• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.522-529
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• 2019

M1/M2 polarization of immune cells including microglia has been well characterized. It mediates detrimental or beneficial roles in neuroinflammatory disorders including cerebral ischemia. We have previously found that sphingosine 1-phospate receptor subtype 1 ($S1P_1$) in post-ischemic brain following transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) can trigger microglial activation, leading to brain damage. Although the link between $S1P_1$ and microglial activation as a pathogenesis in cerebral ischemia had been clearly demonstrated, whether the pathogenic role of $S1P_1$ is associated with its regulation of M1/M2 polarization remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to determine whether $S1P_1$ was associated with regulation of M1/M2 polarization in post-ischemic brain. Suppressing $S1P_1$ activity with its functional antagonist, AUY954 (5 mg/kg, p.o.), attenuated mRNA upregulation of M1 polarization markers in post-ischemic brain at 1 day and 3 days after tMCAO challenge. Similarly, suppressing $S1P_1$ activity with AUY954 administration inhibited M1-polarizatioin-relevant $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation in post-ischemic brain. Particularly, $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation was observed in activated microglia of post-ischemic brain and markedly attenuated by AUY954, indicating that M1 polarization through $S1P_1$ in post-ischemic brain mainly occurred in activated microglia. Suppressing $S1P_1$ activity with AUY954 also increased mRNA expression levels of M2 polarization markers in post-ischemic brain, further indicating that $S1P_1$ could also influence M2 polarization in post-ischemic brain. Finally, suppressing $S1P_1$ activity decreased phosphorylation of M1-relevant ERK1/2, p38, and JNK MAPKs, but increased phosphorylation of M2-relevant Akt, all of which were downstream pathways following $S1P_1$ activation. Overall, these results revealed $S1P_1$-regulated M1/M2 polarization toward brain damage as a pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.173-178
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• 2011

Objective : The rat middle cerebral artery thread-occlusion model has been widely used to investigate the pathophysiological mechanisms of stroke and to develop therapeutic treatment. This study was conducted to analyze energy metabolism, apoptotic signal pathways, and genetic changes in the hippocampus of the ischemic rat brain. Methods : Focal transient cerebral ischemia was induced by obstructing the middle cerebral artery for two hours. After 24 hours, the induction of ischemia was confirmed by the measurement of infarct size using 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. A cDNA microarray assay was performed after isolating the hippocampus, and was used to examine changes in genetic expression patterns. Results : According to the cDNA microarray analysis, a total of 1,882 and 2,237 genes showed more than a 2-fold increase and more than a 2-fold decrease, respectively. When the genes were classified according to signal pathways, genes related with oxidative phosphorylation were found most frequently. There are several apoptotic genes that are known to be expressed during ischemic brain damage, including Akt2 and Tnfrsf1a. In this study, the expression of these genes was observed to increase by more than 2-fold. As energy metabolism related genes grew, ischemic brain damage was affected, and the expression of important genes related to apoptosis was increased/decreased.Conclusion : Our analysis revealed a significant change in the expression of energy metabolism related genes (Atp6v0d1, Atp5g2, etc.) in the hippocampus of the ischemic rat brain. Based on this data, we feel these genes have the potential to be target genes used for the development of therapeutic agents for ischemic stroke.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2011

Previous work demonstrated that an ethanol extract (HS0608) of a mixture of three medicinal plants of Curcuma longae radix, Phellinus linteus, and Scutellariae radix markedly inhibits $A{\beta}$ (25-35)-induced neurotoxicity. The present study was performed to further verify the neuroprotective effect of HS0608 on oxidative and ischemic cerebral injury using cultured rat cortical neurons and rats. Exposure of cultured cortical neurons to $100\;{\mu}M$ hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) induced neuronal apoptotic death. At $10-100{\mu}g/ml$, HS0608 inhibited neuronal death, elevation of intracellular calcium concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$), and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by $H_2O_2$ in primary cultures of rat cortical neurons. In vivo, HS0608 prevented cerebral ischemic injury induced by 2-h middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and 24-h reperfusion. The ischemic infarct and edema were significantly reduced in rats that received HS0608 (200 mg/kg). These results suggest that the anti-oxidative properties of HS0608 may be responsible for its neuroprotective effect against focal cerebral ischemic injury and that HS0608 may have a therapeutic role in neurodegenerative diseases such as stroke.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.355-363
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• 2005

