We evaluated the effect of the pregnane X receptor agonist, pregnenolone 16 alpha-carbonitrile (PCN) on the expression levels of plasma monoamine transporter (PMAT) in the intestine. Male C57/BL6 mice were divided into two 2 groups: mice in the PCN group (n=3) were administered PCN once a day for 4 days, while those in the control group (n=3) received the same volume of vehicle once a day for 4 days. After the mice were killed 24 h after administration of the last dose of PCN or vehicle, and the expression levels of PMAT in the intestine tissues were isolated and measured the expression level of PMAT using immunohistochemical and western blotting analyses. The expression level of PMAT expression levels in the small intestine increased after PCN treatment. These results suggest that the induction of PMAT may play a clinically significant role by increasing intestinal absorption of PMAT substrates such as metformin.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Membrane* ; Humans ; Intestinal Absorption ; Intestine, Small ; Intestines ; Male ; Metformin ; Mice ; Plasma ; Pregnenolone Carbonitrile

Microcystic meningioma is a distinct morphological variant of meningioma, characterized by loose texture and microcysts with formation of large extracellular spaces containing edematous fluid. The tumor cells have stellate and vacuolated cytoplasm with long cytoplasmic processes. We experienced a case of typical microcystic meningioma occurring in the falx cerebri adjacent to the left superior parasagittal sinus in a 41-year-old man. The tumor showed the typical histologic features with a few nests of meningothelial whorls. The tumor cells showed diffuse immunoreactivity for vimentin, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), and S-100 protein. Ultrastructural study confirmed the meningiomatous nature of the tumor.
Adult ; Case Report ; Human ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Meningeal Neoplasms/metabolism/*pathology ; Meningioma/metabolism/*pathology

To distinguish reactive mesothelial cells from malignant cells in body fluid, we applied silver staining of nucleolar organizer regions(AgNORs) to ethanol fixed cytologic preparations. Fifty aspirated samples of benign(22 cases) and malignant(26 cases) body fluids were studied using the one step silver staining method. Two cytologically atypical samples were also included in the study. In malignant cases the mean AgNOR count was 3.56+/-0.81, while in benign cases the mean AgNOR count was 2.02+/-0.33. The difference of AgNOR counts between these two groups were statistically significant(p<0.001). The mean of atypical cases was 2.91. Both were diagnosed as malignant in follow-up cytology. In malignant effusions, there is statistically significant difference in AgNOR counts between cells forming complex papillae or clusters and singly scattered cells(p<0.05), 3.29+/-0.95 and 3.83+/-0.55, respectively. We concluded that AgNOR count appears to be useful as a diagnostic tool especially when the cytologic differentiation is difficult.
Body Fluids* ; Ethanol ; Follow-Up Studies ; Nucleolus Organizer Region ; Silver Staining

BACKGROUND/AIMS: When combined with pegylated interferon alpha-2b (Peg-IFN alpha-2b) for the treatment of genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in Korea, the current guideline for the initial ribavirin (RBV) dose is based on body weight. However, since the mean body weight is lower for Korean patients than for patients in Western countries, current guidelines might result in Korean patients being overdosed with RBV. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with genotype 1 CHC who were treated with Peg-IFN alpha-2b and RBV combination therapy. We divided the patients into groups A (> or =15 mg/kg/day, n=23) and B (<15 mg/kg/day, n=26), given that the standard dose is 15 mg/kg/day. The clinical course in terms of the virologic response, adverse events, and dose modification rate was compared between the two groups after therapy completion. RESULTS: The early response rates (92.0% vs. 83.3%, P=0.634) and sustained virologic response rates (82.6% vs. 73.1%, P=0.506) did not differ significantly between the two groups. During the treatment period, the RBV dose reduction rate was significantly higher in group A than in group B (60.9% vs. 23.1%, P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: RBV dose reduction is performed frequently when patients are treated according to the current Korean guidelines. Given that lowering the RBV dose did not appear to decrease the virologic response during therapy, reducing RBV doses below the current Korean guideline may be effective for treatment, especially in low-weight patients.
Antiviral Agents/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus/drug effects ; Hepatitis C, Chronic/*drug therapy/virology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Male ; Polyethylene Glycols/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; RNA, Viral/analysis ; Recombinant Proteins/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies ; Ribavirin/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Sex Factors ; Treatment Outcome

