The effect of oral mexiletin was evaluated by a 10-day double-blind cross-over protocol on 10 subjects with chronic stable high-frequency ventricular premature beats referred to our cardiology clinic from February through July, 1982. Total daily doses were either 450mg or 600mg in three divided portions depending on body weight. The frequency of the premature ventricular beats was measured by 3 separate 24-hour ambulatory EKG recordings by dual-channel Holter monitor on each patient. Mexiletine was judged to be effective in suppressing the ventricular arrhythmias when the 24-hour PVC-counts during the study-drug period showed a decrease by 80% and the hourly average PVC-counts by 70% compared with those of the equivalent intervals of both the baseline and the placebo periods. Mexiletine was effective in 5 of the 10 subjects. Mild tremor and anorexia were noted in 2 patients, but they were able to comply with the study protocol in spite of these minor side effects. Blood level measurements were not done in this study for lack of such facility, the utilization of which would undoubtedly enhance the therapeutic effectiveness of the antiarrhythmic agent in the individualization of treatment.
Anorexia ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Body Weight ; Cardiac Complexes, Premature* ; Cardiology ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Mexiletine* ; Tremor ; Ventricular Premature Complexes

This study was conducted to determine the level of inflammatory cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with meningitis. All the CSF of the patients were examined by Gram and acid-fast stain, culture, and PCR for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycoplasrma spp..The levels of sugar, protein and leukocytes count were also evaluated in the CSFs. Concentrations of Interleukin (IL)-1B, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a in the CSF were evaluated by the ELISA kit (Genzyme, USA). General bacteria, tubercle bacilli, and Mycoplasma spp. were not detected with stain and culture methods, but, Mycoplasma spp. was detected by PCR method from four (6.3%) patients with meningitis. The mean CSF concentration of IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-cx in the control group were 0.6+/-0.2, 896.8+/-107.6, 50.1+/-5.1, and 4.8+/-1.4 pg/ml, respectively. The mean CSF concentration of IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a in the patients with aseptic meningitis were 3.8+/-0.6, 1261.6+/-144.3, 466.7+/-42.3, and 10.8+/-2.0 pg/ml, respectively. The mean CSF concentration of IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a in the patients with mycoplasmal meningitis were 10.2+/-8.1, 1979.5+/-133.8, 459.7+/-96.4, and 17.5+/-5.1 pg/ml, respectively. There were significantly differences in the levels of IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a between control and patients with aseptic meningitis or Mycoplasmal meningitis (each p<0.001). These results suggest that increased levels of IL-1B, IL-8, and TNF-a could be higly suggestive of meningitis.
Bacteria ; Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Cytokines ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Interleukin-6* ; Interleukin-8* ; Interleukins ; Leukocytes ; Meningitis* ; Meningitis, Aseptic ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Mycoplasma ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

No abstract available.
Apoptosis* ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc*

