• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.553-562
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• 2005

Melatonin, the principal hormone of the vertebral pineal gland, participates in the regulation of cardiovascular system in vitro and in vivo. Lithium inhibits both inositol polyphosphate phosphatase (IPPase) and inositol monophosphatase (IMPase), which are involved in a wide range of signal transduction pathways. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of lithium on endothelial-dependent relaxation to melatonin and on the melatonin-induced inhibition of contraction by phenylephrine (PE) in isolated rat aorta. Melatonin induced a concentration-dependent relaxation in PE-precontracted in endothelium-intact (+E) aortic rings. Melatonin inhibited a PE-induced sustained contraction in +E aortic rings. These effects of melatonin on relaxation and contractile responses were inhibited by pretreatment with lithium. In PE-precontracted +E aortic rings, the melatonin-induced vasorelaxations and the inhibitory effects of melatonin on maximal contractions were inhibited by endothelium removal or by pretreatment with L-$N^G$-nitro-arginine (L-NNA), 1H-[1,2,4] oxadiazolo-[4,3-a] quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) and nifedipine and verapamil, but not by tetrabutylammonium, clotrimazole and glibenclamide, However, in endothelium-denuded (-E) aortic rings and in the presence of L-NNA and ODQ in +E aortic rings, the melatonin-induced residual relaxations and the melatonin-induced residual contractile responses to PE were not affected by lithium. It is concluded that the inositol phosphate pathway may be involved in endothelial-dependent relaxation induced by melatonin.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.507-515
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• 2005

Melatonin, the principal hormone of the vertebral pineal gland, participates in the regulation of cardiovascular system in vitro and in vivo. However, the effects of melatonin on vascular tissues are still vague. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between phospholipase C (PLC) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS)/cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) signaling cascade in the relaxatory action of melatonin in isolated rat aorta. Melatonin induced a concentration-dependent relaxation in phenylephrine (PE)- and KCl-precontracted endothelium intact (+E) aortic rings. In KCl-precontracted +E aortic rings, the melatonin-induced vasorelaxation was not inhibited by endothelium removal or by pretreatment with NOS inhibitors, L-$N^G$-nitor-arginine (L-NNA) and L-$N^G$-nitor-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), guanylate cyclase (GC) inhibitors, methylene blue (MB) and 1H-[1,2,4] oxadiazolo-[4,3-a] quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ). In PE-precontracted +E aortic rings, the melatonin-induced vasorelaxation was inhibited by endothelium removal or by pretreatment with L-NNA, L-NAME, MB, ODQ and 2-nitro-4-carboxyphenyl-n,n-diphenylcarbamate (NCDC). Moreover, in without endothelium (-E) aortic rings and in the presence of L-NNA, L-NAME, MB and ODQ in +E aortic rings, the melatonin-induced residual relaxations and residual contractile responses to PE were not affected by NCDC, a PLC inhibitor. It is concluded that melatonin can evoke vasorelaxation due to inhibition of PLC pathway through the protein kinase G activation of endothelial NOS/cGMP signaling cascade.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.114-118
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• 1999

Backgrouds: Cervical epidural blocks were used as part of a comprehensive multimodal treatment program for patients with chronic pain in the head, neck and upper extremities. The depth of the epidural space beneth the skin surface varies at different levels of the spinal column in the same patient. It also varies from patient to patient at the same vertebral level. We studied the distance the skin to the cervical epidural space in adults patients at different intervertebral spaces. Methods: Date were gathered from 628 patients having cervical epidural block for relief of cervical and upper extrimity pain. All blocks were performed using hanging drop method after loss of resistance with saline at C5-6, C6-7, C7-T1 intervertebral space. Results: Mean distances for skin to cervical epidural space (DSES) were 5.42 cm, 5.06 cm, 4.68 cm in male, 5.00 cm, 4.61 cm, 4.10 cm in female at C7-T1, C6-7, C5-6 intervertebral space. DSES correlated with body weight, neck circumference and body mass index significantly. Conclusion: In the cervical spine, DSES varies from space to space. The longest DSES were noted at C7-T1 level in male, and the shortest DSES were at C5-6 in female. DSES has significant relationships with weight, neck circumference and body mass index.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.151-155
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• 2005

