No abstract available.
Animals ; Estrous Cycle* ; Mice* ; Pituitary Gland, Anterior* ; Prolactin*

No abstract available.
Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Humans* ; Immunohistochemistry* ; In Situ Hybridization* ; Ovary* ; RNA, Messenger*

A defective HIV-1 helper virus DNA, pHyPC, was assembled by deleting the RNA packaging signal, env, nef and the 3'LTR sequences. HIV-1 like virus particles that carry the HIV-1 receptor, CD4 were generated by coexpression of pHyPC and plasmid DNAs encoding different chimeric CD4 proteins. The CD4 particles, sharing the CD4 ectodomain, precisely fused to different membrane anchors. CD4(+) particles specifically bound to HIV-1 Env expressing cells, but any signs of infection into these cells were not detected. Binding was only partially blocked by either polyclonal anti-CD4 antibodies or by high concentrations of soluble CD4. Suprisingly, CD4(+) particles also adsorbed to HeLa, CHO, NIH3T3 and COS-7 cells in the absence of HIV-1 Env expression. Adsorption was comparable in strength and speed to the highly specific CD4-Env interaction. CD4(-) particles exhibited only background levels of binding. Cell binding was CD4- dependent, but it was independent of the cell type from which the CD4(+) particles originated. Interestingly, CD4-dependent/Env-independent binding was only found when CD4 was present on virus particles. This suggests that the micro-environment of CD4 on virus particles uniquely expose this new cell binding activity. Its high affinity could explain in part why infection of Env(+) cells by CD4(+) particles was not detected. Further experiments will be required to evlauate whether this strong membrane interaction could represent one step in the multiple-step viral entry process.
Adsorption ; Animals ; Antibodies ; COS Cells ; DNA ; Helper Viruses ; HIV-1* ; Membranes ; Plasmids ; Product Packaging ; RNA ; Virion

OBJECTIVE: To define an appropriate vitrification condition of preantral follicle that yields high survival and to evaluate growth and ovulation rate of mouse follicles during in vitro culture after vitrification. METHODS: Preantral follicles were isolated mechanically from mouse ovaries that were surgically recovered from mice aged 14 days. Retrieved preantral follicles were placed in EG (Ethylene Glycol) for 2, 5, 10 minutes and transferred to EFS-40 (40% EG, 18% Ficoll-70, 0.5 M sucrose) for 0.5, 1, 2 minutes. And then, preantral follicles were placed onto an EM grid and submerged immediately in liquid nitrogen. Thawing was carried out at room temperature. After defining the most appropriate vitrification condition that yields high survival, in vitro growth and ovulation rate of follicles were evaluated. RESULTS: Appropriate vitrification condition that yield high survival rate (83.2+/-2.1%) of preantral follicle was EG for 5 minutes and EFS-40 for 0.5 minutes. In vitro survival rate of the vitrified preantral follicles were 85.5+/-0.5%, 67.9+/-0.8% and 40.2+/-0.5% on day 2, 6 and 10. And in vitro growth of the vitrified preantral follicles were 107.1+/-16.1 micrometer, 117.1+/-18.4 micrometer, 178.4+/-45.6 micrometer and 325.4+/-54.4 micrometer on day 0, 2, 6 and 10. Although in vitro survival rate and growth of vitrified preantral follicles were lower than that of non-vitrified preantral follicles, the patterns of survival and growth were similar in vitrified and non-vitrified preantral follicles. The ovulation rate of antral follicles that was grown from vitrified preantral follicles was 32.6+/-1.2%. CONCLUSION: Vitrified preantral follicles could be grown to antral sizes, and mature oocytes that can be used for IVF-ET programs were produced successfully. These data suggest that cryopreservation of preantral follicle by vitrification can be used for the preservation of the fertility.
Animals ; Cryopreservation ; Female ; Fertility ; Mice* ; Nitrogen ; Oocytes ; Ovary ; Ovulation* ; Survival Rate ; Vitrification*

The abnormalities in Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA) axis are associated with many psychiatric symptoms including depression. We present a report of a 71 year old man who was admitted to the psychiatric department presenting symptoms of headache, avolition, loss of energy, psychomotor retardation, poor appetite, insomnia, anxiety resulting from adrenal insufficiency and hypopituitarism. Hypothyroidism and electrolyte disturbance were managed and headache, insomnia, anxiety, GI symptoms were improved. But he remained in anergic state. After discharge, he was readmitted to infection department with high fever and drowsy mentality. Adrenal insufficiency was recognized and he was treated with corticosteroid replacement therapy. Finally his diagnosis was made as panhypopituitarism and overall symptoms were resolved. In this case, we showed how the atypical symptoms resulting from hypopituitarism develop and progress. Hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency, and growth hormone deficiency resulting secondarily from panhypopituitarism were associated with various nonspecific symptoms such as loss of energy, fatigue, insomnia, weight loss, decreased appetite etc. In clinical situation, differential diagnosis with depression is needed when clinicians were met a patient with these nonspecific symptoms. It is important that laboratory tests and differential diagnosis with endocrine diseases should be conducted, especially in geriatric patients with nonspecific symptoms like anergia, fatigue, poor appetite and so on.
Adrenal Insufficiency ; Anxiety ; Appetite ; Axis ; Depression ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endocrine System Diseases ; Fatigue ; Fever ; Growth Hormone ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypopituitarism ; Hypothyroidism ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Weight Loss

