Dermal wound healing is a complex process that involved inflammation leading to re-epithelialization, granulation tissue, and tissue remodeling. Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that polysaccharides isolated from fungus, Phellinus gilvus (PG) have various anti-inflammatory activities. In present study, we have assessed the effect of polysaccharides from PG on the dermal wound healing of polysaccharides from PG in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model. Six of 6-mm circular wounds were created with biopsy punch on the 4th day after induction of diabetes. After 24 hours, each test substance was applied to the wound twice a day for next 5 days. Circular wounds treated with PG showed significantly reduced wound contraction and complete reepithelialization, as compared to wounds of non-treated (p < 0.05). These results show that polysaccharides isolated from PG enhanced wound repair in diabetic impaired healing, and could be developed as a wound healing agent in such clinical settings.
Administration, Cutaneous ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology ; Basidiomycota/*metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/*pathology ; Histocytochemistry ; Male ; Polysaccharides/isolation&purification/*pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skin/*injuries ; Streptozocin ; Wound Healing/*drug effects ; Wounds, Penetrating/*drug therapy

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Drug Therapy ; Neoadjuvant Therapy

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Although thalamic stroke is the most frequent cause of pure sensory stroke, non-thalamic strokes have been also occasionally reported to produce pure sensory stroke(PSS). We attempt to characterize the clinical and radiological features of 11 patients with PSS due to brainstem stroke. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: There were eight men and three women and their age ranged from 50 to 71 years. Their risk factors included hypertension in 10, diabetes mellitus in 2, hyperlipidemia in 3, alcohol drinking in 3 and cigarette smoking in 2. All underwent brain computed tomography(n=11) and/or magnetic resonance imaging(n=8). RESULTS: Five patients presented with pure lemniscal sensory deficits(position and vibration sensation); two presented with abnormalities in all sensory modalities but dominantly involving lemniscal sensation; remaining 4 presented with numbness only. Four patients had cheiro-oral syndrome with bilateral perioral involvement. Imaging studies showed that 6 patients had a small infarct in the paramedian pontine tegmentum, which was thought to be caused by small vessel(lacunar) inclusion. One patient had a small infarct in the lateral part of the midbrain which was probably caused by artery-to-artery embolism originated from mid-basilar stenosis. In addition, four patients had small hypertensive hemorrhage affecting the pontine tegmentum. CONCLUSION: Our result confirms that PSS can be caused by small brainstem stroke of various etiopathology, frequently involving the paramedian pontine tegmentum PSS due to braimtem stroke may be characterized by predom inant lemniscal sensory involvement and occasional bilateral perioral symptoms.
Alcohol Drinking ; Brain ; Brain Stem Infarctions ; Brain Stem* ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Embolism ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Hypesthesia ; Male ; Mesencephalon ; Risk Factors ; Sensation ; Smoking ; Stroke* ; Vibration

BACKGROUND: Urography(IVU) is considered the best first investigation in patient with suspected urinary calculi, but recently ultrasonography(USG), combined with a plain film of the abdomen, has been suggested as an alternative. METHODS: We undertaken study to see if this approch can be used in emergency patients and outpatients by radiologists with different amounts of ultrasound experence. Some 192 patients with suspected urinary colic presenting to Koo Hospital Emergency Department and Youngnam Universith Hospital outward Department(IM, URO, FM) over 12-month period were studied. They had a plain abdominal film(KUB) and USG examination of the kidney, ureter, bladder following hydration and subsequently underwent IVU. Of these, 22 patients passed a stone before their IVU. The data analysis was performed on the remaining 170 patients. Urography was used as the gold standard. RESULTS: Some 170 patients subsequently underwent IVU at a mean interval of 1.8 days after the ultrasound examination. In 91 of 170 patients the IVU was positive. In 97 of 170 patients the combination of JUB plus USG was positive, leaving three false negative KUB plus USG. Thus the sensitivity of KUB plus USG was 97%, specificity was 89%, positive predictive value was 91%, and negative predictive value was 96%. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings in this study suggest that in the hydrated patient the combination of KUB plus US is a very sensitive and relative specific screening test. Because of the high negative predictive value of KUB plus US, urography is not likely to be helpful when KUB plus US are negative. Urography is indicated only if KUB plus US findings are equivocal or if intervention is necessa.ry.
Abdomen ; Colic ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Kidney ; Mass Screening ; Outpatients ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Statistics as Topic ; Ultrasonography* ; Ureter ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Calculi* ; Urography*

