• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제54권1호
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• pp.40-44
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• 2011

We present a case of tacrolimus-induced encephalopathy after successful kidney transplantation. An 11-year-old girl presented with sudden onset of neurologic symptoms, hypertension, and psychiatric symptoms, with normal kidney function, after kidney transplantation. The symptoms improved after cessation of tacrolimus. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed acute infarction of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory in the right frontal lobe. Three days later, she had normal mental function and maintained normal blood pressure with left hemiparesis. Follow-up MRI was performed on D19, showing new infarct lesions at both cerebral hemispheres. Ten days later, MRI showed further improvement, but brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) showed mild reduction of uptake in both the anterior cingulate gyrus and the left thalamus. One month after onset of symptoms, angiography showed complete resolution of stenosis. However, presenting as a mild fine motor disability of both hands and mild dysarthria, what had been atrophy at both centrum semiovale at 4 months now showed progression to encephalomalacia. There are two points of interest in this case. First, encephalopathy occurred after administration of tacrolimus and improved after discontinuation of the drug. Second, the development of right-side hemiplegia could not be explained by conventional MRI; but through diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) of white matter tract, visualization was possible.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제4권6호
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• pp.439-444
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• 2000

Tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been commonly used for the treatment of premature ejaculation. In the present study, we analyzed the concentrations of serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of the hypothalamus by awakening animal microdialysis following administration of clomipramine and various SSRIs. We then compared the serotonin metabolism and clinical effects of clomipramine and SSRIs on premature ejaculation. Basal extracellular serotonin level in the MPOA was higher than other brain regions and it was significantly increased by clomipramine and the SSRIs. The rank order of the concentration of serotonin at the MPOA was clomipramine, sertraline, paroxetine and fluoxetine and the concentrations of 5-HIAA was vice versa. The changes in serotonin concentration at the MPOA appeared closely associated with the clinical effects of these drugs on premature ejaculation. These results suggest that the serotonergic neuronal activity in the MPOA may have an selective inhibitory influence on ejaculation, and the effects of clomipramine and SSRIs on erectile function are mainly mediated by MPOA of the hypothalamus.

• 한국응용약물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국응용약물학회 1996년도 제4회 추계심포지움
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• pp.171-172
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• 1996

Cocaine is a powerful reinforcer that has become a popular drug of abuse in man. CNS effects that are related to the abuse of cocaine include feeling of well-being and euphoria. Brain dopamine systems are thought to mediate reinforcement and it is often assumed that cocaine's inhibition of dopamine uptake is the mechanism underlying its reinforcing effects. With increase in cocaine use among general population in recent years, adverse effects of the drug have occurred in all social strata and age groups. Therefore, it has been recognized that the epidemic of cocaine abuse is a growing major concerning public health. One of the most troubling aspects of cocaine abuse is its use by pregnant women. Drug abuse during pregnancy puts two lives at risk. Cocaine produces toxic effects on the fetus at concerntrations that are apparently nontoxic to the mother. Not only does cocaine cross the placenta via diffusion and via rapid penetration to mucous membranes, due to its high lipid solubility, but cocaine can also be found in breast milk, the effects of the cocaine can persist long after the child is born. Although it is known that prenatal cocaine exposure is associated with developmental risk to the fetus ana newborn, few studies have been conducted to assess the mechanisms whereby either short-term or long-term administration of cocaine can exert its harmful effects on the mother or the child. Therefore, it was our great interest to investigate the pharmacological and neurobehavioral changes in offspring that are prenatally exposed to cocaine.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.193-198
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• 2004

PET/CT combines the functional information from a positron emission tomography (PET) exam with the anatomical information from a computed tomography (CT) exam into one single exam. A CT scan uses a combination of x-rays and computers to give the radiologist a non-invasive way to see inside your body. One advantage of CT is its ability to rapidly acquire two-dimensional pictures of your anatomy. Using a computer these 2-D images can be presented in 3-D for in-depth clinical evaluation. A PET scan detects changes in the cellular function - how your cells are utilizing nutrients like sugar and oxygen. Since these functional changes take place before physical changes occur, PET can provide information that enables your physician to make an early diagnosis. The PET exam pinpoints metabolic activity in cells and the CT exam provides an anatomical reference. When these two scans are fused together, your physician can view metabolic changes in the proper anatomical context of your body. PET/CT offers significant advantages including more accurate localization of functional abnormalities, and the distinction of pathological from normal physiological uptake, and improvements in monitoring treatment. A PET/CT scan allows physicians to measure the body's abnormal molecular cell activity to detect cancer (such as breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, lymphoma, melanoma and other skin cancers), brain disorders (such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy), and heart disease (such as coronary artery disease).

