Acacetin, which is present in damiana (Turnera diffusa) and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), has several pharmacologic activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative effects on cancer cells. However, the effect of acacetin on head and neck cancers has not been clearly established. This study aimed to examine the effects of acacetin on cell growth and apoptosis induction in FaDu human pharyngeal carcinoma cells. These were investigated by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, Live/Dead cell assay, 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride staining, caspase-3 and caspase-7 activation assay, and immunoblotting in FaDu cells. Acacetin induced FaDu cell death in a dose-dependent manner, with an estimated IC50 value of 41.9 µM, without affecting the viability of L-929 mouse fibroblasts as normal cells. Acacetin treatment resulted in nuclear condensation in the FaDu cells. It promoted the proteolytic cleavage of procaspase-3, -7, -8, and -9 with increasing amounts of the cleaved caspase isoforms in FaDu cells. Acacetin-induced apoptosis in FaDu cells was mediated by the expression of Fas and activation of caspase-8, caspase-3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Immunoblotting showed downregulation of the anti-apoptotic mitochondrial proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, but upregulation of the mitochondria-dependent pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Badin FaDu cells after acacetin treatment. These findings indicate that acacetin inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptotic cell death in FaDu human pharyngeal carcinoma cells via both the death receptor-mediated extrinsic apoptotic pathway and the mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathway.

Background: The fatality rate of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) varies among countries owing to demographics, patient comorbidities, surge capacity of healthcare systems, and the quality of medical care. We assessed the clinical outcomes of patients with COVID-19 during the first wave of the epidemic in Korea. Methods: Using a modified World Health Organization clinical record form, we obtained clinical data for 3,060 patients with COVID-19 treated at 55 hospitals in Korea. Disease severity scores were defined as: 1) no limitation of daily activities; 2) limitation of daily activities but no need for supplemental oxygen; 3) supplemental oxygen via nasal cannula; 4) supplemental oxygen via facial mask; 5) non-invasive mechanical ventilation; 6) invasive mechanical ventilation; 7) multi-organ failure or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy; and 8) death. Recovery was defined as a severity score of 1 or 2, or discharge and release from isolation. Results: The median age of the patients was 43 years of age; 43.6% were male. The median time from illness onset to admission was 5 days. Of the patients with a disease severity score of 3–4 on admission, 65 (71.5%) of the 91 patients recovered, and 7 (7.7%) died due to illness by day 28. Of the patients with disease severity scores of 5–7, 7 (19.5%) of the 36 patients recovered, and 8 (22.2%) died due to illness by day 28. None of the 1,324 patients who were < 50 years of age died; in contrast, the fatality rate due to illness by day 28 was 0.5% (2/375), 0.9% (2/215), 5.8% (6/104), and 14.0% (7/50) for the patients aged 50–59, 60–69, 70–79, and ≥ 80 years of age, respectively. Conclusion In Korea, almost all patients of < 50 years of age with COVID-19 recovered without supplemental oxygen. In patients of ≥ 50 years of age, the fatality rate increased with age, reaching 14% in patients of ≥ 80 years of age.

Finasteride is primarily used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and male androgenetic alopecia (MAA). Five-alpha reductase inhibitors (5α-RIs) could induce male sexual dysfunction due to their effects on testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. There is evidence suggesting that 5α-RIs may independently increase the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED). However, many investigators believe that side effects of 5α-RIs will disappear with continuous treatment. Considerable controversy exists regarding the severity and persistence of side effects of finasteride on ED. The aim of this review was to summarize current research studies on finasteride associated with ED. The search strategy used each term of finasteride and ED against PubMed database to identify related studies. ED data reported from available trials for finasteride were summarized and reviewed. Although there is not enough evidence to prove the relationship between finasteride and ED, most studies in this review found that finasteride for BPH was correlated with ED. However, most studies included in this review revealed that finasteride for MAA was not correlated with ED. On the other hand, some studies reported side effects of finasteride associated with sexual dysfunction, including ED, male infertility, ejaculation problem, and loss of libido, even in MAA patients. Well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to further determine the mechanism and effects of finasteride on ED. However, physicians should discuss with their patients possible long-term effects of finasteride on sexual function, although we do not have evidence showing that adverse events of sexual dysfunction are absolutely associated with 5α-RIs.
Alopecia ; Dihydrotestosterone ; Ejaculation ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Finasteride ; Hand ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; Libido ; Male ; Male ; Oxidoreductases ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Research Personnel ; Testosterone

