PURPOSE: Norepinephrine has modulatory effects on neuronal excitability and, in some cases, has a proconvulsant effect. Intraperitoneal imipramine treatment increases norepinephrine level, and to a lesser extent, dopamine and serotonin in brain dialysate from rats. We sought to determine the effects of imipramine on pilocarpine-induced seizures in the immature rats. METHODS: Right and left cortical and hippocampal electrodes were placed in 10~15 day old Sprague-Dawley rats. The following day 3-hour video EEG recordings were obtained to monitor electrographic seizures and status epilepticus induced by intraperitoneal injection of high dose(200mg/kg : HD) and low dose (75mg/kg : LD) pilocarpine. A first group of rats received HD pilocarpine alone(n=25), or pretreatment with 0.5(n=6). 1(n=6), 2(n=6), 5(n=6), or 10(n=11)mg/kg of imipramine. A second group of rats received LD pilocarpine alone(n=6) or pretreatment with 2mg/kg of imipramine (n=6). Data were analyzed using the Fisher exact test. RESULTS: Treatment with HD pilocarpine alone resulted in electrographic seizures in 76%(n=19) and status epilepticus in 44%(n=11). In the HD pilocarpine group, status epilepticus was seen in 100% of rats pretreated 1, 2, and 5mg/kg imipramine. 90.9% of the rats pretreated with 10mg/kg of imipramine developed seizures and 36.4% developed status epilepticus. Imipramine at 0.5, 1,2, and 5mg/kg increased the incidence of seizures and status epilepticus in the HD pilocarpine group, but the incidence was statistically significant only for status epilepticus(p<0.05). The latency for the occurrence of first status epilepticus was 12.3+/-1.3 min in the HD pilocarpine alone group, and it was 21+/-3.8 min and 25.3+/-5.7 min in the group pretreated with 5 and 10mg/kg imipramine, respectively(p<0.02). Treatment with LD pilocarpine alone resulted in seizures in 50% and status epilepticus in 16.7%. In the LD pilocarpine group with imipramine 2mg/kg pretreatment, 83.3% had seizures and status epilepticus. Imipramine at 2mg/kg increased the incidence of seizures and status epilepticus in the LD pilocarpine group, but the increase was statistically significant only for status epilepticus(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Imipramine exhibits a proconvulsant effect at low doses and an anticonvulsant effect at high doses in the pilocarpine seizure model in immature rats. There may be a dose-dependent effect on monoaminergic receptors which results in increased neuronal excitability.
Animals ; Brain ; Dopamine ; Electrodes ; Electroencephalography ; Imipramine* ; Incidence ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Neurons ; Norepinephrine ; Pilocarpine ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seizures* ; Serotonin ; Status Epilepticus

