• Development and Reproduction
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2007

Ethane 1,2-dimethane sulfonate(EDS), a toxin which specifically kills Leydig cells(LC), has been widely used to prepare the reversible testosterone(T) depletion rat model. In the present study, we monitored the gene expression profiles of pituitary gonadotropins, LH and FSH, up to 7 weeks after EDS injection. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats($300{\sim}350\;g$ B.W.) were injected with a single dose of EDS(75 mg/kg i.p.) and sacrificed on weeks 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Total RNAs were purified from each pituitary, and the message levels of common alpha subunit($C{\alpha}$) of pituitary glycoprotein hormones, LH beta subunit($LH{\beta}$), FSH beta subunit($FSH{\beta}$) and GnRH receptor(GnRH-R) were evaluated by semi-quantitative RT-PCRs. The message levels of $C{\alpha}$ increased sharply during weeks 1-4, then return to the control level on week 5. The mRNA levels of $LH{\beta}$ were elevated after week 2, reached the peak at week 4, then declined to the control level after week 5. The message levels of $FSH{\beta}$ were elevated after week 2, reached the peak at week 3, then declined to the nadir at week 5. Similarly, the mRNA levels of GnRH-R were elevated after week 2, reached the peak at week 3, then gradually declined to the control level after week 5. The present study indicated that EDS treatment could induce reversible alterations in the transcriptional activities of gonadotropin subunits and GnRH-R in the anterior pituitary from male rats. EDS injection model might be useful to understand the mechanism of hormonal regulation of hypothalamus- pituitary neuroendocrine axis in male rats.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.553-560
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• 2001

Objective : The objective of this study was to determine the photodynamic therapeutic response of U-87 human glioma cell in vitro as well as in the nude rat xenograft model using photofrin as photosensitizer. Material and Method : U-87 cells were cultured on 96-well culture plates, photofrin(Quadralogic Technologies Inc., Vancouver, Canada) was added into the cell culture medium at concentration of $1{\mu}g/ml$, $2.5{\mu}g/ml$, $5{\mu}g/ml$, $10{\mu}g/ml$ and $20{\mu}g/ml$. 24 hour after drug treatment, cells were treated with optical(632nm) irradiation of $100mJ/cm^2$, $200mJ/cm^2$ and $400mJ/cm^2$. Photofrin(12.5mg/kg, i.p.) was administered to 28 nude rats containing intracerebral U-87 human glioma as well as 26 normal nude rats. 48 hours after administration, animals were treated with optical irradiation(632nm) of $35J/cm^2$, $140J/cm^2$ and $280J/cm^2$ to exposed tumor and normal brain. The photofrin concentration was measured in tumor and normal brain in a separate population of animals. Results : By MTT assay, there was 100% cytotoxicity at any dose of photofrin with optical irradiation of $200mJ/cm^2$ and $400mJ/cm^2$. But at the optical irradiation of $100mJ/cm^2$ cells were killed in dose dependent manner 28.5%, 49.1%, 54.4%, 78.2%, and 84.6% at concentration of $1{\mu}g/ml$, $2.5{\mu}g/ml$, $5{\mu}g/ml$, $10{\mu}g/ml$ and $20{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Dose dependent PDT lesions in both tumor and normal brain were observed. In the tumor lesion, only superficial tissue damage was found with optical irradiation of $35J/cm^2$. However, in the optical irradiation group of $140J/cm^2$ and $280J/cm^2$ the volume of lesions was measured of $7.2mm^3$ and $14.0mm^3$ for treatment at $140J/cm^2$ and $280J/cm^2$, respectively. The U-87 bearing rats showed a photofrin concentration in tumor tissue of $6.53{\pm}2.16{\mu}g/g$, 23 times higher than that found in the contralateral hemisphere of $0.28{\pm}0.15{\mu}g/g$. Conclusion : Our data indicate that the U-87 human glioma in vitro and in the xenografted rats is responsive to PDT. At these doses, a reproducible injury can be delivered to human glioma in this model. Strategies to spare the normal brain collateral damage are being studied.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.196-204
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate the in vivo and in vitro inhibitory effect of a traditional herbal complex (HC) extract prepared from a mixture of four oriental herbs (Dioscorea Rhizoma, Glycine soja Sieb. et Zucc, Bombycis corpus, Fermented Glycine soja) that have been widely used for the treatment and prevention of diabetes mellitus on hyperglycemia. The water extract of HC showed potent inhibitory effect on $\alpha$-glucosidase with $IC_{50}$ value of 1.24 mg/mL. Additionally, the ethanol extract of HC was also found to exhibit significant inhibitory effect against protein tyrosine phosphatase $1{\beta}$ ($PTP1{\beta}$), which is known as a major regulator of both insulin and leptin signaling. In the $PTP1{\beta}$ inhibitory assay, the most active n-hexane fraction obtained from the ethanol extract of HC, was identified as a mixture of fatty acid derivatives by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In high-fat diet-low dose streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat, the water extract of HC improved the oral glucose intolerance as compared with rosiglitazone. HC also caused a marked decrease of body weight and fasting blood glucose and a significant improvement on glucose tolerance in metabolic syndrome mice model. These findings support that this traditional HC may be useful in the control of blood glucose in diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.594-602
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• 2009

