• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.347-356
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• 1992

In oriental medicine, Artemisia Iwayomogi(Compositae) has been used clinically for jaundice, hepatitis, liver cirrhosis etc. The purposes of present study were to examine pharmacological effects of Artemisia lwayomogi water extract(AIWE) on weights of body, liver, kidney, spleen and adrenal, and on biochemical parameters (activities of AST, ALT and LDH, contents of cholesterol and triacylglycerol, and levels of hepatic lipid peroxide) against hepatic injury by carbon tetrachloride($CCl_4$) in rats. The results were as follow; 1. Body weights were reduced by $CCl_4$. In AIWE pretreatment groups, reduction of body weights was inhibited at 48 hours. Increased liver weights by $CCl_4$ were reduced in proportion to numbers of treatment of AIWE in AIWE pre- and posttreatment groups. Increased kidney weights by $CCl_4$ were reduced in AIWE pretreatment groups at 72 hours. Increased weights of spleen and adrenal by $CCl_4$ were not affected by AIWE treament. 2. Increased AST activities by $CCl_4$ were significantly (p<0.05) decreased in AIWE posttreatment groups at 48 and 72 hours. Increased ALT activities by $CCl_4$ were significantly(p<0.05) decreased in AIWE posttreatment groups at 48 hours. Increased LDH activities by $CCl_4$ were very significantly (p<0.01, p<0.001) decreased in AIWE posttreatment groups at 48 and 72 hours, respectively. 3. Increased cholesterol contents by $CCl_4$ were significantly (p<0.05) decreased in AIWE posttreatment groups at 24 and 48 hours. Decreased triacylglycerol contents by $CCl_4$ were significantly (p<0.05) increased in AIWE posttreatment at 48 and 72 hours. 4. Increased hepatic lipid peroxide levels by $CCl_4$ were significantly (p<0.05, p<0.01) decreased in AIWE posttreatment groups at 48 and 72 hours, respectively. In conclusion, AIWE did not affect normal liver function and had property of antioxidant, due to reduced lipid peroxidation by $CCl_4$. AIWE seems to have hepatoprotective effects rather than direct preventive effects to $CCl_4$-induced necrotic degeneration of liver cell, cholestasis and damages in metabolism of lipid.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.153-169
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• 2011

Objectives : This study was performed to investigate the anti-fibrogenic effect and the effect on cell growth and apoptosis in YJCGT, YJCGT YSO and YJCGT YSCO on thioacetamide-induced rat liver tissue and the immortalized human hepatic cell line LX2. Materials and Methods : LX2 cells were treated with various concentrations (0, 50, 150, 300 ug/ml) of YJCGT, Y+YSO, and Y+YSCO extract for 24, 48 and 72 hours. After the treatment, cell viability was measured by using MTT assay. Caspase inhibitor assay, and cell viability were determined by a colorimetric assay with PMS/MTS solution. Rat liver fibrosis was induced by intraperitoneal thioacetamide injection 150 mg/kg 3 times a week for 5 weeks. After the treatment, body weight, liver & spleen weights, liver function test, the complete blood cell count and the change of portal pressure were studied. After YJCGT, Y+YSO, and Y+YSCO treatment, percentages of collagen in thioacetamide-induced rat liver tissue were measured. Results : The viability of the LX2 cell decreased in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Exposure of LX2 cells to YJCGT, YJCGT+YSO and YJCGT+YSCO induced caspase-3 activation, but co-treatment of YJCGT, YJCGT+YSO and YJCGT+YSCO with the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK, and the caspase-3 inhibitor Z-DEVE-FMK, blocked apoptosis. There was no difference in rat body weight between the thioacetamide only group and the YJCGT, YJCGT+YSO and YJCGT+YSCO groups. In the YJCGT, YJCGT YSO and YJCGT YSCO groups, the serum level of GPT significantly went down compared with the thioacetamide only group. In the YJCGT, Y+YSO, Y+YSCO groups, white blood cell elevated by thioacetamide injection decreased but RBC, Hgb, and Hct increased. In the Y+YSO group, the portal pressure elevated by thioacetamide injection significantly decreased. In the histological finding, thioacetamide injections caused severe fibrosis, but YJCGT, Y+YSO, and Y+YSCO treatment significantly reduced the amounts of hepatic collagens. Conclusions : YJCGT, Y+YSO, and Y+YSCO inhibit the growth of LX2 cells by inducing apoptosis through caspase activity. YJCGT, Y+YSO, and Y+YSCO have beneficial effects on the treatment of cirrhotic patients as well as patients with chronic hepatitis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1031-1036
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• 1998