Interspinous spacers have been developed as an alternative surgical treatment for laminectomy or fusion with pedicle screws and rods for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. However, its biomedical efficacies are well not known. In this study, we evaluated kinematic behaviors of the surgical and the adjacent levels before and after inserting interspinous spacers. Three porcine lumbar spines were prepared. On each specimen, an interspinous spacer was inserted at the L4-L5. Flexion-extension moments (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10Nm) were applied. A stereophotogrammetric set-up with DLT algorithm was used to assess the three-dimensional motions of the specimen where three markers $({\square}0.8mm)$ were attached to each vertebra. Results showed that extension motion decreased by $15-24\%$ at the surgical level (L4-L5) after insertion of interspinous spacer. At the adjacent levels, the range of motion remained unchanged. In flexion, no significant changes in motion were observed regardless of levels. Therefore, our experimental results demonstrated the interspinous spacer is very effective in limiting the extension motion that may cause narrowing of the spinal canal and vertebral foramen while maintaining kinematic behaviors at the adjacent levels. Further, these results suggested that the use of interspinous spacer may be able to prevent lower back pain at the surgical level and to lower the incidence of degenerative changes at the adjacent levels.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.95-102
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• 2016

Objectives To investigate correlation between slip percentage (SP) of spondylolisthesis and cross-sectional area (CSA) of lumbar paraspinal muscles; psoas major (PM), multifidus (MU) and erector spinae (ES). Methods A retrospective study was carried out in 120 spondylolisthesis patients who had visited the Spine center of Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong and had taken lumbar MRI. CSA of lumbar paraspinal muscles was measured from axial T2-weighted MRI and divided by CSA of vertebral body to avoid weight's influence. SP was also measured from sagittal MRI. Results SP increase has significant correlation with decreased CSA-MU (r=0.37, p<0.01) and increased CSA-ES (r=0.19, p<0.05). There was no significant correlation between SP and CSA-PM. Conclusions MU atrophy and ES hypertrophy have significant correlation with SP of spondylolisthesis. CSA of lumbar paraspinal muscles can be a risk factor of progression of spondylolisthesis and compensation for the instability.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.95-103
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• 2020

Objectives The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of korean medicinal admission treatment for degenerative lumbar diseases with spondylolysis and analyze their radiological findings. Methods This study was performed on 25 cases' medical records of spondylolysis patients with both X-rays and MRI images. Their general characteristics, morphologies of intervertebral discs, grades of spondylolisthesis, grades of intervertebral foraminal stenosis were analyzed. The efficacy of treatment was evaluated by numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) changes and statistically assessed by paired t-test using program R Studio. Results After admission treatment, NPRS scores significantly decreased from 6.76±2.07 to 2.38±1.22 (p<0.01). Spondylolysis was associated with degenerative disc change and intervertebral foraminal stenosis at the same or adjacent vertebral level. In spondylolisthesis cases (76%), forward slippage occurred at the same level of spondylolysis in every case. Conclusions Spondylolysis could play a key role in the lumbar degenerative mechanism and korean medicinal admission treatment is effective on pain relief of degenerative lumbar diseases with spondylolysis.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 1998

Osteoporosis is defined as a pathologic condition in which there occurs no change in the chemical composition of the bone, while bone resorption is abnormally increased. This compares with osteogenesis, which leads to a decrease in the amount of bone. Though many varieties of therapies have been tried, no fully effective method has been found. Korean red ginseng is an important variety of Korean ginsengs and many studies have been performed to investigate its effectiveness. But there has been no report on red ginseng's effects on osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical effects of Korean red ginseng on postmenopausal osteoporosis patients. The study was designed as a double-blind study. Group I consisted of 30 postmenopausal osteoporosis patients who were administered red ginseng extracts and 15 patients who were administered maltose capsules, were included in group II. The following results were obtained after one-year administration to both groups. 1. There were no significant differences in the degree of wedging, number of compression fractures in the vertebral body, trabeculations, and Cobb's angles between the experimental and control groups. 2. Even though bone mineral density increased in the lumbar spine, and decreased in the femur, there was no significant statistical difference. 3. The serum levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium, phosphate, and alkaline phosphates showed no difference between the two groups regardless of treatment. 4. Urine Deoxy-pyridinoline (DPYD) decreased in the red ginseng group while it increased in the maltose group, but statistically there was no significant difference between the two groups. 5. The clinical presentations showed no significant differences using Visual Analog Scale. 6. The specific complications related with the long-term use of red ginseng did not occur in all patients. In conclusion, there were no statistically significant differences in clinical presentations, biochemical, and radiological studies between the red gins eng and maltose groups. No definite effectiveness of red ginseng on patients with osteoporosis was found.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.157-162
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• 2011

