What is the Key Step in Muscle Fatty Acid Oxidation after Change of Plasma Free Fatty Acids Level in Rats?

The purpose of this study was to discern the critical point in skeletal muscle fatty acid oxidation by changing plasma free fatty acids (FFA) level in rat. In the study, 3 key steps in lipid oxidation were examined after changing plasma FFA level by acipimox. The rates of both palmitate and palmitoyl- carnitine oxidation were decreased by decrease of plasma FFA level, however, carnitine palmitoyl transferase (CPT) 1 activity was not changed, suggesting CPT1 activity may not be involved in the fatty acid oxidation at the early phase of plasma FFA change. In the fasted rats, beta-hydroxy acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (beta-HAD) activity was depressed to a similar extent as palmitate oxidation by a decrease of plasma FFA level. This suggested that beta-oxidation might be an important process to regulate fatty acid oxidation at the early period of plasma FFA change. Citrate synthase activity was not altered by the change of plasma FFA level. In conclusion, the critical step in fatty acids oxidation of skeletal muscles by the change of plasma FFA level by acipimox in fasting rats might be the beta-oxidation step rather than CPT1 and TCA cycle pathways.

A Clinical Study of 52 Patients with Myasthenia Gravis Syndrome / 영남의대학술지

The authors experienced 52 patients with myasthenia gravis who were diagnosed at the Department of Neurology, Yeungnam University Hospital from August 1985 to January 1996. The following results were obtained through diagnostic evaluation and treatment. 1. The ratio of male to female was 1:1.7 and the most prevalent age group was second decade. 2. The most common initial presentation symptom was ocular(71.2%) and the peak incidence group was stage I (69.3%) according to the modified Osserman's classification. 3. In 16 patients(30.8%), it took more than a year to diagnose due to symptoms which were relapsed and remitting. 4. Of 52 patients, 2 cases were associated with thyroid disease(3.8%) and 2 with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus(3.8%). 5. All of those who received anticholinesterase and corticosteroid therapy were improved with the exception of 5 cases which were improved after thymectomy and/or plasmapheresis.

Seizure Induced or Aggravated by Carbamazepine

We experienced 2-cases of epileptic seizures aggravated by CBZ, of one which was 15-year old frontal lobe epileptic and the other was 8-year old occipital lobe epileptic. Their seizures were disappeared by withdrawal of CBZ. In conclusion, if a child or adult is noted to have more seizures or to have a new type of seizure when CBZ is added. One should consider the possibility that the seizures are drug-induced rather than part of the natural course of a progressive epilepsy and promptly withdraw CBZ.

Epileptic Nystagmus Associated with Occipital Lobe Epilepsy

Epileptic seizures of nystagmoid character with the fast -beat to the opposite side of the epileptogenic focus have been described as oculoclonic seizures and epileptic nystagmus. Epileptic nystagmus, especially horizontal, most commonly results from seizure activity involving the occipital cortex, although participation of adjoining portions of the parietal and temporal cortex is possible. The frequency of ictal nystagmus was less than 10% of patients with occipital lobe epilepsy. Although forty-six cases were already reported at the litherature, there was no report in korea. We reported a 20-year old patient who had history of recurrent paroxysmal attacks of epileptic nystagniu, associated with oscillopsia and followed by episodic bilateral blindness and eyelid flutter. Standard and extra occipital electrodes visualized more exact left occipital foci at the videomonitored EEG examination when the patient showed epileptic nystagmus. The ictal Brain SPECT, with the use of 99mTc-HMPAO also localized the seizures to left occipital lobe.

Comparision of Heoatitis B Virus Markers in the Serum and the Cerebrospinal Fluid / 영남의대학술지

We investigated HBV markers in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of 50 subjects with neurologic disorders or other disorders, who visited Dept. of neurology, college of medicine, Yeungnam University, from April-1 to August-31 1994 and were performed cerebrospinal fluid analysis to investigate the detection rate of HBV markers in cerebrospinal fluid and the possibility of neurologic disorders associated with HBV infection. The results were as follows. The positivity of HBsAg and. HBV prevalence rate in serum were 6(12.04) and 37(74.0%). Thf, number of patient with HBsAg, only anti-HBV and no markers were 6(12.0%), 31(62.0%) and 13(26.0%), respectively. The positivity of HBsAg and HBV prevalence rate in cerebrospinal fluid were 3(6%) and 18(36.0%). The number of patient with HBsAg, only anti-HBV and no markers were 6(100.0%), 12(38.7%) and 0(0.0%) respectively. The number of patient with virus associated diseases(VAD) and non virus associated diseases(NVAD) were 26(52%) and 24(48%). The HBV prevalence rate in serum of VAD and NVAD groups were 88.5% and 58.3% (p<0.05). The HBV prevalence rate in CSF of VAD and NVAD groups were 53.8% and 16.7%(p<0.05). The HBV prevalence rate in serum and CSF of VAD and NVAD groups were 60.9% and 28.6%

Motor Evoked Potential Study with Magnetic Stimulation In Ischemic Stroke Patients / 영남의대학술지

This study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical usefulness of magnetic motor evoked potential (MEP) in the diagnosis of stroke and predicting the motor improvement following stroke. The cortical, cervical and lumbar stimulations were performed in the case of 24 healthy controls and 24 to a target muscle between after transcranial stimulation and after cervical or lumbar stimulation. There was no case showing no response in controls. But in 11 out of 24 ischemic patients, we could not get cortical MEP. Mean CMCT of abductor pollicis brevis muscle was not significantly different in controls and stroke patients in whom MEPs were recorded. There were significant differences between mean CMCT of normal controls and that of stroke patients showing MEPs in AH Muscle. MEP Results from testing the stroke patients were correlated with site of lesion, degree of motor weakness and motor improvement after 1 to 2 months. These results suggest that magnetic MEP is easy and useful in electrophysiological test of central motor pathway and is useful indicator for representing the motor weakness and predicting the motor outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients.