• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.403-408
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• 2011

Objective : Contrary to some clinical belief, there were quite a few studies regarding animal models of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) $in$ $vivo$ suggesting that prior use of statins may improve outcome after ICH. This study reports the effect of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitor, simvastatin given before experimental ICH. Methods : Fifty-one rats were subjected to collagenase-induced ICH, subdivided in 3 groups according to simvastatin treatment modality, and behavioral tests were done. Hematoma volume, brain water content and hemispheric atrophy were analyzed. Immunohistochemical staining for microglia (OX-42) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) was performed and caspase-3 activity was also measured. Results : Pre-simvastatin therapy decreased inflammatory reaction and perihematomal cell death, but resulted in no significant reduction of brain edema and no eNOS expression in the perihematomal region. Finally, prior use of simvastatin showed less significant improvement of neurological outcome after experimental ICH when compared to post-simvastatin therapy. Conclusion : The present study suggests that statins therapy after ICH improves neurological outcome, but prior use of statins before ICH might provide only histological improvement, providing no significant impact on neurological outcome against ICH.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.97-104
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• 2021

Purpose: The human body can experience a variety of injuries. As a result, it may be difficult to directly treat the damaged area. In such a case, indirect treatment is required. Indirect treatment is typically PNF treatment. Morphological changes in muscle have been confirmed through several previous studies; however, few studies have analyzed neurological changes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine how irradiation during resistance exercise using a diagonal pattern effects neurological excitability. Methods: Electromyography was performed on 13 healthy adults. A compound muscle action potential (CMAP) was obtained through a median motor nerve conduction velocity test, which was conducted before and after performing the irradiation exercise and general exercise. Results: Compared to baseline measurements, there was no significant difference in the latency of the irradiation exercise and general exercise. The amplitude of the CMAP measured after the irradiation exercise was significantly higher than after general exercise. Conclusion: Neurological excitability was high in irradiation during resistance exercise using a diagonal pattern. When clinically direct treatment is difficult, it is thought that irradiation can be used indirectly as a technique to induce nerve excitability.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.866-871
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• 2009

Brain edema is a major importance in the pathophysiology of CNS injuries including stroke. Ischemic brain edema results from both cytotoxic edema, which is severe in astrocytes at early stage, and vasogenic edema caused by excessive blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. The present study was performed to determine the effect of Rhei Rhizoma on brain edema induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in the rats. The neurological symptom, total infarct volume and edema index caused by MCAO were measured. The changes of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) immunoreactivities were also observed. We found that Rhei Rhizoma extract improved the neurological symptom and attenuated the total infarct volume and brain edema caused by ischemic insult. Rhei Rhizoma extract also attenuated the expression of MMP-9 and iNOS. This results suggest that Rhei Rhizoma has a protective effect on the brain edema caused by ischemic insult.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.596-602
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• 2006

This study evaluated neuroprotective effect of Sunghyangjungki-San (SHS) on the focal cerebral ischemia. The rats were induced infarct in cerebral cortex and caudoputamen by using temporal occlussion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO), then water extract of SHS was treated for MCAO rats. Neuroprotective effect was evaluated by neurological score, infarct sizes and total volume, positive neurons against Bax, Caspase-3, HSP-72, and $HIF-1{\alpha}$ in infarct area with immunohistochemistry. The results obtained were as follows: Treatment of SHS improved neurological score of MCAO rats, but there was not a statistical significance. Treatment of SHS reduced significantly infarct sizes in the brain sections of MCAO rats. Treatment of SHS reduced significantly total volume of infarct of MCAO rats. Treatment of SHS reduced significantly Bax positive neurons in penumbra of cerebral cortex of MCAO rats. Treatment of SHS reduced significantly Caspase-3 positive neurons in caudoputamen and penumbra of cerebral cortex of MCAO rats. Treatment of SHS reduced significantly HSP-72 positive neurons in penumbra of cerebral cortex of MCAO rats. Treatment of SHS reduced significantly $IF-1{\alpha}$ positive neurons in penumbra of cerebral cortex of MCAO rats.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1411-1414
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• 2007

