Rocuronium Bromide Inhibits Inflammation and Pain by Suppressing Nitric Oxide Production and Enhancing Prostaglandin E2 Synthesis in Endothelial Cells / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

PURPOSE: Rocuronium bromide is a nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking drug and has been used as an adjunct for relaxation or paralysis of the skeletal muscles, facilitation of endotracheal intubation, and improving surgical conditions during general anesthesia. However, intravenous injection of rocuronium bromide induces injection pain or withdrawal movement. The exact mechanism of rocuronium bromide-induced injection pain or withdrawal movement is not yet understood. We investigated whether rocuronium bromide treatment is involved in the induction of inflammation and pain in vascular endothelial cells. METHODS: For this study, calf pulmonary artery endothelial (CPAE) cells were used, and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, Western blot, nitric oxide detection, and prostaglandin E2 immunoassay were conducted. RESULTS: Rocuronium bromide treatment inhibited endothelial nitric oxide synthase and suppressed nitric oxide production in CPAE cells. Rocuronium bromide activated cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase and increased prostaglandin E2 synthesis in CPAE cells. CONCLUSIONS: Rocuronium bromide induced inflammation and pain in CPAE cells. Suppressing nitric oxide production and enhancing prostaglandin E2 synthesis might be associated with rocuronium bromide-induced injection pain or withdrawal movement.

Treadmill Exercise Ameliorates Short-Term Memory Disturbance in Scopolamine-Induced Amnesia Rats / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

PURPOSE: Scopolamine is a nonselective muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonist, which induces impairment of learning ability and memory function. Exercise is known to ameliorate brain disturbance induced by brain injuries. In the present study, we investigated the effect of treadmill exercise on short-term memory in relation to acetylcholinesterase (AChE) expression in the hippocampus, using a scopolamine-induced amnesia model in mice. METHODS: To induce amnesia, 1 mg/kg scopolamine hydrobromide was administered intraperitoneally once per day for 14 days. A step-down avoidance test for short-term memory was conducted. AChE histochemistry, immunohistochemistry for collagen IV, and doublecortin were performed. RESULTS: Short-term memory deteriorated in the mice with scopolamine-induced amnesia, concomitant with enhanced AChE expression and suppression of angiogenesis in the hippocampus. Critically, treadmill exercise ameliorated short-term memory impairment, suppressed AChE expression, and enhanced angiogenesis in the mice with scopolamine-induced amnesia. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of AChE is implicated in both brain and renal disease. The findings of our study indicate that treadmill exercise may be of therapeutic value in neurodegenerative and renal diseases by suppressing the effects of AChE expression.

Exposure to Music and Noise During Pregnancy Influences Neurogenesis and Thickness in Motor and Somatosensory Cortex of Rat Pups / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

PURPOSE: Prenatal environmental conditions affect the development of the fetus. In the present study, we investigated the effects of exposure to music and noise during pregnancy on neurogenesis and thickness in the motor and somatosensory cortex of rat pups. METHODS: The pregnant rats in the music-applied group were exposed to 65 dB of comfortable music for 1 hour, once per day, from the 15th day of pregnancy until delivery. The pregnant rats in the noise-applied group were exposed to 95 dB of sound from a supersonic sound machine for 1 hour, once per day, from the 15th day of pregnancy until delivery. After birth, the offspring were left undisturbed together with their mother. The rat pups were sacrificed at 21 days after birth. RESULTS: Exposure to music during pregnancy increased neurogenesis in the motor and somatosensory cortex of rat pups. In contrast, rat pups exposed to noise during pregnancy showed decreased neurogenesis and thickness in the motor and somatosensory cortex. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that music and noise during the developmental period are important factors influencing brain development and urogenital disorders.

