No abstract available.
Renal Dialysis* ; Urea*

Phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C(PLC) is known as a key enzyme which produces two major second messengers: diacylglycerol and inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate. Although it has been suggested that PLC beta isozymes have important roles in nervous system, less is known about the function of PLC beta in development of nervous system. We have localized the mRNA expressions of PLC beta isozymes in the postnatal rat brains by id firm hybridization histochemistry. In the postnatal rat brains, each isozyme of PLC beta showed differential expression pattern. The expression of PLC beta1 mRNA was found in various areas including olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, caudate putamen, hippocampus, dentate gyrus, and cerebellum. In general, the expression in these areas was gradually increased after birth (PO) until postnatal day 21 (P2l) and slightly decreased to adult level. The expression of PLC beta2 mRNA was not found in postnatal rat brains. The expression of PLC beta3 mRNA was found from P0, peaked at Pl4, and decreased to adult level in the purkinje cells of cerebellum. PLC beta4 mRNA was strongly expressed in the thalamus, cerebellum, cerebral cortex, and olfactory bulb. In these areas, the expression was gradually increased after birth, peaked at P2l, and decreased to adult level. In whole body parasagittal sections of 18 day old rat embryo, PLC betal mRNA was exclusively expressed in nervous tissue, PLC beta3 and PLC beta4 were expressed in various tissues, and the expression of PLC beta2 was not found in any kind of rat tissues. From the different spatiotemporal mRNA expression patterns of PLC beta isozymes in the postnatal rat brains, it is suspected that each PLC beta isozyme may have specific role in signal transduction for postnatal development of rat brain.
Adult ; Animals ; Brain* ; Cerebellum ; Cerebral Cortex ; Dentate Gyrus ; Embryonic Structures ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Inositol ; Isoenzymes* ; Nervous System ; Olfactory Bulb ; Parturition ; Phospholipase C beta* ; Phospholipases* ; Purkinje Cells ; Putamen ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Second Messenger Systems ; Signal Transduction ; Thalamus

OBJECTIVE: This study is proposed to examine the relationship between bone loss after hormone replacement therapy for one year and initial bone markers. METHODS: One hundred postmenopausal women were studied for one year. At first visit, measurements were made of bone mineral density(BMD) at the lumbar spine and femoral neck, and of serum osteocalcin and urine deoxypyridinoline. After hormone replacement therapy was done for one year, BMD was rechecked. RESULTS: Serum osteocalcin was correlated with the rate of bone change(r=0.150, 0.262) and urine deoxypyridinoline was weakly correlated(r=-0.003, 0.038). The changes of femoral BMD in women with higher concentration of osteocalcin and deoxypyridinoline were significant different from those in women with normal concentration. At the lumbar spine, no significant differences were showed. In women with higher concentration of osteocalcin, the incidence of subjects with increased spine BMD was increased up to around 71.1%, which showed not significant increase compared with normal concentration of osteocalcin. And the incidence of increased spine BMD in women with higher concentration of osteocalcin was marked increased compared with the incidence of normal concentration. The level of the osteocalcin with increased spine BMD was 11.5+/-6.6 ng/ml, and the level with decreased spine BMD was 9.2+/-4.7 ng/ml, respectively. And the level of the deoxypyridinoline was 7.2+/-4.2 pmol/ mol cr in women with increased spine BMD and 7.2+/-2.7 pmol/ mol cr in women with decreased spine BMD, which was not statistically different. The concentration of deoxypyridinoline with increased and decreased in BMD in spine and femur was not statistically different. but the concentration of osteocalcin was 12.2 +/-5.5 ng/ml in significantly increased in BMD and 8.5 +/-4.5ng/ml in significantly decreased in BMD, which was showed significant different. CONCLUSION: Present study indicates that the serum osteocalcin more reflcets bone turnover changes at the menopause than deoxypyridinoline, however, the clinical utility of measurements of osteocalcin only to response to therapy is uncertain.
Bone Density* ; Female ; Femur ; Femur Neck ; Hormone Replacement Therapy* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Menopause ; Osteocalcin ; Spine

