BACKGROUND: Oxygen-derived free radicals are known to contribute to tissue injury during myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. Recent in vitro studies have shown that propofol has potent antioxidant properties. The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of propofol on recovery of mechanical and coronary endothelial function in a myocardial stunning model. METHODS: Thirty-five dogs were acutely instrumented under halothane anesthesia to measure aortic and left ventricular pressure, pulmonary and left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) flow, and subendocardial segment length. After completion of the surgery, halothane was replaced by fentanyl- midazolam. Animals were then subjected to 15 min of LAD occlusion and 3 hrs of reperfusion under either intracoronary (i.c.) propofol (5 microgram/mL, n=11; 20 microgramg/mL LAD flow, n=12) or vehicle (saline, n=12) for 1 hr beginning 30 min before LAD occlusion. Percent segment shortening (%SS) and the slope of the preload recruitable stroke work (Mw), as an index of regional myocardial contractility, and peak lengthening rate (dL/dtmax) and percent post-systolic shortening (%PSS), as an index of regional diastolic function, were evaluated. Coronary endothelial function was assessed by examining LAD flow response to i.c. acetylcholine (ACh, 1 microgram over I min) and i.c. sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 20 microgram over I min). The myocardial content of malondialdehyde (MDA) from LAD area was measured to evaluate lipid peroxidation. RESULTS: Despite equally severe ischemic dysfunction during LAD occlusion, recovery of %SS was significantly improved during reperfusion by either dose of propofol compared to controls. However, Mw recovered to the baseline within 60 min of reperfusion in all three groups. In addition, propofol-treated dogs showed better recovery of both indices of regional diastolic function (dL/dtmax and %PSS) as compared to controls. Ischemia-reperfusion similarly attenuated the increases in the LAD flow by ACh in all the groups, whereas it had no significant effect on these increases in LAD flow by SNP. The increase in MDA induced by ischemia and reperfusion was significantly suppressed by either dose of propofol. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that propofol attenuates mechanical but not coronary endothelial dysfunction in postischemic, reperfused myocardium in an open-chest canine model. The protective action of propofol against mechanical dysfunction is probably due to its effect to reduce lipid peroxidation.
Acetylcholine ; Anesthesia ; Animals ; Coronary Vessels ; Dogs* ; Endothelium* ; Free Radicals ; Halothane ; Ischemia ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Malondialdehyde ; Midazolam ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Myocardial Stunning* ; Myocardium ; Nitroprusside ; Propofol* ; Reperfusion ; Stroke ; Ventricular Pressure

BACKGROUND: Infiltration of eosinophils and activated T cells into the airway is a characteristic feature of allergic inflammation such as asthma. IL-4 has been shown to mediate adhesion of eosinophils and T cells to endothelial cells by inducing VCAM-1 expression on endothelial surface. IL-13 shares a number of biologic properties with IL-4. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the effects of IL-13 on the adhesion of eosinophils to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and on the expression of VCAM-1 in HUVEC. METHOD: HUVEC was incubated for 24h with IL-13 (10ng/ml), IL-4 (10ng/ml) and TNF-a (10ng/ml). Surface expression of VCAM-1 in HUVEC was detected using irnmuno-cytochemical stain and reverse transcription-polymearse chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the adhesion of eosinophils to HUVEC was quantitated using eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) assay. RESULTS: The VCAM-1 expression on IL-13-treated HUVEC increased more than in the expression on medium-treated HUVEC (p<0.05). The adhesion of eosinophil to IL-13- treated HUVEC also increased more than in the adhesion to medium-treated HUVEC (p<0.05). The VCAM-1 expression was synergistically induced by TNF-a and IL-13 (p<0.05). IL-13 induced VCAM-1 expression and adhesion of eosinophils to HUVEC, similar to IL-4. IL-13 also induced VCAM-1 mRNA expression, with greater expression than with medium and TNF-a(p<0.05). IL-13-induced surface VCAM-1 was associated with expression of mRNA transcripts and adhesion of eosinophils to HUVEC(r=0.89, r=0.93, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that IL-13 stimulates HUVEC to express surface VCAM-1 and has a possible role in promoting VCAM-1/VLA-4 dependent accumulation of eosinophils during allergic and other inflammatory responses.
Asthma ; Endothelial Cells* ; Eosinophil Peroxidase ; Eosinophils* ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-13* ; Interleukin-4 ; RNA, Messenger ; T-Lymphocytes ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

During the period from 1964 to 1958, chemical analyses of urinary calculi were performed on 88 cases treated in the Department of Urology, Seoul National University Hospital. The chemical composition of the calculi analysed is recorded in the following table. COMPOSITION NUMBER OF CASES % OF TOTAL Calcium oxalate 27 30.7 Calcium phosphate 25 28.5 Oxalate & phosphate 17 19.3 Uric acid & phosphate 8 9.1 Uric acid & Oxalate 6 6.8 Uric acid 3 3.4 Carbonate 1 1.1 Carbonate & phosphate 1 1.1 Total 88 100
Calcium ; Calcium Oxalate ; Calculi ; Carbon ; Seoul ; Uric Acid ; Urinary Calculi* ; Urology

