• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.230-239
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• 2020

Previous studies have shown disrupted synaptic plasticity and neural activity in depression. Such alteration is strongly associated with disrupted synaptic structures. Chronic stress has been known to induce changes in dendritic structure in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), but antidepressant effect on structure of these brain areas has been unclear. Here, the effects of imipramine on dendritic spine density and morphology in BLA and mPFC subregions of stressed mice were examined. Chronic restraint stress caused depressive-like behaviors such as enhanced social avoidance and despair level coincident with differential changes in dendritic spine structure. Chronic stress enhanced dendritic spine density in the lateral nucleus of BLA with no significant change in the basal nucleus of BLA, and altered the proportion of stubby or mushroom spines in both subregions. Conversely, in the apical and basal mPFC, chronic stress caused a significant reduction in spine density. The proportion of stubby or mushroom spines in these subregions overall reduced while the proportion of thin spines increased after repeated stress. Interestingly, most of these structural alterations by chronic stress were reversed by imipramine. In addition, structural changes caused by stress and blocking the changes by imipramine were corelated well with altered activation and expression of synaptic plasticity-promoting molecules such as phospho-CREB, phospho-CAMKII, and PSD-95. Collectively, our data suggest that imipramine modulates stress-induced changes in synaptic structure and synaptic plasticity-promoting molecules in a coordinated manner although structural and molecular alterations induced by stress are distinct in the BLA and mPFC.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Child Welfare
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• no.36
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• pp.101-132
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• 2011

Using data collected from Korean mothers (N＝429) with preschool children (aged 3 to 5 years) in 12 day care centers in Seoul, this study aims to empirically demonstrate the different pathways acute and chronic stress affect parenting efficacy of mothers according to the income group to which they belong. Analytic results show mothers in the low-income group show higher levels of depressive symptoms than mothers in the middle-income group, and the former also show more frequent and higher levels of acute and chronic stress than the latter. The mediation model results show that acute stress and chronic stress did not directly affect parenting efficacy, but rather indirectly affect parenting efficacy through maternal depressive symptoms. Acute stress and chronic stress are both significant factors affecting depressive symptoms with chronic stress exerting greater influence. When the total effect was analyzed, chronic stress has a greater effect on parenting efficacy than acute stress. The effect of chronic stress on maternal depressive symptoms is greater on low-income mothers than middle-income mothers, while the effect of acute stress on maternal depressive symptoms and the effect of those symptoms on parenting efficacy are greater on middle class families than low-income families. In order to maximize effective parenting in high-risk situations, the psychological welfare of mothers needs to be protected from the environmental difficulties they face. Based on the results, policies to support women and parents at the national and social levels are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.27-33
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• 2018

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify the relationships among stress response inventory, hospital anxiety and depression, muscle tone and stiffness, and hand strength in chronic stroke patients. METHODS: A total of 14 chronic stroke patients voluntarily agreed to this experiment and were included in this study. All measurements were performed in one day and in a room without noise. The tests conducted in this study were as follows: muscle tone and stiffness of the upper trapezius hand grip measurement. Subjects were also asked to complete surveys describing the following: stress response inventory and hospital anxiety and depression scale. RESULTS: There were significant correlations among stress response inventory and hospital anxiety and depression, stress response inventory and hand strength, and hospital anxiety and depression and hand strength (P<.05). There were high positive correlations between stress response inventory and hospital anxiety and depression (r=.979), while there were moderate negative correlations between stress response inventory and hand strength (r=-.415) and between hospital anxiety and depression and hand strength (r=-.420). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate that there is a relationship among stress response inventory, hospital anxiety and depression, and hand strength in patients with chronic stroke.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.386-394
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• 2019

Trypanosoma cruzi infection results in debilitating cardiomyopathy, which is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the endemic regions of Chagas disease (CD). The pathogenesis of Chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCM) has been intensely studied as a chronic inflammatory disease until recent observations reporting the role of cardio-metabolic dysfunctions. In particular, we demonstrated accumulation of lipid droplets and impaired cardiac lipid metabolism in the hearts of cardiomyopathic mice and patients, and their association with impaired mitochondrial functions and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in CD mice. In the present study, we examined whether treating infected mice with an ER stress inhibitor can modify the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy during chronic stages of infection. T. cruzi infected mice were treated with an ER stress inhibitor 2-Aminopurine (2AP) during the indeterminate stage and evaluated for cardiac pathophysiology during the subsequent chronic stage. Our study demonstrates that inhibition of ER stress improves cardiac pathology caused by T. cruzi infection by reducing ER stress and downstream signaling of phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor ($P-elF2{\alpha}$) in the hearts of chronically infected mice. Importantly, cardiac ultrasound imaging showed amelioration of ventricular enlargement, suggesting that inhibition of ER stress may be a valuable strategy to combat the progression of cardiomyopathy in Chagas patients.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.621-639
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• 2022

Cortisol and corticosterone, hormones traditionally considered biomarkers of stress, can be measured in fluid biomatrices (e.g., blood, saliva) from live animals to evaluate conditions at sampling time, or in solid biomatrices (e.g., hair, feather) from live or dead animals to obtain information regarding long-term changes. Using these biomarkers to evaluate physiological stress responses in domestic animals may be challenging due to the diverse characteristics of biomatrices for potential measurement. Ideally, a single measurement from the biomatrix should be sufficient for evaluating chronic stress. The availability of appropriate and cost-effective immunoassay methods for detecting the biomarkers should also be considered. This review discusses the strengths and limitations of different biomatrices with regard to ensuring the highest possible reliability for chronic stress evaluation. Overall, solid biomatrices require less frequent sampling than other biomatrices, resulting in greater time- and cost-effectiveness, greater ease of use, and fewer errors. The multiplex immunoassay can be used to analyze interactions and correlations between cortisol and other stress biomarkers in the same biomatrix. In light of the lack of information regarding appropriate biomatrices for measuring chronic stress, this review may help investigators set experimental conditions or design biological research.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.306-316
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• 2022

