• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제28권9호
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• pp.1413-1425
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• 2018

Shiga toxins (Stxs) are the main virulence factors expressed by the pathogenic Stx-producing bacteria, namely, Shigella dysenteriae serotype 1 and certain Escherichia coli strains. These bacteria cause widespread outbreaks of bloody diarrhea (hemorrhagic colitis) that in severe cases can progress to life-threatening systemic complications, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) characterized by the acute onset of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and kidney dysfunction. Shiga toxicosis has a distinct pathogenesis and animal models of Stx-associated HUS have allowed us to investigate this. Since these models will also be useful for developing effective countermeasures to Stx-associated HUS, it is important to have clinically relevant animal models of this disease. Multiple studies over the last few decades have shown that mice injected with purified Stxs develop some of the pathophysiological features seen in HUS patients infected with the Stx-producing bacteria. These features are also efficiently recapitulated in a non-human primate model (baboons). In addition, rats, calves, chicks, piglets, and rabbits have been used as models to study symptoms of HUS that are characteristic of each animal. These models have been very useful for testing hypotheses about how Stx induces HUS and its neurological sequelae. In this review, we describe in detail the current knowledge about the most well-studied in vivo models of Stx-induced HUS; namely, those in mice, piglets, non-human primates, and rabbits. The aim of this review is to show how each human clinical outcome-mimicking animal model can serve as an experimental tool to promote our understanding of Stx-induced pathogenesis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제28권11호
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• pp.1800-1805
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• 2018

Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a chronically relapsing inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) constitute barrier surfaces and play a critical role in maintaining gut health. Dysregulated immune responses and destruction of IECs disrupt intestinal balance. Dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) is the most widely used chemical for inducing colitis in animals, and its treatment induces colonic inflammation, acute diarrhea, and shortening of the intestine, with clinical and histological similarity to human UC. Current treatments for this inflammatory disorder have poor tolerability and insufficient therapeutic efficacy, and thus, alternative therapeutic approaches are required. Recently, dietary supplements with probiotics have emerged as promising interventions by alleviating disturbances in the indigenous microflora in UC. Thus, we hypothesized that the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strain BB12 could protect against the development of colitis in a DSS-induced mouse model of UC. In the present study, oral administration of BB12 markedly ameliorated DSS-induced colitis, accompanied by reduced tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$-mediated IEC apoptosis. These findings indicate that the probiotic strain BB12 can alleviate DSS-induced colitis and suggest a novel mechanism of communication between probiotic microorganisms and intestinal epithelia, which increases intestinal cell survival by modulating pro-apoptotic cytokine expression.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.216-221
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of short-course hypofractionated radiotherapy (RT) for the palliation of uterine cervical cancer. Materials and Methods: Seventeen patients with cancer of the uterine cervix, who underwent palliative hypofractionated 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy between January 2002 and June 2012, were retrospectively analyzed. RT was delivered to symptomatic lesions (both the primary mass and/or metastatic regional lymph nodes). The total dose was 20 to 25 Gy (median, 25 Gy) in 5 Gy daily fractions. Results: The median follow-up duration was 12.2 months (range, 4 to 24 months). The median survival time was 7.8 months (range, 4 to 24 months). Vaginal bleeding was the most common presenting symptom followed by pelvic pain (9 patients). The overall response rates were 93.8% and 66.7% for vaginal bleeding control and pelvic pain, respectively. Nine patients did not have any acute side effects and 7 patients showed minor gastrointestinal toxicity. Only 1 patient had grade 3 diarrhea 1 week after completion of treatment, which was successfully treated conservatively. Late complications occurred in 4 patients; however, none of these were of grade 3 or higher severity. Conclusion: Short-course hypofractionated RT was effective and well tolerated as palliative treatment for uterine cervical cancer.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제59권2호
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• pp.100-103
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• 2016

Patients with hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) can rapidly develop profound anemia as the disease progresses, as a consequence of red blood cell (RBC) hemolysis and inadequate erythropoietin synthesis. Therefore, RBC transfusion should be considered in HUS patients with severe anemia to avoid cardiac or pulmonary complications. Most patients who are Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusion, even in the face of life-threatening medical conditions due to their religious convictions. These patients require management alternatives to blood transfusions. Erythropoietin is a glycopeptide that enhances endogenous erythropoiesis in the bone marrow. With the availability of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO), several authors have reported its successful use in patients refusing blood transfusion. However, the optimal dose and duration of treatment with rHuEPO are not established. We report a case of a 2-year-old boy with diarrhea-associated HUS whose family members are Jehovah's Witnesses. He had severe anemia with acute kidney injury. His lowest hemoglobin level was 3.6 g/dL, but his parents refused treatment with packed RBC transfusion due to their religious beliefs. Therefore, we treated him with high-dose rHuEPO (300 IU/kg/day) as well as folic acid, vitamin B12, and intravenous iron. The hemoglobin level increased steadily to 7.4 g/dL after 10 days of treatment and his renal function improved without any complications. To our knowledge, this is the first case of successful rHuEPO treatment in a Jehovah's Witness child with severe anemia due to HUS.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.84-92
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• 2000

This Study was conducted to assess the single dose toxicity of DA-125, a new anthracycline anti-cancer agent, in rats and mice. The Drug was administered once intravenously to both sexes of rats and mice. Then followed a 14-day period of observation. The $LD_{50}$ Values (95% confidence limit) were estimated to be 60.9 mg/kg (57.5~64.3 mg/kg) for male rats and 60.2 mg/kg (56.2~64.5 mg/kg) for female rats, and 85.8 mg/kg (81.0~90.9 mg/kg) for male mice and 84.5 mg/kg (78.2~91.9 mg/kg) for female mice. Both sexes of rats and mice given the drug revealed the clinical sign of decreased locomotor activity, emaciation, hair loss, red-dish brown urine, salivation, and watery diarrhea. In addition, body weight from the next day to the 7th day tended to be decreased slightly in rats and mice treated with DA-125. Death occurred from the next day after administration to the 12th day. Macroscopically, congestion of gastrointestinal organ, lung, and adrenal glands were found in both sexes on the dead rats and mice. Histopathological examination of dead rats manifested atrophy of spleen, hypoplasia of bone marrow, hypcplasia and necrosis of lymphocyte in thymus, atrophy of villi in small intestine (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum), hyperplasia of granular epithelium in small intestine, degeneration of germinal epithelium in testis, defer oration of tubular epithelium in kidney, and vacuolation and myolysis of myocardium in heart. Histopathological examination of dead mice revealed hypoplasia of spleen and mesenteric lymph node, local necrosis of liver, atrophy of villi in small intestine, hyperplasia of glandular epithelium in small and large intestine, degeneration of tubular in kidney, degeneration of germinal cells in testis, and slight vacuolar degeneration of myocardium in heart.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.54-60
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• 2016

Amomum cadamomum Linne (ACL) has long been utilized against the inhibited qi movement related diseases such as dyspepsia, acute gastroenteritis, vomiting and diarrhea in Korean medicine. We speculated that ACL could improve the metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes through removing the phlegm-dampness and promoting the qi movement or stagnation. This study was designed to investigate effects and molecular mechanisms of ACL extract on the improvement of adipocyte dysfunction induced by TNF-α in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Potential roles of ACL extract in the lipogenesis, inhibition of inflammatory cytokines and insulin resistance, were investigated in this study. Also, we examined the adipose genes and signaling molecules related to insulin resistance and glucose uptake to elucidate its mechanism. Our data demonstrated that TNF-α significantly incresed the release of lipid droplets and the production of MCP-1 and IL-6 from adipocytes. In gene expression, TNF-α reduced the expression of aP2, PPARγ, C/EBPα, GLUT4, and IRS-1 related to lipogenesis and insulin sesitivity, while TNF-α increased the expression of MCP-1 related to inflammation. In addition, TNF-α down-regulated the PPARγ and IRS-1 protein and up-regulated the IRS-1 Ser307 phosphorylation. These alterations induced by TNF-α were prevented by the treatment of ACL extract. Thus, our results indicate that ACL extract can be used to prevent from the TNF-α-induced adipocyte dysfunction through insulin and PPARγ pathways.

• 대한한의학원전학회지
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• 제7권
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• pp.113-160
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• 1994

