• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.285-288
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• 2008

Recurrent pneumothorax was associated with the menstrual cycle in two women 20 to 30 years age; this is referred to as catamenial pneumothorax. This form of pneumothorax occurs within 72 hours before or after the onset of menstruation. The pathophysiology underlying this condition is unknown. We report here on two cases of catamenial pneumothorax that were successfully treated by partial resection of the diaphragm.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.331-338
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• 2006

This survey was carried out to investigate the occurrence of reproductive disorders in Korean native cattle (Hanwoo). The general management status such as barn type, feed intake, parity and type of reproductive disorders were examined in the Hanwoo farms. In this survey, the total incidence of reproductive disorders that was assessed from 54 Hanwoo farms was 11.6% (73/ 631). We first examined the incidence of reproductive disorders following herd size per farm. The rates of reproductive disorders in under 10 heads, 10 to 20 heads and over 20 heads were 25.2%, 9.4% and 8.3%, respectively (P<0.05). The rate of reproductive disorders in tie stall barn was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that in free stall barn (14.9% vs. 8.1%). The major types of reproductive disorders were follicular cysts (21.8%), fat necrosis (21.8%), and repeat breeding (17.8%). The rate of reproductive disorders assessed by the parity tended to decrease as the parity increased. The relationship between incidence of reproductive disorders and body condition score (BCS) was investigated in 203 Hanwoo. The incidence of reproductive disorder was 80.0%, 8.8%, 9.4%, 10.0%, 33.3% and 57.1% at 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 of BCS, respectively. These data show that the increase of herd size, barn type and BCS affect the incidence of reproductive disorders such as follicular cysts, fat necrosis and repeat breeding in Hanwoo.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2006

There is growing concern that dietary soy intake is associated with protection of breast cancer. However, questions persist on the potential adverse effects of the main soy constituent genistein(GS) on female reproductive physiology. In this study, we examined whether prepubertal exposure to GS affected on the onset of puberty and the associated reproductive parameters such as hormone receptor expressions in female rats. GS(100mg/kg/day) was administrated daily from postnatal day 25(PND 25) to the day when the first vaginal opening(VO) was observed, and the animals were sacrificed on the day after VO occurred. Gross anatomy and tissue weight were compared to test the GS's effect on the cell proliferation. Furthermore, histological studies were performed to assess the structural alterations in tissues. Specific radioimmunoassay(RIA) were carried out to measure serum LH levels. To determine the transcriptional changes in progesterone receptors(PR), total RNAs were extracted from ovary and uterus and were applied to semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). As a results, advanced VO was shown in the GS group(PND $31.2{\pm}0.6$) compared to the vehicle group (PND $35.3{\pm}0.7$). GS treatment significantly increased wet weight of ovaries and uteri compared to the vehicle group. Increased serum LH levels were also shown in the GS group. Graafian follicles and corpora lutea(CL) were observed only in the ovaries from GS treated animals. Similarly, hypertrophy of luminal and glandular uterine epithelium were found only in the GS group. Collectively, these effects were probably due to the estrogenic effects of GS. In the semi-quantitative RT-PCR studies, the transcriptional activities of PR in both ovary and uterus from GS-treated group were significantly higher than those from the vehicle group. The present studies demonstrated that acute exposure to GS, at levels comparable to the ranges of human exposure, during the critical period of prepubertal stage activates the reproductive system resulting precocious puberty in immature female rats.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.65 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2008

Catamenial hemoptysis is a rare condition that's characterized by recurrent hemoptysis occurring in association with menstruation, and this is associated with the presence of intrapulmonary or endobronchial endometrial tissue. The diagnosis of pulmonary endometriosis can be made according to a typical clinical history and with exclusion of other causes of recurrent hemoptysis. Treatment of pulmonary endometriosis can be medical or surgical; however, the optimal management of this condition is still a matter of debate. Medical therapy may be problematic, due to recurrence of symptoms despite hormonal ablation, and adverse effects from long-term hormone therapy can also be a problem. We report here on a case of pulmonary endometriosis in a 23-year-old woman who presented with hemoptysis that occurred during the first 3 days of menstruation, and this happened over a 4 month period. She was successfully treated by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). No more hemoptysis was noted during 12 months of follow-up.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.181-189
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• 2010

The placenta, which is a temporary organ derived from the fetus during pregnancy, is critical to support fetus development via optimal regulation between mother and fetus. Trophoblast as a major cell population of the placenta is one of the earliest to differentiate and shows an extensive proliferation or/and differentiation up to the formation of the placenta. The role of the trophoblast show dynamic changes from early embryo implantation to placentation during pregnancy. Implantation of the blastocyst into the endometrium of the maternal uterus is mediated by invasion of the differentiated trophoblast (e.g. syncytiotrophoblast) from the trophectoderm. During pregnancy, the unique role of the trophoblast is to invasion, eroding, and metastasizing in the placenta as well as to ensure appropriate bidirectional nutrient or waste flow required for growth and maturation of the embryo. The dysfunction of the trophoblast during pregnancy can result in several gynecological diseases including preeclampsia and congenital malformation in neonatal medicine. Therefore, trophoblasts act as a conclusive factor in placental and fetal development. This brief review outlines the classification of trophoblast and its function in the placenta during pregnancy. Also, we introduce the latest research in trophoblast for implantation and the placenta development, and the application potential of trophoblast for infertility and obstetrical diseases.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.138-144
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• 2010

Purpose: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which mediates neovascularization of uterine endometrium may be involved in the neovascularization in the utero-placental circulation. Low numbers of endothelial progenitor colony-forming unit (CFU) in culture are predictive biomarker of vascular disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the number of CFU in preeclampsia differed from that in normal pregnancy. Materials and Methods: Women with singleton normal (n=26) or preeclamptic (n=20) pregnancies were studied during the third trimester. The number of EPCs was quantified by CFU methodology. Plasma levels of angiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), and placental growth factor (PlGF) were determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Results: CFU numbers were significantly decreased in the preeclamptic patients compared with the controls (median, 3; range 1-12 vs. 31; 3-81 CFU/well, P<0.001). A majority of the cells comprising individual colonies were positive for endothelial characteristics (Ulex europaeus lectin staining and acetylated low-density lipoprotein uptake). Plasma levels of the sFlt-1 were highly elevated (P<0.001) in patient with preeclampsia compared to controls, whereas PlGF were highly reduced (P=0.004), but these factors did not associate with CFU numbers. Conclusion: Our results suggest that reduced numbers of CFU obtained from maternal peripheral blood may contribute to the development of preeclampsia.