Cortex mori (Morus alba L.: Sangbaikpi), the root bark of mulberry tree, has been used as an antiphlogistic, diuretic, and expectorant in herbal medicine. Previous studies have demonstrated that the phenolic extract of Cortex mori have hypotensive, hypoglycemic, antifungal, antiviral, antiinflammatory, and anticancer effects, and the hot water extract from Cortex mori has inhibitory effects on compound 48/80- induced mast cell degranulation and histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMCs). This study was perforrned to investigate the effects of polysaccharide fraction from Cortex mori (PFCM) on compound 48/80-induced degranulation, histamine release, calcium influx, changes of intracellular cAMP and cGMP level, and morphological changes of RPMCs. The results were summarized as follows. 1) Compound 48/80-induced cytomorphological changes such as swelling, degranulation, intracellular vacuoles, and interrupted cell boundary were significantly inhibited by pretreatment with either hot water or polysaccaride fractions frorn Cortex mori (PFCM), 2) the compound 48/80-induced histamine release from RPMCs pretreated with PFCM was significantly inhibited, compared to that of control without PFCM pretreatment, 3) the PFCM inhibited remarkably the compound 48/80-induced calcium influx into the RPMCs, 4) the PFCM increased significantly the intracellular cAMP levels and decreased the intracellular cGMP levels of RPMCs, compared to those of normal control, and 5) the compound 48/80-induced cAMP levels of RPMCs pretreated with PFCM were significantly increased, compared to those of positive control without PFCM, and the compound 48/80-induced cGMP levels of RPMCs pretreated with PFCM were remarkably decreased, compared to those of positive control without PFCM. From the above results, it is suggested that PFCM have an activity to inhibit the compound 48/80-induced mast cell activation.
Animals ; Calcium ; Herbal Medicine ; Histamine Release ; Mast Cells* ; Morus ; Phenol ; Rats ; Trees ; Vacuoles ; Water

The author studied 21 adenoid hypertrophied children and 50 normal children by the horizontal, vertical and angular measurements to analyze, the effects of the lymphadenoid hypertrophy to the tongue, mandible, and hyoid bone position. The results were as follows; 1. The tongue of the Adenoid hypertrophy children was positioned more anterior and lower than that of the normal children. 2. The horizontal, vertical, and angular measurements of the mandible position were larger in the experimental group and especially ANS to ME, PNS to MP, PTM to MP, PP to MP, FOP to MP showed statistically significant difference. 3. The measurements of the hyoid bone position were also larger in the experimental group.
Adenoids* ; Child* ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone* ; Hypertrophy ; Mandible* ; Tongue*

The majority of the commonly used protraction headgears for the protraction of small and/or retropositioned maxilla not allow a change in the point of force application or direction of the force delivery to attain predictable results because of the position of the upper and lower lips to avoid discomfort to the patient. The purpose of this study was to investigate the initial reaction of maxillofacial complex according to the change of force variables such as direction and point of force application with designing an antenna type-modified protraction head gear. A macerated human skull with well aligned upper teeth was used to experimental model and the investigation was done by double exposure holographic interferometry. Fringe patterns of each protraction conditions were compared and analized. The results were as follows. (Frontal view) 1. The Counterclockwise rotation of the maxilla was showed by parallel protraction to occlusal plane and the fringe was decreased in number as higher point of force application. 2. Generally, the number of fringe was increased in 500gm of protraction force than in 300gm. 3. When apply the protraction force to the maxilla with rapid palatal expansion, the direction of fringe patterns was differed from the protraction without expansion. 4. In most of cases, the counterclockwise rotation was decreased in case of the direction of the force is 20degrees downward to occlusal plane compared to the paral1el direction. 5. At the point of force application is 15mm above and the direction of force is 20 downward to occlusal plane, the translation of the maxillary complex was showed.
Dental Occlusion ; Head* ; Humans ; Interferometry* ; Lip ; Maxilla ; Models, Theoretical ; Skull ; Tooth

