• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.13-18
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• 2005

This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture(EA) on Choksamni(ST36), a well-known acupuncture site, on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase(NADPH-d), neuropeptide Y(NPY) and vasoactive intestinal peptide(VIP) in the cerebral cortex of spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR). EA on Choksamni was applied using 2Hz electrical biphasic pulses of 10min, 3 times a week for a total of 10 sessions. Thereafter we evaluated changes in NADPH-d-positive neurons histochemically and changes in NPY and VIP-positive neurons immunohistochemically. The optical density of NADPH-d-positive neurons in the Choksamni group was significantly lower in all areas of the cerebral cortex than in the control group. However, the optical density of NPY-positive neurons in the Choksamni group was similar to that of the controls in most areas of the cerebral cortex, with the exception of the primary motor and visual cortices. The optical density of VIP-positive neurons in the Choksamni group was significantly decreased as compared to the control group in most areas of the cerebral cortex, with the exception of the cingulate cortex. The present results demonstrated that EA on Choksamni changes the activity of the NO system, and that stimulation at the same level, causes selective changes within the peptidergic system in the cerebral cortex of SHR.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2013

Purpose : The goal of this study is to estimate the effect of SSP electrical stimulation applied to acupoints as conducted in oriental medicine on the swallowing function of patients with swallowing difficulties caused by stroke. Methods : Twenty-two hemiplegic stroke patients with swallowing difficulties were divided into an intervention-only group (Group I; n=11) and an intervention-SSP electrical stimulation group (Group II; n=11). Therapeutic intervention was performed on participants in the intervention-only group and the intervention-SSP electrical stimulation group, for 20 minutes per session, three times per week, for four weeks. In this study, SSP electrical stimulation to the acupoints (Cheondol, Yomchon, Budol, Pungji, and Sanyinjian) of stroke patients with swallowing difficulties was applied, and to investigate the effects of SSP electrical stimulation, Clinical dysphagia scale (CDS) and ultrasonography assessment was used to measure pre and post-intervention scores. Results : In the clinical dysphagia scale assessment, the post-intervention score for group II had significant enhancement unlike group I. In the ultrasonography assessment, the hyolaryngeal movement in group II showed significant increase in the swallowing function unlike group I. Conclusion : From the above results, significant effects came from SSP electrical stimulation of 3Hz, biphasic wave, continuous current when applied to the acupoints as conducted in oriental medicine to improve the swallowing function of stroke patients.

• Journal of Korean Dental Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.45-52
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• 2017

Calcium has versatile roles in diverse physiological functions. Among these functions, intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ plays a key role during the secretion of salivary glands. In this review, we introduce the diverse cellular components involved in the saliva secretion and related dynamic intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ signals. Calcium acts as a critical second messenger for channel activation, protein translocation, and volume regulation, which are essential events for achieving the salivary secretion. In the secretory process, $Ca^{2+}$ activates $K^+$ and $Cl^-$ channels to transport water and electrolyte constituting whole saliva. We also focus on the $Ca^{2+}$ signals from intracellular stores with discussion about detailed molecular mechanism underlying the generation of characteristic $Ca^{2+}$ patterns. In particular, inositol triphosphate signal is a main trigger for inducing $Ca^{2+}$ signals required for the salivary gland functions. The biphasic response of inositol triphosphate receptor and $Ca^{2+}$ pumps generate a self-limiting pattern of $Ca^{2+}$ efflux, resulting in $Ca^{2+}$ oscillations. The regenerative $Ca^{2+}$ oscillations have been detected in salivary gland cells, but the exact mechanism and function of the signals need to be elucidated. In future, we expect that further investigations will be performed toward better understanding of the spatiotemporal role of $Ca^{2+}$ signals in regulating salivary secretion.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.991-998
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• 2010

Hypoxia is an indicative of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic biphasic effects, which appear to be dependent upon the cell type and the condition of the cells. The hypoxia-mimetic agent, cobalt chloride ($CoCl_2$), has been shown to induce apoptosis in a variety of cell types, but the mechanism by which this occurs has yet to be thoroughly elucidated. Puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase (PSA) gene was decreasingly expressed in response to $CoCl_2$. In this report, puromycin pretreatment applied to PC-3 cells resulted in apoptosis. To determine whether PSA is involved in apoptosis, we examined the apoptotic properties of the PC-3 cells after siRNA knockdown of PSA. PSA siRNA-induced PSA silencing revealed that endogenous PSA may be involved in apoptosis of the PC-3 cells. These results indicated that PSA may perform a vital function in cell survival of the PC-3 cells.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.119-124
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• 2002

