• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.360-366
• /
• 2013

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of multivitamin on macrophage activity in Raw 264.7 cell and repeated oral dose toxicity in Sprague-Dawely rat of multivitamin. Raw 264.7 cells were treated with 50 and $100{\mu}g/mL$ multivitamin for 24 h. To measure the activity of macrophages, NO and TNF-${\alpha}$ assays were performed in Raw 264.7 cells. Treatment with 50 and $100{\mu}g/mL$ multivitamin for 24 h significantly increased production of NO and TNF-${\alpha}$ compared with control groups, indicating activation of macrophages. The female rats were treated with multivitamin of control group, low group (0.24 g/kg), medium group (1 g/kg) and high group (2 g/kg) intragastrically for 4 weeks, respectively. We examined the body weight, the feed intake, the clinical signs and serum biochemical analysis. We also observed the histopathological changes of liver, ovary, brain, adrenal gland, spleen, kidney, heart and lung in rats. No significant differences in body weights, feed intake, biochemical analysis and histopathological observations between control and multivitamin treatment group were found. In conclusion, multivitamin is physiologically safe and improve macrophage activity.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.398-408
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this study was to verify the usefulness of MTT analysis as a tool of measurement of the periodontal ligament cell viability from the extracted rat molar. A total of 80 Sprague-Dawley white female rat of 4 week-old with a body weight of 100 grams were used. The maxillary left and right, first and second molars were extracted under Ketamine anesthesia. Twenty-four teeth of each group (divided as five groups depending upon the time-lapse after extraction such as Immediate, 10, 20, 40 and 60 minutes) were immersed in $200{\mu}l$ of MTT solution (0.5 mg/ml) and processed for optical density measurements. Another 10 teeth of each group were treated as same as above and sectioned at $10{\mu}m$ for microscopic examination. All measurements values were divided by the value of hematoxylin-eosin staining which represented the volume of each corresponding samples. Immediate and 10 minute groups showed highest MTT values followed by 20, 40, and 60 minutes consecutively. Statistical significance (p<0.05) existed between all groups except in immediate versus 10 minute groups and 40 versus 60 minutes. Histological findings also showed similar findings with MTT results in crystal shape and crystal numbers between the experimental groups. These data indicate that in vivo MTT analysis nay be of value for evaluation of the periodontal ligament cell viability without time- consuming cell culturing processes.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.58 no.6
• /
• pp.576-581
• /
• 2005

Background : Thoracic actinomycosis is a relatively uncommon anaerobic infection caused by Actinomyces israelii. There have been only a few case reports of endobronchial actinomycosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical manifestation and treatment of endobronchial actinomycosis. Material and Methods : Seven patients with endobronchial actinomycosis, who were diagnosed in the past 10 years, were retrospectively reviewed. Results : Cough and sputum were the most common symptoms. The chest radiograph and computed tomography showed necrotic consolidation (n=3), atelectasis (n=2), mass (n=1) and an endobronchial nodule (n=1). Proximal broncholithiasis was observed in five patients. All cases were initially suspected to have either lung cancer or tuberculosis. In these patients, the median duration of intravenous antibiotics was 3 days (range 0-12 days) and the median duration of oral antibiotics was 147 days (range 20-412 days). Two patients received oral antibiotic therapy only. There was no clinical evidence of a recurrence. Conclusion : Endobronchial actinomycosis frequently manifests as a proximal obstructive calcified endobronchial nodule that is associated with distal post-obstructive pneumonia. The possibility of endobronchial actinomycosis is suggested when findings of broncholithiasis are present at chest CT. The traditional recommendation of 2-6 weeks of intravenous antibiotics and 6-12 months of oral antibiotic therapy are not necessarily essential in all cases of endobronchial actinomycosis.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.112-117
• /
• 2019

