It has been known that the interconnection between the gervous, endocrine and immune system are largely mediated through regulatory soluble factors such as neruopeptides, cytokines and hormones. Capsaicin, the pungent principle of hot peppers, is a neurotoxin that affects primary sensory neurons of the C and A-b type and depletes primary sensory neurons (polymodal nociceptors) of neuropeptides like tachykinin. In this study capsaicin was used to explore the possible role of the neruons on the expression of cellular and humoral immune responses and TNF-a prodcution. Mice were pretreated with s.c. injections in the neck region with a single dose of 100 u,g of capsaicin per mouse before immunization. ...continue...
Anaphylaxis* ; Animals ; Capsaicin* ; Carcinogenesis* ; Cytokines ; Immune System ; Immunity, Humoral ; Immunization ; Mice* ; Neck ; Neuropeptides ; Sensory Receptor Cells ; Tachykinins

No abstract available.
Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Sparganosis* ; Ultrasonography*

No abstract available.
Nevus*

With the aim of establishing bio-indices for the development of multistep hepatotumorigenesis, rats were fed water containing 0.01% diethylnitrosamine (DEN) ad libitum for 13 weeks. This treatment with DEN only made it possible to induce hepatic tumors in 100%. After the DEN administration, several clinical symptoms were observed including minor behavioral changes, brittleness of hair and a decrease in water and food intake. The concentration of total serum protein and albumin in all treated groups was significantly lower than in non-treated controls (p<0.05). Increase of specific enzyme (AST, ALT and GGT) activity (p<0.05), variable tumor size and hepatomegaly of the liver was observed in all rats treated with DEN for 10 weeks. Both hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma were found in the same livers at the same time, and were prominently developed after 12 weeks. In case of carcinoma, some of the livers showed more or less advanced states over the 12-15 weeks period. In the present study, hepatocellular carcinoma was developed by treating DEN in only the drinking water, without any other carcinogens or without partial hepatectomy. These results indicate that DEN is a new carcinogen that acts directly on it the liver, moreover, it might be very useful for investigating hepatotumorigenesis.
Alanine Transaminase/blood ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases/blood ; Biological Markers/blood ; Carcinogens ; *Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; Diethylnitrosamine/toxicity ; Liver/drug effects/*pathology ; Liver Neoplasms/blood/chemically induced/*pathology ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/blood/*pathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase/blood

No abstract available.
Onychomycosis

No abstract available.
Candida ; Onychomycosis

Understanding the genetic background of hearing loss is important since almost 50% of the cases of profound hearing loss are caused by genetic factors. Until now, more than 150 causative genes have been identified. In this review, classification of genetic hearing loss (syndromic versus non-syndromic, recessive versus dominant, X-linked and mitochondrial), pitfalls in elucidating causative genes, anatomy of the inner ear, introduction of the most common syndromic hearing loss, introduction of the most common non-syndromic hearing loss-causing genes, mitochondrial and multifactorial hearing losses were discussed. Moreover, clinical approaches to the patients with hereditary hearing loss and genetic counseling were also explained briefly. Finally, future directions of the hereditary hearing loss research in Korean population were presented.
Ear, Inner ; Genes, Mitochondrial ; Genetic Counseling ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Humans

No abstract available.
Candida

No abstract available.
Nevus

No abstract available.
Hair ; Humans ; Piedra ; Scalp ; Trichosporon