Experiments for the characterization of inactivation were performed in a series of batch processes with the total coliform used as a general indicator organism based on the chlorine residuals as a disinfectant. The water samples were taken from the outlet of a settling basin in a conventional surface water treat- ment system that is provided with the raw water drawn from the mid-stream of the Han River, The inactivation of total coliform was experimentally analysed for the dose of disinfectants contact time, filtration and mixing intensity. The curves obtained from a series of batch processes were shaped with a general tailing-off and biphasic mode of inactivation, i.e. a sharp loss of bacterial viability within 15 min followed by an extended phase. In order to observe the effect of carry-over suspended solids on chlorine consumption and disinfection efficiency, the water samples were filtered, prior to inoculation with coliforms, with membranes of both 2.5$\mu$m and 11.0 $\mu$m pore size, and with a sand tilter of 1.0 mm in effective size and of 1.4 in uniformity coefficient. As far as the disinfection efficiency is concerned, there were no significant differences. The parameters estimated by the models of Chick-Wat-son, Hom and Selleck from our experimental data obtained within 120 min are: log(N/N$\_$0/)=-0.16CT with n=1, leg(N/N$\_$0/)=-0.71C$\^$0.87/ with n 1 for the Chick-Watson model, log (N/N$\_$0/)=-1.87C$\^$0.47/ T$\^$0.36/ for the Hom model, log (MHo)=-2.13log (1+CT/0.11) for the Selleck model. It is notable that among the models reviewed with regard to the experimental data obtained, the Selleck model appeared to most closely resemble the total coliform survival curve.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.403-411
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• 1990

The present investigation was performed to see a possible influence of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) on pancreatic exocrine secretion in anesthetized rats since the DRN had been known to exert a regulatory mechanism on sympathetic activity which was known to be very important for pancreatic exocrine secretion, particularly in rats. Twenty-nine Sprague-Dawley rats fasted for 24 hours were anesthetized by i.p. injection of 1 g/kg of urethane. The pancreatic duct was cannulated to collect pancreatic juice while bile juice was diverted into the jejunum. The duodenopyloric junction was tightly ligated. After surgery for collection of pancreatic exocrine secretion and recording of carotid blood pressure, a coaxial electrode was stereotaxically inserted in the DRN with a guide of a brain atlas. And then, electrical stimulus of biphasic square wave with 2 v, 2 msec, 40 Hz was applied on the electrode for 10 minutes. Pancreatic volume flow and protein output secreted in 10 min were measured. Either bilateral cervical vagotomy or spinal cord transection at the level of $C4{\sim}C5$ was performed 20 min prior to stimulation of the DRN. 1) Electrical stimulation of the DRN resulted in significant (p<0.05) increase in pancreatic volume flow and protein output. These stimulatory effects were not affected by cervical vagotomy but completely abolished by cervical cord transection. 2) Electrical stimulation of the DRN also resulted in significant (p<0.05) rise of blood pressure of the carotid artery. The hypertensive effect was not affected by cervical vagotomy but completely abolished by cervical cord transection. The results strongly suggest that the DRN, a part of the central serotonergic system, could exert a stimulatory influence on pancreatic exocrine secretion by increasing the sympathetic activity in anesthetized rats.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.375-383
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• 2014

Klotho (KL) is a single transmembrane protein composed of KL1 and KL2 repeats possessing ${\beta}$-glucuronidase activity and maintains calcium homeostasis in physiological state. It has been implicated in pigs that calcium is important for the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy, and our previous study has shown that transient receptor potential vanilloid type 6 (TRPV6), a calcium ion transporter, is predominantly expressed in the uterine endometrium during pregnancy in pigs. However, expression and function of KL in the uterine endometrium has not been determined in pigs. Thus, the present study determined expression and regulation of KL in the uterine endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy in pigs. Real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that levels of KL mRNA decreased between Days 12 to 15 of the estrous cycle, and its expression showed a biphasic manner during pregnancy. KL mRNA was expressed in conceptuses and in chorioallantoic tissues during pregnancy. Explant culture study showed that expression levels of KL were not affected by treatment of steroid hormones or interleukin-1beta during the implantation period. Furthermore, levels of KL mRNA in the uterine endometrium from gilts carrying somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)-derived embryos were significantly lower than those from gilts carrying natural mating-derived embryos on Day 12 of pregnancy. These results exhibited that KL was expressed at the maternal-conceptus interface in a pregnancy status- and stage-specific manner, and its expression was affected by SCNT procedure, suggesting that KL may play an important role in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in pigs.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.625-635
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• 2005

