• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.6
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• pp.625-637
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• 1997

Calcium ions are implicated in a variety of physiological functions, including enzyme activity, membrane excitability, neurotransmitter release, and synaptic transmission, etc. Calcium antagonists have been known to be effective for the treatment of exertional angina and essential hypertension. Selective and nonselective voltage-dependent calcium channel blockers also have inhibitory action on the acute and tonic pain behaviors resulting from thermal stimulation, subcutaneous formalin injection and nerve injury. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of iontophoretically applied $Ca^{++}$ and its antagonists on the responses of WDR (wide dynamic range) cells to sensory inputs. The responses of WDR cells to graded electrical stimulation of the afferent nerve and also to thermal stimulation of the receptive field were recorded before and after iontophoretical application of $Ca^{++}$, EGTA, $Mn^{++}$, verapamil, ${\omega}-conotoxin$ GVIA, ${\omega}-conotoxin$ MVIIC and ${\omega}-agatoxin$ IVA. Also studied were the effects of a few calcium antagonists on the C-fiber responses of WDR cells sensitized by subcutaneous injection of mustard oil (10%). Calcium ions and calcium channel antagonists ($Mn^{++}$, verapamil, ${\omega}-conotoxin$ GVIA & ${\omega}-agatoxin$ IVA) current-dependently suppressed the C-fiber responses of WDR cells without any significant effects on the A-fiber responses. But ${\omega}-conotoxin$ MVIIC did not have any inhibitory actions on the responses of WDR cell to A-fiber, C-fiber and thermal stimulation. Iontophoretically applied EGTA augmented the WDR cell responses to C-fiber and thermal stimulations while spinal application of EGTA for about $20{\sim}30\;min$ strongly inhibited the C-fiber responses. The augmenting and the inhibitory actions of EGTA were blocked by calcium ions. The WDR cell responses to thermal stimulation of the receptive field were reduced by iontophoretical application of $Ca^{++}$, verapamil, ${\omega}-agatoxin$ IVA, and ${\omega}-conotoxin$ GVIA but not by ${\omega}-conotoxin$ MVIIC. The responses of WDR cells to C-fiber stimulation were augmented after subcutaneous injection of mustard oil (10%, 0.15 ml) into the receptive field and these sensitized C-fiber responses were strongly suppressed by iontophoretically applied $Ca^{++}$, verapamil, ${\omega}-conotoxin$ GVIA and ${\omega}-agatoxin$ IVA. These experimental findings suggest that in the rat spinal cord, L-, N-, and P-type, but not Q-type, voltage-sensitive calcium channels are implicated in the calcium antagonist-induced inhibition of the normal and the sensitized responses of WDR cells to C-fiber and thermal stimulation, and that the suppressive effect of calcium and augmenting action of EGTA on WDR cell responses are due to changes in excitability of the cell.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.143-150
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• 1992

The purpose of this study is to obtain the effective concentration of capsaicin to relieve pain with no change in the number of C-fibers and its effective duration for pain relief. Capsaicin has been used extremely as a experimental tool and as topical medications for acute or chronic tissue injuries and partial nerve injury is the main cause of causalgiform pain disorders in humans. Here, the left sciatic nerve was ligated unilaterally at the high level of the thigh to prepare an animal model of this pain condition. The rat developed guarding behavior of the ipsilateral hind paw within a few hours after the operation and this behavior was maintained for several months thereafter, suggesting the possibility of spontaneous pain. These animals were divided into two groups(4-week & 8-week) and each group was subdivided into five groups by different concentration (0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 & 2.0%). Each capsaicin concentration was treated locally on the spinal cord-side of the ligated nerve and the foot withdrawal latency was measured. Thereafter, the dorsal roots of L5 were removed from both sides immediately after in tracardial perfusion for the counting of C-fibers by the histological procedure. There were no significant differences in the foot-withdrawal latency and the number of C-fibers between the left side treated with 0.05% capsaicin and the right side treated with the vehicle. However, latencies of the left sides treated with 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0% capsaicin increased significantly throughout 4-6 weeks with almost no change in the number of C-fibers, and the latencies showed the trends to approach slowly to those of the conditions after operation. The latency of subgroup treated with 2.0% increased by approximate 10% more than that of the right side throughout 8 weeks, and the number of C-fibers decreased by about 30% or more These results suggest that the elevated latency with capsaicin(0.1-1.0%) treatment is due to the inhibition of impulse transmission throughout the primary afferent fiber and the data from 2.0% are due to partial destruction of C-fibers. Therefore, capsaicin concentrations from 0.1% to 1.0% are probably very effective for the treatment of causalgiform pain with almost no destruction of C-fibers.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.117-127
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• 2010

