• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2009.02a
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• pp.34-34
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• 2009

• Toxicological Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.183-191
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• 1998

It has been reported that 50~70% of child asthma, bronchial asthma in adult, and allergic rhinitis are caused by house dust mite. The antigen extracted from house dust mite has been used for effective treatment against allergic diseases and for clinical test. This house dust mite antigen has been entirely imported from abroad. However, the composition and content of all the antigen imported vary from a brand to other brand. Thus, we need to standardize the composition and content of the antigen by developing it domestically. We proceeded pre-clinically general pharmacological test and toxicological test that are required for the eventual human use by utilizing the house dust mite cultured in Korea. In order to obtain information on general pharmacological tests such as its toxic signs in tissues or organs which are mainly affected, we examined the effect of house dust mite on the tensions of the isolated tissues and heart rates of cardiac muscle by recording with force displacement transducer of polygragh (Glass Model 7). We determined lethality of antigen extracted from house dust mite in mice and guinea pigs. We examined acute and subacute toxicity by administrating house dust mite extract of 500, 100, 20 times of the expected clinical dose. In male and female mice and guinea pigs, given a sigle intraperitoneal dose of antigen, $LD_{50}$ values were over 5.0 $\textrm{m}{\ell}$/kg, respectively. In animals administrated with house dust mite, there were no significant change of clinical symptom, body weight, food consumption, water consumption, eye examinations, urinalysis, blood biochemistry, and histopathological examinations in any animals tested. We found no toxic effect of this house dust mite. These results show that the house dust mite cultured by us could be used in the development of medicine against allergic diseases caused by the antigen of house dust mite.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 1992

Rats were treated with physostigmine, using 0.75 mg/kg acutely, with 0.75 mg/kg daily for 7 dats, or with 0.15 mg/kg/h continuously for 7 days. Striatal dopamine (DA), dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) levels and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activities were studied. After acute treatment striatal DOPAC and HVA concentrations were significantly increased without changes in DA level 1 h, but not 24 h. And also the ratios of DOPAC/DA and HVA/DA were increased, suggesting an increased turnover of DA. however TH activities were decreased 24h, but not 1h after acute administration. After both daily and continuous treatment with physostigmine for 7 days, neither DA nor its metabolites were changed. However their ratios were decreased, suggesting a decreased turnover of DA. The TH activities were only decreased in the daily treated group, but not in the continously treated one. These results indicate that dopamine metabolisms are changed after acute and subacute administration with physostigmine. Further it suggest that the subacute stimulation of cholinergic activity may induce the dopamine metablism and activity to be decreased.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.741-750
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of cognitive impairment, behavioral problems, and the state of mental health for elderly Korean people who have been institutionalized. Methods: A cross-sectional, nationwide survey was performed using an anonymous questionnaire. The participants in this study were 2,521 institutionalized elderly Korean people. A proportional stratified random sampling method was employed. Results: 1) Elders admitted to subacute hospitals and long term care (LTC) facilities showed a higher level of cognitive impairment compared to elders admitted to acute care hospitals. 2) Elders confined in LTC facilities showed a higher level of behavioral problems compared to elders in acute or subacute hospitals. 3) Elders admitted to subacute hospitals and LTC facilities showed more serious mental health problems, such as depression or suicidal ideation, compared to elders in acute care hospitals. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the severity of cognitive-behavioral or mental health problems do not match well with type of care setting. Therefore, health personnel working with elderly people should be provided guidance on detection and management of cognitive-behavioral and mental health problems. The necessity of a decision support system for eligibility and placement in long-term care is also discussed.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.498-504
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• 2016

Objective : Although subdural hematoma (SDH) is commonly treatable by burr hole surgery in the late subacute or chronic stage, there is no clear consensus regarding appropriate management and exact predictive factors for postoperative recurrence also remain unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors associated with recurrence of SDH that requires burr hole surgery in the late subacute or chronic stage. We also identified the appropriate timing of surgery for reducing the recurrence. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed 274 patients with SDH in the late subacute or chronic stage treated with burr hole surgery in our hospital between January 2007 and December 2014. Excluding patients with acute intracranial complications or unknown time of trauma onset left 216 patients included in the study. Results : Of 216 patients with SDH in the late subacute or chronic stage, recurrence was observed in 36 patients (16.7%). The timing of the operation in patients with late subacute stage (15-28 days) resulted in a significant decrease in recurrence (RR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.17-0.65; p=0.001) compared to chronic stage (>28 days). Otherwise, no significant risk factors were associated with recurrences including comorbidities and surgical details. Conclusion : The results indicated that time from trauma onset to burr hole surgery may be important for decreasing the risk of recurrence. Therefore, unless patients can be treated conservatively without surgery, prompt surgical management is recommended in patients diagnosed as having late subacute or chronic subdural hematoma treatable by burr hole surgery, even when neurological deficits are unclear.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2002

