• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 2017

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease with multifactorial causes including environmental and genetic factors. Several studies have demonstrated that the organic cation/carnitine transporter 1 (OCTN1) non-synonymous variant L503F is associated with susceptibility to CD. However, it was reported that L503F is absent in Asian populations. Previously, we identified and functionally characterized genetic variants of the OCTN1 promoter region in Koreans. In that study, four variants demonstrated significant changes in promoter activity. In the present study, we determined whether four functional variants of the OCTN1 promoter play a role in the susceptibility to or clinical course of CD in Koreans. To examine it, the frequencies of the four variants of the OCTN1 promoter were determined by genotyping using DNA samples from 194 patients with CD and 287 healthy controls. Then, associations between genetic variants and the susceptibility to CD or clinical course of CD were evaluated. We found that susceptibility to CD was not associated with OCTN1 functional promoter variants or haplotypes showing altered promoter activities in in vitro assays. However, OCTN1 functional promoter haplotypes showing decreased promoter activities were significantly associated with a penetrating behavior in CD patients (HR=2.428, p=0.009). Our results suggest that the OCTN1 functional promoter haplotypes can influence the CD phenotype, although these might not be associated with susceptibility to this disease.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.65-71
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• 2003

Increasing evidences suggest that ischemia-induced vascular damage is an integral step in the cascade of the cellular and molecular events initiated by cerebral ischemia. In the present study, employing a mouse brain endothelioma-derived cell line, bEnd.3, and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) as an in vitro stroke model, the role of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) activation during ischemic injury was investigated. OGD was found to activate NF-${\kappa}B$ and to induce bEnd.3 cell death in a time-dependent manner. OGD phosphorylated neither 32 Ser nor 42 Tyr of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$. OGD did not change the amount of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$. The extents of OGD-induced cell death after 8 h, 10 h, 12 h and 14 h of OGD were 10%, 35%, 60% and 85%, respectively. Reperfusion following OGD did not cause additional cell death, indicating no reperfusion injury after ischemic insult in cerebral endothelial cells. Three known as NF-${\kappa}B$ inhibitors, including pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) plus zinc, aspirin and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), inhibited OGD-induced NF-${\kappa}B$ activation and increased OGD-induced bEnd.3 cell death in a dose dependent manner. There were no changes in the protein levels of bcl-2, bax and p53 which are modulated by NF-${\kappa}B$ activity. These results suggest that NF-${\kappa}B$ activation might be a protective mechanism for OGD-induced cell death in bEnd.3.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.324-329
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• 2006

Neuropathic pain syndromes resulted from peripheral nerve injury appear to be resistant to conventional analgesics like opioids. However, it has been demonstrated that acupuncture including aqua-acupuncture may be effective in managing neuropathic pain. The present study was conducted to determine if bee venom injection into acupoint ihibits neuropathic pain, which is difficult to be treated by usual analgesics. Under pentobarbital anesthesia, male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to neuropathic surgery. Two weeks after nerve injury, mechanical and cold allodynia were tested in order to evaluate the antiallodynic effects of bee venom injection into an acupoint. Intraperitoneal injection of morphine inhibited mechanical allodynia dose-dependently. Bee venom injected into Zusanli acupoint significantly inhibited mechanical and cold allodynia. These results suggest that bee venom-acupuncture as well as morphine is very effective to inhibit mechanical allodynia.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.1-16
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• 2009

1. Objectives: This research was proposed to find out the pathology of Soyangin in Sasang Constitutional Medicine(SCM). 2. Methods: The related contents of the pathology of Soyangin were selected in Je-Ma Lee's literatures such as "Dongmu-YuGo(東武遺稿)"(DYG), "Donguisusebowon-SaSangchobongyun(東醫壽世保元四象草本卷)"(DSS), "Donguisusebowon-GabObon(東醫壽世保元甲午本)"(DGO), "Donguisusebowon-ShinChukbon(東醫壽世保元辛丑本)"(DSC), and the research was written in order to find out the physiology and pathology of Soyangin in SCM. 3. Results and Conclusions: The chronical change of pathologic concept in Soyangin diseases as follows : Pathology in Soyangin diseases was much Hot Qi(熱氣), and more ascending Qi, less descending Qi in DYG, DSS. In "Discourse on the viscera and bowels" of DGO and DSC, Soyangin has a circulation of Water-Food Hot Qi of Spleen Group(脾黨) and Water-Food Cold Qi of Kidney Group(腎黨). Exterior Disease(表病) was the injury of Exterior-Qi such as mouth-hip Qi(口膀胱氣) by Anger-Nature-Qi(怒性氣), and Interior Disease(裏病) was the injury of Interior-Qi such as kidney-large intestine Qi(腎大腸氣) by Sorrow-Emotion-Qi(哀情氣). All diseases of Soyangin are caused by insufficient Cool Yin Qi(陰淸之氣) in Kidney Group(腎黨), so the pathology of Soyangin was focused on Requisite energy(保命之主) and each small viscera and bowels(偏小之臟). In this viewpoint, the schema of Soyangin diseases such as Soyangsangpoong-syndrome(少陽傷風證), Kyulhyung-syndrome(結胸證), Mangeum-syndrome(亡陰證), Hyungkyukyeol-syndrome(胸膈熱證), Sogal-syndrome(消渴證) and Eumhuoyeol-syndrome(陰虛午熱證) were designed to explain the mechanism of each syndrome.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.1177-1181
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• 2003

Chinese cabbage is a vegetable of Cruciferous family. It was usually consumed as Kimchi. It was known to have amount of vitamin c. Recently the trend for the development of functional food combined with oriental herbs. For this aim the study was performed to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect via antioxidant activity of leaf and root of Sanchon Chinese cabbage(Brassica campetris L.) comparatively. The methanol extracts of Chinese cabbage were tested for investigating the effects on the formation of lipid peroxide and the activities of free radical generating enzyme in vitro in bromobenzene-treated rats. The methanol extracts of chinese cabbage reduced bromobenzene-induced hepatic lipid peroxidation and inhibited the activity of xanthine oxidase. The methanol extracts of chinese cabbage did not activate amionopyrine N-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase and glutathione S-transferase. Epoxide hydrolase activity was decreased by bromobenzene, which was restored by pretreatment of the methanol extracts of chinese cabbage. The results suggest that the methanol extracts of Chinese cabbage is reduced by enhancing the activity of epoxide hydrolase.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.409-415
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• 2015

This study compared the heart rate variability tests of healthy college students and chronic fatigue patients for 2 years. Study subjects were idiopathic chronic fatigue patients who carried out the HRV tests and students conducted HRV test when health screening test. Study subjects were 250 people, 104 people and men (41.6%), women were 146 patients (58.4%). In patient group, the autonomic nervous system activity was decreased, the activity of the sympathetic nerve and the parasympathetic nerve were significantly reduced compared to the control group(Patient:84.17±16.27, Control:98.33±17.28). Regardless of gender, patient group's autonomic nervous system activity was decreased, the activity of the sympathetic nerve and the parasympathetic nerve were significantly reduced, compared to the control group(Patient Female:84.17±16.27, Patient Male:84.07±14.96/Control Female:98.33±17.28, Control Male:96.45±16.92). Even though same ages, patient group's autonomic nervous activity was reduced compared to control group(Patient:89.36±12.43, Control:97.39±16.91). Fatigue patients' activity of the sympathetic nerve and the parasympathetic nerve were significantly reduced, regardless of the fact that activity of the sympathetic nerve is increased and the parasympathetic nerve is decreased in stress state like an impassioned injury(七情傷). Therefore HRV test is useful to diagnose Fatigue from this study.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2006

The promoting effect of hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) against the cytotoxicity of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ($MPP^+$) in differentiated PC12 cells was assessed by measuring the effect on the mitochondrial membrane permeability. Treatment of PC12 cells with $MPP^+$ resulted in the nuclear damage, decrease in the mitochondrial transmembrane potential, cytosolic accumulation of cytochrome c, activation of caspase-3, increase in the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and depletion of GSH. Addition of $H_2O_2$ enhanced the $MPP^+-induced$ nuclear damage and cell death. Catalase, Carboxy-PTIO, Mn-TBAP, N-acetylcysteine, cyclosporin A and trifluoperazine inhibited the cytotoxic effect of $MPP^+$ in the presence of $H_2O_2$. Addition of $H_2O_2$ promoted the change in the mitochondrial membrane permeability, ROS formation and decrease in GSH contents due to $MPP^+$ in PC12 cells. The results show that the $H_2O_2$ treatment promotes the cytotoxicity of $MPP^+$ against PC12 cells. $H_2O_2$ may enhance the $MPP^+$-induced viability loss in PC12 cells by promoting the mitochondrial membrane permeability change, release of cytochrome c and subsequent activation of caspase-3, which is associated with the increased formation of ROS and depletion of GSH. The findings suggest that $H_2O_2$ as a promoting agent for the formation of mitochondrial permeability transition may enhance the neuronal cell injury caused by neurotoxins.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.169-175
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• 2014