BACKGROUND: The proto-oncogene c-met encodes the tyrosine kinase receptor for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which is a pleiotropic cytokine that controls growth, survival, motility, invasive migration, and differentiation of epithelial cells. Like several other epithelial neoplasms, thyroid carcinomas have been found to overexpress the c-met oncogene. We presently examine the expression of c-met protein in thyroid tumors and the correlation of c-met protein expression with prognostic factors in thyroid cancers. METHOD: We have examined the expression of the c-met oncogene in 62 paraffin-embedded thyroid cancer specimens (54 papillary carcinomas, 5 follicular carcinomas, 2 medullary carcinomas, and 1 anaplastic carcinoma), 20 benign tumors and 20 normal tissues using immunohistochemistry. We measured both the proportion and the intensity of stained cells and then calculated the staining index by multiplying the proportion and intensity scores. The staining index were categorized to be negative/low (staining index < or = 5) or high(staining index >5). The most important prognostic factors were age (over 45), tumor size (over 1.5 cm), lymph node metastasis, capsular invasion, vascular invasion and peripheral metastasis. RESULT: 1) The rate of expression of the c-met oncogene were 100%, 100% and 60% in thyroid cancer, benign tumors and normal thyroid tissue respectively. The expression of the c-met oncogene was restricted to the membrane. 2) The staining index of normal tissue, benign tumors and thyroid carcinomas was 1.8, 4.3 and 5.8 respectively. In malignancies, the staining index of papillary carcinoma was 5.7, follicular carcinoma 5.4, medullary carcinoma 7.5, and anaplastic cancer 9. 3) A high expression of c-met was not correlated with prognostic factors in papillary, follicular carcinomas or medullay carcinomas. CONCLUSION: The c-met oncogene might not play a role in the pathogenesis of thyroid neoplasia. There was no correlation between the high expression rate of the c-met oncogene and prognostic factors in papillary and follicular carcinomas.
Carcinoma, Medullary ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Epithelial Cells ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; Membranes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial ; Oncogenes* ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Proto-Oncogenes ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: Many oncogenes have been recently identified in human thyroid carcinomas, but the molecular mechanisms that lead to thyroid neoplasia are not well understood. To assess whether oncogene- encoded proteins can be regarded as useful prognostic indicators, we have evaluated the expressions of c-met, c-Ha-ras, c-myc oncogenes in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) in relation to the prog nostic factors. METHODS: We used immunohistochemistry to examine the expressions of c-met, c-Ha-ras, and c-myc oncogenes in 54 paraffin-embedded PTC specimens. We measured both the proportion (scale of 0-3) and the intensity (scale of 0-3) of the stained cells and then calculated the staining index (scale of 0-9) by multiplying the proportion and the intensity scores. The staining index was thus categorized as negative/low (staining index < or =5) or high (staining index >5). The considered prognostic factors were age (over 45), tumor size (over 1.5 cm), lymph node metastasis, capsular invasion, vascular invasion, and distant metastasis. RESULTS: 1) The rates of expression of c-met, c-Ha-ras, c-myc oncogenes were 100%, 81.5%, and 70.3% in papillary thyroid cancer and 100%, 30%, and 10% in benign tumors and 60%, 10%, and 0% in normal thyroid tissue, respectively. The expression of c-met oncogene was restricted to the membrane the expression of c-Ha-ras was stromal in 95.5% of the specimens, and that of c-myc was stromal in 94.7%. 2) High expression (staining index >5) of c-met, c-Ha-ras and c-myc were not associated with the prognostic factors such as age, tumor size, lymph node metastasis, capsular invasion, vascular invasion and distant metastasis. CONCLUSION: Although the rates of expression of c-met, c-Ha-ras, and c-myc oncogenes were high in papillary carcinomas (100%, 81.5%, and 70.3%, respectively), there was no relationship between the high expression rates of the oncogenes and prognostic factors.
Carcinoma, Papillary ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; Membranes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Oncogenes* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms

PURPOSE: The pathophysiological mechanisms of the bladder dysfunction in postmenopausal state are not well understood especially in moleclular level. Therefore we investigated the changes of bladder in female rat following bilateral ovariectomy by proteomic approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total 10 female Sprague-Dawley rats were obtained at 8 weeks of age and randomly divided into 2 groups in each 5 rats; sham operation group as the control group and the bilateral ovariectomy group. Whole urinary bladders of the rats were excised 4 weeks after the beginning of the experiment. Conventional proteomics was performed with high resolution 2-D gel electrophoresis followed by computational image analysis and protein identification using mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Bladder weight was not changed by oophorectomy. A comparison of bladder of ovariectomy group with control showed that 8 proteins; Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A was over-expressed, and chaperone grp 75 precursor, guanine deaminase, keratin complex 2, Gelsolin precursor, peroxiredoxin 2, Enol protein and contrapsin-like inhibitor 1 precursor were under-expressed in the oophorectomy group. CONCLUSION: These data suggested that the bilateral oophorectomy might make a bladder to have a cellular apoptosis and a change of contractility in the rat bladder. However more information is needed in human bladder tissue for clinical usage and long-term proteomic changes are needed.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Female ; Female* ; Gelsolin ; Guanine Deaminase ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry ; Ovariectomy* ; Peptide Initiation Factors ; Peroxiredoxins ; Proteomics ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Urinary Bladder*

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell*

No abstract available.
Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous* ; Lung*

BACKGROUND: Immediate early gene (IEG) is supposed to be linked in the continuous seizure induced long-term changes of specific neurons. We tried to investigate the effects of focal interictal epileptiform discharges on the c-JUN expression in the rat brain which is not clearly understood. METHODS:Epidural electrodes were placed on a male Sprague-Dawley weighing 150~230 g and benzathine penicillin (Pc) was applied cortically. After focal interictal epileptiform discharges were successfully identified, EEG was recorded regularly. Cardiac perfusion and extraction of the brain was done at 2, 4, 24 hours and 1 week after the Pc application. Sixteen rats were evenly distributed into 4 groups. Immunocytochemical staining with specific antisera (Santa Cruz) was performed. RESULTS: The epileptiform discharges were induced within an hour after topical Pc applications. At 2 hours after Pc application, c-JUN was moderately expressed in the dentate gyrus (DG) and weakly expressed in the CA3 pyramidal cell, amygdala, pyriform cortex, thalamus, and neocortex. At 4 hours, c-JUN was minimally expressed in DG and other regions. Whereas, at 24 hours, c-JUN was maximally expressed in the DG and also in the CA3 pyramidal cell, amygdala, pyriform cortex, thalamus, and neocortex. One week after Pc application, c-JUN was moderately expressed in the DG and weakly expressed in the CA3 pyramidal cell, amygdala, pyriform cortex, and neocortex. CONCLUSIONS: This data showed that even focal interictal epileptic activity can induce IEG encoded c-JUN protein in the specific distant brain regions of a rat until a late period and the expression pattern showed a synchronous and bimodal pattern.
Amygdala ; Animals ; Brain* ; Dentate Gyrus ; Electrodes ; Electroencephalography ; Humans ; Immune Sera ; Male ; Neocortex ; Neurons ; Penicillin G ; Penicillin G Benzathine ; Perfusion ; Pyramidal Cells ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seizures ; Thalamus

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to investigate the level of quality of life (QOL) and to identify its related factors among the elderly using a hall for the aged. METHODS: The study subjects were 350 elderly people living in Nam Gu, Gwangju City. They were interviewed by questionnaire to collect information on social-demographic characteristics, health behaviors, health-related characteristics and QOL. We used statistical analysis methods such as T-test, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis to find which factors affected QOL. RESULTS: The characteristics relating to physical functions were as follows: presence of spouse, education, alcohol drinking, teeth condition, arthritis, frequency of visiting the hall for the aged, and depression. Age, arthritis and depression were significantly related to role limitation due to physical problems. General health was related to gender, age, and depression, and vitality was related to education, frequency of visiting the hall, and depression. Role limitation due to emotional problems was related to age and depression, and mental health was related to age, hypertension, arthritis and depression. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed QOL of the elderly was significantly influenced by socio-demographic factors, and physical or emotional conditions. To improve QOL of the elderly, we need to develop programs to promote health and to manage chronic diseases of the elderly.
Age Factors ; Aged ; *Community Health Centers ; Day Care/*psychology ; Female ; *Health Behavior ; *Health Services for the Aged ; *Health Status ; Humans ; Male ; Quality of Life/*psychology ; Sex Factors ; Socioeconomic Factors