Capsaicin, the pungent principle of hot peppers, is a neurotoxin that depletes unmyelinated primary sensory neurons (polymodal nociceptors) of neuropeptides like tachykinins. However, the role of capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerve in the production of cytokines, penicillin V (PEV)-induced active fatal anaphylaxis and other immune responses is not yet fully established. Neonatal mice were pretreated s.c. with a single injection of 10 ug of capsaicin per mouse in volume of 20 ul within 5 days of age. Using 5-8 week old mice pretreated as neonates with capsaicin, the capsaicin- pretreated and vehicle-treated control mice were examined for various parameters of immune responses described above. For the induction of active fatal anaphylaxis with PEV, 8 week old mice pretreated as neonates and age-matched capsaicin- untreated control mice were sensitized i.p. with 500 ug of PEV-ovalbumin conjugate plus 2*10(9) B. pertussis and 1.0 mg alum and challenged i.v. with PEV-bovine serum albumin conjugate 14 days later. It was found that neonatal capsaicin-pretreatment significantly enhanced contact hypersensitivity to TNCB and hemagglutination response to SRBC, but significantly inhibited the proliferation response of rnurine splenocyte to Con A and LPS. Interestingly, neonatal capsaicin pretreatment significantly inhibited the intensity of PEV-induced active fatal anaphylaxis and decreased the mortality due to anaphylactic shock. It also significantly inhibited LPS- induced production of cytokines such as TNF-a, IL-1B, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-12. The capsaicin-pretreatment also resulted in an inhibition of the activation of NF-kB. Taken together, these data showed for the first time that neonatal capsaicin-pretreatment significantly inhibited an antibiotic (PEV)-induced anaphylaxis and production of various cytokines, and suggest that capsaicin-sensitive primary sensory nerve may play an important regulatory role in active fatal anaphylaxis and cytokine production, thus potentially presenting tools for immune intervention. In particular, the data presented also indicated the possibility to selectively down-modulate cytokine production and NF-kB activation may offer a broad application for therapeutic intervention in neuroimmunological diseases and other pathological situations.
Anaphylaxis ; Animals ; Capsaicin* ; Cytokines ; Denervation* ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Hemagglutination ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-12 ; Interleukin-6 ; Mice ; Mortality ; Neuropeptides ; NF-kappa B ; Penicillin V ; Sensory Receptor Cells ; Serum Albumin ; Tachykinins ; Whooping Cough

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of iron-enriched cereal supplement and nutrition education program on nutritional status and life style of children. Elementary school students (n = 170) aged of 11 years old at Seoul were participated. Subjects were supplemented with iron-enriched cereal for breakfast and provided with 2 sessions of nutrition education during 3 months. Intake of carbohydrate, iron, sodium, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, niacin, and folic acid was significantly increased after cereal supplement. Caloric intake was similar to KDRIs during both before and after cereal supplement. There was no improvement on exercise and dietary habits after nutrition education. Male students tended to sleep later, wake up early, and ate snack less than female. Cereal supplement was effective on improving nutritional status, but short-term nutrition education had no effect on modification of life style. Thus, further studies are required to develop long-term education program effective on improving life style and eating habits in children.
Ascorbic Acid ; Breakfast* ; Edible Grain* ; Child ; Eating ; Education* ; Energy Intake ; Female ; Folic Acid ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Iron ; Life Style* ; Male ; Niacin ; Nutritional Status* ; Riboflavin ; Seoul ; Snacks ; Sodium ; Thiamine ; Vitamin A ; Zinc

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of acute administration of ethanol on production of cytokines such as IL-1j3, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-a, induction of penicillin V-induced active fatal anaphylaxis, and resistence to Salmonel/a typhimurium infection in mice. Ethanol administration into mice was performed by intraperitoneal injection of 0.5 ml of 20 % ethanol for 3 consecutive days before induction of cytokines with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Con A or Salmone/la injection. Serum levels of cytokines were measured by ELISA. It was found that ethanol administration significantly inhibited both the serum levels of all cytokines examined and the resistance of mice to S. typhimurium. However, ethanol administration failed to prevent penicillin-induced fatal anaphylaxis. Taken together, the present results may need new insights in the diagnosis and treatment of various immunologically-mediated diseases.
Anaphylaxis* ; Animals ; Cytokines* ; Diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Ethanol ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukins ; Mice* ; Penicillin V* ; Penicillins* ; Salmonella Infections* ; Salmonella*

