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Biomedical subjects

H J Lee

Publications and source records attributed to H J Lee.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Intracisternal administration of chemokines facilitated formalin-induced behavioral responses in the orofacial area of freely moving rats.

The present study investigated the effects of intracisternal administration of MCP-1, Rantes or IL-8 on pain transmission in the orofacial area. We also investigated mechanisms of hyperalgesic responses produced by intracisternal administration of IL-8. An orofacial formalin test was employed to assess the effects of chemokines on nociceptive processing. For each animal, the number of behavioral responses and the time spent grooming, rubbing and/or scratching the facial region proximal to the formalin injection site was recorded for nine successive 5-min intervals. Intracisternal administration of MCP-1, Rantes or IL-8 significantly increased formalin-induced scratching behavioral responses in the orofacial area. Intracisternal pretreatment with indomethacin, a non-selective cyclooxygenase inhibitor, did not block IL-8-induced hyperalgesia. Pretreatment with 100 microg propranolol, a non-selective beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist and 50 microg atenolol, a selective beta(1)-adrenergic receptor antagonist, inhibited the number of scratches and the duration of scratching produced by 1 ng of IL-8 injected intracisternally. These results indicate that intracisternal administration of chemokines produce a hyperalgesic response with an orofacial inflammatory pain model and that the IL-8-induced hyperalgesia is mediated by central beta(1)-adrenergic receptor.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2005

Drought-inducible-but ABA-independent-thaumatin-like protein from carrot (Daucus carota L.).

Drought treatment induces the accumulation of dcTLP, which is similar in structure to the thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs) found in the embryogenic calli, seedlings, and mature plants of carrot (Daucus carota). We isolated a full-length dcTLP cDNA clone from carrot and characterized the 5' upstream sequences. The coding region of dcTLP consisted of 645 nucleotides; the theoretical pI value was 4.9, and its molecular weight was approximately 22 kDa. The production of dcTLP transcripts in the seedlings increased dramatically with dehydration treatment but was not affected by abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid, or jasmonic acid. The expression patterns of dcTLP mRNA at different developmental stages and in response to a variety of signal molecules was analyzed using reverse transcriptase-PCR and promoter analysis with fused genes of 0.5-kb 5' upstream sequences in which beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter genes (gus) were established. The induction of dcTLP was found to be highly specific to drought stress in the embryogenic calli, seedlings, and mature plants. Our results suggest that this new isoform of TLP that has been isolated from carrot is a drought-specific, ABA-independent, non-organ-specific, and non-developmental-stage-specific protein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Vibronic transitions in single metalloporphyrins.

Structural and electronic properties of single zinc etioporphyrin molecules adsorbed on Al2O3/NiAl(110) were probed by a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) revealed progressions of spectral features corresponding to the vibronic states of individual molecules that depend strongly on the molecular conformations. Vibronic features observed by STS were compared with the results from fluorescence induced by tunneling electrons (tunneling-induced fluorescence, TIF).

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Radiologic manifestations of intraventricular and subarachnoid racemose neurocysticercosis.

Neurocysticercosis is a major cause of acquired epilepsy around the globe. The racemose form of this disease, which has a predilection for the subarachnoid space, is rare in the US. The patient described here had a combination of intraventricular and subarachnoid cysticercal cysts. In the following report, the CT and MR characteristics of this rare form of neurocysticercosis both before and after treatment are described, and the current issues surrounding management are briefly discussed.

Cerebral Ventricles↗
PubMed2005

Chronic tuberculous empyema: relationships between preoperative CT findings and postoperative improvement measured by pulmonary function testing.

