• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.66-72
• /
• 2016

This retrospective observational study was aimed to assess that Shinchubogun-tang (Shenzhuibujian-tang ; SBT) improves the symptoms related to lumbar disc herniation. We analyzed the medical records of 36 patients, who were satisfied with inclusion and exclusion criteria. The patients were diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation and prescribed with SBT in addition to Korean medical common treatments at Dunsan Korean Medicine Hospital of Daejeon University from January 1st, 2013 to November 30th, 2015. The effects of SBT was evaluated by comparing before and after taking SBT through 0-10 visual analogue scale(VAS) of the symptoms including lower back pain, radiating pain, and lower extremity numbness. The average period of common Korean medicine treatment before SBT prescription was 9.78 days and then the patients received SBT along with common Korean medicine treatment for 13.17 days on average. SBT plus common korean medicine treatment group significantly decreased VAS score of lower back pain from 5.40±1.62 to 3.28±1.70 (p<0.01), radiating pain from 5.60±1.42 to 2.35±1.79 (p<0.01), lower extremity numbness from 5.77±1.52 to 2.55±1.85(p<0.01). These results demonstrated that SBT might have a potential on improvement of lumbar disc herniation by reducing the symptoms of lower back pain, radiating pain, and lower extremity numbness.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.605-621
• /
• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this review is to assess the efficacy and safety of Hwangryunhaedok-tang for type 2 diabetes without complications by systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: We searched the following up to March 31. 2021: PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, CiNii, KISS, KMBASE, OASIS, ScienceON. Data extraction and assessment of Cochrane's risk of bias (RoB) tool were performed by two independent authors, and if there was disagreement between two researchers, it was resolved through the intervention of a third researcher. Results: A total of seven trials are included in this systemic review. The treatment group (Hwangryunhaedok-tang plus conventional treatment) showed more statistically significant effects than did the control group (conventional treatment only) in fasting plasma glucose level, 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose level, glycated hemoglobin A1c, fasting insulin level, and HOMA-IR. There was no significant difference between the treatment group (Hwangryunhaedok-tang alone) and the control group (metformin alone). Conclusion: Hwangryunhaedok-tang might have efficacy and safety in controlling blood sugar level and improving insulin-resistance. However, the number of studies included in the meta-analysis was insufficient, and the Hwangryunhaedok-tang used in the included studies was not standardized. Also, the quality of the involved studies was generally low. Therefore, further studies are needed to determine the efficacy and safety of Hwangryunhaedok-tang treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.55-68
• /
• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of Guibi-tang that are used for postpartum depression. Methods: We searched on five databases [Korean studies Information Service (KISS), Oriental medicine advanced searching integrated system (OASIS), The Cochrane Library, PubMed, and China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI)] with keywords for Postpartum depression (English, Korean, and Chinese) and evaluated the risk of bias. Meta-analysis was performed on the selected studies. Results: 8 potentially relevant articles were retrieved for further evaluation. There was evidence that Guibi-tang compared with Western medicine was significantly higher rate in total effect rate (RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.04, 1.39, p=0.01). Also, the combined therapeutic effects of Guibi-tang and Psychological intervention compared with Psychological intervention were statistically significant in total effect rate (RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.05, 1.24, p=0.002). And they showed improvement on scores of HAMD (Hamilton depression scale, HAMD) and SF-36 (36-Item short form health survey, SF-36). Conclusion: Guibi-tang appears to be more effective compared to Western medicine in the treatment of postpartum depression. The combination Guibi-tang and Psychological intervention was more effective than psychological intervention alone treated for postpartum depression. However, since unclear risk of bias, the result of this study should be considered carefully. Further clinical trials should be carried out in order to academical clinical progress regarding treatment of Postpartum Depression.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.41 no.6
• /
• pp.834-842
• /
• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on recovery of muscle atrophy induced by Parkinson's disease. Methods: The rat model was established by direct injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA, 20 ${\mu}g$) into the left striatum using stereotaxic surgery. Rats were divided into two groups; the Parkinson's disease group with vehicle treatment (Vehicle; n=12) or DHEA treatment group (DHEA; n=22). DHEA or vehicle was administrated intraperitoneally daily at a dose of 0.34 mmol/kg for 21 days. At 22-days after DHEA treatment, soleus, plantaris, and striatum were dissected. Results: The DHEA group showed significant increase (p<.01) in the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive neurons in the lesioned side substantia nigra compared to the vehicle group. Weights and Type I fiber cross-sectional areas of the contralateral soleus of the DHEA group were significantly greater than those of the vehicle group (p=.02, p=.00). Moreover, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation significantly decreased in the lesioned striatum, but was recovered with DHEA and also in the contralateral soleus muscle, Akt and ERK phosphorylation recovered significantly and the expression level of myosin heavy chain also recovered by DHEA treatment. Conclusion: Our results suggest that DHEA treatment recovers Parkinson's disease induced contralateral soleus muscle atrophy through Akt and ERK phosphorylation.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.185-194
• /
• 2006