Herbal medicines are widely used as therapeutic products in many countries. Corni fructus (CF), the dried ripe sarcocarp of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc (Cornaceae), has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine and has been reported to be effective for the prevention and treatment of various diseases, such as kidney diseases and diabetes. Recent research on CF has documented a wide spectrum of therapeutic properties, which include anti-inflammatory, ant-oxidative, immunomodulatory, and anti-cancer effects. However, there is no information on its safety. Therefore, in this study, the toxicity of water extract of CF to ICR mice was investigated. The mice received a single dose of water extract of CF (1,000, 2,000, and 5,000 mg/kg of body weight) via the oral route. Mortality, clinical signs, body weight changes, gross findings, and weights of the principal organs after 14 d were then assessed. The results revealed no adverse effects of CF as determined by clinical signs, body weights, or organ weights and no gross pathological findings in any of the treatment groups. These results suggest that the 50% lethal dose and approximated lethal dose of CF extract is over 5,000 mg/kg. The findings provide scientific evidence for the safety of CFs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.12
• /
• pp.7367-7369
• /
• 2013

Background: Inoperable and metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with a poor prognosis and low chemotherapeutic efficiency. Sorafenib is an oral multi-kinase inhibitor exerting its effects via the RAF/MEK/ERK pathway, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) and platelet derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFR-${\beta}$) tyrosine kinases. Randomized studies have shown a significant contribution of sorafenib to life expectancy and quality of life of cancer patients. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy and side effects of sorafenib therapy in Turkey. Materials and Methods: Data for 103 patients (82 males, 21 females) receiving sorafenib therapy in 13 centers from February 2008 to December 2012 were evaluated. Median age was 61 years and median ECOG performance status was 1 (range: 0-2). 60 patients (58%) had hepatitis B, 15 patients (15%) had hepatitis C infection and 12 patients (12%) had a history of alcohol consumption. All of the patients had Child scores meeting the utilization permit of the drug in our country (Child A). Results: A total of 571 cycles of sorafenib therapy were administered with a median of four per patient. Among the evaluable cases, there was partial response in 15 (15%), stable disease in 52 (50%), and progressive disease in 36 (35%). Median progression-free survival was 18 weeks and median overall survival was 48 weeks. The dose was reduced only in 6 patients and discontinued in 2 patients due to grade 3-4 toxicity, 18 patients (17%) suffering hand-foot syndrome, 7 (7%) diarrhea, and 2 (2%) vomiting. Conclusions: This retrospective study demonstrated better efficacy of sorafenib therapy in patients with advanced HCC compared to the literature while progression-free survival and overall survival findings were comparable. The side effect rates indicate that the drug was tolerated well. In conclusion, among the available treatment options, sorafenib is an efficient and tolerable agent in patients with inoperable or metastatic HCC.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.129-136
• /
• 2009

Purpose: To determine optimal imaging time for diagnostic I-123 whole body scan in the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer(DTC), we compared the image quality of 6- and 24-hour images of the same subjects. Materials and Methods: Four hundred ninety-eight patients(M:F = 55:443, Age $47.6{\pm}12.9$ years) with DTC who had undergone total thyroidectomy and I-131 ablation therapy underwent diagnostic whole body scanning 6 hour and 24 hour after oral ingestion of 185 MBq(5 mCi) of I-123. Serum thyroglobulin measurement and ultrasonography of the neck were performed at the time of imaging. In 40 patients underwent additional I-131 therapy, post-therapy I-131 images were obtained and compared with diagnostic I-123 images. Results: In 440 patients(88.4%), 6- and 24-hour diagnostic I-123 images were concordant, and 58 patients(11.6%) showed discordant findings. Among 58 discordant patients, 31 patients showed abnormal tracer uptake on only 6-hour image, which turned out false-positive findings in all cases. In 12 patients with positive findings on only 24-hour image, remnant thyroid tissue(4 patients) and cervical lymph node metastasis(3 patients) were presented. Among 40 patients underwent additional I-131 therapy, 6-hour and 24-hour images were discordant in 13 patients. All 5 patients with abnormal uptake on only 6-hour image revealed false-positive results, whereas most of 24-hour images were concordant with post-therapy I-131 images. Conclusion: I-123 imaging at 24-hour could reduce false-positive findings and improve diagnostic accuracy, compared with 6-hour image in the follow-up of patient with DTC.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.205-210
• /
• 2006

