Properties of cortical precursor cells cultured long term are similar to those of precursors at later developmental stages.

In vitro cultures of neural precursor cells are useful experimental tools for studies on the mechanisms of brain development, as well as for generating renewable sources in cell therapy for neurodegenerative disorders. The systematic characterization of cultured neural precursors is a prerequisite for obtaining basic information on brain development. Here, we examine the cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation potential of cultured neural precursors from different embryonic ages and those of the precursors expanded in vitro for different periods of time.

Klebsiella pneumoniae septic arthritis in a cirrhotic patient with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Despite septic arthritis is increasingly being reported in elderly patients with diabetes or alcoholism, reported cases of spontaneous bacterial arthritis in cirrhotic patients are extremely rare. We present the first reported case of K. pneumoniae septic arthritis and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in a cirrhotic patient with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the common bile duct presenting as obstructive jaundice.

Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the extrahepatic bile duct presenting as obstructive jaundice is an extremely rare disease. At this writing, a review of the medical literature disclosed 17 reported cases of primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma arising from the extrahepatic bile duct. We, herein, report an additional case of obstructive jaundice caused by primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the common bile duct, in a 21-year-old woman.

A prospective, randomized trial comparing mechanical methods of hemostasis plus epinephrine injection to epinephrine injection alone for bleeding peptic ulcer.

Background: The hemostatic efficacy of mechanical methods of hemostasis, together with epinephrine injection, was compared with that of epinephrine injection alone in bleeding peptic ulcer.

Methods: Ninety patients with a peptic ulcer with active bleeding or a non-bleeding visible vessel were randomly assigned to undergo a mechanical method of hemostasis (23 hemoclip application, 22 band ligation) plus epinephrine injection, or epinephrine injection alone.

Results: The two groups were similar with respect to all background variables.

A prospective, randomized trial of endoscopic band ligation vs. epinephrine injection for actively bleeding Mallory-Weiss syndrome.

Background: Effective hemostatic treatment is mandatory for patients with actively bleeding Mallory-Weiss syndrome. This study evaluated the respective efficacy and the safety of endoscopic band ligation and endoscopic epinephrine injection in Mallory-Weiss syndrome.

Methods: Thirty-four consecutive patients with actively bleeding Mallory-Weiss syndrome were prospectively enrolled and were randomly assigned to undergo endoscopic band ligation or endoscopic injections of a 1:10,000 solution of epinephrine.

[The safety and usefulness of endoscopic polypectomy for treatment of Brunner's gland adenomas].

Background/aims: Brunner's gland adenoma is a rare benign tumor of the duodenum. Although several cases of successful endoscopic polypectomy have been reported, the studies on the safety and usefulness of endoscopic polypectomy are extremely rare. Therefore, we report the results of 10 cases of Brunner's gland adenoma treated by endoscopic polypectomy.

[Review of 209 cases of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract and clinical factors for successful endoscopic removal].

Background/aims: Most of ingested foreign bodies pass through the gastrointestinal tract spontaneously, but some of them (about 20%) need endoscopic or surgical removal. The aims of this study were to characterize the clinical features associated with foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract and to determine the clinical factors for their successful removal by endoscopic techniques.

Methods: We analyzed retrospectively 209 cases of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract at Chonnam National University Hospital between May 1998 and May 2003.

A case of Brunner's gland hamartoma presenting as obscure gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

Brunner's gland hamartomas are rare tumors of duodenum, they are often discovered incidentally during esophagogastroduodenoscopy or upper gastrointestinal series. These tumors arise mainly in the duodenal bulb and can present with gastrointestinal hemorrhage and intestinal obstruction. Most of Brunner's gland hamartomas are located within the range of the standard esophagogastroduodenoscope.

[Therapeutic effect of the endoscopic N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate injection for acute esophagogastric variceal bleeding: comparison with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt].

Background/aims: Though endoscopic therapies such as variceal ligation and sclerotherapy has been performed, bleeding from the large esophageal and gastric varices still poses significant risk of death. Decrease of portal pressure by TIPS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt) or surgical shunt was indicated as cause of failure of endoscopic therapies. Treatment of N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate has been especially effective for gastric variceal bleeding, but comparison with other treatments had not been reported yet.

[A case of multiple bleeding pseudoaneurysms complicating acute pancreatitis].

Arterial pseudoaneurysm is rare but potentially a catastrophic complication of pancreatitis because it can cause massive gastrointestinal bleeding. Since surgical treatment of arterial pseudoaneurysm has a high mortality, percutaneous angiographic embolization of bleeding artery has recently been advocated as the alternative therapy. Acute hemorrhage into the peritoneal cavity or pseudocyst complicating chronic pancreatitis was frequently reported.

Betaxolol attenuates retinal ischemia/reperfusion damage in the rat.