Diabetic neuropathy is one of the most frequent and troublesome complications of diabetes. Although there has been a continuous increase in the incidence of diabetic neuropathy, treatments have yet to be found that effectively treat diabetic neuropathy. Neurotrophic factors are proteins that promote the survival of specific neuronal populations. They also play key roles in the regeneration of peripheral nervous system. Recent evidence from diabetic animal models and human diabetic subjects suggest that reduced availability of neurotrophic factors may contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy. One way to reverse this effect is to take advantage of the finding that bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) promote peripheral nerve repair and the functioning of neurotrophic factors. Therefore, we speculated that treatment with BM-MSCs could be a viable therapeutic strategy for diabetic neuropathy. The present study was designed to examine the possible beneficial effect of BM-MSCs on functions of neurotrophic factors in diabetic neuropathy. To assess this possibility, we used an in vivo streptozotocin-induced diabetic neuropathy mouse model. Quantitative real-time polymerase-chain reacion showed that BM-MSCs significantly increase expression levels of neurotrophic factors. Also, BM-MSCs ameliorated nerve conduction velocity in streptozotocin-treated mice. These results may help to elucidate the mechanism by which BM-MSCs function as a cell therapy agent in diabetic neuropathy.
Animals ; Bone Marrow ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; Humans ; Imidazoles ; Incidence ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Nerve Growth Factors ; Neural Conduction ; Neurons ; Nitro Compounds ; Peripheral Nerves ; Peripheral Nervous System ; Proteins ; Regeneration ; Tissue Therapy

Choriocarcinoma associated with a normal pregnancy is rare. Futhermore, choriocarcinoma coexistent with a viable pregnancy is even rarer and associated with a greater risk of hepatic and cerebral involvement. So timely diagnosis of the disease is important for successful treatment and aggressive diagnostic procedures may therefore warranted. The patient should be treated with primary intensive combination chemotherapy(EMA-CO) and the selective use of irradiation and surgical therapy. We experienced a case of metastatic choriocarcinoma of lung and kidney following preterm delivery at 34th week of pregnancy and so present it with brief review of literature.
Choriocarcinoma* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney ; Lung ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy*

PURPOSE: A wide variety of surgical materials have been used for blepharoptosis such as catgut, silicone, 4-0 nylon polyfilament cable-type ophthalmic suture (Supramid(R)), autogenous tendon (palmaris longus),banked sclera, dura mater, fascia lata, and temporalis fascia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of frontalis suspensory surgery with temporalis fascia. METHODS: The authors studied 91 frontalis slings (71 patients) performed from 1993 to 1999 at our hospital for repair of blepharoptosis. Results with temporalis fascia (group A) as the suspensory material were compared to those with autogenous (group B) and preserved (group C) fascia lata. RESULTS: The success rates of group A (31 lids 21 patients), group B (28 lids 24 patients), group C (32lids 26 patients) were 80.6%, 75%, 78.1% respectively. But there was no statistically significant difference in each groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that temporalis fascia for frontalis sling could be used as suspensory material successfully. Moreover, long term and further evaluations must be considered.
Blepharoptosis ; Catgut ; Dura Mater ; Fascia Lata ; Fascia* ; Nylons ; Sclera ; Silicones ; Sutures ; Tendons

Synthetic genes encoding the gag p24 and the part of the envelope protein gp41 of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) were cloned and overexpressed as fusion proteins in Escherichia coli, using an expression vector carrying 77 promoter and the poly-histidine leader sequence. The overexpressed p24 fusion protein was purified by centrifugation, Ni-affinity chromatography and CM-sepharose chromatography The overexpressed gp41 fusion protein was purified by centrifugation, C4 chromatography and DEAE-sepharose chromatography. The purified fusion proteins showed a high level of purity and immunoreactivity in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blot analysis. These results suggest that this prokaryotic expression-purification method is suitable for obtaining a large amount of the viral antigen which may be useful for screening of antibodies to HIV-1 in human blood samples.
Antibodies ; Blotting, Western ; Centrifugation ; Chromatography ; Clone Cells ; Electrophoresis ; Escherichia coli ; Genes, Synthetic ; HIV* ; HIV-1* ; Humans* ; Mass Screening

No abstract available.
Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive*

No abstract available.
Family Practice* ; Humans ; Primary Health Care*