No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Leukemia, Plasma Cell* ; Plasma Cells* ; Plasma*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prenatal hypoxic effect on the fetal brain development. METHODS: We used the guinea pig chronic placental insufficiency model to investigate the effect of hypoxia on fetal brain development. We ligated unilateral uterine artery at 30-32 days of gestation (dg : with term defined as -67 dg). At 50 dg, 60 dg, fetuses were sacrificed and assigned to either the growth-restricted (GR) or control (no ligation) group. After fixation, dissection, and sectioning of cerebral tissue from these animals, immunohistochemistry was performed with NeuN antibody, which is a mature neuronal marker in the cerebral cortex. RESULTS: The number of NeuN-immunoreactive (IR) cells in the cerebral cortex did not differ between the GR and control groups at 50 dg. However, the number of NeuN-IR cells was lesser in GR fetuses than in controls at 60 dg (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings show that chronic prenatal hypoxia affect the number of neuron in the cerebral cortex of guinea pig fetus at 60 dg. The approach used in this study is helpful for extending our understanding of neurogenesis in the cerebral cortex, and the findings may be useful for elucidating the brain injury caused by prenatal hypoxia.
Animals ; Anoxia* ; Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Cerebral Cortex ; Fetus ; Guinea Pigs ; Immunohistochemistry ; Neurogenesis ; Neurons* ; Placental Insufficiency ; Pregnancy ; Uterine Artery

BACKGROUND: During coronary angiography, some electrocardiographic changes occured due to contrast media, which do life threatening influences. METHODS: We compared the electrocardiographic changes which were induced by injection of three radiopaque contrast media during selective coronary angiography in 49 patients with chest pain. One of the contrast media was high osmolar ionic(Urografin_76) and the another was low osmolar ionic(Hexabrix) and the last was non-ionic(Ioversol). Electrocardiograms were obtained before, during and after selective coronary angiography. RESULTS: The changes of S-T segment or T were decreased in non-ionic group rather than high osmolar or ionic group. And there was significant Q-Tc interval prolongation among all three groups except comparision of low osmolar ionic contrast dye and non-ionic contrast dye in left coronary angiography. CONCLUSION: Non-ionic low osmolar contrast media was safer than high osmolar or ionic contrast medial because of lesser change of Q-Tc interval during selective coronary angiography.
Chest Pain ; Contrast Media* ; Coronary Angiography* ; Diatrizoate Meglumine ; Electrocardiography* ; Humans ; Ioxaglic Acid ; Osmolar Concentration

BACKGROUND: Propofol, 2,6-diisopropyl phenol, is a short-acting, potent intravenous anesthetics agent. In both general anesthetic care and the anesthetic care of patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery, the unique characteristics of propofol might make it a logical part of the anesthetic plan for patients such as pulmonary hypertension. But there are limited experimental and clinical data on the effects of propofol on pulmonary vascular resistance, and they are somewhat contradictory. the purpose of this study was to investigated.the effect and mechanism of vasodilation induced by propofol using isolated rat pulmonary artery rings. METHODS: Cumulative dose-response curves for propofol(10(-6)~10(-3)M) were obtained from tension measurements of rings that contracted with phenylephrine(10(-6)M) and KCI(40 mM) in the presence and absence of endothelium, and in the pretreatment of L-NAME(3x10(-4)M) and substance P(3x10(-4)M). Thereafter the effect of propofol(10(-4)M) on vascular smooth muscle contration in response to Ca++ mobilization in vscular rings were investigated. RESULTS: Propofol(10(-6)~10(-3)M) produced dose-dependent relaxation and had no signficant effect from endothelium. Pretreatment of L-NAME and substance P failed to have influence on cumulative dose-respose curves. Therefore vasodilator effect of propofol was not endothelium-dependent. And 10(-4)M propofol attenuated a contraction in response to CaCl2 in vascular rings depolarized by KCI, and vasoconstraction in response to calcium entry in the presence of phenylephine was attenuated by 10(-4)M propofol. Ryanodine preteament had not influence on contractile response. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that vasodilation produced by propofol is not endothelium-dependent but is probably due to nonspecific intracellular Ca++ influx blockade through voltage-operated calcium channels and receptor-operated channels.
Anesthetics ; Anesthetics, Intravenous ; Animals ; Calcium ; Calcium Channels ; Endothelium ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Logic ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Phenol ; Propofol* ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Rats* ; Relaxation ; Ryanodine ; Substance P ; Vascular Resistance ; Vasodilation

