The effects of testosterone on the pituitary growth hormone (GH) response directly and to hypothalamic growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) were evaluated in vitro using a male pituitary cell monolayer culture system. Wistar male rats were gonadectomized at 22 days of age, and 21 days later their anterior pituitaries were removed and trypsinized for cell dispersion. Testosterone 0, 0.1, 1.0, 10.0 nM was added to the medium for 1 day and GH amounts in media were measured. In another experiment, testosterone 1, 0.1, 1.0, 5.0, 10,0 nM was added to the medioum for 3 days, and subsequently 5 nM GHRH was added for 1 day, thereafter GH amounts in media were measured. The results were as follows: 1) The increase of GH response after testosterone administration to the cultured rat pituitary cell was not significant. 2) The rat pituitary cell response to GHRH was augmented after pretreatment with testosterone. These results are suggested that testosterone has no direct effect on GH secretion, but by increasing the pituitary cell response to GHRH, contributes to the regulation of GH secretion in vitro.
Animals ; Growth Hormone* ; Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone ; Humans ; Male ; Rats* ; Testosterone* ; Trypsin

Uterine didelphys with unilateral hematometra, hemicolpos, and ipsilateral renal agenesis is a rare m01lerian duct malformation. Uterine didelphys with an obstructed hemivagina is frequently associated with renal agenesis, mostly ipsilateral to the blind vaginal pouch. Accurate early diagnosis and septal resection elevate pregnancy rate and birth rate but it is difficult to find these malfomations until the complication associated with pregnancy was developed. We report a case of successful gestational outcome in the presence of preterm labor due to hematometrocolpora caused by uterine didelphys with unilateral imperforated vagina and ipsilateral renal agenesis with brief review of the literatures.
Birth Rate ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Hematometra ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Uterus* ; Vagina

No abstract available.
Skin*

Although the ultrasonography is a useful imaging modality for evaluation of abdominal mass in an infant and child, CT has more advantages over te ultrasonography in assesssing anatomic detail, precise extent of tumor and differential diagnostic accuracy. The authors analyzed CT featurs of 85 cases of pathologically or clinicallyproven pediatric abdominal masses for recent 4.5 years at Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital. The reseults wereas follows: 1. The most common site was kidney (36 cases:42.4%), followed by nonrenal retroperitoneal masses(23cases:27.1%), hepatobiliary masses(15 cases:17.6%), gastrointestinal masses(9 cases: 10.6%), and genital massses(2cases: 2.3%) in order of frequency. 2. Hydronephrosis(17 cases:20%) and Wilms' tumor(17 cases:20%) were mostcommon and splenomegaly(8 cases:9.4%), neuroblastoma(5 cases: 5.9%), teratoma(4 cases:4.7%), rhabdomyosarcoma(4cases: 4.7%) were descending order of frequency. 3. The male to female ratio was 2;1, but female was predominantin teratoma, choledochal cyst and genital masses. Twenty three cases(27.1%) were under the age of one year. 4. Thediagnosis of hydronephrosis, assessment of its severity and localization of exact level of obstruction were easywith CT examination. 5. Characteristic CT features of Wilms' tumor were round or oval shaped, smooth marginated,large intrarenal mass with displaced or obstructed calyces, pseudocapsule and crescent sign; there were noevidence of retroperitoneal lymph node or contiguous extension, retrocrural lymph node enlargement, prevertebralmidline extension, or encasement of the aorta. 6. Typical CT findings of the neuroblastoma wre irregular shaped &marginated extrarenal mass with calcification frequently, accompained by retroperitoneal lymph node or contiguousextension, retrocrural lymph node enlargement, prevertebral midline extenstion and encasement of the aorta; therewere no evidence of pseudocapsule or crescent sign. 7. CT features of teratoma were characteristic, having atleast three or more of different tissue densities among fat, water, soft tissue and calcific densities. 8.Pathology and its extension of retroperitoneal space was demonstrated accurately by CT. 9. Mesenteric, omental andenteric cysts had similar CT appearance particularly very large cystic masses.
Aorta ; Child ; Choledochal Cyst ; Female ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Infant ; Kidney ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Neuroblastoma ; Retroperitoneal Space ; Teratoma ; Ultrasonography ; Water ; Wilms Tumor

