Frequency and Quantity of the C7 Contribution to the Ulnar Nerve / 체질인류학회지

Many anatomists and clinicians who investigate the peripheral nerve concern about the composition of the spinal roots of each terminal nerve of the brachial plexus. From this viewpoint, the spinal root composition of the ulnar nerve is still unclear. Several anatomy textbooks describe that the ulnar nerve is composed of the ventral rami of the C8, T1 and often C7. There is no literature regarding the frequency and contribution quantity of C7 to the ulnar nerve. The purpose of present study was to determine frequency and contribution quantity of the C7 to the ulnar nerve. Fifty cadavers of brachial plexus were obtained from cadavers of Korean adults. The brachial plexus containing the ulnar nerve were extracted from the axilla and the extracted samples were immersed in Guanidine-HCl (0.2 M) for 2 weeks to soften the connective tissue around the nerve bundles. C7 was contributed to the ulnar nerve in all sides (100%). The numbers of the myelinated axons of C7 participating to the ulnar nerve was 1,452+/-429 (mean+/-S.D.). Thus the C7 can be considered as always participating component of the ulnar nerve, not often participation, although numbers of the myelinated axons of C7 was lesser than those of the C8, but similar to those of the T1. The results of the study provide a reference for accurate diagnosis and treatment regarding ulnar nerve injury due to various accidents.

Risk Factor of Visuospatial Neglect: A Study of Association Between Visuospatial Neglect and Anemia

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between visuospatial neglect and anemia in patients with right cerebral infarction, as well as to identify the risk factor of neglect and furnish preliminary data on rehabilitation management. METHODS: The line bisection test and Albert test were conducted on subjects with right cerebral infarction in order to analyze neglect severity. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate correlation between neglect severity and hemoglobin and hematocrit level. Logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the risk factor of neglect. RESULTS: Visuospatial neglect was observed in 33 subjects out of 124. Hemoglobin and hematocrit were not directly correlated with visuospatial neglect severity, whereas infarct size was directly correlated. Subjects with visuospatial neglect were characterized by a large infarct size, a low score in the Mini-Mental State Examination and long hospital stay. CONCLUSION: In this study, visuospatial neglect was found to be uncorrelated with anemia. It implies that emphasis should be placed on the early detection of anemia and neglect in patients with left hemiplegia, the formulation of respective therapeutic plans and improvement of prognosis. The study found that the possibility of a visuospatial neglect occurrence increases with infarct size. In this regard, it is required that visuospatial neglect was detected and treated in the earliest possible stage, notwithstanding the difficulty that lies in the precise measurement of the severity.

Clinical Outcomes of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in Patients With Secondary Lymphedema: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in patients with secondary lymphedema after breast cancer treatment. METHODS: In a prospective clinical trial, ESWT was performed consecutively 4 times over two weeks in 7 patients who were diagnosed with stage 3 secondary lymphedema after breast cancer treatment. Each patient was treated with four sessions of ESWT (0.056-0.068 mJ/mm2, 2,000 impulses). The parameters were the circumference of the arm, thickness of the skin and volume of the arm. We measured these parameters with baseline values before ESWT and repeated the evaluation after each ESWT treatment. Subjective data on skin thickness, edema and sensory impairment were obtained using a visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS: The mean volume of the affected arm after four consecutive ESWT was significantly reduced from 2,332 to 2,144 mL (p<0.05). The circumference and thickness of the skin fold of the affected arm were significantly decreased after the fourth ESWT (p<0.05). The three VAS scores were significantly improved after the fourth ESWT. Almost all patients were satisfied with this treatment and felt softer texture in their affected arm after treatment. CONCLUSION: ESWT is an effective modality in the treatment of stage 3 lymphedema after breast cancer treatment. ESWT reduced the circumference and the thickness of arms with lymphedema and satisfied almost all patients with lymphedema. Therefore, this treatment provides clinically favorable outcome to patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema.