This study aimed to investigate the cerebroprotective effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on permanent focal cerebral ischemia in Sprague-Dawley rats. Right middle cerebral artery (MCA) was occluded for 6 and 24 hours by an intraluminal monofilament technique. An open cranial window was made on the right parietal bone for determination of continuous changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) by laser-Doppler flowmetry. The infarct size was morphometrically determined using the 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride technique. Brain edema was determined by measuring brain water content. In normal rats, rCBF was significantly increased by intravenous infusion of VEGF for 10 minutes. The VEGF-induced increase in rCBF was significantly inhibited by pretreatment with suramin, a heparin-binding growth factor inhibitor as well as $N^{\omega}-nitro-L-arginine$, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor. In focal cerebral ischemic rats, the amplitude of decrease in rCBF during ischemic period was significantly less in VEGF-treated group, compared with that in vehicle-treated group. The cerebral infarct size was reduced by VEGF in a dose-dependent manner. The brain edema formation was dose-dependently reduced by VEGF in 24-hour MCA occlusion group but not in 6-hour MCA occlusion group. It is suggested that VEGF not only improves the rCBF during cerebral ischemic period but also reduces the brain edema formation, and thereby exert a protective effect on focal cerebral ischemia in rats.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.531-538
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• 2015

Preceding infection or inflammation such as bacterial meningitis has been associated with poor outcomes after stroke. Previously, we reported that intracorpus callosum microinjection of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) strongly accelerated the ischemia/reperfusionevoked brain tissue damage via recruiting inflammatory cells into the ischemic lesion. Simvastatin, 3-hydroxy-3-methylgultaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase inhibitor, has been shown to reduce inflammatory responses in vascular diseases. Thus, we investigated whether simvastatin could reduce the LPS-accelerated ischemic injury. Simvastatin (20 mg/kg) was orally administered to rats prior to cerebral ischemic insults (4 times at 72, 48, 25, and 1-h pre-ischemia). LPS was microinjected into rat corpus callosum 1 day before the ischemic injury. Treatment of simvastatin reduced the LPS-accelerated infarct size by 73%, and decreased the ischemia/reperfusion-induced expressions of pro-inflammatory mediators such as iNOS, COX-2 and IL-$1{\beta}$ in LPS-injected rat brains. However, simvastatin did not reduce the infiltration of microglial/macrophageal cells into the LPS-pretreated brain lesion. In vitro migration assay also showed that simvastatin did not inhibit the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1-evoked migration of microglial/macrophageal cells. Instead, simvastatin inhibited the nuclear translocation of NF-${\kappa}B$, a key signaling event in expressions of various proinflammatory mediators, by decreasing the degradation of $I{\kappa}B$. The present results indicate that simvastatin may be beneficial particularly to the accelerated cerebral ischemic injury under inflammatory or infectious conditions.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.104-110
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• 2002

Citri Reticulatae Viride Pericarpium extract(CRVP) have been used in oriental medicine for many centuries as a therapeutic agent for Soothing the liver and regulating the circulation of qi(疏肝理氣), and promoting digestion and removing stagnated food(消積化滯). The effects of CRVP on the vascular system is not known. The purpose of this Study was to investigate the effects of CRVP on the pial arterial diameter and regional cerebral blood flow(rCBF) in normal rats and ischemic cerebrovascular pathologic model rats. The changes in rCBF was determinated by Laser-Doppler Flowmetry(LDF), and the changes in pial arterial diameter were determinated by video microscopy methods and video analyzer. The results were as follows ; 1. Pial arterial diameter was significantly increased by CRVP in a dose-dependent manner. 2. Pretreatment with L-NNA significantly inhibited CRVP induced increased rCBF and pial arterial diameter. 3. Both the methylene chloride fraction and the hexane fraction of CRVP dose-dependently improved the altered cerebral hemodynamics of cerebral ischemic animal by increasing rCBF. 4. Pretreatment with L-NNA and indomethacin significantly inhibited CRVP(MC) induced increased rCBF. 5. Pretreatment with L-NNA and indomethacin significantly inhibited CRVP(hexane) induced increased rCBF. 6. Pretreatment with CRVP maredly stabilized the changes rCBF and pial arterial diameter during the period of cerebral reperusion. In conclusion, CRVP causes a diverse response of rCBF and pial arterial diameter, and CRVP dose-dependently improved the altered cerebral hemodynamics of cerebral ischemic animal by increasing rCBF and pial arterial diameter. These results suggest that the improvement of cerebral hemodynamics is also mediated by nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.165-176
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• 2001

