No abstract available.
Blood Component Transfusion*

Parameters of the left ventricular performance were evaluated by echocardiographic examination in 66 normal subjects. Effects of pulse rate, systemic arterial pressure, peripheral resistance and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension on the parameters were also observed. Normal value(mean+/-SD) of fractional shortening was 34.0+/-5.2%, ejection fraction 0.71+/-0.07, mean rate of circumferential fiber shortening 1.15+/-0.19 circ/sec, mean posterior wall velocity 4.05+/-0.70cm/sec, maximal posterior wall velocity 6.31+/-1.26cm/sec, mean normalized posterior wall velocity 0.82+/-0.14/sec, and maximal normalized posterior wall velocity 1.28+/-0.24/sec. There were negative correlations of peripheral resistance to fractional shortening, ejection fraction and mean rate of circumferential fiber shortening. Pulse rate and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension did not have significant effects on these parameters. Mean and maximal posterior wall velocity had negative correlations to peripheral resistance and positive correlations to left ventricular end-diastolic dimension. But mean and maximal normalized posterior wall velocity had no correlations to any of them.
Arterial Pressure ; Echocardiography* ; Heart Rate ; Vascular Resistance

BACKGROUND: Adenosine 5'-tetraphosphate(ATPP), an endogenous nucleotide, is stored in cells and released into the extracellular space upon stimulation. Some of the biological responses to ATPP were reported, but characteristics of its receptor were not well known. Present study was conducted to investigate the effects of ATPP on mechanical contractility, resting membrane potential and action potential of rat left atrium. METHODS: Left atrium was isolated from Sprague-Dawley rat. Mechanical contraction induced by electrical field stimulation(EFS) was recorded on polygraph using force transducer. With glass microelectrodes(10 MOmega), potential difference across the membrane was measured and recorded on an oscilloscope and a polygraph. RESULTS: ATPP reduced the left atrial contractility with concentration-dependent manner. ATPP also hyperpolarized the resting membrane potential and decreased the action potential duration of the left atrial cell. Nucleotides other than ATPP, such as ATP, ADP, AMP and adenosine, have the same effect as ATPP. However, there is no difference among the nucleotides. Prior treatment of DPCPX, a P1-purinoceptor blocker, inhibited the ATPP-induced negative inotropism and changes of the membrane potential. But suramin, a nonselective P2-purinoceptor blocker, did not alter the effects of ATPP. alpha, beta methylene ADP and adenosine deaminase, which attenuates hydrolysis of adenine nucleotides and inactivates adenosine respectively, did not influence the effects of adenine nucleotides except for adenosine. CONCLUSION: ATPP reduced the mechanical contractility, hyperpolarized the resting membrance potential and decreased duration of action potential of rat left atrium. These effects were induced by ATPP directly, not by adenosine from hydrolyzed ATPP.
Action Potentials ; Adenine Nucleotides ; Adenosine Deaminase ; Adenosine Diphosphate ; Adenosine Triphosphate ; Adenosine* ; Animals ; Extracellular Space ; Glass ; Heart Atria ; Hydrolysis ; Membrane Potentials ; Membranes ; Muscle Contraction ; Nucleotides ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Purinergic ; Suramin ; Transducers

We report a case of Wells' syndrome consisting chiefly of papular, vesicular, pustular and vegetative lesions on the trunk, lower extremities and palms in a 48-year-old female, though characteristic lesions of this syndrome are known to be cellulitis or urticaria like plaques. Only a few cases with such lesions as ours have been reported until now. Histologic finding showed spongiotic vesicles in the epidermis and diffuse dense infiltration of eosinophils with characteristic flame figures in the dermis. In addition, marked blood eosinophilia was noted. We tried oral prednisolone for 3 weeks, and the skin lesions improved almost completely.
Cellulitis ; Dermis ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Middle Aged ; Prednisolone ; Skin ; Urticaria

BACKGROUND: Uracil nucleotides are stored in platelets and all other cells, and are released into the extracellular space upon stimulation. They show various biological responses but their actions and mechanism are not well understood. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of uridine 5'-triphosphate(UTP) on vascular tone and to identify the characteristics of their receptors. METHODS: Aortic ring preparation were made from the rat descending thoracic aorta. Endo-thelial cells were preserved or removed by gentle rubbing, The basal tension of aortic ring was lgm and isometric contraction were recorded on polygraph using force transducer. RESULTS: In aortic ring Precontracted by 100nM norepinephrine, UTP induced dual effect with various concentrations. UTP elicited endothelium-dependent relaxation at low concentrations(100nM-10microM), and endothelium-independent contraction at high concentrations(more than 30microM). Among uracil nucleotides, UDP was as much effective as UTP in vascular tone, but UMP and uridine were not. UTP(pA50 6.15) was more potent than ATP(5.17), ITP(4.75) and other nucleotides(TTP, GTP, CTP). At basal tension, UTP induced relaxation at low concentrations and contraction at hige concentrations in endothelium-intact ring. But in endothelium-removed ring, UTP elicited only contraction. Prior treatment of aortic ring with suramin, a non-selective P2-purinoceptor blocker, inhibited UTP-Induced relaxation and contraction. Reactive blue-2, a P2gamma purinoceptor blocker, inhibited relaxation only, but alpha, beta-methylene ATP, a P2x Purinoceptor blocker, enhanced contractile response. ATP inhibited the UPT-induced relaxation, but 2-methylthio ATP did not alter the effects of UTP. It means that UTP and ATP act at the same receptor but 2-methylthio ATP does not. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that UTP-induced relaxation is mediated by nucleotide receptors on endothelium and the contraction is mediated by pyrimidinoceptors on vascular smooth muscle.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Animals ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic* ; Endothelium ; Extracellular Space ; Guanosine Triphosphate ; Isometric Contraction ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Norepinephrine ; Rats* ; Receptors, Purinergic ; Receptors, Purinergic P2X ; Relaxation ; Suramin ; Transducers ; Uracil Nucleotides ; Uridine Diphosphate ; Uridine Monophosphate ; Uridine Triphosphate ; Uridine*

