The aim of the present study was to investigate the CGRP-IR pattern in the ureter in stone-implanted rats and ureteral formalin irritated rats. Artificial ureteral stone rats were made according to Giamberardino's guide lines. For urethral formalin irritated rats, a small amount of diluted formalin was instilled into the ureter. The behavioral characteristics were observed and recorded with CCTV and analyzed, statistically. The rats showing characteristic visceral episode were sacrificed three days after stone implantation operation and after overnight chemical irritation followed by immunostaining of the ureter with anti-CGRP on the ureter In the artificial ureteral stone rats, CGRP IR fiber pattern showed variable changes on the upper portion of the stone implanted ureter. i.e., complete depletion, reticular pattern, and reticular pattern with more increased CGRP immunoreactivity were observed. In contrast, more-distinct CGRP IR fibers formed a reticular pattern but were not increased in density in the formalin irritated ureter. The results show the variable changing pattern of CGRP immunoreactivity in the ureter after artificial urethral calculosis, and the constant CGRP immunoreactivity in the ureter after chemical ureteral irritation.
Animals ; Formaldehyde ; Lithiasis ; Rats* ; Ureter*

To analyze the synaptic characteristics of axon terminals originated from the tooth pulp in the trigeminal nucleus oralis, labeling of tooth pulp afferents with wheat-germ agglutinin conjugated horseradish peroxidase and morphometric analysis with electron microscopic photographs were performed. The results obtained from 23 labeled endings were as follows. All of the labeled boutons contained clear and round synaptic vesicles (dia. 45~55 nm). 3 (13.64%) out of 23 labeled endings have 20~105 dense cored vesicles and do not make synaptic contacts with p-endings. But remaining 20 labeled endings (86.36%) almost do not have dense cored vesicles and 12 of them make synaptic contacts with p-endings. The mean number of synaptic contacts was 2.61+/-2.06 and the postsynaptic profiles were usually middle or distal dendrite and dendritic spine (1.74+/-1.36) rather than soma or proximal dendrite. The mean number of synaptic contacts with pendings was 0.87+/-1.01. And the frequency of the synaptic triads were 0.39+/-0.58. The vesicle density was 993.23+/-267.41/mum(2). The volume of labeled bouton was 3.54+/-2.20 mum(3) and highly correlated (P < 0.01) with surface area (11.78+/-4.92 mum(2), r = 0.95), total apposed surface area (2.90+/-1.56 mum(2), r=0.72), total active zone area (0.61+/-0.37 mum(2), r = 0.82), mitochondrial volume (0.75+/-0.53 mum(3), r = 0.94), the number of synaptic vesicles (2621.30+/-1473.61, r= 0.91) and the number of synaptic contacts (r = 0.76). These results suggest that there are two groups of tooth pulp afferent terminals according to the presence of dense cored vesicles in the trigeminal nucleus oralis. And the sensory processing mechanism of each groups may be different. And the "size principle" of Pierce & Mendell (1993) is also applicable to these terminals.
Carisoprodol ; Dendrites ; Dendritic Spines ; Horseradish Peroxidase ; Mitochondrial Size ; Mouth* ; Presynaptic Terminals ; Synapses ; Synaptic Vesicles ; Tooth ; Trigeminal Nuclei*

The distribution of enkephalin, dynorphin, substance P and neurotensin in the periaqueductal gray[PAG] has been well established by immunohistochemical methods. However, there is little information about the regional distribution of these neuropeptide mRNA-containing neurons in the PAG. The present study was undertaken [1] to elucidate the distribution of these neuropeptide mRNA-containing neurons and to determine of the PAG, [2] to know how peptide expression relates to the proposed functional subdivisions of the PAG and [3] to know how neuropeptide mRNA levels in the PAG change following peripheral neuropathy The results obtained are as follows ; 1. Preproenkephalin[pENK] mRNA-containing neurons are found mostly in the ventrolateral portion at all levels of the PAG. 2. Prodynorphin[pDYN] mRNA-containing neurons are concentrated mostly in the ventrolateral portion at the caudal level of the PAG. 3. Preprotachykinin[pTAK] mRNA-containing neurons are localized mainly in the ventrolateral portion at all levels of the PAG. There is small numbers of pTAK mRNA-containing neurons in the dorsolateral and dorsal portion at all levels of the PAG. 4. Proneurotensin[pNT] mRNA-containing neurons are concentrated mostly in the medial part of ventrolateral portion of the caudal and mid PAG. 5. Peripheral neuropathy induces an increase of pNT mRNA levels in the PAG, while pENK, pDYN and pTAK mRNAs levels show no change. The present results indicate that the pENK, pDYN, pTAK or pNT mRNA-containing neurons are found mainly in the ventrolateral PAG, the area where analgesia is most easily produced and that neurotensin in the PAG may play an important role in modulating chronic neuropathic pain.
Analgesia ; Animals ; Dynorphins ; Enkephalins ; Gene Expression* ; In Situ Hybridization ; Neuralgia* ; Neurons* ; Neuropeptides* ; Neurotensin ; Periaqueductal Gray* ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Substance P