OBJECTIVES: The Korean government in January 2006 instigated an exemption policy for hospitalized children under the age of six years old. This study examines how this policy affected the utilization of medical care in Korea. METHODS: A total of 1,513,797 claim records from the Health Insurance Review Agency were analyzed by complete enumeration methods. The changes of medical utilization were compared from 2005 to 2006. In addition, the changes of medical utilization between 2004 and 2005 were compared as a pseudocontrol group. RESULTS: The admission rate increased 1.14-fold from 15.20% in 2004 to 17.32% in 2005, and this further increased 1.08-fold to 18.65% in 2006. The increase of patients with a common cold (1.2-fold) was higher than that of both the general patients (1.08-fold) and the patients with the top 10 fatal diseases (0.91-fold). The average length of stay per case for clinics showed the highest increase rates (1.06-fold). The rates of patients with the common cold showed a higher increase (1.05-fold) than that of the general patients. The average medical expense per case was increased by 1.10-fold from 2005 to 2006, which was higher than that from 2004 to 2005 (1.04-fold). The increase rate for patients with the common cold was higher at 1.18-fold than that of the general patients. CONCLUSIONS: The cost exemption policy has especially led to an increase in the utilization of clinics and the utilization by patients with a common cold.
Child, Preschool ; Cost Sharing/*legislation & jurisprudence ; *Health Policy ; Health Services/*utilization ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Insurance Claim Review ; Korea ; Length of Stay

BACKGROUND: Stellate ganglion block (SGB) has been used to treat over 150 diseases which include diabetes mellitus and gout. This study was planned to investigate whether stellate ganglion block (SGB) could lower the levels of blood glucose, uric acid, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. METHODS: Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats within the weight of 250-350 gm were randomly devided into four groups. CS group was normal group with sham SGB with normal saline, CL group was normal group with SGB with lidocaine, DS group was diabetic group with SGB with normal saline, DL group was diabetic group with SGB with lidocaine. The diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 40 mg/kg of streptozotocin in citrate buffer (0.01 M, pH 4.5). Nondiabetic groups were given same amount of the citrate buffer. Seven days after the last injection of the streptozotocin blood glucose level was checked and more than 300 mg/dl was considered diabetic. The SGB was performed three times at right superior cervical ganglion two days apart from two days after the conformation of diabetes. Successful SGB was conformed by the ipsilateral ptosis or conjunctival congestion. Blood samplings from tail vein for the check of glucose, uric acid, and catecholamines were done before the injection of streptozotocin, seven days after the last injection of streptozotocin, and two days after the last SGB. RESULTS: The SGB with lidocaine reduced the blood glucose level only in the diabetic rats while SGB with the saline did not. The epinephrine levels were increased in the diabetics and decreased by the SGB with lidocaine without any statistical significance. Norepinephrine and uric acid levels had not been effected by the SGB and both of them had no correlationship with the glucose level. CONCLUSIONS: SGB in the diabetic rats decreases the blood glucose level. But for the effects of the SGB on the level of epinephrine further study would be needed.
Animals ; Blood Glucose* ; Catecholamines* ; Citric Acid ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Epinephrine ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Glucose ; Gout ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Lidocaine ; Norepinephrine ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stellate Ganglion* ; Streptozocin ; Superior Cervical Ganglion ; Uric Acid* ; Veins

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4), is the dominant human liver hemoprotein enzyme localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and is responsible for the metabolism of more than 50% of clinically relevant drugs. While we were studying CYP3A4 expression and activity in human liver, we found that anti-CYP3A4 antibody cross-reacted with a lower band in liver cytoplasmic fraction. We assessed the activities of CYP3A4 and its truncated form in the microsomal and cytoplasmic fraction, respectively. In the cytoplasmic fraction, truncated CYP3A4 showed catalytic activity when reconstituted with NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase and cytochrome b5. In order to determine which site was deleted in the truncated form in vitro, we transfected cells with N-terminal tagged or C-terminal tagged human CYP3A4 cDNA. The truncated CYP3A4 is the N-terminal deleted form and was present in the soluble cytoplasmic fraction. Our result shows, for the first time, that N-terminal truncated, catalytically active CYP3A4 is present principally in the cytoplasm of human liver cells.
Blotting, Western ; Catalysis ; Cell Line ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A/chemistry/*metabolism ; Cytoplasm/*enzymology ; Humans ; Microsomes, Liver/*enzymology

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of rocuronium pretreatment on the succinylcholine induced biochemical changes and fasciculations, myalgia and to compare it with vecuronium pretreatment. METHODS: We have studied 60 patients undergoing minor elective surgery, in a prospective double blinded method. Three groups of 20 patients each were pretreated with saline 0.01 ml/kg (group C), rocuronium 0.05 mg/kg (group R), or vecuronium 0.007 mg/kg (group V). Three minutes after the pretreatment, 1.5 mg/kg succinylcholine was injected. Serum potassium five minutes after succinylcholine and creatine kinase 24 hr after operation were measured. Fasciculations and postoperative myalgia at 24 and 48 h were evaluated. RESULTS: The increase in creatine kinase and incidence of fasciculations were lowest in the rocuronium group (33 IU/L; 15%) and followed by vecuronium group (58 IU/L; 50%) and highest in the control group (101 IU/L; 100%). The increase in serum potassium concentration (0.3 mEq/L) was not attenuated by any regimen. The incidence of postoperative myalgia on day 1 and day 2 was lower in the rocuronium (40%, 30%) and the vecuronium (50%; 35%) group than control group (85%; 75%). CONCLUSIONS: Rocuronium pretreatment is more effective in reducing creatine kinase rise and fasciculations after succinylcholine than vecuronium. However rocuronium and vecuronium are also effective in preventing postoperative myalgia.
Creatine Kinase ; Fasciculation ; Humans ; Incidence ; Myalgia* ; Potassium ; Prospective Studies ; Succinylcholine* ; Vecuronium Bromide

BACKGROUND: Although steroid is one of the most widely used therapeutic measures for brain edema, its effect on brain edema after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remains to be clarified. We performed this study to evaluate the efficacy of high dose methylprednisolone and conventional dose dexamethasone on the development of brain edema after experimental ICH. METHODS: Fifty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 350-450 g, were used. ICH was made by stereotaxic injection of autologous arterial blood (0.13ml) into the right caudatoputamen. The animals were divided into three groups (n = 18 each). Group A received intraperitoneal(IP) injection of normal saline at 8-hour interval. Group B received dexamethasone (0.2mg/kg IP 30minutes after blood injection and 0.1mg/kg IP every 8h thereafter). Group C received methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg IP 30 minutes after ICH, 15mg/kg IP at 2 h after initial dose, and every 8h thereafter). We sacrificed the rat after 3 days and the development of brain edema was determined by measuring brain water content. We compared brain water content in each group. RESULTS: Water content of the right hemisphere was slightly lower in the methylprednisolone-treated rats than other groups; mean + S.D. in group A, B, and C was 80.94 + 0.66%, 80.56 + 0.70%, and 80.42 + 0.91%, respectively. However, there was no statistical significance ( p > 0.1) by the ANOVA test. The difference of the mean water contents between the two hemispheres was slightly higher in the saline-treated group than other groups, but without statistical significance ( p > 0.1). CONCLUSION: We could not find any significant reduction of the brain water content in the groups treated with steroid regardless of the doses. Our results do not warrant the popular steroid therapy in patients with ICH.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain Edema* ; Cerebral Hemorrhage* ; Dexamethasone ; Humans ; Male ; Methylprednisolone ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley