• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.217-220
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• 2018

A female Russian rat snake, Elaphe schrenckii, was presented for loss of movement. Physical examination showed the swelling in the area of heart. Radiographic examination revealed cardiomegaly, pericardial effusion, and a soft opacity in the area of swelling. Although pericardiocentesis to remove fluid out from the heart as well as vigorous treatments were given to the Russian rat snake, it died during treatments. Postmortem examination confirmed pericardial effusion of pale yellow, translucent fluid with mild dilation of the right atrium and ventricle. Formalin -fixed paraffin embedded tissue sections were stained with routine H&E and the classical von Kossa's method for histopathological demonstration. Histopathological examination revealed multifocal calcification in myocardium and consists of the displacement of muscular fiber by limy deposits. Congestive heart failure was suspicious for the snake when it was alive. In wild reptiles, muscle degeneration has been reported with nutrition disorders but the present case is the first report of myocardial degeneration in a Russian rat snake and contributes to the rare reports of cardiac disease in snakes.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.285-293
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• 1994

Purpose : The study was designed to investigate the effect of cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II)(cis-DDP) on the radiation-induced cardiomyopathy in the rat. Materials and Methods : The myocardial damage was assessed by histopathologic changes. In radiation alone group, radiation dose ranged from 10-40 Gy X-ray in a single dose and in combined group, cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) at a dose of 6 mg/kg was given intraperitoneally immediately after irradiation of same dose with X-ray alone group. Results : The early changes by radiation included congestion, inflammatory cell infiltrations and fibrosis in myocardial interstitium with focal myocardial necrosis, which was noted in 10 Gy group, Myocardial fibrosis was increased by increasing dose of radiation but myocardial necrosis was not Proportional to radiation dose. cis-DDP alone group showed minimal degeneration of myocardium with surrounded by inflammatory cell infiltrations. In combined group, myocardial fibrosis in 10 Gy group were similar to radiation alone group, but 30 Gy and 40 Gy groups showed severer changes. Electron microscopic examination showed disruption of Z-band and edema of mitochondria with decreased matrix density in 20 Gy radiation group which were severer in 40 Gy radiation group. Combined group showed endothelial changes and disruption of Z-band worse than radiation alone group as well as increased connective tissue, which was considered as a hallmark of late change in radiation-induced heart disease. Conclusion : This results showed minimal enhancement of the radiation-induced cardiomyopathy in rats by cis-DDP.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.233-237
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• 1982

Pathological studies on 6 milk goats administrated with urea were carried out to determine the effects of acute and chronic poisonings on the animal. Clinical signs appeared about 10 minutes after ingestion of the urea and they consisted chiefly in dullness, staggering, uncontrolled urination, dyspnea, frothy salivation, bloating, muscular tremor, humping of back and tetanic spasms. Macroscopic lesions were failure of blood clot, frothy and bloody contents in the highly congested respiratory tract, pulmonary edema, rumenitis and abomatitis accompanying with petechiation of the upper small intestine. Microscopically, the liver showed vacuolar degeneration, fatty change and areas of necrosis and partial proliferation of the interlobular connective tissues in chronic crises. The renal epithelium displaced vacuolar degeneration, necrosis and hyaline casts in their lumens. In the lungs, there were hyperemia, edema, hemorrhages, and acute catarrhal bronchitis. Neuronal degeneration and necrosis in the central nervous system, catarrhal rumenitis, abomatitis, doudenitis and myocardial hemorrhage were also demonstrated.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.67-72
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• 2014

To investigate the alteration of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activity after myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (MIRI) and further explore the effect of naloxone postconditioning on MIRI. Forty male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: sham operation (sham, n=8); ischemia reperfusion (IR, n=8); IR+naloxone 0.5 mg/kg (Nal L, n=8); IR+naloxone 1.0 mg/kg (Nal M, n=8); IR+naloxone 2.0 mg/kg (Nal H, n=8). Pathological changes of myocardial tissue were visualized by HE staining. The expression of p-JNK, and the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes were investigated with Western blotting and the TUNEL assay, respectively. Irregular arrangement and aberrant structure of myocardial fibers, cardiomyocytes with granular or vacuolar degeneration, and inflammatory cells infiltrating the myocardial interstitial regions characterized MIRI in the IR group. Signs of myocardial injury and inflammatory infiltration were less prominent in the Nal-treated groups. The expression of p-JNK in the sham group and in all Nal-treated groups was significantly lower than that in the IR group (p<0.01). The apoptosis index of cardiomyocytes in the IR group was significantly higher than in the sham group (p<0.01). The apoptosis indices of cardiomyocytes in all Nal-treated groups were significantly reduced to 55.4%, 26.2%, and 27.6%, respectively, of the IR group (p<0.01). This study revealed that Naloxone postconditioning before reperfusion inhibits p-JNK expression and decreases cell apoptosis, thus alleviating MIRI.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.601-606
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• 1997