A case of carcinoma of the parathyroid gland causing hyperparathyroidism was experienced at the department of orthopaedic surgery, C.A.F.G.H. This patient, a 23 years old male, had complained of a left shoulder pain during the past 3months. And weakness of the lower extremities causing walking disturbance, multiple bone pain, and polyuria had occurred sinoe one month before admission. Physical examination revealed a hard palpable mass in the right anterior region of the neck. Radiologic examination revealed subperiosteal bone resorption in phalanges of the hands and feet, generalized osteoporosis and cystic lesions, and pathologic fracture of the ribs, left humerus, and left femur. Laboratory studies demonstrated hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, increased alkaline phosphatase and PTH, hypercalciuria, and hyperphophaturia. Sonogram and C-T scan of the neck revealed a mass in the right inferior portion of the thyroid. Rib biopsy revealed the findings of ostitis fibrosa cystica, and parathyroid gland and regional lymph node biopsy revealed a parathyroid carcinoma with regional lymph node metastasis.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Biopsy ; Bone Resorption ; Femur ; Foot ; Fractures, Spontaneous ; Hand ; Humans ; Humerus ; Hypercalcemia ; Hypercalciuria ; Hyperparathyroidism ; Hypophosphatemia ; Lower Extremity ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Osteoporosis ; Parathyroid Glands ; Parathyroid Neoplasms ; Physical Examination ; Polyuria ; Ribs ; Shoulder Pain ; Thyroid Gland ; Walking

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic role of 99mTc-Tetrofosmin in detection of breast cancer and compared with that of 99mTc-MIBI. MATERAL AND METHODS: Forty-eight patients with a clinically palpable mass or abnormal mammographic or ultrasonographic findings had 99mTc-MIBI and 99mTc-Tetrofosmin scintimammographies after intravenous injection of 925 MBq of radiopharmaceuticals. The scintimammographs were correlated with histopathologic findings. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients were diagnosed with breast cancer and 15 patients with benign breast diseases. The numbers of true positive, true negative, false positive, and false negative cases of 99mTc-MIBI scintimammography were 29, 10, 5, and 4 respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 99mTc-MIBI scintimammographies were 87.8%, 66.7%, 85.3%, and 71.4% respectively. The numbers of true positive, true negative, false positive, and false negative cases of 99mTc-Tetrofosmin were 31,10, 5, and 2 respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of 99mTc-Tetrofosmin were 93.9%, 66.7%, 86.1%, and 73.3% respectively. One patient was false negative in both 99mTc-MIBI and 99mTc-Tetrofosmin scintimammographies and its size was 0.5cm. CONCLUSION: 99mTc-Tetrofosmin and 99mTc-MIBI were non-invasive and useful in detection of breast cancer and 99mTc-Tetrofosmin was comparable to the 99mTc-MIBI in detection of primary breast cancer.
Breast Diseases ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: Tc-99m MIBI scintimammography has been validated as an useful non-invasive diagnostic tool for the primary breast cancer. But most studies have included small population of patients. We have experienced a large study population and investigated the diagnostie usefulness of Tc-99m MIBI scintimammography in detection of primary breast cancer and axillary Iymph node metastasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 30S patients who underwent scintimammography for palpable breast masses or abnormal radiologic findings. Tc-99m MIRI scintirnammography was performed 10 minutes after intravenous injection of 925 MBq of Tc-99m MIBI. If the early image revealed abnormal finding, 3 hour delayed image was also acquired. We calculated early and delayed lesion to non-lesion ratios (L/N). The pathologic diagnosis was obtained from surgical operation or F.4AB and compared with the results of Tc-99m MIBI scintimammography. RESULTS: Malignant breast diseases were 155 and benign ones were 150. Tc-99m MIBI scintimammography revealed 132 true positive, 23 false negative, 10 false positive, and 140 true negative cases. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for the primary breast cancer detection were 85.2%, 93.4%, 92.9%, and 85.9%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values of Tc-99m MIBI scintimammography in detecting metastatic axillary lymph node involvement were 22%, 90.4%, 61.9% and 62.3%, respectively. Early L/N of malignant breast disease was significantly higher than that of benign one (2,44+/-0.97 vs 1.94+/-0.78, p=0.01). Delayed L/N had no significant difference between malignant an Breast Diseases ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Sensitivity and Specificity