Background: Medtronic-Hall mechanical valve is a world widely using prosthesis. But, in Korea, the clinical result from Medtronic-Hall valve replacement is not frequenthy available. Materials and methods: From March 1986 to May 1990, 50 patients underwent valve replacement surgery with Medtronic-Hall valve at Pusan National University Hospital. Seventeen were male and thirty three were female and ra nging in age from 16 to 70 years of age(mean=35 years). Results: The causes of valvular lesion were rheumatic in 43 patients, bicuspid aortic valve in 3 patients, degenerative lesion in three patients and bacterial endocarditis in one patient. The operative procedures were mitral valve replacement(MVR) in 38, aortic valve replacement(AVR) in 5 and double valve replacement(DVR) in 7. The most commonly used valve size was 21mm in AVR, 29mm in MVR. Concomitant surgical procedures were performed in 15 patients; left atrial thrombectomy in 9, left atrial auricle obliteration in 6 and tricuspid annuloplasty in 5(Kay: 2, DeVega: 3). New York Heart Association functional class was mostly Class Ⅲ or Ⅳ(91.5%) preoperatively and ClassⅠor Ⅱ(87.2%) after operation. The findings of postoperative echocardiogram of LAD, LVESD, LVEDD were reduced compared with preoperative period and ejection fraction was increased compared with preoperative period. Postoperative complications were massive bleeding in three, low cardiac output syndrome in two, thromboembolism in one and fulminant hepatitis in one patient. There were three hospital deaths and their causes were low cardiac output syndrome in two and rupture of left ventricle in one patient. The 5 year survival rate was 93.65±0.71% and 10 year actuarial survival rate was 88.27±6.42%. Conclusions: Medtronic-Hall mechanical valve has low valve related complication rate. It's durability and hemodynamic performance is comparable to other mechanical valves.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.181-184
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• 2009

Purpose: Automated system that immunoassay examination are used widely. However, sample to sample carryover can cause that the next patient sample is false positive. Materials and Methods: We test HBs Ag, HBs Ab, HBc Ab(IgG) with Automated pipetting system (Tecan). It was placed with very high concentrations followed by saline solution. During this experiment, The fixed tip of Automated system wash With 0.25 moL/L NaOH. The Measurement results of saline solution confirm the occurrence of carryover. Results: Results of saline solution with 0.25 moL/L NaOH cleaning process was measured 100% negative, And results of patient serum with 0.25 moL/L NaOH cleaning process is similar reported results. Conclusion: As Results, 0.25 moL/L NaOH cleaning process was avoid carryover in experiment, And we know results of the hepatitis test did not affected by this solution we recommend 0.25 moL/L NaOH cleaning process as the Prevention of carryover in the automated system with fixed Tips.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.71-80
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• 1982

In the present communication, the results will be reported on a clinical study of how well scintigraphic visualization of the hepatobiliary elements and several commonly used clinical liver function tests correlate each other in various diseases oft hepatobiliary system. The demonstrability of the biliary tract, gallbladder (GB) and duodenum was rather closely paralleled to serum bilirubin level and less closely to alkaline phosphatase and rather poorly to SGOT and SGPT. The biliary tree could not be visualized scintigraphically when bilirubin exceeded 10.5mg/dl. The usefulness of Tc-99m EHIDA [N-(2,6-diethylacetanilido) iminodiacetic acid, made by Amersham, England] hepatobiliary scintigraphy (Tc EHIDA HBS) in settling diagnostic controversy and ambiguity raised by oral cholecystography, intravenous cholangiography and ultrasonography in many hepatobiliary diseases is well known. The purpose of this investigation was to semiquantitatively evaluate the scintigraphic demonstrability of the hepatobiliary tract, GB and duodenum following intravenous injection of Tc-99m EHIDA in normal subjects and in patients with a disturbed liver function from various hepatobiliary diseases. The hepatobiliary scintigraphy was performed in 10 normal subjects and 39 patients with various hepatobiliary diseases (Table 1) at the Dept. of Radiology, St. Mary's Hospital Catholic Medical College, Seoul, Korea during 2 years period from September 1979. Scintigraphic examination was started at end of 3 minutes after intravenous injection of Tc-99m EHIDA in the amount of $50{\mu}Ci/kg$ and was continued until after 30 minutes at 5 minutes interval. The imaging was usually terminated when the tracer could be seen in the duodenum. Late scintigrams were obatained at 1 1/2, 3, 4 and 6 hours when reeded. Scintigrams were analyzed in terms of promptness and clarity of visualization of the biliary tree, GB and duodenum and demonstrability of these anatomical landmarks was correlated with the values of liver function tests. The demonstrability of the common hepatic duct, common bile duct, GB and duodenum was closely paralleled to the level of serum bilirubin when it is less than 10.5 mg/dl as shown in figure 1. However when the bilirubin exceeded 10.5 mg/dl the time of visualization between protracted reaching a flat curve or plateau around 10.5 mg/dl. The biliary tract could not be visualized when the bilirubin was higher than 10.5 mg/dl. The correlability between scintigraphic demonstration and serum alkaline phosphatase was less strong and between scintigraphic demonstration and SGOT and SGPT was rather poor. The present clinical study confirmed the usefulness and limitation of Tc-99m EHIDA hepatobiliary scintigraphy in visulizing and diagnosing the biliary system and duodenum when radiogrpahy and ultrasonography failed to provide useful informations. Scintigraphy was very helpful in the diagnosis of neonatal hepatitis, biliary atresia, cholecystitis and extrahepatic biliary obstruction. The hepatobiliary system and duodenum were visualized when serum bilirubin level was less than 10.5 mg/dl, SGOT 135 units, SGPT 114 units and alkaline phosphatase 52.2 KAU.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.296-306
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• 1992

