• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.99-107
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between health promotion behaviors and chronic disease prevalence of Korean elderly and to provide information for preventing chronic diseases and improving health conditions of the elderly. Methods: A subset of 584 cases in the fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was used for secondary analysis. Chi square test was used to compare chronic diseases prevalence by general characteristics and health promotion behaviors. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with chronic diseases. Results: Gender, occupation, subjective health status, smoking, and alcohol drinking have significant association with chronic diseases. Conclusions: Gender-specific health education for the elderly should be implemented at the health center, and opportunities for social participation can be enhanced through job creation for the elderly. Active campaigns on smoking cessation and moderate drinking are needed to prevent and manage chronic diseases of the elderly.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1207-1212
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• 2004

Twenty-one diabetic nephropathy patients with normal serum BUN(Blood Urea Nitrogen), creatinine levels and ten chronic renal failure patients with abnormal high BUN, creatinine levels were investigated to evaluate the renal function change after long term herb medicine administration. The hospitalized patients were administrated three times a day with herb medicine, which were prescribe frequently in practical oriental medicine such as many hospital and local clinics. Blood Urea Nitrogen, creatinine and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were measured immediately after 7days medication. Serum BUN, creatinine levels in diabetic nephropathy patients changed from 17.63±4.38㎎/㎗, 1.09±0.26㎎/㎗(mean±SD) of pre-medication levels to 14.13±3.24 1,20±0.37, 14.75±2.21 1.23±0.55, 12.34±2.89 1.18±0.42 at 7th, 14th, 21th days after herb medicine administration respectively. Also 24hr urine total protein changed from 632.25±254.43㎎/㎗ of pre-medication levels to 623.18±231.56㎎/㎗ after herb medicine administration(P>0.05). Serum BUN, creatinine levels and GFR in chronic renal failure patients changed from 67.45±13.86㎎/㎗, 6.74±2.91㎎/㎗, 13.73±4.21㎖/min pre-medication levels to 61.23±17.75 6.43±2.29 15.49±3.56, 58.84±19.36 5.83±2.51 16.38±2.85, 56.39±20.33 5.64±2.52 16.73±3.40 at 7th, 14th, 21th days after herb medicine administration respectively. Therefore, there was not clinically remarkable difference in the serum BUN, creatinine, GFR levels between pre-medication and post-medication in both Group.

• The Journal of Dong Guk Oriental Medicine
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• v.5
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• pp.187-196
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• 1996

Alcohol is a major risk factor for several diseases and especially excessive, long-term alcohol consumption are caues the damage of immunity such as the inhibiton of secretion of lymphokine and proliferation of immune component cell. This study observed that the inhibition of T lymphocytic differentiation and secretion of interleukin 2(IL-2) induced in thymus of ICR mouse by chronic alcohol administration. After 8% alcohol voluntary administered for 120 days, the thymic tissue immunohistochemically stained by following ABC method that used monoclonal antibody including L3T4(CD4), Ly-2(CD8), and IL-2 receptor(CD25R) after embedding with paraffin. The results were as follows. 1. The size of thymic medulla in test group reduced than control group. 2. The number of helper T lymphocyte, cytotoxic T lymphocyte, and IL-2 receptor were decreased in thymic medulla and cortico-medullary junction of test group and the degree of CD4, CD8, and CD25R positive reaction were soften in test group. These results indicated that the secretion of IL-2 in thymus was inhibited by chronic alcohol administration and subsequently prevent to differentiate from thymocytes to T lymphocytes. As this view, cell mediated immunity were reduced by chronic alcohol administration.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.25-34
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• 2021

Kisspeptin is a key player in the central control of reproductive axis. Central administration of kisspeptin has been shown to advance puberty in rats. Stimulation of hypothalamic GnRH pulse generating mechanism by kisspeptin has been proposed to be the mechanism behind the onset of puberty. We hypothesized that chronic high doses of kisspeptin administration suppresses the reproductive axis and hence delays the pubertal onset. Hence, we investigated the effect of peripheral administration of chronic high doses of kisspeptin on pubertal onset, feed intake and body weight in female rats. Rats were treated with saline or kisspeptin (100 nmoles per day; intraperitoneal) for 26 days (day 25 to day 50 postnatal) and the day of vaginal opening was marked as day of puberty. Kisspeptin treated rats had delayed pubertal onset and reduced feed intake and body weight. Gonadal GPR54 mRNA was reduced suggesting that chronic high doses of kisspeptin may suppress the reproductive functions possibly by downregulation of GPR54 receptor. However, delay in puberty due to reduction in feed intake and body weight could not be ruled out in this study. Further, our study emphasizes the importance of dosage and duration of kisspeptin administration in the manipulation of reproductive axis. Our study, for the first time, suggests that kisspeptin and its analogues, if proven beneficial, could be used to treat precocious puberty in children. It appears that, though a promising tool for enhancing fertility, kisspeptin acts as a double-edged sword and has to be cautiously used to manipulate reproduction.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2005

Background: Chronic headache (CH) constitutes a significant public health problem, impacting on both the individual sufferer and society. Patients with CH, unresponsive to drug therapy or nerve block, suffer considerable disability due to the frequency and severity of attacks; therefore, they should be considered for novel therapy. Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) has shown significant promise in the management of CH. In this paper, we review recent evidence on the efficacy of BoNT-A, and also report our experience with this treatment in CH patients. Methods: BoNT-A was used to treat 69 CH patients, including 47 in a chronic migraine group and 22 in a non-migraine CH group, who showed therapy-resistance to palliative drug or nerve block. We investigated the demography, dosage and site of BoNT-A injection, and used a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and the degree of satisfaction. The data were analyzed using t-tests and a Friedman repeated measures analysis of variance on ranks. Results: Significant decreases in the VAS for pain were found in both the chronic migraine and non-migraine CH groups, from 2, 4 and 12 weeks and from 4 and 12 weeks, respectively, after BoNT-A administration (P < 0.05). The chronic migraine group showed significantly lower VAS scores for pain than the non-migraine CH group from 2, 4 and 12 weeks after the BoNT-A administration (P < 0.05). Twenty eight patients (59.2%) in the chronic migraine group and eight (36.4%) in the non-migraine CH were satisfied with the BoNT-A treatment. Conclusions: This clinical study revealed that the use of BoNT-A demonstrated efficacy for CH patients resistant to drug therapy or nerve block. Moreover, BoNT-A proved itself more effective in the chronic migraine than non-migraine CH group.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.286-291
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• 2019

Background: Breast cancer is complicated by a high incidence of chronic postoperative pain (25%-60%). Regional anesthesia might play an important role in lowering the incidence of chronic pain; however it is not known if the pectoral nerve block (PECS block), which is commonly used for breast surgery, is able to prevent this complication. Our main objective was therefore to detect any association between the PECS block and chronic pain at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months in patients undergoing breast surgery. Methods: We conducted a prospective, monocentric, observational study. We enrolled 140 consecutive patients undergoing breast surgery and divided them in patients receiving a PECS block and general anesthesia (PECS group) and patients receiving only general anesthesia (GA group). Then we considered both intraoperative variables (intravenous opioids administration), postoperative data (pain suffered by the patients during the first 24 postoperative hours and the need for additional analgesic administration) and development and persistence of chronic pain (at 3, 6, 9, and 12 mo). Results: The PECS group had a lower incidence of chronic pain at 3 months (14.9% vs. 31.8%, P = 0.039), needed less intraoperative opioids (fentanyl $1.61{\mu}g/kg/hr$ vs. $3.3{\mu}g/kg/hr$, P < 0.001) and had less postoperative pain (3 vs. 4, P = 0.017). Conclusions: The PECS block might play an important role in lowering incidence of chronic pain, but further studies are needed.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.233-239
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• 2007

