the low frequency (1, 2, 5 Hz) stimulation was significantly reduced, whereas the blood flow induced by the higher frequency (10, 20 Hz) stimulation was not affected. Lingual-arterial infusion of L-NAME (100 mg/kg) significantly diminished the vasodilatory and salivary responses to the chorda stimulation at all stimuli frequencies used. Intra-arterial infusion of L-NAME (100 mg/kg) markedly diminished the vasodilatory responses to acetylcholine (5 mug/kg), VIP (5 mug/kg) or bradykinin (5 mug/kg). In the excised submandibular slice, K+ efflux in response to carbachol (10(-5) mol/L) was significantly decrease by pretreatment with L-NAME (10(-5) mol/L). In the isolated submandibular artery precontracted with phenylephrine (10(-5) mol/L), the vasorelaxation induced by ACh (10-7 mol/L) was reversed into a contraction by methylene blue (10(-4) mol/L). These results suggest that EDNO may play an important role in vasodilation and secretion of the submandibular gland.
Acetylcholine ; Animals ; Arginine ; Arteries ; Atropine ; Bradykinin ; Carbachol ; Cats ; Infusions, Intra-Arterial ; Methylene Blue ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Nitric Oxide* ; Phenylephrine ; Salivary Glands ; Salivation ; Submandibular Gland ; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide ; Vasodilation ; Vasodilator Agents

Radiation therapy is an effective cancer treatment modality as a primary treatment in early cancer and as an adjuvant treatment in advanced cancer, especially in head and neck lesions, but it also causes irreversible chronic damages to overlying normal tissues that may lead to wound complications. As well, at the microscopic level, radiation injury causes both stasis and occlusion of small vessels. Therefore, surgical reconstruction of previously-irradiated lesions in the head and neck poses a great problem. Fifth-six patients with head and neck lesions underwent 57 microsurgical reconstructions between 1990-1998. Thirteen patients were irradiated before surgery. The previous radiation dose was 30-75.6 Gy. The free tissue transfer was successful in 52 of the 57 microsurgical reconstructions(91.2%). The success rate was 92.3%(12/13) in previously-irradiated patients and 90.9%(40/44) in nonirradiated patients. Postoperative complications, such as flap loss, fistula, and infection, developed in 4 irradiated patients and 8 nonirradiated patients. Overall complication rate was 30.8%(4/13) in previously-irradiated patients and 18.2%(8/44) in nonirradiated patients. Although the failure rate of previously-irradiated patients was higher than that of nonirradiated patients, there was no statistically significant difference between them. Thus, free tissue transfers in patients with previously-irradiated head and neck lesions are suitable for one-stage reconstruction.
Fistula ; Head* ; Humans ; Neck* ; Postoperative Complications ; Radiation Injuries ; Wounds and Injuries

BACKGROUND: Thoracoscopic sympathicotomy was thought to be a simple and safe method for hyperhidrosis. There is a significant decrease in heart rate during the procedure. Also it has been suggested that the effect of the degree of sympathetic block on cardiac function was affected by the preoperative level of sympathetic activity. Our hypothesis was that the higher heart rate before sympathicotomy the more heart rate change during the procedure because heart rate is one of the indicators of sympathetic activity. METHODS: Sixty two patients with essential hyperhidrosis undergoing thoracoscopic sympathicotomy were studied. During the procedure, we recorded blood pressure at left arm and heart rate after anesthetic induction as baseline values, immediately after left side sympathicotomy, and after right side sympathicotomy. Patients were divided by median value of preoperative heart rate (83 beats/min) into group I (n = 32), preoperative heart rate below 83 beats/min, and group II (n = 30), above 83 beats/min. RESULTS: The preoperative mean heart rates of group I and II were 72 +/- 7.9 beats/min and 100 +/- 12.5 beats/min respectively. After sympathicotomy, the decrease of heart rate compared to the preoperative value in Group I was 6.6%, which was significantly lower than that of Group II, 17.6%. After left sympathicotomy, the number of cases of heart rate decreasing more than 10% was higher in Group II (20/30 cases) than Group I (13/32 cases). CONCLUSIONS: The main result of this study showed that the higher heart rate before sympathicotomy the more heart rate change during procedure.
Arm ; Blood Pressure ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis

We report here on a rare case of hepatoid thymic carcinoma in a 34-year-old man. The patient complained of a high fever and headache, and a 6.6cm-sized anterior mediastinal mass was found on chest computed tomography (CT). There was no hepatic mass seen on abdominal CT. The resected mass consisted of epithelioid cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, pleomorphic vesicular nuclei and prominent nucleoli, and the mass was surrounded by thymic tissue. The tumor cells were immunopositive for cytokeratin 7, alpha-1-antitrypsin, hepatocyte staining, and epithelial membrane antigen, but they were negative for CD5, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and placental alkaline phosphatase, and this all led to a diagnosis of hepatoid thymic carcinoma rather than hepatoid yolk sac tumor. This entity should be included in the differential diagnosis of epithelioid thymic tumors.
Adult ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endodermal Sinus Tumor ; Eosinophils ; Epithelioid Cells ; Fever ; Headache ; Hepatocytes ; Humans ; Keratin-7 ; Mucin-1 ; Thorax ; Thymoma ; Thymus Gland ; Thymus Neoplasms

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The prognosis of primary hepatocellular carcinoma is extremely poor because of its large size, portal vein thrpombosis, extrahepatic metastasis and underlying liver cirrhosis. The aim, of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of ultrasound screening test for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in high-ridk populations. METHODS: We analysed 119 patients who were diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma by ultrasonography screening test in Yonsei University Severance Hospital from the period of January 1990 to December 1996. RESULT: The mean follow-up duration to the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma was 30 months (range 3-75). The number of patients with single lesion was 89(75%). The mean diameter of the tumor was 3.0 cm (range 1-10) , 82 patients (70%) had masses measured less than 3cm in diameter. The Number of patients with elevated serum alphafetoprotein level above 400ng/ml was 29(25%). The median survival was 28 months in screening group, significant compared with 7 months in control group (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound follow-up in high-ridk group of hepatocellular carcinoma mede it possible to detect small tumors in a high percentage of cases. This may lead to an increase in the number of potentially curable tumors and hence an increase in the overall survival rate. So ultrasound screening test is important in the high-ridk group of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Mass Screening* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Portal Vein ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate ; Ultrasonography*

We experienced a rare case of an epidural arteriovenous fistula, which presented with symptoms similar to those of cervical radiculopathy. An 18-years-old woman suffered from neck pain, which radiated to the left upper extremity for 4 months. On neurologic examination, there were sensory impairments of the left C4 to C8 dermatomes and intermittent weakness in both lower extremities after exercise. An MRI of the cervical spine demonstrated a mass, which produced a serpentine-like signal void within the spinal canal from C1 to C7. The feeding artery of the fistula and the arterialized epidural venous plexus within the spinal canal were found on vertebral angiography. One year after an endovascular embolization with platinum coils, the clinical symptoms resolved and complete resolution of the arteriovenous fistula was confirmed by angiogram and MRI scan.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Female ; Fistula ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neck Pain ; Neurologic Examination ; Platinum ; Radiculopathy ; Spinal Canal ; Spine* ; Upper Extremity*