• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.70-80
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• 2000

Purpose : This study was performed to evaluate the antistress effects of two aromatic blends being composed of synergic essential oils and also to differentiate its effectiveness between two. Methods : The subject were 20(10 for men, 10 for women) for vital factors and another 20(10 for mem, 10 for women) for serum catecholamine. Vital factors(blood pressure, pulse), electroencephalograpy, psychological tests(SACL, STAI) and serum catecholamine were applied to the subjects. Results : 1. All two aromatic synergic blends revealed no significant differnce of vital factors after inhalation but stable conditions generally by lowering pulse and blood pressure after inhalation. 2. Both blends were significantly valuable in antianxiety and antistress effects statistically. There were no statistically difference between two blends. 3. There were no significant difference in all brain waves after inhalation of two blends but generally stable brain waves were seen in all areas. 4. There were antistress effects of both blends in accordance of decreased serum catecholamines after inhalation of both blends. There were no significantly difference between two blends statistically. Conclusion : Both two aromatic synergic blends reached effective antistress and antianxiety states after inhalation of each blends. There were no significant difference between two blends. Further studies about the effectiveness between the amount of aromatic essential oils and the duration of inhalation should be considered. Also clinical applications of these two aromatic synergic blending oils to develop the aromatic products would be affordable in the future.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.503-512
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• 2001

Objective : This study was carried out to investigate the effects of DDT on the brain damage and hypertension. Methods : We observed the effect of Dodamtang(DDT) extract on KCN-induced coma, focal brain ischemia by MCA occlusion, cytotoxicity and protection of PC12 cells and B103 cells induced by amyloid ${\beta}$ protein(25-35). To prove the effect of DDT as a blood pressure depressant, we measured aldosterone, renin activity, catecholamine, sodium and NO density using the seperated blood plasma. Results : DDT showed a protective effect on cytotoxicity of PC12 cells and B103 cells induced by amyloid ${\beta}$ protein(25-35) in a dose dependent manner and proved the significant abridgement of brain ischemic area and edema induced by MCA occlusion, a critical decrease of neurologic deficitic grade in the fore-limbs. DDT didn't reduce the duration of KCN(1.87mg/kg iv.)-induced coma and prolonged the survival rate in the case of KCN(3.0mg/kg iv.)-induced coma by the ratio of 20%. While DDT increased the value of NO in SHR, it significantly decreased the blood pressure of SHR and the value of aldosterone& epinephrine in SHR. Conclusions : These results suggested that DDT might be usefully applied for treatment of hypertension, cerebral infarction, and brain damage.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.76-86
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• 1991

Plasma $dopamine-{\beta}-hydroxylase(DBH)$ activity was measured in 37 autistic disorders, 26 atypical pervasive developmental disorders and 23 controls, to elucidate the biological etiology in pervasive developmental disorders. The results are summarized as follows : 1) In the autistic group, the mean plasma DBH activity was significantly elevated compared to the atypical and control groups. The mean plasma DBH activity was also significantly elevated in pervasive developmental disorders(autistic disorder+atypical developmental disorder) compared to control group. 2) In the atypical and control groups, the DBH activity significantly increased with age, but in the autistic group, the DBH activity was not significantly correlated with age. 3) No significant correlation was found between the DBH activity and the severity of psychopathology. These findings support the hypothesis of a possible involvement of brain catecholamine dysfunction in the production of autistic symptoms, and this dysfunction might be due to the abnormal ontogenetic process of DBH activity in autistic disorders.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.179-185
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• 2007

Purpose : Catecholamines are the neuro-transmitters in the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and are activated by stress stimulus. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and Dopamine-${\beta}$-Hydroxylase (DBH) are very important enzymes in the catecholamine synthesis. Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) is released in the process of reacting to stresses. The aim of this study is to find out what effects immobilization stresses have on the expression of TH, BDH and CRH mRNA in a rat's brains. Methods : We compare expression levels in rat's brains of TH, DBH and CRH mRNA induced by immobilization stresses between the test group and controled group. The expression levels of TH, DBH and CRH mRNA are measured by RT-PCR and the Western Blotting Analysis (WBA). Results : In brains and adrenal glands of the immobilization stress group, the expression levels of TH and DBH mRNAs are significantly two to three times higher (P<0.01), and CRH mRNAs are approximately one and a half times higher (P<0.05) than those of controlled group. Conclusion : This study suggest that the expression levels of TH, DBH and CRH mRNAs are activated by stress stimulus in a rat's brains and adrenal glands.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.101-109
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• 1988

