Anthocyanidins, the aglycones of anthocyanins, are natural colorants belonging to the flavonoid family. Cyanidin is one of the anthocyanidins, used for their antioxidant properties. Furthermore, previous studies have shown anthocyanidin-rich material extracts or aglycone form inhibit growth and induce apoptosis of cancer cells. But, Tumor metastasis is the most important cause of cancer death, and various treatment strategies have targeted on preventing the occurrence of metastasis. This study investigated the effects of cyanidin on metastasis processes, including motility, invasion and activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell lines. We cultured MDA-MB-231 cells in presence of various concentrations 0, 5, 10 and 20 micrometer of cyanidin. The cell motility was significantly decreased dosedependently in cells treated with cyanidin (p < 0.05) and cyanidin treatment caused the significant suppression of the invasion (p < 0.05). MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities, and MMP-9 mRNA express were not affected by anthocyanin treatment. In conclusion, cyanidin inhibits cell motility, invasion in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell lines.
Anthocyanins ; Apoptosis ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cell Line ; Cell Movement ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; RNA, Messenger

PURPOSE: Long term oral medications of anticonvulsants are inevitable in pediatric epilepsy patients. Therefore special attention is needed for the complications caused by these medications. Hyponatremia is a well known complication of carbamazepine(CBZ) and oxcarbazepine(OXC), but researches in pediatric patients are rare. This is a study about the development of hyponatremia during the use of these two anticonvulsants in pediatric epilepsy patients and other factors also involved in it. METHODS: We studied serum sodium levels of 267 pediatric patients who were treated with either CBZ or OXC in our hospital from January 2003 to December 2006. Hyponatremia was defined as Na+<138 mEq. Moderate hyponatremia was defined as Na+<130 mEq. Factors thought to be involved in the development of hyponatremia were studied also. These included age, sex, EEG and radiologic test results, use of any other medications, etc. RESULTS: Among the 267 pediatric patients treated with CBZ or OXC, there were 18 cases (6.7%) of moderate hyponatremia and 28 cases(10.5%) of mild hyponatremia. Sex, age, type of seizure, EEG and radiologic test results did not affect the development of hyponatremia. But combination therapy with other anticonvulsants resulted in an increase of hyponatremia. CONCLUSION: We recommend that serum sodium levels should be checked regularly of the pediatric patients taking CBZ or OXC, especially patients treated with additional drugs (combination therapy).
Anticonvulsants ; Carbamazepine ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Humans ; Hyponatremia ; Seizures ; Sodium

The nfa1 gene was cloned from a cDNA library of pathogenic Naegleria fowleri by immunoscreening; it consisted of 360 bp and produced a 13.1 kDa recombinant protein (rNfa1) that showed the pseudopodia-specific localization by immunocytochemistry in the previous study. Based on the idea that the pseudopodia-specific Nfa1 protein mentioned above seems to be involved in the pathogenicity of N. fowleri, we observed the effect of an anti-Nfa1 antibody on the proliferation of N. fowleri trophozoites and the cytotoxicity of N. fowleri trophozoites on the target cells. The proliferation of N. fowleri trophozoites was inhibited after being treated with an anti-Nfa1 polyclonal antibody in a dose-dependent manner for 48 hrs. By a light microscope, CHO cells co-cultured with N. fowleri trophozoites (group I) for 48 hrs showed severe morphological destruction. On the contrary, CHO cells co-cultured with N. fowleri trophozoites and anti-Nfa1 polyclonal antibody (1: 100 dilution) (group II) showed less destruction. In the LDH release assay results, group I showed 50.6% cytotoxicity, and group II showed 39.3%. Consequently, addition of an anti-Nfa1 polyclonal antibody produced a decreasing effect of in vitro cytotoxicity of N. fowleri in a dosedependent manner.
Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*immunology ; Antigens, Protozoan/genetics/*immunology ; CHO Cells ; Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic ; Female ; Hamsters ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Naegleria fowleri/growth & development/immunology/*pathogenicity ; Protozoan Proteins/genetics/*immunology ; Recombinant Proteins/immunology ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of frozen-thawed ET in poor prognosis patients such as the old age (38~44 years; OA group) and the patients who did not achieve clinical pregnancy with the first fresh ET cycle (non-pregnant patients; NP group). METHODS: Laboratory and clinical data were collected from fresh and frozen-thawed ET cycles of OA and NP group. Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) and conventional insemination or ICSI, in vitro culture and ET were performed by routine procedures. Supernumerary embryos were frozen by the slow freezing method, and frozen embryos were thawed by the rapid thawing method. Embryo development, pregnancy and implantation rates were statistically analyzed by Student t-test and chi square test. RESULTS: Mean ages were similar between fresh ET (40.0+/-1.8 years, n=206) and frozen-thawed ET (39.9+/-1.9 years, n=69) cycles in OA group. However, the clinical pregnancy and implantation rate of subsequent frozen-thawed ET significantly higher than those of fresh ET cycles (29.0% and 11.2% vs. 16.5% and 7.0%, p<0.05). In NP group, there was no difference in the mean age between fresh ET (31.2+/-2.3 years, n=40) and frozen-thawed ET (31.9+/-3.1 years, n=119) in subsequent cycles. The clinical pregnancy and implantation rates were similar between the subsequent fresh ET (42.5% and 22.6%) and the frozen-thawed ET (40.3% and 18.8%). CONCLUSION: In old age patients, higher pregnancy rate of frozen-thawed ET compared to fresh ET cycles in this study. It may be related that better uterine environments for implantation in frozen-thawed ET cycles than that of non-physiological hormonal condition in uterus of fresh COH cycles.
Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Freezing ; Humans ; Insemination ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Prognosis ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Uterus

PURPOSE: This study investigates the effect of pregnant women's growth mindset on the stress of pregnancy through ego-resilience. METHODS: The subjects included 551 pregnant women in Seoul and Gyeonggi area. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire; statistical, frequency, correlation, and structural equation analyses were performed using SPSS21 and M-plus 7.0. RESULTS: First, pregnant women's growth mindset had a direct effect on pregnancy stress. Second, the mediating pathway that influenced pregnancy stress through the ego-resilience of growth mindset was significant. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that it is important to devise and practice a method to improve the growth mindset of pregnant women, enhance ego-resilience, and reduce the negative effects of stress by reducing pregnancy stress.
Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Methods ; Negotiating ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Seoul

OBJECTIVE: Cyclosporine(CsA) and tacrolimus, albeit different in structure, exert immunosuppressive effect by similar mechanism. Although most of clinical manifestations, including nephrotoxicity, are similar in the patients using these drugs, there are some differences including gum hyperplasia, neurotoxicity, and hepatic fibrosis between two drugs. There are several reports about association between reactive oxygen species(ROS) and CsA. In contrast, tacrolimus is known to decrease ROS in central nervous system. Thus, we investigated the possibility of different effects of tacrolimus and CsA on the generation of ROS, on the synthesis and degradation of collagen. METHODS: Experiments were done in primary cultured mesangial cells between 4th and 8th passages. CsA was added to the culture dishes in different concentration(making final CsA concentration of 0, 2, 4, 8 microgram/milliliter) and N-acetylcysteine(NAC) was also added in another mesangial cell culture at 4 microgram/milliliter of CsA concentration; tacrolimus was added in similar pattern(making final tacrolimus concentration of 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 microgram/milliliter, NAC in 0.2 microgram/milliliter of tacrolimus concentration). RESULTS: No significant decrease in viability was noted in both cell groups, but growth retardation was weak in tacrolimus treated cells comparing with CsA treated cells. By flow cytometry, we could find the generation of ROS in CsA treated cells, but not in tacrolimus treated cells. In RT-PCR, there is no significant difference in m-RNA expression for a number of molecules including collagen III, MMP-2, TIMP-2, MT1-MMP in either CsA treated cells or tacrolimus cells. But in zymogram, MMP-2 activities were decreased at higher CsA concentration, then increased with addition of NAC. In tacrolimus cells, MMP2 activity was not changed at 0.1 and 0.2 microgram/milliliter; but, at the concentration of 0.4 microgram/milliliter, changed and not reversed by NAC. MMP-9 activity was similar in both cells. CONCLUSION: We could find ROS generation in CsA treated human mesangial cells, but not in tacrolimus treated cells. We think this difference resulted in the decrease of post-transcriptional MMP-2 activity in CsA treated cells and we also think tacrolimus cells in our experiments were not influenced by ROS. From these results, tacrolimus and CsA are different in the generation of ROS that have some effects in the matrix accumulation in mesangial cells. These result does not mean that tacrolimus is superior to CsA in nephrotoxicity, because nephrotoxicity is similar between two drugs. In conclusion, the mechanisms of nephrotoxicity are different between CsA and tacrolimus.
Central Nervous System ; Collagen ; Cyclosporine* ; Extracellular Matrix* ; Fibrosis ; Flow Cytometry ; Gingiva ; Humans* ; Hyperplasia ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 14 ; Mesangial Cells* ; Oxygen ; Tacrolimus* ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2