The Sa-Ahm monk, who was believed to have existed in the middle of Cho-Seon Dynasty in Korea, have created an original Sa-Ahm's acupuncture method and written down, "Book of Sa-Ahm's 5 Element Acupuncture Method" using not only laws of creation and suppression in 5 element theory but also its main and other connected meridians according to the daignosis of visceras and bowels. Also the written time and background of its theory have not been known, and after obtaining Ji-San's book on Sa-Ahm's acupuncture method, I studied on them. The results are as follows : 1) The treatment chapter of Book of Sa-Ahm's 5 Element Acupuncture Method was written down by Sa-Ahm himself, and the chapter for Medical Experience was found to be written down by Ji-San. 2) It seemed that Sa-Ahm adopted the main ideas of "Eui Hak Jeong Jon(醫學正傳)" for the section of physiology, pathology and classification of disease symptoms the contents of which covered 40 of 43 parts, and the ideas of "Dong Eui Bo Gam(東醫寶鑑)" for YunGi treatise(運氣篇), and SangHan part(傷寒門) in classification of diease symptoms was intensified by the ideas of "Eui Hak Ip Moon(醫學入門)", and the contents of apoplexy, diseases characterized by acute diarrhea and vomiting, beriberi, diseases of oral cavity were intensified by the ideas of "Chim Ku Kyeong Hearn Bang(鍼灸經驗方)". 3) The written date of the Book of Sa-Ahm's 5 Element Acupuncture Method has been established as 1644 AD(22nd year of In Jo king of Cho-Seon Dynasty) after studying preface, contents and acknowledgement of Heo Im's "Chim Ku Kyeong Hearn Bang(鍼灸經驗方)". 4) The philosophic background of "Sa-Am Acupuncture Method(舍巖鍼法)" seems to be derived from the theories of "I Ching(周易)" and Yin Yang 5 Element Theory(陰陽五行學說), and to be influenced by such medical scholars as Tan Ke(丹溪), Woo Bak(虞搏), and Heo Im(許任).

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.373-382
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• 2004

Cystitis and acute pyelonephritis(APN) are usually caused by ascending infection. Two cases of urinary tract infection(UTI) were encountered. Because antibiotics might cause some adverse reactions such as diarrhea, eruption, anorexia, nausea and vomiting, so Korean Traditional Medicine has been applied to UTI, and several reports can be found in the literature. This study was performed on two patients with UTI who were treated with herbal medicine, acupuncture and moxibustion. Noteworthy results were obtained in hematology and urinalysis. UTI symptoms, signs and laboratory findings are indicative of successful treatment. Results suggests that Korean Traditional Medicine applied to UTI is effective. These findings are reported with a brief review of related literature.

• 생약학회지
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.62-72
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• 2016

Banhasasim-tang is a well-known traditional Korean herbal formula and has been used clinically for the treatment of gastric disease, including acute and chronic gastritis, diarrhea and gastric ulcers in Korea. In this study, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometer method was developed for the quantitative determination of the 13 marker constituents, homogentisic acid (1), 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (2), spinosin (3), liquiritin (4), baicalin (5), ginsenoside Rg1 (6), liquiritigenin (7), wogonoside (8), ginsenoside Rb1 (9), baicalein (10), glycyrrhizin (11), wogonin (12), and 6-gingerol (13) in Banhasasim-tang decoction. Separation of the compounds 1-13 was using an UPLC BEH $C_{18}$ ($100{\times}2.1mm$, $1.7{\mu}m$) column and column oven temperature was maintained at $45^{\circ}C$. The mobile phase consisted of 0.1% (v/v) formic acid in water (A) and acetonitrile (B) by gradient elution. The injection volume and flow rate were $2.0{\mu}L$ and 0.3 mL/min, respectively. Calibration curves of the compounds 1-13 were showed with $r^2$ values ${\geq}0.9908$. The limit of detection and limit of quantification values of the compounds 1-13 were 0.04-1.11 ng/mL and 0.13-3.33 ng/mL, respectively. Among the these compounds, the compounds 1-3 were not detected, while the compounds 4-13 were detected in the ranges of $3.20-107,062.98{\mu}g/g$ in Banhasasim-tang sample.

• 한국수의병리학회지
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.139-145
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• 1998

A total of 5 animals including 3 raccoons, 1 badger, and 1 fennec fox kept in outdoor exhibits at the Everland Zoological Gardens showed depression, anorexia, dyspnea, serous oculonasal discharge, diarrhea, and convulsions. All the affected animals died within 10 days after the onset of clinical signs. This outbreak lasted about 4 months. On necropsy, major gross lesions were confined to the lungs. Red to grey sublobular to lobular consolidations with various sized tan to reddish spots were observed in the lungs. Histopathologically, the pulmonary lesions were characterized by acute to subacute bronchointerstitial pneumonia with secondary bacterial or adenoviral infections. Intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusion bodies compatible with canine distemper virus (CDV) were found in the lung, urinary bladder, kidney, intrahepatic bile duct, stomach, small and large intestines. Multifocal areas of severe demyelination and accumulation of gitter cells or nonsuppurative inflammation were seen in the brains of 2 raccoons. CDV -specific antigens were demonstrated in the lung sections on immunofluorescent assay. The present report describes an outbreak of CDV infection in a zoo and indicates the range of susceptible zoo animal species.