• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.59-66
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• 1987

This study was aimed to investigate whether the conduction velocity of nerve impulses through the ventral afferent fibers is constant along their entire courses in dorsal as well as in ventral roots. Cats were anesthetized with ${\alpha}-chloralose$ (60 mg/kg, i.p.) and artificially ventilated. Laminectomies were done on L4-S1 spinal vertebrae to expose the lumbosacral spiral cord. Both ventral and dorsal roots of L7 or S1 spinal segments were isolated and cut near the spinal cord. Ventral roots were placed on 6-lead stimulating electrodes and stimulated with supra C-threshold intensity. Divided dorsal root fascicles were placed on bipolar recording electrodes and single fiber units activated by the stimulation of the ventral roots were identified. Followings are the results obtained: 1) A total of 27 VRA units were identified. 10 units of them conducted impulses slower than 2 m/sec. Conduction velocities of the remaining units were in the range of 3.11-20.91 m/sec. 2) In 12 Units conduction velocities Of the VRA units through dorsal$(CV_{DR})$ and venral root$(CV_{DR})$ were determined respectively. There was a tendency to conduct impulses faster through dorsal roots$(CV_{DR}=8.19{\pm}3.26\;m/sec)$ than ventral roots$(CV_{DR}=3.46{\pm}1.02\;m/sec)$. From the above results we confirmed that there exist nerve fibers in continuity between the spinal ventral and dorsal roots but we could not ascertain whether there is a change in conduction velocity through the entire course of ventral afferent unit.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1666-1672
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• 2005

Oriental medicinal drugs have a broad spectrum of clinical use for the cure of nervous system diseases including brain ischemic damages or neuropathies. Yet, specific drugs or drug components used in the oriental medicine in relation to none fiber regeneration are not known. In the present study, possible growth promoting effects of oriental medicinal drugs were investigated in the injured sciatic nerve system in the rat. By immunofluorescence staining, we found that Jahageo (JHG, Hominis placenta) increased Induction levels of axonal growth associated protein GAP-43 in the rat sciatic none. Small growth promoting activity was found in Golsebo (GSB, Drynariae rhizoma) and Baikhasuo (BHSO, Polygoni multiflori radix) drugs. JHG also increased cell cycle protein Cdc2 levels in the injured area of the sciatic nerves. Immunofluorescence staining indicated that induced Cdc2 protein was mostly localized in the Schwann cells in the injury area, implying that JHG activity might be related to increased Schwann cell proliferation during axonal regeneration. Moreover, levels of phospho-extracellular signal-regulated (ERK) pathway in the injured neNes were elevated by JHG treatment while levels of total ERK were unaltered. In vivo measurement of axonal regeneration using retrograde tracer showed that JHG, GSB and BHSO significantly enhanced Dil-labeled regenerating motor neurons compared with saline control. The present data suggest that oriental medicinal drugs such as JHG, GSB, and BHSO may be a useful target for developing specific drugs of axonal regeneration.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.272-278
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• 2002

To investigate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Herba Chelidoniie, the extracts of Herba Chelidoniie treated in arthritic rat model. Complete Freund,s Adjuvant(CFA) were injected in the subcutaneous tissue of left foot paw of rats to induce arthritis. Herba Chelidonii extracts(HC) was administered immediately into the peritoneal cavity after CFA injection for 12 days. The immunohistochemical stainings for calcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP) and substance P in the L4, L5 and L6 spinal dorsal horn and ganglia were done, and the paw swelling was measured with a micrometer and the blood leukocytes were counted. The results were as follows : The paw swelling of HC treated group was significantly decreased in 12th day after CFA injection compare to control group. The change of differential leukocytes counts of HC treated group increased the ratio of lymphocytes, and decreased the ratio of neutrophils compare to control group. The extent of CGRP immunoreactive nerve fiber of dorsal horn of HC treated group was weakly stained compare to control group. The number of CGRP immunoreactive neurons of L6 spinal cord of HC treated group was significantly decreased compare to control group. The extent of substance P immunoreactive nerve fiber of dorsal horn of He treated group was weakly stained compare to control group. The number of substance P immunoreactive neurons of L4, L5 and L6 spinal cord of HC treated group was significantly decreased compare to control group. These experimental results suggest that Herba Chelidonii extracts reduce the number of CGRP and substance P immunoreactive neurons and nerve fibers of spinal dorsal horns and ganglia, and decrease paw swelling in arthritic rat model, which may be closely related to analgesic and antiinflammatory effects of Herba Chelidonii.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.143-150
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• 1992