AIMS: To evaluate whether preoperative computed tomography (CT) findings correlate with postoperative improvements in forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume during 1s (FEV1) in persons who have undergone unilateral decortication because of unilateral chronic tuberculous empyema. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out of 67 individuals who had undergone decortication because of chronic tuberculous empyema between January 1996 and December 2000. Of these, 13 subjects who had had preoperative chest CT and preoperative and postoperative pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were included in the investigation. On preoperative CT, the degree of volume reduction of the affected side was compared with that of the contralateral normal lung. The relative volume of empyema was calculated by dividing the volume occupied by the empyema by the sum of the total volume of the ipsilateral lung and the empyema volume. The thicknesses of pleura and extrapleural fat in the involved hemithorax were measured by CT at their thickest points, and the degree of atelectasis adjacent to the empyema in the diseased lung was assessed and classified. These five CT parameters and the ages of the patients were compared with preoperative and postoperative FVC and FEV1 changes. RESULTS: A significant negative correlation was found between FVC changes and the relative volume of the affected lung (FVC: p = 0.039, RS = -0.58). FVC and FEV1 were found to be significantly and positively correlated with the relative volume of the empyema (FVC: p = 0.005, RS = 0.72; FEV1: p = 0.014, RS = 0.66) and the degree of atelectasis (FVC: p = 0.007, RS = 0.71; FEV1: p = 0.029, RS = 0.60) by Spearman's nonparametric correlation test. Other CT parameters and the ages of the patients were not found to be correlated with PFT changes. CONCLUSION: The relative volume of the affected side, the relative volume of empyema and the degree of atelectasis can predict improvements in FVC and FEV1 after decortication in patients with chronic tuberculous empyema.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Depressive symptoms of type 2 diabetics treated with insulin compared to diabetics taking oral anti-diabetic drugs: a Korean study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the depressive symptoms of type 2 diabetic patients who were treated with insulin compared to those diabetics treated with oral anti-diabetic drugs in Korea. METHODS: A total 204 outpatients with type 2 diabetes were invited to complete a questionnaire using the Beck depression inventory (BDI) to measure depressive symptoms. Age, gender, body mass index, serum lipid profile, and a social history including marital status, occupation and educational background were also assessed. The presence of diabetic complications was evaluated by examining the patients' medical records. Diabetic patients who were not treated with anti-diabetic drugs were excluded. All the study subjects were classified into two groups based on their mode of therapy: the oral drug group and insulin group. The insulin group included patients treated with insulin-oral drug combinations as well as those treated solely with insulin. RESULTS: Overall, 32.4% of our diabetic subjects showed depressive symptoms with the criterion being a BDI score > or = 16. Compared to the oral drug group, the insulin group showed a significantly higher frequency of depressive symptoms (insulin group, 48.0%; oral drug group, 27.3%; p<0.01) and higher BDI scores (insulin group, 16.6+/-10.7; oral drug group, 12.6+/-8.7; p<0.01). Moreover, after an adjustment for social factors, the degree of hyperglycemia and the presence of diabetic complications, the insulin group showed a significantly higher frequency of depression (odds ratio 4.38, 95% CI 1.66-11.6, p=0.003), compared to the oral drug group. CONCLUSIONS: The data showed that insulin treatment is related to the presence of depressive symptoms, and the importance of more careful psychological support of Korean insulin-treated type 2 diabetic patients is strongly suggested.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2005

Antibacterial and antifungal activity of pinosylvin, a constituent of pine.

The antibacterial and antifungal activities of pinosylvin (3,5-dihydroxy-trans-stilbene), a constituent of pine, were studied and compared with those of resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene). Pinosylvin exhibited more potent growth inhibitory activity against Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2005

Diffusion-weighted and conventional magnetic resonance imaging in cerebral cryptococcoma.

A case of cryptococcoma involving the right cerebral hemisphere is reported. The diffusion-weighted image shows hypointensity in the central cavity of the cryptococcoma, while apparent diffusion coefficient maps show hyperintensity. The imaging features of an intracerebral cryptococcoma mimic that of a central necrotic brain tumor, rather than a pyogenic brain abscess.

Amphotericin B↗
PubMed2005

Impact of fluoroquinolones on the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis initially treated as bacterial pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE: The excellent in vitro activity of fluoroquinolones against Mycobacterium tuberculosis has raised concerns about the delayed diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) initially misdiagnosed as pneumonia. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of empiric fluoroquinolone therapy on delays in diagnosis in patients with PTB initially misdiagnosed as bacterial pneumonia. DESIGN: Patients with PTB initially treated as having community-acquired pneumonia and treated with fluoroquinolones for more than 5 consecutive days, from January 2000 to December 2004, were enrolled. As a control group, TB patients initially treated with nonfluoroquinolone antibiotics were enrolled. We reviewed the clinical data and compared treatment responses between the two groups. RESULTS: Nine patients in the fluoroquinolone group and 19 patients in the non-fluoroquinolone group were enrolled. In the fluoroquinolone group, eight patients (89%) improved clinically or radiographically, whereas only eight patients (42%) in the non-fluoroquinolone group improved (P = 0.04). The delay in initiation of anti-tuberculosis medication was longer in the fluoroquinolone group than in the non-fluoroquinolone group (43.1 - 40.0 vs. 18.7 +/- 16.9 days, P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Delay in the initiation of anti-tuberculosis treatment is possible in patients administered fluoroquinolone and initially misdiagnosed as having bacterial pneumonia.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

One-dimensional transport in polymer nanofibers.

