• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.157-169
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• 2023

Gracilaria Verrucosa (GV), a seaweed used in traditional Korean medicine, was studied for its effects on MI-induced heart failure in rats. MI is caused by a blocked coronary artery, leading to severe cardiac dysfunction. The study used a rat model to assess cardiac changes over time and evaluate the impact of GV on heart failure. Ischemia was induced through LAD ligation surgery, and the extent of ischemic area was measured as a prognostic factor. GV extract administration significantly improved cardiac morphology and reduced cardiac weight compared to the MI group. GV treatment also improved cardiac function, as evidenced by positive effects on chamber dilation during MI-induced heart failure. Parameters such as ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) were measured. The MI group showed decreased EF and FS compared to the sham group, while these parameters improved in the GV group. GV treatment also reduced levels of LDH, CPK, and CK-MB in the serum, indicating reduced myocardial damage. Histological analysis revealed that GV treatment attenuated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, with reduced collagen deposition in the myocardium. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed suppressed expression of TGF-β1 and collagen 1, involved in fibrosis. In conclusion, GV showed potential in improving cardiac function in a rat model of MI-induced heart failure. It alleviated myocardial damage, attenuated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, and suppressed fibrotic markers. Further studies are needed to explore its clinical efficacy and underlying mechanisms in cardiac diseases beyond animal models.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.3
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• pp.600-612
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• 2021

Purpose To evaluate the long-term radiologic and clinical outcomes of stent-graft placement for the treatment of post-pancreaticoduodenectomy arterial hemorrhage (PPAH) based on the imaging findings of stent-graft patency and results of liver function tests. Materials and Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of nine consecutive patients who underwent stent-graft placement for PPAH between June 2012 and May 2017. We analyzed the immediate technical and clinical outcomes and liver function test results. Stent-graft patency was evaluated using serial CT angiography images. Results All stent-grafts were deployed in the intended position for the immediate cessation of arterial hemorrhage and preservation of hepatic arterial blood flow. Technical success was achieved in all nine patients. Eight patients survived after discharge, and one patient died on postoperative day 28. The median follow-up duration was 781 days (range: 28-1766 days). Follow-up CT angiography revealed stent-graft occlusion in all patients. However, serum aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase levels in all patients were well below those observed in hepatic infarction cases. Conclusion Stent-graft placement is a safe and effective treatment method for acute life-threatening PPAH. Liver function and distal hepatic arterial blood flow were maintained postoperatively despite the high incidence of stent-graft occlusion observed on follow-up CT.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.85 no.2
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• pp.297-307
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• 2024

Coronary artery disease (CAD) narrows vessel lumens at the sites of atherosclerosis, increasing the risk of myocardial ischemia or infarction. Early and accurate diagnosis of CAD is crucial to significantly improve prognosis and management. CT angiography (CTA) is a noninvasive imaging technique that enables assessment of vascular structure and stenosis with high resolution and contrast. Coronary CTA is useful in the diagnosis of CAD. Recently, the CAD-reporting and data system (CAD-RADS), a diagnostic classification system based on coronary CTA, has been developed to improve intervention efficacy in patients suspected of CAD. While the CADRAD is based on CTA, it includes borderline categories where interpreting the coronary artery status solely based on CTA findings may be challenging. This review introduces CTA findings that fall within the CAD-RADS categories that necessitate additional tests to decide to perform invasive coronary angiography and discusses appropriate management strategies.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.11-31
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• 2019

