• Advances in Traditional Medicine
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.430-439
• /
• 2008

Chungpaesagan-tang (CPSGT) is most frequently used to treat ischemic brain injury in tradition Korean medicine. Clinically, cerebral ischemia is likely to be accompanied by preexisting or complicating disease. However, animal models used to examine the effects of herbal medicines on cerebral ischemia have not given this issue sufficient consideration. The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of CPSGT on focal cerebral ischemia in normal and SHR rats subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Animals were divided into four groups: Normal (Sprague-Dawley) rats subjected to MACO (the NC+MCAO group), normal rats subjected to MCAO and then administered CPSGT (NC + MCAO + CP), SHR rats subjected to MCAO (SHR + MCAO), and SHR rats subjected to MCAO and then administered CPSGT (SHR + MCAO + CP). MCAO was performed using the intraluminal method. CPSGT was administrated orally twice (1 and 4 h) after MCAO. All animals were sacrificed at 24 h postoperatively. Brain tissues were stained with hematoxylin & eosin, to examine the effect of CPSGT on ischemic brain tissues. In addition, changes in TNF-$\alpha$ expression in ischemic areas were examined by immunostaining. CPSGT was found to significantly reduce infarction areas in normal and SHR rats and infarction volumes in SHR rats. Similarly, CPGST markedly increased neuron numbers and sizes in all treated groups, except cell sizes in SHRs. Furthermore, CPSGT reduced TNF-$\alpha$ expression in MCAO administered SHR rats. The findings of the present study suggest that CPSGT effectively ameliorates neuron damage caused by MACO-induced cerebral ischemia, and that it has a significant neuroprotective effect after cerebral ischemia in SHR.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.83-89
• /
• 2002

Background : Nowadays asthma is considered to be an inflamatory disease characterized by airborne hyper-responsiveness and pulmonary eosinophilia. Objective : We aimed to identify the effects of Sochongryongtang on blood eosinophil, serum IgE and T lympocyte subpopulation in asthmatic patients. Material and Methods : The subjects consisted of fifteen patients with asthma who had been treated with Sochongryongtang for two weeks from February 2001 through June 2001. Sochongryongtang is herbal decoction which has been used for the traditional therapeutic agent of asthma. Results : The blood eosinophil and serum IgE in a normal controlled group. However, the T lympocyte subpopulation in asthmatic patients was not significantly different from the T lympocyte subpopulation in a normal group. The patients were treated with Sochongryongtang for two weeks. No significant difference in the blood eosinophil, serum IgE and T Iympocyte in the sub population. After treatment with Sochongryongtang for two weeks, FEV 1 increased significantly over 0.5 points out of total scores. Conclusion : This study shows that Sochongryongtang has effects on improvement of pulmonary function and quality of life in asthmatic patients. However, the patients who were treated with Sochongryongtang for two weeks showed no significant difference in the blood eosinophil, serum IgE and T lympocyte subpopulation. Further long-term studies must be made on a large number of asthmatic patients.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2003

Background : In recent years, the glucocorticoid hormone has become a fundamental medication for asthma. However, a long period of hormone administration will result. in general. side effects on many body parts as well as hormone dependence, which has become a serious problem for western physicians. Objectives : We aimed to identify the clinical effects of Cheongsanghoha-tang and the steroid sparing effects of Cheongsanghoha-tang on. Materials and Methods : A subject group consists of 36 asthmatics who had been treated with Cheongsanghoha-tang for four weeks. Cheongsanghoha-tang is a herbal decoction, which has been used of the traditional therapeutic agent of asthma. PFT, QLQAKA, blood eosinophil, serum IgE, Serum IL-4. IL-5, IFN-${\gamma}$ were checked before and 4weeks after the treatment. Results : The only FVC% in ICSG among asthmatic patients was increased significantly compared to NICSG. Treatment of Cheongsanghoha-tang for four weeks resulted in significant increase in QLQAKA. The NICSG treated with Cheongsangboha-tang for four weeks were no significant difference in the blood eosinophil, serum IgE, IL-4 and IL-5. The PFT and QLQAKA in NICSG were increased significantly after 4 weeks treatment. But the serum IFN-${\gamma}$ in NICSG was decreased significantly after 4 weeks treatment. Discontinuation of treatment with inhaled corticosteroid in ICSG resulted in insignificant changes in PFT, the blood eosinophil, the serum IgE, IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-${\gamma}$ and significant increase in QLQAKA. As a result. 8 of 13 cases were cured with hormones completely and the rest of ICSG reduced the dose of ICS. Conclusions : This study shows that Cheongsanghoha-tang has the effects on the improvement of pulmonary function and cures asthmatic patients. These findings demonstrate that Cheongsanghoha-tang has the steroid sparing effect. Some satisfactory therapeutic results have been obtained in treating hormone-dependent asthma by Cheongsanghoha-tang. However. the concept and mechanism of hormone-dependent asthma have not been fully defined yet, and the standard for judging therapeutic effects have not been established. Obviously further researches concerning all these are still necessary.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.167-174
• /
• 2014

