• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.251-256
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• 2024

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to report the short-term blood pressure-lowering effects observed in a patient with malignant hypertension through slow breathing maneuver with heart rate variability(HRV) biofeedback. Methods: Biofeedback sessions, totaling 13, each lasting 10 minutes, were administered. Blood pressure was measured pre and post-treatment, as well as thrice daily at 10 am, 4 pm, and 8 pm. Systolic blood pressure(SBP), diastolic blood pressure(DBP), and pulse rate were recorded for comparative analysis. Results: Before biofeedback, the average SBP, DBP, and pulse rate were 227.2±18.3, 135.2±11.0, and 104.4±5.3, respectively. Immediately post-biofeedback, these values changed to 213.7±15.2, 126.9±8.5, and 99.2±3.6. However, sustained long-term blood pressure reduction was not observed. Conclusions: The findings suggest that biofeedback therapy induces a short-term reduction in blood pressure in cases of malignant hypertension, potentially associated with autonomic nervous system regulation. Integrating biofeedback with other Korean medicine treatments, such as acupuncture or moxibustion, may offer a comprehensive approach for managing malignant hypertension.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2024

Haepyoijin-tang and its main components have been used for phlegm, cough and dyspnea. Using a respiratory inflammation model, we intend to reveal the anti-inflammatory effect and pharmacological mechanism of Haepyoijin-tang. We induced the respiratory inflammation model by Aspergillus oryzae protease and ovalbumin administration. Female Balb/c mice (8 weeks old) were classified into four groups as follows: saline control group, aspergillus oryzae protease and ovalbumin induced respiratory inflammation group (vehicle), inflammation with Haepyoijin-tang (200 mg/kg) administration group, inflammation with dexamethasone (5 mg/kg) administration group (n=7). To identify the anti-inflammatory effects of Haepyoijin-tang water extracts, we measured the inflammatory cell number in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and total live lung cell number. In addition, we checked eosinophil ratio and number in BALF. And Interleukin (IL)-5 level was also measured in lung cell culture supernatant. To confirm the mechanism of anti-inflammatory effects, we analyzed the activated helper T cell (CD4⁺CD25⁺ cell) and Th2 cell (CD4⁺GATA3⁺ cell) ratio and number in lung by using flow cytometry. Finally, we attempted to confirm the immune mechanism by measuring the ratio and number of regulatory T cells (CD4⁺Foxp3⁺ cell). Haepyoijin-tang extracts treatment diminished inflammatory cell, especially, eosinophil number in BALF and total live lung cell number. Moreover, IL-5 level was reduced in Haepyoijin-tang treated group. Surprisingly, Haepyoijin-tang extracts administration not only decreased the activated helper T cell but also Th2 cell population in lung. Additionally, regulatory T cell population was increased in Haepyoijin-tang administration group. Our findings proved that Haepyoijin-tang extract have anti-inflammatory efficacy by suppressing Th2 cell activation and promoting regulatory T cell population.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.101-113
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• 2024

Objectives: The purpose of this scoping review is to suggest future treatment and research directions for adult ADHD by examining domestic trends in Korean research on adults with ADHD tendencies. Methods: The present review used Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review methodology. Eight domestic databases were used, and a search was conducted in July 2023 while targeting domestic papers that had been published within the last 20 years. Subject keywords included 'College student', 'Soldier', and 'Adult', and the subject-related terms that were searched for included 'ADHD'. Results: From 502 initially collected articles, 78 were ultimately selected for analysis in this work. Domestic research related to adult ADHD has been steadily conducted since 2000, and most such research has been done in psychology. Regarding the research participants, those in their 20s were the most common age group, and college students accounted for more than half of participants. In terms of study design, survey studies were the most common, while there was a lack of studies on intervention. The subject most closely dealt with in ADHD studies was interpersonal relationships, followed by depression and addiction. The main intervention used in this study was cognitive behavioral therapy, however it was limited in number. Conclusions: More multifaceted studies on adult ADHD need to be conducted using various research methodologies, and there is also a need for more studies using interventions. It is also important for such research to be expanded to broader geographic areas, ages, and occupations.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.323-333
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• 2024

Objectives: This case report describes the effect of complex Korean medical treatment on the clinical symptoms of a patient with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Methods: A 60-year-old female woman diagnosed with FMS in 2015 was prescribed Youngsunjaetong-em-hap-Sopunghwalhyeol-tang from 2 May 2023 to 20 June 2023 to reduce excessive sweating and widespread pain. With the same objective, acupuncture, moxibustion, and cupping treatment were administered from 23 May 2023 to 11 June 2023. Changes in excessive sweating and widespread pain were recorded 2 months post-treatment. Results: Treatment with Youngsunjaetong-em-hap-Sopunghwalhyeol-tang led to a considerable improvement in clinical symptoms after 2 months, especially excessive sweating and widespread pain compared to the baseline parameters of the first visit. In addition, no adverse effects, such as liver injury or decreased kidney function, were recorded during the herbal medicine treatment. Conclusion: This case report points to the use of complex Korean medical treatment as a therapeutic option for the management of FMS.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.149-158
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• 2024

