• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.33-43
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• 2008

Objectives : Sunghyangjungki-san(Xingxiangzhengqi-san) is a herb decoction prescribed frequently for stroke patients. The present study investigated neuroprotective effects of Sunghyangjungki-san(Xingxiangzhengqi-san) against the ischemic damage of the rat brain. Neuronal cell death under the cerebral ischemia is distinguished with the delayed cell death through apoptosis. Consequently, the effects of Sunghyangjungki-san(Xingxiangzhengqi-san) was evaluated with Bax and Bcl-2 expressions as apoptosis related factors in the brain tissues. Methods : The ischemic damage was induced by the middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) method in Sprague-Dawley rats. Water extract of Sunghyangjungki-san(Xingxiangzhengqi-san) was treated for 5 days after the MCAO. Neurological scores and infarct size with TTC were measured. Bax and Bcl-2 expressions in the brain tissues were observed with immunohistochemistry. Results : Sunghyangjungki-san(Xingxiangzhengqi-san) treatment improved neurological score significantly at 5 days after the MCAO. Sunghyangjungki-san(Xingxiangzhengqi-san) treatment decreased infarct size by the MCAO, but it was not significant statistically. Sunghyangjungki-san(Xingxiangzhengqi-san) treatment attenuated Bax positive neurons significantly in the cerebral penumbra and the caudate putamen. Bcl-2 positive neurons were increased, but not significant. Sunghyangjungki-san(Xingxiangzhengqi-san) treatment increased Bcl-2/Bax expression ratios significantly in the cerebral penumbra and the caudate putamen. Conclusions : These results suggest that Sunghyangjungki-san(Xingxiangzhengqi-san) has a neuroprotective effect on the stroke with modulation of apoptosis related factors.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.622-634
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate the dietary habits and altered food preferences of stroke patients. One hundred and forty-six outpatients, who had experienced their first-ever stroke and were admitted to Asan Medical Center between July and December 2000, were studied. Using interviews, we assessed the altered food preferences, food consumption frequency, and other factors influencing the food preferences and food consumption frequency of the subjects. These results were analyzed with 2 t-tests, and multiple regression analysis, using the SPSS package program. Preferences for pork, red fish, coffee, bread and stews were higher in male stroke patients than in females. The frequency of consumption of beef, pork, white fish, red fish, egg, garlic, onion, coffee, instant noodles, bread, and culinary vegetables increased in the male stroke patients more than in the females. Food preferences were influenced by income, risk factors, subjective tastes and location of brain ischemic lesions. Food consumption frequency was affected by food preference, income, drugs, alcohol, marital status, sex, and dysgeusia. As a result of multiple regression analysis, the frequency of consumption of white fish, red fish, eggs, soy milk, milk, garlic, onions, coffee, noodles, bread, bean-paste stew, kimchi, culinary vegetables, and greasy foods were the most affected by each food preference. Our results suggest that food consumption frequency may vary with food preference, income, drugs, alcohol, marital status, sex, and dysgeusia, and nutrition education should be formulated to prevent stroke recurrence based on the food preferences, subjective tastes, and risk factors of individual stroke patients.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.65-70
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• 2017

Purpose: To optimize the saturation time and maximizing the pH-weighted difference between the normal and ischemic brain regions, on 3-tesla amide proton transfer (APT) imaging using an in vivo rat model. Materials and Methods: Three male Wistar rats underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion, and were examined in a 3-tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. APT imaging acquisition was performed with 3-dimensional turbo spin-echo imaging, using a 32-channel head coil and 2-channel parallel radiofrequency transmission. An off-resonance radiofrequency pulse was applied with a Sinc-Gauss pulse at a $B_{1,rms}$ amplitude of $1.2{\mu}T$ using a 2-channel parallel transmission. Saturation times of 3, 4, or 5 s were tested. The APT effect was quantified using the magnetization-transfer-ratio asymmetry at 3.5 ppm with respect to the water resonance (APT-weighted signal), and compared with the normal and ischemic regions. The result was then applied to an acute stroke patient to evaluate feasibility. Results: Visual detection of ischemic regions was achieved with the 3-, 4-, and 5-s protocols. Among the different saturation times at $1.2{\mu}T$ power, 4 s showed the maximum difference between the ischemic and normal regions (-0.95%, P = 0.029). The APTw signal difference for 3 and 5 s was -0.9% and -0.7%, respectively. The 4-s saturation time protocol also successfully depicted the pH-weighted differences in an acute stroke patient. Conclusion: For 3-tesla turbo spin-echo APT imaging, the maximal pH-weighted difference achieved when using the $1.2{\mu}T$ power, was with the 4 s saturation time. This protocol will be helpful to depict pH-weighted difference in stroke patients in clinical settings.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.84-87
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• 2006

