Isolated rat thoracic aorta which is pharmacologically precontracted by phenylephrine induces photorelaxation when exposed to long wave length UV-light. The aim of the present study was to characterize the mechanism of UV-light induced by photorelaxation in the rat aorta. 1. UV light relaxed both endothelium-intact and -denuded rat aortic rings contracted by phenylephrine. The magnitude of relaxation on UV light was dependent on the exposure time and slightly greatly in endothelium-denuded rings than in endothelium-intact preparations. 2. L-NAME (10 nM-100 uM) but not D-NAME completely inhibited the photorelaxation in a concentration dependent manner. 3. The UV-induced relaxation was inhibited by methylene blue (1 -100 uM), and verapamil (100 nM), and removal of extracellular Ca2+. In contrast, UV-light induced photorelaxation was potentiated by N(w)-nitro-Larginine (L-NOARG) treatment. 4. In immunocytochemical analysis of UV-light induced iNOS and eNOS expression in rat aortas, at which expression levels were increased in a time-dependent manner on UV-irradiation in aortic endothelium and smooth muscle, respectively. These results suggest that UV light-induced photorelaxation may be due to nitric oxide from exogenously administered L-arginine as well as endogenous nitric oxide donors such as amino acid and arginine derivatives. Additional suggestion is that UV light stimulates the expression of nitric oxide synthases, and its activity for nitric oxide generation is dependent on cytosolic Ca2+ originated from extracellular space.
Acetylcholine/pharmacology ; Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic/drug effects/*physiology/radiation effects ; Calcium Channel Blockers/pharmacology ; Cholinergic Agents/pharmacology ; Endothelium, Vascular/drug effects/physiology/radiation effects ; Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology ; Female ; Male ; Methylene Blue/pharmacology ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester/pharmacology ; Nitric Oxide Synthase/antagonists & inhibitors/metabolism ; Phenylephrine/pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; *Ultraviolet Rays ; Vasoconstrictor Agents/pharmacology ; Vasodilation/drug effects/*radiation effects ; Vasodilator Agents/pharmacology ; Verapamil/pharmacology

It has been well recognized that the various cutaneous manifestations associated with liver diseases. A clinical study was made of 255 patients (AVH84, LC70, HC41, CAH26, CPH23, AH11) with the liver diseases at Yeungnam University Hospital during the periods from May to November, 1985. The authors classified the cutaneous manifestations into 7 groups according to pathogenesis, and compared them with other reports. The results were as follows: 1. In 255 patients with various liver diseases, 161 patients (63%) showed the various cutaneous manifestations. 2. The various cataneous manifestations were jaundice and/or pruritus (43.1%), vascular changes (39.6%), allergic manifestations (10.6%), nail changes (5.1%), hormone-induced changes (4.3%), pigmentary changes (3.5%) and others (2.4%) in that order. 3. Cutaneous manifestations were associated most frequently with liver cirrhosis (1.6 groups) and the least with chronic active hepatitis (0.7 group). 4. Allergic manifestations were seen mainly in patients with acute viral hepatitis. Three patients showed the serum sickness-like prodrome. 5. The other cutaneous manifestations were seen mainly in patients with chronic liver diseases.
Clinical Study ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases* ; Liver* ; Pruritus

No abstract available.
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic*

No abstract available.
Histiocytosis*

The classification of thoracolumbar spinal injuries has been based on morphological criteria, mechanism or both. Recently Denis and Macfee insisted no the middle column of the spine but their classification is useful as a morphologic description. Especially, the classification and decision of treatment are difficult in the burst fracture. So we have applied the new classification described by Gertzbein that considers the morphologic patterns and mechanism of injury and compared with another classifications. We studied 28 cases of the thoracolumbar burst fracture who were treated and followed up at Wonkwang university hospital from May, 1988 to March, 1992. We classified burst fracture according to the three kind of classifications and CT finding. 1. The burst fracture associated with flexion-distraction injury was revealed 5 cases(about 18%). 2. In the treatment, Type A injuries requires the use of distractive and type B requires compressive forces in the correcting the deformity.
Classification ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Spinal Injuries ; Spine