A 53-year-old woman developed a psinful erythematous papular skin eruption around the biting site by a tick on the left lower abdomen. A excision biopsy specimen from the skin lesion showed perivsscular infiltration of inflammatory cells composed mainly of neutrophiles, lymphocytes, and a few eosinophiles and histiocytes throughout the dermis. Some of the vessels were dilated with protruding and proliferated endothelial cells. The tick was identified as an adult female of Ixodes nipponensis by the scanning electron microscopic examination.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Biopsy ; Dermis ; Endothelial Cells ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Ixodes* ; Lymphocytes ; Middle Aged ; Neutrophils ; Skin ; Tick Bites* ; Ticks*

Automated static perimeters, which are commonly used for early diagnosis and follow-up of glaucoma patients in Korea, are manufactured overseas, and their basic data were obtained from foreigners and normal values were set to meet them. Therefore, verification of validity of those data should precede their application to Koreans. We compared the mean normal values of standard indices of OCTOPUS 101 automated static perimeter with the values obtained from 140 eyes of 70 healthy Koreans using normal strategy(NS)and dynamic strategy(DS). Mean navlues of mean defect(MD), loss variance(LV), corrected loss variance(CLV), and short-term fluctuation(SF)were: 2.84+/-0.85dB, 2.15+/-0.54dB, 1.22+/-0.42dB, 1.43+/-0.22dBwith NS, and 2.05+/-0.81dB, 1.98 +/-0.58dB, 0.97+/-0.49dB, 1.43+/-0.24dB, repectively with DS. With NS, 114 of 140 eyes (81. 4%)were out of the normal range of MD. With DS, 67 of 140 eyes(47. 9%)were out of normal range of MD, and 2 of 140 eyes(1. 4%)were out of the normal range of SF. Values of the other indices were within normal range of both strategies. Statistical analysis of global indices showed that age was significantly correlated with LV, CLV and SF in NS(P<0.05), and that it was also correlated with LV and CLV in DS(P<0.05). These results suggest that both race and age should be taken into acoount in interpretation of visual fields on automated static perimetry.
Continental Population Groups ; Early Diagnosis ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Glaucoma ; Humans ; Korea ; Octopodiformes* ; Reference Values ; Visual Field Tests ; Visual Fields*

Iatrogenically developed immunosuppression-associated Kaposis sarcoma is the result of immunosuppressive therapy after an organ transplantation, particularly after a renal transplantation. Since the advent of powerful immunosuppressive agents such as cyclosporine, recently the incidence of Kaposis sarcoma has been increased. In addition to immunosuppression, other factors, such as genetic predisposition, environmental and geographic factors, and oncogenic viruses, may play a role in the pathogenesis of this tumor. Ilerein we report a case of Keposis sarcoma with multiple organ involvement of the skin, lung, small intestine and mesenteric lymph node in a renal allograft recipient who received cyclosporine and prednisolone. Reduction of the dosage of immunosuppressant for 1 month resulted in improvement of the cutaneous lesions.
Allografts* ; Cyclosporine ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Geography ; Immunosuppression ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Incidence ; Intestine, Small ; Kidney Transplantation ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Oncogenic Viruses ; Organ Transplantation ; Prednisolone ; Sarcoma ; Sarcoma, Kaposi* ; Skin ; Transplants

Human norovirus (HuNoV) is the major etiological agent of nonbacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. However, due to the absence of a rapid and sensitive diagnostic system, detection and monitoring have been limited. The HuNoV genome is composed of three open reading frames (ORFs). And major capsid protein, ORF2, is designated as a viral protein 1 (VP1). In this study, the baculovirus expression system was used for expression of the HuNoV capsid protein, VP1. Recombinant baculoviruses can be used as potent tools in HuNoV studies.
Baculoviridae ; Capsid ; Capsid Proteins ; Gastroenteritis ; Genome ; Humans ; Norovirus ; Open Reading Frames

A large-scale pandemic by human influenza virus H1N1 in 2009 caused severe health, social, and economic impacts. In this study, a photocatalyst technology based on TiO2, was evaluated for inactivation of a human influenza virus H1N1 isolated from a patient. The virus titer was reduced by 103.16-fold within 24 h and more than 104.31-fold inactivation within 48 h and 72 h. These results suggest that the tested photocatalyst technology based on TiO2 can be used for reduction of influenza A virus adherence to other surfaces with Hizen-s inside diverse buildings, enabling effective control of its indirect contact infection. The photocatalyst is expected also to reduce level of the aerosol transmission of the virus.
Humans ; Influenza A virus ; Influenza, Human ; Pandemics ; Viral Load ; Viruses