This study was performed to investigate the effect of octreotide on the contractility of rat vas deferens. The -smooth muscle strips isolated from the prostatic portion were myographied in isolated organ bath. Electric -field stimulation (monophasic square wave, duration : 1. mSec, voltage : 50 V, frequency : 5 Hz or 30 Hz, train : 10 Sec) produced reproducible contraction. The contraction was composed of two component, first phasic component (FPC) and second tonicc component (STC).. These contractions were abolished by -tetrodotoxin (1 microM). Octreotide inhibited the field stimulation induced contractions both FPC and STC concentration- dependently. The FPC was decreased by a desentization of purinergic receptor by pretreatment of mATP, and the STC was decreased by pr,,creatment of reserpine (3 mg/kg, EP) 24 hours before experiments. Octreotide reduced the field stimulation induced contraction in the presence of mATP and of reserpinized muscle strips. The inhibitory effect of octreotide was more potent at 5 Hz than at 30 Hz. Octreotide did not affect basal ton and exogenous norepinephrine- or ATP-induced contraction. These results suggest that octreotide inhibit the contractility of the isolated rat vas deferens by inhibition of the release of neurotransmitters, both ATP and norepinephrine from adrenergic nerve terminal.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Animals ; Baths ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Norepinephrine ; Octreotide* ; Rats* ; Reserpine ; Vas Deferens*

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen presenting cells that can activate naive T cells. Mature DCs exress high levels of MHC and costimulatory molecules on their surface and have capacity to produce IL-12, a 75 kDa heterodimeric cytokine composed of p35 and p40 subunit. IL-12 is currently thought to be one of most critical determinants for skewing the immune response towards Th1. Expression of IL-12 in dendritic cells seems to be regulated by various stimuli including CD40L. In the present study we investigated expression of IL-12 in mature DCs, which were cultured from bone marrow cells in the presence of GM-CSF. Maturity of the DCs was confirmed by morphologic characteristics, immunophenotypes, and allostimulatory activities. Exprssion levels of IL-12 p40 in the DCs were measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Increases in IL-12 p40 expression were observed after treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an anti-MHC class II monoclonal antibody, or an anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody. The most remarkable increases, however, were observed in the DCs treated with an anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody. These results support a previous notion that signals through CD40/CD40L interaction may be important for the production of IL-12 by DCs. Moreover, results of this study show a possibility of using monoclonal antibodies against CD40 molecules for preparing DCs producing high amount of IL-12, which can be used for anti-tumor or anti-viral immunotherapy.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Antigen-Presenting Cells ; Bone Marrow Cells ; CD40 Ligand ; Dendritic Cells* ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Immunotherapy ; Interleukin-12* ; Mice* ; T-Lymphocytes

OBJECTIVES: This study was for analyzing the research about international marriage immigrant women and a trial to find the right direction for future research. METHODS: Sixty articles published from June, 2004 to June, 2009 were reviewed and analyzed according to the general characteristics, major of author, and theme of health domains. RESULTS: Most of them were master's thesis(71.7%) and journals(21.7%) and doctoral dissertation(6.7%) have been published mostly after thesis. Among 83.3% for quantitative research, descriptive(33.3%) and descriptive correlation(41.7%) methods were the most used and there were some qualitative researches(16.7%). The most frequently used data gathering method was questionnaire(81.7%) and the next was interview(16.7%). The major rates of the author were 61.7% for social welfare and 2.1% for nursing. The investigated variables in social health domain were adaptation(28.3%), and communication(1.7%). In psychological health domain, marriage satisfaction(16.7%), life satisfaction(11.7%), and depression(10.0%) were most researched. Utilization of medical center(5.0%) and health promotion behavior(1.7%) were investigated in physical health domain. CONCLUSIONS: Above this, most articles were researched about the adaptation of international marriage immigrant women. But the life in foreign countries can cause physical and psychosocial unhealthy conditions, so many-sided health related researches are supposed to be conducted for adaptation and prevention health problems of international marriage immigrant women.
Emigrants and Immigrants ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Marriage ; Social Welfare

