Kalkitoxin attenuates calcification of vascular smooth muscle cells via RUNX-2 signaling pathways

Background@#Kalkitoxin (KT) is an active lipopeptide isolated from the cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula found in the bed of the coral reef. Although KT suppresses cell division and inflammation, KT’s mechanism of action in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is unidentified. Therefore, our main aim was to investigate the impact of KT on vascular calcification for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. @*Objectives@#Using diverse calcification media, we studied the effect of KT on VSMC calcification and the underlying mechanism of this effect. @*Methods@#VSMC was isolated from the 6 weeks ICR mice. Then VSMCs were treated with different concentrations of KT to check the cell viability. Alizarin red and von Kossa staining were carried out to examine the calcium deposition on VSMC. Thoracic aorta of 6 weeks mice were taken and treated with different concentrations of KT, and H and E staining was performed. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot were performed to examine KT’s effect on VSMC mineralization. Calcium deposition on VSMC was examined with a calcium deposition quantification kit. @*Results@#Calcium deposition, Alizarin red, and von Kossa staining revealed that KT reduced inorganic phosphate-induced calcification phenotypes. KT also reduced Ca++ -induced calcification by inhibiting genes that regulate osteoblast differentiation, such as runtrelated transcription factor 2 (RUNX-2), SMAD family member 4, osterix, collagen 1α, and osteopontin. Also, KT repressed Ca2+ -induced bone morphogenetic protein 2, RUNX-2, collagen 1α, osteoprotegerin, and smooth muscle actin protein expression. Likewise, Alizarin red and von Kossa staining showed that KT markedly decreased the calcification of ex vivo ring formation in the mouse thoracic aorta. @*Conclusions@#This experiment demonstrated that KT decreases vascular calcification and may be developed as a new therapeutic treatment for vascular calcification and arteriosclerosis.

Association between COMT and 5-HTTLPR Polymorphisms in Korean Patients with Panic Disorder : A Replication Study

OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and serotonin related gene polymorphisms may be associated with agoraphobia in patients with panic disorder in Korea. METHODS: The COMT gene (rs4680), 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) gene (rs25531), serotonin receptor 1A (HTR1A) gene (rs6295) genotypes were analyzed in 406 patients with panic disorder and age-sex matched 206 healthy controls. Patients with panic disorder were dichotomized by the presence of agoraphobia. The following instruments were applied : the Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Panic Disorder Severity Scale. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the distribution of 5-HTTLPR genotype between panic patients with agoraphobia and without agoraphobia (p = 0.024). That is, the panic patients with agoraphobia had a significant excess of the less active 5-HTTLPR allele (S allele). (p = 0.039) Also, we replicated previous western reports which indicated a significant difference in the distribution of COMT genotype between the patients with panic disorder and the healthy controls (p = 0.040). However, no significant associations of agoraphobia or panic disorder with HTR1A gene polymorphisms were found. CONCLUSIONS: This result supports that the COMT polymorphisms may be associated with panic disorder and suggests that the 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms may play a role in the pathogenesis of agoraphobia in the Korean patients with panic disorder.

Improvement of pregnancy rate by intrauterine administration of dexamethasone and recombinant human leukemia inhibitory factor at the time of embryo transfer in cattle

Bovine embryos (day 5) were cultured to day 10 with or without 100 ng/mL PGF2α in medium supplemented with control; 100 nM Dex; 1,000 U/mL recombinant human leukemia inhibitory factor (rhLIF); or Dex+rhLIF. Although the rates to development to the blastocyst were not significantly different among groups, the hatching rate after additional culture with Dex +/or rhLIF was significantly higher in all supplemented groups than the control (p < 0.05). In the presence of PGF2α, the hatching rate was significantly restored in all supplemented groups relative to the group treated with only PGF2α and the control (p < 0.05). Embryo transfer (ET) was performed with blastocysts (day 7). PGF2α levels of control recipient cows were significantly higher in the circulatory blood samples collected 60 min after ET than in samples collected 60 min before ET (p < 0.005), and were decreased in cows injected with loading medium supplemented with Dex+rhLIF (p < 0.005). Pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the ET group that received supplemented embryo-loading medium than in the non-supplemented control (p < 0.05). The intrauterine administration of Dex and rhLIF at ET prevented increased PGF2α in circulatory blood and resulted in enhanced pregnancy rate.

IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF AURORA-2 KINASE IN THE ORAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

Treatment of a patient with cleidocranial dysplasia using implant-supported bar overdenture: a case report

Gallbladder Lipoma: A case report

Lipoma of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a rare disease, 0.1~0.3% of all diseases involving the gastrointestinal tract. As the size increases, the symptoms which develop are GI bleeding, abdominal pain, intussusception, intestinal obstruction. To the best of our knowledge no lipoma of gallbladder been reported yet. Furthermore a lipoma cannot develop in the GB, because the submucous layer is not existed. From a point of view for the mechanism, it is important for submucous layer, which is infiltrated by eosinophil or lymphocyte, to develop the lipoma of GB. We experienced the case of a 51-year-old female with a GB lipoma, and we report our experience with that case along with a review of the literatures about the most likely mechanism for the development of the GB lipoma.

Studies on Relationship between Expression of ras , p53 , c-erbB2 and p53 and Phenotypic Expression Using Mucin Histochemistry in Human Gastric Carcinomas / 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: Recent studies have shown that the expression of mucin is organ- and cell-type specific and it is increasingly possible that its change could result from oncogene activation.To evaluate histogenesis and prognostic factors for gastric carcinoma, we studied the oncoprotein expression in gastric cancer cells classified by mucin phenotye. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mucin histochemistry and immunohistochemistry for ras, c-erbB2, and p53 oncoprotein expression were performed in 101 surgically resected gastric carcinoma specimens. PAS-Con A, GOS, and HID-AB staining techniques were employed in identifying mucosubstances, RESULTS: Of the 101 specimens studied, 73(72.3%) revealed as having mixture of various mucin-secreting cancer cells. Overall, ras immunoreactivity was observed in 72(71.3%), c-erbB2 in 7(6.9%), and p53 in 47(46.5%). Of the 73 mucus-secreting carcinomas, the surface mucous cell type were shown in 65 (89.0%), the pyloric gland cell type in 48(65,8%), the sialomucin type in 47(64.4%), and the sulfomucin type in 54(74.0%). There was significant association between mucin secretion and ras expression, but not c-erbB2 and p53 expression. There was no significant association between mucin secreting cell types and Lauren classification. Ras expression was correlated with serosal invasion, lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis. CONCLUSION: The phenotypic expression by mucin histochemistry may be not more important for studying of histogenesis in gastric carcinoma than Lauren classification. Ras expression is a poor prognostic indicator and may be correlated with phenotypic expression of surface mucous cell and intestinal cell type in gastric carcinoma.

Abdominal CT Scanning in Adult Intussusception

Intussusception is a relatively common disease in children, but it is a rare clinical entity in adults. More than 80% of all patients with intussusception are less than two years of age, but adults account for only 5 to 10 percent of all intussusception cases. The significance of this disease in the aspect of statistics is mentioned as "rule of fives", which means 5% of all intussusceptions occur in adults, and it accounts for up to 5% of all cases of bowel obstruction in adults. In children, classic symptoms include episodic abdominal pain, "current-jelly" stool and a sausage-shaped abdominal mass on examination. However, in adults, it is likely to appear with non-specific gastrointestinal trouble without classic symptoms. Therefore, it is very important to use early diagnositic tool. In contrast to childhood intussusception, which is idiopathic in 90% of cases, adult intussusception has a definable lesion in more than 90% of cases 3). Tumors, both benign and malignant, are the most frequent cause of intussusecption in adults. We experienced seven cases of adult intussusception at Inha hospital from Jan. 1994 to Dec. 1997. The patients of adult intussusception are classified as three cases of ileoileal type and four ileocecal type. There were no specific signs or symptoms with patient experienced. It included abdominal pain, diarrhea and palpable mass. Their diagnosis was made in six patients using abdominal CT scan. It is difficult to define a diagnosis preoperatively, because the symptom of adult intussusception are variable and insignificant among individuals. We had been taken the final diagnostic tool with the abdominal CT scan in six of seven patients, which revealed "target lesions" in all cases. So, it is useful in the diagnosis of adult intussusception. Bowels were resected for the treatment of adult intussusception. The extent of the resection was contained the lesion and the defunctioned segments. The operations were performed as four segmental resections of small bowel and three ileocecal resections. The pathological findings were disclosed as three tumors, three lymphadenopathies and a adhesion of bowel. We concluded that the abdominal CT scanning is a usefull diagnostic tool in the diagnosis of adult intussusception.

A Case of Ureteritis Cystica / 대한비뇨기과학회지

Ureteritis cystica is one of the cystic diseases formed in the mucosa or submucosa of the renal pelvic, ureter and bladder by chronic inflammation or irritation. A rare case of ureteritis cystica confirmed by ureteroscopy is presented with review of the literatures.