The expression of two isoforms of matrix metalloproteinase-2 in aged mouse models of diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to explore the effects of aging on the kidneys in mouse models of diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD), and to compare the expression of two isoforms of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2)–secretory full-length MMP-2 and intracellular N-terminal truncated MMP-2 (NTT-MMP-2)–in these models. METHODS: Two experimental ICR mouse models were used: a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus model and a 5/6 nephrectomized (5/6Nx) CKD model. The abundance of each isoform of MMP-2 was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and functional analyses were conducted. Moreover, the protein levels of the two MMP-2 isoforms were determined semi-quantitatively by immunohistochemical staining, and their association with tissue damage was assessed. RESULTS: Both isoforms of MMP-2 were upregulated in the kidney tissues of STZ-induced diabetic mice and 5/6Nx mice, irrespective of age. Characteristically, NTT-MMP-2 protein expression was elevated in old control mice, in line with the qPCR results. NTT-MMP-2 expression was limited to the renal cortex, and to the tubulointerstitial area rather than the glomerular area. In terms of tissue damage, tubulointerstitial fibrosis was more severe in old 5/6Nx mice than in their young counterparts, whereas glomerulosclerosis was comparable in old and young 5/6Nx mice. CONCLUSION: The intracellular isoform of MMP-2 was induced by ageing, irrespective of the presence of diabetes or CKD, and its induction may be related to tubulointerstitial fibrosis in chronic kidney disease.

The Study on the Variable related to the Sexual Harassment among the Korean Adolescents / 아동간호학회지

Recently in Korea, the adolescents' sexual problems including sexual violence have increased, and those phenomena have escalated to be one of the major social issues. This study was conducted to identify the variables related to the sexual harassments of the Korean adolescents. The variables to which the subjects belong were gender, school grade, religion, extracurricular activity, amount of pocket money, school performance traffic mean to school, ownership of PC, internet contact frequency and place, contact to pornography, heterosexual friend, drinking, and smoking. The period of survey was from July 2000 to Dec. 2000. The subjects were 475 middle and high-schoolers in Busan and Kyung-Nam. The instrument to measure sexual harassments of the subjects was questionnaire. That was gained by modifying the three patterns(physical, verbal and visual) in the manual provide by the Ministry of Labor(1999). The degree of sexual harassments was measured by 4-point Likert scale. The collected data was analyzed with t-test and ANOVA by SPSS win(10.0). The findings were as follows ; 1. The variables related to the physical harassment were gender, age, pocket money, perceived school performance, traffic means, contact to pornography, having heterosexual friend, experience of drinking and smoking. 2. The variables related to the visual harassments were gender, age, perceived school performance, traffic mean, internet contact, contact to pornography, having heterosexual friend, experience of drinking & smoking. 3. The variables related to the verbal harassments were gender, age, pocket money, perceived school performance, traffic mean, internet contact, contact to pornography, having heterosexual friend, and experience of drinking & smoking.

Study on Bullying among Primary School Students / 아동간호학회지

This study was conducted with 512 students in 4 primary schools located at the inner and the outskirt of K city, Northern Kyungsang Province from November 6, 2001 to November 27, 2001(during 3 weeks). This study was a research about the difference of a bullying degree and tendency of both teasing and teased students. The purpose of the study was to help nursing teachers in charge of student consultation and treatment. The findings are as follows. First, for to whom students confess their worries, students in lower grade talked to their parents while students in higher grade talked to their close friends. The higher grader, the higher rate in solving their problems by themselves. For how many students are teased by their peers in groups, 52.0% students answered 1 or 2 students in a class. For the reasons of bully, 37.0% higher graders answered, very selfish and putting on airs after 29.6% lower graders answered, ugly and bad at speaking. Second, for perception of peer relation, 81.3% students participating in the study answered, very important. For a question whether students satisfy present relation with their friends by gender, 53.7% boys were satisfied while 34.6% girls were satisfied. Third, for difference in bullying by gender, boys mainly teased others by using words and physical power(p < 0.000) while girls estranged others. When it goes to teased students, it was the case: boys were bullied physically(p < 0.000) and linguistically while girls were hurt by estrangement. Having nothing direct to do with school achievement, nursing teacher should make good use of such an advantage that students tend to easily confess their worries to them and take care of psychological aspects of students in treatment. Furthermore, it needs to include contents of bully in the regular heath care education.