The serotonin has been known to play important roles in pathology of the mood disorders. We summerize the evidences of serotonin in pathology of the mood disorders in a view of neuroanatomical and neurochemical aspects. Nowaday, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs)may be practically the first line of antidepressants with traditional tricyclic antidepressants(TCAs. Authors review the role of serotonin in the treatment of the mood disorders, in a view of the general considerations in selecting antidepressants, pharmacology, therapeutic, indications, side effects, doses of medication, drug-discontinuation syndrome, drug-to-drug interactions, and special therapeutic situations.
Antidepressive Agents ; Mood Disorders* ; Pathology* ; Pharmacology ; Serotonin*

Candida albicans is the most common cause of infectious esophagitis and usually is an opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients. Dysphagia and odynophagia are the usual presenting complaints and, importantly, oral lesions are absent in 50 percent of patients. The role of gastrointestinal endoscopy in diagnosing fungal infections of the esophagus is primary. It is the most definitive and often the only method of detecting esophageal candidiasis. Accurate endoscopic diagnosis by biopsy or brushing leads to the initiation nf effective therapy. We have experienced a case of esophageal candidiasis in an 11-year-old girl who was immunologically normal and whose main symptoms were epigastric abdominal pain and nausea for 4 months. The endoscopic and pathologic findings of esophageal candidiasis were presented.
Abdominal Pain* ; Biopsy ; Candida albicans ; Candidiasis* ; Child* ; Deglutition Disorders ; Diagnosis ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Esophagitis ; Esophagus* ; Female ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Intestines* ; Nausea ; Opportunistic Infections ; Stomach*

This study is to determine the biomechanical characteristics of Korean adults. Male 32 and female 28 were participated for the measurement which was performed by immersion method and reaction board method. Body segments were head with neck, trunk, upper arm, forearm, hand, thigh, leg and foot. Their volumes were measures by immersion method. Their weight were determined by using Dempster (1955), Drills and Contini (1969) density data. Each COM (center of mass) of body segment weight were determined by specific posture on the reaction board. The postures were asked to the subject total arm-lifted posture, forearm-lifted posture, total leg-lifted posture, leg-lifted posture. According to each posture, the COM of each segment were calculated. Also, center positions of mass according to posture change were estimated. The results were compared with cadaver data from Dempster (1955), Cluaser (1969), Matsui (1958) which are applied very often and also bio data from Lim (1994) and Jung (1993) on Korean adults.
Adult* ; Arm ; Cadaver ; Female ; Foot ; Forearm ; Hand ; Head ; Humans ; Immersion ; Leg ; Male ; Methods ; Neck ; Posture ; Thigh

No abstract available.
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone*

To investigate if excimer laser ablation of the corneal stroma affect the Barrier function of the corneal endothelial cells and to establish the depth Of excimer laser ablation that will not impair endothelial barrier.
Corneal Stroma ; Endothelial Cells ; Lasers, Excimer* ; Permeability*

The authors reviewed clinical data and 50 pathologic specimens from 41 patients of prostate adenocarcinoma filed in the Department of Pathology, Hanyang University school of Medicine, in order to evaluate correlation between clinical stages and histopathologic grades of prostate adenocarcinoma. Each of five currently used grading systems were compared with clinical stages of prostate adenocarcinomas. The followings results were obtained: All of the grading systems were relatively well correlated with clinical progression of the tumon. Histologic grading systems including Gleason's grading system, Gleasons scoring system and M.D. Anderson system showed better correlation than cytologic grading system of Mostofi. Gaeta gradings system regarding both histologic and cytologic aspects of the carcinoma showed good correlation to clinical stage with correlation coefficient of 0.654. Combined scoring system of cytologic and histologic grades (Mostofi-M.D. Anderson combined scoring system) showed better correlation to the clinical stage than single individual grading s system. The author conclued that Gleasons histologic grading system with cytologic characteristics of tumor cells would represent best parameter of clinical progression of the prostate adenocarcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVES: This research was intended to investigate the relationship between manganese and malodndialdehyde concentration in tissues of rats exposed to maganese chloride. METHODS: The study groups were 12 manganese treated rats and 9 control rats. Manganese treated rats were given intraperitoneally manganese chloride (Mn, 4 mg/kg) daily for a period of 30 days except Sunday. Control rats were injected 1ml of saline. The plasma manganese concentrations of rats were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The tissue manganese concentration was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Malondialdehyde, the product of lipid peroxidation was determined by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry. The plasma malondialdehyde was determined by gas chromatography with mass-detector. Protein concentration was quantified by ultraviolet-visible spectrometry and was used for the compensation of tissue malondialdehyde and manganese concentration. RESULTS: Manganese concentrations of plasma, brain, liver, and pancreas were very significantly higher in the manganese-treated rats than in the control rats. Malondialdehyde concentration of plasma, brain, and pacrease were significantly higher in the manganese-treated rats than in the control rats. The concentration of malondialdehyde was correlated with manganese levels in plasma, brain and pancreas. Conclusion: Based on the results obtained as above, it was concluded that the malondialdehyde, product of lipid peroxidation was related to the cell death due to dosing excess manganese.
Absorption ; Animals ; Brain ; Cell Death ; Chromatography, Gas ; Compensation and Redress ; Graphite ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver ; Malondialdehyde* ; Manganese* ; Pancreas ; Plasma ; Rats* ; Spectrophotometry ; Spectrum Analysis

