Altered Expression of eNOS and VEGF in the Rat Choroid Plexus following Systemic Hyponatremia / 대한해부학회지

In the present study, alterations of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in the third ventricle choroid plexus and their effects to the adjacent hippocampus were studied in the systemic hyponatremic model with the total of 29 adult male Spraque-Dawley rats. Systemic hyponatremia was induced by the coadministration of 30mL(~12% body weight) dextrose solution (140 mmol/L) intraperitoneally and a 3-microgram subcutaneous dose of 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (dDAVP). Two and six hours after the drug administration, there were significant reductions in the serum osmolarity (252+/-5.1 and 252+/-6.4 mOsm /L) and in Na+ concentration (117+/-1.7 and 97.2 mM) from the control values (osmolarity: 296+/-5.2 mOsm/L, Na+ concentration: 140+/-4.7 mM). The expression levels of eNOS and VEGF protein in the choroid plexus were determined by using immunohistochemistry and quantitative immunoblotting. There was a significant increase in the expression of the eNOS (135%+/-2%, P<0.05), whereas the expression of the VEGF was slightly increased compared with the control rats after 2 h of systemic hyponatremia. 6 h after the onset of systemic hyponatremia, expression of the eNOS and the VEGF was decreased simultaneously. Consistent with the expression of the eNOS in choroid plexus after 2 h after systemic hyponatremia, cresyl violet staining revealed necrotic cell death in the hippocampus CA3 subfield, presumably resulting from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) overproduction and subsequent an elevation of intracranial pressure. Thus, activation of the eNOS protein in the choroid plexus may be one of the molecular mechanisms of the hippocampal cell injury. Additionally, substantial decrease of eNOS and VEGF expression in the choroid plexus after 6 h of the systemic hyponatremia may reflect the eNOS and VEGF in response to the systemic hyponatremia undergo the regulatory changes to prevent the overproduction of CSF. Overall, these results suggest that NO-mediated excessive water influx into the ventricle is important for the cerebral pathogenesis after the systemic hyponatremia.

A Clinical Study of Infiltrating Lobular Breast Cancer / 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: Infiltrating lobular carcinoma of the breast was known to have a high incidence of multicentricity and bilaterality in patients. We analyzed the clinical features of infiltrating lobular breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 29 patients with infiltrating lobular carcinoma of the breast, from Jan. 1980 to Mar. 1997 in the Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital. RESULTS: The age of the patients ranged from 32 to 71 years with an average of 45.2 years. The main complaining symptom was a painless mass. The diameter of the tumor ranged from 0.7 to 7 cm with a mean size of 2.8 cm. The axillary lymph node was positive for malignancy in 12 cases. The number of multicentric breast cancers were 7 cases (24.1%), and the number of bilateral breast cancers were 3 cases (10.3%). The estrogen receptor was positive in 66.7%, and the progesterone receptor was positive in 75% of the cases. There were one local recurrence and three distant metastases during a mean follow-up period of 4.5 years. The 5-year survival rate and 5-year disease free survival rate were 89.6% and 88.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Infiltrating lobular breast cancers are at greater risk of developing multicentricity and bilaterality than nonlobular breast cancers. Careful program of frequent follow-up examinations and thorough histopathological studies are needed for patients with infiltrating lobular breast cancers.