Tumor suppressive effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on the experimentally induced hepatocellular carcinoma was investigated, especially focusing on glutatione transferase and transglutaminase with aptosis in the carcinogenesis. The chemical hepatocarcinogenic procedure of Solt-Farber method was used on Sprague-Dawley rats. Experimental groups were divided into AA group treated by the standard Solt-Farber regimen of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and 2-acetamidofluorene (AAF) and AD group treated with DHEA simultaneously with AAF and the AAD group treated by DHEA after treatment with AAF. Each group was divided by time sequence further into four subgroups, GI (8wk), G2 (16wk), G3 (28wk), and G4 (36wk). For neoplastic lesion, the immuno histochemical study with anti GSTP antibody was carried out, while the activity and expression of TGase was compared at the same time. The results were summarized as follows; GST-P positive foci detected in AD groups were significantly more suppressed by DHEA treatment than AA groups (P<0.05). AD groups. AD group showed higher activities of TGase than AA groups (P<0.05), which was confirmed by Western and Northern blot analysis. But the number of apoptotic bodies was not correlated with activity and expression of TGase in the nodule. These results suggest that the suppressive effect of DHEA on the murine hepatocellular carcinogenesis might be operating on the promotion process of carcinogenesis rather than regression process of transformed hyperplastic nodules.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular

Spinal cord infarction as a complication of spine surgery occurs rarely. Herein, a case of spinal cord infarction, which developed in a 69 year old woman following posterior decompression and internal fixation for a T11 bursting fracture, is descirbed. The anesthetic induction and intraoperative course were uneventful, except at the end of the procedure, where her blood pressure suddenly dropped from 130/90 to 90/60 mmHg. The patient was aggressively treated with a transfusion and vasopressor, the blood pressure then returned to its usual value within 10 minutes. However, during a physical examination in the recovery room, the patient was found to have flaccid lower limbs, with impaired sensory function below the T8 level. Her cord diameter had increased, and a high signal lesion was observed within the thoracic spinal cord, from T9 to T12 level on T2-weighted MR images, which was diagnosing as a spinal cord infarction, was and showed no improvement despite the immediate and aggressive treatment.
Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Decompression ; Female ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Lower Extremity ; Physical Examination ; Recovery Room ; Sensation ; Spinal Cord* ; Spine*

BACKGROUND: Platelet activation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases, which include atherosclerosis, coronary vascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease. There have been controversies with the influence of hormone therapy on platelet activation. The purpose of this study was to define the effect of long-term hormone therapy on platelet activation. METHODS: We recruited a total of 162 postmenopausal women aged 55 and above among wihch eighty healthy postmenopausal women had received hormone therapy for more than 5 years and the remaining eighty- two healthy postmenopausal women with no hormone therapyapy. Baseline characteristics as well as the parameters related to platelet activation were compared between the two groups using T-test. After platelet activation was defined by the reference range, multivariated logistic regression analysis was performed determining the odds ratio of hormone therapy on platelet activation. RESULTS: The MPC and PCDW were significantly lower in the HT group than the Non-HT group (P<0.001), which suggests that platelets were more activated in the HT group more than in the non-HT group. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratio of the possibility of platelet activation in HT group was 19 times (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Long term hormone therapy increased platelet activation significantly, which may be a contributing factor of thromboembolism.
Coronary Artery Disease ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Menopause ; Odds Ratio ; Platelet Activation* ; Reference Values ; Thromboembolism ; Vascular Diseases