No abstract available.
Appointments and Schedules* ; Hepatitis B Vaccines* ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Vaccination*

BACKGROUND: Aspirin/NSAIDs can release cysteinyl-leukotriene (cys-LTs) into airways and precipitate asthmatic symptoms in aspirin - induced asthma(AIA). It has been reported that there is profound overexpression of LTC4 synthase in their bronchial mucosa, compared to aspirin-tolerant asthma. Objective : We observed whether genetic polymorphism of LTC4 synthase may be predisposed to LTC4 synthase overexpression in AIA. Subject and METHOD: Forty - four AIA patients having positive responses on lysin aspirin bron choprovocation tests and 47 non - aspirin induced asthma ( non - AIA ) patients having negative challenges and 32 healthy controls were enrolled. The genotypes of the promoter LTC4 synthase gene ( A,C transversion ) were determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism ( RFLP ) method. RESULTS: LTC4 synthase promoter polymorphism ( A444C btransversion) was not significantly different between non - AIA and AIA patients (p>0.05). Conclusion These findings suggest that genetic polymorphism of LTC4 synthase promoter may not be predisposed to LTC, synthase overexpression in AIA.
Aspirin* ; Asthma* ; Asthma, Aspirin-Induced ; Genotype ; Humans ; Leukotriene C4* ; Mucous Membrane ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

PURPOSE: The prevalence of intoxication and toxidromes, such as altered mental status, from Sedatives/hypnotics is high. Many patients have been transferred to a higher-level emergency center. This study was designed to analyze the clinical features of these patients and to compare patients transferred from a regional hospital with patients who directly visited a higher-level emergency center. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 298 sedative/hypnotic intoxication patients examined from January 2008 to December 2012. After excluding patients intoxicated from other category medications and missing data on medical records, 158 acute intoxication patients were enrolled in the study and divided into transferred and direct-visit groups. Gastric lavage patients (n=108) were also subdivided into two groups by irrigation site. Clinical features, treatments, and complications were investigated. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in initial clinical manifestations, laboratory data, and toxicological information, except for charcoal treatment and complications from pneumonia. The use of charcoal was significantly lower in the group transferred from a regional medical center. The transferred group showed a higher incidence of pneumonia than the direct-visit group (10/54(18.5%) vs. 5/104(4.8%), respectively, p=0.007). In the subgroup analysis of gastric lavage patients, there was also a higher incidence of pneumonia in the regional hospital lavage group compared to the higher-level emergency center lavage group (8/32(25.0%) vs. 5/76(6.6%), respectively, p=0.011). From a comparative analysis of pneumonic complications and mental status, pneumonia patients showed a higher incidence of painful responses and unresponsive mentality (6(40.0%) and 4(26.7%), respectively, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In acute sedative/hypnotic intoxication patients, transferred patients, including regional hospital gastric lavage patients, showed a higher incidence of pneumonia. Pneumonic complication patients showed a higher incidence of a decreased mentality. Therefore, for patients transferred or treated for an altered mental status, precautions for complications from pneumonia must be considered.
Charcoal ; Emergencies* ; Gastric Lavage ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Incidence ; Medical Records ; Pneumonia ; Poisoning ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Therapeutic Irrigation

BACKGROUND: The associations between hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and natural killer cell activity (NKA) have been studied. However, there have been no studies on detection of NKA in HBV patients using NK Vue Gold kit (ATGen Co., Korea), which has been developed in Korea and can easily detect NKA in whole blood. METHODS: A patient group of 40 patients diagnosed with hepatitis B antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B and a control group of 40 people eligible for blood donation were selected for this study. Whole blood (1 mL) was collected in special tubes for analysis with NK Vue Gold kit. The concentration of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) was measured and considered to represent NKA. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the median (value, range) of concentration of IFN-γ between the patient (2,000, 89–2,000 pg/mL) and control groups (1,786, 333–2,000 pg/mL). The concentration of IFN-γ was inversely correlated with leukocyte count in both patient (r=–0.390, P=0.022) and control (r=–0.339, P=0.032) groups. The concentration of IFN-γ in the patient group was inversely correlated with concentrations of alanine aminotransferase (r=–0.363, P=0.021), aspartate aminotransferase (r=–0.336, P=0.037), and bilirubin (r=–0.376, P=0.020). CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in NKA between the patient and control group. Caution should be practiced when interpreting results of NKA, because leukocyte count can affect concentration of IFN-γ.
Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Bilirubin ; Blood Donors ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; Killer Cells, Natural ; Korea ; Leukocyte Count