Taking the painting, 「Landscape of the Jiuqu River in the Wuyi Mountain」 as the study object, which was produced in the middle of Qing Dinasty and collected by the British Library, this paper analyzes the scenery names recorded in the painting, and describes the landscape of the mountain, port and ships, architectural elements, civil elements, character, stone inscription and other scenery in the painting. The investigation results of the cultural landscape properties of each Gok are as follows: According to statistics, there are 28 architectural elements in the painting, including 7 pavilions (25%), 4 temples (14.3%), 3 Colleges and Taoist temple (10.7%), 2 Dowon(道院) and villages (7.1%); 29 civil elements, including 9 holes (31%), 6 Historical Sites (20.7%), 3 Stations(臺) (10.3%), 2 Ferries, 2 Bridges, and 2 Ponds (6.9%), 1 Garden, 1 Gate, 1 Mine(坑), 1 Well and 1 Remains(3.4%). These physical factors and civil factors are the important relics reflected the cultural landscape attributes of Wuyi-Gugok in the middle of the 18th century. Among the shape element in each Gok, the 1^st Gok have 12 shape elements(21.1%), the 5^th Gok 11(19.3%), the 4^th Gok 9(15.8%), the 9^th Gok 8(14%), the 3^rd Gok 7(12.3%), the 6^th Gok 4(7%), the 2^nd Gok 3(5.3%), the 7^th Gok 2(3.5%), and the 8^th Gok 1(2%). Through collation, it is found that the 1^st Gok, 5^th Gok and 4^th Gok have more prominent cultural landscape characteristics. In addition, according to the description of scenic spot types in 『Muisanji(武夷山志)』, there are 38 types of scenery description in the painting, of which, the three scenery of big rock, peak, small rock occupy the vast majority. This reflects the Danxia(丹霞) landform characteristics of Wuyi-Gugok. The cultural connotation of Wuyi Mountain expressed and contained in the painting is analyzed and interpreted, and it is found that the Jiuqu(九曲) River in the Wuyi Mountain has Neo-confucianism culture, Taoism culture, Buddhism culture, Tea culture and so on. In addition, among the 171 scenery names shown in the painting, there are altogether 7 stone inscriptions that are consistent with or have the same meaning as the rock inscriptions site, including 3 for inscriptions praising the landscape, 3 for philosophical inscription and 1 for auspicious language inscription, which is considered as the important basis for the mutual textuality between the pictures and the stone inscriptions.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 1989

For several years, we investigated the pharmacological action of several substances isolated from Buxus microphylla var koreana Nakai, which had been used as folk remedies of malaria and venereal disease. Cyclobuxine $D(C_{25}H_{42}ON_2)$, a steroidal alkaloid, exerted an antiinflammatory action, hypotensive and bradycardic effects in rats. In the present study, we isolated alkaloid from the acetone-insoluble fraction of the strong bases of this plants. This alkaloid $(C_{25}H_{38}ON_2)$ was identified as a steroidal alkaloid contained a cyclopropane ring by physical and chemical methods. It is a derivative of cyclobuxine D and named cyclobuxine E. We examined the effect of cyclobuxine E on the contractile response induced by acetylcholine and two distinct types of potassium-activated calcium channels in an intestinal smooth muscle of the rat. Cyclobuxine E inhibited significantly the Ach-induced contraction. The isolated longitudinal muscle from the rat duodenum was immersed calcium-depleted potassium depolarizing solution. Ten minutes after, 1.8 mM $CaCl_2$ was added to muscle bath and elicited a biphasic increase in muscle tension. Cyclobuxine E produced an appreciable inhibition of both components of the mechanical response. In addition, Cyclobuxine E introduced at a point when the tonic response had reached its maximum level, caused the muscle to exhibit a rapid loss of tension. Based on these experimental results, we proposed the possibility that the inhibitory action of cyclobuxine E on the isolated rat duodenum may be due to inhibiting the transmembrane fluxes of calcium ion in potassium-activated calcium channels.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.590-599
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• 1996

