BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It is well known that Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is the most predominant prostaglandin in squamous cell carcinoma and that PGE2 synthesis is suppressed by retinoid. The purpose of this study was to confirm whether (N-4-Hydroxyphenyl) retinamide (N-4-HPR) suppressed PGE2 synthesis, and investigate its inhibitory mechanism on PGE2 synthesis in squamous cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHOD: MDA 886Ln was used as the squamous cell carcinoma cell line. We evaluated the effects of four retinoids (all-trans-RA, 13-cis-RA, retinyl acetate, and N-4-HPR) on PGE2 synthesis: the effect of N-4-HPR concentration on PGE2 synthesis and Cox-2 mRNA, the effect of N-4-HPR on Cox-2 protein, and the effect of N-4-HPR on the cyclooxygenase activity. RESULTS: Among the four retinoids, N-4-HPR was the most potent suppressor of PGE2 synthesis. N-4-HPR suppressed PGE2 synthesis, but N-4-HPR did not suppress Cox-2 mRNA or Cox-2 protein. Cyclooxygenase activity was suppressed by N-4-HPR. CONCLUSION: With these results, we suggest that the inhibitory mechanism of N-4-HPR on the PGE2 synthesis may be suppression of the cyclooxygenase activity, and Cox-2 mRNA and protein were not suppressed by N-4-HPR.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cell Line* ; Dinoprostone* ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Retinoids ; RNA, Messenger

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We can evaluate nasal hyperreactivity with histamine challenge test (HCT) or metacholine test. In 1981, a simple and reproducible technique using filter paper to collect nasal secretion was introduced. We revised this technique to assess nasal hyperreactivity. The basic concept of the test is that filter paper in the nose acts as a mechanical stimulus to the nasal mucosa, and causes nasal secretion, which is absorbed in the filter paper. The aim of this study was to present filter paper test (FPT) as an objective assessment of nasal hyperreactivity in allergic patients. We compared the sensitivity and the specificity of FPT with HCT, and also evaluated the validity of FPT in assessing the changes of nasal hyperreactivity. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: For FPT, a folded strip of filter paper in 50X6 mm was placed between the septum and the inferior turbinate, and the wetted strip was weighed after 10 minutes. For HCT, a paper disk, saturated with histamine solution (1 mg/ml) was placed on the anterior end of the inferior turbinate, and the number of sneezing was counted per minute. Twenty nine patients with allergic rhinitis and hyperreactive nasal symptoms and 20 normal subjects were included in the study. Fourteen out of the 29 hyperreactive and allergic rhinitis patients were subjected to the evaluation of changes in the amount of nasal secretion. RESULTS: For FPT, sensitivity was 65.5% and specificity was 95%, whereas for HCT, the sensitivity was 69% and specificity was 95%. After systemic steroid treatment, the amount of nasal secretion was decreased significantly. CONCLUSION: FPT showed almost the same sensitivity and the specificity compared to HCT, and appeared to be a valid test to assess the nasal hyperreactivity. These findings imply that FPT is technically easy and reliable, and a valid test to assess nasal hyperreactivity in allergic patients.
Histamine ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Nasal Mucosa ; Nose ; Rhinitis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sneezing ; Turbinates

Primary laryngeal aspergillosis is exceptionally rare, and only nineteen cases have been reported in the literature. It is more commonly seen as a part of a wider infection involving the respiratory system in an immunocompromised host. We present here one case of primary laryngeal aspergillosis without any other airway tract extension and without any generalized immune deficit in a 58-year-old man. Direct laryngoscopy and biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of aspergillosis.
Aspergillosis* ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Laryngoscopy ; Larynx ; Middle Aged ; Respiratory System

Osteomyelitis of the maxilla is a relatively rare disease. Although the advent of antibiotics has decreased its incidence and morbidity significantly, osteomyelitis still remains a potentially dangerous condition because of the possible risk of intracerebral complications. Clinically, patients present facial swelling, localized pain and tenderness, low-grade fever, draining sinus tracts, suppuration, dental loss, and sequestrum formation. We experienced a case of osteomyelitis of the maxilla with associated aspergillosis. In this paper, we report this case with a review of literature.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aspergillosis* ; Fever ; Humans ; Incidence ; Maxilla* ; Osteomyelitis* ; Rare Diseases ; Suppuration