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of Dochetang for the treatment of chronic diarrhea in a 4 months-old-female Korean native calf. The calf was presented to the Wow Animal Clinic, Iksan with the history of chronic diarrhea for several weeks. The feces test did not reveal the presence of the parasites or microbes causing diarrhea in calf. The blood test was also negative to the virus that causes of diarrhea in calf. Adminstration of parenteral antibiotics resulted in improvement of the condition temporarily but diarrhea was recurred again after 2-3 weeks. Then the calf was treated with Dochetang administered orally once a day in an empty stomach for 15 days. Feces was significantly reduced in moisture on 7 days after initial treatment. On 9 days after initial treatment, the calf had normal appetite and defecation in physiological conditions. Blood samples were collected before administration and on 1, 2 and 3 weeks after initial administration of Dochetang for hematology and biochemistry. A significantly differences were observed in the white blood cell (WBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), albumin (ALB), glutamic pyrubic transaminase (GPT), inorganic phosphorus (IP) and magnesium (Mg), while no significant differences were seen in the red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (HCT), platelet (PLT), glucose (Glu), total protein (T-pro), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatine (CRE). This study suggests that Dochetang administration can be a successful alternative therapeutic agent in instead of antibiotics for the treatment of chronic diarrhea in calves.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 2019

Ketamine has long been used as an anesthetic agent. However, ketamine use is associated with numerous side effects, including flashbacks, amnesia, delirium, and aggressive or violent behavior. Ketamine has also been abused as a cocktail with ecstasy, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Several studies have investigated therapeutic applications of ketamine, demonstrating its antidepressant and anxiolytic effects in both humans and rodents. We recently reported that neonatal maternal separation causes enhanced anxiety- and aggressive-like behaviors in adolescent. In the present study, we evaluated how acute and chronic ketamine administration affected the behavioral consequences of neonatal maternal separation in adolescent mice. Litters were separated from dams for 4 hours per day for 19 days beginning after weaning. Upon reaching adolescence (post-natal day 35-49), mice were acutely (single injection) or chronically (7 daily injections) treated with a sub-anesthetic dose (15 mg/kg) of ketamine. At least 1 h after administration of ketamine, mice were subjected to open-field, elevated-plus maze, and resident-intruder tests. We found that acute ketamine treatment reduced locomotor activity. In contrast, chronic ketamine treatment decreased anxiety, as evidenced by increased time spent on open arms in the elevated-plus maze, and remarkably reduced the number and duration of attacks. In conclusion, the present study suggests that ketamine has potential for the treatment of anxiety and aggressive or violent behaviors.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2022

Oleanolic acid (OA), a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, has been reported to exert protective effects against several neurological diseases through its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the therapeutic potential of OA against acute and chronic brain injuries after ischemic stroke using a mouse model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO, MCAO/reperfusion). OA administration immediately after reperfusion significantly attenuated acute brain injuries including brain infarction, functional neurological deficits, and neuronal apoptosis. Moreover, delayed administration of OA (at 3 h after reperfusion) attenuated brain infarction and improved functional neurological deficits during the acute phase. Such neuroprotective effects were associated with attenuation of microglial activation and lipid peroxidation in the injured brain after the tMCAO challenge. OA also attenuated NLRP3 inflammasome activation in activated microglia during the acute phase. In addition, daily administration of OA for 7 days starting from either immediately after reperfusion or 1 day after reperfusion significantly improved functional neurological deficits and attenuated brain tissue loss up to 21 days after the tMCAO challenge; these findings supported therapeutic effects of OA against ischemic stroke-induced chronic brain injury. Together, these findings showed that OA exerted neuroprotective effects against both acute and chronic brain injuries after tMCAO challenge, suggesting that OA is a potential therapeutic agent to treat ischemic stroke.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2011

The effect of DHU001, a mixed herbal formula consisted of 7 types aqueous extracts for various respiratory disorders were evaluated on the formalin-induced paw chronic inflammation in mice after oral administration. Mice were subaponeurotically injected in the left hind paw with 0.02 ml of 3.75% formalin, then subjected to 500, 250 and 125 mg/kg of DHU001 oral administration, once a day for 10 days during which then the hind-paw thickness and volume were measured daily. The paw wet-weight, histological profiles, histomorphometrical analyses and paw tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ contents were conducted at termination. After two formalin treatments, a marked increase in the paw thickness and volume was detected in the formalin-injected control as compared with that in the intact control, plus at the time of sacrifice the paw wet-weights, paw TNF-${\alpha}$ contents were also dramatically increased with severe chronic inflammation signs at histopathological observations. However, these formalin-induced chronic inflammatory changes were dramatically decreased by treatment of dexamethasone and all three different dosages of DHU001. DHU001 has favorable effects on formalin-induced chronic inflammation mediated by TNF-${\alpha}$ suppression, and DHU001 may represent an alternative approach for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases.