OBJECTIVE: Many studies have showed that excess or lack of sexual hormones, such as prolactin and testosterone, induced the sexual dysfunction in humans. Little, however, is known about the role of sexual hormones showing normal range in, especially, the basal state unexposed to any sexual stimulation. We hypothesized sexual hormones in the basal state may affect sexual behavior. METHODS: We investigated the association of the sexual hormones level in the basal hormonal state before visual sexual stimulation with the sexual response-related brain activity during the stimulation. Twelve heterosexual men were recorded the functional MRI signals of their brain activation elicited by passive viewing erotic (ERO), happy-faced (HA) couple, food and nature pictures. Both plasma prolacitn and testosterone concentrations were measured before functional MR scanning. A voxel wise regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between the concentration of sexual hormones in basal state and brain activity elicited by ERO minus HA, not food minus nature, contrast. RESULTS: The plasma concentration of prolactin in basal state showed positive association with the activity of the brain involving cognitive component of sexual behavior including the left middle frontal gyrus, paracingulate/superior frontal/anterior cingulate gyri, bilateral parietal lobule, right angular, bilateral precuneus and right cerebellum. Testosterone in basal state was positively associated with the brain activity of the bilateral supplementary motor area which related with motivational component of sexual behavior. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested sexual hormones in basal state may have their specific target regions or network associated with sexual response.
Brain ; Cerebellum ; Dopamine ; Heterosexuality ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Plasma ; Prolactin ; Reference Values ; Sexual Behavior ; Testosterone

No abstract available.
Basal Ganglia Diseases/diagnostic imaging/drug therapy/*etiology ; Calcinosis/diagnostic imaging/drug therapy/*etiology ; Calcium/therapeutic use ; Dietary Supplements ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoparathyroidism/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome ; Vitamin D/therapeutic use

BACKGROUND: In the routine "Life-turning point" medical checkup, we use estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which calculated from Cockcroft-Gault (CG) equation, to assume early stage renal disease and perform reexamination, if it is below 60 mL/min. Suppose their body weights and creatinine concentrations are the same, older patient's eGFR decreases 40-50% of younger one and in patients over 70, their eGFR is decreased in 45% although their creatinines are in normal range. Microalbuminuria is single most important index in the early diagnosis of glomerular dysfunction. Authors compared the positiveness of microalbuminuria with decreased eGFR which calculated using creatinine and cystatic C in the old age groups to evaluate the adequacy of eGFR in the routine "Life-turning point" medical checkup. METHODS: From June to August 2008, 314 adults [172 male and 142 female, 60+/-14 (mean age+/-SD)] who visited Gachon university Gil hospital were included. We freezed their serum and urine in -70degrees C and thawed within 4 weeks to measure serum creatinine, cystatin C, urine microalbumin and creatinine (Hitachi 7600, Hitachi High. Technologies Co., Osaka, Japan). RESULTS: 1 subject (0.7%) was reported with eGFR below 60 mL/min in the group of subjects under 66 years old, while 45(26.2%) were noticed in the group over 66 years old. There is a significant difference statistically between positive rate of microalbumiuria and eGFR by cystatin C than creatinine in the group over 66 years old (P=0.042 vs. P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The CG eGFR is useful for screening and reevaluation the renal function because many patients over 66 years, which is the point of the "Life-turning point" medical checkup, represents lower eGFR. Cystatin C eGFR is more closely related to the microalbuminuria positive rate than creatinine eGFR.
Adult ; Body Weight ; Creatinine ; Cystatin C ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Reference Values

BACKGROUND: Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection remains prevalent, and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance has made the treatment and control of gonorrhea more difficult. Therefore, it is important to compare isolation methods and transport media to overcome gonorrhea via epidemiologic understanding and to determine co-infection rates with other sexually transmitted diseases among primary-care hospitals. In this study, we determine the recovery rate of transferred specimens according to type of transport media and co-infection rate using PCR. METHODS: Genital specimens were collected at three primary-care hospitals from January 2010 to November 2012 using transgrow media and commercial BD transport media. Culture and multiplex PCR were conducted to isolate N. gonorrhoeae. RESULTS: Among 162 specimens, 57 (35.2%) isolates were recovered, and 146 (90.1%) specimens were positive for multiplex PCR. The recovery rate was 29.9% (78/261) using transgrow media and 19.2% (50/261) using BD transport media. The most common co-infected bacteria with N. gonorrhoeae was Chlamydia trachomatis (15.8%), followed by Mycoplasma hominis (6.2%) and M. genitalium (3.4%). CONCLUSION: Under general transport conditions, the rate of recovery of N. gonorrhoeae was as low as 19.2-29.9% depending on the type of transport media, suggesting that molecular diagnostic methods are required to detect the remaining 70% of gonorrhea-infected patients. Co-infection with other sexually transmitted diseases was not rare, and other tests for accurate additional antimicrobial regimens should also be considered.
Bacteria ; Chlamydia trachomatis ; Coinfection* ; Gonorrhea ; Humans ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Mycoplasma hominis ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae* ; Pathology, Molecular ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence* ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Gitelman syndrome is an autosomal recessive renal tubular disorder characterized by hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, and it is distinguished from Batter syndrome by hypomagnesemia and hypocalciuria. This disorder is caused by mutation in SLC12A3 gene which encodes thiazide-sensitive Na(+)-Cl(-)cotransporter (NCCT) which is expressed in the apical membrane of cells, lining distal convoluted tubule. A 8-year old boy who presented with Rolandic epilepsy, and horseshoe kidney accidentally showed clinical features of metabolic alkalosis, hypokalemia, hypocalciuria without hypomagnesemia. So we identified a heterozygote mutation and an abnormal splicing in the SLC12A3 gene, encoding NCCT. The mutation was detected in the exon 15 and 22 of SLC12A3 gene.
Alkalosis ; Epilepsy, Rolandic ; Exons ; Gitelman Syndrome ; Heterozygote ; Hypokalemia ; Kidney ; Magnesium ; Membranes

