• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.296-306
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• 2022

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of peripheral neuropathy symptoms, self-care ability, and disturbances to daily life on quality of life (QoL) among gynecological cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: The participants included 144 patients with gynecological cancer undergoing anticancer chemotherapy at a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea, from December 1, 2021 to January 28, 2022. Convenience sampling was used to recruit patients who had received 4 or more cycles of chemotherapy using a paclitaxel-platinum regimen, and a self-reported questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, the t-test, analysis of variance, Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis were performed. Results: Most of the participants had ovarian cancer (70.1%) or endometrial cancer (14.6%), and the most common number of treatment cycles was 6 to 10 (29.2%). The mean QoL (60.83±19.89) was greater than the midpoint. The regression model analyzing the patients' QoL was statistically significant (F=15.38, p<.001) with an explanatory power of 56.7%. Self-care ability (β=.39, p<.001), disturbances to daily life (β=-.38, p<.001), the duration of peripheral neuropathy symptoms (β=2.14, p=.034), and regular exercise (β=-2.12, p=.036) were found to significantly affect QoL. Conclusion: Efforts to improve the self-care ability of gynecological cancer patients who have experienced peripheral neuropathy after receiving chemotherapy and mitigate disturbances to their daily life can improve their QoL. Healthcare professionals should identify peripheral neuropathy symptoms and examine the effects of the symptoms on patients' daily lives. Improving the self-care ability of patients and alleviating their limitations in daily life may improve QoL.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.269-280
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: The colonic epithelial layer is a complex structure consisting of multiple cell types that regulate various aspects of colonic physiology, yet the mechanisms underlying epithelial cell differentiation during development remain unclear. Organoids have emerged as a promising model for investigating organogenesis, but achieving organ-like cell configurations within colonic organoids is challenging. Here, we investigated the biological significance of peripheral neurons in the formation of colonic organoids. Methods and Results: Colonic organoids were co-cultured with human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived peripheral neurons, resulting in the morphological maturation of columnar epithelial cells, as well as the presence of enterochromaffin cells. Substance P released from immature peripheral neurons played a critical role in the development of colonic epithelial cells. These findings highlight the vital role of inter-organ interactions in organoid development and provide insights into colonic epithelial cell differentiation mechanisms. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the peripheral nervous system may have a significant role in the development of colonic epithelial cells, which could have important implications for future studies of organogenesis and disease modeling.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.626-629
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• 2015

Peripheral nerve injuries remain a challenge for reconstructive surgeons with many patients obtaining suboptimal results. Understanding the level of injury is imperative for successful repair. Current methods for distinguishing healthy from damaged nerve are time consuming and possess limited efficacy. Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is an emerging optical biopsy technology that enables dynamic, high resolution, sub-surface imaging of live tissue. Porcine sciatic nerve was either left undamaged or briefly clamped to simulate injury. Diluted fluorescein was applied topically to the nerve. CLE imaging was performed by direct contact of the probe with nerve tissue. Images representative of both damaged and undamaged nerve fibers were collected and compared to routine H&E histology. Optical biopsy of undamaged nerve revealed bands of longitudinal nerve fibers, distinct from surrounding adipose and connective tissue. When damaged, these bands appear truncated and terminate in blebs of opacity. H&E staining revealed similar features in damaged nerve fibers. These results prompt development of a protocol for imaging peripheral nerves intraoperatively. To this end, improving surgeons' ability to understand the level of injury through real-time imaging will allow for faster and more informed operative decisions than the current standard permits.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.86-94
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• 2022

Purpose: Patients experiencing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) apply various palliative care as well as drugs in their daily life to alleviate symptoms. There is a need to identify the influence of these efforts and patients' psychosocial status on the relief of CIPN symptoms. This short-term prospective study investigated how prescription drugs, non-pharmacological behaviors (exercise, massage, and heat therapy), and psychological states (social support, depression, and anxiety) affected CIPN symptoms. Methods: Participants scheduled to receive postoperative platinum or taxane-based chemotherapy were enrolled consecutively. CIPN was measured with the Neurotoxicity-12 subscale of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity-12 instrument. Data were collected three times during the 4 or 5 cycles of chemotherapy. Results: At the end of the 2nd chemotherapy cycle, 93.1% of participants reported CIPN symptoms. Multiple regression analyses showed that a heat therapy (β= -.34, p< .001), massage (β= -.21, p= .012), and walking 5 times or more per week (β= -.26, p= .021) provided relieve for CIPN symptoms. Depression (β= .19, p= .027) significantly exacerbated CIPN symptoms. Conclusion: These results suggested that a comprehensive management program that includes walking, heat therapy, massage, and mood therapy should be encouraged. Moreover, patients should be educated at chemotherapy initiation to understand appropriate interventions that can relieve CIPN symptoms.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.29-45
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• 1999

As the average life span has been lengthened and the rate of senile population has been raised, chronic degenerative diseases incident to aging have been increased rapidly and become a social problem. With this social background, recently, oxygen radicals(OR) have toxic effects on Central Nervous System and Peripheral Nervous System and cause neuropathy such as Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer Disease. The purpose of this study is to examine the toxic effects caused by Xanthine Oxidase(XO) and the effects of herbal extracts such as Jokihaeatang(JHT) on the treatment of the toxic effects. For this purpose, experiments with the cultured cell from the cerebrums of new born mice were done. The results of these experiments were as follows. 1. X0, an oxygen radical, decreased the survival rate of the cultured cells on NR assay, MTT assay and amount of neurofilaments and increased the amount of lipid peroxidation. 2. JHT have efficacy of increasing the amount of neurofilaments.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.272-279
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• 1986