In this study, the effects of verapamil on growth rate, apoptosis, production of transforming growth factor (TGF-${\beta}$) and fibronectin were evaluated in keloid and normal human dermal fibroblasts. Both fibroblasts were primarily cultured from earlobe keloids of three female patients and treated with various concentrations of verapamil. Cell toxicity was assessed by MTT assay, growth rate and apoptosis by FACS, and the production of TGF-${\beta}$ and fibronectin by ELISA and Western blot, respectively. In the $MTT_{50}$, the cell growth was more suppressed in keloid fibroblasts. In the $MTT_{90}$, cell growth was more stimulated in normal fibroblasts. No significant effect appeared on TGF-${\beta}$ expression but an increase in extracellular fibronectin secretion was found in keloid fibroblasts. Keloid fibroblasts responded to verapamil more sensitively, and the percentage of apoptosis was higher at the $MTT_{50}$l. In brief, verapamil had growth-inhibitory effect with inducing apoptosis at the $MTT_{50}$, but rather growth-stimulatory effect at the $MTT_{90}$. The biphasic effect of verapamil depending on the dose might explain one of the reasons of relapse after keloid treatment with verapamil. Clinical application with high concentration (2.5 mg/ml) is advised unless excessive dosage is used.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.504-507
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• 2007

Purpose: Chondroid syringoma, previously known as 'mixed tumor of the skin', is a rare benign tumor. It usually presents an asymptomatic solitary firm intradermal or subcutaneous slowly growing nodule. It occurs frequently in the head and neck region of middle-aged men. We would like to report an uncommon chondroid syringoma about the clinical and histologic presentation. about the clinical and histologic presentation. Methods: We experienced two cases of chondroid syringoma on the nose and the upper lip, each other. Both masses were totally excised with clear margin. Results: On histologic examination, the masses showed a biphasic pattern-an epithelial component exhibiting apocrine/eccrine differentiation and a stromal component exhibiting myxoid/collagenous change-consistent with the diagnosis of chondroid syringoma. There have been no evidence of recurrence and malignant transformation during postoperative follow-up. Conclusion: There is no one distinctive clinical feature that is specific for chondroid syringoma. However, it should be included in the differential diagnosis of a solid nodule in head and neck region with long standing duration, such as epidermal inclusion cyst, pilomatrixoma, dermoid cyst, sebaceous cyst, neurofibroma, and basal cell carcinoma.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.507-513
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• 1998

The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of silica on cytosolic free calcium mobilization and cell injury in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca$^{2+}$]) was measured employing calcium sensitive fluorescent dye, Fura-2 / AM, and cell injury was evaluated by determination of cellular ATP contents. Silica increased [Ca$^{2+}$], in a concentration-dependent manner in hepatocytes (10$^{-5}$ ~10$^{-2}$ M). Silica caused a biphasic increase in [Ca$^{2+}$], which was composed of an initial rapid rise and following sustained phase. $Ca^{2+}$ removal from the medium resulted in abolishment of initial and sustained phase of silica (10$^{-2}$ M)-induced [Ca$^{2+}$], in hepatocytes. The pretreatment with nifedipine (1 $\mu$M) attenuated silica-induced [Ca$^{2+}$], increases. Silica decreased cellular ATP contents in a dose-dependent manner. This silica-induced cell injury was attenuated by the pretreatment with EGTA (100 $\mu$M) and nifedipine (1 $\mu$M). This study suggests that the elevation of [Ca$^{2+}$], caused by silica may be due mainly to influx through a plasma membrane $Ca^{2+}$ channel and hepatotoxicity by silica relate with alteration of calcium homeostasis.ium homeostasis.