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

The nevua of Ota is a congenital pigmentary disorder of the skin and mucaus membrane, partieularly in the periorbital region, the temple, the forehead, the malar area and the nose. The nevus of Ita differs from the nevus of Ota in its distribution in the supraclavicular, scapular, and deltoid regions. It may occur alone or in association with ipsilateral or rarely with bilateral nevus of Ota. We present a 22 year-old female who has had pigmentary anomalies on the both malar areas and left sclera associated with pigmentation of the right shoulder.
Female ; Forehead ; Humans ; Membranes ; Nevus of Ota* ; Nevus* ; Nose ; Pigmentation ; Sclera ; Shoulder ; Skin ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: The verse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has been widely used to analyze the bcr/abl fusion mRNA in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Fresh or cryopreserved cells may not always be available for molecular diagnosis. So we investigated the value of stored bone marrow aspirate smears as the sources of material for the detection of bcr/abl mRNA. METHODS: We extracted RNA using modified Chomczynski method, and amplified bcr/abl mRNA by RT-PCR from the 70 cases of bone marrow smear slides stored from 7 days to 7 years, which were comprised of 49 CML, 11 other chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPD) and 10 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Sensitivity of RT-PGR was tested using the slide smears prepared with 10(0)-10(6) K562 cells, and RT-PCR results losing each fresh bone marrow cellular suspension and slide smears in 24 patients were compacted. For major bcr/abl rearrangement, RT-PCR was performed by nested PGR afters GDNA synthesis losing downward primer and beta2-microglobulin was used as RNA controls. RESULTS: The sensitivity of RT-PCR for detecting bcr/abl mRNA was l02 cells per slide. Sixty one cases (86%) of 70 bone marrow aspirate smears showed positive results of beta2-micyoglobulin cDNA as an indicator of intact RNA. Thirty nine cases of 42 beta2-microglobulin cDNA positive CML bone marrow aspirate smears showed 29 b3a2 type mRNA and 10 b2a2 type mRNA. Nine cases of 11 bone marrow aspirate smear with other CMPD showed negative results of bcr/abl mRNA. Two cases of 10 ALL bone mallow aspirate smears had b2a2 type mRNA and b3a2 type mRNA, respectively. The results for detection of bcr/abl mRNA with fresh cell suspensions of 24 patients were same as the bone marrow aspirate smears storied for 7 days to 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicated that RNA obtained from bone marrow smears storied for less than 1 year was valuable as the source of RT-PGR for the detection of bcr/abl mRNA in CML and the bone marrow smears stored for much longer period ould be assailable as the specimens for retrospective analysis of specific gene alter-ation in other hematologic malignancy.
Bone Marrow* ; Diagnosis ; DNA, Complementary ; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; Myeloproliferative Disorders ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Retrospective Studies ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger* ; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase* ; Suspensions

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

No abstract available.
Carcinogenesis* ; Oenothera biennis*

BACKGROUND: In an effort to use cigarette warning labels as a means for reducing smoking rates, this study examined current cigarette warning messages and newly designed pictorial warning labels. METHODS: From June 15, 2005, to June 22, 2005 we conducted an e-mail survey of 1,200 civilians to examine the effect of cigarette warning labels. For statistical analysis, we used chi-square test with SPSS 11.0 software. RESULTS: Among all the respondents, 78.7% indicated that current cigarette warning labels did not have any effect. However, most of the respondents indicated that pictorial warning labels are effective in raising public awareness (84.6%) or knowledge (81.5%) of the harmful effects of cigarettes. They also responded that pictorial warning labels would help them quit smoking (75.9%) or keep them from buying cigarettes (64.1%). Over 80% of the respondents and over 70% of the smokers responded that they would welcome the use of pictorial warning labels as an anti-smoking measure. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that current cigarette warning labels are not effective in curbing smoking rates. Also, the results suggest that current cigarette warning labels need to be improved if they are to be used as an effective anti-smoking measure.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Electronic Mail ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco Products*

The purpose of this study was to explore the various aspects of the fatigue in the mothers of infants and toddlers in descriptive study. Three hundred eighty mothers who visited the public primary health care center in subrural area were enrolled from October, 2001 to June, 2002. Data were collected using a questionnaire titled "Symptom Table on Fatigue Perception" designed by the Fatigue Research Committee of Japan, consisted of a total 30 items categorized into three subdimensions: the physical, the psychological and the neuro-sensory. SPSS was used for the analysis of data with 0.05 of significance. The results were as follows: 1. The mean average fatigue score of subjects was 1.81(SD:.41): the physical fatigue revealed the highest value with a mean of 1.92(SD:.50), followed by psychological fatigue with a mean score of 1.79(SD:.48), neuro-sensory fatigue with a mean of 1.72(SD:.44). 2. With the respect to the general characteristics of subjects, there were statistically significant differences in the mothers' fatigue perception by with or without a job or not(t=2.213, p=.028), the number of children(t=-2.157, p=.032), the degree of spouse support in domestic households(F=3.315, p=.045), the degree of spouse support in the care of children(F=12.616, p=.000), and the amount of sleeping time(t=.130, p=.000). These results suggest that health care professional need to be aware of the persistent presence of the maternal fatigue related to the child rearing and the factors worsen the degree of the fatigue.
Child ; Child Rearing ; Delivery of Health Care ; Fatigue* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Japan ; Mothers* ; Primary Health Care ; Spouses ; Child Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Krukenberg Tumor*

No abstract available.
Krukenberg Tumor*

No abstract available.
Abortion, Spontaneous* ; Chorion* ; Chorionic Villi* ; Female ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Pregnancy