• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.805-817
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• 2009

This study was to investigate central localization of neurons projecting to the urinary bladder and urinary bladder-related acupoints(Wijung, $BL_{40}$) and neurons of immunoreactive to hormones and hormone receptors regulating urinary bladder function by using peudorabies virus(PRV). In this experiment, Bartha's strain of pseudorabies virus was used in rats to trace central localization of urinary bladder-related neurons and urinary bladder-related acupoints($BL_{40}$) which can regulate urinary system. PRV was injected into the urinary bladder and acupoints($BL_{40}$) related urinary system. After six days survival of rats, mainly common labeled neurons projecting to the urinary bladder and urinary bladder-related acupoints were identified in spinal cord, medulla, pons and diencephalon by PRV immunohistochemical staining method. First-order PRV labeled neurons projecting to urinary bladder and urinary bladder-related acupoints were found in the cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral spinal cord. Commonly labeled preganglionic neurons were labeled in the lumbosacral spinal cord and thoracic spinal cord. They were found in the lateral horn area(sacral parasympathetic nucleus and intermediolateral nucleus), lamina V-X, intermediomedial nucleus and dorsal column area. The area of sensory neurons projecting to urinary bladder and Wijung($BL_{40}$) was L5-S2 spinal ganglia and T12-L1 spinal ganglia, respectively. In the brainstem, the neurons were labeled most evidently and consistently in the nucleus of tractus solitarius, area postrema, dorsal motor nucleus of vagus nerve, reticular nucleus, raphe nuclei(obscurus, magnus and pallidus), C3 adrenalin cells, parapyramidal area(lateral paragigantocellular nucleus), locus coeruleus, subcoeruleus nucleus, A5 cell group, Barrington's nucleus and periaqueductal gray matter. In the diencephalon, PRV labeled neurons were marked mostly in the paraventricular nucleus and a few ones were in the lateral hypothalamic nucleus, posterior hypothalamic nucleus, ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, arcuate nucleus, median eminence, perifornical nucleus, periventricular nucleus and suprachiasmatic nucleus. In cerebral cortex, PRV labeled neurons were marked mostly in the frontal cortex, 1,2 area, hind limb area, agranular insular cortex. Immunoreactive neurons to Corticotropin releasiing factor(CRF), Corticotropin releasiing factor-receptor(CRF-R), c-fos and serotonin were a part of labeled areas among the virus-labeled neurons of urinary bladder and Wijung($BL_{40}$). The commonly labeled areas were nucleus tractus solitarius, area postrema, reticular nucleus, raphe nuclei(obscurus, magnus and pallidus), locus coeruleus, A5 cell group, Barrington,s nucleus, arcuate nucleus, paraventricular nucleus, frontal cortex 1, 2 area, hind limb, and perirhinal(agranular insular) cortex. These results suggest that overlapped CNS locations are related with autonomic nuclei which regulate the functions of urinary bladder-relate organs and it was revealed by tracing PRV labeled neurons projecting urinary bladder and urinary bladder-related acupoints. These commonly labeled areas often overlap with the neurons connected with hormones and hormone receptors related to urination.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.315-327
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• 1995

Diverse neurotoxic insults result in proliferation and hypertrophy of astrocytes, a subtype of glia in central nervous system. The hallmark of this response, often terms "reactive gliosis", is the enhanced expression of the major intermediate filament protein of castrocytes, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). These changes in the astrocytes suggest that GFAP may be a useful biochemical indicator of neurotoxicity. To investigate this possibility, we administered intra-peritoneally prototype nerotoxicants, metharnphetamine (MAP, 5 mg/kg), cocaine (30 mg/kg), N-buthyl benzenesulfonamide (NBBS, 300 mg/kg) and trimethytin (TMT, 8 mg/kg) to Wistar Rats and then assessed the effects of these agents on content of GFAP, which were determined by Sandwish ELISA and evaluated with neurotoxic symptoms, and quantitative changes of imrnunoreactivity of GFAP by light microscopic image analysis in specific regions. We found that assay of GFAP revealed time- and region-dependant patterns of neurotoxicity. The GFAP immunoreactivity of rat brain was increased in substantia nigra and hippocampus by MAP, NBBS and TMT; in roedial septal nucleus and nucleus accurnbens, it was also increased by RrBBS. Sandwich ELISA showed that GFAP levels of cerebrum in all groups on days 3 and 7 and that of brainstem(including cerebellum) in MAP, NBBS groups on day 1 and 3 were increased. A review of the background, design and results of these experiments are presented in this paper. Our findings indicate that GFAP is a sensitive and specific biomarker of neurotoxicity.otoxicity.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.15-21
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• 2009

Hearing loss is one of the most common birth defects among infants. Most of hearing-impaired children are not diagnosed until 1 to 3 years of age - which is too late for the critical period (6 month) for normal speech and language development. If a hearing impairment is identified and treated in its early stage, child's speech and language skills could be comparable to his or her normal-hearing peers. For these reasons, hearing screening at birth and throughout childhood is extremely important. ABR (Auditory brain-stem response) is nowadays one of the most reliable diagnostic tools in the early detection of hearing impairment. In this study, we have developed the system that automatically detects if there is hearing impairment or not for infants or children. For future studies, it will be developed as a portable system to be able to take a measurement not only in sound proof room but also in nursery for neonates.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.124-129
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• 2011

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of oral sildenafil therapy in neonates with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 32 neonates ${\geq}$35 weeks' gestation and fraction of inspired oxygen ($FiO_2$) 1.0 with PPHN. The first dose (0.5 mg/kg) of oral sildenafil was started and 1 mg/kg was given every 6 hour thereafter. Mean airway pressure (MAP), $FiO_2$, oxygenation index (OI), mean arterial blood pressure (MBP) were documented before and 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after sildenafil. For adverse effects, gastrointestinal symptoms, brain ultrasound, funduscopy and auditory brainstem response results were evaluated. Results: The underlying diseases of PPHN (n=32) were meconium aspiration syndrome (n=9), respiratory distress syndrome (n=8), pneumonia (n=3), and idiopathic (n=12). Thirty-one neonates survived; 3 neonates were transferred for inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) and all of them survived. In 28 infants, $FiO_2$ and OI improved significantly by 6 hours and MAP improved significantly by 48 hours after initiation of sildenafil. There were no clinically significant adverse effects of sildenafil. Conclusion: Sildenafil may be an effective and safe agent for near-term and term neonates with PPHN, providing significant improvement in oxygenation, and thus may be especially useful in the treatment of PPHN in hospitals without iNO.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.217-225
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• 2002

The implantable middle ear(IME) system, which has good sound quality. superior sound intelligibility and wide frequency characteristics. can resolve the sound distortion and ringing effect by sound feedback at high gain operation those are the major problems of conventional hearing aid. In this paper, we have manufactured the IME system using differential electromagnetic transducer(DET) and verified the performance of the system by carrying out vibration and animal implanting experiment. The DET was manufactured using micro-machining technology and vibration experiment of the transducer was performed to inspect whether the transducer could vibrate in accordance with the applied sound signal or not. And the result of the loaded experiment using temporal bone sampled from cadaver showed that the transducer can drive the middle ear bone and transmit the signal to inner ear After the internal unit of IME system was implanted in a dog. the auditory brainstem response (ABR) test was carried out. The result of the test indicated the Proper behavior of the IME system in the living body From the results of the experiments, it is verified that the manufactured system ewll work well when it is applied to human and a basis of clinical experiment of IME system to real human hearing impaired was be arranged.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.195-209
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• 2009

Objectives : Transient inflammation has been demonstrated to alter visceral sensory function in animal models and acute mucosal inflammation may precede the manifestation of visceral hyperalgesia. Thus in this study we compared effects of herbal acupuncture of Nidus Vespae (NV) applied to the different acupoints in the acute colitis induced by trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid (TNBS) intracolonic injection in rats. Methods : In Male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 250 ~ 400 g, TNBS (5 mg/kg) was infused intrarectally through a silicon rubber catheter into the anus under isoflurane anaesthesia. Under general anesthesia, acupoints of LI4 (Hapkok), SI25 (Cheonchu), ST36 (Joksamni), BL25 (Daejangsu) were intramuscularly injected by NV. Expressions of cFos protein in the periaqueductal gray (PAG), locus coeruleus (LC), nucleus of solitary tract (Sol), and the 6th lumbar spinal cord (L6 s.c.) were observed at 24 hrs after TNBS induced colitis by immunohistochemistry. Results : The expression of c-Fos protein in L6 s.c., Sol, LC and PAG increased 24 hrs after TNBS injection into colorectum as compared to normal group. NV herbal acupuncture also inhibited the expression of c-Fos protein in Sol but not L6 s.c., LC, and PAG. NV to ST36 inhibited significantly the c-Fos expression in Sol and PAG. NV to ST25 inhibited the c-Fos protein expression all over the observation area. NV to BL25 showed the inhibitory effects in the areas except LC. Whether or not a role of endogenous opioids, intrathecal injection of naltrexone (30 ug / 30 ul) was applied before the 2nd herbal acupuncture treatment 24 hrs after TNBS-induced colitis in rat. Naltrexone reversed the inhibition of c-Fos protein expression in the spinal cord and brainstem under different conditions such as type of herbal acupuncture compound and choice of acupoint. Conclusions : In summary, these data show that herbal acupuncture of NV inhibits signal pathways such as spinal cord and brain stem ascending hypersensitivity of colorectum after TNBS induced colitis. This effect may be mediated by acupoints through the endogenous opioid system involving the pain modulation.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.5
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• pp.511-517
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• 2017

Objective : Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and ischemic stroke share common vascular risk factors such as aging and hypertension. Previous studies suggested that the rate of recurrent ICH and ischemic stroke might be similar after ICH. Presence of cerebral arterial stenosis is a potential risk factor for future ischemic stroke. This study investigated the prevalence and factors associated with cerebral arterial stenosis in Korean patients with spontaneous ICH. Methods : A total of 167 patients with spontaneous ICH were enrolled. Intracranial arterial stenosis (ICAS) and extracranial arterial stenosis (ECAS) were assessed by computed tomography angiography. Presence of ICAS was defined if patients had arterial stenosis in at least one intracranial artery. ECAS was assessed in the extracranial carotid artery. More than 50% luminal stenosis was defined as presence of stenosis. Prevalence and factors associated with presence of ICAS and cerebral arterial stenosis (presence of ICAS and/or ECAS) were investigated by multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results : Thirty-two (19.2%) patients had ICAS, 7.2% had ECAS, and 39 (23.4%) patients had any cerebral arterial stenosis. Frequency of ICAS and ECAS did not differ among ganglionic ICH, lobar ICH, and brainstem ICH. Age was higher in patients with ICAS ($67.6{\pm}11.8$ vs. $58.9{\pm}13.6years$ p=0.004) and cerebral arterial stenosis ($67.9{\pm}11.6$ vs. $59.3{\pm}13.5years$, p<0.001) compared to those without stenosis. Patients with ICAS were older, more frequently had diabetes, had a higher serum glucose level, and had a lower hemoglobin level than those without ICAS. Patients with cerebral arterial stenosis were older, had diabetes and lower hemoglobin level, which was consistent with findings in patients with ICAS. However, patients with cerebral arterial stenosis showed higher prevalence of hypertension and decreased kidney function compared to those without cerebral arterial stenosis. Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that aging and presence of diabetes independently predicted the presence of ICAS, and aging, diabetes, and hypertension were independently associated with presence of cerebral arterial stenosis. Conclusion : 19.2% of patients with spontaneous ICH had ICAS, but the prevalence of ECAS was relatively lower (7.2%) compared with ICAS. Aging and diabetes were independent factors for the presence of ICAS, whereas aging, hypertension, and diabetes were factors for the cerebral arterial stenosis.

