• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.1086-1093
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• 2018

Honokiol, a bioactive compound isolated from the cone and bark of Magnolia officinalis, has been shown to have various activities including inhibition of the growth of Candida albicans. We investigated the roles of the Hsp90-calcineurin pathway in the antifungal activity of honokiol. The pharmacologic tool was employed to evaluate the effects of Hsp90 and calcineurin in the antifungal activity of honokiol. We also evaluated the protective effects of the calcineurin inhibitor cyclosporin A (CsA) on honokiol-induced mitochondrial dysfunction by the fluorescence staining method. The Hsp90 inhibitor potentiated the antifungal activity of honokiol. A C. albicans strain with the calcineurin gene deleted displayed enhanced sensitivity to honokiol. However, co-treatment with calcineurin inhibitor CsA attenuated the cytotoxic activity of honokiol due to the protective effect on mitochondria. Our results provide insight into the action mechanism of honokiol.

• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.355-360
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• 2017

Mutations in Ras GTPase are among the most common genetic alterations in human cancers. Despite extensive research investigating Ras proteins, their functions still remain a challenge over a long period of time. The currently available data suggests that solving the outstanding issues regarding Ras could lead to development of effective drugs that could have a significant impact on cancer treatment. Developing a better understanding of their biochemical properties or modes of action, along with improvements in their pharmacologic profiles, clinical design and scheduling will enable the development of more effective therapies.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.131-140
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• 2005

Heart failure is a clinical syndrome comprised of a number of symptoms and signs associated with congestion and/or hypoperfusion. Specific pharmacologic therapies have been developed to slow disease progression from early to more advanced stages. Once symptoms have developed, aggressive multimodality interventions are instituted to alleviate symptoms and improve clinical status and quality of life; especially in those patients that present symptoms. Recently, an evolving adjunctive therapeutic modality, that involves using implanted electrical devices: cardiac resynchronization with or without implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD). has been used for management. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a proven treatment for selected patients with heart failure-induced conduction disturbances and ventricular dyssynchrony. When used in combination with stable, optimal medical therapy, CRT is designed to reduce symptoms and improve cardiac function by restoring the mechanical sequence of ventricular activation and contraction. This review summarizes the rationale, procedure, clinical trials, and clinical indications for CRT.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.61-69
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• 2015

About 80% of all pancreatic cancer patients suffer from a wasting syndrome defined as the cancer cachexia characterized by abnormally low weight, weakness, and loss of skeletal muscle mass, which directly impacts physical activity, quality of life and overall survival. Over the past decades, we have gained new insights into the underlying mechanism of cachexia associated with pancreatic cancer. The aim of this review was to explore recent findings about cancer cachexia pathophysiology and describe the current pharmacologic approach. Pancreatic cancer cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome mediated by mechanical factors, inflammatory cytokines, neuropeptides, hormones and tumor-derived factors. The treatment of cancer cachexia remains controversial but is currently an active area of research. Several new targeted drugs are under investigation, and we hope to open a new prospect in the management of cancer cachexia in the future.

• Clinical Pain
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.44-47
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• 2019

Lying on the side while falling asleep deeply after drinking or taking a sleeping pill can cause compressive neuropathy. We report a 70-year-old male patient of medial cord of left brachial plexus injury (BPI) after deep sleep. The mechanism of the injury might be compression and stretching of brachial plexus. The electrodiagnostic study was performed and the medial cord lesion of BPI was suggested. The ultrasonography image of compression site revealed the nerve swelling of medial cord of brachial plexus and median nerve at the mid-arm level. Pharmacologic treatment including oral prednisolone and exercise training were prescribed. On 6 months after initial visit, neurologic symptom and pain were improved but mild sequelae was remained.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.161-165
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• 2015

Long QT syndrome (LQTs) is a rare congenital disorder of the heart's electrical activity. Patients with LQTs are at increased risk of developing fatal ventricular arrhythmias. Elevated levels of sympathetic stimulation can exacerbate this risk. Successful behavior management is indispensable in the treatment of patients with LQTs. However, many drugs involved in pharmacologic behavior management are known to adversely affect the QT interval. Therefore, careful selection of a sedative drug is essential in avoiding such incidences. A 10-year-old boy with a known diagnosis of LQTs required restorative treatment due to dental caries at the permanent molar. He required sedation since treatment was painful and dental phobia can trigger sympathetic stimulation, creating a dangerous situation for patients with LQTs. Therefore, the treatment was performed over two sessions under moderate sedation involving propofol combined with nitrous oxide. Restorative treatment was successful without any complications under sedation with a target-controlled infusion (TCI) of propofol. There was no significant QT prolongation during pulpal treatment. Propofol TCI may be a good candidate for sedation in patients with LQTs.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.27-38
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• 2013

Healthcare providers in Korea are using conservative pharmacological treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) to delay the progress of the disease or to mitigate its behavioral and neurological symptoms. However, there is a growing need for interventions using practical non-pharmacologic treatment, as the effects of pharmacological treatments has faced limitations. This research provided a cognitive rehabilitation program to 3 AD patients and used a multiple baseline design across subjects to examine the effects. Performing reality orientation therapy (ROT) for 1 cycle (4 weeks) resulted in a slight increase in accuracy and responsiveness on an orientation task, mainly with patients with mild cases of AD. Also, in the sub-domain of the Korean-Mini Mental Status Examination performed to examine changes in cognitive ability, there were minimal changes in place orientation. In functional communication, however, there were no significant differences before and after the intervention. In conclusion, we found that ROT was an effective intervention for improving accuracy and responsiveness in the orientation of patients with mild cases of AD. In future studies, the effect of non-pharmacological interventions can be evaluated more reliably by examining the interaction effects of sample size, length of the intervention, outcome measurements, and pharmacological intervention.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.145-160
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• 2008

Nelumbinis Semen(NS) has been used in traditional medicine to treat diseases such as depression and diarrhea. In inflammatory responses, microglia produces molecules which are known to play roles in the central nervous system. And we previously studied NS inhibited nitric oxide synthase and secretion of tumor necrosis factor alpha. To explore the global gene expression profiles in BV-2 microglial cell line treated with NS, microarray analysis was performed. The cells were treated with LPS or NS plus LPS for 30min, Ih, 3h, and 6h, respectively. Of 45,101 known genes, with cutoff value of 3-fold change in the expression, 340, 644, 280 and 219 genes were upregulated and 503, 570, 694 and 484 were downregulated in NS treated cells at each time point. The results of the present study shows that treatment of NS reversed the LPS-induced upregulation of such genes as Ecoxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor(CAR), pellino 1, and S100P binding protein. It is thought that microarrays will play an ever-growing role in the advance of our understanding of the pharmacologic actions NS.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.45-51
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• 2009

Pulmonary diseases distress millions of people worldwide. Numerous studies have shown an association between pulmonary disease and psychiatric disorders. Despite this, little is known about the treatment of psychiatric disorder in patients with pulmonary disease. The three main goals of this article are 1) to discuss the major disorders such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hyperventilation, tuberculosis, lung cancer that most clinicians see in practice, 2) to provide an information about psychiatric treatment such as anxiety, depression, psychosis in pulmonary disease, and 3) to provide some clinically relevant suggestions about pharmacologic interactions between pulmonary and psychotropic drugs.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.251-266
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the research about using tuina therapy for depression and to determine its efficacy. Methods: All relevant articles were searched in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure using the terms 'tuina' and 'depression'. Results: Forty-one studies were selected, 34 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 7 prospective studies. The Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were used most frequently as diagnostic criteria and an assessment tool, respectively. Conduction exercise therapy was used in all studies; in contrast, Zheng Xing exercise therapy was used in only 1 study of depression patients with neck vertebrae disease. In 9 RCTs that showed scores of more than 2 points on a modified Jadad scale, tuina therapy had significant antidepressant efficacy compared with conventional treatment. However, more high-quality studies are required. Conclusions: Tuina therapy has a valid therapeutic effect on depression according to studies published in China; if evidence accumulates from high-quality studies, it can be considered a non-pharmacologic treatment for depression in Korean medicine, as well.