• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 2016

Objectives: This study was performed to review the research trends in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder in traditional Chinese medicine.Methods: We searched articles in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) using keywords, “ Posttraumatic stress disorder” , and “ PTSD” in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicinal Herbs and Combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Western Medicine field. We selected 16 studies after excluding non-clinical or unrelated studies.Results: Four pre-post comparison studies and 12 controlled clinical trials were performed in patients with PTSD in China. Herbal medicine, acupuncture, and moxibustion therapy were used for the treatment of PTSD. Most of the studies showed positive results, and they reported that the treatment groups had fewer side effects than the control group. However, the quality of these clinical studies was low.Conclusions: According to this study, TCM for PTSD would be an effective and safe intervention. Therefore, based on this study, more clinical research on the treatment of PTSD should be performed in Korean medicine in the near future.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.189-198
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• 2009

Considering the opinions of annotators, the remedy about excess of east and deficiency of west from "the seventy-fifth question" can be arranged as follows. "The seventy-fifth question", with "the sixty-ninth question", explains excess and deficiency of mother and son. Abatement of fire and invigoration of water[瀉火補水] in the excess of wood and deficiency of metal[木實金虛] presents a remedy, which has been applied in herbs and medicine application henceforth. "The seventy-fifth question" is a unique theory from " Nan-gyeong(難經)", and does not continue the theory of "Hwangjenaegyeong(黃帝內經)". "The seventy-fifth question" mentions the relationship of excess and deficiency of the five elements and five viscera, but does not mention excess and deficiency of invigoration and abatement of the meridian. Remedy from abatement of fire and invigoration of water[瀉火補水] in the excess of wood and deficiency of metal[木實金虛] is an abnormal, temporary and extraordinary method. This remedy is applied in Saam acupuncture[舍巖鍼] as A-variation form. The process where Son allows excess of mother[子能令母實] and mother allows deficiency of son[母能令子虛] in the abatement of fire and invigoration of water[瀉火補水] is a mechanism, not a remedy. Generation after generation, medical practitioners can be classified into those that claimed abatement of fire and invigoration of water[瀉火補水] because of the relation with excess of liver and deficiency of lung[肝實肺虛], abatement of heart(瀉心) due to the excess of liver(肝實), or invigoration of Eum and abatement of Yang[補陰瀉陽].

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.94-100
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• 2002

Liver cirrhosis is characterized by hyperaccumulation of fibrous tissue components and is commonly observed in latter or terminal states of chronic hepatic diseases. In this study, the antifibrotic effects of GLM001 on liver cirrhosis were examined in bile duct ligated rats and patients with hepatic diseases. GLM001 (250 mg/kg rat weight/ day) was administrated to cirrhotic rats for 4 weeks and to humans for 14 weeks. Bile duct ligated rats significantly increased liver collagen content and biochemical markers of hepatic injury. Liver histology showed collagen fiber deposition was increased and the normal architecture was lost with large zones of necrosis being observed frequently. GLM001 administrated rats showed significantly decreased liver collagen content, and accumulation of collagen fiber in histological analysis. Patients, who were treated with GLM001, showed decreases in biochemical markers of hepatic diseases. These results demonstrate the usefulness of GLM001 as an antifibrotic agent for liver cirrhosis.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.101-106
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• 2012

Objectives : To evaluate the toxicity of KOB03, polyherbal medicine for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, we performed the dose-range finding test of KOB03 by oral supplementation for 4 weeks in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods : The water extract of KOB03 consisting of five different herbs was supplied from GLP company. KOB03 was supplemented by gavage at 0, 500, 2,500 and 5,000 mg/kg/day for 4-week consecutive days. We recorded the clinical signs of toxicity, body weight, organ weights, hematology, gross and histological changes in target organs of rats, and clinical chemistry analysis. Results : KOB03 at all doses was shown no mortality or abnormal clinical signs in rats during at the observation period. Furthermore, there was no difference in body weight and food-take consumption, organ weight, gross pathological findings, and urine analysis among the groups of rats treated with different doses of KOB03. The hematological analysis and clinical blood chemistry data were revealed no toxic effects from KOB03-supplemented rats. Conclusions : The results suggest that KOB03 is a wide margin of safety on dose-range toxicity in rats. The no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) of the test, KOB03 in rats is no less than 5,000 mg/kg/day.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.15-21
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• 2012

