• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2024

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the major complications of sepsis. Aurantio-obtusin (AO) is an anthraquinone compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This study was developed to concentrate on the role and mechanism of AO in sepsis-induced AKI. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) and BALB/c mice receiving cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery were used to establish in vitro cell model and in vivo mouse model. HK-2 cell viability was measured using MTT assays. Histological alterations of mouse renal tissues were analyzed via hematoxylin and eosin staining. Renal function of mice was assessed by measuring the levels of serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). The concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines in HK-2 cells and serum samples of mice were detected using corresponding ELISA kits. Protein levels of factors associated with nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway were measured in HK-2 cells and renal tissues by Western blotting. AO exerted no cytotoxic effect on HK-2 cells and AO dose-dependently rescued LPS-induced decrease in HK-2 cell viability. The concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines were increased in response to LPS or CLP treatment, and the alterations were reversed by AO treatment. For in vivo experiments, AO markedly ameliorated renal injury and reduced high levels of SCr and BUN in mice underwent CLP operation. In addition, AO administration inhibited the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, AO alleviates septic AKI by suppressing inflammatory responses through inhibiting the NF-κB pathway.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.195-203
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• 2023

Exposure to environmental chemicals, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals, during the gestational period can have profound adverse effects on several organs in offspring. Bisphenol A (BPA) can infiltrate the human body through food and drinks, and its metabolites can cross both the placental and the blood-brain barriers. In this study, we investigate the effect of gestational exposure to BPA on epigenetic, biochemical, and histological modifications in the uterine tissues of F1 adult offspring rats. Pregnant rats were exposed to BPA from gestational day 8-15, and changes in global DNA methylation in uterine tissues obtained from adult offspring born to the exposed mothers were analyzed. Global DNA methylation analysis revealed that gestational exposure to BPA resulted in DNA hypomethylation in the uterus. Progesterone receptor (PR) protein expression in uterine tissues was monitored using western blot analysis, which revealed that the PR protein content was considerably higher in all BPA-exposed groups than in the control. Immunohistochemical examination for the PR revealed that intense PR-positive cells were more frequently observed in the BPA-exposed group than in the control group. To date, the evidence that the upregulation of PRs observed in the present study was caused by the non-methylation of specific PR promoter regions is lacking. Conclusively, these results indicate that exposure to BPA during gestation induces epigenetic alterations in the uteri of adult female offspring. We speculate that the global DNA hypomethylation and upregulation of the PR observed simultaneously in this study might be associated with the uterus.

• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.45-58
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• 2022

Recently, aducanumab, a beta amyloid targeted immunotherapy, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Alzheimer's dementia (AD). Although many questions need to be answered, this approval provides a promising hope for the development of AD drugs that could be supported by new biomarkers such as blood-based ones and composite neuropsychological tests that can confirm pathologic changes in early stages of AD. It is important to elucidate the complexity of AD which is known to be associated with other factors such as vascular etiologies and neuro-inflammation. Through the second international conference of the Korean Dementia Association (KDA), researchers from all over the world have participated in the exchange of opinions with KDA members on the most up-to-date topics. The Academic Committee of the KDA summarizes lectures to provide the depth of the conference as well as discussions. This will be an important milestone to widen the latest knowledge in the research of AD's diagnosis, therapeutics, pathogenesis that can lead to the establishment of future directions.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.101-110
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• 2019

