• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.611-621
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• 2001

Objective : We analyzed the clinical and endocrinological results of the transsphenoidal microsurgery for ACTH secreting pituitary adenomas. Marerials and Methods : From October 1995 to August 2000, 18 patients underwent transsphenoidal microsurgery for Cushing's disease. We analyzed the surgical results of 17 patients, one patient who was previously operated from other hospital was excluded. Age of the patients were 18 to 61 years old(mean 37.7), male to female ratio was 1 : 3.3, and follow-up period was 3 to 50 months(mean 20.3). The selection of candidates for transsphenoidal exploration was based on endocrinologic criteria. Magnetic resonance imaging was the preferred radiologic test. Selective inferior petrosal sinus sampling of adrenocorticotropic hormone futher refined the diagnosis when endocrinologic and radiologic procedures were not definitive. Results : Results of the preoperative endocrinological test were : level of serum ACTH 29.4 to $225{\mu}g/dL$(mean $93.88{\mu}g/dL$) ; serum cortisol 11.9 to $47.5{\mu}g/dL$(mean $27.49{\mu}g/dL$) ; 24-hour urine free cortisol 235 to $1019{\mu}g/day$(mean $571.0{\mu}g/day$). Inferior petrosal sinus sampling for ACTH was performed in 11 patients and all were confirmed by Cushing's disease and we could predict the laterality of the tumor in 9 of 11 patients. We performed transsphenoidal selective adenomectomy in 5 patients, adenomectomy and subtotal hypophysectomy in 2 patients, adenomectomy and partial hypophysectomy in 9 patients, and in the remaining one patient, hemihypophysectomy followed by total hypophysectomy due to remission failure. Fifteen of 17 patients(88.2%) showed endocrinological remission. Glucocorticoid replacement therapy was performed in all the patients who showed remission for 1 to 24 months(mean 5.9 months), and 6 patients received steroid over 6 months. Conclusion : We conclude that the direct demonstration of a tumor in the pituitary gland by MRI is the most important and definitive diagnostic tool and the location of a mass should be confirmed with increased level of ACTH by the inferior petrosal sinus sampling. Transsphenoidal microsurgery is effective treatment modality for Cushing's disease and the immediate postoperative evaluation of the surgical resection of the tumor is very important. The patients should show hypocortisolism, decreased, subnormal serum ACTH and cortisol levels and 24-hours urine free cortisol. We performed 18 transsphenoidal microsurgery for Cushing's disease in 17 patients and 15 patients(88.2%) showed endocrinological remission.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2014

Metabolic syndrome such as, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia etc are well known lifestyle diseases which threaten a health state. The purpose of this study is to evaluate antioxidant status and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in various stressful conditions. A group of persons (n=28) were enrolled in this study and stress status was evaluated using questionnaire of psychological well-being index (PWI-SF) and hematologic analysis of free oxygen radical defense (FORD), free oxygen radical test (FORT), lipid profiles and serum cortisol level. Analysis was done according to stress index, BMI status and overtime working. Blood samples from diabetics were used for control. Results are as in followings: Higher PWI-SF group showed higher FORT. Obese persons with BMI > $25kg/m^2$ showed statistically lower FORD (p<0.05) and higher FORT level (p<0.01). When compare with diabetics, an overweight group had similar levels in FORD and FORT while a normal body weight group showed quite different with diabetics in FORD (p<0.001). Higher ROS group has higher triglyceride, CRP and insulin levels but lower in FORD and HDL-cholesterol levels. Overtime working at night showed no meaningful result against our expectations. These results suggested that obesity showed most unfavorable correlations in an antioxidant status in various situations.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.190-198
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a combination program of meridian massage and foot reflexology on stress and natural killer (NK) cell activity in adults. Methods: This study is a quasi-experimental research usingone-group-pretest-posttest design. The subjects of the study were 42 adults in T city. Stress level was assessed with systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate, and serum cortisol level. The data were analyzed by SPSS/WIN 17.0 program with descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The period of this study was from January 4 to July 11 of 2008. The program was performed three days per week, two hours per session. Results: The degrees of perceived stress were significantly different while objective stress levels were partially different between pre-and post-program. The NK cell activity did not show a significant difference between before and after the program. Conclusion: This study suggests that combination of meridian massage and foot reflexology may be an optional nursing intervention to reduce subjective and objective stress in adults.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.109-113
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• 2018

