• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.385-391
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to examine the viability of PDL cells in rat molars by using MTT assay and to verify the MTT assay through the histologic observation. Thirty of Sprague-Dawley white female rats of 4-weeks old with a body weight of about 100 grams were used. Groupings are as follows : Immediate Group : Positive control group(n=10)-after extraction immediately. Dried Group : Negative control group(n=10)-after drying for an hour under warm dry. $ViaSpan^{\circledR}$ Group : 1hour $ViaSpan^{\circledR}$ group(n=10)-after storing in $ViaSpan^{\circledR}{\;}at{\;}4^{\circ}C$ for 1hour. Ten teeth of each group were treated as same as above and replanted to the original socket of experimental animals. After two weeks of replantation. all the experimental animals were sacrificed. And after fixation, extracted maxillary jaw was dimineralized. After it was embedded in paraffin. serial section by $5\mu\textrm{m}$ was carried out and for construction of specimen, hematoxylin-eosin dye was used. The mean MTT measurement of immediate group(positive control) is 2.81 and the mean measurement of dried group(negative control) is 0.98 which is significantt differnt(P<0.05), The mean measurement of $ViaSpan^{\circledR}$ group is 2.65 and there is significant difference between dried group and $ViaSpan^{\circledR}$ group(P<0.05), However, there is no difference between immediate group and $ViaSpan^{\circledR}$ group. The average resorption points of immediate group is 3.03 points. In the dried group, average 6.44 points resorption and 2.68 points showed resorption in the $ViaSpan^{\circledR}$ group. Unlike with MTT assay, there was no significant difference between the immediate group and $ViaSpan^{\circledR}$ group. The usage of MTT assay as a viable cell marker may give us a better indication of the maintenance of periodontal ligament cell vitality.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.83-91
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• 2007

Background: Cerebral blood vessels are innervated by sympathetic nerves that originate in the superior cervical ganglia (SCG). This study was conducted to determine the effect of an SCG block on brain injury caused by focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in a rat model. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (270-320 g) were randomly assigned to one of three groups (lidocaine, ropivacaine, and control). After brain injury induced by middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion/reperfusion, the animals were administered an SCG bloc that consisted of $30{\mu}l$ of 2% lidocaine or 0.75% ropivacaine, with the exception of animals in the control group, which received no treatment. Twenty four hours after brain injury was induced, neurologic scores were assessed and brain samples were collected. The infarct and edema ratios were measured, and DNA fragmented cells were counted in the frontoparietal cortex and the caudoputamen. Results: No significant differences in neurologic scores or edema ratios were observed among the three groups. However, the infarct ratio was significantly lower in the ropivacaine group than in the control group (P < 0.05), and the number of necrotic cells in the caudoputamen of the ropivacaine group was significantly lower than in the control group (P < 0.01). Additionally, the number of necrotic and apoptotic cells in theropivacaine group were significantly lower than inthe control group in both the caudoputamen and the frontoparietal cortex (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Brain injury induced by focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion was reduced by an SCG block using local anesthetics. This finding suggests that a cervical sympathetic block could be considered as another treatment option for the treatment of cerebral vascular diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.100-105
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• 2007

Background: Ginseng has been used to manage various types of pain in folk medicine. This study characterized the effect of treatment with intrathecal ginsenosides, the active components of ginseng in a postoperative pain model. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with lumbar intrathecal catheters. An incision was made in the plantar surface of the hindpaw. Withdrawal thresholds following the application of a von Frey filament to the wound site were measured. To determine the role of the opioid or GABA receptors following treatment with the ginsenosides, naloxone, bicuculline (a $GABA_A$ receptor antagonist), and saclofen (a $GABA_B$ receptor antagonist) were administered intrathecally 10 min before the delivery of the ginsenosides and the changes of the withdrawal thresholds after application of the von Frey filament were Observed. Results: Treatment with the intrathecal ginsenosides increased the withdrawal threshold in a dose dependent manner. Pre-treatment with intrathecal naloxone reversed the antinociceptive effect of the ginsenosides. However, pre-treatment with intrathecal bicuculline and saclofen failed to have an effect on the activity of the ginsenosides. Conclusions: These results suggest that ginsenosides are effective to alleviate the postoperative pain evoked by paw incision. The opioid receptor, but not GABA receptors, may be involved in the antinociceptive action of the ginsenosides at the spinal level.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.153-164
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• 1995