Impact of Several Types of Stresses on Short-term Memory and Apoptosis in the Hippocampus of Rats / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

PURPOSE: Stress has a deteriorating effect on hippocampal function. It also contributes to symptom exacerbation in many disease states, including overactive bladder and interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. We investigated the effects of various types of stresses (restraint, noise, and cold) on short-term memory and apoptosis in relation with corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) expression. METHODS: Rats in the restraint stress group were restrained in a transparent Plexiglas cylinder for 60 minutes twice daily. Rats in the noise stress group were exposed to the 120 dB supersonic machine sound for 60 minutes twice daily. Rats in the cold stress group were placed in a cold chamber at 4degrees C for 60 minutes twice daily. Each stress was applied for 10 days. A step-down avoidance test for short-term memory, immunohistochemistry for caspase-3 expression, and western blot analysis for Bax and Bcl-2 expressions were conducted. RESULTS: Latency time was decreased and CRF expression in the hippocampal dentate gyrus and hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus were increased in all of the stress groups. The number of caspase-3-positive cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus was increased and the expressions of Bax and Bcl2 in the hippocampus were decreased in all of the stress groups. CONCLUSIONS: All of the stress groups experienced short-term memory impairment induced by apoptosis in the hippocampus. The present results suggest the possibility that these stresses affecting the impairment of short-term memory may also induce functional lower urinary tract disorders.

The Relationship between Empathy and Medical Education System, Grades, and Personality in Medical College Students and Medical School Students / 한국의학교육

PURPOSE: This study investigated the relationship between empathy and medical education system, grades, and personality in medical college (MC) students and medical school (MS) students. METHODS: One hundred fifty-five MC students and 137 MS students participated in this study, completing questionnaires on sociodemographic data, Jefferson Scale of Empathy, S-version, Korean edition (JSE-S-K), and Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). RESULTS: Reward Dependence (RD), Cooperativeness (C), and Self-directedness+ Cooperativeness (SC), which are subscales of the TCI, correlated significantly with JSE-S-K score. Third-year students had significantly higher scores on the JSE-S-K than first-year students. MS students had significantly higher scores on the JSE-S-K and the SC subscale of the TCI than MC students. However, there were no significant differences in empathy with regard to age, sex, motivation toward medical science, club activity, and applied specialty. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that empathy is associated with personality traits, such as RD, C, and SC, and medical education curriculum contributes incrementally to empathy for students. The difference in test scores for empathy between MC students and MS students might be due to differences in personality traits, such as SC.

Personality Factor and Defense Machanism in Social Phobia Patients / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of personality factor and defense mechanism and to compare the difference between non-offensive and offensive types of social phobia patients. METHODS: Study subjects consisted of 28 social phobia patients diagnosed with the criteria of DSM-IV. Data were collected through Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire and Ehwa Diagnostic Test of Defense Mechanism. We employed was the independent sample t-test for the analysis. RESULT: Among the personality factor, the shyness/boldness factor scored lower than normal in social phobia patients. Humor drfense scored lower than normal among defense mechanisms. There was no significant correlation between non-offensive and offensive types of social phobia in personality factors and defense mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS: Social phobia patients were shier and less frequently used humor defense than the ordinary people. There was no significant correlation between non-offensive and offensive types of social phobia patients in personality factors and defense mechanisms.

A Study of Personality Factor and Defense Mechanism in Panic Disorder Patients / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of personality factor and defense mechanism and relationship with depression and social disability. METHODS: Study subjects consisted of 35 panic disorder patients diagnosed with the criteria of DSM-IV. Data were collected through Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire, Ehwa Diagnostic Test of Defense Mechanism, Beck Depression Inventory and Sheehan Disability Scale. Statistics employed for the analyses were Pearson correlation and independent sample t-test. RESULTS: In personality factors and defense mechanisms, there were no definitely abnormal range of scores. But, among personality factors, tension/anxiety factor scored high and unstableness/stableness, shyness/boldness and praxernia/atunia were in low range of score. In defense mechanism, somaticzation and acting-out scored high and humor, suppression, altruism, avoidance and rationalization scored low. The mean BDI score was 18.25+/-9.97. The mean score of SDS were 4.88+/-3.11 in work category and 4.57+/-2.92 in social/leasure category. Male patients were significantly correlated with guit-proneness and atuia in personality factor and passive- aggressiveness, projection, denial and show-off in defense mechanism, compared with female patients (p<0.05). The patients' age was correlated with low intelligence in persolity factor and dissociation and anticipation in defense mechanism. It was negatively correlated with show-off (p<0.05). The BDI score was correlated with low intelligence, superego, unstableness, self-conflict, high superego and atunia in personality factor and dissociation and somatization in defense mechanism (p<0.05). There was a significant relationship between BDI score and SDS work category (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Panic disorder patients show high score of tension/anxiety factor and they frequently use neurotic defense style like somatization. The depressive symptom, which depends on symptom severity, appears to have influence on work category and to cause social disability.