Acute effects of serotonin on rat bladder contractility.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study is to investigate in vitro the effects of serotonin on the rat detrusor. In particular, it examines which drugs inhibit the serotonin-induced detrusor contractions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Isometric tension changes of isolated rat bladder muscle strips were recorded in an organ bath using a force transducer. Acute effects of serotonin (0.0001-0.01 mM) on resting tension were assessed. Electrical field stimulation (EFS); bethanechol (0.0001-0.01 mM); ATP (1-3 mM)- or KCl (63.5-254 mM)-induced contractions using an application in an organ bath were compared with serotonin-induced contractions. In order to examine the action mechanism of serotonin-induced stimulation, EFS-, bethanechol-, ATP- or KCl-induced contraction on serotonin treatment (0.001 mM) was assessed and serotonin (0.001-0.1 mM) was cumulatively added to the organ bath following preincubation with propranolol, ketanserin, tropisetron, propiverine, sodium nitroprusside or doxazosin. RESULTS: The serotonin-induced response has two phases: an initial transient contraction and a prolonged tonic phase. Serotonin produced a reversible and dose-dependent contraction of the detrusor strips. Responses to bethanechol significantly increased with a concentration of 0.001 mM serotonin (p < 0.05). There was no effect on the responses to ATP, KCl, or EFS on 0.001 mM serotonin. The 5-HT(2) receptor is mainly responsible for serotonin-induced contractions of the detrusor (p < 0.05), while the 5-HT(1) receptor is partially responsible. Doxazosin and propiverine each significantly suppressed the response to serotonin, while sodium nitroprusside and tropisetron each had no effect (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Because the 5-HT(2) antagonist blocked the effect of serotonin-induced bladder contractions and the stimulation of the adrenoreceptors, the 5-HT(2) antagonist seems to improve lower urinary tract symptoms.     

Angiodysplasia as the cause of massive lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage in a young adult

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to clarify the importance of bleeding vascular ectasia of the colon as the etiology of massive lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients 40 years of age or younger. METHODS: An otherwise healthy 21-year-old male was admitted to a tertiary medical center with massive lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Technetium-labeled red blood cell scan, selective visceral angiography, and colonoscopy identified the source of bleeding as vascular abnormality of the descending colon. Segmental colonic resection was performed. RESULTS: Histologic review of the specimen demonstrated a vascular ectasia. The patient recovered uneventfully and has had no further stigmata of hemorrhage. A review of the literature was undertaken to make clear the significance of vascular ectasia as the source for massive colonic hemorrhage in the young adult. CONCLUSION: This is the first report that documents histologically a vascular ectasia as the source of massive lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage in an otherwise healthy patient less than 40 years of age. Vascular ectasia is an uncommon cause of lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage in the young adult.The Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Navy Department, Washington, DC, Clinical Investigation Program sponsored this report #84-16-1968-532, as required by HSETCINST 6000.41A. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, or the United States Government.     

Outflow of aqueous humor following cyclodialysis or ciliochoroidal detachment in rabbit

Cyclodialysis and ciliochoroidal detachment were performed in three eyes of three rabbits and in three eyes of another three rabbits, respectively. After aspiration of the aqueous humor, 0.1 ml of 10% sodium fluorescein was injected intracamerally, and the eyeball was enucleated between 30 minutes and one hour after injection and prepared for fluorescence microscopy. Sodium fluorescein concentrations in the supraciliary space were much greater in the group with cyclodialysis or ciliochoroidal detachment than in the normal control group. These results suggest that (1) in the eye with cyclodialysis, the aqueous humor may freely gain access to the supraciliary space through the cleft between the anterior chamber and the supraciliary space and then be removed rapidly and (2) in the eye with ciliochoroidal detachment, the aqueous humor may pass through the uveoscleral outflow pathway.     

Uncooked rice of relatively low gelatinization degree resulted in lower metabolic glucose and insulin responses compared with cooked rice in female college students

Cooking processes that gelatinize granules or disrupt structure might increase the glucose and insulin responses because a disruption of the structure of starch by gelatinization increases its availability for digestion and absorption in the small intestine. We hypothesized that the uncooked form of rice, which has a relatively low degree of gelatinization even though in powder form, would result in lower metabolic glucose and insulin responses compared with cooked rice (CR). To assess the effects of the gelatinization of rice on metabolic response of glucose and insulin, we investigated the glucose and insulin responses to 3 rice meals of different gelatinization degree in female college students (n = 12): CR (76.9% gelatinized), uncooked rice powder (UP; 3.5% gelatinized), and uncooked freeze-dried rice powder (UFP; 5.4% gelatinized). Uncooked rice powders (UP and UFP) induced lower glucose and insulin responses compared with CR. The relatively low gelatinization degree of UPs resulted in low metabolic responses in terms of the glycemic index (CR: 72.4% vs UP: 49.7%, UFP: 59.8%) and insulin index (CR: 94.8% vs UP: 74.4%, UFP: 68.0%). In summary, UPs that were less gelatinized than CR induced low postprandial glucose and insulin responses.     

