Nocodazole is an anticancer agent that acts on microtubules or filaments. HeLa, Hep G2, A549, L929 and NIH/3T3 cell lines were cultivated in alpha-MEM with 3micrometer or 30micrometer nocodazole. To elucidate the associations between nocodazole`s antitumor actions and these effects, the influences of nocodazole on the cellular morphology and the organelles involving synthesis, secretion and destruction of proteins were investigated under light and electron microscopes. The changes of intermediate filaments such as pancytokeratins and vimentins that maybe suggest antimetastatic action of nocodazole were observed using immunocytochemical technique, PAP at light microscopic level. Rounded or micronucleate cells were induced by treatment with 3micrometer and 30micrometer nocodazole for 2 hours to 4 days. Multimicronucleate cells appeared in experimental groups of all cell lines. Nuclear foldings occurred in cells of experimental groups treated with nocodazole for 2-3 days. The numerical increases of rough endoplasmic reticulum were observed in HeLa cells treated with nocodazole for 3 days and the dilatation or numerical increases in L929 cells treated with nofodazole for 1-3 days. The fragmentations or dispersion of Golgi complex were observed in cells treated with nocodazole for 1-3 days. The amount of filaments increased in cells treated with nocodazole for 1-3 days. The number of lysosomes increased in cells treated with nocodazole for 1-3 days. The number of liposomes also increased in Hep G2 cells treated with 30micrometer nocodazole for 3 days and in 3micrometer & 30micrometer, 3 days group of 3T3 cells. The amount of pancytokeratins and vimentins increased in cells treated with nocodazole for 1-3 days. Taken together, depolymerization of microlubules was induced by nocodazole, and then the organization of cells was disintegrated. As a result, the rounded cells, the cells having multimicronuclei, and the changes of golgi complexes occurred. But there were relatively no great changes of rough endoplasmic reticulum. The amount of intermediate filaments that maintain the differentiated states of cells increased by nocodazole treatment. It was suggested that morphological changes of cells could be used in evaluation of actions of nocodazole. Especially, the increase of amount of intermediate filaments by nocodazole changed cells of each cell line from undifferentiated state to differentiated, and therefore the author hope that the changes in amount of intermediate filaments provide an important clue in anticancer and antimetastatic actions of nocodazole.
3T3 Cells ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Dilatation ; Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough ; Golgi Apparatus ; HeLa Cells ; Hep G2 Cells ; Hope ; Humans ; Intermediate Filaments ; Liposomes ; Lysosomes ; Mice ; Microtubules ; Nocodazole* ; Organelles ; Vimentin

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between assessed pain, functional status, and emotional status in elderly women with dementia. METHODS: The method was a descriptive correlational design. Subjects were sampled from 75 elderly women with dementia who were resident in nursing home. and their pain, functional status(physical function, cognitive function), emotional status(depression, agitation) were measured. The collected data were analyzed for correlations between pain and functional status and for emotional status using the SPSS 11.0 statistical program. RESULTS: The pain degree of the aged women in dementia were as follows; between 0 and 27 points, average 4.04 points, which was a possible point extent. Looking at the grades in detail items, the wry face expression was shown highest, an average of 0.84 points. The relation with cognitive function was(r=-.259, p<.025) a minus relation. And the relation with physical function was (r=.406, p<.001) a plus one. The relation with depression was (r=.462, p<.001), plus one. And (r=.592, p<.001) a plus relation was found with agitation. CONCLUSION: Pain is associated with impaired functional and emotional status. Major efforts are needed to improve nursing assessment and management of pain in this cognitive impaired population.
Aged* ; Dementia* ; Depression* ; Dihydroergotamine* ; Female ; Humans ; Nursing Assessment ; Nursing Homes

To investigate recovery, growth, and activity of hepatocyte in primary culture after cell separation, the authors followed up the marker enzyme activities of golgi complex, mitochondria and biologic membrane. Thiamine pyrophosphatase, the marker enzyme of golgi complex, activity approached the level of long term culture at 4th day. Succinate dehydrogenase, the marker enzyme of mitochondria, activity decreased with time, then it maintained constant level after 4th day. Alkaline phosphatase, the marker enzyme of biological membrane, activity increased from 3rd day, and after 5th day it showed strong reaction. These data suggested that hepatocytes were stabilized and recovered normal activity 4 day after cell separation. But the main secretory function was speculated to be reduced in culture.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Animals ; Cell Separation ; Golgi Apparatus ; Hepatocytes* ; Membranes ; Mitochondria ; Organelles* ; Rats* ; Succinate Dehydrogenase ; Thiamine Pyrophosphatase