A 6 year experience with the bileaflet St. Jude Medical valve is reported. Between Feb. 1986 and Dec. 1992, 68 patients received 87 such valves[36 mitral, 13 aortic, and 19 double mitral-aortic valve replacements]. The results are summarized as follows 1. There were 35 male and 33 female patients ranging in age from 17 to 55 years the mean age of 35.3 $\pm$ 9.7 years. 2. The mean aortic clamp time[ACT] of the MVR, AVR and DVR groups were 91.5$\pm$16.4, 117.2$\pm$28.7 and 165.5$\pm$24.1 minutes. The mean total bypass time [TBT] of the MVR, AVR and DVR groups were 112.8$\pm$19.5, 134.7$\pm$31.4 and 192.2$\pm$28.5 minutes. 3. Eighty seven valves were used [55 mitral site, 32 aortic site]. 31mm[20], 33mm[15], 29mm[15], 27mm[2], 25mm[2] and 35mm[1] were used in mitral site and 23mm[13], 21mm[8], 19mm[7] and 25mm[4] were used in the aortic site. In the DVR, there were valve combinations such as 4 cases of M[29mm]-A[19mm], 4 of M[31mm]-A[23mm], 3 of M[33mm]-A[23mm] and others. 4. Preoperative NYHA functional classes were II [3 cases], III [46 cases], IV[19 cases] and improved to I [52 cases] and Il [13 cases] postoperatively. 5 Early postoperative complications were occurred in 15 cases[2Z.l%] and there were LOS in 5 cases[7.4%], arrythmia [3 cases], wound infection [2 cases], hepatitis [2 cases], sudden cardiac arrest [2 cases] and postoperative bleeding [1 case]. The early hospital death was occurred in 3 cases[4.4%] with LOS [1 case] and sudden cardiac arrest [2 cases]. 6. Mean follow-up time of survival cases[65 cases] was 31.3$\pm$21.9 months and the total follow-up time was 169.8 patient-years. Late postoperative complications were occurred in 4 cases[2 thromboembolism, 1 paravalvular leak, 1 thromboembolism br paravalvular leak, 1 valve endocarditis] with the occurrence rate as 2.35% per patient-years. Reoperation was performed in 2 cases [1 paravalvular leak, 1 left atrial thrombus] and there was one [1.5%] late valve related death. Therefore the 6 year complication free rate was 90.6% and 6 year actuarial survival rate was 98.3$\pm$1.7%. On the basis of this experience and the results, SJMvalve appears to be one of the best performing mechanical prosthesis currently available, in terms of both hemodynamics and lower complications with warfarin antioagulation.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.358-366
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• 2012

Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrosis, scar tissue and regenerative nodules leading to loss of liver function. Liver Cirrhosis is most commonly caused by alcoholism, hepatitis B and C, and fatty liver disease, but has many other possible causes. Some cases are idiopathic disease from unknown cause. Abdomen of liver Computed tomography(CT) is one of the primary imaging procedures for evaluating liver disease such as liver cirrhosis, Alcoholic liver disease(ALD), cancer, and interval changes because it is economical and easy to use. The purpose of this study is to detect technique for computer-aided diagnosis(CAD) to identify liver cirrhosis in abdomen CT. We experimented on the principal components analysis(PCA) algorithm in the other method and suggested texture information analysis(TIA). Forty clinical cases involving a total of 634 CT sectional images were used in this study. Liver cirrhosis was detected by PCA method(detection rate of 35%), and by TIA methods(detection rate of 100%-AGI, TM, MU, EN). Our present results show that our method can be regarded as a technique for CAD systems to detect liver cirrhosis in CT liver images.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.455-461
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• 2013

