• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.196-210
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to review the research trends of infertile women with uterine myoma in Korean medicine and to recognize the efficacy of Korean medicine intervention. Methods: A search was conducted on November 18, 2022, using six databases, including Research Information Sharing Service (RISS), Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS), Cochrane Library Central, Pubmed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and WangFang Med Online. We analyzed the studies using Korean medicine on women with uterine myoma preparing for pregnancy or complaining infertility. Results: Total 4 studies were selected and all of which were case reports. Among 6 cases, Korean medicine treatment including herbal medicine, acupuncture, electroacupuncture, moxibustion was used alone. Ikgibohyeol-tang-gami-bang, Gyejibokryeong-hwan, Saenghwa-tang-gami-bang were prescribed in 2 cases each. Angelicae Gigantis Radix and CV4 were most frequently used herb and acupoint. All subjects were successful in becoming pregnant. Conclusion: This review shows that Korean medicine treatment can be effective in infertile women with uterine myoma. However, the number of included studies is small, so the level of evidence needs to be raised through more clinical studies in the future.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.46-61
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this systemic review is to overview and evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in female patients with chronic constipation. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of the literature to identify randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of acupuncture on female patients with chronic constipation. Key words searched included "Female Constipation", "Women Constipation", "Acupuncture" in database KISS, DBPIA, RISS, Cochrane Central, Scopus, Pubmed, CNKI. Results: Nine randomized controlled trials met our inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. Our analysis found that acupuncture was associated with significant improvements in spontaneous bowel movements, complete spontaneous bowel movements, stool consistency, and quality of life in female patients with chronic constipation. Acupuncture was generally well-tolerated, with few adverse effects reported. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that acupuncture treatment would be effective way to treat chronic constipation of female patients.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.550-558
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• 2023

Hair loss is a common condition that can have a negative impact on an individual's quality of life. The severe side effects and the low efficacy of current hair loss medications create unmet needs in the field of hair loss treatment. Hyaluronan and Proteoglycan Link Protein 1 (HAPLN1), one of the components of the extracellular matrix, has been shown to play a role in maintaining its integrity. HAPLN1 was examined for its ability to impact hair growth with less side effects than existing hair loss treatments. HAPLN1 was predominantly expressed in the anagen phase in three stages of the hair growth cycle in mice and promotes the proliferation of human hair matrix cells. Also, recombinant human HAPLN1 (rhHAPLN1) was shown to selectively increase the levels of transforming growth factor-β receptor II in human hair matrix cells. Furthermore, we observed concomitant activation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway following treatment with rhHAPLN1. Our results indicate that rhHAPLN1 elicits its cell proliferation effect via the TGF-β2-induced ERK1/2 pathway. The prompt entering of the hair follicles into the anagen phase was observed in the rhHAPLN1-treated group, compared to the vehicle-treated group. Insights into the mechanism underlying such hair growth effects of HAPLN1 will provide a novel potential strategy for treating hair loss with much lower side effects than the current treatments.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.145-156
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• 2023

Objectives : This study aimed to select candidate herbal medicines to be used in preclinical studies of cerebral infarction using the network pharmacology research method. Methods : Oral bioavailability (OB), drug likeness (DL), Caco-2, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability were employed in this study's network pharmacology analysis method to choose compounds with potential efficacy. The following formulas were utilized for the values of each variable used in this study: OB ≥ 20%, DL ≥ 0.18, Caco-2 ≥ 0, and BBB ≥ -0.3. The relationships between target proteins and diseases that are assumed to be involved in the chosen bioavailable chemicals were built in a network manner using the aforementioned factors, and proteins thought to play a significant role were identified. Results : Sudan III was obtained as a result of selecting compounds related to ischemic stroke in consideration of pharmacokinetic characteristics such as digestion and absorption and practicality using the TCMSP database. Medicinal herbs Gardeniae Fructus (GF) contains sudan III, and it was confirmed that compounds in GF were highly related to brain diseases, and the mechanism involved through the KEGG pathway was confirmed. GF, which has sudan III related to ischemic stroke and is also involved in other neurological diseases, is expected to be used for ischemic stroke treatment. Conclusions : GF has been predicted to have potential for ischemic stroke treatment, and can be used for future preclinical studies.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.121-132
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• 2023

