• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.177-181
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• 2016

Mini-pigs have been widely employed in preclinical studies to explore new therapeutic strategies for diseases of the human urinary system; however, the normal reference of the renal artery has not been clearly investigated in the mini-pig model. Therefore, we aimed to establish a normal reference of the radiological morphology of the renal artery in mini-pigs by renal angiography via catheterization of the carotid artery. The renal angiographies obtained from 15 mini-pigs were evaluated to determine the orifice from the aorta, facing direction, size and the number of branches of renal arteries. Cranio-laterally facing renal arteries with 2 distal branches were mainly observed in the renal artery of mini-pigs. Both sides of the renal artery presented symmetrical sizes; however, the right renal artery orifice from the aorta was located more cranially than the left counterpart. The results of this study will contribute to radiological diagnosis of the renal artery as well as preclinical studies of mini-pigs.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.563-569
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• 2020

Purpose: The vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in mature animals have implicated to play a major role in the progression of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. This study aimed at optimizing the protocol in culturing primary VSMCs (pVSMCs) from rat thoracic aorta and investigating the effect of cellular zinc (Zn) deficiency on cell proliferation of the isolated pVSMCs. Methods: The thoracic aorta from 7-month-old Sprague Dawley rats was isolated, minced and digested by the enzymatic process of collagenase I and elastase, and then inoculated with the culture Dulbecco Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) at 37℃ in an incubator. The primary cell culture morphology was observed using phase-contrast microscopy and cellular Zn was depleted using Chelex-100 resin (extracellular zinc depletion only) or 3 µM N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridinylmethyl)-1,2-ethanediamine (TPEN) (extracellular and intracellular zinc depletion). Western blot analysis was used for the detection of SM22α and calponin as smooth muscle cell marker proteins and von Willebrand factor as endothelial cell marker protein to detect the culture purity. Cell proliferation by Zn depletion (1 day) was measured by MTT assay. Results: A primary culture protocol for pVSMCs from rat thoracic aorta was developed and optimized. Isolated cultures exhibited hill and valley morphology as the major characteristics of pVSMCs and expressed the smooth muscle cell protein markers, SM22α and calponin, while the endothelial marker von Willebrand factor was hardly detected. Zn deprivation for 1 day culture decreased rat primary vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and this pattern was more prominent under severe Zn depletion (3 µM TPEN), while less prominent under mild Zn depletion (Chelexing). Conclusion: Our results suggest that cellular Zn deprivation decreased pVSMC proliferation and this may be involved in phenotypic modulation of pVSMC in the aorta.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.465-473
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• 2011

Dietary fatty acids are under intense research to identify anti-atherogenic mechanisms, so we investigated green tea powder (GT) as a protector against atherogenesis originating from lipid peroxidation such as 4-hydroxynonemal (4-HNE) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in different dietary fatty acid-treated apo E KO mice. Growth rate and dietary efficiency were lower in apo E KO mice with or without LA compared to wild type. Plasma total cholesterol (TC) and triacylglycerol (TG) did not correspond to values in other tissues, but TG in heart tissue decreased significantly by GT after linoleic acid (LA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was administered. LA induced apoptosis as evidenced by changes in aorta morphology and immunohistochemistry. Lipid peroxides (LPO) was increased in apo E KO mice with or without LA corresponding to the accumulation of 4-HNE or MDA in the proximal aorta above the atria. GT consumption tended to reduce the primary causal mechanism of atherogenic phenomena such as oxidizability in both LA and DHA treated atherogenic mice. A high polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) diet involved the changes on stress-induced apoptotic signaling by increasing caspase 3, cytochrome c, and nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ in the heart tissue, but decreasing the bcl-2 protein. However, GT remarkably reduced the expression of apoptotic signaling, in contrast to the PUFA diet. Therefore, the potential of GT as an anti-atherosclerotic dietary antioxidant was tested in this study.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.106-112
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• 1997

