Anti-Helicobacter pylori, Anti-apoptotic, and Cytoprotective Effects of Threonine Synthesized from Corynebacterium glutamicum in Gastric Epithelial Cells

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Among irritants causing gastric ulcer, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) might be pivotal, after which eradication became essential way in either inhibiting ulcerogenesis or preventing ulcer recurrence. Since threonine is essential in either mucus synthesis or cytoprotection, we hypothesized that the dietary threonine from Corynebacterium glutamicum (C. glutamicum) can mitigate the cytotoxicity of H. pylori infection.MATERIALS AND METHODS: RGM-1 cells were challenged with 100 multiplicity of infection H. pylori for 6 hours, during which threonine alone or combination with Corynebacterium sp. was administered and compared for anti-Helicobacter, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidative, and cytoprotective actions.RESULTS: Threonine alone or combination of threonine and C. glutamicum yielded significant bacteriostatic outcomes. The increased expressions of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-8, Cox-2, and iNOS mRNA after H. pylori infection were significantly decreased with either threonine alone or the combination of threonine and C. glutamicum. The elevated expressions of NF-kB, HIF-1a, and c-jun after H. pylori infection were all significantly decreased with the combination of threonine and broth from C. glutamicum (P < 0.05), leading to significant decreases in 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein-diacetate (P < 0.01). Tracing further host antioxidative response, the attenuated expression of heme oxygenase-1, Nrf2, and dehydrogenase quinone-1 after H. pylori infection was significantly preserved with combination of threonine and C. glutamicum. H. pylori infection led to significant increases in apoptosis accompanied with Bcl-2 decreases and Bax increases, while the combination of threonine and C. glutamicum significantly attenuated apoptosis, in which attenuated EGF, TGF-β, and VEGF were significantly regulated, while β-catenin did not change.CONCLUSIONS: Threonine synthesized from C. glutamicum significantly alleviated the cytotoxicity of H. pylori in gastric epithelial cells.

Prosthetic reconstruction with an obturator using swing-lock attachment for a patient underwent maxillectomy: A clinical report

Patients who underwent resection of maxilla due to benign or malignant tumor, or accident will have defect in palatal area. They get retention, support and stability from remaining tissues which are hardly optimal. The advantage of swing-lock attachment design is having multiple contacts on labial and lingual side of the abutment teeth by retentive strut and palatal bracing component. Because the force is distributed equally to abutment teeth, abutment teeth of poor prognosis can be benefited from it. It is also more advantageous to cover soft tissue defects which are hard to reach with conventional prosthesis. A 56-year-old female patient who had undergone a maxillectomy due to malignant melanoma complaining of loose and unstable surgical obturator. Surveyed crowns were placed on #12, 26, and 27. Teeth #11, 21, 22, and 23 had lingual rest seat and #24 had mesial rest seat to improve stability and support of the obturator. This clinical report presents the prosthetic management of a patient treated with obturator on the maxilla using swing-lock attachment to the remaining teeth.

Implant-retained overdentures with pre-fabricated bar attachment system in edentulous patients / 대한치과보철학회지

Edentulous patients with severe alveolar bone resorption have trouble with using traditional complete denture. In order to overcome these problems, implant-retained overdenture was developed. SFI-bar(R) system can save time and cost compared to other existing bar systems which need complicated laboratory procedures because it can be adjusted directly in a patient's mouth. A 55-year-old male, who had experienced a fractured lower old implant-retained overdenture, wanted a durable and painless denture. The fractured Locator(R) attachments were removed and edentulous mandible was restored with SFI-bar(R). A 77-year-old female with a medical history of the Parkinson's disease and severely absorbed alveolar bone of mandible, wanted to wear a retentive mandibular denture without pain. After placing two implants in front of mental foramen, two adaptors were connected to two implants and a tube bar was connected to the adaptors. A female part fitted to the bar was attached to the new denture. These clinical reports describe two-implant-retained overdenture using the SFI-bar(R) system in mandibular edentulous patients. Since the patients were satisfied esthetically and functionally during 2 years' observation, we would like to report cases.