1. Objecrives Although Lee Je-Ma emphasized it is important to be aware of our own Nature & Emotion(性情) and control them properly, there is few case report about Taeyangin focused on their psychological sides. This report is about a Taeyangin patient who had Hae Yuk and Yul Gyuk syndrome caused by her stress from the work place and relationship with her seniors 2. Methods We observed the female patient had hospitalized in the Oriental Hospital of Dongguk University more than twice has been followed up for the last one year. We prescripted Mi-hoo-teung-shik-chang Tang as her physical symptom. The improvement of her physical conditions were checked through her sleep, meal, menstruation, stool and urine. And MMPI has been tested three times for the last one year to analyze her psychological progress. 3. Results and Conclusions Working in a group can cause hard stress for Taeyangin who is not good at adjusting themselves to whatever environment they are in. Mi-hoo-teung-shik-chang Tang could improve Taeyangin's physical conditions such as Hae Yuk, Yul Gyuk, insomnia, nausea, anorexia and hypouresis. But as her psychological aspect, she was getting more anxious, depressed and avoiding contact with others due to the stress. It is necessary to rake care of patients' psychological sides as well as physical conditions through managing their Nature & Emotion(性情).

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.631-644
• /
• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of an instrument for pattern identification and evaluation in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).Methods: The study consisted of 66 patients with CIPN (visual analog scale ≥30 mm, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group ≤2). The test-retest reliability of the instrument for pattern identification and evaluation in CIPN was tested twice with the same patients in one week.Results: Pearson’s coefficient test-retest reliability of the instrument was 0.601-0.777. The internal reliability of each part was 0.619-0.811. To confirm the validity of the instrument for pattern identification and evaluation for CIPN, the correlation between the score for each identification pattern and that of other CIPN instruments was analyzed. The results revealed a positive correlation between the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General and CIPN-20.Conclusion: The reliability of the instrument for pattern identification and evaluation in CIPN was moderate, and the validity analysis revealed a positive correlation.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.99-118
• /
• 2021

Objectives: The aim of this study is to review and analyze the trends in prospective clinical research (PCR), project, clinical study protocol of Korean medicine (KM) for dementia. Methods: We searched PCRs of KM on dementia in six electronical databases, up to January 28, 2021. Moreover, the clinical research protocol and projects of KM for dementia were searched. Results: Total eight PCRs, nine projects, and three clinical study protocols were included. In the PCRs, there were one randomized controlled trial, five before and after study, and two comparative group before-after studies. Four of them used herbal medicine, two used acupuncture, one study used both herbal medicine and acupuncture, and the other one used moxibustion. Jowiseungchung-tang was the most frequently used herbal medicine. BL62, KI6 were used in electro-acupuncture, auricular-Shenmen in auricular acupuncture, and GV20 in moxibustion. The most frequent outcome was Korean-Dementia Rating Scale (K-DRS). One reported significant increase in K-DRS score, one reported 60% improvement, and the other studies mostly reported no significant difference. In the projects including 20 clinical studies of dementia, herbal medicine, integrative medicine and acupuncture were mainly used. In the protocols, herbal medicine, complex KM intervention, and integrative medicine were used. Conclusions: Currently, the number of PCRs of KM for dementia is very scarce. Therefore, the researcher's interest in this field and national research support should be made more, and the quality of clinical research in the future can be further improved by supplementing the limitations of previously published clinical research.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.16 no.5
• /
• pp.305-312
• /
• 2012

