• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.59-63
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• 2012

Melatonin has been studied as a potential treatment of cancer, immune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), circadian rhythm sleep disorders, sexual dysfunction and some forms of insomnia. Prolonged release melatonin has shown good results in treating insomnia in older adults. It may ameliorate circadian misalignment and SAD. Basic research indicates that melatonin may play a significant role in modulating the effects of drugs of abuse such as cocaine. A 2004 review found that melatonin significantly increased total sleep time in people suffering from sleep restriction. Therefore, in this study, in order to explain characteristics of melatonin, total energy, net charge, vibrational mode of melatonin are calculated by PM3 methods of HyperCam 6.0.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Clinics Conference
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• 2009.04a
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• pp.127-133
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• 2009

Cardiomyopathies were previously defined as "an idiopathic myocardial disease that is not secondary to any other type of congenital/acquired heart disease or systemic diseases." With increasing understanding of etiology and pathogenesis in human medicine, the difference between cardiomyopathy and specific heart muscle disease has become indistinct. Cardiomyopathies are now classified by the dominant pathophysiology or, if possible, by etiological/pathogenetic factors. The American Heart Association recently advocated the following new definition of cardiomyopathy: Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of diseases of the myocardium associated with mechanical and/or electrical dysfunction that usually (but not invariably) exhibit inappropriate ventricular hypertrophy or dilatation and are due to a variety of causes that frequently are genetic. Cardiomyopathies either are confined to the heart or are part of generalized systemic disorders, often leading to cardiovascular death or progressive heart failure-related disability. Because the understanding of etiology or pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy has been limited in veterinary medicine, the previous classification is generally used. It is considered a dilated, hypertrophic and restrictive group on the basis of the predominant morphological and functional abnormalities. In addition, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy and unclassified cardiomyopathy were also recognized in dogs and/or cats.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.17-22
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• 2005

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with increased cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity. Epidemiological and clinic-based studies have shown that SDB is related to impaired glucose tolerance and increased insulin resistance, independent of obesity. Despite of a consistent association between SDB and impaired glucose-insulin metabolism, the mechanism underlying this relationship has not been fully elucidated. It is recognized that hypoxemia and hypercapnia that occur in SDB provoke sympathetic nervous activity and catecholamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine, and cortisol are released. Sympathetic hyperactivity and increased catecholamines can impair glucose homeostasis by increasing glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis, which can result in increased circulating insulin levels and increased risk of insulin resistance. A prospective study is needed to investigate the causal relationship between SDB and impaired glucose-insulin metabolism in a healthy population without diabetes, hypertension and obesity as etiologic risk factors.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.706-710
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• 1988

Intravascular hemolysis occurs in the majority of patient with mechanical valve prosthesis. The primary cause is mechanical trauma to red cells from turbulent blood flow through the prosthesis. Degree of hemolysis is dependent upon the type, size and material of valve and aggravated by paravalvular leakage. Clinically important hemolytic anemia is required medical management or consideration of reoperation. In severe hemolysis, reoperation is recommended without delay when seems to be renal failure. In this case, postoperative severe mechanical hemolysis was developed immediately after aortic valve replacement with St. Jude medical valve in a 13 year-old male patient. Neither significant paravalvular leakage nor valvular dysfunction was found through redo, but the mechanical valve was strongly suspected the cause of severe hemolysis. The St. Jude Medical valve was changed with Ionescu-Shiley bioprosthesis and any significant clinical problems were not noted through the postoperative course.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2021

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for approximately 30% of all deaths worldwide and its prevalence is constantly increasing despite advancements in medical treatments. Cardiac remodeling and dysfunction are independent risk factors for CVD. Recent studies have demonstrated that cardiac structure and function are genetically influenced, suggesting that understanding the genetic basis for cardiac structure and function could provide new insights into developing novel therapeutic targets for CVD. Regular exercise has long been considered a robust nontherapeutic method of treating or preventing CVD. However, recent studies also indicate that there is inter-individual variation in response to exercise. Nevertheless, the genetic basis for cardiac structure and function as well as their responses to exercise training have yet to be fully elucidated. Therefore, this review summarizes accumulated evidence supporting the genetic contribution to these traits, including findings from population-based studies and unbiased large genomic-scale studies in humans.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.450-455
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• 2021

Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is an herbal oriental medicine known to alleviate cardiovascular dysfunction. To analysis the expression of diabetic cardiac complication-associated genes in db/db mice, we studied the cardiac gene expression following KRG treatment. In result, a total of 585 genes were found to be changed in db/db mice. Among the changed expression, 245 genes were found to 2-fold upregulated, and 340 genes were 2-fold downregulated. In addition, the changed gene expressions were ameliorated by KRG. In conclusion, KRG may be possible to normalize cardiac gene expressions in db/db mice.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.338-356
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• 2022

