Air Pollutants, Occupational ; analysis ; Benzenesulfonates ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Workplace

Multiple species of muridae and arvicolidae rodents serve as the natural reserviors of hantaviruses. Hantaviruses are distributed in rodent populations world-widely even in geographical areas where hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) has not been reported. Serologic diagnosis of infection, using hantaviral antigen, indicates that hantaviruses are wider distributed in wild rodents. This study was designed to intended the hantavirus infection among wild rodents captured in Kyebang mountain, Kangwon-do in Korea. A total of 216 wild rodents in 3 species were trapped in July and September in 1995. Serological evidence for hantaviruses infection were tested against five hantavirus antigens by indirect immunofluorescent antibody technique (IFA). Among 100 Eothenomys regulus, 78 Apodemus peninsulae and 38 Apodemus agrarius (IFA). Among 100 Eothenomys regulus, 78 Apodemus peninsulae and 38 Apodemus agrarius; 12 C. regulus, 15 A. peninsulae and 6 A. agrarius were IF antibody positive against hantaviruses. This data suggest that Eothnomys regulus and Apodemus peninsulae would be a natural reservoir of hantaviruses.
Animals ; Diagnosis ; Gangwon-do ; Hantavirus Infections* ; Hantavirus* ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Korea ; Muridae ; Murinae ; Rodentia*

Aim To establish a LC-MS/MS method for the determination of pirfenidone(BT)and its major metabolite 5-carboxy-pirfenidone(SBT)in human plasma.Methods Human plasma samples containing BT and SBT,as well as their corresponding deuterium-labeled internal standards pirfenidone-d5(dBT)and 5-carboxy-pirfenidone-d5(dSBT),were precipitated using methanol.Chromatographic separation was carried out on an Agilent ZORBAX SB C18(3.0 mm×100 mm,3.5 μm)column with the mobile phase of water(0.5％formic acid)and acetonitrile(50/50).The detection of analytes was performed on a tandem mass system equipped with an electrospray ionization source in positive ion mode using multiple-reaction monitoring.The MS/MS ion transitions monitored were m/z 185.958→77.1 for BT,m/z 215.944→77.0 for SBT,m/z 190.965→81.1 for dBT and m/z 220.948→99.1 for dSBT.Results There was no remarkable interference in blank solvent,plasma,and there was no mutual interference between analytes or internal standards.The proposed method showed good linearity over the concentration range of 0.020 59～25.14 mg·L-1 for BT and 0.016 73～20.42 mg·L-1 for SBT.The intra-batch and inter-batch precision and accuracy were proved to be acceptable.Human samples kept stable after 4 h at room temperature,the three freeze-thaw cycles and 10,29 and 52 days at-70 ℃,and the processed samples remained stable after 24 h in the autosampler.The average extraction recovery and matrix effect were precise,reproducible and acceptable.Conclusion Our current LC-MS/MS method is proved to be sensitive,accurate and convenient,and could be suitable for the clinical pharmacokinetic studies of BT-related preparations.

No abstract available.
Cholesterol*

PURPOSE: We report a case of unilateral, focal, pigmented paravenous retinochoroidal atrophy (PPRCA). CASE SUMMARY: A 46-year-old female visited our clinic in complaint of a vague problem with her right eye identified during a general medical examination. The visual acuity (without correction) of both eyes was 1.0. Slit-lamp examination of both eyes revealed no specific signs. Fundus examination of the right eye revealed focal, bony-spicule-shaped retinochoroidal atrophy with pigmentation along the course of the superior retinal vein. A fundus autofluorescence examination revealed principally hypofluorescence with some hyperfluorescence at the margin of the atrophic retinochoroidal lesion. Optical coherence tomography revealed mixed clumping and atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer and thinning of the choriocapillaris layer. Fluorescence angiography revealed a window defect and blockage at the site of the lesion (the fluorescent material did not enter the lesion). The site of the window defect was in correlation with the atrophic RPE region. The site of the blockage at lesion also matched with the site of the regional pigment clumping. No definite leakage was observed. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of unilateral focal PPRCA reported from Korea.
Atrophy ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Pigmentation ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; Retinal Vein ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Visual Acuity