This study was to determine the effect of exercise on the recovery of dopaminergic neuron loss and muscle atrophy in 6-OHDA-induced hemi Parkinson's disease model. Exercise was loaded twice per day for 30 minutes each time, at 5 days after 6-OHDA lesioning and continued for 16 days using a treadmill. Exercise significantly increased the number of tyrosine hydroxylase positive neuron in the lesioned substantia nigra and the expression level of tyrosine hydroxylase in the striatum compared with the control group. To examine which signaling pathways may be involved in the exercise, the phosphorylation of $GSK3{\beta}$ and ERK were observed in the striatum. In the control group, basal level of $GSK3{\beta}$ phosphorylation was less than in both striatum, but exercise increased it. ERK phosphorylation decreased in the lesioned striatum, but exercise recovered it. These findings suggest that exercise inactivates $GSK3{\beta}$ by phosphorylation which may be involved in the neuroprotective effect of exercise on the 6-OHDA-induced cell death. In the exercise group, weight, and Type I and II fiber cross-sectional area of the contralateral soleus significantly recovered and expression of myosin heavy chain and Akt and ERK phosphorylation significantly increased by exercise. These results suggest that exercise recovers Parkinson's disease induced dopaminergic neuron loss and contralateral soleus muscle atrophy.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.35-43
• /
• 2018

Objectives: In the brain, glutamate is the most important excitable neurotransmitter in physiological and pathological conditions. However, the high level of glutamate induces neuronal cell death due to exitotoxicity and oxidative stress. The present study investigated to evaluate a possible neuroprotective effect of furosin isolated from Euphorbia helioscopia against glutamate-induced HT22 cell death. Methods: Furosin was isolated from methanol extract of Euphorbia helioscopia and examined whether it protects glutamate-induced neuronal cell death. The cell viability was determined using Ez-Cytox assay. Anti-oxidative effect of furosin was determined by DPPH scavenging activities, and the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were determined by the fluorescent intensity after staining the cells with $H_2DCFDA$. To evaluate apoptotic cell death, we performed nuclear staining and image-based cytometeric analysis. Results: The cell viability was significantly increased by treatement with furosin compared with the treatment with glutamate. Furosin showed a strong DPPH radical scavenging activity ($EC50=1.83{\mu}M$) and prevented the accumulation of intra cellular ROS. Finally, the presence of 50 and $100{\mu}M$ furosin significantly the percentage of apoptotic cells compared with glutamate treatment. Conclusion: The present study found that furosin is a potent neuroprotectant against glutamate-induced oxidative stress through inhibition of apoptotic cell death induced by glutamate. Therefore, the present study suggests that furosin as a bioactive compound of E. helioscopia can be a useful source to develop a drug for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and acute brain injuries.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.201-211
• /
• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to comprehensively review Korean domestic studies and investigate the research trends of pharmacopuncture therapy on cervical pain caused by traffic accidents. Methods: Domestic studies between February 1999 and May 2020 from four Korean databases were searched with combinations of keywords 'cervical pain', 'traffic accident', 'whiplash injury', and 'pharmacopuncture'. Results: 17 studies were selected for review, including 7 randomized controlled trials, 5 retrospective observational studies, 3 case reports, and 2 non-randomized controlled trials. Each study was reviewed by published year, study type, types of pharmacopuncture solutions, selected acupuncture points, dosage of pharmacopuncture solutions, frequency of treatment, concurrent treatments, outcome measurements, and the effectiveness of pharmacopuncture therapy. The results are as follows: (1) It showed that the total number of published studies had increased slightly in the last 10 years compared to the previous decade. (2) The pharmacopuncture solutions used in the studies were in the following order: Bee-Venom (蜂毒), Jungsongouhyul (中性瘀血), Hwangryunhaedoktang (黃連解毒湯) and Soyeom (消炎). Frequently used acupuncture points were GB20, GV21, A-shi point, GV16, EX-B2, and SI15 in order. (3) The most commonly used total injection dosage was 1.0 cc at a time, and the frequency of treatment was twice a week. (4) Concurrent treatments such as acupuncture, herbal medication, physical therapy and Chuna manual therapy were performed in all 17 studies. (5) Pharmacopuncture therapy showed positive effects on cervical pain caused by traffic accidents in all 17 studies reviewed. Conclusion: Pharmacopuncture therapy was effective in cervical pain caused by traffic accidents in all 17 studies selected. Further studies will be needed using more larger scales and more objective data to confirm the effectiveness of pharmacopuncture therapy and to generalize its application.