• Applied Microscopy
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.109-124
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• 1993

The prenatal development of thoracic spinal cord was studied by electron microscope in human embryos and fetuses ranging from 9mm to 260mm crown-rump length (5-30 weeks of gestational age). Ependymal cells in all fetal ages had conspicuous junctional complexes close to the lumen of the central canal into which microvilli and cilia projected. The ependymal cells contained numerous longitudinally arranged mitochondria, flattened cisternae of endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex. At 20 mm embryo, the floor and roof plates were composed of ependymoglial cells and undifferentiated neuroepithelial cells. The neuroepithelia of the sacral spinal cord were delineated from central medullary cord. By 100 mm fetus few undifferentiated neuroepithelial cells remained in the floor and roof plates. At 150 mm fetus, the whole central canal was formed by ciliated columnar epithelial cells containing cilia with basal bodies. The microvilli became tangled and club-shaped and formed a matted surface. The canal was filled with areas of dark and pale amorphous materials bounded by membrane-like structure. These two types of material were found throughout the whole central canal from 100 mm fetus onwards. By 260 mm fetus, microfibrils were first observed in the ependymal cells. In conclusion, it seems that early development and differentiation of central canal ependyma are simlar to that in other part of the brain ventricular system although ependymoglial cells are more prominent.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.293-303
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: The physiological oxygen tension in fetal brains (~3%, physioxia) is beneficial for the maintenance of neural stem cells (NSCs). Sensitivity to oxygen varies between NSCs from different fetal brain regions, with midbrain NSCs showing selective susceptibility. Data on Hif-1𝛼/Notch regulatory interactions as well as our observations that Hif-1𝛼 and oxygen affect midbrain NSCs survival and proliferation prompted our investigations on involvement of Notch signalling in physioxia-dependent midbrain NSCs performance. Methods and Results: Here we found that physioxia (3% O₂) compared to normoxia (21% O₂) increased proliferation, maintained stemness by suppression of spontaneous differentiation and supported cell cycle progression. Microarray and qRT-PCR analyses identified significant changes of Notch related genes in midbrain NSCs after long-term (13 days), but not after short-term physioxia (48 hours). Consistently, inhibition of Notch signalling with DAPT increased, but its stimulation with Dll4 decreased spontaneous differentiation into neurons solely under normoxic but not under physioxic conditions. Conclusions: Notch signalling does not influence the fate decision of midbrain NSCs cultured in vitro in physioxia, where other factors like Hif-1𝛼 might be involved. Our findings on how physioxia effects in midbrain NSCs are transduced by alternative signalling might, at least in part, explain their selective susceptibility to oxygen.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 1991

We measured the developmental increase of tyrosine hydroxylase(TH) activity and dopamine content with high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection(HPLC-EC) in dissociated cultures of fetal rat brainstem(E14). TH activity and dopamine content increased progressively upto 7 days in vitro, when the effects of various drugs on the dopamine contents were studied. ${\alpha}-Methyl-p-tyrosine$, a TH inhibitor and NSD-1015, an inhibitor of aromatic amiono acid decarboxylase effectively depleted dopamine contents. Dopamine contents were depleted by reserpine and increased by pargyline. When cultures grown for 1 week in control medium were then exposed to tetrodotoxin$(0.1\;{\mu}M$) for 7 days, exposure to tetrodotoxin markedly decreased TH activity. All the above results indicate that dopamine metabolism in the cultered cells reflect reliably the property of brain dopamine metabolism. We suggest that measuring TH activity and dopamine content in brainstem culture with HPLC-EC can be useful tool in the study of pharmacology as well as toxicology of the central dopaminergic system.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.1291-1296
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• 2007

The expressions of c-Fos and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) represent neuronal activity and play' a crucial role in the shaping of the development of brain. During the late pregnancy, stresses may influence neuronal activity of prenatal rats. In the present study, the effects of prenatal noise and music on the expressions of c-Fos and NOS in the hippocampus of rat pups were investigated. Exposure to the noise during pregnancy decreased c-Fos and NOS expressions in the hippocampus of rat pups, whereas exposure to music during pregnancy increased c-Fos and NOS expressions in the hippocampus of rat pups. The present results show that prenatal music stimulation may increase neuronal activity of rat offspring, whereas exposure to noise during pregnancy may reduce the neuronal activity of offspring. The present study suggests that prenatal stimuli including noise and music could affect the fetal brain development.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.528-530
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• 2007

