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*

Activation of T cells for an immune response requires the participation of antigen presenting cells (APC) that express class II major histocompatibility complex gene products on their surface. Until recently, the macrophages have been considered to be the prime candidates for this role, but it is now recognized that other cells, including dendritic cells, B cells, activated T cells and endothelial cells, can present antigen effectively. Particularly, among them, dendritic cells (DC) are considered to be very efficient APC for various T -cell dependent immune responses in comparison with other types of APC. Nonlymphoid dendritic cells including Langerhans cells and interstitial dendritic cells strongly express the MHC class II products and have characteristic dendritic morphology. As far as we know, there is no study on the ontogeny of MHC class II -immunoreactive dendritic cells in the rat tongue. The aim of the present study is to investigate the ontogeny and morphological characterization of dendritic cells in the tongue of growing and developing rats. The distribution and morphology of the dendritic cells in the rat tongue were studied from the fetal 15 -day until 180 days after birth by means of immunocytochemical methods using anti -rat MHC class II monoclonal antibodies. The results were as follows: 1. MHC class II -immunoreactive dendritic cells were first found in the muscle layer of 17 -day fetus, and in the epithelium and lamina propria of the tongue at birth. 2. The number of MHC class II -immunoreactive dendritic cells was gradually increased with age, particularly, in the epithelium at 14th day, in the lamina propria at 14th day, and in the muscle layer at 21st day after birth. 3. Numbers of MHC class II -immunoreactive dendritic cells were higher in the dorsal part than in ventral part of the tongue at all developmental stages. Especially, dendritic cells were twice higher numbers in the epithelium, a little higher numbers in the lamina propria and almost same numbers in the muscle layer. 4. With age, shapes of MHC class II -immunoreactive dendritic cells were changed from round to dendritic and aggregated together. In conclusion, the above results suggest that the increases of the number and the changes of the morphology in MHC class II -immunoreactive dendritic cells, with age may influence on effects of cell -mediated immune responses.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Antigen-Presenting Cells ; B-Lymphocytes ; Dendritic Cells* ; Endothelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Fetus ; Growth and Development* ; Langerhans Cells ; Macrophages ; Major Histocompatibility Complex ; Mucous Membrane ; Parturition ; Rats* ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tongue*

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

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

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: DNA topoisomerase II-alpha is linked with active cell proliferation in mammalian cells. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the expression of DNA topoisomerase II-alpha as a proliferating marker, and the expression of Ki-67 and apoptosis in urothelial carcinoma of urinary bladder based on World Health Organization/International Society of Urological Pathology (WHO/ISUP) consensus classification. METHODS: 73 urothelial carcinomas of the urinary bladder after transurethral resection and 25 carcinomas after radical cystectomy were investigated for histologic grading based on WHO and WHO/ISUP consensus classification. Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissue of 98 specimens from 73 patients were immunohistochemically stained for DNA topoisomerase II-alpha and Ki-67, and in situ TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling method for evaluation of apoptotic cells was performed. For each case, a DNA topoisomerase II-alpha, Ki-67, and apoptotic indices were determined. RESULTS: The histologic grades of 73 cases based on the WHO grading system were 21.9% (16 cases) in grade 1, 65.8% (48 cases) in grade 2, and 12.3% (9 cases). 5.5% (4 cases) of papillary neoplasm of low malignant potential, 47.9% (35 cases) of urothelial carcinoma of low grade, and 46.6% (34 cases) in urothelial carcinoma of high grade were reclassified using the WHO/ISUP consensus classification. Histologic grades based on two grading systems were correlated to invasion and stage (p<0.05). DNA topoisomerase II-alpha, Ki-67, and apoptotic indices were correlated to histologic grades based on two grading system and invasion. Also, the correlation of DNA topoisomerase II-alpha and Ki-67 indices, and DNA topoisomerase II-alpha and apoptotic indices were significant, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: DNA topoisomerase II-alpha appears to be an useful marker for assessing the proliferation potential of urothelial carcinoma of in the urinary bladder.
Apoptosis* ; Cell Proliferation ; Classification* ; Consensus* ; Cystectomy ; DNA Topoisomerases, Type I* ; DNA* ; Formaldehyde ; Humans ; Ki-67 Antigen ; Paraffin ; Pathology* ; Urinary Bladder* ; World Health* ; World Health Organization

We experienced one case of severe pituitary dwarfism in a 10 years old female girl. Magnetic resonance image (MRI) revealed transection of the pituitary stalk stalk with the formation of high intensity ectopic posterior lobe located at the median eminence and agenesis of an anterior lobe of pituitary gland. The serum growth Hormone (GH) response to clonidine and L-dopa revealed severe GH deficiency. The patient had responses to TRH, normal TSH and partial prolactin response, respectively. There was not response LH and FSH to GnRH. The morning cortisol concentration and serum T4 concentration were decreased below the normal range. These findings and no hyperprolactinemia suggested the presence of a vascular connection between the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, which is not visible on MRI. Sofar, the primary cause of idiopathic pituitary dwarfism in many patients is injury to hypothalamus by perinatal insults. In this patient, there was no history of perinatal insults and postnatal head trauma but transection of the pituitary stalk. We report a case of severe pituitary dwarfism due to agenesis with brief review of related litereature.
Child ; Clonidine ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Dwarfism, Pituitary* ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hyperprolactinemia ; Hypothalamus ; Levodopa ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Median Eminence ; Pituitary Gland* ; Pituitary Gland, Anterior* ; Prolactin ; Reference Values