Tumor angiogenesis, growth and metastasis are three closely related processes. We therefore investigated the effects of barbigerone on all three in the B16F10 tumor model established in both zebrafish and mouse models, and explored underlying molecular mechanisms. In vitro, barbigerone inhibited B16F10 cell proliferation, survival, migration and invasion and suppressed human umbilical vascular endothelial cell migration, invasion and tube formation in concentration-dependent manners. In the transgenic zebrafish model, treatment with $10{\mu}M$ barbigerone remarkably inhibited angiogenesis and tumor-associated angiogenesis by reducing blood vessel development more than 90%. In vivo, barbigerone significantly suppressed angiogenesis as measured by H and E staining of matrigel plugs and CD31 staining of B16F10 melanoma tumors in C57BL/6 mice. Furthermore, it exhibited highly potent activity at inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis to the lung of B16F10 melanoma cells injected into C57BL/6 mice. Western blotting revealed that barbigerone inhibited phosphorylation of AKT, FAK and MAPK family members, including ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPKs, in B16F10 cells mainly through the MEK3/6/p38 MAPK signaling pathway. These findings suggested for the first time that barbigerone could inhibit tumor-angiogenesis, tumor growth and lung metastasis via downregulation of the MEK3/6/p38 MAPK signaling pathway. The findings support further investigation of barbigerone as a potential anti-cancer drug.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2013

There are three kinds of books written by different authors in different regions in the 19th century. These books include "BonChoYuHam (本草類函)" (1833), "BonChoBuBangPyeonRam (本草附方便覽)" (1855) and "BonChoBang (本草方)" (1860?). However, these books are very similar in terms of content and format. They were written in the format of large medical books and they contained prescriptions made up with 1-2 kinds of herbals depending on diseases. These three books which could not affect each other appear to have these commons. The reason is that these books were newly edited based on Bubang (附方) in "BenChaoGangMu" depending on diseases and "BenChaoWanFangZhenXien" (1712) written by Cai, lie Xian (蔡烈先) was used as the reference. Woodblock printed book of "BenChaoGangMu" viewed by medical practitioners in Joseon Dynasty in the 19th century mostly had "BonChoManBangChimSun" which could be called '"BenChaoGangMu" Bubang index' as the appendix. All authors of three books tried to make 'reorganization of "BenChaoGangMu"' by using "BonChoManBangChimSun" as the important reference. Work of 'reorganization of "BenChaoGangMu"' focusing on symptoms being made in the 19th century was made a few times in the 20th century. "YangMuSinPyeon" and "SuSeBiGyeol" published in 1928 were outcomes of these works in the 20th century. 'Reorganization of "BenChaoGangMu"' being made in 19th-20th centuries showed great interest for "BenChaoGangMu" in the medical community in the late Joseon Dynasty. In addition, the practical scholarship of Joseon Dynasty gave "BenChaoGangMu" the value as the collection of prescriptions rather than the concept of book for herbal medicine. Prescriptions of reorganized "BenChaoGangMu" have been spread out to many books in the late Joseon Dynasty. Thus, the impact of "BenChaoGangMu" on society in the late Joseon Dynasty seems to be much larger than what has been known so far.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.126-133
• /
• 2011

The fruit of Actinidia arguta (AA) has been used mainly for the treatment of skin diseases, diuresis, diabetes mellitus and osteoporosis in Korean traditional medicine. It is known that AA (hardy kiwi) fruit extract has an effect on 2-chloro-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in NC/Nga mice. Mode of action for it is associated with the modulation of biphasic Th1/Th2 cytokines. Furthermore, DA9102 containing AA is a herbal medicine currently under phase II clinical trial for atopic dermatitis in Korea. However, no active principles of AA on the decrease of Th2 cytokines including IL-4 and IL-10 have been identified. In this study, bioactivity-guided fractionation of an alcohol extract from the dried fruits of AA using ELISA assay for IL-4 production led to the isolation of $\alpha$-linolenic acid (I), linoleic acid (II), ethyl linolenate (III), ethyl linoleate (IV) and ethyl stearate (V) as the major active components. These compounds showed the down-regulatory effects of IL-4 production in A23187-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells without cytotoxicity.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.333-333
• /
• 1996

Chinese medicine is a precious treasure inherited from ancient ancestors. It is accredited for the prosperous growth of the Chinese nations. However, the descriptions of the herbs in the ancient herbal are not in detail and the great numbers of herbs used which grows in wide geographic areas together with various local folk names, new substitutes and new folk medicines had increased, many Chinese herbs are composed of herbs that are labeled with identical names but actually are of different origins and different grades. Similar situation had occurred in China, japan and Korea In Taiwan, misused Chinese crude drugs are also very common in the past. This phenomenon had caused a lot of confusion and had great influence the clinical efficacy of the treatment. In the past, Professor Hong Yen Hsu, Na Chi, Woei Song Kan and Kung Yin Yen had studied the origins of Chinese crude drugs in Taiwan based on the morphological identification and found that the origins of Ma-Tou-Ling, Pu-Kung-Yin, Tu-Chung, Wang-Pu-Liu-Hsing, Pan-lan-Ken, Niu-Chi, Fang-Chi, Huang-Chi, PienHsiu and Sha Wan-Tzi are different from that of the species used in mainland China. In order to assure the quality and clinical efficacy of the crude drugs, besides the traditional morphological methods, we bad recently combined modem chemical and pharma-cological methods to assess drug quality. Drugs that have been evaluated without effects should be abandoned. The species of those commonly misued crude drugs used in compound formula preparations are also identified Based on the pharmacological results, a suitable species is recommended so as to improve the clinical efficacy of those preparations. In this paper, we like to report our recent studies on Niu Chi(Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix, Cyathulae Radix and Strobilanthis Radix). Fang-Chi(Arstolochiae Fangchi Radix, Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix and Cocculus Radix) and Huang-Chi(Astragali Radix and Hedysari Radix) using comparative pharmacognosy methods.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.45 no.6
• /
• pp.706-716
• /
• 2021