Sympathomimetic amines, especially ephedrine, are a major ingredient in proprietary medications for symptomatic treatment of upper respiratory infections. Their frequent uses can lead to occasional instances of abuse and habituation. The clinical symptoms of ephedrine abuse are similar to that of amphetamine psychosis and resemble closely that of schizophrenia. Because both amphetamine psychosis and schizophrenia are thought to be mediated primarily through the action on catecholamines, ephedrine-induced changes of the biogenic amines can be suspected. However, there were few studies about the central effects of ephedrine because of the milder central action than peripheral. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to elucidate the relations between the effects of single or repeated administration of ephedrine on the regional levels of biogenic amines in rat brain and ephedrine-induced CNS stimulation. The male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing $100{\sim}200\;g$ were used. After single or repeated administrations of ephedrine, blocks of tissue were obtained from frontal cortex, corpus striatum, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, substantia nigra and cerebellum. The concentration of biogenic amines(norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)) and their metabolites (3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid(HVA), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid(5-HIAA)) were measured by means of high performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detector(HPLC-ECD). The results obtained were as follows: 1) In the normal rat, the concentration of norepinephrine was the highest in hypothalamus. Dopamine, DOPAC and HVA were highest in corpus striatum, and 5-HT and 5-HIAA were highest in substantia nigra. Epinephrine was not detectable in any part of the brain tissue. 2) In a single administration of ephedrine, the concentration of DOPAC was decreased in corpus striatum. However, the other biogenic amines and their metabolites were not changed. 3) In repeated administration of ephedrine, the concentration of norepinephrine was decreased in all brain region checked. Dopamine was decreased in corpus striatum and substantia nigra and, increased in hypothalamus, and HVA was decreased in corpus striatum. 5-HT was decreased in all brain region except cerebellum and, 5-HIAA was decreased only in frontal cortex. The ratio of 5-HIAA/5-HT was increased in corpus striatum, thalamus, hypothalamus and substantia nigra. These data indicated that, although a single administration of ephedrine did not change the central neurotransmitters, repeated administration of ephedrine caused the decreases of norepinephrine and 5-HT in the most regions of brain, which may be responsible for the emergence of abnormal behavioral effect after ephedrine abuse.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.7-15
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• 2004

Nitric oxide (NO) system has been implicated in a wide range of physiological functions in the nervous system. However, the role of NO in regulating the neural activity in the gustatory zone of nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) has not been established. The present study was aimed to investigate the role of NO in the gustatory NTS neurons. Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing about 50 g, were used. Whole cell patch recording and immunohistochemistry were done to determine the electrophysiological characteristics of the rostral gustatory nucleus of the tractus solitaries and distribution of NO synthases (NOS). Neuronal NOS (nNOS) immunoreactivity was strongly detected along the solitary tract extending from rostral to caudal medulla. Resting membrane potentials of NTS neurons were $-49.2{\pm}2\;mV$ and action potential amplitudes were $68.5{\pm}2\;mV$ with a mean duration measured at half amplitude of $1.7{\pm}0.3\;ms$. Input resistance, determined from the response to a 150 ms, -100 pA hyperpolarizing current pulse, was $385{\pm}15\;M{\Omega}$, Superfusion of SNAP or SNP, NO donors, produced either hyperpolarization (68%), depolarization (5%), or no effect (27%). The hyperpolarization was mostly accompanied by a decrease in input resistance. The hyperpolarization caused by SNAP or SNP increased the time to initiate the first action potential, and decreased the number of action potentials elicited by current injection. SNP or SNAP also markedly decreased the number of firing neural discharges of the spontaneous NTS neural activity under zero current. Superfusion of L-NAME, a NOS inhibitor, slightly depolarized the membrane potential and increased the firing rate of NTS neurons induced by current injection. ODQ, a soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor, ameliorated the SNAP-induced changes in membrane potential, input resistance and firing rates. 8-Br-cGMP, a non-degradable cell-permeable cGMP, hyperpolarized the membrane potential and decreased the number of action potentials. It is suggested that NO in the gustatory NTS has an inhibitory role on the neural activity of NTS through activating soluble guanylate cyclase.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.44-54
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• 2005

