• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.231-236
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• 2005

This study investigated the changes in the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) activities during food restriction in the rat brain such as cerebral cortex, cerebellum, caudate pautamen and hypothalamus. The rats were placed on a restricted feeding schedule consisting of half the ad libitum quantity for 3 days and 1, 2, 4, 6 and 9 weeks, and a free feeding schedule for 4 weeks. The loss of body weight peaked after 1 week of food restriction and persisted during the entire 9-week period of food restriction. The dramatic weight change in the first week ($12\%$) and the reduction in weight changes thereafter suggest that major adaptation changes occur early and body maintenance occurs subsequently. In the hypothalamus, the optical densities of the NADPH-d and nNOS immunoreactivities were found to be significantly higher in the 1-week and lower in the 9-week food restricted group than in the ad libitum fed control rats. In contrast, in the cerebral cortex, the optical densities of the NADPH-d- and nNOS-positive neurons were not changed significantly during the period of food restriction. This study provides the morphological evidence showing that food restriction has a significant effect on the nitric oxide synthesizing system of the hypothalamus.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.439-444
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• 2000

Tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been commonly used for the treatment of premature ejaculation. In the present study, we analyzed the concentrations of serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of the hypothalamus by awakening animal microdialysis following administration of clomipramine and various SSRIs. We then compared the serotonin metabolism and clinical effects of clomipramine and SSRIs on premature ejaculation. Basal extracellular serotonin level in the MPOA was higher than other brain regions and it was significantly increased by clomipramine and the SSRIs. The rank order of the concentration of serotonin at the MPOA was clomipramine, sertraline, paroxetine and fluoxetine and the concentrations of 5-HIAA was vice versa. The changes in serotonin concentration at the MPOA appeared closely associated with the clinical effects of these drugs on premature ejaculation. These results suggest that the serotonergic neuronal activity in the MPOA may have an selective inhibitory influence on ejaculation, and the effects of clomipramine and SSRIs on erectile function are mainly mediated by MPOA of the hypothalamus.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.31-37
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• 1973

The effects of ethanol extacts of aconite root (Aconitum koreanum) on mean arterial pressure, heart rate, pulse pressure, and respiration were investigated and also studied the effect on electrical activation of the hypothalamus in cats. From the present experiment the following results were obtained. 1) On administering 5 mg or 10 mg aconite extracts per kg of body weight, the mean arterial blood pressure declined markedly possibly as the result of negative inotropic and chronotropic effects of aconite. 2) From the enhanced pressor responses to intravenously injected epinephrine, the existance of vasodilatory effect of the aconite was suggested. 3) After administration of aconite extract, no significant differences were observed in the presser responses to carotid occlusion and to electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus. It is, therefore, concluded that the aconite extract exerts no significant effect on the excitability of hypothalamus as well as medullary cardiovascular center of cats. 4) After administration of $5{\sim}10$ mg/kg aconite extracts, respiratory rate was increased while depth of respiration decreased. On the otherhand, respiratory rate was markedly decreased by injection of 20 mg/kg aconite into animal.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.367-373
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• 2000

In the present study we determined if NELL2, a neural tissue-specific protein containing 6 epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeat domains, plays an important role in the regulation of puberty initiation in the rat hypothalamus. We origin811y found that NELL2 is a new estrogen-responsive gene in hypothalami derived from estrogen-sterilized and control rats using a PCR differential display. In the 40-day-old female rat hypothalamus, NELL2 was up-regulated by neonatal estrogen treatment. In situ hybridization histochemistry showed that NELL2 is very abundant in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus that is responsible for the control of sex behavior. NELL2 mRNA level in the medial basal hypothalamus showed a dramatic increase before female puberty onset, which suggests that NELL2 may be involved in the process regulating female puberty onset. We attemped to block NELL2 synthesis with intracerebroventricular injection of an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) to the NELL2 mRNA, and examined its effect on the puberty onset of the female rat. The antisense ODN significantly delayed puberty initiation determined by vaginal opening. In summary, NELL2 may play an important role in the regulation of female puberty onset.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.695-701
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• 1999

The hypothalamus is the classic site of synthesis of arginine vasotocin as neurohypophyseal hormone in the chicken. However, high concentrations of arginine vasotocin were also measured in ovarian tissues by radioimmunoassay. At first, we observed specific positive signal of mRNA encoding AVT in the hypothalamus by Northern hybridization. However, we could not find any specific bands in ovarian and uterine tissues. For evidence of transcription of the arginine vasotocin gene ingonadal tissues of the chicken, this study has applied the polymerase chain reaction as a highly sensitive assay. The hypothalamus, the four largest preovulatory ovarian follicles and the shell gland (uterus) were collected at 4 h and 20 h before oviposition. The ovarian follicular tissues were separated into granulose theca interns and theca externa layers. The uterine tissues were separated into myometrium and endometrium The extracted mRNA was converted to cDNA by reverse-transcriptase using oligo-$d(T)_{15}$ primer. Then, the cDNA was amplified by Vent polymerase and arginine vasotocin specific primers. The amplification reaction was incubated by 30 cycles successively, $95^{\circ}C$, $55^{\circ}C$ and $72^{\circ}C$ earth for 1 min. Te comparisons of the mRNA levels encoding arginine vasotocin between the tissues were determined by semi-quantification methods. After amplification of the cDNA, the PCR products were detected in hypothalamus, ovarian tissues and uterine tissues. The results of semi-quantification showed that the levels of arginine vasotocin mRNA in ovarian iud uterine tissues were about from 1/50 to 1/1000 when compared to that in the hypothalamus. The very low levels of mRNA encoding arginine vasotocin in ovarian and uterine tissues probably led us to conclude that arginine vasotocin may play a role of local mediate acting autocrine and/or paracrine.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.187-192
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• 2012

