• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.246-256
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• 2022

The present study focused on the potential mechanism of betulin (BT), a pentacyclic triterpenoid isolated from the bark of white birch (Betula pubescens), against chronic alcohol-induced lipid accumulation and metaflammation. AML-12 and RAW 264.7 cells were administered ethanol (EtOH), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or BT. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed Lieber-DeCarli liquid diets containing 5% EtOH for 4 weeks, followed by single EtOH gavage on the last day and simultaneous treatment with BT (20 or 50 mg/kg) by oral gavage once per day. In vitro, MTT showed that 0-25 mM EtOH and 0-25 µM BT had no toxic effect on AML-12 cells. BT could regulate sterolregulatory-element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1), lipin1/2, P2X7 receptor (P2X7r) and NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) expressions again EtOH-stimulation. Oil Red O staining also indicated that BT significantly reduced lipid accumulation in EtOH-stimulated AML-12 cells. Lipin1/2 deficiency indicated that BT might mediate lipin1/2 to regulate SREBP1 and P2X7r expression and further alleviate lipid accumulation and inflammation. In vivo, BT significantly alleviated histopathological changes, reduced serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and triglyceride (TG) levels, and regulated lipin1/2, SREBP1, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α/γ (PPARα/γ) and PGC-1α expression compared with the EtOH group. BT reduced the secretion of inflammatory factors and blocked the P2X7r-NLRP3 signaling pathway. Collectively, BT attenuated lipid accumulation and metaflammation by regulating the lipin1/2-mediated P2X7r signaling pathway.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.49-57
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• 2022

Objective : This study was conducted to investigate antidiabetic effects of chunggugjang with medicinal herbal complex (CJ) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced animal models. Method : STZ (65 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally to induce diabetes. Then rats were divided into 5 groups ; NG (normal diet + 0.9% saline), COS (STZ +saline 5 mL/kg), COB (STZ + fermented soybean(100 mg/kg), CJ 100/200 (STZ+CJ(100 and 200 mg/kg), CJ 300/600 (STZ+CJ(300 and 600 mg/kg). 4 weeks later, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed. After sacrificing rats, serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride (TG) were measured and histological changes were observed. Result : Body weight change and food efficiency ratio (FER) were decreased in the CJ 300/600 group than in the COS group. But, there was no change in water intake. Serum levels of glucose, AST, ALT and BUN were lower in the CJ 300/600 group than in the COS group. Also, TG, TC, and creatinine were decreased in the CJ 300/600 group than in the COS group. According to OGTT, 120 minutes postprandial glucose levels were lower in the CJ 300/600 group than in the COS group. In addition, administration of CJ extracts restored histopathological damage. Conclusion : The results suggest that CJ can be used as a functional material for diabetes treatment as it has the effect to improve pathological symptoms in STZ-induced diabetic rats.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.4
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• pp.1005-1010
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• 2021

We report a case of Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) related disease involving the pterygoplataine fossa. A 83-year-old male presented with left ocular pain and visual disturbance. CT showed an isodense soft tissue lesion in the left pterygopalatine fossa with bony sclerotic changes and erosion. MRI revealed an infiltrative soft tissue mass in the left pterygopalatine fossa as a T2 slightly low signal intensity and heterogeneous enhancement. The patient underwent left ethmoidectomy, and biopsy of the mass was conducted. The histopathological diagnosis was IgG4-related disease. In this case, it was difficult to differentiate invasive aspergillosis, which is common in immunocompromised patients, considering the patient's clinical history of diabetes mellitus. This report describes the imaging findings of IgG4-related disease mimicking invasive sinusitis such as invasive aspergillosis.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.27-40
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• 1993

This study was taken to examine the light microscopic and ultrastructural changes of gill and kidney of female tilapia{Oreochromis niloticus) adapted in 0%o, 10%o, 20%o, and 30%o salt concentrations, respectively, by light, scanning and transmission electron microscope. The results obtained in these experiments were summarized as follows: Gill chloride cell hyperplasia, gill lamellar epithelial separation, kidney glomerular shrinkage, blood congestion in kidneys and deposition of hyalin droplets in kidney glomeruli, tubules were the histological alterations in Oreochromis niloticus. Incidence and severity of gill chloride cell hyperplasia rapidly increased together with increase of salinity, and the number of chloride cells in gill lamellae rapidly increased in response to high external NaCl concentrations. The ultrastructure by scanning electron microscope(SEM) indicated that the gill secondary lamella of tilapia(Oreochromis niloticus) exposed to seawater, were characterized by rough convoluted surfaces during the adaptation. Transmission electron microscopy(TEM) indicated that mitochondria in chloride cells exposed to seawater, were both large and elongate and contained well-developed cristae. TEM also showed the increased chloride cells exposed to seawater. The presence of two mitochondria-rich cell types is discussed with regard to their possible role in the hypoosmoregulatory changes which occur during seawater-adaptation. Most Oreochromis niloticus adapted in seawater had an occasional glomerulus completely filling Bowman's capsule in kidney, and glomerular shrinkage was occurred higher in kidney tissues of individuals living in 10%o, 20%o, 30%o of seawater than in those living in 0%o of freshwater, and blood congestion was occurred severer in kidney tissues of individuals living 20%o, 30%o of seawater than in those living in 10%o of seawater. There were decreases in the glomerular area and the nuclear area in the main segments of the nephron, and that the nuclear areas of the nephron cells in seawater-adapted tilapia were of smaller size than those from freshwater-adapted fish. Our findings demonstrated that Oreochromis niloticus tolerated moderately saline environment and the increased body weight living in 30%o was relatively higher than that living in 10%o in spite of histopathological changes.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.131-140
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• 1992

In order to investigate the changes of hydroxyproline amount and pathologic finding in rat lung which were instilled the natural coal and free silica dust intratracheally, the subjects were divided into two groups as follows. The control group was only administered intratracheally 0.5 ml of normal saline, and the experimental groups were instilled at once the turbid solution containing 10 mg, 30 mg and 50 mg of natural coal and free silica dust each, subjects were sacrified at the 3rd and the 20th week each after the experiment. Hydroxyproline amount in the right upper lung was measured by Woessner method and HPLC (modified Dunphy) method, and the pathlogic finding of lung tissue were observed for hematoxylin-eosin staining, Bielschowski method and Masson's trichrome method. The results were as follows. 1) The wet lung weights of all experimental groups excluding in the groups instilled 10 mg and 30 mg of natural coal dust at 3rd week, were significantly increased (p<0.05) compared with control group. The weight in each free silica group was markedly increased (p<0.05) at 20th week compared with the same dose of natural coal dust group, while the weight in the same dose group of free silica dust was increased significantly at 20th week compared with at 3rd week. 2) The amount of hydroxyproline were significantly increased (p<0.05) in the natural coal and free silica groups at 20th week compared with the control groups, and in each experimental group instilled the same kind and dose of dust, its amount was markedly increased (p<0.05) at 20th week compared with at 3rd week. And also the hydroxyproline in 30 mg and 50 mg free silica groups increased markedly (p<0.05) at 20th week compared with the natural coal dust of the same dose. 3) The polymorphonuclear leukocytes, fibroblasts and macrophages in interstitium and alveolar space showed the increasing tendency in the free silica group more markedly than in the natural coal dust group. The exudate in alveolar space at 3rd week was disappeared at 20th week, and pneumoconiotic nodules observed microscopically in all experimental groups at 20th week, while the nodules apeared already at 3rd week in the 30 mg and 50 mg free silica dust groups. The significant increase of Hydroxyproline content in lung tissue and pneumoconiotic nodule formation in experimental groups found in this study indicate that the observation period, dust amount and kind of dust is important factors associated with pneumoconiosis. And these findings were generally more severe in free silica dust groups than in natural coal groups.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.261-270
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• 1989

The present study is intended to observe the chronologic changes of experimental sparganosis by histopathological observation and detection of circulating anti-sparganum IgG antibody using ELISA. Each of 25 mice was infected with aye spargana, and they were examined after 1, 2, 4, 10 weeks or 6 months from infection. The followings are summarized results. - 1. The plerocercoids were detected in the subcutaneous tissue of the trunk, neck or axilla, but a few often extended into the skeletal muscle. The recovery rates were 72% at the first week, 80% at the second week, 95% at the fourth week, 92% at the tenth week and 100% at .the sixth month. The larvae grew slowly in both length and weight until 6 months. 2. Histopathologically, most of the larvae were observed alive in the soft tissue or skeletal muscle. Numerous eosinophils, neutrophils, Iymphocytes and plasma cells were infiltrated focally around the worms by the second week, but they surrounded the worms to form a layer of inflammatory reaction after 4 weeks of infection. Also histiocytes and fibroblasts began to appear around the inflammatory cells at 4 weeks. After 10 weeks, the worms encircled by a thin fibrous layer were found. After 6 months, the worms were surrounded by either fibrous tissue or active inflammatory cells. The inflammation looked more severe in the tracks left by the worms, rather than around the worms. 3, The level of anti-sparganum IgG antibody in the serum showed an increase by the fourth week, and a rapid and continuous increase was observed thereafter by the tenth week after infection. The high level of the IgG antibody was maintained up to 6 months forming a plateau curve. The present results suggest that the tissue reaction and antibody production in subcutaneous sparganosis become distinctive by the fourth week after infection.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1309-1315
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• 2000

Objectives : We performed an in vivo experiment to investigate the effect of $^{166}Holmium$ and $^{166}Holmium$-chitosan complex($^{166}Ho$-CHICO) on the normal brain of rats and to determine the sublethal dose of $^{166}Ho$-CHICO. Materials and Methods : $^{166}Ho$ is a beta and gamma ray emitter. $^{166}Ho$-CHICO is a novel radio-pharmaceutical complex with chitosan to facilitate the transport of $^{166}Ho$ obtained from Korea Atomic Energy Research Center(Taejon, Korea). It is in acidic form and becomes gel state at alkaline pH. One hundred and seventy consecutive rats were divided into four groups : $^{166}Ho$ treated(n＝50), $^{166}Ho$-CHICO treated(n＝57), saline treated(n＝5) and chitosan treated(n＝5) groups. $^{166}Ho$ and $^{166}Ho$-CHICO were injected into the rat brain stereotactically with various doses of 0.1mCi/$20{\mu}l$, 0.2mCi/$20{\mu}l$, 0.3mCi/$20{\mu}l$, and 0.4mCi/$20{\mu}l$ using an automated microinjector. Nuclear imaging, histopathological and hematological studies were performed in 10 rats in each group at 1 day, 3days, 7 days, 1 month and 3 months after the injections. Results : An infiltration of inflammatory cells and necrotic changes were noted in $^{166}Ho$ treated group at 1 week after the injection. A wedge-shaped tissue defect due to necrosis, lined with infiltrated glial cells in $^{166}Ho$ treated group and a cystic defect lined with reactive astroglial cells in $^{166}Holmium$-CHICO treated group at 3 months after the injection were observed. $^{166}Ho$ alone without chitosan leaked out and caused necrotic lesion on the cerebral surface but $^{166}Holmium$-CHICO treated group did not show this feature. As the dose of $^{166}Ho$ increased, the mortality rates were also increased. The mortality rate of the $^{166}Holmium$-CHICO group was higher than the $^{166}Ho$ treated group at a dose of 0.4mCi/$20{\mu}l$/300g. There was no detectable radioactivity due to the leakage or extravasation from the injected site of the brain on the scintigraphy performed at 1 hour, 24 hours and 48 hours after the injection. There was also no detectable activity of $^{166}Holmium$-CHICO in other organs including spleen, liver and kidney. Conclusions : $^{166}Ho$-CHICO did not leak out to the critical cortical surface of the brain from the injection site and induced radiation changes of the parenchyma around the injection site without cortical damage. The sublethal dose of $^{166}Ho$-CHICO for the normal brain in rats was determined to be 0.2mCi/$20{\mu}l$/300g.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1119-1126
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• 1998

