No abstract available.
Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung*

The present study was intended to examine the effect of sodium vanadate on contractility of vascular smooth muscle. Aortic ring preparations were made from the rabbit thoracic aorta and endothelial cells were removed from the ring. The contractility of the aortic ring was measured under various conditions. The results were summarized as follows; 1) Sodium vanadate induced contraction of vascular smooth muscle in a dose-dependent fashion. 2) The contractile effects were not blocked by treatments with adrenergic blocking agent(phentolamine) and indomethacin, indicating the direct action of the drug on vascular smooth muscle. 3) In the presence of ouabain, Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase inhibitor, sodium vanadate still increased the contractility of vascular smooth muscle. 4) Treatment with 4.4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2.2'-disulfonic acid(DIDS) blocked completely the contractile effects of sodium vanadate. 5) In the presence of verapamil, lanthanum and ryanodine, the contractility of the vascular smooth muscle by sodium vanadate was decreased. From the above results. it was suggested that sodium vanadate acts directly on vascular smooth muscle and causes contraction. It was probably due to inhibition of Ca(++)-ATPase in plasma membrane as well as increasing the release of Ca(++) from sarcoplasmic reticulum and Ca(++) influx across the plasma membrane, but not inhibition of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Cell Membrane ; Endothelial Cells ; Indomethacin ; Lanthanum ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Ouabain ; Ryanodine ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ; Sodium* ; Vanadates* ; Verapamil

BACKGROUND: With increasing number of female pilots who fly high-performance aircraft, the gender specific factors have become one of the most important aeromedical considerations. It has been raised that the changes of serum female hormone levels by menstrual cycle may affect vasoregulation and female G-tolerance ultimately. However, the exact relationship between serum female hormone levels and G-tolerance is still unknown. Moreover, well-controlled subjects without taking oral contraceptives are needed to examine the possible effect of menstrual cycle on female G-tolerance. The purpose of this study was to determine how female hormones and menstrual cycle affect female relaxed G-tolerance. METHODS: Eight female subjects were studied to test their relaxed G-tolerance. Seven out of 8 subjects had regular menstrual cycle during the study period. Each subject were exposed to human centrifuge once a week for 4 weeks (one complete menstrual cycle) and blood samplings were performed twice at 2nd and 4th week just before exposure to human centrifuge. The profile of centrifuge training consisted of gradual-onset run (0.1 G/sec) acceleration to the visual endpoint. RESULTS: The changes of 4 different serum female hormone levels failed to show any trend related to relaxed G-tolerance including estrogen. There was no significant difference in relaxed G-tolerance in any menstrual cycle time points. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the changes of female hormone levels and the menstrual cycle have no effect on female relaxed G-tolerance.
Acceleration ; Aircraft ; Contraceptives, Oral ; Diptera ; Estrogens ; Female* ; Humans ; Menstrual Cycle*

Human untreated costal cartilage was compared with lyophilized human costal cartilage which was treated with defatting solution for 48 hours and freeze drying for 72 hours (-70degree C, 10??bar) on the tendency of distortion. All cartilages, which were taken from six cadavers, were carved 5x5x30mm in size on principle of the balanced cross section. Their distortions were evaluated by two methods at intervals of one week, one month, three months, six months after experiment. At first, the degree of distortion was grossly graded with four steps: grade O; no distortion / grade I; minimal distortion / grade II; moderate distortion / grade III; severe distortion. Second method is measurement and quantification of distortion in the horizontal and vertical plane of cartilage.Untreated cartilage is shown to be an unsatisfactory material, with only three(12%) of the 25 cartilages being cosmetically acceptable(grade 0 and 1) after 6 months. In lyophilized cartilage, 18(94%) of the 19 cartilages were cosmetically acceptable(grade 0 and 1) at 6 months. This figure is highly significant(p<0.01). In another method, distortion in the horizontal(h) and vertical (v) planes of cartilage were measured, and mean values of ???? were calculated. In untreated group, the mean values of ???? were 0.82 at 1 week, 0.91 at 1 month, 1.13 at 3 months, and 1.31 at 6 months. In lyophilized group, the mean values were 0.27 at 1 week, 0.29 at 1 month, 0.40 at 3 months and 0.47 at 6 months. All values were statistically significant(p<0.01).
Cadaver ; Cartilage* ; Freeze Drying ; Humans