Mulberry heart disease was associated with vitamin E and selenium deficiency of pigs. Anatomical findings of this disease were hydropericadium, extensive patchy hemorrhage of epicardium, endocardium, and discoloration of dark red color of myocardium. In histological findings were characterized by acute myocardial degeneration, extensive hemorrhage, fibrinoid degeneration of arterioles, PAS positive material deposition of arterioles and capillary thrombosis. In affected herds, feed and serum tocopherol and selenium concentration were less than normal values.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.67-80
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• 1994

8-10 week old ICR mice were infected intracerebrally and intraperitoneally with different encephalomyocarditis virus(K$_3$, $K_{11}$, ATT-VR 129) to observe histopathological and immunohistochemical change. Results obtained throuh the experiments were summarized as follows : 1. No differences in clinical signs by the virus strains and the inoculation routes were found. Mice infected with EMCV showed clinical signs after 3 days of inoculation. Main clinical signs were tremors, convulsions, circling movement, and uni or bilateral hindleg paralysis followed by death on the 3-8 days. In general, most of the infected animals died or recovered closely on the 8th day of postinoculation. 2. At necropsy, petechial and ecchymotic hemorrhages in lung were observed and no specific findings in other were observed. 3. In histopathological observation, neuroal cell degeneration perivascular mononucear cell in-filtration gliosis were appeared in central nervous system. Myocarditis with myocardial degeneration and necrosis, calcification were observed along with acinar cell necrosis of exocrine glands in pancreas, severe glomerulonephritis in kidney. Also, focal necrosis of hepatocytes and interstitial pneymonia hyperemia, hemorrhages in lungs were observed. 4. By immunohistochemical staining using ABCIT method, the positive cells were recognized in intracytoplasm of acinar cell in pancreas and intracytoplasm of neuronal cells in cerebrum.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.99-118
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• 1989

The cardiotoxic effects of acute and chronic administration of adriamycin (ADR) were evaluated in A/J Swiss albino mice. In acute studies, male mice received intravenous ADR, 5mg or 15mg/kg per day for 3 or 1day and were sacrifice 12 hours later. Because the glutathione-glutathione peroxidase system is major pathway for free radical detoxication, glutathione levels and glutathione peroxidase activity was measured. In acute studies, ADR-treated mice exhibited significantly decreased levels(p<0.05) of total glutathione and unchanged levels of oxidized glutathione and percentage of oxidized glutathione. The earliest myocardial fine structural alterations included swelling and degeneration of mitochondria and dilatation of sarcoplasmic reticulum at all dosage of acute models. In chronic studies, mice received 5mg/kg ADR once a week for up to 16 weeks. Levels of total and reduced glutathione were decreased significantly(p<0.01) and oxidized glutathione and percentage of oxidized glutathione were increased significantly (p<0.05). Chronic myocardial lesions included perinuclear vacuolization, seperation of myofibrils and the fasciae adherens of intercalated disc and hypercontraction band within myocyte. Glutathione peroxidase activity reduced significantly (p<0.01) in any group of acute and chronic ADR-treated animals. Test for lipid peroxidation(malondialdehyde) was increased significantly(P<0.01). Thus, we conclude 1) ADR significantly lowers glutathione levels in heart tissue, and 2) cellular damage progress produced by alteration of this system in mouse models of ADR cardiotoxicity. These results suggest that the glutathione-glutathione peroxidase system may be involved in the modulation of ADR-induced cardiotoxicity.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.63-67
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• 2012