No abstrac available

In transmembrane and intracellular sites of neurom, calcium ion(Ca(++)) has been known to have an important role of signalling process. It is naw well accepted that calcium binding proteins, calbindin D-28K (calbindin) and parvalbumin, modulate and mediate above aclcium ionss action as a second messenger. Although it has been reported that calbindinergic and parvalbuminergic neurons comprise different subpopulations in the cat and rat spinal cords, the studies of their morphology, topographical distribution and ultrastructural features have not been done extensively in the mammalian spinal cords until now. This study was conducted to localize calbidinergic and parvalbuminergic neurons and to define their morphology, topographical distribution and ultrastructural features in the rabbit cervical cord by the preembedding immunocytochemical method using anti-calbindin and anti-parvalbumin antisera. In the rabbit cervical cord, calbindin immunoreactive neurons were mainly distributed in the dorsal horn, especially in lamina II, and a smaI1 number of labelled neurons were observed in the intermediate gray matter (IGS), but calbindin immunoreactivities were not observed in the intermediate gray substance(IGS), but calbindin immunoreactiveties were not observed in thr ventral horn. The somata of calbindin immunoreactive neurons received synaptic inputs from non-immunoreactive axon terminals in the dorsal horn and in the IGS. Parvalbumin immunoreactive neurons were mainly observed in the IGS and in the ventral horn, but only a few of parvalbumin immunoreactive neurons were distributed in the dorsal horn. In the ventral horn, two types of parvalbumin immunoreactive neurons were identified according to the sizes of the somata and labelled motor cells received synaptic inputs from labelled and unlabelled axon terminals. These results demonstrate that calbindinergic neurons are a number of neurons located in lamina II of dorsal horn and a few of neurons located in the intermediate gray and parvalbuminergic ne.urons are laocated in the intermediate gray substance and in the ventral horn, and these neurons comprise different subpopulations of neurons. It was suggest that calbindinergic neurons might play an important role in the process of pain modulation and parvalbumiergic neurons in the control of motor activity with their specific synaptic circuitry in the spinal cord.
Animals ; Calbindins ; Calcium ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; Cats ; Horns ; Immune Sera ; Motor Activity ; Neurons* ; Presynaptic Terminals ; Rats ; Second Messenger Systems ; Spinal Cord

The mechanism of the disease such as artherosclerosis is easily elucidated by the comparison among cells isolated from each aorta of knockout mouse and wild type mouse, respectively. This study was aimed at effectively harvesting the endothelial and smooth muscle cells from 4~6 weeks old wild type C57BL/6J mouse aorta. The tunica adventitia was completely removed to get the aortic tissues only consisting of the tunica intima and the tunica media under the stereoscope. These aortic tissues were treated with type I collagenase or type II collagenase solution, respectively, and then the endothelial or smooth muscle cell was isolated. CD31 marker of the endothelial cell and alphasmooth muscle actin marker of the smooth muscle cell were identified with confocal microscope. The percentages of the labelled cells by each marker represented the extent of purification of endothelial or smooth muscle cells, respectively, for harvested cells according to the collagenase solutions. 70~80% of culture vessel was covered with the endothelial cells 10 days after the treatment of the type I collagenase solution, while 40~50% of culture vessel covering with the cells after the treatment of the type II collagenase solution. 70~80% of culture vessel was covered with the smooth muscle cell regardless of the type of the collagenase solution on the 13th day. Percentages of the CD31 positive cells after the treatment with the type I or the type II collagenase solution was 91.1+/-.865%** and 86.4+/-.641%, respectively (**p <0.05, n=5). Percentages of the alphasmooth muscle actin labelled cells after the treatment with the type I or the type II collagenase solution were 87.9+/-.713% and 86.6+/-.778%, respectively, and these values were not significantly different. Taken together, the aortic tissues using the type I collagenase solution comparing with using the type II collagenase solution were much more effective in the isolation of the endothelial cells
Actins ; Adventitia ; Animals ; Aorta ; Collagenases ; Endothelial Cells ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Muscle, Smooth ; Muscles ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Tunica Intima ; Tunica Media

