Heung Sun Kang

Activation of p38 MAPK induces cell cycle arrest via inhibition of Raf/ERK pathway during muscle differentiation

Cell cycle arrest is essential for initiation of muscle differentiation in myoblasts. Given the previously described essential role for p38 MAPK in myogenesis, we undertook the present study to investigate the role of p38 MAPK in the cell cycle arrest that initiates muscle differentiation. p38 MAPK activity increased during, and was required for, muscle differentiation. Inhibition of p38 MAPK stimulated Raf and ERK activities, and induced cell proliferation in differentiation medium. The concomitant inhibition of p38 MAPK and ERK, however, failed to induce differentiation or proliferation. In conclusion, inhibition of the Raf/ERK pathway and the consequent cell cycle arrest is one of the major functions of p38 MAPK during muscle differentiation.

Hepatic metastasis from choriocarcinoma: angiographic findings in two cases.

We report two cases of hepatic metastases from choriocarcinoma in women of childbearing age in whom imaging studies performed at presentation revealed the presence of liver masses, and who had clinically progressive anemia or intraabdominal hemorrhage. CT demonstrated heterogeneously enhanced liver masses. Characteristic angiographic findings included hypervascular hepatic masses with aneurysmal dilatations of the peripheral hepatic arteries at the arterial phase and persistent vascular lakes at the venous phase.

Covered Metallic Stent Placement in the Treatment of Postoperative Fistula Resistant to Conservative Management after Billroth I Operation

A 55-year-old man presented with a case of postoperative enterocutaneous fistula with anastomotic stenosis after a Billroth I operation that was resistant to conservative treatment. This fistula was successfully treated with the placement of a covered metallic stent under fluoroscopic guidance. To our knowledge, this is the first report of postoperative enterocutaneous fistula that was successfully treated with a covered metallic stent.

An open-label, uncontrolled, 8-week clinical trial of barnidipine hydrochloride, a once-daily calcium channel blocker, in Korean patients with essential hypertension

Abstract The efficacy and tolerability of barnidipine hydrochloride, a once-daily calcium channel blocker, was investigated in 31 Korean patients (19 women and 12 men; mean age, 53 ± 8 years; mean body weight, 65.8 ± 9.1 kg) with essential hypertension (mean systolic blood pressure [SBP] and diastolic blood pressure [DBP] in the sitting position, 154.5 ± 15.9 mm Hg and 101.0 ± 8.2 mm Hg, respectively). This study used an increasing-dose method with daily doses of 5 to 15 mg in an open-label, uncontrolled manner for 8 weeks. Mean reductions in SBP and DBP after 8 weeks of treatment with barnidipine were 28.5 mm Hg (mean reduction, 18.4%) and 16.5 mm Hg (mean reduction, 16.3%) in the sitting position, respectively, and the mean dose was 9.7 mg/d. Heart rate in the sitting position was not changed by the administration of barnidipine (mean ± SD, 70.0 ± 6.6 beats/min and 71.9 ± 6.8 beats/min before and after treatment, respectively). Barnidipine was well tolerated, with only mild adverse events such as headache (appearance rate, 6.5%), facial flushing (6.5%), dizziness, nausea, and vomiting (each, 3.2%). These results suggest that barnidipine is a once-daily calcium channel blocker that shows sufficient hypotensive effect and good tolerability in Korean patients with essential hypertension.