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to explore the effects of hypothermia state induced by 4 oC normal saline (NS) on liver biochemistry, enzymology and morphology after restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in swine. METHODS: After 4 minutes of ventricular fibrillation (VF), standard CPR was carried out. Then the survivors were divided into two groups: low temperature group and normal temperature group. The low temperature (LT) group (n=5) received continuously 4 oC NS at the speed of 1.33 mL/kg per minute for 22 minutes, then at the speed lowering to 10 mL/kg per hour. The normal temperature (NT) group (n=5) received NS with normal room temperature at the same speed of the LT group. Hemodynamic status and oxygen metabolism were monitored and the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured in blood samples obtained at baseline and at 10 minutes, 2 hours and 4 hours after ROSC. At 24 hours after ROSC, the animals were killed and the liver was removed to determine the Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase enzyme activities and histological changes under a light or electron microscope. RESULTS: Core temperature was decreased in the LT group (P<0.05), while HR, MAP and CPP were not significantly decreased (P>0.05) compared with the NT group (P>0.05). The oxygen extraction ratio was lower in the LT group than in the NT group (P<0.05). The serum levels of ALT, AST and LDH increased in both groups but not significantly in the LT group. The enzyme activity of liver ATP was much higher in the LT group (Na+-K+-ATP enzyme: 8.64±3.32 U vs. 3.28±0.71 U; Ca2+-ATP enzyme: 10.92±2.12 U vs. 2.75±0.78 U, P<0.05). The LT group showed less cellular edema, inflammation and few damaged mitochondria as compared with the NT group. CONCLUSION: These data suggested that infusing 4 oC NS continuously after ROSC could quickly lower the core body temperature, while maintaining a stable hemodynamic state and balancing oxygen metabolism, which protect the liver in terms of biochemistry, enzymology and histology after CPR.

Hantaan (HTN) and Seoul (SEO) viruses, murid rodent-borne hantaviruses, are known to causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Korea. To determine the genomic diversity and molecular phylogeny of HTN and SEO viruses found in Korea, we amplified for part of M and S genomic segments of hantaviruses from sera of HFRS patients and lung tissues of hantavirus seropositive striped-field mice. Both M and S segment of 16 HTN and 2 SEO viruses were amplified by nested reverse transcripton-polymerase chain reaction. Based on 324 nucleotides in the M genomic segment, the HTN and SEO strains showed 93.8~100% and 99.1~99.4% homologies, respectively. Similarly, based on 230 nucleotides in the S genomic segment, HTN and SEO strains showed 90.9~100% and 100% homologies, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of M and S segments indicated that HTN strains could be divided into at least two main groups in M and S trees and the sequence differences detected among the S and M genomic segments of HTN viruses are consistent with reassortment having taken place between HTN virus strains.
Animals ; Hantavirus ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung ; Mice ; Muridae ; Nucleotides ; Phylogeny ; Seoul virus* ; Seoul*

No abstract available.
Granuloma, Plasma Cell* ; Urinary Bladder*

No abstract available.
Granuloma, Plasma Cell* ; Urinary Bladder*

Objective To investigate the effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation combining with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene therapy on myocardium rebuilding,angiogene- sis,and heart function improvement in rats with myocardial infarction.Methods SD rat MSCs were isola- ted,cultured in vitro,labeled with BrdU and transfected by Ad.VEGF gene.Four weeks after left anterior descending artery was ligated to created rat myocardial infarction,cardiac function was examined with echocar- diography,rats were randomly divided into four groups (n=10 in each group):GroupⅠ:MSCs/Ad.VEGF implantation;GroupⅡ:MSCs implantation;GroupⅢ:Ad.VEGF injection;GroupⅣ:Control.MSCs dif- ferentiation was observed 4 weeks after transplantation.Immunohistochemistry and angiogenesis were observed. Echocardiography was performed to detect the effects on heart function.Results MSCs labeled with BrdU could be identified in host hearts in groupⅠandⅡ,most of them positively stained with cTnT antibody. Echocardiography indicated that the improvement of the LVEF value in groupⅠwas more significant than that in the other three groups (P＜0.01,respectively).Some cells were incorporated into the coronary capillaries in the infarcted region.The capillary density in groupⅠwas higher than that in the other three groups (P＜0.01,respectively).Conclusion MSCs implantation combining with VEGF gene therapy can obviously re- pair damaged myocardium and enhance the angiogenesis in ischemic heart tissue.