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Abstract. Gabapentin was developed as an anticonvulsant, but has also been used to alleviate hyperalgesia in neuropathic pain. In this study, the protective effect of gabapentin against Nmethyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced excitotoxicity in rat hippocampal CA1 neurons was investigated. Pre-treatment with gabapentin reduced the degree of neuronal damage induced by NMDA exposure in cultured hippocampal slices. Patch-clamp studies revealed that gabapentin significantly inhibited the NMDA receptor-activated ion current in dissociated hippocampal CA1 neurons, resulting in suppression of glutamate-induced neuronal injury. These results show that gabapentin may exert protective effects against glutamate-induced neuronal injury at least in part by inhibiting the NMDA receptor-activated ion current.

SUMMARYDuring the prenatal period, development of individual is influenced by the environmental factors. In mammals, 5hydroxytryptamine (5HT) is a central neurotransmitter that regulates behavioral functions in the vertebrate brain. Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) is a rate-limiting enzyme in the 5-HT synthesis. Various stresses are known to modulate the 5-HT synthesis and the TPH expression. In the present study, the influence of prenatal noise and music application on the 5-HT synthesis and the TPH expression in the dorsal and median raphe of young rats was investigated. Prenatal noise application increased the 5-HT synthesis and the TPH expression in the dorsal and median raphe nuclei of offspring. Prenatal music application, in contrast, decreased the 5-HT synthesis and the TPH expression in the dorsal and median raphe nuclei of offspring. The present study suggests that prenatal stimuli including noise and music may affect the emotional state of offspring.

The Korean Medical System is a dual one, both Western and Oriental. The Western clinical field is strictly limited to injections and operations while the Oriental clinical field is limited to Herbology and Acupuncture. In Korea, as in China, a system of cooperation between Oriental M.D.s and Western M.D.s has not yet been established.

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