• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.89-97
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• 2013

Developing an animal model for a specific disease is very important in the understanding of the underlying mechanism of the disease and allows testing of newly developed new drugs before human application. However, which of the plethora of experimental animal species to use in model development can be perplexing. Administration of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) is a very well known method to induce the symptoms of Parkinson's disease in mice. But, there is very limited information about the different sensitivities to MPTP among mouse strains. Here, we tested three different mouse strains (C57BL/6, Balb-C, and ICR) as a Parkinsonian model by repeated MPTP injections. In addition to behavioral analysis, endogenous levels of dopamine and tetrahydrobiopterin in mice brain regions, such as striatum, substantia nigra, and hippocampus were directly quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Repeated administrations of MPTP significantly affected the moving distances and rearing frequencies in all three mouse strains. The endogenous dopamine concentrations and expression levels of tyrosine hydroxylase were significantly decreased after the repeated injections, but tetrahydrobiopterin did not change in analyzed brain regions. However, susceptibilities of the mice to MPTP were differed based on the degree of behavioral change, dopamine concentration in brain regions, and expression levels of tyrosine hydroxylase, with C57BL/6 and Balb-C mice being more sensitive to the dopaminergic neuronal toxicity of MPTP than ICR mice.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.129-143
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• 2012

Objectives : To evaluate the neuroprotective effects of the essential oil from Sohaphwangwon (SH), a Chinese traditional medicinal prescription in a Parkinson's disease mouse model. Methods : 1. The neuroprotective effect of SH on primary neuronal cells was examined by using 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+). 2. The neuroprotective effect of SH was examined in a Parkinson's disease mouse model. C57BL/6 mice treated with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP, 30 mg/kg/day), intraperitoneal (i.p.) for 5 days. SH inhalation was applied before MPTP treatment for 7 days and continued until 12 days after the first MPTP treatment. 3. To find out the intracellular target signal molecule(s) regarding the neuroprotective effect of SH essential oil, brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) and synaptic protein SNAP25 were examined by Western blot analysis. Results : 1. MPP+ induced a concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability. However, in the presence of 3 and 5 ug/ml of SH, MPP+-induced cell death was significantly reduced. 2. SH inhalation in MPTP mice led to the restoration of behavioral impairment and rescued tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive dopaminergic neurodegeneration. 3. In SH / MPTP mice, BDNF and SNAP25 increased. Conclusions : This experiment suggests that the neuroprotective effect of SH essential oil is mediated by the expression of BDNF. Furthermore, SH essential oil may serve as a potential preventive or therapeutic agent regarding Parkinson's disease.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.113-124
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• 2002

Objects: This research was conducted to investigate the protective effect of Bupleuri Radix against ischemic damage using PC12 cells and global ischemia in gerbils, Methods: To observe the protective effect of Bupleuri Radixon ischemic damage, viability and changes in activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase and production of malondialdehyde (MDA) were observed after treating PC12 cells with Bupleuri Radix during ischemic damage. Gerbils were divided into three groups: a normal group, a 5-minute two-vessel occlusion (2VO) group and a Bupleun Radix administered group after 2VO. The CCAs were occluded by microclip for 5 minutes, Bupleuri Radix was administered orally for 7 days after 2VO. Histological analysis was performed on the 7th day. For histological analysis, the brain tissue was stained with 1 % of cresyl violet solution. Results: 1. Bupleuri Radix has a protective effect against ischemia in the CA1 area of the gerbil's hippocampus 7 days after 5-minute occlusion. 2. In the hypoxia/reperfusion model using PC12 cells, the Bupleuri Radix has a protective effect against ischemia in the dose of 0.2{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml,2{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml{\;}and{\;} 20{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml$. 3. Bupleuri Radix increased the activities of glutathione peroxidase and catalase. 4. The increased activity of superoxidedismutase (SOD) by ischemic damage might have been induced as an act of self-protection. This study suggests that Bupleuri Radix has some neuroprotective effect against neuronal damage following cerebral ischemia in vivo with a widely used experimental model of cerebral ischemia in Mongolian gerbils. Bupleuri Radix also has protective effect on a hypoxia/reperfusion cell culture model using PC12 cells. Conclusions: Bupleuri Radix has protective effect against ischemic brain damage during the early stages of ischemia.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.235-242
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• 2006

Cortical malformation-associated epileptic seizures are resistant to conventional anticonvulsant drugs. Relatively little research has been conducted on the effects of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) on seizure activity in a rat model of dysplasia. We have used rats exposed to methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) in utero, an animal model featuring nodular heterotopia, to investigate the effects of ethosuximide (ETX) in the dysplastic brain. Pilocarpine was used to induce acute seizure in MAM-exposed and age-matched vehicle-injected control animals. Field potential recordings were used to monitor the amplitude and number of population spikes, and paired pulse inhibition in response to stimulation of the commissural pathway. Pharmaco-resistance was tested by measuring seizure latencies after pilocarpine administration (320 mg/kg, Lp.) with and without pre-treatment with ETX. Pre-treatment with 300 mg of ETX significantly prolonged the latency to the status epilepticus (SE) in both control and MAM-treated groups. Pre-treatment with ETX 100mg and ETX 200 mg had little effect in MAMexposed rats. However, ETX 200 mg prolonged the latency to the SE in control groups. Spontaneous field potential and secondary after-discharges were higher for MAM-treated rat in comparison with control rats injects with ETX. The main findings of this study are that acute seizures initiated in MAM-exposed rats are relatively resistant to standard ETX assessed in vivo. These data suggest that ETX do not prolong seizure latencies in MAM-rats exposed to pilocarpine.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.1168-1177
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• 2022

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second-most prevalent neurodegenerative disease and is characterized by dopaminergic neuronal death in the midbrain. Recently, the association between alterations in PD pathology and the gut microbiota has been explored. Microbiota-targeted interventions have been suggested as a novel therapeutic approach for PD. Agathobaculum butyriciproducens SR79^T (SR79) is an anaerobic bacterium. Previously, we showed that SR79 treatment induced cognitive improvement and reduced Alzheimer's disease pathologies in a mouse model. In this study, we hypothesized that SR79 treatment may have beneficial effects on PD pathology. To investigate the therapeutic effects of SR79 on PD, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced mouse models were used. D-Amphetamine sulfate (d-AMPH)-induced behavioral rotations and dopaminergic cell death were analyzed in unilateral 6-OHDA-lesioned mice. Treatment with SR79 significantly decreased ipsilateral rotations induced by d-AMPH. Moreover, SR79 treatment markedly activated the AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway in the striatum. In addition, SR79 treatment affected the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway and its downstream target genes in the striatum of 6-OHDA-lesioned mice. Our findings suggest a protective role of SR79 in 6-OHDA-induced toxicity by regulating the AKT/Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway and astrocyte activation. Thus, SR79 may be a potential microbe-based intervention and therapeutic strategy for PD.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2023

Convolutional neural networks have already been applied to various fields beyond human visual processing capabilities in the image processing area. However, they are exposed to a severe risk of deteriorating model performance due to the appearance of adversarial attacks. In addition, defense technology to respond to adversarial attacks is effective against the attack but is vulnerable to other types of attacks. Therefore, to respond to an adversarial attack, it is necessary to analyze how the performance of the adversarial attack deteriorates through the process inside the convolutional neural network. In this study, the adversarial attack of the Alexnet and VGG11 models was analyzed using the population sparseness index, a measure of neuronal activity in neurophysiology. Through the research, it was observed in each layer that the population sparsity index for adversarial examples showed differences from that of benign examples.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.308-313
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• 2023

Phenotypic features such as ataxia and loss of motor function, which are characteristics of Parkinson's disease (PD), are expected to be very closely related to cerebellum function. However, few studies have reported the function of the cerebellum. Since the cerebellum, like the cerebrum, is known to undergo functional and morphological changes due to neuroinflammatory processes, elucidating key functional factors that regulate neuroinflammation in the cerebellum can be a beneficial therapeutic approach. Therefore, we employed PD patients and MPTP-induced PD mouse model to find cytokines involved in cerebellar neuroinflammation in PD and to examine changes in cell function by regulating related genes. Along with the establishment of a PD mouse model, abnormal shapes such as arrangement and number of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum were confirmed based on histological finding, consistent with those of cerebellums of PD patients. As a result of proteome profiling for neuroinflammation using PD mouse cerebellar tissues, fetuin-A, a type of cytokine, was found to be significantly reduced in Purkinje cells. To further elucidate the function of fetuin-A, neurons isolated from cerebellums of embryos (E18) were treated with fetuin-A siRNA. We uncovered that not only the population of neuronal cells, but also their morphological appearances were significantly different. In this study, we found a functional gene called fetuin-A in the PD model's cerebellum, which was closely related to the role of cerebellar Purkinje cells of mouse and human PD. In conclusion, morphological abnormalities of Purkinje cells in PD mice and patients have a close relationship with a decrease of fetuin-A, suggesting that diagnosis and treatment of cerebellar functions of PD patients might be possible through regulation of fetuin-A.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.67 no.5
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• pp.521-530
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• 2024

Objective : Dexpanthenol (DXP), which has known neuroprotective effects, has been shown to be beneficial in various experimental models and ischaemic diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible neuroprotective effects of DXP in a traumatic brain injury (TBI) model. Methods : Thirty-six Wistar-Albino female rats, approximately 6 months old, weighing 220-285 g were used. All rats were subjected to closed head trauma by dropping a weight of 350 g on the parietal region from a height of 50 cm at an angle of 180 degrees in the prepared head trauma model setup. The rats were divided into four groups as control (group 1), trauma (group 2), trauma + DXP (group 3), and DXP (group 4). In group 3, DXP was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 500 mg/kg for six times at 30 minutes, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours. In group 4, DXP was administered intraperitoneally simultaneously with group 3 without causing head trauma. Blood samples were taken from all rats 72 hours later for biochemical examination. After blood samples were taken, rats were decapitated under general anaesthesia. Cerebral tissue samples were taken from decapitated rats for immunohistochemical and histopathological examination. Results : Cytokine markers were found to be increased in posttraumatic brain tissue. Malondialdehyde and glutathione reductase levels were lower in group 3 compared to group 2. In addition, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase levels were significantly higher in group 3 compared to group 2. In histological evaluation, congestion in the piamater layer, cell infiltration, vascular congestion, hemorrhage and neuronal degeneration were significantly decreased in group 3 compared to group 2. DXP seems to be beneficial in neurological recovery in terms of histological and oxidative changes after head trauma in rats. Conclusion : DXP should be further evaluated for its possible therapeutic effect in TBI.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.419-430
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• 2024

Huntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary condition considered by the progressive degeneration of nerve cells in the brain, resultant in motor dysfunction and cognitive impairment. Despite current treatment modalities including pharmaceuticals and various therapies, a definitive cure remains elusive. Therefore, this study investigates the therapeutic potential effect of Apelin-13 in HD management. Thirty male Wistar rats were allocated into three groups: a control group, a group with HD, and a group with both HD and administered Apelin-13. Apelin-13 was administered continuously over a 28-day period at a dosage of around 30 mg/kg to mitigate inflammation in rats subjected to 3-NP injection within an experimental HD model. Behavioral tests, such as rotarod, electromyography (EMG), elevated plus maze, and open field assessments, demonstrated that Apelin-13 improved motor function and coordination in rats injected with 3-NP. Apelin-13 treatment significantly increased neuronal density and decreased glial cell counts compared to the control group. Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed reduced gliosis and expression of inflammatory factors in the treatment group. Moreover, Apelin-13 administration led to elevated levels of glutathione and reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in the treated group. Apelin-13 demonstrates neuroprotective effects, leading to improved movement and reduced inflammatory and fibrotic factors in the HD model.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.405-416
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• 2008

Background: Spinal cord ischemic injury during thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic surgeries remains a potentially devastating outcome despite using various methods of protection. Neuronal voltage-dependent sodium channel antagonists are known to provide neuroprotection in cerebral ischemic models. This study was designed to compare the neuroprotective effects of phenytoin with those of hypothermia in a rabbit model of spinal cord ischemia. Material and Method: Spinal cord ischemia was induced in New Zealand white rabbits by means of infrarenal aortic cross clamping for 25 minutes. Four groups of 8 animals each were studied. The control group and the hypothermia group received retrograde infusion of saline only ($22^{\circ}C$, 2 mL/min); the normothermic phenytoin group and the hypothermicphenytoin group received retrograde infusion of 100 mg of phenytoin at different rectal temperatures ($39^{\circ}C$ and $37^{\circ}C$, respectively) during the ischemic period. The neurologic function was assessed at 24 and 72 hours after the operation with using the modified Tarlov criteria. The spinal cords were harvested after the final neurologic examination for histopathological examination to objectively quantify the amount of neuronal damage. Result: No major adverse effects were observed with the retrograde phenytoin infusion during the aortic ischemic period. All the control rabbits became severely paraplegic, Both the phenytoin group and the hypothermia group had a better neurological status than did the control group (p < 0.05). The typical morphological changes that are characteristic of neuronal necrosis in the gray matter of the control animals were demonstrated by means of the histopathological examination, whereas phenytoin or hypothermia prevented or attenuated these necrotic phenomena (p < 0.05). The number of motor neuron cells positive for TUNEL staining was significantly reduced, to a similar extent, in the rabbits treated with phenytoin or hypothermia. Phenytoin and hypothermia had some additive neuroprotective effect, but there was no statistical significance between the two on the neurological and histopathological analysis. Conclusion: The neurological and histopathological analysis consistently demonstrated that both phenytoin and hypothermia may afford significant spinal cord protection to a similar extent during spinal cord ischemia in rabbits, although no significant additive effects were noticed.