This study was conducted about the effect of Shihogesikungang-tang on the central nervous system and cardiovascular system for the investigation of its clinical effect based on the Oriental medicinal references. The results of this study were summerized as follows; Analgesic activity as evaluated by the writhing syndrome in mice was significantly noted. A decrease effect of the spontaneous movement as estimated by wheel cage method, muscle relaxant effect as evaluated by the rotor rod method and the prolonged effect of sleeping time induced by thiopental-Na were significantly shown in mice. A antipyretic activity in febrile rats induced by the endotoxin was recognized. Anti-inflammatory effect in carrageen-induced paw edema in rats was significantly noted. Negative inotropic action on the isolated heart of frogs was noted. A vasodilative action in rabbits peripheral blood vessels and hypotension in anesthetized rabbits were remarkably recognized.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.84-84
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• 2003

Lead has long been considered as a toxic environmental pollutant, which severely damages central nervous system. Lead can cause hypo- and de-myelination, and glial cells are closely related with myelination or demyelination. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes that are involved in the remodelling of the extracellular matrix in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. MMPs also seem to be important in the pathogenesis of inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. In this study, we investigated whether lead affects MMP-9 expression in rat primary glial cells. Treatment of 0.1-5 ${\mu}$M lead dose- and time-dependently increased MMP-9 expression in rat primary glial cells. The activity of MMPs was determined using zymography. Lead activated Erk(1/2) but neither of the other endogenous MAP kinases, p38 or JNK. Inhibition of Erk(1/2) activation by PD98059, a MEK inihibitor, prevented lead-induced expression of MMP-9. The results of the present study suggest that lead intoxication may adversely affect brain function at least in part by inducing MMP-9 expression through Erk(1/2) activation in primary glial cells.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.219-227
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• 2001

Capsaicin. a vanillyl amide(8-methy1-N-vanilly1-6-nonenamide) with a molecular weight of 305.42, was substance, interrupting the pain conducting pathway Until recently the neurotoxic effects of Capsaicin to adult animals were thought to be limited to the peripheral nervous system. But several reports suggest the possibility of central nervous system changes after Capsaicin administration to the adult rat. Capsaicin desensitization is defined as long lasting, reversible suppression of sensory neuron activity. How fast and for how long the desensitization develops is related to the dose and time of exposure to Capsaicin, and the interval between consecutive dosing. In the long term Capsaicin treatment can lead to morphological degeneration and changes in some small sensory neurons, predominantly unmyelinated C fiber afferent nerve fibers. Clinical interest has recently been roused by evidence that Capsaicin's desensitizing action may be of therapeutic value and that an endogenous Capsaicin-1 ike substance may exist. This study summarizes the fundamental knowledge(mechanism, receptors, et al of Capsaicin) of Capsaicin for physical therapists.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.139-143
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• 2001

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and no cure is known so far. Extensive genetic works and in vitro experiments combined with clinical observations link amyloid $\beta$--protein (A$\beta$-) to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It was hypothesized that $A\beta$- becomes toxic when it adopts a fibrillar conformation. Recently, non-fibrillar form of $A\beta$- was observed and the potential role in the pathogenesis of AD became an interesting subject. In this study, the cytotoxicity of non-fibrillar $A\beta$- and fibrillar $A\beta$- was compared on oxidative stress, membrane damage, or nucleosome break down. Non-fibrillar $A\beta$- was not toxic in peripheral nervous system-derived cells but significantly toxic in central nervous system-derived cells while fibrillar $A\beta$- was non-selectively toxic in both cell culture. The neurotoxicity of non-fibrillar $A\beta$- was reproduced in semi-in vivo culture of mouse brain slice. In conclusion, non-fibrillar $A\beta$- could be more relevant to the selective neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's brains than fibrillar $A\beta$- and further research needs to be done for identification of the cause of AD.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.39-48
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• 2021

According to International Associating for the Study of Pain (IASP) definition, neuropathic pain is a disorder characterized by dysfunction of the nervous system that, under normal conditions, mediates virulent information to the central nervous system (CNS). This pain can be divided into a disease with provable lesions in the peripheral or central nervous system and states with an incorporeal lesion of any nerves. Both conditions undergo long-term and chronic processes of change, which can eventually develop into chronic pain syndrome, that is, nervous system is inappropriately adapted and difficult to heal. However, the treatment of neuropathic pain itself is incurable from diagnosis to treatment process, and there is still a lack of notable solutions. Recently, several studies have observed the responses of CNS to harmful stimuli using image analysis technologies, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and optical imaging. These techniques have confirmed that the change in synaptic-plasticity was generated in brain regions which perceive and handle pain information. Furthermore, these techniques helped in understanding the interaction of learning mechanisms and chronic pain, including neuropathic pain. The study aims to describe recent findings that revealed the mechanisms of pathological pain and the structural and functional changes in the brain. Reflecting on the definition of chronic pain and inspecting the latest reports will help develop approaches to alleviate pain.