According to the report of Korea National Statistical Office in 2007, cerebral vascular disease is second cause of deaths in Korean. Cerebral ischemia is one of the main reason of cerebral vascular diseases. To evaluate the neuroprotective effect of heyneanol A against cerebral ischemia, we used the middle cerebral artery occlusion model (MCAO). Heyneanol A from root of vitis amurensis Rup is a tetramer of resveratrol as known anti-oxidant and anti-cancer agent. Although the effects of resveratrol in the various fields have been well established, little is known of the effects of heyneanol A. In this study, heyneanol A reduced infarction and edema volume by 33.5% and 57% compared with control groups (vehicle), respectively. Also, neurological score was decreased by heyneanol A. It's effects were more potent than resveratol. Taken together, these results exerted that heyneanol A has a neuroprotective effect against cerebral ischemia.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.435-440
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• 2010

Valproic acid (VPA) is a well-known anti-epileptic and mood stabilizing drug. A growing number of reports demonstrate that VPA is neuroprotective against various insults. Despite intensive efforts to develop new therapeutics for stroke over the past two decades, all treatments have thus far failed to show clinical effect because of treatment-limiting side effects of the drugs. Therefore, a safety-validated drug like VPA would be an attractive candidate if it has neuroprotective effects against ischemic insults. The present study was undertaken to examine whether pre- and post-insult treatments with VPA protect against brain infarct and neurological deficits in mouse transient (tMCAO) and permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) models. In the tMCAO (2 hr MCAO and 22 hr reperfusion) model, intraperitoneal injection of VPA (300 mg/kg, Lp.) 30 min prior to MCAO significantly reduced the infarct size and the neurological deficit. VPA treatment immediately after reperfusion significantly reduced the infarct size. The administration of VPA at 4 hr after reperfusion failed to reduce the infarct size and the neurological deficit. In the pM CAO model, treatment with VPA (300 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 min prior to MCAO significantly attenuated the infarct size, but did not affect the neurological deficit. Western blot analysis of acetylated H3 and H4 protein levels in extracts from the ischemic cortical area showed that treatment with VPA increased the expression of acetylated H3 and H4 at 2 hrs after MCAO. These results demonstrated that treatment with VPA prior to ischemia attenuated ischemic brain damage in both mice tMCAO and pMCAO models and treatment with VPA immediately after reperfusion reduced the infarct area in the tMCAO model. VPA could therefore be evaluated for clinical use in stroke patients.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.1122-1133
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• 2022

Objectives: The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of Ongyeong-tang (OGT) in the treatment of insomnia in patients afflicted with neurological diseases, according to the medical records of one medical institution. OGT is a herbal prescription that originates from the "Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber" and has been used for menopausal symptoms, uterine diseases, skin diseases, insomnia, and other neuropsychiatric symptoms. Methods: Medical records of patients who visited Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital from January 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, received outpatient or inpatient treatment, and met the inclusion criteria were used in this study. Results: Twenty-four patients satisfied the inclusion criteria and were included. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index-Korean version (PSQI-K) score was used to evaluate the outcomes before and after treatment. After an average of 14.42±9.2 days of OGT extract intake, 20 patients (83.3%) experienced improvement. The remaining four (16.7%) had no change in their symptoms, but none demonstrated worsening of symptoms. The total PSQI-K score showed a statistically significant decrease from 13.08±4.54 to 10.42±4.58 (p<0.001). Sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep disturbance, use of sleeping medications, and daytime dysfunction also showed statistically significant improvements. Conclusions: Administration of OGT extract may be a relatively safe and effective therapeutic option for insomnia in patients with neurological diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.125-131
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• 2017