This study was performed to elucidate the protection afforded by post-treatment with Betoptic (0.25% betaxolol) against neuronal cell damage after ischemia/reperfusion insult in rats. Betaxolol was applied topically after the start of reperfusion and its effect was evaluated by morphometry and choline acetyltransferase immunoreactivity of retinas at 7 days after reperfusion.

Erythropoietin and bone morphogenetic protein 7 mediate ascorbate-induced dopaminergic differentiation from embryonic mesencephalic precursors.

Mesencephalic precursors derived from early (embryonic day 12; E12) rat embryos were grown in vitro using mitogen basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and these cells efficiently differentiated into dopaminergic (DA) neurons. However, this in vitro DA differentiation was poor in mesencephalic precursors isolated from later embryos (E13-15). Ascorbate (AA) treatment enhanced yields of DA neurons from E12 precursors, and increased the number of DA neurons generated from E13 precursors to levels attained when using E12 precursors.

Ascorbate-induced differentiation of embryonic cortical precursors into neurons and astrocytes.

A specific role for ascorbate (AA) in brain development has been postulated based on a rise of AA levels in fetal brain (Kratzing et al., 1985). To evaluate the role of AA during CNS development, we analyzed the survival, proliferation, and differentiation of AA-treated CNS precursor cells isolated from rat embryonic cortex.

Embryonic cortical stem cells secrete diffusible factors to enhance their survival.

Neural stem cells play major roles in brain development. The precise regulation of neural stem cell survival and proliferation is important for determining numbers of terminally differentiated neurons and glia. In this study, we demonstrate that embryonic neural stem cells positively regulate their own survival by secreting diffusible factors.

StAR and steroidogenic enzyme transcriptional regulation in the rat brain: effects of acute alcohol administration.

In this study, we showed the presence of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) mRNA in the rat brain using Northern blot analysis and revealed its localization using in situ hybridization histochemistry. Although the expression level is less than peripheral steroidogenic organs, the brain has two kinds of StAR transcripts with the same size as peripheral endocrine organs. As expected, StAR mRNA levels were maintained in the brain after gonadectomy and adrenalectomy, which indicates its independent expression.

Activated mast cells infiltrate in close proximity to enteric nerves in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

Mast cells (MC) may be one factor influencing the response of visceral afferent nerves to mechanical and chemical stimuli. The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of infiltration and activity of colonic MC in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Biopsy specimens were obtained from the cecum and rectum of 14 diarrhea predominant IBS and 14 normal controls.

The role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and p53 status for angiogenesis in gastric cancer.

Background: Angiogenesis is of crucial importance for tumor growth and development of metastases. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has a potent angiogenic activity and mutations of the p53 gene has been thought to upregulate VEGF. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of these tumor biomarkers for angiogenesis relative to the information derived from established clinicopathological parameters in gastric cancer.

Change in endothelial nitric oxide synthase in the rat retina following transient ischemia.

Patterns of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression in retinal ischemia were studied utilizing a transient high intraocular pressure (HIOP) model. We investigated neuronal cell damage and changes in eNOS immunoreactive expression in the ischemic retina, and its relationship to the neuroprotection of betaxolol treatment after ischemic injury. Immunohistochemical staining for eNOS was performed at 3, 7, 14 and 28 days after ischemia/reperfusion.

Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 protein in colorectal carcinomas.

Background: Overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been demonstrated in various human cancers, including colorectal cancer. Thus, overexpression of COX-2 may be involved in the growth and progression of cancer, and this may have prognostic significance.

Aim: The aim of our study is to evaluate the expression of COX-2 in colorectal cancer tissue, and to examine the relationship of its expression to various clinicopathological parameters and patient survival.

Changes of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein mRNA expression in postnatal rat development.

The present study investigated the expression pattern of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) mRNA in several brain regions and peripheral endocrine organs using Northern blot, RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. StAR mRNA in the adrenal gland was detected at birth and decreased for 2 weeks postnatally. In gonads, it was also detected at birth though at a lower level than adrenal, and was maintained until week 3.

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and p53 in pancreatic carcinomas.

Background: Angiogenesis has been shown to be a critical aspect of tumor growth and progression. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has potent angiogenic activity and has been identified in a wide variety of malignancies, including pancreatic carcinoma. The tumor-suppressor gene p53 has been thought to regulate VEGF in angiogenesis.

Nitric oxide synthase expression in the transient ischemic rat retina: neuroprotection of betaxolol.

Betaxolol is a beta-adrenergic blocker but its neuroprotective action is generally thought to be due to its calcium channel blocking properties. In this study, we investigated neuronal cell damage and changes in the expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) immunoreactivity in the ischemic retina and its relationship to the neuroprotection of betaxolol treatment after ischemic injury. Using the retina after ischemia, the expression of nNOS was studied by immunocytochemistry.