Mail questionnaire was administrated to 370 practising physicians and 388 pharmacists in Taegu city selected by systematic sampling to examine utilization states and opinion of pharmacy under medical care insurance programme and the attitude to the functional division between physicians and pharmacists from April to May 1992. Regarding the opinion on the outcome of drug-store under medical insurance, 71.2 percent of practicing physician answered failure but 13.4 percent of practicing pharmacists answered failure in contrast. Fifty percent of practicing physician asserted introducing functional division between physician and pharmacist while 66.9 percent of practicing pharmacist answered drug-store under medical insurance itself is successful programme. Average daily numbers of preparation of medicine was 32.2 case. Percentage of utilization of drug-store under medical insurance to average daily cases of preparing of medicine was 20 percent, percentage of utilization with physician's prescription was 0.7 percent. And 58.7 percent of practicing physician experienced outside the institute prescription. Regarding the opinion on the pros and cons of enforcing functional division between physician and pharmacist, 59.2 percent of practicing physician preferred pros and 17.7 percent cons ,but 38 percent of practicing pharmacist preferred pros and 45.5 percent cons. And pharmacist know better the content of functional division between physician and pharmacist, practicing emphasized to prevent misuse or abuse of medicine but practicing pharmacist emphasized to display physician and pharmacist's professional ability. And as an opinion on implementation style of functional division between physician and pharmacist in pros respondents, practicing physician favored mandatory enforcement (52.3%), while practicing pharmacist favored partial incomplete functional division (81.7%). As the method of prescription if functional division between physician and pharmacist will be enforced, both practicing physician and pharmacist preferred generic name (44.0%, 89%) mostly, but physician preferred brand name (35.3%) secondly. Regarding the reason for not implementing functional division between physician and pharmacist up to date, both physician and pharmacist answered problem of business right between physician and pharmacist, followed by lack of recognition, and interest of people and lack of the governmental willness. Regarding the opinion on prior decision of condition for enforcing functional division between physician and pharmacist, practicing physician and pharmacist named uneven distribution of medical facilities and drug-store between rural and urban, inequality of physician and pharmacist manpower and the problem of manpower demand and supply mostly, and practicing physician pointed out establishing attitude of acceptance on the part of pharmacist and practicing pharmacist favored establishing attitude of acceptance on the part of physician, which was different attitudes between physician and pharmacist. Following conclusion was reached; 1. Current drug-store under medical insurance program yield insufficient outcome, so we should consider program conversion from drug-store under medical insurance program to functional division between physician and pharmacist. 2. There were problem of business right and conflicts between physician and pharmacist at enforcing functional division between physician and pharmacist, so the government should search for formulating plan to resolve the problem and have neutral willness for the protection of the national health.
Commerce ; Daegu* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Humans ; Insurance ; Pharmacists* ; Pharmacy ; Postal Service ; Prescriptions ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Socioeconomic Factors

To assess the pattern of psychiatric symptoms and to evaluate the relationship between exposure related variables(duration of work and urinary hippuric acid concenturation) and psychiatric symptoms in organic solvent exposed workers, case control study of forty-two solvent exposed workers and ninety-six non-exposed workers was conducted. The general health questionnaire 28(GHQ28) was administered to evaluate psychiatric symptoms and urinary hippuric acid concenturations was measured to estimate the present status of solvent exposure in exposed group and to estimate normal level in non-exposed group. The meand concenturation of urinary hippuric acid was significantly higher in exposed group (2.953g/creatinine g) than non-exposed group (0.395g/creatinine g) (P<0.01). The total positive rates of symptoms were significantly higher in exposed group(28.2%) than non-exposed group(17.5%) (P<0.05). The positive rates of symptoms for four sub-scales of GHQ 28 in exposed group were in the order of somatic symptoms, anxiety, social dysfunction, depression and in the order of social dysfunction, anxiety, depression, somatic symptoms in non-exposed group.The positive rates of symptoms for somatic symptoms and anxiety were significantly higher in exposed group than non-exposed group (P<0.05) and the proportion of workers with six or more positive symptoms(dysthymic states) in exposed group were significantly higher than non-exposed group (P<0.01). After the effect of age, sex, level of income, level of education, and duration of work were controlled, the total score of GHQ28 was still significantly different between exposed and non-exposed group(P<0.01). In multiple logistic regression analysis on the dysthymic state, the odds ratio of level of income was statistically significant in both group. The odds ratios of exposure related variables such as duration of work and hippuric acid concenturations were not statistically significant but there was a tendency that exposure related variables had an effect on dysthymic state in exposed group.In future, comtinuous evaluation of psychiatric symptoms on organic solvent exposed workers and studies to detect the factors that affect on psychiatric symptoms are required.
Anxiety ; Case-Control Studies ; Depression ; Education ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Solvents* ; Toluene

No abstract available.
Animals ; Ischemia* ; Muscle, Skeletal* ; Rats* ; Reperfusion*

OBJECTIVE: A number of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) have been shown to be more effective than placebo in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, most course of DMARDs, except methotrexate, are discontinued after 2 or 3 years, because of toxicity, lack of efficacy or escape from control. The multi-drug resistance (MDR) is a phenomenon in which cells develop cross-resistance to many agents such as anthracyclin, vinca alkaloids and colchicine. In our hypothesis, MDR phenomenon could be implicated in acquired resistance to DMARDs in RA. We have established a mdr1 cell line and tested whether DMARDs are substrate for P-glycoprotein (P-gp). METHODS: The mdr1-cDNA was cloned into retroviral vector, and the recombinant retroviral vector was transfected into PA317 cells. The target cells, NIH3T3, were infected with recombinant retroviruses. A colony most resistant to vinblastin was selected for the following experiments; expression of mdr1 gene in NIH3T3 cells was confirmed by RT-PCR, and biological function of mdr1 gene product, P-gp, was tested using Rhodamine-123 (Rh123) efflux assay. Resistance of the target cells expression P-gp which can survive against hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and methotrxate (MTX) were measured by MTT assay. RESULTS: RT-PCR for mdr1 gene showed successful transfer of the gene into the NIH3T3 cells. Rh123 assay revealed expression of P-gp on the selected cells as follows; Rh123 efflux activity of uninfected NIH3T3 cells was 6%, that of PLXSN was 0.2%, and that of selected cells was 44%. The 50% proliferation inhibitory capacity of the selected cells were twice for HCQ but there was no difference of that for MTX. CONCLUSION: We established a mdr1 cell line and using the cell line, HCQ was a substrate of MDR, but MTX was not related to MDR.
Antirheumatic Agents* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Cell Line ; Clone Cells ; Colchicine ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Hydroxychloroquine ; Methotrexate ; P-Glycoprotein ; Retroviridae ; United Nations ; Vinca Alkaloids ; Zidovudine

We noted hemoglobinuris during and after extracorporeal circulation for one case of mitral valve replacement. Laboratory results revealed autoimmune hemolytic anemia(AIHA) including a positive direct Coombs test. A patient with AIHA is serologically incompatible with his own red cells and with the red cells of most blood donors. Red cell transfusion is essential for the management of life threatenting anemia especially in this case. So it is essential, therefore, to have efficient clinician blood bank communication in order to arrive at a rational transfusion therapy for these patients.
Anemia ; Anemia, Hemolytic* ; Blood Banks ; Blood Donors ; Coombs Test ; Extracorporeal Circulation* ; Humans ; Mitral Valve

BACKGROUND: T lymphocytes that bear CD3 but lack CD4 and CD8 (Double negative T cells, DN T cells) are normally present early in ontogeny in the fetal thymus, but constitute only a small proportion of adult thymocytes and peripheral blood. Since DN T TCR alpha beta+ cells have been found to accumulate in the lymphoid organs of lpr and gld mice and to be expanded in patients with autoimmune diseases, their functional properties are now of considerable interest. METHOD: Sixty four rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and 24 healthy volunteers were studied from Jan 1997 to Feb 1998. The whole blood from the patients and controls were analyzed by flow cytometry (Elite ESP, Coulter, USA) and XL-II software after the cells were stained with trifluorochrome monoclonal antibodies (anti-CD4-FITC/anti-CD8-PE/anti-CD3-PE-Cy5, anti-CD3-FITC/anti-CD19-PE/anti-CD45-PE-Cy5, anti-CD3-FITC/ CD16+56-PE) (Immunotech, Coulter, USA). We reviewed patient records to find out the inflammatory parameters and Ritchie index. RESULTS: We confirmed the presence of DN T cells in peripheral blood of healthy volunteers and RA patients. DN T cells were lower in RA patients (mean+/-SD; 6.44%+/-4.46), when compared to healthy volunteers (mean+/-SD; 9.97%+/-4.50) (p=0.001). There was no clinical correlations between DN T cells and inflammatory parameters. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the DN T cells in normal control were about 10% of CD3 positive T cells and the cells were significantly lower in RA patients. Although we did not identify whether these cells have either TCR alpha beta or TCR gamma delta, we could conclude that these cells are not expanded in RA patients. We would like to continue this study further 1) to identify TCR the DN T cells have and 2) to monitor the changes after treatment.
Adult ; Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Flow Cytometry ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Mice ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta ; T-Lymphocytes* ; Thymocytes ; Thymus Gland

Two patients, bulging fetal membrane accompanied with cervical dilatation & effacement in the late second-trimester, were treated by modified Shirodkar method. Pregnancies were prolonged effectively and viable fetuses were delivered in both cases. Our cases may help make objective decision prior to attempting cerclage placement when cervix is markedly dilated and something should be done to save pregnancy.
Cervix Uteri ; Extraembryonic Membranes* ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Labor Stage, First ; Pregnancy ; Uterine Cervical Incompetence*