Human organic cation/carnitine transporter 1 (OCTN1) plays an important role in the transport of drugs and endogenous substances. It is known that a missense variant of OCTN1 is significantly associated with Crohn's disease susceptibility. This study was performed to identify genetic variants of the OCTN1 promoter in Korean individuals and to determine their functional effects. First, the promoter region of OCTN1 was directly sequenced using genomic DNA samples from 48 healthy Koreans. OCTN1 promoter activity was then measured using a luciferase reporter assay in HCT-116 cells. Seven variants of the OCTN1 promoter were identified, two of which were novel. There were also four major OCTN1 promoter haplotypes. Three haplotypes (H1, H3, and H4) showed decreased transcriptional activity, which was reduced by 22.9%, 23.0%, and 44.6%, respectively (p<0.001), compared with the reference haplotype (H2). Transcription factor binding site analyses and gel shift assays revealed that NF-Y could bind to the region containing g.-1875T>A, a variant present in H3, and that the binding affinity of NF-Y was higher for the g.-1875T allele than for the g.-1875A allele. NF-Y could also repress OCTN1 transcription. These data suggest that three OCTN1 promoter haplotypes could regulate OCTN1 transcription. To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify functional variants of the OCTN1 promoter.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.467-479
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• 2018

The aging process induces a plethora of changes in the body including alterations in hormonal regulation and metabolism in various organs including the heart. Aging is associated with marked increase in the vulnerability of the heart to ischemia-reperfusion injury. Furthermore, it significantly hampers the development of adaptive response to various forms of conditioning stimuli (pre/post/remote conditioning). Aging significantly impairs the activation of signaling pathways that mediate preconditioning-induced cardioprotection. It possibly impairs the uptake and release of adenosine, decreases the number of adenosine transporter sites and down-regulates the transcription of adenosine receptors in the myocardium to attenuate adenosine-mediated cardioprotection. Furthermore, aging decreases the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator 1-alpha ($PGC-1{\alpha}$) and subsequent transcription of catalase enzyme which subsequently increases the oxidative stress and decreases the responsiveness to preconditioning stimuli in the senescent diabetic hearts. In addition, in the aged rat hearts, the conditioning stimulus fails to phosphorylate Akt kinase that is required for mediating cardioprotective signaling in the heart. Moreover, aging increases the concentration of $Na^+$ and $K^+$, connexin expression and caveolin abundance in the myocardium and increases the susceptibility to ischemia-reperfusion injury. In addition, aging also reduces the responsiveness to conditioning stimuli possibly due to reduced kinase signaling and reduced STAT-3 phosphorylation. However, aging is associated with an increase in MKP-1 phosphorylation, which dephosphorylates (deactivates) mitogen activated protein kinase that is involved in cardioprotective signaling. The present review describes aging as one of the major confounding factors in attenuating remote ischemic preconditioning-induced cardioprotection along with the possible mechanisms.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.618-622
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• 2005

Articular cartilage is an important target for studying the arthritic diseases. To verify the therapeutic effects of bee venom herb-acupuncture in vivo, 3${\mu}$l of diluted solution of bee venom for herb-acupuncture were injected into articular cavity once a day during 3 months after making full-thickness defects in rat articular cartilage. Histological examination and immunohistochemistry indicated that the chondrocyte-like tissue was formed during the repair process of cartilage injury, and the expression of a cartilage-specific protein, collagen type II, were significantly activated. It means that the expression of the gene encoding type I collagen was down-regulated, whereas those of collagen type II were up-regulated. Histological examination by hematoxylin-eosin staining indicated that the cells regained their original round morphology. In addition, a homogeneous distribution of articular cartilage extracellular matrices was detected around the cells. These results suggested that bee venom herb-acupuncture was very effective on the recovery of articular chondrocyte phenotype.