Evaluation of lymph node metastasis in a rabbit tumor model: correlations between contrast-enhanced ultrasound and pathologic findings

Purpose@#The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) with microbubbles to detect metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) for treatment planning and prognosis. @*Methods@#For the metastatic LN model, ground VX2 tumor tissues were injected subcutaneously in 12 rabbits, just below the right hind limb. The rabbits were classified into three groups based on the LN area: group A (n=4, >1.9 cm2 ), group B (n=4, 1-1.9 cm2 ), and group C (n=4, <1 cm2 ). The LNs were monitored on CEUS for 10 seconds after injecting 2.5 mL of microbubbles. The percent area of metastatic LNs was calculated on pathologic images and compared with CEUS images. @*Results@#In group A, the mean percent area of metastasis was 40.7%±19.4%. In all cases of metastasis, round-shaped perfusion defects were clearly observed in CEUS images. The metastatic areas were strongly correlated with pathologic findings. The mean percent area in group B was 21.5%±14.4%. The CEUS findings showed multiple nodular perfusion defects, clearly revealing the metastatic areas. In group B, the CEUS and pathologic findings were concordant for three of the four cases. The mean percent area in group C was 9.1%±6.4%. However, in this group, CEUS only detected a small perfusion defect in one case. @*Conclusion@#CEUS has the potential to depict characteristic imaging features of metastatic LNs but still has limitations in early detection.

The Pattern of Self Reported Assessment(Alcohol Use Inventory and Michigan Alcohol Screening Test) according to Receptive and Awareness of Drinking Problem and the Relation to the Alcoholic Type / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: This Study was designed to investigate the pattern of AUI(Alcohol Use Inventory) and MAST(Michigan Alcohol Screening Test) according to the awareness of drinking problem and receptiveness to treatment, and to know whether the type(type1 and type 2 according to Barbor's typology) has effects on the RECPAWAR(acknowledgement and awareness of use problem and receptive to treatment of these problem) score. METHODS: Subjects were 134 alcoholic patients from Alcoholic treatment ward. They were requested to fill up the questionnaires of Korean version of AUI and MAST(MAST for patient and MAST for caretaker). At first, based on the RECPAWAR, they divided into high RECPAWAR group(above 30 percentile) and low RECPAWAR group(below 30 percentile). According to typology, they divided into type 1 and type 2. The data was analyzed by T-test, Correlation, and Regression Analysis. RESULTS: 1) Significant negative correlation was observed between RECPAWAR score and MAST difference score(patient's MAST-caretaker's MAST). 2) High RECPAWAR group had significantly higher scores in the most scales than low RECP-AWAR group, except ENHANCED scale in AUI. 3) There was not significant difference on RECPAWAR score between type 1 and type 2. CONCLUSION: Except ENHANCED scale, the high RECPAWAR group had higher score in the second level scale. As compared with the low RECPAWAR group, the high RECPAWAR group responds more negative in drinking, and is more anxious about their drinking problems. So, they seem to have the objective view about their drinking problems. However the type was not related to receptive and awareness of drinking problem.

Effect of t-butylhydroperoxide on Na+/-dependent glutamate uptake in rabbit brain synaptosome

The effect of an organic peroxide, t-butylhydroperoxide (t-BHP), on glutamate uptake was studied in synaptosomes prepared from cerebral cortex. t-BHP inhibited the Na+/-dependent glutamate uptake with no change in the Na+/-independent uptake. This effect of t-BHP was not altered by addition of Ca2+ channel blockers (verapamil, diltiazem and nifedipine) or PLA2 inhibitors (dibucaine, butacaine and quinacrine). However, the effect was prevented by iron chelators (deferoxamine and phenanthroline) and phenolic antioxidants (N,N'-diphenyl-phenylenediamine, butylated hydroxyanisole, and butylated hydroxytoluene). At low concentrations (< 1.0 mM), t-BHP inhibited glutamate uptake without altering lipid peroxidation. Moreover, a large increase in lipid peroxidation by ascorbate/Fe2+ was not accompanied by an inhibition of glutamate uptake. The impairment of glutamate uptake by t-BHP was not intimately related to the change in Na+/-K+/-ATPase activity. These results suggest that inhibition of glutamate uptake by t-BHP is not totally mediated by peroxidation of membrane lipid, but is associated with direct interactions of glutamate transport proteins with t-BHP metabolites. The Ca2+ influx through Ca2+ channel or PLA2 activation may not be involved in the t-BHP inhibition of glutamate transport.

The One-Year Prognostic Value of the Pre-Discharge ECG after the First Acute Myocardial Infarction

To assess the prognostic value of the 14 ECG variables obtained from the pre-discharge ECG, 35 patients were followed up for at least one year among the 80 patients of the acute myocardial infarction admitted at Seoul Paik Hospital from Sep. 1983 to Aug. 1986. The following results were obtained. 1) The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 20% and the mortality rate tended to decline year by year. 2) The one-year mortality and morbidity rate of the followed patients was 31.4%. 3) Among the 14 variables obtained from the pre-discharge ECG, T-negativity was the only statistically significant (p<0.05) one to predict the one-year prognosis in the patients after the first myocardial infarction, and we could not derive any meaningful datd from the analysis of the combined effects of the three ECG variables (PTF, ST depression and ST elevation).