Objective : Vasospasm of cerebral vessels remains a major source of morbidity and mortality after an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of transluminal balloon angioplasty (TBA) for SAH-induced vasospasm. Methods : Eleven patients with an angiographically confirmed significant vasospasm (>50% vessel narrowing and clinical deterioration) were studied. A total of 54 vessel segments with significant vasospasm were treated by TBA. Digital subtraction angiography was used to confirm the presence of vasospasm, and TBA was performed to dilate vasospastic arteries. Medical and angiographic reports were reviewed to determine technical efficacy and for procedural complications. Results : TBA using Hyper-Glide or Hyper-Form balloons (MicroTherapeutics, Irvine, CA) was successfully accomplished in 88.9% vasospastic segments (48 of 54), namely, in the distal internal carotid artery (100%, n=7), the middle cerebral artery (100%), including the M1 (n=10), M2 (n=10), and M3 segments (n=4), in the vertebral artery (100%, n=2), basilar artery (100%, n=1), and in the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), including the A1 (66%), A2 (66%), and A3 segments (100%). Vessel diameters significantly increased after TBA. There were no cases of vessel rupture or thromboembolic complications. GCS at one day after TBA showed an improvement in all patients except one. Conclusion : This study suggests that TBA using Hyper-Glide or Hyper-Form balloons is a safe and effective treatment for subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced cerebral vasospasm.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.63-66
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• 2006

This case was found in Holstein cow suffering from dystocia. The twin calves in uterus were dead and removed by fetotomy. Gross anatomical analysis of thoracopagus siamese calf was carried out. Two normal heads were present on two necks, however, the twins were fused in the thoracic region. There were four forelimbs and an abnormal orientation of ribs. Two separate vertebral columns along the length of the animal ended with two tails. A single pericardium lay on the midline when opening the thorax. However, there were two almost completely hearts within the pericardial sac. Two heart were joined by a common cavernous venous sinuous. There were two sets of lungs. Each twins had a separate esophagus that entered a separated stomach. A large liver was fused and connected into two duodenums. The pelvis, large intestines and urinary tracts were separated. The twins are female and have a full complement of limb.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.233-241
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• 2001

Dirofilaria immitis, the causative agent of canine heartworm disease, inhabits mainly in the pulmonary arteries and the heart of dogs and cats, causing circulatory and respiratory disorders. Although diagnosis of the disease is based on the presence of microfilaria in the peripheral blood or of specific antigens released from the adult worms into the peripheral blood, the severity of the infection and the assessment of disease progression are based on the clinical signs and radiographic image analysis. We analysed 12 mixed-bred Jindo dogs naturally infected with Dirofilaria immitis without any clinical signs and compared the radiographic images of the heart and the lung with the number of adult worms at necropsy. The dorsoventral radiographs of 12 infected dogs revealed that the right caudal lobar pulmonary arteries (RCaLPA) were dialated in 66.7% of dogs, whereas the main pulmonary artery segment was enlarged in 50.3% of dogs. The cranial lobar pulmonary arteries (RCrLPA) were dilated or pruned in 33.3% of dogs. All dogs displayed the interstitial lung pattern, while the vertebral heart size (VHS) was of normal range. Although a range of 9 to 166 adult worms (av. 45.6) was found in the pulmonary arteries, in the heart or in the vena cava, no correlation with the radiographic findings and/or with the clinical signs was observed.