Purpose : To evaluate diffusion-weighted imaging findings of intracerebral hematoma according to the time sequence. Materials and methods : Seventeen patients with intracerebral hematoma were studied. Diffusion weighted images using 1.5 tesla MRI machine were obtained with b-value of $1000{\;}sec/\textrm{mm}^2$. The patients were grouped as hyperacute stage(within 12 hours, 5 patients), acute stage(within 3 days, 4 patients), subacute stage(within 3 weeks, 4 patients), and chronic stage(after 3 weeks,4 patients). The signal intensities were analysed as bright, high, iso, low and dark at the central and peripheral portions of the hematoma in each stage, and compared with those of T2 and T1 weighted images. Results : The signal intensities of the central and peripheral portion of the intracerebral hematoma on diffusion-weighted images were high and dark in hyperacute stage, dark and high-bright in acute stage, and high-bright and dark in subacute and chronic stages. The patterns of signal change of hematoma on diffusion-weighted image according to the time sequence were similar to those on T2-weighted image, but changed early and prominently. Conclusion : The intracerebral hematoma on diffusion-weighted image showed unique central and peripheral signal intensity according to the time sequence. Central portions show high to bright signals in hyperacute, subacute and chronic stage, and dark signal in acute stage, and peripheral portions show dark signals in hyperacute, subacute and chronic stage, and high to bright signal in acute stage.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.403-414
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• 2015

Lithospermum erythrorhizon has long been used as a traditional oriental medicine. In this study, the acute and 28-day subacute oral dose toxicity studies of hexane extracts of the roots of L. erythrorhizon (LEH) were performed in Sprague-Dawley rats. In the acute toxicity study, LEH was administered once orally to 5 male and 5 female rats at dose levels of 500, 1,000, and 2,000 mg/kg. Mortality, clinical signs, and body weight changes were monitored for 14 days. Salivation, soft stool, soiled perineal region, compound-colored stool, chromaturia and a decrease in body weight were observed in the extract-treated groups, and no deaths occurred during the study. Therefore, the approximate lethal dose (ALD) of LEH in male and female rats was higher than 2,000 mg/kg. In the subacute toxicity study, LEH was administered orally to male and female rats for 28 days at dose levels of 25, 100, and 400 mg/kg/day. There was no LEH-related toxic effect in the body weight, food consumption, ophthalmology, hematology, clinical chemistry and organ weights. Compound-colored (black) stool, chromaturia and increased protein, ketone bodies, bilirubin and occult blood in urine were observed in the male and female rats treated with the test substance. In addition, the necropsy revealed dark red discoloration of the kidneys, and the histopathological examination showed presence of red brown pigment or increased hyaline droplets in the renal tubules of the renal cortex. However, there were no test substance-related toxic effects in the hematology and clinical chemistry, and no morphological changes were observed in the histopathological examination of the kidneys. Therefore, it was determined that there was no significant toxicity because the changes observed were caused by the intrinsic color of the test substance. These results suggest that the no-observed-adverse-effect Level (NOAEL) of LEH is greater than 400 mg/kg/day in both sexes.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1388-1396
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• 2013