OBJECTIVES: Risperidone is a new antipsychotic drug developed to overcome the therapeutic limitation of conventional antipsychotics. It responses to negative as well as positive symptoms by blocking both dopaminergic and serotonergic receptors, causing no significant side effects such as agranulocytosis and seizure. It is, however, not known whether it induces any serious cardiovascular side effects as evoked by other conventional antipsychotic drugs. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of risperidone on cardiovascular function, and to discuss the factors affecting the cardiovascular function. METHODS: For 42 patients(22 males and 20 females) diagnosed as schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder or schizoaffective disorder according to the DSM-IV classification, the cardiovascular fuctions such as heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, PR interval, QRS interval and QT inerval were successively checked before and after 2 weeks and 4 weeks risperidone administration. Furthermore, variables such as body weight, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale(BPRS), Clinical Global Impression(CGE), Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale(ESRS), Anticholinergic Rating Scale(ARS), serum cholesterol level, serum triglyceride level, serum high-density-lipoprotein level, serum WBC, serum Hb, serum platelet level, prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time were also analyzed before and after 2 weeks and 4 weeks risperidone administration. RESULTS: 1) Risperidone treatment resulted in a significantly decreased heart rate and increased QT interval after 4 weeks administration(p<0.005 respectively). 2) The scores of BPRS and CGI were significantly decreased after 2 weeks and 4 weeks risperidone adminisration as compared with baseline(p<0.001 respectively). The scores of ESRS and ASRS were significantly increased after 2 weeks and 4 weeks risperidone administration as compared with baseline(p<0.001 respectively). 3) There were positive correlations between heart rate after 4 weeks and total dose(p<0.05). Blood pressure was significantly(p<0.05) correlated with sex(higher in male) and significantly(p<0.05) positive correlated with body weight. QT interval was significantly(p<0.05) correlated with sex(longer in female) and smoking history(shorter in smokers). CONCLUSIONS: Risperidone could induce significant change in heart rate and Q-T interval. Therefore, the cardiovascular safety for risperidone should be reconsidered according to the duration and dosage increase.
Agranulocytosis ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Blood Platelets ; Blood Pressure ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Classification ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Male ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Prothrombin Time ; Psychotic Disorders ; Risperidone* ; Schizophrenia ; Seizures ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides

BACKGROUND: Doxylamine succinate(DS) is an antihistamine commonly used as an over-the-counter medication to relieve insomnia and frequently involved in overdoses. Its overdoses are dominated by anticholinergic effect. Recently it was revealed that DS had a direct effect on muscle, while its exact mechanism is not clear yet. We evaluated the patients with rhabdomyolysis induced by DS overdose for patients disposition based upon clinical decision, especially by creatinine phosphokinase(CPK). METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of patients admitted by DS overdose from Jan. 1998 to Oct. 1999. Seventy and nine cases of DS overdose were evaluated with respect to age and sex distribution, amount ingested, clinical symptomatology, time from ingestion to visit, pattern of CPK, amount of bicarbonate used as therapy, complication and prognosis, especially in patients complicated rhabdomyolysis. RESULTS: Rhabdomyolysis, diagnosed as more than 1,000I. U/L of CPK, has been noted in 25(31.6%) of 79 cases of DS overdose visited to our emergency department(ED). In patients diagnosed rhabdomyolysis, the number of man was 10 cases(40%) and the number aged between 20 and 40 years was 22 cases(88%). The average time from DS ingestion to ED visit was 459 minutes. The amount of DS ingested was 500-5,000mg(mean, 1,980mg). 13(52%) cases ingested less than 2,250mg of DS. The initial levels of CPK(range, 48-14900I. U/L; normal range, 26-200I. U/L) after admitting to our emergency department were normal in 15 cases(60%) of rhabdomyolysis patients. The range of peak CPK levels after ingestion was 607 to 412,500I. U/L(mean, 33,550I. U/L). Its peak time was 6 to 96 hours(mean, 28.96 hours). In 14 cases(67%) of 21 visiting within 24 hours after ingestion, peak time of CPK ranged 12 to 24 hours after ingestion. The amount of bicarbonate used as therapy of rhabdomyolysis ranged 100 to 2,740mEq(mean, 656mEq) and all patients was discharged after improvement without other complication including acute renal failure. CONCLUSIONS : Although patients ingested less than 2,250mg of DS, emergency physicians should observe them more than 24 hours after DS ingestion with CPK follow-up after gastric irrigation and charcoal administration.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Charcoal ; Creatinine ; Doxylamine* ; Eating ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastric Lavage ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Prognosis ; Reference Values ; Retrospective Studies ; Rhabdomyolysis* ; Sex Distribution ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Succinic Acid*

No abstract available.
Factor VIII* ; Hemophilia A* ; Humans