• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.641-649
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• 2011

This study was purposed to evaluate the effects of root of Liriope spicata (RLS) on LPS-induced COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) model. The extract of RLS was treated to A549 cells and LPS-induced COPD mice model. Then, various parameters such as cell-based cyto-protective activity and histopathological finding were analyzed. RLS showed a protective effect on LPS-induced cytotoxicity in A549 cells. This effect was correlated with analysis for caspase 3 levels, protein level of cyclin B1, Cdc2, and phospho-Erk1/2, and gene expression of TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$ in A549 cells. RLS treatment also revealed the protective effect on LPS-induced lung injury in COPD mice model. This effect was evidenced via histopathological finding including immunofluence stains against caspase 3, and protein level of cyclin B1, Cdc2, and Erk1/2 in lung tissue. These data suggest that RLS has a pharmaceutical properties on lung injury. This study would provide an scientific evidence for the efficacy of RLS for clinical application to patients with COPD.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.249-257
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• 2010

Crataegii Fructus is commonly used as a improving digestion, removing retention of food, promoting blood circulation and resolving blood stasis agent in East Asia. Cadmium (Cd) is widely distributed in the environment due to its use in industry. An exposure to Cd causes dysuria, polyuria, chest pain, hepatic and renal tubular diseases. The liver is the most important target organ when considering Cd-induced toxicity because Cd primarily accumulates in the liver. This study investigated the protective effect of Crataegii Fructus water extract against cadmium ($CdCl_2$, Cd)-induced liver toxicity in H4IIE cells, a rat hepatocyte-derived cell line and in rats. Cell viability was significantly reduced in Cd-treated H4IIE cells in a time and concentration-dependent manner. However, Crataegii Fructus water extract (CFE) protected the cells from Cd-induced cytotoxicity via inhibition of PARP cleavage. To induce acute toxicity in rats, Cd (4 mg/kg body weight) was dissolved in normal saline and intravenously injected into rats. The rats then received either a vehicle or silymarin (as a positive control) or CFE (50, 100 mg/kg/day) for 3 days, and were subsequently exposed to a single injection of Cd. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were significantly increased by Cd treatment. In contrast, pretreatment with CFE reduced ALT, AST and LDH. In histopathological analysis, CFE reduced the hepatic degenerative regions and the number of degenerative hepatocytes. These are considered as direct evidences that Crataegii Fructus has favorable inhibitory effects on the Cd-intoxicated liver damages. The efficacy of Crataegii Fructus shows slight lower than that of silymarin in the present study.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.636-642
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• 2014

In the theory of Korean medicine, Angelicae Dahuricae Radix (ADR) can expel wind and relieve exterior syndrome, and eliminate dampness. Recently, ADR has been reported to have possibilities as anti-inflammatory agent and cosmetics. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of ADR on contact dermatitis (CD). In order to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of ADR on CD, we investigated the effects of ADR on ear thickness, ear weight, skin lesion and histopathological changes in mice with CD induced by 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB). In addition, the effect on spleen weight was also measured. In our results, topical application of ADR lowered ear thickness and weight respectively. ADR treatment also improved skin lesions such as erythema and scale. In the histopathological observation, ADR-treated group showed diminished epidermal hyperplasia and immune cell infiltration in inflammed tissues compared to those of non-treated control group. In conclusion, These data suggest that ADR has anti-inflammatory action in inflammed skin tissue, resulting in improving skin lesion and histopathological abnormalities of CD.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.153-157
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• 2009

Diagnosis of hydatidosis is based on immunodiagnostic methods along with radiological and ultrasound examinations. The objectives of the present study were to develop a specific and simple antigen-based ELISA method for diagnosis of hydatidosis and compare it with antibody detection method. The subjects in this study included 89 patients in the following groups: surgically confirmed hydatidosis patients (35 cases), control with other parasitic diseases (29 cases), and healthy controls (25 cases). Hyperimmune serum was raised against hydatid cyst fluid in rabbits. Anti-hydatid cyst IgG was purified by affinity chromatography using protein A column and labeled with horseradish peroxidase. Collected sera were assessed for hydatid cyst antigens and antibody by ELISA. Circulating hydatid antigen was found in 9 out of 35 patients with surgically confirmed hydatidosis. A sensitivity of 25.7% and a specificity of 98.0% were calculated for the antigen detection assay. Antibody detection by indirect ELISA, using antigen B, showed that 94.2% of patients (33 cases) have anti-hydatid cyst antibodies in their serum while cross reaction was noted in a few of non-hydatidosis patients. A sensitivity of 94.2% and specificity of 81.6% were found for the antibody detection assay. Findings of this study indicated that antibody detection assay is a sensitive approach for diagnosis of hydatid cyst while antigen detection assay might be a useful approach for assessment of the efficacy of treatment especially after removal of the cyst.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.494-502
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• 2018