최근에 마취한 흰쥐에서 중뇌망상체를 전기적으로 자극하면 췌장의 외분비 기능이 증가하며 이러한 결과는 망상체의 자극으로 인하여 교감신경계의 활성도가 상승하기 때문이라는 보고가 있다. 한편 교감신경계의 활성도가 상승할 경우 교감신경계의 전달 물질인 catecholamine이 교감신경 종말 뿐만 아니라 부신수질에서도 유리된다고 알려져 있다. 그러므로 본 연구에서는 중뇌망상체의 자극으로 인하여 췌장의 외분비 기능이 증가함에 있어 교감신경계가 중요한 역할을 담당하는지를 확인하고, 이때 부신수질이 관여하는가를 알아보고자 하였다. 마취한 흰쥐에게 atropine (1mg/kg) 또는 reserpine (5mg/kg)을 투여하거나 또는 부신을 적출한 다음 중뇌망상체를 전기 자극하면서 췌장액을 채취하였다. 사용한 전기자극의 매개변수는 1.3V, 40Hz, 2msec이었다. atropine과 reserpine을 투여하면 마취한 흰쥐의 자발적 췌장액 분비량과 단백질 분비량은 모두 유의하게 감소하였으나 부신을 제거하면 췌장액 분비량에는 이렇다할 변동이 없는 반면에 단백질 분비량은 유의하게 감소하였다. 중뇌망상체를 전기자극하면 췌장액 분비량과 단백질 분비량 모두가 유의하게 증가하였다. 이러한 망상체의 자극효과는 atropine 전처치에 의하여 이렇다할 영향을 받지 않았으나 reserpine 전처치에 의하여 소실되었다. 그러나 부신을 적출하면 망상체 자극에 의한 췌장액 분비량의 증가는 유지되는 반면에 단백질 분비량의 증가는 소실되었다. 한편 미주신경을 절단한 흰쥐에서 중뇌망상체를 자극하는 동안에 경동맥의 수축기 및 이완기 혈압이 상승하였는데 이러한 망상체의 자극효과도 reserpine의 투여에 의하여 유의하게 감소되었다. 본 실험의 결과를 종합하여 보면 마취한 흰쥐에서 중뇌망상체의 자극은 교감신경계를 활성화시켜 췌장액 분비량과 단백질 분비량에 촉진적인 영향을 미치며, 이때 활성화된 교감신경계는 부분적으로 부신을 경유하게 췌장의 단백질 분비에 촉진적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 생각된다.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.3-14
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• 2002

Childhood psychic trauma appears to be a crucial factor in the development of serious disorders both in childhood and in adulthood. Traumatized children show strong tendency to revisualize or re-feel a traumatic events. Play and behavioral reenactments are frequent manifestations of both the single blow and the long-standing traumas in childhood. Those children who suffer the results of single, intense terror appear to exhibit detailed memory, retrospective reworkings and misperceptions. In long-standing or repetitive trauma, children would show psychic numbing, self-hypnosis, dissociation and rage. Child's brain is undergoing critical and sensitive periods of differentiation. During this time, developing central nervous system is exquisitely sensitive to stress. Stressor-activated neurotransmitters and hormones can play major roles in neurogenesis, migration, synaptogenesis, and neurochemical differentiation. Internal opiate system operates in some trauma and causes the victim to fail to respond, to avoid, to shut off feelings. Evidence is also accumulating in traumatology that dysfuntion of locus coeruleus and ventral tegmental neucleus system leads to catecholamine receptors hypersensitivity. This change result in hypervigilance, increased startle, affective lability, and increased autonomic nervous system hyperreactivity. Another site of action of trauma on the brain is hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Individuals with PTSD do not have enough cortisol to halt the alarm reaction. When children are exposed to long-standing extreme events, massive attempts to protect the psyche and to preserve the self are put into gear. These developmental traumas mobilize various kinds of defense mechanisms. Massive denial, dissociation, self anesthesia, identification with aggressor and aggression turned against the self often lead to profound character changes in the youngsters.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.27-40
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• 1992