Retinoids regulate not only various cell functions including proliferation and differentiation but also glucose and lipid metabolism. After we observed a marked up-regulation of cellular retinol-binding protein-I (CRBP-I) in the liver of hepatitis B virus x antigen (HBx)-transgenic (HBx Tg) mice which are prone to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and fatty liver, we aimed to evaluate retinoid pathway, including genes for the retinoid physiology, CRBP-I protein expression, and retinoid levels, in the liver of HBx Tg mice. We also assessed the effect of chronic metformin treatment on HCC development in the mice. Many genes involved in hepatic retinoid physiology, including CRBP-I, were altered and the tissue levels of retinol and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) were elevated in the liver of HBx Tg mice compared to those of wild type (WT) control mice. CRBP-I protein expression in liver, but not in white adipose tissue, of HBx Tg mice was significantly elevated compared to WT control mice while CRBP-I protein expressions in the liver and WAT of high-fat fed obese and db/db mice were comparable to WT control mice. Chronic treatment of HBx Tg mice with metformin did not affect the incidence of HCC, but slightly increased hepatic CRBP-I level. In conclusion, hepatic CRBP-I level was markedly up-regulated in HCC-prone HBx Tg mice and neither hepatic CRBP-I nor the development of HCC was suppressed by metformin treatment.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7101-7106
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• 2013

Background: The prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after curative resection varies greatly. Few studies had investigated the risk factors for early recurrence (recurrence-free time ${\leq}$ 1 year) of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCCs meeting Milan criteria. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the 224 patients with HCC meeting Milan criteria who underwent curative liver resection in our center between February 2007 and March 2012. The overall survival (OS) rate, recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate and risk factors for early recurrence were analyzed. Results: After a median follow-up of 33.3 months, HCC reoccurred in 105 of 224 patients and 32 died during the period. The 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates were 97.3%, 81.6% and 75.6% respectively, and the 1-, 3- and 5-year RFS rates were 73.2%, 53.7% and 41.6%. Cox regression showed alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) > 800 ng/ml (HR 2.538, 95% CI 1.464-4.401, P=0.001), multiple tumors (HR 2.286, 95% CI 1.123-4.246, P=0.009) and microvascular invasion (HR 2.518, 95% CI 1.475-4.298, P=0.001) to be associated with early recurrence (recurrence-free time ${\leq}$ 1-year) of HCC meeting Milan criteria. Conclusions: AFP > 800 ng/ml, multiple tumors and microvascular invasion are independent risk factors affecting early postoperative recurrence of HCC. In addition resection appears capable of replacing liver transplantation in some situations with safety and a better outcome.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7045-7056
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• 2013

Since the first report of RNA interference (RNAi) less than a decade ago, this type of molecular intervention has been introduced to repress gene expression in vitro and also for in vivo studies in mammals. Understanding the mechanisms of action of synthetic small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) underlies use as therapeutic agents in the areas of cancer and viral infection. Recent studies have also promoted different theories about cell-specific targeting of siRNAs. Design and delivery strategies for successful treatment of human diseases are becomingmore established and relationships between miRNA and RNAi pathways have been revealed as virus-host cell interactions. Although both are well conserved in plants, invertebrates and mammals, there is also variabilityand a more complete understanding of differences will be needed for optimal application. RNA interference (RNAi) is rapid, cheap and selective in complex biological systems and has created new insight sin fields of cancer research, genetic disorders, virology and drug design. Our knowledge about the role of miRNAs and siRNAs pathways in virus-host cell interactions in virus infected cells is incomplete. There are different viral diseases but few antiviral drugs are available. For example, acyclovir for herpes viruses, alpha-interferon for hepatitis C and B viruses and anti-retroviral for HIV are accessible. Also cancer is obviously an important target for siRNA-based therapies, but the main problem in cancer therapy is targeting metastatic cells which spread from the original tumor. There are also other possible reservations and problems that might delay or even hinder siRNA-based therapies for the treatment of certain conditions; however, this remains the most promising approach for a wide range of diseases. Clearly, more studies must be done to allow efficient delivery and better understanding of unwanted side effects of siRNA-based therapies. In this review miRNA and RNAi biology, experimental design, anti-viral and anti-cancer effects are discussed.