• Mycobiology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.171-176
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• 2013

Mushrooms are ubiquitous in nature and have high nutritional attributes. They have demonstrated diverse biological effects and therefore have been used in treatments of various diseases, including cancer, diabetes, bacterial and viral infections, and ulcer. In particular, polysaccharides, including ${\beta}$-glucan, are considered as the major constituents responsible for the biological activity of mushrooms. Although an overwhelming number of reports have been published on the importance of polysaccharides as immunomodulating agents, not all of the healing properties found in these mushrooms could be fully accounted for. Recently, many research groups have begun investigations on biologically active small-molecular weight compounds in wild mushrooms. In this mini-review, both structural diversity and biological activities of novel bioactive substances from Korean native mushrooms are described.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.332-346
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• 2008

S-glutathionylation is a reversible post-translational modification that continues to gain eminence as a redox regulatory mechanism of protein activity and associated cellular functions. Many diverse cellular proteins such as transcription factors, adhesion molecules, enzymes, and cytokines are reported to undergo glutathionylation, although the functional impact has been less well characterized. De-glutathionylation is catalyzed specifically and efficiently by glutaredoxin (GRx, aka thioltransferase), and facile reversibility is critical in determining the physiological relevance of glutathionylation as a means of protein regulation. Thus, studies with cohesive themes addressing both the glutathionylation of proteins and the corresponding impact of GRx are especially useful in advancing understanding. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and redox regulation are well accepted as playing a role in inflammatory processes, such as leukostasis and the destruction of foreign particles by macrophages. We discuss in this review the current implications of GRx and/or glutathionylation in the inflammatory response and in diseases associated with chronic inflammation, namely diabetes, atherosclerosis, inflammatory lung disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease, and in viral infections.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.207-210
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• 2014

Viral infections are capable of inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the infected cells and antioxidants have been reported to have antiviral activities against many viruses. In this study, an antiviral assay using the cytopathic effect (CPE) reduction method revealed that gallic acid possesses good anti-coxsackievirus B3 (CB3) and coxsackievirus B4 (CB4) activities, reducing the formation of visible CPE. However, ribavirin did exhibit weak anti-CB3 and CB4 activities and was unable to prevent CPE. Therefore, we conclude that the inhibition of CB3 or CB4 production by gallic acid may be due to its general action as an antioxidant.

• Kidney Research and Clinical Practice
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.414-417
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• 2018

Disseminated adenovirus infection can result in high mortality and morbidity in immunocompromised patients. Here, we report the case of a 10-year-old renal allograft recipient who presented with hematuria and dysuria. Adenovirus was isolated from his urine. His urinary symptoms decreased after intravenous hydration and reduction of immunosuppressants. However, 2 weeks later he presented with general weakness and laboratory tests indicated renal failure necessitating emergency hemodialysis. Adenovirus was detected in his sputum; therefore, intravenous ganciclovir and immunoglobulin therapy were initiated. Renal biopsy revealed diffuse necrotizing granulomatous tubulointerstitial nephritis compatible with renal involvement of the viral infection. Adenovirus was detected in his serum. Despite cidofovir administration for 2 weeks, adenovirus was also detected in the cerebrospinal fluid, resulting in generalized tonic-clonic seizure. The patient died 7 weeks after the onset of urinary symptoms. Adenovirus should be considered in screening tests for post-renal transplantation patients who present with hemorrhagic cystitis.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.83-91
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• 2012

Background and Objective : Erythema nodosum-like lesions in patients with Behcet's disease is a reactive dermatosis that occurs in response to various stimuli, such as bacterial, fungal and viral infections, drugs and malignancies. We observed and treated a case of erythema nodosum-like lesions with Behcet's disease. We present this case because there were no former reports of erythema nodosum-like lesions with Behcet's disease treated by herbal medicine. Methods : The patient was a 28-year-old. The chief complains were erythema, nodose, edema, burning sensation, tenderness on both legs, forearms and feet, arthralgia and genital ulcers. She was treated with Wolbi-Tang for eleven days. We diagnosed the medication according to the results of manual abdominal examination of the patient. We used the Visual Analogue Scale(VAS). Results : After the treatment the grade of VAS was decreased and clinical symptoms were improved. Conclusions : Wolbi-Tang can be used on the treatment of erythema nodosum-like lesions with Behcet's disease.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.257-260
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• 2000

