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*

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

The purpose of this study was to get some basic data for health care for working women, especially for hospital nurses. the number of subjects was 796 nurses from one general hospital and four private educational hospitals. The data were collected from February to April, 1988 using the questionnaire "Symptom Table on fatigue Perception" designed by the Research Committee of Industrial Fatigue in Hygienic Association of Japan Industry. The collected data were analyzed using means and standard deviations for the subjective symptoms of fatigue and each item as an independent variable was analyzed by T-test and ANOVA test. The results are as follows: 1) The mean score for degree of fatigue was 1.89 and the degree of fatigue for physical symptoms had highest score of 2.04, the next was psychological symptoms at 1.89, and euro-sensory symptoms were the lowest ar 1.74. Among the fatigue symptoms, the item scored most frequently was "Legs feel heavy" with a mean score of 2.40 and the least frequent item was "My hand and foot trembled" with a mean score of 1.40/. 2) With the respect to the general characteristics of subjects, there were statistically significant difference according to age(F=17.039, p=.000), state of marriage(t=5.381, p=.000) presence of children(t=5.134, p=.000), clinical experience(F=16.663, p=.000), present position(F=12.598, p=.000), duty time(F=9.068, p=.000), monthly wages(F=7.361, p=.000), satisfaction about the pay and treatment at work(t=-5.511, p=.000), relation the doctors(t=-4.593, p=.000)
Delivery of Health Care ; Fatigue* ; Female ; Foot ; Hand ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Japan ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Women, Working

No abstract available.
Krukenberg Tumor*

No abstract available.
Krukenberg Tumor*

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Humans