PURPOSE: Cyclooxygenases (COXs) are key enzymes in the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins and other ecosanoids. There are two isoforms of COX, a constitutive one is COX-1 and inducible counterpart is COX-2. COX-2 promotes colorectal tumorigenesis, metastatic potential and angiogenesis. COX-2 inhibitors induce apoptotic cell death and prostaglandin E2 induces its expression. For examination of the action mechanism of COX-2, we investigated expression of bcl-2 related genes through the treatment of COX-2 selective inhibitor, NS-398 on two prostatic cancer cell lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two prostatic cancer cell lines, PC-3 and LNCaP, were used. MTT assay was done to estimate the viability of prostatic cancer cells after NS-398 treatment. COX-2, bcl-2, bcl-XL, mcl-1, bfl-1, bax, bak, bik and bcl-Xs mRNA expression levels were evaluated by RT-PCR and cDNA Southern blot. RESULTS: The viability of PC-3 and LNCaP cells were decreased by NS-398 treatment. COX-2 mRNA expression was confirmed in PC-3 and LNCaP cells but faintly expressed in LNCaP cells. Bcl-2, bcl-XL, mcl-1, bfl-1, bax, bak, bik and bcl-Xs mRNA were expressed in both cell lines. After NS-398 treatment, bax-alpha mRNA expression were increased and bfl-1 was decreased in PC-3 cells. CONCLUSIONS: COX-2 inhibitor, NS-398 decreases the viability of PC-3 and LNCaP cells. Its mechanism is probably partially related with bfl-1 and bax-alpha mRNA expression levels. Because NS-398 induced apoptotic cell death can be develped by COX-2 protein independent pathway, additional experiment is needed by COX-2 transfection method.
Apoptosis ; Arachidonic Acid ; Blotting, Southern ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Death ; Cell Line* ; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors ; Cyclooxygenase 2* ; Dinoprostone ; DNA, Complementary ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Prostaglandins ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Protein Isoforms ; RNA, Messenger ; Transfection

PURPOSE: This study compared the different sling and resistance exercises on pelvic rotation during active straight leg raises (ASLR) and on pain in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). METHODS: Twenty subjects were divided randomly into a sling group (SG) and a resistance exercise group (REG). Internal oblique (IO), external oblique (EO), rectus abdominis (RA), and rectus femoris (RF) muscle activity; pelvic rotation angle during ASLR; and visual analogue scale, pressure pain threshold were measured. Sling and resistance exercises were then performed for 30 minutes and the measurements taken again. RESULTS: Both groups showed significantly lower RF muscle activity and significantly higher EO and IO muscle activity (p < 0.05). The RA muscle activity decreased significantly in the SG, but increased significantly in the REG (p < 0.05). The pelvic rotation angle was significantly lower in the SG (p < 0.05). The pain press threshold increased significantly in both groups (p < 0.05). The visual analogue scale decreased significantly in the SG (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Both exercises appear to be beneficial for modifying the muscle activity and pain control in the intervention of CLBP. On the other hand, the sling was more effective in increasing the pressure threshold than resistance exercise, and the pelvic rotation angle was reduced. Therefore, both exercises can help patients with CLBP change their muscle activity and control pain. CLBP patients should use a sling for short periods of time to learn to reduce the pain and control pelvic rotation.
Back Pain ; Exercise* ; Hand ; Humans ; Jupiter ; Leg ; Low Back Pain* ; Pain Threshold ; Quadriceps Muscle ; Rectus Abdominis

Guillain-Barre syndrom(GBS) is not a single entity, but may arise from a variety of pathogenic mechanisms. In GBS, abnormally increased autoantibody levels to GM, constitute a group with motor neuropathy predominantly and substantial axonal damage, particularly those following Campylobacter enteritis. We report a patient, 43 years old male, who presented with 3 days history of rapidly progressive weakness of all extremities. Electreophysiologic studies were suggestive of axonal form of motor dominant polyneuropathy, Using ELISA, autoantibody of MAG(myelin associated glycoprtein) and SGPG(sulfoglucuronyl paraglobiside) showed normal ranges, but IgG GM. Autoantibodies abnormally elevated. Additionally antibody titer of Campylobacter jejuni increased. We reported the axonal form of Guillain, Barr syndrome associated with IgG GM,, Ab and antiCampylobacter jejuni antibody.
Adult ; Autoantibodies ; Axons* ; Campylobacter jejuni* ; Campylobacter* ; Enteritis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Extremities ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Male ; Polyneuropathies ; Reference Values

No abstract available.
Chemokine CCL2* ; Endometriosis* ; Endometrium* ; Female ; Humans ; Monocytes*

No abstract available.

