• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.201-204
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• 2016

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan that can modulate the environment of the infected host. An unfavorable environment modulated by T. gondii in the brain includes tumor microenvironment. Literature has suggested that T. gondii infection is associated with development of brain tumors. However, in Korea, epidemiological data regarding this correlation have been scarce. In this study, in order to investigate the relationship between T. gondii infection and brain tumor development, we investigated the seroprevalence of T. gondii among 93 confirmed brain tumor patients (various histological types, including meningioma and astrocytoma) in Korea using ELISA. The results revealed that T. gondii seropositivity among brain tumor patients (18.3%) was significantly (P<0.05) higher compared with that of healthy controls (8.6%). The seropositivity of brain tumor patients showed a significant age-tendency, i.e., higher in younger age group, compared with age-matched healthy controls (P<0.05). In conclusion, this study supports the close relationship between T. gondii infection and incidence of brain tumors.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.12 no.sup1
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• pp.46-52
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• 2009

As the most common nutrition deficiency, iron deficiency not only causes anemia but also influences the central nervous system development. Its pathogenesis is supposed to be the alteration of neurometabolism and neurotransmission in major brain structures, and the disruption of myelination. The first two years after birth is a crucial period for cognitive, behavior, and emotional development with fast brain growth. If iron deficiency occurs in this period, cognitive and psychomotor function cannot be restored in spite of adequate iron supplementation. Thus, iron deficiency in infancy should be considered as a serious disease.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.91-119
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• 1995

The purpose of this study was to research the brain development program of childrens. Information gained from this study may be useful to school teachers who seek educational psychologist who are willing to guide students with potential minds. This study aimed to answer the research question as follows; What educational brain development program and strategegies did the children thinking as having influenced their potential minds. What educational brain development program and strategegies did the teachers thinking as having influenced their potential minds. To investigate the elementary students in kang seo gu bang hwa dong were selected. And the writing mind maps were examined for reports of mind maps. Some of the more salient findings are presented: Most of the elementary school 30 students came from very well mind maps where mind potential mind toward thinking. this study of the elementary school teacher came form well mind maps where mind potential mind toward thinking. The mind maps seemed to have been influenced positively in children brain development. Educational condition and events such as recommendation from mind maps had more effect on thinking than learning experiences had.

• Proceedings of the Korea Information Processing Society Conference
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• 2012.04a
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• pp.336-339
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• 2012

VTK is a free but professional development platform for images three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and processing. It is powerful, open-source, and users can customize their own needs by self-development of great flexibility. To give the doctors more and detailed information by simulate dissection to the 3-D brain MRI image after reconstruction. A Visualization System (VS) is proposed to achieve 3D brain reconstruction and virtual dissection functions. Based on the free VTK visualization development platform and Visual Studio 2010 IDE development tools, through C++ language, using real people's MRI brain dataset, we realized the images 3D reconstruction and also its applications and extensions correspondingly. The display effect of the reconstructed 3D image is well and intuitive. With the related operations such as measurement, virtual dissection and so on, the good results we desired could be achieved.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.280-290
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• 2017

Several lines of evidence suggest that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is known to regulate the ER stress signaling pathway, but its role in neuronal systems in terms of ER stress remains largely unknown. Here, we showed that rotenone-induced toxicity in human neuroblastoma cell lines and mouse primary cortical neurons was ameliorated by PTP1B inhibition. Moreover, the increase in the level of ER stress markers ($eIF2{\alpha}$ phosphorylation and PERK phosphorylation) induced by rotenone treatment was obviously suppressed by concomitant PTP1B inhibition. However, the rotenone-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was not affected by PTP1B inhibition, suggesting that the neuroprotective effect of the PTP1B inhibitor is not associated with ROS production. Moreover, we found that MG132-induced toxicity involving proteasome inhibition was also ameliorated by PTP1B inhibition in a human neuroblastoma cell line and mouse primary cortical neurons. Consistently, downregulation of the PTP1B homologue gene in Drosophila mitigated rotenone- and MG132-induced toxicity. Taken together, these findings indicate that PTP1B inhibition may represent a novel therapeutic approach for ER stress-mediated neurodegenerative diseases.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.31-35
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• 2011