Background: Low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) after cardiac surgery usually requires inotropes. In this setting, critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency (CIRCI) may develop. We aimed to investigate the clinical features of CIRCI in the presence of LCOS and to assess the efficacy of steroid treatment. Methods: We reviewed 28 patients who underwent a rapid adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) test due to the suspicion of CIRCI between February 2010 and September 2014. CIRCI was diagnosed by a change in serum cortisol of <$9{\mu}g/dL$ after the ACTH test or a random cortisol level of <$10{\mu}g/dL$. Results: Twenty of the 28 patients met the diagnostic criteria. The patients with CIRCI showed higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores than those without CIRCI ($16.1{\pm}2.3$ vs. $11.4{\pm}3.5$, p=0.001). Six of the patients with CIRCI (30%) received glucocorticoids. With an average elevation of the mean blood pressure by $22.2{\pm}8.7mm\;Hg$ after steroid therapy, the duration of inotropic support was shorter in the steroid group than in the non-steroid group ($14.1{\pm}2.3days$ versus $30{\pm}22.8days$, p=0.001). Three infections (15%) developed in the non-steroid group, but this was not a significant between-group difference. Conclusion: CIRCI should be suspected in patients with LCOS after cardiac surgery, especially in patients with a high SOFA score. Glucocorticoid replacement therapy may be considered to reduce the use of inotropes without posing an additional risk of infection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.219-227
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• 1992

Background: Acute and chronic airway inflammation are important in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. Corticosteroids have proved to be very effective in the management of asthma. Although the mechanism by which they produce this effect is still debated, suppression of the inflammatory response is thought to be the most likely. Although inhaled steroids are known to be safe and have less side effects than oral steroids, the extent which inhaled steroids have beneficial and the detrimental effects in the treatment of asthma has remained open to question. Budesonide is a recently developed corticosteroid for inhalation treatment with a strong local effect combined with rapid inactivation in the systemic circulation. We set out to look in more detail at the time course of change in bronchial reactivity, clinical symptoms and the effects on the adrenal function during 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide (800 ug per day). Methods: Clinical symptoms, pulmonary function test, histamine $PC_{20}$, serum ACTH and cortisol (8 AM and 4 PM) were measured in 23 allergic asthmatic patients before and after 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide. Results: 1) Pulmonary function test; PEFR, FEV1 and FVC after 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide were higher than those before treatment. 2) Clinical symptoms; Clinical symptoms were significantly improved after 3 weeks and 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide. 3) Histamine provocation; Histamine $PC_{20}$ after 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide was significantly higher than that before treatment. 4) Adrenal function; 6 weeks of budesonide therapy did not significantly affect the level of serum ACTH and cortisol. Conclusion: From these results, it is concluded that budesonide therapy improved the clinical symptoms, pulmonary function and bronchial hyperreactivity after 3 weeks of treatment and the improvement after 6 weeks of treatment was higher than that after 3 weeks of treatment. During 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide, the inhibitory effect on the adrenal function was not obvious.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.139-144
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• 1998