The MELAS (Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy with Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke-like episodes) syndrome is one of the inherited mitochondrial disorder. We have experienced a 16-year-old girl with headaches and left hemianopsia. Diagnosis of MELAS syndrome with multiple brain parenchymal lesions was confirmed by gene study. The stroke-like lesion of MELAS syndrome showed significant improvement in radiological follow up study. Therefore, MRI findings in MELAS could be interpreted as metabolic cellular dysfunction rather than ischemic vasculopathy.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.65-71
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• 2003

Increasing evidences suggest that ischemia-induced vascular damage is an integral step in the cascade of the cellular and molecular events initiated by cerebral ischemia. In the present study, employing a mouse brain endothelioma-derived cell line, bEnd.3, and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) as an in vitro stroke model, the role of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) activation during ischemic injury was investigated. OGD was found to activate NF-${\kappa}B$ and to induce bEnd.3 cell death in a time-dependent manner. OGD phosphorylated neither 32 Ser nor 42 Tyr of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$. OGD did not change the amount of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$. The extents of OGD-induced cell death after 8 h, 10 h, 12 h and 14 h of OGD were 10%, 35%, 60% and 85%, respectively. Reperfusion following OGD did not cause additional cell death, indicating no reperfusion injury after ischemic insult in cerebral endothelial cells. Three known as NF-${\kappa}B$ inhibitors, including pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) plus zinc, aspirin and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), inhibited OGD-induced NF-${\kappa}B$ activation and increased OGD-induced bEnd.3 cell death in a dose dependent manner. There were no changes in the protein levels of bcl-2, bax and p53 which are modulated by NF-${\kappa}B$ activity. These results suggest that NF-${\kappa}B$ activation might be a protective mechanism for OGD-induced cell death in bEnd.3.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.49-52
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• 2023

Blunt carotid artery injury can lead to impaired brain perfusion due to ischemic stroke and thromboembolic events. To reduce the risk of potential neurological complications, it is critical to determine the diagnosis and management protocol as quickly as possible after a detailed clinical examination. This report presents successful surgical treatment of a young male patient who developed a traumatic left common carotid artery thrombosis after a motor vehicle accident.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2008

Objectives : Delayed neuronal death(DND) of pyramidal neuronsin the CA1 regions of the hippocampus has been extensively studied following global brain ischemia, whereas little is known about DND in this highly vulnerable brain region after focal brain ischemia. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Gastrodiae Elata(GA) pharmacopuncture on hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in rats with focal brain ischemic injury. Materials and methods : The neuroprotective effects of water extracts of GA were investigated in middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAo) of Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats. Seventy-five healthy SD ratswere randomly divided into five groups following MCAo : control group with focal ischemia, saline injection group, pharmacopuncture group GA-1($0.0007mg/m{\ell}/g$), pharmacopuncture group GA-2($0.00035mg/m{\ell}/g$), pharmacopuncture group GA-3($0.00014mg/m{\ell}/g$). Results : The intensity of mGluR5 increased in the GA-1 group. The intensity of Bax and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio decreased in the GA-1 group. The intensity of Bcl-2 increased in all the GA groups. The density of neurons stained by Cresyl violet and ChAT increased in the GA-1 group. Conclusions : Our study suggests that GA pharmacopuncture at $GB_{20}$ showed anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective effects on cholinergic neuronsin focal cerebral ischemia caused by stroke in SD rats.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.15-16
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• 2000

Transient forebrain ischemia results in delayed neuronal death in the CA1 region of the hippocampus after injury, which is, at least in part, a consequence of excessive generation of reactive oxygen species. Previous in vitro studies using cell cultures or brain slices have demonstrated that phospholipase D (PLD) in the nervous system is involved in the signaling mechanism in response to a variety of agonists. Several recent studies have shown that reactive oxygen species stimulate phospholipase D (PLD) activity in several kinds of cells. Therefore, this raises the possibility that PLD activity is enhanced in the ischemic brain. Meanwhile, osteopontin (OPN) was initially identified as a sialoglycoprotein in bone, but has since been found in various tissues. Although not much is known about its function, OPN seems to play an important role in inflammation and tissue repair. Recently, it was reported that OPN was upregulated in the activated microglia after focal brain ischemia, suggesting that OPN might play a role in wound healing after a focal stroke.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.84.1-84.15
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• 2022

Background: Stroke is caused by disruption of blood supply and results in permanent disabilities as well as death. Chlorogenic acid is a phenolic compound found in various fruits and coffee and exerts antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether chlorogenic acid regulates the PI3K-Akt-Bad signaling pathway in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)-induced damage. Methods: Chlorogenic acid (30 mg/kg) or vehicle was administered peritoneally to adult male rats 2 h after MCAO surgery, and animals were sacrificed 24 h after MCAO surgery. Neurobehavioral tests were performed, and brain tissues were isolated. The cerebral cortex was collected for Western blot and immunoprecipitation analyses. Results: MCAO damage caused severe neurobehavioral disorders and chlorogenic acid improved the neurological disorders. Chlorogenic acid alleviated the MCAO-induced histopathological changes and decreased the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling-positive cells. Furthermore, MCAO-induced damage reduced the expression of phospho-PDK1, phospho-Akt, and phospho-Bad, which was alleviated with administration of chlorogenic acid. The interaction between phospho-Bad and 14-3-3 levels was reduced in MCAO animals, which was attenuated by chlorogenic acid treatment. In addition, chlorogenic acid alleviated the increase of cytochrome c and caspase-3 expression caused by MCAO damage. Conclusions: The results of the present study showed that chlorogenic acid activates phospho-Akt and phospho-Bad and promotes the interaction between phospho-Bad and 14-3-3 during MCAO damage. In conclusion, chlorogenic acid exerts neuroprotective effects by activating the Akt-Bad signaling pathway and maintaining the interaction between phospho-Bad and 14-3-3 in ischemic stroke model.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2005.12a
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• pp.87-94
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• 2005

Results from previous studies revealed that metal level in the body is related to certain types of diseases. For example. serum copper level with chronic heart failure, iron and transferrin in the blood serum with acute cerebral vascular diseases, Zn in the CNS, lead with neurotoxicity, hypertension, genetic damage, arsenic with cancer skin lesion, Al with neurobehavioral function (cognitive impairment and memory disorder), and etc. The rate of stroke has increased in recent years and several metals were found to be responsible for causing stroke. This study compared several blood metal concentrations between stroke and non-stroke patients. Patients with stroke (116 samples) and non-stroke (111 samples including lowback pain and others) participated in this study. Total of 227 blood samples were collected and participants completed questionnaires regarding age, gender, occupation, residence, alcohol, smoking, and etc. To be qualified into the stroke group, patients have never experienced stroke previously. Subjects only included ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage patients diagnosed by brain CT and brain MRI. Patients with high risk of metal exposure such as herbal intake and job related exposure were excluded. 10ml of blood samples were analyzed by ICP-MS method at the Center of Nature and Science at Sangji University. Metal geometric mean (SD) concentrations in blood of study subjects showed higher values, 2.64-36.12%, than WHO reference values in Mn, Ni, Hg, Se, and As. Metal concentration in blood of stroke patients non-adjusted for potential confounders was higher except for Hg and also higher except for Ni in adjusted for potential confounders. Co was significantly higher in stroke patients (p=0.002) than non-stroke patients adjusted for potential confounders. Regression coefficient values of stroke patients was 0.17-8.25 in each metals. Odd ratio of stroke patients had 0.96 (Ni)-2.68 (Co) compared to non-stroke cases. This result means that Co increase of 1 raises the risk ratio of stroke by 2.86 times. Based on the results, metal concentration in blood seems to affect incidence of stroke.