No abstract available.
Neck*

No abstract available.

The immunohistochemical localization of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) in the submandibular gland of rats was investigated after chronic administration of isoproterenol (IPR) or phenylephrine (PEP). The weight of submandibular gland relative to body weight increased sharply by IPR administration for 14 days and reached twice of that in control, while no significant differences were observed after PEP administration. In PTAH staining, the intensity of duct compartments in rats exposed to IPR and PEP were paler than that of controls. But small secretory granules were observed in the GCT cells of IPR administrated groups. Acini showed characteristic features of hypertrophy, decreased in number of nuclei per unit area, after IPR administration, but not after PEP. EGFR immunoreactivities were distributed mainly in the duct compartments including GCT cells, intercalated duct cells and secretory duct cells. EGFR immunoactivities were more intense after both of PEP and IPR administration than those in controls. However, EGFR immunoactivities gradually decreased after IPR administration. NGFR immunoreactivities were distributed mainly in connective tissue cells surrounding ducts, but not in duct cells. Their intensities increased in the rat with PEP administration but decreased by IPR administration. These results demonstrated that EGFR or NGFR is localized mainly in the duct cells or the cells surrounding ducts, respectively, and that both population of EGFR and NGFR immunoreactive cells are altered by PEP and IPR. The results suggest that EGF and NGF may have some physiological roles by binding with their specific receptors in the submandibular gland as well as oral cavity.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Connective Tissue Cells ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Hypertrophy ; Immunohistochemistry ; Isoproterenol ; Mouth ; Nerve Growth Factor ; Phenylephrine ; Rats* ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Secretory Vesicles ; Submandibular Gland*

Immunohistochemical changes of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) were investigated in the rat mandibular molar and incisors after submandibular sialadenectomy. In the sham operated rat, any EGFR immunoreactivity was not observed in the teeth but NGFR immunoreactivities were observed exclusively in the periodontal ligament and ameloblasts of incisor. In the sialadenectomized rat, EGFR immunoreac-tivities were observed in the odontoblasts of the mandibular first molar, periodontal ligament cells, ameloblasts of incisor and some cells of bone marrow. NGFR immunoreactivities were more intense and widely distributed in alveolar bone, periodontal ligaments and odontoblasts of the sialadenectomized rat than in the sham operated rat. Both of EGFR and NGFR immunoreactivities gradually increased in their intensities in a time-dependent manner after submandibular sialadenectomy. The results show that expression of EGFR and NGFR in the mandibular molar and incisor is enhanced by submandibular sialadenectomy. Therefore, it is suggested that EGF and NGF derived from submandibular gland may affect to the mandibular molar and incisors by direct and/or indirect mechanism.
Ameloblasts ; Animals ; Bone Marrow ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Incisor* ; Molar* ; Nerve Growth Factor ; Odontoblasts ; Periodontal Ligament ; Rats* ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Submandibular Gland ; Tooth

No abstract available.
Brain* ; Child* ; Humans ; Nervous System Diseases*

OBJECTIVE: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is frequently used to localize language areas in a non-invasive manner. Various paradigms for presurgical localization of language areas have been developed, but a systematic quantitative evaluation of the efficiency of those paradigms has not been performed. In the present study, the authors analyzed different language paradigms to see which paradigm is most efficient in localizing frontal language areas. METHODS: Five men and five women with no neurological deficits participated (mean age, 24 years) in this study. All volunteers were right-handed. Each subject performed 4 tasks, including fixation (Fix), sentence reading (SR), pseudoword reading (PR), and word generation (WG). Fixation and pseudoword reading were used as contrasts. The functional area was defined as the area(s) with a t-value of more than 3.92 in fMRI with different tasks. To apply an anatomical constraint, we used a brain atlas mapping system, which is available in AFNI, to define the anatomical frontal language area. The numbers of voxels in overlapped area between anatomical and functional area were individually counted in the frontal expressive language area. RESULTS: Of the various combinations, the word generation task was most effective in delineating the frontal expressive language area when fixation was used as a contrast (p<0.05). The sensitivity of this test for localizing Broca's area was 81% and specificity was 70%. CONCLUSION: Word generation versus fixation could effectively and reliably delineate the frontal language area. A customized effective paradigm should be analyzed in order to evaluate various language functions.
Brain ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVE: The focus of this study is brain plasticity associated with semantic aspects of language function in patients with medial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE). METHODS: Using longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), patterns of brain activation were observed in twelve left and seven right unilateral mTLE patients during a word-generation task relative to a pseudo-word reading task before and after anterior temporal section surgery. RESULTS: No differences were observed in precentral activations in patients relative to normal controls (n = 12), and surgery did not alter the phonological-associated activations. The two mTLE patient groups showed left inferior prefrontal activations associated with semantic processing (word-generation > pseudo-word reading), as did control subjects. The amount of semantic-associated activation in the left inferior prefrontal region was negatively correlated with epilepsy duration in both patient groups. Following temporal resection, semantic-specific activations in inferior prefrontal region became more bilateral in left mTLE patients, but more left-lateralized in right mTLE patients. The longer the duration of epilepsy in the patients, the larger the increase in the left inferior prefrontal semantic-associated activation after surgery in both patient groups. Semantic activation of the intact hippocampus, which had been negatively correlated with seizure frequency, normalized after the epileptic side was removed. CONCLUSION: These results indicate alternation of semantic language network related to recruitment of left inferior prefrontal cortex and functional recovery of the hippocampus contralateral to the epileptogenic side, suggesting an intra- and inter-hemispheric reorganization following surgery.
Anterior Temporal Lobectomy ; Brain ; Epilepsy ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Plastics ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Seizures ; Semantics ; Temporal Lobe

No abstract available.
Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Lymphedema ; Vasculitis

No abstract available.
Anesthesia ; Humans ; Piperidines ; Transplants