Lung transplantation (LT) is now considered as an effective treatment option for end-stage lung diseases that improves the short and long-term survival rates and quality of life. As increasingly many LT procedures are being performed, the medical complications of LT are also increasing in frequency and emerging as a very important issue for transplant clinicians. Although chronic lung allograft dysfunction and infection are major causes of death after LT, many medical complications, several of which result from immunosuppressive treatment, contribute to increased mortality and morbidity. This article reviews the most frequent and important medical complications of LT, accompanied by a review of the literature and studies from South Korea, including lung allograft rejection, infection, and non-allograft organ systemic complications.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.49-56
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• 2022

Mitophagy, the selective degradation of damaged or surplus mitochondria using core autophagy machinery, plays an essential role in maintaining cellular mitochondrial function. Impaired mitophagy is closely linked to various human diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cancers and kidney disease. Defective mitophagy induces the accumulation of damaged mitochondria and thereby results in a decline in cellular survival and tissue function. Accordingly, enhancement of mitophagy has been proposed as a novel strategy for the treatment of human diseases closely linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. Recent studies showing that the stimulation of mitophagy has a therapeutic effect on several disease models highlight the possibility of disease treatment using mitophagy. The development of mitophagy inducers with toxicity and the identification of molecular mechanisms will enable the clinical application of mitophagy-based treatments.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.8 s.253
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• pp.529-537
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• 2005

Background: Historically the Fontan operation in patients with single ventricle and heterotaxy syndrome has been associated with high mortality because of systemic or pulmonary anomalous venous drainage, incompetent common atrioventricular valve, right ventricle type univentricular heart, and arrhythmia. Material and Method: A retrospective review of 62 patients $(age:\;54.79\pm33.97\;months)$ with heterotaxy syndrome who underwent a extracadiac Fontan operation between 1996 and 2005 was performed. Twenty one patients had left atrial isomerism, and 41 had right isomerism. The Fontan procedure was staged in all but 2 patients, and a fenestration was less placed in left isomerism. Result: Left isomerism was associated more with interrupted inferior vena cava and pulmonary arteriovenous fistula, and right isomerism was associated more with anomalous pulmonary venous drainage, common atrioventricular valve and morphologic right ventricle. There were 3 hospital deaths$(4.8\%)$ and 3 late deaths $(5.2\%)$ with a follow-up duration of $48.8\pm31.0$ months. Eight-year survivals were $90.5\pm6.4\%$ in left isomerism and $88.6\pm5.4\%$ in right isomerism (p=0.94). At 8 years, freedom from reoperation was $73.9\pm11.3\%$ in left isomerism, and $82.3\pm6.7\%$ in right isomerism (p=0.87). Atrioventricular valve regurgitation progressed after Fontan operation in heterotaxy syndrome, and reoperation for pulmonary arteriovenous fistula and permanent pacemaker implantation for sinus node dysfunction were required more in left isomerism. Conclusion: The extracardiac Fontan operation can now be performed in patients with heterotaxy syndrome with excellent survival. However, morbidity in terms of postoperative atrioventricular valve regurgitation, arrhythmia, and pulmonary arteriovenous fistula remains significant.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.322-333
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction are 2 of the independent predictors for cardiovascular disease, while Acanthopanax senticosus Harms (ASH) is a traditional medicinal plant that can improve cardiovascular health. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of the fruit of ASH on vascular function in apparently healthy subjects. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, consisting of healthy adults with at least 2 of the following 3 conditions: borderline high blood pressure (BP; 120 mmHg ≤ systolic BP ≤ 160 mmHg or 80 mmHg ≤ diastolic BP ≤ 100 mmHg), smoking (≥10 cigarettes/day), and borderline blood lipid levels (220 ≤ total cholesterol ≤ 240, 130 ≤ low density lipoprotein cholesterol ≤ 165, or 150 ≤ triglyceride ≤ 220 mg/dL). Randomly assigned 76 subjects who received a placebo or 2 doses of ASH fruit (low, 500 mg/day; high, 1,000 mg/day) completed the intervention. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), flow-mediated dilation, carotid intima-media thickness, and BP were measured both at baseline and following the 12-week intervention. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation was assessed by western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with the placebo group, the low-dose group showed more significant changes after the 12-week intervention period in terms of systolic BP (0.1 vs. -7.7 mmHg; P = 0.044), baPWV (31.3 vs. -98.7 cm/s; P = 0.007), and the ratio of phospho-eNOS/eNOS (0.8 vs. 1.22; P = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that ASH fruit extract at 500 mg/day has the potential to improve BP and arterial stiffness via endothelial eNOS activation in healthy adults with smoking and the tendency of having elevated BP or blood lipid parameters.