• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2005

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to observe the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) contrast changes due to the reaction of human brain at a gustatory sense in response to a salty-taste stimulation. Materials and Methods : Twelve healthy, non-smoking, right-handed male subjects (mean age: 25.6, range: 23-28 years) participated in this salty-taste stimulus functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) study. MRI scans were performed with 1.57 GE Signa, using a multi-slice GE-EPI sequence according to a blood-oxy-gen-level dependent (BOLD) experiment paradigm. Scan parameters included matrix size $128\times128$, FOV 250 mm, TR 5000 msec, TE 60 msec, TH/GAP 5/2 mm. Sequential data acquisitions were carried out for 42 measurements with a repetition time of 5 sec for each taste-stimulus experiments. Analysis of fMRI data was carried out using SPM99 implemented in Matlab. NaCl solution $(3\%)$ was used as a salty stimulus. The task paradigm consisted of alternating rest-stimulus cycles (30-second rest, 15-second stimulus) for 210 seconds. During the stimulus period, NaCl-solution was presented to the subject's mouth through plastic tubes as a bolus of delivered every 5 sec using -processor controlled auto-syringe pump. Results : Insula, frontal opercular taste cortex, amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) were activated by a salty-taste stimulation $(NaCl,\;3\%)$ in the fMRI experiments. And dosolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was also significantly responded to salty-taste stimuli. Activation areas of the right side hemisphere were more superior to the left side hemisphere. Conclusion : The results of this study well correspond to the fact that both insula, amygdala, OFC, DLPFC areas are established as taste cortical areas by neuronal recordings in primates. Authors found that laboratory-developed auto-syringe pump is suitable for gustatory fMRI study. Further research in this field will accelerate to inquire into the mechanism of higher order gustatory process.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.593-598
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• 1996

The large number of past investigation on extended myocardial protection clearly indicates that cold potassium cardioplegia and topical cooling have limited capabilities. Accordingly, more recent experimen- tal approaches have focused on the modalities of reperfusion and their implication on postischemic myo- cardial recovery. Oxygen may play a crucial role in the development of ischemic and reperfusion injury. Reactive oxygen radicals may be produced during ischemia or reperfusion after incomplete reduction of molecular oxygen or from other pathway and then induce fatal injury of the heart. The important obser- vation of oxygen-induced myocardial damage during reperfusion has led to the concept of applying oxy- gen free radical scavengers. So, this study is on dietary vitamin C supplementation as antioxidant in rats to determine whether or not they have a higher tolerance against cardiac ischemia-reperf'usion injury under Langendorff system. Male or female Sprague-Dawley rats (190-33Og) were randomly separated into two groups. Group A was not treated(n=10). Group B received vitamin C supplement (n=10). Experiment was performed 24 hours after vitamin C 200mg fed orally as injectable ascorbic acid. There were significant differences in contractile parameters between control and vitamin C-treated group. The RLVP (r te of post/preischemic left ventricular pressure) and Rdp/dt (rate of post/preischemic dp/dt) were significant statistically between two groups (p<0.05). But, RHR (rate of post/preischemic heart rate), time to first beat and sta'utilization were not significant. In conclusion, pretreatment with the antioxidant, ascorbic acid, was found to preserve left ventricular contractile function. But the precise mechanism of action of ascorbic acid has not as yet been determined, so further study will be required.