Objectives We aimed to confirm whether Humulus japonicus Extract Powder can enhance child height growth significantly and safely compared with a placebo. Methods A total of 150 children between the 3rd and 25th percentiles in height and between the ages of 6 and 9 years will be recruited to participate in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The participants will be randomly assigned to the treatment or placebo group. Participants in the treatment group will take one pack per day (700 mg of Humulus japonicus Extract Powder) for 24 weeks. Participants in the placebo group will take one package of placebo per day (0 mg of Humulus japonicus Extract Powder) for 24 weeks. The primary outcome will be a change in height after 12 weeks, and the secondary outcomes will be the height after 24 weeks, growth rate, height standard deviation, growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP), and osteocalcin after 12 and 24 weeks. Results This protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the Korean Medicine Hospital of Busan University (IRB No. PNUKHIRB-2023-03-002). Research participants will be recruited from June 2023 to December 2023. Conclusions The results of this study provide clinical information regarding the effectiveness and safety of the Humulus japonicus Extract Powder in increasing child height.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.1-10
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• 2023

Objective : Obesity in modern society has a significant impact on pathological, psychological and social problems. Therefore, many studies on obesity treatment using herbal extracts with fewer side effects have been conducted. This study was designed to investigate the effect of inhibiting fat accumulation in vitro in order to Mongolian medicinal plants find anti-obesity candidate among. Methods : We measured pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity in Mongolian medicinal plants extract. Cytotoxicity of these extracts was monitored in 3T3-L1 cells by MTT assay. In addition, the anti-obesity effects was confirmed at concentrations of 0.2, 0.1 and 0.05 mg/㎖ through Oil red O staining. Results : Among Mongolian medicinal plants, Rheum undulatum roots in September (RURS), Paeonia anomala L. (PAL), and Fragaria orientalis (FO) showed the highest pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity. As a result of the MTT assay, more than 80% was judged to be non-toxic, and the concentration was determined, and as a result of evaluating the lipid accumulation inhibitory effect, 6 types were selected as candidates. Conclusion : Based on these results, the top 7 species expected to be used as anti-obesity functional materials were selected. However, additional efficacy verification and mechanism of action need to be established in the future. So, it is expected that the medicinal plants verified through this will be used as functional materials for the prevention and treatment of obesity.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.328-339
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors plus apatinib and chemotherapy (PAC) in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC). Materials and Methods: Seventy-three patients with resectable LAGC were enrolled and named the PAC group (n=39) or apatinib plus chemotherapy (AC) group (n=34) based on the treatment they chose. Neoadjuvant therapy was administered in a 21-day cycle for 3 consecutive cycles, after which surgery was performed. Results: The PAC group exhibited a higher objective response rate than the AC group (74.4% vs. 58.8%, P=0.159). Moreover, the PAC group showed a numerically better response profile than the AC group (P=0.081). Strikingly, progression-free survival (PFS) (P=0.019) and overall survival (OS) (P=0.049) were prolonged, whereas disease-free survival (DFS) tended to be longer in the PAC group than in the AC group (P=0.056). Briefly, the 3-year PFS, DFS, and OS rates were 76.1%, 76.1%, and 86.7% in the PAC group and 46.9%, 49.9%, and 70.3% in the AC group, respectively. Furthermore, PAC (vs. AC) treatment (hazard ratio=0.286, P=0.034) was independently associated with prolonged PFS in multivariate Cox regression analyses. The incidence of adverse events did not differ between the two groups (all P>0.05), where leukopenia, anemia, hypertension, and other adverse events were commonly observed in the PAC group. Conclusions: Neoadjuvant PAC therapy may achieve a preferable pathological response, delayed progression, and prolonged survival compared to AC therapy with a similar safety profile in patients with LAGC; however, further validation is warranted.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.183-196
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• 2023

