In order to establish the predicted normal values of the systolic time intervals the duration of the systolic time intervals measured from simultaneous recordings of the electrocardiogram, the phonocardiogram and the carotid pulse tracing. The subjects studied were 160 healthy males and 160 females. The mean ages of males and females were 29 and 31 years old, respectively. The transformation period was not closely related to heart rate, and its mean values for males and females were 58 and 56 msec., respectively, and the mean for males and females combined was 57 msec. The remainder of the systolic time intervals, however, showed a significant linear and inverse relation to heart rate. Thus, based upon these data regression equations for the prediction of the normal values of electromechanical systole, left ventricular ejection time, mechinical systole, precjection period andisovolumiccontraction time for males, females, and males and females combined were obtained.
Adult ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Male ; Reference Values* ; Systole*

Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration(CAVH) is used to treat hemodynamically unstable patients with renal failure, refractory ascites and edema, sepsis, or ARDS patients. Patients received CAVH during a 3-year-period from March 1994 to February 1997. Their clinical findings were analyzed retrospectively, and the results were as follows; They were 6 men and 3 women from 28 to 62 years. 3 patients had ARDS, 2 patients had CHF. The remainder had SLE, liver cirrhosis, septic shock with cholangitis, diabetic ketoacidosis with pulmonary edema. The duration of treatment ranged from 30 to 50 hours, with a mean of 41.6+/-6.9 hours. The total fluid repalcement was 22.4+/-1.7L and the mean fluid loss was 3.9+/-2.6L. Changes in serum BUN, creatinine, sodium, potasium before and after treatment were not significantly diffrent. The complication of CAVH is clotting of hemofilter, hypotension, bleeding, and mild thrombocytopenia. 2 of 3 ARDS patients expired during CAVH, liver cirrhosis patient expired later due to hepatic encephalopathy, and, finally 6 patients discharged with improved conditions. In conclusion, CAVH, a safe and effective therapy in hemodynamically unstable patients with renal failure, refractory ascites and edema, sepsis, or ARDS patients.
Ascites ; Cholangitis ; Creatinine ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis ; Edema ; Female ; Hemofiltration* ; Hemorrhage ; Hepatic Encephalopathy ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Male ; Pulmonary Edema ; Renal Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis ; Shock, Septic ; Sodium ; Thrombocytopenia

A 74-year-old woman presented with a month-long nausea and vomiting, then she could not take a meal. She had found an asymptomatic 4th ventricular mass 6 year ago as a preoperative work-up for ovarian cancer. And during the yearly follow-up, the mass had grown continuously over 6 years, and caused symptoms in the seventh year. MRI revealed a large ovoid extra-axial mass in the fourth ventricle compressing adjacent medulla and cerebellum. Surgery achieved near total resection since the tumor tightly adhered to the brain stem of 4th ventricle floor. The histological diagnosis was ependymoma (WHO grade II). She transferred rehabilitation facility for mild gait disturbance, hoarseness and swallowing difficulty. Fourth ventricle ependymoma in the elderly is extremely rare and the growth rate has not been reported. Here, we present a rare care of 4th ventricle ependymoma found asymptomatic at elderly but continuously grow to cause local pressure symptoms.
Aged ; Brain Stem ; Cerebellum ; Deglutition ; Diagnosis ; Ependymoma ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fourth Ventricle ; Gait ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meals ; Nausea ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Rehabilitation ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND: Fas is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)/nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor family. Triggering of the Fas receptor pathway by its ligand results in apoptosis. Soluble Fas consists of the extracellular region of Fas receptor and it binds to Fas ligand to inhibit the Fas and Fas ligand induced apoptosis. Recently some evidence indicates that the Fas/Fas ligand system represents an important pathway responsible for the induction of apoptosis in bone marrow CD34+ cells of patients with aplastic anemia. METHODS: We measured serum soluble Fas levels in 27 patients with aplastic anemia at diagnosis using ELISA to define the status of soluble Fas in this disorder. RESULTS: Levels of serum soluble Fas in patients with aplastic anemia were lower com-pared with that of normal healthy controls. No difference was noted in the serum soluble Fas levels according to severity of disease. No correlation was found between serum soluble Fas levels and hematologic parameters at diagnosis such as neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, platelet count and corrected reticulocyte count. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that serum soluble Fas levels are decreased in patients with aplastic anemia. Further studies recruiting more patients and measuring Fas receptor on peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and bone marrow CD34+ cells concomitantly may be helpful to determine pathophysiology of bone marrow failure.
Anemia, Aplastic* ; Antigens, CD95 ; Apoptosis ; Bone Marrow ; Diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fas Ligand Protein ; Humans ; Lymphocyte Count ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; Neutrophils ; Platelet Count ; Reticulocyte Count ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