Angiomyolipoma is considered by many authors to be a hamartoma, occurring in a sporadic form or in association with tuberous sclerosis. This lesion consists of thick walled blood vessels, smooth muscle, and mature adipose tissue in varying amounts. We have experienced a case of the angiomyolipoma composed of monotypic epithelioid cells. The patient was a 69-year-old female. Clinically, there was no evidence of tuberous sclerosis. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of polygonal cells with abundant eosinophilic granular or clear cytoplasm, pleomorphic nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and multinucleated giant cells. The tumor cells showed positive reaction for HMB45, CD68, smooth muscle actin, and S-100, and negative reaction for epithelial membrane antigen, cytokeratin, vimentin, desmin, CD34, estrogen receptor, and progesterone receptor. Ultrastructual analysis showed the presence of glycogen, mitochondria, and other microorganelles in neoplastic cells. Melanosome or premelanosome was not identified.
Actins ; Adipose Tissue ; Aged ; Angiomyolipoma* ; Blood Vessels ; Cytoplasm ; Desmin ; Eosinophils ; Epithelioid Cells ; Estrogens ; Female ; Giant Cells ; Glycogen ; Hamartoma ; Humans ; Keratins ; Kidney* ; Melanosomes ; Mitochondria ; Mucin-1 ; Muscle, Smooth ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Tuberous Sclerosis ; Vimentin

Renal function may be adversely effected by the renal vein ligation. However, because of a rich collateral circulation, the left kidney may continue to function after renal vein ligation. This study was made to investigate the renal function recovery after the renal vein ligation in dogs. Excretory urogram and selective left renal venogram were performed before ligation, and on 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th week after renal vein ligation. Gross and microscopic studies were also done. The experimental results were as follows ; 1. In excretory urogram, there was non-visualization of the left kidney on 1st and 3rd week, and decreased opacity on 2nd and 6th week in complete ligation group and decreased opacity was seen on 1st week and normal appearance was found from 2nd week in the partial ligation than in the complete group. 2. In selective left renal venogram, three collateral veins were observed. The capsular and unknown vein were appeared by the 2nd week in the complete group, the capsular vein only by the 2nd week in partial group, and the ureteric vein by the 3rd week in partial ligation group only. By the 6th week capsular and ureteric vein were observed in the complete and partial group. 3. In morphologic studies, maximum increase in size of the kidney was observed by the 1st week in the complete and partial group. By the 6th week the kidney underwent an atrophic change in the complete group, but returned to normal in the partial group. 4. In conclusion, the recovery of renal function is depended on the formation of the collateral circulation which is influenced by the site and degree of renal vein ligation.
Animals ; Collateral Circulation ; Dogs* ; Kidney ; Ligation* ; Recovery of Function ; Renal Veins* ; Ureter ; Veins

"Capsaicin, the pungent principle of hot peppers, is a neurotoxin that depletes primary sensory neurons of neuropeptides like tachykinin. The objectives of these experiment was to examine the effects of capsaicin on Salmonel/a typhimurium-induced production of cytokines such as TNF-a, IL-1B, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 and on production of nitric oxide in peritoneal macrophages. In addition, the effects of capsaicin on survival rates of S. typhimurium-infected mice and on nuclear transcription factor (NF-kB) activation were also investigated. Mice were pretreated with a single s.c. injection of 100 ug of capsaicin and were infected i.v. with S. typhimurium (5xO5/mouse) in 0.2 ml volume after capsaicin pretreatment. The serum cytokine levels were measured 30, 60, 120, 180 and 240 min after Salmonella infection, using ELISA kits. The activation of NF-B was also examined by gel shift assay in spleens, thymuses and brains of mice that had been pretreated with a single s.c. injection of 100 ug of capsaicin. It was found that Sa/mone/la infection induced the production of TNF-a, IL-1B, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12, but capsaicin pretreatment inhibited the production of TNF-a, IL-1B, IL-10 and IL-12, but enhanced IL-6 production 120 min after Salmonella infection. Interestingly, the capsaicin pretreatment inhibited the activation of NF-kB in spleens and thymuses. There were no differences in the numbers of bacteria in livers, brains, spleens, kidneys and lungs between capsaicin- pretreated mice and the control animals in applied experimental conditions. Suprisingly, however, capsaicin pretreatment increased both the survival rates of Sa/mone//a-infected mice and production of nitric oxide by peritoneal macrophages compared with capsaicin-untreated control mice. Taken together, these results indicate that the capsaicin-sensitive primary sensory neurons may play an important modulatory role in the production of cytokine, nitric oxide and NF-B activation and the pathogenesis of salmonellosis."
Animals ; Bacteria ; Brain ; Capsaicin* ; Cytokines* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-12 ; Interleukin-6 ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; Mice ; Neuropeptides ; NF-kappa B* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Salmonella Infections* ; Salmonella typhimurium ; Salmonella* ; Sensory Receptor Cells ; Spleen ; Survival Rate ; Tachykinins ; Thymus Gland ; Transcription Factors

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Korea*

BACKGROUND: Linear lichen planus (LLP) and Lichen striatus (LS) are rare disorder that can be confused because they can share similar clinical and histopathologic features. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristic differences and common features between the two disorders histopathologically. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical records of patients who had been diagnosed as LLP or LS in our dermatology clinic during the 15-year period between 1985 and 1999. We classified twenty seven cases, which were differentiated from other possible linear dermatoses, into LLP and LS on the basis of clinical features, and then compared them histopathologically, and appreciated the characteristic differences or common features of the two disorders. RESULTS: In cases diagnosed as LLP clinically, epidermal changes were mainly composed of hyperkeratosis (78%), acanthosis (78%), basal degeneration (78%), granular layer thickening (67%) and saw-toothed appearance of rete ridges (44%). In dermis, colloid bodies (78%), band-like inflammatory cell infiltration with pigmentary incontinence (78%) were strik-,ting findings. In cases with clinical features of LS, parakeratosis (50%), dyskeratotic cells scattered in the epidermis (61%) and intercellular edema (39%) were noted in the epidermis. Dermal cellular deposits were focally band-like infiltration(89%), more frequently perivascular in-filtration (83%) and often involved deep dermis (50%), hair follicles (44%) and eccrine glands (22%) in contrast to LLP. CONCLUSION: This study presents a comparative histopathologic features of LLP and LS. Three cases of LLP with overlapping histopathologic features suggest the possibility that there may be an intermediate form between either end of a spectrum, LLP and LS.
Colloids ; Dermatology ; Dermis ; Eccrine Glands ; Edema ; Epidermis ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Lichen Planus* ; Lichens* ; Parakeratosis ; Skin Diseases

No abstract available.
Animals ; Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism* ; DNA, Complementary* ; Leptin* ; Rats* ; Receptors, Leptin*

PURPOSE: Alterations in cerebral blood flow are very important for understanding the neurological consequences of all varieties of perinatal asphyxia. The purpose of this study is to measure the change of cerebral blood flow velocity and resistance index (RI) of middle cerebral artery (MCA) according to the time in asphyxiated infants. METHODS: We studied 7 asphyxiated term infant and 27 normal term infant who were born at Ewha Womans University Hospital from January 1996 to August 1997. Using the Doppler ultrasound, we examined blood flow velocity and RI of the middle cerebral artery. RESULTS: Clinical characteristics were not significantly different in both groups. Peak systolic flow velocity (PSFV) in asphyxiated infants significantly decreased than control (P<0.05). End diastolic flow velocity (EDFV) was not significantly different in both groups. RI in asphyxiated infants significantly decreased for 24 hours (P<0.05). No control infant ever had a RI value of 0.55 or below, three (42.9%) asphyxiated infants had a RI value of 0.55 or below. The changes of the systemic BP and heart rate were not significant. Two (28.6%) asphyxiated infants were proven periventricular white matter ischemia by ultrasonography. CONCLUSION: It is therefore very important to monitor RI in asphyxiated infants even if the degree of asphyxia is mild.
Asphyxia ; Blood Flow Velocity* ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Infant* ; Ischemia ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Ultrasonography