No abstract available.
Cell Proliferation* ; Cytomegalovirus* ; Humans*

No abstract available.
Cytomegalovirus* ; Humans* ; Methotrexate* ; Papaverine*

BACKGROUND: The antinociceptive effect and the potency of systemically administered morphine (micro-agonist), nalbuphine (agonist-antagonist), and ketorolac (cyclooxygenase inhibitor) was examined in rats using the formalin test. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (250~300 g) received intraperitoneal injection of either saline or 3 doses of each test drug (0.3, 1.0, 3.0 mg/kg of morphine, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0 mg/kg of nalbuphine, and 10, 30, 100 mg/kg of ketorolac) 30 minutes prior to formalin injection. 50 microliter of 10% formalin was injected into the dorsal surface of the right hindpaw after 1 minute of 4% halothane induction. The construction of the dose-response curves and the determination of doses producing 50% maximum possible effect (ED50) were computed. RESULTS: Intraperitoneal injection of morphine, nalbuphine and ketorolac resulted in the significant, dose-dependent supression of both phases, but nalbuphine has a ceiling effect at high dose for analgesia at the phase I of the formalin test. The rank order of relative potency in rats to the formalin test was nalbuphine (1.16)>morphine (1)>>ketorolac (0.1) in phase I, morphine (1)>nalbuphine (0.61)>>ketorolac (0.02) in phase IIa, and morphine (1)>nalbuphine (0.57)>>ketorolac (0.03) in phase IIb. CONCLUSION: Comparing the systemic analgesic potency, nalbuphine and ketorolac will be needed in dosages 1.5 and 50 times that of morphine, respectively. These results suggest that ketorolac is not good enough as a single analgesic drug in preemptive analgesia for major surgery.
Analgesia ; Animals ; Formaldehyde* ; Halothane ; Humans ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Ketorolac* ; Male ; Morphine* ; Nalbuphine* ; Pain Measurement* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

No abstract available.
Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibromatosis 1* ; Neurofibromin 1 ; Vitiligo*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the number of leiomyoma patients-exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) and to observe whether the serum concentration of BPA is related to leiomyoma growth. METHODS: A total of 158 patients were recruited for this study. Leiomyoma patients were divided into three groups, mild (n = 48), moderate (n = 32) and severe (n = 28), according to the size of leiomyomas. The control (n = 30) group was defined as having no leiomyomas. Transvaginal ultrasonography was used to identify and measure the leiomyomas. Serum BPA concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: BPA was detected in 87.0% out of a total of 158 samples, and in 86.0% out of 108 leiomyoma patients. In detail, the detection rates of serum BPA were 88.0% in the control group, 77.2% in the mild group, 90.0% in the moderate group and 96.0% in the severe group. The mean BPA concentration in the control group was 0.558 +/- 0.097 ng/mL, the leiomyoma groups, the mean BPA concentrations were 0.274 +/- 0.063 ng/mL (mild), 0.346 +/- 0.064 ng/mL (moderate) and 0.647 +/- 0.039 ng/mL (severe) (P = 0.0003). Values represent the mean +/- standard error. CONCLUSION: The detection rates of serum BPA in the control and leiomyoma groups were 88.0% and 86.0%, respectively. However, there was no significant difference in the serum BPA concentrations between the control and leiomyoma groups. To verify the effect of BPA on leiomyoma growth, a close and sequential monitoring is recommended for people who are at risk for uterine leiomyoma.
Endocrine Disruptors ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Ultrasonography ; Uterus

PURPOSE: We wanted to describe the MR imaging findings of endometrial cancer in patients with a history of prior radiation therapy for cervical cancer (ECRT) and we compare them to the MR imaging findings of patients with spontaneously occurring endometrial cancer (SEC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-two patients with endometrial cancer that was diagnosed by operation or endometrial biopsy were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of past RT for cervical cancer: ECRT (n = 4) and SEC (n = 18). The MR images were retrospectively analyzed by consensus of two experienced radiologists. The MR imaging findings were analyzed by the size, shape and signal intensity of the mass, distension of the uterine cavity, the presence of cervical stenosis and the nature of the fluid collection. RESULTS: For the mass shape, all the ECRT lesions were polypoid masses. However, the SEC patients had 5 polypoid masses and 13 wall thickenings. The maximal diameter, signal intensity and enhancement pattern of the masses were not different between the ECRT and SEC patients. The width of the endometrial cavity varied between 3.9 cm in the ECRT patients and 0.4 cm in the SEC patients (p =0.002). All the ECRT patients had cervical stenosis. However, none of the SEC patients had cervical stenosis. CONCLUSION: MR imaging of ECRT patients demonstrated prominent distension of their uterine cavity and cervical stenosis, which may be the result of radiation fibrosis in the uterus.
Biopsy ; Cervix Uteri* ; Consensus ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Radiation Pneumonitis ; Retrospective Studies ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms* ; Uterus

