• IEIE Transactions on Smart Processing and Computing
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.76-84
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• 2017

This paper presents an efficient method for generating spatiotemporal images in order to detect leukocyte motion in microvessels. Leveraging the constraint that leukocytes move along the contour line of the blood vessel wall, our proposed method efficiently generates spatiotemporal images for leukocyte motion detection. To that end, translational motion caused by in vivo movement is first removed by a template matching method. Second, the blood vessel region is detected by an automatic threshold selection method in order to binarize temporal variance images. Then, the contour of the blood vessel wall is expressed via B-spline function. Finally, using the detected blood vessel wall's contour as an initial curve, the plasma layer for the most accurate position is determined in order to find the spatial axis via snake, and the spatiotemporal images are generated. Experimental results show that the spatiotemporal images are generated effectively through comparison of each step with three images.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.70-75
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• 1998

Tumor growth and metastasis depends on angiogenesis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent mitogen for vascular endothelial cells in vitro and promotes neoangiogenesis in vivo. Objective: Follicular thyroid cancers(FTC) are a vascular tumor and traditionally metastasize via blood vessels. Likely other cancers, angiogenesis may playa important role in FTC. We, therefore, investigated the expression of VEGF and microvascular density by immunohistochemistry in FTC and follicular adenoma(FA). Materials and Methods: Findings of immunohistochemical stainings for VEGF and CD31 were measured by grading scale from +1 to 4+(strongest) and by counting the stained microvessels in 14 FTCs and 14 FAs. Results: 1) Expression of VEGF. a) FTCs have stronger expression than FAs in areas of tumor adjacent to capsule($mean{\pm}SD\:\;3.2{\pm}0.9\;vs\;2.0{\pm}0.9$, p<0.01) and in central area($2.3{\pm}0.7\;vs\;1.3{\pm}0.6$, p<0.01). b) The VEGF expression of capsular area in FTCs are higher than that of central area(p<0.05). 2) Microvascular density by CD31. a) FTCs have more microvessels than FAs in areas of adjacent to capsule($78.9{\pm}27.3\;vs\;38.7{\pm}15.6$, p<0.01) and in central area($75.5{\pm}23.3\;vs\;27.8{\pm}10.7$, p<0.01). b) In FTCs, the number of microvessels of capsular area are more than that of central tumor area, but not significant statistically(p>0.05). Conclusion: The higher expression of VEGF and microvascular density in FTC suggests angiogenesis plays an important role in progression of FTC.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.225-233
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• 2019

Purpose: Gastric adenocarcinoma of the fundic gland type (chief cell predominant type) (GA-FG-CCP) was first reported as a rare adenocarcinoma found in the normal fundic mucosa. Recent studies have proposed the possibility that GA-FG-CCPs were also generated in the atrophic mucosa after Helicobacter pylori (HP) eradication therapy. However, little is known on the endoscopic findings of GA-FG-CCP generated in the atrophic mucosa due to its extreme rarity. Materials and Methods: A total of 8 patients who underwent endoscopic submucosal resection and were diagnosed with GA-FG-CCP generated in the HP-uninfected mucosa (4 cases, HP-uninfected group) or HP-eradicated atrophic mucosa (4 cases, HP-eradicated group) were retrospectively analyzed, and their endoscopic findings, including magnifying endoscopy with narrow band imaging (M-NBI), and pathological features were compared. Results: While GA-FG-CCPs in the 2 groups displayed similar macroscopic appearance, M-NBI demonstrated that characteristic microvessels (tapered microvessels like withered branches) were specifically identified in the HP-eradicated group. Pathological investigation revealed that a decreasing number of fundic glands and thinned foveolar epithelium covering tumor ducts were thought to lower the thickness of the covering layer over tumor ducts in the HP-eradicated group. Moreover, dilation of vessels just under the surface of the lesions contributed to the visualization of microvessels by M-NBI. Conclusions: The change in background mucosa due to HP infection influenced the thickness of the covering layer over the tumor ducts and M-NBI finding of GA-FG-CCP.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.317-328
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of ghrelin on memory impairment in a rat model of vascular dementia induced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Methods: Randomized controlled groups and the posttest design were used. We established the representative animal model of vascular dementia caused by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion and administered $80{\mu}g/kg$ ghrelin intraperitoneally for 4 weeks. First, behavioral studies were performed to evaluate spatial memory. Second, we used molecular biology techniques to determine whether ghrelin ameliorates the damage to the structure and function of the white matter and hippocampus, which are crucial to learning and memory. Results: Ghrelin improved the spatial memory impairment in the Y-maze and Morris water maze test. In the white matter, demyelination and atrophy of the corpus callosum were significantly decreased in the ghrelin-treated group. In the hippocampus, ghrelin increased the length of hippocampal microvessels and reduced the microvessels pathology. Further, we confirmed angiogenesis enhancement through the fact that ghrelin treatment increased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-related protein levels, which are the most powerful mediators of angiogenesis in the hippocampus. Conclusion: We found that ghrelin affected the damaged myelin sheaths and microvessels by increasing angiogenesis, which then led to neuroprotection and improved memory function. We suggest that further studies continue to accumulate evidence of the effect of ghrelin. Further, we believe that the development of therapeutic interventions that increase ghrelin may contribute to memory improvement in patients with vascular dementia.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1995.04a
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• pp.41-44
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• 1995

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 2005

To determine the correlation between mast cells(MCs) and neoangiogenesis in the growth and progression of cervical cancer, we investigated mast cell density(MCD), microvessel density(MVD) and the expression of vascular epithelial growth factor(VEGF) in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive suqamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Forty-five cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(CIN I, II and III), 15 microinvasive carcinomas, 15 invasive squamous cell carcinomas and 20 normal cervical epithelia were included in this study. MCs were stained with anti-c-Kit antibody and alcian blue, microvessels with anti-factor VIII antibody and VEGF with anti-VEGF antibody. The adjacent fields of both normal and neoplastic epithelium were used for counting MCs and microvessels. Computerized image analysis was used to evaluate MCD and MVD. MCD and MVD were the mean numbers per $1mm^2$ counted in 5-10 high and low power fields respectively. In both c-Kit and alcian blue stained sections, MCD progressively increased along the continuum from CIN I to invasive squamous cell carcinoma(p<0.001). MVD increased significantly with cervical neoplasia progression, from CIN to invasive squamous cell carcinoma (p<0.001). In double c-Kit and Factor VIII-stained sections, MCs were mainly present in the areas adjacent to newly formed blood vessels. However, there were no significant differences in MCD and MVD between normal epithelum and CIN I. A strong correlation was also observed between MCD and MVD. In double VEGF and alcian blue-stained sections, VEGF was expressed in only MCs. Strong VEGF-positive MCs were particularly abundant around the tumorous region. Our results suggest that MCs may upregulate neoangiogenesis by VGEF secretion in the development and progression of cervical neoplasia.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.127-130
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• 2006

It is important to coordinated interaction among neurons, astrocytes and endothelial cells to maintain the function of brain. To study their regulatory mechanisms in vitro system, the co-culture system among the isolated cells from brain may be needed. However, the method for purifying brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC) far culture have not established yet. In this study, the proper culture methods of mice cells using two different strains, CD1 and C57BL6, to obtain the pure and plentiful endothelial cells were described. The flatted-round forms of CD1 endothelial cells grew on the collagen-IV coating plates, while the purified cells from C57 mice preferred type collagen-I dishes for their growth. Both cells displayed anti-PECAM-1 (CD31) and von Willebrand Factor immune-reactivity. These results indicated that different coating materials not only improve attachment of isolated cells but also promoting growth of cells, suggesting that this method of purifying murine Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC) provides a suitable model to investigate blood-brain-barrier (BBB) properties within neurovascular unit in vitro.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.10
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• pp.1038-1049
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• 2005

Asthma is characterized by a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways that leads to tissue injury and subsequent structural changes collectively called airway remodelling. Characteristic changes of airway remodelling in asthma include goblet cell hyperplasia, deposition of collagens in the basement membrane, increased number and size of microvessels, hypertrophy and hyperplasia of airway smooth muscle, and hypertrophy of submucosal glands. Apart from inflammatory cells, such as eosinophils, activated T cells, mast cells and macrophages, structural tissue cells such as epithelial cells, fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells can also play an important effector role through the release of a variety of mediators, cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. Through a variety of inflammatory mediators, epithelial and mesenchymal cells cause persistence of the inflammatory infiltrate and induce airway structural remodelling. The end result of chronic airway inflammation and remodelling is an increased thickness of the airway wall, leading to a increased the bronchial hyperresponsiveness and fixed declined lung function.

• Journal of information and communication convergence engineering
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.315-319
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• 2008

This paper describes a method for recognizing and measuring the motion of each individual leukocyte in microvessel from a sequence of images. A spatiotemporal image is generated whose spatial axes are parallel and vertical to vessel region contours. In order to enhance and extract only leukocyte traces with a turned velocity range even under noisy background, we use a combination of a filtering process using Gabor filters with sharp orientation selectivity and a subsequent 3D spatiotemporal grouping process. The proposed method is shown to be effective by experiments using image sequences of two kinds of microcirculation, rat mesentery microvessels and human retinal capillaries.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.551-554
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• 2003

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) has been reported in uterus. We examined the expression of the NOS isoforms, constitutive endothelial (eNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS), in bovine uterus by immunohistochemistry. eNOS immunoreactivity was localized predominantly to the endothelial cells that line uterine microvessels and to endometrial glandular epithelial cells, but was barely detectable in endometrial stromal cells. iNOS immunostaining was detected in glandular epithelial and stromal cells in the endometrium and in the endothelial cells of myometrial blood vessels. These findings suggest that both eNOS and iNOS may play important roles in the physiology of the uterus, possibly by generating NO.