Bony defect is one of the most common problems in craniomaxillofacial surgery. Although aurogenous bone graft is the best choice for the treatment of bone defect, it provides many problems such as donor site morbidity, irregular absorption, and limited amount of harvest. To overcome the shortcomings of autogenous bone graft many bone substitutes have been introduced. The ideal bone substitution is to have characteristics such as cheap, easy to obtain, rapid fusion to recipient bone, hard structure, long maintenance of shape and volume, low infection rate, and low exposure rate. Among those bone substitutes which have been widely used we chose lyophilized cartilage allograft because of low antigenecity, low resorption rate, easiness of carving and ling term preservation. From August 1993 to August 1997, 66 patients had been performed craniomaxillofacial reconstruction with lyophilized cartilage allograft. Orbital wall reconstruction and correction of enophthalmos were 24, correction of cleft lip and nose deformity were 19, temporal augmentations were 7, and others 16. Complications such as infection, exposure were not common. And partially removed cartilage was proved some calcification. Radiologic follow-up presented well positioned lyophilized cartilage allograft. Two radiologic works revealed haziness of bone density at the site of cartilage allograft. This suggests the ossification of lyophilized cartilage allograft. Together with liw infection rate, low exposure rate, and good framework for osteoconduction, lyophilized cartilage allograft are regarded as one of the good bone substitutes.
Absorption ; Allografts* ; Bone Density ; Bone Regeneration ; Bone Substitutes ; Cartilage* ; Cleft Lip ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Enophthalmos ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Nose ; Orbit ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

Despite the progress in the treament of the subretinal neovascular membrane(SRNVM) by the development of laser photocoagulation, it has been reported difficult to manage with laser photocoagu1ation on which developed in high myopic eyes: first, their location in relation to the foveola is usually difficult to discriminate; second, subretinal neovascular m6mbrane developes very close to the foveola; third, the atrophic photocoagulation scar may extend to the foveola. The interferone alpha 2a has been known to suppress angiogenetic activity, and its application to subretinal neovascular membrane in high myopia has been suggested. The effect of interferon alpha 2a on neovascular membrane in high myopia was investigated by the authors. Subjects included 16 eyes with interferon treament and 12 eyes as control who had been followed for 3 months or longer. The median total dose in these patients was 75 X 10(6) units, given over a six- to eight-week period. In the interferon treament group, the activity of neovascular membrane decreased in 9 eyes(56%) and the visual acuity improved in 7 eyes(44%). In contrast, the control group showed a sustained activity of neovascular membrane and the visual acuity was improved in only one eye(6%). Therefore, interferon alpha 2a can be considered as an alternative method in the management of the some subretinal neovascualr membrane in high myopia which is resistant to the other treament.
Cicatrix ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha* ; Interferons* ; Light Coagulation ; Membranes* ; Myopia* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Visual Acuity