No abstract available.
Animals ; Humans ; Male ; Men's Health ; Prostatitis ; Rats

Cavernous hemangiomas rarely involve the female genital tract. It is difficult to identify vascular malformations when these lesions are concealed in the vagina or deep vulva area. We present a rare case of vaginal cavernous hemangioma in a 30-year-old primiparous woman with an early severe postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and delayed continuous bleeding from the episiotomy site. She was treated successfully with transarterial embolization of the left vaginal artery. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of PPH caused by rupture of a vaginal hemangioma during vaginal delivery in English literature.
Adult ; Arteries ; Episiotomy ; Female ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Cavernous* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Postpartum Hemorrhage* ; Postpartum Period* ; Rupture ; Vagina ; Vascular Malformations ; Vulva

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) combined with microbubbles enhances the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A pancreatic cancer xenograft model was established using BALB/c nude mice and luciferase-expressing human pancreatic cancer cells. Mice were randomly assigned to five groups according to treatment: control (n = 10), gemcitabine alone (GEM; n = 12), HIFU with microbubbles (HIFU + MB, n = 11), combined HIFU and gemcitabine (HIGEM; n = 12), and HIGEM + MB (n = 13). After three weekly treatments, apoptosis rates were evaluated using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay in two mice per group. Tumor volume and bioluminescence were monitored using high-resolution 3D ultrasound imaging and in vivo bioluminescence imaging for eight weeks in the remaining mice. RESULTS: The HIGEM + MB group showed significantly higher apoptosis rates than the other groups (p < 0.05) and exhibited the slowest tumor growth. From week 5, the tumor-volume-ratio relative to the baseline tumor volume was significantly lower in the HIGEM + MB group than in the control, GEM, and HIFU + MB groups (p < 0.05). Despite visible distinction, the HIGEM and HIGEM + MB groups showed no significant differences. CONCLUSION: High-intensity focused ultrasound combined with microbubbles enhances the therapeutic effects of gemcitabine chemotherapy in a pancreatic cancer xenograft model.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Drug Therapy* ; Heterografts* ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Microbubbles* ; Pancreatic Neoplasms* ; Therapeutic Uses* ; Tumor Burden ; Ultrasonography*