Objectives : It is not clear which clinical variables are most closely associated with delirium in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). By comparing clinical data of ICU delirium and non-delirium patients, we sought to identify variables that most effectively differentiate delirium from non-delirium. Methods : Medical records of 6,386 ICU patients were reviewed. Random Subset Feature Selection and Principal Component Analysis were utilized to select a set of clinical variables with the highest discriminatory capacity. Statistical analyses were employed to determine the separation capacity of two models-one using just the selected few clinical variables and the other using all clinical variables associated with delirium. Results : There was a significant difference between delirium and non-delirium individuals across 32 clinical variables. Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS), urinary catheterization, vascular catheterization, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Blood urea nitrogen, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Examination II most effectively differentiated delirium from non-delirium. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that, with the exception of vascular catheterization, these clinical variables were independent risk factors associated with delirium. Separation capacity of the logistic regression model using just 6 clinical variables was measured with Receiver Operating Characteristic curve, with Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.818. Same analyses were performed using all 32 clinical variables;the AUC was 0.881, denoting a very high separation capacity. Conclusions : The six aforementioned variables most effectively separate delirium from non-delirium. This highlights the importance of close monitoring of patients who received invasive medical procedures and were rated with very low RASS and HAM-A scores.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.850-856
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• 2010

An in vivo oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed on hyperglycemic male Sprague-Dawley rats to assess the effect of fruits and vegetables ($1g{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ body weight) on blood glucose levels (${\Delta}BGLs$) at different time intervals of 0, 5, 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min. The areas under glucose curve (${\Delta}AUCs$) were calculated at 120 min of OGTT by trapezoid method. Total phenolic content (TPC) and anti-oxidant activity (AOA) of fruits and vegetables were assayed in vitro by Folin Ciocalteu and DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) methods, respectively. At the end of the experiment the correlations among the parameters TPC, AOA and ${\Delta}AUC$ was estimated by Pearson's correlations. Among fruit crops, tangerine, plum, grape and pear and among vegetables, blue leaf mustard, cabbage, chicory, broccoli and others exhibited significant hypoglycemic effects by reducing ${\Delta}BGLs$ with significant ${\Delta}AUC$. The effective ${\Delta}AUC$ ranged from $5548.2{\pm}462.1$ to $3823.3{\pm}282.0mg-min{\cdot}dL^{-1}$. The TPC and AOA ranged from $0.063{\pm}0.00$ to $0.913{\pm}0.14mg{\cdot}g^{-1}$ GAE and $01.05{\pm}0.08$ to $75.46{\pm}0.06%$, respectively. Overall, six fruits and fifteen vegetables exhibited higher TPC and one fruit and four vegetables exhibited higher AOA. There was a better correlation among TPC, AOA and ${\Delta}AUC$ of fruits and TPC & AOA of vegetables. We report that hypoglycemically significant fruits and vegetables investigated in this study have pharmacological importance which reduced ${\Delta}BGLs$ through insulin like activity and AOA in prevention of type-2 diabetes.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1359-1367
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• 2008

DSOM(Diagnosis System of Oriental Medicine) was made as a computerized assistant program for oriental medicine doctors to be able to diagnose with statistical basis. Then DSOM uses questionnaires filled out by subjects without enough explanatory guide. If the subject misunderstand the meaning of the passages, we might not rely on that result. So I designed this study to investigate the diagnostic correspondent rates between DSOM and practitioners. First, let the respondents answer to DSOM(DSOM-Ⅰ for the rest). After that, three doctors diagnosed the respondents and marked how much they had symptoms about 16 pathogenic factors in the score range 0${\sim}$5('0' means they didn't have that symptom, '1' means they had that symptom but mild, '3' means they had that symptom moderately, '5' means they had that symptom severely. And let the respondents answer to DSOM(DSOM-Ⅱ for the rest) again. Finally, we investigated the correspondent rates of diagnosis between DSOM-Ⅰ,Ⅱ and doctors'. We obtained conclusions as following. In the comparison of output frequency rate of the pathogenic factors, the difference between DSOM-Ⅰ and Ⅱ was 1%. In the correspondent rates of diagnosis between DSOM-Ⅰ,Ⅱ and doctors', In DSOM-Ⅰ and Ⅱ answered by subjects two times respectively, the correspondent rate was highest in insufficiency of Yang(陽虛) and liver(肝) as 93.2%, lowest in damp(濕) as 69.5% and showed 81.9% in all 16 pathogenic factors mean. In DSOM-Ⅰ and Ⅱ, and Doctors' diagnose, they showed the complete correspondent rates of 15.3${\sim}$61.0%, 15.3${\sim}$59.3% in individual pathogenic factor, 36.5%, 37.3% in all 16 pathogenic factors mean each, and within ${\pm}$1 errorrange, they showed the correspondent rates of 32.2${\sim}$93.2%, 35.6${\sim}$89.8% in individual pathogenic factor, 67.6%, 67.3% in all 16 pathogenic factors mean each, and within ${\pm}$2 error range, they showed the correspondent rates of 62.7${\sim}$98.3%, 71.2${\sim}$100% in individual pathogenic factor, 85.1 87.6%% in all 16 pathogenic factors mean each. In the correspondent rates of the severe case, In the cases that the Doctors' diagnostic score mean was over 3(the severity of disease is middle), there were deficiency of qi(氣虛), stagnation of qi(氣滯), blood stasis(血瘀), damp(濕), liver(肝), heart(心), spleen(脾) and they all showed the correspondent rates of over 60 except blood stasis(血瘀). In the cases that the weighed pathogenic factor was above 9, the correspondent rates were 50${\sim}$100%. deficiency of qi(氣虛), blood-deficiency(血虛), stagnation of qi(氣滯), blood stasis(血瘀), insufficiency of Yin(陽虛), insufficiency of Yang(陽虛), coldness(寒), heat (熱), damp(濕), dryness(燥), liver(肝), heart(心), spleen(脾), kidney(腎), phlegm(痰).