Background: In this study, we investigated the early time course of expression of the major histocompatibility(MHC) antigens, intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1), interleukin-6 and the histopathological changes in the coronary arteries of cardiac allografts exchanged between inbred mice strains that differ in one loci of class I major histocompatibility antigen (B10.BR to B10.A). Material and Method: No immunosuppressive therapy was used. Both allografts and the hearts of the recipients were harvested at 7(group 1, n=6), 15(group 2, n=6), 21(group 3, n=6), and 30(group 4, n=6) days after transplantation. They were examined by immunohistochemistry, microscopy and morphometry. All allografts had contractions at the time of harvest. Result: A strong MHC class I antigen expression was present on the endothelial and medial cells of the coronary arteries in group 1 and remained unchanged in the rest of the groups. However, MHC class II reactivity was none or very little at any time. Mild to moderate ICAM-1 expression was observed on the endothelial cells, but not on the medial cells at any time by 30 days. VCAM-1 expression was strong both on the endothelial and medial cells at any time. Moderate degree expression of interleukin-6 was observed from 7 to 30 day specimens. Histopathologically, percentage of affected vessels(vessels with intimal thickening) was less than 10 % in 7 day group and increased up to 50 % at 30 days. Mean percent narrowing of the lumen of the affected vessels revealed less than 20 % at 7 days and 40 % at 30 days. The area occupied by tropomyosin positive cells in the intimal lesion, graded from 0 to 3, showed gradual increase but remained between grade 0 to 1 by 30 days. Medial integrity was also well preserved at any time. Moderate perivascular mononuclear cell infiltration was observed at 7 days and it was progressively increased upto 30 days. Recipients' heart revealed no positive immunopathologic findings. Conclusion: In this study, the early time course of progression of the transplantation vasculopathy was demonstrated in the murine heterotopic heart transplant model.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.119-134
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• 1995

To induce an overpopulated melanomacrophage centers(MMCs) within spleen and kidney in tilapias, two methods were applied through the intraperitoneal inoculation of V. anguillarum FKC with a repeated dose of saline(the 1st induction group), and of colloidal carbon (the 2nd induction group). In the 1st group, both number and size of MMCs were slightly increased in spleen and head kidney. However in the 2nd group the two hemopoietic tissues were nearly occupied with quite a large number of MMCs. Regardless of induction groups, many of MMCs were confined within the walls of blood vessels in the spleen. Especially in the 2nd group, the MMCs without fibrous capsules often had concentrically or eccentrically located, thin-walled lumens of vessels, which strongly suggests to be ellipsoids. In head kidney, nearly all MMCs were located within or just around the lymphocytic areas but the precise relationship to blood vessel wall was not obvious. Despite of such overpopulated MMCs, no histopathological degenerative findings in hemopoetic parenchymas of both organs were recognized. To evaluate the effect on defensive function, tilapias of the 2nd group were challenged with E. tarda. Susceptabilities to E. tarda were never increased but rather significantly decreased compared to control. Weekly antibody titres in sera were determined for all induction groups, in which the titres in the 1st and 2nd groups were 4 or 8 times higher than in the control, and then remained high until the 4th week. Also with the hemopoietic function, cellular compositions of peripheral blood were analyzed at weekly intervals but no significant changes resulted. From those results, it is suggested that overcrowding of MMCs would not lead to any morphological as well as functional deteriorations of spleen and head kidney but have an intimate association with enhancement of protective immune system in tilapias.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.522-532
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• 2010

The aims of the present study were to characterize the effect of glucocorticosteroids (GCs) on the normal canine skin and to evaluate the effect of a lipid mixture (LM), containing cholesterol, pseudoceramide, and free fatty acid, on the steroid-induced damaged skin of dogs. Five beagles were involved and the skin of the back of each dog was topically applied with four kinds of GCs twice daily for 28 days. LM was applied after that period of GCs application. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin hydration, and skin pH were assessed during experimental periods and histopathological evaluation was performed. TEWL was significantly increased, with a maximum increase obtained on day 28 (p < 0.01). Skin pH was significantly decreased, with a maximum decrease obtained on day 28 (p < 0.01). Skin surface hydration was significantly increased on day 3, but values of skin hydration were progressively decreased and finally reached those of baseline. In histology, as results of steroid application, losses of keratin layers in the stratum corneum and edematous changes in the upper parts of dermis, and consequently, thickness of the epidermis and the stratum corneum were decreased. In addition, the numbers of hair follicles were markedly decreased in steroid control as compared to intact control. However, these skin atrophic changes were markedly inhibited by treatment of LM as compared with steroid control in the present study. Moreover, all biophysical parameters were reached to the baseline after LM treatment. These results showed that the topically applied GCs induced skin barrier impairment and a LM should be effective on repair of disturbed skin barrier function in dogs. Therefore, it is concluded that a LM tested in the present study is expected to treat the steroid-induced skin damages.