No abstract available.

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that the regulation of hair growth might involve complex interaction between dermal papilla cells and hair matrix cells. Dermal papilla cells secrete diffusible factors that would act an hair matrix cells. During anagen the papilla appears to have prominent capillary loop, whereas in telogen it is nonvascularized. Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) was recently reported to be produced by dermal papilla cells in rats. OBJECTIVES: We performed this study in order to evaluate the effect of VEGF on human hair growth in vitro and on the proliferation of dermal papilla cells and to define the splice forms of VEGF. METHODS: To detect the isoforms of VEGF, RT-PCR was performed on RNA isolated from dermal papilla cells and RT-PCR products were hybridized with VEGF-specific oligonucleotide probe located in exon 4. Isolated human hair follicles were cultured with various concentrations of VEGF165 and VEGF121. Hair follicle growth was measured by an Olympus inverted microscope with an eyepiece measuring graticule. RESULTS: The following results were obtained from this study. 1. Southern hybridization and size calculation of RT-PCR products revealed that mRNA species corresponding to 121, 165, 189, and 206 amino-acid forms of VEGF were praduced by cultured human dermal papilla cells. 2. 10 ng/ml of rhVEGF165, 0.1 ng/ml of rhVEGF165 and 10 ng/ml of rhVEGF121 stimulated follicle elongation in vitro(p < 0.05). 3. rhVEGF165 and rhVEGF121 had no effect on the numbers and thymidine incorporation of dermal papilla cells. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that VEGF is produced by dermal papilla cells and is able to promote hair growth in vitro. Increased hair growth by VEGF might occur other than by proliferation of dermal papilia cells.
Animals ; Capillaries ; Endothelial Growth Factors* ; Exons ; Hair Follicle ; Hair* ; Humans ; Protein Isoforms ; Rats ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Thymidine ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

PURPOSE: Sling procedures have been used successfully for the treatment of all type of female stress urinary incontinence. Polypropylene mesh has more biocompatibility with less erosion rate over other synthetic sling materials. We investigated the objective, subjective success rate, satisfaction on pubovaginal sling operation using polypropylene mesh in stress urinary incontinence women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between November 2001 and July 2002, thirty three women with stress urinary incontinence underwent polypropylene mesh sling procedure were analyzed. Preoperative evaluations included the patient's history, a physical examination, urinalysis, a urodynamic test, incontinence staging with Stamey grade, Balivas type, and so forth. A 1.5x20cm polypropylene mesh was placed under the bladder neck to proximal urethra. Postoperatively, the patients were evaluated with a symptom questionnaire, physical examination, uroflowmetry, and postvoid residual volume at 3 day, 3 months. RESULTS: The average follow-up period was 164.6 days (minimum; 2 months). The average operation time was 83.6 minutes (including the anesthesia). No major intra-operative, post-operative complication occurred. No patient has permanent retention, erosion, or repeated surgery. The 22 patients (66.7%) were completely continent, 11 (33.3%) had an improvement, subjectively. The 27 patients (81.8%) were completely continent, 6 (18.2%) had an improvement, objectively. The treatment result was showed satisfactory by all patients (very satisfaction; 20 (60.6%), satisfaction; 13 (30.4%)). The follow-up period, valsalva leak point pressure, Pdetmax, opened bladder neck at rest, preop. urgency, preop. and postop. urge incontinence, total score of preop. and postop. Urge syndrome were related to subjective success rate, satisfaction statistically (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Placement of a polypropylene mesh under the bladder neck to proximal urethra provides a simple, safe, inexpensive and effective method to correct stress urinary incontinence.
Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Neck ; Physical Examination ; Polypropylenes* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Residual Volume ; Risk Factors* ; Urethra ; Urinalysis ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Incontinence* ; Urinary Incontinence, Urge ; Urodynamics