Expression of transient receptor potential channels in the ependymal cells of the developing rat brain / 대한해부학회지

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) plays an important role in providing brain tissue with a stable internal environment as well as in absorbing mechanical and thermal stresses. From its initial composition, derived from the amniotic fluid trapped by the closure of neuropores, CSF is modified by developing and differentiating ependymal cells lining the ventricular surface or forming the choroid plexus. Its osmolarity and ionic composition brings about a change through the action of many channels expressed on the ependymal cells. Some newly discovered transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are known to be expressed in the choroid plexus ependyma. To detect additional TRP channel expression, immunohistochemical screening was performed at the choroid plexus of 13-, 15-, 17-, and 19-day embryos, using antibodies against TRPV1, TRPV3, and TRPA1, and the expression was compared with those in the adult TRP channels. The level of TRP channel expression was higher in the choroid plexus which suggests more active functioning of TRP channels in the developing choroid plexus than the ventricular lining ependyma in the 15- and 17-day embryos. All the expression of TRP channels decreased at the 19th day of gestation. TRPA1 was expressed at a higher level than TRPV1 and TRPV3 in almost all stages in both the choroid plexus and ventricular lining epithelium. The highest level of TRPV1 and TRPV3 expression was observed in association with the glycogen deposits in the cytoplasm of the choroid plexus ependymal cells of the 15- and 17-day embryos.

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in Myofascial Pain Syndrome of Upper Trapezius

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in myofascial pain syndrome of upper trapezius with visual analogue scale (VAS) and pressure threshold by digital algometer. METHOD: Twenty-two patients diagnosed with myofascial pain syndrome in upper trapezius were selected. They were assigned to treatment and standard care (control) groups balanced by age and sex, with eleven subjects in each group. The treated group had done four sessions of ESWT (0.056 mJ/mm2, 1,000 impulses, semiweekly) while the control group was treated by the same protocol but with different energy levels applied, 0.001 mJ/mm2. The VAS and pressure threshold were measured twice: before and after last therapy. We evaluated VAS of patients and measured the pressure threshold by using algometer. RESULTS: There were two withdrawals and the remaining 20 patients were three men and 17 women. Age was distributed with 11 patients in their twenties and 9 over 30 years old. There was no significant difference of age, sex, pre-VAS and pre-pressure threshold between 2 groups (p>0.05) found. The VAS significantly decreased from 4.91+/-1.76 to 2.27+/-1.27 in the treated group (p<0.01). The control group did not show any significant changes of VAS score. The pressure threshold significantly increased from 40.4+/-9.94 N to 61.2+/-12.16 N in the treated group (p<0.05), but there was no significant change in the control group. CONCLUSION: ESWT in myofascial pain syndrome of upper trapezius is effective to relieve pain after four times therapies in two weeks. But further study will be required with more patients, a broader age range and more males.

Unusual Course of the Accessory Meningeal Artery / 체질인류학회지

This case report describes a variation in the course of the accessory meningeal artery relative to the mandibular nerve in the infratemporal fossa. An accessory meningeal artery running superficially to the posterior division of mandibular nerve was found bilaterally in the cadaver of a 95-year-old male. It was observed by a topographic examination followed by a detailed dissection. The accessory meningeal artery arose from the middle meningeal artery. It then passed upward and coursed superficial to the posterior division of the mandibular nerve before its division into the lingual and inferior alveolar nerves. The accessory meningeal artery subsequently ran deep and rostral to the anterior and posterior divisions of the mandibular nerve, respectively, before entering the foramen ovale. The variation in the course of the accessory meningeal artery described herein should be helpful for surgeons in approaches to the foramen ovale region and infratemporal fossa.