PURPOSE: The intermediate filament proteins, desmin and vimentin, are specific components of the cytoskeleton of striated muscle fibers and of mononuclear cells of mesenchymal origin including myoblasts, respectively. Desmin has also been found in presumptive myoblasts of mammals. The aim of this experiment was attempted to observe the phenotypic changes of intermediate filaments in skeletal muscle fibers during early stages of sciatic nerve crushing injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sciatic nerves of rats were surgically crushed by hemostat and serial cryosections of soleus and extensor digitorum longus(EDL) muscles were prepared at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20 and 27 days after nerve injury. Serial cryosections were immunolabelled with desmin, vimentin and laminin and were histochemically reacted with NADH-TR. RESULTS: 1) Firstly, desmin positive fibers were appeared in fast-twitch type C fibers of both muscles at 6 days after nerve crushing, but were not reacted for vimentin. 2) Co-expressions of desmin and vimentin were firstly detected in fast-twitch type A fibers of EDL muscles at 8 days after nerve injury. In soleus muscles, co-expressions of desmin and vimentin were firstly seen in slow-twitch type B fibers at 10 days after nerve injury. Many atrophic fibers, that contained several central nuclei like myotubes and co-expressed desmin and vimentin, were appeared in EDL muscles at 10 days after nerve injury. Although whole regions of fibers were regenerated in EDL muscles, only peripheral regions of fibers were regenerated in soleus muscles at 15 days after nerve injury. Many atrophic fibers, co-expressed of desmin and vimentin, were appeared in EDL muscles at 20 days after nerve injury. These whole fibers represented various degrees of regenerating stages. Most of mature fibers containing several central nuclei, only expressed vimentin slightly, were seen in soleus muscles at 20 days after nerve injury. Most fibers of both muscles were matured at 27 days after nerve injury, but some fibers in EDL muscles were still in processing of degeneration and regeneration. No expressions of desmin and vimentin indicated that muscle fibers were almostly matured in soleus muscles at 27 days after nerve injury. 3) Targetoid or target fibers which informed reinnervation, were appeared firstly in soleus muscles at 20 days and were seen in both muscles at 27 days after nerve injury. All targetoid and target fibers were type B fibers. CONCLUSION: Desmin was revealed in processes of degeneration and regeneration and vimentin was appealed in regeneration process. At the same time, positive immunoreactivity of desmin and vimentin showed specific differences in degree of degeneration and regeneration according to different muscles and muscle fibers.
Animals ; Cytoskeleton ; Desmin ; Intermediate Filament Proteins* ; Intermediate Filaments* ; Laminin ; Leg* ; Mammals ; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal ; Muscle, Striated ; Muscles* ; Myoblasts ; Nerve Crush ; Nerve Fibers, Myelinated ; Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated ; Rats* ; Regeneration* ; Sciatic Nerve* ; Vimentin

PURPOSE: The intermediate filament proteins, desmin and vimentin, are specific components of the cytoskeleton of striated muscle fibers and of mononuclear cells of mesenchymal origin including myoblasts, respectively. Desmin has also been found in presumptive myoblasts of mammals. The aim of this experiment was attempted to observe the phenotypic changes of intermediate filaments in skeletal muscle fibers during early stages of sciatic nerve crushing injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sciatic nerves of rats were surgically crushed by hemostat and serial cryosections of soleus and extensor digitorum longus(EDL) muscles were prepared at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20 and 27 days after nerve injury. Serial cryosections were immunolabelled with desmin, vimentin and laminin and were histochemically reacted with NADH-TR. RESULTS: 1) Firstly, desmin positive fibers were appeared in fast-twitch type C fibers of both muscles at 6 days after nerve crushing, but were not reacted for vimentin. 2) Co-expressions of desmin and vimentin were firstly detected in fast-twitch type A fibers of EDL muscles at 8 days after nerve injury. In soleus muscles, co-expressions of desmin and vimentin were firstly seen in slow-twitch type B fibers at 10 days after nerve injury. Many atrophic fibers, that contained several central nuclei like myotubes and co-expressed desmin and vimentin, were appeared in EDL muscles at 10 days after nerve injury. Although whole regions of fibers were regenerated in EDL muscles, only peripheral regions of fibers were regenerated in soleus muscles at 15 days after nerve injury. Many atrophic fibers, co-expressed of desmin and vimentin, were appeared in EDL muscles at 20 days after nerve injury. These whole fibers represented various degrees of regenerating stages. Most of mature fibers containing several central nuclei, only expressed vimentin slightly, were seen in soleus muscles at 20 days after nerve injury. Most fibers of both muscles were matured at 27 days after nerve injury, but some fibers in EDL muscles were still in processing of degeneration and regeneration. No expressions of desmin and vimentin indicated that muscle fibers were almostly matured in soleus muscles at 27 days after nerve injury. 3) Targetoid or target fibers which informed reinnervation, were appeared firstly in soleus muscles at 20 days and were seen in both muscles at 27 days after nerve injury. All targetoid and target fibers were type B fibers. CONCLUSION: Desmin was revealed in processes of degeneration and regeneration and vimentin was appealed in regeneration process. At the same time, positive immunoreactivity of desmin and vimentin showed specific differences in degree of degeneration and regeneration according to different muscles and muscle fibers.
Animals ; Cytoskeleton ; Desmin ; Intermediate Filament Proteins* ; Intermediate Filaments* ; Laminin ; Leg* ; Mammals ; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal ; Muscle, Striated ; Muscles* ; Myoblasts ; Nerve Crush ; Nerve Fibers, Myelinated ; Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated ; Rats* ; Regeneration* ; Sciatic Nerve* ; Vimentin