Objective : This study aimed to compare the difference between $Angelica$ $decursiva$, Peucedanum $praeruptorum$ and $Anthriscus$ $sylvestris$ which have been used as herbal medicine, Jeonho (Angelicae Decursivae Radix) in Korea and provided the evidence to exclude $A.$ $sylvestris$ not to use as Joenho. Methods : The similarities of original medicinal herb with samples from local market were evaluated including morphological appearance and chromatographic fingerprint. In addition, relation between original medicinal herb and local samples were analyzed using statistical clustering methods. Results : $A.$ $decursiva$, $P.$ $praeruptorum$ and $A.$ $sylvestris$ represented different morphological appearances and chromatographic fingerprint. Several samples from China exhibited similar morphological and chromatographic appearance with $A.$ $decursiva$ or $P.$ $praeruptorum$. Eleven samples from Korea showed identical similarity to $A.$ $sylvestris$. Conclusions : Since $A.$ $sylvestris$ represented obvious differences compared to $A.$ $decursiva$ and $P.$ $praeruptorum$, it is required not to use $A.$ $sylvestris$ as medicinal herb, Jeonho. Additionally, exact identification and quality control must be applied to $A.$ $decursiva$ or $P.$ $praeruptorum$ from China in order to maintain therapeutical efficacy.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.799-804
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• 2009

Kamikaekyuk-tang(KMKKT), a formula of ten Oriental herbs, was orientally designed to promote vital energy, to remove blood stasis, and to decrease inflammation for treating cancers. KMKKT and its component had potent antiandrogen and androgen receptor activities in prostate cancer and also inhibited angiogenesis induced by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and suppressed the tumor growth in LLC-bearing mice, and liver metastasis of colon 26-L5 cancer cells, suggesting a potent cancer preventive agent. Nevertheless, there is no safety study of KMKKT before clinical trial so far. Thus, in the current study, we investigated the toxicity about ethanol-extracted KMKKT. Male and female Spraque Dawley (SD) rats were given orally by KMKKT at 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg for 4 weeks. Mortality, clinical signs and measured change of body weight, food consumption and water consumption were observed. In addition, we performed ophthalmologic, urinary, hematological, blood serum biochemical and histopathological examination. Any general toxicity was not found in KMKKT treated group. Also, there were no significant differences in the parameters such as body weight, food consumption and water consumption, a lot of urine and blood factor levels except WBC, MCHC and Ca level compared with control group. Although WBC and MCHC were elevated in female rats and Ca level was decreased in male rats, these were within normal ranges. Finally, we determined that maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was 1000 mg/kg and no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) was 500 mg/kg. Taken together, these results demonstrated that KMKKT is very safe to SD rats.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.134-146
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• 2013

Objectives : Auklandia Lappa (ALE) is one of the herbs used frequently to treat abdominal pain and diarrhea and reported anti-inflammatory activity by suppressing proinflammatory cytokines. This study was designed to investigate whether ALE could show protective activities on experimental colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) models. Methods : Colitis was induced by DSS in Balb/c mice. ALE 10, 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg were orally administered twice a day for 7 days in DSS model. Mice weight was measured daily. Scoring of clinical findings was measured every other day. Colon length, edema, fecal blood and histological damages were assessed at day 7 in DSS model. In histological analysis, we checked cryptal glands, surface epithelium, submucosa, transmural, stroma and scored degree of inflammatory cell damage by modified histological scoring. We also calculated cytokines concentrations including IFN-${\gamma}$, TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-6, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-17, IL-23, IL-10 and TGF-${\beta}1$ by Biometric Multiplex Cytokine Profiling method. Results : ALE showed the protective effects on DSS-induced experimental colitis. ALE inhibited shortening of colon length and histological damages of colon does-dependently, but it did not inhibit weight loss. ALE also inhibited IFN-${\gamma}$ and IL-6 expression, and upregulated cytokines (IL-10, TGF-${\beta}1$) related to regulatory T cell differentiation and proliferation. Conclusions : The current results demonstrate the clinical utility of ALE in traditional medicine and indicate the possibility of potent drug development of inflammatory bowel diseases from natural products. Further investigations for exact mechanisms will be needed.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2016