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1626-1632
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• 2008

Among patients who are receiving treatments at an oriental medical hospital for various symptoms and diseases, patients whose main disease is accompanied by metabolic syndrome with abnormal liver function. This research was performed in order to observe the progression of changes in the liver function and serum lipid profile after the oriental medical treatments to patients who have been receiving oriental medical treatment for various other diseases and have been diagnosed as having metabolic syndrome at their first visit to the hospital based on NCEP ATP III diagnosis criteria and WHO Asia Pacific region criteria. Total number of subject patients were 39cases(mean age:55.58${\pm}$2.09 years) which had 20 male and 19 female. For the references for hepatic enzyme levels and blood lipid profile were measured in before treatment and four times after treatments(every 2.31${\pm}$06.17 weeks). Serum AST was 48.86${\pm}$7.46 IU/L before oriental medical treatment. After the treatment, 40.63${\pm}$4.69, 43.12${\pm}$5.46, 37.82${\pm}$4.52 IU/L were measured where although the level decreased to the normal level compared to pre-treatment, the value was not significant statistically(P>0.05). ALT was 66.26${\pm}$11.01 IU/L before oriental medical treatment. After the treatment 62.10${\pm}$8.20, 61.10${\pm}$8.76, 43.79${\pm}$5.68 were measured where although the level decreased, abnormally high level was maintained. The last result was significant statistically(P<0.05) compared to pre-treatment. ALP was 193.06${\pm}$14.20 IU/L before oriental medical treatment. After the treatment, 176.80${\pm}$6.48, 177.46${\pm}$11.81, 162.41${\pm}$9.06 where although compared to pre-treatment the last result was significant statistically(P<0.05), the change was within the normal range. ${\gamma}$-GGT was 87.83${\pm}$12.59 IU/L before oriental medical treatment. After the treatment, progressively near normal level was achieved with 118.73${\pm}$46.45, 85.03${\pm}$17.12, 70.64${\pm}$10.93 and the last result was statistically significant compared to pre-treatment (P<0.05). Blood triglyceride was 217.63${\pm}$32.18 mg/dL before oriental medical treatment. After treatment 215.09${\pm}$22.18, 189.93${\pm}$22.44, 191.22${\pm}$18.51 where abnormal values continued even after treatment although results was not statistically significant compared to pre-treatment(P>0.05). Total-cholesterol was 197.28${\pm}$9.24 mg/dL before oriental medical treatment, after treatment 201.55${\pm}$11.13, 186.87${\pm}$8.77 and 186.68${\pm}$7.61 were measured that results were not statistically significant compared to pre-treatment(P>0.05). HDL-cholesterol was 41.88${\pm}$2.38 mg/dL before oriental medical treatment, after treatment 48.75${\pm}$4.22, 44.10${\pm}$1.91, 48.00${\pm}$2.06 the results were not statistically significant compared to pre-treatment(P>0.05). LDL-cholesterol was 111.66${\pm}$13.08 mg/dL before oriental medical treatment, after treatment 109.94${\pm}$10.18, 101.79${\pm}$8.63, 104.00${\pm}$6.98 the results were not statistically significant compared to pre-treatment(P>0.05). With such results, even if common oriental medical treatments were given to metabolic syndrome patients with abnormal liver function, the liver function was confirmed not to be aggravated, and the concentration of lipids in the blood was confirmed not to be affected in most patients.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.97-113
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• 1998