The purpose of this study is to obtain the effective concentration of capsaicin to relieve pain with no change in the number of C-fibers and its effective duration for pain relief. Capsaicin has been used extremely as a experimental tool and as topical medications for acute or chronic tissue injuries and partial nerve injury is the main cause of causalgiform pain disorders in humans. Here, the left sciatic nerve was ligated unilaterally at the high level of the thigh to prepare an animal model of this pain condition. The rat developed guarding behavior of the ipsilateral hind paw within a few hours after the operation and this behavior was maintained for several months thereafter, suggesting the possibility of spontaneous pain. These animals were divided into two groups(4-week & 8-week) and each group was subdivided into five groups by different concentration (0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 & 2.0%). Each capsaicin concentration was treated locally on the spinal cord-side of the ligated nerve and the foot withdrawal latency was measured. Thereafter, the dorsal roots of L5 were removed from both sides immediately after in tracardial perfusion for the counting of C-fibers by the histological procedure. There were no significant differences in the foot-withdrawal latency and the number of C-fibers between the left side treated with 0.05% capsaicin and the right side treated with the vehicle. However, latencies of the left sides treated with 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0% capsaicin increased significantly throughout 4-6 weeks with almost no change in the number of C-fibers, and the latencies showed the trends to approach slowly to those of the conditions after operation. The latency of subgroup treated with 2.0% increased by approximate 10% more than that of the right side throughout 8 weeks, and the number of C-fibers decreased by about 30% or more These results suggest that the elevated latency with capsaicin(0.1-1.0%) treatment is due to the inhibition of impulse transmission throughout the primary afferent fiber and the data from 2.0% are due to partial destruction of C-fibers. Therefore, capsaicin concentrations from 0.1% to 1.0% are probably very effective for the treatment of causalgiform pain with almost no destruction of C-fibers.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.434-441
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• 2007

Objectives : Peripheral neurodegeneration occurs in diabetes mellitus (DM), both sensory and motor nerve. but we don't know exactly if DM affects central nerve pathway for all studies. Electrophysiologic study is one of the most important diagnostic tools for diabetic neuropathy. Electroneurography and electromyography are usually used. but evoked potentials (EP) is more sensitive to small nerve fiber damages and useful for central nerve evaluation in addition to peripheral nerves. Most diabetic neuropathy studies by EP have been performed with somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP). In contrast, the objective of this study is to investigate if DM targets central motor neurons by assessing the relation between fasting blood sugar (FBS) and motor evoked potentials (MEP) latency. Methods : We inspected the medical records of 34 patients who had MEP tests during admitting days. The latency from cervical portion to abductor pollicis brevis was used as peripheral motor conduction time (PMCT). and the latency from vertex to cervical portion was used as central motor conduction time (CMCT). Then, they were correlated to FBS using correlation analysis. Results : There was a significant linear relation between FBS and PMCT (Pearson's correlation coefficient r=0.487, p<0.01), but a poor linear relation between FBS and CMCT (Pearson's correlation coefficient r=-0.l97. p>0.05). Conclusions : This study suggests that prolonged latencies of MEP in DM may be due to peripheral neuropathy rather than dysfunction of central motor pathway. therefore the clinical use of MEP to diabetic neuropathy has to be divided segmentally.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2000