Background : Bronchial artery embolization has been established as an effective means to control hemoptysis, especially in patients with decreased pulmonary function and those with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We evaluated the effect of arterial embolization in immediate control of massive hemoptysis and investigated the clinical and angiographic characteristics and the course of patients with reccurrent hemoptysis after initial succeseful embolization. Another purpose of this study was to find predictive that cause rebleeding after bronchial artery embolization. Method : We reviewed 47 cases that underwent bronchial artery embolization for the management of massive hemoptysis, retrospectively. We analyzed angiographic findings in all cases before bronchial artery embolization and also reviewed the angiographic findings of patients that underwent additional bronchial artery embolization for the control of reccurrent hemoptysis to find the clauses of rebleeding. Results : 1) Underlying causes of hemoptysis were pulmonary tuberculosis(n=35), bronchiectasis(n=5), aspergilloma(n=2), lung cancer(n=2), pulmonary A-V malformation(n=1), and unknown cases(n=2). 2) Overal immediate success rate was 94%(n=44), an6 recurrence rate was 40%(n=19). 3) The prognostic factors such as bilaterality, systemic-pulmonary artery shunt, multiple feeding arteries and degree of neovascularity were not statistically correlated with rebleeding tendency (p value>0.05). 4) At additional bronchial artery embolization, Revealed recannalization of previous embolized arteries were 14/18cases(78%) and the presence of new deeding arteries was 8/18cases(44%). 5) The complications(31cases, 66%) such as fever, chest pain, cough, voiding difficulty, paralytic ileus, motor and sensory change of lower extremity, atelectasis and splenic infarction were occured. Conclusion : Recannalization of previous embolized arteries is the major cause of recurrence after bronchial artery embolization. Despite high recurrence rate of hemoptysis, bronchial artery embolization for management of massive hemoptysis is a effective and saute procedure in immediate bleeding control.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.52-60
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• 2001

Purpose: In young male patients who suffered several kinds of trauma with subsequent suspicious reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, we performed three-phasic bone scan in order to investigate its usefulness. Materials and Methods: Patients with narrow range of age (21-25. mean $22.8{\pm}1.3$, all male) were included with suspicious reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome of 12 feet and 5 hands. Only one was bilateral feet case and 16 were ipsilateral (Rt:13, Lt:3). The etiologic traumas were 4 fractures, 4 sprains, 3 blunt trauma, 2 cellulitis, 1 tendon tear, 1 crush injury, 1 overexercise, and 1 unknown. Radiologically 3 showed osteoporotic changes. Three-phasic bone scans were performed $21.2{\pm}7.3wks$ after trauma. Results: According to symptom complex, confirmatory reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome 4 cases and suspicious 13 were analyzed. All confirmatory cases (100%) showed increased uptake at delay phase with periarticular accentuation. Of confirmatory 4 cases, 2 showed increased uptake in all three phases (perfusion: P, blood pool: B, and delay: D), and other 2 revealed decreased P but, both increased B and D. Of suspicious 13 cases, 9(69.2%) had increased D (4 periarticular and 5 focal), 2 decreased D, and 2 symmetric D. In 12 foot cases, so-called weight hearing patterns - increased contralateral sole at P and B - were revealed in 7(58.3%). Conclusion: Diffuse periarticular increased uptake at delay phase of three-phasic bone scan was a compatible finding to reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome in young male patients whose symptom complex strongly designated post traumatic reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.39-54
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• 2000

Purpose: Dipyridamole stress myocardial perfusion SPECT could predict prognosis, however, long-term follow-up showed change of hazard ratio in patients with suspected coronary artery disease. We investigated how long normal SPECT could predict the benign prognosis on the long-term follow-up. Materials and Methods: We followed up 1169 patients and divided these patients into groups in whom coronary angiography were performed and were not. Total cardiac event rate and hard event rate were predicted using clinical, angiographic and SPECT findings. Predictive values of normal and abnormal SPECT were examined using survival analysis with Mantel-Haenszel method, multivariate Cox proportional hazard model analysis and newly developed statistical method to test time-invariance of hazard rate and changing point of this rate. Results: Reversible perfusion decrease on myocardial perfusion SPECT predicted higher total cardiac event rate independently and further to angiographic findings. However, myocardial SPECT showed independent but not incremental prognostic values for hard event rate. Hazard ratio of normal perfusion SPECT was changed significantly (p<0.001) and the changing point of hazard rate was 4.4 years of follows up. However, the ratio of abnormal SPECT was not. Conclusion: Dipyridamole stress myocardial perfusion SPECT provided independent prognostic information in patients with known and suspected coronary artery disease. Normal perfusion SPECT predicted least event rate for 4.4 years.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.142-149
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• 2003

