• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.299-305
• /
• 2006

Onuf's nucleus, which is located in the ventral horn, has been known to innervate the striated muscles of the urethral and anal sphincter muscles via the pudendal nerve Onuf's nuclei are resistant to pathologic condition such as poliovirus. The reason why the motor neurons in Onuf's nucleus are less degenerated is not certain until now. The present study aims at updating the microscopical characteristics including its location the Onuf's nucleus innervating the external urethral sphincter, and ultrastructures of the zinc-enriched (ZEN) terminals synaptically-contacting with Onuf's motor neurons in the rat spinal gray matter by using HRP tracing method and zinc selenium autometallography, respectively. Based on HRP tracing method, Onuf's nuclei were located adjacent lateral dendritic projections of the ventral horn. Their shape was almost round at lumbar level, but oval at sacral segment of spinal cord. In size, their somata were smaller than that of other motor nuclei. In AMG stained sections, Onuf's nuclei were innervated by highly concentrated ZEN terminals, and contained small and middle-sized ZEN, but totally void of large ZEN terminals. AMG silver grains were confined to presynaptic ZEN terminals against dendritic elements and somata of the Onuf's motor neurons. A majority of the ZEN terminals contained flattened synaptic vesicles and made symmetrical synaptic specializations.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.19 no.5
• /
• pp.598-606
• /
• 2009

Oxidative stress by free radicals is a major cause of neuronal cell death. Excitotoxicity in hypoxia/ischemia causes an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), resulting in dysfunction of the mitochondria and cell death. Pinelliae Rhizoma (PR) is a traditional medicine for incipient stroke. We investigated the effects of PR Water-Extract on the modulation of ROS and MMP in a hypoxic model using cultured rat cortical cells. PR Water-Extract was added to the culture medium at various concentrations (0.25${\sim}$5, 5.0 ${\mu}g/ml$) on day in vitro 12(DIV12), given a hypoxic shock (2% $O_2$/5% $CO_2$, $37^{\circ}C$, 3 hr), and cell viability was assessed on DIV15 by Lactate Dehydrogenase Assay (LDH assays). PR Water-Extract showed a statistically significant effect on neuroprotection (10${\sim}$15% increase in viability; p<0.01) at 1.0 and 2.5 ${\mu}g/ml$ in normoxia and hypoxia. Measurement of ROS production by $H_2DCF-DA$ stainings showed that PR Water-Extract efficiently reduced the number and intensity of ROS-producing neurons, especially at 1 hr post shock and DIV15. When MMP was measured by JC-1 stainings, PR Water-Extract efficiently maintained high-energy charged mitochondria. These results indicate that PR Water-Extract protects neurons in hypoxia by preventing ROS production and preserving the cellular energy level.

• Food Science and Preservation
• /
• v.17 no.5
• /
• pp.720-726
• /
• 2010

The in vitro antioxidant activities and neuronal cell protective effects of 60% (w/v) methanolic extract from Houttuynia cordata were investigated. The contents of total phenolics and quercitrin in the extract were 17.71 mg/g and 75.80 ${\mu}g$/g, respectively. DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activities were 87.79% and 99.27%, respectively, when the extract was tested at 5 mg/ml. The FRAP (ferric reducing/antioxidant power) assay showed a dose-dependent increse in activity. In a cell viability assay using MTT, the extract protected against $H_2O_2$-induced neurotoxicity. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage was also inhibited by the extract, as was lipid peroxidation as shown using the mouse brain homogenate test. These data indicate that a 60% (w/v) methanolic extract of Houttuynia cordata has in vitro antioxidant activities, and ingestion there of may reduce the risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.26-35
• /
• 1996

The projection from the lateral reticular nucleus (LRN) to three subdivisions of the cerebellar vermal lobule VI was studied in the rat by utilizing the retrograde transport of wheatgerm agglutinin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase. Labelled neurons were located bilaterally throughout the LRN, but with ipsilateral predominance. There seemed to be a dorsal4o-ventral transition in the ipsilateral magnocellular neurons projecting to the cerebellar vermal lobules VIa-to-Vic. In the contralateral side, cells projecting to vermal lobule Via were observed at more rostral sections, whereas those projecting to lobule Vic were located at caudal sections. There were relatively few labelled neurons in parvocellular or subtrigeminal divisions at either side. Computer-aided three dimensional reconstruction of LRN projections to lobules Via/Vib or lobules Vib/Vic exhibited extensive oberlap within each combination of injection cases.