Eighteen lambs were used to determine the effects of zinc (Zn) level and source on Zn status and immune function during both normal conditions and conditions of physiologic stress. Treatments consisted of a basal diet (27.6 mg of Zn/kg), and the basal diet supplemented with 25 mg of Zn/kg, added as either zinc oxide or zinc methionine. The basal diet was a corn-cottonseed hull-isolated soy protein- based diet (14% CP). Lambs were weighed and blood samples taken at 28-d intervals for determination of serum Zn and alkaline phosphatase activity. Weights and serum Zn were similar (p > 0.10) among treatments at all sampling days. To evaluate immune responses and Zn status during conditions of physiologic stress lambs were administered 100 I.U. of adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) on d 112 and feed was withheld for 48 h. Cortisol levels were elevated (p < .01) 5 h post ACTH injection, but had returned to initial levels after 48 h. Lymphocyte blastogenesis ([$^3H$]-thymidine incorporation) on d 112 (prior to ACTH injection) and 114 was unaffected (p > .10) by dietary treatment. However, blastogenesis in response to pokeweed mitogen was greater (p < .0001), whereas the response to phytohemagglutinin was reduced (p < .01) following ACTH administration and fasting. Antibody response to administration of porcine red blood cells was unaffected (p > .05) by dietary treatment. These results indicate that, given the Zn concentration of the basal diet, there was no enhancement of immune function by supplemental Zn, either before or after lambs were subjected to stress.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 2005

One 30-day feeding trial was conducted to examine the effects of dietary salt on seawater adaptability of rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss) fed three experimental diets containing 0% (control), 4% and 8% salt. The experimetal period included 30 days of feeding trial in freshwater, 3 days of the step by step seawater acclimation with-out feeding diets, and 21 more days of seawater adaptation period (not with all experimental fish) with feeding the basal diet. Growth rates from triplicate groups were determined fur 30 days of feeding trial. Blood samples were taken at the begining and at the end of feeding trial, and 3 times (on 1st, 4th and 8th day) of the seawater adaptation period. Daily survival rates of duplicate groups from three experimetal treatments were recorded for 21 days of the seawater adaptation period. Total average initial and final fish weight were $149.5{\pm}7.6\;and\;187.1{\pm}7.6g$. Feed efficiency of fish fed diets containing 4% and 8% salt were significantly better than those of fish fed the control diet. Average cumulative survival rates were 72, 80 and 88% from the control, 4% and 8% salt diets, respectively. Pulse rate per minutes decreased with dietary salt level. Serum $Na^+\;and\;Cl^-$ concentrations of fish fed 4% and 8% salt diets were significantly higher than those of fish fed the control diet (P<0.05), however, the concentrations were stabilized after 8 days of seawater adaptation. Serum cortisol, glucose, cholesterol and tryglyceride concentrations, and the osmorality of fish decreased with dietary salt level, these values were significantly lower than those of fish fed the control diet. These results indicated that the dietary supplementation of salt could have advantages for seawater adaptability of rainbow trout.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.221-233
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• 1997

The studies were carried out to investigate the changes in the activities of glucose, ALT, ALP, GGT, cholesterol, $T_3$, and cortisol among the serum when the dogs were administered the prednisolone acetate. The experiments were designed to 3 groups and twenty-four dogs were randomly assigned to 3 groups of 8 dogs each. In groups I, each dog was injected 1mg of prednisolone acetate/kg/day for 14 days, intramuscularly. In groups II, 10mg of prednisolone acetate/kg/day for 14 days. And in the control group, 0.1ml of saline daily for 14 days. The results were summarized as follows: 1. In group I, II and control, mean serum glucose activities remained in the normal range during the study. 2. In group I, mean serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT) activities slowly increased until day 3, than reached the maximum(317IU/l) until day 21, and then decreased in 32.3IU/l until day 40(p<0.005). In group II, reached the maximum(184IU/l) until day 3, and gradually decreased in 140IU/l until day 54(p<0.001). 3. In group I, mean serum alkaline phosphatase(ALP) activities reached the maximum (786IU/l) until day 12 and gradually decreased in 153IU/l until day 47(p<0.001). In group II, reached the maximum(381IU/l) until day 24 and rapidly decreased in the range of control until day 33. 4. In group I, mean serum GGT activities reached the maximum(29.3IU/l) until day 12, and slowly decreased in the range of control until day 47(p<0.005). In group II, reached the maximun(102IU/l) until day 54(p<0.005). 5. Mean serum cholesterol activities of group I decreased than those of control(p<0.05). In group II, decreased than those of control(p<0.05). 6. In group I, mean serum $T_3$ activities reached the maximum(32.8ng/dl) until day 12 and increased in the range of control until day 21(p<0.05). In group II, gradually decreased in 25.1ng/dl until day 12, then decreased under the level of 25ng/dl from day 15 to day 40, and then gradually increased but remained under the range of control(p<0.001). 7. In group I, mean serum cortisol activities slowly decreased and reached the minimum($0.4{\mu}g/dl$) until day 18(p<0.001), and then increased in the range of control until day 47. In group II, rapidly increased and reached the maximum($22.1{\mu}g/dl$) until day 12(p<0.05), but decreased to the minimum($0.64{\mu}g/dl$) until day 40, and then increased in the range of control until day 47.

• ANNALS OF ANIMAL RESOURCE SCIENCES
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.56-63
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• 2017

This study was conducted to determine the effects of supplementary levels of dietary betaine and energy on nutrient digestibility and physiological responses in growing pigs exposed to heat stress. A total of 12 barrows ($L{\times}Y{\times}D$; initial BW, $67.1{\pm}0.98kg$) were allocated into individual metabolic crates. Experimental design was a $4{\times}4$ Latin square with dietary energy and betaine levels (3,300 and 3,400 kcal/kg; 0 and 0.5%, respectively) and the experimental period (n=4). Feeding trial was performed during summer season (July and August). Digestibility of crude fat was higher (p<0.01) in the ME 3,400 kcal/kg than the ME 3,300 kcal/kg, but did not differ by betaine (p>0.05). Blood corpuscles and biochemical components were not influenced by dietary energy and betaine levels (p>0.05). Serum IgG was greater (p<0.05) in the ME 3,400 kcal/kg than the ME 3,300 kcal/kg, but cortisol was not differ among the treatment groups (p>0.05). In conclusion, our results showed positive effects by energy levels rather than betaine. Thus, further study need investigation of effects of high energy level in the pigs exposed to heat stress.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.65 no.6
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• pp.1308-1322
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• 2023

Minerals is required small amounts among various nutrients, but it has a significant impact on sow longevity and reproduction performance. This study was carried out to see the beneficial effects of marine-derived Ca-Mg complex on the reproductive performance of sows during four-parity periods. Seventy-two gilts ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc), with an average body weight of 181 kg, were randomly allocated to three groups; CON (basal diet), 0.3LC (CON - MgO - 0.3% limestone + 0.4% Ca-Mg complex), and 0.7LC (CON - MgO - 0.7% limestone + 0.4% Ca-Mg complex). During parity 3 and 4, the expression level of SCD gene was lower in the umbilical cord of piglets born to 0.3LC and 0.7LC sows compared with the CON sows. During parity 2, 3 and 4, SLC2A2 and FABP4 gene expressions were higher in the umbilical cord of piglets born to 0.7LC sows and the placenta of sows from 0.3LC groups, respectively. Ca-Mg complex increased (p < 0.05) Ca and Mg concentrations in sows and their piglets' serum as well as in colostrum regardless of parities. The serum vitamin D concentration was higher (p < 0.05) in their first parity, whereas serum prolactin and estrogen concentrations were higher (p < 0.05) during the fourth and third parity, respectively. The growth hormone concentrations were higher (p < 0.05) in the piglets born to sows during the first and second parity. The fat and immunoglobulin A (IgA) concentrations in colostrum were higher (p < 0.05) during the third and fourth parity, respectively. A reduction (p < 0.05) in salivary cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine concentrations was observed in 0.3LC and 0.7LC sow groups compared with CON after farrowing regardless of parity, however before farrowing, a reduction in norepinephrine was observed. Before farrowing, the epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations were higher (p < 0.05) during the first and second parity. After farrowing, the concentration of these hormones was higher during the second parity. Taken together, sows' parity and dietary Ca-Mg complex supplementation influenced serum metabolites, colostrum nutrients, stress hormones as well as the gene expressions related to lipid and glucose metabolism.