This study used an S-180 cell-injected mouse model to evaluate the antitumor effects of the acute and subacute toxicity of Keumsa (Phellinus linteus) extract intravenously administrated in ICR mice. When administered intravenously (31.3-250 mg/kg body weight), Keumsa (Phellinus linteus) extract significantly inhibited the growth of the solid tumor cell. The antitumor activity of Keumsa (Phellinus linteus) extract increased in a dose-dependent manner. The highest dose (250 mg/kg body weight) was highly effective, reducing tumor formation by 42.7% compared with the control group. In the acute toxicity test, $LD_{50}$ of the Keumsa (Phellinus linteus) extract showed 632.84 mg/kg (♂) and 814.48 mg/kg (♀) after intravenous administration. In addition, liver and spleen weight were increased in a dose-dependent manner. In the subacute toxicity test, the mice were intravenously administered over the course of 28 days. The $LD_{50}$ of the Keumsa (Phellinus linteus) extract showed 355.41 mg/kg (♂) and 383.53 mg/kg (♀) after intravenous administration. The liver and spleen weight also increased in a dose-dependent manner. In the case of the group that received more than 125 mg/kg of intravenous administration, exercise capacity, such as jumping ability and agility, were significantly increased. These results suggest that Keumsa (Phellinus linteus) extract can be regarded as a potent enhancer of the innate immune response, and it can be considered as a new natural product with low toxicity that may be used as a candidate for antitumor action.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.10
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• pp.995-1004
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• 2007

Purpose : Kawasaki disease is a systemic vasculitis, leading cause of pediatric acquired heart disease. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has functions as vascular permeability factor, plays an important role in coronary artery lesion (CAL). We studied the clinical significance of serum VEGF in Kawasaki disease. Methods : Kawasaki group was 49 patients, and control group was 15 patients. Diagnosis followed AHA (American Heart Association) diagnostic criteria, with blood sampling in acute, subacute, and convalescent phase. Echocardiographic abnormalities were defined and the definition of intravenous gamma globulin (IVGG)-responsive and IVGG-resistant was determined. Results : Serum VEGF of Kawasaki group was significantly higher than of control group. Comparison of serum VEGF between CAL and non-CAL group, between carditis group and non-carditis group showed no significant differences. Subacute serum VEGF was statistically higher in IVGG-resistant group than in IVGG-responsive group, and serum VEGF of IVGG-resistant group in subacute phase was statistically higher than in the other phases. Serum VEGF of convalescent CAL and non-CAL group in acute and subacute phase had meaningful differences. Total fever duration and subacute serum VEGF had positive correlation. Acute serum VEGF had positive correlation with ESR and CRP, all phases serum VEGF had also positive correlation with WBC. Acute and subacute serum VEGF had negative correlations with hemoglobin and albumin. Conclusion : Serum VEGF can help to determine the severity of Kawasaki disease, especially subacute serum VEGF seems to be used as a prognostic factor of coronary complication. Afterward, further studies needed with more strict diagnostic criteria and more study groups.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.107-113
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• 2015

Purpose: Susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) is a new magnetic resonance technique that can exploit the magnetic susceptibility differences of various tissues. Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) looks a dark blooming on the magnitude images of SWI. However, the pattern of ICH on phase images is not well known. The purpose of this study is to characterize hemorrhagic lesions on the phase images of SWI. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively enrolled patients with ICH, who underwent both SWI and precontrast CT, between 2012 and 2013 (n = 95). An SWI was taken, using the 3-tesla system. A phase map was generated after postprocessing. Cases with an intracranial hemorrhage were reviewed by an experienced neuroradiologist and a trainee radiologist, with 10 years and 3 years of experience, respectively. The types and stages of the hemorrhages were determined in correlation with the precontrast CT, the T1- and T2-weighted images, and the FLAIR images. The size of the hemorrhage was measured by a one- directional axis on a magnitude image of SWI. The phase values of the ICH were qualitatively evaluated: hypo-, iso-, and hyper-intensity. We summarized the imaging features of the intracranial hemorrhage on the phase map of the SWI. Results: Four types of hemorrhage are observed: subdural and epidural; subarachnoid; parenchymal hemorrhage; and microbleed. The stages of the ICH were classified into 4 groups: acute (n = 34); early subacute (n = 11); late subacute (n = 15); chronic (n = 8); stage-unknown microbleeds (n = 27). The acute and early subacute hemorrhage showed heterogeneous mixed hyper-, iso-, and hypo-signal intensity; the late subacute hemorrhage showed homogeneous hyper-intensity, and the chronic hemorrhage showed a shrunken iso-signal intensity with the hyper-signal rim. All acute subarachnoid hemorrhages showed a homogeneous hyper-signal intensity. All parenchymal hemorrhages (> 3 mm) showed a dipole artifact on the phase images; however, microbleeds of less than 3 mm showed no dipole artifact. Larger hematomas showed a heterogeneous mixture of hyper-, iso-, and hypo-signal intensities. Conclusion: The pattern of the phase value of the SWI showed difference, according to the type, stage, and size.