Sexual dysfunction is a common problem in patients with end stage renal disease. The pathogenesis of this problem is complex, and includes psychological factors, vascular, and neurological disorders, drug therapy, uremic intoxication and hormonal disturbances. However, we don't have any valid report because pathogenesis and physiologic significance is not proved clearly. With the questionnaire that we provided to our patients, we evaluated the sexual dysfunction in patients with end stage renal disease, and we treated our patient with antidepressants for males and estrogen for females. The results are as follows: 1) Sixty patients among 70 answered the sexual question. Among these, 46 patients (76%) complained of sexual dysfunction, 75% of male patients and 58% of female patients complained of impotence and mensturation disturbance, respectively. Especially, female patients complained of loss of libido as a whole. Also they said that they never tried to do anything to recover their sexual dysfunction. 2) After starting dialysis, 57% of patients showed decrease in coital frequency than before. 58% of patients showed no significant change in subjective sezual symptoms after dialysis. 18% of patients showed significant change in sexual function after anemia treatment. 3) Eighty-eight percents of males and one hundred percents of females treated with antidepressants and estrogen, respectively showed no effect. Finally, we found that sexual dysfunction is a common problem in chronic renal failure, but they never try to recover their conditions. Our therapeutic approach was not effective, but dialysis in CRF patient must be used for lifting the value of life, not by way of life extension. In addition we can make more effective treatment through objective study and psychological examination.
Anemia ; Antidepressive Agents ; Coitus ; Dialysis ; Drug Therapy ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Libido ; Life Expectancy ; Lifting ; Male ; Nervous System Diseases ; Psychology ; Value of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: During ophthalmologic surgery, a variety of anesthetic induction techniques are used in an attempt to prevent the rise of intraocular pressure (IOP). This study compared the effects of etomidate, a new intravenous anesthetic agent, on the changes in IOP with those of thiopental sodium and propofol. METHODS: Forty-five patients were randomly allocated and divided into three groups to be injected intravenously with etomidate 0.2-0.3 mg/kg (E-group, n = 15), propofol 2-3 mg/kg (P-group, n = 15) or thiopental sodium 4-5 mg/kg (T-group, n = 15). Systolic arterial pressure (SAP), heart rate (HR) and intraocular pressure (IOP) were measured at 1, 2 and 3 minutes after the administration of the induction agents. During the induction of anesthesia, the incidence of IV injection pain, myoclonus, hiccup and a decrease in SAP of more than 30% were investigated. RESULTS: At 1, 2 and 3 min following the induction of anesthesia, the SAP in the P-Group decreased significantly more than that in the other two groups (P < 0.05). After the induction, heart rate in the T-Group increased significantly more than that in the other two groups (P < 0.05). The three intravenous agents induced a significant decrease in IOP after an injection (P < 0.05). Comparing the three groups, the IOP in the E- and P-Group decreased significantly more than that in the T-Group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Etomidate may be used as a choice of intravenous induction agent to reduce intraocular pressure in ophthalmologic operations especially in an emergency situation, geriatric and hypovolemic patients.
Anesthesia* ; Arterial Pressure ; Emergencies ; Etomidate* ; Heart Rate ; Hiccup ; Humans ; Hypovolemia ; Incidence ; Intraocular Pressure* ; Myoclonus ; Propofol* ; Sensitivity Training Groups ; Thiopental*

Russell body gastritis is a very rare disease with an uncertain cause. The disease is often misdiagnosed as xanthoma, signet ring cell carcinoma, MALT lymphoma and plasmacytoma. Russell body gastritis is characterized by the polyclonic nature of immunoglobulin and usually tests positive to the kappa and lambda light chains. It is different from a Mott cell tumor, which shows monoclonal nature of immunoglobulin. Until now, few cases have been reported and most were associated with a Helicobacter pylori infection. We encountered a case of Russell body gastritis associated with a Helicobacter pylori infection, which showed complete improvement after eradicating the Helicobacter pylori infection. We report this case with review of the relevant literature.
Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell ; Gastritis* ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Immunoglobulins ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone ; Plasmacytoma ; Rare Diseases ; Xanthomatosis

PURPOSE: We prospectively conducted a multi-center, open-label, randomized phase II trial to compare the efficacy and safety of docetaxel plus cisplatin (DC) and etoposide plus cisplatin (EC) for treating advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-eight previously untreated patients with locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic NSCLC were enrolled in this study. The patients received cisplatin 75 mg/m2 on day 1 and either docetaxel 75 mg/m2 on day 1 or etoposide 100 mg/m2 on days 1 to 3 in the DC or EC arm, respectively, every 3 weeks. RESULTS: The objective response rate was 39.4% (15/38) and 18.4% (7/38) (p=0.023) in the DC and EC arms, respectively. The median time to progression (TTP) was 5.9 and 2.7 months (p=0.119), and the overall survival was 12.1 and 8.7 months (p=0.168) in the DC and EC arms, respectively. The prognostic factors for longer survival were an earlier disease stage (stage III, p=0.0095), the responders to DC (p=0.0174) and the adenocarcinoma histology (p=0.0454). The grades 3 and 4 toxicities were similar in both arms, with more febrile neutropenia (7.9% vs. 0%) and fatigue (7.9% vs. 0%) being noted in the DC arm. CONCLUSION: DC offered a superior overall response rate than does EC, along with tolerable toxicity profiles, although the DC drug combination did not show significantly improved survival and TTP.
Adenocarcinoma ; Arm ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Cisplatin* ; Etoposide* ; Fatigue ; Febrile Neutropenia ; Humans ; Prospective Studies