• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.381-387
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Vascular dementia (VaD) caused by reduced blood supply to the brain manifests as white matter lesions accompanying demyelination and glial activation. We previously showed that arabinoxylan consisting of arabinose and xylose, and arabinose itself attenuated white matter injury in a rat model of VaD. Here, we investigated whether larch arabinogalactan (LAG) consisting of arabinose and galactose could also reduce white matter injury. MATERIALS/METHODS: We used a rat model of bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO), in which the bilateral common carotid arteries were exposed and ligated permanently with silk sutures. The rats were fed a modified AIN-93G diet supplemented with LAG (100 mg/kg/day) for 5 days before and 4 weeks after being subjected to BCCAO. Four weeks after BCCAO, the pupillary light reflex (PLR) was measured to assess functional consequences of injury in the corpus callosum (cc). Additionally, Luxol fast blue staining and immunohistochemical staining were conducted to assess white matter injury, and astrocytic and microglial activation, respectively. RESULTS: We showed that white matter injury in the the cc and optic tract (opt) was attenuated in rats fed diet supplemented with LAG. Functional consequences of injury reduction in the opt manifested as improved PLR. Overall, these findings indicate that LAG intake protects against white matter injury through inhibition of glial activation. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support our hypothesis that cell wall polysaccharides consisting of arabinose are effective at protecting white matter injury, regardless of their origin. Moreover, LAG has the potential for development as a functional food to prevent vascular dementia.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.122-127
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• 2010

PURPOSE. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between tooth loss and sub-clinical atherosclerosis in Korean adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The subjects were part of a cohort study conducted in Ansan city by the Korea University medical school as part of the Korean Genome project. 749 subjects over than 40 years old were evaluated. After taking panoramic radiography, the amount of tooth loss was calculated. The intima-media thickness (IMT) was assessed by using ultrasonography at the common carotid artery. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors for atherosclerosis were also evaluated. The relationship between tooth loss and the IMT was evaluated using ANOVA with Scheffe's multiple comparison method in univariate analysis. Multiple regression analysis was also performed to determine the significance between the IMT and tooth loss. RESULTS. With age, tooth loss increased, but there was no significant increase in other traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Univariate analysis revealed the IMT to be positively related with the amount of tooth loss. Regression analysis of the IMT in the anterior and posterior tooth loss revealed that only the posterior tooth loss was significantly related with the IMT at all sites of the common carotid artery (right far wall, P = .015; left far wall, P = .008; right near wall, P < .001; left near wall, P = .001). CONCLUSION. This study verified the positive relationship between the increased tooth loss at the posterior area and the accumulation of atheroma in arteries.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.54-58
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• 2009

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with several cardiovascular diseases. However, the mechanisms are not completely understood. The measure of common carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) has been extensively used as an early marker of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that early signs of atherosclerosis are present in patients with OSA and correlate with OSA severity Methods: Eleven male patients with OSA were studied by using full standard overnight polysomnography and high-definition echo-tracking device to measure intima-media thickness and carotid artery diameter. Eight healthy volunteers matched for age and sex were studied by portable respiratory monitoring device. All participants were free of hypertension, diabetes, and were not on any medications. Patients with OSA were naive to treatment. Results: All patients and normal controls were male. There was no significant difference of age between patients and controls ($48.4{\pm}8.85$ and $48.0{\pm}9.77$). Significant differences existed between control subjects and patients with mild to moderate and severe OSA (apnea-hypopnea index, $1.51{\pm}1.15$ and $38.51{\pm}19.13$ respectively) in intima-media thickness ($0.59{\pm}0.064$ and $0.93{\pm}0.16$; P=0.0023), and carotid diameter ($5.79{\pm}0.44$ and $6.47{\pm}0.51$; P=0.0227). Multivariate analyses showed that the apnea-hypopnea index correlated independently with intima-media thickness and carotid diameter (r=0.79, P=0.0008, and r=0.47, P=0.0482). Conclusions: Middle-aged patients with OSA who are free of overt cardiovascular diseases have early signs of atherosclerosis, which further supports the hypothesis that OSA plays an independent role in atherosclerosis progression.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.253-261
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• 2012

Objective : This study was performed to determine the anatomical landmarks and optimal dissection points of the facial nerve (FN) and the hypoglossal nerve (HGN) in the submandibular region to provide guidance for hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis (HFNA). Methods : Twenty-nine specimens were obtained from 15 formalin-fixed adult cadavers. Distances were measured based on the mastoid process tip (MPT), common carotid artery bifurcation (CCAB), and the digastric muscle posterior belly (DMPB). Results : The shortest distance from the MPT to the stylomastoid foramen was $14.1{\pm}2.9$ mm. The distance from the MPT to the FN origin was $8.6{\pm}2.8$ mm anteriorly and $5.9{\pm}2.8$ mm superiorly. The distance from the CCAB to the crossing point of the HGN and the internal carotid artery was $18.5{\pm}6.7$ mm, and that to the crossing point of the HGN and the external carotid artery was $15.1{\pm}5.7$ mm. The distance from the CCAB to the HGN bifurcation was $26.6{\pm}7.5$ mm. The distance from the digastric groove to the HGN, which was found under the DMPB, was about $35.8{\pm}5.7$ mm. The distance from the digastric groove to the HGN, which was found under the DMPB, corresponded to about 65.5% of the whole length of the DMPB. Conclusion : This study provides useful information regarding the morphometric anatomy of the submandibular region, and the presented morphological data on the nerves and surrounding structures will aid in understanding the anatomical structures more accurately to prevent complications of HFNA.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.411-417
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• 2007

Objectives: Although risk factors for coronary artery disease are also associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), there is little information available on the asymptomatic, young adult population. We examined the association between multiple cardiovascular risk factors and the common carotid IMT in 280 young Korean adults. Methods: The data used for this study was obtained from 280 subjects (130 men and 150 women) aged 25 years who participated in the Kangwha Study follow-up examination in 2005. We measured cardiovascular risk factors, including anthropometries, blood pressure, blood chemistry, carotid ultrasonography, and reviewed questionnaires on health behaviors. Risk factors were defined as values above the sex-specific 75th percentile of systolic blood pressure, body mass index, total cholesterol/ high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, fasting blood glucose and smoking status. Results: The mean carotid IMT${\pm}$standard deviation observed was $0.683{\pm}0.079mm$ in men and $0.678{\pm}0.067mm$ in women (p=0.567) and the evidence of plaque was not observed in any individuals. Mean carotid IMT increased with an increasing number of risk factors(p for trend <0.001) and carotid IMT values were 0.665 mm, 0.674 mm, 0.686 mm, 0.702 mm, and 0.748 mm for 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 to 5 risk factors, respectively. The odds ratio for having the top quartile carotid IMT in men with 3 or more risk factors versus 0-2 risk factors was 5.09 (95% CI, 2.05-12.64). Conclusions: Current findings indicate the need for prevention and control of cardiovascular risk factors in young adults and more focus on those with multiple cardiovascular risk factors.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.325-332
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• 2018