This study demonstrates the effects of Yanggyuksanhwa-Tang, Sasang constitutional herb prescription reported its clinical effect on the stroke of the So-yang In(少陽人), on the cerebral blood flow changes induced by nitro L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) treatment and ischemic brain damage induced by the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in the rats. The changes of the arterial blood pressure, cerebral blood flow, and the diameter of the pial artery were measured in rats treated with L-NAME. And the changes of the infarct size, volume, and plasma tumor necrosis factor alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$) levels were measured in the rats that the middle cerebral artery has been occluded by the intraluminal suture thread method. Yanggyuksanhwa-Tang was administered by the i.v. injection on the L-NAME treated rats, by the i.o. administration on the MCAO rats. The results is 1. The changes of the arterial blood pressure was not different statistically between in the L-NAME treated control group and in the Yanggyuksanhwa-Tang administered group. 2. Increase in the cerebral blood flow induced by L-NAME treatment was attenuated in the Yanggyuksanhwa-Tang administered group significantly (P<0.05) as compared with the L-NAME treated control group. 3. Decrease in the diameter of the pial artery induced by L-NAME treatment was attenuated about 18% in the Yanggyuksanhwa-Tang administered group as compared with the L-NAME treated control group. 4. Ischemic damaged infarct areas were decreased significantly (P<0.05) in the interaural 12mm, 10mm, and 6mm brain sections of the Yanggyuksanhwa-Tang administered group as compared the MCA occluded control group. 5. Total ischemic infarct volume was decreased significantly (P<0.05) in the Yanggyuksanhwa-Tang administered group as compared the MCA occluded control group. 6. Plasma $TNF-{\alpha}$ levels were decreased significantly (P<0.01) in the Yanggyuksanhwa-Tang administered group as compared the MCA occluded control group.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2012

It is very important for early diagnosis and therapy with ischamic cerebral infarction patients. This study was to know the ischemic penumbra lesion which compared CT-perfusion and diffusion weighted MRI(DWMRI) with acute cerebral infarction patients. 12 acute cerebral infarction patients had performed perfusion CT and performed DWMRI. Perfusion images including cerebral blood volume(CBV), cerebral blood flow(CBF), time to peak(TTP) and mean transit time(MTT) maps obtained the values with defect lesion and contralateral normal cerebral hemisphere and DWMRI was measured by signal intensity and compared of lesion size between each perfusion map. All perfusion CT maps showed the perfusion defect lesions in all patients. There were remarkable TTP and MTT delay in perfusion defect lesions. The lesions on CBF map was the most closely correlated with the lesions on DWMRI. The size of perfusion defect lesions on TTP and MTT map was larger than that of lesions on DWMRI, suggesting that MTT map can evaluate the ischemic penumbra. Perfusion CT maps make it possible to evaluate not only ischemic core and ischemic penumbra, but also hemodynamic status in the perfusion defect area. These results demonstrate that perfusion CT can be useful to the diagnosis and treatment in the patients with acute cerebral ischemic infarction.

• The Journal of Dong Guk Oriental Medicine
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• v.11
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• pp.58-65
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• 2008

Objectives : BHT has been commonly used to treatment of brain disorders in Oriental clinic in Korea. The purpose of this study was to determine the inhibitory effect of modified BHT-C extract on the transient forcal cerebral ischemia in rats. Method : We prepared ischemic rats by the transient middle cerebral artery occlution(MCAO; 90 min occlusion and 144 h reperfusion) in rat brains. BHT-C extract (100 and 200 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered every day after the onset of MCAO until 6 day. Result : BHT-C extract increased survival rate of ischemic rats compared with vehicle-treated rats. BHT-C extract treated rats (100 and 200 mg/kg) were shown a significant reduction in infarct volume compared with vehicle-treated rats. Conclusions : These results suggest that BHT-C extract may contribute to its protective effects in brain ischemia through the reduction of brain infarction.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.257-260
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• 2009

Intraventricular hemorrhage long after successful encephaloduroarterio synangiosis (EDAS) is very rare. The effect of revascularization surgery for preventing hemorrhagic event of moyamoya disease remains controversial. We report a 17-year-old female with intracerebral hemorrhage and intraventricular hemorrahge 10 years after successful EDAS. Even though cerebral vessels angiography showed good collateral circulations without specific weak points, a cerebral hemorrhage could occur in patient with ischemic type of moyamoya disease long after successful indirect bypass operations. Good collateralization of cerebral angiography or magnetic resonance perfusion image after indirect bypass surgery would ensure against ischemic symptoms, not a hemorrhage. And, thus a life-time follow-up strategy might be necessary even if a good collateral circulation has been established.