PURPOSE: To compare the measurements of central corneal thickness (CCT) obtained using two kinds of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), Pentacam®, and ultrasound pachymetry (USP). METHODS: CCT was measured by Cirrus OCT®, Spectralis OCT®, Pentacam®, and USP in 32 eyes from 32 subjects without ocular disease of the anterior segment. RESULTS: The average CCT measurements using Cirrus OCT®, Spectralis OCT®, Pentacam®, and USP were 549.2 ± 28.7 µm, 545.2 ± 25.4 µm, 554.0 ± 27.8 µm, and 548.4 ± 27.9 µm respectively. The measurements were significantly highly correlated with each other (Pearson's correlation coefficient r > 0.9, all p-values < 0.001), but were significantly different (p < 0.001). The CCT 95% limits of agreement between Cirrus OCT® and Spectralis OCT®, Cirrus OCT® and Pentacam®, Cirrus OCT® and USP, Spectralis OCT® and Pentacam®, and Spectralis OCT® and USP were 27.70 µm, 26.1 µm, 26.97 µm, 22.91 µm, 35.59 µm, and 32.15 µm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The CCT values measured using the four devices were highly correlated with each other, but the measurement using Pentacam® was significantly thicker than that using USP. The measurements of the two kinds of spectral domain OCT were similar to those using USP. Therefore, these differences should be considered in clinical use, and measurements cannot be considered interchangeable.
Corneal Pachymetry* ; Tomography, Optical Coherence* ; Ultrasonography*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatic angiosarcoma, a rare and aggressive liver malignancy, is difficult to diagnose because of a lack of specific clinical features. The clinical and radiological features of patients with histologically confirmed hepatic angiosarcoma were examined. METHODS: Among 2,336 patients diagnosed with primary hepatic carcinoma at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center (Daegu, Korea) between May 2002 and February 2012, eight (0.03%) with histologically confirmed primary hepatic angiosarcoma were included. The patterns of disease diagnosis, tumor characteristics, treatment responses, and prognoses were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Median age was 66 years-old (range, 41-80 years). Four patients were male. Five patients were compulsive drinkers. All patients had no HBsAg and anti-HCV. Initial radiologic diagnoses revealed primary hepatic angiosarcoma (n=2), hepatocellular carcinoma (n=2), hemangioma (n=2), and hepatic metastatic carcinoma (n=2). Definitive diagnoses were made by percutaneous needle biopsies in seven patients and surgical resection in one patient. At the time of the initial diagnosis, extrahepatic metastases were detected in three patients (37.5%). Metastatic sites included the spleen and lung, pericardium, and bone, in one patient each. Two patients underwent conservative treatments. The remaining patients underwent surgical resection (n=1), transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (n=1), and systemic chemotherapy (n=4). The median survival period was 214 days (range, 21-431 days). CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic angiosarcoma is a highly progressive disease with a poor prognosis. Detailed studies including histological examinations are essential to facilitate early diagnosis of the disease.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Female ; Hemangiosarcoma/*diagnosis/pathology/therapy ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology/therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVES: Argon plasma coagulation (APC) is a noncontact form of electrocautery that utilizes ionized argon as the electrical current. A rigid bronchoscopic use of APC for the management of central airway obstruction could be safe and rapidly effective. This study evaluated the usefulness of rigid bronchoscopy with APC for the management of central airway obstructions due to benign or malignant tumors. METHODS: Twenty patients with obstructing central airway tumors were retrospectively reviewed from February 2008 to February 2013 at Chonnam National University Hospital. All patients received rigid bronchoscopic tumor removal under general anesthesia. APC was applied before and after tumor removal. RESULTS: The median age of patients was 59 years (interquartile range [IQR], 51 to 67 years) and 70% were female. The causes of airway obstruction included malignancy (n=8) and benign tumor (n=12). Airway tumors comprised intraluminal lesions (n=11, 55%) and mixed intraluminal/extraluminal lesions (n=9, 45%). The median tumor size was 15 mm (IQR, 10 to 18 mm). The median degree of airway obstruction was significantly reduced after intervention (90% [IQR, 88% to 96%] vs. 10% [IQR, 0% to 20%], P<0.001). The median American Thoracic Society dyspnea grade (3 [IQR, 1 to 4] vs. 1 [IQR, 0 to 1], P<0.001) and forced expiratory volume in one second (1.03 L [IQR, 0.52 to 1.36 L] vs. 1.98 L [IQR, 1.57 to 2.64 L], P=0.004) were significantly improved after intervention. There were no procedure-related acute complications and deaths. CONCLUSION: Rigid bronchoscopy with APC is an effective and safe procedure to alleviate central airway obstruction caused by tumors.
Airway Obstruction ; Anesthesia, General ; Argon Plasma Coagulation* ; Argon* ; Bronchoscopy ; Dyspnea ; Electrocoagulation ; Female ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Retrospective Studies

Chronic sputum is a troublesome symptom in many respiratory diseases. The prevalence of chronic sputum varies from 1.2% to 13% according to the country. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of chronic sputum and to find its associated factors in a general Korean population. We analyzed the data of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010 and 2011. A total number of 6,783 subjects aged 40 yr or more were enrolled in this study with 3,002 men and 3,781 women. As a result, the prevalence of chronic sputum was 6.3% (n=430). Significant risk factors for chronic sputum by multivariate analysis were: age (> or =70 yr) (odds ratio [OR], 1.954; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.308-2.917), current smoking (OR, 4.496; 95% CI, 3.001-6.734), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (OR, 1.483; 95% CI, 1.090-2.018), and tuberculosis (OR, 1.959; 95% CI, 1.307-2.938). In conclusion, the prevalence of chronic sputum in Korea was in the intermediate range compared with other countries. Smoking is a preventable risk factor identified in this study, and major respiratory diseases, such as COPD and tuberculosis, should be considered in subjects with chronic sputum.
Adult ; Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Demography ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Lung/physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/*epidemiology/physiopathology ; Questionnaires ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; *Sputum/microbiology ; Tuberculosis/*epidemiology/physiopathology