BACKGROUND: Gram-negative bacilli can be stored in cystine tryptic agar (CTA) at room temperature for over 1 year, but we experienced a loss of imipenem resistance among VIM-2-producing isolates. The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of loss of IMP-1 and VIM-2 genes during storage in CTA at room temperature and to document any change in the MIC of antimicrobial agents and the location of the gene. METHODS: Bacteria were isolated from clinical specimens at Severance Hospital collected from 1995-2000. Modified Hodge and double disk synergy tests were performed for screening of MBL-production isolates, and blaIMP-1 and blaVIM-2 were detected by PCR. Loss of resistance was tested in CTA at room temperature. PFGE and hybridization using a blaVIM-2 probe were carried out to determine the location of the VIM-2 gene. RESULTS: When VIM-2- and IMP-1-producing strains of eight P. aeruginosa and two Acinetobacter spp. were stored in CTA at room temperature, some isolates lost imipenem resistance after 3 days and 90% lost resistance after 15 weeks. Loss of resistance genes resulted in a decrease of the MIC of imipenem from 32-128 mug/mL to 0.5-8 mug/mL for P. aeruginosa, and from 32 mug/mL to 0.25-4 mug/mL for Acinetobacter spp. Hybridization of I-CeuI and S1-digested and PFGE suggested that VIM-2 genes are located on approximately 50-100 kb or 400 kb plasmids. CONCLUSION: Isolates may lose resistance genes when stored in CTA at room temperature. Therefore, it is necessary for MBL-production tests including the Modified Hodge test and double disk synergy test and detection of MBL genes.
Acinetobacter ; Agar ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Bacteria ; Carbapenems ; Chimera ; Cystine ; Imipenem ; Mass Screening ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sprains and Strains

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae has become a serious problem worldwide, and ceftriaxone non-susceptible isolates have been recently reported from Japan and Europe. In this study, we evaluated the antimicrobial susceptibilities and molecular epidemiological characteristics of isolates from Korea in 2013. METHODS: Sixty strains of N. gonorrhoeae were collected from Korean patients and prostitutes. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by the agar dilution and disk diffusion methods. N. gonorrhoeae multi-antigen sequence typing (NG-MAST) was performed in order to determine the molecular epidemiologic relatedness. RESULTS: All of isolates were non-susceptible to penicillin G and tetracycline, and the rate of ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates was 95% in 2013. The MICs of ceftriaxone were within the susceptible range for all isolates, but one isolate non-susceptible to cefixime (MIC=0.5 microg/mL) was encountered. The isolates with decreased susceptibility (MIC< or =0.12 microg/mL) to cefixime or ceftriaxone accounted for 10% and 14% of the isolates tested, respectively. In NG-MAST analysis, 40 different STs were encountered among the 59 isolates. Isolates that belonged to tbpB110 showed higher cefixime and ceftriaxone MICs (0.12-0.5 microg/mL) as well as cefixime resistance. CONCLUSION: Most of the N. gonorrhoeae isolates showed susceptibility to spectinomycin and cephalosporins. Due to the emergence of isolates that are non-susceptible to cefixime and the prevalence of isolates with the tbpB110 allele belonging to ST1407, which cause cefixime and ceftriaxone treatment failure in successful global clones of N. gonorrhoeae, a continuous nationwide antimicrobial surveillance program is required to monitor the emergence of cephalosporin resistance in N. gonorrhoeae.

Colorectal cancer is diagnosed as the third most prevalent cancer; thus, effective therapeutic agents are urgently required. In this study, we synthesized six homoisoflavane derivatives of cremastranone and investigated their cytotoxic effects on the human colorectal cancer cell lines HCT116 and LoVo. We further examined the related mechanisms of action using two of the potent compounds, SH-19027 and SHA-035. They substantially reduced the cell viability and proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with SH-19027 and SHA-035 induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and increased expression of p21 both of which are implicated in cell cycle control. In addition, the apoptotic cell population and apoptosis-associated marker expression were accordingly increased. These results suggest that the synthesized cremastranone derivatives have anticancer effects through the suppression of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis. Therefore, the synthesized cremastranone derivatives could be applied as novel therapeutic agents against colorectal cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and a frequent cause of cancer-related deaths among women wordlwide. As therapeutic strategies for breast cancer have limitations, novel chemotherapeutic reagents and treatment strategies are needed. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer effect of synthetic homoisoflavane derivatives of cremastranone on breast cancer cells. Homoisoflavane derivatives, SH-17059 and SH-19021, reduced cell proliferation through G2/M cell cycle arrest and induced caspase-independent cell death. These compounds increased heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase 1 (ALAS1), suggesting downregulation of heme. They also induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, they reduced expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Therefore, we suggest that the SH-17059 and SH-19021 induced the caspase-independent cell death through the accumulation of iron from heme degradation, and the ferroptosis might be one of the potential candidates for caspase-independent cell death.