• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.571-581
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• 2015

${\beta}$-asarone (BAS) is an active component of Acori graminei rhizoma, a traditional medicine used clinically in treating dementia and chronic stress in Korea. However, the cognitive effects of BAS and its mechanism of action have remained elusive. The purpose of this study was to examine whether BAS improved spatial cognitive impairment induced in rats following chronic corticosterone (CORT) administration. CORT administration (40 mg/kg, i.p., 21 days) resulted in cognitive impairment in the avoidance conditioning test (AAT) and the Morris water maze (MWM) test that was reversed by BAS (200 mg/kg, i.p). Additionally, as assessed by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR analysis, the administration of BAS significantly alleviated memory-associated decreases in the expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) proteins and mRNAs in the hippocampus. Also, BAS administration significantly restored the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 mRNAs in the hippocampus. Thus, BAS may be an effective therapeutic for learning and memory disturbances, and its neuroprotective effect was mediated, in part, by normalizing the CORT response, resulting in regulation of BDNF and CREB functions and anti-apoptosis in rats.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.313-322
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• 2013

Previous studies have demonstrated that repeated administration of the exogenous stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) induces dysregulation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and results in depression and anxiety. The current study sought to verify the impact of catechin (CTN) administration on chronic CORT-induced behavioral alterations using the forced swimming test (FST) and the elevated plus maze (EPM) test. Additionally, the effects of CTN on central noradrenergic systems were examined by observing changes in neuronal tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity in rat brains. Male rats received 10, 20, or 40 mg/kg CTN (i.p.) 1 h prior to a daily injection of CORT for 21 consecutive days. The activation of the HPA axis in response to the repeated CORT injections was confirmed by measuring serum levels of CORT and the expression of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) in the hypothalamus. Daily CTN administration significantly decreased immobility in the FST, increased open-arm exploration in the EPM test, and significantly blocked increases of TH expression in the locus coeruleus (LC). It also significantly enhanced the total number of line crossing in the open-field test (OFT), while individual differences in locomotor activities between experimental groups were not observed in the OFT. Taken together, these findings indicate that the administration of CTN prior to high-dose exogenous CORT significantly improves helpless behaviors, possibly by modulating the central noradrenergic system in rats. Therefore, CTN may be a useful agent for the treatment or alleviation of the complex symptoms associated with depression and anxiety disorders.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제16권6호
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• pp.379-386
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether berberine (BER) administration could attenuate depression- and anxiety-like behaviors and increase corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression following chronic morphine withdrawal in rats. Male rats were exposed to chronic, intermittent, escalating morphine (10~50 mg/kg) for 10 days. After the last morphine injection, depression- and anxiety-like beahvior associated with morphine discontinuation persisted for at least three days during withdrawal without any change in ambulatory activity. Daily BER administration significantly decreased immobility in the forced swimming test and increased open-arm exploration in the elevated plus maze test. BER administration also significantly blocked the increase in hypothalamic CRF expression and TH expression in the locus coeruleus (LC) and the decrease in hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA expression. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that BER administration significantly reduced morphine withdrawal-associated behaviors following discontinuation of repeated morphine administration in rats, possibly through modulation of hypothalamic CRF and the central noradrenergic system. BER may be a useful agent for treating or alleviating complex withdrawal symptoms and preventing morphine use relapses.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.97-103
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• 1976

In order to clarify the histopathological changes resulting from nitrate poisoning, rabbits were experimentally poisoned by the oral administration of $KNO_3$ or $NaNO_2$ and examined clinically and histopathologically. In addition, the quantitative changes of glycogen level in hepatic cells were histochemically observed. The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. Clinical symptoms observed from the acute cases which died within 2 hours after the administration were severe cyanosis of visible mucosa, frequent urination, and dyspnea. However, in chronic cases administrated daily with $KNO_3$ for 43, 50 and 74 days respectively, no marked symptoms were observed. 2. Macroscopic changes observed in acute cases were severe methemoglobinemia, cloudy swelling of hepatic cells, hemorrhage and hyperemia of gastric mucosa, and hyperemia of other organs. In chronic cases there were marked hyperemia, dark-red coloring and increasing of consistency in liver and kidney, and swelling of spleen. 3. Microscopic changes observed in acute cases were hemorrhage and hyperemia of various organs, cloudy swelling and centrilobular necrosis of hepatic cells and necrosis of convoluted tubular epithelium in kidney. In chronic cases there were round cell infiltration of the interlobular connective tissue and epithelial proliferation of interlobular bile ducts in the liver, and necrosis of the convoluted tubular epithelium and proliferation of interstitial connective tissue in kidney, thickening of alveolar septa of lungs, activated hemopoiesis of bone marrow, and myeloid metaplasia of sqlenic pulp. 4. Glycogen storage in liver cells was decreased in acute cases, on the contrary, increased in chronic cases.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.119-123
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• 2003

To investigate the effects of the supplementation of carnitine and/or ${\gamma}$ -aminobutric acid (GABA), Sprague-Dawley male rats were orally treated with either an AIN-76 diet (control), a control diet plus ethanol (CE, 4 g ethanol/kg bw), CE plus L-carnitine (CEC, 0.5 g/kg bw), CE plus GABA (CEG, 0.5 g/kg bw), or CE plus L-carnitine plus GABA (CECG, 0.25 g/kg bw each) for 6 weeks. Serum triglyceride levels were increased in the CE group and were decreased significantly in the CEC, CEG and CECG groups. HDL-cholesterol was increased and LDL-cholesterol was decreased in the CEG and CECG groups compared with the CE group. Serum GOT and GPT levels increased by the chronic ethanol administration were decreased in the CEC group. In addition, we have evaluated the mRNA levels of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I in those groups. Supplementation of carnitine/GABA had some recovery effects on the liver CPT-I mRNA levels which decreased by chronic ethanol administration. These results may suggest that supplementations of either L-carnitine or GABA aye effective on the recovery of chronic ethanol-related symptoms, but no combined effects were shown.

• 한국축산식품학회지
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• 제43권6호
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• pp.1044-1054
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• 2023

Growing evidence indicates a crucial role of the gut microbiota in physiological functions. Gut-brain axis imbalance has also been associated with neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Studies have suggested that probiotics regulate the stress response and alleviate mood-related symptoms. In this study, we investigated the effects of the probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus IDCC3201 (L3201) on the behavioral response and fecal metabolite content in an unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) mouse model. Our study shows that chronic stress in mice for three weeks resulted in significant changes in behavior, including lower locomotor activity, higher levels of anxiety, and depressive-like symptoms, compared to the control group. Metabolomic analysis demonstrated that disrupted fecal metabolites associated with aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis and valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis by UCMS were restored with the administration of L3201. Oral administration of the L3201 ameliorated the observed changes and improved the behavioral alterations along with fecal metabolites, suggesting that probiotics play a neuroprotective role.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제45권1호
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• pp.215-224
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• 2024

Objectives: This study aims to report a case of chronic nummular dermatitis improved by Hwangryunagyo-tang. Methods: The patient in this study was a 15-year-old female, who visited our hospital with symptoms such as redness, erythema, papule, excoriation, scale, exudation, crusting, lichenification, and pruritus of the extremities and trunk. Considering that the skin lesions were coin-shaped and persisted for more than 6 months, the patient's symptoms were diagnosed as chronic nummular eczema. Based on the patient's symptoms and overall condition, Hwangryunagyo-tang was prescribed. Results: Approximately 4 months after administration of Hwangryunagyo-tang, the exudate disappeared, and overall skin symptoms improved, from objective score 33.7 to 6.6, leaving only slight scale, dryness, and pigmentation. As the pruritus of the skin lesion decreased from numeric rating scale 8 to 1, the patient's sleeping condition also improved from numeric rating scale 9 to 0. Conclusion: This study is significant in that the symptoms of chronic nummular dermatitis were effectively improved after administration of Hwangryunagyo-tang.

• 대한상한금궤의학회지
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.31-43
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• 2013

Objective : This study evaluated the effect of Gui-Zhi-Tang(桂枝湯) on chronic cough. Methods : Three patients who had a chronic cough were diagnosed by the Shanghanlun(傷寒論) Six meridian patterns diagnostic system (六經診斷體系) and treated with Gui-Zhi-Tang(桂枝湯) based on Shang-han-lun's 12th and 15th text. The treatment lasted more than 4 weeks. The severity of Chronic cough was evaluated by the questionnaire(symptom severity assessment) before and after administration of each treatment term. Results : After the treatments, the patients' symptoms and results of the questionnaire improved. Conclusions : This case study showed an effectiveness of using Gui-Zhi-Tang on chronic cough.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.157-172
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• 2010

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of health-behavioral change for the elderly group after community based education of chronic diseases management. We measured self recognition of health status, medication administration of hypertension and diabetes, regular check for blood pressure and blood sugar level, recognition of body indicators (weight, hight, blood pressure, blood sugar etc), knowledge level for chronic diseases management and smoking and alcohol habitation before and after education of chronic diseases management for participants. The subjects of this study consist of 432 people with community-dwelling Seoul citizen being active churches. Education programs designed essential parts of fundamental chronic diseases management, physical exercises for health promotion, diet and nutrition etc. All data collection completed for 5 months from Aug. 2008 to Dec. 2008 by trained surveyors via interview survey. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon Singed Rank test, McNemar test and Paired t-test. The results showed that self recognition of health status, knowledge level for chronic diseases management, recognition of body indicators were statistically significantly increased after the education of chronic diseases management. Also, blood pressure were statistically significantly decreased in elderly with hypertension and blood sugar were statistically significantly decreased in elderly of high-risk group. Based on these results, it was suggested that preventive education policy of chronic diseases management should be considered with priority coming true for successful aging society.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제15권4호
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• pp.213-221
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• 2009

Longanae Arillus (the rind of fruits of Dimocarpus longan) has been consumed for the treatment of insomnia and anxiety in Asia. To provide further scientific basis to traditional uses of this fruit on insomnia, we evaluated the effects of methanol extract of Longanae Arillus (MELA) on the alteration of sleep architecture and electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectra in acutely and chronically restraint-stressed rats. Following postsurgical recovery, Polygraphic signs of sleep-wake activities were recorded for 24 h after MELA administration in rats. Rats in the acute stress and chronic stress were administered with MELA for 10 days. On the $8^{th},\;9^{th}\;and\;10^{th}$ day of MELA administration, the rats were stressed for 3 h once per day. On the $10^{th}$ day and 1 h after MELA administration, the rats were stressed once for 22 h in the chronic stress group. Acute and chronic stress induced alternations in cortex EEG recordings during non-rapid eye movement (NREM), rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and wakefulness. MELA shortened the total and REM sleep and increased the wakefulness in night time recording without changing daytime recordings. Chronic stress increased wakefulness and REM sleep, decreased total and NREM sleep in the daytime recording, and increased REM and decreased NREM sleep without changing total sleep and wakefulness in night time recording. These findings suggest that MELA ameliorated the alterations in REM and NREM sleep of acutely and chronically stressed rats via modulation of cortical ${\alpha}-$, ${\theta}-$ and ${\delta}-$ wave activity.