No abstract available.
Animals ; Brain* ; Rats* ; Serotonergic Neurons*

Nitric oxide is synthesized by neurons containing the nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) is a selective histochemical marker for the brain. Although, many reports have been published describing in detail the distribution of NADPH-d and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), little information is available on possible morphological changes of NADPH-d and TH containing neurons during aging of the brain stem. Therefore, in this study, we assessed the effects of aging on the somal area and staining intensity of NADPH-d-positive and TH-immunoreactive (TH-IR) neurons in rat brain stem. In previous studies, enzyme activities of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and NADPH-d were shown to be in an almost perfect correlation in the brain. Therefore, we evaluated the change of NADPH-d-positive neurons using a microdensitometrical method as a way of measuring changes in NOS activity. By using a double-labelling technique, we have shown that these two enzymes are located in separate neurons in most brain stem nuclei. In the aged group, the size of NADPH-d-positive neurons was not significantly changed in most nuclei of the brain stem compared to the control group. Staining intensity of NADPH-d-positive neurons was significantly changed in periaqueductal gray, superior colliculus and inferior colliculus in the aged group. In the aged rats, the size of TH-IR neurons was significantly changed in locus ceruleus and lateral paragigantocellular nucleus. Staining intensity of TH-IR neurons was significantly decreased in principal trigeminal nucleus, locus ceruleus and lateral paragigantocellular nucleus of the aged group. These results demonstrate that the NADPH-d-positive and TH-IR neurons are differently influenced by aging than the control group in the brain stem of rats. Difference in the changes of NADPH-d-positive neurons in brain stem nuclei suggest that neuronal NOS is regulated by different mechanims in the regions of the brain stem during aging.
Aging* ; Animals ; Brain Stem* ; Brain* ; Inferior Colliculi ; Locus Coeruleus ; NAD ; Neurons* ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Periaqueductal Gray ; Rats* ; Superior Colliculi ; Trigeminal Nuclei ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; Tyrosine*

This study examined the effects of aging on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-positive neurons of the cerebral cortex in young (4 months) and aged (24 months) Wistar rats. Expressional change was assessed by histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. Nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized by cells containing NOS, and NADPH-diaphorase is a selective histochemical marker for the NOS in the brain. In this study, the coexistence of NADPH-d and VIP was not found in the cerebral cortex of both groups. In the aged group, the number of NADPH-d positive neurons was not significantly changed in cerebral cortex than control groups. However, the number of VIP positive neurons was significantly decreased in cerebral cortex of the aged rats. NADPH-d and VIP positive neurons exhibited morphological characteristics of multipolar or bipolar in most neurons. In the aged group, NADPH-d and VIP positive nerve fibers were more irregular and tortuous compared to the control group. Perikaryal size of NADPH-d positive neurons was not significantly different in both groups. However, significant shrinkage of VIP positive neurons was found in the aged group. The enzyme activity of NADPH-d was increased in the aged group.The basal level of mRNA for NOS and VIP was detected in the cerebral cortex of control group. The expression level of iNOS mRNA was decreased in the aged group. The mRNA for nNOS, eNOS and VIP was not significantly different in both groups. The selective depletion and atrophy VIP positive neurons from the cerebral cortex of aged rats may reflect an increased vulnerability of VIP positive neurons to the aging process compared with NOS positive neurons.
Aging ; Animals ; Atrophy ; Brain ; Cerebral Cortex* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Nerve Fibers ; Neurons ; Nitric Oxide Synthase* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Rats* ; Rats, Wistar ; RNA, Messenger ; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide*

The following experiment was performed to clarify distributional change of the Mac1-positive cells at 1, 4, 8 ,12 and 40 weeks after birth. Thymuses, spleens and lymph nodes were removed and immunocytochemical staining using the specific Mac1 antibody was performed The results obtained from the present experiment were as follows : 1. Mac1-positive cell was absent at 1 week, they were increased by 4 weeks and decreased at 40 weeks in the thymus after birth. 2. There was no Mac1-positive cell in the marginal zone of the spleen at 4, 40 weeks, but they were shown at 8 weeks. 3. Mac1-positive cells were increased at 4 weeks in the subfollicular area of lymph nodes. There was no change of distribution in the lymph nodes. From the above results, we suggest that the age-related decrease of the immunity might be caused by decrease of Mac1-positive cells in the antigen-presenting area.
Animals ; Lymph Nodes* ; Mice* ; Parturition ; Spleen* ; Thymus Gland*

Apodemus agrarius has been used for experimental purpose to identify the route of infection and pathogenesis of Korean hemorrhagic fever. However, despite the increasing amount of information being published at present about the physiologic and ecologic characteristics of Apodemus, few data are available about the morphologic findings in the brain. This study was aimed to clarify the change of NADPH-d and neuropeptide Y (NPY) associated with aging of the Apodemus. The number of NADPH-d positive or negative NPY neurons in the cerebral cortex and striatum were compared between two age groups of Apodemus (4 months and 24 months) after the histochemical and immunohis-tochemical staining. 1. The number of NADPH-d positive NPY neurons in cerebral cortex or striatum were not different between the two age groups. 2. The number of NADPH-d negative NPY neurons in cerebral region or caudatoputamen striatum were not different between the two age groups. 3. Most of NADPH-d or NPY neurons were bipolar or multipolar neurons with complex and long dendrites in the control group. 4. The NADPH-d or NPY neurons in cerebral cortex were more tortous and shorter than control in the aged group. These findings demonstrate that NADPH-d positive NPY neurons and NPY neurons do not seem to be change of age in cerebral cortex or striatum of Apodemus agrarius.
Aging ; Animals ; Brain ; Cerebral Cortex* ; Dendrites ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Humans ; Murinae* ; Neurons* ; Neuropeptide Y* ; Neuropeptides* ; Nitric Oxide

Age-related changes of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS)/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) were examined in the rat cerebral cortex by immunohistochemical and histoche-mical methods. Double labeling for NOS and NADPH-d revealed that all NOS-stained neurons also stained for NADPH-d. Double labeling for NPY and NADPH-d showed that about 35~65% of NPY-immunoreactive (NPY-IR) neurons in the cerebral cortex of the control (3-month-old) rats contained NADPH-d and that 40~75% in the aged (24-month-old) rats. The aged rats showed a significant increase in percentage of colocalization of NPY and NADPH-d in comparison with the control rats in the perirhinal cortex and auditory cortex. However, colocalization percentage between control and aged rats was not significantly changed in most cortical areas. In the aged group, the number of NPY-IR/NADPH-d-positive neurons was not significantly decreased in the cerebral cortex compared to the control group. However, the number of NPY-IR/NADPH-d-negative neurons was significantly lowered in frontal association cortex, primary motor cortex, insular cortex, ectorhinal cortex, perirhinal cortex and auditory cortex in the aged group. These results demonstrate that the NADPH-d containing NPY-IR neurons are less influenced by aging than the control group in the cerebral cortex of rats.
Adenine ; Aging ; Animals ; Auditory Cortex ; Cerebral Cortex* ; Motor Cortex ; Neurons* ; Neuropeptide Y* ; Neuropeptides* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Rats*

This study was aimed to clarify the change of neuropeptide Y -immunoreactive (NPY -IR) and NADPH -diaphorase (NADPH -d)-positive neurons associated with aging of ICR and C57Bl/6 mice. To verify the effect of aging on NPY and NADPH -d neurons in the cerebral cortex, the tissues were stained by the immunohistochemical and histochemical method. The coexistence of NADPH -d and NPY was found in the cerebral cortex of the ICR and C57Bl/6 mice. The 30 -week -old ICR mice showed a significant increase in the number of NPY - IR neurons in comparison with the 5 -week -old mice in primary motor, secondary somatosensory, ectorhinal, auditory and visual cortex. In the 30 -week -old C57Bl/6 mice, the number of NPY -IR neurons was significantly increased in primary and secondary somatosensory cortex, decreased in retrosplenial and visual cortex compared to the 5 -week -old group. However, the number of NPY -IR/NADPH -d positive neurons of ICR mice was no significant changes in most cerebral cortical areas except insular and perirhinal cortex in the 30 week -old group in comparison with 5 -week -old group of both mice group. The number of coexisted neurons of 30 -week -old C57Bl/6 mice was significantly decreased in primary motor and auditory cortex compared to the 5 -week - old group. These results provides the morphological evidence for the change of NPY -IR neurons that do not contain NADPH -d may be more susceptible to age -related change than NADPH -d -containing neurons in the cerebral cortex of mice.
Aging ; Animals ; Auditory Cortex ; Cerebral Cortex* ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; NADP ; Neurons* ; Neuropeptide Y ; Neuropeptides* ; Somatosensory Cortex ; Visual Cortex

Saponin has been known to be a major antioxidant component in panax ginseng. Recent experimental study suggests that some antioxidant materials prevent Parkinson's disease caused by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6- tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in an animal model. The present study was performed to demonstrate the effect of ginseng saponins in the Parkinson's disease model induced by MPTP. To verify the effect of ginseng saponin on dopaminergic neurons in the mice brain, the tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-ir) neurons were observed by immunohistochemical stain and immunoelectron microscopy (preembedding method). Also, in order to estimate the immunoreactivity of dopaminergic neuropils, they were quantified by image analysis. The number of TH-ir neurons of substantia nigra was significantly increased in the high-dose (0.46 mg/kg) ginseng saponin group compared with the MPTP injected group. The immunoreactivity of TH-ir neuropils in striatum was significantly increased in both high and low-dose (0.1 mg/kg) ginseng saponin groups compared with the MPTP injected group. In immunoelectron microscopic observation, TH-ir neurons of the control and both ginseng saponin injected group showed normal nuclei and well preserved cytoplasmic organelles. In the MPTP injected group, dying dopaminergic neurons showed destroyed nuclei and cytoplasmic organelles. These results suggest that ginseng saponin has a protective effect on the Parkinson's disease model induced by MPTP.
1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine ; Animals ; Brain ; Cytoplasm ; Dopaminergic Neurons* ; Mice* ; Microscopy, Immunoelectron ; Models, Animal ; Neurons ; Neuropil ; Organelles ; Panax* ; Parkinson Disease* ; Saponins* ; Substantia Nigra ; Tyrosine ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase

Current anatomy education in Korea has been dependent upon foreign textbooks and atlas. Various models and medical devices from overseas were imported and commonly used in Korea, Now, we need to provide our own literatures and graphic data based on Korean population for student education. It is necessary to design, produce and supply medical education, operative tools and treatment supportive devices customized to Korean human body and constitution. Accordingly, this is the time to assemble and deliver medical data to Korean population. In this study, we primarily focused on building musculoskeletal system of Korea population and set our goal as utilizing its graphic data for medical education in Korea. It is first study preparing theoretical foundations of Korean skeletal graphic system based on Korean body shape by comparison with other ethnic groups and foreign graphical models. Simultaneously, we conducted practical construction of the skeletal atlas by employing Korean standard measures. Parameters from the measurement for various types of bones were calculated, and the results were compared with data from foreign atlas and pictures. Individual drawings of bones from skull, upper extremity was made by using parameters we calculated, thus the atlas of Korean skeleton was constructed from artistic anatomical point of view. As a result, there were significant differences between Korean skeletons and the medical drawings from the oversea edition. Because many foreign drawings used data from Caucasians only and there were numerous exaggerated and false dimensions without actual measurement. In conclusion, the result of the study is expected to provide fundamental data for building anatomical atlas about Korean human body structure.
Constitution and Bylaws ; Education ; Education, Medical ; Ethnic Groups ; Foundations ; Human Body ; Humans ; Korea ; Musculoskeletal System ; Skeleton* ; Skull ; Upper Extremity*

Current anatomy education in Korea has been dependent upon foreign textbooks and atlas. Various models and medical devices commonly used in Korea were imported from overseas. Now, it is necessary to design, produce and supply medical education, operative tools and treatment supportive devices customized to Korean human body and constitution. Accordingly, this is the time to assemble and deliver medical data to Korean population. Indivicess from the measurement for various types of bones were calculated, and the results were compared with data from foreign atlas and pictures. Individual drawings of bones from sacrum, hip bone and lower limb were made by using parameters we calculated, thus the atlas of Korean skeleton was constructed from artistic anatomical point of view. As a result, there were significant differences between Korean skeletons and the medical drawings from the oversea edition, and also we found numerous exaggerated and false dimensions without actual measurement. In the present study, we primarily focused on building musculoskeletal system of Korea population and set our goal as utilizing its graphic data for medical education in Korea. The present study would be the first study preparing theoretical foundations of Korean skeletal graphic system based on Korean body shape by comparison with other ethnic groups and foreign graphical models. Simultaneously, we conducted practical construction of the skeletal atlas by employing Korean standard measure data.
Constitution and Bylaws ; Education ; Education, Medical ; Ethnic Groups ; Foundations ; Hip* ; Human Body ; Humans ; Korea ; Lower Extremity* ; Musculoskeletal System ; Sacrum ; Skeleton*