Treatment of rainbow trout macrophages with glycyrrhizin (GL), an aqueous extract of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), enhanced their respiratory burst activity. Maximal effects were seen using concentrations of 10-100 ug/ml. GL also modulated trout lymphocytes, increasing proliferation responses to the mitogen phytohemagglutinin two-fold over a range of GL concentrations. In addition, GL elicited the release of a macrophage activating factor (MAF) kom head kidney leukocytes, as assessed by the ability of generated supernatants to increase respiratory burst activity of target macrophages. MAF activity was most apparent using 100 ug/ml GL to induce MAF release and a 48 h incubation period with the target macrophages. Finally, GL was shown to enhance the release oF MAF in response to the mitogen concanavalin A. The results suggest that GL might modulate the innate defences in fish.
Concanavalin A ; Glycyrrhiza ; Glycyrrhizic Acid* ; Head Kidney ; Leukocytes* ; Lymphocytes ; Macrophages ; Oncorhynchus mykiss* ; Oncorhynchus* ; Respiratory Burst ; Trout

One hundred and thirty five patients with carcinoma of the nasopharyx were treated by radiation therapy in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University between August 1977 and July 1987. Of the 30 patients omitted: 8 had distant metastases at initial diagnosis or during radiotherapy; 18 patients refused or did not received a full course of radiation therapy, and four had not been confirmed histologically. The remaining 105 patients were analyzed to determine the incidence and patter of distant metastases. Diagnosis of distant metastases was made based on clinical signs and radiography, even though histologic confirmation was not made. Twenty-six patients developed distant metastases after definite irradiation of nasopharyx and neck, an incidence rate of 24.8%. The common sites of distant metastases were, in descending order, bone, lung, liver, and brain. There was a strong correlation between Ho's N stage and distant metastases rate. But sex, age, histologic subtype (squamous cell and undifferentiated cell), AJC T and N stage, treatment modalities (radiotherapy alone and radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy) were not significant. Of those patients who developed distant metastases, 80.8% were discovered within 2 years of their radical radiotherapy. The prognosis for nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients developing distant metastases was poor: median survival was nine months and 80% of those patients died within two years of the initial diagnosis of distant metastasis.
Brain ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver ; Lung ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Prognosis ; Radiation Oncology ; Radiography ; Radiotherapy

ln order to investigate the mutagenic activity of Meju, an important component of the Korean diet, both chemical techniques and the Ames test were used. To determine if antimutagenic activity is present in Meju and other soybean based foods, the Ames Test was done in the presence of aflatoxin B1, benzo(a)pyrene, and other mutagens. Although aflatoxin contamination was found in 6 of 43 samples of Meju tested, the amounts were less than 1 ppb in all but one. Meju had a protective effect against mutations produced by both aflatoxins and benzo(a)pyrene, both of which act via an epoxide, but not against other mutagens tested.
Aflatoxins/analysis/*toxicity ; Fermentation ; Food Contamination/*analysis ; In Vitro ; Korea ; Mutagenicity Tests ; *Mutation ; Plant Extracts/toxicity ; Soybeans/*toxicity ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Detection of cerebrospinal fluid leakage or exact localization of leakage site after spinal surgery is difficult on conventional imaging studies. We report two patients with surgery-related spinal CSF leakage detected on magnetic resonance (MR) myelography. They presented with severe headache after spinal surgeries, lumbar discectomy and excision of spinal meningioma, respectively. The sites of spinal CSF leakage in the patients were detected accurately on MR myelography, and the patients recovered from the postoperative CSF leakage after being treated with an epidural blood patch or reoperation. MR myelography may be effective in demonstrating the exact site of surgery-related spinal CSF leakage.
Blood Patch, Epidural ; Diskectomy ; Headache ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Meningioma ; Myelography ; Reoperation

Background/Aims: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has antioxidant effects and is commercially available and marketed extensively. However, due to its low bioavailability, its effects are still controversial. We developed a water-soluble CoQ10-based micelle formulation (CoQ10-W) and tested it in an experimental model of tacrolimus (TAC)-induced diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: We developed CoQ10-W from a glycyrrhizic-carnitine mixed layer CoQ10 micelle preparation based on acyltransferases. TAC-induced DM rats were treated with either lipid-soluble CoQ10 (CoQ10-L) or CoQ10-W for 4 weeks. Their plasma and pancreatic CoQ10 concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry. The therapeutic efficacies of CoQ10-W and CoQ10-L on TAC-induced DM were compared using functional and morphological parameters and their effects on cell viability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were also evaluated in cultured rat insulinoma cells. Results: The plasma CoQ10 level was significantly increased in the CoQ10-W group compared to that in the CoQ10-L group. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion revealed that CoQ10-W controlled hyperglycemia and restored insulin secretion significantly better than CoQ10-L. The TAC-mediated decrease in pancreatic islet size was significantly attenuated by CoQ10-W but not by CoQ10-L. TAC-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis were significantly more reduced by CoQ10-W than CoQ10-L. Electron microscopy revealed that CoQ10-W restored TAC-induced attenuation in the number of insulin granules and the average mitochondrial area, unlike CoQ10-L. In vitro studies showed that CoQ10-L and CoQ10-W both improved cell viability and reduced ROS production in TAC-treated islet cells to a similar extent. Conclusions CoQ10-W has better therapeutic efficacy than CoQ10-L in TAC-induced DM.