Breast cancer is currently the most prevalent cancer in women, and its incidence increases every year. Azole antifungal drugs were recently found to have antitumor efficacy in several cancer types. They contain an imidazole (clotrimazole and ketoconazole) or a triazole (fluconazole and itraconazole) ring. Using human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231), we evaluated the effects of azole drugs on cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, migration, and invasion, and investigated the underlying mechanisms. Clotrimazole and ketoconazole inhibited the proliferation of both cell lines while fluconazole and itraconazole did not. In addition, clotrimazole and ketoconazole inhibited the motility of MDA-MB-231 cells and induced $G_1$-phase arrest in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, as determined by cell cycle analysis and immunoblot data. Moreover, Transwell invasion and gelatin zymography assays revealed that clotrimazole and ketoconazole suppressed invasiveness through the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase 9 in MDA-MB-231 cells, although no significant changes in invasiveness were observed in MCF-7 cells. There were no significant changes in any of the observed parameters with fluconazole or itraconazole treatment in either breast cancer cell line. Taken together, imidazole antifungal drugs showed strong antitumor activity in breast cancer cells through induction of apoptosis and $G_1$ arrest in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells and suppression of invasiveness via matrix metalloproteinase 9 inhibition in MDA-MB-231 cells. Imidazole drugs have well-established pharmacokinetic profiles and known toxicity, which can make these generic drugs strong candidates for repositioning as antitumor therapies.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.1-10
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• 2008

Synthetic mineral microparticles (SMM) is a patented system which has been developed to promote drainage of water and retention of fine particles during papermaking. It is shown in patents that the SMM system can have advantages in both of drainage and retention, compared with montmorillonite (bentonite), which is one of the most popular materials presently used in this kind of application. Turbidity and gravity drainage time were measured using a Britt-Jar test with representative SMM formulations, in order to confirm the efficacy of SMM covering a wide range of compositions and discover effects of some key variables that have the potential to lead to unexpected advantages in terms of the effectiveness of the microparticles, when used in combination with a cationic polyacrylamide treatment of papermaking furnish. An iron silicate showed highest retention performance, as well as suitably fast drainage time relative to other metal silicate and bentonite. Zinc silicate improved retention and drainage. SMM synthesized from aluminum sulfate ($Al_2(SO_4){_3}$) did not show a benefit in retention and drainage, relative to bentonite. SMM synthesized from aluminum chloride ($AlCl_3$) performed better in drainage and retention than bentonite when the Al/Si ratios were 0.76 and 1.00. It was found that when the Al/Si ratio and neutralization are considered, pH variation due to the change of Al/Si ratio can be a key factor to control the size of primary metal silicate particles and the degree of coagulation of the primary particles.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.331-337
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• 2008

This study was conducted to quantitatively evaluate the recovery effects of herbal medicines on acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. In the present study, the recovery effects of 251 herbal medicines on THLE-2 cells that had been damaged by acetaminophen were evaluated using an MTS assay. THLE-2 cells were cultured in 96-well plates and then pretreated with or without 60 ${\mu}M$ acetaminophen (${IC}_{50}$ value: 35.84) for 1 hr. Next, different herbal medicines were added to the wells, after which the cells were reincubated at $37^{\circ}C$ for 24 hr. After first round of screening, the candidate herbal medicines were selected based on a recovery rate of greater than 40% and their efficacy were then determined by dose response kinetic analysis. Among these extracts, 8 herbal medicines (Terminalia chebula, Pueraria lobata, Acronychia laurifolia, Lopatherum gracile, Oroxylum indicum, Cynanchum atratum, Senecio scandens, and Sophora flavescens) had a strong recovery effect on acetaminophen-induced damage in THLE-2 cells. Dose response non-linear regression analysis demonstrated that Senecio scandens showed the best recovery rate (98%), and that its ${EC}_{50}$ was 19.54 ng/mL. Additional studies of these herbal medicines should be conducted to determine if they possess novel therapeutic agents for the prevention or treatment of liver disorders.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.142-147
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• 2011