Our previous results showed that FGF signaling, which is important for the mesoderm and neuroectoderm induction, should be blocked for the endoderm formation in Xenopus. Here, Xenopus embryos were collected according to the two time points of MBT or stage 10.5. FGF signal was blocked with SU5402, chemical inhibitor of FGF signal, in the stage-specific embryos, to understand the role of FGF signal during the endoderm formation in the stage-specific embryos. Embryos subjected with the blocking of FGF signal before stage 10.5 showed the expanded abdominal volume in which endodermal mass was increased about 2 times but abdominal organs were not found. The tissue recombinant experiment showed that mesodermal tissue was necessary for the differentiation of endoderm. Embryos subjected with the blocking of FGF signal after stage 10.5 showed that abdomen was not expanded, the neural tube was opened instead. Our data indicate that blocking of FGF signal before stage 10.5 may be necessary for the endoderm induction and signals from neighboring endoderm tissue and mesoderm are required for the endoderm differentiation.
Abdomen ; Embryonic Development* ; Embryonic Structures ; Endoderm* ; Female ; Mesoderm ; Neural Plate ; Neural Tube ; Pregnancy ; Xenopus laevis* ; Xenopus*

With the aim of gaining more insight into the catecholaminergic system in the nervous system of the rat, we have studied the precise distribution pattern of the tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive[TH-IR] fibers and soma in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion. In the dorsal root ganglion[DRG], TH-IR fibers were observed to run along the vessel wall, spirally and not found in the neural tissue itself. A few TH-IR fibers were found in the spinal nerve, not in the ventral root. Many TH-IR neurons were distributed in the L3, 4, 5, and 6 DRG but none of them were found in the other DRG segments. In the spinal cord, TH-IR fibers have shown sparse distribution all over spinal cord but relatively dense distribution in the ventral horn, intermediolateral column, lamina I of the dorsal horn of the cervical, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal segment. TH-IR neurons were found in the intermediolateral column, dorsal gray commissure, dorsal horn of the C1 and C2 segments and S1-4 segments. TH-IR neurons in the cervical segments were polygonal and spindle shaped with well developed processes. In contrast to this, TH-IR neurons in the sacral segments were oval or spindle shaped with no processes. In conclusion, neurons in the DRG were not influenced by catecholaminergic nervous input. Intrinsic catecholaminergic nervous systems were found in both of spinal cord and DRG.
Animals ; Carisoprodol ; Diagnosis-Related Groups ; Ganglia, Spinal* ; Horns ; Immunohistochemistry ; Nervous System ; Neurons ; Rats* ; Spinal Cord* ; Spinal Nerve Roots* ; Spinal Nerves ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; Tyrosine*

Mesangial cells are found to have renin and angiotensin II-AT1 receptors, but the presence of other components of the renin-angiotensin system and production of angiotensin II within the cell have not been demonstrated. The presence of the renin-angiotensin system components in the glomerular epithelial cell has not been previously reported. We studied expression of each component of the renin-angiotensin system in primary cultured rat glomerular epithelial cells and mesangial cells. We assessed mRNA expression by RT-PCR and the presence of angiotensin II by immunocytochemistry. Both cultured glomerular epithelial cells and mesangian cells expressed mRNA for components of the renin-angiotensin system such as renin, angiotensinogen and angiotensin II type 1A and 1B receptor subtypes. Immunocytochemical studies with specific antibody for angiotensin II demonstrated significant immunoreactivity in both glomerular epithelial cells and mesangian cells. These results, for the first time, provide direct evidence that both the glomerular epithelial cells and mesangian cells contain a complete renin-angiotensin system and generate angiotensin II with intracellular mechanisms. Further studies are required to define the subcellular localization of angiotensin II with electron microscopy and to elucidate the physiological importance of the intracellular reninangiotensin system.
Angiotensin II ; Angiotensinogen ; Angiotensins ; Animals ; Epithelial Cells ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mesangial Cells* ; Microscopy, Electron ; Rats* ; Renin ; Renin-Angiotensin System* ; RNA, Messenger*