Chronic stress contributes to the risk of developing depression; the habenula, a nucleus in epithalamus, is associated with many neuropsychiatric disorders. Using genome-wide gene expression analysis, we analyzed the transcriptome of the habenula in rats exposed to chronic restraint stress for 14 days. We identified 379 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that were affected by chronic stress. These genes were enriched in neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, the cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate) signaling pathway, circadian entrainment, and synaptic signaling from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis and responded to corticosteroids, positive regulation of lipid transport, anterograde trans-synaptic signaling, and chemical synapse transmission from the Gene Ontology analysis. Based on protein-protein interaction network analysis of the DEGs, we identified neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, circadian entrainment, and cholinergic synapse-related subclusters. Additionally, cell type and habenular regional expression of DEGs, evaluated using a recently published single-cell RNA sequencing study (GSE137478), strongly suggest that DEGs related to neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and trans-synaptic signaling are highly enriched in medial habenular neurons. Taken together, our findings provide a valuable set of molecular targets that may play important roles in mediating the habenular response to stress and the onset of chronic stress-induced depressive behaviors.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.139-152
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• 2004

Objective: The aim of this study was to find about relation between Chiljung(七情) and chronic recurrent abdominal pain in children. Methods: It was surveyed the oriental medical book concerning Chiljung(七情) and western medical book concerning Chronic recurrent abdominal pain. Results: Chronic recurrent abdominal pain which is common disorder in children is mostly functional abdominal pain due to stress. The Stress can be defined as spiritual factor which lead to imbalance of body homeostasis in medicine. In oriental medicine, it is considered as Chiljung(七情) disorder. The gastrointestinal disease due to stress are peptic ulcer, chronic gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic abdominal pain, vomitting etc. In oriental medicine pathology mechanism, it is considered as discord with liver and spleen, depression of spleen-energy. It comes within the category of depression. Children with chronic recurrent abdominal pain is dependent on parents and they have an introspective nature, compulsive idea which is intolerable for failure.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.213-221
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• 2010

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the primary endocrine system to respond to stress. The HPA axis may be affected by increased level of corticotrophin-releasing factors under chronic stress and by chronic administration of monosodium glutamate (MSG). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether chronic MSG administration aggravates chronic variable stress (CVS)-induced behavioral and hormonal changes. Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 200~220 g, were divided into 4 groups as follows: water administration (CON), MSG (3 g/kg) administration (MSG), CVS, and CVS with MSG (3 g/kg) administration (CVS＋MSG). In addition, for the purpose of comparing the effect on plasma corticosterone levels between chronic stress and daily care or acute stress, 2 groups were added at the end of the experiment; the 2 new groups were as follows: naive mice (n=7) and mice exposed to restraint stress for 2 h just before decapitation (A-Str, n=7). In an open field test performed after the experiment, the CVS＋MSG group significant decrease in activity. The increase in relative adrenal weights in the CVS and CVS＋MSG group was significantly greater than those in the CON and/or MSG groups. In spite of the increase in the relative adrenal weight, there was a significant decrease in the plasma corticosterone levels in the CVS＋MSG group as compared to all other groups, except the naive group. These results suggest that impaired HPA axis function as well as the decrease in the behavioral activity in adult rats can be induced by chronic MSG administration under CVS rather than CVS alone.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.492-496
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• 2004

This research was carried out to examine the correlation between the patients of functional dyspepsia and four constitution (Sasang Constitution). This research examined the correlation of functional dyspepsia versus Sasang Constitution, chronic fatigue, and mental stress in 100 cases of functional dyspepsia. No significant correlation was witnessed between average duration of dyspepsia and gender, and smorking. There was tendency of increased duration of indigestion in relation with length of chronic fatigue and the degree of mental stress. Significant difference was found between the patients with indigestion and Sasang Constitution types. Soeumin among the patients with indigestion were numerous and it was significantly different with normal people. Significant correlation was found between the period of indigestion and chronic fatigue and the degree of mental stress. Significant difference was found between the patients with indigestion and Sasang Constitution types.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2000

Objectives : The object of this study was to make a comparison regarding perceived stressor, perceived stress responses, and coping strategies between patients with gastric ulcer and patients with chronic gastritis. Subject and Methods : Subjects consisted of 40 patients with gastric ulcer and 100 patients with chronic superficial gastritis. Global assessment of recent stress(GARS) scale and perceived stress response inventory(PSRI) were used to measure perception for stressors and stress responses. Coping scale was used to measure coping strategies. Results : Scores of perceived stress related to work or job, changes in relationship on GARS scale were significantly higher in patients with gastric ulcer than those with chronic gastritis. Scores of perceived stress responses related to general somatic symptom, specific somatic symptom, passive-responsive and careless behavior on PSRI were significantly higher in patients with chronic gastritis than those with gastric ulcer. Scores of seeking social support, escape-avoidance on coping scale were significantly higher in patients with gastric ulcer than those with chronic gastritis. Conclusion : The above results suggest that perception for stressors were likely to be higher in patients with gastric ulcer than those with gastritis, whereas perception for stress responses were likely to be higher in the latter than the former. It is also suggested that patients with gastric ulcer were likely to use more dependent and passive coping strategies than patients with gastritis.