• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.77-87
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• 1972

Korean rheum (Rheum undulatum Linne) as one of the botanical crude drugs which belong to polygonaceae family has been extensively applied in Chinese medicine during the last decades. It has been particularly used in cathartic and gastric tonic among the folk remedies. There are, however, a few reports with regard to the pharmacological effects on the motility of intestines of several animals. The authors hereby paid attention to this point of view and made experiment to examine the relationship between the alcohol extract of Korean rhei rhizoma and the motility of the isolated rabbit intestine, making the use of several drugs related to the motility of intestine such as acetylcholine, pilocarpine, atropine, papaverine, serotonin, and barium chloride. The movement of the isolated rabbit intestine in Tyrode's solution was recorded with the electric kymograph according to the Magnus method. The results of the experiment are as follows. 1. The motility of the isolated rabbit intestine represents the tendency of gradual dilatation in proportion to the concentration of R-A $10^{-4}$, $5{\times}10^{-4}$, and $10^{-3}$. 2. R-A $5{\times}10^{-4}$ does not seem to have the significant effect with acetylcholine, pilocarpine and atropine on motility of the isolated rabbit intestine strip. 3. R-A $5{\times}10^{-4}$ significantly blocks the contractile effect caused by serotonin $10^{-6}$ on motility of the isolated rabbit intestine strip. 4. R-A $5{\times}10^{-4}$ significantly blocks the contractile effect caused by barium chloride $10^{-4}$ on motility of the isolated rabbit intestine strip. 5. R-A $5{\times}10^{-4}$ significantly synergizes the dilatative effect caused by papaverine $10^{-6}$.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.93-99
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• 2004

Rhei rhizoma was processed into Jucho Daewhang according to the method of chinese pharmacopoeia. The contents of Sennoside A, B, Aloe-emodin, Chrysophanol, Emodin, and Rhein were analyzed by HPLC.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.144-148
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• 2011

Rhubarb (Rhei Rhizoma) has been used for the various clinical purposes such as purgative, stomach protective and pain relief for a long time. However, rhubarb in current market has a problem of quality control under which many of rhubarb fail to meet the standard specified in Korean Pharmacopoeia. This study was carried out to validate the method for the evaluation of the quality of five rhubarbs and Rumex species; Rheum palmatum, R. officinale, R. tanguticum, R. franzenbachii, R. undulatum, and Rumex species. The content of sennoside A with five anthraquinones (aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol and physcion) in five rhubarbs and one Rumex has been performed by using HPLC quantitation analysis. In results, only four samples in Palmata sect. were qualified with sennoside A and those samples were R. officinale and R. tanguticum. Samples of R. palmatum did not meet the standard contents of sennoside A. The contents of anthraquinones in Palmata sect. were two times larger than those in Rhapontica sect. Moreover the content variations of anthraquinones were smaller than those of sennoside A. Thus, anthraquinones can be the key characterizing molecules to control quality of rhubarb.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.21-33
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• 2009

In this study, we investigated the effect of Rhei Rhizoma (RR; 大黃) water extract on gene expression in a hypoxia model of cultured rat hippocampal neurons. RR water extract $(2.5{\mu}g/ml)$ was added to the culture media on day 10 in vitro (DIV10), and a hypoxic shock (2% $O_2$/5% $CO_2$, $37^{\circ}C$, 3 h) was given on DIV13. After maintaining the cultures in normoxia for 24 hr, total RNA was isolated and used for microarray analysis. The MA-plot indicated that most genes were up- or downregulated within 2-fold. There were more downregulated genes (725 ea) than upregulated ones (472 ea) when larger than Global M value 0.2 (i.e., >15% increase) or smaller than Global M value -0.2 (i.e., >15% decrease) were considered. Antiapoptosis genes such as Tegt (2.4-fold), Nfkb1 (2.4-fold) Veg (1.8-fold), Ngfr (1.6-fold) were upregulated, while pro-apoptosis genes such as Bad (-64%), Cstb (-66%) were downregulated. Genes for combating environmental stress (stress response genes) such as Defb3 (2.7-fold), Cygb (2.2-fold), Ahsg (2.18-fold), Alox5 (2-fold) were upregulated. Genes for cell proliferation (cell cycle-related genes) such as Erbb2 (1.84-fold), Mapk12 gene (1.8-fold) was upregulated. Therefore, RR water extracts upregulate many pro-survival genes while downregulating many pro-death genes. It is interpreted that these genes, in combination with other regulated genes, can promote neuronal survival in a stress such as hypoxia.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.106-114
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• 2009

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the world's most common primary malignant tumor of the liver. In-Jin-ho-Tang (IJHT) has been used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine since ancient times, and today it is widely used as a medication for jaundice associated with inflammation of the liver. In-Jin-Ho-Tang is a drug preparation consisting of three herbs: Artemisiae Capillaris Herba (Artemisia capillaries $T_{HUNS}$, Injinho in Korean), Gardeniae Fructus (Gardenia jasminodes $E_{LLIS}$, Chija in Korean) and Rhei radix et rhizoma (Rheum palmatum L., Daehwang in Korean). This study investigated whether or not methanol extract of IJHT could induce HepG2 cancer cell death. Cytotoxic activity of IJHT on HepG2 cells was measured using an XTT assay, with an $IC_{50}$ value of $700{\mu}g/ml$ at 24 h Apoptosis induction by IJHT in HepG2 cells was verified by the cleavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase, and a decrease in procaspase-3, -8, -9. Treatment of IJHT resulted in the release of cytochrome c into cytosol, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (${\Delta}{\Psi}_m$), decrease in anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, and an increase in pro-apoptotic Bax expression. Thus, IJHT induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells via activation of caspase and mitochondria pathway. These results indicate that IJHT has potential as an anti-cancer agent.