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to find out the characteristics of patients who admitted due to industrial accident and to promote the superiority of oriental medical treatment on the sequelae of industrial accident. Methods : We analyzed the medical charts of 51 inpatients in a local oriental medicine hospital. The patients had been hospitalized from May 1, 2003 to October 31, 2010. Results : 1. By gender, males accounted for 78.4%, while females 21.6%. By age, most incidences occurred in the forties(29.4%), fifties(23.5%) and thirties(19.6%) in order. 2. Most causes of accident was carelessness(27.5%) and fall down(21.6%) was the next. 3. With regard to the interval from occurrence of accidents to hospitalization, 20 cases(39.2%) were found to be hospitalized 31～90 days after the accidents, followed by 11 cases(21.6%) in 91～180 days and 7 cases(13.7%) in 181～360 days. 4. Most cases turned out to be injuries with 40 patients from Sequelae of intracerebral hemorrhage (23.5%) and Lumbar and other intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy(13.7%). The mean duration of hospitalization was $209.03{\pm}346.04$ days. Inpatients of Organic brain syndrome NOS numbered the longest stay($676{\pm}86.26$days), Sequelae of intracerebral hemorrhage recorded $541.91{\pm}541.83$ days hospitalized. 5. Most of inpatients were treated with acupuncture(100%), herbal medication(98.0%), oriental physiological therapy(82.3%), and moxibustion(76.4%). Conclusions : This article will help the researchers related to Oriental medicine establish basic source of Oriental medicine approach for inpatients due to industrial accident.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 2005

Purpose: Currently, there is a variety of systems available for predicting prognosis of trauma patients such as trauma score, Injury severity score (ISS) and acid-base variables. But it is not clear that the initial acid-base variables are predictors of prognosis in trauma patients at the emergency department. The objective of this study is to compare the base deficit, lactate and strong ion gap as an early predictor of mortality in trauma patients. Methods: Retrospective record review of 136 trauma patients needed to admit to intensive care unit via emergency department (June 2004 to February 2005). Data included age, injury mechanism, ISS, Revised trauma score (RTS), Multiple organ dysfunction score (MODS), Acute physiology and chronic health evaluation III (APACHE III), Glasgow coma scale (GCS), laboratory profiles, calculated anion gap and strong ion gap. Patients were divided into survivors and non-survivors, shock group and non-shock group with comparison by t-test;significance was assumed for p<0.05. Correlation between acid-base variables and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) was evaluated. Results: There was a significant difference between the RTS (p=0.00), APACHE III (p=0.00), MODS (p=0.00), GCS (p=0.00) of survivors and non-survivors. There was no significant difference between the ISS (p=0.082), lactate (p=0.541), base excess (p=0.468) and SIG (p=0.894) of survivors and non-survivors. There was a significant difference between the RTS (p=0.023), APACHE III (p=0.002), lactate (p=0.000), base excess (p=0.000) and SIG (p=0.000) of shock and non-shock group. There was no significant difference between the ISS (p=0.270), MODS (p=0.442) and GCS (p=0.432) of shock and non-shock group. The base excess was most correlated to MABP (r2=0.150). Conclusion: Initial base deficit, serum lactate and SIG are not predictors of mortality in moderate to severe trauma patients. Initial base deficit, serum lactate and SIG are correlated with the mean arterial blood pressure in trauma patients in emergency department.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.515-523
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• 2000