Purpose : Transforming growth factor (TGF)-${\beta}1$ reportedly increases neuronal survival by inhibiting the induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in astrocytes and protecting neurons after excitotoxic injury. However, the neuroprotective mechanism of $TGF-{\beta}1$ on hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury in neonatal rats is not clear. The aim of this study was to determine whether $TGF-{\beta}1$ has neuroprotective effects via a NO-mediated mechanism and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor modulation on perinatal HI brain injury. Methods : Cortical cells were cultured using 19-day-pregnant Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats treated with $TGF-{\beta}1$ (1, 5, or 10 ng/mL) and incubated in a 1% O2 incubator for hypoxia. Seven-day-old SD rat pups were subjected to left carotid occlusion followed by 2 h of hypoxic exposure (7.5% $O_2$). $TGF-{\beta}1$ (0.5 ng/kg) was administered intracerebrally to the rats 30 min before HI brain injury. The expressions of NOS and NMDA receptors were measured. Results : In the in vitro model, the expressions of endothelial NOS (eNOS) and neuronal NOS (nNOS) increased in the hypoxic group and decreased in the 1 ng/mL $TGF-{\beta}1-treated$ group. In the in vivo model, the expression of inducible NOS (iNOS) decreased in the hypoxia group and increased in the $TGF-{\beta}1$-treated group. The expressions of eNOS and nNOS were reversed compared with the expression of iNOS. The expressions of all NMDA receptor subunits decreased in hypoxia group and increased in the $TGF-{\beta}1$-treated group except NR2C. Conclusion : The administration of $TGF-{\beta}1$ could significantly protect against perinatal HI brain injury via some parts of the NO-mediated or excitotoxic mechanism.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.21-33
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• 2009

In this study, we investigated the effect of Rhei Rhizoma (RR; 大黃) water extract on gene expression in a hypoxia model of cultured rat hippocampal neurons. RR water extract $(2.5{\mu}g/ml)$ was added to the culture media on day 10 in vitro (DIV10), and a hypoxic shock (2% $O_2$/5% $CO_2$, $37^{\circ}C$, 3 h) was given on DIV13. After maintaining the cultures in normoxia for 24 hr, total RNA was isolated and used for microarray analysis. The MA-plot indicated that most genes were up- or downregulated within 2-fold. There were more downregulated genes (725 ea) than upregulated ones (472 ea) when larger than Global M value 0.2 (i.e., >15% increase) or smaller than Global M value -0.2 (i.e., >15% decrease) were considered. Antiapoptosis genes such as Tegt (2.4-fold), Nfkb1 (2.4-fold) Veg (1.8-fold), Ngfr (1.6-fold) were upregulated, while pro-apoptosis genes such as Bad (-64%), Cstb (-66%) were downregulated. Genes for combating environmental stress (stress response genes) such as Defb3 (2.7-fold), Cygb (2.2-fold), Ahsg (2.18-fold), Alox5 (2-fold) were upregulated. Genes for cell proliferation (cell cycle-related genes) such as Erbb2 (1.84-fold), Mapk12 gene (1.8-fold) was upregulated. Therefore, RR water extracts upregulate many pro-survival genes while downregulating many pro-death genes. It is interpreted that these genes, in combination with other regulated genes, can promote neuronal survival in a stress such as hypoxia.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.177-185
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• 2006

Purpose: Purpose of this study is to synthesize $^{99m}Tc$-labeled transferrin for injection imaging and to compare it with $^{67}Ga$-titrate for the detection of infectious foci. Materials and methods: Succinimidyl 6-hydrazino-nicotinate hydrochloride-chitosan-transferrin (Transferrin) was synthesized and radiolabeled with $^{99m}Tc$. Labeling efficiencies of $^{99m}Tc$-Transferrin were determined at 10 min, 30 min, 1 hr, 2 hr, 4 hr and 8 hr. Biodistribution and imaging studies with $^{99m}Tc$-Transferrin and $^{67}Ga$-citrate were performed in a rat abscess model induced with approximately $2{\times}10^8$ colony forming unit of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. Results: Successful synthesis of Transferrin was confirmed by mass spectrometry. Labeling efficiency of $^{99m}Tc$-Transferrin was $96.2{\pm}0.7%,\;96.4{\pm}0.5%,\;96.6{\pm}1.0%,\;96.9{\pm}0.5%,\;97.0{\pm}0.7%\;and\;95.5{\pm}0.7%$ at 10 min, 30 min, 1 hr, 2 hr, 4 hr and 8 hr, respectively. The injected dose per tissue gram of $^{99m}Tc$-Transferrin was $0.18{\pm}0.01\;and\;0.18{\pm}0.01$ in the lesion and $0.05{\pm}0.01\;and\;0.04{\pm}0.01$ in the normal muscle, and lesion-to-normal muscle uptake ratio was $3.7{\pm}0.6\;and\;4.7{\pm}0.4$ at 30 min and 3 hr, respectively. On image, lesion-to-background ratio of $^{99m}Tc$-Transferrin was $2.18{\pm}0.03,\;2.56{\pm}0.11,\;3.08{\pm}0.18,\;3.77{\pm}0.17,\;4.70{\pm}0.45\;and\;5.59{\pm}0.40$ at 10 min, 30 min, 1 hr, 2 hr, 4 hr and 10 hr and those of $^{67}Ga$-citrate was $3.06{\pm}0.84,\;4.12{\pm}0.54\;and\;4.55{\pm}0.74 $ at 2 hr, 24 hr and 48 hr, respectively. Conclusion: Transferrin is successfully labeled with $^{99m}Tc$, and its labeling efficiency was higher than 95% and stable for 8 hours. $^{99m}Tc$-Transferrin scintigraphy showed higher image quality in shorter time compared to $^{67}Ga$-citrate image. $^{99m}Tc$-transferrin is supposed to be useful in the detection of the infectious foci.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.215-223
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• 1999

Background: The replacement of the narrowed long-segment trachea with various prosthetic materials or tissue grafts remains a difficult and unsolved surgical problem. Homologous cryopreserved tracheal transplantation has been considered to treat the irreversibly-damaged organs, such as in the lung or heart transplantation and also to overcome the limited supply of donor organs. We examined the morphological changes and the immunosuppressive effects of the cryopreserved trachea after the heterotopic transplantation in the rats. Material and Method: Sixty tracheal segments harvested from 30 donor Wistar rats were heterotopically implanted into the peritoneal cavity of 20 recipient Wistar rats and 40 Sprague Dawley rats. The 60 recipient rats were divided into 6 groups(10 rats/ group). In groups I, II, and III, 30 tracheal segments were implanted immediately after the harvesting and in groups IV, V, and VI, the segments were implanted 28 days after the cryopreservation. Groups I and IV were Wistar syngeneic controls. Groups II and V were Sprague Dawley recipients receiving no immunosuppression and Groups III and VI, were Sprague Dawley recipients receiving immunosuppressive agents. At 28 days all rats were sacrificed and the tracheal segments were evaluated grossly and histologically. Result: Immunosuppression of the tracheal segments had a significant influence on the changes of the tracheal lumen and tracheal epithelial cells, irrespective of the cryopreservation of the trachea(p<0.001). In groups III and VI receiving immunosuppressive agents, the tracheal lumen was patent and the normal epithelial cells were observed, however in the other groups not receiving the immunosuppressive agents, there were almost luminal obliteration by the proliferation of the fibrous tissues and a loss of the epithelial cells, the findings were similar to those in the case of obliterative bronchiolitis after a lung and a heart-lung transplantation. Conclusion: With the appropriate immunosuppressive agents, the lumen and the respiratory epithelium of the transplanted tracheal segment were well preserved, even after the cryopreservation of the tracheal segment, which shows the possibility of the long-term preservation and homologous transplantation of the trachea. But fibroproliferative obliteration of the tracheal lumen and the loss of the normal respiratory epithelial cells, characteristic findings of obliterative bronchiolitis, were observed in the groups without the immunosuppression. This experiment using the rat trachea may be useful in studying the pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention of obliterative bronchiolitis after a lung and a heart-lung transplantation.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.408-419
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• 2023

Background: Ginsenoside compound K (CK), the main active metabolite in Panax ginseng, has shown good safety and bioavailability in clinical trials and exerts neuroprotective effects in cerebral ischemic stroke. However, its potential role in the prevention of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of ginsenoside CK against cerebral I/R injury. Methods: We used a combination of in vitro and in vivo models, including oxygen and glucose deprivation/reperfusion induced PC12 cell model and middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion induced rat model, to mimic I/R injury. Intracellular oxygen consumption and extracellular acidification rate were analyzed by Seahorse multifunctional energy metabolism system; ATP production was detected by luciferase method. The number and size of mitochondria were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and MitoTracker probe combined with confocal laser microscopy. The potential mechanisms of ginsenoside CK on mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergy were evaluated by RNA interference, pharmacological antagonism combined with co-immunoprecipitation analysis and phenotypic analysis. Results: Ginsenoside CK pretreatment could attenuate mitochondrial translocation of DRP1, mitophagy, mitochondrial apoptosis, and neuronal bioenergy imbalance against cerebral I/R injury in both in vitro and in vivo models. Our data also confirmed that ginsenoside CK administration could reduce the binding affinity of Mul1 and Mfn2 to inhibit the ubiquitination and degradation of Mfn2, thereby elevating the protein level of Mfn2 in cerebral I/R injury. Conclusion: These data provide evidence that ginsenoside CK may be a promising therapeutic agent against cerebral I/R injury via Mul1/Mfn2 mediated mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.119-130
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• 2004

