• Neonatal Medicine
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.109-115
• /
• 2010

Persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns (PPHN) is a disorder of the vascular transition from fetal to neonatal circulation. It results in cyanosis due to right-to-left shunting of the blood through the ductus arteriosus and/or foramen ovale manifesting as hypoxemic respiratory failure. We managed two cases of PPHN after meconium aspiration with high frequency oscillating ventilators and inhaled nitric oxide. They did not respond to conventional management. Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was provided, and ECMO weaning was possible resulting survivals in two cases. We report two PPHN cases, which were treated successfully with veno-venous ECMO for the first time in Korea.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.47 no.5
• /
• pp.711-720
• /
• 2005

In the corpus luteum, TNF$\alpha$ is known to induce functional and structural luteolysis. In addition, it acts as luteotropic agent during the initial and early stage of luteal development. In spite of its importance in corpus luteal development, there is still different opinions for the source cells of TNF$\alpha$ in the corpus luteum. One is the macrophages only, and the other is macrophages are the main source and endothelial cells are the minor source. In this experiment, using the porcine corpora lutea of pregnancy and ovulatory stages, hematoxylin-eosin stain, macrophage and TNF$\alpha$ immunohistochemistry were carried to reveal the sources of TNF$\alpha$. As a result, MAC 387-positive macrophages were present in all the stages of corpora lutea. In the mature corpora lutea of nonpregnant stages, the sites of MAC 387-positive macrophages and those of TNF$\alpha$- positive macrophages were coincided, and the sites of endothelial cells and those of TNF$\alpha$-positive endothelial cells were nearly coincided. But, in the mature CL of pregnant stage, mid- and advanced luteolytic stages of both nonpregnant and pregnant stages, the sites of MAC 387-positive macrophages and those of TNF$\alpha$-positive macrophages were coincided, but not in the endothelial cells. Accordingly, it can be concluded that macrophages are the main source of TNF$\alpha$ in the corpus luteum and endothelial cells are the minor source in the mature and mid-lytic stages, but, in the advanced luteolytic stage, macrophages are the only source of TNF$\alpha$.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.271-277
• /
• 2006

Mast cells (MCs) are granulated cells that play a pivotal role in allergic reaction and inflammation. The granules of mast cells are known to be rich in zinc (Zn). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. We injected $200{\mu}L$ of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) subcutaneously in the dorsal aspect of one hindpaw Finally, zinc selenium autometallography(AMG) was done by Danscher's method. The present study showed the ultrastructures of zinc-containing mast cells found in inflammatory area following an complete freund's adjuvant (CFA) inoculation into the rat hindpaw. At light microscopic level, mast cells were round or oval, at average $12{\mu}m$ in diameter, with many filopodia extending from the cell surface. Because the rather small and spherical nucleus was centrally placed; it was frequently obscured by the cytoplasmic granules, it sometimes could not be seen. Mast cells were distributed chiefly in the vicinity of small blood vessels. In most preparation many mast cells were ruptured and their granules escaped into the surrounding tissue. In electron micrographs, The secretory granules were at average $0.5{\mu}m$ in diameter and were limited by a membrane. The cell surface contained numerous microvilli and folds. Their interior was heterogenous in appearance. The nucleus was surrounded by large numbers of prominent vesicels and a well developed Golgi apparatus, but scant endoplasmic reticulum.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.105-111
• /
• 2015

In late December 2013, the Ebola virus emerged from West Africa. The outbreak started in Guinea and rapidly spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone. Initially, the virus is spread to the human population after contact with infected wildlife and then spread person-to-person through direct contact with body fluids such as blood, sweat, urine, semen, and breast milk. The Ebola virus infects endothelial cells, mononuclear phagocytes and hepatocytes. It causes massive damage to internal tissues and organs, such as blood vessels and the liver, and ultimately death. Most tests for the virus RNA rely on a technology called reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). While this method is highly sensitive, it is also expensive, requiring skilled scientists, and delicate power supplies. The strip analytical technique (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or ELISA) detects antigens or antibodies to the Ebola virus. This test is cheap and does not require electricity or refrigeration. Despite ongoing efforts directed at experimental treatments and vaccine development, current medical work on the Ebola viral disease is largely limited to supportive therapy. Thus, rapid and reliable diagnoses of the Ebola virus are critically important for patient management, infections, prevention, and control measures.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.157-164
• /
• 2011

