• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.66-78
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• 2019

Purpose: Thallium (TI+) autometallography is often used for the imaging of neuronal metabolic activity in the rodent brain under various pathophysiologic conditions. The purpose of this study was to apply a thallium autometallographic technique to observe changes in neuronal activity in the forebrain of rats following acute carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication. Methods: In order to induce acute CO intoxication, adult Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 1100 ppm of CO for 40 minutes, followed by 3000 ppm of CO for 20 minutes. Animals were sacrificed at 30 minutes and 5 days after induction of acute CO intoxication for thallium autometallography. Immunohistochemical staining and toluidine blue staining were performed to observe cellular damage in the forebrain following intoxication. Results: Acute CO intoxication resulted in significant reduction of TI+ uptake in major forebrain structures, including the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, and striatum. In the cortex and hippocampal CA1 area, marked reduction of TI+ uptake was observed in the cell bodies and dendrites of pyramidal neurons at 30 minutes following acute CO intoxication. There was also strong uptake of TI+ in astrocytes in the hippocampal CA3 area following acute CO intoxication. However, there were no significant histological findings of cell death and no reduction of NeuN (+) neuronal populations in the cortex and hippocampus at 5 days after acute CO intoxication. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that thallium autometallography can be a new and useful technique for imaging functional changes in neural activity of the forebrain structure following mild to moderate CO intoxication.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.375-381
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• 1995

Autometallography method with intraperitoneal injedlon of sodium selenite was employed to investigate the localization of somata of zinc enriched (ZEN) neurons in the medulla oblongata The distribution patterns of the labeled neurons were variable from rostral to caudal regions. The labeled cells by the method were found in Cl adrenaline cells, gigantocellular reticular nucleus, inferior olive, paragigantocellular nucleus, prepositus hypoglossal nucleus, raphe obscurus nucleus, and reticular nucleus regions.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.401-408
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• 1997

Adult male ICR mice were exposed to methylmercuric chloride (CH$_3$HgCI) through drinking water for 80 days. The distribution of mercury in the kidney, liver, spleen and cerebellum of the mouse was examined according to a autometallographic silver-enhancement technique based on a physical development process which renders mercury deposit visible. Grains of mercury traces were located in the proximal convoluted tubules. Lesser staining of the grains was seen in the collecting tubules of medulla. The glomerular basement membrane was void. In the liver, mercury accumulations were present primarily in the hepatocytes around portal area containing interlobular bile duct, artery and portal vein. Also grains of mercury traces were accumulated in the white pulp of the spleen and Purkinje cell layer of the cerebellum.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2010

The present study was designed to demonstrate ionic zinc in the rat DRG by means of zinc selenium autometallography($ZnSe^{AMG}$). Ganglion cells varied in size from 15 to 100 ${\mu}m$. The smaller neurons were strongly stained with AMG, whereas the larger cells were weakly stained. Each large ganglion cell was surrounded by perineuronal satellite cells, showing apparent AMG staining. We demonstrated for the first time the existence of zinc-containing satellite cells in the rodent DRG. Using electron microscopy, fine AMG grains were observed scattered in the somata of the DRG neurons, especially small cells. However, much lower concentrations of the AMG grains occupied in the large cells, and these were mostly localized in lysosome-like organelles. These results indicate that zinc may be involved in sensory transmission in the DRG level.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.187-202
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• 2018

Objectives : Non-invasive transcranial electrical stimulation is one of therapeutic interventions to change in neural excitability of the cortex. Transcranial electro-acupuncture (TEA) can modulate brain functions through changes in cortical excitability as a model of non-invasive transcranial electrical stimulation. Some composites of fermented Scutellaria baicalenis (FSB) can activate intercellular signaling pathways for activation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor that is critical for formation of neural plasticity in stroke patients. This study was aimed at evaluation of combinatory treatment of TEA and FSB on behavior recovery and cortical neural excitability in rodent focal stroke model. Methods : Focal ischemic stroke was induced by photothrombotic injury to the motor cortex of adult rats. Application of TEA with 20 Hz and $200{\mu}A$ in combination with daily oral treatment of FBS was given to stroke animals for 3 weeks. Motor recovery was evaluated by rotating bean test and ladder working test. Electrical activity of cortical pyramidal neurons of stroke model was evaluated by using multi-channel extracellular recording technique and thallium autometallography. Results : Compared with control stroke group who did not receive any treatment, Combination of TEA and FSB treatment resulted in more rapid recovery of forelimb movement following focal stroke. This combination treatment also elicited increase in spontaneous firing rate of putative pyramidal neurons. Furthermore expression of metabolic marker for neural excitability was upregulated in peri-infract area under thallium autometallography. Conclusions : These results suggest that combination treatment of TEA and FSB can be a possible remedy for motor recovery in focal stroke.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.377-383
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• 2002

