• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.461-466
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• 2020

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that can invade various organs in the host body, including the central nervous system. Chronic intracranial T. gondii is known to be associated with neuroprotection against neurodegenerative diseases through interaction with host brain cells in various ways. The present study investigated the neuroprotective effects of chronic T. gondii infection in mice with cerebral ischemia experimentally produced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery. The neurobehavioral effects of cerebral ischemia were assessed by measurement of Garcia score and Rotarod behavior tests. The volume of brain ischemia was measured by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. The expression levels of related genes and proteins were determined. After cerebral ischemia, corrected infarction volume was significantly reduced in T. gondii infected mice, and their neurobehavioral function was significantly better than that of the uninfection control group. Chronic T. gondii infection induced the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) in the brain before MCAO. T. gondii infection also increased the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor after the cerebral ischemia. It is suggested that chronic intracerebral infection of T. gondii may be a potential preconditioning strategy to reduce neural deficits associated with cerebral ischemia and induce brain ischemic tolerance through the regulation of HIF-1α expression.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.502-509
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• 2007

Objectives : Folium perillae (FP) can relieve superficial pathogenic factors to dissipate cold and promote the circulation of qi and regulate the function of the stomach and is often used for interior qi-stagnation. We hypothesized that FP could rescue cerebral ischemia in rats. Methods : The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of FP on cerebral ischemia in terms of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) in rats. Finally, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release was investigated, too. Results : In this study, treatment with FP elevated rCBF and MABP levels in dose-dependent manner. Pre-treatment with indomethacin, an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, inhibited rCBF increase induced by FP effectively. However, FP did not affect stability during cerebral reperfusion. Finally, FP significantly inhibited LD H activity in vitro Conclusions : These results suggest that FP is useful to treat patient with diseases related to cerebral ischemia, because FP can increase rCBF and MABP.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.150-159
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• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of DHEA on hindlimb muscles(soleus, plantaris and gastrocnemius) in a focal brain ischemia model rat. Method: Twenty-seven male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: CINS(cerebral ischemia + normal saline), CIDH(cerebral ischemia + DHEA), or SHNS(sham + normal saline). Both the CINS and CIDH groups underwent a transient right middle cerebral artery occlusion operation. In the SHNS group, a sham operation was done. 0.34mmol/kg DHEA was administered daily by an intraperitoneal injection for 7days. Results: The muscle weight, muscle fiber cross-sectional area of the Type I muscle fiber of soleus and Type II muscle fiber of plantaris and gastrocnemius, myofibrillar protein content of gastrocnemius, and muscle strength in the CINS group decreased compared with the SHNS group. The muscle weight, muscle fiber cross-sectional area of the Type II muscle fiber of plantaris and gastrocnemius, myofibrillar protein content of soleus, and muscle strength in the CIDH group increased compared with the CINS group. Conclusion: It was identified that muscle atrophy could be induced during 7 days after a cerebral infarction, and DHEA administration during the early stages of a cerebral infarction might attenuate muscle atrophy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1995.04a
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• pp.35-36
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• 1995

To gain insight into the etiological mechanism of dementia and to develop clinically effective congnitive enhancers, it is required to prepare animal models with symptoms and mechanism resemble to that in human. Dementia is mainly classified into two types : senile type of Alzheimer's disease (STAD) and cerebral ischemia-induced one. As animal models of cerebral ischemia, a couple of types in rats have been introduced : one is the occlusion of bilateral carotid arteries-induced forebrain/global ischemia and the other is the occlusion of middle cerebral arteries-induced focal/regional ischemia.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1777-1783
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• 2004

This study was conducted to determine the effects Wonjiseokchangpo-san on brain damage in transient focal cerebral ischemia. Rats were used for testing in the following three models: Morris Water Maze, Eight-Arm Radial Maze, and Histochemistry. In the Morris Water Maze Model, the Wonjiseokchangpo-san group showed significant decrease in the 3rd and 6th training session compared with the ischemia group. A retention test, in the Morris Water Maze Model, was performed on the 7th day without the escape platform. The Wonjiseokchangpo-san group showed significant increase compared to the ischemia group. In the Eight-Arm radial Maze model, the Wonjiseokchangpo-san group showed significant decrease in the error rate compared to the ischemia group. In the density of hippocampal CA1 cell of the cresyl violet-stained section, the Wonjiseokahangpo-san group showed significant increase compared to the ischemia group. These results suggest that Wonjiseokchangpo-san may have a significant protective effect on brain damage and cognitive dysfunction in transient focal cerebral ischemia.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.2 s.62
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• pp.52-62
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• 2005

Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the effects of Geupunggibodan on brain damage in transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats. Methods: Rats were used for testing in the following three models: Morris water maze, eight-ann radial maze, and histochemistry. Results: In the Morris water maze model, the Geupunggibodan group showed significant decrease in the 3rd, 4th and 6th training sessions compared with the ischemia, group. A retention test in the Morris water maze model was performed on the 7th day without the escape platform. The Geupunggibodan group showed significant increase compared to the ischemia group. In the eight-ann radial maze model, the Geupunggibodan group showed significant decrease in the error rate compared to the ischemia group. In the density of hippocampal CA1 cell of the cresyl violet-stained section, the Geupunggibodan group showed significant increase compared to the ischemia group. Conclusions: These results suggest that Geupunggibodan may have a significant protective effect on brain damage and cognitive dysfunction in transient focal cerebral ischemia.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.1022-1026
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• 2005

To clarify the toxic effect on cultured neonatal mouse cerebral neurons damaged by ischemia, we examined the cytotoxicity induced by ischemia and the protective effect of antioxidant and AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist against ischemia-induced cytotoxicity on cultured cerebral neurons. For this study, mice were administrated with 20ug/kg cyclothiazide or 50U/kg vitamin E via intraperitoneal injection for 2 hours before ischemic induction. After cell culture for 7 days, cell viability, amount of neurofilament and protein kinase C activity were examined. Ischemia decreased significantly cell viability, amount of neurofilament and the increase of protein kinase C activity in these cultures. In the protective effect, vitamin I showed remarkably the increase of cell viability and amount of neurofilament, and the decrease of protein kinase C activity but, cyclothiazide did not showed any protective effect on ischemia-induced cytotoxicity. From these results, it is suggested that vitamin I is effective in blocking the neurotoxicity induced by ischemia, but cyclothiazide as a AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist is not.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.201-209
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• 2005

This study aimed to investigate the cerebroprotective effect of nociceptin on transient focal cerebral ischemia in Sprague-Dawley rats by determining the changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and the infarct size. Right middle cerebral artery (MCA) was occluded for 2 hours, and thereafter was followed by reperfusion by an intraluminal monofilament technique. An open cranial window was made on the right parietal bone for determination of continuous changes in rCBF by laser-Doppler flowmetry. The infarct size was morphometrically determined using the 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride technique. In normal rats, nociceptin ($0.01\~100\;nmol/kg$, Lv.) increased rCBF and decreased cerebral arterial resistance in a dose-dependent manner. Systemic arterial blood pressure was little affected by nociceptin at the doses of 0.01 and 0.1nmol/kg, but dose-dependently reduced at the doses of 1 nmol/kg or more. In transient cerebral ischemic rats, nociceptin ($0.01\~0.1$ nmol/kg, i.p.) significantly attenuated the postischemic cerebral hyperemia, and progressively increased rCBF. The improving effect of nociceptin on the postischemic rCBF response was markedly blocked by pretreatment with $[Nphe^1]nociceptin(1-13)NH_2$ (1 nmol/kg, i.p.), a selective nociceptin receptor antagonist, but not by naloxone ($3{\mu}mol/kg$, i.p.), a selective opioid receptor antagonist. The cerebral infarct size was significantly reduced by nociceptin ($0.01\~0.1$ nmol/kg) administered i.p. 5 min after MCA occlusion in transient cerebral ischemia of 2-hour MCA occlusion and 22-hour reperfusiion. It is suggested that nociceptin improves the postischemic cerebral hemodynamics and thereby has a cerebroprotective effect in transient focal cerebral ischemia.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.306-315
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• 1997

In order to investigate pharmacological properties of ι -muscone, effects of ι-muscone and musk on cerebral ischemia and central nervous system were compared. Cerebral ischemia insult was performed using unilateral carotid artery occlusion in Mongolian gerbils. The histological observations showed a preventive effect of the ι-muscone treatment with ischemia-induced brain damage. The ATP in brain tissue was decreased in vehicle-treated ischemic gerbils. This decrease was prevented by the ι-muscone treatment. In contrast to what was seen with ATP, the lactate and lipid peroxide were both elevated in vehicle-treated ischemic gerbils.˙ This elevation was prevented by the ι-muscone treatment. While ι-muscone had no effects on the hexobarbital-induced sleeping time and the convulsions induced by electric shock, pentetrazol and strychnine, it had effect on rotarod test and spontaneous activity test. Respiration rate and depth were increased by the ι-muscone treatment. Furthermore, ι-muscone showed anti-stress effect. Our findings suggest that the pharmacological profile of ι-muscone on cerebral ischemia and central nervous system are similar to that of musk.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.79-88
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• 1999

In order to investigate pharmacological properties of New Wonbang Woohwangchungsimwon Liquid(NSCL) and Wonbang Woohwangchungsimwon Liquid(SCL), the effects of NSCL and SCL on cerebral ischemia and central nervous system were compared. Cerebral ischemia insult was performed using unilateral carotid artery occlusion in mongolian gerbils. The histological observations showed a preventive effect of NSCL and SCL treatments with ischemia-induced brain damage. The ATP in brain tissue was decreased in vehicle-treated ischemic gerbils. This decrease was prevented by NSCL and SCL treatment. In contrast to what was seen with ATP, lipid peroxide were elevated in vehicle-treated ischemic gerbils. This elevation was inhibited by NSCL and SCL treatments. While NSCL and SCL had no effects on the hexobarbital-induced sleeping time, they showed sedative effect in rotarod and spontaneous activity test. NSCL and SCL prevented the seizures induced by electric shock and strychnine, but the effect of NSCL was less than that of SCL. Furthermore, NSCL and SCL showed anti-stress effect. Our findings suggest that the pharmacological profiles of NSCL on cerebral ischemia and central nervous system are similar to those of SCL.