Spinal Nerve Compositions of the Terminal Branches of the Lumbosacral Plexus / 체질인류학회지

The purpose of this study was to classify the spinal nerve compositions of the terminal branches of the lumbosacral plexus, providing data of their participating quantities. Twenty-five sides of the lumbosacral plexus extracted from Korean adult cadavers were used in this study. The iliohypogastric nerve was mostly arisen from L1 (88.2%, thickness L1 0.7 mm). The ilioinguinal nerve was arisen from only L1 (100%, thickness L1 0.6 mm). The genitofemoral nerve was commonly arisen from L1 and L2 (62.5%, thickness L1 0.6 mm, L2 0.7 mm). The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve was classified into 4 types, and the most common type was that L2 and L3 composed this nerve (56.0%, thickness L2 0.8 mm, L3 0.4 mm). The femoral nerve was classified into 2 types, and it was usually composed of L2, L3 and L4 (88.0%, thickness L2 1.4 mm, L3 2.7 mm, L4 2.3 mm). The obturator nerve was arisen from L2, L3 and L4 in all cases (100%, thickness L2 0.5 mm, L3 1.3 mm, L4 1.1 mm). The common fibular component of sciatic nerve was mostly arisen from L4, L5, S1 and S2 (84.0%, thickness L4 0.9 mm, L5 2.0 mm, S1 2.1 mm, S2 1.2 mm). The tibial component of sciatic nerve was mainly arisen from L4, L5, S1 and S2 (96.0%, thickness L4 0.9 mm, L5 1.9 mm, S1 2.2 mm, S2 1.9 mm). The superior gluteal nerve was commonly derived from L4, L5 and S1 (56.0%, thickness L4 0.7 mm, L5 1.1 mm, S1 0.9 mm). The inferior gluteal nerve was comprised of L5, S1 and S2 in several cases (54.2%, thickness L5 0.9 mm, S1 1.3 mm, S2 0.8 mm). The posterior femoral cutaneous nerve was composed of S1 and S2 in higher freqeuncy (40.0%, thickness S1 0.9 mm, S2 1.0 mm, S3 0.8 mm). The perforating cutaneous nerve was arisen from S2 and S3 in higher frequency (56.0%, thickness S1 0.7 mm, S2 0.9 mm, S3 1.1 mm). The pudendal nerve was derived from S3 in many cases (52.9%, thickness S3 1.5 mm). These anatomical results may be helpful to predict the spinal nerve root lesions of the lumbosacral plexus.

Variation of the Infrahyoid Muscle: Duplicated Omohyoid and Appearance of the Levator Glandulae Thyroideae Muscles

The embryologic origin of the omohyoid muscle is different from that of the other neck muscles. A number of variations such as the absence of muscle, variable sites of origin and insertion, and multiple bellies have been reported. However, variations in the inferior belly of the omohyoid muscle are rare. There have been no reports of the combined occurrence of the omohyoid muscle variation with the appearance of the levator glandulase thyroideae muscle. Routine dissection of a 51-year-old female cadaver revealed a duplicated omohyoid muscle and the appearance of the levator glandulae thyroideae muscle. In this case, the two inferior bellies of the omohyoid muscle were found to originate inferiorly from the superior border of the scapula. One of the inferior bellies generally continued to the superior belly with the tendinous intersection. The other inferior belly continued into the sternohyoid muscle without the tendinous intersection. In this case, the levator glandulae thyroideae muscle appeared on the left side, which attached from the upper border of the thyroid gland to the inferior border of the thyroid cartilage. These variations are significant for clinicians during endoscopic diagnosis and surgery because of the arterial and nervous damage due to iatrogenic injuries. The embryologic origins of the omohyoid and levator glandulae thyroideae muscles may be similar based on the descriptions in the relevant literature.

Median Nerve Branch Innervating the Brachialis Muscle: A Case Report / 체질인류학회지

We observed a slender nerve branch of the lateral root of the median nerve innervating the brachialis muscle, which is normally innervated by the musculocutaneous nerve, at the left arm of a Korean male (age, 74 years). The present nerve branch was accompanied with the communicating branch between the median and musculocutaneous nerves and supplied to the medial inferior portion of the brachialis muscle. The spinal root origins of this branch were C5 and C6. The nerve fiber number of the nerve branch innervating the brachialis muscle was 328. This variation may be very rare case and was different from previous observation.

Appearance of the Cleidohyoideus Muscle Combined with the Multiple Variations of the Infrahyoid Muscle / 대한해부학회지

Multiple variations of the infrahyoid muscle combined with appearance of cleidohyoideus muscle were found in a Korean male cadaver (age : 82) in a routine dissection. In this case, the hyoid bone descended to the level of the upper half of the thyroid cartilage. Then, the mylohyoid, stylohyoid and geniohyoid muscles, which attach to the hyoid bone, descended to the same level. An unusual cleidohyoideus muscle attached from the superior border of the medial third of the clavicle to the hyoid bone was observed bilaterally at the superficial layer. At deeper layer, the sternohyoid muscle, which was additionally attached to the first rib as well as sternum and clavicular head, appeared bilaterally. In the same layer, the left omohyoid muscle was partially merged to the muscle mass of sternohyoid and attached to the hyoid bone. In the deepest layer, the sternothyroid muscle was attached to the medial half of the first rib. The nerves that innervated this infrahyoid muscle originated from the cervical plexus, devoid of the ansa cervicalis.

A Case of Persistent Trigeminal Artery Presenting as Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency

The persistent trigeminal artery(PTA) is the most common type of persistent carotid-basilar anastomosis, usually diagnosed by cerebral angiography or autopsy. PTA is usually associated with hypoplasia or atresia of the vertebrobasilar artery and may result in symptoms of vertebrobasilar insufficiency caused by decreased perfusion of the brainstem. We report a patient with PTA who presented with symptoms of vertebrobasilar insufficiency. An 80-year-old woman with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and unstable angina pectoris presented with recurrent dizziness, dysarthria, and a tendency to fall to the left side. PTA was identified with hypoplasia of the vertebrobasilar system and mild stenosis of the bilateral proximal internal carotid arteries on brain MR angiography and cerebral angiography.

Arterial Variation in Upper Limb: Case Report / 체질인류학회지

The arterial variations of the upper limb are frequently encountered in the human body. However, the appearance of multiple variations in one limb is uncommon. The present arterial variations were found in the right upper limb of 86 years-old female cadaver during a routine dissection. The variations of the arterial patterns are as follows: 1. Two thyrocervical trunks from subclavian artery and the internal thoracic artery is rising from lateral branch of thyrocervical trunks. 2. Thoracoacromial artery was divided two branches and the lateral thoracic artery arises from the small of two branches. 3. The distance of bifurcation of the brachial artery is 14.9 mm from the inferior border of teres major muscle. Medial branch of the brachial artery passes along the median nerve and becomes radial artery. Lateral branch of the brachial artery passes along the median nerve and becomes ulnar artery. 4. Bifurcation of radial artery is occurred at the distance of 46.9 mm from styloid process of radius. Deep palmar branch of radial artery is bifurcated on dorsum of hand. Branches for supplying first and second fingers arise from superficial palmar arch. The arterial variations of the upper limb could be caused a several bleeding in intravenous injection or surgeries and a wrong diagnosis. The knowledge of the arterial variation of the upper limb should be decreased to raise clinical problems.

Expression of TGFbeta Family in the Developing Internal Ear of Rat Embryos

In order to investigate the expression patterns of the transforming growth factor (TGF)beta isoforms in the internal ear, an immunohistochemical study of rat embryos was performed. Rat embryos were taken on the 13th, 15th, 17th, and 19th day after conception and their internal ears were immunohistochemically stained against TGF beta1, beta2, and beta3. As a result, the 13-day-old embryo showed a very weak positivity to TGF beta1. After the 15th day of pregnancy, no reactivity to TGF beta1 was defected. Immunoreactivity to TGF beta2 was observed from the 15th day of pregnancy throughout the rest of the period. The ampulla of the semicircular canal and the cochlear duct showed a notably strong immunohistochemical reaction. A strong reaction to TGF beta3 was observed on the 15th day of pregnancy. However, no positive reactions were observed thereafter. A strong immunoreactivity was observed especially on the apical cytoplasms, the surfaces of the epithelial cells, and basement membranes of the cochlear duct, as well as the semicircular canals of the developing internal ear of rat embryo.

Effects of Recombinant EPO on Death of Cortical Neuron in Chronic Hypoxia / 체질인류학회지

Chronic hypoxia has been associated with change in neurovascular behavior, mediated, in part, by erythropoietin (EPO). EPO, a hematopoietic growth factor, could act as a neurotrophic factor. In the present study, we investigated the characteristics of EPO and erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) expressions by cortical neuron in vivo and in vitro and tested the hypothesis that EPO serves protective functions under chronic hypoxia. E18, P5 and P7 mice for 3 days and primary cultured neurons for 6 days were incubated in hypoxic conditions consisted of a mixture of 10% O2, 5% CO2, 85% N2. To study expressions of EPO, EPOR, caspases, pAKT, pERK, and PARP, immunohistochemical stainning and western blotting were carried out. In addition to expressing EPO and EPOR under normoxic conditions, neurons increased their expression of EPO and EPOR under hypoxia. The effects of recombinant EPO appeared to be mediated via the phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3- kinase-AKT pathway, correlated directly with activation of caspase 3. Also recombinant EPO decreased expression of caspase 8, but not caspase 9. Finally, recombinant EPO decreased apoptosis of cultured neurons as evaluated by expression of PARP. These data support a role for EPO in maintenance of cortical neuron under chronic hypoxia.

Reduced E-Cadherin Expression as a Cause of Distinctive Signet-Ring Cell Variant in Colorectal Carcinoma

Colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) is a rare type of adenocarcinoma and presents with distinctive clinicopathological features. This study was performed to assess the biological characteristics of colorectal SRCC regarding the E-cadherin expression. Seventeen patients with primary colorectal SRCC were identified and their clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. The mean age of the 17 patients was 45.3 yr (14-68). Immunohistochemical staining of E-cadherin and beta-catenin were performed in ten colorectal SRCCs and in 30 ordinary colorectal adenocarcinomas as control. Primary colorectal SRCC occurred in 0.7% of 2,388 colorectal adenocarcinomas. Most patients had advanced stage tumor at surgery (stage III and IV, AJCC: 82%). Five-year survival rate was 16%. Peritoneal seeding was the most common recurrence pattern (41%) and liver metastasis was not identified. All SRCCs showed a markedly reduced or absent expression of E-cadherin on immunohistochemical staining, whereas seven (23.3%) of ordinary carcinomas showed reduced expression, thereby indicating a significant difference between the two groups (p<0.005). In immunohistochemical staining for beta-catenin, eight of ten SRCCs showed reduced membrane expression that did not attain statistical significance compared to ordinary adenocarcinomas. It is suggested that aberrant E-cadherin expression may explain the distinct clinicopathological features in primary colorectal SRCC.

Effects of Capsaicin on the Morphology of the Nervous System / 대한해부학회지

Capsaicin, the main pungent ingredient in 'hot' red peppers, selectively stimulate pain transmitting primary afferent nerve fibers by activating specific vanilloid (VR1) receptors. Capsaicin administration to the neonatal rat results in lifelong insensitivity to the noxious stimuli accompanied by destruction of the unmyelinated and lightly myelinated fibers as well as small B type dorsal root ganglion neurons, but capsaicin effects on adult animals were reversible. Since the discovery of the action of capsaicin, this agent attract many active investigators because of their selective degenerative action on pain transmitting unmyelinated nerve fibers. Effects of capsaicin on the morphology of nervous system were reviewed. In summary, capsaicin decrease the number of substance P- and CGRP-immunoreactive neuronal cell bodies in dorsal root ganglion and decrease the densities and areas of substance P- and CGRP immunoreactive terminals in the dorsal horn. Capsaicin also decrease the number of c-fos immunoreactive dorsal horn neurons activated by painful stimuli. Recently, capsaicin and capsaicinoids are being studied as effective pharmacological agents for a number of sensory nerve fiber disorders, including pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, diabetic neuropathy, and bladder disorders. Capsaicin appears to be a promising prototype for obtaining selective analgesia in diverse pain syndromes.

The Effect of Capsaicin on the Sensory Nerve of the Rat Prostate / 대한해부학회지

Prostatodynia is a common and chronic debilitating disease manifested by pain referable to the prostate such as perineal, inguinal, lower back, and suprapubic pain. It has been estimated that more than half of all men suffer from this entity sometime in their lives. Although infection, autoimmunity, and intraprostatic reflux are some of the candidates for its cause, the etiology and pathogenesis of prostatodynia remains unclear. This study investigated the effect of capsaicin, a selective nociception blocking agent, on the prostatic afferent, and determined the presence of capsaicin sensitive nerve fiber at the rat prostate. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used for the experiment. Capsaicin (4mM) or vehicle (10% ethanol, 10% Tween 80, 80% normal saline) 0.125 ml each was injected directly into the right ventral prostate and sacrificed at 1, 2, 24 hours, 1 week and 1 month after injection. Five rats were sacrificed at each time interval. Calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) and neurofilament (NF) immunohistochemistry was performed at the L2 dorsal root ganglion (DRG). CGRP and substance P (SP) immunohistochemistry was performed at L2 and T8 dorsal horn, and the prostate. The change in the number of c-fos positive cells was determined at L2, L6, and T8 dorsal horn. Change in c-fos positive cells was also compared between those injected with xylene only and those injected with xylene 24 hours and 1 week after capsaicin pretreatment. The prostate was observed under hematoxylin-eosin (H-E) staining for histological change after capsaicin injection. The number of CGRP positive cells decreased nearly half at the L2 DRG 24 hours after capsaicin injection and remained decreased up until 1 month. However, the number of NF positive cells did not change suggesting the effect of capsaicin only on B-type neurons. Decrease in CGRP and SP at the dorsal horn was observed only at L2 after capsaicin injection. There was no change at T8 and after vehicle injection. The number of c-fos positive cells after capsaicin and vehicle injection reached a peak at 2 hours at L2 and at 2 and 1 hour, respectively, at L6. However, c-fos positive cell was not observed at T8 even after capsaicin injection. In animals pretreated with capsaicin, injection of xylene induced fewer c-fos positive cells at both L2 and L6 compared to animals injected with xylene only. H-E staining of the prostate did not reveal any significant histological change of the prostate after capsaicin injection. However, CGRP and SP positive nerve fibers was not observed 1 week after capsaicin treatment. Direct injection of capsaicin into the rat prostate induced depletion of CGRP and SP, neurotransmitters related to pain conduction, at the DRG, dorsal horn and prostate suggesting that the prostatic afferent is affected by capsaicin. The decreased c-fos positive cells observed after capsaicin pretreatment further supports this observation and demonstrates that capsaicin injection can desensitize nociception originating from the rat prostate.

Development of Internet Based Neuroanatomy Education Website (http://anatomy.yonsei.ac.kr/neuro-web/home.htm) / 대한해부학회지

The Internet is becoming an important way of delivering medical and other educational information. We have estabilished neuroanatomy education website in Korean (http://anatomy.yonsei.ac.kr/neuro-web/home.htm) based on textbook of medical neuroanatomy written by the authors. For searching database indexed text and figures, Microsoft SQL (Structure Query Language) server version 7.0 on the Microsoft Windows NT platform was used. HTML (hypertext markup language) template files were designed to show the results of database queries. The bulletin board was added to answer the questions. Log file analysis of the website server revealed average 112.3 visitors per day viewing average 26.1 pages in the period of four weeks from September 1st to 28th, 2001. Much appreciation was expressed in bulletin boards as well as questions and comments. We have reported process of website development for other educators in anatomy in order to share the lessons learned to develop and enhance their own information through the Internet.

