• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.805-817
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• 2009

This study was to investigate central localization of neurons projecting to the urinary bladder and urinary bladder-related acupoints(Wijung, $BL_{40}$) and neurons of immunoreactive to hormones and hormone receptors regulating urinary bladder function by using peudorabies virus(PRV). In this experiment, Bartha's strain of pseudorabies virus was used in rats to trace central localization of urinary bladder-related neurons and urinary bladder-related acupoints($BL_{40}$) which can regulate urinary system. PRV was injected into the urinary bladder and acupoints($BL_{40}$) related urinary system. After six days survival of rats, mainly common labeled neurons projecting to the urinary bladder and urinary bladder-related acupoints were identified in spinal cord, medulla, pons and diencephalon by PRV immunohistochemical staining method. First-order PRV labeled neurons projecting to urinary bladder and urinary bladder-related acupoints were found in the cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral spinal cord. Commonly labeled preganglionic neurons were labeled in the lumbosacral spinal cord and thoracic spinal cord. They were found in the lateral horn area(sacral parasympathetic nucleus and intermediolateral nucleus), lamina V-X, intermediomedial nucleus and dorsal column area. The area of sensory neurons projecting to urinary bladder and Wijung($BL_{40}$) was L5-S2 spinal ganglia and T12-L1 spinal ganglia, respectively. In the brainstem, the neurons were labeled most evidently and consistently in the nucleus of tractus solitarius, area postrema, dorsal motor nucleus of vagus nerve, reticular nucleus, raphe nuclei(obscurus, magnus and pallidus), C3 adrenalin cells, parapyramidal area(lateral paragigantocellular nucleus), locus coeruleus, subcoeruleus nucleus, A5 cell group, Barrington's nucleus and periaqueductal gray matter. In the diencephalon, PRV labeled neurons were marked mostly in the paraventricular nucleus and a few ones were in the lateral hypothalamic nucleus, posterior hypothalamic nucleus, ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, arcuate nucleus, median eminence, perifornical nucleus, periventricular nucleus and suprachiasmatic nucleus. In cerebral cortex, PRV labeled neurons were marked mostly in the frontal cortex, 1,2 area, hind limb area, agranular insular cortex. Immunoreactive neurons to Corticotropin releasiing factor(CRF), Corticotropin releasiing factor-receptor(CRF-R), c-fos and serotonin were a part of labeled areas among the virus-labeled neurons of urinary bladder and Wijung($BL_{40}$). The commonly labeled areas were nucleus tractus solitarius, area postrema, reticular nucleus, raphe nuclei(obscurus, magnus and pallidus), locus coeruleus, A5 cell group, Barrington,s nucleus, arcuate nucleus, paraventricular nucleus, frontal cortex 1, 2 area, hind limb, and perirhinal(agranular insular) cortex. These results suggest that overlapped CNS locations are related with autonomic nuclei which regulate the functions of urinary bladder-relate organs and it was revealed by tracing PRV labeled neurons projecting urinary bladder and urinary bladder-related acupoints. These commonly labeled areas often overlap with the neurons connected with hormones and hormone receptors related to urination.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.51-66
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• 2001

The purpose of this morphological studies was to investigate the central neural pathway projecting to the acupoints $B_{62}$ and $K_6$ using the neuroanatomical method following injection of transsynaptic neurotropic virus, pseudorabies virus(PRV-Ba and PRV-Ga) into the $B_{62}$ and $K_6$. After survival times of 96 hours following injection into the twenty rats with PRV-Ba(Bartha strain) and PRV-Ga(Bartha strain, ${\beta}$-galacidodase insertion). They were perfused, and their spinal cord and brain were frozen sectioned($30{\mu}m$). These sections were stained by X-gal histochemical and PRV immunohistochemical staining method, and observed with light microscope. The results were as follows : 1. In spinal cord, overlaped PRV-Ba and PRV-Ga labeled neurons projecting to the $B_{62}$ and $K_6$ were founded in thoracic, lumbar and sacral spinal segments. In thoracic spinal segments, Densely labeled areas were founded in lamina IV, V, VII(intermediolateral nucleus) and X areas. In lumbar segemnts, labeled areas were founded in lamina II, IV, V and X areas. In sacral spinal segments, labeled areas were founded in lamina IV, V and VI areas. 2. In brain, overlaped PRV-Ba and PRV-Ga labeled neurons projecting to the $B_{62}$ and $K_6$ were founded in the $A_1$ noradrenalin cells/$C_1$ adrenalin cells/caudoventrolateral reticular nucleus, rostroventrolateral reticular nuclens, nucleus tractus solitarius, area postrema, raphe obscurus nucleus, raphe paltidus nucleus, raphe magnus nucleus, lateral paragigantoceltular nucleus, lateral rcticular nucleus, gigantocellular nucleus, locus coeruleus, subcoeruleus nucleus, motor trigeminal nucleus, Kolliker-Fuse nucleus, $A_5$ cell group, central gray matter, oculomotor nerve, paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, median eminence, amygdaloid nucleus, frontal cortex, forelimb area, hindlimb area, 1, 2 areas of parietal cortex and granular and agranular cortex. This results were suggest that overlaped PRV-Ba and PRV-Ga labeled areas projecting to the $B_{62}$ and $K_6$ may be related to the emotional relay pathway in the central autonomic center.