Spaceflight induces a number of cardiovascular physiological alterations. To study adaptations to microgravity on Earth, the tail-suspended, hindlimb-unloaded rat model has been used to simulate the effects of microgravity. Despite the extensive use of this model to infer physiological adaptations of many organs to microgravity, little information has been obtained on the effect of tail suspension(TS) on cardiac adaptations in the rat. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of simulated microgravity on the rat myocardium using the TS model. Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 3 experimental groups(1, 7 and 14 days of TS) and a control group. A microscopic examination was performed to assess histopathological changes in the myocardial morphology. The hearts from the control group, the 1 day-TS rats and the 7 day-TS rats revealed no evident abnormalities in cardiomyocyte size and morphology. At day 14 of TS, in contrast, the ventricular cardiomyocytes appeared more separated from each other and were slightly smaller in size compared with those of the control group. Also seen were scattered areas exhibiting focal disorganization of muscle fibers and some degenerating cardiomyocytes, of which the nuclei had become pyknotic or disappeared. In this study, we demonstrated that the ventricular cardiomyocytes underwent degeneration and atrophy at the microscopic level during exposure to simulated microgravity in TS rats.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.498-505
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• 1983

It has been over 20 years since successful operations of Cardiac valves at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular surgery, college of medicine, Yonsei University. About six hundreds of patients with severely symptomatic valvular heart disease have had valve operations with complete loss or sharp decrease in their cardiac symptoms since 1956. As the number of cardiac patient increases, reoperation on valves assumes greater importance. To define the group of patients undergoing reoperations on valves and the factors influencing their survival, we have reviewed our experiences of the reoperation on valves at the Yonsei University, Severance Hospital. This is a report of 29 cases which was undergone secondary or more surgery for valvular heart disease from 1966 to 1983. The primary operations includes 159 cases of open heart surgery from 1966 to 1975 and 476 cases from 1976 to march, 1983. The secondary operations are classified into groups of secondary valvuloplasty or valvotomy [8 cases], prosthetic valve replacement following valvuloplasty or valvotomy [14 cases] and prosthetic valve rereplacement [2 case] for such as calcification, degeneration and perforation of the cusps and paravalvular leakage, of the bioprosthetic valves. The leading indication for reoperation of mitral valve was restenosis or stenoinsufficiency, The indications of aortic valve replacement was active bacterial endocarditis, medically uncontrollable prosthetic endocarditis or paravalvular leakage. Overall death rate of the reoperation was 17.4% [5 death among the 29 patients] and the leading causes of death were myocardial failure, arrhythmia, cerebral embolism, acute renal failure due to low output syndrome. And it was followed by sepsis associated with active prosthetic endocarditis. The death rate of reoperation was 4.3% in the elective cases except urgent cases and the death rate of overall cardiac valve except reoperation cases was 4.1% in the last two years. Although the general mortality of reoperation was high, both mortality rates were comparable except emergency cases due to urgent preoperative patient’s condition.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.87-101
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• 1998

There is considerable interests in the effect of regular, vigorous exercise, in particular weight training as a possible measure in improving myocardial function. The present investigation aimed to examine possible effect of a long-term weight training program on the heart in aging rats. Male rats aged 3-,10-, and 20-month-old were divided at random into a control (sedentary) and the exercise group. The training group was exercised for 5 days a week by 1 RM of ten times with weight training apparatus. This investigation examined the changes of the heart muscle relative to histological, ultrastructural, cytochemical, and stereological studies in rats. Quantity of lipofuscin pigments was clearly increased in the weight training group of 15-month-old rats, and mitochondrial degeneration, vacuolization, and interstitial proliferation were observed as well. In the weight training group of 25-month-old rats the frequency as separated intercalated discs, fraying myofibrils and hypercontraction band increased in number compared with the same 15-mon1h-old group. From the experimental result of glucose-6-phosphatase activity, the enzyme activities decreased in the weight training group of 15-month-old rats, and more decreased in the same 25-month-old group. In stereological study, both 15- and 25-month-old training groups, mitochondrial and myofibrilar volume densities significantly decreased, whereas interstitial volume density significantly increased. From the experimental results obtained in the present study, it is suggested that long-term weight training exercise do not cause any significantly qualitative and quantitative ultrastructural change of the heart muscle in the young. On the contrary, long-term weight training exercise stress may actually induce degenerative changes in the heart muscle in the old age.