PURPOSE: Irradiation cones by using backscatter electrons are made for the treatment of superficial small lesions of skin, oral cavity, and rectum where a significant dose gradient and maximum surface dose is desired. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Backscatter electrons are produced from the primary electron beams from the linear accelerators. The design consists of a cylindrical cone that has a thick circular plate of high atomic number medium (Pb or Cu) attached to the distal end, and the plate can be adjusted the reflected angle. Primary electrons strike the metal plate perpendicularly and produce backscatter electrons that reflect through the lateral hole for treatment. Using film and a parallel plate ion chamber, backscatter electron dose characteristics are measured. RESULTS: The depth dose characteristic of the backscatter electron is very similar to that of the hard x-ray beam that is commonly used for the intracavitary and superficial lesions. The basckscatter electron energy is nearly constant and effectively about 1.5 MeV from the clinical megavoltage beams. The backscatter electron dose rate of 35~85 cGy/min could be achieved from modern accelerators without any modification. and the depth in water of 50% depth dose from backscatter electron located at 6mm for 45degrees angled lead scatter. The beam flatness is dependent on the slit size and the depth of treatment, but is satisfactory to treat small lesions. CONCLUSIONS: The measured data for backscatter electron energy, depth dose flatness dose rate and absolute dose indicates that the backscatter electrons are suitable for clinical use.
Mouth ; Particle Accelerators ; Rectum ; Skin ; Strikes, Employee ; Water

A 12-year-old female Cocker Spaniel (7.5 kg of body weight) was presented for resection of a mammary gland tumor. During surgery, the heart rate was remarkably decreased due to a second-degree type I atrioventricular block. Atropine (0.05 mg/kg) was administered to increase the heart rate. Although the heart rate was elevated, atrial bigeminy occurred and persisted until the dog fully recovered from general anesthesia. These results highlight the possibility of atrial bigeminy caused by atropine administration during anesthesia.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General* ; Animals ; Atrial Premature Complexes ; Atrioventricular Block ; Atropine ; Child ; Dogs* ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Mammary Glands, Human

The skin sparing effect associated with high energy x-ray or gamma ray beams may be reduce or lost under certain conditions of treatment. Current trends in using large fields. Shield carrying trays, compensating filters, and isocentric methods of treatment have posed problems of increased skin dose which sometimes become a limiting factor in giving adquate tumor doses. We used the shallow ion chamber to measure the phantom surface dose and the physical treatment variables for Co-60 gamma ray, 4MV and 10 MV x-ray beam. The dependence of percent surface dose on field sizes, atomic number of the shielding tray materials and its distance from the surface for 4, 10MV x-rays and Co-60 gamma ray is qualitatively similar. The use of 2 mm thick tin filter is recommended for situations where a low atomic number tray is introduced into the beam at distances less than 15 cm from the surface and with the large field sized for 4 MV x-ray beam. In case of Co-50 gamma ray, the lead glass tray is suitable for enhancement of skin sparing. Also, the filter distance should be as large as possible to achieve substantial skin sparing.
Gamma Rays ; Glass ; Skin* ; Tin

The use of high dose rate remote afterloading system for the treatment of intraluminal lesions necessitates the need for a more accurate of dose distributions around the high intensity brachytherapy sources, doses are often prescribed to a distance of few centimeters from the linear source, and in this range the dose distribution is very difficult to assess. Accurated and optimized dose calculation with stable numerical algorithms by PC level computer was required to treatment intraluminal lesions by high dose rate brachytherapy system. The exposure rate from sources was calculated with Sievert integral and dose rate in tissue was calculated with Meisberger equation. An algorithm for generating a treatment plan with optimized dose distribution was developed for high dose rate intraluminal radiotherapy. The treatment volume becomes the locus of the constrained target surface points that is the specified radial distance from the source dwelling positions. The treatment target volume may be alternately outlined on a x-ray film of the implant dummy sources. The routine used a linear programming formulism to compute which dwell time at each position to irradiate the constrained dose rate at the target surface points whiles minimizing the total volume integrated dose to the patient. The exposure rate and the dose distribution to be confirmed the result of calculation with algorithm were measured with film dosimetry, TLD and small size ion chambers.
Brachytherapy ; Film Dosimetry ; Humans ; Programming, Linear ; Radiotherapy ; X-Ray Film