• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2015

Objectives: This study was carried out to analyze the single-dose toxicity of Eun-Bi San pharmacopuncture injected into the muscle of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Methods: All experiments were performed at Biotoxtech, an institution certified to conduct non-clinical studies under the Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) regulations. Six week old SD rats reared by ORIENTBIO were chosen for this pilot study. The reason SD rats were chosen is that they have been widely used in safety tests in the field of medicine, so the results can be easily compared with many other databases. The Eun-Bi San pharmacopuncture was made in a clean room at the Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute (KPI, K-GMP). The constituents of the Eun-Bi San pharmacopuncture are Angelicae gigantis radix, Strychni semen and Glycyrrhizae radix. These were extracted at low temperature and low pressure in an aseptic room at the KPI. Doses of Eun-Bi San pharmacopuncture, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 mL, were administered to the experimental groups, and a dose of normal saline solution, 1.0 mL, was administered to the control group. This study was performed under the approval of the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee of Biotoxtech Co., Ltd. Results: No deaths or abnormalities occurred in any of the four groups. No significant changes in weight, hematological parameters or clinical chemistry between the control group and the experimental groups were observed. To determine if abnormalities existed in any organs and tissues, we used microscopy to examine representative histological sections of each specified organ; the results showed no significant differences in any of the organs or tissues. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that treatment with Eun-Bi San pharmacopuncture is relatively safe and that its clinical use may be beneficial. Further evaluations and studies on this subject will be needed to provide more concrete evidence in support of these conclusions.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.61 no.6
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• pp.680-688
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• 2018

Objective : To mitigate the risk of iatrogenic instability, new posterior decompression techniques able to preserve musculoskeletal structures have been introduced but never extensively investigated from a biomechanical point of view. This study was aimed to investigate the impact on spinal flexibility caused by a unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression, in comparison to the intact condition and a laminectomy with preservation of a bony bridge at the vertebral arch. Secondary aims were to investigate the biomechanical effects of two-level decompression and the quantification of the restoration of stability after posterior fixation. Methods : A universal spine tester was used to measure the flexibility of six L2-L5 human spine specimens in intact conditions and after decompression and fixation surgeries. An incremental damage protocol was applied : 1) unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression at L3-L4; 2) on three specimens, the unilateral laminotomy was extended to L4-L5; 3) laminectomy with preservation of a bony bridge at the vertebral arch (at L3-L4 in the first three specimens and at L4-L5 in the rest); and 4) pedicle screw fixation at the involved levels. Results : Unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression had a minor influence on the lumbar flexibility. In flexion-extension, the median range of motion increased by 8%. The bone-preserving laminectomy did not cause major changes in spinal flexibility. Two-level decompression approximately induced a twofold destabilization compared to the single-level treatment, with greater effect on the lower level. Posterior fixation reduced the flexibility to values lower than in the intact conditions in all cases. Conclusion : In vitro testing of human lumbar specimens revealed that unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression and bone-preserving laminectomy induced a minor destabilization at the operated level. In absence of other pathological factors (e.g., clinical instability, spondylolisthesis), both techniques appear to be safe from a biomechanical point of view.

• Industry Promotion Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2023

In this study, a formula (EJ-F101) was prepared to develop a raw material for acne-prone skin improvement using wheat germ extract, and a clinical trial cream was prepared and clinical trials were conducted. As a result of the analysis, when comparing before and after using the product, both the test group and the control group showed significant improvement effects in terms of open comedones, occluded comedones, papules, sebum and oil content in the facial region at 4 weeks after product use, compared to the control group in the test group which showed a more significant improvement effect. As a result of the survey on the efficacy of the product, most items showed higher positive answers in the test product compared to the control product four weeks after the use of the product, and about 43-81% of the study subjects answered positively in the test product, except for the "open surface" item. In addition, for all items related to the usability of the product, about 14-86% of the test group and 38-90% of the control group answered positively at the time point 4 weeks after using the product. As a result of skin safety evaluation, no adverse skin reactions were observed in all subjects of this study. Based on the above results, it is considered that the cream using wheat germ extract is suitable for use on acne-prone skin(non comedogenicity).