No abstract available.
Epilepsy*

No abstract available.
Meningitis* ; Meningitis, Viral*

BACKGROUND: Melanocytes synthesize melanin pigment by the action of specific enzyme tyrosinase. Melanogenesis inhibitors such as ascorbic acid, kojic acid, arbutin, hydroquinone have been developed for use in cosmetic preparations for the skin hyperpigmentation,but they are still unsatisfactory to efficacy and tolerance. OBJECTIVES: In this study, the inhibitory effects of seaweed extract(SCH-T2)on tyrosinase activity and melanogenesis were investigated with B-16 melanoma cell line. METHODS: The patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups;control, diazepam, and ketorolac plus diazepam groups. Pain intensity was assessed 5 times at every ten minutes from the beginning of the peeling using visual analog scale(VAS). RESULTS: The seaweed was added with 21 organic solvents and extracted during 12 hours at 20-To evaluate the inhibitory effects of SCH-T2 on tyrosinase activity following to extraction time and temperature, this study was done at 4, 8, 12, 24, 72 hours and 4, 10, 20, 30, 40℃. Also, the effects of whitening agents (kojic acid, arbutin, licorice extracts,SCH-T2)on tyrosinase activity were compared by measuring the IC50,the concentration of the compound at which half of the original tyrosinase activity is inhibited. RESULTS: 1.The inhibitory effects of SCH-T2 on tyrosinase activity were high at 60-80% ethanol as an extraction organic solvent and showed increase in proportion to concentration following to extract concentration, but showed little differences following to extraction time and temperature. 2.SCH-T2 has relatively stronger inhibitory effects on tyrosinase activity than arbutin and licorice extracts. 3. The inhibitory effects of SCH-T2 on melanogenesis following to extract concentration were greatly increased at more than 20㎍/ml. CONCLUSION: This study showed that SCH-T2 seaweed extract has strong inhibitory effect on tyrosinase activity and melanogonesis. So, the results of this study suggest that SCH-T2 seaweed extract can be used as a new whitening agent.
Arbutin ; Ascorbic Acid ; Bleaching Agents ; Cell Line ; Diazepam ; Ethanol ; Glycyrrhiza ; Humans ; Ketorolac ; Melanins ; Melanocytes ; Melanoma ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Seaweed* ; Skin ; Solvents

No abstract available.

Intra- and extrahepatic bile duct can be invaded by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This is infrequent in HCC, but it can directly affect the clinical manifestation and prognosis. We present eight cases of HCCs with emphasis on the incidence and features of bile duct invassion on computed tomography (CT). Over a period of 22 months, abdominal CT was performed in 186 with HCC patients. Out of these, five cases of bile duct invasion by HCC were confirmed in our hospital and three in other hospitals. The eight cases were evaluated for the type, size and location. CT features of intraductal mass and ductal dilatation were evaluated. The incidence of bile duct invasion in HCC was 2.6%. Infiltrative type of HCC was seen in seven cases and six of these had mass 5-11 cm in size. The characteristic CT findings of bile duct invasion in HCC are mass in common hepatic duct with bulging contour(8/80, multiple intraductal masses in the intrahepatic ducts (5/8), and diffuse dilatation of intrahepatic ducts (7/8).
Bile Ducts* ; Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic ; Bile* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Dilatation ; Hepatic Duct, Common ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prognosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Dilatation* ; Esophageal Perforation*

PURPOSE : Developmental screening tests are in widespread use, but few reliable and valid tests are available. One of the oldest and best known developmental screening test was recently restandardized and revised as Denver II. Because the Denver II was published without evidence of its accuracy in developmental screening, we evaluate its accuracy in chidren with developmental delay to see whether it can be used on Korean children. METHODS : The Denver II was translated and was administered to 244 children attending the child development clinic in Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital to evaluated motor delay(Group I, n=68), language delay(Group II, n=84) or other problem(Group III, n=92). RESULTS : 1) The ratio of male to female and the mean age of the subject were 2.4:1 and 25.1 months overall, 1.6:1 and 11.8 months in Group I, 4.6:1 and 35.6 months in Group II, and 1.3:1 and 25.4 months in Group III. 2) The distribution of results(abnormal, normal and questionable) were 76%, 13% and 10% in Group I, 76%, 10% and 14% in Group II, and 38%, 53% and 9% in Group III. 3) The neurologic problems were determined 75%(cerebral palsy, central hypotonia, infantile spasm, myopathy etc.) in Group I, 74%(mental retardation, developmental language disorder, epilepsy, cerebral palsy etc.) Group II and 39%(mental retardation, epilepsy, cerebral palsy etc.) in Group III. 4) The sensitivity and the specificity of Denver II were 0.88 and 0.41 in Group 1, 0.90 and 0.27 in Group II, 0.81 and 0.77 in Group III, and 0.85 and 0.59 overall. CONCLUSION: Although the Denver II in identifying children at risk for developmental delay has a excellent sensitivity, it has a poor specificity, especially in identifying children at risk for language delay. These results demonstrate that the Denver fail to reliably identify children in need of developmental delay evaluation. So the Denver II should be standardized and modified to be used on Korean children with developmental delay.
Cerebral Palsy ; Child ; Child Development ; Epilepsy ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Language Development Disorders ; Male ; Mass Screening* ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Muscular Diseases ; Paralysis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spasms, Infantile

