Objective To investigate the effects of emulsified isoflurane preconditioning on myocardial NF-κB activity during ischemia-reperfusion(I/R)in rats.Methods Forty-eight healthy male SD rats weighing 230-280 g were randomly divided into 4 groups with 12 animals in each group: sham operation group(group S),I/R group,lipid emulsion + I/R group(group L)and emulsified isoflurane + I/R group(group EI).In group I/R,EI and L,myocardial I/R was produced by occlusion of left coronary anterior descending artery(LAD)for 30 min followed by 120 min reperfusion.In group L,30% lipid emulsion 4 ml·kg-1 ·h-1 was infused intravenously for 30 min before myocardial I/R.In group EI,emulsified isoflurane 4 ml· kg- 1 · h- 1 was infused intravenously for 30 min followed by 15 min washout before myocardial I/R.In group S and I/R,normal saline was given instead.Blood samples were taken from femoral artery at the end of 120 min reperfusion for determination of serum cTnI and IL-6 concentrations and CK-MB activity by ELISA.The rats were then killed and the myocardial tissues were taken for determination of NF-κB activity by Western blot and observation of the ultrastructure by electron microscopy.Results The NF-κB activity,serum cTnI and IL-6 concentrations and CK-MB activity were significantly higher in group I/R,EI and L than in group S(P ＜ 0.05 or 0.01),while lower in group EI than in group I/R(P ＜ 0.05).Microscopic examination showed that emulsified isoflurane significantly attenuated the histopathological changes in group EI.Conclusion Emulsified isoflurane pretreatment can attenuate myocardial I/R injury through decreasing the NF-κB activity and inhibiting inflammatory response in rats.

OBJECTIVETo create transgenic mice expressing hamster- and human-PRNP as a model for understanding the physiological function and pathology of prion protein (PrP), as well as the mechanism of cross-species transmission of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs).

METHODSHamster and human-PRNP transgenic mice were established by conventional methods. The copy number of integrated PRNP in various mouse lines was mapped by real-time PCR. PRNP mRNA and protein levels were determined by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, real-time RT-PCR, and western blot analysis. Histological analyses of transgenic mice were performed by hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining and immunohistochemical (IHC) methods.

RESULTSIntegrated PRNP copy number in various mouse lines was 53 (Tg-haPrP1), 18 (Tg-huPrP1), 3 (Tg-huPrP2), and 16 (Tg-huPrP5), respectively. Exogenous PrPs were expressed at both the transcriptional and translational level. Histological assays did not detect any abnormalities in brain or other organs.

CONCLUSIONWe have established one hamster-PRNP transgenic mouse line and three human-PRNP transgenic mouse lines. These four transgenic mouse lines provide ideal models for additional research.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cricetinae ; DNA ; genetics ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Transgenic ; Organ Specificity ; Plasmids ; Prion Diseases ; genetics ; Prion Proteins ; Prions ; genetics ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transcription, Genetic

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical, pathological and immunohistochemical features of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN).

METHODSAccording to the 2004 modified terminology of International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Diseases (ISSVD), the cases were diagnosed as VIN from patients who had performed vulvar biopsy in Beijing Wuzhou Women's Hospital from February 2009 to December 2011, which were reclassified as usual VIN and differentiated VIN. The clinical and pathological studies were conducted respectively. MaxVision immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of Ki-67, p16 and p53 proteins.

RESULTSThere were 20 cases of VIN in 237 patients, and the incidence of VIN was 8.4% in all of contemporary vulvar biopsy. In 17 cases of usual VIN, mean age was 29.6 years, the lesion typically presented with atypical cells involving almost all layers of the epithelium, which was equivalent to the high-grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasia of cervix. Immunohistochemistry for Ki-67 and p16 was strongly positive in usual VIN. High risk human papillomavirus (HPV) detection was also positive. The incidence of differentiated VIN was less than usual VIN, and there were only 3 cases in this study. In differentiated VIN, patients aged over 50 years, with mean of 53.7 years, and the lesion most commonly presented with lichen sclerosis background. There were epithelial thickening and extending, and parakeratosis, and atypia was strictly confined to the basal and parabasal layers of the epithelium where the cells enlarged with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, presented with prominent nucleoli, increased cellularity and abnormal keratinization. In differentiated VIN, p53 was strongly positive, Ki-67 and p16 immunohistochemical expression was confined to the basal layer only.

CONCLUSIONSVIN is a precursor of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. The modified terminology of ISSVD classifies VIN as high-grade lesions. Definitive pathological diagnosis of VIN plays an important role in its timely treatment and the prevention of vulvar carcinoma.

Adult ; Carcinoma in Situ ; metabolism ; pathology ; virology ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Papillomavirus Infections ; pathology ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism ; Vulvar Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; virology ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: It is thought that hyperuricemia might lower the risk of mortality among hemodialysis patients, unlike in the general population, but the evidence is controversial. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of serum uric acid level on the long-term clinical outcomes of hemodialysis patients in Korea. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was performed on data from the End-Stage Renal Disease Registry of the Korean Society of Nephrology. This included data for 7,333 patients (mean age, 61 ± 14 years; 61% male) who received hemodialysis from January 2001 through April 2015. Initial laboratory data were used in the analysis. RESULTS: The mean serum uric acid level in this study was 7.1 ± 1.7 mg/dL. Body mass index, normalized protein catabolic rate, albumin, and cholesterol were positively correlated with serum uric acid level after controlling for age and sex. After controlling for demographic data, comorbidities, and residual renal function, a higher uric acid level was independently associated with a significantly lower all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 0.90 per 1 mg/dL increase in uric acid level; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83–0.97; P = 0.008), but not cardiovascular mortality (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.80–1.01; P = 0.078). Comparing uric acid levels in the highest and lowest quintiles, the HR for all-cause mortality was 0.65 (95% CI, 0.42–0.99; P = 0.046). CONCLUSION: Hyperuricemia was strongly associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality, but there seems to be no significant association between serum uric acid level and cardiovascular mortality among Korean hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal disease.
Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Comorbidity ; Humans ; Hyperuricemia ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Korea ; Mortality* ; Nephrology ; Renal Dialysis* ; Retrospective Studies* ; Uric Acid*

PURPOSE: While pediatric observation units (POU) have become a common practice in hospitals throughout developed countries, there has been no report about POUs in Korea so far. The aims of this study were to analyze our one-year's experience of the POU and to decide which disease entities are suitable for the POU. METHODS: All children admitted from March 2006 to February 2007 to the POU at the Department of Pediatrics in Our Lady of Mercy Hospital were included in this study. Data were collected from retrospective reviews of their medical records. RESULTS: There were a total of 1,076 POU admissions. Median age of patients was 2.4 years and median length of hospital stay 14.0 hours. The most common diagnoses were gastroenteritis (42.7%), pharyngotonsillitis (19.1%), bronchiolitis (7.8%), pneumonia (5.5%) and febrile seizure (5.2%). Overall, 7.5% of the POU patients required subsequent inpatient admissions due to hospital stays of longer than 48 hours. The disease entities that were most likely to require inpatient admission were pneumonia (17.0%), febrile seizure (12.5%) and asthma (11.5%). Diseases that allowed successful discharge from the POU were gastroenteritis (4.6%), upper respiratory tract infection (5.8%), such as otitis media and pharygnotonsillitis and seizure disorder (6.4%). Compared with the previous year when the POU was not in operation, there was a statistically significant reduction in the average length of hospital stays (from 4.69 to 3.75 days), as well as a rise in the bed turnover rate (from 78.8 to 98.2 patients/ bed). CONCLUSION: Our study shows that the POU is efficient for the management of children with certain acute illnesses. Based on this study, we suggest that the POU be used as a new modality which links between the outpatient, inpatient, and emergency departments in the field of pediatrics in Korea.
Asthma ; Bronchiolitis ; Child ; Day Care, Medical ; Developed Countries ; Diagnosis ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Epilepsy ; Gastroenteritis ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Korea* ; Length of Stay ; Medical Records ; Otitis Media ; Outpatients ; Pediatrics ; Pneumonia ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures, Febrile

OBJECTIVETo study the survival time of recombination rival in environment and inactivation ability of different disinfectant and ultraviolet radiation against virus.

METHODSNC membranes absorbed the recombinant adenovirus (rADV) or herpes simplex virus (rHSV) with green fluorescence protein (GFP) were laid, or immersed in various concentration of different disinfectants such as ethanol, sodium hypochlorite, lysol and geramine and then taked out them every 15 min, or exposed under ultraviolet radiation, then the NC membranes were adsorbed 1 h in cell, 37 degrees C 5% CO2 48 h. The results were observed under the fluorescence microscope.

RESULTS(1) the average survival time of rHSV under environment is less than 60 min, rADV is almost up to 2 h. (2) The infection ability of rHSV and rADV was inactived 15 min by both ethanol (100%, 70% and 50%) and sodium hypochlorite (5%, 2.5% and 1.25%). (3) Two virus can be killed by 0.1% bromogeramine. (4) Both 5% and 2.5% lysol, but rADV can not lost the infection on Vero Cell until 75 min by 1.25% Lysol. (5) The rHSV was inactivated under ultraviolet radiation, but rADV was not.

CONCLUSIONThe survival time of is different from both envelope rival and the no-envelope viral under nature environment and the inactivate ability of disinfectant also is different between two model virus; Disinfectant should be choose according to virus type.

Adenoviridae ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Disinfectants ; toxicity ; Disinfection ; methods ; Risk ; Simplexvirus ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Sodium Hypochlorite ; toxicity ; Sterilization ; methods ; Ultraviolet Rays ; Virus Diseases ; Virus Inactivation ; Virus Physiological Phenomena ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Viruses ; drug effects ; radiation effects

OBJECTIVETo establish a prion disease PrP(Sc) panel from the brain tissues of experimental hamsters and to address the stability of the panel conserved under the specific condition, for evaluating the diagnostic techniques of human and animal's prion diseases.

METHODS30 brain tissues of hamsters infected with scrapie strain 263K intracerebrally and 30 ones of normal hamsters were enrolled in this panel. Each brain sample was prepared to 10%, 1% and 0.5% homogenates and aliquoted into stocks. The presences of PrP(Sc) in each brain sample were evaluated with PrP-specific Western Blots and partially with immunohistochemistry, and the stability of PrP(Sc) signals in each sample were repeatedly assessed half a year later and 3 years later.

RESULTSPrP(Sc) signals were detected in all stocks of 10% brain homogenates from infected hamsters, 26 out of 30 stocks of 1% homogenates and 19 out of 30 stocks of 0.5% homogenates. The assessments of PrP(Sc) signals in all samples half-year and three years later demonstrated almost unchanged. All homogenates of brain tissues of normal hamsters were PrP(Sc) negative.

CONCLUSIONA prion disease PrP(Sc) panel of the brain tissues, which includes 90 PrP(Sc) positive stocks and PrP(Sc) negative ones, was successfully established, with a reliable stability of PrP(Sc) signals.

Animals ; Brain ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Male ; PrPC Proteins ; pharmacokinetics ; PrPSc Proteins ; Prion Diseases ; metabolism ; Scrapie ; metabolism ; Tissue Distribution

Various kinds of positive effects of green tea extracts had been studied for long time which included anti-inflammation, anti-aging, and cardiometabolic effects. Although topical steroid and non-steroidal calcineurin inhibitors may control clinical symptoms of allergic contact dermatitis, some of patients also present allergic reaction to these topical agents. Therefore, we have tried green tea extracts for managing this skin disorder with expectation of anti-inflammatory effect without potential side effects including skin irritation and toxic responses. The toxicity test of green tea extract also did not show any sign of irritation in the skin throughout the test period. Moderate severity of allergic contact dermatitis presented satisfactory clinical outcome at second week follow-up which was final visit of outpatient. This result mean that green tea extract has a positive effect for managing allergic contact dermatitis but its potency and efficacy seem to be so not strong enough to control moderate severity allergy skin lesion. In this pilot study, we were able to conclude that green tea cell extracts might be applied for potential anti-inflammatory soaking without skin toxicity.
Calcineurin ; Cell Extracts ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Outpatients ; Pilot Projects ; Skin ; Tea ; Toxicity Tests

OBJECTIVE: Decreased adiponectin and increased leptin plasma concentrations are believed to be associated with the occurrence and progression of cancers such as endometrial cancer and breast cancer. The aim of this study was to explore the association of plasma adiponectin and leptin levels with the development and progression of ovarian cancer. METHODS: For patients with ovarian cancer and the control group, adiponectin and leptin levels were measured; anthropometric data were obtained during a chart review. Statistical comparisons between groups were analyzed using the Student's t-test; correlations were confirmed using the Pearson correlation. RESULTS: The mean adiponectin and leptin concentrations in patients with ovarian cancer were lower than those of the control group (8.25 vs. 11.44 µg/mL, respectively; P=0.026) (7.09 vs. 15.4 ng/mL, respectively; P=0.001). However, there was no significant difference in adiponectin and leptin levels between early-stage (I/II) and advanced-stage (III/IV) disease (P=0.078). CONCLUSION: Compared with other gynecological cancers, the level of adiponectin and leptin were decreased in ovarian cancer that may have some diagnostic value; additional study to elucidate the function of these two hormones in the development of ovarian carcinogenesis is necessitated.
Adiponectin* ; Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinogenesis ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Female ; Humans ; Leptin* ; Ovarian Neoplasms* ; Plasma*

In this study we evaluated the influence of both the thickness of residual enamel and the color of the composite resins applied to lingual surface on the labial surface color. Background plates were made by randomly (A1, A2, A6D, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, C6D) selected colors of Filtek Supreme (3M ESPE, St. Paul, U.S.A.) composite resin. Crown portion of 9 maxillary central incisors were cut off and embedded with acrylic resin except labial surface. Samples of average thickness of 2.2 mm were obtained after cutting it in a thickness of 2.5 mm from the labial surface and sandpaper polish. The shade of composite resin background was measured using Spectrophotometer (Spectrolino(R) GretagMacbeth, Regensdorf, Switzerland). And CIE L*a*b* value of 2.2 mm thickness tooth samples were measured on the 9 composite resin backgrounds. And then, the cutting side of tooth samples was ground to the extent of 1.9 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.0 mm and placed on composite resin backgrounds and measured L*a*b* values with the same method. In all samples, L* value and b* value seemed to have a tendency of decreasing as thickness of tooth sample becomes thinner regardless of background colors (p < 0.05). But, a* value didn't show the significant differences depending on the thickness.
Composite Resins ; Crowns ; Dental Enamel ; Incisor ; Tooth