The sympathoadrenal system plays an important role in homeostasis in widely varing external environments. Conflicting findings, however, have been reported on its response to hypoxia. We investigated the effect of hypoxia on the sympathoadrenal system in dogs under halothane anesthesia by measuring levels of circulating catecholamines in response to graded hypoxia. Ten healthy mongreal dogs were mechanically ventilated with different hypoxic gas mixtures. Graded hypoxia and reoxygenation were induced by progressively decreasing the oxygen fraction in the inhalation gas mixture from 21%(control) to 15%, 10% and 5% at every 5 minutes, and then reoxygenated with 60% oxygen. Mean arterial pressure, central venous pressure and mean pulmonary arterial pressure were measured directly using pressure transducers. Cardiac output was measured by the thermodilutional method. For analysis of blood gas, saturation and content, arterial and mixed venous blood were sampled via the femoral and pulmonary artery at the end of each hypoxic condition. The concentration of plasma catecholamines was determined by radioenzymatic assay. According to the exposure of graded hypoxia, not only did arterial and mixed venous oxygen tension decreased markedly at 10% and 5% oxygen, but also arterial and mixed venous oxygen saturation decreased significantly. An increased trend of the oxygen extraction ratio was seen during graded hypoxia. Cardiac output, mean arterial pressure and systemic vascular resistance were unchanged or increased slightly. Pulmonary arterial pressure(PAP) and pulmonary vascular resistance(PVR) were increased by 55%, 76% in 10% oxygen and by 82%, 95% in 5% oxygen, respectively(p<0.01). The concentrations of plasma norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine increased by 75%, 29%, 24% in 15% oxygen and by 382%, 350%, 49% in 5% oxygen. These data suggest that the sympathetic nervous system was activated to maintain homeostasis by modifying blood flow distribution to improve oxygen delivery to tissues by hypoxia, but hemodynamic changes might be blunted by high concentration of nitrous oxide except PAP and PVR. It would be suggested that hemodynamic changes might not be sensitive index during hypoxia induced by high concentration of nitrous oxide exposure.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 1989

The present study was designed to examine the effect of dietary fish oil on blood pressure and lipid status of serum. Weanling SHRs and normotensive Wistars were fed a diet containing 5%(w/w) mackerel oil(MO), soybean oil(SO) or beef tallow(BT) for 8 weeks. Growth rate was not significantly different among three dietary groups, but that of SHRs was silightly lower than that of Wistars. SHRs showed higher systolic blood pressure than Wistar rats from the beginning and become hypertensive (over 150mmHg) after 6 week s of feeding period. The MO group of SHRs showed the lowest blood pressure at the 8th week of feeding period but that of Wistars showed similar values with other groups. Tissue weights of liver, heart and kidney were not different amongdietary aroups in Wistars and SHRs. However, heart and kidney weights of SHRs were significantly higher than those of Wistars. Microscopic examination revealed that endomysium of heart tissue and urinary space of kidney were narrowed in SHRs. Serum total and HDL-cholesterol showed similar values among three different dietary fat groups but triglyceride levels were significantly low in MO groups. HDL-cholesterol levels of SHRs were lower than those of Wistars, as well as the fractions of total HDL, the sum of HDL and $HDL_{2+3}$, while VLDL fractions were higher in SHRs. MO groups had the lower values of $HDL_1,\;HDL_{2+3}$ratio than SO and BT groups. Major dietary fatty acids were more or less incorporated into serum phospholipid and triglyceride, resulting in the characteristic fatty acid profile of each dietary group. Incorporation of $C_{18:2}({\omega}_6)$ in SO groups were pronounced, but the degree of incorporation was lower in SHRs. In Mo groups, $C_{22:6}({\omega}_3)$ levels were inreased in triglyceride. It is suggested that these changes in serum lipid fatty acid composition are related to the different patterns of serum lipid by alteration of dietary fats.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.646-669
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• 2004