We report our transport studies in quasi-one-dimensional (1D) conductors-helical polyacetylene fibers doped with iodine-and the data analysis for other polymer single fibers and tubes. We found that at 30 K<T<300 K, the conductance and the current-voltage characteristics follow the power law G(T) proportional, Talpha with alpha approximately 2.2-7.2 and I(V) proportional, Vbeta with beta approximately 2-5.7. Both G(T) andI(V) show the features characteristic of 1D systems such as a Luttinger liquid or Wigner crystal. The relationship between our results and theories for tunneling in 1D systems is discussed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Real-time compound ultrasonography: pictorial review of technology and the preliminary experience in clinical application of the abdomen.

The purposes of this essay are to illustrate the technology overview and theoretical benefits of real-time compound ultrasonography (US) and to present our preliminary clinical experience in the evaluation of normal and diseased abdomens. The application of compounding principles to real-time US and its recent reintroduction into mainstream commercial systems have offered new opportunities for its clinical application to the routine examination of the abdomen. In our early preliminary experience, this technique effectively suppressed many of the US artifacts, better depicted the margin or boundary of the lesion, and increased contrast resolution or lesion conspicuity. Therefore, we believe that real-time compound US is a promising technique that may enhance the diagnostic confidence of the examination in the evaluation of normal and diseased abdomens.

Abdomen↗
PubMed2004

Spin splitting of s and p states in single atoms and magnetic coupling in dimers on a surface.

Electronic states of magnetic atoms (Mn, Fe, and Co) and artificially assembled dimers (Mn2, Fe2, and Co2) on a NiAl(110) surface were probed by scanning tunneling spectroscopy at 17 K. Resonance peaks characteristic of each adsorbed species were observed in the unoccupied density of states. Comparison of the measured spectra with calculations by density functional theory revealed spin splitting in the unoccupied states with s and p characters for the single magnetic adatoms and addimers. The magnitude of the resonance splitting for the adatoms increased with the calculated values of magnetic moments. The resonance structures for the addimers exhibited signatures of their internal magnetic coupling.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Peripheral glutamate receptors participate in interleukin-1beta-induced mechanical allodynia in the orofacial area of rats.

The present study was performed to examine peripheral cytokine-induced mechanical allodynia in the orofacial area and to investigate whether peripheral excitatory amino acids participate in the cytokine-induced mechanical allodynia. Experiments were carried out on male Sprague-Dawley rats. After interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) was applied subcutaneously to the orofacial area, we examined withdrawal responses produced by air puffs applied to the IL-1beta injection site. The threshold of air puffs that produced withdrawal behavioral responses decreased significantly in a dose-dependent manner after injection of IL-1beta. Pretreatment with an IL-1 receptor antagonist abolished the decrease in the threshold of air puffs. Pretreatment with dl-2-amino-5-phosphonvaleric acid, an N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist, did not affect IL-1beta-induced mechanical allodynia. However, pretreatment with 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, a non-NMDA receptor antagonist, abolished the decrease in the threshold of air puffs. These results suggest that peripheral cytokine can produce mechanical allodynia in the orofacial area and that excitatory amino acids can modulate IL-1beta-induced mechanical allodynia via non-NMDA receptors.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗
PubMed2004

Differences in p53 gene polymorphisms between Korean schizophrenia and lung cancer patients.

