• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.128-132
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• 2020

Tanycytic ependymoma is a rare variant of ependymoma that commonly affects the cervical and thoracic spinal cord. It usually arises as intramedullary lesions, and extramedullary cases are extremely rare. We report a case of a 44-year-old woman who was diagnosed with tanycytic ependymoma in her lumbar spine at level 2-3. The tumor mass developed in an intradural extramedullary location. Histopathologically, tanycytic ependymoma can be misdiagnosed as schwannoma or pilocytic astrocytoma. Immunohistochemical findings such as strong positivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein, perinuclear dot-like positive patterns for epithelial membrane antigen, and focal positivity for S100 protein are helpful in diagnosing tanycytic ependymoma. It is important to be aware of this rare tumor to ensure appropriate patient management and accurate prognosis.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.374-380
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• 2009

Samryungbaikchul-san(SRBCS) has been used in oriental medicine for the treatments of gastrointestinal and neurological disorders. Here, potential protective function of SRBCS was investigated in neural tissues in Alzheimer's disease(AD) mouse model. In primary cultured cells from the spinal cord of newborn rats, treatment of ${\beta}$-amyloid peptide elevated cell counts positive to glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) or caspase 3 immunoreactivity, but the co-treatment of SRBCS reduced positive cell counts. In vivo administration of scopolamine, an inhibitor of muscarinic receptor, resulted in increases in the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) and caspase 3-positive cells in hippocampal subfields, which was then decreased by the treatment of SRBCS or acetylcholinesterase inhibitor galathamine. The present data suggest that SRBCS may play a protective role in damaged neural tissues caused by scopolamine treatments in mice.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.257-264
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• 2017

Introduction: Pharmacopuncture, which combines acupuncture with herbal medicine, is one of the newly developed acupuncture techniques that has recently been put into use. The possible mechanisms of scolopendra pharmacopuncture, as well as its potential effects on depressive symptoms, were investigated in this study by using a mouse model of chronic immobilization stress (CIS). Methods: C57BL/6 male mice were randomly assigned into three groups: mice not stressed with restraint and injected with distilled water, mice stressed with restraint and injected with distilled water, and mice stressed with restraint injected with scolopendra pharmacopuncture at a cervical site. Behavioral tests (an open field test, tail suspension test, and forced swimming test) were carried out after two weeks of CIS and injection treatments. The expression levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the hippocampus were determined by using western blot and immunohistochemistry analyses. Results: Mice exposed to CIS showed decreased behavioral activity, while scolopendra pharmacopuncture treatment significantly protected against the depressive-like behaviors induced by CIS. Moreover, scolopendra pharmacopuncture treatment increased GFAP protein levels in the hippocampi of the mice stressed by chronic immobilization. Conclusion: Scolopendra pharmacopuncture has an ameliorating effect on depressive behavior, which is partially mediated through protection against glial loss in the hippocampus.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.182-193
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• 1998

Background: Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), identified as a survival factor for developing peripheral neurons is upregulated by reactive astrocytes in the traumatized tissue and in areas of terminal degeneration after a brain lesion. But in the spinal cord, CNTF is expressed in the non-astrocytic phenotypic, maybe oligodendrocytes. The present study was undertaken to determine the upregulation of CNTF expression in reactive astrocytes following spinal cord lesion in the rat. Methods: Unilateral incision of the dorsal funiculus at the thoracic level was performed and rats were sacrificed on days 3, 7, 14 and 28 postlesion. Western blot analysis, immunocytochemical analysis and double immunofluorescence for CNTF and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were performed after spinal cord lesion. Results: A major band with 24 kDa and additional band of higher molecular weight form were detectable, and the intensity of the 24 kDa immunoreactive band increased up to 14 days postlesion and decreased toward laminectomized control values. CNTF immunoreactivity was markedly upregulated in the injured dorsal funiculus and adjacent gray matter. The time course of CNTF expression is coincident with the appearance of reactive astrocytes in the injured spinal cord. Moreover, double immunofluorescence for CNTF and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) revealed that CNTF immunoreactivity was in GFAP immunoreactive astrocytes. Conclusions: These results show that CNTF upregulation occurred in reactive astrocytes following spinal cord lesion, and suggest a role for CNTF in the regulation of astrocytic responses after spinal cord injury.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.522-527
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• 2001

We present a case of recurrent extraventricular neurocytoma with malignant glial differentiation in left temporoparietal area. A 37-year-old man with presentation of generalized seizure had undergone biopsy of brain tumor in left parietal area in 1987, which revealed extraventricular neurocytoma and radiotherapy was followed. Postoperative course was uneventful until eleven years after biopsy, when he became gradually aphasic and right hemiplegic. Brain CT and MRI revealed enlargement of tumor with peritumoral edema and calcifications. He underwent subtotal tumor removal in 1998. Microscopic examination of second biopsy specimen revealed presence of large areas composed of anaplastic glial cells with frequent mitosis, nuclear pleomorphism, large eosinophilic cytoplasm and eccentric nuclei, resembling gemistocytes, which were strongly immunoreactive to glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) but not to synaptophysin(SNP). Also focal areas of neuronal cells were found, which were immunoreactive to SNP but not to GFAP. These histologic findings imply that this recurred tumor was a high grade, mixed tumor with divergent differentiation of neuronal and astrocyte lineage. We report a rare case of extraventricular cerebral neurocytoma with malignant glial differentiation with review of the literature.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.377-387
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• 2000

There are a few tanycytes between the general ependymal cells lining the ependymal layer of the brain ventricle. These cells are considered as modified ependymal cells which possess a long basal process. Tanycytes are known to have an ability to communicate by absorbing substances from cerebrospinal fluid and transporting them to the blood vessels and/or to the neurons in the CNS. The third and fourth ventricular tanycytes were mainly studied as subjects but it's rare to find reports about the tanycytes of the area postrema. Glial fibrillary acidic protein is an intermediate filament protein that is expressed especially in astrocytes of the CNS. But GFAP is also found in filament of the tanycytes and its process. Therefore this study was carried out for the examination of the GFAP immunoreactive tanycytes lining the area postrema of the bat, and we also examined the ultrastructure of tanycytes using electron microscope. GFAP immunoreactive tanycytes were located in the caudal portion of the fourth ventricle, and especially mainly in the transitional zone between the floor of the caudal fourth ventricle and ependymal layer lining the area postrema. A few GFAP immunoreactive tanycytes were also found in the ependymal layer lining the area postrema, and some groups of tanycytes were found in the ependymal layer of the area postrema near the floor of the caudal fourth ventricle , The processes of tanycytes were stained deeply with anti-GFAP antibody. Especially the GFAP immunoreactive tanycytes lining the area postrema had very long processes that cross the whole width of the area postrema. In the electron microscope, the cell body of ependymal tanycyte was located on the ependymal layer and had a long basal process. Intermediate filaments were observed around the nucleus and well developed in the process of tanycrte. Longitudinal oriented long mitochondria and a few lipid droplets were also found in this process. After immunocytocheical staining, the gold particles were found only in the intermediate filaments. We could not determine the function of the tanycytes in the area postrema. Thus, further investigation is required to determine the functional relationship between the tanycytes and the area postrema in hibernating animal, the bat.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.603-610
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• 2020

Background: Depression is a common neuropsychiatric disease that shows astrocyte pathology. Ginsenoside Rf (G-Rf) is a saponin found in Panax ginseng which has been used to treat neuropsychiatric diseases. We aimed to investigate antidepressant properties of G-Rf when introduced into the L-alphaaminoadipic acid (L-AAA)-infused mice model which is representative of a major depressive disorder that features diminished astrocytes in the brain. Methods: L-AAA was infused into the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of mice to induce decrease of astrocytes. Mice were orally administered G-Rf (20 mg/kg) as well as vehicle only or imipramine (20 mg/kg) as controls. Depression-like behavior of mice was evaluated using forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). We observed recovery of astroglial impairment and increased proliferative cells in the PFC and its accompanied change in the hippocampus by Western blot and immunohistochemistry to assess the effect of G-Rf. Results: After injection of L-AAA into the PFC, mice showed increased immobility time in FST and TST and loss of astrocytes without significant neuronal change in the PFC. G-Rf-treated mice displayed significantly more decreased immobility time in FST and TST than did vehicle-treated mice, and their immobility time almost recovered to those of the sham mice and imipramine-treated mice. G-Rf upregulated glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression and Ki-67 expression in the PFC reduced by L-AAA and also alleviated astroglial change in the hippocampus. Conclusion: G-Rf markedly reversed depression-like behavioral changes and exhibited protective effect against the astrocyte ablation in the PFC induced by L-AAA. These protective properties suggest that G-Rf might be a therapeutic agent for major depressive disorders.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2015

Objective : Optimal treatment decision and estimation of the prognosis in traumatic brain injury (TBI) is currently based on demographic and clinical predictors. But sometimes, there are limitations in these factors. In this study, we analyzed three central nervous system biomarkers in TBI patients, will discuss the roles and clinical applications of biomarkers in TBI. Methods : From July on 2013 to August on 2014, a total of 45 patients were included. The serum was obtained at the time of hospital admission, and biomarkers were extracted with centrifugal process. It was analyzed for the level of S-100 beta (S100B), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1). Results : This study included 33 males and 12 females with a mean age of 58.5 (19-84) years. TBI patients were classified into two groups. Group A was severe TBI with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score 3-5 and Group B was mild TBI with GCS score 13-15. The median serum concentration of S100B, GFAP, and UCH-L1 in severe TBI were raised 5.1 fold, 5.5 fold, and 439.1 fold compared to mild injury, respectively. The serum levels of these markers correlated significantly with the injury severity and clinical outcome (p<0.001). Increased level of markers was strongly predicted poor outcomes. Conclusion : S100B, GFAP, and UCH-L1 serum level of were significantly increased in TBI according to severity and associated clinical outcomes. Biomarkers have potential utility as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic adjuncts in the setting of TBI.

• Oncology Letters
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.361-368
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• 2019

Gliomas, the most highly malignant central nervous system tumors, are associated with an extremely poor patient survival rate. Given that gliomas are derived from mutations in glial precursor cells, a considerable number of them strongly react with glial precursor cell-specific markers. Thus, we investigated whether malignant gliomas can be converted to glial cells through the regulation of endogenous gene expression implicated in glial precursor cells. In the present study, we used three small-molecule compounds, [cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) enhancer, a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, and a bromodomain and extra-terminal motif (BET) inhibitor] for glial reprogramming. Small-molecule-induced gliomas (SMiGs) were not only transformed into exhibiting a glial-specific morphology, but also showed positive reactions with glial-specific markers such as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase (CNP) and anti-oligodendrocyte (RIP). A microarray analysis indicated that SMiGs exhibited a marked increase in specific gene levels, whereas that of a malignant cancer-specific gene was greatly decreased. Moreover, proliferation of the cells was markedly suppressed after the conversion of malignant glioma cells into glial cells. Our findings confirmed that malignant gliomas can be reprogrammed to non-proliferating glial cells, using a combination of small molecules, and their proliferation can be regulated by their differentiation. We suggest that our small-molecule combination (with forskolin, rapamycin and I-BET151) may be the next generation of anticancer agents that act by reprogramming malignant gliomas to differentiate into glial cells.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 1996.12a
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• pp.53-53
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• 1996