OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate pain-related behaviors after bilateral C2 root resection and change in pain patterns in the suboccipital region in rats.METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to three groups (n=25/group); näive, sham, and C2 resection. Three, 7, 10, and 14 days after surgery, cold allodynia was assessed using 20 μL of 99.7% acetone. c-Fos and c-Jun were immunohistochemically stained to evaluate activation of dorsal horn gray matter in C2 segments of the spinal cord 2 hours, 1 day, 7 days, and 14 days after surgery.RESULTS: Three days after surgery, the response to acetone in the sham group was significantly greater than in the näive group, and this significant difference between the näive and sham groups was maintained throughout the experimental period (p < 0.05 at 3, 7, 10, and 14 days). Seven, 10, and 14 days after surgery, the C2 root resection group exhibited a significantly greater response to acetone than the näive group (p < 0.05), and both the sham and C2 resection groups exhibited significantly greater responses to acetone compared with 3 days after surgery. No significant difference in cold allodynia was observed between the sham and C2 root resection groups throughout the experimental period. Two hours after surgery, both the sham and C2 root resection groups exhibited significant increases in c-Fos- and c-Jun-positive neurons compared with the naive group (p=0.0021 and p=0.0358 for the sham group, and p=0.0135 and p=0.014 for the C2 root resection group, respectively). One day after surgery, both the sham and C2 root resection groups exhibited significant decreases in c-Fos -positive neurons compared with two hours after surgery (p=0.0169 and p=0.0123, respectively), and these significant decreases in c-Fos immunoreactivity were maintained in both the sham and C2 root resection groups 7 and 14 days after surgery. The sham and C2 root resection groups presented a tendency toward a decrease in c-Jun-positive neurons 1, 7, and 14 days after surgery, but the decrease did not reach statistical significance.CONCLUSION: We found no significant difference in cold allodynia and the early expression of c-Fos and c-Jun between the sham and C2 resection groups. Our results may support the routine resection of the C2 nerve root for posterior C1–2 fusion, but, further studies are needed.
Acetone ; Animals ; Gray Matter ; Humans ; Hyperalgesia ; Male ; Neuralgia ; Neurons ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn

BACKGROUND: Effective decellularization and fixation process is critical, in order to use xenogenic valves clinically. In the present study, we decellularized bovine pericardium using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and N-lauroyl sarcosinate, treated with alpha-galactosidase, and then fixed in various manners, to find out the most effective tissue preservation & fixation procedure. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Bovine pericardium was decellularized with SDS and N-lauroyl sarcosinate, and treated with alpha-galactosidase. Both groups were fixed differently, by varying glutaraldehyde (GA) or EDC (1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl)-carbodiimide)/N-hydroxysuccinamide (NHS) treatment conditions. Thereafter, physical examination, tensile strength test, thermal stability test, cytotoxicity test, pronase test, pronase-ninhydrin test, purpald test, permeability test, compliance test, H&E staining, DNA quantification, and alpha-galactose staining were carried out to each groups. RESULT: GA fixed groups showed better physical properties and thermal stability than EDC/NHS fixed groups. EDC/NHS-GA dual fixed groups showed better physical properties and thermal stability than EDC/NHS fixed groups, and showed better thermal stability than GA fixed groups. In pronase test and pronase-ninhydrin test, GA fixed groups and EDC/NHS-GA dual fixed groups showed stronger crosslinks than EDC/NHS groups. Permeability and compliance tended to increase in EDC/NHS-GA dual fixed groups, compared to GA fixed groups. But, EDC/NHS-GA dual fixed groups had stronger tensile strength and lower cytotoxicity than GA fixed groups. CONCLUSION: We have verified that EDC/NHS-GA dual fixation can make effective crosslinks and lower the toxicity of GA fixation. Henceforth, we will verify if EDC/NHS-GA dual fixation can lower calcifications & tissue failure in vivo experiment.
alpha-Galactosidase ; Compliance ; DNA ; Glutaral ; Pericardium ; Permeability ; Physical Examination ; Pronase ; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate ; Sulfhydryl Compounds ; Tensile Strength ; Tissue Engineering ; Tissue Preservation ; Transplantation, Heterologous