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.151-158
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• 2020

Alcohol, which can easily be obtained in the same way as ordinary beverages, is harmful enough to cause death due to excessive drinking and chronic alcohol intake, so it is important to maintain a proper amount of drinking and healthy drinking habits. In addition, the incidence of behavioral disturbances and impaired judgments that can be caused by chronic alcohol drinking of more than adequate amounts of alcohol is also significant. Accordingly it is very useful for forensic science to check whether the person involved is drunken or is alcoholism state in various accidents. Currently, in Korea, alcohol consumption is determined by detecting the level of alcohol or alcohol metabolism 'ethyl glucuronide (EtG)' in blood or urine samples. However, analysis of alcohol or EtG in blood or urine can only provide information about the current state of alcohol consumption because of a narrow window of detection time. Therefore, it is important to analyze the EtG as a long-term direct alcohol metabolite bio-marker in human hair and to investigate relationship between alcohol consumption and EtG concentration for the evaluation of chronic ethanol consumption. In this study, we established an analytical method for the detection of EtG in Korean hair efficiently and validated selectivity, linearity, limits of detection (LOD), limits of quantification (LOQ), matrix effect, recovery, process efficiency, accuracy and precision using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In addition, the assay performance was evaluated in Korean social drinker's hair and the postmortem hair of a chronic alcoholism. The results of this study can be useful in monitoring the alcohol abuse of Korean in clinical cases and legal procedures related to custody and provide a useful tool to evaluate postmortem diagnosis of alcoholic ketoacidosis in forensics.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.350-358
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• 2017

The hemolysis index (HI) is semi-quantitative marker for hemolysis. Because the characteristics of the HI vary from one commercial platform to another, no standardization or harmonization of the HI is currently available. Specimens (N=40) randomly selected from clinical patients were artificially hemolyzed in vitro. The serum of the specimens was then diluted with a 20 mg/dL difference between 0~300 mg/dL based on serum hemoglobin measured using the XE-2100 hematology automation equipment (Sysmex, Japan). Diluted serum was measured using the Hitachi-7600 biochemical automation equipment (Hitachi, Japan) to differentiate between HI and serum hemoglobin. The data showed linearity between HI and serum hemoglobin and that HI 1 contained approximately 20 mg/dL of serum hemoglobin. To determine the blood rejection threshold, the HI was divided into three groups: HI 0~1, HI 4~6, HI 9~15. After another batch of clinical specimens (N=40) was measured using a Hitachi-7600 (Hitachi, Japan), each specimen was moved forward and backward with the piston of the syringe to induce an artificial in vitro hemolysis, then measured again with a Hitachi-7600 (Hitachi, Japan). The percentage difference between the three groups was analyzed by ANOVA or the Kruskal-Wallis test. In the post-test, there were significant differences between the HI 0~1 and the HI 5~6: Glucose, creatinine, total protein, AST, direct bilirubin, uric acid, phosphorus, triglyceride, LDH, CPK, Magnesium, and potassium levels. Because many clinical tests differed significantly, the threshold for hemolysis could be appropriate for HI 5 (serum hemoglobin 100 mg/dL).

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.10
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• pp.1019-1023
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• 2003

Purpose : To determine the differences in clinical characteristics, blood chemistry and coronary artery complications between patients with Kawasaki disease who received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) within the fourth day of illness and after the fifth day of illness. Methods : A retrospective chart review was conducted of all children with Kawasaki disease who were admitted to Ewha Mokdong Hospital between January 2001 and June 2002. The early treatment group received IVIG within the fourth day of illness(n=34) and the control group received IVIG after the fifth day of illness(n=53). Clinical manifestations, fever duration, hospitalization days, CBC, blood chemistry and coronary artery complications were compared between two groups. Results : No demographic differences were noted between the two groups(P>0.05). Total duration of fever was significantly shorter in the early treatment group than the control group($4.8{\pm}2.5days$ vs $7.4{\pm}3.0days$, P<0.05), but there were no differences in fever duration after IVIG treatment and hospitalization days between two groups(P>0.05). No significant differences were noted in the level of hemoglobin, WBC, ESR, CRP, AST, ALT and albumin between two groups(P>0.05). No significant differences in the incidence of IVIG retreatment were noted between the two groups(11.8% vs 5.7%, P>0.05). No significant differences in the incidence of coronary artery complications were noted between the two groups(11.7% vs 18.9%, P>0.05). No significant differences in the recurrence rate were noted between the two groups(3% vs 2%, P>0.05). Conclusion : Early IVIG treatment in patients with Kawasaki disease reduces the total fever duration. Coronary artery complications were not increased in patients with early IVIG treatment.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.470-475
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• 2007

