BACKGROUND: Microglial cells, major immune effector cells in the central nervous system, become activated in neurodegenerative disorders. Activated microglial cells produce proinflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta(IL-1beta). These proinflammatory mediators have been shown to be significantly increased in the neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzhimer's disease and Pakinson's disease. It was known that one of the neurodegeneration source is stress and it is important to elucidate mechanisms of the stress response for understanding the stress-related disorders and developing improved treatments. Because one of the neuropeptide which plays a main role in regulating the stress response is corticotropin- releasing hormone (CRH), we analyzed the regulation of NO release by CRH in BV2 murine microglial cell as macrophage in the brain. METHODS: First, we tested the CRH receptor expression in the mRNA levels by RT-PCR. To test the regulation of NO release by CRH, cells were treated with CRH and then NO release was measured by Griess reagent assay. RESULTS: Our study demonstrated that CRH receptor 1 was expressed in BV2 murine microglial cells and CRH treatment enhanced NO production. Furthermore, additive effects of lipopolysaccaride (LPS) and CRH were confirmed in NO production time dependantly. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these data indicated that CRH is an important mediator to regulate NO release on microglial cells in the brain during stress.
Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Macrophages ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neuropeptides ; Nitric Oxide* ; Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone ; RNA, Messenger ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with stage IIB osteosarcoma at a single institution for 20 years and to compare the results according to the chemotherapy protocols. METHODS: From Jan 1988 to Nov 2008, 167 patients with osteosarcoma were treated at our hospital and among them, 117 patients (67 males and 50 females) with stage IIB osteosarcoma were evaluable. Their mean age was 22.6 years (range, 8 months to 71 years). Seventy-eight cases underwent the modified T10 (M-T10) protocol (group 1), 23 cases underwent the T20 protocol (group 2) and 16 cases underwent the T12 protocol (group 3). The DFS and OS were calculated and compared according to the chemotherapy protocols. RESULTS: At a mean follow-up of 78.9 months, 63 patients were continuously disease-free (63/117), 6 patients were alive after having metastatic lesions, 7 patients died of other cause and 41 patients died of their disease. The 5- and 10-year OS rates were 60.2% and 44.8%, respectively and the 5- and 10-year DFS rates were 53.5% and 41.4%, respectively. There was no significant difference of the OS and DFS between the chemotherapy protocols (p = 0.692, p = 0.113). CONCLUSIONS: At present, we achieved success rates close to the internationally accepted DFS and OS. We were able to achieve the higher survival rates using the M-T10 protocol over the 20 years. However, there was no significant difference of results between the chemotherapy protocols. We think the M-T10 protocol will achieve more favorable results in the near future.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Bleomycin/administration & dosage ; Bone Neoplasms/*drug therapy/*mortality/surgery ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cyclophosphamide/administration & dosage ; Dactinomycin/administration & dosage ; Disease-Free Survival ; Doxorubicin/administration & dosage ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Leucovorin/administration & dosage ; Male ; Methotrexate/administration & dosage ; Middle Aged ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Osteosarcoma/*drug therapy/*mortality/surgery ; Survival Rate ; Vincristine/administration & dosage ; Young Adult

Recurrent abortion has been defined as the occurrence of three or more clinically recognized pregnancy loss before 20 weeks and it occurs in 1% of women. The chromosomal abnormalities of abortuses have been suggested as the most common causes of recurrent abortion. We have studied the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in 57 patients with recurrent abortion using the chorionic villi samples. Of the 57 abortuses analysed, 32 (56.1%) had chromosomal abnormalities. Trisomy was predominant (23 cases, 40.4%), followed by mosaicism 3 (5.2%), tetraploidy 2 (3.5%), monosomy 2 (3.5%), and structural anomaly 1 (1.8%). Trisomy for the chromosome 16 was most prevalent among trisomies. The incidence of trisomy was positively related to matemal age above 35 year-old. But there is not statistically significant. And there are no correlation between gestational age and chromosomal abnormalities. In conclusion, the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities of recurrent abortuses was 56.1% which was similar to that of the other reports. This means that the analysis of karyotype of chorionic villi, as the first test to investigate the cause of recurrent abortion, may be not useful, however, it will require further.
Abortion, Habitual ; Adult ; Chorion* ; Chorionic Villi Sampling ; Chorionic Villi* ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16 ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Karyotype ; Monosomy ; Mosaicism ; Pregnancy ; Tetraploidy ; Trisomy