• Applied Microscopy
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.291-298
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• 2003

Exposure to stressful stimuli is known to activate the peripheral sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal gland. In this study, we evaluated the effects of high-salt diet on the mouse adrenal medulla using the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry and the transmission electron microscopic observation. Immunoreactivity for TH was increased after high-salt diet. Especially, the TH immunoreactivity was stronger in 4 days high-salt diet mouse than that of 4 weeks. TH immunoreactivity was mainly present in the cytoplasm and granules of the noradrenaline cells. After high-salt diet, the noradrenaline cells exhibited the ultrastructural alterations consisting of areas of empty cytoplasm, expanded granules, and some damaged mitochondria. These results suggest that high-salt diet may be a factor of stressful stimuli on the mouse.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.170-175
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• 1999

Until recently, the etiology of schizophrenia was generally attributed to abnormalities in dopaminergic neurotransmission. Specifically, an excess of dopaminergic activity in the mesolimbic system has been postulated to produce the positive symptoms, while decreased dopaminergic activity in the mesocortical system has been suggested to cause negative symptoms. Accordingly, we performed an association study of schizophrenia with TH gene. Three hundred and seventy four biologically unrelated schizophrenic patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria from Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital affiliated with Catholic university of Korea were recruited for our study. The 393 healthy controls were volunteers for DNA library of Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital without personal or family history of psychiatric and neurologic illness. DNA was extracted from peripheral mononuclear cells and polymorphic region was amplified by polymerase chain reaction. TH intron 1 VNTR polymorphism was typed by silver staining. The allele distributions of TH gene were not different between schizophrenics and controls. However, the frequency of allele A was significantly higher in positive group than that of negative group of schizophrenics. These findings suggest that poitive schizophrenia may be associated with allele A of TH gene.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.251-261
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• 2004

A large number of chemical pollutants including phthalates, alkylphenolic compounds and organochlorine pesticides have the ability to disrupt endocrine function in animals, and alter cog-nitive function. Because hormone mediated events play an important role in central nervous system development and function, the changes in cognitive function seem to be mediated by the endocrine-like action of these chemicals. The present study therefore was designed to investigate effect of bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disrupting chemical on neuro-behavial patterns, and expression of estrogen receptors and tyrosine hydroxylase, a limiting enzyme of dopamine synthesis pathway. BPA was treated orally for 3 weeks into 3 week old mice, and then the neuro-behavial patterns (stereo-type behaviors such as jumping rearing and forepaw tremor, climbing behavior, tail flick, rotarod and locomotor activity), and the expression of estrogen receptors and tyrosine hydroxylase were deter-mined every 3 week for 9 weeks. During the treatment of BPA, the food uptake and body weight increase were not significantly changed. BPA resulted in the increased stereotype behaviors (jump-ing, rearing and forepaw tremor) 6 or 9 weeks after treatment. The time response to tail flick and locomotor activity were decreased by the treatment of BPA, whereas the time for rotarod was increased by the treatment of BPA. The expression of estrogen receptor alpha and beta was increased in the brain and pituitary gland. Maximum expression was found in the brain after 9 week of 100 mg/kg BPA treatment and in the pituitary gland after 6 week of 100 mg/kg BPA treatment. Tyrosine hydroxylase was increased in dose and time dependent manners in the brain but no change was found in the pituitary gland. The present data show that exposure of BPA in the young mice could alter expression of estrogen receptors and dopamine synthesis pathway, thereby modulate neuro-behavial patterns (increase of stereotype behaviors but decrease locomotor activity).

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.155-157
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• 1993

DNA transfection conditions were investigated by calcium phosphate-DNA co-precipitation in SK-N-BE(2)C human neuroblastoma cells. The DNA plasmid of TH2400CAT was used in which rat tyrosine hydroxylase gene was inserted into chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gent. The transfection efficiency was 25-30% and the method was simple and reproducible. So, the method will be a good tool for transient transfection analysis.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.179.1-179
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• 2001

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.178.2-178
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• 2001

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.176.2-176
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• 2000

No Abstract, See Full Text

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.90-90
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• 2002

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.106-112
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• 2008

The effects of harman and norharman on dopamine content and L-DOPA-induced cytotoxicity were investigated in PC12 cells. Harman and norharman decreased the intracellular dopamine content for 24 h. The $IC_{50}$ values of harman and norharman were 20.4 ${\mu}M$ and 95.8 ${\mu}M$, respectively. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity and TH mRNA levels were also decreased by 20 ${\mu}M$ harman and 100 ${\mu}M$ norharman. Under the same conditions, the intracellular cyclic AMP levels were decreased by harman and norharman. In addition, harman and norharman at concentrations higher than 80 ${\mu}M$ and 150 ${\mu}M$ caused cytotoxicity at 24 h in PC12 cells. Non-cytotoxic ranges of 10-30 ${\mu}M$ harman and 50-150 ${\mu}M$ norharman inhibited L-DOPA (20-50 ${\mu}M$)-induced increases of dopamine content at 24 h. Harman at 20-150 ${\mu}M$ and norharman at 100-300 ${\mu}M$ also enhanced LDOPA (20-100 ${\mu}M$)-induced cytotoxicity at 24 h. These results suggest that harman and norharman decrease dopamine content by reducing TH activity and aggravate L-DOPA-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.155-163
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• 2003

Fluoranthene, a common polycyclicaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), exhibits phototoxicity which may affect aquatic organisms. The eventual goal of this study is to develop a biomarker of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) used in monitoring hazardous chemicals in the ecosystem. In this study we investigated neural toxicity of fluoranthene in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) along with comparative analysis of corresponding behavioral response. The untreated individuals shooed normal behavioral characteristics (i. e., smooth and linear movements). The treated fish, however, showed stopping and abrupt change of orientation (100 ppb), and severely reduced locomotive activity and enhanced surfacing activity (1,000 ppb). Treatment of the medaka fish with fluoranthene caused a significant suppresson of acetycholine esterase (AChE) activities in the body portion but not in the head portion. When fish were exposed to 1,000 ppb of fluoranthene for 24 hr, the body AChE activities decreased from 126.${\pm}$31.89 (nmoles substrate hydrolyzed per min per mg protein) to 49.51${\pm}$11.99. Expressions of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) protein in the different organs from both head and body portions were comparatively analyzed using an immunohistochemical technique. Five organs of the medaka fish showing a strong TH protein expression were the olfactory bulb, hypothalamus, optic lobe, pons and myelencephalon regions. This study provides molecular and neurobehavioral bases of a biomonitoring system for toxic chemicals using fish as a model organism.