Despite the progress in the treament of the subretinal neovascular membrane(SRNVM) by the development of laser photocoagulation, it has been reported difficult to manage with laser photocoagu1ation on which developed in high myopic eyes: first, their location in relation to the foveola is usually difficult to discriminate; second, subretinal neovascular m6mbrane developes very close to the foveola; third, the atrophic photocoagulation scar may extend to the foveola. The interferone alpha 2a has been known to suppress angiogenetic activity, and its application to subretinal neovascular membrane in high myopia has been suggested. The effect of interferon alpha 2a on neovascular membrane in high myopia was investigated by the authors. Subjects included 16 eyes with interferon treament and 12 eyes as control who had been followed for 3 months or longer. The median total dose in these patients was 75 X 10(6) units, given over a six- to eight-week period. In the interferon treament group, the activity of neovascular membrane decreased in 9 eyes(56%) and the visual acuity improved in 7 eyes(44%). In contrast, the control group showed a sustained activity of neovascular membrane and the visual acuity was improved in only one eye(6%). Therefore, interferon alpha 2a can be considered as an alternative method in the management of the some subretinal neovascualr membrane in high myopia which is resistant to the other treament.
Cicatrix ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha* ; Interferons* ; Light Coagulation ; Membranes* ; Myopia* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Visual Acuity

Plasmin is an enzyme which plays an important role in the inflammatory process by activating vasoactive amine and lysis of fibrin. On the other hand, plasmin is also known to activate latent collagenase. Plasmin is an activated form of plasminogen which is stimulated by the plasminogen activator that exists in plasma and tissue. Gordon et al(1980) insisted that collagenase is important to the formation of corneal ulcer because it destroys the collagen which is the main component of the cornea. Berman et al(1980) reported that corneal tissue destruction by plasminogen activator-plasmin system can be a cause of corneal ulcer. We could obtain the following results by checking the plasmin activity in the tear of chronic corneal ulcer patients and necrotizing scleritis patients. 1. The plasmin activity in the tear was increased in all three chronic corneal ulcer patients in concentration of 1/16 sigma unit/ml to 1/8 sigma unit/ml. 2. There was no plasmin activity in the tear of the two necrotizing scleritis patients.
Collagen ; Collagenases ; Cornea ; Corneal Ulcer* ; Fibrin ; Fibrinolysin* ; Hand ; Humans ; Plasma ; Plasminogen ; Plasminogen Activators ; Scleritis ; Tears*

Propyl gallste and other gallic acid esters are used as antioxidants in lipsticks, lip balms and salves, cosmetic creams and lotions, bakery products, edible fats and other pharmaceutical and industrial products. Propyl gallate is used widely but allergic contact dermatits from propyl gallate is rare. A 44-year-old female patient had pruritic multiple tiny erythematous papules and vesicles on the margin of her lip for a week. We found that the causative material of the allergic contact cheilitis was propyl gallate. We proved it with a patch test, provocation use test and quantitative and qualitative analysis of the lipstick. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of lipstick allergic contact cheilitis from propyl gallate in Korean literature.
Adult ; Antioxidants ; Cheilitis* ; Esters ; Fats ; Female ; Gallic Acid ; Humans ; Lip ; Ointments ; Patch Tests ; Propyl Gallate*

Background: The Internet has become an important global tool used by diverse age groups, especially adolescents and young adults. However, in South Korea, studies on the prevalence of pathological Internet use (PIU) among college students are limited to being compared with those involving adolescents. Therefore, in this report, we assessed the pervasiveness of PIU and its related factors among college students. Methods: Data were collected from 1,390 college students. PIU was screened using the Self-Report Scale for Measuring Behavior Symptoms of Adults’ PIU. We analyzed the associations between PIU and depression, anxiety, and suicidality. We also used the self-report questionnaire to assess sociodemographic and other clinical factors. Results: Of the total number of participants, 16.8% (n=234) were identified as problematic Internet users. Univariate analysis revealed significant associations between depression, anxiety, suicidal behavior, and PIU. Multivariate analysis further showed a significant relation between unsatisfactory school life (odds ratio [OR], 2.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-6.15; p=0.036), depression (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.03-2.71; p=0.036), and anxiety (OR, 3.36; 95% CI, 1.91-5.93; p<0.001) with PIU. Conclusion Depression, anxiety, and suicidality are common in individuals engaged in PIU, with a complex interrelation. Further studies are required to clarify the mechanisms of PIU and develop preventive and treatment strategies.