Nowadays, mongolian gerbil is notably utilized for the research of brain and water deprivation because of a congenital incomplete willis circle structure in the brain, audiogenic seizure in low noise, and special cholesterol metabolism without water absorption for a long time. In this study, we are intend to identify the morphological changes of the catecholaminergic neuron of brain according to the time lapse in the condition of long term water deprivation. 55 mongolian gerbil were divided 10 groups(control, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 42th day water deprivation group), of which each group include 5 mongolian gerbils and 5 normal mongolian gerbils in control group were also used for brain atlas as a control. The brains were observed by the immunohistochemical stain using the TH, DBH and PMNT antibody. The results were as followings; 1. The nerve fibers of the TH-immunoreactive neuron were observed only in the and corpus striatum of the telencephalon. 2. Intensity of the immunostain of the nerve fiber in the cerebral cortex and corpus striatum was decreased gradually day by day after water deprivation. 3. The TH-immunoreactive nerve cells were observed in the paraventricular and periventricular nucleus of the 3rd ventricular in the hypothalamus of mongolian gerbil but the number of nerve cells were decreased from the first day of the water deprivation to the 10th day and increased until the 20th day, after than redecreased from the 20th day by the continuous water deprivation. The number of nerve fibers in this area were increased in the first day, but decreased from the 2nd day of water deprivation. The shape and density of the dopamine secreting cells in the brain of mongolian gerbil by the immunoreactive stain were changed in the continuous water deprivation. In this results, we can conclude that dopamine concerned in the water metabolism of mongolian gerbil, and mongolian gerbil could be used as an animal model for the research of water deprivation.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.145-152
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• 2002

This study was carried out of to determine effects of high voltage pulsed galvanic stimulation on the soleus. target muscle of the sciatic nerve, of white rat two condition. The coditions included normal, and denervated muscle. The histochemical, ultrastructural observations were made. The following results were obtains. 1. The histochemical observations found the inflammatory cells between muscle bundle and muscle fiber since 1-week control group. In addition, nucleus located in the muscle fiber was frequently observed. 2. The experimental group showed a similar phenomenom to the normal muscles in terms of glycogen granules in the 1-week group, where as fiber were not distinguishable in4-weeks group which indicated that the degenerative changes had occured. 3. The NADH-TR reaction showed that the red muscle slightly increased in the 2-weeks group, and the distinguished was impossible the red fiber 4. The ultrastructures of the muscles in both groups were severely bend, and a number of vacuoles were observed due to the destruction of mitochondria..

• Proceedings of the KAIS Fall Conference
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• 2010.05b
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• pp.855-858
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• 2010

이 연구의 목적은 흰쥐의 궁둥신경의 손상을 준 뒤 달리기운동을 시켜 운동이 근육재생에 효과가 있는지를 밝힐 목적으로 시행하였다. 수컷 Sprague-Dawley계 흰쥐의 궁둥신경을 압궤손상을 준후, 하루 60분 씩 주 5회 운동을 시켰다. 궁둥신경 압궤손상 후 12일(5일간 운동), 19일(10일간 운동), 26일(15일간 운동), 33일(20일간 운동 및 61일(40일간 운동)에 흰쥐를 희생시켜 장딴지근육을 절취하여 냉동절편을 만들었으며 중간세사인 desmin과 vimentin에 대한 면역조직화학적 염색방법을 시행하였고 NADH-TR을 이용한 효소조직화학적 방법으로 뼈대근육의 변성 등을 관찰하였다. 중간세사단백 중 desmin은 근육섬유의 변성 및 재생과정 모두에서 발현되며 vimentin은 재생과정에서만 발현되었다. 대조군보다 실험군에서 desmin과 vimentin의 면역 반응성이 높았고, 실험군의 근육섬유들은 손상 후 61일째에 횡단면에서 각을 갖고 있어 정상 근육섬유임을 입증해 주었으나 대조군의 근육섬유는 정상으로 회복되지 않은 둥근 근육섬유가 관찰되었다. 19일째의 NADH-TR반응에서 대조군에서는 근육 섬유형 군집(fiber type grouping)으로 인해 diformazan 과립이 뭉쳐져 있음을 볼 수 있으나 실험군에서는 점점 diformazan 과립이 고르게 분포됨을 볼 수 있었다. 재신경지배가 일어 날 때 나타나는 표적근육섬유(target fiber)는 NADH-TR반응에서 26일 실험군의 일부 근육섬유에서 처음으로 관찰되었다. 61일째 NADH-TR반응에서 대조군은 아직도 diformazan 과립이 근육섬유성 군집을 보였으나 실험군에서는 정상군과 다름없는 염색성이 관찰되었다. 이상의 결과로 흰쥐 궁둥신경 압궤손상 후 트레드밀 달리기 운동이 흰쥐 다리 뼈대근육의 중간세사발현에 효과가 있다고 생각된다.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.281-288
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• 2004

