Teramethylammonium(TMA) in one of the synthetic compounds of nicotine that act at ganglionic site. The major action of TMA consists of initial stimulation followed by a more persistent depression of all autonomic ganglia by binding to a cholinergic receptor. It is well believed that the level of membrane potential in arterial smooth muscle is an important regulator of tension development. Depolarization and hyperpolarization by only few millivolts results in significant changes in tension. In general, the agents of vascular smooth muscle induce vascular relaxaion. The present study was undertaken to elucidate the effect of TMA on vascular contractility in the isolated rabbit thoracic aorta with or without endothelial cell, and mechanisms involved in the change of vascular contractility by TMA. The results obtained are summarized as follows ; 1) In the presence of endothelial cell, TMA induced a relaxtion of the aorta precontracted with norepinephrine but induced a contraction in the aorta without endothelial cells, indicating that in the rabbit aorta, relaxations produced by TMA were the endothelium-dependent. 2) The addition of inhibitor such as methylene blue, hemoglobin, hydroquinone and p-bromophenacyl bromide during the TMA-induced relaxation reversed the contractile tension to a level similar to or higher than that before the addition of TMA in rabbit thoracic aorta.This relaxation effect of TMA suggest that the TMA-inducdd relaxation in rabbit aorta is due to the release of endotheline derived relaxing factor(EDRF). 3) Relaxation induced by TMA was antagonized by atropine and thus the TMA does seem to act on the muscarinic receptors. 4) TMA reduced the norepinephrine-induced Ca++ influx into rabbit smooth muscle membrane. From the above results, it may be concluded that TMA-induced vacular relaxation in rabbit aorta is due to the release of EDRF. Mechanism involved in the relaxation induced by TMA may be the stimulation of soluble guanylate cyclase and increased tissue cGMP concentrations.
Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic* ; Atropine ; Depression ; Endothelial Cells ; Endothelins ; Endothelium ; Endothelium-Dependent Relaxing Factors* ; Ganglia, Autonomic ; Ganglion Cysts ; Guanylate Cyclase ; Membrane Potentials ; Membranes ; Methylene Blue ; Muscle, Smooth ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Nicotine ; Norepinephrine ; Receptors, Muscarinic ; Relaxation

It is known that the diagnostic accuracy is about 75% by conventional method without pressure/ flow study in BPH. But we cannot apply the pressure/flow study to the every patient in the diagnosis of BPH due to high cost of equipment and invasiveness of the study. Generally, in compensatory phase with obstruction, we can diagnose obstruction easily because maximum urine flow rate is decreased and maximum intravesical pressure is high. But in decompensatory phase with obstruction we must perform invasive pressure/flow study to differentiate obstruction from the patient with decreased detrusor contractility without obstruction because urine flow rate is decreased and maximum intravesical pressure is low in both cases. We diagnosed obstruction if the maximum flow rate is lower than 15 ml/sec and the maximum intravesical pressure is higher than 50 cm H2O by eyeball urodynamic study and if URA is higher than 29 cm H2O by invasive pressure/flow study in the patient whose maximum flow rate is lower than 15 cc/sec with less than 50 cm H2O of maximum intravesical pressure by eyeball urodynamic study. We diagnosed 141 BPH patients in which 116 (82.3%) patients by eyeball urodynamic study and 25 (17.7%) patients by pressure/flow study and treated them by open prostatectomy or TURP. Symptoms were improved in 120 (83%) patients within 3 months. Ten (8.0%) out of 21 (17%) patients whose symptoms were not improved after 3 months with higher than 15 ml/sec of maximum flow rate were diagnosed as increased detrusor contractility. Eyeball urodynamic study was performed in the other 11 (8.9%) patients with lower than 15 ml/sec of maximum flow rate. Six (4.8%) of them were diagnosed as decreased detrusor contractility due to lower than 50 cm H2O of maximum intravesical pressure and the other 5 (4.O%) were diagnosed as obstruction due to higher than 50 cm H2O of maximum intravesical pressure in eyeball urodynamic study. Five (4.0%) patients had urinary incontinence. Four (3.2%) out of them had detrusor contractility and the other one had obstruction. Alpha blockers or anticholinergics were applied in the patient with increased detrusor contractility, CIC or Foley catheter was indwelled in the patients with decreased detrusor contractility. Repeated TURP or urethral dilation was applied to the patient with obstruction After all symptoms were improved in all patients except 3 (2.4%). In conclusion maximum detrusor pressure measurement with eyeball urodynamic study is very useful and less sophisticated method in the diagnosis and postoperative follow-up in BPH.
Catheters ; Cholinergic Antagonists ; Diagnosis* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Prostatectomy ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate ; Urinary Incontinence ; Urodynamics*

