Scute/larisa baica/ensis (SB) has been used as a folk medicine for curing ulcer, inflammation and infection. However, surprisingly little has been done to develop and exploit SB's immunomodulating, anti- inflammatory properties. Moreover, the mechanisms of SB-action on immune function had not been elucidated. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of 5B on immune functions, microbial growth and bacterial mutagenicity. Boiling water extract of SB was used in this experiment. The proliferation response to PHA-, Con A- or LPS-stimulation and the production of Con A-induced IL-2 and LPS-induced IL-6 of splenocytes from SB-pretreated mice were significantly higher than those of splenocytes from control mice. Daily single injection of 2 mg/mouse SB for 4 days resulted in enhancement of Arthus reaction and DTH to SRBC. And these enhancements were more prominent when SB was treated prior to SRBC- sensitization. SB did inhibit the growth of microorganisms such as C. albicans, C. neoformans, E. coli S. typhimurium and this inhibiting effect was gradually increased in proportion to the increment of SB. SB also remarkably reduced the mutagenicity of mutagens such as sodium azid and benzo[a]pyrene, but this was not certain, because it showed a killing effect on the cell survival test. When SB treated mice were i.p infected with C. albicans, the number of microorganisms in the peritoneal exudates were significantly reduced. Taken together, these results revealed that SB itself has not only multiple effects on events controlling immune responses but also anti-inflammatory properties, which may provide the rational basis for their therapeutic use as one of the biological response modifiers.
Animals ; Arthus Reaction ; Cell Survival ; Exudates and Transudates ; Homicide ; Immunologic Factors ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukin-6 ; Medicine, Traditional ; Mice ; Mutagens ; Scutellaria baicalensis* ; Scutellaria* ; Sodium ; Ulcer ; Water

BACKGROUND: White coat effect (WCE) and white coat hypertension (WCH) are relatively prevalent in clinical situation (20 - 57% of WCH in the hypertensive population). The aim of this study was to analyze the determinant factors of WCE. METHODS: A prospective study was carried out in outpatient clinic in a consecutive hypertensives without receiving pharmacologic treatment. Twenty-four hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was performed following more than two resting blood pressure (BP) determinations carried out with the interval of 1 - 2 weeks by mercury sphygmomanometer. WCE was calculated for systolic and diastolic BP as the difference between a clinic BP (CBP) and an average daytime ambulatory BP (ABP). WCH was defined as;BP in the clinic > or = 140/90 mmHg with a mean daytime BP by ABPM < or =137/< or =89 mmHg. RESULTS: 1) Two hundred thirty-five patients (mean age 49.7 years, females 74%) were studied. Thirty-seven percent in male and forty-six percent in female patients fulfilled WCH criteria. 2) CBP was significantly correlated to daytime ABP (systolic BP;r=.47, p<.001 and diastolic BP;r=.65, p<.001). 3) The magnitude of WCE was greater in the group of WCH (28.9+14.6/19.3+6.9 mmHg) than ambulatory hypertensives (15.1+15.7/13.0+8.2 mmHg) (p<.001). 4) The magnitude of WCE is significantly correlated with female (r2=.12, p<.001) and the stage of CBP according to JNC-V (r2=.23, p<.001) in systolic BP, the stage (r2=.08, p<.001) in diastolic BP, and the stage (r2=.09, p<.001) and weight (r2=.15, p<.01) in mean BP. CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of WCE in essential hypertension diagnosed at the clinic is significantly correlated with female, the magnitude of clinic BP, and weight.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Sphygmomanometers ; White Coat Hypertension