OBJECTIVES: Risperidone, an atypical antipsychitics which blocks both dopaminergic and serotonergic receptors, have a good response to the negative symptoms as well as positive symptoms, and improve cognitive dysfunction of schizophrenic patients. Furthermore, it has few extrapyramidal side effects and tardive dyskinesia. Although it had been reported that the atypical antipsychotics have less effect on prolactin(PRL) than the classical antipsychotics, we could experience PRL-associated symptoms such as amenorrhea, galactorrhea and hyperprolactinemia in practice. Therefore we tried to identify the sex differences of risperidone-induced hyperprolactinemia, to evaluate factors affecting PRL levels, and to know the association between cognitive disorders and PRL. METHODS: The baseline levels of PRL and TSH prior th risperidone administration were measured by enzyme immunoassay method for 50 patients (25 males and 25 females) admitted with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or schizophreniform disorder according to the DSM-IV classification, and the measurements of PRL were repeated on the 2nd and the 4th wks of risperidone administration. Concomitantly, the severity of psychotic symptoms using CGI, BPRS and PANSS, and the cognitive dysfunction using PANSS-CF were assessed prior to, on the 2nd and the 4th wks of risperidone administration. The PRL and TSH levels of 54 healthy controls(29 males and 25 females) who had no medical, neurological and psychiatric illnesses were also evaluated. Furthermore, the correlation with the psychiatric diagnosis, education, age, sex, duration of illnesses, risperidone dosage, duration of risperdone administration, TSH concentration, cognitive function, severity of psychotic symptoms were also identified. RESULTS: 1) The baseline PRL levels of female schizophrenics(74.3+/-49.6ng/ml) were significantly(p<0.005) higher than those of males(36.3+/-24.6ng/ml), which wee significantly(p<0.0001 respectively) higher than those of controls(females 16.9+/-6.1ng/ml, males 13.3+/-4.9ng/ml). The PRL levels measured on the 2nd wks(females 133.7+/-47.8ng/ml, males 56.9+/-23.6ng/ml) and on the 4th wks(females 146.1+/-45.9ng/ml, males 70.0+/-31.5ng/ml) after risperidone administration were significantly(p<0.0001 respectively) higher in females. The mean dosages of risperidone on the 2nd wks were 3.8+/-1.7mg(2-6mg) for the females and 4.0+/-1.6mg(2-6mg) fore the males, and on the 4th wks were 4.5+/-2.1mg(2-8mg) fore the females and 5.4+/-2.2mg(2-8mg) for the males. 2) The rise of PRL levels were positively correlated with increased risperidone dosage in males(y=0.307 on the 2nd wks and y=0.280 on the 4th wks), while they were not correlated with dosages in females. For the females, the PRL levels were negatively correlated(y=-0.320) with decrease of TSH concentration. The baseline PRL levels were not correlated with age, education, duration of illnesses, psychopathology, cognitive disorders in both males and females, while it was negatively correlated with TSH levels only in females(y=-0.320). 3) The cognitive dysfunction was correlated with PRL levels in males, while PANSS-CF scores were negatively correlated with PRL levels(y=-0.220 on the 2nd wks and y=-0.366 on the 4th wks) in females. The psychopathology was positively correlated with cognitive dysfunction in both males and females. Therefore, the risperdone-induced cognitive improvement seemed to be correlated with improvement of psychopathology in both males and females, and with increase in PRL levels only in females. CONCLUSIONS: The fact that the serum PRL levels of schizophrenics were higher than those of controls, especially in females suggested that it could be related with risperidone dosage in males and with primary pathological process in females. The risperidone-associated cognitive improvement seemed to be related with general improvement of psychopathology as well as the rise of PRL levels especially in females. The facts that the effect of risperidone-induced hyperprolactinemia and the cognitive function were more in females suggested that somewhat different mechanisms could be exerted on them.
Amenorrhea ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Classification ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Education ; Female ; Galactorrhea ; Humans ; Hyperprolactinemia ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Male ; Mental Disorders ; Movement Disorders ; Pregnancy ; Prolactin* ; Psychopathology ; Psychotic Disorders ; Risperidone* ; Schizophrenia ; Sex Characteristics