Effects of Botulinum Toxin Type A on Contouring of the Lower Face

BACKGROUND: Masseteric muscle hypertrophy is an uncommon dition represented as a swelling of the masseter muscle. Recent reports have demonstrated the successful use of botulinum in the treatment of masseteric hypertrophy. OBJECTIVE: This study was a prospective trial to evaluate the effectiveness of botulinum toxin type A (Botox) in the treatment of masseteric muscle hypertrophy according to doses of 10, 20, and 30 U. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-two patients were referred to the dermatologic clinic for the management of masseteric muscle hypertrophy. Ultrasonographic measurements of the thickness of the masseter muscle were performed, and clinical photographs were taken before treatment and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 9 months after the treatment. RESULTS. The median values of percentage reduction of muscle mass were 10.3%, 16.5%, 23.7%, 24.7%, 21.6%, 16.5% in the 10 U group; 11.9%, 18.8%, 24.8%, 27.7%, 26.7%, and 21.8% in the 20 U group; and 12.0%, 19.4%, 25.0%, 27.8%, 37.8%, and 24.1% in the 30 U group. CONCLUSION. The adequate dose of botulinum toxin type A for treatment of masseteric muscle hypertrophy should be above 20 U. The effect of botulinum toxin type A is maintained for at least 9 months as the treatment of masseteric muscle hypertrophy.     

Establishment of a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line highly expressing sodium iodide symporter for radionuclide gene therapy.

To evaluate the possibility of radionuclide gene therapy and imaging in hepatocellular carcinoma cancer, we investigated the iodine accumulation of a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, SK-Hep1, by transfer of human sodium iodide symporter (hNIS) gene. By targeting NIS expression in SK-Hep1, we could also investigate whether these cells concentrate 99mTc-pertechnetate and 188Re-perrhenate as well as 125I in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: The hNIS gene was transfected to human hepatocellular carcinoma SK-Hep1 cell lines using lipofectamine plus reagent. The uptake and efflux of 125I, 99mTc-pertechnetate, and 188Re-perrhenate were measured in the transfected and parental cells. Biodistribution was studied in nude mice bearing SK-Hep1 and SK-Hep1-NIS at 10 and 30 min and at 1, 2, 6, 16, and 23 h after injection of 125I, 99mTc- pertechnetate, or 188Re-perrhenate. In tumor imaging studies, the nude mice were intravenously injected with 188Re-perrhenate and imaged with a gamma-camera equipped with a pinhole collimator at 30 and 60 min after injection. The survival rate (%) was determined by the clonogenic assay after 37 MBq/10 mL (1 mCi/10 mL) 131I and 188Re-perrhenate treatment. RESULTS: SK-Hep1-NIS, stably expressing the NIS gene, accumulated 125I up 150 times higher than that of SK-Hep1. Iodine uptake of SK-Hep1-NIS is completely blocked by perchlorate. NIS gene transfection into SK-Hep1 also resulted in 112- and 87-fold increases of 99mTc-pertechnetate and 188Re-perrhenate uptake, respectively. Iodide efflux from SK-Hep1-NIS was relatively slow, with only 10% released during the initial 5 min, and 60% remained at 25 min. In the biodistribution study using SK-Hep1-NIS-xenographed mice, the tumor uptake of 125I, 188Re-perrhenate, and 99mTc-pertechnetate was 68.0 +/- 15.0, 46.2 +/- 9.1, and 59.6 +/- 16.2 %ID/g (percentage injected dose per gram) at 2 h after injection, respectively. After 188Re-perrhenate injection in SK-Hep1 and SK-Hep1-NIS-xenographed nude mice, whole-body images clearly visualized the SK-Hep1-NIS tumor, whereas the control tumor was not visualized. The survival rate (%) of SK-Hep1-NIS was markedly reduced to 46.3% +/- 10.1% and 28.9% +/- 5.2% after 37 MBq/mL (1 mCi/10 mL) 131I and 188Re-perrhenate treatment compared with the survival rates of the parental cells. These results demonstrated that SK-Hep1-NIS could be selectively killed by the induced 131I and 188Re-perrhenate accumulation through NIS gene expression. CONCLUSION: NIS-based gene therapy using beta-emitting radionuclides has the potential to be used in hepatocellular carcinoma management.