Flap survival is critical to the success in reconstructive surgery, there have been many investigations to increase the blood supply to the flaps such as surgical delay and pharmacologic delay. Prostaglandin(PG) is released from various tissues including blood vessel in response to physical stimulus. Among the Prostaglandins, PGE1 has been proven to be a vasodilatation property and many authors have demonstrated its effect to increase blood supply after random cutaneous flap surgery. Clinically, however, muscle flap or musculocutaneous flap is more significantly used in reconstructive surgery and hemodynamic effects of PGE1 of this type of flap are still not documented. The authors designed the random muscle flap to study the hemodynamic effects of PGE1 of the muscle flap. Superior based rectus muscle flap was elevated from rats and the superior epigastric artery, its major vascular pedicle, was ligated to create the random-type muscle flap. Twenty two rats were divided into two experimental groups and each group had 11 rats; Group I: No drugs Group II: PGE1 injection group for 7 postoperative days intraperitoneally The average muscle flap survival rate of group I was 46+/-3.0 precent and it had a higher survival rate than the control group(23+/-4.3%). The muscle flap survival rates showed significant differences between the two groups (p< 0.005) This study shows that the administration of the PGE1, in clinical usage of the rare random muscle flap with a pedicle injury or musculocutaneous flap with the risk of distal cutaneous flap necrosis, such as TRAM flap, which might be much safer and popular.
Alprostadil ; Animals ; Blood Vessels ; Epigastric Arteries ; Hemodynamics ; Myocutaneous Flap ; Necrosis ; Prostaglandins ; Rats* ; Rectus Abdominis* ; Survival Rate ; Vasodilation

Drowning is a leading cause of accidental deaths worldwide, but its pathological diagnosis remains a challenge for forensic pathologists owing to a lack of pathognomonic findings in drowning deaths and inconclusive autopsy findings caused by postmortem changes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the pathway taken by inhaled drowning medium through the airway after death in a variety of experimental conditions, including underwater pressurization. We used methylene blue dye to monitor the spread of drowning medium to the lungs. Results of theses experiments demonstrated that it is possible for a significant amount of downing medium to enter the airway during immersion after death. Our results suggest that autopsies of immersed bodies and interpretation of these findings should be performed with special care.
Animal Experimentation* ; Animals* ; Autopsy ; Diagnosis ; Drowning* ; Immersion ; Inhalation* ; Lung ; Methylene Blue* ; Postmortem Changes

No abstract available.
Animals ; Euonymus* ; Liver* ; Mice*

No abstract available.
Carcinogenesis* ; Oenothera biennis*

No abstract available.
Catheters* ; Renal Dialysis*

The authors have reviewed 11 cases of prosthetic replacement for severe proximal humeral fractures which were treated from March 1989 to December 1993, paying particular attention to the range of motion attained after surgery and the factors which influence the limitation of shoulder motion. The results of this study were as follows: l. Among the 11 cases, 10 cases showed sttisfactory pain relief. 2. Active motion of the shoulder averaged 91° of forward flexion, 72.8° of abduction and 35° of external rotation. 3. The humeral offset averaged 30.9mm in normal shoulder and 18.9mm in affected shoulder. 4. In 6 cases which the humeral offset measured over 20mm, active motion averaged 104° of forward flexion and 83° of abduction and 5 cases showed satisfactory results. 5. In 5 cases which the humeral offset measured under 20mm, active motion averaged 104° of forward flexion and 83 of abduction and 5 cases showed unsatisfactory results. 6. Prosthetic replacements were performed within 1 week after injury in 7 cases and among these 5 cases showed satisfactory results. The range of motion after prosthetic replacement for severe proximal humeral fracture was disappointing. We concluded that limited range of motion is mainly due to reduced humeral offset and restoration of humeral offset by appropriate reattachment of greater tuberosity will allow better clinical result.
Range of Motion, Articular ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Fractures

We report two cases of supratentorial gangliocytomas mimicking an extra-axial tumor. MR imaging indicated that the tumors were extra-axial, and meningiomas were thus initially diagnosed. Relative to gray matter, the tumors were hypointense on T1-weighted images and hyperintense on T2-weighted images. On contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images, homogeneous enhancement was observed, while CT scanning revealed calcification in one of the two cases.
Adult ; Brain Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology ; Case Report ; Female ; Ganglioneuroma/*diagnosis/pathology ; Human ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Age

Urine discoloration occurs in the intensive care unit (ICU) due to many causes such as medications, metabolic disorders, and infections. Propofol is advocated as one of the first line sedatives in the ICU, but it is not well known to the intensivists that propofol can induce urine color change. We experienced two cases of green urine after propofol infusion. Propofol should be warranted as the cause of urine discoloration during ICU stay.
Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Intensive Care Units* ; Propofol*