• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.58 no.5
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• pp.432-441
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• 2015

Objective : To assess the impact of the complete resection of craniopharyngioma (CP) in adults on oncologic and functional outcomes. Methods : We retrospectively analyzed 82 patients with CP who were surgically treated by the same neurosurgeon at our institution between January 1994 and December 2012. Results : Gross total resection (GTR) was achieved in 71 patients (86.6%), near total resection (NTR) in 7 patients (8.5%), and subtotal resection (STR) in 3 patients (3.7%). The disease-specific overall survival rate was 100% with the exclusion of 2 surgery-related mortalities. The overall recurrence rate was 12.2% (10 of 82 patients), however the recurrence rate according to extent of resection (EOR) was 9.9% (7 of 71 patients) after GTR, 14.3% (1 of 7 patients) after NTR, and 66.7% (2 of 3 patients) after STR. The overall recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates at 5 and 10 years were 87.0% and 76.8%, respectively. Postoperatively, most patients (86.3%) needed hormone replacement for at least 1 hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Vision improved in 56.4% of the patients with preoperative abnormal vision, but deteriorated in 27.4% of patients. Hypothalamic dysfunction developed in 32.9% of patients. There were no significant differences in the risks of pituitary dysfunction, visual deterioration, or hypothalamic dysfunction between the groups with complete vs. incomplete removal. The overall rate of postoperative complications was 22.0%, which did not differ between groups (p=0.053). Conclusion : The complete removal of a CP at first surgery can provide a chance for a cure with acceptable morbidity and mortality risks.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1204-1208
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• 2000

Objectives : At the closure of the transsphenoidal approach(TSA), the proper sellar floor reconstruction plays an important role in preventing postoperative complications. The septal cartilage, perpendicular plate of nasal septum, and the sphenoid sinus bone are usually used to repair the sellar floor as a bone splint. The authors evaluate the usefulness of a silicone plate as a substitute for bone splint to close a defect of the sellar floor. Materials and Methods : A silicone plate was used to repair the sellar floor in 7 patients with sellar lesions which included four pituitary adenomas, two Rathke's cleft cysts and one metastatic tumor. Among seven cases, five cases underwent a standard TSAs and two received a extended TSAs. The trajectories of the approach were sublabial in four cases and endonasal routes in three cases. The silicone plate for implantation was cut to a size of slightly larger than that of bone window and inserted with a three-pronged fork, and then adjusted precisely. Results : In six patients, there were no complications which related to sellar floor reconstruction. A postoperative cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) rhinorrhea was observed in one patient with pituitary macroadenoma. Conclusions : From the authors' experience, the advantages of the silicone plate are its simplicity of molding to fit any size of sellar floor defects, and easy detection of previously created bone window at reoperation.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.177-193
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• 2003

Objective : The present studies investigated the effects of 120Hz high frequency electroacupunctue(EA) on the stress-induced stomach dysfunction in relation to its effect on the level of stress hormone and gastric mucosal damages. The gastric mucosal injury was induced by cold-restraint stress and two acupoints corresponding to Zusanli and Sanyinjiao in man were used. Methods: Cold-restraint stress produced typical gastric lesions in all rats of the stressed groups, but he number of ulcers as well as the mean ulcer diameter were reduced by 120 Hz EA pre-treatment. The cold-restraint stress also induced an increase in catecholamine response involving epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine, but an slight decline were observed in EA pre-treated rats compared with cold-restrained rats. Results: The degranulation value of gastric mast cell was significantly higher in cold-restrained rats than in control ones. However, with the significant reduction of degranulation values of gastric mast cells in EA pre-treated rats compared with cold-restrained ones, $PGE_2$ content in the gastric mucosa of EA pre-treated rats was also different from that observed in cold-restrained rats. Cold-restraint stress induced an elevated mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory gene such as cyclooxygenases-2 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-${\alpha}$, but these expression were down-regulated in EA pre-treated rats. Immunohistochemecal analysis showed that while the inhibitory-${\kappa}B{\alpha}$ an TNF-${\alpha}$ immunoreaction in the surface epithelium of the stomach tended to increase, both reactions in the EA pre-treated rats showed similar pattern as observed in controls. Conclusions : These results suggest that 120 Hz EA may act as a therapeutical means for gastric mucosal damages through a activation of pituitary adrenal system. it could be concluded that 120 hz high frequency electroacupuncture affords a good protective potential against stress-induce gastrointestinal dysfunction.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.8
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• pp.794-798
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• 2007

Hepatopulmonary syndrome is a triad that includes: hepatic dysfunction, intrapulmonary vascular dilatation and abnormal arterial oxygenation. The incidence of intrapulmonary vascular dilatations, in adults with end-stage liver disease, has been reported to be 13% to 47%, however the incidence in children is unclear and the cases in Korean children have never been reported. The hepatopulmonary syndrome may occur as a result of chronic liver disease following nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in children with hypothalamic or pituitary dysfunction. We report a case of hepatopulmonary syndrome in a 13-year-old child who had rapidly progressive liver dysfunction secondary to panhypopituitarism after craniopharyngioma resection. Careful monitoring and treatment of endocrine abnormalities and metabolic status, as well as liver function, are required in all children undergoing pituitary tumor resection.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.12-15
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• 2005

Objective : Cerebral edema develops in the brain tumors by loosening of the endothelial tight junction. Tight junction[TJ] proteins, such as occludin and claudin bind adjacent cells tightly. Authors examine the expression rate of occludin in human brain tumors to evaluate the effect of altered expression of occludin on cerebral edema. Methods : Seventy surgical specimens stored at $-70^{\circ}C$ were used. It included 14 astrocytic tumors, 27 meningiomas, 12 scwannomas, 7 pituitary adenomas, 6 hemangioblastomas. and 4 craniopharyngiomas. After protein extraction, expression of occludin was investigated by Western blot analysis. The tumors were classified according to World Health Organization[WHO] classification. Results : The expression rates of occludin in brain tumors were : glioma [8/14=57.1%]. meningioma [16/27=59.3%], schwannoma [10/12=83.3%], pituitary adenoma [6/7=85.7%], hemangioblastoma [6/6=100%], and craniopharyngioma [3/4=75.0%]. The expression rate in glioma and meningioma was lower than other brain tumors. In gliomas, high grade tumor [1/4=25.0%] exhibited lower expression rate of occludin than low grade one [7/10=70.0%]. Conclusion : These results suggest that the expression of occludin is different among the various kinds of brain tumors. In gliomas, its expression is correlated with the histological grade. It may indicate that occludin plays a role in the development of edema in the brain tumors.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.609-627
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• 1992

The study was carried out to obtain the basic data for types, incidence and histopathological features of the spontaneous tumors of the specific pathogen free (SPF) Ktc : ICR mice bred in a barrier system in Technology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology. One hundred of the mice consisted of 50 males and 50 females were examined for 18 months. 1. The overall incidence rate of spontaneous tumors was 51(51%) of 100 heads tested. The male mice showed slightly higher incidence(28%) than the female(23%), and the incidence rate and the number of affected organs were increased with the increasing age of mice. 2. The incidence rate of primary tumor was 59(59%) of 100 heads tested, consisted of 30 cases (50.8%) of benign tumors and 29 cases(49.2%) of malignant tumors. Among the malignant tumors twenty cases were metastasized to various organs. 3. In tumor incidence rates by systems and organs, the male mice showed the high incidence rate in the liver (18%), hematopoietic system (16% ) and lung (14%), while the female mice, in the hematopoietic system(18%), lung(12%), liver(8%) and uterus(8%). 4. The tumors showing the particularly low incidence rates (<1.0%) were rhabdomyosarcoma in the skeletal muscle, malignant schwannoma in the peripheral nerve, cortical adenoma in the adrenal gland, transitional cell carcinoma in the urinary bladder, tubular cell adenoma in the kidney and adenoma in the pituitary gland and harderian gland.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.66-69
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• 2002

In diagnosing a brain tumor, it is essential to obtain samples from many areas of the tumor. Although there are reports about the suitability of material obtained by cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator(CUSA), there is a paucity of reports regarding conventional intraoperative suction. This study was performed to evaluate the usefulness of the suction fluid and the effect of different hemolytic fixatives. Intraoperative suction fluid was obtained from 2 pituitary adenomas and 2 choroid plexus carcinomas. In two cases of mixed astro-oligodendroglioma, one of glioblastoma multiforme and 3 of meningioma, the fluid was collected by CUSA. Each sample was divided into four bottles for the different fixatives such as 0.1N HCI, 10% acetic acid, 95% alcohol, and no additive. All cases were evaluated by the both cytologic smear and cell block preparations, and were reviewed with concomitant histologic diagnosis. The result showed a good correlation between the cytologic study and the histologic diagnosis and 95% alcohol was found to be superior to other fixatives in ceil preservation.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.307-313
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• 2006

The development of in vitro assays has been recommended to screening and testing the potential endocrine disruptors (EDs). These assay systems focus only on identifying the estrogenic or antiestrogenic activity of EDs, whereas a few studies have been carried out to screen the thyroid hormone (TH) disruptors. The aim of this study was to evaluate a test system to detect TH disruptors using rat pituitary tumor $GH_3$ cells. The test system is based on the TH-dependent increase in growth rate. As expected, L-3,5,3-triiodothyronine ($(T_3)$ markedly induced a morphological change in $GH_3$ cells from flattened fibroblastic types to rounded or spindle-shaped types. $T_3$ stimulated $GH_3$ cell growth in a dose-dependent manner with the maximum growth-stimulating effect being observed at a concentration $1{\times}10^9M$. In addition, $T_3$ increased the release of growth hormone and prolactin into the medium of the $GH_3$ cells culture. Using this assay system, the TH-disrupting activities of bisphenol A (BPA) and its related compounds were examined. BPA, dimethy/bisphenol A (DMBPA), and TCI-EP significantly enhanced the growth of $GH_3$ cells in the range of $1{\times}10^{-5}M\;to\;1{\times}10^{-6}M$ concentrations. In conclusion, this in vitro assay system might be useful for identifying potential TH disruptors. However, this method will require further evaluation and standardization before it can be used as a broad-based screening tool.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.10-18
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• 2003

Purpose : To evaluate the role of fractlonated sterotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) in the management of benign brain tumors, we reviewed the clinical, and radiographic responses of patients treated. Methods and Materials : Between March 1995 and March 2002, 36 patients with benign brain tumors were treated by FSRT. The pathological diagnoses consisted of pituitary adenomas (12 patients), cranio-pharyngiomas (5 patients), meningiomas (10 patients), and acoustic neurinomas (9 patients). Radiotherapy doses of 25 to 35 Gy (3~6 Gy/fraction, 5~10 fractions) were prescribed to the 85~90% isodose line, depending upon the location, size and volume of the tumors. The median clinical and radiographical follow up periods were 31 (range, 2~74) and 21 (range, 4~56) months, respectively. Results : In the 35 patients that could be evaluated for their clinical response, 13 (37.1%) were considered improved, 16 (45.7%) stable and 6 (17.2%) worse. Of the 33 patients who had radiographic studies, tumor shrinkage was noted in 17 (51.5%), tumor stabilization in 13 (39.4%), and tumor progression in 3 (9.1%). Of the 17 tumor shrinkage patients, 7 (21.2%) showed a complete response. Acute radiation-induced complications occurred iin 11 (30.6%) patients. Conclusions : FSRT is considered a safe and effective treatment method for begin brain tumors, but large numbers of patients, with relatively long follow-up periods are needed to assess the exact role or effect of FSRT.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1235-1239
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• 2008

To study the health promoting effects of medicinal plants, 30 medicinal plants commonly available in Korea have been evaluated for their antioxidant compounds and antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. Total polyphenolics and flavonoids in the methanolic extracts were measured by spectrophotometric methods and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activities and chelating effects have been determined for antioxidant activities. Moreover, the effects of medicinal plants on cell proliferation of intestinal (Caco-2) and pituitary (GH3) tumor cells were investigated using thiazolyl blue terazolium bromide (MIT) assay. The methanolic extracts of Pueraria thunbergiana and Artemisiae asiatria contained the highest total polyphenolic and flavonoid contents, respectively. P. thunbergiana exhibited the highest antioxidant activities. A. asiatria showed the strongest antiproliferative activity against Caco-2 and Ponciruc trifoliata Rafin and Lophathrum gracile Bronghiart exhibited the highest activities against GH3. Although there was positive correlation between ABTS radical scavenging activity and polyphenolic contents ($R^2=8189$), no relationship was found between antiproliferative and antioxidant activities.