BACKGROUND: Improvements in catheter equipments and increasing experience of the operators have brought about a broadening of the indications and applications of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty(PTCA). In particular, coronary angioplasty has been employed in total occlusions.We evaluated the initial success rate and safety of PTCA total occulsive coronary artery disease. METHODS: To assess the success rate and safety of PTCA total coronary artery occlusion, the data of 24 patients(male 19, female 5, mean age 55+/-9 years), in whom PTCA for total occlusion were performed, were examined. RESULTS: Primary success rate of procedure was 66.7%(16 out of 24 lesions).The success rate according to the duration of total occlusions was 8 out of 11(72.7%) with occlusions<4 weeks duration and 3 out of 7(42.9%) with occlusions>4 weeks duration(p=0.07). There was no difference in success rate according to vassel dilate(left anterior descending 75.0%, right coronary 44.4%) and length of occluded lesion(0.93%+/-0.47%cm, p=0.35). Eight procedural failures included inability to cross the lesion with a guide wire in 6 and inability to dilate the lesion in 2, but there was no emergency coronary bypass surgery or cardiac death. CONCLUSION: Even though the recanalization of occluded coronary arteries has a lower initial success rate than angioplasty for stenotic arteries, PTCA in total occlusion can be performed as a safe and effective therapeutic modality in selective patients.
Angioplasty ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary* ; Arteries ; Catheters ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels* ; Death ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Indications and applications of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty(PTCA) have been broaden recent years. We evaluated the initial success rate and safety of PTCA in mulitiple lesions and vessels. METHODS: To assess the success rate and safety of PTCA In mulitiple lesions and vessels, the data of 60 lesions from 28 patients(male 23, female 5, mean age 56+/-12 years), in whom PTCA for multiple lesions and vessels were performed, were examined. Initial results and complications were compared in 37 lesions undergoing multivessel and 23 lesions undergoing multilesion PTCA. RESULTS: Overall primary success rate of procedure was 82%(49 out of 60 lesions). Angioplasty was attempted in mean 2.1 stenotic lesions per patient. Primary success rate per lesion was 84%(31 of 37) among those who underwent multivessel and 78%(18 of 23) among those who underwent multilesion PTCA(p>0.05). Success rate according to the combination of dilated vessels was 85.7%(12 of 14) in left anterior descending(LAD) and left circumflex(LCX), 83.3%(10 of 12) in LAD and right coronary artery(RCA), 100.0%(4 of 4) in LAD and diagonal branch, RCA and LCX in 75.0%(3 of 4), and 66.7%(2 of 3) in LAD, LCX and diagonal branch. Eleven failures(18.3%) included inability to pass the guide wire cross the lesion or inability to locate the balloon catheter in 5(8,3%), abrupt closure in 2(3,3%), coronary spasm in 1(1.7%) and major branch occlusion in 3(5.0%), but there was no emergency coronary bypass surgery or cardiac death. CONCLUSION: Coronary angioplasty in selected patients with multivessel and multilesion coronary artery disease might be useful and have relatively good initial results, but the long-term efficacies with other forms of treatment must be evaluated prospectively.
Angioplasty* ; Catheters ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Death ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Spasm

Tracheal tumors are uncommon comprising less than 0.1% of all malignancies. Metastatic tracheal tumors, especially form the extrathoracic sites, are exceedingly rare. Ovarian cancer tends to metastasize to the serous cavities and the lymph nodes. One large autopsy study reported tracheal involvement in 1% of patients who had died from ovarian cancer. Other studies have not mentioned tracheal involvement at all. Since the main symptoms of cough, hemoptysis, or wheezing are nonspecific, patients may be initially treated for other conditions including asthma or bronchitis. Here we describe a metastatic tracheal tumor from an overain carcinoma that was initally treated for bronchial asthma.
Asthma ; Autopsy ; Bronchitis ; Cough ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Respiratory Sounds

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate time-dependent changes in erectile function and responsiveness to type 5 phosphodiesterase (PDE5) inhibitor in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-five 8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups: diabetic (n=50) and control (n=25). The diabetic group received a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. The diabetic rats and age-matched control rats underwent cavernosometry before and after administration of DA-8159 (a novel PDE5 inhibitor) at 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 weeks after induction of diabetes. The erectile response elicited by electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerve (3 V, width 0.2 msec, duration 30 seconds) was measured at several frequencies (2.5, 5, 10, and 20 Hz). Intracavernous pressure (ICP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were continuously monitored. Comparisons were made for ICP/MAP and areas under the curve (AUC) corresponding to the duration of electrical stimulation. The AUC was also corrected by the MAP. RESULTS: Diabetic rats maintained normal erectile responses until 6 weeks after diabetic induction. Following 8 weeks of diabetes, the rats showed significantly lower ICP/MAP and AUC/MAP at higher frequencies of nerve stimulation, which were normalized to controls by administration of DA-8159. In contrast, both physiologic parameters were significantly decreased in the 10-week diabetic rats and ICP/MAP at 20 Hz stimulation frequency recovered only by injection of DA-8159. At more than 12 weeks of diabetes, the rats demonstrated severe deterioration of erectile function, which did not fully respond to PDE5 inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study indicate that impairment of erectile function is followed by decreased responsiveness to PDE5 inhibitor during the course of diabetes.
Animals ; Area Under Curve ; Arterial Pressure ; Caves ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Electric Stimulation ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Humans ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Male ; Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors ; Pyrimidines ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Streptozocin ; Sulfonamides

No abstract available.
Humans

No abstract available.
Kidney* ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive*