• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2008

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between cord serum adiponectin (APN) and IGF-I concentrations and fetal growth. Methods : Umbilical cord serum APN and IGF-I concentrations were measured in healthy term singleton deliveries (n=72). The association of cord serum APN and IGF-I concentrations was evaluated in relation to birth weight, height, head circumference, gender, ponderal index, placental weight, feto-placental (F/P) weight ratio, maternal weight gain, and maternal body mass index (BMI). Results : The mean cord serum APN was 29.2${\pm}$10.46 $\mu$g/mL. The cord serum APN and birth weight demonstrated a bell-shape relationship. The cord serum APN concentration was higher in females than males (P=0.001). The cord serum APN was negatively correlated with maternal BMI (r=-0.301, P=0.027), but the mean cord serum APN concentration was not correlated with birth height, birth head circumference, ponderal index, placental weight, F/P ratio, or maternal weight gain. The mean cord serum concentrations of IGF-I was 51.26${\pm}$21.54 ng/mL. The cord serum IGF-I concentration was positively correlated with birth weight (r=0.312, P=0.009), but not birth height, ponderal index, placental weight, F/P weight ratio, or maternal BMI. Conclusion : APN demonstrated a bell-shaped relationship with birth weight in healthy term infants. IGF-I was highly correlated with fetal growth, especially birth weight.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.545-558
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• 2000

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of low power GaAsAl laser on Fos expression in the spinal cord induced by noxious mechanical stimulation. Noxious mechanical stimulation was applied to the right hind paw following 30min of low power laser treatment using different intensity and treatment point and the resulting Fos expression in the spinal cord dorsal horn was compared to that obtained in rats exposed only to the noxious mechanical stimulation. The results were summarized as follows: 1. In intact control rats, only a few Fos like immunoreactive(Fos-IR) neurons were evident in the lumbar spinal cord dorsal horn. Similarly, following prolonged inhalation anesthesia, Fos-IR neurons were absent in the dorsal horn of the lumbar spinal cord. In animals treated with noxious mechanical stimulation, neurons with nuclei exhibiting Fos immunostaining were distributied mainly in the medial half of ipsilateral laminae I-V at lumbar segments L3-5. These findings directly indicated that prolonged anesthesia used in this study did not affect the Fos expression in the spinal cord dorsal horn of intact animals and noxious mechanical stimulation treated animals. 2. In acupoint treated animals, 10mW of laser stimulation, not 3mW intensity, significantly reduced the number of Fos immunoreactive neurons in the spinal dorsal horn induced by noxious mechanical stimulation(P<.01). However, the supressive effect of low power laser stimulatin was not observed in 3m Wand 10m W of laser stimulation into non-acupoint. These data indicate that 10mW of low power laser stimulation into acupoint is capable of inhibiting the expression of Fos in the dorsal horn induced by noxious mechanical stimulation. In conclusion, these findings raise the possibility that low power laser stimulation into acupoint may be a promising alternative medicine therapy for the mechanical stimulation induced pain in the clinical field.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.177-186
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• 2018

Background and Objectives: Glial scarring and inflammation after spinal cord injury (SCI) interfere with neural regeneration and functional recovery due to the inhibitory microenvironment of the injured spinal cord. Stem cell transplantation can improve functional recovery in experimental models of SCI, but many obstacles to clinical application remain due to concerns regarding the effectiveness and safety of stem cell transplantation for SCI patients. In this study, we investigated the effects of transplantation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) that were genetically modified to express Olig2 in a rat model of SCI. Methods: Bone marrow-derived hMSCs were genetically modified to express Olig2 and transplanted one week after the induction of contusive SCI in a rat model. Spinal cords were harvested 7 weeks after transplantation. Results: Transplantation of Olig2-expressing hMSCs significantly improved functional recovery in a rat model of contusive SCI model compared to the control hMSC-transplanted group. Transplantation of Olig2-expressing hMSCs also attenuated glial scar formation in spinal cord lesions. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that transplanted Olig2-expressing hMSCs were partially differentiated into Olig1-positive oligodendrocyte-like cells in spinal cords. Furthermore, NF-M-positive axons were more abundant in the Olig2-expressing hMSC-transplanted group than in the control hMSC-transplanted group. Conclusions: We suggest that Olig2-expressing hMSCs are a safe and optimal cell source for treating SCI.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.29-37
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• 2011