Background and Objectives: Allergic contact dermatitis is a common environmental health issue and seriously affect the patient's quality of life. The more our environment industrialized, the number of material that could cause the allergic contact dermatitis has been increased, consequently the prevalence of allergic contact dermatitis has been increased. In oriental medicine, clinically Chogam-Tang has been used fur the treatment of allergic dermatitis, eczema, atopic dermatitis etc. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of Chogam-Tang on allergic contact dermatitis Meterial and Methods: Fifteen Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: normal, control, experimental group. Control and experimental group were induced allergic contact dermatitis, by DNCB. Experimental group was orally administered the Chogam-Tang. Each group was observed after 24, 48 and 72 hours. Contact hypersensitivity assay, melanin-erythema measurement, pH measurement skin moisture measurement and biopsy were performed. Results: 1. In contact hypersensitivity assay, experimental group showed decreased ear swelling compared with control group at 48hours. 2. ln melanin measurement there was no difference in three groups. 3. In erythema measurement experimental group showed reduction at 48. 72 hours. 4. In pH measurement, experimental group and control group showed increase in pH but there was no statistical significance. 5. In skin moisture measurement, experimental group showed higher skin moisture level than control group at 24 hours and showed lower skin moisture level at 72 hours, but there was no statistical significance. 6. In biopsy, experimental group showed decrement of Iymphocyte as time goes by, and regeneration of keratin layer was increased compared with normal group. Conclusions: Chogam-Tang shows anti-inflammatory effect in biopsy, improves hydration levels of skin, decreases erythema level on allergic contact dermatitis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.451-455
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• 1998

Bovine pericardial bioprosthesis treated with glutaraldehyde is one of the most popular prosthetic materials, but late calcific degeneration must be solved. According to the alleged hypothesis of this calcification mechanism the free aldehyde groups on the surface of the tissue treated with glutaraldehyde bind to the circulating free calcium and induce mineralization. For mitigating the calcific degeneration, I added MgCl2 into the 0.625% glutaraldehyde solution to compete with calcium for binding to free aldehyde from the glutaraldehyde. I prepared 60 pieces of square shaped bovine pericardia and fixed in the 0.625% glutaraldehyde solution as control group(group 1), and the other 60 pieces in the same glutaraldehyde solution with 4g/L MgCl2 6H2O as the other group(group 2). After fixation for 1 month these were implanted into the bellies of 60 Sprague-Dawley rats subdermally and extracted on 1 month, 2 months, 3 months and 6 months later. With atomic absorption spectophotometry I measured the deposited calcium amount with the following results; 1 month and 2 months after implantation I could not find any differences between two groups, but in the 3rd month calcium was 1.738 mg/g in group 1 and 0.786 mg/g in group 2 and in the 6th month calcium had risen to 3.102 mg/g in group 1 and 1.623 mg/g in group 2, which has statistical significance(p<0.05). This means magnesium shows meaningful calcium mitigation effects on subcutaneously implanted bovine pericardium in the rat models.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.323-328
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• 2010