BACKGROUND: Recent studies indicate that light-emitting diodes (LED) may represent a novel and effective anti-aging light source for the skin. Among many candidate molecules known to control collagens, caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is known to play an inhibitory role in cutaneous collagen metabolism. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of LED irradiation on the expression levels of Cav-1 and procollagens (proCOLs) in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). METHODS: Cultured HDFs were irradiated with 630 nm LED at different doses, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of Cav-1 and proCOLs I/III were analyzed. RESULTS: In LED-irradiated HDFs, mRNA and protein levels of Cav-1 were found to be down-regulated, whereas those of proCOLs I/III were up-regulated in a dose-dependent manner. A negative correlation between Cav-1 and proCOLs was verified in Cav-1 siRNA transfected HDFs. LED was moreover found to result in up-regulation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 and its receptors (TbetaRI, TbetaRII), SMAD1, and SMAD2 mRNA levels, indicating that LED may activate the TGF-1/TbetaR/SMAD pathway in HDFs. CONCLUSION: The anti-aging effects of 630 nm LED on human skin are likely mediated by up-regulation of proCOLs I/III and inhibition of Cav-1 expression levels in HDFs.
Caveolin 1* ; Collagen ; Fibroblasts* ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Procollagen* ; RNA, Messenger ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Skin ; Transforming Growth Factors ; Up-Regulation

No abstract available.
Down Syndrome* ; Humans ; Psoriasis*

No abstract available.
Hair*

The authors experienced a case of juvenile type cervical arteriovenous malformation. It was apoplectic in onset and represented spastic quadriparesis, sensory impairment and voiding difficulty. The authors treated with total excision of voluminous malformed vessels with good results.
Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Muscle Spasticity ; Quadriplegia

No abstract available.
Bronchiectasis* ; Bronchography*

OBJECTIVE: Heat shock protein family is related to protective mechanism of cells by environmental changes. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of cryopreservation on the heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) expression in mouse ovarian tissue. METHODS: Cryopreservation of mouse ovarian tissue was carried out by slow freezing method. The mRNA level of Hsp90 expression in both fresh and cryopreserved mouse ovarian tissue was analyzed by RT-PCR. The protein expression of Hsp90 was evaluated by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The mRNA and protein of Hsp90 were expressed in both fresh and cryopreserved mouse ovarian tissue. The amount of Hsp90 mRNA was increased in cryopreserved ovarian tissue after 60 and 90 minutes after thawing and incubation. The amount of Hsp90 protein was increased in the cryopreserved ovarian tissue after 6 hours of the incubation in Western blot analysis. In immunohistochemical study, Hsp90 protein was localized in cytoplasm of oocytes and granulosa cells. Significant level of immunoreactive Hsp90 protein was detected in theca cells contrast to the weak expression in ovarian epithelial cells. CONCLUSION: This results showed the increase of Hsp90 expression in both mRNA and protein level in the cryopreserved mouse ovarian tissue. It can be suggested that Hsp90 may play a role in the protective or recovery mechanism against the cell damage during cryopreservaion.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cryopreservation* ; Cytoplasm ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Freezing ; Granulosa Cells ; Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Hot Temperature* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice* ; Oocytes ; RNA, Messenger ; Theca Cells

Cerebral rete mirabile is an entity of particular disease which showed the specific angiographic findings. Many authors have been reported this disease with various discussion in opinion. It's exact pathogenesis and etiology were however unable to establish. Authors had experienced a total of 10 cases with cerebral rete mirabile from 3 period of 1973 to 1977, which were confirmed by cerebral angiography. We attempted to analyze it clinically and discussed with the review of literature. The result were summarized as following; 1) In age and sex distribution, 8 patients were over 20 years old age and 2 cases were below 20. 7 cases were female and 3 male. 2) Majority of cases(8 of 10 cases) were accompanied with subarachnoid hemorrhage and only 2 cases were non-hemorrhagic which all were over 20 years. 3) In 8 cases with subarachnoid hemorrhage initial symptoms were mainly impairment of consciousness and signs of meningeal irritation such as headache and vomiting etc. Other common initial symptoms in both non-hemorrhagic and hemorrhagic cases were hemiparesis, speech disturbance and seizure. 4) All cases disclosed the characteristic angiographic findings of cerebral rete mirabile. A patient showed nonfilling of left carotid system and anomaly of left vertebral artery. Aneurysm of anterior communicating artery was combined in other case. It is our consideration that vertebral angiography must be helpful in this disease to demonstrate the collateral circulation and an abnormal findings of vertebrobasilar system.
Aneurysm ; Angiography ; Arteries ; Cerebral Angiography ; Collateral Circulation ; Consciousness ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Male ; Paresis ; Seizures ; Sex Distribution ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Vertebral Artery ; Vomiting ; Young Adult