In allogeneic transplantation, including the B6 anti-BALB.B settings, H60 and H4 are two representative dominant minor histocompatibility antigens that induce strong CD8 T-cell responses. With different distribution patterns, H60 expression is restricted to hematopoietic cells, whereas H4 is ubiquitously expressed. H60-specific CD8 T-cell response has been known to be dominant in most cases of B6 anti-BALB.B allo-responses, except in the case of skin transplantation. To understand the mechanism underlying the subdominance of H60 during allogeneic skin transplantation, we investigated the dynamics of the H60-specific CD8 T cells in B6 mice transplanted with allogeneic BALB.B tail skin. Unexpectedly, longitudinal bioluminescence imaging and flow cytometric analyses revealed that H60-specific CD8 T cells were not always subdominant to H4-specific cells but instead showed a brief dominance before the H4 response became predominant. H60-specific CD8 T cells could expand in the draining lymph node and migrate to the BALB.B allografts, indicating their active participation in the anti-BALB.B allo-response. Enhancing the frequencies of H60-reactive CD8 T cells prior to skin transplantation reversed the immune hierarchy between H60 and H4. Additionally, H60 became predominant when antigen presentation was limited to the direct pathway. However, when antigen presentation was restricted to the indirect pathway, the expansion of H60-specific CD8 T cells was limited, whereas H4-specific CD8 T cells expanded significantly, suggesting that the temporary immunodominance and eventual subdominance of H60 could be due to their reliance on the direct antigen presentation pathway. These results enhance our understanding of the immunodominance phenomenon following allogeneic tissue transplantation.
Animals ; Antigen Presentation ; Antigen-Presenting Cells/immunology/metabolism ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/*immunology ; Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/*immunology ; Female ; Graft Rejection/*immunology ; Interferon-gamma ; Lymphocyte Activation/immunology ; Lymphocyte Count ; Mice ; Minor Histocompatibility Antigens/*immunology/metabolism ; *Skin Transplantation ; Transplantation, Homologous

In current era, thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has gained popularity. But, it bears the risk of serious complications such as treatment failure from endoleak, retrograde aortic dissection caused by injury of aortic wall at landing zone, or aortic rupture resulting from stent graft infection. We report two cases of surgical repair of retrograde aortic dissection after TAVAR applied to acute Stanford type B aortic dissection or traumatic aortic disruption.
Aortic Rupture ; Endoleak ; Stents ; Transplants ; Treatment Failure ; Ursidae

The authors report a cases of the epidermoid cyst which manifested neuralgia on the 2nd and 3rd brances of the trigeminal nerve. The tumor was located in the cerebelloponitine angle, Lt. The cyst content and tumor capsule surrounding the trigeminal nerve were removed. After surgery, the chief complaint disappeared and other complications were absent. In the patient, the computed tomography scan demonstrated a hypodense tumor not enhanced by contrast material. With magnetic resonance imaging, the tumor showed a intermediate signal intensity between the brain and CSF on the T1-seighted image and an increased signal intensity relative to brain CSF on T2-weighted image. In the patient with trigeminal pain, we have to evaluate the causes of the pain radiologically.
Brain ; Epidermal Cyst* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neuralgia ; Trigeminal Nerve ; Trigeminal Neuralgia*

BACKGROUND: Obstruction of urinary tract is common cause of renal disfunction. Recent discovery of aquaporin water channels expressed in the kidney and various organs has faciliated our understanding of water transport across the permeable epithelial cell membrane. This study was performed to investigate the effects of bilateral ureteral obstruction on renal expression and cellular distribution of these water channels in rat kidney. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided two groups. The abdominal cavity was opened and 2-0 silk ligatures were proximally placed on both ureters in experimental group. Sham-operated group was treated in the same procedures except ligation. After closure of the abdomen, the animals were maintained for 48 hr while being given food and water ad libitum. Kidney sections of both groups were processed for immunohistochemistry using antibodies to aquaporin-1, 2, 3, and 4. RESULTS: Immunoreactivity for aquaporin-1 of sham-operated kidney was detected in the apical and basolateral plasma membrane of proximal tubules and thin limb of Henle loop. That of bilateral ureteral obstructed kidney was decreased in the both tubules, especially in the proximal tubules and thin limb of Henle loop of inner medulla. Immunoreactivity for aquaporin-2 of sham-operated kidney was the most prominent in apical region and moderate in cytoplasm of the principal cells of entire collecting ducts. That of obstructed kidney was markedly decreased in entire collecting duct, especially inner medulla except inner stripe of outer medulla. The decrease was in parallel between the apical region and cytoplasm. Immunoreactivity for aquaporin-3 of sham-operated kidney was the most prominent in the basolateral plasma membrane of principal cells of entire collecting duct. That of obstructed kidney was decreased in entire collecting duct. Papillary epithelium was stained in obstructed kidney. Immunoreactivity for aquaporin-4 of sham-operated kidney was moderate in the basolateral plasma membrane of principal cells of collecting ducts of inner stripe of outer medulla and inner medulla. In obstructed kidney, immunoreactivity was detected in cortical and outer stripe of outer medullary collecting duct, and decreased in inner stripe of outer medulla and inner medulla. A marked heterogeneity was observed in inner medullary collecting duct. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that alterations of expression of aquaporin proteins after bilateral ureteral obstruction may lead to change in renal functions, such as urine concentrating ability.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Cavity ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Aquaporin 2 ; Aquaporins ; Cell Membrane ; Cytoplasm ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Extremities ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kidney ; Kidney Concentrating Ability ; Ligation ; Loop of Henle ; Male ; Membranes ; Population Characteristics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Silk ; Ureter* ; Ureteral Obstruction* ; Urinary Tract