Carotid angiography covering the aortic arch includes contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CEA), which is applied to a large region and usually employs contrast media. However, the use of contrast media can be dangerous in infants, pregnant women, and patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). Follow-up patients informed of a lesion may also want to avoid constant exposure to contrast media. We aimed to apply time-of-flight (TOF) angiography to a large region and compare its usefulness with that of CEA. Ten patients (mean age, 58 years; range, 45~75 years) who visited our hospital for magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) participated in this study. A 3.0 Tesla Achieva magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system (Philips, Netherland) and the SENSE NeuroVascular 16-channel coil were employed for both methods. Both methods were applied simultaneously to the same patient. Three TOF stacks were connected to cover the aortic arch through the circle of Willis, and CEA was applied in the same manner. For the quantitative assessment, the acquired images were used to set the regions of interest (ROIs) in the common carotid artery (CCA) bifurcation, internal carotid artery, external carotid artery, middle cerebral artery, and vertebral artery, and to obtain the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for the soft tissues. Three radiologists and one radiological resident performed the qualitative assessment on a 5-point scale - 1 point, "very bad"; 2 points, "bad"; 3 points, "average"; 4 points, "good"; and 5 points, "very good" - with regard to 4 items: (1) sharpness, (2) distortion, (3) vein contamination, and (4) expression of peripheral vessels. For the quantitative assessment, we estimated the mean SNR and CNR in each of the 5 ROIs. In general, the mean SNR was higher in TOF angiography (166.1, 205.2, 154.39, 172.23, and 161.95) than in CEA(92.05, 95.43, 84.76, 73.69, and 88.3). Both methods had a similar mean CNR: 67.62, 106.71, 55.9, 73.74, and 63.46 for TOF angiography, and 67.82, 71.19, 60.52, 49.45, and 64.07 for CEA. In all ROIs, the mean SNR was statistically significant (p<0.05), whereas the mean CNR was insignificant (p>0.05). The mean values of TOF angiography and CEA for each item in the qualitative assessment were 4.2 and 4.28, respectively for item 1; 2.93 and 4.55, respectively, for item 2; 4.6 and 3.13, respectively, for item 3; and 2.88 and 4.65, respectively, for item 4. Therefore, TOF angiography had a higher mean for item 3, and CEA had a higher mean for items 2 and 4; there was no significant difference between the two methods for item 1. The results for item 1 were statistically insignificant (p>0.05), whereas the results for items 2~4 were statistically significant (p<0.05). Both methods have advantages and disadvantages and they complement each other. However, CEA is usually applied to a large region covering the aortic arch. Time-of-flight angiography may be useful for people such as infants, pregnant women, CRF patients, and followup patients for whom the use of contrast media can be dangerous or unnecessary, depending on the circumstance.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.907-913
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• 1994

From October 1990 to May 1993, 19 patients underwent replacement of the transverse aortic arch. [10 men, 9 women, mean age 52.5 years] Underlying diseases were acute aortic dissection [10 cases], chronic aortic dissection [4 cases],and aortic arch aneurysm [ 5 cases]. In 19 patients, 10 underwent partial replacement and 9 underwent total arch replacement. The cerebral protection was achieved by profound hypothermia [rectal temperature,16$^{\circ}$ to 2$0^{\circ}C$] associated with total circulatory arrest [mean 35.5 minutes]. In one patient, the aortic arch distal to the left common carotid artery was resected with the distal arch being cross-clamped and in another two patients, the selective cerebral perfusion was also applied during the period of total circulatory arrest via innominate artery and left common carotid artery because of longer total circulatory arrest time. Among 14 patients of aortic dissecton, 10 presented hypertension, 1 presented Marfan syndrome, 1 presented pregnancy-induced hypertension and 2 revealed no evidence of hypertension. All of the above 14 patients complained chest pain. Among 5 patients of aortic arch aneurysm, Be het disease was suspected in only one patient and atherosclerotic aneurysm was proved in another 4 patients. The overall hospital mortality was 32% [6/19]. In aortic dissection, the mortality was 43% [Acute aortic dissection 30%, chronic aortic dissection 75%] and in aortic arch aneurysm, the mortality was 0%. Follow-up was done in all survivors for from 7 months to 36 months[mean,17.3%].

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.100-104
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• 1993

Carotid-cavernous sinus fistula(CCSF) is an abnormal arterio-venous communication between the cavernous sinus and the internal carotid artery. It is usually caused by craniofacial trauma and a very rarely encountered complication, but it may also occur spontaneously. The most common cause of traumatic CCSF is blunt trauma, which usually associated with a skull base, frontal or midfacial fracture. The common clinical feature of CCSF are orbital bruit, headache, exophthalmos, chemosis, diplopia, visual disturbance and others. This dramatic ocular-orbital symptoms are principally due to orbital venous hypertension. The symptoms occured within a few hours to a maximum of a year after injury, usually within several weeks. The patient, 33-year-old female, developed a carotid-cavernous sinus fistula after only minimal closed trauma We present a rare case of CCSF associated facial bone fracture that was successfully treated by detachable balloon embolization with a review of the literature.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.477-484
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• 2006

Objectives : This study was conducted to examine the association between the carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), plaque and cardiovascular risk factors according to gender and age. Methods : The data used for this study were obtained from 1,507 subjects (691 men, 816 women), aged 20-74 years, who participated in 'Prevalence study of thyroid diseases' in two counties of Jeollanam-do Province during July and August of 2004. The body mass index (BMI) and waist hip ratio (WHR) were calculated by anthropometry The blood pressure, pulse rate, pulse pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol and fasting blood sugar level were also measured. Ultrasonography was used to measure the carotid artery IMT and plaque. IMT measurements were performed at 6 sites, including both common carotid arteries, and the bulb and internal carotid arteries. The definition of the 'mean IMT' was mean value obtained from these 6 sites. Results : The ${\pm}$ standard deviation IMT values were $0.65{\pm}0.14\;and\;0.60{\pm}0.13mm$ in men and women (p<0.001), respectively. The data were analyzed according to gender and the 50 year age groups. In a multiple linear regression analysis, age and hypertension were positively associated with the mean IMT in both men and women, aged<50 years. Age, total cholesterol and smoking (current) were positively associated with the mean IMT in men $(\geq50\;years)$. Age was positively associated with the mean IMT in women $(\geq50\;years)$, but the HDL cholesterol level was negatively associated. The prevalence of plaques was 44.2%(196/443) in men and 19.4%(89/459) in women, for those greater than 50 years of age. In a multiple logistic regression analysis, age (OR=1.090, 95%CI=1.053-1.129), HDL cholesterol (OR=0.964, 95%CI=0.944-0.984), total cholesterol (OR=1.009, 95%CI=1.002-1.017)and BMI (OH=0.896, 95%CI=0.818-0.983) were independently associated with plaques in men; whereas, age (OR=1.057, 95%CI=1.012-1.103), HDL cholesterol (OR=0.959, 95%CI=0.932-0.986), pulse pressure (OR=1.029, 95%CI=1.007-1.050) and triglycerides (OR=0.531, 95%CI=0.300-0.941) were independently associated with plaques in women. Conclusions: There were significant gender and aging differences in the association between the IMT, plaque and cardiovascular risk factors. Therefore, for the prevention of atherosclerosis, selective approaches should be considered with regard to gender and age factors.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.160-166
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• 2000

The present study examined influence of various ischemic duration on extent of focal ischemic brain injury induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats. The MCAO was produced by insertion of a 17 mm silicone-coated 4-0 nylon surgical thread to the origin of MCA through the internal carotid artery for 30, 60, 90, 120 min (transient) or 24 hr (permanent) in male Sprague-Dawley rats under isoflurane anesthesia. Reperfusion in transient MCAO models was achieved by pulling the thread out of the internal carotid artery. Only rats showing neurological deficits characterized by left hemiparesis and/or circling to the left, were included in cerebral ischemic groups. The rats were sacrificed 24 hr after MCAO and seven serial coronal slices of the brain were stained with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride. Infarct size was measured using a computerized image analyzer. Ischemic damage was common in the frontoparietal cortex (somatosensory area) and the lateral segment of the striatum while damage to the medial segment of the striatum depended on the duration of the occlusion. In the 30-min MCAO grouts, however, infarcted region was primarily confined to the striatum and it was difficult to clearly delineate the region since there was mixed population of live and dead cells in the nucleus. Infarct volume was generally increased depending on the duration of MCAO, showing the most severe damage in the permanent MCAO group. However, there was no significant difference in infarct size between the 90-min and 120-min MCAO groups. % Edema also tended to increase depending on the duration of MCAO. The results suggest that the various focal ischemic rat models established in the present study can be used to evaluate in vivo neuroprotective activities of candidate compounds or to elucidate pathophysiological mechanisms of ischemic neuronal cell death.