A free-floating ball thrombus in the left atrium is a rare complication of the mitral valvular disease. A 53-year-old man was admitted for pain and paresthesia on both legs. On admission he had auscultatory sign of mitral stenosis and mitral regurgitation, and the roentgenogram of his chest revealed a slight pulmonary ve..ous congestion, enlargement of the pulmonary conus and cardiomegaly. Laboratory findings including complete blood counts, coagulation studies and blood chemistry were normal. An echocardiographic examination revealed a mitral stenosis and a free-floating ball thrombus in the left atrium. We performed the emergent open heart surgery for removal of the ball thrombus and mitral replacement successfuly with Duromedics 29 mm valve. The size of thrombus was 39 X 32 X 30 mm.
Blood Cell Count ; Cardiomegaly ; Chemistry ; Conus Snail ; Echocardiography ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Leg ; Middle Aged ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Mitral Valve Stenosis* ; Paresthesia ; Thoracic Surgery ; Thorax ; Thrombosis*

BACKGROUND: Techniques for identification of the epidural space have advantages and disadvantages. We made an electronic apparatus to ensure an epidural space by detecting the reduction of pressure. We investgated the instrument to see if this could be adequately used for identification of the epidural space. METHODS: Thirty adult patients scheduled to receive an epidural injection for surgery were selected for the investigation. We connected the apparatus with an epidural Tuohy needle of which the tip was in the ligamentum flavum. We injected air to increase the pressure inside the epidural needle to 50 mmHg or 100 mmHg, and then the epidural needle was advanced slowly until we heard the alarm from the epidural detector when pressure inside the epidural needle suddenly decreased under the set point, suggesting the epidural needle reached the epidural space. After ensuring the epidural space we injected the anesthetics to induce epidural anesthesia. RESULTS: In both groups, we obtained successful anesthesia results and there were no complications. The volume of air injected into the epidural space was 0.64 +/- 0.1 in 50 mmHg group and 0.95 +/- 0.2 in 100 mmHg group. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the epidural detector in 30 patients demonstrated that this instrument could be a safe and effective means of identifying the epidural space. It allows the reduction of air injected into the epidural space, reducing the chance of complications due to an overinjection of air.
Adult ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Anesthetics ; Epidural Space* ; Humans ; Injections, Epidural ; Ligamentum Flavum ; Needles

The stenosing foramen of L5–S1 by several degenerative diseases is one of the challenging areas on surgical approaching because of the deeper depth and steep slope in the lumbosacral junction. The floating view using unilateral biportal endoscopic spine surgery rather than docking into the Kambin’s zone can make the foraminal structures seen panoramically and permit dynamic handling of various instruments without destroying the facet joint and causing iatrogenic instability. Fine discrimination of structural margins in helps of the higher magnification and gentle manipulation of neural structures just as in open spine surgery could be guaranteed using floating technique from the target structures. Selective decompression with preserving innocent structures including facet joints could relieve foraminal lesions at the L5–S1 and decrease the necessity of fusion surgery caused by wider decompression and iatrogenic instability.
Decompression ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Endoscopy ; Lumbosacral Region ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Spinal Dysraphism ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine ; Zygapophyseal Joint

To evaluate the effect of trabeculectomy on glaucoma following penetrating keratoplasty, we analyzed surgical results of patients who had taken trabeculectomy because of glaucoma associated with penetrating keratoplasty during the last two years. We evaluated success rate of trabeculectomy and possible causative factors which evoked filtering surgery failure. Mean follow-up period was about one year (11.98+/-3.2months) after trabeculectomy. Among the eyes with trabeculectomy, 61.9% maintained their intraocular pressure below 21 mmHg until last visit. Early elevation of increased intraocular pressure after keratoplasty was the only risk fator of filtering surgery which was stastically significant (P<0.05). However, aphakic or pseudophakic eyes, eyes with inflammatory disease and large donor trephine size were also estimated for possible risk factors. Corneal graft failure was single most common complicagion (5 eyes, 23.9%) after trabeculectomy. In conclusion, we think that early filtering surgery on the glaucomatous eyes associated with keratoplasty possible improved the surgical results. However, further studies to increase success rate of filtering sugery and to reduce graft failure rate, were warranted.
Corneal Transplantation* ; Filtering Surgery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma* ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating ; Risk Factors ; Tissue Donors ; Trabeculectomy* ; Transplants

In a study of the fungal diversity on Ulleung Island in Korea, three novel strains of Penicillium were isolated. Different sites on Ulleung Island were selected for collecting endophytic fungi, and three endophytic fungal strains showed unique morphological characteristics. DNA sequence of the internal transcribed spacer, β-tubulin, calmodulin, and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit regions of the strains were analyzed and they showed unique taxonomic position from the other species of Penicillium section Sclerotiora. The new strains were named Penicillium ulleungdoense sp. nov. As the novel endophytic Penicillium taxa were discovered in a unique environment, the data could be meaningful for understanding the geographical distribution of Ascomycetes on Ulleung Island.