BACKGROUND: 15,16-dihydrotanshinone I (DHTS) is a natural abietane diterpenoid that is mainly found in the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Labiatae). DHTS exhibits a potential anti-proliferative effect in various human cancer cells. However, the mechanisms of action of DHTS as an anti-cancer agent have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the present study investigated the anti-cancer effect of DHTS in terms of cell cycle regulation and the regulation of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in SK-HEP-1 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. METHODS: The anti-proliferative effects of DHTS were evaluated by the sulforhodamine B assay in SK-HEP-1 cells. Cell cycle distribution was analyzed by flow cytometry. The elucidation of mechanisms of action such as the AMPK/AKT/mTOR and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was assessed by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: DHTS showed a significant anti-proliferative activity against SK-HEP-1 cells. DHTS induced cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase, which was mediated by downregulation of cyclin D1, cyclin A, cyclin E, CDK4, CDK2, c-Myc and p-Rb expression and with increased expression of the CDK inhibitor p21. DHTS also activated the AMPK signaling. In addition, DHTS downregulated the Akt/mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the anti-proliferative activity of DHTS might be associated with the induction of G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest and regulation of AMPK/Akt/mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways in SK-HEP-1 cells.
AMP-Activated Protein Kinases ; Blotting, Western ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Cell Cycle ; Cyclin A ; Cyclin D1 ; Cyclin E ; Cyclins ; Down-Regulation ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Protein Kinases ; Salvia miltiorrhiza

Lung cancer is one of the most common causative cancers worldwide. Particularly, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 85% of all lung cancer cases. NSCLC is a serious form of lung cancer that requires prompt diagnosis, and the 5-year survival rate for patients with this disease is only 24%. Gibbosic acid H (GaH), a natural lanostanoid obtained from the Ganoderma species (Ganodermataceae), has antiproliferative activities against colon and lung cancer cells. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antiproliferative activity of GaH in NSCLC cells and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.GaH was found to induce G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and autophagy by activating adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase in A549 and H1299 cells. The induction of this cell cycle arrest was associated with the downregulation of cyclin E1 and CDK2.Additionally, the induction of autophagy by GaH was correlated with the upregulation of LC3B, beclin-1, and p53 expression. GaH also induced apoptosis by upregulating cleaved caspase-3 and Bax in the lung cancer cells. These findings suggest that GaH has a potential in the growth inhibition of human lung cancer cells.

No abstract available.
Humans

PURPOSE: Recent studies in an obstructive jaundice rat model showed that the bile duct epithelium is also very important in the bile duct dilatation besides the increased luminal pressure. This study evaluated the role of iNOS in the bile duct epithelium in a rat obstructive jaundice model. METHODS: Bile duct ligations were performed in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The bile ducts were harvested on seven consecutive days. Immunohistochemical staining in the bile duct was performed using anti-iNOS polyclonal antibodies. Aminoguanidine (an iNOS antagonist) was injected intraperitoneally after bile duct ligation (0, 100, and 200 mg/kg/day, n=6 in each group). One week after surgery, the diameter of bile duct was measured and bile was collected for NO analysis by 280NOA (Silvers). RESULTS: The iNOS expression level was increased in the dilated ductal epithelium after the bile duct ligation but not in the normal epithelium. Aminoguanidine decreased the mean diameter of the bile duct after the bile duct ligation: 11/-2.3 mm in the duct ligation only group; 7.5+/-0.75 mm in the 100 mg/kg/day aminoguanidine; 6+/-0.82 mm in the 200 mg/kg/day of aminoguanidine group (mean+/-SE, P<0.05). The NO concentration in the bile was decreased by aminoguanidine: 16+/-4.2 mM in the sham operation group; 40+/-4.5 mM in duct ligation only group; 34+/-6.4 mM in the 100 mg/kg/day of aminoguanidine group; 11+/-1.2 mM in the 200 mg/kg/day of aminoguanidine group (mean+/-SE). CONCLUSION: Bile duct ligation induced iNOS expression in the dilated bile duct epithelium and the iNOS antagonist partially inhibited bile duct dilatation. iNOS induction in the epithelium is partly responsible for the dilatation of the bile duct after duct ligation.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Bile Ducts* ; Bile* ; Dilatation ; Epithelial Cells* ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Ligation* ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II* ; Phenobarbital ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Cystic parathyroid adenoma is one of rare causes of hyperparathyroidism, and tends to cause increased serum level of parathyroid hormone, alkaline phosphate and serum calcium level similar to when compared to those of solid adenoma.
Adenoma ; Calcium ; Carcinoma ; Hyperparathyroidism ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Parathyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms

Most of treatments have been performed laparotomy, but the rapid advances in laparoscopic operative and laboratory techniques and instrument allowed to apply laparoscopic surgery to this disease. We have reviewed 342 cases of ectopic pregnancy from march 1994 to march 2001.The cornual pregnancies were 21 case (6.1%), and the laparoscopic management in 11 cases. The mean gestational age at the time of laparoscopic surgery was 9.1 1.2 (n=11) weeks, and laparotomy was 9.4 1.3 (n=10) weeks. There were no significant difference. The mean operation time of laparoscopic surgery was 72.8 25.5minutes, and laparotomy was 68.3 24.3minutes. The mean hospital days of laparoscopic surgery were 4.9 2.4days, and laparotomy were 6.6 2.3days. In conclusion, laparoscopic surgery can be used as effective and safe as laparotomy for cornual pregnancy.
Female ; Gestational Age ; Laparoscopy* ; Laparotomy* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnancy, Ectopic