Slide tracheoplasty, as a treatment for congenital tracheal stenosis, has been recently reported to have good results and quite a number of advantages as compared with conventional tracheoplasties. The aim of this study is to report a new surgical technique modified from the slide tracheoplasty, "the slide cricotracheoplasty" for the congenital cricotracheal stenosis. A girl was born by Cesarean section and the diagnosis of esophageal atresia (Gross type C) and cricotracheal stenosis (30% of total length of trachea) was established. Esophageal atresia was successfully corrected at the 8th day of life. At the 31st day of life, corrective surgery for congenital cricotracheal stenosis, the slide cricotracheoplasty, was performed with success. Slide cricotracheoplasty is almost the same procedure as slide tracheoplasty except for two technical features. First the cricoid cartilage was split on its anterior surface. Second the split cricoid cartilage was fixed to pre vertebral fascia to maintain enough space to accommodate the sliding caudal segment of trachea because of the stiffness of the cricoid cartilage. We believe that the sliding cricotracheoplasty is a new surgical technique for congenital cricotracheal stenosis that has similar results and advantages as the sliding tracheoplasty.
Cesarean Section ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Cricoid Cartilage ; Diagnosis ; Esophageal Atresia ; Fascia ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Trachea ; Tracheal Stenosis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Platelet activating factor (PAF), a biologically active phospholipid, has been known to be a potent inflammatory mediator especially in allergic inflammation. However, the exact role of PAF in the pathogenesis of rhinosinusitis has not been established yet. The aim of this study was to develop a rat model of rhinosinusitis induced by PAF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats (4~6 week-old) were applied intranasally with 50 microliter of 16 microgram/ microliter PAF, while the control rats were applied with 50 microliter of 0.9% normal saline. After 1, 3 or 5 days, the rats were killed. The nasal sinuses were prepared for histological investigation. The histological section of the nasal sinuses were examined in a blind manner for the number of nasal sinus cavity occupied by neutrophil clusters, and for the number of eosinophils, goblet cells, epithelial loss and iNOS positive inflammatory cells per high power field (x400) of sinus mucosa. RESULTS: Infected rats killed at 3days had significantly more sinus area occupied by neutrophil clusters, and significantly more eosinophils, goblet cells, epithelial loss and iNOS positive inflammatory cells within the mucosa. CONCLUSION: Topically applied PAF induces acute rhinosinusitis in rats as measured by neutrophil clusters, eosinophils, goblet cells, epithelial loss and iNOS positive inflammatory cells. This study proves a rat model of acute rhinosinusitis.
Animals ; Blood Platelets* ; Eosinophils ; Goblet Cells ; Inflammation ; Models, Animal* ; Mucous Membrane ; Neutrophils ; Paranasal Sinuses ; Platelet Activating Factor* ; Rats*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The transsynaptic transfer of neurotropic viruses is an effective tool for tracing chains of connected neurons, because replication of virus in the recipient neurons after the transfer amplifies the "tracer signal". The aim of this study is to identify the central neural pathways projecting to the facial nerve using the Bartha strain of the Pseudorabies virus (PRV-Ba )as a transsynaptic tracer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PRV-Ba was injected into the facial nerve in the stylomastoid foramen of a rat, and was localized in the rat brain with light microscopic immunohistochemistry using primary antibodies against the PRV-Ba. Sequential tracing was carried out on the retrogradely labeled neurons were done. RESULTS: The shapes of upper motor neurons of facial nerve were mostly ovoid or polygonal. The positive immunoreactive cells observed in the brainstem nuclei included raphe obscurus nucleus, facial nucleus, parvocellular reticular nucleus, spinal trigeminal nucleus, ventral parabrachial nucleus, central gray, and dorsal raphe nucleus. Other positive cells stained in the diencephalon were found in periventricular hypothalamic nucleus, dorsal hypothalamic area, orbital gyri, and infralimbic cortex in the frontal lobe. CONCLUSIONS: These results show the central neural pathways of facial nerve using PRV-Ba.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Brain ; Brain Stem ; Diencephalon ; Facial Nerve ; Frontal Lobe ; Herpesvirus 1, Suid ; Immunohistochemistry ; Motor Neurons ; Neural Pathways* ; Neurons ; Orbit ; Raphe Nuclei ; Rats ; Trigeminal Nucleus, Spinal

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The transsynaptic transfer of neurotropic viruses is an effective tool for tracing chains of connected neurons because the replication of virus in the recipient neurons after transfer amplifies the "tracer signal". The purpose of study was to identify the location of spinal nucleus of the accessory nerve and the central neural pathways using Bartha strain of Pseudorabies virus (PRV-Ba), as a transsynaptic tracer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PRV-Ba was injected into the sternocleidomastoid muscle of a rat, and the localization of PRV-Ba in the rat spinal cord and CNS was identified with light microscopic immunohistochemistry using primary antibodies against the PRV-Ba. RESULTS: Sequential tracing of retrogradely labeled cells was done. The shapes of positive immunoreactive cells were mostly ovoid or polygonal, and were shown in the spinal nucleus of the accessory nerve, nucleus ambiguus, paraventricular nucleus, and the primary motor area of cerebral cortex. CONCLUSIONS: These results showed the location of spinal accessory nucleus and the central neural pathways of spinal accessory nerve using PRV-Ba.
Accessory Nerve* ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Cerebral Cortex ; Herpesvirus 1, Suid* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Neural Pathways* ; Neurons ; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus ; Pseudorabies* ; Rats ; Spinal Cord

It has been suggested that the role of neurogenic inflammation is to protect the airway from various noxious irritants in inhaled air. Repeated exposure to various irritating stimuli has become very common in daily life. However, the process that occurs in neurogenic inflammation after repeated exposure to irritating stimuli is not yet clearly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of microvascular leakage in the airways after re-exposure to capsaicin in an experiment using a rat model challenged/rechallenged with capsaicin. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups : a capsaicin-challenged group (10 microgram/kg of capsaicin, intravenous, n=6) and three capsaicin-rechallenged groups (10 microgram/kg of capsaicin, intravenous, n=6 in each group) corresponding to time intervals of 1, 3, or 6 hours after capsaicin-challenge. The amount of microvascular leakage in the nasal mucosa and trachea of the animal in each group was measured with extravasation of Evans blue dye (30 mg/kg, intravenous) using a spectrophotometer. In the nasal mucosa, a significant enhancement of microvascular leakage with capsaicin-rechallenge was observed at 3 hours after capsaicin-challenge (AVOVAR, * : p<0.01). However, there was no significant changes in the trachea. In conclusion, the protective mechanisms against repeated irritating stimuli in the nasal mucosa and trachea are different. After exposure to a noxious irritant, the airway defense mechanism mediated by an axon reflex in the nose may be up- regulated, while that in the trachea may not be changed.
Animals ; Axons ; Capsaicin* ; Evans Blue ; Irritants ; Models, Animal* ; Nasal Mucosa* ; Neurogenic Inflammation ; Nose ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reflex ; Trachea

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Platelet-activating factor (PAF), a potent chemical mediator in inflammation and allergic reaction, induces microvascular leakage in several tissues. In rat airways, PAF-induced microvascular leakage is not dependent on cyclooxygenase or lipoxygenase products nor on circulating platelets, and it is probably mediated by receptors on vascular endothelium. Nitric oxide (NO), first identified as endothelium-derived relaxing factor, has been reported recently to be an important mediator of the neurogenic vascular exudative process. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of NO in PAF-induced microvascular leakage in rat nasal and tracheal mucosa. METHODS: PAF (1 ug/kg) was injected intravenously to induce microvascular leakage. The degree of microvascular leakage was measured with the amount of extravasated Evans blue (30 mg/kg) using both spectrophotometry and fluorescence microscopy. Five Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with Nw-nitro-L -arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10 mg/kg, intravenously, 1 hour before the injection of PAF) to inhibit the NO synthase, while four control rats(n=4) were pretreated with normal saline. RESULT: The average amounts of extravasated Evans blue in the nasal mucosa and trachea of the control rats were 24.789 and 28.238 ug/mg wet tissue, and those of the L-NAME pretreated rats were 6.643 and 6.987 ug/mg wet tissue respectively. Tissue sections of the L-NAME pretreated rats showed a definitely decreased extravasation of Evans blue under fluorescence microscopy. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with L-NAME clearly inhibited PAF-induced microvascular leakage in the nasal and tracheal mucosa of rat. This finding implies that NO may mediate PAF-induced microvascular leakage in rat airways.
Animals ; Blood Platelets* ; Endothelium, Vascular ; Endothelium-Dependent Relaxing Factors ; Evans Blue ; Hypersensitivity ; Inflammation ; Lipoxygenase ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Mucous Membrane* ; Nasal Mucosa ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Nitric Oxide Synthase* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Platelet Activating Factor* ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spectrophotometry ; Trachea