The tetracycline-controlled transactivator (tTA)-mediated gene activation system was examined in virus infected cells to determine its role in the control of gene expression. In the presence of tTA, the gene expression from the tetO-modified minimal promoter was efficiently activated in the uninfected cells, whereas essentially no activation was observed from the only minimal promoter without the seven direct repeats of 42 bp tetO sequences. However, essentially no activation was observed when only the minimal promoter was used, without the seven direct repetitions of the 42 bp tetO sequences. On the other hand, in the infected cells, a substantial background of $\beta$-glucuronidase expression was detected in the absence of tTA, even though tTA stimulated the gene expression by ~7-fold. This background expression indicates that the sequences within or nearby tetO are involved in the background stimulation of the gene expression by HCMV and HSV-1 . These results suggest that the application of the tTA-mediated gene activation system may not be extremely useful for studying the biological roles of HCMV and HSV genes In the viral replicative cycles, because of the basal activity of the gene expression.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.571-581
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• 2021

Towards the end of 2019, an atypical acute respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in Wuhan, China and subsequently named Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The rapid dissemination of COVID-19 has provoked a global crisis in public health. COVID-19 has been reported to cause sepsis, severe infections in the respiratory tract, multiple organ failure, and pulmonary fibrosis, all of which might induce mortality. Although several vaccines for COVID-19 are currently being administered worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet effectively under control. Therefore, novel therapeutic agents to eradicate the cause of the disease and/or manage the clinical symptoms of COVID-19 should be developed to effectively regulate the current pandemic. In this review, we discuss the possibility of managing the clinical symptoms of COVID-19 using natural products derived from medicinal plants used for controlling pulmonary inflammatory diseases in folk medicine. Diverse natural products have been reported to exert potential antiviral effects in vitro by affecting viral replication, entry into host cells, assembly in host cells, and release. However, the in vivo antiviral effects and clinical antiviral efficacies of these natural products against SARS-CoV-2 have not been successfully proven to date. Thus, these properties need to be elucidated through further investigations, including randomized clinical trials, in order to develop optimal and ideal therapeutic candidates for COVID-19.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.289-295
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• 2019

Acute diarrhea is a global health problem that causes high morbidity and mortality in children. Notably, enteric pathogen co-infections have been suggested to play an important role in gastroenteritis. In this study, we analyzed 1150 stool specimens of patients who visited the pediatric ward of Dongguk University Hospital in Gyeongju province from January 2011 to December 2017. The average isolation rate of potential stool pathogens over 7 years was 37.3% (429/1150), and coinfections were observed in 51 patients (51/429; 11.9%). In the 51 co-infection cases, the most frequent type of co-infection was found to be that of virus-bacteria (33/51). The most frequently detected bacterial pathogen among the co-infected cases was Clostridium spp. (22/51), out of which Clostridium perfringens was found to be the main pathogen (16/22; 72.7%). Escherichia coli spp. were the second most common bacterial pathogens found in 12 cases (12/51; 23.5%), with 10 cases of E. coli EPEC. Furthermore, the most frequently implicated viral pathogen among the co-infected cases was norovirus (16/51), followed by rotavirus (12/51).

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.67-77
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• 2019

The paradigm of chronic liver diseases has been shifting. Although hepatitis B and C viral infections are still the main causes of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the introduction of effective antiviral drugs may control or cure them in the near future. In contrast, the burden of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been increasing for decades, and 25 to 30% of the general population in Korea is estimated to have NAFLD. Over 10% of NAFLD patients may have nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a severe form of NAFLD. NASH can progress to cirrhosis and HCC. NASH is currently the second leading cause to be placed on the liver transplantation list in the United States. NAFLD is associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome. The pathophysiology is complex and associated with lipotoxicity, inflammatory cytokines, apoptosis, and insulin resistance. The only proven effective treatment is weight reduction by diet and exercise. However, this may not be effective for advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis. Therefore, effective drugs are urgently needed for treating these conditions. Unfortunately, no drugs have been approved for the treatment of NASH. Many pharmaceutical companies are trying to develop new drugs for the treatment of NASH. Some of them are in phase 2 or 3 clinical trials. Here, pharmacologic therapies in clinical trials, as well as the basic principles of drug therapy, will be reviewed, focusing on pathophysiology.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.51-63
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• 2019

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate mothers' perception of antibiotic use for their children. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted of a convenient sample of 210 mothers who visited the two pediatric hospitals in D city. Descriptive statistics, t-test, analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Pearson correlation coefficients with SPSS WIN 24.0 were used to analyze the data. Results: The perception of mothers on antibiotic use for their children was relatively low (3.28/5) and showed a statistically significant difference based on the mothers' educational background (${\chi}^2=15.30$, p<.001). About 57-77% of participants discontinued or reduced the dosage of the antibiotics if their children's symptoms were relieved, and about 60% of them perceived that antibiotics treat viral infections. Mothers' adherence to specific doses of antibiotics in their children was positively correlated with their knowledge and beliefs (r=.17, p=.014) and their attitude regarding the use of antibiotics (r=.17, p=.014). Only 1.4% of the participants had educational experience regarding the correct use of antibiotics. Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be concluded that an educational program for mothers should be developed and to verify its effects in order to induce proper use of antibiotics among mothers.