Purpose: Holoprosencephaly(HPE) is a rare developmental defect due to incomplete cleavages of the prosencephalon during the third week of fetal development. Chromosomal anomalies, genetic syndrome, teratogen, or genetic disorder of non-syndromic HPE are usually accepted as etiology. The consequences of prechordal mesoderm defect are varying degrees of deficit of midline facial development, especially the median nasal process(premaxilla), and incomplete morphogenesis of the forebrain. We experienced a case of lobar HPE with complete cleft lip and palate. Methods: A female newborn infant was born at $38^{+6}$ weeks' gestational age via NSVD. The infant's birth weight was 3.6 kg, height 52 cm, and head circumference 32.5 cm, showing microcephaly, flat nose, median complete cleft lip & palate, and hypotelorism, along with defects of midfacial development including losses of premaxilla, philtrum, nasal septum, and columella. Results: There were no specific findings noted from the head and neck X-ray and tests for endocrine and metabolic disorders, but clinical characteristics of midface and dysgenesis corpus callosum on brain MRI were seen, so that this case was diagnosed with HPE. Conclusion: HPE is divided into three categories of alobar, semilobar, and lobar prosencephaly according to the degree of cerebral hemisphere separation. Assesment of patient's brain abnormality and malformation is essential in determining the extent and benefit of surgical intervention. This case was included in the lobar type HPE which shows relatively good prognosis compared with other types and reconstruction of median complete cleft lip & palate and midfacial defects will be performed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.131-137
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to present the reference value of the intracranial translucency(IT) of the fetus using the mid sagittal plane of the post brain in the early pregnancy ultrasound screening test and to find the clinical significance. From August 2018 to February 2020, the IT of 1529 singleton fetus whose crown lump length were 40.6 mm to 78.3 mm in length among the mothers undergoing regular checkups at Hospital I were measured and analyzed retrospectively. As the crown lump length increased, the IT showed a 54.3% explanatory power and tended to increase(p<0.001). In addition, through frequency analysis, the standard value for the percentile of the IT by gestational weeks was calculated. As a result, it was possible to establish a standard value for Koreans with an IT, and it will be usefully applied as an auxiliary screening test for spina bifida in the evaluation of fetal post brain in early pregnancy.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.273-276
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• 2014

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) during pregnancy is quite rare, however it has a high maternal mortality rate. A pregnant woman in the 16th gestational week was admitted to our hospital with a drowsy level of consciousness. A brain magnetic resonance (MR) image showed hemorrhage on the prepontine cistern, and both sylvian fissures, and MR angiography and cerebral digital subtraction angiography demonstrated an aneurysm at the left posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). We performed endovascular coil embolization attempting to minimize radiation exposure. She was discharged with no neurologic deficit and delivered a healthy baby by cesarean section at the 38th week of gestation. This case study reported the shortest gestational period and this is the first report on an aneurysmal rupture arising from PICA which was treated using an endovascular method. Using an appropriate technique for reduced radiation exposure to the fetus and limited alterations in maternal-fetal physiology, endovascular coil embolization could guarantee good results in treatment of aneurysmal SAH in pregnant women.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.145-156
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• 2003

Obesity is caused by imbalance of energy intake and expense. If energy intake is more than its expenditure, body does fat accumulation and affects body weight. It can be fetal disease although obesity is not disease in itself. Central regulatary system is affected by many neurotransmitters regulating .food intake in brain. Hypothalamus was known as one of food intake regulation in CNS. In order to investigate gene expression difference in hypothalamus by different nutrient, we used C57/BL6 control mouse and db-/db- mouse. They divided each of two group with mouse, and fed control diet and high-fat diet for 4 weeks. Each of control and high-fat diet contained 11.7% and 59.7% fat, respectively. Then we performed microarray assay with them. We compared among changed genes in hypothalamus region. In the results, we observed that increased genes were more than decreased genes. Although hypothalamus size of db-/db- mouse is smaller than that of C57/BL6, more genes were affected in db-/db- mouse. In this study, many genes are affected by nutrient in hypothalamus region.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2013

The obligatory intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is a major world wide cause of infectious ovine abortion. In some different diagnostic techniques that are being used to detect this pathogen in ovine fetuses, immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a very sensitive and expensive one. Histopathology is not truly a specific and sensitive test for Toxoplasma infection but it can be helpful to choose some suspected tissues for IHC. In this study 9.5% of 200 samples (aborted ovine fetuses internal organs such as brain, liver, heart, lung, kidney, spleen) (4.6~14.4% with 95% CI) were positive in IHC with a very good logical agreement among different diagnostic techniques (${\kappa}=0.73$, 0.8) and with no significant difference among different fetal age groups (p > 0.05).

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.677-685
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• 2006

Purpose : This study aimed to investigate whether exogenous thyroxine($T_4$) treatment to alcohol-fed dams would ameliorate the detrimental effects of alcohol on the postnatal development of neuropeptide-Y(NPY)-containing neurons of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the offspring. Methods : Time-pregnant rats were divided into three groups. An alcohol-fed group A received 35 calories of liquid alcohol diet daily from gestation day 6; control group B was fed a liquid diet in which dextrin replaced alcohol isocalorically; and alcohol＋$T_4$ group C received 35 calories of liquid alcohol diet and exogenous thyroxine subcutaneously. The features of the growth and maturation of rat brain tissue were observed at 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 postnatal days via immunohistochemistry. Results : Group C showed prominent NPY immunoreactivity in the cerebral cortex compared to group A and B at P7. In group C, NPY-containing neurons were widely distributed in the all layers of cerebral cortex after P14. Also, numerical decreases of NPY-containing neuron were not found according to increasing age in group C. A decrease of NPY-containing neurons, however, was clearly observed in group A compared to group C at P28. In the hippocampus, similar patterns appeared in groups B and C after P7. Especially, in groups B and C, NPY-containing fibers formed plexus in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus at P14. Conclusion : These results suggest that the increase of NPY synthesis caused by maternal administration of exogenous thyroxine may convalesce fetal alcohol effects, one of the effects of the dysthyroid state following maternal alcohol abuse.