• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.195-213
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• 2005

This report describes the remedial fields, symptoms, pathology, dosage, prescriptional constitution of 46 studies related to the use of Lignum akebiae main blended prescriptions from Dongeubogam. The following conclusions were reached through investigations on the prescriptions that use Lignum akebiae as a key ingredient. Lignum akebiae blended prescriptions are utilized 17.4% of prescriptions appear in the chapter of urine. Prescriptions that utilize Lignum akebiae as the main ingredient are used commonly in the treatment of the symptoms of a urine and a cystic disease related to the urinary organs, or the diseases of eye, ear, nose, throat and the symptoms of a tumor, abscess. Lignum akebiae is utilized for an etiological and pathologenic fators related to heat, dampness, phlegm and summer heat such as excessive fever of heart and bladder, fever of small intestine, lower energizer dampness and heat, fever due to blood deficiency, phlegm fire, affection by summer heat and dampness etc. The clinical dosage of Lignum akebiae is 1 don(about 3.75gram), according to symptoms, it has ranged at a wide variety of amounts from 3 pun(about 1.13gram) to 1.5 don(about 11.25gram). Lignum akebiae is widely applied with base prescriptions such as Dozuksan, Moktongchajuntang, Manjunmoktongtang. etc.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2011

Objectives : Due to morphological similarity, many substitutes and counterfeits have been used as Moktong for thousands of years. This study was designed to determine discriminative criteria for identifying medicinal herbs used as Moktong. Methods : Akebia quinata, A. trifoliata, Clematis armandii, and Aristolochia manshuriensis were collected in various regions. Samples were authenticated and examined by observation and microscopy with paraffin embedding and triple staining using the modified Ju staining method. Results : Three different types of features to establish discriminative criteria for four kinds of Moktong were identified. Botanical features include differences in phyllotaxy, leaf shape, and caulescent. External morphological features were arrangement and size of fine holes(xylem), and overall shape of the section. Internal morphological features include the number of medullary rays, shape of the pitch, type of tissues rounding pitch, appearance of annual rings, shape and amount of crystals(calcium-oxalate), and the appearance of cork cambium. Further details(e.g. identification keys) are in the article. Conclusions : These criteria could provide an effective method for identifying numerous kinds of Moktong distributed in markets throughout northeast Asian nations.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.662-672
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• 2009

Obesity has increased dramatically increased in recent days. It has resulted in obesity-associated diseases and metabolic syndromes including hyperlipidemia, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Our study was investigated to determine the antiobese effects of mixed 2 medicinal herbs (AR+AC) in rats fed high-fat diet with an abundance of carbohydrates. Two groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed different diets during 8 weeks: normal diet containing 5% corn oil (w/w), high-fat diet containing 10% (w/w) lard plus 5% (w/w) corn oil (HF). And High-fat diet group was treated with saline or 100 mg/kg ARAC or 300 mg/kg ARAC (PO). Antiobese effect was evaluated by measuring the changes of body weight, adipose tissues weight. Also we examined levels of leptin, adiponectin and lipid profiles in serum. Finally we compared morphological change in adipocytes and hepatocytes between HF and ARAC group. Mixed combination of 2 medicinal herbs, but not alone, caused significant decrease in body weight, organ weight (liver, epididymal fat, and BAT) compared with control HF group. The ARAC group had markedly lower serum levels of adiponectin when compared with HF group. Also the epididymal white adipocyte size of ARAC group were diminished comparing to the HF group. These results suggest that the possibility of ARAC combination, as an antiobese formula, by suppression of body weight gain and increased lipid profiles.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.11-17
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• 2021

Objective : This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Effects of Akebia quinata (AQ) extract on alcohol-induced damage of liver, spleen and thymus in rats. Method : Experimental animals were divided in to 4 groups; Normal group, Alcohol group, AQ50 group and AQ200 group. All rats, except for Normal group, were fed 25 % ethanol for 55 days. During experimental period, Normal group and Alcohol group were administrated saline, and AQ50 group and AQ200 group were administrated AQ extract at dose of 50 and 200 mg/kg/day, respectively. We measured organ weight, liver triglyceride contents, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and triglycerid levels in serum. Also, we conducted histomorphometry and histopathological observation of liver, spleen and thymus. Results : AQ significantly decreased the level of AST, ALT and triglyceride in serum and the liver triglyceride contents induced by ethanol. Also, AQ significantly inhibited lipid droplets accumulation in hepatocytes. The decreased relative organ weight of spleen and thymus by ethanol were increased by AQ administration. In histopathological analysis of spleen, the rats administrated AQ 200 mg/kg presented significantly increased mean diameters of white pulps, numbers of white pulps and splenic thicknesses. The administration of 200 mg/kg AQ improved decreased lobular thickness and cortex thickness of thymus, which were decreased by ethanol. Conclusions : The results of present study indicated that AQ has an ameliorating effect for fatty degeneration of liver and damage of spleen and thymus.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.29-44
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• 2023