Emotion science is one of the rapidly expanding engineering/scientific disciplines which has a major impact on human society. Such growing interests in emotion science and engineering owe the recent trend that various academic fields are being merged. In this paper we propose the potential importance of the biochip technology in which the human emotion can be precisely measured in real time using body fluids such as blood, saliva and sweat. We firstly and newly name such a biochip an Emotion-On-a-Chip (EOC). EOC consists of biological markers to measure the emotion, electrode to acquire the signal, transducer to transfer the signal and display to show the result. In particular, microfabrication techniques made it possible to construct nano/micron scale sensing parts/chips to accommodate the biological molecules to capture the emotional bio-markers and gave us a new opportunities to investigate the emotion precisely. Future developments in the EOC techniques will be able to help combine the social sciences and natural sciences, and consequently expand the scope of studies.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.17 no.2 s.82
• /
• pp.185-191
• /
• 2007

Akt/PKB plays pivotal roles in many physiological responses such as proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Here we show that tyrosine phosphorylation of Akt/PKB is essential for the subsequent phosphorylation at $Thr^{\308}$. Tyrosine phosphorylation of Akt/PKB was induced by stimulation of COS-7 cells with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF) and its phosphorylation was significantly enhanced by constitutive targeting of Akt/PKB to the plasma membrane by myristoylation. Interestingly, incubation of affinity purified Myc-tagged Akt/PKB with purified EGF receptor resulted in tyrosine phosphorylation as well as $Ser^{\473}$ phosphorylation of Akt/PKB. In addition, tyrosine-phosphorylated Akt/PKB could directly associate with activated EGF receptor in vitro. Finally, alanine mutation at putative tyrosine phosphorylation site $(Tyr^{\326})$ abolished EGF induced $Thr^{\308}$ phosphorylation of wild type as well as constitutively active form of Akt/PKB. Given these results we suggest here that direct tyrosine phosphorylation of Akt/PKB by EGF receptor could be another mechanism of EGF-induced control of many physiological responses.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.468-473
• /
• 2001

Castleman's disease or angiofollicular lymph node hyperplasia, is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder. It may be appear as a local or generalized tumor-like condition, usually in chest or abdomen and may involve both lymph nodes and non-nodal tissues. Castleman's disease is an unusal entity which may at times mimic malignancy but is entirely benign in nature. It is topical as it has been noted to occur with AIDS and Kaposi's sarcoma. Careful interpretation of radiogram may help to distinguish Castleman's disease from other tumor condition, such as lymphoma, neurogenic tumor, or even angiofibroma, etc. But exact diagnosis must be made on the basis of histologic confirmation. In addition to histologic features, clinical distinction between the localized and multicentric form is important in selecting appropriate management. Surgical excision of an localized mass is the first choice of treatment. Partial resection, radiotherapy or observation alone may avoid the need for exessively aggressive therapy. Patients with multicentric disease don't benefit by surgical management because of systemic manifestation and rapid deterioration. Thus, antineoplastic agents and steroids may offer an alternative form of therapy. We report a case of female patient with Castleman's disease in oral and maxillofacial region, treated by surgical excision with good results.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.180-191
• /
• 1990