Morphologic changes of intermediate filaments of ependymal cells in experimentally induced hydrocephalic rats / 대한해부학회지

Ependymal cells line the surface of cerebral ventricles. They do not regenerate after they are fully matured and have a limited response to injury. In hydrocephalus, the expansile force of the ventricular wall is applied to ependymal cells and causes cell deformity to some degree. As it is known that the intermediate filaments of a cell act as a framework that resists changes in cellular shape, there may be some detectable changes of intermediate filaments of ependymal cells in hydrocephalus. In developing ependymal cells, it is also unclear if there are any changes to intermediate filaments in hydrocephalus. Developing ependymal cells are known to lose their immunoreactivity to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a kind of intermediate filaments which exist in some neuroglial cells. We experimentally induced congenital and postnatal hydrocephalus and investigated the changes of immunore-activity against GFAP as well as the ultrastuctures of rat ependymal cells in both types of hydrocephalus. To induce congenital hydrocephalus, 40 mg/kg of ethylenethiourea (ETU) was orally administered to pregnant rats on the 15th day after conception. Tissues taken from fetuses on the 17th day, from newborn rats immediately after birth, and from rats of 1 week and 2 weeks after birth were obtained and processed for immunohistochemistry for GFAP and electron microscopy. Postnatal hydrocephalus was induced by injecting kaolin suspension into the subarachnoid space of 15-day-old rats. Ependymal tissues were obtained and processed for immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy after 1 and 2 weeks following injection. The results were as follows; 1. Congenital hydrocephalus was induced more consistently and extensively than postnatal hydrocephalus. 2. In congenital hydrocephalus, GFAP-reactive ependymal cells were found in lateral ventricles of 1-week and 2-week-old rats, while in control and postnatal hydrocephalic groups, GFAP-reactive ependymal cells were not found. GFAP-reactive cells tended to be found in clusters. 3. Electron microscopy showed ependymal cells in congenital hydrocephalus had a less marked flattening figure, scarce apical cilia, often widened regions in the intercellular gap, spaces in subependymal tissue, and different figures in mitochondria. Above all, intermediate filaments, including GFAP, increased and were irregularly arranged in ependymal cell cytoplasm in congenital hydrocephalus. Therefore, in congenitally-induced hydrocephalus, the ependymal cells appeared to have a greater responsiveness to expansile force and remained in a more premature state than postnatally-induced hydrocephalus.

Morphometric Study of the Thickness and the Angles of Long Axes of the Vertebral Laminae of Korean Adults / 체질인류학회지

Few morphometric data on the thickness and the inclination of vertebral lamina are found with its frequent involvement in many surgical procedures. The thickness in the middle of right vertebral lamina and the angle between the superior border of lamina and sagittal plane were measured in 90 dried vertebral columns. 1. The laminae of the cervical vertebrae were generally thin and they became gradually thicker down to the lumbar vertebrae. The lamina of the fifth lumbar vertebra was the thickest (9.4mm) and that of the fifth cervical was the thinnest (2.9mm). The thickest lamina appeared in second cervical, twelfth thoracic and fourth lumbar vertebrae in 71%, 44% and 36%, respectively. 2. The angles between superior border of long axes of the laminae and the sagittal plane were the widest in thoracic vertebrae, and narrower in lumbar, the narrowest in cervical vertebrae. The angle of eithth thoracic was the widest (59.8°) and that of the fifth lumbar was the narrowest (48.6°). Widest angle of lamina appeared in seventh cervical, sixth thoracic and fifh lumbar vertebra in 27%, 20% and 48%, respectively. 3. No significant differences were found in the thicknesses and the angles of inclination of vertebral laminae between males and females.