We have detected the murine zinc transporter, ZnT3, and zinc ions in the mouse choroid plexus by immunocytochemistry (ICC) and zinc selenium autometallography ($ZnSe^{AMG}$), respectively. BALB/c mice served as experimental animals. Routine floating ABC immunocytochemical procedures were used for the ZnT3 immunocytochemistry, and the mice were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with sodium selenide (10 mg/kg) for the zinc selenium autometallography. The choroid plexus showed weak immunoreactivity (Ir) for ZnT3. At high magnification, ZnT3-Ir was seen to be located in the choroid epithelium and the connective tissue of the capillaries. At the EM level, a high electron density of ZnT3-immunoreactivity was restricted to vesicle membranes as well as microvilli in the apical membrane. In contrast, immunostaining of ZnT3 was completely absent in the basolateral plasma membrane and other cell organelles. After silver enhancement, fine $ZnSe^{AMG}$ grains were observed in both the epithelial and endothelial cells of the choroid plexus. Few $ZnSe^{AMG}$ grains present in the cell bodies of the choroid epithelial cells were located in multivesicular bodies. It is striking that very many $ZnSe^{AMG}$ grains were observed in the endothelial cells of the capillaries. These findings establish the choroid plexus as a non-neuronal pool of zinc ions in the brain, although the functional significance of this pool is not clear. The choroid epithelium, however, may play an important role in the transportation of zinc between the CSF and brain tissue.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.153-159
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• 2003

Localization of mercury compounds was investigated in selective regions of the male reproductive tract using autometallography. The results demonstrated that mercury was observed in Sertoli and Leydig cells in testis, but not in the epithelial cells of rete testis and germ cells. In the efferent ductule, mercury compounds were observed in the cytoplasmic compartments of epithelial cells in the proximal and common regions, while they were observed in the supranuclear cytoplasmic compartments in the conus region. In the epididymis, the compounds were observed in the cytoplasmic compariments of narrow and basal cells, but not in the principal cells of the initial segment. In contrast, the compounds were evenly detected in the cytoplasmic compartments of principal cells in the caput. In the corpus and caudal epididymis, the compounds were observed in the basal region of principal cells. The data shows that mercury is differentially accumulated in the male reproductive tract in a region-specific manner.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2008

Small amounts of zinc ions regulate a plentitude of enzymatic proteins, receptors and transcription factors, thus cells need accurate homeostasis of zinc ions. Some neurons have developed mechanisms to accumulate zinc in specific membrane compartment ("vesicular zinc"), which can be evidenced using histochemical techniques. These neurons are the socalled zinc enriched (ZEN) neurons, which accumulate glutamate and zinc inside their synaptic vesicles and release it during synaptic transmission. In the present paper we have studied the distribution of the ZEN terminals in the rat hippo-campus using ZnSe autometallography, Neo-Timm staining, ZnT3 immunohistochemistry and TSQ fluorescence staining.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.551-561
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• 1998

The autometallographic method was used to demonstrate the localization of mercury deposits in spleen of mouse. The mercury deposits were identified with the light and electron mocroscope. Mice were treated with methylmercuric chloride in the drinking water (demineralized water) for 40 days. Control and mercury treated groups showed no significant differences in mean body weight and spleen weight per one mouse. Mercury grains were appeared in the germinal center of white pulp consist of a preponderancing lymphocytes, not in red pulp and capsule. At the ultrastructural level, mercury deposits were restricted to lysosomes of macrophage and lymphocyte. Specially, volume in lysosomes of the macrophage was increased. These results suggest that mercury localization in lysosomes is associated with the change of immune activity.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.145-154
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• 2003

The present study was designed to demonstrate ionic zinc in the rat nasal mucosa by means of zinc selenium autometallography ($ZnSe^{AMG}$). Rats were given sodium selenide either intraperitoneally (i.p) or intranasally (i.n). Prior to the i.n. administration the rats were anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium (30 mg/kg, i.p.). A thin plastic tube coupled to a Hamilton syringe was then inserted into the right nostril and $10{\mu}l$ of the solution was instilled. For the i.p. administration non-anesthetized rats were given $100{\mu}l$ of the sodium selenide solution (10 mg/kg). Control rats were instilled with saline. After 2 hrs survival, the rats were anaesthetized and transcardially perfused with 3% glutaraldehyde. The olfactory area was removed and put into same fixative. The nose was then sectioned ($30{\mu}m$) horizontally, autometallography (AMG) was performed according to Danscher et al. (1997). After silver enhancement, fine AMG grains were scattered in the whole length of the olfactory epithelium containing olfactory receptor neurons, sustentacular and basal cells. However, much higher concentration of the AMG grains occupied near the surface and in the basal region of the olfactory epithelium. Both groups of i.p. and i.n. administration showed almost same level in the concentration of the AMG grains. In i.n. group, few AMG grains were also found in olfactory nerves of the lamina propria, suggesting zinc transport into the olfactory bulb via olfactory axons. At the electron microscopic level, the AMG grains were most entirely found in the supporting cells of the olfactory epithelium, and they were mostly localized in lysosome-like organelles. The i.n. group showed various signs of tissue damage of the olfactory mucosa, where dense concentration of AMG grains were localized at crystalloid structures. The present study demonstrated dense population of ionic zinc in the rat olfactory epithelium. zinc may play a role in the olfactory functioin and in the pathogenesis of the neurodegerative disorders affecting nose.