Oplopanax elatus (O. elatus) is a tall deciduous shrub that has traditionally been used for σ eating a variety of ailments such as diabetes, coughling, rheumatism, gastro-intestinal disorders, and wounds. In order to examine the safety of the ethanol extracts of O. elatus, we performed a 14-day repeated-dose toxicity study with Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were treated with daily doses of the D. elatus ethanol extracts by gavage at 0, 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg/day for 14 consecutive days. We recorded clinical signs of toxicity, body weight, hematology, organ weights, gross and histological changes in target organs, and clinical chemistry analysis data for all rats. There were no significant changes in body and organ weights during the experimental period. The hematological analysis and clinical blood chemistry data revealed no toxic effects from the O. elatus ethanol extracts. Pathologically, neither gross abnormalities nor histopathological changes were observed between the control and treated rats of both sexes. Collectively, these data suggest that the ethanol extracts of O. elatus have a high margin of safety.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2019

Purpose: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the most common congenital endocrine disorder. The purpose of the present study was to determine the incidence of CH in South Korea during the period from January 1991 to March 2004. Methods: Central data from each city branch of SCL (Seoul Clinical Reference Laboratories) in Yongin, South Korea, was gathered and collectively analyzed. Newborn screening (NBS) for CH was based on measuring the levels of neonatal thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free T4 (a cut-off of 20 mIU/L and less than 0.8 ng/dL, respectively). Results: During the study period, 671,805 live births were screened for CH based on TSH and free T4 ELISA assays. A total of 159 newborns were deemed positive for CH out of 671,805, with a corresponding incidence of 1 in 4,225. When a cut-off of 20 mIU/L was used in TSH assays, the associated sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values (PPV) were 100.0%, 99.7%, and 10.8%, respectively. When a cut-off of 0.8 ng/dL in free T4 assays was used, the associated sensitivity, specificity, and PPV were 100.0%, 98.5%, and 3.9%, respectively. Conclusion: CH incidence in South Korea as evidenced by the results of NBS was compared with its incidence and comparable to the other countries prior to 2004.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.1178-1184
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• 2006

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of ethanol extract of antler velvet (EAV) on common serum chemistry panels and histopathological change in rats exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Administration of TCDD ($50{\mu}g/kg$ body weight) induced significant decrease in platelet count (p<0.01), creatine phosphokinase (CPK, p<0.01), lactatate dehydrogenase (LDH, p<0.05) and glucose (p<0.05) levels and increase in hemoglobin (p<0.05), aspartate aminotransferase (AST, p<0.01), alanine amino transferase (ALT, p<0.05) and lipase activities (p<0.05), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN, p<0.05), triglyceride (p<0.01) and low density lipoptotein cholesterol (LDL-C, p<0.05) levels. However, pretreatment of EAV at daily dose of 20 mg/kg b.w. from 1 wk before TCDD exposure for 5 wks attenuated the abnormality of the overall serum chemistry panels but statistical difference between TE and TA groups was observed only in testicular weight (p<0.01), LDH activity (p<0.05), glucose (p<0.05) and lipase activity (p<0.01). In addition, TCDD induced significant histopathological changes including swelling, fatty metamorphosis, and vacuolar degeneration in liver; edema in proximal and distal convoluted tubules, and glomerulus in kidney; severe atrophy of red purple and appearance of significant number of macrophage in spleen; prominent atrophy and decrease in immune cells in thymus. On the other hand, administration of EAV attenuated histopathological damage induced by TCDD. These results further suggest that administration of EAV attenuates TCDD induced testicular, liver, pancreatic, hematopoietic and nephrotic toxicities in rats.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.126-131
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• 2010

In order to maximize the growth of Bifidobacterium lactis BL 740 and soy isoflavone agycones production, we investigated the optimization of a culture medium containing soy hypocotyls, which are the byproducts of the soy manufacturing process, and soy proteins. The ingredients of the medium containing soy materials (S-medium) were selected by fractional factorial design (FFD) and central composite design (CCD) within a desirable range. The FFD was applied by six factors: glucose, cellobiose, fructooligosaccharide, soy peptone, soy protein, and soy hypocotyl. Soy protein, soy peptone, and soy hypocotyl were found to be significant factors from the result of FFD for both the growth of B. lactis BL 740 and aglycone production. The CCD was then applied with three variables found from FFD at five levels each and the optimum values were determined for the three variables: soy peptone, soy protein, and soy hypocotyl. In the case of the growth of B. lactics BL740, the proposed optimal media contained 12.73 g/L of soy protein, 29.55 g/L of soy peptone, and 130.67 g/L of soy hypocotyl. To produce isoflavone aglycones, optimized media was composed of 2.06 g/L, soy protein, 1.25 g/L of soy peptone, and 60.02 g/L of soy hypocotyl.