Background: This study investigated the recognition of employees and blood donors regarding the spread of COVID-19 and the response of the Korean Red Cross Blood Service. Methods: An online survey was conducted through internal groupware targeting employees of the Korean Red Cross Blood Center and Blood Laboratory Center. For the blood donor survey, a text message containing the survey URL was sent to 20,000 blood donors on July 31, 2020, and the responses were analyzed. Results: Of those who received text messages, 63.7% of staff and 8.6% of blood donors participated. Of the employees surveyed, the greatest urgency was the need to prepare after COVID-19; strengthening safety and protection measures of employees showed the highest result. In the concern on future blood services, the highest result was the deterioration of blood supply due to decreasing number of blood donors. In a survey of blood donors, 16.0% answered that the spread of COVID-19 had a very negative or somewhat negative effect on the recognition of blood donation, and 80.4% responded positively to sending an ‘emergency disaster message requesting blood donation’ when blood stocks dropped sharply. Conclusion It is necessary to expand blood donation promotion and prepare systematic blood donor management measures for a stable blood supply during a pandemic, such as COVID-19. The emergency disaster message requesting blood donation helped solve the blood shortage, but it appears that an effective use plan will be needed in the future.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the differences in closing extraction spaces between maxillary first premolar and second premolar extractions using 3-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA). METHODS: Maxillary artificial teeth were selected according to Wheeler's dental anatomy. The size and shape of each tooth, bracket and archwire were made from captured real images by a 3D laser scanner and FEA was performed with a 10-noded tetrahedron. A 10 degrees gable bend was placed behind the bull loop on a 0.017" x 0.025" archwire. The extraction space was then closed through 12 repeated activating processes for each 2 mm of space. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that the retraction of anterior teeth was less for the second premolar extraction than for the first premolar extraction. The anterior teeth showed a controlled tipping movement with slight extrusion, and the posterior teeth showed a mesial-in rotational movement. For the second premolar extraction, buccal movement of posterior teeth was highly increased.
Bicuspid* ; Finite Element Analysis* ; Tooth ; Tooth, Artificial

OBJECTIVES: This study was to compare verbal memory ability among patients with schizophrenia, bipolar manic patients and unipolar depressive patients, and to understand their charicteristics of memory process. METHODS: All subjects were hospitalized patients and had been interviewed by using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV(SCID). Schizophrenic patients(N=40), bipolar manic patients(N=17), and unipolar depressive patients(N=20) were assessed with K-AVLT for verbal memory and with K-WAIS for verbal IQ. Three groups were compared regarding total immediate recall, delayed recall, delayed recognition, learning curve, memory retention, and retrieval efficiency under controlled verbal IQ. Multiple regression analysis was performed to find which clinical factors have an influence on verbal memory ability. RESULTS: In MANCOVA, differences of verbal memory test scores among the groups were statistically significant(F=1.800, p<.05). In post hoc analysis, Patients with schizophrenia and bipolar mania showed poorer performance in immediate recall, delayed recall, delayed recognition, retrieval efficiency than unipolar depressive patients. And schizophrenics performed poorly in delayed recall, delayed recognition, retrieval efficiency than nonpsychotic affective disorder group, but no difference in total immediate recall, delayed recall, delayed recognition, retrieval efficiency between the schizophrenic group and the psychotic affective group. CONCLUSIONS: These results partially confirm previous reports of verbal memory ability among major psychiatric disorders. Our results showed that psychotic symptoms were related with verbal memory, and longer duration of illness was related with poorer performance in schizophrenia and unipolar depression.
Bipolar Disorder ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder ; Humans ; Learning Curve ; Memory* ; Memory, Short-Term ; Mood Disorders* ; Schizophrenia*