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) play an important role in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury. Moreover, platelets are also important blood cells that can aggravate myocardial ischemic injury. This study was designed to test the effects of PMNs and platelets separately and together in provoking cardiac dysfunction in isolated perfused rat hearts following ischemia and reperfusion. Additional control rat hearts were perfused with $75{\times}10^6$ PMNs, with $75{\times}10^6$ platelets, or with $75{\times}10^6\;PMNs+75{\times}10^6$ platelets over a five minute perfusion followed by a 75 min observation period. No significant reduction in coronary flow (CF), left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), or the first derivative of LVDP (dP/dt max) was observed at the end of the observation period in any non-ischemic group. Similarly, global ischemia (I) for 20 min followed by 45 minutes of reperfusion (R) produced no sustained effects on the final recovery of any of these parameters in any group of hearts perfused in the absence of blood cells. However, I/R hearts perfused with either PMNs or platelets alone exhibited decreases in these variables of $5{\sim}10%$ (p＜0.05 from control). Furthermore, I/R hearts perfused with both PMNs and platelets exhibited decreases of 50 to 60% in all measurements of cardiac function (p＜0.01). These dual cell perfused I/R hearts also exhibited marked increases in cardiac myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity indicating a significant PMN infiltration, and enhanced P-selectin expression on the coronary microvascular endothelium. All cardiaodynamic effects as well as PMN accumulation and P-selectin expression were markedly attenuated by a recombinant soluble PSGL-1 which inhibits selectin mediated cell adhesion. These results provide evidence that platelets and PMNs act synergistically in provoking post-reperfusion cardiac dysfunction, and that this may be largely due to cell to cell interactions mediated by P-selectin. These results also demonstrate that a recombinant soluble PSGL-1 reduces myocardial reperfusion injury by platelet and PMNs interaction.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.167-174
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• 2000

A glass chamber experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of ozone (O$_3$) on the physiology of two soybean, Glycine max L. cultivars, 'Hwanggum' and 'Jangyub'. Thirty-day old plants with 1-2 nodes were exposed to $O_3$ of <10 and 150 n1 1$^{-1}$ in the chambers for 8 h d$^{-1}$ for 3 days. Net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll contents, and foliar injury (% injured leaves) were measured. Although foliar damage was more severe on Jangyub than on Hwanggum, net photosynthesis was decreased by 60% on Hwanggum and 13% on Jangyub due to the $O_3$ treatment. Stomatal conductance on Jangyub was twice higher than that on Hwanggum and it was not changed by the $O_3$ treatment. Whereas, stomatal conductance on Hwanggum was 60-80% decreased by $O_3$, Chlorophyll contents did not change due to the $O_3$ treatment or variety. We can conclude that the reduction of net photosynthesis by $O_3$ was mainly due to the decreases of stomatal conductance and Rubisco (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) activity on dark reaction. And foliar injury and chlorophyll content did not contribute to the net photosynthetic decrease. The gas-exchange variables measured 24 h after the termination of $O_3$ fumigation showed that there was no significant recovery within a day. Since the physiological responses on Jangyub were not much affected by the $O_3$ treatment, this variety could be $O_3$ resistant.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1342-1350
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• 2013

We examined the effect of hydrogen sulfide ($H_2S$) in chemical hypoxia-induced injury in mouse hepatocytes. Cell viability was significantly decreased by cobalt chloride ($CoCl_2$), a well-known hypoxia mimetic agent in a time- and dose- dependent manner. Sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, a donor of $H_2S$) pretreatment before exposure to $CoCl_2$ significantly attenuated the $CoCl_2$-induced decrease of cell viability. $CoCl_2$ treatment resulted in an increase of intracellular ROS generation, which is inhibited by NaHS or N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC, a ROS scavenger), and p38 MAPK phosphorylation, which is also blocked by NaHS or NAC. The $CoCl_2$-induced increase of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was attenuated by NaHS, NAC, and SB 203580 (p38 MAPK inhibitor). The $CoCl_2$-induced decrease of cell viability was also attenuated by NaHS, NAC, and SB 203580 pretreatment. Additionally, NaHS inhibited the $CoCl_2$-induced COX-2. Similar to the effect of NaHS, NAC blocked $CoCl_2$-induced COX-2 expression. Furthermore, NS-398 (a selective COX-2 inhibitor) attenuated not only the $CoCl_2$-induced increase of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, it also decreased cell viability. Taken together, $H_2S$ protects primary cultured mouse hepatocytes against $CoCl_2$-induced cell injury through inhibition of the ROS-activated p38 MAPK cascade and the COX-2 pathway.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.22 no.E2
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• pp.89-98
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• 2006