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder, is characterized by chronic abdominal pain and bowel habit changes. Although diverse complicated etiologies are involved in its pathogenesis, a dysregulated gut-brain axis may be an important factor. Red ginseng (RG), a traditional herbal medicine, is proven to have anti-inflammatory effects and improve brain function; however, these effects have not been investigated in IBS. Methods: Three-day intracolonic zymosan injections were used to induce post-infectious human IBS-like symptoms in mice. The animals were randomized to receive either phosphate-buffered saline (CG) or RG (30/100/300 mg/kg) for 10 days. Amitriptyline and sulfasalazine were used as positive controls. Macroscopic scoring was performed on day 4. Visceral pain and anxiety-like behaviors were assessed by colorectal distension and elevated plus maze and open field tests, respectively, on day 10. Next-generation sequencing of gut microbiota was performed, and biomarkers involved in gut-brain axis responses were analyzed. Results: Compared to CG, RG significantly decreased the macroscopic score, frequency of visceral pain, and anxiety-like behavior in the IBS mice. These effects were comparable to those after sulfasalazine and amitriptyline treatments. Moreover, RG significantly increased the proliferation of beneficial microbes, including Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Parabacteroides goldsteinii. RG significantly suppressed expression of IL-1β and c-fos in the gut and prefrontal cortex, respectively. Further, it restored the plasma levels of corticosterone to within the normal range, accompanied by an increase in adrenocorticotropic hormone. Conclusion: RG may be a potential therapeutic option for the management of human IBS.

• CELLMED
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.20.1-20.5
• /
• 2018

Cancer is considered one of the deadly diseases in the world. According to WHO cancer now causes more deaths than all coronary heart disease. The incidence and mortality of the worldwide major cancers are now available in the GLOBOCAN series of the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The transition of global demographic and epidemiologic shows that burden of cancer will increase particularly in low and middle income countries, with over 20 million new cancer cases expected annually as early as 2025. Medicinal plants made known to be prospective and useful job for the treatment of several diseases and disorders from prehistoric days to nowadays. One of the commonly used plants, which have supporting evidences from the recent scientific data for the different types of cancers, is Carica papaya. Papaya (Carica papaya) is widely used as folk caloric herbal medicine, being a powerhouse of nutrients and accessible throughout the year. It is a rich source of three powerful antioxidants, the minerals, vitamins and contains high content of fibre. Carica papaya has provided many remedies for various diseases from ancient days to nowadays, and is regarded as a Nutraceutical. Because of this comprehensive medicinal value of Carica papaya, we are trying here to convey the reports studied especially for the anticancer activities of the age-old fruit, which will help researchers to pull in concert data and may be a "lead" for the one of the dangerous disease in the world.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.103-110
• /
• 2019

We investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of Pyunkang-tang extract (PGT), a complex herbal extract based on traditional Chinese medicine that is used in Korea for controlling diverse pulmonary diseases, on cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary pathology in a rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The constituents of PGT were Lonicerae japonica, Liriope platyphylla, Adenophora triphilla, Xantium strumarinum, Selaginella tamariscina and Rehmannia glutinosa. Rats were exposed by inhalation to a mixture of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and sulfur dioxide for three weeks to induce COPD-like pulmonary inflammation. PGT was administered orally to rats and pathological changes to the pulmonary system were examined in each group of animals through measurement of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) at 21 days post-CSE treatment. The effect of PGT on the hypersecretion of pulmonary mucin in rats was assessed by quantification of the amount of mucus secreted and by examining histopathologic changes in tracheal epithelium. Confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated with PGT for 30 min and then stimulated with CSE plus PMA (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate), for 24 h. The MUC5AC mucin gene expression was measured by RT-PCR. Production of MUC5AC mucin protein was measured by ELISA. The results were as follows: (1) PGT inhibited CSE-induced pulmonary inflammation as shown by decreased TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 levels in BALF; (2) PGT inhibited the hypersecretion of pulmonary mucin and normalized the increased amount of mucosubstances in goblet cells of the CSE-induced COPD rat model; (3) PGT inhibited CSE-induced MUC5AC mucin production and gene expression in vitro in NCI-H292 cells, a human airway epithelial cell line. These results suggest that PGT might regulate the inflammatory aspects of COPD in a rat model.