• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.75-81
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• 2019

In order to research the pathological entity of Jueyin disease in ${\ll}Shanghanlun{\gg}$, some sharing concept of three-yin-three-yang used in ${\ll}Neijing{\gg}$ and ${\ll}Shanghanlun{\gg}$ were investigated first, and then the meaning of jueyin and jueyin disease were analyzed. In cold damage disease, time-space factor is important because the pathological change is rapid and the symptoms along path are similar, therefore three-yin-three-yang having complex meaning of time and space can be used as an appropriate pathological concept. So to speak, it is able to be interpreted as various modes like variations of yin-yang, qi-blood, change of pulse condition, theories of opening, closing, pivot or exuberance and debilitation of form and qi manifested in the six districts of the human body following disease process. Jueyin is between front taiyin and rear shaoyin, and it's attribution is inherent in qi stagnation and yin exuberance in relative to the location of flank and liver. Putting together above descriptions, pathological entity of jueyin disease is that the symptoms mingled with cold and stagnant heat competing each other when a subject having qi stagnation in flank with cold in extremities and lower abdomen in particular is seized with cold influenza.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.255-262
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• 2019

Previously, we reported negative effects of low-dose nonylphenol (NP) exposure on the reproductive organs of F1 male mice. In the present study was further investigated the endocrine disrupting effect of NP exposure to F2 generation male mice. Mice were divided into 2 groups; (1) CON, control animals and (2) NP-50 ($50{\mu}g/L$), animals were treated with NP via drinking water. NP exposures were continuously conducted from parental pre-mating period until the postnatal day (PND) 55 of F2 offsprings. Mice were sacrificed on PND 55 and the reproductive tissue weights were measured. The initial (at PND 21) and terminal (PND 55) body weights of the NP-50 group animals were not significantly different from those of control group animals. NP exposure fail to induce a significant weight change of the testes, seminal vesicle and prostate except absolute epididymal weight (p<0.05). However, pathohistological studies revealed that NP-treated F2 animals showed evident decrease in seminiferous tubule diameters, reduced luminal area and number of germ cells. Also, sloughing morphologies in the tubules were notable. In the caudal epididymis, fewer mature sperms and swollen epithelial cells were found in the NP-treated group. The present study demonstrated that the subchronic low-dose NP exposure induced pathohistological abnormalities in testis and epididymis of F2 mice, and we assumed that these 'qualitative' changes in reproductive tissues could be derived from the epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation, histone modification, altered DNA accessibility and chromatin structure. Further studies are needed to achieve a better understanding on the multi- or trans-generational effects of NP on the reproductive health and a human application.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.371-383
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• 2021

Plant essential oils are used in products such as fragrances and cosmetics due to their individual aromatic characteristics. Currently, essential oils are not only used in cosmetics but also in pharmaceutical products with anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, insecticidal, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, psychophysiological, or anti-aging effects. Despite their pharmaceutical properties, some studies reported cytotoxic effects in high doses. Therefore, for pharmaceutical purposes, the margin of safety of essential oils needs to be examined. Herein, we evaluated the IC₅₀ of 10 essential oil from Korean native plants: Juniperus chinensis L. var. sargentii Henry, Citrus natsudaidai Hayata, Citrus reticulata Blanco, Citrus unshiu (Yu. Tanaka ex Swingle) Marcow, Artemisia capillaris Thunb, Aster glehnii F. Schmidt, Juniperus chinensis L, Zanthoxylum schinifolium Siebold & Zucc, Zanthoxylum piperitum (L.) D, and Cinnamomum loureirii. In addition, gene regulation of the cell-cycle gene and apoptosis marker CASP3 was examined at the IC₅₀ level. The purpose of this study was to describe the toxic concentrations of essential oils extracted from Korean native plants, thereby providing toxic concentration guidelines for inclusion in a toxicity database and in the application of plant essential oils in various fields.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.510-518
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• 2021

