Recently, there are numerous efforts to explain the psycho-, neurological events through molecular biological standards. Because of the property as a strong stimulant to neural cells, convulsions induced by electroconvulsive shock (ECS) or kainic acid are used for neurobiological research. In this study, the effect of systemic administration of kainic acid and ECS on the expression of hsp 72 mRNA in the rat brain was investigated with in situ hybridization histochemistry. The induction of hsp 72 mRNA was observed in the dentate gyrus from 2 hr after KA treatment. After that, the expression was gradually increased in the various areas including dentate gyrus, hippocampus, olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, caudate-putamen, thalamus, and peaked at 9 hr after KA treatment. At the 72 hr after KA treatment, weak expression was found only in the CA3 area of hippocampus. However, the expression of hsp 72 mRNA was not detected in any ESC treated rat brains, we examined.The inducton of c-fos was observed from 15 min, peaked at 6 hr, and returned to basal level at 48 hr after KA treatment. The expression of c-fos was observed in the same areas that showed induction of hsp 72 mRNA. In the ECS treated rat brains, the induction of c-fos was found in the dentate gyrus, olfactory bulb and cerebral cortex at 15 min and 30 min after ESC. From these results, it may be suggested that the effects of KA treatment and ECS on the neuronal cells are different, and it is due to difference in induction mechanism of convulsion between KA and ECS. And, the similarity between the expression pattern of hsp 72 mRNA by KA and KA receptor suggests that the induction of hsp 72 mRNA is based on the direct effect of KA through KA receptor.
Animals ; Brain* ; Cerebral Cortex ; Dentate Gyrus ; Electroshock ; Gene Expression ; Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Hippocampus ; Hot Temperature* ; HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins* ; In Situ Hybridization ; Kainic Acid ; Neurons ; Olfactory Bulb ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Seizures ; Thalamus

In this study, the effect of systemic administration of kainic acid (KA) on the expression of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor mRNA in the rat brain was investigated with in situ hybridization histochemistry. After the injection of KA in a convulsive dose (10 mg/kg i.p.), inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor mRNA was reduced significantly in dentate gyrus, cerebral cortex, and caudate-putamen and moderately in CA1-CA3 areas of hippocampus and cerebellum. In dentate gyrus, the expression of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor mRNA was significantly decreased at 6 h, lowest level at 9 h, after that the expression was gradually recovered and returned to basal level at 72 h after KA injection. However, in the CA1-CA3 areas of the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and caudate-putamen, the expression of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor mRNA was abruptly decreased at 9 h and almost return to basal level at 24 h after KA injection. The significant repression of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor mRNA in cerebellum was only found at 9 h after KA injection. But significant change of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor mRNA was not found in the brains of rats treated with NMDA receptor blocker, MK-801, followed by KA injection. These observations suggest that the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor is one of the genes whose expression can be altered by KA treatment and the NMDA receptor is related with this alternation.
Animals ; Brain* ; Cerebellum ; Cerebral Cortex ; Dentate Gyrus ; Dizocilpine Maleate ; Hippocampus ; In Situ Hybridization ; Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate* ; Inositol* ; Kainic Acid* ; N-Methylaspartate ; Rats* ; Repression, Psychology ; RNA, Messenger* ; Seizures*

In rat that is helpless at birth, the cerebellum is in a corresponding state of immaturity, and its histogenesis and morphogenesis mainly occur after birth. The times and sites of origin of the four types of cerebellar local-circuit neurons, as well as their migration routes to specific positions in the cortex, their distinctive patterns of differentiation and growth, and their synaptogenesis, have been well studied. The stage-specific genes in the postnatal rat cerebellum may be related with these kind of neural development in the cerebellum. To clone the genes related with neural development in the postnatal cerebellum, developmentally differentially expressed genes were screened from postnatal rat cerebellum with ordered differential display (ODD) and the developmental expression pattern in the postnatal rat cerebella was investigated with in situ hybridization histochemistry. One novel postnatal stage-specific gene (PKrCb1) was cloned by ODD with 7 cDNA pools (P0, P3, P7, P12, P18, P25, adult rat cerebella). To investigate the developmental expression pattern of this novel gene on the cell level, in situ hybridization histochemistry was performed in the developing and adult rat brain sections. The developmental expression pattern of PKrCb1 in the cerebellum was well matched with spatiotemporal migration pattern of granule cells and it may be suspected that PKrCb1 is related with migration of granule cells from external granular layer to internal granular layer. From the results, it is suggested that the methods used in this experiment will be the powerful methods for the cloning and primary function study of the genes related with cerebellar development.
Adult ; Animals ; Brain ; Cerebellum* ; Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism* ; DNA, Complementary ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Morphogenesis ; Neurons ; Parturition ; Rats*

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (cdk5) is essential for brain development and p35 and p67 are the regulatory molecules for cdk5. In this study, we have investigated the expression of cdk5, p35, and p67 mRNAs in the developing rat brain with in situ hybridization histochemistry. The expression of cdk5 mRNA was already observed in embryonic day 12 (E12), start point of neurogenesis in rat brain, throughout the brain and gradually increased until postnatal day 3 (P3). At this period, strong expression of cdk5 mRNA was observed in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, dentate gyrus, thalamus, hypothalamus, and inferior colliculus. High level of cdk5 expression was maintained in the postnatal rat brain and prominent expression was observed in the hippocampus, dentate gyrus, cerebellum, and choroid plexus of adult rat brain. Strong expression of p35 mRNA was observed between E16 and E20 in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, dentate gyrus, thalamus, hypothalamus, and inferior colliculus as like as cdk5. After birth, the expression of p35 mRNA was gradually decreased and significant differences in the expression of cdk5 and p35 were observed in the thalamus, hypothalamus, midbrain, and cerebellum. In the embryonic period, the expression pattern of p67 was very similar with that of p35 but expression level was lower than p35. After birth, strong expression of p67 was observed in the areas where the expression of cdk5 was high. From these results, it is suspected that p35 may function in neuronal migration, and p67 in differentiation and maturation, as a major regulator for cdk5 in developing rat brain.
Adult ; Animals ; Brain* ; Cerebellum ; Cerebral Cortex ; Choroid Plexus ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5 ; Dentate Gyrus ; Gene Expression ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Hypothalamus ; In Situ Hybridization ; Inferior Colliculi ; Mesencephalon ; Neurogenesis ; Neurons ; Parturition ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Thalamus

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Genetic variations of bitter taste receptors (TAS2R) have shown different responses to bitter taste compounds and the frequencies of these variations were different within and between populations. Recently, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TAS2R38 and TAS2R16 genes demonstrated a significant association with smoking and alcohol consumption in several studies. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between bitter taste gene polymorphism and cigarette smoking and alcohol intake in Korean. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: One hundred seventy four healthy normal volunteers were asked to fill in a questionnaire regarding demographic information, smoking history, frequency of alcohol intake. Peripheral blood samples were obtained for DNA extraction and genotyping. Single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified on the TAS2R38 and TAS2R16 genes. RESULTS: Haplotype analyses of the three SNPs inside the TAS2R38 gene allowed identifying of only two haplotypes that were associated with the non-taster phenotype (AVI homozygous) and the taster phenotype (PAV homozygous and PAV/AVI heterozygous). Common SNP within TAS2R16, which results in aminoacid change in the protein (K172N), is not demonstrated in this study. Smokers and frequent drinkers were more prevalent among non-tasters than tasters in male. CONCLUSION: Functional variants in TAS2R38 correlated with cigarette smoking in the Korean male. Our findings suggest that taster status plays a role in governing the development of nicotine dependence.
Alcohol Drinking ; Alcohols ; DNA ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Male ; Phenotype ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco Use Disorder

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and timing of the surgery and fetal outcome of pregnancy complicated by a persistent adnexal mass that was required surgical intervention METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 171 cases of adnexal masses during pregnancy that were required surgery at Samsung Cheil Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center between 1996 to 2001. We analysed medical records for characteristics of tumor, indication and timing of surgery and the effect of pregnancy outcome. Adverse pregnancy outcome is defined as preterm delivery, spontaneous abortion, intrauterine fetal death and perinatal death. The obtained data were analysed using t-test and Fisher's exact test by SPSS. RESULTS: The incidence of adnexal masses during pregnancy that required surgical management was 1 in 292.3 live births. A malignant tumor or a tumor of low malignant potential was found in 7% of cases. A total of 43 patients underwent surgery under emergency condition, 31 (72%) of which were done due to torsion. There were 14 preterm delivery, 3 spontaneous abortion, 1 intrauterine fetal death, 1 perinatal death and 2 artificial abortion in this study. There was a significant difference in adverse pregnancy outcome between elective and emergency group (7/118 [5.9%] versus 11/43 [25.6%] P=.001), and surgery group that before 20 week's gestation and those of after 20 week's gestation (12/145 [8.3%] versus 6/16 [37.5%] P=.004). CONCLUSION: When necessary and feasible, surgery should be scheduled for the early portion of the second trimester, when organogenesis is complete and most spontaneous abortion have occurred, but before later risks of technical difficulties and premature labor. Also we recommend early diagnostic evaluation and immediate surgical intervention of adnexal masses as problematic adnexal mass diagnosed during pregnancy to prevent the risk of emergency surgery associated with adnexal complication (torsion, rupture and hemorrhage) and the risk of delayed diagnosis of malignancy.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Delivery of Health Care ; Emergencies ; Female ; Fetal Death ; Humans ; Incidence ; Live Birth ; Medical Records ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Organogenesis ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnancy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture