Comparative analysis of the use of complementary and alternative medicine by Korean patients with androgenetic alopecia, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is being increasingly used among Koreans with chronic dermatologic diseases, such as androgenetic alopecia (AGA), atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the usage of CAM in Korean patients with AGA, AD or psoriasis, and to offer valid information for the physicians frequently encountering such disorders. METHODS: Outpatients (n = 678) from three tertiary hospitals were investigated independently by constructed and self-directed questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 62.1% (421/678) of the subjects reported current or previous use of CAM for their dermatologic conditions (AGA, 67.2%; AD, 68.9%; psoriasis, 46.6%). In AGA, topical applicants (50.2%) were most often used, followed by dietary therapy and health supplements. In AD, bath therapy (39.4%) was most often used, followed by oriental medicine and topical applicants. In psoriasis, oriental medicine (33.9%) was most frequently used, followed by bath therapy and health supplements. The proportion of patients who believed that CAM helped to improve their skin condition was relatively low (AGA, 16.1%; AD, 31.7%; psoriasis, 15.0%). LIMITATIONS: The results may not be applicable to other countries and generalized to general populations. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that CAM is widely used in Korean patients with chronic dermatological diseases despite their dissatisfactions. Thus, the advantages and disadvantages of CAM must be considered before its clinical practice.

Chronic rejection in a small bowel transplant with successful revision of the allograft by segmental resection: case report.

An 8-year-old girl was admitted for severe electrolyte imbalance and for hyponatremic seizure. In July 2005, at 3 years of age, she underwent isolated small-bowel transplantation of 100 cm ileum from her father. Her own bowel was only 50 cm of proximal jejunum which had been directly connected to the anus due to extended total aganglionosis. The graft was placed into the middle of her remaining bowel, using the splenic artery and vein as feeding vessels with saving of the spleen. Daclizumab induction and tacrolimus monotherapy were applied for immunosuppression. Two acute cellular rejection episodes, E on day 10 and 4 years after transplantation, were successfully treated with OKT-3 and recombinant antithymocyte globulin, respectively. However, because of intermittent bowel dysfunction, she was hospitalized several times for hydration and metabolic care. On admission, her abdomen was moderately distended, and a simple abdominal film showed a fixed dilated loop. Colonoscopy could not pass the narrowed lumen, with stiffness at the anastomosis between the graft and the distal bowel. Endoscopic biopsy at the entrance to the stricture showed a nonspecific inflammatory reaction with fibrosis. Similar findings on a gastrograffin enema suggested chronic rejection (CR). On laparotomy, an irregularly narrowed fibrotic loop was noticed at the distal part of the graft, proximal to the anastomosis. We performed a 20-cm segmental resection with an end-to-end anastomosis. Histopathologic findings showed CR with fibrosis and hyalinization of the entire bowel wall and vessel walls with mild cellular infiltrations. She recovered in 10 days. The graft may have been saved, but intermittent requirement of hydration over the following months suggested progressive graft dysfunction. A case of segmental involvement of CR with subsequent successful graft salvage by partial resection is rare in the literature.

Responses of periodontal ligament stem cells on various titanium surfaces.

OBJECTIVE: Periodontal ligament has been reported to have adult stem cells (PDLSCs) which are responsible to regenerate the alveolar bone tissue after tooth is removed from its socket. Also PDLSCs may be the stem cells responsible for the osseointegration of titanium implants after installing the implant immediately in the fresh extracted socket. Here we tested cellular responses of PDLSCs on the various titanium surfaces to verify this notion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Titanium disc were prepared for the different surface textures; smooth machined, blasted with 75 and 125 µm Al(2) O(3) particles, and anodized. PDLSCs were cultured on these titanium discs and tested their proliferation and gene expressions of osteocalcin, osteopontin, type I collagen, and GAPDH. RESULTS: Proliferation of PDLSCs was higher on the rough surface blasted with 75 µm Al(2) O(3) particles. Osteocalcin expression was increased on the Al(2) O(3) particle treated-surface regardless of its particle size. Type I collagen expression was generally decreased with time in 6 days culture. CONCLUSIONS: In this experiment, it was shown that cultured PDLSCs proliferate in higher rate on the rough surface especially at the 75 µm Al(2) O(3) particle treated surface than other surfaces. Also, osteocalcin was highly expressed on the rough surfaces treated with 75 µm and 125 µm Al(2) O(3) particles.

Radiological assessment of petroleum pipe scale from pipe-rattling operations.

Petroleum pipe scale, consisting of concentrated inorganic solids such as barium sulfate, can deposit on the inside of down-hole pipes during the normal course of oil field pumping operations. A portion of this scale has been shown to contain naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), predominantly compounds of radium. When these pipes are removed from the well, there is a potential for radiation doses to the oil field workers handling the pipes, especially as the pipes are cleaned for reuse. A thorough sampling and measurement protocol was applied under a variety of weather conditions in an outdoor laboratory to obtain an accurate indication of the radiological and aerodynamic characteristics of scale release and dust dispersion during petroleum pipe scale removal from out-of-service pipes with a restored, historically relevant outdoor pipe-cleaning machine. Exposure rate data were also obtained for both the pre-cleaned pipes, and the general area inhabited by workers during the descaling operation. Four radiation exposure pathways were investigated: inhalation of pipe scale dust generated during pipe rattling, incidental ingestion of the pipe scale dust, external exposure from uncleaned pipes, and external exposure from pipe scale dispersed on the ground. Pipes from three oil fields were rattled to collect as much industry-representative data as possible. The Ra specific activity of the pipe scale ranged from 33.6 +/- 0.4 to 65.5 +/- 0.7 Bq g, depending on the formation. A median atmospheric dust loading of 0.13 mg m was measured in the operator breathing zone. The respirable fraction was observed to be about 42% to 46%. Based on cleaning 20 pipes per day,250 d per year on average, annual committed effective doses for the operator and helper ranged from 0.11 mSv (11 mrem) to 0.45 mSv(45 mrem) for inhalation and from 19 microSv (1.9 mrem) to 97 microSv (9.7 mrem) for incidental ingestion. Worker annual external dose from the pipe racks ranged from 0 to 0.28 mSv (28 mrem). In the deposition experiment, more than 99% by weight of the deposited scale fell within 2 m of the machine centerline, the vast majority of which was in the downwind direction. The dose from this deposited material dominated the worker dose estimates. The annual external dose from dispersed material was estimated to be 2.8 mSv (280 mrem) for the operator and 4.1 mSv (410 mrem) for the helper.

Yuk-Hap-Tang induces apoptosis by intervening mn-SOD in human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells.

Yuk-Hap-Tang (YHT) induces cell death in human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells. Caspase-3, -6 and -9 were markedly activated in HeLa cells treated with YHT. The preferred substrate for caspase-3 cysteine protease, PARP, was cleaved to its 85-kDa cleavage product. YHT increased the amount of the anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2, and the pro-apoptotic protein, Bax. Although p53 has been reported to accumulate in cancer cells in response to anticancer agents, the p53 expression level was not changed in HeLa cells treated with YHT. Manganese (Mn)-TBAP, a mitochondria-specific SOD mimetic agent and NAC/GSH (N-acetyl cysteine/ reduced glutathione) reduced the YHT-induced cytotoxicity and decreased the number of the YHT-induced apoptotic cells. Furthermore, YHT reduced the expression of Mn-SOD protein and its activity in HeLa cells. The data demonstrate that YHT induces the apoptosis of human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells by intervening Mn-SOD.

Evaluation of factors promoting astaxanthin production by a unicellular green alga, Haematococcus pluvialis, with fractional factorial design.

Factors affecting the astaxanthin production by a unicellular green alga, Haematococcus pluvialis UTEX 16, were evaluated with sequential fractional factorial design. To simulate an actual production mode, a two-stage process was adapted for astaxanthin production: the alga was first cultivated under vegetative growth conditions, and then astaxanthin production was induced by applying various induction methods. A high dose of irradiation was most effective for the production of astaxanthin both in weight (mg/g) and in cellular (pg/cell) contents. A combination of nitrogen deficiency and acetate addition also significantly increased the astaxanthin content of cells on a dry weight basis. Meanwhile, the acetate addition alone increased only the cellular content of astaxanthin. Although the addition of ferrous ion alone had a negative effect on the weight content of astaxanthin, simultaneous addition of ferrous ion and acetate was effective for increasing the cellular content of astaxanthin.

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal in an anaerobic-aerobic sequencing batch reactor: characteristics of carbon metabolism.

Carbon metabolism of activated sludge performing enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) was investigated in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR), where glucose and acetate were supplied as carbon sources. There have been reports that EBPR often failed because of outgrowth of G-bacteria, which are able to use glycogen (or glucose) alone instead of glycogen and polyphosphate as an internal energy storage pool for the anaerobic uptake and storage of acetate. However, in this experiment, complete EBPR was achieved without proliferation of G-bacteria despite the supply of glucose in addition to the acetate. Additional one-cycle SBR operation was carried out to investigate the detailed metabolism of glucose and acetate. Acetate-using, phosphorus-accumulating organisms (PAOs) could use glucose as a source for the anaerobic polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthesis from acetate. However, glucose and acetate were metabolized separately through independent metabolic pathways by respective microorganisms: acetate-using PAOs, lactate-producing organisms (LPOs), and lactate-using PAOs. Glucose was rapidly converted to lactic acid by LPOs before acetate-using PAOs used the glucose as an energy source for the anaerobic PHA synthesis from acetate and the lactateusing PAOs anaerobically synthesized PHA from lactate at the expense of polyphosphate. The EBPR was accomplished by acetate-using PAOs and lactate-using PAOs independently when glucose acetate were supplied together.

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal in an anaerobic-aerobic sequencing batch reactor: effect of pH.

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) is not always successfully achieved in activated-sludge processes by anaerobic-aerobic operation. It has been reported that the deterioration of EBPR has been caused by domination of glycogen-accumulating organisms (GAOs) in microbial sludge. After repeated operation of a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) supplied with acetate as a sole carbon source, it was found that an operational variable, pH, could be a tool to control the competition between GAOs and polyphosphate-accumulating organisms PAOs, which could mediate the success of EBPR. When anaerobic phase pH in the SBR was controlled at 7.0, GAOs dominated the culture, resulting in failure of EBPR. Without pH control, the pH during the anaerobic phase increased to 8.4 as a result of denitrification and acetate uptake. In this relatively high pH condition, almost complete EBPR was achieved. In this report, the mechanism of pH effect on the competition between GAOs and PAOs was elucidated through a characterization of activated sludge using previously proposed biochemical models.

Two-year follow-up after a randomised controlled trial of self- and clinician-accompanied exposure for phobia/panic disorders.

BACKGROUND: Long-term follow-up has rarely been reported after self-exposure therapy for phobias. AIMS: Completion of such a follow-up. METHOD: Two-year follow-up was achieved in 68 (85%) of 80 patients with phobias who had completed a previous 14-week randomised controlled trial comparing therapist-accompanied self-exposure, self-exposure or self-relaxation. Measures were self-reported ratings of symptoms, satisfaction and use of other treatment. RESULTS: Improvement at week 14 was maintained 2 years later. Clinician-accompanied exposure and self-exposure did not differ on any measure. Compliance with self-exposure homework during weeks 0-8 predicted more improvement 2 years later. Patients who failed to improve with relaxation by week 14 improved after subsequent crossover to exposure. A need for more treatment for their phobias was still felt by 33 patients (49%). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with phobias maintained their improvement to 2-year follow-up after the end of self-exposure therapy.

A hot pepper cDNA encoding a pathogenesis-related protein 4 is induced during the resistance response to tobacco mosaic virus.

Hot pepper (Capsicum annuum) plants exhibit a hypersensitive response (HR) against infection by many tobamoviruses. A clone (CaPR-4) encoding a putative pathogenesis-related protein 4 was isolated by differential screening of a cDNA library prepared from resistant pepper plant leaves inoculated with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) pathotype P0. The predicted amino acid sequence of CaPR-4 is very similar to those of other plant PR-4s. Southern blot analysis showed that small gene families of PR-4-related sequences were present in the pepper genome. Hot pepper cultivar Bugang, resistant to TMV-P0 and susceptible to TMV-P1.2, induced CaPR-4 expression by pathotype P0 inoculation in inoculated and systemic leaves, but not by pathotype P1.2. Effects of exogenously applied abiotic elicitors upon the CaPR-4 expression were also examined. The expression of the CaPR-4 gene was stimulated by methyl jasmonate (MeJA), ethephon and wounding treatment. However, application of salicylic acid (SA) did not trigger the expression. Evidence is emerging that jasmonic acid and ethylene play key roles in the SA-independent pathways of plant-pathogen interaction. Taken together, these results suggest that the CaPR-4 gene is one of the defense-related genes conferring resistance on pepper plants by the SA-independent pathway and the cross-talk between signaling compounds, jasmonic acid and ethylene could have a great regulatory potential in a plant's defense against TMV.

Metallic punctate densities in the breast after Chinese herbal treatment: mammographic findings.

PURPOSE: To describe the mammographic features of metallic punctate densities seen in women who were treated with the herb go-yak for breast abscess and to explain the cause of these findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mammograms showing metallic punctate densities that appeared to be microcalcifications in 34 women were analyzed retrospectively with attention to the location, shape, distribution, and depth of the lesions. In all patients, go-yak was applied into the open wound after abscess drainage 6-42 years before mammography. In six patients, histopathologic specimens were obtained after needle localization. RESULTS: Metallic densities were in the subareolar or central breast in 24 (71%) of 34 patients. The shape was predominantly round or punctate in all patients, but rod-shaped or linear lesions were found in seven patients. The distribution and depth of lesions were variable, but they extended to the subcutaneous fat in 29 patients (85%). A high concentration of lead was found in the histopathologic specimens and herb samples. CONCLUSION: Lead deposits associated with go-yak treatment should be included in the differential diagnosis when the suspected microcalcifications are of unusually high density, are central in location, and extend into the subcutaneous fat in Asian women with a history of breast abscess.

Oxybutynin chloride inhibits proliferation and suppresses gene expression in bladder smooth muscle cells.

PURPOSE: We test the hypothesis that oxybutynin chloride inhibits bladder smooth muscle cell proliferation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cultured rat bladder smooth muscle cells were grown in Medium 199 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum in the presence of 0, 1, 10 and 100 microM. oxybutynin. Cell proliferation was assessed by counting cell numbers 48 and 96 hours after plating. To investigate the role of oxybutynin in bladder smooth muscle cell proliferation after mechanical stretch, cells were grown on silicone elastomer bottomed culture plates and subjected to cyclical stretch-relaxation for 48 hours in the presence of 10 microM. oxybutynin. Deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis was assessed by tritiated thymidine incorporation assay. To examine the effect of oxybutynin on stretch activated gene expression, bladder smooth muscle cells were subjected to stretch-relaxation for 2 hours with and without 10 microM. oxybutynin, and relative c-jun messenger (m) ribonucleic acid (RNA) levels were assessed by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction with normalization to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA levels. RESULTS: The serum stimulated increase in bladder smooth muscle cell growth was inhibited by oxybutynin in a dose dependent manner. In bladder smooth muscle cells there was a 4.7-fold increase in deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis after mechanical stretch, which decreased by 40% (p <0.01) when cells were stretched in the presence of oxybutynin. Stretch stimulated significant increase in c-jun mNRA levels, which was significantly decreased by oxybutynin. CONCLUSIONS: Oxybutynin chloride inhibits bladder smooth muscle cell proliferation induced by serum and mechanical stretch. A potential mechanism by which oxybutynin inhibits proliferation may be the down regulation of growth promoting genes, such as c-jun. We speculate that oxybutynin may be useful for preventing permanent hypertrophic bladder changes in addition to decreasing intravesical pressure.

STF1 is a novel TGACG-binding factor with a zinc-finger motif and a bZIP domain which heterodimerizes with GBF proteins.

Two separate nuclear binding activities (B1 and B2) in the soybean apical hypocotyl have been identified that interact with a palindromic C-box sequence (TGACGTCA) and which are developmentally regulated in an inverse manner. The bZIP factors responsible for these two binding activities, B1 and B2, were isolated from a cDNA library and designated STGA1 and STFs (STF1 and STF2), respectively. Sequence analysis shows that the STFs contain both a zinc-finger domain and a bZIP domain. The two zinc finger sequences of Cys4-Cys4 are most related to the RING zinc-finger motif carrying a Cys3-His-Cys4. In addition the bZIP domain of STFs is highly homologous to the HY5 protein of Arabidopsis. DNA binding studies revealed that STF1 binding to the TGACGT sequence requires distinct flanking sequences. Furthermore, STF1 binds to the Hex sequence as a heterodimer with G-box binding factors (GBFs), a feature not observed with STGA1. Since STF1 expression is most prevalent in apical and elongating hypocotyls, it is proposed that STF1 may be a transcription factor involved in the process of hypocotyl elongation.

Role of nitric oxide in penile erection.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in erectile physiology by correlating its action with the existence and activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which produces NO. We applied Western blot analysis in both human and rat penile tissue. In the rat, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) diaphorase staining and spectrophotometric assay were also performed, in addition to in vivo electroerection study with pharmacological manipulation. Western blot analysis identified a protein of 155 KDa identical to the neural form of NOS in the human and rat penis. The NOS blot densities in the two species were similar, and both were lower than that in the rat cerebellum. Histochemical staining localized NOS to neurons innervating the corpora cavernosa, including the pelvic plexus, the cavernosal nerves and their terminal fibers within the corporeal erectile tissue, and dorsal penile nerves. NOS activity was also found in the cerebellum, urethra, penis, and urinary bladder, in decreasing order of intensity. Intracavernous injections of NOS inhibitor (L-NOARG or L-NAME in concentrations from 10(-6) M to 10(-3) M suppressed electrostimulation-induced erection in a concentration-dependent manner. Subsequent intracavernous injection of L-Arginine (10(-2) M) partially restored the erection. The neural form of constitutive NOS in the corpora cavernosa synthesizes NO, which mediates penile erection. Determination of cavernosal NOS expression or activity may permit characterization of certain pathological conditions that cause impotence.