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the question of whether serum leptin levels might be associated with post-stroke depression. METHODS: We studied 130 patients who experienced a first episode of stroke of more than three months' duration, without any previous history of depression or speech disorders. Data were collected regarding the patient demographics, depressive mood (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition [DSM-IV] criteria and Beck Depression Inventory) and serum leptin levels measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, the Korean version of Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) and Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) were used to assess the subjects' independence, in regard to the activities of daily living and cognition. A statistical analysis was performed to determine differences the serum leptin levels between patients with depression and those without depression, and to determine the difference in the MBI and K-MMSE scores between the groups separated according to the serum leptin levels. RESULTS: Higher serum leptin levels were observed in patients with depression, compared with those without depression (38.5 ng/mL [range, 25.1-59.2 ng/mL] vs. 8.2 ng/mL [range, 4.9-17.8 ng/mL]; p<0.01. The serum leptin level showed an association with depression (odds ratio, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.45; p=0.021). The K-MMSE and K-MBI improvement scores were lower, with statistical significance, in the group with the highest leptin level (>30 mg/dL), compared to the other two groups. CONCLUSION: High serum leptin levels are associated with depression after stroke, and patients with elevated serum leptin levels were disadvantaged in regard to functional and cognitive outcomes.
Activities of Daily Living ; Cognition ; Demography ; Depression* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Leptin* ; Mental Disorders ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Retrospective Studies* ; Speech Disorders ; Stroke ; Vulnerable Populations

BACKGROUND: Workers spend most of their social lives at work and have relationships of varying nature with people in the workplace. Direct supervisors, in particular, have a direct and lasting impact on workers, which may influence workers' mental health. Depression is very prevalent worldwide, and social concern about the disease is on the rise. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of direct supervisors' behavior on the depressive mood of Korean wage workers. METHODS: We used data from the 4th Korean Working Conditions Survey held in 2014; 22,212 participants were included in the analysis. The quality of a direct supervisor's behavior was categorized from 0 (= lowest) to 5 (= highest) points. The degree of depressive mood was measured on a scale from “normal mood” to “likely depression” based on the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the association between the quality of the direct supervisor's behavior and the depressive mood of wage workers. RESULTS: After multivariable adjustment, significantly increased odds ratio (OR) for likely depression was found in the 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0 points of the quality of the direct supervisor's behavior compared to 5 points. After stratification for the level of satisfaction with working conditions, the OR of the unsatisfied groups was higher than that of the satisfied groups. CONCLUSIONS: Likely depression was found to be significantly associated with a low quality of direct supervisor's behavior. This association was stronger in workers who were not satisfied with their working conditions. This study suggests that proper management of the direct supervisor's behavior is needed to reduce the risk of depression among Korean wage workers.
Depression ; Logistic Models ; Mental Health ; Odds Ratio ; Salaries and Fringe Benefits ; World Health Organization

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study was designed to evaluate normal Korean pancreaticobiliary ducts and to assess the prevalence and pattern of variations and anomalies of theses structures. METHODS: We performed this multicenter study in which 7 university hospitals in Korea participated from March 1997 until June 1999. Total 10,243 ERCP cases were reviewed during this study period. RESULTS: 1) Maximal and midportion diameters of common bile ducts were 6.4+/-1.8 mm and 5.5+/-1.7 mm, respectively. Maximal and midportion diameters of pancreas head were 3.2+/-1.1 mm and 2.7+/-1.0 mm, respectively. Pancreaticobiliary duct diameters of subjects above the age of 40 were greater than those of subjects below the age of 40 (p<0.05). 2) The prevalence of choledochal cyst was 0.32%. The prevalence of gallbladder anomalies and anomalous union of pancreaticobiliary duct was 4.2% and 4.1%, respectively. The prevalence of pancreas divisum and annular pancreas was 0.49% and 0.05%, respectively. The most common type of pancreaticobiliary duct union was V shape (60.2%), followed by U shape (23.7%) and Y shape (16.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Understanding normal pancreaticobiliary structures and being aware of the prevalence and pattern of variations and anomalies of pancreaticobiliary structures will be helpful to diagnose and treat patients with pancreaticobiliary problems.
Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Choledochal Cyst ; Common Bile Duct ; Gallbladder ; Head ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Korea ; Pancreas ; Prevalence