No abstract available.
Mucous Membrane* ; Muramidase* ; Turbinates*

BACKGROUND: No association between schizophrenia and dopamine D4 receptor polymorphisms have been reported. Despite these results, it is premature to exclude the association. It has been suggested that the susceptibility to develop schizophrenia could result from variation at a number loci which may interact or co-act with each other. Therefore, we investigated a possible assoication of combinations of exon III 48bp polymorphism [D4E3] and exon I 12bp polymorphism of the DRD4 gene [D4E1] with schizophrenia. METHOD: 207 unrelated Korean schizophrenic patients and 191 healthy controls wee recruited. DRD4 genotype was established using the polymerase chain reaction. Statistical analysis consisted of chi2 tests for Hardy-Weinberg proportions and genotypic and allelic frequencies in the patients and control groups. RESULT: There were no statistically significant differences in the each polymorphisms between schizophrenics and controls. And all genotype frequencies were within Hardy-Weinberg expectations. When the combinations of the polymorphism in schizophrenia and controls were compared, however, there were significant differences at A1A2*2/4 in the distributions of the combinations of D4E1 and D4E3(p<0.01). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the certain combination of D4E1 and D4E3 (A1A2*2/4) has the protective role to a susceptibility for schizophrenia.
Dopamine* ; Exons ; Genotype ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, Dopamine D4 ; Schizophrenia

In Korea, there are two descrite pollen seasons: a tree pollen season and a weed pollen season. In order to investigate the incidence of sensitization to the major pollens and to evaluate is clinical significance in respriatory allergic disease, skin prick tests were performed using 7 species of Korean pollen extracts (K-P extracts) and specific IgE was measured by the Phadebas radioallergosorbent test (RAST) in patients with positive skin prick tests. Of the 317 patients with respiratory allergic diseases 73 patients (23.0%) were skin prick test positive to one or more K-P extracts and the positive reactions to individual pollens were as follows: 14.2% (45/317) positive to sagebrush 10.4% to ragweed, 5.0% to grass, 4.1% to oak, 3.8% to alder, 1.9% to poplar; and 0% to pine. The 30-39yr old group manifested the highest skin test positivity 36.7%. There was no difference in the skin reactivity according to the patient's sex and the kinds of allergic disease. Also there was no relationship between birth season and skin test positivity. The agreement between the results of the skin prick test with K-P and commercially prepared Bencard's pollen extracts (B-P extracts) was good. There were good correlations between the strongly positive skin prick test and a posivite RAST and also between a netative skin prick test and a negative RAST. From this study, it can be concluded that overall sensitization rate of respiratory allergy patients to K-P exstracts was 23.0%, and that weed pollens such as sagebrush and ragweed were major pollens.
Female ; Human ; Korea ; Male ; Pollen/adverse effects* ; Radioallergosorbent Test ; Respiratory Hypersensitivity/diagnosis ; Respiratory Hypersensitivity/epidemiology* ; Skin Tests

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy and it is increasing throughout the world, but metastasis to the thyroid gland is uncommon. The overall incidence varies from 1.25% in unselected autopsy series to 24% in autopsy of patients with widespread malignant neoplasms. Although detection of metastasis to the thyroid gland often indicates a poor prognosis, aggressive surgical and medical therapy may be effective for a small percentage of patients. There are many reports that have described a secondary thyroid cancer arising from other primary sites. The kidney is the most common site, followed by lung, breast, esophagus and uterus. Although some patients with metastatic disease to the thyroid present with symptoms such as dysphagia, stridor, hoarseness or a palpable neck mass, most of the patients are asymptomatic at presentation. In this paper, we report on a female patient with thyroid metastasis from pulmonary adenocarcinoma and we review the relevant literature.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Autopsy ; Breast ; Deglutition Disorders ; Esophagus ; Female ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Prognosis ; Respiratory Sounds ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Uterus

Lingual thyroid, characterized by presence of thyroid tissue at the base of the tongue in the region between the circumvallate papillae and the epiglottis, is the most common location for ectopic thyroid tissue. Excision of the lingual thyroid is rarely necessary. When a lingual thyroid becomes symptomatic, removal is advocated. Minimally invasive surgical techniques have been proposed for more than two decades. The use of CO₂ laser for removal of lingual thyroid offers advantages over traditional open approaches. We experienced a case of non-functioning lingual thyroid which caused dysphagia in the patient. We successfully excised it with CO₂ laser via transoral approach without any complications.
Deglutition Disorders ; Epiglottis ; Humans ; Lingual Thyroid* ; Thyroid Dysgenesis ; Thyroid Gland ; Tongue