During a ten-year period from 1978 through 1987, 44 patients with T2NOMO glottic cancer were treated with radical radiation therapy at the Yonsei University Medical Center. Forty-two patients had a minimum follow-up of 3 years, and 81% had at least five years of follow-up. Patients were staged according to the AJCC system. Forty-two patients have been analyzed in detail with respect to two variables: the status of vocal cord mobility and the degree of local extension of the disease. Five-year local cord mobility (n=18), 69.1% versus patients with impaired vocal cord mobility (n=24), 43.4%(p<0.05); patients with subglottic extension (n=15). The most favorable prognostic group included the patients with normal mobility without subglottic extension (n=14), 83.1%. On the basis of this analysis, we confirmed the presence of heterogeneity in T2NOMO glottic cancer. This study indicates that further randomized controlled trials are warranted to evaluate individualized treatment according to its heterogeneity.
Academic Medical Centers ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Population Characteristics* ; Radiotherapy ; Vocal Cords

Between January 1971 and December 1987, 113 patients with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) were treated by radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy in the department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University Hospital. There were 19 patients under thirty years of age. The histology was undifferentiated carcinoma in 68% of the younger patients as compared to 47% of the older patients. Sex, stage, initial symptoms and treatment modalities differed little from those of older patients. In younger patients, the initial complete response rate was 79% as compared to older patients with 54%, distant metastases were more common and the overall five year survival rate was not significantly different between the two age groups (33.7% for the young vs. 37.4% for the old). The five year survival rates for stage III and IV were 60.0% and 24.5%, respectively. Histologic subtype was not correlated with survival. The best survival was found only in patients who obtained a complete clearance of disease after radiation therapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy is suggested as an important target for further study.
Carcinoma ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiation Oncology ; Survival Rate

Wall-eyed monocular internuclear ophthalmoplegia (WEMINO) with contraversive ocular tilt reaction has not been previously reported. A 71-year-old woman suddenly developed blurred vision. Examination revealed left internuclear ophthalmoplegia, left exotropia, right hypotropia, and rightward head tilt. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a tiny infarction at the area of the left medial longitudinal fasciculus in the upper pons. WEMINO with contraversive ocular tilt reaction may be caused by a paramedian pontine tegmental infarction that selectively involves the medial longitudinal fasciculus.
Aged ; Exotropia ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Ocular Motility Disorders* ; Pons

To determine whether the PPARalpha agonist fenofibrate regulates obesity and lipid metabolism with sexual dimorphism, we examined the effects of fenofibrate on body weight, white adipose tissue (WAT) mass, circulating lipids, and the expression of PPARalpha target genes in both sexes of high fat diet-fed C57BL/6J mice. Both sexes of mice fed a high-fat diet for 14 weeks exhibited increases in body weight, visceral WAT mass, as well as serum triglycerides and cholesterol, although these effects were more pronounced among males. Feeding a high fat diet supplemented with fenofibrate (0.05% w/w) reduced all of these effects significantly in males except serum cholesterol level. Females on a fenofibrate-enriched high fat diet had reduced serum triglyceride levels, albeit to a smaller extent compared to males, but did not exhibit decreases in body weight, WAT mass, and serum cholesterol. Fenofibrate treatment resulted in hepatic induction of PPAR alpha target genes encoding enzymes for fatty acid beta-oxidation, the magnitudes of which were much higher in males compared to females, as evidenced by results for acyl-CoA oxidase, a first enzyme of the beta-oxidation system. These results suggest that observed sexually dimorphic effects on body weight, WAT mass and serum lipids by fenofibrate may involve sexually related elements in the differential activation of PPARalpha.
Adipose Tissue/drug effects/metabolism ; Animals ; Body Composition/drug effects ; Body Weight/drug effects ; Diet ; Dietary Fats/pharmacology ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects ; Lipids/blood/*metabolism ; Liver/drug effects/metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Obesity/*metabolism/pathology ; Organ Weight/drug effects ; Procetofen/*pharmacology ; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/*agonists ; *Sex Characteristics ; Time Factors ; Transcription Factors/*agonists

A Modified irradiation technique utilizing a linear accelerator for radiation surgery within the brain was performed in 4 patients. Three of them had brain tumors and one small arteriovenous malformation in midbrain. A Hitchcock stereotactic apparatus and a 10 MeV linear accelerator have been adapted and special computer programs for dosimetry were obtained and studied experimentally with a phantom model. Stereotactic radiosurgery is a valuable tool in the treatment of inoperable, deep seated intracranial lesions, the major advantage being high efficacy and smoothness of the procedure, as well as short hospitalization times.
Arteriovenous Malformations ; Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Mesencephalon ; Particle Accelerators* ; Radiosurgery*