• 대한세포병리학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 1992.06a
• /
• pp.31.2-32
• /
• 1992

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.252-256
• /
• 1995

Corticotropin-releasing factor(CRF)를 분비하는 배양세포주는 CRF의 세포내 조절을 연구하는데 있어 훌륭한 체계가 된다. BE(2)-M17 및 BE(2)-C 세포주는 CRF를 생산하고 분비하며 forskolin 처치에 반응하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 저자들은 이들 세포주에 phorbol 에스테르, 즉 phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate(TPA) 0.8, 4, 10, 20 nM, 및 nitric oxide(NO)의 신호전달 경로의 자극제(1-${\mu}M$ nitroprusside)와 차단제($1{\mu}M$ nitroprusside+$300{\mu}M$ $N^G$-methyl-D-arginine), 그리고 interleukin-$1{\alpha}$ (IL $1{\alpha}$ ; 4, 20, 100, 500 pM)를 처치하여 CRF를 의미있게 증가시켰으나 세포외 분비는 C 세포에서만 변화되었다. NOS계의 자극제와 차단제는 C 세포의 forskolin 효과를 의미있게 변화시켰다. IL$1{\alpha}$는 두 세포주에 대한 영향이 없었다. 상기 제제들에 대한 이들 세포의 반응이 중추신경계 CRF 신경들과 관련하여 논의되었다.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.57-70
• /
• 1997

The distribution of glutamatergic synaptic structures in the dog basilar pons was investigated at the ultrastructural level using monoclonal antibodies against fixative-modified glutamate. Electron-dense reaction product was densely localized at the perinuclear region in the neurenal somata and often observed along the microtubules located within the dendritic processes. One or more unlabelled axon terminals made asymmetric synaptic contacts with glutamate-immunoreactive dendritic profiles. In audition, reaction product was observed either within axonal processes surrounded by myelin sheath or axon terminals. Immunoreactive axon terminals made asymmetric synaptic contact either with unlabelled or labelled dendritic profiles. These observations provided an anatomic evidence of how this excitatory neural element might perform its function in a multisynaptic pathway involving glutamatergic afferents to the basilar pons, glutamate-immunoreactive pontocerebellar projection neurons, and the glutamate-positive granule cells of the cerebellar cortex.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.18 no.11
• /
• pp.1479-1484
• /
• 2008

Deep seawater (DSW) refers to water extracted from the ocean, usually at depths of 200 meters or more, which is rich in inorganic materials and has attracted attention for various applications. We investigated the effects of the DSW on the synaptic maturation of cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Immunocytochemical examination of DIV21 showed that PSD-95, $\alpha$CaMKII, and synGAP$\alpha1$clusters were strengthened and coupling rates of SV2 and NR2B were significantly increased in neurons grown in the presence of H-800 and H-1000 DSW. Our results indicate that DSW promotes the formation of excitatory postsynaptic signal transduction complexes NRC/MASC and functional synapses.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.49-55
• /
• 2008

It is recognized that Schwann cells (SC) are essential for peripheral nerve development and regeneration. SIS (small intestinal submucosa) consists of some growth factors which can stimulate cell activity without immune rejection responges. SCs were harvested from the femurs and tibias of female Fischer rat and then suspended with $2{\times}10^6$ cell/sponge in SIS sponge. Fischer rat received an implant consisting of the SCs and the SIS sponge at the place of a 5 mm gap created by the sciatic nerve resection. Thin sections were stained with H &E staining and immunostaining of S-100, GFAP and NF after 1, 2, and 4 weeks. It was observed that the effects of the SIS sponge with SCs on neuroinduction(Group II, with scaffold & cell) are strong as much as uninjured model(Control I), and significantly stronger than SIS sponge model (Group 1, with scaffold only) and blank model (Control II). In conclusion, these results suggest that SIS sponge filled with SCs may have an important role for peripheral nerve regeneration of tissue engineering.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.39-43
• /
• 2019

Mouse embryonic stem cell could show an substitutional materials of cells of neuron differentiation, positively increasing their effectiveness in the treatment of nervous symptom. We examined that mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) can be induced to undergo neuronal differentiation. After neuronal induction, the phenotype of mESCs changed towards neuronal morphology and mESCs were injected into the lateral ventricle of the experimental animal brain. Transplanted cells migrated to various parts of the brain and ischemic brain injury by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) increased their migration to the injured cortex. Intracerebral grafting of mESCs mostly improve sensory and motor nervous system of neurological injury in focal cerebral rats.