Eupatilin treatment inhibits transforming growth factor beta-induced endometrial fibrosis in vitro / 대한생식의학회지

Objective@#Endometrial fibrosis, the primary pathological feature of intrauterine adhesion, may lead to disruption of endometrial tissue structure, menstrual abnormalities, infertility, and recurrent pregnancy loss. At present, no ideal therapeutic strategy exists for this fibrotic disease. Eupatilin, a major pharmacologically active flavone from Artemisia, has been previously reported to act as a potent inducer of dedifferentiation of fibrotic tissue in the liver and lung. However, the effects of eupatilin on endometrial fibrosis have not yet been investigated. In this study, we present the first report on the impact of eupatilin treatment on transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)-induced endometrial fibrosis. @*Methods@#The efficacy of eupatilin on TGF-β–induced endometrial fibrosis was assessed by examining changes in morphology and the expression levels of fibrosis markers using immunofluorescence staining and quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. @*Results@#Eupatilin treatment significantly reduced the fibrotic activity of TGF-β–induced endometrial fibrosis in Ishikawa cells, which displayed more circular shapes and formed more colonies. Additionally, the effects of eupatilin on fibrotic markers including alpha-smooth muscle actin, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha, collagen type I alpha 1 chain, and matrix metalloproteinase-2, were evaluated in TGF-β–induced endometrial fibrosis. The expression of these markers was highly upregulated by TGF-β pretreatment and recovered to the levels of control cells in response to eupatilin treatment. @*Conclusion@#Our findings suggest that suppression of TGF-β–induced signaling by eupatilin might be an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of endometrial fibrosis.

Endometrial profilin 1: a key player in embryo-endometrial crosstalk / 대한생식의학회지

Objective@#Despite extensive research on implantation failure, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the crosstalk between the embryo and the maternal endometrium, which is critical for successful pregnancy. Profilin 1 (PFN1), which is expressed both in the embryo and in the endometrial epithelium, acts as a potent regulator of actin polymerization and the cytoskeletal network. In this study, we identified the specific role of endometrial PFN1 during embryo implantation. @*Methods@#Morphological alterations depending on the status of PFN1 expression were assessed in PFN1-depleted or control cells grown on Matrigel-coated cover glass. Day-5 mouse embryos were cocultured with Ishikawa cells. Comparisons of the rates of F-actin formation and embryo attachment were performed by measuring the stability of the attached embryo onto PFN1-depleted or control cells. @*Results@#Depletion of PFN1 in endometrial epithelial cells induced a significant reduction in cell-cell adhesion displaying less formation of colonies and a more circular cell shape. Mouse embryos co-cultured with PFN1-depleted cells failed to form actin cytoskeletal networks, whereas more F-actin formation in the direction of surrounding PFN1-intact endometrial epithelial cells was detected. Furthermore, significantly lower embryo attachment stability was observed in PFN1-depleted cells than in control cells. This may have been due to reduced endometrial receptivity caused by impaired actin cytoskeletal networks associated with PFN1 deficiency. @*Conclusion@#These observations definitively demonstrate an important role of PFN1 in mediating cell-cell adhesion during the initial stage of embryo implantation and suggest a potential therapeutic target or novel biomarker for patients suffering from implantation failure.

Subarachnoid and Subdural-Extraarachnoid Pneumocephalus in the Patient with No CSF LeaKage during Epidural Catheterization / 대한마취과학회지

A 43-year-old female patient with a left L5 radiculopathy was referred to our pain clinic for an epidural steroid injection. An epidural puncture was done at the L4-5 intervertebral space with the loss of resistance technique using air. There was no CSF leaKage during the procedure. After 6 ml of air was injected, she complained of a sudden severe headache, nausea, tinnitus, and mild hearing difficulty. The headache was localized at the left temporal and suboccipital area and the nature of it was constant, squeezing, and non-throbbing. Neurological examination was normal except a mild sensory change on the right face and right hemibody. A brain CT disclosed sudural and subarachnoid pneumocephalus. Twenty-four hours after the event, she was discharged without any specific complaints. To avoid pneumocephalus during epidural puncture, saline instead of air is highly recommended. If physicians use air, a small volume should be used and careful evaluation of the patients condition during injection despite no CSF leaKage should be done.

A Clinical Study of Tuberculous Cervical Lymphadenitis

A clinical review of 212 cases of tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis during the past 6 years from January 1990 to December 1995 was made at the Department of General Surgery, Eul ji Medical College Hospital,Taejeon. The results are as follows: 1) The age of peak incidence was the 3rd decade (43.3%), and females predominated over males by 3.1 : 1. 2) The time interval from the onset of symptoms to the first visit was less than 3 months in 53.3% of the patients. 3) The location of lymphadenitis was the right neck in 59.9%, the left neck 38.7%, and bilateral in 1.4% of the patients. 4) Signs on the first visit were a mass, a cold abscess and/or a discharge. A palpable mass was the most frequent symptom (86.8%). 5) The incidence of associated pulmonary tuberculosis was 26.9%. 6) Seventy patients (33.0%) had a past history of tuberculosis. Among them, 55.7% had lymphadenitis, 28.6% pulmonary tuberculosis, and 15.7% medical problems at other sites. 7) Treatments of tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis were chemotherapy alone (68.4%) or surgical management combined with chemotherapy (31.6%). The surgical treatments included excision, incision and drainage, and neck dissection in 17.5%, 13.2%, and 0.9% of the patients, respectively. 8) The rate of recurrence was 3.1% (5 cases) for 160 cases, among them, 1.2% (2 cases) involved chemotherapy alone and 1.9% (3 cases) surgery with chemotherapy. The other 52 cases were lost from follow up.