OBJECTIVE: Mammalian follicle cells are the most important somatic cells which help oocytes grow, mature and ovulate and thus are believed to provide oocytes with various functional and structural components. In the present study we have examined whether cumulus or granulosa cells might play a role in establishing the plasma membrane structure of mouse oocytes during meiotic maturation. DESIGN: In particular the differential resistances of mouse oocytes against chymotrypsin treatment were examined following culture with or without cumulus or granulosa cells, or in these cell-conditioned media. RESULTS: When mouse denuded oocytes, freed from their surrounding cumulus cells, were cultured in vitro for 17~18 hr and then treated with 1% chymotrypsin, half of the oocytes underwent degeneration within 37.5 min (t50=37.5+/-7.5 min) after the treatment. In contrast cumulus-enclosed oocytes showed t50=207.0. Similarly, when oocytes were co-cultured with cumulus cells which were not associated with the oocytes but present in the same medium, the t50 of co-cultured oocytes was 177.5+/-13.1 min. Furthermore, when oocytes were cultured in the cumulus cell-conditioned medium, t50 of these oocytes was 190.0+/-10.8 min whereas t50 of the oocytes cultured in M16 alone was 25.5+/-2.9 min. Granulosa cell-conditioned medium also increased the resistance of oocytes against chymotrypsin treatment such that t50 of oocytes cultured in granulosa cell-conditioned medium was 152.5+/-19.0 min while that of oocytes cultured in M16 alone was 70.0+/-8.2 min. To see what molecular components of follicle cell-conditioned medium are involved in the above effects, the granulosa cell-conditioned medium was separated into two factions by using Microcon-10 membrane filter having a 10 kDa cut-off range. When denuded oocytes were cultured in medium containing the retentate, t50 of the oocytes was 70.0+/-10.5 min. In contrast, t50 of the denuded oocytes cultured in medium containing the filtrate was 142.0+/-26.5 min. T50 of denuded oocytes cultured in medium containing both retentate and filtrate was 188.0+/- 13.6 min. However, t50 of denuded oocytes cultured in M16 alone was 70.0 +/-11.0 min and that of oocytes cultured in whole granulosa cell-conditioned medium was 156.0+/-27.9 min. When surface membrane proteins of oocytes were electrophoretically analyzed, no difference was found between the protein profiles of oocytes cultured in M16 alone and of those cultured in the filtrate. CONCLUSIONS: Based upon these results, it is concluded that mouse follicle cells secrete a factor(s) which enhance the resistance of mouse oocytes against a proteolytic enzyme treatment. The factor appears to be a small molecules having a molecular weight less than 10 kDa.
Animals ; Cell Membrane ; Chymotrypsin* ; Cumulus Cells ; Female ; Granulosa Cells ; Membrane Proteins ; Membranes ; Mice* ; Molecular Weight ; Oocytes*

Chordoma is relatively uncommon tumor comprising 1~4% of primary malignant bone tumors, and believed to arise from the remnants of notochordal tissue. Because of its occurrence in the thoracic spine, we report a case of chordoma in volving the thoracic spine. A 45-year-old male was suffered from chest pain radiating to the back. Chest CT showed a well marginated, round huge mass with multiseptated enhancement at the thoracic spine from T5 to T8 level, After percutaneous needle aspiration, piecemeal resection of the tumor was done. On cytologic smears. two types of neoplastic cells were arranged in sheets and cords in mucinous background. One type of cells consisted of medium sized cells with pink cytoplasm and round nuclei. The other type had voluminous bubbly or clear cytoplasm divided by intracytoplasmic septae imparting a feathery or basket-like appearance. Histologically, the tumor showed lobulated feature divided by fibrous septae and the tumor cells were pink eosinophilic or physaliphorous in morphology. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells revealed strong positivity for low(AE1) and high (AE3) molecular weight cytokeratins.
Chest Pain ; Chordoma* ; Cytoplasm ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Keratins ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Weight ; Mucins ; Needles ; Notochord ; Spine* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Bednar tumor was described by Bednar in 1957. The histologic pattern of this tumor shows similar to dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) but melanin pigments are scattered within the tumor, It's rare neoplasm accounting for approximately 1-5% of all case of DFSP. Clinically, this tumor is considered to be intermediated malignancy, because of slow growth and frequent local recurrence and lack of distant metastasis. The majority are located on the trunk and the upper and lower extremities, but extremely rate in the head and neck area. Microscopically, this tumor is characterized by tight storiform spindle cells and long slender cells that admixed with a small population of melanin containing dendritic cells. This dendritic cells are the primary features distinguising this lesion from conventional DFSP. Complete surgical excision and close follow-up case are necessany for this neoplasm because of probable intermediate malignancy. A patient was admitted to Our Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery due to swelling on right parotid area and numbness of the right lower lip on September, 1994, By clinical examinations and C-T finding, we dignosed tentatively as myxoma or pleomorphic adenoma. Surgical excision of this tumor was performed with parotidectomy and mandibular osteotomy under the frozen biopsy. By final microscopic and electromicroscopic examination and immunohistochemical study, this tumor was diagnosed as Bednar tumor. So, we report a case of pigmented DFSP with review of literatures.
Adenoma, Pleomorphic ; Biopsy ; Dendritic Cells ; Dermatofibrosarcoma* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Lip ; Lower Extremity ; Mandibular Osteotomy ; Melanins ; Myxoma ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Recurrence ; Surgery, Oral

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the time course of PAC-1 and the P-selectin expression after the initiation of antiplatelets in acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: We serially measured PAC-1 and the P-selectin expression level using flow cytometry immediately before and at: one day, seven days, and one month after starting antiplatelets in 25 patients with acute cerebral infarctions. RESULTS: The P-selectin expression increased initially (p<0.05) and then from the seventh day, it began to decrease continually (post-hoc analysis, p<0.05). However, the PAC-1 expression did not reveal significant alterations during the follow-up period of one month. CONCLUSIONS: Although the P-selectin expression rapidly declined, the PAC-1 expression remained elevated for one month. Our results suggest that the P-selectin may be useful in monitoring platelet inhibition during the early period after cerebral infarction.
Blood Platelets ; Cerebral Infarction ; Flow Cytometry ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; P-Selectin* ; Stroke*

We present a case of 58-year-old female with dilated cardiomyopathy(DCMP) in whom we performed left ventricular(LV) remodeling surgery(Batista operation) to reduce the left ventricle diameter and improve left ventricular function. The patient was admitted September 1996 with heart failure NYHA class IV. There was severe orthopnea and peripheral edema. 2-D echocardiography(Echo) showed DCMP with the ejection fraction(EF) 15%, LV end diastolic dimension(LVEDD) 80mm, mitral regurgitation(MR) grade IV, tricuspid regurgitation (TR) grade II. Preoperative cardiac output(CO) was 1.5L/min and cardiac index(CI) was 1.0 L/min/m2. We proceeded with LV remodeling surgery by resection a part of LV lateral wall between both papillary muscle, from the mitral annulus to the LV apex. Size of resected LV wall was 90 x 100 x 15 mm. At the mean time, mitral valve and tricuspid valve were repaired. Postoperative 2-D Echo showed the EF 37%, LVEDD 50 mm, trivial MR, no TR. CO was 3.5L/min and CI was 2.3 L/min/m2. Her fuctional NYHA class was I.
Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Deoxycytidine Monophosphate ; Edema ; Female ; Heart Failure ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mitral Valve ; Papillary Muscles ; Tricuspid Valve ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency ; Ventricular Function, Left ; Ventricular Remodeling*