PURPOSE: This study attempted to characterize the muscle derived stem cells isolated from the primary cultured skeletal muscle of the rat gastrocnemius muscle; in addition, we modified the preplate method and then compared this to the original preplate method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The hind limbs (gastrocnemius muscles) were removed from a 3-6 week olds SD-rat and the bone was dissected away. The muscle mass was finely minced and chopped using razor blades. In an original preplate method, the cells were dissociated using a triple enzyme mixture (collagenase XI, dipase and trypsin) for 1 hour at 37degreesC. The muscle cell extract was preplated on culture flasks as described by Dr. Qu (Qu et al., 1998). The pp1-pp4 cells were referred to as the early plate (EP) cells, and the pp5-pp6 cells were referred to as the late plate (LP) cells. When we modified the preplate method, the pp1-pp2 cells were called the early plate (EP) cells and the pp3-pp4 cells were called to late plate (LP) cells. The phenotypical characteristics of EP and LP cells were compared by immunostaining and FACS. RESULTS: In the original preplate methods, the early plate (EP) cells were mixed with myogenic cells (mostly fibroblasts, <15% desmin + cells) and the LP cells were highly purified muscle derived cells that contain pure myogenic cells (>90% desmin + cells). Yet in the modified preplate method, the muscle derived stem cells were determined to be CD34 (+ or -), CD45- and desmin- cells by immunohistochemical staining and FACS. CONCLUSIONS: In original methods, the LP cells exhibited stem cell properties (CD34+, less than 30%), and they were not from a hematogeous origin (CD45-), but rather, they were from a myogenic origin (desmin+). Yet in the modified preplate method, we purified the LP cells much earlier than the original method. The LP cells displayed CD34+(more than 50%), and CD45-; thus, we isolated more primitive (desmin-) cells.
Animals ; Desmin ; Extremities ; Fibroblasts ; Muscle Cells ; Muscle, Skeletal* ; Rats* ; Stem Cells*

PURPOSE: This study attempted to characterize the muscle derived stem cells isolated from the primary cultured skeletal muscle of the rat gastrocnemius muscle; in addition, we modified the preplate method and then compared this to the original preplate method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The hind limbs (gastrocnemius muscles) were removed from a 3-6 week olds SD-rat and the bone was dissected away. The muscle mass was finely minced and chopped using razor blades. In an original preplate method, the cells were dissociated using a triple enzyme mixture (collagenase XI, dipase and trypsin) for 1 hour at 37degreesC. The muscle cell extract was preplated on culture flasks as described by Dr. Qu (Qu et al., 1998). The pp1-pp4 cells were referred to as the early plate (EP) cells, and the pp5-pp6 cells were referred to as the late plate (LP) cells. When we modified the preplate method, the pp1-pp2 cells were called the early plate (EP) cells and the pp3-pp4 cells were called to late plate (LP) cells. The phenotypical characteristics of EP and LP cells were compared by immunostaining and FACS. RESULTS: In the original preplate methods, the early plate (EP) cells were mixed with myogenic cells (mostly fibroblasts, <15% desmin + cells) and the LP cells were highly purified muscle derived cells that contain pure myogenic cells (>90% desmin + cells). Yet in the modified preplate method, the muscle derived stem cells were determined to be CD34 (+ or -), CD45- and desmin- cells by immunohistochemical staining and FACS. CONCLUSIONS: In original methods, the LP cells exhibited stem cell properties (CD34+, less than 30%), and they were not from a hematogeous origin (CD45-), but rather, they were from a myogenic origin (desmin+). Yet in the modified preplate method, we purified the LP cells much earlier than the original method. The LP cells displayed CD34+(more than 50%), and CD45-; thus, we isolated more primitive (desmin-) cells.
Animals ; Desmin ; Extremities ; Fibroblasts ; Muscle Cells ; Muscle, Skeletal* ; Rats* ; Stem Cells*

PURPOSE: Currently, pancreatic exocrine carcinomas present with low resectability rates and poor survival, even after curative surgery. In this article, the clinicopathological characteristics, and treatment outcomes, of patients are analyzed and discussed. METHODS: Between 1983 and 2000, 106 exocrine pancreatic carcinoma patients were operated on at our institute. The medical records of 95 patients diagnosed with a ductal adenocarcinoma were reviewed, and the postoperative follow up results analyzed. RESULTS: The locations of the tumors were the head, body and diffusely spread in 76 (80.0%), 17 (17.9%) and 2 (2.1%) patients, respectively. Of the 95 patients, 29 underwent surgical resection (resectability rate; 30.6%), 33 palliative bypass procedures and the other 33 an exploration only. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates in the resection group were 66.7%, 19.8% and 9.9%, respectively. In the non- resection group the 1-year survival rate was 3.3%, with a mean survival period of 5.5 months. The overall 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 23.0%, 6.6%, and 3.3%, respectively. From a multivariate analysis, the location of tumor (P= 0.0067), TNM stage (P=0.0010) and resectability of tumor (P<0.0001) were all significant prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: Pancreatic carcinomas have very low resectability, with a bad prognosis, and long term survival can only be obtained by their early detection and curative resection.
Adenocarcinoma ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis* ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUNDS: Culture of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) from gastric biopsy specimens is a standard method with high specificity among H. pylori diagnostic tools and is also essential for antibiotic susceptibility test. The authors compared 5 selective media for H. pylori culture and tested fresh human serum instead of fresh animal blood as a media composite. METHODS: Gastric biopsy specimens from endoscopic examination were obtained from 50 patients (gastric ulcer:33, duodenal ulcer:12, stomach cancer:5) and they were finely minced with a tissue grinder. Specimens were inoculated onto 5 media (1. Columbia agar with 5% sheep blood, 2. Columbia agar with 10% human serum, 3. Thayer-Martin agar with 5% sheep blood, 4. T-M agar with 10% human serum, 5. T-M agar with 10% hemoglobin) and cultured for 3~7 days under microaerophilic condition. Gram stain, oxidase, catalase, and urease tests, were undertaken on typical colonies for diagnosis of H. pylori. Contamination by other organisms, number and size of H. pylori colonies were compared for each media. RESULTS: Positive culture rate of H. pylori was not significantly different among 4 media except TM agar with 10% hemoglobin. However T-M agar with 10% fresh human serum was considered as the best composition for culture of H. pylori because it had the least contaminating organisms and produced the largest colony sizes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that T-M agar with 10% fresh human serum can replace columbia agar with 5% sheep blood which has been commonly used for culture of H. pylori from gastric biopsy specimens. Fresh human serum, which is easily obtained in the clinical laboratory, can replace animal bloods in making media for H. pylori.
Agar ; Animals ; Biopsy ; Catalase ; Diagnosis ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Oxidoreductases ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sheep ; Stomach ; Urease

In 11(64.7%) of 17 eyes treated by intravitreal gas injection, the retinas were successfully attached during follow-up period that ranged from 12 to 39 months. Group I(detachment limited to the perimaculararea) patients need more frequent gas injection than group II(detachment extending to equator), but success rate of group I(83.3%) is higher than group II(66.7%). Group III(detachment with peripheral retinal break) patients are not successful by gas injection only. In the succesful eyes, macular holes are not visible, but "window defects" are present on FAG. The relative scotomas improve. Recurrent detachment cases(31.3%) are associated with posterior staphyloma, peripheral retinal break and trauma. Time of late recurrences ranged from 4 to 13 months postoperatively(mean: 7 months).
Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Retina ; Retinal Detachment* ; Retinal Perforations* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Scotoma

No abstract available.

Double eyelid operation is the most common cosmetic surgery in Asian. There are two procedures for the double eyelid operation: one is an incision method and the other is a suture(non- incision) method. The latter is classified into two categories: stitch method and buried suture method. The popular indications for the non-incision method are listed below (1) A dislike is shown for a procedure that may possibly leave conspicuous scars. (2) The relaxation of the skin and orbicular oculi muscle is not strong, and they retain some tension. (3) The deposition of subcutaneous fat is not very heavy. (4) A wide double eyelid line is not desired. (5) A weak double eyelid line is already present. So the plastic surgeon generally offer the incision method when the patient is older than the age of 35. But rarely aged woman wants the double eyelid operation by non-incision method because of short recovery time and less scar. From December 1999 to June 2003, we performed the double eyelid operation by non-incision method in 22 patients who are older than the age of 40 with selective indications. 16 patients (72.73%) were satisfied with their aesthetic results.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cicatrix ; Eyelids* ; Female ; Humans ; Relaxation ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Surgery, Plastic ; Sutures*

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that subjects with exceptional longevity and their offsprings have a lower incidence and delayed onset of age-related diseases. Cardiovascular protective effect through over-presentation of Apo E2 with lower LDL cholesterol level, high HDL cholesterol, and larger size of HDL and LDL particle with cholesteryl ester transfer protein(CETP) genetic variation were suggested as a mechanism of less cardiovascular disease in exceptional longevity. Objective of this study is to examine what risk factors of cardiovascular diseases were related with exceptional longevity in Korea. METHODS: One hundred seventeen centenarians, 179 nonagenarians, 61 octogenarian regional controls were visited and joined after informed written consent was obtained. Age was first identified by National Residence Registry with help of regional government and verified by visiting researchers with birth year animal, age of first child and neighbor's connection memory. Detailed interview with questionnaires about health status and life style, physical examination, physical and cognitive function, and blood tests were performed. Data about risk factors of cardiovascular disease was analyzed and compared exceptional longevity group with regional control group and 455 octogenarian control data from 2001 National Health and Nutrition Examination. RESULTS: Hypertension and diabetes history, hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia, obesity and abdominal obesity, and physical inactivity ratio of longevity groups were significantly less than control group. Level of homocysteine, and C-reactive protein and low serum HDL cholesterol ratio were not much different between longevity and control group. CONCLUSION: Fewer risk factors and delayed onset of cardiovascular disease were observed in Korean exceptional longevity group. Future research about genetic protective effect of cardiovascular disease in longevity is required.
Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Apolipoprotein E2 ; C-Reactive Protein ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Child ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Genetic Variation ; Hematologic Tests ; Homocysteine ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hypertension ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Incidence ; Korea ; Life Style ; Longevity* ; Memory ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Parturition ; Physical Examination ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Risk Factors*