Jehovah's Witnesses present a challenge for the anesthesia professionals on account of their refusal to accept blood and blood products. Therefore, anesthesiologists must be able to individualize their treatment depending on the patients' condition. We report a case of a stent removal and aorto-biiliac bypass surgery in a Jehovah's Witness. A 69 year-old, hypertensive man presented with claudication of both lower extremities due to the distal migration of an endoaneurysmal stent. According to his previous medical history, he had a lacunar infarction in the right middle cerebral artery territory, ischemic coronary artery disease with a stent in situ, and a stent inserted for an abdominal aortic aneurysm by radiological intervention. Because he strongly refused a transfusion, human recombinant erythropoietin was used before surgery. After the erythropoietin treatment, hemoglobin level increased to 14.8 g/dl (hematocrit 47.6%). During the operation, closed-circuit cell saver was used and transfused autologous blood was saved by acute normovolemic hemodilution. The patient recovered uneventfully from the anesthesia and was transferred to the intensive care unit. He was discharged on the ninth postoperative day without complications with a hematocrit level of 28.9%.
Adult* ; Aged ; Anesthesia ; Aortic Aneurysm ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal* ; Blood Transfusion* ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Disulfiram ; Erythropoietin ; Hematocrit ; Hemodilution ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Jehovah's Witnesses ; Lower Extremity ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Stents ; Stroke, Lacunar

BACKGROUND: Insulin exerts an effect on cell proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis. However, the actions of insulin on cell cycle progression and signal transduction pathway are not well understood and insulin shows diverse effects on cell proliferation depending on cell types. OBJECTIVE: We attempted to understand the underlying mechanism by which insulin exerts this proliferative effect on 3T3 L1 fibroblasts by various markers of cell proliferation. METHOD: We investigated the effect of insulin on cell proliferation by [3H]thymidine incorporation, analyzing the cell cycle stages by flow cytometric measurement of DNA content per cell, cell counting, analysing cell division as well as the signal transduction pathway of insulin by measuring of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3-kinase) and p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p44/42 MAPK/ERK) activity. RESULTS: The results were as follows: 1. Total accumulated [3H]thymidine incorporation increased approximately two-fold with insulin over the 0.5% serum control at 48 h incubation, and the maximal rate of DNA synthesis was observed during 8-12 h incubation and continuously declined until 48 h without a second increase in DNA synthnesis.. 2. The flow cytometric analysis of cell population distribution showed that insulin increased the cell population in S phase. 3. After insulin treatment for 48 h, cell number was increased approximately 45% in comparison with 0.5% serum control. 4. The cell division analysed after staining 3T3 L1 fibroblasts with carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE). Cell division occured only once in 24h after insulin treatment.. 5. Insulin stimulated PI3-kinase and p44/42 MAPK/ERK activity about three- and two-folds, respectively. CONCLUSION: Taken together, this data indicates that insulin stimulated the transit from G0/G1 to S phase, progressed cell cycle through G2/M phase, increased the cell number and PI3-kinase, p44/42 MAPK/ERK stimulate cell proliferation. However, under our experimental conditions, insulin has a limited efficacy for late cell cycle events required for completion of miosis and cell cycle progression into the second round and the increase of the cell number by insulin was much less than the increase of the PI3-kinase and p44/42 MAPK/ERK activity. Therefore, the authors think that another pathways other than PI3-kinase or p44/42 MAPK/ERK might be involved in the effect of insulin on cell proliferation.
Apoptosis ; Cell Count ; Cell Cycle* ; Cell Division ; Cell Proliferation* ; Demography ; DNA ; Fibroblasts* ; Insulin* ; Miosis ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; Phosphatidylinositols ; Protein Kinases ; S Phase ; Signal Transduction

Spermatogenesis in liver flukes, C. sinensis, was investigated by using light and electron microscopes. The epithelium of the testis was composed of a basement membrane, numerous lamellae protuded from the membrance and large number of spermatogonia supported by the lamellae. The lumen of the testis was filled with numerous 8, 16 and 32-cell groups representing primary spermatocytes, secondary spermatocytes and spermatids respectively. None of cell groups with over 32 or under 8 cells was noticed. The process of spermatogenesis is presumably as follows; A cell group of 8 spermatogonia, attached together by a cytophore, is separated from the testis epithelium during the growth period, thus becoming primary spermatocytes. The primary spermatocytes divide to form a cell group of 16 secondary spermatocytes giving rise to a cell group of 32 spermatids through meiotic germ cell division. The spermatids begin to undergo a spermiogenesis. The newly formed sperms remain attached together in the lumen for a while before migrating through the vasa efferentia.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Clonorchis sinensis ; spermatogenesis ; morphology ; electronmicroscopy

