Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provides high resolution images, which are useful in studying ultrastructure of cells and tissues. We have to use very thin section about 60~100 nm thickness due to poor penetration power of the conventional TEM at 100 kV. To overcome this limitation, TEMs using higher accelerating voltage have been developed. TEMs can be categorized into conventional TEM, intermediate TEM, high voltage TEM (HVEM), and ultrahigh voltage TEM according to their accelerating voltage. HVEM using 500~1,000 kV has an enough penetration power to observe thick specimen up to 3~4 micro, which is useful understanding 3 dimensional configuration of the cell and tissue. HVEM was built up in Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI, Daejeon, Korea) at 2004, maximum accelerating voltage is 1.3 MV in Korea. Many results showed up to the present various fields of science such as medical science, biology, agriculture and so on. Here, we briefly summarize recent biomedical applications of HVEM to provide an insight of HVEM for morphologist.
Agriculture ; Biology ; Electrons ; Korea ; Microscopy, Electron ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission

The pregnancy causes the marked changes in maternal renal hemodynamic and volume homeostasis. During pregnancy, renal sodium and water retention result in an expansion of extracellular fluid and plamsma volume. This study was to examine the alteration of expression and localization of COX-1, 2, mRNAs and proteins in the kidneys of non-pregnant (NP) and pregnant rats using RT-PCR, Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were evaluated on various time sets : days 10.5 (P10.5), 12.5 (P12.5), 17.5 (P17.5), and 19.5 (P19.5). In RT-PCR, COX-1 expression was gradually increased from P10.5 to P19.5 compared with NP rat. COX-2 expression was gradually decreased from P10.5 to P17.5 compared with NP rat, but restored NP level at P19.5. In Western blot analysis, COX-1, 2 proteins were detected in ~70, ~72 kDa, respectively. COX-1 expression was gradually increased from P10.5 to P17.5 and peaked at P19.5 compared with NP rat. COX-2 expression of pregnant rats was slightly decreased compared with NP rat. In NP rat, immunoreactivity of COX-1 was detected in entire collecting duct, glomerular epithelium, and medullary interstitial cells. In pregnant rats, the pattern of cellular labeling and signal intensity of COX-1 protein was identical to NP rat, but signal intensity was markedly increased in the inner stripe of outer medulla and inner medulla at P19.5. COX-2 immunoreactivity of NP rat was detected in the cortical thick ascending limb and macula densa. In pregnant rats, the pattern of cellular labeling of COX-2 protein was identical to NP rat, but signal intensity was slightly decreased. These results suggest that the expansion of extracellular fluid volume and water retention may be partly regulated by COX-1 rather than COX-2 during the pregnancy, especially at late stage.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Epithelium ; Extracellular Fluid ; Extremities ; Hemodynamics ; Homeostasis ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kidney ; Pregnancy ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Proteins ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Retention (Psychology) ; RNA, Messenger ; Sodium

The mechanism of the disease such as artherosclerosis is easily elucidated by the comparison among cells isolated from each aorta of knockout mouse and wild type mouse, respectively. This study was aimed at effectively harvesting the endothelial and smooth muscle cells from 4~6 weeks old wild type C57BL/6J mouse aorta. The tunica adventitia was completely removed to get the aortic tissues only consisting of the tunica intima and the tunica media under the stereoscope. These aortic tissues were treated with type I collagenase or type II collagenase solution, respectively, and then the endothelial or smooth muscle cell was isolated. CD31 marker of the endothelial cell and alphasmooth muscle actin marker of the smooth muscle cell were identified with confocal microscope. The percentages of the labelled cells by each marker represented the extent of purification of endothelial or smooth muscle cells, respectively, for harvested cells according to the collagenase solutions. 70~80% of culture vessel was covered with the endothelial cells 10 days after the treatment of the type I collagenase solution, while 40~50% of culture vessel covering with the cells after the treatment of the type II collagenase solution. 70~80% of culture vessel was covered with the smooth muscle cell regardless of the type of the collagenase solution on the 13th day. Percentages of the CD31 positive cells after the treatment with the type I or the type II collagenase solution was 91.1+/-.865%** and 86.4+/-.641%, respectively (**p <0.05, n=5). Percentages of the alphasmooth muscle actin labelled cells after the treatment with the type I or the type II collagenase solution were 87.9+/-.713% and 86.6+/-.778%, respectively, and these values were not significantly different. Taken together, the aortic tissues using the type I collagenase solution comparing with using the type II collagenase solution were much more effective in the isolation of the endothelial cells
Actins ; Adventitia ; Animals ; Aorta ; Collagenases ; Endothelial Cells ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Muscle, Smooth ; Muscles ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Tunica Intima ; Tunica Media

Choi JH et al. Effects of Streptozotocin-Induced Type 1 Diabetes on Cell Proliferation and Neuronal Differentiation in the Dentate Gyrus; Correlation with Memory Impairment. Korean J Anat (2009) 42(1): 41-48. Please note that there is error in the above article:On page 47 (ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS) on lines 39-40 in the right column, "(MOEHRD) (KRF-2007-8R07- 0301-064-S000100)" should be "(MOEHRD, Basic Research Promotion Fund) (KRF-2007-412-J00502)"

The existence of a functional link between the nervous and immune systems has been well established. The present study was to characterize the expression of p75NTR during thymus regeneration from acute involution induced by cyclophosphamide in the rat. Immunohistochemical and double immunofluorescence analyses demonstrated that expression of the p75NTR was decreased in the thymic medullary epithelial cells and interdigitating dendritic cells during thymus regeneration. The presence of p75NTR protein in extracts from the control and regenerating rat thymus was confirmed by western blot. Furthermore, RT-PCR analysis supported these results by demonstrating that thymic extracts contain p75NTR mRNA at lower levels during thymus regeneration. Thus, our results suggest that the p75NTR located on the thymic medullary epithelial cells and interdigitating dendritic cells could play a role in the development of new T cells to replace the thymocytes damaged during thymus regeneration
Aluminum Hydroxide ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Carbonates ; Cyclophosphamide ; Dendritic Cells ; Epithelial Cells ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Immune System ; Rats ; Regeneration ; RNA, Messenger ; T-Lymphocytes ; Thymocytes ; Thymus Gland

BDNF belongs to the neurotrophin family and important molecular mediator of functional and structural plasticity. The highest levels of BDNF are found in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of the adult rat. Hypothalamus is important because of its high degree of plasticity, but little is known about distribution of BDNF in hypothalamic nuclei. Therefore, it is necessary to study distribution and expression pattern of BDNF in each hypothalamic nuclei to understand changes of BDNF through various neural damages including spinal cord injury. Through this experiment, we found specific BDNF expression pattern in some regions of hypothalamus and the results are as follows. 1) BDNF expressions were found in median eminence, arcuate nucleus, supraoptic nucleus, and periventricular nucleus of rat hypothalamus. 2) BDNF immunoreactive cells and nerve fibers were of various shapes and sizes. 3) Glial cells also express BDNF in certain hypothalamic nuclei. These results seem to be useful for future investigations of neurochemical changes in the hypothalamus induced by various neural trauma or degenerative changes
Adult ; Animals ; Arcuate Nucleus ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Hypothalamus ; Median Eminence ; Nerve Fibers ; Neuroglia ; Plastics ; Rats ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Supraoptic Nucleus

The distributions of calretinin (CR)- and parvalbumin (PV)-immunoreactive neurons in the main olfactory bulb (MOB) of the goat were examined in this study. As in other animals, the goat MOB has a characteristic laminar structure with laminar types and distribution patterns in each layer. CR-immunoreaction was observed in all layers of the MOB, except for the olfactory nerve layer. Most of CR-immunoreactive neurons were observed in the glomerular and granule cell layers. Relatively small number of CR-immunoreactive neurons was detected in other layers. These CR-immunoreactive neurons were interneurons. PV-immunoreaction was detected in all layers. In contrast to CR, olfactory nerve bundles were immunostained with PV. Most of PV-immunoreactive neurons were distributed in the glomerular and granule cell layers. PV-immunoreactive neurons were interneurons. This result suggests that CR and PV may play important roles in the olfactory signal modulation through interneurons in the goat MOB.
Animals ; Calcium-Binding Protein, Vitamin D-Dependent ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; Goats ; Immunohistochemistry ; Interneurons ; Neurons ; Olfactory Bulb ; Olfactory Nerve ; Smell

Chios gum mastic (CGM) is a resinous exudate obtained from the stem and the main leaves of Pistacia lenticulus tree native to Mediterranean areas. Recently it reported that CGM induce apoptosis in a few cancer cells in vitro. Bile acids and their synthetic derivatives induced apoptosis in various kinds of cancer cells and anticancer effects. It has been reported that the synthetic chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) derivatives showed apoptosis-inducing activity on various cancer cells in vitro. This study was undertaken to investigate the synergistic apoptotic effect of cotreatment with a natural product, CGM and a CDCA derivative, HS-1200 on G361 human melanoma cells. To investigate whether the co-treatment of CGM and HS-1200 compared with each single treatment efficiently reduced the viability of G361 cells, MTT assay was conducted. To investigate augmentation of apoptosis in G631 cells co-treated with CGM and HS-1200, DNA electrophoresis, Hoechst staining, proteasome activity assay, flow cytometry, Westen blot analyses, immunofluorescent staining and confocal microscopy were performed. In this study, G361 cells co-treated with CGM and HS-1200 showed several lines of apoptotic manifestation such as nuclear condensations, DNA fragmentation, the reduction of MMP and proteasome activity, the decrease of DNA content, the release of cytochrome c into cytosol, the translocation of AIF and DFF40 (CAD) onto nuclei, activation of caspase-9, caspase-3, PARP and DFF45 (ICAD), and up-regulation of Bax whereas each single treated G361 cells did not. Although the single treatment of 40 micro/mL CGM or 25 micro HS-1200 for 24 hrs did not induce apoptosis, the co-treatment of them induced prominently apoptosis. Therefore, combination therapy of CGM and HS-1200 could be considered, in the future, as an alternative therapeutic strategy for human melanoma.
Apoptosis ; Bile Acids and Salts ; Caspase 3 ; Caspase 9 ; Cell Line ; Chenodeoxycholic Acid ; Cytochromes c ; Cytosol ; DNA ; DNA Fragmentation ; Electrophoresis ; Exudates and Transudates ; Flow Cytometry ; Gingiva ; Humans ; Melanoma ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Pistacia ; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex ; Resins, Plant ; Trees ; Up-Regulation

Anatomical variation in the abdominal aorta is common and extremely important. We found a rare variation of the abdominal aorta in a Korean male cadaver during a routine dissection course. The superior mesenteric artery gives off a small branch for the descending colon, named accessory left colic artery due to its distribution. The inferior mesenteric artery arises normally from the abdominal aorta and supplied the sigmoid colon and the upper part of the rectum. This variation was rare and it has not been reported previously in Korean. Knowledge of the arterial variation in this region is considerable important during abdominal surgery and invasive procedures. The authors describe this previously unreported case and discuss the clinical implications of such a variant with a brief review of the literature.
Aorta, Abdominal ; Arteries ; Cadaver ; Colic ; Colon, Descending ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Humans ; Male ; Mesenteric Artery, Inferior ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Rectum

Neuropeptides are widely distributed throughout skin, gastrointestinal tracts, and nervous and immune systems. Neuropeptides act to mediate the vasodilation and induce mast cell activation in humans and rats in vitro. However, the mechanism of the cutaneous neuropeptides-induced mast cell activation and the extent of the vascular permeability by cutaneous neuropeptides are not fully understood. This issue was investigated by the injecting six cutaneous neuropeptides-atrial natriuretic peptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide, neuropeptide Y, somatostatin, substance P and vasoactive intestinal peptide-into the skin of rats and by treatment of six cutaneous neuropeptides in rat peritoneal mast cell (RPMC) in vitro. All of the cutaneous neuropeptides increased the significant vascular permeability by the injection into the back skin of normal rats. All of the cutaneous neuropeptides also induced the mast cell degranulation and the histamine release from RPMCs, in a dose-dependent pattern, and increased the calcium uptake and decreased the level of cAMP of RPMCs in vitro. The effects of cutaneous neuropeptides on the vascular permeability and mast cell activation were inhibited by mast cell stabilization agent, disodium cromoglycate. These findings show that cutaneous neuropeptides can induce the mast cell activation by not only increasing the calcium uptake and decreasing the level of cAMP in RPMCs, but also the increment of vascular permeability in the skin of rats.
Animals ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; Calcium ; Capillary Permeability ; Cromolyn Sodium ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Histamine ; Histamine Release ; Humans ; Immune System ; Mast Cells ; Neuropeptide Y ; Neuropeptides ; Rats ; Skin ; Somatostatin ; Substance P ; Vasodilation