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to find out of an effect of forward, backward walking using partial weight bearing on walking of the patient with incomplete spinal cord injury. Methods : The average age, and the term of being sick of 6 patients who were selected as the subjects with incomplete spinal cord injury and who received medical attention in the National Rehabilitation Hospital, was 50.3 years old, and 10.7 months, and those were also the patients that were classified as ASIA-C or D by ASIA. The forward, backward walking using a partial weight bearing system as the research method, took total 6 weeks, 3 days per week, 3 times per day, total 45 minutes for each time(15 minutes for a time, 5 minutes for a breathing time), and the 15 minutes was used for forward walking 7.30 minutes, backward walking for 7.30 minutes, to find out before and after the test of WISCI, PCI, Walking Speed, Motor Score of Lower Limbs for the selected patients with incomplete spinal cord injury. Results : The result was showed WISCI from 17 points to 17 points that is, no change occurred at all, and PCI from $161.01{\pm}103.06$ to $74.97{\pm}58.19$, some amount of reduction that is not statistically significant(p<.05). Regarding walking speed, it increased from $24{\pm}.07m/sec$ to. $61{\pm}.35m/sec$, that is statistically significant(p<.05), and motor score of lower limbs showed statistically significant increase like from $33.17{\pm}7.08$ to $37{\pm}5.14$(P<.05). Conclusion : The 4 evaluation categories seem to have shown differences due to an insufficient number of subjects, and short test term, and it seems the more diverse task-oriented walking exercises should be studied in the coming days.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.245-251
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• 2008

Single-channel recordings of TASK-1 and TASK-3, members of two-pore domain $K^+$ channel family, have not yet been reported in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, even though their mRNA and activity in whole-cell currents have been detected in these neurons. Here, we report single-channel kinetics of the TASK-3-like $K^+$ channel in DRG neurons and up-regulation of TASK-3 mRNA expression in tissues isolated from animals with spinal cord injury (SCI). In DRG neurons, the single-channel conductance of TASK-3-like $K^+$ channel was $33.0{\pm}0.1$ pS at - 60 mV, and TASK-3 activity fell by $65{\pm}5%$ when the extracellular pH was changed from 7.3 to 6.3, indicating that the DRG $K^+$ channel is similar to cloned TASK-3 channel. TASK-3 mRNA and protein levels in brain, spinal cord, and DRG were significantly higher in injured animals than in sham-operated ones. These results indicate that TASK-3 channels are expressed and functional in DRG neurons and the expression level is up-regulated following SCI, and suggest that TASK-3 channel could act as a potential background $K^+$ channel under SCI-induced acidic condition.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.245-252
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• 1998

The three-dimensional structure of the Sertoli cell in the rat was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Morphologically, seven types of Sertoli cell processes were evident : Shrot, flat and ramified processes are projected from the lateral side of the basal portion of Sertoli cell. Leaf-like processes are attached to the surface of spermatocytes and spermatids. Slender cord-like processes, flat and irregular shaped processes, sucker-like processes and club-like processes are observated in the middle and apical portion of seminiferous epithelium. The sheet-like processes rest upon more than one-thirds of the surface of each spermatogonium, spermatocyes and spermatids located in the proximity of the Sertoli cell. All Sertoli processes are originated from Sertoli cell column. Just before spermiation, the processes which are attached to the head of maturation spermatid are eliminated. Though the mechanism for elimination of residual body is not known, these observations segget that the Sertoli cell process are thought to have a reciprocity with the germ cells.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.255-264
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• 2013

