Abdominal actinomycosis is very rare infectious disease and seldom reported as a cause of abdominal mass. This disease is diagnosed by pathologic findings and culture result but it is very difficult to differentiate with other granulomatous illammatory disease, diverticular disease, malignancy, etc. The radiologic findings were non-specific and CT scan revealed the inflammatory mass with multiple small abscesses and fibrous change. The treatment of choice for actinomycosis is medical treatment with penicillin but surgical intervention may be needed when complication such as obstruction, fistula formation, abscess formation develop. We report a patient with abdominal actinomycosis that presented with transverse colonic obstruction and severe abdominal wall inflammation. This patient had no past operative history but got intrauterine contraceptive devices during last 10 years. We treated this patient by surgical resection and antibiotic therapy.
Abdominal Wall ; Abscess ; Actinomycosis* ; Colon* ; Colon, Transverse ; Communicable Diseases ; Fistula ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intrauterine Devices ; Penicillins ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists can be useful as preemptive analgesic agents and effective in reducing established central sensitization. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the preemptive effect of intrathecal ketamine and compare the behavioral antinociceptive responses between pre- versus post-formalin ketamine administration in a rat pain model. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats (250 - 300 g) were prepared with a PE 10 indwelling intrathecal catheter to receive either saline (control) or ketamine. Rats received ketamine 100ng intrathecally through a catheter either 7 min before or 5 min after formalin. The formalin test was performed with 5% formalin 100nl. The control (n = 8), pre-treatment (n = 7), and post-treatment (n = 7) groups were studied. Pain related behaviors were quantified by counting the incidences of flinching of the formalin injected paw for 60 minutes. RESULTS: Intraplantar formalin injection produced a biphasic (phase 1, 0 - 10 minutes; phase 2, 10 - 60 minutes after formalin injection) response of flinching behavior in control, pre-treatment, and post-treatment groups. The post-treatment group showed less frequent phase 2 flinching than the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Post-treatment of intrathecal ketamine 100ng was effective on inhibition of phase 2 nociceptive behaviors following the formalin injection. These results suggested that intrathecal ketamine shows an analgesic effect when administered as a post-treatment.
Analgesics ; Animals ; Catheters ; Central Nervous System Sensitization ; Formaldehyde* ; Incidence ; Ketamine* ; N-Methylaspartate ; Pain Measurement* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

BACKGROUND: N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists can be useful as preemptive analgesic agents and effective in reducing central sensitization. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the preemptive effect of intravenous (IV) ketamine on the behavioral responses between a pre- versus post-formalin test in a rat model. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats (250 - 300 g) were prepared with a PE-50 indwelling IV catheter to receive either saline or ketamine. Rats received ketamine 1 mg/kg intravenously through a catheter either 1 min before or 5 min after formalin. The formalin test was performed with 5% formalin 100nl. All rats were randomly divided into one of three groups; a control (n = 8), pre-treatment (n = 7), or post-treatment (n = 7) group. Pain related behaviors were quantified by counting the numbers of flinching of the injected paw for 60 minutes. RESULTS: Intraplantar formalin injection produced a biphasic (phase 1, 0 - 10 minutes; phase 2, 10 - 60 minutes after formalin injection) appearance of flinching behavior in the control, pre-treatment, and post- treatment groups. The pre-treatment group showed less flinching in phase 2 than the control group (P < 0.05), but the post-treatment group didn't. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that pre-treatment of IV ketamine 1 mg/kg showed a preemptive analgesic effect.
Analgesics ; Animals ; Catheters ; Central Nervous System Sensitization ; Formaldehyde* ; Ketamine* ; Models, Animal ; N-Methylaspartate ; Pain Measurement* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

No abstract available.
Panax* ; Saponins* ; Water*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness in diagnosing the gallbladder perforation MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT scans of surgically proved 11 cases of gallbladder perforation were retrospectively reviewed. CT findings analyzed were iuminal diameter of GB, GB wall thickness and configuration, presence or absence of fluid collection in the pericholecystic or intraperitoneal space, and observation of pericholecystic anatomic structures. All patients underwent cholecystectomy, and surgical findings were also compared. RESULTS: The GB was distended in 6 cases(55% with a range of 4.0-7.5cm, mean :5.2cm). GB wall was thickened in most cases(9/11,82%) with homogeneous(n=7) or inhomogeneous(n=2) enhancement. At the sites of perforation, focal defect or contour bulging was seen in the GB wall in 3 cases. in 2 cases with gangrene, GB wall showed loss of normal contour with mottled contrast enhancement. Pericholecystic or intraperitoneal fluid co11ection was noted in 9 cases(82%), especially in the region of perforation. In all cases, there was evidence of diffuse infiltration in the pericholecystic space, omenturn or mesentery. Other findings included cholecy-stoenteric fistula in 1 case, and intrahepatic or intraperitoneal abscess formation in 2 cases. CONCLUSION: CT is useful in correct diagnosis of gallbladder perforation.
Abscess ; Cholecystectomy ; Diagnosis ; Fistula ; Gallbladder* ; Gangrene ; Humans ; Mesentery ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Blepharophimosis* ; Humans

Golgi SNAP receptor complex 1 (GS28) has been implicated in vesicular transport between intra-Golgi networks and between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi. Additional role(s) of GS28 within cells have not been well characterized. We observed decreased expression of GS28 in rat ischemic hippocampus. In this study, we examined the role of GS28 and its molecular mechanisms in neuronal (SK-N-SH) cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). GS28 siRNA-transfected cells treated with H2O2 showed a significant increase in cytotoxicity under glutathione (GSH)-depleted conditions after pretreatment with buthionine sulfoximine, which corresponded to an increase of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells. Pretreatment of GS28 siRNA-transfected cells with p38 chemical inhibitor significantly inhibited cytotoxicity; we also observed that p38 was activated in the cells by immunoblot analysis. We confirmed the role of p38 MAPK in cotransfected cells with GS28 siRNA and p38 siRNA in the cell viability assay, flow cytometry, and immunoblot. Involvement of apoptotic or autophagic processes in the cells was not shown in the cell viability, flow cytometry, and immunoblot analyses. However, pretreatment of the cells with necrostatin-1 completely inhibited H2O2-induced cytotoxicity, ROS generation, and p38 activation, indicating that the cell death is necroptotic. Collectively these data imply that H2O2 induces necroptotic cell death in the GS28 siRNA-transfected cells and that the necroptotic signals are mediated by sequential activations in RIP1/p38/ROS. Taken together, these results indicate that GS28 has a protective role in H2O2-induced necroptosis via inhibition of p38 MAPK in GSH-depleted neuronal cells.
Animals ; Buthionine Sulfoximine ; Cell Death ; Cell Survival ; Endoplasmic Reticulum ; Flow Cytometry ; Glutathione ; Hippocampus ; Hydrogen ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Imidazoles ; Indoles ; Methionine ; Neurons ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; RNA, Small Interfering ; SNARE Proteins

BACKGROUND: Recently the Korean society has been challenged with the rapid growth of obese population due to the improved socioeconomic status and lifestyle changes over the past decades. Not only has obesity been known as one of major risk factors for various diseases including cardiovascular diseases(e.g. hypertension, coronary heart disease and stroke) and diabetes mellitus, but it has also increased the death from obesity-related diseases. It has been required, however, to establish our own obesity criteria adjusted for Korean since much difference is expected to exist in the degree of obesity between white and Asian people. Therefore, this study was designed to provide with primary data to help establish new criteria through identifying the distribution of Body Mass Index(BMI), and then analysing its relatian with some obesity-related diseases. METHODS: This study calculated BMI and related it to some obesity-related diseases by analysing data from 1995 National Health Interview Surveys, in which a random sample of 5,750 Korean at the age of 15-69 had self-reported their heights, body weights and diagnoses with obesity-related diseases by physicians. Variables under consideration include potential risk factors(e.g. alcohol intakes, smoking, exercise, etc.) as well as demographics of the sample population. RESULTS: Average BMI(kg/m(2)) were 21.6+/- 2.6 for male and 21.7+/-4.8 for female(mean+/-SD), which increased in direct proportion to the increase of age until the age reached the group of 40-59, and then followed by the inverse in its relation with the age at 60 and over. It was revealed, however, that prevalences of obesity-related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus etc. were the highest among the population group with their BMI of 23.8~35.6. In short, this study identified the proportional relation of BMI with the prevalence of obesity-related diseases. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the prevalence for hypertension and diabetes mellitus was shown to be higher than the average among population with their BMI of 21.9~238, whose figure is much lower than both 26.4, the value of the 90th percentile proposed in MONICA prot and 25, the current WHO criteria of obesity. However, a Japanese study reported that the health risk began to increase at the BMI of 23 with risks for obesity-related diseases dramatically increased at the BMI of 26-27 and over, and concluded that because Asian has more body fats accumulated within the upper body part compared with the white, the Asian persons are more obese, though less in terms of BMI, than the white. Therefore, future works should be focused on establishing our own criteria for obesity with health risks through determining the association of BMI with prevalence of various diseases in Korea.
Adipose Tissue ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Body Height ; Coronary Disease ; Demography ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Korea ; Life Style ; Male ; Obesity ; Population Groups ; Prevalence* ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Social Class ; Weights and Measures

No absract available.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*

Bezoars are large conglomerates of vegetable fiber and hair, or concretions of various substances located in the stomach or the intestinal tract. They are classified as trichobezoars, phytobezoars, trichophytobezoars or concretions. The most common site for a bezoar is the stomach, but small-bowel bezoars are occasionally reported. A gastric bezoar can be treated by endoscopic removal or chemical dissolution. Small bowel bezoars are usually discovered due to intestinal obstruction, and surgical removal is the standard treatment method. We report the case of a patient who suffered from an intestinal obstruction due to a phytobezoar about 5 4 3 cm3 size.
Bezoars* ; Hair ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction* ; Stomach ; Vegetables