Evaluation of the safety of hair essence containing 0.05% purified bee venom on the skin and eyes of rabbits.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the safety of hair essence containing 0.05% purified bee venom (HE-PBV) on the skin and eyes of New Zealand White rabbits. METHODS: HE-PBV which contained 0.05% PBV, purified water, and glycerin, was used as the test substance. The skin-irritation test (SIT) and eye-irritation test (EIT) were conducted according to the Draize method. On the SIT, HE-PBV (0.5 mL) dropped gauze was attached both intact and abraded skin for 24 h. The other side of the skin was used as control. After 24 and 72 h, the treatment site was observed and scored according to evaluation criteria for skin reactions. On the EIT, the rabbits were divided into two groups: eye-washed (three rabbits) and non-eye-washed (six rabbits). HE-PBV (0.1 mL) was squirted into the right eye of rabbits. The left eye was untreated and used as a control. Then, 20-30-s later, the eyes of rabbits in the eye-washed group were washed with ~50 mL of physiologic (0.9%) salt solution. Then, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 d after the start of the EIT, the eyes and behavior of the rabbits were observed. The degree of eye irritation elicited by HE-PBV was determined in three steps and then the criteria of the classification of eye-irritation scores. RESULTS: The SIT revealed erythema and edema at the site of HE-PBV application. At 72 h, the body weight of rabbits was reduced slightly, but other symptoms (except erythema and edema) were not observed. The Primary Irritation Index score was 0.6, and HE-PBV was deemed to be a slight irritant. The EIT did not show mortality or body-weight fluctuation, but hyperemic conjunctiva and eyelid closure were noted after HE-PBV administration. Except for these results, the score for the ophthalmic response on days 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 was 0, and HE-PBV was deemed to be a non-irritant. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that HE-PBV did not elicit eye irritation, but was a slight irritant to the skin of rabbits; the latter slight would have been due to the excipients used in manufacture of the hair essence because PBV has been shown to be safe.

A Case of Peritoneal Tuberculosis with Poncet's Disease in a Patient Treated with Infliximab

Infliximab is a chimeric mouse/human monoclonal antibody against tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) that is used worldwide to treat rheumatic disease. However, the reactivation of tuberculosis, including extrapulmonary menifestation, is a severe side effect of anti-TNF-alpha treatment. Mycobacterium tubercluosis causes two forms of joint involvement, TB arthritis and Poncet's disease. Poncet's disease is a rare aseptic form of arthritis, known as reactive arthritis in tuberculosis. We encountered a case of tuberculous peritonitis with Poncet's disease in a 38-yearold man with a history of ankylosing spondylitis that was treated with infliximab. We report this case with a review of the literature.

Regulation of DREAM Expression by Group I mGluR

DREAM (downstream regulatory element antagonistic modulator) is a calcium-binding protein that regulates dynorphin expression, promotes potassium channel surface expression, and enhances presenilin processing in an expression level-dependent manner. However, no molecular mechanism has yet explained how protein levels of DREAM are regulated. Here we identified group I mGluR (mGluR1/5) as a positive regulator of DREAM protein expression. Overexpression of mGluR1/5 increased the cellular level of DREAM. Up-regulation of DREAM resulted in increased DREAM protein in both the nucleus and cytoplasm, where the protein acts as a transcriptional repressor and a modulator of its interacting proteins, respectively. DHPG (3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine), a group I mGluR agonist, also up-regulated DREAM expression in cortical neurons. These results suggest that group I mGluR is the first identified receptor that may regulate DREAM activity in neurons.

Inhibition of Fas-mediated Apoptosis of Rheumatoid Synovial Cells by TGF-beta and IL-1 beta / 대한류마티스학회지

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the proliferative and anti-apoptotic effects of TGF-beta and IL-1beta on rheumatoid synovial cells. METHODS: Synovial cells obtained from surgical procedure of the rheumatoid joint were cultured with TFG-beta and IL-1beta The proliferative response of synovial cells was examined by non-radioactive cell proliferation assay. Fas-demiated apoptosis of synovial cells was measured by flow cytometry after addition of anti-Fas antibody. RESULTS: TGF-beta and IL-1betaproliferated synovial cells in a dose-dependent manner. They also made synovial cells resistant to anti-Fas antibody induced apoptosis. CONCLUSION: TGF-beta and IL-1betapromotes synovial cell proliferation possibly through interference with Fas-mediated apoptosis, suggesting their role in synovial hyperplasis in rheumatoid arthritis.