Background: We investigated the effects of pre-emptive administration of ketamine and norBNI on pain behavior and the expression of DREAM, c-Fos, and prodynorphin proteins on the ipsilateral side of the rat spinal cord at 2 and 4 hours after formalin injection. Methods: Eighty-four male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 4 major groups consisting of control rats (C) (n = 12), rats given only formalin injections (F) (n = 24), and rats treated with pre-emptive administration of either ketamine (K+F) (n = 24) or norBNI (N+F) (n = 24). The non-control groups were further divided into subgroups consisting of rats that were sacrificed at 2 and 4 hours (n = 12 for each group) after formalin injection. Pain behavior was recorded for 1 hour. After 2 and 4 hours, the rats were sacrificed and the spinal cords (L4-L5 sections) were removed for immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Results: The pain behavior response was reduced in the K+F group compared to the other groups during the second phase of the formalin pain response. We detected an increase in the nuclear DREAM protein level in the K+F group at 2 and 4 hours and a transient decrease in the N+F group at 2 hours; however, it increased at 4 hours after injection. Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) and Prodynorphin-like immunoreactivity (PLI) neurons decreased in the K+F group but increased in the N+F group at 2 hours after injection. While FLI decreased, PLI increased in all groups at 4 hours after injection. Conclusions: We suggest that NMDA and kappa opioid receptors can modulate DREAM protein expression, which can affect pain behavior and protein transcriptional processes at 2 hours and bring about either harmful or protective effects at 4 hours after formalin injection.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1651-1657
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• 2009

Physical activity and exercise can promote sensorimotor recovery from central nerve injury. It has been suggested that the functional recovery promoted by exercise training after spinal cord injury might be associated with insulin-like growth factor-I in the inflicted muscle. To investigate morphological and biochemical change of the soleus muscle after spinal cord injury, all tissues were used for H&E, immunofluorescence staining and Western blot. Also, BBB-test was used to evaluate behavioral improvement after spinal cord contusion. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats ($230{\pm}10\;g$; 7week in age) were assigned equally to three different groups; Normal (n=10), SCI (n=10), SCI+TMT (n=10). Every rat in SCI and SCI+TMT groups underwent laminectomy at T9 level and then contusion on the exposed spinal cord site in anesthetized condition. After one week-recovery from contusion, every rat in the SCI+TMT group exercised on a motorized treadmill for 30min/d, 5d/wk for 7wks. TMT followed by injury increased IGF-I induction levels in the soleus muscle and inhibited muscle atrophy. Behavioral scales for 4 and 8 weeks after spinal cord injury were improved in the SCI+TMT group compared to the SCI group. These results suggest that treadmill exercise after spinal cord injury might promote functional recovery along with muscle regrowth through the up-regulation of IGF-1 in muscle tissue.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.56-59
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• 2002

A 28-year-old man presented with headache, fever, and myalgia. Subsequently, rapidly progressive quadriplegia with areflexia developed. CSF examination revealed moderate pleocytosis and protein elevation. MRI of brain and spinal cord showed hyperintense lesions on T2-weighted image at midbrain and ventral horns along the whole spinal cord. Serial serologic examinations of CSF for Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus were negative. Culture and neutralization tests of stool and CSF for enterovirus were negative. Although the etiologic pathogen was not identified, we diagnosed him as poliomyelitis-like syndrome by clinical features and findings of MRI.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.177-180
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• 2004

Lower motor neuron signs of hind limbs, anus and bladder were identified by history taking and physical examination in the 6.8 year-old mongrel dog and 2.6 year-old Cocker spaniel. The Cocker spaniel, also showed gradual cranial migration of neurologic deficit including respiratory paralysis. On plain radiography and myelography, intervertebral disc extrusion between L2 and L3, the infiltration of contrast medium into the spinal cord and cord swelling were found in the mongrel dog, and infiltration of contrast medium like hollowness of cord parenchyma was observed in the Cocker spaniel. On the basis of clinical signs and radiographic findings, they were diagnosed tentatively as acute myelomalacia. The Cocker spaniel died of respiratory paralysis on the following day. Decompressive surgery was performed on the mongrel dog and the extensive necrosis and hemorrhage were found at surgery. It was euthanized with the owner's consent because of the perceived poor prognosis. Histopathologic examination after autopsy confirmed acute diffuse hemorrhagic myelomalacia with the swelling and the inflammation of axon, showing hemorrhagic changes in the white matter and the grey matter.