PURPOSE: Excitotoxic injury of the dendrites of inhibitory interneurons could lead to decrease in their synaptic activation, and explain subsequent local circuit hyperexcitability and epilepsy. A hallmark of dendrotoxicity at least in principal neurons of the hippocampus and cortex are focal or varicose swellings of dendritic abors. This research was designed to study morphologic changes of interneuron dendrite in kainate-treated hippocampal slice culture overtime. METHODS: Cultures aged 15-16 Equivalent Postnatal Days (EPD) were exposed to 10 microM kainic acid (KA), and analyzed at 0, 8, 24, 48, 72 hours after transient (1 hour) KA exposure. Neuronal injury was determined by morphologic changes of interneuron dendrites in area CA1 of DiI stained sections. RESULTS: 1) Transient (1 hour) exposure of hippocampal explant cultures to KA produced marked focal swellings of the dendrites of DiI stained interneurons in a highly reproducible manner. 2) The presence of focal swellings was reversible with kainate washout. The dendrites of KA treated explants were no longer beaded at 8, 24, 48, 72 hours after KA exposure. 3) There was no significant difference in the thickness of dendrites in DiI stained interneuron among 8hr, 24hr, 48hr and 72hr recovery group, compared with control group. CONCLUSION: The presence of focal swellings was reversible with kainate washout, and was not accompanied by interneuronal cell death.
Cell Death ; Dendrites* ; Epilepsy ; Hippocampus ; Interneurons* ; Kainic Acid ; Neurons

PURPOSE: During the childhood, Mantoux test is very popular for detecting tuberculous infection and also useful for evaluating the immunity against tuberculosis after BCG vaccination. But the response and conversion rate is affected by the age of vaccination, the quality of vaccine, the duration after vaccination and the frequency of the test. This study was performed to investigate the difference of the response and conversion rate, according to duration after vaccination, gestational age, sex and feeding type. METHODS: The subject was included 85 of infants (71 of full term infants, 14 of preterm infants) and was followed up 3 months, 9 months, 15 months after vaccination, from July, 1992 to June, 1994 in Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital. We injected intradermally the BCG vaccine (0.05ml) which was produced by National Institute of Health and PPD (5TU) was used as a testing material of Mantoux test. Injecting BCG and interpreting the result of the Mantoux test was done by the same person. RESULTS: 1) The positive conversion rates of Mantoux test which was done 3 month, 9 month and 15 month after vaccination were 26.8%, 53.5% and 60.6% in the full-term infant group, and 14.3%, 28.6%, and 50% in the preterm infant group. The conversion rate was significantly lower in preterm infant group as compared with that of the full-term infant group 3 months after vaccination. 2) The sizes of induration in Mantoux test, which was done 3 month, 9 month and 15 month after vaccination, are 7.2mm, 8.5mm, 9.4mm in the full-term infant group and 5.0mm, 6.6mm, 8.2mm in the preterm infant group. The size of induration was significantly lower in the preterm infant group as compared with that of the full-term infant group. 3) There is no difference in conversion rate of Mantoux test according to the sex, feeding type in both groups. 4) Complication rate for BCG vaccine is 9.9%, which is leaded by lymphadenitis, persistent ulcer, and febrile abscess as the order, in the full-term infant group and there are no complications in the preterm infant group. CONCLUSIONS: In those results, the size of induration and conversion rate is increased as the duration after vaccination, then lower conversion rate in the preterm infant group 3 months after vaccination may be due to immunological immaturity of preterm infant.
Abscess ; BCG Vaccine ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Lymphadenitis ; Mycobacterium bovis* ; Tuberculosis ; Ulcer ; Vaccination*