Status epilepticus is the most common serious neurological condition triggered by abnormal electrical activity, leading to severe and widespread cell loss in the brain. Lithium has been one of the main drugs used for the treatment of bipolar disorder for decades, and its anticonvulsant and neuroprotective properties have been described in several neurological disease models. However, the therapeutic mechanisms underlying lithium's actions remain poorly understood. The muscarinic receptor agonist pilocarpine is used to induce status epilepticus, which is followed by hippocampal damage. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of lithium post-treatment on seizure susceptibility and hippocampal neuropathological changes following pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus. Status epilepticus was induced by administration of pilocarpine hydrochloride (320 mg/kg, i.p.) in C57BL/6 mice at 8 weeks of age. Lithium (80 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered 15 minutes after the pilocarpine injection. After the lithium injection, status epilepticus onset time and mortality were recorded. Lithium significantly delayed the onset time of status epilepticus and reduced mortality compared to the vehicle-treated group. Moreover, lithium effectively blocked pilocarpine-induced neuronal death in the hippocampus as estimated by cresyl violet and Fluoro-Jade B staining. However, lithium did not reduce glial activation following pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus. These results suggest that lithium has a neuroprotective effect and would be useful in the treatment of neurological disorders, in particular status epilepticus.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.275-281
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• 2005

Objective: The prolactinoma is the most common pituitary tumor and sometimes shows severe invasiveness to the adjacent cavernous sinus, especially in the male patient. The dopamine agonist can be used as an alternative treatment modality to surgery. But, the transsphenoidal or transcranial approach for tumor removal has been more preferred treatment option of neurosurgeons in invasive prolactinoma. Especially rapid decompression of mass effect and resolution of the neurologic deficit is demanded. The prospective study is done in order to identify the therapeutic efficacy of bromocriptine as an initial treatment option for the invasive prolactionomas. Methods: Twenty patients with invasive prolactinoma were studied. Preoperative neurological and endocrinological evaluations were done, and size and invasiveness of the tumor was estimated on MRI. Bromocriptine was administrated by increasing dose planning reaching maximum dose at 1 month of treatment, with close neurological and endocrinological monitoring. At 3months after treatment, MRI was taken and decision was made whether to continue bromocriptine or to have surgical intervention. Results: Thirteen patients showed excellent result with only bromocriptine treatment. These patients showed not only marked reduction of tumor volume and prolactin level, but also, improving clinical symptoms and other hormonal deficits. 13patients who had visual field defect and decreased visual acuity had all improved visual symptoms. But, the remaining 4patients required surgical treatment due to insufficient reduction of tumor size inspite of normalized prolactin level within 3months. Remaining 2patients had $20{\sim}30%$ of tumor size reduction, but prolactin level was not normalized. One patient required radiation therapy. Conclusion: Bromociptine can be used as initial treatment for the invasive prolactinomas with careful monitoring of the neurological and endocrinological status. It should be carefully followed up for tumor size reduction within 3 months after initiation of treatment.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.205-214
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• 2009

Objectives : This study was designed to evaluate objectively the efficacy of bee-venom acupuncture on Central post-stroke patients. Methods : After screening, 25 patients recruited with eligible criteria. Among them 1 dropped out in treatment group, 4 in control group. We applied bee-venom acupuncture 6 points of body($LI_{15}$, $GB_{21}$, $LI_{11}$, $GB_{31}$, $ST_{36}$, $GB_{39}$) 2 times a week for 3 weeks for treatment group, and normal saline for control group in the same way. After 3 weeks treatment and 2 weeks follow up we measured VAS, categorial rating scale as a pain assessment also MBI, Modified Rankin Scale as a stroke recovery. Results : 1. Treatment group showed significant difference in VAS, categorial rating scale after treatment and 2 weeks follow up, compared with baseline. The control group showed significant difference between baseline and after treatment But the 2 weeks follow up, there is no significant difference compared with baseline. Also there's no significant difference in categorial rating scale. 2. MBI showed significant difference in treatment group between baseline and after treatment, but the control group did not have any difference. There's no significant difference in Modified Rankin Scale for treatment group and control group. 3. There's no significant difference between control group and treatment group. This is because of the small sample size in the study, Thus it seems to reflect individual difference strongly. Conclusions : There are positive effect on CPSP patients in pain and stroke recovery treating with bee-venom acupuncture than control group.