Purpose: FDG uptake on positron omission tomography (PET) has been considered a prognostic indicator in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study was to assess the clinical significance of maximum value of SUV (maxSUV) in recurrence prediction in patients with surgically resected NSCLC. Materials & methods: NSCLC patients (n=42, F:M =14:28, age $62.3{\pm}12.3$ y) who underwent curative resection after FDG-PET were enrolled. Twenty-nine patients had pathologic stage 1, and 13 had pathologic stage II. Thirty-one patients were additionally treated with adjuvant oral chemotherapy. MaxSUVs of primary tumors were analyzed for correlation with tumor recurrence and compared with pathologic or clinical prognostic indicators. The median follow-up duration was 16 mo (range, 3-26 mo). Results: Ten (23.8%) of the 42 patients experienced recurrence during a median follow-up of 7.5 mo (range, 3-13 mo). Univariate analysis revealed that disease-free survival (DFS) was significantly correlated with maxSUV (<7 vs. $\geq7$, p=0.006), tumor size (<3 cm vs. $\geq3$ cm, p=0.024), and tumor tell differentiation (well/moderate vs. poor, p=0.044). However, multivariate Cox proportional analysis identified maxSUV as the single determinant for DFS (p=0.014). Patients with a maxSUV of $\geq7$(n=10) had a significantly lower 1-year DFS rate (50.0%) than those with a maxSUV of <7 (n=32, 87.5%). Conclusion: MaxSUV is a significant independent predictor for recurrence in surgically resected NSCLC. FDG uptake can be added to other well-known factors in prognosis prediction of NSCLC.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.334-342
• /
• 2002

Purpose : The aim of this study was to determine if postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) alone and concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT), following radical surgery, improved the disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in rectal cancer AJCC stage II and III patients. Materials and Methods : A total of 144 patients with AJCC stage II and III rectal cancer who had had radical surgery between 1989 and 1999 were included in the study. Of these patients, 72 had been treated with postoperative CT, and the other 72 with postoperative CCRT. The chemotherapy regimen consisted of oral UFT on a daily basis for $1\~12$ months (median 12 months) or 5-FU ($500\;mg/m^2$ for 5 days) intravenous (IV) chemotherapy with 4 week intervals for $1\~18$ cycles (median 6 cycles). Radiation of 4,500 cGy was delivered to the surgical bed and regional pelvic lymph nodes area, followed by $540\~1,440\;cGy$ (median 540 cGy) boost to the surgical bed. The follow-up period ranged from 20 to 150 months, with a median of 44 months. Results : The 5-year OS was $60.9\%\;and\;68.9\%$ (p=0.0915), and the 5-year DFS was $56.1\%\;and\;63.8\%$ (p=0.3510) for postoperative CT and postoperative CCRT, respectively. In the stage nm patients, the 5-year OS was $71.1\%\;and\;92.2\%$, and the 5-year DFS was $57.3\%\;and\;85.4\%$ for postoperative CT and CCRT, respectively. The OS was significantly improved (p=0.0379) but the DFS was not with postoperative CCRT compared to the postoperative CT (p=0.1482). In the stage III patients, the 5-year OS was $52.0\%\;and\;55.0\%$, and the 5-year DFS was $47.8\%\;and\;49.8\%$ for postoperative CT and postoperative CCRT. There were no statistically significant differences between postoperative CT and CCRT (p=0.4280 and p=0.7891) in OS and DFS. The locoregional relapses were $16.7\%\;and\;12.5\%$ for postoperative CT and CCRT, respectively. The distant relapses were $25.0\%\;and\;26.4\%$ for postoperative CT and CCRT, respectively. Conclusion : These results showed that postoperative CCRT compared with CT alone improved OS in stage II patients. Although there was no statistical significance, the addition of postoperative RT to CT reduced locoregional relapses compared to CT alone.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.221-227
• /
• 2002

Purpose : To evaluate the role of postoperative chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer, we retrospectively analyzed the treatment results of patients treated by curative surgical resection and postoperative chemoradiotherapy. Materials and Methods : From April 1989 through December 1998, 119 patients were treated with curative surgery and postoperative chemoradiotherapy for rectal carcinoma in Gyeongsang National University Hospital. Patient age ranged from 32 to 73 years, with a median age of 56 years. Low anterior resection was peformed in 59 patients, and abdominoperineal resection in 60. Forty-three patients were AJCC stage II and 76 were stage III. Radiation was delivered with 6 MV X rays using either AP-PA two fields, AP-PA both lateral four fields, or PA both lateral three fields. Total radiation dose ranged from 40 Gy to 56 Gy. In 73 patients, bolus infusions of 5-FU $(400\;mg/m^2)$ were given during the first and fourth weeks of radiotherapy. After completion of radiotherapy, an additional four to six cycles of 5-FU were given. Oral 5-FU (Furtulone) was given for nine months in 46 patients. Results : Forty $(33.7\%)$ of the 119 patients showed treatment failure. Local failure occurred in 16 $(13.5\%)$ patients, 1 $(2.3\%)$ of 43 stage II patients and 15 $(19.7\%)$ of 76 stage III patients. Distant failure occurred in 31 $(26.1\%)$ patients, among whom 5 $(11.6\%)$ were stage II and 26 $(34.2\%)$ were stage III. Five-year actuarial survival was $56.2\%$ overall, $71.1\%$ in stage II patients and $49.1\%$ in stage III patients (p=0.0008). Five-year disease free survival was $53.3\%$ overall, $68.1\%$ in stage II and $45.8\%$ in stage III (p=0.0006). Multivariate analysis showed that T stage and N stage were significant prognostic factors for five year survival, and that T stage, N stage, and preoperative CEA value were significant prognostic factors for five year disease free survival. Bowel complication occurred in 22 patients, and was treated surgically in 15 $(12.6\%)$, and conservatively in 7 $(5.9\%)$. Conclusion : Postoperative chemoradiotherapy was confirmed to be an effective modality for local control of rectal cancer, but the distant failure rate remained high. More effective modalities should be investigated to lower the distant failure rate.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.26-31
• /
• 2007

Background and Objectives：Microvascular free flap reconstruction has been revolutionized in last two decades, and became a standard option in the reconstruction of head and neck defects. We intended to review our experiences of 51 microvascular free flap for head and neck defects during 5-year period and to analyze the types of flaps according to primary sites, success and complication rates. Subjects and Methods：From Oct. 2001 through Dec. 2005, fifty one free flap reconstructions were performed in forty nine patients at ENT department of Soonchunhyang university bucheon hospital. Primary sites, pathology, T-stage, operative time, time interval of oral feeding, and various reconstructive factors such as recipient and donor vessels, free flap related complications, failure rates and salvage rates were retrospectively analyzed. The relation between complication rates and preoperative risk factors were statistically analyzed. Results：Methods of reconstruction were radial forearm free flap(RFFF)(n=28, 54.9%), anterolateral thigh free flaps(n=9, ALTFF)(17.6%), rectus abdominis free flap(n=7, RAFF)(13.7%), jejunal free flap(n=5, JFF)(9.8%), and miscellanous(n=2, 4.0%) in order. In free flap related complications, failure of free flap occurred in seven cases(13.7%) and pharyngocutaneous fistula occurred in five cases(9.8%) among fifty one free flaps. The overall success rate of free flaps was 86.3%. Salvage of free flaps was possible only one among eight cases(12.5%). In positive preoperative risk factor groups, failure of free flap was higher than in negative risk factor group. However, it was not statistically significant. Conclusion：We confirmed that free flap reconstructions are highly versatile and reliable options for use in the reconstruction of various soft tissue defects of the head and neck. Free flaps have gained great popularity given its versatility, ability for a two-team approach, and minimal donor site morbidity. However, complications related to microvascular surgery may be overcome by increased surgical experience and by intensive flap monitoring in early postoperative period.