This morphometric study of the trachea was performed to provide the basic data necessary for shielding crico-thyroid membrane incision, tracheal intubation and tracheotomy in korean bodies 48 (33 male, 15 female). Tracheal measurement included the number, the length, the anteroposterior and transverse diameters of trachea, and the height of tracheal cartilages, and the inter-rings distances of cartilages. The length of trachea was 104.0+/-1.4 mm in male and 102.3+/-1.9 mm in female, but there was no significance between males and females. All of the anteroposterior and transverse diameters, and the height were longer in males, compared with females, in the first, fifth, tenth and fifteenth tracheal cartilages. The anteroposterior and transverse diameters of the first and fifteenth tracheal rings, and the height of the first tracheal ring differed significantly male's from female's. The distances between posterior end of rings of the first, tenth and fifteenth tracheal cartilages were broader in males. The inter-rings distances of tracheal cartilage were also wider in the male, and showed significant differences in the 1st~2nd and 10~11th. These results suggest that this might be useful as a clinical basic data for the emergency physician, anesthetist, and associated medical doct
Cadaver ; Cartilage ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Intubation ; Male ; Membranes ; Trachea* ; Tracheotomy

A purpose of the study is to provide basic information in order to find better ways for more effective cadaver dissection education by analyzing education effect on paramedical students after cadaver dissection. By using questionnaires composed of 12 questions, we have surveyed 1,041 paramedical students who participate in cadaver dissection in 2013 and analysed the results. The paramedical students are the department of nursing science, operation treatment, physical therapy, alternative medicine, clinical pathology, emergency rescue and dental hygienics. As a result, we have found that cadaver dissection makes students have more respect for human life and dignity, helps students learn anatomy and major. Furthermore, the degrees of satisfaction, interest, intention of afterward participation in cadaver dissection afterward are high. However, the degrees of intention of cadaver donations are low. We need to develop cadaver dissection programme customized for each majors in order to helps students have more respect for human life and dignity, more professionalism, more effective cadaver dissection education.
Cadaver* ; Clinical Medicine ; Complementary Therapies ; Education* ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Intention ; Nursing ; Pathology ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of electrical stimulation (ES) on the recovery of motor skill and neuronal cell proliferation. METHODS: The male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with an epidural electrode over the peri-ischemic area after photothrombotic stroke in the dominant sensorimotor cortex. All rats were randomly assigned into the ES group and control group. The behavioral test of a single pellet reaching task (SPRT) and neurological examinations including the Schabitz's photothrombotic neurological score and the Menzies test were conducted for 2 weeks. After 14 days, coronal sections were obtained and immunostained for neuronal cell differentiation markers including bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), neuron-specific nuclear protein (NeuN), and doublecortin (DCX). RESULTS: On the SPRT, the motor function in paralytic forelimbs of the ES group was significantly improved. There were no significant differences in neurological examinations and neuronal cell differentiation markers except for the significantly increased number of DCX+ cells in the corpus callosum of the ES group (p<0.05). But in the ES group, the number of NeuN+ cells in the ischemic cortex and the number of NeuN+ cells and DCX+ cells in the ischemic striatum tended to increase. In the ES group, NeuN+ cells in the ischemic hemisphere and DCX+ cells and BrdU+ cells in the opposite hemisphere tended to increase compared to those in the contralateral. CONCLUSION: The continuous epidural ES of the ischemic sensorimotor cortex induced a significant improvement in the motor function and tended to increase neural cell proliferation in the ischemic hemisphere and the neural regeneration in the opposite hemisphere.
Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; Corpus Callosum ; Electric Stimulation ; Electrodes ; Forelimb ; Humans ; Male ; Motor Skills ; Neurologic Examination ; Neurons ; Nuclear Proteins ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Regeneration ; Stroke

We present a rare variation of the right-sided aortic arch with the retroesophageal left subclavian artery as the forth branch found in a cadaver of an 89-year-old Korean woman during a routine dissection. In this case, the first branch that arose from the ascending aorta was the left common carotid artery, which crossed ventral to the trachea in a left cephalic direction, followed by the right common carotid artery and then the right subclavian artery. Distal to these branches the aortic arch ran dorsally, passing between the esophagus and the vertebra. The left subclavian artery arose from the descending portion of the aortic arch, crossing over to the left upper extremity behind the esophagus. This anomaly was not accompanied by congenital heart disease. Accurate information regarding this variation is of great importance to surgeons for its early identification and preservation during interventions and to radiologists for precise interpretation of angiograms.
Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Cadaver ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Crossing Over, Genetic ; Esophagus ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Spine ; Subclavian Artery ; Trachea ; Upper Extremity

Changes in CTB labeled motor neurons of the spinal cord were observed after the induction of peripheral neuropathy by ligation of the tibial nerve. Rats were anesthetized and the tibial nerve was ligated with 3-0 silk. The rats were separated into three groups based on the length of time the tibial nerve was ligated (1, 2, or 4 weeks). After the ligation procedures were complete, the tibial nerve stumps were soaked in CTB solution. Tibial nerve segments and the spinal cord were then observed. In the control and experimental groups, CTB-labeled neurons formed a discrete population that was concentrated primarily at the L5 level, while the contributions from L4 and L6 were minor. According to the distributions, CTB-labeled neurons were divided into rostral and caudal groups. A selective decrease of CTB-labeled neurons was observed only in the caudal group, extending from the rostral L5 to one-half of the rostral L6. The total numbers of CTB-labeled motor neurons were 2,160+/-169.3, 1,002+/-245.1, 587.5+/-346.5, and 1,728+/-402.6 in the control group, 1 week group, 2 week group, and 4 week group, respectively. The selective decrease of CTB-labeled neurons in the caudal division was responsible for the decrease in the total number of labeled neurons in all groups. Following peripheral neuropathy caused by ligation of the tibial nerve, CTB-labeled neurons in the spinal cord decreased selectively. These results may provide important neuroanatomical data regarding the effects of peripheral neuropathy by ligation of the tibial nerve.
Animals ; Ligation ; Motor Neurons ; Neurons ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Rats ; Silk ; Spinal Cord ; Tibial Nerve

OBJECTIVE: Aripiprazole, a dopamine system stabilizer, shows efficacy against both negative symptoms and positive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aripiprazole and haloperidol on c-FOS expression in rat brain. METHODS: Aripiprazole (1, 10 and 30 mg/kg, i.p.) and haloperidol (0.1 and 1 mg/kg, i.p.) were administered to adult Male Sprague-Dawley rats. After 2 h of drug or vehicle administration, the rats were killed and their brains were removed and perfused with fixative, then cut into 40 microm slices on a freezing microtome. Brain regions of interest were the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the nucleus accumbens core and shell (NAC-C and NAC-S), the hippocampus (CA1, CA3 and DG), the central amygdala (Ce), the basolateral amygdala (BL) and the temporal cortex (Tc). Immunohistochemistry was performed to label cell bodies containing c-FOS. RESULTS: The administration of aripiprazole at all doses (1, 10 or 30 mg/kg) resulted in greater Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) in the investigated brain areas, as compared to the vehicle. Comparable increases in FLI were demonstrated in the NAC-C and NAC-S in response to both aripiprazole and haloperidol treatment. The administration of haloperidol (0.1 or 1 mg/kg) also resulted in greater FLI in the investigated brain areas, except the mPFC, where no changes were observed. In the Ce and BL, a significant increase in Fos-positive neurons was observed only with 0.1 mg/kg of haloperidol. CONCLUSION: Both aripiprazole and haloperidol increased FLI in limbic areas, which are considered important targets of antipsychotic drugs. The differential action of aripiprazole on FLI in the amygdala and mPFC as compared to haloperidol may be a good way to differentiate atypical from typical antipsychotics.
Adult ; Amygdala ; Animals ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Brain ; Dopamine ; Freezing ; Haloperidol ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Neurons ; Nucleus Accumbens ; Piperazines ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Quinolones ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Schizophrenia ; Aripiprazole

Mast cells are well recognized as key cells in allergic reactions, such as asthma and allergic airway diseases. However, the effects of mast cells and TNF-alpha on T-helper type 2 (Th2) cytokine-dependent asthma are not clearly understood. Therefore, an aim of this study was to investigate the role of mast cells on Th2 cytokine-dependent airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation. We used genetically mast cell-deficient WBB6F1/J-KitW/KitW-v (W/Wv), congenic normal WBB6F1/J-Kit+/Kit+ (+/+), and mast cell-reconstituted W/Wv mouse models of allergic asthma to investigate the role of mast cells in Th2 cytokine-dependent asthma induced by ovalbumin (OVA). And we investigated whether the intratracheal injection of TNF-alpha directly induce the expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in W/Wv mice. This study, with OVA-sensitized and OVA-challenged mice, revealed the following typical histopathologic features of allergic diseases: increased inflammatory cells of the airway, airway hyperresponsiveness, and increased levels of TNF-alpha, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, and vascular cellular adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1. However, the histopathologic features and levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 proteins in W/Wv mice after OVA challenges were significantly inhibited. Moreover, mast cell-reconstituted W/Wv mice showed restoration of histopathologic features and recovery of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 protein levels that were similar to those found in +/+ mice. Intratracheal administration of TNF-alpha resulted in increased ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 protein levels in W/Wv mice. These results suggest that mast cells play a key role in a Th2 cytokine-dependent asthma model through production of adhesion molecules, including ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, by liberation of TNF-alpha.
Animals ; Asthma/*immunology/metabolism/pathology ; Blotting, Western ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/immunology ; Cytokines/*immunology ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1/biosynthesis ; Lung/immunology/pathology ; Mast Cells/*immunology/metabolism ; Mice ; Ovalbumin ; Th2 Cells/*immunology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/*metabolism ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1/biosynthesis

Alpha-lipoic acid (LA), a naturally occurring dithiol compound, is an essential cofactor in metabolic reactions involved in energy utilization. LA improves glycemic control, reduces diabetic polyneuropathies, atherosclerosis, and allergic inflammation. The effects of LA on mast cell-mediated anaphylactic reactions, however, are unknown. LA dose-dependently inhibited systemic and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis-like reactions in mice induced by compound 48/80, a condensation product of N-methyl-p-methoxyphenethylamine and formaldehyde. Pretreatment with LA, prior to induction of the systemic anaphylaxis-like reaction with compound 48/80, reduced plasma histamine levels in a dose-dependent manner. In our in vitro study, LA decreased histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMCs) triggered by compound 48/80. Moreover, an increase in calcium uptake activated by compound 48/80 was inhibited by LA. LA also significantly elevated intracellular cyclic adenosine-3',5' monophosphate (cAMP) levels in RPMCs. This inhibition of mediator release from RPMCs may be due to inhibition of calcium uptake and augmentation of intracellular cAMP levels. Based on these results, we suggest that LA may be a potential remedy for allergy-related diseases.
Anaphylaxis ; Animals ; Atherosclerosis ; Calcium ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; Formaldehyde ; Histamine ; Histamine Release ; Inflammation ; Mast Cells ; Mice ; Plasma ; Rats ; Thioctic Acid ; Toluene

Mast cells play a critical role in the effector phase of immediate hypersensitivity and allergic diseases. Scutellaria baicalensis is a widely used herb in traditional oriental medicine with anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the roles of Scutellaria baicalensis in mast cell-mediated anaphylactic reactions have not fully been investigated. In this study, we examined the influences of the methanol extract of Scutellaria baicalensis (MESB) on compound 48/80- or anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP) IgE-induced anaphylaxis-like response in vivo. To further prove these in vivo results, the inhibitory effect of MESB on mast cell activation was evaluated, focusing on the histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMC). MESB inhibited compound 48/80-induced systemic anaphylaxis-like reaction, plasma histamine release and ear swelling response in mice. MESB also attenuated passive systemic and cutaneous anaphylaxis evoked by anti-DNP IgE. In in vitro experiments, MESB dose-dependently reduced histamine release from RPMC activated by compound 48/80 or anti-DNP IgE. Moreover, compound 48/80-elicited calcium uptake was suppressed in a concentration-dependent manner of MESB. Furthermore, MESB transiently increased the level of intracellular cAMP. From these results, it is suggested that MESB possesses effective anti-anaphylactic activity.
Anaphylaxis ; Animals ; Calcium ; Ear ; Histamine ; Histamine Release ; Hypersensitivity, Immediate ; Immunoglobulin E ; Mast Cells ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Methanol ; Mice ; Plasma ; Rats ; Scutellaria ; Scutellaria baicalensis

Neuropathy is a general term referring to disorders of nerves, and produces when the nerves are damaged. It is characterized by spontaneous pain, allodynia and hyperalgesia. The purpose of present study is to observe the number of WGA-HRP (wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase) labelded sensory neurons of DRG (dorsal root ganglia), and distributions according to cell size of sensory neuron in tibial nerve ligation model (NLM). The tibial nerve ligation was performed with 3-0 silk by the application of three tight ligatures at the mid-thigh level. In the neuropathy model of rat tibial nerve ligation, morphological changes of sensory neurons in DRG were observed using WGA-HRP. Rats of NLM showed the neuropathic behaviors. Rats were shown guarding affected limb and limping. Their toes and ankle joint of operated limb were hyperflexed. Under light microscopy, tibial nerve showed degeneration of axons in NLM. In control and NLM, labeled sensory neurons of tibial nerve distributed L4 and L5 DRG. In control group, the labeled sensory neurons were round or oval in shape. They were large and small cells, and mixed pattern. Total number of labeled sensory neurons in NLM decreased significantly from control group. The number of labeled sensory neurons in L4 and L5 DRG decreased significantly from control group. Labeled large and small cells decreased significantly from control group. Present study may serve as the basic information about the changes of DRG sensory neurons in NLM.
Animals ; Ankle Joint ; Axons ; Cell Size ; Diagnosis-Related Groups ; Extremities ; Hyperalgesia ; Ligation ; Light ; Microscopy ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Rats ; Sensory Receptor Cells ; Silk ; Tibial Nerve ; Toes ; Wheat Germ Agglutinin-Horseradish Peroxidase Conjugate