• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.49-69
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• 2011

Objective : The object of this study was to observe the effects of Lonicerae Flos (LF) aqueous extracts on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced rat acute lung injury. Method : Five different dosages of LF extracts were orally administered once a day for 28 days before LPS treatments, and then all rats were sacrificed after 5 hour-treatment of LPS. Eight groups of 16 rats each were used in the present study. The following parameters caused by LPS treatment were observed ; body weights, lung weights, pulmonary transcapillary albumin transit, arterial gas parameters (pH, $PaO_2$ and $PaCO_2$) bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) protein lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$) contents, total cell numbers, neutrophil and alveolar macrophage ratios, lung malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), proinflammatory cytokines TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$ contents. In addition, the histopathologic changes were observed in the lung in terms of luminal surface of alveolus, thickness of alveolar septum, number of polymorphonuclear neutrophils. Result : As results of LPS-injection, dramatical increases in lung weights, pulmonary transcapillary albumin transit increases, increases in $PaCO_2$, decreases in pH of arterial blood and $PaO_2$, increases of BALF protein, LDH, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$ contents, total cells, neutrophil and alveolar macrophage ratios, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$ contents increases were detected with decreases in LSA and increases of alveolar septum and PMNs numbers, respectively as compared with intact control. These are means that acute lung injuries (resembling acute respiratory distress syndrome) are induced by treatment of LPS mediated by inflammatory responses, oxidative stress and related lipid peroxidation in the present study. However, these LPS-induced acute lung injuries were inhibited by 28 days continuous pretreatment of 250 and 500mg/kg of LF extracts. Because of lower three dosages of LF treated groups, 31.25 and 62.5 and 125mg/kg did not showed any favorable effects as compared with LPS control, the effective dosages of LF in LPS-induced acute lung injuries in the present study, is considered as about 125mg/kg. The effects of 250mg/kg of LF extracts showed almost similar effects with ${\alpha}$-lipoic acid 60mg/kg in preventing LPS-induced acute lung injuries. Conclusion : It seems that LF play a role in protecting the acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by LPS.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2012

Burning mouth syndrome(BMS) refers to a chronic orofacial pain disorder usually unaccompanied by mucosal lesions or other clinical signs. Tongue(anterior and lateral border) is found to be the most common site for the burning sensations in the oral cavity, and various oral sites may be affected including hard palate and lips. The etiology of this disorder remains poorly understood, but the various factors might be related with the pathogenesis of the BMS. These factors have been devided into local, systemic and psychological. Recently, there have been increasing reports that the pain of BMS may be neuropathic in origin. The complex and multifactorial etiology of BMS necessitates multidisciplinary approach for the management of these patients. Recently, several studies have reported that oral parafunctional habits could be related the pathogenesis of BMS, and tried to control the symptom of BMS with various methods. We reported the cases who had the symptom of burning mouth syndrome with removable anti-nociceptive appliance in the lower dentition.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.161-167
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• 2012

Burning mouth syndrome(BMS) is defined as chronic, painful burning sensation in the oral mucosa. Treatments for BMS include medication and psychiatric interventions. Capsaicin, alpha-lipoic acid, and topical and systemic clonazepam showed more effective in reducing the symptoms of BMS in the previous studies. The purpose of this study is to evaluate of the therapeutic efficacy of systemic clonazepam in BMS and to elucidate the relationships between such a efficacy and various clinical features, including age, pain intensity, pain duration, previous dental history and condition of oral mucosa. A retrospective clinical records audit was performed of patients diagnosed with BMS between January 2011 and August 2012. Patients were prescribed 0.5 mg clonazepam two times daily. Pain was assessed by patients on an 11-point numeric rating scale (NRS; 0 to 10) before and 1-2 weeks after systemic administration of clonazepam. The efficacy of clonazepam was evaluated in terms of patient's age, initial pain intensity, pain duration, presence or absence of precipitating event, condition of the tongue, presence or absence of denture. A total of 50 patients (46 women, 4 men) were included in this study. The patients were divided into two or three groups according to above clinical features. The amount of mean NRS reduction in patients with severe initial pain was $3.33{\pm}2.74$, whereas that in patients with mild initial pain was $1.64{\pm}1.54$. The amount of mean NRS reduction in oldest patients was $3.53{\pm}1.94$ (${\geq}$70yrs), and those in another younger patients were $2.88{\pm}1.80$(< 60yrs) and $1.54{\pm}2.86$(60yrs ${\leq}$ age < 70yrs), respectively. It was concluded that the older patients and the patients with higher intensity of initial pain tend to show better efficacy of clonazepam. However, There were no statistically significant differences according to pain duration, presence or absence of precipitating events, tongue fissuring, and wearing dentures.