Root extract of Lythrum salicaria reported a hepato-protective effect on $CCl_4$-induced liver toxicity of rat was prepared into fractions such as n-hexane up layer (HA), n-hexane down layer (HB), diethyl ether (E), ethylacetate (EA), n-butanol (B) and water (W). Fractions prepared were tested their activities in vitro and in vivo condition. All of the fractions showed effective antioxidant asctivities on DPPH radical and $CuSO_4$-induced oxidation of human low density lipoprotein and E fraction showed the highest inhibitory effect (98.1% at $50\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) on linoleic acid autoxidation at $40^{\circ}C$, which was more effective than $\alpha$-tocopherol (82.4%). Five fractions (H = HA plus HB, E, EA, B, and W, 150 mg/kg/day) were fed into Sprague Dawley, male rats for 4 days, which were intoxicated with intra-peritoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride ($1\;m{\ell}/kg$ in corn oil) at the 4th day and were sacrificed in 24 hrs. Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-$\alpha$), a proinflammatory cytokine, elevated with $CCl_4$-intoxication in negative control group ($83\;pg/m{\ell}$) was significantly decreased in E fraction-supplemented group ($18\;pg/m{\ell}$). Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased in negative control group (0.12 U/mg protein) was decreased in E fraction (0.07 U/mg protein). From the results, it is suggested that ether fraction from root extract of L. salicaria would be a potent antioxidant candidate for ameliorating liver injury induced by chemical intoxicant.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.220-228
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• 1997

Background The stenosis of the coronary artery may decrease myocardial oxygen supply and occur myocardial ischemia or infarction. Soojeomsan, one of analgesics is generally regarded to have the effect of vitalizing blood, expelling blood stasis and alleviation cardiac pain. Methods The purpose of this experimental study is to find the influence of Soojeomsan on cardiac enzyme (CPK, Na-K ATPase) of ischemic and reperfused rat hearts which are isolated under the Langendorff apparatus. Ischemia was induced In isolated hearts of Sprague-Dawley rats by ceasing the perfusion for 20 minutes. The experiments were divided into a normal saline orally administered group(control group), a Soojeomsan orally 20ml administered group(sample A) and a Soojeomsan orally 30ml administered group(sample B). The CPK (creatinine phosphokinase) and Na-K ATPase activity of this three group were measured and compared in order to assess the influence of Soojeomsan on protection of isolated rat hearts from ischemia. Results 1. CPK was significantly reduced in Sample A group and Sample B group in comparison with control group in reperfusion(P<0.01), and there were no significant difference between Sample A and B. 2. Na-K ATPase activity was significantly increased in Sample A group and Sample B group in comparison with control group in ischemia(P<0.001), and the activity was significantly higher in Sample B then in Sample A.(P<0.01) 3. There were no significant difference in Na-K ATPase activity of the three groups after reperfusion. Conclusion Soojeomsan has effects to decrease CPK activity and activate Na pump. This result in protection of the myocardium of isolated rat hearts from ischemia.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.1211-1216
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• 2006

The effect of a chronic programme of either low- or moderate-to-high-intensity treadmill running on the activation of the Extracellular-signal regulated protein kinase (ERK1/2), Phosphorylated ERK 1/2(pERK1/2) and the Phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase(pJNK) pathways was determined in rat Back skin Hair follicle. Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to one of three groups: (i) sedentary group(NE; n=10); (ii) low-intensity exercise group (Bm/min; LIE; n=10); and (iii) moderate-high-intensity exercise group(28m1min; HIE; n=10). The training regimens were planned so that animals covered the same distance and had similar utilization for both LIE and HIE exercise sessions. The report runs as follows; A single bout of LIE or HIE following 4 weeks of exercise led to a twofold increase in the phosphorylation of ERK2, pERK2 and a threefold increase in pJNKl, pERKl. ERKI phosphorylation in LIE Back skin sampled and pJNK2 in HIE Back skin sampled 48h after the last exercise bout was similar to sedentary values, while pJNK2 phosphorylation in LIE Back skin sampled was 70-80% lower than sedentary. 48h after the last exercise bout of LIE or HIE increased ERK2, pERKl and pJNKl expression, with the magnitude of this increase being independent of prior exercise intensity or duration. PERK1/2, pJNKl expression was increased Three- to fourfold in Back skin Hair follicle sampled 48h after the last exercise bout irrespective of the prior exercise programme, but ERKI expression in HIE Back skin sampled was approximately 90% lower than sedentary values. In conclusion, exercise-training of different jntensities/durations results in selective postexercise activation of intracellular signal pathways, which may be one mechanism regulating specific adaptations induced by diverse training programmes.