The effect of cryopreservation on extracellular matrix was studied with the ultimate objective of permiting a prediction of the tendency of aorta conduit tissue to calcify following transplantation. Cryopreserved and fresh porcine aorta conduit tissues were extracted using guanidine-hydrochloride (Gdn-HCl) followed by sequential digestion of the tissues with collagenase, elastase, and papain. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) of the proteoglycans (PGs) were isolated and quantitated. Gdn-HCl extracted about 61% and 62% of the total GAG (proteoqlycan) material from cryopreserved and fresh tissues, respectively. Collagenasesolubilized proteoglycans from Gdn-HCl extracted tissue represented 20% and 13%, respectively, of the total GAGs present in cryopreserved and fresh tissues. Subsequent elastase hydrolysis of collagenase-digested tissue released about 11% of total GAGs from cryopreserved tissue and 16% from fresh tissue. The remaining 8%, from cryopreserved tissue, and 9%, from fresh tissue, of the total GAGs were obtained after using a papain hydrolysis. There was essentially no difference between fresh and cryopreserved tissues in the relative distribution of proteoglycans in the extracts and digestions except in the initial digestion step where more proteoglycans were obtained from collagenase solubilization of cryopreserved tissue than fresh tissue (p<0.05). The histologic status of the fresh and cryopreserved porcine aortic conduit did not differ markedly. The normal tissue architecture was not affected markedly by the cryopreservation procedure as neither alteration of elastic structure, fibrous proteins nor alteration of nuclear distribution or smooth muscle cell morphology was detected. Quantitative tissue mineral studies revealed that the mean calcium content of the cryopreserved aorta conduit tissue $(165{\pm}3\;{\mu}g/g\;wet\;tissue)$ was higher than that of the fresh tissue $(105{\pm}4\;{\mu}g/g\;wet\;tissue)$ $(p<0.05)$. The mean phosphorus content was $703{\pm}35\;{\mu}g$ wet tissue from cryopreserved tissue and $720{\pm}26\;{\mu}g$ wet tissue from fresh tissue. The study indicates that there is no significant alteration in the distribution of PGs in properly cryopreserved tissue, but the total calcium level appears to be increased in tissue cryopreserved by the cryopreservation process used in this study.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.960-973
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• 2023

The bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital cardiovascular malformation. Patients with BAV are at higher risk of other congenital cardiovascular malformations and valvular dysfunction, including aortic stenosis/regurgitation and infective endocarditis. BAV may also be related to aortic wall abnormalities such as aortic dilatation, aneurysm, and dissection. The morphology of the BAV varies with the presence and position of the raphe and is associated with the type of valvular dysfunction and aortopathy. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and effective treatment at an early stage are essential to prevent complications in patients with BAV. This pictorial essay highlights the characteristics of BAV and its related congenital cardiovascular malformations, valvular dysfunction, aortopathy, and other rare cardiac complications using multimodal imaging.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.890-900
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• 2021

Objective: To identify the association between morphological and functional characteristics of the bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and bicuspid aortopathy and to identify the determinants of aortic dilatation using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and cardiac computed tomography (CCT). Materials and Methods: This study included 312 subjects (mean [SD] age, 52.7 [14.3] years; 227 males [72.8%]) who underwent TTE and CCT. The BAVs were classified by anterior-posterior (BAV-AP) or right-left (BAV-RL) orientation of the cusps and divided according to the presence (raphe+) or absence of a raphe (raphe-) based on the CCT and intraoperative findings. The dimensions of the sinus of Valsalva and the proximal ascending aorta were measured by CCT. We assessed the determinants of aortic root and proximal ascending aortic dilatation (size index > 2.1 cm/m²) by Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Results: Of the 312 patients, BAV-AP was present in 188 patients (60.3%), and 185 patients (59.3%) were raphe+. Moderate-to-severe aortic stenosis (AS) was the most common hemodynamic abnormality (54.8%). The most common type of aortopathy was the combined dilated root and mid-ascending aortic phenotype (62.5%). On multivariable analysis, age and AS severity were significantly associated with aortic root dilatation (p < 0.05), and age, sex, and AS severity were significantly associated with ascending aortic dilatation (p < 0.05). However, the orientation of the cusps, presence of a raphe, and severity of aortic regurgitation were not associated with aortic root and ascending aortic dilatation. Conclusion: BAV morphological characteristics were not determinants of aortic dilatation. Age, sex, and AS severity were predictors of bicuspid aortopathy. Therefore, age, sex, and AS severity, rather than valve morphology, need to be considered when planning treatment for BAV patients.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1995

A variety of experiments of endothelial cell seeding onto artificial vessels have been performed. To improve endothelialization, one or two components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) have been used as an underlying matrix. In this study, the whole ECM excreted from fibroblasts was used as an underlying matrix. Fetal human fibroblasts were cultured on a polyurethane (PU) sheet. After a conflu; ence was attained, the cytoskeleton and the nuclei of the fibroblast were destroyed using Triton-X. Mitomycin, or irradiation. Omental microvascular endothelial cells from adult human were seeded onto various substrates. After 12 days in culture, the cells were counted. It was observed that the ECM treated by irradiation had the highest cell number. In addition, the cells on this substrate exhibited the most typical endothelial cell morphology. For preliminary animal experiments the PU vessels (inner diameter, 1.5mm) coated with ECM were implanted in the infrarena] abdominal aorta of rat. After the vessels had been implanted for 5 weeks, it was found that the surface of the PU vessels was completely covered with endothelia] cells. In conclusion, we can state that the fibroblast-derived whole ECM makes a better underlying substrate for the endothelialization of small diameter artificial vessels.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.7-20
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• 2002