Many medicinal plants have been used for the treatment of edema, jaundice, and gonorrhea in traditional Oriental medicine. This screening study was designed to search the positive inotropic effects of herbal extracts in beating rabbit atria. Aquarius extracts of twenty six herbs were examined in atrial mechanical dynamics such as pulse pressure and stroke volume and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), one of the main hormones involved in the regulation of the body fluid and blood pressure homeostasis in perfused beating rabbit atria. Sophora flavescens Ait., Rheum officinale Baill., Acorus gramineus Sol., Chelidonium majus L., Pulsatilla koreana Nakai., Reynoutria japonica Houtt., Euphorbia lathyris L., Pyrrosia lingua (Thunb.) Farwell, Poncirus trifoliata Rafin., Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge, Kochia scoparia Schrad. significantly increased stroke volume and pulse pressure. However, those herbal extracts were not induced ANP secretion. We clarified the eleven herbal extracts for the positive inotropic effect independent of ANP secretion in beating rabbit atria. Thus these results provide a beneficial data for the treatment of the impairment of body fluid and blood pressure in traditional Oriental medicine.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2006

One of the main attractions of treatment with herbal medicine is its apparent lack of side effects compared with the drug therapies used in allopathic medicine. However, evidence from various countries suggest that Asian herbal medicine carry a significant risk of contamination with toxic heavy metals at levels that may seriously threaten health. The aims of this study were to analyze and compare concentrations of heavy metals in urine and hair from 184 patients taking herbal medicines in the form of decoctions and/or pills in comparison to 101 control subjects taking either Western or no medications. Levels of metal concentrations exceeding WHO reference values were observed in a number of hair and urine samples for all subjects. After adjusting for potential confounders, taking decoctions or pills was associated with higher levels of some metals (such as Cu, Pb in urine), as well a higher odds ratio of exceeding the upper limit of reference ranges for Pb, Hg in hair. In contrast, taking decoctions or pills was associated with lower levels of some metals (such as Cu in urine and Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb in hair), suggesting that some herbal medicines may have a chelating effect on heavy metals in the body. Overall, the results obtained in the study show a mixed picture and suggest that heavy metals contamination in herbs is sometimes present, but may also be counteracted by the potential for some herbal medicines to act as chelating agents. Further study must be followed to obtain more concrete evidence.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.19-36
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• 2003

Through investigation on prescriptions from Dongeuibogam with Radix Puerariae as an ingredient, the following conclusions were reached. The 59 prescriptions with Radix Puerariae as an ingredient are mentioned from chapter of Pediatrics to chapter of Intestinal Convulsions. And 85% of those appears from chapter of Pediatrics to chapter of coughs. Prescriptions with Radix Puerariae as the main ingredient are used for skin diseases, cold, epidemics, abscess, diabetes, stroke, feverish diseases, intestinal diseases, weakness and cough. The dosage of Radix Puerariae varies from 0.875g to 11.25g. 3.75g was the most frequently used dosage which accounts 44%. And those with small dosage of 0.875 to 1.125g were for use on infants or pregnant women. The grounding pathology used for prescriptions with Radix Puerariae as an ingredient appeared to be mostly the pathology related to the Six External Qi. Among this, wind with cold(風寒), wind, cold with heat and humidity(風寒署濕), catching cold(傷寒), successively catching cold(兩感傷寒), cold of the Yangmyung and heat clogging(陽明傷寒火鬱), abnormal weather(時令不正) are the majority. Through the prescriptions with Radix Puerariae as an ingredient, it could be concluded Radix Puerariae that has various functions such as sweating and removing rash(發表透疹), exhalation and curing muscular ache(發散解肌), producing body fluid and ceasing thirst(生津止渴), opening abscess and healing the scar(托瘡生肌), removal of fever(解熱), resolving hangover(醒酒). Seungmagalguntang(升麻葛根湯) is used as the base prescription the most, and various prescriptions and herbs are combined according to the case.