PURPOSE: The effects of pain on brain is not well known. Also, differences between somatic and visceral pains have not been fully elucidated. This study was conducted to investigate changes in the expression of c-Fos protein after somatic and visceral pains were induced by formalin. METHODS: Male rats(n=65) were underwent one of three procedures : (i) Control group, rats were left undisturbed in their cages; (ii) Somatic pain group, rats were injected subcutaneously with 0.1 ml of 10% formalin in the plantar surface of right hindpaw; (iii) Visceral pain group, rats were administered with same amount of formalin, as described above, in the rectum. Rats were sacrificed at increasing times(30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 6 hours, 1 day, 3 days and 7 days) after noxious formalin stimuli to hindpaws and rectums. Rat brains were removed and sliced in rat brain matrix. Brain slices were coronal sectioned at interaural 5.70-6.70mm. Serial sections were immunohistochemically reacted with polyclonal c-Fos antibody. The numbers of c-Fos protein immunoreactive neurons in cingulate cortex, primary somatosensory area, and hippocampus were examined and analyzed statistically with Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: 1) The numbers of c-For protein immunoreactive neurons in cingulate cortex, primary somatosensory area and hippocampus peaked at 2 hours after somatic pain stimuli and reached almost normal conditions at 7 days. 2) The numbers of c-Fos protein immunoreactive neurons in cingulate cortex, primary somatosensory area and hippocampus peaked at 1 day after visceral pain stimuli and reached almost normal conditions at 7 days. 3) The numbers of c-Fos protein immunoreactive neurons of somatic pain groups were higher than that of visceral groups at all times and the difference of numbers peaked at 2 hours after pain stimuli. CONCLUSION: Reactions of somatic pain stimuli influenced more changable than visceral pain stimuli to brain. Conduction velocities of somatic pain were more faster than those of visceral pain. Higher numbers of c-Fos protein immunoreactive neurons were found in specific regions. These results provide some basic knowledge in understanding the mechanism and control of pain.
Animals ; Brain* ; Formaldehyde* ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Male ; Neurons* ; Nociceptive Pain ; Rats* ; Rectum ; Visceral Pain

No abstract available.
Ligaments* ; Posterior Cruciate Ligament* ; Prostheses and Implants*

PURPOSE: We performed this study to evaluate the changes of gallbladder ejection fraction (GBEF) in diabetic patients with or without autonomic neuropathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 37 diabetic patients (25 women, 12 men, mean age 51 years) and 24 normal controls (10 women, 14 men, mean age 38 years). After intravenous injection of 185 MBq of 99mTc-DISIDA, serial anterior abdominal images were acquired before and after fatty meal. Regions of interest were applied on gallbladder and right hepatic lobe on 60 and 90 minute images to calculate GBEF. RESULTS: GBEF was significantly reduced in diabetes with autonomic neuropathy (43+/-12.3%) and without autonomic neuropathy (57.5+/-13.2%) compared with normal controls (68+/-11.6%, p <0.05). And also, GBEF was significantly reduced in diabetes with autonomic neuropathy compared with diabetes without autonomic neuropathy (p <0.05). Fasting blood glucose level, age, sex, hemoglobin A1c, body mass index, serum lipid level were not different in these two diabetic patient groups (p>0.05). When 50.2% of GBEF was used as the criteria for diabetic autonomic neuropathy, the sensitivity and specificity were 80%, 76.5%, respectively. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.846. CONCLUSION: GBEF of diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy was significantly reduced than that of diabetic patients without autonomic neuropathy.
Blood Glucose ; Body Mass Index ; Diabetic Neuropathies* ; Fasting ; Female ; Gallbladder* ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Male ; Meals ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Technetium Tc 99m Disofenin*

