PURPOSE: This study examined the patterns of drugs, poisons, and chemicals detected in autopsy samples performed in the Seoul Institute and other regional forensic offices of the National Forensic Service (NFS) between 2014 and 2016. METHODS: The investigation carried out using the laboratory information management system. Forensic toxicological identification and quantitation were performed in autopsy samples, including heart blood, peripheral blood, liver, kidney, vitreous humor and etc. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were used to analyze the drugs and poisons. RESULTS: Forensic autopsies were performed on 9,674 cases in this period. Based on the autopsy reports, 699 cases (7.2%) were considered as unnatural deaths caused by fatal intoxication. The number of male deaths was higher than that of female deaths, with the age of 50-59 being the most common age group. CONCLUSION: Drugs comprised the largest number of deaths due to poison, followed by alcohol, agrochemicals, drug with alcohol, carbon monoxide, and cyanide, in that order. Zolpidem was the most frequently used drug in all drug-related intoxication cases.
Agrochemicals ; Autopsy ; Carbon Monoxide ; Female ; Heart ; Humans ; Information Management ; Kidney ; Liver ; Male ; Mass Spectrometry ; Poisoning* ; Poisons ; Seoul ; Spectrum Analysis ; Vitreous Body

In South Korea, deaths caused by poisoning are mostly suicides due to drug overdoses, or agrochemical poisonings. Even though the latter is becoming less frequent, they are still occurring in large numbers across the country. In some cases, deaths result from toxicity of organic solvents contained in the agrochemical products. In this study, we identified organic solvents in post-mortem blood of acute agrochemical poisoning cases using solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with black fiber. Out of 42 cases, organic solvents were detected in 29, with toluene and butanol detected simultaneously in 13 cases. In these 13 cases, the original pesticides were of various types, including organophosphorus compounds, carbamate, nicotine, and oxadiazine. Xylene and ethyl benzene were simultaneously detected six times. In these six cases, the original pesticides were mainly pyrethroid-based pesticides, such as cypermethrin and deltamethrin. Methoxypropanol was detected in five cases in which the water-soluble pesticide glufosinate was detected. These organic solvents may cause acute poisoning and even death in some agrochemical poisoning cases.

Trimethyltin chloride (TMT) has been used as a neurotoxin for inducing brain dysfunction and neuronal death. Neuronal death in the hippocampus by TMT may generate excessive nitric oxide, but there are few studies about nitric oxide synthase enzyme involved in the synthesis of nitric oxide. The purpose of present study is to analyze the TMT toxicity in each region of rat hippocampus. To evaluate the involvement of nitric oxide, we analyzed the effects of aminoguanidine known as a selective inhibitor for inducible nitric oxide synthase on behavioral changes and the hippocampus of rat by TMT toxicity. 6-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered with a single dose of TMT (8 mg/kg b.w., i.p.) and the control group was similarly administered with distilled water. TMT + aminoguanidine-treated groups were administered with aminoguanidine (10 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg b.w., i.p.) for 3 days prior to TMT injection. The rats were sacrificed 2 days after TMT administration. In the TMT-treated group, a number of cell losses were seen in CA1, CA3 and the dentate gyrus. In the TMT + aminoguanidine-treated group, neuronal death was seen in CA1 and CA3, but reduced in the dentate gyrus compared to the TMT-treated group. Western blot analysis showed that cleaved caspase-3 expression was increased in the TMT-treated group compared to the control group. However, the expression significantly declined in the TMT + aminoguanidine-treated group. The present findings suggest that inducible nitric oxide synthase is involved in neuronal death induced by TMT.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Brain ; Caspase 3 ; Dentate Gyrus ; Guanidines ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Male ; Neurons ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Trimethyltin Compounds ; Water

Purpose: To assess clinically significant imaging findings of malignant intramammary lymph nodes (IMLNs) in breast cancer patients and to evaluate their diagnostic performance in predicting malignant IMLN. Materials and Methods: A total of 110 cases with IMLN of BI-RADS category 3 or more, not typical benign IMLN, in MR of breast cancer patients between January 2016 and January 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. After excluding 33 cases, 77 cases were finally included. Among them, 58 and 19 were confirmed as benign and malignant, respectively. Qualitative and quantitative MR imaging features of the IMLN were retrospectively analyzed. Sizes and final assessment categories of IMLN on MRI, mammography, and ultrasound were reviewed. Diagnostic performances of imaging features on MRI, mammography, and ultrasound were then evaluated. Results: For qualitative MR features, shape, margin, and preserved central hilum were significantly different between benign and malignant groups (P < 0.05). For quantitative MR features, long diameter over 6 mm, short diameter over 4 mm, and cortical thickening over 3 mm showed high sensitivities in predicting malignant IMLNs (89.5%, 94.7%, and 100%, respectively). Size exceeding 1 cm showed high specificity and accuracy in predicting malignant IMLN on MR, mammography, and ultrasound (91.4% and 80.5%; 96.6% and 79.25; 98.3% and 80.5%, respectively). Conclusion Various MR imaging features and size can be helpful for predicting malignant IMLN in breast cancer patients.

Purpose: The aim of study is to analyze the associations between menopause symptoms, including sleep quality and depressive symptoms, and body composition, physical fitness, and physical activity indices in middle-aged women. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 91 women aged 45 to 55 years. The study employed the Menopause Rating Scale to assess menopausal symptoms, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to evaluate sleep quality, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale to measure depressive symptoms. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by breath-by-breath respiratory exchange during an incremental cycle ergometer, while muscle fitness was assessed by hand grip strength measurement. Physical activity was assessed using both the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire and Fitbit devices. Results: According to correlation analysis, indicators of obesity such as body fat and waist circumference were positively associated with menopausal symptoms. Conversely, muscle fitness and engaging in light physical activity were negatively associated with these symptoms. Conclusion This study identified physical indicators in Korean middle-aged women linked to menopausal symptoms.This study suggests that exercise programs for middle-aged women should include resistance training and promote physical activity to improve obesity markers and manage menopausal symptoms for healthy aging.

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) plays an important role in reproduction and social activities in ruminants including goats. A morphological study on the structure of VNO and its epithelial cells was carried out in Korean black goats. Grossly, the VNO of Korean goats opens into mouth through incisive ducts. Microscopically, the epithelium of VNO consisted of medial sensory epithelium and lateral non-sensory epithelium. Several blood vessels and nerve bundles were observed in the lamina propria encased by vomeronasal cartilage. Immunohistochemical staining showed that protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 was immunostained in the receptor cells of the sensory epithelium and in some cells of the non-sensory epithelium. Galectin-3 was mainly observed in the supporting cells of sensory and non-sensory epithelium. Lectins including wheat germ agglutinin, Ulex europaeus agglutinin, Bandeiraea simplicifolia lectin Isolectin B4, Dolichos biflorus agglutinin and soybean agglutinin used in this study were bound in VNO sensory, non-sensory epithelia as well as in the lamina propria with varying intensity. Collectively, this is a first descriptive morphological study of VNO of Korean black goat with special reference to lectin histochemistry.
Blood Vessels ; Cartilage ; Dolichos ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Galectin 3 ; Goats ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lectins ; Mouth ; Mucous Membrane ; Plant Lectins ; Reproduction ; Ruminants ; Soybean Proteins ; Soybeans ; Triticum ; Ulex ; Vomeronasal Organ

Glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β has been known as a pro-inflammatory molecule in neuroinflammation. The involvement of GSK-3β remains unsolved in acute monophasic rat experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The aim of this study was to evaluate a potential role of GSK-3β in central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity through its inhibition by lithium. Lithium treatment significantly delayed the onset of EAE paralysis and ameliorated its severity. Lithium treatment reduced the serum level of pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor a but not that of interleukin 10. Western blot analysis showed that the phosphorylation of GSK-3β (p-GSK-3β) and its upstream factor Akt was significantly increased in the lithium-treated group. Immunohistochemical examination revealed that lithium treatment also suppressed the activation of ionized calcium binding protein-1-positive microglial cells and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression in the spinal cords of lithium-treated EAE rats. These results demonstrate that lithium ameliorates clinical symptom of acute monophasic rat EAE, and GSK-3 is a target for the suppression of acute neuroinflammation as far as rat model of human CNS disease is involved.
Animals ; Autoimmunity ; Blotting, Western ; Calcium ; Central Nervous System ; Central Nervous System Diseases ; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental ; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 ; Glycogen Synthase Kinases* ; Glycogen Synthase* ; Glycogen* ; Humans ; Interleukin-10 ; Lithium* ; Models, Animal* ; Multiple Sclerosis* ; Paralysis ; Phosphorylation ; Rats* ; Spinal Cord ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

Histochemical patterns of lectin binding during development of the rat vomeronasal organ (VNO) were studied to determine whether glycoconjugates are differently expressed after birth. Three types of lectins, Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA), wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), and Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (UEA-I), were studied histochemically in the rat VNO at various stages post-birth: postnatal days 1 and 7, the preweaning period (4 weeks after birth), and at sexual maturity (8 weeks after birth). The free border of the vomeronasal sensory epithelium was positive for both WGA and UEA-I in rats of all ages; whereas, VNO receptor cells and supporting cells were positive only for both WGA and UEA-I from 4 weeks after birth. DBA reactivity was detected in the free border but less so in receptor cells and supporting cells. WGA and UEA-I, but not DBA, showed similar patterns in various ages. In the Jacobson's gland, WGA, UEA-I and DBA were detected in some acini from 4 weeks after birth but not at postnatal days 1 or 7. Collectively, reactivity for three lectins, WGA, UEA-I and DBA, increased in receptor cells and gland acini during postnatal development, possibly contributing to the enhanced chemoreception in rats.
Animals ; Dolichos ; Epithelium ; Glycoconjugates ; Lectins ; Parturition ; Plant Lectins ; Rats ; Triticum ; Ulex ; Vomeronasal Organ

Phosphorylation of caveolin-1 occurs during cell activation by various stimuli. In this study, the involvement of caveolin-1 in an irradiation injured spinal cord was examined by analyzing the phosphorylation of caveolin-1 in the spinal cord of rats after irradiation with a single dose of 15 Gray from a (60)Co gamma-ray source at 24 h post-irradiation (PI). A Western blot analysis showed that the phosphorylated form of caveolin-1 (p-caveolin-1) was expressed constitutively in the normal spinal cords and was significantly higher in the spinal cord of irradiated rats at 24 h PI. The increased expression of ED1, which is a marker of activated microglia/macrophages, was matched with that of p-caveolin-1. In the irradiated spinal cords, there was a higher level of p-caveolin-1 immunoreactivity in the isolectin B4-positive microglial, ependymal, and vascular endothelial cells, in which p-caveolin-1 was weakly and constitutively expressed in the normal control spinal cords. These results suggest that total body irradiation induces activation of microglial cells in the spinal cord through the phosphorylation of caveolin-1.
Animals ; Blotting, Western/veterinary ; Caveolin 1/*metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation/*radiation effects ; Immunohistochemistry/veterinary ; Male ; Phosphorylation/radiation effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord/physiopathology/*radiation effects ; Spinal Cord Injuries/physiopathology/*veterinary

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in Lewis rats is characterized by transient paralysis followed by recovery. To evaluate whether transient paralysis in EAE affects bone density, tibiae of EAE rats were morphologically investigated using micro-computed tomography and histology. The parameters of bone health were significantly reduced at the peak stage of EAE rats relative to those of controls (p < 0.05). The reduction of bone density was found to remain unchanged, even in the recovery stage. Collectively, the present data suggest that osteoporosis occurs in paralytic rats with monophasic EAE, possibly through the disuse of hindlimbs and/or autoimmune inflammation.
Animals ; Autoimmunity ; Bone Density ; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental* ; Hindlimb ; Inflammation ; Osteoporosis* ; Paralysis ; Rats* ; Tibia