• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.138-142
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• 2014

Burning mouth syndrome is characterized by intra-oral burning sensation without any organic abnormalities. This syndrome is associated with various etiological factors such as neuropathy, malnutrition, menopause and depression. Several medications have been tried for the treatment. Those are analgesics, hormones, anticonvulsants and antidepressants. However, optimal effective pharmacologic treatment remains still unknown. The purpose of this case study is to report the clinical effectiveness of gabapentin in the treatment of burning mouth syndrome in postmenopausal women with comorbid depression. We report two menopausal women. Antidepressants were effective for improving depressive symptoms, but it had no effects on intra-oral burning sensation. Gabapentin reduced intra-oral burning sensation effectively for all two patients. One patient reported 55% reduction(a decrease from 9 to 4 on VAS), the other patient reported 35% reduction(from 8 to 5) of the intra-oral burning sensation during 16 weeks. The minimal effective daily dose of gabapentin was 300mg. This study suggests that gabapentin might be a useful, effective therapeutic option for treating burning mouth syndrome in postmenopausal women with comorbid depression. Further prospective clinical studies are needed to investigate the effectiveness of gabapentin in patients with burning mouth syndrome.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.37-48
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• 2014

Besides from medical data, the patients who were previously called as attention disorder, mental instability, moral imbeciles, or moral defectives, can also be identified by exploring literatures and historical figures. In the past, as we can notice from the titles, they were recognized as a 'moral defect group'. And rather than treating them, separation from the society was the main solution. After the endemic encephalitis from 1917 to late 1920s, however, many survivors suffered from behavioral problems similar to those of the previous 'moral defect group' and studies on the relationship between brain damage and behavior problems were started henceforth. After being known as the 'minimal brain dysfunction', it was developed into the current attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. While the disease concept changed and developed over time, after numerous trials and errors, treatment medication starting from central nervous system stimulants such as amphetamine and methylphenidate is used for treatment in children and adult patients with ADHD, and most recently non-stimulants such as atomoxetine has become the one of the first line treatment options. Although we went through a thorough verification process of the safety and efficacy of the medication by contemplating the historical development process, we believe that adjustment is needed for remaining concerns on medication abuse and slight differences in disease paradigm and therapeutic philosophy depending on cultures.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.58-65
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• 2001

Objectives : It is well known that pharmacologic and behavioral therapies of panic disorder show remarkable acute treatment outcome, however the course of panic disorder in clinical settings is often chronic and relapsing. The purpose of this study is to investigate the treatment outcome of panic disorder and the factors related to good treatment outcome by prospective follow-up study after 6 month in clinical settings. Methods : Twenty nine patients were diagnosed to have panic disorder by SCID(Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R), among the patients who had visited the psychiatric out-patients clinic of the Asan Medical Center for the first time. We determined the initial clinical and demoraphic features of each patient and reevaluated them after 6 months, investigating the treatment outcome by anxiety, phobia, impairment scales. We looked into the rate of the patients who showed good treatment outcome and determined the factors that had relation with good treatment outcome among demographic and clinical features. Results : Nineteen out of 29 patients could be followed after 6 months. Among them, 10 patients 52.6%) on the impairment scale and phobia scale each, and 8 patients(42.1 %) on the anxiety scale showed good treatment outcome. 8 patients(42.1 %) showed good treatment outcome on the all three scales. High score in initial phobia scale had significant relation with good treatment outcome. Short duration of illness did not have significant relation with good treatment outcome however there was a trend(p=0.07). Conclusion : About half(42.1 %) of the panic disorder patients showed good treatment outcome on all three scales. Severe initial phobic symptom and short duration of illness were expected to have relation with good treatment outcome.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.59-66
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• 2019

Objectives : Decrease in muscle mass and loss of muscle function due to aging are associated with various diseases. As interest in healthy aging increases, efforts to prevent and treat muscle hypoxia as an illness are increasing. Considering the physical limitations, a pharmacologic approach to the treatment of myopenia is needed. Methods : Terminalia chebula Rets has a wide range of pharmacological effects and is used as a medicinal product in traditional medicine. However, the drug effect on the treatment of muscle disorders has not been revealed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of water extract of Terminalia chebula (WETC) as a therapeutic agent to relieve symptoms of muscle hypoxia. Results : WETC showed strong radical scavenging ability. In addition, WETC increased cell activity of myoblast, and we observed that WETC induces myoblast differentiation by immunoblot analysis using differentiation protein markers as well as cell morphology of myoblast. Based on these results, we examined the effect of chebulic acid, chebulagic acid, gallic acid, geraniin, and punicalagin on cell activity and differentiation of myoblasts. Gallic acid significantly increased cell activity of myoblast, and it was found to be an effective substance which not only induces myoblast differentiation but also promotes proliferation. Conclusions : We suggest that the WETC with antioxidant effect and its indicator gallic acid on cell activity, proliferation and differentiation of myoblast can be studied and developed as a food and medicine for prevention and treatment of various muscle diseases.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.9-16
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• 2020

Objectives : Sarcopenia is a disease that leads to a decrease in skeletal muscle, and the importance of prevention and treatment thereof is increasing in an aging society. However, there is a definite limitation of exercise therapy for sarcopenia, and thus, there is an urgent need for a pharmacologic research to the treatment of sarcopenia. Methods : 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) assay was performed to confirm the antioxidant efficacy of water extract of Lacca Sinica Exsiccata (WELSE). To determine the effect of WELSE on myoblast activity, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay was performed. To confirm the effect of WELSE on the differentiation of myoblast into myotubes, protein expression levels of myosin heavy chain 3 (Myh3) and paired box 3/7 (pax3/7) were confirmed by immunoblot analysis. In addition, immunofluorescence microscopy was performed to confirm the effect on myotube formation of WELSE. Results : It was confirmed that WELSE had high antioxidant activity and showed no cytotoxicity to myoblast up to 200 ㎍/㎖ concentration. Myoblast was treated with WELSE at a concentration of 100 ㎍/㎖ and differentiated for 5 days. The expression of Myh3, which forms myotubes, was promoted and the morphology of myotubes was changed and Increasing the thickness. Conclusions : In this paper, we confirmed the excellent antioxidant efficacy of WELSE and positive effects on muscle differentiation and myotube formation. These results suggest valuable as a material for pharmaceutical research on the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.5
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• pp.384-389
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• 2011

The prevention of and the controlling of symptoms, reductions in the frequency of exacerbations, and disease severity are central to the pharmacologic therapy of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD patients are inclined to be older, have more comorbidities, and use polypharmacy as a result. Long-acting inhaled muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs) is a preferred treatment modality. However, the cardiovascular (CV) safety of anti-cholinergics, including LAMA, has been an issue. In contrast, the results of the UPLIFT trial and a pooled analysis of data from 30 trials of tiotropium illustrates the association of tiotropium with reductions in the risk of all cause mortality, CV mortality and CV events. And, the UPLIFT trial provides clues regarding the additive advantages of tiotropium in COPD patients who already are using long-acting inhaled ${\beta}_2$ agonists and inhaled corticosteroids. Following the contribution of tiotropium as a first LAMA, new LAMAs such as aclidinium and glycopyrrolate (NVA-237) seem to be emerging.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.2985-2989
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• 2014

Autophagy is a self-digestion process in which intracellular structures are degraded in response to stress. Notably, prolonged autophagy leads to cell death. In this study, we investigated whether CX-4945, an orally available protein kinase 2 (CK2) inhibitor, induces autophagic cell death in human cervical cancer-derived HeLa cells and in human prostate cancer-derived LNCaP cells. CX-4945 treatment of both cell lines resulted in the formation of autophagosomes, in the conversion of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), and in down-regulation of the Akt-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (S6K) signaling cascade. Thus, pharmacologic inhibition of CK2 by CX-4945 induced autophagic cell death in human cancer cells by down-regulating Akt-mTOR-S6K. These results suggest that autophagy-inducing agents have potential as anti-cancer drugs.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.69-74
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• 2010

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is associated with significant cardiovascular morbidity and increased mortality. However, it was controversial whether obstructive sleep apnea syndrome could cause pulmonary hypertension. The controversy was resolved by several studies that have shown pulmonary hypertension in 20% to 40% of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome without underlying other cardiopulmonary diseases and reductions in pulmonary arterial pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome after treatment with nocturnal continuous positive airway pressure. Recent studies provide strong evidence for endothelial dysfunction in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and pulmonary hypertension. Endothelin-1 is a 21 amino acid peptide with diverse biologic activity such as highly potent vasoconstrictor and mitogen regulator that may play a key role in obstructive sleep ap-nea syndrome and pulmonary hypertension. Continuous positive airway pressure therapy is moderately effective in reducing pulmonary arterial pressure. Further researches are needed to assess the therapeutic efficacy of pharmacologic therapy with agents that inhibit the action of endothelin-1 in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome patients with pulmonary hypertension.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.102-111
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• 2007

Dementia is a major burden for many countries including South Korea, where life expectancy is continuously growing and the proportion of aged people is rapidly growing. Neurodegenerative disorders, such as, Alzheimer disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, Huntington disease, can cause dementia, and cerebrovascular disease also can cause dementia. Depression or hypothyroidism also can cause cognitive deficits, but they are reversible by management of underlying cause unlike the forementioned dementias. Therefore these are called pseudodementia. We are entering an era of dementia care that will be based upon the identification of potentially modifiable risk factors and early disease markers, and the application of new drugs postpone progression of dementias or target specific proteins that cause dementia. Efficient pharmacologic treatment of dementia needs not only to distinguish underlying causes of dementia but also to be installed as soon as possible. Therefore, differential diagnosis and early diagnosis of dementia are utmost importance. F-18 FDG PET is useful for clarifying dementing diseases and is also useful for early detection of the diseases. Purpose of this article is to review the current value of FDG PET for dementing diseases including differential diagnosis of dementia and prediction of evolving dementia.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.475-479
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• 2002

Capsaicin, a major pungent constituent of red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) possesses a vast variety of pharmacologic and physiologic activities. Despite its irritant properties, the compound exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects. Previous studies from this laboratory revealed that capsaicin, when topically applied onto dorsal skin of female ICR mice, strongly attenuated activation of NF-kB and AP-1 induced by the typical tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), which may account for its anti-tumor promoting activity in mouse skin. In the present work, we have found that capsaicin suppresses TPA-stimulated activation of NF-kB through inhibition of $IkB{\alpha}$ degradation and blockade of subsequent nuclear translocation of p65 in human pro myelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. Methylation of the phenolic hydroxyl group of capsaicin abolished its inhibitory effect on NF-kB DNA binding. Likewise, TPA-induced activation of AP-1 was mitigated by capsaicin treatment.