Selective Spinal Nerve Root Block for the Treatment of Sciatica / 대한정형외과학회잡지

The nerve root block or selective nerve root block is one of the primarily preoperative diagnostic tool to identify and confirm the lesion site of primary cause of pain and that is considered as one component of a comprehensive treatment program. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the effect and duration of the pain control by selective spinal nerve root block as a conservative treatment in patients presenting with chronic or recurrent sciatica. The authors performed 95 selective nerve root blocks in 72 patients from Sep. 1994 to May. 1996, (mean follow up 11.6 month) at the department of orthopedic surgery, Kosin University Gospel Hospital, and the results were as follows: 1. Among 72 cases, spinal stenosis was in 45 cases (62.5%), HIVD in 19 cases (26.4%), failed back syndrome in 5 cases (6.9%), spondylosis in 2 cases (2.8%), and spondylolisthesis in I case (1.4%). 2. In 72 cases, improved more than 50% of sciatica were 61 cases (84.7%) at 3 hours, 53 cases (73.6%) at I week, 35 cases (48.6%) at 1 month, 33 cases (45.8%) at 3 months, and 33 cases (45.8%) at 6 months respectively. 3. At last follow-up, excellent and good results were 35 cases (48.6%), fair results were 25 cases (34.7%) and poor results were 12 cases (16.7%) by the Kirkaldy-Willis criteria. 4. Complications were 1 case of transient hypotension, 2 cases of severe paresthesia, but subsided without residual complication. Therefore, the selective nerve root block is one of the valuable procedure that is helpful and extremely safe in useful treatment for radicular pain associated with lumbar disease. And the trial of selective nerve root block was recommended before deciding surgical intervention on an outpatient basis.

Prognostic Factors in Neurologic Deficit after Thoracic and Lumbar Spine Fracture / 대한정형외과학회잡지

The thoracic and lumbar spine fractures were usually combined with neurological deficit. But the prognostic factors in degree of neurological damage and process of the recovery are controversial. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the factors affected neurological injury and the recovery. The 31 cases who had been performed surgical interventions due to traumatic thoracic or lumbar spine fractures with the neurological deficits were studied according to the radiographic findings of the spinal columns and neurological changes of the injured cord and/or the roots. The duration of mean follow-up was 32.6 months, and all cases were evaluated by motor index score and Frankel grade. Total cases were divided into complete paralytic (N=8) and partial paralytic(N=23) group. In incomplete paraplegia group, the neurological recovery rate was better than complete group(P < 0.001) and neurological recovery period was shorter than complete group (P=0.005). The neurologic deficits according to the Frankel grade were higher in Chance fracture, flexion-distraction and translation (complete paraplegia: 4/7 cases, 57.1%) than unstable bursting fracture (complete paraplegia: 4/24 cases, 16.7%)(P=0.031). The recovery rate of Chance fracture, flexion-distraction and translation were worse than unstable bursting fracture (0.001). The fracture which occurred in T5-11 showed higher incidence of complete paraplegia(75%) compared with that of the T12-L1(30.8%) & L2-4(7.1%)(p=0.021). The neurological recovery in motor index score in L2-4 was higher than T5-11 or T12-L1(P=0.0017). There was no correlation in kyphotic deformity and anterior body height loss between complete and incomplete paraplegia groups. But the A-P diameter of compromised neural canal showed significant difference between complete and incomplete paraplegia group(P=0.027)

The 5 / 대한정형외과학회잡지

The proposed factors that affect the prognosis of osteosarcoma are the patient's age, site and size of the primary lesion, pathologic features(type and grade), duration of symptoms, spread of disease (local or regional extension, distant metastasis) at diagnosis, the patient's sex, serum alkaline phos- phatase(ALP) and lactic dehydrogenase(LDH) levels, chromosomal number or DNA index, response to initial chemotherapy, location of the lesion on the bone, presence or absence of pathologic fracture, and mode of therapy. The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors that affect the 5-year survival rates of osteosarcoma. Total 25 patients were included in this study who had treated form Jan. 1988 to Apr. 1994. The overall 5-year survival rate of 25 patients was 65.43%, and the 5-year survival rates were sig- nificantly higher(P 2 months; 83.33%), with lower serum level of LDH( < 300 U/L; 100%), and with smaller mass size( < 10cm; 72.92%). However there were no significant differences in the 5-year survival rates according to age and sex of the patients. We also suggest that the better prognosis will be observed in the patients with the favorable radiologic response to the preoperative chemotherapy.

Median Raphe Canal of the Penis and the Scrotum / 대한비뇨기과학회지

Median raphe canal is a uncommon disease and represents a defect in the embryologic development of male genitalia. It occurs most commonly near the glans penis, but may occur anywhere from the urethral meatus to the anus, and is lined by endodermal or ectodermal epithelium. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice. we report a median raphe canal on the ventral aspect of the penis and the scrotum with review of literatures.