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제35권10호
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• pp.3030-3034
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• 2014

Bis-chloroethylnitrosourea (BCNU) is currently used as an anti-cancer drug for glioblastoma therapy. In this study, BCNU was loaded into the hydrophobic cores of R3V6 amphiphilic peptide micelles for efficient delivery into brain tumors. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) study showed that the BCNU-loaded R3V6 peptide micelles (R3V6-BCNU) formed spherical micelles. MTT assay showed that R3V6-BCNU more efficiently induced cell death in C6 glioblastoma cells than did BCNU. In the Annexin V assay, R3V6-BCNU more efficiently induced apoptosis than did BCNU alone. Furthermore, the results showed that R3V6 was not toxic to cells. The positive charges of the R3V6 peptide micelles may facilitate the interaction between R3V6-BCNU and the cellular membrane, resulting in an increase in cellular uptake of BCNU. In vivo evaluation with an intracranial glioblastoma rat model showed that R3V6-BCNU more effectively reduced tumor size than BCNU alone. The results suggest that R3V6 peptide micelles may be an efficient carrier of BCNU for glioblastoma therapy.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권1호
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• pp.248-253
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• 2023

Directly, it is not possible to measure the absorbed dose of radiopharmaceuticals in the organs of the human body. Therefore, simulation methods are utilized to estimate the dose in distinct organs. In this study, individual organs were separately considered as the source organ or target organ to calculate the mean absorption dose, which SAF and S factors were then calculated according to the target uptake via MIRD method. Here, ^99mTc activity distribution within the target was analyzed using the definition and simulation of ideal organs by summing the fraction of cumulative activities of the heart as source organ. Thus, GATE code was utilized to simulate the Zubal humanoid phantom. To validate the outcomes in comparison to the similar results reported, the accumulation of activity in the main organs of the body was calculated at the moment of injection and cardiac rest condition after 60 min of injection. The results showed the highest dose absorbed into pancreas was about 21%, then gallbladder 18%, kidney 16%, spleen 15%, heart 8%, liver 8%, thyroid 7%, lungs 5% and brain 2%, respectively, after 1 h of injection. This distinct simulation model may also be used for different periods after injection and modifying the prescribed dose.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.251-261
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• 2004

A large number of chemical pollutants including phthalates, alkylphenolic compounds and organochlorine pesticides have the ability to disrupt endocrine function in animals, and alter cog-nitive function. Because hormone mediated events play an important role in central nervous system development and function, the changes in cognitive function seem to be mediated by the endocrine-like action of these chemicals. The present study therefore was designed to investigate effect of bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disrupting chemical on neuro-behavial patterns, and expression of estrogen receptors and tyrosine hydroxylase, a limiting enzyme of dopamine synthesis pathway. BPA was treated orally for 3 weeks into 3 week old mice, and then the neuro-behavial patterns (stereo-type behaviors such as jumping rearing and forepaw tremor, climbing behavior, tail flick, rotarod and locomotor activity), and the expression of estrogen receptors and tyrosine hydroxylase were deter-mined every 3 week for 9 weeks. During the treatment of BPA, the food uptake and body weight increase were not significantly changed. BPA resulted in the increased stereotype behaviors (jump-ing, rearing and forepaw tremor) 6 or 9 weeks after treatment. The time response to tail flick and locomotor activity were decreased by the treatment of BPA, whereas the time for rotarod was increased by the treatment of BPA. The expression of estrogen receptor alpha and beta was increased in the brain and pituitary gland. Maximum expression was found in the brain after 9 week of 100 mg/kg BPA treatment and in the pituitary gland after 6 week of 100 mg/kg BPA treatment. Tyrosine hydroxylase was increased in dose and time dependent manners in the brain but no change was found in the pituitary gland. The present data show that exposure of BPA in the young mice could alter expression of estrogen receptors and dopamine synthesis pathway, thereby modulate neuro-behavial patterns (increase of stereotype behaviors but decrease locomotor activity).

• 한국의학물리학회지:의학물리
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.47-53
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• 1998

방사성 의약품 또는 방사성 동위원소를 이용하여 동적 상태의 변화를 측정하고 핵자기 공명 영상에서 해부학적 기준 정보를 얻어 영상을 융합, 등록하고 같은 대상에서 비슷한 검사를 계속해서 비교하게 되며 해부학적 기준 정보나 다른 검사 기기 종류에서 반복되는 검사의 비교를 위해 영상 합성 연구가 유효하며 기능적 특성 때문에 단일 광자 방출 전산화 단층 촬영과 양전자 방출 단층 촬영은 해부학적 기준 정보가 필요하게 되고 같은 대상에서 이러한 해부학적 기준 정보를 얻고 기능적인 이상과 상관관계를 찾아내고 반복되는 진단에 대한 비교를 위해서 영상등록과 융합을 시행하였다. 해부학적 구조가 같은 특성을 갖는 여러 영상 시스템들을 이용하여 해부학적기준과 동적 정보를 함께 얻고 등록하기 위해 짝을 이루는 점올 이용하여 2 가지 영상 데이터에서 4 점 쌍 이상을 선택하여 등록하였다. 기준 영상과 짝을 이루는 점과 대응한 영상은 다른 색을 선택하여 영상을 구분하였으며 핵자기 공명영상을 기준영상으로 하고 단일 광자 방출 컴퓨터 단층 촬영 영상, 양전자 방출 전산화 단층 촬영 영상을 기준영상에 1:1 대응하여 영상을 등록하기 위해서 변환한다. 핵자기 공명 영상이 기준 영상으로 사용되지만 인터폴레이션 에러는 주어진 영상의 공간 주파수에 따라 달라지므로 낮은 해상도를 갖는 양전자 방출 전산화 단층 촬영 영상과 단일 광자 방출 컴퓨터 단층 촬영 영상의 인터폴레이션 에러는 적다. 따라서 방사성 동위원소를 이용하여 질병의 진단 및 질환의 병태 생리 생화학적 연구를 통한 신체의 동역학적 상태의 변화를 측정할 수 있는 이런 정량적이고 기능적인 정보를 해부학적 기준 정보를 주는 핵자기 공명 영상이나 컴퓨터 단층 촬영에서 반복 시행하여 검사와 진단에 용이하게 이용하고, 비교를 위해서 영상을 등록하고 융합하여 진단에 보다 좋은 결과를 얻을 수 있도록 하였다.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제21권6호
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• pp.1401-1406
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• 2007

The present study investigated neuroprotective effects Rehmanniae Radix on PC12 cells and hippocampal neural cells. PC12 cells were damage by $H_2O_2$ and nitric oxide and organotypic hippocampal slice cultures were damaged by oxygen-glucose deprivation. Then methanol extract of Rehmanniae Radix was treated with 0.5, 5, and $50\;{\mu}g/ml$ in culture media. Effects of Rehmanniae Radix were evaluated with cell viability assay, PI-staining, and TUNEL-labeling. Treatment of Rehmanniae Radix ($with\;5\;and\;50\;{\mu}g/ml$) produced significant increase of cell viability of PC12 cells damaged by $H_2O_2$ and by SNP-induced nitric oxide. Treatment of Rehmanniae Radix produced significant decrease of PI-uptake % in CA1 ($with\;5\;and\;50\;{\mu}g/ml$) and DG ($with\;50\;{\mu}g/ml$) regions of organotypic hippocampal slice cultures damaged by oxygen-glucose deprivation. Moreover, treatment of Rehmanniae Radix produced significant decrease of TUNEL- positive cells in CA1 ($with\;5\;and\;50\;{\mu}g/ml$) and DG ($with\;50\;{\mu}g/ml$) regions of organotypic hippocampal slice cultures damaged by oxygen-glucose deprivation. These results suggest that methanol extract of Rehmanniae Radix has neuroprotective effects on PC12 cells damaged by oxidative stress and on organotypic hippocampal slice cultures damaged by oxygen-glucose deprivation.

• 한국식생활문화학회지
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.69-76
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• 2009

This study was conducted to determine the optimal cooking conditions for brown rice using an electric pressure rice cooker. The effects of steeping conditions and cooking pressure on the hydration, gelatinization, texture and palatable properties of cooked brown rice were evaluated. Based on water uptake and DSC data, the optimal steeping time and temperature for brown rice were determined to be 25 minutes and ${\sim}60^{\circ}C$, respectively. The cooking conditions for brown rice were then divided into the following 6 categories: steeping at $25^{\circ}C$ for 25 minutes and cooking at an atmospheric pressure of 1.7 (25P) or 1.9 (25HP), steeping at $57^{\circ}C$ for 25 minutes and cooking at an atmospheric pressure of 1.7 (57P) or 1.9 (57HP), steeping at $85^{\circ}C$ for 15 minutes and cooking at an atmospheric pressure of 1.7 (85P) or 1.9 (85HP). The susceptibility of cooked brown rice starch to degradation into maltose by ${\alpha}$-amylase, which is related to the degree of gelatinization and in vitro digestibility, were then determined. The amount of maltose produced by cooked brown rice samples was highest in the 57HP group, followed by the 57P and 85HP groups. Storing cooked brown rice at $73^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours resulted in significantly higher amounts of starch being degraded into maltose in the 57P, 57HP and 85HP groups than in the other groups. Textural analysis demonstrated that the 57P, 57HP and 85HP groups had significantly lower gumminess and chewiness values when compared to the other groups, and that 57HP received had the lowest hardness of all treatments. These results were confirmed by the results of the sensory evaluations. Furthermore, the 57P and 57HP groups were found to have a higher glossiness, stickiness aroma and taste score than the other groups. These findings were taken to indicate that steeping conditions and pressure exerted a positive synergistic effect on the cooking quality of brown rice. The texture analyzer also revealed that storing the cooked rice at $73^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours only led to significantly lower scores in gumminess, hardness and chewiness in the 57P and 57HP groups, which indicates that these groups underwent a lesser degree of retrogradation than other groups. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrate that steeping brown rice at $57^{\circ}C$ for 25 minutes and a higher cooking pressure improved the palatability and in vitro digestibility of brown rice significantly.