Decrease in cardiac function after open heart surgery is due to an ischemia induced myocardial damage during surgery, and ischemic preconditioning, a condition in which the myocardial damage does not accumulate after repeated episodes of ischemia but protects itself from damage after prolonged ischemia due to myocytes tolerating the ischemia, is known to diminish myocardial damage, which also helps the recovery of myocardium after reperfusion, and decreases incidences of arrythmia. Our study is performed to display the ischemic preconditioning and show the myocardial protective effect by applying cardioplegic solution to the heart removed from rat. Material and Method: Sprague-Dawley male rats were used, They were fixed on a modified isolated working heart model after cannulation. The reperfusion process was according to non-working and working heart methods and the working method was executed for 20 minutes in which the heart rate, aortic pressure, aortic flow and coronary flow were measured and recorded. The control group is the group which the extracted heart was fixed on the isolated working heart model, recovered by reperfusion 60 minutes after infusion and preserved in the cardioplegic solution 20 minutes after the working heart perfusion and aortic cross clamp, The thesis groups were divided into group I, which ischemic hearts that were hypoxia induced were perfused by cardioplegic solution and preserved for 60 minutes; group II, the cardioplegic solution was infused 45 seconds (II-1), 1 minutes (II-2), 3 minutes (II-3), after the ischemia induction, 20 minutes after working heart perfusion and aortic cross clamp; and group III, hearts were executed on working heart perfusion for 20 minutes and aortic cross clamp was performed for 45 seconds (III-1), 1minute (III-2), 3 minutes (III-3), reperfused for 2 minutes to recover the heart, and then aortic cross clamping was repeated for reperfusion, all the groups were compared based on hemodynamic performance after reperfusion of the heart after preservation for 60 minutes. Result: The recovery time until spontaneous heart beat was longer in groups I, II-3, III-2 and III-3 to control group (p<0.01). Group III-1 (p<0.05) had better results in terms of recovery in number of heart rates compared to control group, and recovered better compared to II-1 (p<0.05). The recovery of aortic blood pressure favored group III-1 (p<0.05) and had better outcomes compared with II-1 (p<0.01). Group III-1 also showed best results in terms of cardiac output (p<0.05) and group III-2 was better compared to II-2 (p<0.05). Group I (p<0.01) and II-3 (p<0.05) showed more cardiac edema than control group. Conclusion: When the effects of other organs are dismissed, protecting the heart by infusion of cardioplegic solution after enforcing ischemia for a short period of time before the onset of abnormal heart beats for preconditioning has a better recovery effect in the cardioplegic group with preconditioning compared to the cardioplegic solution itself. we believe that further study is needed to find a more effective method of preconditioning.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.64-71
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• 1999

Purpose : The protective effects of dietary protein on the progression of renal failure were studied in subtotally nephrectomized rats. Methods : Treatment groups were as follows; 5/6 nephrectomy and a normal protein ($18.5\%$) diet (NP); 5/6 nephrectomy and a low protein ($6\%$) diet (LP): 5/6 nephrectomy, a normal protein diet and converting enzyme inhibitor, enalapril (NPE): 5/6 nephrectomy, a low protein diet and enalapril (LPE). Both diets were isocaloric and had the same phosphorus content. Proteinuria, remnant kidney weight, mesangial matrix expansion score and glomerular volume were assessed at 4, 12 and 16 weeks after renal ablation. Results : LP and NP developed progressive hypertension. Eight weeks after surgery, LPE and NPE controlled hypertension. LP, LPE, and NPE had significantly less proteinuria than NP at 16 weeks (P<0.05). Kidney weight in LP were markedly less enlarged than NP (P<0.05). There was no difference in kidney weight between LPE and NPE. At 12 and 16 weeks the mesangial matrix expansion score was significantly less in LP, LPE, and NPE compared to NP (P<0.05). At 12 and 16 weeks mean glomerular volume was significantly less in LP compared to NP (P<0.05). At 12 and 16 weeks mean glomerular volume in LPE was significantly less compared to NPE. Conclusion : Dietary protein restriction afforded considerable protection from renal injury in the rat remnant kidney model. During the enalapril treatment, there was no additional protective effect of dietary protein restriction against the development of renal lesions.