Objectives Although antipsychotic drug clozapine has superior efficacy, this is hampered by metabolic side effects such as weight gain and diabetes. Recent studies demonstrate that clozapine induces insulin resistance. However, the identity and location of insulin resistance induced by clozapine has not been clarified. In this study, the effect of clozapine on central insulin response was investigated in rats. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats received intraperitoneal injection of clozapine or vehicle, which was followed by intracerebroventricular injection of insulin or its vehicle. The effects of clozapine on insulin-induced changes in blood glucose level and Akt phosphorylation in hypothalamus were investigated. Results Intraperitoneal injection of clozapine (20 mg/kg) increased blood glucose in rats. Intracerebroventricular injection of insulin reduced blood glucose in rats, which was blunted by pretreatment of clozapine. Accompanied with the antagonistic effect of clozapine to central insulin action in terms of blood glucose, clozapine inhibited the insulin-induced phosphorylation of Akt at Ser473 in rat hypothalamus. Conclusion Administration of clozapine inhibited the central insulin-induced changes in blood glucose and Akt phosphorylation in rat hypothalamus. These findings suggest that hypothalamus could be the site of action for the clozapine-induced insulin resistance.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 1970

The effects of excess salt ingestion or/and a prolonged electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus on the arterial blood pressure were studied in cats. The average mean arterial pressure determined in 12 control animals were $112.2{\pm}2.6\;mmHg$. In 15 animals in which 2% NaCl solution (2g/Kg of body wegight/day) was given for 20 days, average mean arterial pressure elevated to $147.7{\pm}6.1\;mmHg$. It was also found in four of them that salt-induced high blood pressure started to decline when salt solution was replaced by tap water. On the other hand, No change in average mean arterial pressure was observed in 10 animals, whose hypothalamus had been electrically stimulated for 28 days. In 11 animals in which the hypothalamus was stimulated with simultaneous excess salt ingestion for 20 days, there was a marked elevation in average mean arterial pressure which, however, does not significantly differ from that observed in excess salt ingested group. From the results obtained from the present experiment, it is concluded that 1) the hypertension is induced by an excess salt ingestion in cats, 2) the mean arterial pressure of cats is not affected at least by an increment of sympathetic tone for 4 weeks resulting from the electrical stimulation of posterior area of the hypothalamus, 3) in sodium·induced high blood pressure cats, four weeks of increment in sympathetic tone by the hypothalamic stimulation does not further elevate mean arterial pressure.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1585-1593
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• 2005

The genetic effects of restraint stress challenge on HPA axis and the therapeutic effect of Boshimgeonbi-tang on the stress were studied with cDNA microarray analyses, RT-PCR on hypothalamus using an immobilization-stress mice as an animal model. Male CD-1 mice were restrained in a tightly fitted and ventilated vinyl holder for 2hrs once a day, and this challenge was repeated for seven· consecutive days. In the change of body weight it showed that the Boshimgeonbi-tang is effected recovery on weight loss caused by the immobilization-stress. Seven days later, total RNA was extracted from the organs of the mouse, body-labeled with $CyDye^{TM}$ fluorescence dyes and then hybridized to CDNA microarray chip. Scanning and analyzing the array slides were carried out using GenePix4000 series scanner and GenePix $Pro^{TM}$ analyzing program, respectively. The expression profiles of 109 genes out of 6000 genes on the chip were significantly modulated in hypothalamus by the immobilization stress. Energy metabolism-, lipid metabolism-, apoptosis-, stress protein, transcriptional factor, and signal transduction-related genes were transcriptionally activated whereas DNA repair-, protein biosysthesis-, and structure integrity-related genes were down-regulated in hypothalamus. The 58 genes were up-regulated by the mRNA expression folds of 1.5 to 7.9. and the 51 genes were down-regulated by 1.5 - 5.5 fold. The 11 genes among them were selected to confirm the expression profiles by RT-PCR. The mRNA expression levels of Tnfrsf1a (apoptosis), Calm2 (cell cycle), Bag3 (apoptosis), Ogg1 (DNA repair), Aatk (apoptosis), Dffa (apoptosis), Fkbp5 (protein folding) were restored to the normal one by the treatment of Boshimgeonbi-tang.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.235-251
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• 2012

The reproductive activity in male mammals is well known to be regulated by the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis. The hypothalamic neurons secreting gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) govern the reproductive neuroendocrine system by integrating all the exogenous information impinging on themselves. The GnRH synthesized and released from the hypothalamus arrives at the anterior pituitary through the portal vessels, provoking the production of the gonadotropins(follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH)) at the same time. The gonadotropins affect the gonads to promote spermatogenesis and to secret testosterone. Testosterone acts on the GnRH neurons by a feedback loop through the circulatory system, resulting in the balance of all the hormones by regulating reproductive activities. These hormones exert their effects by acting on their own receptors, which are included in the signal transduction pathways as well. Unexpected aberrants are arised during this course of action of each hormone. This review summarizes these abnormal phenomena, including various mutations of molecules and their actions related to the reproductive function.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.144-146
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• 2012

Parkinsonism secondary to intracranial mass lesions usually results from compression or distortion of the basal ganglia. Secondary parkinsonism due to midbrain infiltration or compression is rare and generally associated with other neurologic signs caused by pyramidal tract and/or cranial nerve involvement. We report a case of 30-year-old woman in whom mild parkinsonism was the major clinical manifestation of an astrocytoma in the anterior third ventricle and hypothalamus. She underwent surgical resection, ventriculoperitoneal shunt and radiation therapy. All symptoms of parkinsonism were completely recovered 3 months after the treatment. Brain tumors can be manifested only by the symptoms of parkinsonism. This case emphasizes the significance of neuroimaging in the evaluation of parkinsonism.