Lerderkyn, a recently introduced sulfonamide, has been administrated to 11 cases in doses ranging from 1 to 3 gm daily. The compound is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and therapeutically effective plasma concentration is maintained rapidly and for many hours, following the oral administration. The diffusion of Ledrkyn into the tissue and the body fluid occurs readily and is slowly excreted through the kidney. Maintenance of effective concentration in urine for many hours results in successful treatment especially for genito-urinary tract infection. In this study, five acute gonococcal urethritis, one non-gonococcal urethritis, two acute cystitis, three chronic prostatitis have been treated with this drug in doses of 1 to 3 gm daily and very satisfactory results obtained in acute bacterial infection.
Administration, Oral ; Bacterial Infections ; Body Fluids ; Cystitis ; Diffusion ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Kidney ; Plasma ; Prostatitis ; Urethritis

PTC is the single most valuable diagnostic method available to evaluate the size, shape and site of the causesof obstuctive jaundice among various radiological procedures. The authors reviewed and radiologically classifiedthe PTC films of 203 cases of obstructive jaundice from July 1977 to June 1983 at Presbyterian Medical Center,Jeon-ju confirmed clinically, operatively and pathologically. The resuls are as follows; 1. The most common causeof obstructive jaundice was bile duct stoen (64/203:31.53%) and the other causes were bile duct cancer(43/203:21.18%), pancreas cancer(41/203:20.19%), biliary ascariasis &/or clonorchiasis(20/203:9.85%), ampulla andduodenal cancer (7/203:3.45%), fibrotic stenosis of sphincter of Oddi(6/203: 2.96%) etc. in that order. Of theseprimary involvement with cancer was more frequent (91/203:44.33%) than stone. 2. 88.33%(179/203) of patients wasover 40-year-of- age and the sex ratio between male and female was about 2:1. 3. The average maximal diameter ofextrahepatic bile duct just proximal to the site of obstruction or stenosis by stones or by cancers was nearlyequal(2.36cm:2.38cm). 4. Cancers caused complete bile duct obstruction in about 75%(68/91) of cases and also wereassociated with intrahepatic duct dilatation about 92%(84/91) of cases. But in contrast biliary calculi showedgood drainage of contrast medium in 75%(48/64) of cases and 92%(59/64) showed normal diameter of intrahepaticduct. 5. The differential PTC findings between bile duct cancer and pancreas cancer were not so distinct but inbiel duct cancer the obstruction site of the bile duct was more irregular and serrated than pancreas cancer, whilethe latter showed a more downward convexity and a smoother end. Moreover annular filling defect with overhangingedges was seen only in bile duct cancer.
Ascariasis ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; Bile Ducts ; Cholestasis ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Dilatation ; Drainage ; Female ; Gallstones ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Male ; Methods ; Pancreas ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Protestantism ; Sex Ratio

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between developmental lumbar spinalstenosis and its BMD value by using the single energy quantitative CT(SEQCT). MATERIALS & METHODS: Eighty normal volunteers(20-60years) were selected as a control group and 28 patients with developmental lumbar spinal stenosis were selected as a disease group. The two groups were divided into a younger (20-39years) and an older subgroup(40-60 years), and were further divided into male and female subgroups. All the cases showed no evidence of metabolic disease, fracture, herniated nucleus pulposus, degererative spondylosis, infectious disease, tumors orhad no history of absolute immobilization of more than two weeks. All underwent lumbar spine CT and SEQCT. We measured bone mineral density(BMD) at the cancellous bone of L1, 2, 3 and obtained the mean and its one standard deviation, and compared the data between each subgroup of the control and the disease group using ANOVA. RESULTS: There was a significant low BMD value in the younger male patient subgroup compared with the control subgroup(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Developmental lumbar spinal stenosis in a young male may be a factor of decreasing BMD of the body of the spine.
Communicable Diseases ; Female ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Male ; Spinal Stenosis* ; Spine ; Spondylosis

Acardiac twinning affects 1 in 100 monozygotic twin pregnancies and 1 in 35,000 pregnancies overall. This condition is characterized by the absence or rudimentary development of fetal heart, and associated with various anomaly. The presence of an acardiac twin requires the normal (or "pump") twin to provide circulation for itself, as well as the acardiac sibling. The acardiac malformations are uniformly fatal in the affected twin, and mortality in the co-twin is as high as 55%. The principal perinatal problems associated with acardiac twinning are pump-twin congestive heart failure, maternal hydramnios, and preterm delivery. We recently experienced a case of acardius anceps associated with a normal male infant, so present with a brief review of the literature.
Fetal Heart ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Mortality ; Polyhydramnios ; Pregnancy ; Siblings ; Twins, Monozygotic

No abstract available.
Myelitis, Transverse* ; Retrospective Studies*

The Behcets disease patients with uveitis are oftern suffering from chronic recurrent inflammation resulting in the blindness. Etiology, prognosis, treatment modalities of this disease are various, and the factors, affecting the chronic long term prognosis are not clearly identified. Current treatment for Behcets disease is combination therapy : steroid with colchicine, cyclophosphamide, or cyclosporin. But these kinds of treatment was insufficient to change the disease process and often produced severe complications. Authors treated 4 cases of Behcets patients who had chronic progressive steroid resistent uveitis, with synchronizatin of plasmapheresis and immune modulation therapy. All of them showed marked improvement in uveal inflammatory reaction and visual acuity.
Blindness ; Colchicine ; Cyclophosphamide ; Cyclosporine ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Plasmapheresis* ; Prognosis ; Uveitis ; Visual Acuity

No abstract available.
Fracture Fixation*