Background: Gintonin is a newly derived glycolipoprotein from the roots of ginseng. The purpose of this study is to investigate the anti-arthritic efficacy of Gintonin on various proteases and inflammatory mediators that have an important role in arthritis. Methods: Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) were treated with Gintonin and stimulated with interleukin (IL)-1β 1 hour later. The antioxidant effect of Gintonin was measured using MitoSOX and H₂DCFDA experiments. The anti-arthritic efficacy of Gintonin was examined by analyzing the expression levels of inflammatory mediators using RT-PCR, western blot, and ELISA. The phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways and translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)/p65 into the nucleus were also analyzed using western blot, ELISA, and immunocytochemistry. Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice model was used. Mice were orally administered with Gintonin (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) every 2 days for 45 days. The body weight, arthritis score, squeaking score, and paw volume were measured as the behavioral parameters. After sacrifice, H&E and safranin-O staining were performed for histological analysis. Results: Gintonin significantly inhibited the expression of inflammatory intermediates. Gintonin prevented NF-κB/p65 from moving into the nucleus through the JNK and ERK MAPK phosphorylation in FLS cells. Moreover, Gintonin suppressed the symptoms of arthritis in the CIA mice model. Conclusion: As a result, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Gintonin were demonstrated, and ultimately the anti-arthritic effect was proved. Collectively, Gintonin has a great potential as a therapeutic agent for arthritis treatment.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2022

The tuber of Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Brei (TPT) used in traditional Oriental medicine for the treatment of cough, sputum, vomiting, and insomnia, possesses antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects. Although recent studies have reported the anticancer effects of TPT in several cancer cells, it is still unclear whether TPT regulates tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) characterized by the immunosuppressive M2 macrophage phenotype. Our results showed that the ethanol extract of TPT (ETPT) suppressed the migration of RAW264.7 mouse macrophage cells and THP-1 human monocytes differentiated into macrophages towards the conditioned media (CM) collected from lung cancer cells, suggesting that ETPT would attenuate the recruitment of macrophages into tumors. In addition, ETPT suppressed the interleukin (IL)-4 or IL-6-induced M2 macrophage polarization in RAW264.7 cells. ETPT treatment not only downregulated the mRNA expression of M2 macrophage markers including arginase-1, mannose receptor C type 1 (MRC-1), and IL-10, but also inhibited the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and STAT6, general regulators of M2 macrophage polarization. Finally, the transwell assay results showed that the CM from M2-polarized RAW264.7 cells increased the migration of mouse lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells, while those from RAW264.7 cells co-treated with ETPT and IL-6 significantly reduced the migration of LLC cells. Taken together, our observations clearly demonstrate that ETPT suppressed the cancer cell migration by regulating macrophage recruitment and M2 macrophage polarization.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.273-280
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• 2021

Lung cancer despite advancement in the medical field continues to be a major threat to human lives and accounts for a high proportion of fatalities caused by cancers globally. The current study investigated vanillin oxime, a derivative of vanillin, against lung cancer cells for development of treatment and explored the mechanism. Cell viability changes by vanillin oxime were measured using MTT assay. Vanillin oxime-mediated apoptosis was detected in A549 and NCI-H2170 cells at 48 h of exposure by flow cytometry. The CEBP homologous protein (CHOP) and death receptor 5 (DR5) levels were analysed by RT-PCR and protein levels by Western blotting. Vanillin oxime in concentration-dependent way suppressed A549 and NCI-H2170 cell viabilities. On exposure to 12.5 and 15 μM concentrations of vanillin oxime elevated Bax, caspase-3, and -9 levels in A549 and NCI-H2170 cells were observed. Vanillin oxime exposure suppressed levels of Bcl-2, survivin, Bcl-xL, cFLIP, and IAPs proteins in A549 and NCI-H2170 cells. It stimulated significant elevation in DR4 and DR5 levels in A549 and NCI-H2170 cells. In A549 and NCI-H2170 cells vanillin oxime exposure caused significant (p < 0.05) enhancement in CHOP and DR5 mRNA expression. Vanillin oxime exposure of A549 and NCI-H2170 cells led to significant (p < 0.05) enhancement in levels of phosphorylated extracellular-signal-regulated kinase and c-Jun N-terminal kinase. Thus, vanillin oxime inhibits pulmonary cell proliferation via induction of apoptosis through tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) mediated pathway. Therefore, vanillin oxime may be studied further to develop a treatment for lung cancer.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.9-21
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• 2021