Objectives : This study was planned to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness and possible underlying mechanism of TPE (Tetrapanax papyrifer stem(inner part of the stem Extract) and AQE (Akebiae quinata stem Extract) on osteoarthritis. Methods : Osteoarthritis models were induced through intra-articular injection of MIA (monosodium iodoacetate) 50 μL with 80 mg/ml in rats. Excluding the normal group, Osteoarthritis-induced rats were divided into 4 groups (Control, INDO, TPE, AQE). The drug concentrations were indomethacin 5 mg/kg, TPE 200 mg/kg, and AQE 200 mg/kg, and were orally administered once a day for a couple of weeks. After drug supplementation, the effects of TPE and AQE were measured with serum diagnosis, western blotting, and histopathological staining. Results : It was found that the DPPH and ABTS free radical erasure ability of AQE was better than that of TPE. AQE administration improved rear limb overload and it led to relieving pain. Both PTE and AQE significantly reduced the expression of inflammatory mediators COX-2, iNOS, and inflammatory cytokine IL-1β and IL-6 by inhibiting the phosphorylation of IκBα and deactivating the pathway of NF-κBp65. On the other hand, TNF-α was significantly reduced only by administration of AQE. In addition, histopathological analysis showed that the administration of AQE compared to PTE suppressed cartilage degeneration and effectively suppressed damage to proteoglycan, a component of ECM. Conclusion : Reviewing these experimental results, TPE and AQE possessed the effect of delaying the progress of osteoarthritis and protecting cartilage. In addition, the results of this study show that AQE has a better cartilage protection effect than TPE.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.51-65
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• 1982

The growth characteristics and appropriate fertilizer-managements in the rejuvenating bamboo grove were studied with Phyllostachys reticulata. The bamboo soil was the sandy loam with rich humus. In the fertilized plots, the N-fertilizer was significantly absorbed, and it was necessary to fertilize the K-fertilizer continuously. According to the development of rejuvenating after flowering, the temperature and relative illumination became lower. while the moisture became higher. The relationship between the diameter at eye height (D) and the culm length (H) of each bamboo can be expressed as follow; $H=2.5538D^{0.5031}$ The leaf area is the major factor for the production of the bamboo grove. Therefore in the rejuvenating grove, we should refrain form pruning or felling of not -flowering bamboo. The theoretical distribution of the internodal length was obtained by the distribution curve line of the internodal length derived from the regular distribution curve line. Relatively long and even internodal length was found in the fertilized plots 2 and 4. The relation between $D^2H$ and dry weight of culm or dry weight of the above ground part were given by linear regression in both relations respectively on the logarithmic coordinates, but the propertional relation was not established in these relations. The biomass of the above ground part obtained by the allometry method showed high values in the fertilized plots 2.5 and 6. The appropriate amounts of the three elements, N, P and K for the maximum dry matter were 24.19, 15.51, 8.63 kg/10a, respectively.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.11 no.12
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• pp.326-334
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• 2011