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of loss of incisal function on the thickness, growth activities, ultrastructure of the condylar cartilage and on the muscle fibers of masseter superficialis, anterior belly of digastric muscle in the growing rats. 37 day-old-rats of which incisors had been trimmed every day received soft diet from weaning and were studied by the autoradiography, electron microscopy and muscle histochemistry. The results obtained were as follows: The thickness of the fibrous, proliferative layer in superior, posterosuperior portion of the condylar cartilage was significantly(p<0.01) reduced in experimental groups and the decrease rate of fibrous layer thickness was greater in posterosuperior portion than in superior portion of cartilage and was greater than in proliferative layer. In normal group, more cells of posterosuperior portion moved more rapidly towards the medullary cavity. In experimental group, the labelling index of posterosuperior portion was decreased in proliferative layer at 2 hours, in transitional layer at 1, 2 days, in hypertrophic layer at 4 days after injection relative to posterosuperior portion of control group. But labelling index of superior portion was not different from that of control group at all time course after injection. From the muscle histochemistry, the diameter of type IIB fibers in masseter superficialis muscle, type IIA, type IIB fibers in anterior belly of digastric muscle decreased significantly(p<0.01) relative to controls in experimental group. From electron microscopic study, in the fibrous layer of the posterosuperior portion of condylar cartilage in normal group, many fibroblast like cells near the joint cavity showed extensive remodelling activities in ultrastructure. There was no morphological changes between experimental and control group in all cartilage cell layers of superior portion but cells near the joint cavity in fibrous layer of posterosuperior portion of experimental group showed morphologically inactive state relative to control group.
Animals ; Autoradiography ; Cartilage* ; Diet ; Fibroblasts ; Incisor ; Joints ; Mandibular Condyle ; Microscopy, Electron ; Rats* ; Weaning

The purpose of this project is to implement "Homecare Nursing Network System" using wireless network which was able to manage homecare service efficiently. Therefore, by completing the project of "Homecare Nursing Network System", the research team connected the headquarter and the local homecare service offices over the Internet, and built the database and application programs to operate the offices. Homecare nurses are using the PDA(personal digital assistant) in order to provide homecare nursing service, to record the patients' data, and to send and receive the data in real time. It results in improving the quality of the homecare service through the computerized knowledge-based assess and intervention algorithms. The team also has implemented the homepage to introduce the homecare office and to provide the homecare service information. "Homecare Nursing Network System" allows us to manage homecare nursing service under the computerized environment, to keep track of the homecare nursing document efficiently, to improve the quality of homecare nursing, and to expand its business territory.
Commerce ; Internet ; Nursing Services ; Nursing*

Acute autonomic and sensory neuropathy (AASN) is a rare neuropathy characterized by the acute onset of autonomic dysfunction and objective sensory disturbances. A 33-year-old woman experienced generalized fatigue, urinary retention, and defecation difficulty with numbness around her mouth followed by a decreased pain sensation over her face and whole body, and respiratory difficulty with aspiration pneumonia. Neurological examination revealed bilaterally dilated fixed pupils, loss of sweating and lacrimation, orthostatic hypotension, and decreased sensation of all modalities with transient mild to moderate motor weaknesses. The muscle weakness may have been responsible for her respiratory failure as her respiratory distress was resolved in conjunction with improved general muscle power. Although the pathogenetic mechanism of AASN has been generally believed to be immune-mediated, the absence of immunoglobulin responsiveness and the negative results to various autoantibody tests in our case, raises questions against its autoimmune etiology. The patient showed slow progress of overcoming her autonomic dysfunction with relatively persistent sensory deficits.
Adult ; Defecation ; Fatigue ; Female ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Hypotension, Orthostatic ; Immunoglobulins ; Mouth ; Muscle Weakness ; Neurologic Examination ; Pneumonia, Aspiration ; Pupil Disorders ; Respiratory Insufficiency* ; Sensation ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Urinary Retention

Homeodomain transcription factors functioning downstream of BMP ventral pathway have been reported to share similar domain of roles in mesoderm patterning along the dorsal-ventral axis. To elucidate the differential role of PV.1 in the aspect of relationship between dorsal and ventral region, we tried to screen PV.1- interacting proteins. Twenty-four PV.1-interacting proteins were identified by yeast two-hybrid screening. Xvent-2 and Xclaudin-6 among these, went under domain study. The C-terminus of PV.1, more specifically 197-241 region was found to interact with Xclaudin-6. Meanwhile Xvent-2 has mild affinity to overall C-terminal region of PV.1. At the same time it was found that Xvent-2 homodimerizes and also binds to Xclaudin-6.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Mass Screening* ; Mesoderm ; Transcription Factors ; Xenopus laevis ; Yeasts