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B vaccination schedule commonly used in Korea is divided largely into 0, 1, 2 month scheduled vaccination group(0, 1, 2 group) and 0, 1, 6 month scheduled vaccination gorup(0, 1, 6 group). The only difference bet.ween two groups is the interval from 2nd dose to 3rd dose. This st,udy had been carried out, to find whether t.he difference of vaccination interval influence the vaccination complet,ion rate or not. METHODS: Study objects are 135 persons over 20 years old who had heptitis B vaccination more than once in injection room of Dongkuk University Kyong-ju Hospital from Jan. 1st in 1996 to Dec. 31th in 1996. Data about vaccination completion were gathered from record book of injection room and telephone interview. RESULTS: Hepatitis B vaccination completion rate is 73.8% in 0, 1, 2 group and 72.5% in 0, 1, 6 group. The reasons for incomplete vaccination are forgetting vaccinat.ion date(36.4% in 0, 1, 2 group and 50% in 0, 1, 6 group), having no time to spare for vaccination(54.5% in 0, 1, 2 group and 43% in 0, 1, 6 group) and knowing positive HBsAb before completion of scheduled vaccination(9.1% in 0, 1, 2 group and 7% in 0, 1, 6 group). CONCLUSIONS: There is no difference in Hepatitis B vaccination complet,ion rate bet.ween 0, 1, 2 group and 0, 1, 6 group.
Appointments and Schedules ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Korea ; Vaccination* ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness and safety of the anterosuperior deltoid splitting approach for fixation of displaced proximal humeral fractures by analyzing the surgical outcomes. METHODS: Twenty-three patients who could be followed-up for at least 8 months after the treatment of displaced proximal humeral fractures through the anterosuperior deltoid splitting approach were enrolled. We evaluated the reduction of the fractures and surgery-related complications at the last follow-up using X-ray results and clinical outcomes comprising the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) scoring system and the Korean Shoulder Society (KSS) score. RESULTS: At the last follow-up of patients treated using the anterosuperior deltoid splitting approach for internal fixation of proximal humeral fractures, we found 22 cases (95.6%) of bone union, a mean UCLA score of 28.3 (range, 15 to 34) and a mean KSS score of 82.1 (range, 67 to 95). Various surgery-related complications were noted; a case of varus malunion after fracture displacement, a case of nonunion, a case of delayed union, two cases of impingement, and a case of partial axillary nerve injury, which recovered completely through the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Plate fixation using the anterosuperior deltoid splitting approach could be another reliable option for treating displaced proximal humeral fractures.
California ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Humerus ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Fractures*

Aspirin is one of the popular non -steroid anti -inflammatory drugs used in the management of pain. This study was performed to investigate the effects of aspirin on c -Fos expression in rat CNS after inducing somatic pain with formalin. Male S.D. rats were injected subcutaneously with 0.1 ml of 5% formalin in the plantar surface of right hindpaw. For experimental group, aspirin was administered orally before injection of formalin. Asprin -untreated group was utilized as the control group. Rats were sacrificed at 0.5, 1, 2, 6 and 24 hours after formalin injection. Rat brains were removed and sliced in rat brain matrix. Brain slices were coronally sectioned at interaural 5.70 ~6.70 mm. Serial sections were immunohisto-chemically reacted with polyclonal c -Fos antibody. The numbers of c -Fos protein immunoreactive neurons in the cingulate cortex, primary somatosensory area, and hippocampus were counted and analyzed statistically with Mann - Whitney U test. Results were as follows: 1. Higher numbers of c -Fos immunoreactive neurons were found in the cingulate cortex, primary somatosensory area and hippocampus. 2. Both aspirin -treated and -untreated groups, numbers of c -Fos immunoreactive neurons were significantly higher all time points than formalin -untreated group, which peacked at 2 hours. 3. The numbers of c -Fos immunoreactive neuron of the aspirin -treated group were less compared to the aspirin - untreated group at each time point. In conclusion, these results provide some basic knowledge in understanding the mechanism and control of formalin - induced somatic pain.
Animals ; Aspirin* ; Brain ; Central Nervous System* ; Formaldehyde ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Male ; Neurons ; Nociceptive Pain ; Rats

It is constant controversy that exercise influence muscle regeneration in peripheral neuropathy. The aim of this experiment is to show that treadmill running exercise under well-controlled conditions is to improve of regeneration in rat gastrocnemius muscles after sciatic nerve crushing injury. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (1 month old, weight 150~180 g) were submitted to bouts of exercise on a treadmill up a 10 degrees decline and speed is 20 m/min for 60 min per day and gastrocnemius muscles were analysed at different exercise periods (5, 10, 15, 20 and 40 days) by immunohistochemistry in comparison with injured non-exercised muscles. Rats were sacrificed at 12th (5 days exercise), 19th (10 days exercise), 26th (15 days exercise), 33rd day (20 days exercise), 61st day (40 days exercise) after sciatic nerve crushing injury. It showed that type II myofibers (target fibers) on center area had reinnervation at sciatic nerve crush injury at 26th day in exercise rats, as at 33rd day appeared giant type II myofibers, myofibers grouping observed in regenerative muscle character, component ratio of closed normal muscle showed at 61st day. Giant type II myofibers showed at 33rd day in non-exercise rats, however did not nearly normal muscle at 61st day. Therefore we concluded that treadmill running exercise is able to improve regeneration processes in gastrocnemius muscles after sciatic nerve crushing injury of rats.
Animals ; Benzeneacetamides ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Muscles ; Myosins ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Piperidones ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Regeneration ; Running ; Sciatic Nerve