The aim of the study was to investigate the thickness of deep neck muscles during neck endurance tests using ultrasonography images to assess muscle sizes in persons with or without neck pain experience. Sixty-five university students volunteered for the study. The thicknesses of longus colli, longus capitis, semispinalis and cervical multifidus were assessed bilaterally using diagnostic ultrasound equipment during each endurance test. Participants were divided into two groups based on their Neck Pain(NP) experience; 45 subjects of those had no experience of NP (Group1) whereas 20 subjects of those reported NP experience sometime in their lives (Group2). Endurance time of both neck flexion and extension tests in Group1 showed significantly longer than Group's (p<0.01). The thicknesses of deep neck flexors and extensors were observed smallest at the terminal of endurance tests in general. Only left longus colli was found to be significantly smaller at rest in subjects of Group2 than Group 1's (P=0.02). The size difference between at contraction and the terminal of right longus capitis was observed bigger in subjects of group1 than subjects in group2. Future studies are needed to conduct with clinical subjects to assess contraction patterns of neck muscles.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.1-17
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Melandrii Herba (MH), Akebia Quinata Decaisne (AQ), and Tetrapanax Papyriferus (TP) on milk secretion and aquaporin (AQP) expression in lactating mice. Methods: For the experiment, the mice were divided into three groups, which were orally administered MH (2,720 mg/kg), TP (400 mg/kg) and AQ (2,800 mg/kg) extracts respectively for 3 weeks from Day 1 after the birth, compared with the control group (C group), which was administered distilled water. A group consisted of six infantile mice per postpartum mouse. For comparison with the C group, non-pregnant SKH-1 mice were used as the virgin group. Results: 1. When it comes to the immunohistochemical staining for prolactin receptors in the mammary glands, the AQ and MH groups showed a strong immune response to the secretory epithelial cells constituting the mammary alveoli, while the TP group represented a weaker immune response. 2. In the immunohistochemical staining for AQP in the mammary glands, AQP1 showed a strong immune response in the walls of capillaries and venules around the mammary alveoli, and AQP3 in the epithelial cells constituting the mammary alveoli, and AQP5 in some tissues between the mammary alveoli. AQP1 was expressed in the order of TP group>AQ group=C group>MH group, and AQP3 was MH group and AQ group>TP group=C group, and AQP5 was MH group>C group>AQ group and TP group. 3. In the Western blot, AQP1 was expressed in the order of TP group>AQ group>C group>MH group, and AQP3 was MH group>AQ group>C group>TP roup, and AQP5 was MH group>TP Group>C group>AQ group. All of AQP1, 3, 5 expression were significantly higher in the C group than in the Virgin group. Conclusions: The administration of Akebia Quinata Decaisne, Tetrapanax Papyriferus and Melandrii Herba have the effect of improving prolactin levels in postpartum mice and increasing the expression of prolactin receptor and AQPs in the mammary glands, suggesting that lactation might be enhanced by the development of the mammary glands.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.18-26
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• 2015

Akebiae Caulis is a galenical originated from Akebia quinata Decaisne species. It is commonly used in the treatment of oposiuria, inflammation, nociceptive and fever. Here, we investigated the effect of Akebiae Caulis extract (ACE) to protect hepatocyte against the malfunction of mitochondria and apoptosis. Arachidonic acid (AA)+iron promoted excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and exerted a deleterious effect on mitochondria. Treatment with ACE protected hepatocytes from AA+iron-induced cytotoxicity, as shown by alterations in the protein levels related with apoptosis such as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, pro-caspase 3, Bcl-XL and Bcl-2. Moreover, AA+iron-induced $H_2O_2$ production, GSH depletion and mitochondrial dysfunction were alleviated by ACE pretreatment. As a potential molecular mechanism for the ACE-mediated cytoprotection, phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a key regulator in determining cell survival or death, was increased by ACE. Moreover, ACE treatment enhanced inactive phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-$3{\beta}$ ($GSK3{\beta}$), downstream substrate kinase of AMPK. More importantly, ACE prevented a decrease in the $GSK3{\beta}$ phosphorylation derived by AA+iron, which might contribute to mitohondiral protection and cell survival. To further identify essential compounds in Akebiae Caulis for the protection of AA+iron-mediated cytotoxicity, we found that betulin in combination with hederagenin protected from AA+iron-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. Betulin+hederagenin treatment also increased inactive phosphorylation of $GSK3{\beta}$ in common with ACE. These results suggest that ACE protected hepatocytes against oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, which is mediated with inactive $GSK3{\beta}$ phosphorylation downstream of AMPK.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2021

Objectives : Tetrapanacis Medulla and Akebiae Caulis are one of the most frequently adulterated herbal medicines because of their confusability of terms in the ancient writings and the similarity of morphological features of dried herbal products. The major adulterant is Aristolochia manshuriensis (Guanmutong) which has a serious safety concern with its toxicity. To ensure the safety and quality of the two herbal medicines, it is necessary to discriminate the toxic adulterant from authentic species. The aim of this study is to develop SCAR markers and to establish the multiplex-SCAR assay for discrimination of four plant species related to Tetrapanacis Medulla and Akebiae Caulis. Methods : ITS regions of fifteen samples of four species (Tetrapanax papyrifer, Fatsia japonica, Aristolochia manshuriensis, and Akebia quinata) collected from different sites were amplified and sequenced. Fifteen obtained ITS sequences were aligned and analysed for the detection of species-specific sequence variations. The SCAR markers were designed based on the sequence alignments and then, multiplex-SCAR assay enhancing rapidity was optimized. Results : ITS sequences clearly distinguished the four species at the species level. The developed SCAR markers and multiplex-SCAR assay were successfully discriminated four species and detected the adulteration of commercial product samples by comparison of the amplified DNA fragment sizes. Conclusions : These SCAR markers and multiplex-SCAR assay are a rapid, simple, and reliable method to identify the authentic Tetrapanacis Medulla and Akebiae Caulis from adulterants. These genetic tools will be useful to ensure the safety and to standardize the quality of the two herbal medicines.