Introduction: In this case report, we describe the clinical effectiveness of Yigan-san-gami in improving symptoms in a patient with worsening Alzheimer's dementia after COVID-19 infection. Case presentation: Symptoms of dementia worsened in a patient with Alzheimer's disease after COVID-19 infection. Western medicines were added following neurological consultation. However, there was no medicinal effect. The patient was treated with Korean medicine (Yigan-san-gami) three times a day. We used daily charts, the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination-2 (K-MMSE-2), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), and Short Version Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS) to assess the patient's symptoms. Cognitive decline and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) improved following the treatment with Yigan-san-gami. Conclusion: The results suggest that Yigan-san-gami may be effective in improving symptoms of Alzheimer's disease that worsen after COVID-19 infection.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.429-443
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• 2024

Background: The study reports the effect of Korean medicine treatment on a patient with left facial palsy caused by Wegener's granulomatosis. Case information: The patient was receiving steroid treatment for facial palsy and was hospitalized for 21 days. He received acupuncture, electroacupuncture, bee venom pharmacopuncture, and moxibustion treatment along with Ssanghwa-tang and Cheongansohabwon herbal medicine treatment. During hospitalization, the Sunnybrook facial grading scale, House-Brackmann scale and length of time for the eye to completely close were evaluated at 11/16, 11/21, 11/27, 12/1, and 12/6. Post treatment, the degree of the movement in the left eyelid was improved, it took less time for the eye to close completely, the movement of the forehead wrinkle muscles improved, but that of the facial muscles under the eyes and left orbicularis oculi muscle showed little improvement. Conclusion: Korean medicine treatment for facial palsy caused by Wegener's Granulomatosis helps restore mobility of the forehead and orbicularis oculi muscles.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.107-117
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• 2024

The objective of this study is to report the clinical effects of applying an integrated rehabilitation protocol to four patients with traumatic cervical spinal cord injuries. The treatments applied included acupuncture, cupping and moxibustion, chuna manual therapy, functional electrical stimulation, and other physical therapies. The evaluation methods included American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale, functional independence measure (FIM), modified Barthel index (MBI), numeric rating scale (NRS) and other scales. All patients presented marked improvements in FIM, MBI, NRS and other scales, along with increased muscle strength in the manual muscle test. The application of our protocol resulted in clear clinical benefits and enhanced the recovery and quality of life for the patients in this study.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.29-48
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• 2024

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate recent trends in herbal medicine treatment for xerostomia. Methods : We searched for Randomized Controlled Trial(RCT) studies on xerostomia published after 2015 in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI). Studies were analyzed based on the year of publication, characteristics of patient groups, herbal medicine treatments and assessment scales. Results : A total of 16 RCT studies were selected. The most frequently used herbal prescription was Zengye Decoction(增液湯). Liriope Tuber(麥門冬), Rehmanniae Radix(生地黃), Glycyrrhizae Radix(甘草), Schisandrae Fructus(五味子), Scrophulariae Radix(玄蔘), Dendrobii Herba(石斛) and Gypsum Fibrosum(石膏) were commonly used herbs. Herbal medicine treatment demonstrated effectiveness in treating xerostomia across all the studies, and this effect was statistically significant. Conclusions : Herbal medicine treatment is effective in treating xerostomia. We anticipate that more high quality studies will be conducted in the future.

• International Journal of Oncology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.1540-1550
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• 2020

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), gefitinib, is an effective therapeutic drug used in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) harboring EGFR mutations. However, acquired resistance significantly limits the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs and consequently, the current chemotherapeutic strategies for NSCLCs. It is, therefore, necessary to overcome this resistance. In the present study, the anticancer potential of natural extracts of Coptis chinensis (ECC) against gefitinib-resistant (GR) NSCLC cells were investigated in vitro and in vivo. ECC inhibited the viability, migration and invasion, and effectively induced the apoptosis of GR cells. These effects were associated with the suppression of EGFR/AKT signaling and the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, Mcl-1 and Bcl-2, which were overexpressed in GR NSCLC cells. Combination treatment with ECC and gefitinib enhanced the sensitivity of GR cells to gefitinib in vitro, but not in vivo. However, ECC increased the survival of individual zebrafish without affecting the anticancer effect to cancer cells in vivo, which indicated a specific cytotoxic effect of ECC on cancer cells, but not on normal cells; this is an important property for the development of novel anticancer drugs. On the whole, the findings of the present study indicate the potential of ECC for use in the treatment of NSCLC, particularly in combination with EGFR-TKI therapy, in EGFR-TKI-resistant cancers.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.29-52
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• 2024

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the effect of herbal medicines on alopecia areata (AA). Methods We searched 10 Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese databases for studies published until April 3, 2024. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of herbal medicines on AA were included. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. A meta-analysis was conducted according to outcome measurements, such as total effective rate (TER), full recovery rate, and recurrence rate, using the Review Manager software. Results Seventeen RCTs were included in this study, and the TER in the treatment group was 1.48 times higher than that in the control group [Risk ratio (RR): 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.40~1.55, I² = 43%]. The full recovery rate was 2.25 times higher in the treatment group [RR: 2.25, 95% CI: 1.62~3.12, I² = 53%], and the recurrence rate was 0.22 times lower, than that of the control group [RR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.070~0.68, I² = 0%]. Four studies reported that there were no adverse events. Four studies reported mild gastric discomfort, a mild increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and constipation in the treatment group. Conclusions Our meta-analysis showed that herbal medicines are significantly effective in treating AA. However, owing to the low quality of the included studies, future clinical studies are required to determine their potential for clinical applications.