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of an eight weeks twenty meters walk on the cardiorespiratory fitness and strength of the shoulder extensor, hip extensor, and dorsiflexor of stroke survivor outpatients in two tertiary hospitals in Osogbo, Nigeria. METHODS: A purposive sampling technique was used to select 21 registered right or left outpatient hemiplegic stroke survivors in a pre- and post-test experimental research design. The research questions were presented using the descriptive statistics of frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The differences between the mean of the cardio-respiratory indices and the muscle strength were tested by repeated measures analysis of variance followed by Bonferroni post-hoc test for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: No significant differences in heart rate were observed at week 0 compared to week 4. A significant decrease was recorded in the parameter at week 8, compared to week 4. Moreover, there were significant decreases in blood pressure and respiratory rate in week 0, compared to week 4, and in the respiratory rate, compared to week 8. In contrast, significant elevations in VO2 max were observed in week 0, compared to week 4, and in the week 4, compared to week 8. Furthermore, significant elevations in muscular strength were documented when comparisons were made at weeks 0, 4, and 8. CONCLUSION: Eight weeks of twenty meters walk aerobic exercise improve the cardio-respiratory fitness and muscular strength of stroke survivor outpatients.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.95-111
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• 2022

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important healthcare problem worldwide. Often, glucocorticoid (GC) resistance develops during COPD treatment. As a classic hypoglycemic drug, metformin (MET) can be used as a treatment strategy for COPD due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, but its specific mechanism of action is not known. We aimed to clarify the role of MET on COPD and cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced GC resistance. Through establishment of a COPD model in rats, we found that MET could improve lung function, reduce pathological injury, as well as reduce the level of inflammation and oxidative stress in COPD, and upregulate expression of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1), and histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2). By establishing a model of GC resistance in human bronchial epithelial cells stimulated by CSE, we found that MET reduced secretion of interleukin-8, and could upregulate expression of Nrf2, HO-1, MRP1, and HDAC2. MET could also increase the inhibition of MRP1 efflux by MK571 significantly, and increase expression of HDAC2 mRNA and protein. In conclusion, MET may upregulate MRP1 expression by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, and then regulate expression of HDAC2 protein to reduce GC resistance.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.218-242
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• 2022

Background: Promising specific growth regulators are employed in the tissue cultures of various bamboo species. Specific natural hardening mixtures support the acclimatization and adaptation of bamboo under protected cultivation. Results: The growth regulators like 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D), Naphthaleneacetic Acid (NAA), Thidiazuron (TDZ), 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP), Kinetin, Gelrite, Benzyl Adenine (BA), Indole Butyric Acid (IBA), Coumarin, Putrescine, Gibberellic acid (GA₃), Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) has been widely used for callus induction, root regeneration and imposing plant regeneration in various species of bamboo such as Bambusa spp. and Dendrocalamus spp. Different combinations of growth regulators and phytohormones have been used for regenerating some of the major bamboo species. Natural hardening materials such as cocopeat, vermicompost, perlite, cow dung, farmyard manure, compost, soil, garden soil, and humus soil have been recommended for the acclimatization and adaptation of bamboo species. Standard combinations of growth regulators and hardening mixtures have imposed tissue culture, acclimatization, and adaptation in major bamboo species. Conclusions: Bamboo contributes to soil fertility improvement and stabilization of the environment. Bamboo species are also involved in managing the biogeochemical cycle and have immense potential for carbon sequestration and human use. This paper aims to review the various growth regulators, natural mixtures, and defined media involved in regenerating major bamboo species through in vitro propagation. In addition, the ecological benefits of safeguarding the environment are also briefly discussed.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.389-396
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• 2022

The increased expression of receptors for advanced glycation end-product (RAGE) is known as a key player in the progression of vascular remodeling. However, the precise signal pathways regulating RAGE expression in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in the injured vasculatures are unclear. Given the importance of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling in cell proliferation, we investigated the importance of MAPK signaling in high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1)-induced RAGE expression in VSMCs. In HMGB1 (100 ng/ml)-stimulated human VSMCs, the expression of RAGE mRNA and protein was increased in association with an increase in AGE-induced VSMC proliferation. The HMGB1-induced RAGE expression was attenuated in cells pretreated with inhibitors for ERK (PD98059, 10 μM) and p38 MAPK (SB203580, 10 μM) as well as in cells deficient in ERK and p38 MAPK using siRNAs, but not in cells deficient of JNK signaling. In cells stimulated with HMGB1, the phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPK was increased. This increase in ERK and p38 MAPK phosphorylation was inhibited by p38 MAPK and ERK inhibitors, respectively, but not by JNK inhibitor. Moreover, AGE-induced VSMC proliferation in HMGB1-stimulated cells was attenuated in cells treated with ERK and p38 MAPK inhibitors. Taken together, our results indicate that ERK and p38 MAPK signaling are involved in RAGE expression in HMGB1-stimulated VSMCs. Thus, the ERK/p38 MAPK-RAGE signaling axis in VSMCs was suggested as a potential therapeutic target for vascular remodeling in the injured vasculatures.