No abstract available.
Growth Hormone* ; Testosterone*

OBJECTIVE: Mammalian follicle cells are the most important somatic cells which help oocytes grow, mature and ovulate and thus are believed to provide oocytes with various functional and structural components. In the present study we have examined whether cumulus or granulosa cells might play a role in establishing the plasma membrane structure of mouse oocytes during meiotic maturation. DESIGN: In particular the differential resistances of mouse oocytes against chymotrypsin treatment were examined following culture with or without cumulus or granulosa cells, or in these cell-conditioned media. RESULTS: When mouse denuded oocytes, freed from their surrounding cumulus cells, were cultured in vitro for 17~18 hr and then treated with 1% chymotrypsin, half of the oocytes underwent degeneration within 37.5 min (t50=37.5+/-7.5 min) after the treatment. In contrast cumulus-enclosed oocytes showed t50=207.0. Similarly, when oocytes were co-cultured with cumulus cells which were not associated with the oocytes but present in the same medium, the t50 of co-cultured oocytes was 177.5+/-13.1 min. Furthermore, when oocytes were cultured in the cumulus cell-conditioned medium, t50 of these oocytes was 190.0+/-10.8 min whereas t50 of the oocytes cultured in M16 alone was 25.5+/-2.9 min. Granulosa cell-conditioned medium also increased the resistance of oocytes against chymotrypsin treatment such that t50 of oocytes cultured in granulosa cell-conditioned medium was 152.5+/-19.0 min while that of oocytes cultured in M16 alone was 70.0+/-8.2 min. To see what molecular components of follicle cell-conditioned medium are involved in the above effects, the granulosa cell-conditioned medium was separated into two factions by using Microcon-10 membrane filter having a 10 kDa cut-off range. When denuded oocytes were cultured in medium containing the retentate, t50 of the oocytes was 70.0+/-10.5 min. In contrast, t50 of the denuded oocytes cultured in medium containing the filtrate was 142.0+/-26.5 min. T50 of denuded oocytes cultured in medium containing both retentate and filtrate was 188.0+/- 13.6 min. However, t50 of denuded oocytes cultured in M16 alone was 70.0 +/-11.0 min and that of oocytes cultured in whole granulosa cell-conditioned medium was 156.0+/-27.9 min. When surface membrane proteins of oocytes were electrophoretically analyzed, no difference was found between the protein profiles of oocytes cultured in M16 alone and of those cultured in the filtrate. CONCLUSIONS: Based upon these results, it is concluded that mouse follicle cells secrete a factor(s) which enhance the resistance of mouse oocytes against a proteolytic enzyme treatment. The factor appears to be a small molecules having a molecular weight less than 10 kDa.
Animals ; Cell Membrane ; Chymotrypsin* ; Cumulus Cells ; Female ; Granulosa Cells ; Membrane Proteins ; Membranes ; Mice* ; Molecular Weight ; Oocytes*

OBJECTIVES: Radiofrequency(RF) ablation is an effective and low risk curative treatment for supraventricular arrhythmias. Catheter ablation produced cardiac lesions primarily through formation of coagulation necrosis. We evaluated the degree of myocardial injury after RF catheter ablation by means of serial measurement of myocardial enzyme. METHODS: Fifty-one patients with symptomatic supraventricular tachycardia were included. There were 32 men and 19 women(mean age. 39.5+/-15.4 years)All patients underwent electrophysiologic study to detect accessary pathway and ablation with radiofreguency current. A mean of 18.3+/-14.2 radiofrequency pulses were delivered. The pulses were at a power of 50 to 60 Volts for a duration of 20 to 30 seconds. Unipolar method and a 6F or 7F catheter with a 4 mm tip electrode was used. LDH, CPK and Ck-MB as a kind of cardiac enzyme were measured before and after ablation. RESULTS: 1) The concentration of LDH and CPK were elecated at 8 hours and 16 hours after ablation (p<0.05). 2) The concentration of CK-MB was elevated at 8 hours, 16 hours, 24 hours and 72 hours after ablation(p<0.05). 3) There was no correlation between the number of applications and amounts of radiofrequency current and rise in LDH, CPK, CK-MB concentration. CONCLUSION: The concentration of LDH, CPK and CK-MB were elevated after ablation but they were within normal limits. RF catheter ablation produced myocardial damage inevitably but were within normal limits. RF catheter ablation produced myocardial damage inevitably but minimally, then RF ablation is an effective and safe therapeutic modality for patients with symptomatic tachyarrhythmias.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Catheter Ablation* ; Catheters ; Electrodes ; Humans ; Male ; Necrosis ; Tachycardia ; Tachycardia, Supraventricular*