The present study was undertaken to confirm whether melittin, a major constituent of whole bee venom (WBV), had the ability to produce the same nociceptive responses as those induced by WBV. In the behavioral experiment, changes in mechanical threshold, flinching behaviors and paw thickness (edema) were measured after intraplantar (i.pl.) injection of WBV (0.1 mg & 0.3 mg/paw) and melittin (0.05 mg & 0.15 mg/paw), and intrathecal (i.t.) injection of melittin $(6{\mu}g)$. Also studied were the effects of i.p. (2 mg & 4 mg/kg), i.t. $(0.2{\mu}g\;&\;0.4{\mu}g)$ or i.pl. (0.3 mg) administration of morphine on melittin-induced pain responses. I.pl. injection of melittin at half the dosage of WBV strongly reduced mechanical threshold, and increased flinchings and paw thickness to a similar extent as those induced by WBV. Melittin- and WBV-induced flinchings and changes in mechanical threshold were dose- dependent and had a rapid onset. Paw thickness increased maximally about 1 hr after melittin and WBV treatment. Time-courses of nociceptive responses induced by melittin and WBV were very similar. Melittin-induced decreases in mechanical threshold and flinchings were suppressed by i.p., i.t. or i.pl. injection of morphine. I.t. administration of melittin $(6{\mu}g)$ reduced mechanical threshold of peripheral receptive field and induced flinching behaviors, but did not cause any increase in paw thickness. In the electrophysiological study, i.pl. injection of melittin increased discharge rates of dorsal horn neurons only with C fiber inputs from the peripheral receptive field, which were almost completely blocked by topical application of lidocaine to the sciatic nerve. These findings suggest that pain behaviors induced by WBV are mediated by melittin-induced activation of C afferent fiber, that the melittin-induced pain model is a very useful model for the study of pain, and that melittin-induced nociceptive responses are sensitive to the widely used analgesics, morphine.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.46-64
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• 2003

Therapeutic angiogenesis is the controlled induction or stimulation of new blood vessel formation to reduce unfavourable tissue effects caused by local hypoxia and to enhance tissue repair. Therapeutic ultrasound can be considered as a physical agent to deliver therapeutic angiogenesis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of therapeutic ultrasound after muscle contusion injury by observed immunoreactivity of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) that plays an important role in angiogenesis and substance-P in pain transmission. Ultrasound irradiation(1MHz, $1W/cm^2$, continuous mode, treatment time 5 min) was applied through water submersion technique to 1 limb daily by kept off 5cm from muscle belly of gastrocnemius. The result of this study were as follows. 1. In morphological observation, there were no significant changes excepts of 7 days. At 7 days, granular tissue viewed abundantly in control group. In other groups, general feature were increased interspace of muscle fiber; centronucleated muscle fiber; collapsed of muscle and nerve tissue; appeared inflammatory cell. 2. The VEGF was expressed in interspace of muscle fiber. Especially, at 7 days in experimental group, VEGF was showed in connective tissue surrounding gastrocnemius muscle. 3. The VEGF was higher expressed in experimental group at 2 and 3 days, but in control group at 7 days. These data suggest therapeutic ultrasound enhanced production of VEGF in the early day relatively, therefore stimulated angiogenesis in the skeletal muscle induced contusion injury. Also therapeutic ultrasound may stimulate pain relief by diminish of substance-P in dorsal horn of spinal cord.