2004, Vol.17, No.1

Anatomy & Biological Anthropology 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.33

pISSN : 2671-5651 / eISSN : 2671-566X
https://journal.kci.go.kr/aba

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a neuropeptide, isolated from porcine brain that is homologous with atriopeptin. Magnocellular neurosecretory cells located in the paraventricular nucleus and supraoptic nucleus synthesize and secrete neurohormones. The purpose of this study was to investigate distribution of BNP immunoreactivity throughout the rat hypothalamus from the day of birth to 30 days and adult using immunoperoxidase and immunofluorescent staining. The first BNP immunoreactive neurons appeared in the paraventricular and supraoptic nucleus at P10. In adult, BNP immunoreactivity was widely distributed throughout regions of the hypothalamus including dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus, ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, arcuate nucleus and internal layer of median eminence. The intensity of BNP immunoreactivity was weak in almost all hypothalamic nuclei except the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei. BNP immunoreactivity was first observed in the lateral hypothalamic area at P15. In retrochiasmatic supraoptic nucleus, BNP immunoreactivity was first observed at P20 and remarkably distributed in adult. In the present study, distinct localization of BNP immunoreactivity was in the hypothalamic cell bodies and fibers. Although the role of BNP in the brain is yet to be determined, these results indicate that BNP in the neurons of hypothalamus play important role in the regulation of a variety of neurosecretory functions as a neuromodulator during postnatal development of the hypothalamus.

We investigated the comparative effects of electroacupuncture (EA) with different frequency on the spinal c-fos and inotropic glutamate receptor expression in carrageenan-injected rats. Bilateral EA stimulation with 2, 15 and 120 Hz were delivered at those acupoints corresponding to Zusanli and Sanyinjiao in man via the needles. The inhibitory effects of the EA on the inflammatory process were investigated in the central nociceptive sites by immunohistochemical analysis. Three hours after carrageenan injection, the number of c-fos-like immunoreactive (LI) neurons was significantly increased in all layers of the ipsilateral spinal cord at L4-5 segment. But these immunoreactive neurons were markedly reduced in the spinal gray matter, especially in the superficial laminae, by all kinds of EA stimulation. The number of NMDA(NR-1 and NR-2A) and AMPA receptors (GluR-1, GluR-2/3)-LI neurons was also increased by carrageenan injection. But NR-2A-LI neuron was significantly reduced in superficial laminae of dorsal horn by 2 Hz EA stimulation. While GluR-1-LI neuron of 15 Hz and 120 Hz EA was increased in the nucleus proprius compared with carrageenan- injected group, GluR-2/3-LI neuron of these EA stimulated groups significantly reduced in superficial laminae of dorsal horn. In conclusion, EA treatment can attenuate spinal c-fos expression in carrageenan injected rats and regulates spinal inotropic glutamate receptor expression.

The fruit of Corni fructus (CF), a perennial herb, is believed to have anti-allergy effects, but its mechanism is unknown. The purpose of this study is to investigate the inhibitory effect of CF on compound 48/80-induced mast cell activation. For this, the effects of CF on the degranulation, the histamine release, the calcium influx and the change of the intracellular cAMP levels of rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMC) and influences of CF on the compound 48/80-induced cutaneous reaction were studied. The results were as follows; the compound 48/80-induced degranulation, intracelluar calcium influx and histamine release of RPMC was significantly inhibited by pretreatment with CF, the compound 48/80 -induced cAMP level of RPMC were significantly increased by pretreatment with CF, CF significantly inhibited compound 48/80-induced vascular permeability of rat cutaneous tissue. From the above results, it is suggested that CF contains some substances which inhibit the compound 48/80-induced vascular permeability and mast cell activation.