This study deals with the distribution and morphological study of the neurons with the neuropeptide Y (NPY) in developing chick brain. The developing brains of Korean native chicks at embryonic days 8 (E8), E10, E12, E14, E16, E18, and E20 were used. The chicks were perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde through the left ventricle and aorta. The brains were removed and transferred into 30% sucrose, and then cut in a cryostat into $60{\mu}m$ in thickness. The sections were immunostained with free-floating and avidin-biotin complex (ABC) methods. The numerous neurons with NPY were first observed in nucleus rotundus of diencephalon at E8. In particular, neurons in nucleus rotundus had the well-developed processes. At E12, the neurons with NPY were distributed widely in diencephalon; nucleus septalis lateralis, medialis, nucleus magnocelluaris preopticus dorsalis, medialis, ventralis, nucleus preopticus medialis, nucleus dorsolateralis anterior thalami pars magnocellularis, and nucleus paraventricularis magnocellularis (paraventricular nucleus) except nucleus rotundus. From E12 to E20, positive neurons were oval-shaped, changed gradually into the spherical- and multipolar-shaped. The shapes of processes were also omnidirectional and the number of those were less than in telencephalon. As the chicks developed, the morphology of neurons with NPY showed the tendency to increase in their sizes and numbers.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.266-273
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• 2018

The ganglion cardiacum or juxtaductal body is situated along the left recurrent laryngeal nerve in the aortic window and is an extremely large component of the cardiac nerve plexus. This study was performed to describe the morphologies of the ganglion cardiacum or juxtaductal body in human fetuses and to compare characteristics with intracardiac ganglion. Ganglia were immunostained in specimens from five fetuses of gestational age 12-16 weeks and seven fetuses of gestational age 28-34 weeks. Many ganglion cells in the ganglia were positive for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH; sympathetic nerve marker) and chromogranin A, while a few neurons were positive for neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS; parasympathetic nerve marker) or calretinin. Another ganglion at the base of the ascending aorta carried almost the same neuronal populations, whereas a ganglion along the left common cardinal vein contained neurons positive for chromogranin A and NOS but no or few TH-positive neurons, suggesting a site-dependent difference in composite neurons. Mixtures of sympathetic and parasympathetic neurons within a single ganglion are consistent with the morphology of the cranial base and pelvic ganglia. Most of the intracardiac neurons are likely to have a non-adrenergic non-cholinergic phenotype, whereas fewer neurons have a dual cholinergic/noradrenergic phenotype. However, there was no evidence showing that chromogranin A- and/or calretinin-positive cardiac neurons corresponded to these specific phenotypes. The present study suggested that the ganglion cardiacum was composed of a mixture of sympathetic and parasympathetic neurons, which were characterized the site-dependent differences in and near the heart.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.119-123
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• 2023

Although various imaging evaluation methods have been developed and utilized, thoracic radiography remains essential and is the top priority for diagnosing and managing cardiac diseases. Thoracic radiographic measurements associated with the vertebral heart scale (VHS) and caudal vena cava (CVC) can objectively diagnose cardiac disease in many animals. In particular, VHS measurement is primarily used to evaluate the dimensions of the heart size on thoracic radiographs and can measure cardiomegaly more objectively. Additionally, the value of the CVC compared with the aorta (Ao) and the length of vertebrae (VL) can be used as valuable parameters in right congestive heart failure. To describe the CVC/Ao and CVC/VL ratios in 10 long-tailed gorals (Naemorhedus caudatus) without subjective radiographic evidence of cardiac diseases. The VHS, CVC, Ao, and VL of gorals were measured in the right lateral (RL) view of the thoracic radiographs. In the RL view of 10 gorals, the VHS was 9.31 ± 0.55 vertebrae (v), the CVC/Ao ratio was 0.84 ± 0.13, and the CVC/VL ratio was 0.67 ± 0.09. Additionally, the thoracic morphology of gorals was determined to be intermediate (thoracic depth-to-width ratio, 1.04 ± 0.09, 0.75-1.25). This study confirmed that VHS was significantly correlated with CVC and Ao, and measuring and comparing each value would help diagnose cardiac diseases in gorals. The radiographic measurements in this study will allow veterinarians to diagnose several cardiac diseases in gorals.