Two tobacco cultivars (Nicotiana tabacum L.), Bel-B and Bel-W3, tolerant and sensitive to ozone, respectively, were grown in a greenhouse supplied with charcoal filtered air and exposed to 200 ppb ozone for 4 hr. Effects on chlorophyll fluorescence, net photosynthesis, and stomatal conductance are described. Quantum yield was calculated from chlorophyll fluorescence and the initial slope of the assimilation-light curve measured by the gas exchange method. Only the sensitive cultivar, Bel-W3, developed visual injury symptoms on up to 50% of the $5^{th}$ leaf. The maximum net photosynthetic rate of ozone-treated plants was reduced 40% compared to control plants immediately after ozone fumigation in the tolerant cultivar; however, photosynthesis recovered by 24 hr post fumigation and remained at the same level as control plants. On the other hand, ozone exposure reduced maximum net photosynthesis up to 50%, with no recovery, in the sensitive cultivar apparently causing permanent damage to the photosystem. Reductions in apparent quantum efficiency, calculated from the assimilation-light curve, differed between cultivars. Bel-B showed an immediate depression of 14% compared to controls, whereas, Bel-W3 showed a 27% decline. Electron transport rate (ETR), at saturating light intensity, decreased 58% and 80% immediately after ozone treatment in Bel-B and Bel-W3, respectively. Quantum yield decreased 28% and 36% in Bel-B and Bel-W3, respectively. It can be concluded that ozone caused a greater relative decrease in linear electron transport than maximum net photosynthesis, suggesting greater damage to PSII than the carbon reduction cycle.

• Journal of The Association for Neo Medicine
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.15-30
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• 1996

In the study about the logical basis and interpreting methods of animal experiments using rats in traditional medicine, several conclusions are obtained and summarized as following. 1. The logical basis of the animal experiments in traditional medicine is the essential homogeneity between human and rat defined as various transformation of one Qi(一氣) packed the cosmos. 2. Morphologically, the rat has abundant Yin(陰) and less Yang(陽) in most of anatomical characteristics. 3. Physiologically, the rat has unstable heart and mild temper with good fertility, which shows the features of Yin animal. 4. Pathologically, the rat shows the pathology of injury of viscera by stresses(氣激傷臟) and pathological transformations of internal water(痰飮水濕) mainly. 5. Constitutionally, the rat is alike to water type man(水形人) or Soeumin(小陰人) out of Yin Ren(陰人). 6. So, the rat is the proper experimental animal for diseases of sputum and water, emotional stimulations, endocrine system, heart, kidney, Yin syndrome(陰證) etc..

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1525-1531
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• 2008

Acer tegmentosum Max which is one of the specialized wildness medicinal herbs in gangwon province, has been widely used for hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, hepatic cancer, leukemia, diabetes mellitus, renal necrosis and edema, etc. In this study, the antioxidative and hepatoprotective effects of in vitro and in vivo were investigated in order to evaluate the possibility as hepatoprotective agents. Oral administration of methanol and butanol extact of Acer tegmentosum Max to d-galactosamine (D-GaIN) induced experimental liver injured rats was significantly reduced activities of marker enzymes(AST, ALT) and LDH activity in serum. Salidroside(Sal) isolated from the BuOH extract of Acer termentosum Max potenty showed the scavenzing effect on DPPH and inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation. And significantly decrcease of MDA level in liver and activities of SOD GSH-Px and catalase were significantly improved by the treatment of Sal. Results of this study revealed that Sal could afford a significant protection in the alleviation of D-GaIN-induced hepatocellular injury.