Many investigators were interested in the pathogenesis and the relationship between microscopical features and clinical behavior of hydatidiform mole. Trophoblastic cells in the trophoblastic disease were intensively examined histologically, ultrastructurally, immunohistochemically, and with hormone assay method, etc. But ultrastructural study on the stroma of hydatidiform mole was scarcely reported. In this paper, hydatidiform mole was examined at light and electron microscopic levels, with emphasis on the stroma. The results were as follows: 1) Hydropic degeneration of H-mole is more severe in the center of stroma and is not related with the degree of trophoblastic proliferation. Hofbauer cell and vascular structure are extremely rarely observed in the periphery of stroma which has relatively preserved cellular components. 2) Basement membrane is sometimes separated from trophoblastic layer. Degenerated cells in the stroma contain vacuoles, autophagosomes, and lipid droplets. Collagen is abundant in the loose interstitium. Hofbauer cells have no lysosome or phagosome. Vascular lumen is patient and endothelial cells are degenerated. From the above results, H-mole may be produced due to abnormal changes of trophoblasts and stromal changes may be a secondary process, so called autolysis. Hofbauer cells are not engaged in the stromal degeneration and may be different from usual tissue macrophages.

The aim of the investigation was to study the efficacy and safety of Famotidine (Gaster), a new, potent, histamine H-receptor antagonist. The Famotidine (40 mg p.o.h.s) was administered to 22 patients with 33 peptic ulcers for 4 weeks. Follow up checking was done at 2 week and 4 week by endoscopy and physical examination. All patients were carefully evaluated at regular intervals for adverse drugh reactions by clinical and laboratory examinations. By the end of study, 97% of the ulcers were healed by endoscopically and rapid and complete relief of epigastric pain was observed in all patients. Famotidine treatment was well tolerated and no alterations in laboratory tests were noted. Therfore, Famotidine was proved effective in the treatment of peptic ulcers (especially multiple ulcers) and was well tolerted on the short-term basis.
Endoscopy ; Famotidine* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Histamine ; Humans ; Peptic Ulcer* ; Physical Examination ; Ulcer

The clinical and histopathologic study of 26 cases with tsutsugamushi disease seen at the Department of Derrnatology, Kosin Medical Center, Pusan, Korea from October 1986 to December 1988 was performed. The results were summarized as follows : 1. Age distribution was from 12 to 73 years and male to female ratio was 1: 1.2 (1P, males 14 females). 2. The disease occurred from September to December in a year. The peak incidence was in October (61.5%). 3. Major clinical manifestations were as follows : Chill, fever and headache (100 %), maculopapular eruption (90.2%), eschar (88.5%) and myalgia (84.6%). 4. Eschars were distributed on the abdomen (34.8%), chest (30.4%), leg (7.4%) and ot.her sites. 5. Histopathologic findings of the erythernatous macules in 24 patients showed epiderrnal changes including exocytosis of rnononuclear cells (66.7%), liquefaction degeneration of basal cells (54.2%), spongiosis (33.3%) and epidermal cell necrosis (29.2%). Dermal changes revealed vascular dilatation and perivascular infiltration of rnononuclear cells (100%), extravasated RBC (50%), and edema of papillary dermis (45.8%). Epidermal changes around the eschar were liquefaction degeneration of basal cells (52.2%), spongiosis (43.5%) and exocytosis of mononuclear cells (30.4%). Dermal changes included vascular dilatation and perivascular mononuclear cell infiltration (100%), vessel wall necrosis (73.9%), ederna of papillary dermis (65.2%) and endothelial cell swelling (65.2%).
Abdomen ; Age Distribution ; Busan ; Dermis ; Dilatation ; Edema ; Endothelial Cells ; Exocytosis ; Female ; Fever ; Headache ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Leg ; Male ; Myalgia ; Necrosis ; Scrub Typhus* ; Thorax

A 47-year-old male patient presented us with erythematous, telangiectatic, purpuric or hyperpigmented patqhes, recurrent painful ulceration and ivory white atrophic scars on the lower portions of his legs, ankles and dorsal surfaces of both feet exacerbating on every summer for 5 years. The histopathalogical findings of an atrophic patch showed endothelial proliforetiion, partial occlusion of the dermal capillaries and fibrinoid material) on the superficial blood vessels, This patient was treated with aspirin and dipyriclamole for 4 months, and the skin lesions were improved significantly.
Ankle ; Aspirin ; Blood Vessels ; Capillaries ; Cicatrix ; Foot ; Humans ; Leg ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Skin ; Ulcer ; Vasculitis*

No abstract available.
Hypertrophy*