• Journal of The Korean Ophthalmological Society
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• v.59 no.11
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• pp.1097-1102
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• 2018

Purpose: To report a case of toxic optic neuropathy caused by chlorfenapyr ingestion accompanied by central nervous system involvement. Case summary: A 44-year-old female visited our clinic complaining of reduced visual acuity in both eyes for 7 days. She had ingested a mouthful of chlorfenapyr for a suicide attempt 2 weeks prior to the visit. Gastric lavage was performed immediately after ingestion at the other hospital. Her best-corrected visual acuity was finger count 30 cm in the right eye and hand motion in the left eye. Both pupils were dilated by 5.0 mm and the response to light was sluggish in both eyes. A relative afferent pupillary defect was detected in her left eye. Funduscopy revealed optic disc swelling in both eyes. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed a symmetric hyper-intense signal in the white matter tract including the internal capsule, corpus callosum, middle cerebellar peduncle, and brainstem. The patient was diagnosed with toxic optic neuropathy induced by chlorfenapyr ingestion, and underwent high-dose intravenous corticosteroid pulse therapy. Three days later, the best-corrected visual acuity was no light perception in both eyes. Three months later, optic atrophy was observed in both eyes. Optical coherence tomography revealed a reduction in the thicknesses of the retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer in the macular area. Conclusions: Ingestion of even a small amount of chlorfenapyr can cause severe optic nerve damage through the latent period, despite prompt lavage and high-dose steroid treatment.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2023

Objectives: To obtain audiologic basic data to diagnose the noise induced hearing loss of workers in fisheries. Methods: The charts of the referred fishermen with noise induced hearing loss from November 2022 to February 2023 at a general hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, auditory brainstem response test and auditory steady state response test were conducted. Results: All of them were men over 60 years of age, and the average duration of exposure to noise was 38.9 ± 10.8 years, and the average symptom duration of hearing loss was 13.4 ± 4.3 years. Although the hearing thresholds in the high frequencies were higher than thresholds in the low frequencies, the audiogram showed a down-sloping pattern without rebound at 8 kHz. 10.5% of the cases had thresholds greater than 75 dB in high frequencies, but 57.9% had thresholds greater than 40 dB in low frequencies. Other hearing test results of fishermen were similar to those of general noise-induced hearing loss. Conclusions: Although the fishermen were exposed to noise for a long time, they recognized hearing loss late. The hearing threshold in lower frequencies of the fishermen was higher than expected. Further studies will be needed to analyze the audiologic characteristics of noise-induced hearing loss of the fishermen after confirming noise exposure by conducting a survey on the working environment, such as the noise level and working hours.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.84 no.3
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• pp.736-744
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• 2023

Adult-onset Alexander Disease (AOAD) is a rare genetically determined leukoencephalopathy that presents with ataxia, spastic paraparesis, or brain stem signs including speech abnormalities, swallowing difficulties, and frequent vomiting. The diagnosis of AOAD is frequently proposed based on the findings on MRI. We demonstrate two cases (37-year-old female and 61-year-old female) with characteristic imaging findings and changes in follow-up MRI in patients with AOAD, which were confirmed via glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mutation analysis. On MRI, the typical tadpole-like brainstem atrophy and periventricular white matter abnormalities were noted. The presumptive diagnoses were made based on the typical MRI appearances and, subsequently, confirmed via GFAP mutation analysis. Follow-up MRI demonstrated the progression of atrophy in the medulla and upper cervical spinal cord. Our report could help raise awareness of characteristic MRI findings of AOAD, thus helping clinicians use GFAP analysis for AOAD diagnosis confirmation.