Carotid artery puncture is the most common complication of internal jugular vein catheterization. However, arteriovenous fistula between carotid artery and internal jugular vein has been rarely reported. Here we report a patient who developed arteriovenous fistula following inadvertent carotid artery puncture, while undergoing liver transplantation.
Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Catheterization* ; Catheters* ; Humans ; Jugular Veins* ; Liver Transplantation* ; Liver* ; Punctures

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of cases of target-controlled infusion (TCI) of propofol have substituted 2% propofol for 1% due to the concerns about lipid deposition and the practical convenience. However, 2% propofol may possess a higher proportion of free aqueous propofol because of the relatively decreased lipid-solvent ratio as compared to that for 1% propofol. We performed a prospective, randomized, double-blind trial to evaluate the pain of 1% and 2% propofol TCI. The efficacy of lidocaine pretreatment to abolish the pain was also tested for each concentration of propofol. METHODS: Two hundred adult patients were randomly allocated to 4 groups according to the pretreatment drugs and propofol concentrations; placebo (normal saline) and 1% propofol group (group 1), placebo and 2% propofol group (group 2), lidocaine and 1% propofol group (group 1L), and lidocaine and 2% propofol group (group 2L). Administration of pretreatment drug was followed by TCI with using each concentration of propofol. Pain was assessed using a four-point scale during propofol infusion. RESULTS: Propofol pain was more frequent (82% vs. 63%, respectively, P = 0.026), and severe (P = 0.002) for the group 2 than for group 1. Pain was significantly reduced by lidocaine pretreatment in the group 2L (48%) and group 1L (19%), as compared with group 2 (82%) and group 1 (63%), respectively (P < 0.001, both). However, group 2L still showed considerable pain that was similar to the pain of group 1. CONCLUSIONS: TCI of 2% propofol caused more frequent and severe pain despite of lidocaine pretreatment.
Adult ; Anesthesia ; Humans ; Lidocaine ; Propofol ; Prospective Studies

A morphological study on the ultrastructures of the alimentary tract and the excretory system of Clonorchis sinensis was conducted. The liver flukes were collected from rabbit liver six months after the experimental infection The worms were washed with 0.85 percent saline solution and immediately moved to cold 2.5 percent glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M phosphate buffer pH 7.4. The materials were dissected and fixed for two hours. The blocks were post-fixed in 1 percent osmium tetroxide. The blocks were embedded in Epon 812. Ultra thin sections were cut with Sovall MT-2 ultramicrotome and stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. Sections were then observed with Hitachi HS-7S electron microscope. The following results were obtained in a series of observations. The walls of oral cavity and esophagus comprised tegumental syncytium, basement membrane, loose connective tissue, muscular layer and parenchymal cells. The apical surface and the base of the syncytium were covered with a protoplasmic membrane for each forming numerous invaginations. Granular endoplasmic reticulum was developed in the epithelium of the oesophagus. The gastrodermis of Clonorchis sinensis comprised two types of cells in general. The first cell type was numerous one forming a single continuous layer of epithelial cells. Each of the cells had outfolded cytoplasm into the caecal lumen and lamellae along the cell surface. Among the above epithelial cells, no considerable differences in structure reflecting their functional states were identified. The second cell type was less differentiated in nature and lay within the gastrodermis above the basement membrane but not in contact with the caecal lumen, being overlapped by neighboring gastrodermal cells of the type described above. At this portion the gastrodermis seemed to be a pseudostratified epithelium. There were well-developed lamellae along the surface of epithelia of all canals or duct concerning evacuation. The excretory pore was 7.5 micrometer in diameter and dorso-terminally opended. The epithelium of the excretory pore, a syncytial layer, contained many microtubules unlike the other part of tegumental layer of this worm. The epithelium thickness of the excretory pore was very irregular(1.3-5.5 micrometer).
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Clonorchis sinensis ; electron microscopy ; alimentary tract ; liver ; rabbit