The reduced incidence of cancer observed in schizophrenia patients may be related to differences in genetic background. It has been suggested that genetic predisposition towards schizophrenia is associated with reduced vulnerability to lung cancer, and p53 gene is one of the candidate genes. We tested the genetic association between schizophrenia and lung cancer by analyzing polymorphic sites in the p53 gene. Genotype and allele frequencies at two polymorphic sites in the p53 gene (BstUI and MspI restriction sites in exon 4 and intron 6, respectively) were studied in Korean schizophrenia (n=179) and lung cancer patients (n=104). Comparisons of the genotype and allele frequencies of the MspI polymorphism revealed significant differences between schizophrenia and lung cancer patients. The results suggest that the p53 polymorphism specifically found in schizophrenia patients may be associated with reduced vulnerability to lung cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Antioxidative effects of 7-hydroxy-3-methoxy-cadalene extracted from Zelkova serrata on 4-(methylinitros amino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone-induced oxidative stress in A/J mice.

Effects of 7-hydroxy-3-methoxy-cadalene (cadalene) extracted from Zelkova serrata on 4-(methylinitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)-induced oxidative stress were examined using A/J mice. NNK (65 microg/ml water) was orally administered to 20 mice for 7 weeks, followed by free feeding of a commercial diet, not containing cadalene, for 2 weeks. The control group was maintained without NNK and cadalene administration, and treatment groups with NNK and cadalene (6.25, 25, 100 mg/kg feed) feeding for 25 weeks. The glutathione concentration of cadalene-treated (65 microg/ml water) group was significantly higher than that of the group treated only with NNK (p < 0.05). The results of our study strongly indicate that cadalene exerts antioxidative effect on NNK-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2004

Changes in expression of T-cell activation-related molecules and cytokines during tolerance induction in an allogeneic skin transplantation murine model.

Bone marrow transplantation after treatment with busulfan and costimulatory blockade with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4)-Ig and anti-CD154 mAb or two-signal blockade using anti-CD45RB and anti-CD154 mAb are nonmyeloablative treatment regimens for allogeneic transplantation. There may be differences in the mechanisms of donor cell engraftment and reactive cell deletion by which these regimens induce donor-specific tolerance. Therefore, this study was performed to investigate changes in T cells and cytokines during tolerance induction toward allogeneic skin grafts. BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice were used as donors and recipients, respectively. Skin and bone marrow transplantations were performed and busulfan was administered. Three groups were treated with mAb as follows: group 1, anti-CD154 mAb; group 2, anti-CD154 plus anti-CD45RB mAb; and group 3, anti-CD154 mAb plus CTLA4-Ig. The proportions of CD4+ or CD8+ T cells and the expression of CD45RB isoforms on splenocytes were measured using flow cytometry and the production of cytokines by CD4+ T cells using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Group 2 showed a significant reduction in the proportions of CD8+ T cells and CD45RB high isoforms compared with groups 1 and 3. The levels of interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-4 in group 2 were lower and higher than those of groups 1 and 3, respectively. In conclusion, the combined use of anti-CD154 and anti-CD45RB mAb decreases the CD8+ T-cell population and the expression of CD45RB, resulting in a Th2 cytokine profile, which may be a characteristic mechanism leading to donor cell engraftment and reactive cell deletion for donor-specific tolerance.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Transcription factor decoy for AP-1 reduces mesangial cell proliferation and extracellular matrix production in vitro and in vivo.

Diabetic nephropathy is characterized by an expansion of glomerular mesangium, caused by mesangial cell proliferation and excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, which eventually leads to glomerulosclerosis and renal failure. Activator protein-1 (AP-1), a transcription factor, is implicated in the transcriptional regulation of a wide range of genes participating in cell proliferation and ECM production. This investigation was undertaken to test the hypothesis that AP-1 plays an important role in ECM gene expression, and to develop a molecular therapeutic strategy based on decoy oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN). In this report, we show that transfection with AP-1 decoy ODN strongly inhibits high glucose- and angiotensin II-induced cell proliferation and expression of ECM genes in cultured mesangial cells in vitro. Administration of AP-1 decoy ODN into streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat kidney in vivo using the hemagglutinating virus of Japan (HVJ)-liposome method virtually abolished TGF-beta1 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 expression. Our results collectively indicate that AP-1 activation is crucial for mesangial cell proliferation and ECM production in response to high glucose and angiotensin II. Moreover, use of stable AP-1 decoy ODN combined with the highly effective HVJ-liposome method provides a novel potential molecular therapeutic strategy for the prevention of diabetic nephropathy.

Angiotensin II↗