The effects of clonidine that is an alpha2-adrenergic agonist are complex in that the intraocular responses are biphasic and dose dependent. The mechanisms of the ocular hypotensive responses to clonidine in the treated and the contralateral untreated eyes seemed to be dependent on the central activity of clonidine and the intact peripheral adrenergic system. Apraclonidine is a clonidine derivative which penetrates into the blood-brain barrier minimally and lowers the intraocular pressure significantly not accompanied by systemic side effects such as change in blood pressure and pulse rate. The main purpose of the present study is to use apraclonidine to elucidate the influence of the central and peripheral sympathetic activity in the change of the morphology of the ciliary nonpigmented epithelium in the pigmented rabbits 0.1 cc of 1% apraclonidine was injected into the vitreous cavity of pigmented rabbits after removal of 0.1 cc of aqueous humor from the anterior chamber and the eyes were enucleated on 1, 3, 5, 7 days after injection. The eyes were observed with light microscopic examination. 1. In the 1st day's specimen, swollen nonpigmented epithelium and increased pigments were noted in the treated eye. 2. In the treated eye on the 5th day, vacuole like appearances under the nucleus of the nonpigmented epithelium were noted. 3. Except for the appearance of slightly increased pigmented granules in the 3rd and 5th day's specimen, there were no significant changes in any of the nontreated eyes. 4. The mechanism of the hypotensive response of apraclonidine seemed to be dependent on the alpha2-adrenergic receptors which are located in the eye, not on the central nor on the peripheral adrenergic system.
Anterior Chamber ; Aqueous Humor ; Blood Pressure ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; Clonidine ; Epithelium* ; Heart Rate ; Intraocular Pressure ; Intravitreal Injections* ; Rabbits* ; Vacuoles

PURPOSE: Traumatic brain injury is a multifaceted injury that involves direct mechanical damage, intraparenchymal and subarachnoid hemorrhage, breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, excitotoxicity, and ischemia. Even though much investigations were performed, acceptable mechanical informations were rare. The aim of this study was to reveal the expression pattern of intermediate filament proteins associated with gliotic scars in cerebral cortex of rats after cryoinjury. METHODS: A total of 18 male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 300 g, 2 months old, were used throughout the experiments. To injure the brain, rats were anesthetized for surgery with 3.5% chloral hydrate(1 mL/100 g, intraperitoneally); the frontal bones were exposed by elevating the skin; and craniectomies were performed adjacent to the central suture, midway between lambda and bregma. A cryoinjury was then created by applying a cold probe(3-mm-diameter steel rod chilled in liquid nitrogen) to the left frontal cortex(ipsilateral cortex) for 1 min. Rats were sacrificed at 1, 4, 7 and 14 days postsurgery(n=3, per time point), and three rats were sacrificed as normal controls. Serial brain cryosections were made by cryostat. For immunohistochemistry, brain tissue sections were allowed to react with mouse anti-rat GFAP antibody(1:200), mouse anti-rat vimentin antibody(1: 200), and mouse anti-rat nestin antibody(1:200). RESULTS:Reactive astrocytes expressing GFAP, vimentin and nestin appeared for the first time at 6 hours after cryoinjury. Proliferation of GFAP and nestin positive cells started at 1 day after cryoinjury, reached its maximum on day 4, and returned to normal level after the 7th post-injured day. Proliferation of vimentin positive cells started at 1 day after cryoinjury, reached its maximum on day 4, and returned to normal level after the 14th post-injured day. Characteristic morphological changes in reactive astrocytes were seen at 4 days after cryoinjury. CONCLUSION: The above results suggest that GFAP, vimentin and nestin positive cells attend in the formation of gliotic scars.
Animals ; Astrocytes ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Cerebral Cortex ; Chloral Hydrate ; Cicatrix ; Cold Temperature ; Frontal Bone ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intermediate Filament Proteins ; Intermediate Filaments ; Ischemia ; Male ; Mice ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Steel ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Sutures ; Vimentin

Serial changes of serum IgE, IgG, eosinophils were observed in 25 patients with acute myocaridial infarction and 20 ischemic heart disease without evidence of acute myocardial infarction and evaluated in terms of several parameters and its clinical significance. The results observed were as follows : 1) Serum IgE levels were propgressively elevated from the first hospital day(259+/-3IU/ml) up to peak level of the fifth hospital day(415+/-2IU/ml) and progressively lowered and returned to almost same level as the first hospital day on the twenty first hospital day. On the other hand control group showed significantly lower IgE levels throughout all hospital day and also did not showed serial change. 2) In the patient group with the initial serum IgE level above 200IU/m; showed significantly lower level of serum SGOT, CPK level than the group of below 200IU/ml group. This suggests the initial serum IgE level might have some correlation of the extent of myocardial necrosis. 3) In patients of acute myocardial infarction, ejection fraction was checked at discharge. Initial serum IgE level above 200IU/ml group showed significantly higher ejection fraction than below 200IU/ml group(59.4+/-13.5% vs 38.4+/-13.7%). 4) Serum IgE was checked concomittantly with serum IgE. It showed slightly decreasing tendency at third hospital day but not statistically significant. Eosinophil changed similar pattern as serum IgE but it was also not statistically significant. In conclusion, serial checking of serum IgE level in patient of acute myocardial infarction may give some help in prediction the clinical course and prognosis.
Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Eosinophils ; Hand ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulins* ; Infarction ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Necrosis ; Prognosis