No abstract available.
Popliteal Artery

PURPOSE: Because cryptorchid testes are known to undergo histopathologic changes affecting development, maturation, and tertility, early surgical correction is usually recommended. However there are differing opinions concerning whether retractile testes are affected by similar changes and also whether there is a need for surgical treatment. We aimed to assess the histopathologic changes in retractile testis by studying the changes in testes artificially placed back in the abdomen after they have descended to scrotum in experimental rat models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups; a control group(controls), prepubertal ascent group (P) in which testis were placed back intraabdominally by bilateral inguinal canal obstruction at 6 weeks, a neonatal group(N) in which intraabdminal testis was induced by bilateral inguinal canal obstruction at birth. The relative weight of the testis, morphology of the seminiferous tubules including Leydig cells, tubular degeneration phase(TDP), spermatogonia per tubules(S/T), and Sertoli cell index (SCI) of these three groups were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: The relative weight of testis was significantly decreased in the group of N(0.0016+/-0.001) and P(0.0015+/-0.0002) compared to controls(0.0037+/-0.0002) (p<0.05). The S/T value was also decreased in P(2.05+/-18.2) and N(73.2+/-32.4) when compared to controls (360.2+/-21.3). Similar changes were observed in SCI of both P(64.5+/-6.4) and N (91.2+/-14.2) when compared to controls (227.9+/-31.1). Only minority of N and P showed higher TDP values. However, although statistically insignificant, TDP was increased in both P and N when compared to controls. The Leydig cells in N and P showed cellular distortion and hypertrophy. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrate that prepubertal ascent, similar to that of innate cryptorchid testis, also can induce histopathologic changes such as changes in testicular seminiferous tubule, decrease in the S/T value and decrease in SCI value. Our findings supports that hypothesis that retractile testis may cause histological damage thus surgical correction may also be warranted similar to in case of genuine cryptorchism.
Abdomen* ; Animals ; Cryptorchidism ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Inguinal Canal ; Leydig Cells ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Models, Theoretical ; Parturition ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Scrotum ; Seminiferous Tubules ; Spermatogonia ; Testis*

BACKGROUND: The importance of the determination of cell viability has prompted the development of several assays of viability that utilize the exclusion of certain dyes by viable cell membranes. Recently, flow cytometry has been adapted to estimate cell viability by using fluorescent dye which is excluded by living cells on the basis of altered dead cell properties. OBJECTIVE: We have developed a flow Cytometric method for measuring cell viability after staining with propidium iodide (PI) and have compared it with the classical colorimetric method, MTT assay, which is currently widely used in cytotoxicity assays in the research field. METHODS: We performed flow cytometry and MTT assay for the comparison of the sensitivity of the assessment of cell viability. RESULTS: Decrease of cell viability was measured by flow cytometry with the addition of as little as 0.002% Triton-X 100 in comparison to MTT assay which could only reveal a similar decrease of cell viability with the new method to 0.008% Triton-X 100. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate this new method to be more sensitive and simple for the assessment of cell viability.
Cell Membrane ; Cell Survival* ; Coloring Agents ; Flow Cytometry ; Methods* ; Propidium*

No abstract available.
Neoplasm Metastasis*

A patient had total occlusion of the left main coronary artery that was proved by coronary arteriography. Patients with total occlusion of the left main coronary artery have a varying clinical presentation and may have prolonged survival. In patients with good collaterals, left ventricular function may be preserved. This report reveiws the clinical and angiographic findings of a patient with occlusion of the left main coronary artery with symptoms of unstable angina pectoris but without congestive heart failure or EKG evidence of myocardial infarction.
Angina, Unstable ; Angiography ; Coronary Vessels* ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Ventricular Function, Left