Teeth develop via a reciprocal induction between the ectomesenchyme originating from the neural crest and the ectodermal epithelium. During complete formation of the tooth morphology and structure, many cells proliferate, differentiate, and can be replaced with other structures. Apoptosis is a type of genetically-controlled cell death and a biological process arising at the cellular level during development. To determine if apoptosis is an effective mechanism for eliminating cells during tooth development, this process was examined in the rat mandible including the developing molar teeth using the transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick labeling (TUNEL) method. The tooth germ of the mandibular first molar in the postnatal rat showed a variety of morphological appearances from the bell stage to the crown stage. Strong TUNEL-positive reactivity was observed in the ameloblasts and cells of the stellate reticulum. Odontoblasts near the prospective cusp area also showed a TUNEL positive reaction and several cells in the dental papilla, which are the forming pulp, were also stained intensively in this assay. Our results thus show that apoptosis may take place not only in epithelial-derived dental organs but also in the mesenchyme-derived dental papilla. Hence, apoptosis may be an essential biological process in tooth development.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.2 no.6
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• pp.499-507
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• 2018

For the spatiotemporally aligned observation of photothrombosis induction and transient variations of in vivo brain stroke, we developed a novel photothrombosis inducing system compatible to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system using nonmagnetic stereotaxic equipment. From the spatial point of view, the system provides a more reliable level of reproducibility of the photothrombosis in each brain. From the temporal point of view, from T1- and T2-weighted in vivo MR (magnetic resonance) images, the transient variations such as incidence, location, and size of the thrombosis are measured quantitatively. In addition, the final variation is observed in the ex vivo brain by TTC (Triphenyltetrazolium chloride) staining based on histological assay and utilized for the verification of the MR images. From the experimental result of the rat brain, the proposed system shows more reliable characteristics for transient variations of brain strokes.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 2011

Development of mouse fetus brains can be defined morphologically and functionally by three developmental stages, embryo day (ED) 16, postnatal stage one week and eight weeks. These defined stages of brain development may be closely associated with differential gene expression rates due to limited cellular resources such as energy, space, and free water. Complex patterns of expressed genes and proteins during brain development suggests the changes in relative concentrations of proteins rather than the increase in numbers of new gene products. This study was designed to evaluate early protein expression pattern in mouse fetus brain. The mouse brain proteome of fetus at ED 15.5, and 19.5 was obtained using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (DE). Analysis of the 2-DE gels in pH 3-10 range revealed the presence of 15 differentially expressed spots, of which 11 spots were identified to be known proteins following MALDI-TOF analysis; 3 spots were up-regulated and 8 spots were down-regulated in the mouse fetus brain at ED 15.5. UP-regulated proteins were identified as MCG18238, isoform M2 of pyruvate kinase isozymes M1/M2, isoform 2 of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein H2, creatine kinase B-type, 40S ribosomal protein SA and hemoglobin subunit beta-H1. Down-regulated proteins were putative uncharacterized protein, lactoylglutathione lyase and secreted acidic cysteine rich glycoprotein. Our results revealed composite profiles of mouse fetus brain proteins related to mouse fetus development by 2-DE analysis implying possible roles of these proteins in neural differentiation.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.11
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• pp.846-854
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• 2022

Neurons make long-distance connections via their axons, and the accuracy and stability of these connections are crucial for brain function. Research using various animal models showed that the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the assembly and maintenance of neuronal circuitry are highly conserved in vertebrates. Therefore, to gain a deeper understanding of brain development and maintenance, an efficient vertebrate model is required, where the axons of a defined neuronal cell type can be genetically manipulated and selectively visualized in vivo. Placental mammals pose an experimental challenge, as time-consuming breeding of genetically modified animals is required due to their in utero development. Xenopus laevis, the most commonly used amphibian model, offers comparative advantages, since their embryos ex utero during which embryological manipulations can be performed. However, the tetraploidy of the X. laevis genome makes them not ideal for genetic studies. Here, we use Xenopus tropicalis, a diploid amphibian species, to visualize axonal pathfinding and degeneration of a single central nervous system neuronal cell type, the retinal ganglion cell (RGC). First, we show that RGC axons follow the developmental trajectory previously described in X. laevis with a slightly different timeline. Second, we demonstrate that co-electroporation of DNA and/or oligonucleotides enables the visualization of gene function-altered RGC axons in an intact brain. Finally, using this method, we show that the axon-autonomous, Sarm1-dependent axon destruction program operates in X. tropicalis. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that the visual system of X. tropicalis is a highly efficient model to identify new molecular mechanisms underlying axon guidance and survival.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.94-95
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• 2002

Drug targeting to the central nervous system (CNS) is the limiting factor in CNS drug development because most of drug do not cross the brain capillary endothelial wall, which forms the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vivo. One strategy for drug targeting to the brain is to use endogenous BBB transport systems. (omitted)