The purpose of the present study is an attempt to investigate the effect of intraventricular taurine, which is a naturally occuring amino acid containing sulfur and has inhibitory action in brain, on heart rate and blood pressure in the urethane anesthetized rabbits and also to elucidate the mechanism of its cardiovascular actions. Taurine $(0.15{\sim}1.5\;mg)$ injected into the lateral ventricle of anesthetized normontensive rabbits produced a dose-related fall in arterial blood pressure and heart rate, which were marked and long-lasting along with considerable respiratory depression. However, the intravenous administration of taurine at the same dose with intraventricular injection did not induce any changes in blood pressure as well as heart rate. Depressor responses induced by taurine were inhibited significantly by pretreatment with chlorisondamine, clonidine, strychnine and bicuculline but not by atropine, vagotomy, propranolol and metoclopramide. Moreover, taurine did not affect the pressor responses of norepinephrine. Taurine-induced bradycardic effects were blocked clearly by pretreatment with chlorisondamine, propranolol, clonidine, strychnine and bicuculline, while they were not influenced by atropine, vagotomy and metoclopramide. These experimental results suggest that intraventricular taurine causes long-lasting hypotensive and bradycardic actions, and that these cardiovascular effects may be exerted through taurinergic (glycinergic) and GABAergic receptors which are associated with catecholaminergic neurons in brain.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.95-99
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• 2004

This study was designed to investigate the effects of ethyl acetate(EtOAc) fraction of pine (Pinus densiflora Sieb et Zucc) needle on cholesterol and lipofuscin(LF) accumulations, acetylcholine(ACh) and its related enzyme activities such as choline acetyltransferase(ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase(AChE), and monoamine oxidase-B(MAO-B) activity, which destroyed the catecholamine related neurotransmitters in brain membranes of Sprague- Dawley (SD) rats. Male SD rats were fed basic diets (control group) and experimental diets (EtOAc-25, EtOAc-50 and EtOAc-100) for 45 days. Cholesterol accumulations in mitocholndria and microsomes were significantly inhibited (11.8-12.1% and 9.6-13.0%, respectvely) in EtOAc-50 and EtOAc-100 groups. ACh levels and ChAT activities were significantly increased about 10% in membranes of EtOAc-100 group compared with control group. AChE activities were significantly increased about 8 -12% in membranes of EtOAc-50 and EtOAc-100 groups compared with control group. MAO-B activities were significantly inhibited about 10% in membrane of EtOAc-l00 group compared with control group. These results suggest that ethyl acetate fraction of pine needle may play an effective role in inhibiting cholesterol and improving a membrane fluidity, and learning and memory impairments. (Korean J Nutrition 37(2): 95 -99, 2004)

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.176-181
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• 2004

This study was designed to investigate the effects of buthanol (BuOH) fraction of pine (Pinus densiflora Sieb et Zucc) needle on cholesterol and lipofuscin (LF) accumulations, acetylcholine (ACh) and its related enzyme activities such as choline acetyltransferase (CAhT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and monoamone oxidase-B (MAO-B) activity, which destroyed the catecholamine-related neurotransmitters in brain membranes of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Male SD rats were fed basic diets (control group) or experimental diets (BuOH-25, BuOH-50 and BuOH-100) for 45 days. Cholesterol accumulations in mitochondria and microsomes were significantly inhibited (about 14 - 17％ and 23 - 34％, respectvely) in BuOH-50 and BuOH-100 groups, whereas LF levels were significantly inhibited (about 10 - 14％) in BuOH-50 and BuOH-100 groups compared with control group. ACh levels and ChAT activities were significantly increased (about 11 - 17％ and 11 - 23％, respectively) in membranes of BuOH-50 and BuOH-100 groups compared with control group. AChE activities were significantly increased (about 14 - 17％) in membranes of BuOH-50 and BuOH-100 groups. There was no significant difference in MAO-B activities between control and experimental diet groups. The results suggest that butanol fraction of pine needle may play an effective role in an antiaging effect and improving a learning and memory impairments.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 1995

To elucidate the biochemical etiology. 1) plasma dopemine-beta-hydroxylase activity was measured and 2) the correlation between age and DBH activity was examined in 30 Tourette's disorder, 19 chronic motor tic disorder, and 24 controls. The results are summarized as follows : 1) The mean plasma DBH activity in Tourette's disorder was significantly elevated compared to normal groups, but significant differences in DBH activity between Tourette's disorder and chronic motor tic disorder, and between chronic motor tic disorder and normal control group were not found. 2) In all three groups, the significant positive correlations between age and plasma DBH activity found. These findings support the hypothesis of a possible involvement of brain catecholamine dysfunction in the production of Tourette's disorders, and this dysfunction might be due to the increased dopaminergic and decreased noradrenergic function. Future research should be focused on the mechanism of functional abnormalities of DBH.