In order to examine the morphology and ultrastructure of contaminated soft contact lens by scanning electron microscopy, soft contact lenses were contaminated with P.aeruginosa, S.aureus, S.epidermidis and C .albicans. After incubation of soft contact lens in P.aeruginosa suspension for 60 minutes, a number of P.aeruginosa, S.aureus and S.epidermidis were attached to soft contact lens and amorphous materials covering the some of the soft contact lens surface were observed. Also, C.albicans attached to soft contact lens, looking like healthy and the fine fibrillar material covered the surface of soft contact lens and interconnected between cell walls of C.albicans at 14 days after contamination. Soft contact lens may provide a suitable environment for microorganisms that they could attach and proliferate. And microoragisms themselves secreted amorphous materials to protect them from the outside and promote the proliferation. So, contaminated soft contact lens may play a role as pathogen to the cornea.
Candida albicans ; Cell Wall ; Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic* ; Cornea ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus epidermidis

BACKGROUND: The severity of several chronic inflammatory diseases was reported to be associated with polymorphism of the IL-1 receptor antagonist gene(IL-lrn). OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to study the polymorphism of the IL-1rn in vitiligo and in the normal Korean population. METHODS: Thirty one cases of vitiligo and seventy nine normal Koreans as control were studied for the polymorphism of IL-1 rn. RESULTS: The frequency of allele 2 of the IL- I rn in 31 patients with vitiligo was compared with that of the 79 healthy controls. The frequency of allele 2 was 1.6% in vitiligo patients and 3.8% in the normal controls. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in the frequency of allele 2 between the vitiligo patients and normal controls.
Alleles ; Humans ; Interleukin-1* ; Vitiligo*

OBJECTIVES: REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) has received little attention in epidemiologic studies. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of probable REM sleep behavior disorder (pRBD) in the elderly population and its clinical features. METHODS: A random sample of 1,588 was selected from a roster of 14,050 elderly population living in Osan city. The subjects were asked to fill out the REM sleep behavior disorder screening questionnaire (RBDSQ). Subjects whose score were 5 or higher on RBDSQ underwent a diagnostic phase of person-to-person assessment by experts in RBD. RESULTS: Among 1,588 subjects, 886 elderly subjects participated in the screening phase and 123 subjects were assessed in the diagnostic phase. Eleven subjects were diagnosed as having pRBD, so prevalence was 1.5% (95% CI=0.70-2.30%). The frequency of depression and cognitive decline was significantly increased in patients with pRBD compared to subjects without pRBD, and there was no difference in sleep disturbances between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Probable REM sleep behavior disorder is not rare in the elderly but frequently under-recognized. More attention should be paid to evaluation and treatment of RBD.
Aged ; Depression ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; REM Sleep Behavior Disorder ; Sleep, REM

No abstract available.
Graves Disease* ; Insulin*

The prognosis of infectious endophthalmitis has improved considerably in recent years with refinements in early diagnosis, proper antibiotic therapy and vitreous surgery. But the disease is still potentially catastrophic in spite of proper intervention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of continuous intravitreal irrigation(lavage) after vitrectomy and lensectomy in intractable endophthalmitis. We injected cultured Pseudomonas(1.5 X 10(5)organism/0.1ml) into the anterior chamber or vitreous cavity of 11 rabbits. In both experimental group(8 eyes) and control group(3 eyes), vitrectomy and lensectomy was done 12 hours after inoculation. In the experimental group, silicone tube was installed thru pars plana sclerotomy site as an infusion and drainage port. Vitreous cavity was irrigated for 3 days with normal saline(1000 ml/day) mixed with amikacin (10 mg/day) and dexamethasone(60 mg/day) via this silicone tube. In the control group, we injected 0.1 ml amikacin(100 microgram/0.1 ml) into vitreous cavity at the end of operation and on daily basis for 3 days. Both groups underwent subconjunctival(25 mg/day) and intramuscular (25 mg/kg/day) injection of amikacin for postoperative 3 days. Electroretinograms of two experimental eyes were taken to evaluate retinal toxicity. On postoperative 7th day, all eyes were enucleated to evaluate inflammatory and toxic changes with light microscope. Electroretinograms of experimental eyes became extinguished on the 7th postoperative day. But we observed that the experimental group showed less inflammatory change than control group in the vitreous cavity and retina.
Amikacin ; Anterior Chamber ; Dexamethasone ; Drainage ; Early Diagnosis ; Endophthalmitis* ; Prognosis ; Rabbits ; Retina ; Retinaldehyde ; Silicones ; Vitrectomy