Craniofacial dysostosis is considered to be one of rarely observed syndromes characterized by premature closing of all cranial sutures. The first patient was a 4-year-old male infant who had been complaining of empyema. Clinical findings showed exophthalmos, hypertelorism and facial asymmetry. Conventional radiographs demonstrated abscence of cranial sutures and underdeveloped maxilla. CT scan demonstrated the digital impressions of the inner surface of the cranial vault, enlarged and depressed sella turcica. The second patient was a 2-year-old female infant who had been complaining of facial deformity. Clinical findings showed hypertelorism and underdeveloped maxilla. Radiographs showed premature synostosis of all cranial sutures, depressed and enlarged sella turcica, and hypoplastic maxilla. 3 years after operation, her look improved. However, resurgery may be considered to decreasing intracranial pressure and for correction of facial deformity. Two interesting cases showing 'cloverleaf'skulls were presented.
Child, Preschool ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Cranial Sutures ; Craniofacial Dysostosis* ; Empyema ; Exophthalmos ; Facial Asymmetry ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertelorism ; Infant ; Intracranial Pressure ; Male ; Maxilla ; Sella Turcica ; Synostosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: Endoscopic transnasal correction of the medial orbital fractures cannot be enable to confirm the reduction degree of orbital volume without imaging modalities. We have intended through this study to make a quantative analysis of preoperative orbital volume increment and the reduction degree of that after ethmoidal sinus packing by using CT scan. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 22 patients were selected to evaluate the postoperative volume reduction, who took 2 CT scans which are pre- and postoperative under the same protocol. The postoperative CT scan was carried out in about 5 days after the operation with the packing inserted into ethmoidal sinus. The length of bony defect on each section was measured by PACS program and the area of defect was calculated by summing lengths on each section multiplied by the thickness of the section. When the outline of orbit on the slice is drawn manually with a cursor, PACS program measures the area automatically. Orbital volume was calculated from the sum of the area multiplied by the section thickness. RESULTS: The mean dimension of fractured walls was 2.86 +/-0.99 cm2. The mean orbital volume of the unaffected orbits was 22.89 +/-2.15 cm3 and that of the affected orbits was 25.62 +/-2.82 cm3. The mean orbital volume increment of the affected orbits was 2.73 +/-1.13 cm3. After surgery, the mean orbital volume of the unaffected orbits was 22.46 +/-2.73 cm3 and the mean orbital volume decrease on the surgical side was 2.98 +/-1.07 cm3. The estimated correction rate was 118.30%. CONCLUSION: The orbital volume increment in fractured orbit showed linear correlation with the dimension of fractured area. The orbital volume changes after ethmoidal sinus packing also showed linear correlation with orbital volume increment in fractured orbit. This study showed the regressive linear correlation between the increment of orbital volume and the correction rate. To evaluate the maintenance of reduction state, we think that the further study should be done for comparative analysis of orbital volume change after removal of packing.
Humans ; Orbit ; Orbital Fractures ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: Heat shock proteins (hsps) are molecular chaperones that are synthesized by cells in response to various stress conditions. The expression of hsps have been shown to be associated with carcinogenesis and the expression of hsps have been implicated in the biological behavior of tumors. Recently, hsps have emerged as novel molecular targets in anticancer protocols. The objectives of this study were to investigate the significance of hsp 70/90 in breast carcinogenesis and effect of geldanamycin (a blocker of hsp 90) and quercetin (a blocker of hsp 70) on growth inhibition in different breast cancer cell lines. METHODS: Breast tissues from 82 patients were obtained between June 2003 and May 2005 at the Department of Surgery, Hallym University Hospital. Expression of hsp 70/90 was studied by immunohistochemistry (IHC) on tissue sections from 63 breast carcinomas and 19 benign breast tissues. Both cytoplasmic and nuclear expression was measured. Expression of hsp 70/90 was also analyzed by use of a Western blot with the breast cancer cell lines. We next investigated the effects of blockers of hsp 70/90 on cell growth of the human breast cancer cell lines. RESULTS: More prominent hsp 90 expression was observed in malignant tissue than in benign tissue by both cytoplasmic and nuclear IHC staining (p<0.001, p<0.001). Nuclear hsp 90 expression was associated with a positive lymph node status (p=0.003) and the presence of poorly differentiated tumors (p=0.028). Expression of hsp 70 was not different in malignant and benign tissues as determined by both cytoplasmic and nuclear IHC staining. The breast cancer cell lines all expressed hsp 70/90. Geldanamycin markedly inhibited the cell growth of these breast cancer cell lines in a dosedependent manner and induced apoptosis in the cell lines. Quercetin inhibited cell growth of the cell lines less efficiently. CONCLUSION: The expression of hsp 90 was associated with breast carcinogenesis and the presence of more aggressive tumors. Geldanamycin inhibited cell growth of hsp 90 expressing breast cancer cell lines. We suggest that Hsp 90 may be a possible molecular target against breast cancer.
Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Line ; Cytoplasm ; Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Hot Temperature* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; Molecular Chaperones ; Quercetin

No abstract available.
Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Acute* ; Skin*