• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.25.1-25.11
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• 2022

IL-34 can promote osteoclast differentiation and activation, which may contribute to steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). Animal model was constructed in both BALB/c and IL-34 deficient mice to detect the relative expression of inflammation cytokines. Micro-CT was utilized to reveal the internal structure. In vitro differentiated osteoclast was induced by culturing bone marrow-derived macrophages with IL-34 conditioned medium or M-CSF. The relative expression of pro-inflammation cytokines, osteoclast marker genes, and relevant pathways molecules was detected with quantitative real-time RT-PCR, ELISA, and Western blot. Up-regulated IL-34 expression could be detected in the serum of ONFH patients and femoral heads of ONFH mice. IL-34 deficient mice showed the resistance to ONFH induction with the up-regulated trabecular number, trabecular thickness, bone value fraction, and down-regulated trabecular separation. On the other hand, inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-12, IL-2, and IL-17A, showed diminished expression in IL-34 deficient ONFH induced mice. IL-34 alone or works in coordination with M-CSF to promote osteoclastogenesis and activate ERK, STAT3, and non-canonical NF-κB pathways. These data demonstrate that IL-34 can promote the differentiation of osteoclast through ERK, STAT3, and non-canonical NF-κB pathways to aggravate steroid-induced ONFH, and IL-34 can be considered as a treatment target.

• 한방안이비인후피부과학회지
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.14-26
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• 2024

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of conducting a study on traditional Korean medicine treatments for periodontal diseases, specifically gingivitis and mild periodontitis. Methods : This study will employ a randomized, controlled, parallel-group design. Subjects with gingivitis and mild periodontitis will be recruited in one university hospital. In total, 45 subjects will be randomized into three arms (Acupuncture therapy group, herbal mouthwash group and usual care group), and will be followed up for 4 weeks. We will assess clinical variables such as, pocket depth, bleeding on probing, gingival index, plaque index, visual analog scale, uroqol-5 dimensions-5 levels to analyze changes in microbial flora before and after the intervention. Results : The protocol for this study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Dongguk University Ilsan Oriental Medicine Hospital, and registered with the Korean Clinical Trial Registry on March 29, 2024. Conclusions : This study is the first clinical research on periodontal diseases conducted in a Korean traditional medicine institution. The research aims to broaden the scope of traditional Korean medicine and is expected to serve as crucial data for future large-scale studies.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.75-84
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• 2016

Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide; therefore there is a need to discover new therapeutic modules with improved efficacy and safety. Immune-(cell) therapy is a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of intractable cancers. The effectiveness of certain chemotherapeutics in inducing immunogenic tumor cell death thus promoting cancer eradication has been reported. Ginsenoside Rg3 is a ginseng saponin that has antitumor and immunomodulatory activity. In this study, we treated tumor cells with Rg3 to verify the significance of inducing immunogenic tumor cell death in antitumor therapy, especially in DC-based immunotherapy. Rg3 killed the both immunogenic (B16F10 melanoma cells) and non-immunogenic (LLC: Lewis Lung Carcinoma cells) tumor cells by inducing apoptosis. Surface expression of immunogenic death markers including calreticulin and heat shock proteins and the transcription of relevant genes were increased in the Rg3-dying tumor. Increased calreticulin expression was directly related to the uptake of dying tumor cells by dendritic cells (DCs): the proportion of CRT⁺CD11c⁺cells was increased in the Rg3-treated group. Interestingly, tumor cells dying by immunogenic cell death secreted IFN-γ, an effector molecule for antitumor activity in T cells. Along with the Rg3-induced suppression of pro-angiogenic (TNF-α) and immunosuppressive cytokine (TGF-β) secretion, IFN-γ production from the Rg3-treated tumor cells may also indicate Rg3 as an effective anticancer immunotherapeutic strategy. The data clearly suggests that Rg3-induced immunogenic tumor cell death due its cytotoxic effect and its ability to induce DC function. This indicates that Rg3 may be an effective immunotherapeutic strategy.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.7.1-7.11
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• 2019

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorder that affects mainly salivary and lacrimal glands, but its cause remains largely unknown. Clinical data indicating that SS occurs in a substantial proportion of patients with lupus points to common pathogenic mechanisms underlying the two diseases. To address this idea, we asked whether SS develops in the lupus-prone mouse strain sanroque (SAN). Owing to hyper-activation of follicular helper T (Tfh) cells, female SAN mice developed lupus-like symptoms at approximately 20 wk of age but there were no signs of SS at that time. However, symptoms typical of SS were evident at approximately 40 wk of age, as judged by reduced saliva flow rate, sialadenitis, and IgG deposits in the salivary glands. Increases in serum titers of SS-related autoantibodies and numbers of autoantibody-secreting cells in cervical lymph nodes (LNs) preceded the pathologic manifestations of SS and were accompanied by expansion of Tfh cells and their downstream effector cells. Thus, our results suggest that chronic dysregulation of Tfh cells in salivary gland-draining LNs is sufficient to drive the development of SS in lupus-prone mice.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.26.1-26.9
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• 2020

Cereblon (CRBN), a negative modulator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), is highly expressed in the retina. We confirmed the expression of CRBN in ARPE-19 human retinal cells by Western blotting. We also demonstrated that CRBN knock-down (KD) could effectively downregulate IL-6 and MCP-1 protein and gene expression in LPS-stimulated ARPE-19 cells. Additionally, CRBN KD increased the phosphorylation of AMPK/acetylcoenzyme A carboxylase (ACC) and the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in ARPE-19 cells. Furthermore, CRBN KD significantly reduced LPS-induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 and activation of NF-κB promoter activity. However, these processes could be inactivated by compound C (inhibitor of AMPK) and zinc protoporphyrin-1 (ZnPP-1; inhibitor of HO-1). In conclusion, compound C and ZnPP-1 can rescue LPS-induced levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and MCP-1) in CRBN KD ARPE-19 cells. Our data demonstrate that CRBN deficiency negatively regulates proinflammatory cytokines via the activation of AMPK/HO-1 in the retina.

• 대한치과교정학회지
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• 제54권3호
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• pp.153-159
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• 2024

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effects of commonly consumed hot drinks on the force decay of orthodontic elastomeric chains. Methods: This in vitro experimental study evaluated 375 pieces of elastomeric chains with six rings placed on a jig. Four rings were stretched by 23.5 mm corresponding to the approximate distance between the canine and the second premolar. Fifteen pieces served as reference samples at time zero, and 360 pieces were randomized into four groups: control, hot water, hot tea, and hot coffee. Each group was further divided into six subgroups (n = 15) according to the different exposure periods. The specimens in the experimental groups were exposed to the respective solutions at 65.5℃ four times per day for 90 seconds at 5-second intervals. The control group was exposed to artificial saliva at 37℃. The force decay of the samples was measured at 1, 2, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days using a universal testing machine. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results: Maximum force decay occurred on day 1 in all groups. The minimum force was recorded in the control group, followed by the tea, coffee, and hot water groups on day 1. At the other time points, the minimum force was observed in the tea group, followed by the control, coffee, and hot water groups. Conclusions: Patients can consume hot drinks without concern about any adverse effect on force decay of the orthodontic elastomeric chains.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.59-65
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• 2024

Rectal prolapse is a condition where the rectal wall protrudes outside the anus. While it is a rare condition, it can cause discomfort for patients due to the protrusion of the rectal structure, discharge of mucus and blood, fecal incontinence, constipation, and other inconveniences. In this review, we analyzed a randomized controlled trial (RCT) study that used the herbal medicine Bojungikgi-tang(Buzhongyiqi-tang) as a complementary therapy to improve the weaknesses and side effects of the standard treatment, surgical therapy, for rectal prolapse. The analysis included 12 RCT studies, and in all studies, the prescription involved the use of Astragali Radix at the highest dosage. Among the 11 studies that evaluated efficacy, 7 studies showed a significant effect compared to the control group. In all 3 studies that evaluating recurrence rates and all 5 studies investigating complications after surgery, the experimental group showed significant effects. Based on these findings, this study could be considered as a foundational evidence for the application of bojungikgi-tang(Buzhongyiqi-tang) in clinical practice in Korean medicine for patients with rectal prolapse. It could also serve as foundational data for future research.

• 한국농촌건축학회논문집
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.1-8
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• 2024

Carbon neutrality refers to a state in which there is no global increase in CO₂ emissions due to human activities. In Korea, for carbon neutrality, green remodeling of existing buildings and customized support tasks for zero energy in new buildings are presented. Germany is showing fundamental changes in energy supply, such as applying renewable energy and higher energy efficiency from nuclear and fossil fuels, which were the existing energy sources. In this study, how Germany establishes policies for carbon neutrality at each state level and the cases applied to increase the energy efficiency of the actually applied residential complexes are analyzed based on this. As a result of the case complex analysis, it was found that the construction direction was being promoted as a zero-energy complex or a carbon-neutral complex by gradually reducing the energy demand in buildings and supplying additional energy with new and renewable energy in the low-energy building distribution in the 1990s. In Germany's ecological complex, energy standards have been strengthened from low-energy architecture to plus-energy architecture over time, and annual heating energy consumption standards and heat transmittance rates for each structure have been achieved at a higher level. The results of this analysis will serve as basic data and derivation of applicable items when planning residential complex development and remodeling of existing buildings for the domestic carbon-neutral goal in the future.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.27-31
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• 2024

Dried fruits of Amomum villosum Lour. have been used an korean medicine to treat digestive diseases for a long time. It has been reported that Amomum villosum extracts(AVE) have effects for diabetes and steatosis in experimental models. But we did not find the report about the cholesterol synthesis inhibition effects of AVE. The objective of this study is to clarify the inhibitory effect of AVE against oleic acid and glucose-induced hypercholesterolemia in HepG2 cells. The results show that AVE had a significant inhibitory effect against oleic acid and glucose-induced cholesterol accumulation. Those effects seem to be caused by inhibition of AVE on oleic acid and glucose-induced decrease of HMG CoA reductase, which is the rate-limiting enzyme for cholesterol biosynthesis in liver. It is believed that the results of this study can provide basic data for the drug and functional food development of hypercholesterolemia treatments.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.49-58
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• 2024

The rapid advancement of generative large language models has revolutionized various real-life domains, emphasizing the importance of exploring their applications in healthcare. This study aims to examine how generative large language models are implemented in the medical domain, with the specific objective of searching for the possibility and potential of integration between generative large language models and East Asian medicine. Through a comprehensive current state analysis, we identified limitations in the deployment of generative large language models within East Asian medicine and proposed directions for future research. Our findings highlight the essential need for accumulating and generating structured data to improve the capabilities of generative large language models in East Asian medicine. Additionally, we tackle the issue of hallucination and the necessity for a robust model evaluation framework. Despite these challenges, the application of generative large language models in East Asian medicine has demonstrated promising results. Techniques such as model augmentation, multimodal structures, and knowledge distillation have the potential to significantly enhance accuracy, efficiency, and accessibility. In conclusion, we expect generative large language models to play a pivotal role in facilitating precise diagnostics, personalized treatment in clinical fields, and fostering innovation in education and research within East Asian medicine.