By treating skin diseases with Hyungsang medicine and reviewing the clinical cases of them through classifying skin diseases into general care and into Hyungsang medical care, the writer came to the conclusion as followings. The skin is a house of Kyungnak, and it' s a place which Ki comes in and out, which human body controls conditions of his physiological function and which doctors can make a diagnosis from seeing it. The skin is subject to lung and large intestine in the point of organ, but in the point of movement, to spleen and stomach. Skin diseases come from unbalance of Ki and Hyul, mostly from fever in blood and also from Dam, Wind, Dampness and Dryness because of including fire. Generally skin diseases are treated according to classifying into distinctive symptoms, region, cause or time being occurred, and concomitant symptoms. After being divided into man and woman, age and youth, fatness and leanness, Jung Ki Shin Hyul type, visceral figures, Yukkyung shapes on Hyungsang medicine method, the remedy of skin diseases which is combined common meditation with Hyungsang medical method is efficacious. In distinguishing into man and woman, age and youth, man gets sick mainly by drinking liquor and exhausting Jung, woman is taken ill generally by indigestion and Damwha, especially by drinking liquor. Young child gets ill mostly from inherent weakness, but in many cases he is occurred by disturbed digestion, so he must be taken care of ingesting food. The aged becomes ill from weakening, so he must be treated according to reasons of diseases. To fatness and leanness, skin diseases are showed symptoms by weakened Yang, insufficient Yin or excess fever on the theory of upper and lower parts, by unbalance of Ki and Hyul on the theory of left and right, by Dryness and Dampness on the theory of front and rear and by insufficiency of vitality and combined fever on the theory of inside and outside. Therefore doctors must cure the symptoms according to the theory of upper and lower, left and right, front and rear and inside and outside. In type of Jung Ki Shin Hyul, the balances between Jung-Hyul and Shin-Ki are important points. Concretely Jung type comes to easily shortage of Jung or gathering abnormally Dampness and Dam, Ki type is easy to make a mass with Ki or to be deficient of Ki, Shin type comes to press seven emotions togather or to be insufficient of Yin and fever inside, and Hyul type is inclined to be deficient of Hyul and to become feverish or to be deficient of Ki. Therefore on the ground of the above reasons skin diseases come into existence. Inclusively in Jung-Hyul type , Ki must be moved on the base of full Jung-Hyul, so Wukmijiwhangtang or Samultang is prescribed basically. In Shin-Ki type , Jung-Hyul is saved on the base of moving Ki, so Hyangsosan or Yijintang is the proper prescription. Considering the visceral figures, doctors judge for diagnosis and remedy by putting together the elements, that is, great and small sizes of a set of features (eye, ear, mouth, nose), color and temper. The yukkyung types are classified according to many or few of Ki-Hyul, and then skin diseases appear by being inclined toward one side between Ki and hyul, or among the six atmospheric elements(wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire). Especially because Yangmyung type is full of much Ki and Hyul, and also has much fever in stomach, he gets skin symptoms frequently. So his prescription is based on taking off fever in stomach, and also he must be careful about regimen certainly.