Berberine Ameliorates Brain Inflammation in Poloxamer 407-Induced Hyperlipidemic Rats / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

PURPOSE@#Hyperlipidemia, which promotes the development of atherosclerosis, ischemic stroke, and other forms of brain injury, can be induced by poloxamer-407. Berberine is a primary pharmacological active component of Coptidis Rhizoma that has a number of therapeutic activities. This study investigated the effects of berberine on poloxamer-407-induced brain inflammation by evaluating its effects on short-term memory, cell proliferation, inflammation, and apoptosis in the hippocampus.@*METHODS@#To induce hyperlipidemia in a rat model, 500 mg/kg of poloxamer-407 was injected intraperitoneally. Berberine was orally administered to the rats in the berberine-treated groups once a day for 4 weeks. The step-down task avoidance task was performed to measure short-term memory. An analysis of serum lipids, immunohistochemistry for 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1) in the dentate gyrus, and western blot analysis for Bax, Bcl-2, and cytochrome c in the hippocampus were performed.@*RESULTS@#In hyperlipidemic rats, berberine reduced the levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increased the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in hyperlipidemic rats. Berberine also increased cell proliferation and short-term memory, as well as decreasing the expression of GFAP, Iba1, Bax, and cytochrome c and increasing Bcl-2 expression.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Berberine treatment improved short-term memory in hyperlipidemia by increasing neuronal proliferation and inhibiting neuronal apoptosis. Berberine treatment also improved lipid metabolism.

Treadmill Exercise Ameliorates Chemotherapy-Induced Muscle Weakness and Central Fatigue by Enhancing Mitochondrial Function and Inhibiting Apoptosis / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

PURPOSE@#Chemotherapy is associated with the side effects including damage to the mitochondrial DNA. Doxorubicin (DOX) serves as a chemotherapeutic agent for the patients with breast cancer or prostate cancer. DOX causes muscle weakness and fatigue. We investigated the effects of treadmill exercise on DOX-induced apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction in relation to central fatigue. For this study, we used the rat model of DOX-induced muscle damage.@*METHODS@#DOX (2 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected 1 time per week for 4 weeks. Treadmill running continued 5 days per week for 4 weeks. Muscle strength and fatigue index in the gastrocnemius were measured. Immunohistochemistry for the expressions of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the dorsal raphe was conducted. We used western blot analysis for the expressions of Bax, Bcl-2, and caspases-3 in the gastrocnemius. Mitochondrial function in the gastrocnemius was also evaluated.@*RESULTS@#DOX treatment decreased muscle strength with increase of fatigue index in the gastrocnemius. Mitochondria function was deteriorated and apoptosis in the gastrocnemius was enhanced by DOX treatment. Expressions of TPH and 5-HT in the dorsal raphe were increased by DOX treatment. Treadmill exercise attenuated DOX-induced muscle fatigue and impairment of mitochondria function. Apoptosis in the gastrocnemius was inhibited and over-expression of TPH and 5-HT was suppressed by treadmill exercise.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Apoptosis was enhanced and mitochondria function was deteriorated by DOX treatment, resulting in muscle weakness and central fatigue. Treadmill exercise suppressed apoptosis and prevented deterioration of mitochondria function in muscle, resulting in alleviation of muscle weakness and central fatigue during DOX therapy.

A Case of Congenital Trichofolliculoma / 대한피부과학회지

Trichofolliculoma is a benign, highly structured harmartoma of the pilosebaceous unit characterized by one or more large cystic follicles with smaller radiating follicular structures. This benign neoplasm appears in middle age and rarely occurs prior to early adult life. We report a case of congenital trichofolliculoma in a 10-day-old female neonate noted from birth.

A Clinicopathological Study of Kaposi's Varicelliform Eruption / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Kaposi's varicelliform eruption (KVE) is a viral infection with disseminated skin involvement, superimposed on a pre-existing dermatosis. A monomorphic eruption of dome-shaped blisters and pustules in the eczematous lesions, along with severe systemic illness, leads to clinical diagnosis. However, there is no data on the clinicopathologic study of KVE in Koreans. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify clinicopathologic features of KVE. METHOD: We reviewed the medical records and biopsy slides of 21 patients who had previously been diagnosed as having KVE at the National Medical Center between 1990 and 2004. RESULTS: The study results are summarized as follows: 1. The most common pre-existing disease was atopic dermatitis, followed by seborrheic dermatitis and Darier's disease. 2.Men were more commonly affected than women, and the mean age at diagnosis of eczema herpeticum was 30.8 years. 3.Face involvement was seen in 4 patients, and systemic involvement in 6 patients. 4. Histopathologically, common findings included ballooning degeneration (76.1%), reticular degeneration (47.6%), multinucleated giant cell (57.1%), and inclusion body (28.6%), and leukocytoclastic vasculitis (47.6%). CONCLUSION: KVE is a secondary viral infection that can affect patients who suffer from a primary dermatologic condition. In many instances, the history and clinical findings may be sufficient for diagnosis of KVE. However, the clinicopathologic features can help also diagnose KVE and pre-existing dermatosis.

A Case of Linear Verrucous Epidermal Nevus with Cutaneous Horn

No abstract available.

A Case of Epithelioid Angiosarcoma on the Back / 대한피부과학회지

Epithelioid angiosarcoma has recently been described as a variant of angiosarcoma, based on its pathologic feature which is characterized by epithelioid or histiocytoid morphology of the malignant tumor cells. We report a case of epithelioid angiosarcoma on the lower back of a 65-year-old man. The patient had several, variable-sized, pedunculated, fungating masses. On histopathologic examination, the tumor was chiefly composed of solid sheets of atypical epithelioid cells with prominent eosinophilic cytoplasm, a large vesicular nuclei, and occasional intracytoplasmic vacuoles. Primitive vascular spaces, and a cleft with malignant cells and proliferating vessels were also found in some areas. The reticulum stain and immunohistochemical stain using factor VII-related antigen and CD 31 were focally positive in the tumor. He was treated by wide surgical excision.

A Case of Prurigo Nodularis Treated with Narrow-band UVB and Naltrexone / 대한피부과학회지

Prurigo nodularis is a distressing, chronic disease, which is considered to be very resistant to therapy. Treatment choice is quite limited. Among them, opiate antagonist and phototherapy have been used with satisfactory results. We report a case of treatment-resistant prurigo nodularis. Narrow band-UVB phototherapy was performed twice weekly for 3 months. Naltrexone 50mg was also taken daily before sleep. Pruritus was midly reduced after 1 week, and had almost completely disappeared after 3 months of treatment.

Comparisons of the Exercise Types on Leg Muscle Strength, Balance and Walking ability in Elders

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of aerobics and aquarobics exercise programs on elders' leg muscle strength, balance and walking ability in elders. The participants of the study were 21 elders; 11 of them participated in the aerobics exercise program and 10 of them participated in the aquarobic exercise program. METHODS: Both of the participants practiced for 10 weeks. The data were analyzed with using two-way ANOVA with repeated measures on the last factor. RESULTS: The results were summarized as follows: First, the main effect of exercise programs(aerobics x aquarobics) and the interaction effect between the exercise programs and the leg muscle strength were not significant. Second, the participants' static balance of the aquarobics exercise program increased more than that of the aerobics exercise program. Third, the participants' dynamic balance of the aquarobics exercise program increased more than that of the aerobics exercise program. Fourth, the main effect of exercise programs and the interaction effect between the exercise programs and the increase in gait speed were not significant. Fifth, the participants' step length of aquarobics exercise group increased more than that of the aerobics exercise program. All of the participants' leg muscle strength, static balance, dynamic balance, gait speed and step length increased after the both of two exercise programs. And, more importantly, the positive effect of the aquarobics exercise program on static balance, dynamic balance and step length was stronger than that of the aerobics exercise program. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the aquarobics exercise program be more effective exercise on elders' balance and walking ability than the aerobics exercise program.

A Case of Cutaneous Sarcoidosis Treated with Thalidomide / 대한피부과학회지

A patient with cutaneous sarcoidosis was treated with thalidomide for steroid unresponsive sarcoidal granulomas of the skin. The duration of the therapy was 16 weeks, during which time, the skin lesions showed clinically and histologically improvement. The initial dosage was 50mg a day, which was increased to 100mg a day after 5 weeks. No side effect was noted. The good response of sarcoidal granulomas of the skin to thalidomide observed in this patient demonstrates the usefulness of this drug as a possible long-term monotherapeutic or steroid-sparing agent in the treatment of cutaneous sarcoidosis.

A Case of Eccrine Poroma with Transepidermal Elimination / 대한피부과학회지

Transepidermal elimination (TE) is a spontaneously developed phenomenon in certain skin disorders in which altered connective tissue or foreign material is expelled via epidermis to the exterior. TE may occur either as a primary process such as elastosis perforans serpiginosa and reactive perforating collagenosis, or a secondary phenomenon, such as perforating granuloma annulare and pseudoxanthoma elasticum. We experienced a case of eccrine poroma on the scalp with keratinized tumor cells expelled through transpeidermal cannal microscopically.

A Case of Solar Urticaria / 대한피부과학회지

Solar urticaria can be defined as an idiopathic photodermatosis characterized by the occurrence of itchy erythematous or urticarial lesions that are provoked only by sunlight and disappear nearly within 24 hours after avoidance of sun exposure. A 25-year-old male patient was presented with a 7-year history of recurrent wheals and itching, which developed after sunlight exposure. Cutaneous lesions and itching completely subside within 2 hours after avoidance of sunlight. Phototesting for UVB, UVA and visible light were all negative. But provocative test with natural sunlight showed positive result. Histopathologically, edema of papillary dermis and mild perivascular inflammatory infiltrations were seen.

Two Cases of Herpetic Syringitis / 대한피부과학회지

The histology of herpes virus infection of the skin is characterized as an intraepidermal vesicle formed as the result of acantholysis and ballooning degeneration of kerationocytes. Dermal changes is limited to polymorphous inflammatory cells infiltrate, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, and herpetic folliculitis. Involvement of eccrine epithelium is very rare finding. We report two cases of herpes zoster with prominent viral infection of the eccrine sweat glands.