To know the feasibility of the coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) for multivessel coronary artery disease with purely bilateral internal thoracic arteries (ITAs), we analyzed the short-term clinical results and the coronary angiography of the patients. Material and Method: From March 2001 to June 2002, four hundred and five patients underwent CABG. Purely bilateral ITAs were used in 159 patients (39.3%). We analyzed these patients retrospectively The mean age of these patients was $61.2{\pm}8.5$ (range: 30 ~80) years and there were 123 male patients. The preoperative risk factors were as follows: diabetes in 54 patients (34.0%), history of acute myocardiac infarction within 4 weeks in 29 (18.2%), and emergency operation in 6 (3.8%). Off-pump CABG was carried out in 128 patients (80.5%). Associated procedures were mitral valvuloplasty (5), aortic valve replacement (3), Dor procedure (1), and so on. Result: The mean number of distal anastomoses was $3.1{\pm}0.9$ (range: 2~6), the mean duration of hospital stay was $8.4{\pm}4.5$ days. There was one (0.6%) operative death. Except for one early death, no other patients suffered from low cardiac output. The other postoperative complications were occurred as follows: reoperation due to bleeding in 3 patients, perioperative myocardiac infarction in 1, transient cardiac arrest in 2, transient cognitive dysfunction in 7, and transient ischemic attack in 1, and deep sternal wound infection in 1 patient. Recently, early postoperative angiography was performed in 19 patients who had triple vessel disease. The total number of distal anastomosis was 78 (mean $4.1{\pm}0.8$/patient). All distal anastomosis sites were patent, but competition flow was observed at the bypass sites where the native coronary artery stenosis was not significant. Conclusion: The CABG with purely bilateral ITAs for triple vessel disease was performed safely. The early patency rate was relatively good in small number of patients. However the long-term patency rate and the functional study to evaluate the sites where competition flow was observed should be followed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.9
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• pp.749-754
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• 2004

Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (Off-Pump CABG) has been proven to have less morbidity and to facilitate early recovery. High-risk surgical patients may have benefitted by avoiding the adverse effects of the cardiopulmonary bypass. We compared the effectiveness of Off-Pump CABG with that of coronary artery bypass using cardiopulmonary bypass (On-Pump CABG) in high-risk patients. Material and Method: 682 patients (424 Off-Pump CABG and 258 On-Pump CABG) underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting between January 2001 and June 2003. Patients who were considered high risk were selected High risk is defined as the presence of one or more of nine adverse prognostic factors. Data were collected from 492 patients in Off-Pump CABG and 100 in On-Pump CABG for risk factors, extent of coronary disease, and in-hospital outcomes. Result： Off-Pump CABG group and On-Pump CABG group did not show differences in their preoperative risk factors. We used more arterial grafts in Off-Pump CABG group (p < 0.05). Postoperative results showed that operative mortality (0.5% in Off-Pump CABG versus 2.0% in On-Pump CABG), renal failure (2.6% in Off-Pump CABG versus 7.0% in On-Pump CABG), and perioperative myocardial infarction (1.5% in Off-Pump CABG versus 1.0% in On-Pump CABG) did not differ significantly. However, Off-Pump CABG had shorter mean operation time (p<0.05), lower mean CK-MB level (p <0.05), lower rate of usage of inotropics (p < 0.05), shorter mean ventilation time (p <0.05), lower perioperative stroke (0% versus 2.0%), and shorter length of stay (p < 0.05) than On-Pump CABG. On-Pump CABG had more distal grafts (p<0.05) than Off-Pump CABG. Although Off-Pump CABG and On-Pump CABG did not show statistical differences in mortality and morbidity was more frequent in CABG. Conclusion: Off-Pump CABG reduces morbidity and favors hospital outcomes. Therefore, Off-Pump CABG is safe, reasonable and may be a preferable operative strategy for high-risk patients.