Here, we report the fatal case of an 83-year-old woman who died after ingesting a Chinese preparation containing aminopyrine and caffeine. The combined toxic mechanisms of these drugs were examined from a forensic toxicological perspective. Postmortem peripheral blood analysis revealed lethal concentrations of aminopyrine (369.66 mg/L) and caffeine (134.19 mg/L). Aminopyrine induces immune-mediated bone marrow suppression and mitochondrial injury by forming reactive metabolites, leading to reactive oxygen species accumulation. Caffeine exerts its toxic effects by antagonizing adenosine receptors and inhibiting phosphodiesterase, resulting in central nervous system and myocardium hyperexcitability. The co-administration of both agents synergistically amplified these toxic responses, leading to metabolic acidosis, intracellular Ca2+ overload, and multiorgan dysfunction. Knowingly, this is the first forensic toxicological report of death caused by combined aminopyrine and caffeine overdose and provides the first documented quantitative measurement of lethal aminopyrine concentration in postmortem blood.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate polymerization of TheraCal LC, one of the tricalcium silicate cements. To measure the Vickers hardness number (VHN), the specimens were cured at different light curing time and distance.As a result, the VHN of the upper surface was significantly higher than the lower surface's in all groups (p < 0.05). The VHN of the lower surface was increased significantly with the increase of the light curing time in all distance (p < 0.05). When the distance was more than 4.0 mm at all light curing time, the VHN of lower surface was significantly decreased (p < 0.05). When the specimen was light cured for 20 seconds, the VHN of the lower surface did not exceed 2, which corresponds to 10% of the upper surface's.These results suggested that the 20 second light curing time was not sufficient to polymerize the lower surface under specific conditions and that light-curing time should be increased.
Hardness ; Polymerization ; Polymers ; Silicates

This study was investigated the change of concentration and toxicity of thermally cross-linked superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (TCL-SPION) on tissues of Sprague-Dawley rats. TCL-SPION at the dose of 15 mg/kg body weight was intravenously injected into the tail vein of the male Sprague-Dawley rats. The fate of TCL-SPION in serum, urine and tissues was observed during 28 days. Serum iron level was maximal at 0.25 h post-injection and gradually declined thereafter. In addition, the sinusoids of liver and the red pulp area of spleen were mainly accumulated iron from 0.5 h to 28-day post-injection. In kidney, iron deposition was detected in the tubular area until 0.5 h after injection. Malondialdehyde concentration in the liver slightly increased with time and was not different with that at zero time. In the liver and spleen, TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels of TS treated with TCL-SPION were not different with those of the control during the experimental period. From the results, TCL-SPION could stay fairly long-time in certain tissues after intravenous injection without toxicity. The results indicated that TCL-SPION might be useful and safe as a contrast for the diagnosis of cancer or a carrier of therapeutic reagents to treat diseases.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Indicators and Reagents ; Injections, Intravenous ; Interleukin-6 ; Iron* ; Kidney ; Liver ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; Nanoparticles* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley* ; Spleen ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Veins

Free Cy5.5 dye and Cy5.5-labeled thermally cross-linked superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (TCL-SPION) have been routinely used for in vivo optical imaging. However, there is little information about the distribution and accumulation of free Cy5.5 dye and Cy5.5-labeled TCL-SPION in the tissues of mice. Free Cy5.5 dye (0.1 mg/kg body weight) and Cy5.5-labeled TCL-SPION (15 mg/kg body weight) were intravenously injected into the tail vein of ICR mice. The biodistribution and accumulation of the TCL-SPION and Cy5.5 were observed by ex vivo optical imaging and fluorescence signal generation at various time points over 28 days. Cy5.5 dye fluorescence in various organs was rapidly eliminated from 0.5 to 24 h post-injection. Fluorescence intensity of Cy5.5 dye in the liver, lung, kidney, and stomach was fairly strong at the early time points within 1 day post-injection. Cy5.5-labeled TCL-SPION had the highest fluorescence density in the lung at 0.5 h post-injection and decreased rapidly over time. Fluorescence density in liver and spleen was maintained over 28 days. These results suggest that TCL-SPION can be useful as a carrier of therapeutic reagents to treat diseases by persisting for long periods of time in the body.
Animals ; Carbocyanines/*pharmacology ; Ferric Compounds/*pharmacology ; Fluorescent Dyes/*pharmacology ; Kinetics ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Nanoparticles/*metabolism ; Time Factors ; Tissue Distribution

PURPOSE: Gallbladder cancer had poor prognosis because it is usually detected at a late stage. Some GB polyps are diagnosed as cancerous on the postoperative pathology. Because of the significance of the early detection of the cancer, the relationship between GB polyp and cancer is important. METHODS: From January 1994 to May, 2004, 94 cases of GB polypoid lesions were identified and diagnosed after cholecystectomy was performed at the Korea University Medical Center Anam hospital. The pateints' age, gender, the symptoms and signs, the diagnostic tools, the operative methods and the histopathologic findings were investigated. RESULTS: For the 94 patients, the mean age was 50.3+/-13.1 years and there were 42 males (44.7%). 92 patients were evaluated by abdominal ultrasonography, and it had a sensitivity of 72.8%. On the histopathologic results, there were 76 cases of benign polyps and 18 cases of malignant polyps. The diameter of the malignant polyps was 17.3+/-8.5 mm and the diameter of the benign polyps was 6.4+/-3.0 mm, so the malignant polyps were larger than the benign polyps. The mean age of the malignant polyp group was 62.6+/-14.2 years and the mean age of the benign polyp group was 47.1+/-11.1. The patients of the malignant polyp group were older than the patients of the benign polyp group. 19 GB polyps were greater than 10 mm in diameter and among them, there were 15 cases of malignant polyps (78.94%). CONCLUSION: The size of the polyps and the patient's age could be risk factors for malignant polyps, and the malignant potential was high for the polyps that exceeded 10 mm and for a patient age that exceeded 60 years. Surgical treatment is recommended for these patients.
Academic Medical Centers ; Cholecystectomy ; Gallbladder Neoplasms ; Gallbladder* ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Pathology ; Polyps* ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Ultrasonography