Recently, the morphological and molecular features of five stain fungi infecting rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis), namely Paecilomyces maximus, Paecilomyces formosus, Penicillium crustosum, Paecilomyces lecythidis and Aspergillus chevalieri, have been studied. Prior to this study, the authors revealed that catechin from gambir (Uncaria gambir) could inhibit the growth of the white-rot fungus Schizophyllum commune, and it was important to determine the bioactivity of the aforementioned agent against A. chevalieri. The efficacy of the biocidal agent was examined using a laboratory wooden block test. Rubberwood blocks, 8 mm in thickness, 20 mm in width, and 30 mm in length, were impregnated with catechin solution at concentrations of 6%, 9%, 12%, and 15% (w/v) using the vacuum-pressure method, and their bioactivity was monitored over three weeks through visual and scanning electron microscope assessment of fungal growth as well as the discoloration intensity of the wood samples. The results showed that catechin treatment increased the resistance of wood samples to A. chevalieri. Overall, the higher the catechin concentration, the lower the fungal growth. The lowest fungal growth was observed in the wood samples treated with 12% and 15% catechin (score of 0), demonstrating no discoloration. In contrast, the fungal growth score of the untreated wood samples reached 4, indicating severe discoloration. Catechins appear to be adequate biofungicides against stain fungi in rubberwood.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.402-410
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• 2023

Long-term administration of levodopa (L-DOPA) to patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) commonly results in involuntary dyskinetic movements, as is known for L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID). 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) has recently been shown to alleviate LID; however, no biochemical alterations to aberrant excitatory conditions have been revealed yet. In the present study, we aimed to confirm its anti-dyskinetic effect and to discover the unknown molecular mechanisms of action of 5-HTP in LID. We made an LID-induced mouse model through chronic L-DOPA treatment to 6-hydroxydopamine-induced hemi-parkinsonian mice and then administered 5-HTP 60 mg/kg for 15 days orally to LID-induced mice. In addition, we performed behavioral tests and analyzed the histological alterations in the lesioned part of the striatum (ST). Our results showed that 5-HTP significantly suppressed all types of dyskinetic movements (axial, limb, orolingual and locomotive) and its effects were similar to those of amantadine, the only approved drug by Food and Drug Administration. Moreover, 5-HTP did not affect the efficacy of L-DOPA on PD motor manifestations. From a molecular perspective, 5-HTP treatment significantly decreased phosphorylated CREB and ΔFosB expression, commonly known as downstream factors, increased in LID conditions. Furthermore, we found that the effects of 5-HTP were not mediated by dopamine1 receptor (D1)/DARPP32/ERK signaling, but regulated by AKT/mTOR/S6K signaling, which showed different mechanisms with amantadine in the denervated ST. Taken together, 5-HTP alleviates LID by regulating the hyperactivated striatal AKT/mTOR/S6K and CREB/ΔFosB signaling.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.52-61
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• 2023

Fire blight, caused by Erwinia amylovora, is one of the major bacterial disease of apple and pear, causing enormous economic losses worldwide. Several control measures against E. amylovora have been reported till date, however, none of them have proved to be effective significantly against the pathogen. In this study, mechanisms of the copper-based control agents (CBCAs): copper oxychloride (COCHL), copper oxide (COX), copper hydroxide (CHY), copper sulfate basic (CSB), and tribasic copper sulfate (TCS) and their disease severity reduction efficacy against E. amylovora were analyzed. Bis-1,3-dibutylbarbituric acid trimethine oxonol, carboxyl fluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester, and 5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl tetrazolium chloride staining were used to check the damage of membrane potential, cytoplasmic pH_in, and respiration of CBCAs-treated E. amylovora, respectively. High disturbance in the membrane potential of E. amylovora was found under COX and COCHL treatments. Similarly, higher significant changes in the inner cytoplasmic pH_in were observed under COX, COCHL, and TCS treatment. CHY and COCHL-treated E. amylovora showed a significant reduction in respiration. In vitro bioassay results revealed that CHY, CSB, and TCS at 2,000 ppm reduced the severity of fire blight both in pre- and post-treatment of CBCAs in immature apple fruits and seedlings. Overall, the most effective CBCAs against E. amylovora could be CHY at 2,000 ppm as its showed inhibition mechanisms and disease severity reduction.