A comparison was made of the effects of selective ${\alpha_1}-adrenoceptor$ agonist phenylephrine and selective ${\alpha_2}-adrenoceptor$ agonist clonidine on endothelium-containing and endothelium-denuded rings of the rat aorta. In the case of phenylephrine, removal of endothelium increased sensitivity 2.5 fold at $EC_{50}$ level and maximum contractive response 1.4 fold. In the case of clonidine, which gave only 15% of maximum contractive response given to phenylephrine on endothelium-containing rings, removal of the endothelium increased sensitivity 5.6 fold at $EC_{50}$ level and maximum contractive response 5 fold, which was about 55% of that given by phenylephrine. In endothelium-denuded ring, phenylephrine-induced contraction tended to be more increased in tonic contraction than in phasic contraction as compared to that in endothelium-containing ring, while clonidine-induced contraction was monophasic and was increased only in tonic contraction. In the calcium-free solution or in the presence, of verapamil, contraction stimulated by clonidine was almost abolished while that stimulated by phenylephrine produced only phasic contraction. The depression of sensitivity to these agonists in rings with endothelium appeared to be due to the vasodepressor action of endothelium derived relaxing factor (EDRF), because hemoglobin, a specific blocking agent of EDRF, abolished this depression. It is unlikely that the endothelium-dependent relaxation was due to stimulation of release of EDRF, because clonidine did not produce endothelium-dependent relaxation in 5-hydroxytryptamine-precontracted ring even when its contractile action was blocked by the ${\alpha_1}-adrenoceptor$ antagonist, prazosin. When the efficacy of phenylephrine was reduced to about the initial efficacy of clonidine by pretreatment with dibenamine, the contraction-response curves for phenylephrine became very similar to the corresponding curves obtained for clonidine before receptor inactivation. In the dibenamine-treated rings, contraction of phenylephrine was abolished in calcium-free solution or in the presence of verapamil like that obtained for clonidine before receptor inactivation. These results suggest that EDRF spontaneously released from endothelium depress contraction more profoundly in a case of an agonist with low efficacy and the phenylephrine-induced contraction was totally dependent on extracellular calcium as was that obtained for clonidine when the efficacy of phenylephrine was reduced to that of clonidine by irreversible inactivation of ${\alpha_1}-adrenoceptor$ with dibenamine.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.30 no.11
• /
• pp.1092-1096
• /
• 1997

Thromboelastography(TEG) enables a global assessment of hemostatic function to be made from a single blood sample, documenting the interaction of platelets with protein coagulation cascade from the time of the initial platelet-fibrin interaction, through platelet aggregation, clot strengthening and fibrin cross linking to eventual clot Iysis. Thirty-five patients(mean age 34$\pm$ 12) undergoing open heart surgery from April 1st, 1996 to August 31th, 1996 were investigated at preoperatively and immediate, one hour, and 24 hours after cessation of cardiopulmonary bypass using TEG. Comparisons were made between classic hematological indices and TEG data. There were statistically significant correlation between maximal amplitude(MA) and platelet count before CPB, activating clotting time(ACT) and TEG date(R time, K time and a angle) at 24-hour after CPB. The data on the predictive accuracy for postoperative bleeding at 24-hour after CPB, the TEG was significantly better than ACT(57%) or the coagulation profiles(43%) as a predictor of postoperative bleeding, with an accuracy rate of 100% (P=0.0043). In conclusion, TEG seems to be easy to use, clinically accurate, cost effective and provides data which can effectively manage a patient's hemostasis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.36 no.11
• /
• pp.852-857
• /
• 2003

Background: Conventional treatment for mesothelioma is largely ineffective. We evaluated the novel approach of adenoviral gene transfection of PTEN gene in mesothelioma cancer cell lines, inflammatory and epithelial subtype, which are sensitive to adenoviral p53. Material and Method: Binary adenoviral PTEN and LacZ (Ad/GT-LacZ and Ad/GV16) vectors were used for transduction of the mesothelioma cell lines, REN (p53 sensitive). Protein levels were determined by Western blotting assay. Apoptosis was assessed by fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis of subdiploid populations. Cell viability was determined with the XTT assay. Statistical analysis was performed with analysis of variance and the Student t test. Result: 72 hours after the treatment of adenoviral PTEN gene, cell killing were 32.9% for REN compared to control cell (2.5%) at MOI of 20. Also we observed the over-expression of proapoptotic protein, bax and decreased expression of bcl-2 protein in REN cells. But the expression of BCL-xl, Bak, Bad proteins were not altered. Conclusion: Adenovirus Pten-mediated overexpression of the Bax gene induces apoptosis and decreased cellular viability in p53-sensitive mesothelioma cells. These data suggest that the transfection of PTEN gene may represent a alternative gene therapy strategy to treat mesothelioma.