Background: Endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) has come into use and been widely extended because of the low complication rate and less-invasiveness. This article aimed to describe our experience in the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm with EVAR. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review was conducted for the 22 patients who underwent EVAR in a single hospital December 2001 to June 2009. Results: The mean age of the patients was $68.5{\pm}7.6$ years. There were several risk factors and comorbidities in 20 patients (90.9%). The mean diameter of the aortic aneurysms was $61.2{\pm}12.9$ mm. The mean length, diameter, and angle of the aneurysmal neck were $30.5{\pm}15.5$ mm, $24.0{\pm}4.5$ mm, and $43.9{\pm}16.0^{\circ}$, respectively. The mean follow-up period of the patients was $28.8{\pm}29.5$ months. The 30-day postoperative mortality was none. Seven patients (31.8%) had endoleaks during the hospital stay and three patients (13.6%) had endoleaks during the follow-up period. One patient (4.5%) died due to a ruptured aortic aneurysm. The cumulative patient survival rates were 88.2%, 88.2%, and 70.6% at 1, 3, and 5 years of follow-up, respectively. Conclusion: EVAR is currently a safe, feasible procedure for high risk patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm because of low postoperative complication and mortality if patients are selected properly and followed up carefully.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.22-31
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• 2015

Background: The celiac plexus and splanchnic nerves are targets for neurolytic blocks for pain relief from pain caused by upper gastrointestinal tumors. Therefore, we investigated the analgesic effect of a celiac plexus block versus a splanchnic nerve block and the effects of these blocks on the quality of life six months post-intervention for patients with upper GIT tumors. Methods: Seventy-nine patients with inoperable upper GIT tumors and with severe uncontrolled visceral pain were randomized into two groups. These were Group I, for whom a celiac plexus block was used with a bilateral needle retrocrural technique, and Group II, for whom a splanchnic nerve block with a bilateral needle technique was used. The visual analogue scale for pain (0 to 100), the quality of life via the QLQ-C30 questionnaire, and survival rates were assessed. Results: Pain scores were comparable in both groups in the first week after the block. Significantly more patients retained good analgesia with tramadol in the splanchnic group from 16 weeks onwards (P = 0.005, 0.001, 0.005, 0.001, 0.01). Social and cognitive scales improved significantly from the second week onwards in the splanchnic group. Survival of both groups was comparable. Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate that the efficacy of the splanchnic nerve block technique appears to be clinically comparable to a celiac block. All statistically significant differences are of little clinical value.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.10-20
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• 2009

The objective of this study is to investigate the efficacy of leaf powder colorants as substitutes for traditional fresh juice extract dyeing. Three kinds of leaf powder colorants were prepared by freeze drying method with or without deep freezing as pre-treatment: one powder colorant from fresh leaf juice with deep freezing; two kinds of powder colorant from fresh leaves with and without deep freezing. Their dyeing properties and storage stabilities were studied and compared with the traditional fresh juice extract dyeing. The presence of indigo in the powder colorants was confirmed by UV/Visible absorption spectra. They showed absorption peak at 602nm which was same with indigo absorption peak. Dyeing was done at low temperature around 6$^{\circ}C$. All three powder colorants produced B colors on silk fabrics, showing similar color to the one dyed traditionally with fresh juice extract. The powder colorants from leaves gave higher color strength than the powder from leaf juice. The powder colorant prepared from leaves with deep freezing was the most stable for long term storage as its color and color strength were not changed after 360 days. So, this was used for further dyeing to study the effects of concentration and repeat dyeing on color strength and colorfastness. Fastnesses to dry cleaning and rubbing were fairly good above 4 rating. Further study is needed to improve light fastness. It was concluded that the leaf powder colorant with deep freezing could be used as a substitute for traditional juice extract dyeing at all seasons.