• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.139-147
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• 1995

Crinum asiaticum var. japonicum is a wild plant growing only in Jeju-island, Korea, and in Japan. The whole part of this plant has been known to have the pharmacological actions such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, platelet-aggregation inhibitory, antitussive, and expectorant. With these assumed actions, the leaves (Crinum folium) of this plant has been used in the folk remedies for arthritis and arthralgia. There is, however, no scientific evidences for the pharmacological actions of Crinum asiaticum var. japonicum. In the present study, the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and platelet-aggregation inhibitory actions of Crinium folium were evaluated using writhing test, tail-flick test, carrageenin antiedema test, in vitro thromboxane $B_2$ quantitation assay and in vitro platelet aggregation test. In order to obtain the partially purified fraction whose pharmacological action is excellent, the methanol extract of Crinium folium was fractionated consecutively into four biological fractions such as ether, ethyl acetate, butanol, and water fractions and their pharmacological actions of the fractions were investigated. Putting our results together, Crinium folium, especially ethyl acetate fraction was proven to have significant analgesic, anti-inflammatory and platelet-aggregation inhibitory actions by inhibition of prostanoids biosynthesis as one of its mechanism of action.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.19-22
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• 2013

Dextromethorphan and chlorpeniramine are common ingredients of over-the-counter (OTC) cough pills. They are known to be safe when used alone, however, combination with other serotonergic drugs or use of an overdose can cause serotonergic toxicity. We report on a 43-year-old male and a 57-year-old female who ingested an overdose of antitussive drugs containing dextromethorphan and chlorpeniramine. They commonly presented with altered mentality and hyperreflexia on both upper and lower extremities. After conservative therapies, they were discharged with alert mentality. These cases are meaningful in that there are few cases of serotonin syndrome with an overdose of a combination of dextromethorphan and chlorpeniramine. Careful use with medication counseling for OTC cough pills is needed in order to prevent overdose of these ingredients.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.21 no.4 s.55
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• pp.349-355
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• 2006

Dextromethorphan hydrobromide (DXM) has been widely used as a nonopioid antitussive drug with low toxicity and low potential for drug dependency. DXM is a psychotropic drug since 2003 in our country. This study was performed to investigate the immunotoxicity induced by abuse of DXM. Mice were orally exposed to DXM dissolved in saline as concentration of 30, 60, and 120 mg/kg b.w. before (day-2) or after (day+2) immunization (OVA-antigen, day 0). Thereafter, we measured the increased rate of body weight, relative weight of organ (thymus, spleen, liver, kidney) and OVA-specific IgM level in sera. In addition, mouse splenocytes were exposed to various concentration of DXM $(0.001{\sim}100{\mu}M)$ and cultured with B cell mitogen (LPS) and splenocytes proliferations (SP) were measured by MTT-assay. Thymus-weight were slightly changed on day 9 after administration of DXM, but body-, spleen-, liver-, and kidney-weight were not different between control group and DXM-treated group. SP to LPS were significantly decreased at high concentration $(100{\mu}M)$ when compared with controls. When DXM was administered before or after immunization with OVA-antigen, OVA-specific IgM levels were significantly lowered in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that DXM nay depress the primary humoral immune response to the initial antigenic challenge.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.4
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• pp.375-379
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• 2015

A 45-year-old man presented with dyspnea and hemoptysis during exercise. A chest computed tomography (CT) revealed multifocal diffuse patchy ground glass opacity and interlobular septal thickening in both the lungs. Permeability pulmonary edema or pulmonary hemorrhage was suspected. Serologic studies for autoimmune disorders and vasculitis were negative. There was no laboratory evidence of coagulopathy, other hematopoietic disease or infectious disease. Considering correlation with exercise, we diagnosed exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) or exercise-induced pulmonary edema (EIPE). The patient was managed with antifibrinolytics, antibiotics, and antitussive agent. After a week, follow-up chest CT revealed completely resolved pulmonary hemorrhage. About 2 months after the first event, he visited again with dyspnea and hemoptysis during running. In the present study, we report a case of recurrent pulmonary hemorrhage after exercise.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.98-107
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• 1999

This study aimed to find out Oyo-Tang's effects on allergic asthma using the Egg-White Implant(EWI) method model recommended by Siqueira et al. Oyo-Tang has widely been prescribed and used in Oriental Medicine for controlling and curing of cough, nasal obstruction, pharyngeal pain and hoarseness. Previous studies have demonstrated that Oyo-Tang has analgesic, sedative, anticonvulsive, antitussive and antihistamine effects. But it was uncertain whether Oyo-Tang could inhibit the allergic reactions, to alleviate the symptoms of allergic asthma. With such aim. the respiratory patterns and eosinophil infiltration in the tracheal mucosa of rats with experimentally induced allergic asthma (using EWI method) were mainly observed. The results are as follows: 1. Oyo-Tang decreased the number of poor respiration with respect to control group (P<0.05) 2. Oyo-Tang decreased the number of eosinophils infiltrated in tracheal mucosa with respect control group (P<0.05). The above results demonstrate that Oyo-Tang has the inhibitory effects on the process allergic asthma and suggest that it could be used in relieving patients of the symptoms caused allergic asthma.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.82-88
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• 2014

Yam (Dioscorea batatas Decne.) has long been used as a health food and oriental folk medicine because of its nutritional fortification, tonic, anti-diarrheal, anti-inflammatory, antitussive, and expectorant effects. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are known to be implicated in a range of diseases, may be important progenitors of carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the modulatory effect of yam on antioxidant status and inflammatory conditions during azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon carcinogenesis in male F344 rats. We measured the formation of aberrant crypt foci (ACF), hemolysate antioxidant enzyme activities, colonic mucosal antioxidant enzyme gene expression, and colonic mucosal inflammatory mediator gene expression. The feeding of yam prior to carcinogenesis significantly inhibited AOM-induced colonic ACF formation. In yam-administered rats, erythrocyte levels of glutathione, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase were increased and colonic mucosal gene expression of Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD), Mn-SOD, and GPx were up-regulated compared to the AOM group. Colonic mucosal gene expression of inflammatory mediators (i.e., nuclear factor kappaB, inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interleukin-1beta) was suppressed by the yam-supplemented diet. These results suggest that yam could be very useful for the prevention of colon cancer, as they enhance the antioxidant defense system and modulate inflammatory mediators.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.77 no.5
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• pp.223-226
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• 2014

Aspergillus tracheobronchitis is a form of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in which the Aspergillus infection is limited predominantly to the tracheobronchial tree. It occurs primarily in severely immunocompromised patients such as lung transplant recipients. Here, we report a case of Aspergillus tracheobronchitis in a 42-year-old man with diabetes mellitus, who presented with intractable cough, lack of expectoration of sputum, and chest discomfort. The patient did not respond to conventional treatment with antibiotics and antitussive agents, and he underwent bronchoscopy that showed multiple, discrete, gelatinous whitish plaques mainly involving the trachea and the left bronchus. On the basis of the bronchoscopic and microbiologic findings, we made the diagnosis of Aspergillus tracheobronchitis and initiated antifungal therapy. He showed gradual improvement in his symptoms and continued taking oral itraconazole for 6 months. Physicians should consider Aspergillus tracheobronchitis as a probable diagnosis in immunocompromised patients presenting with atypical respiratory symptoms and should try to establish a prompt diagnosis.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.9-17
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• 2004

Objective : Mesangial cell proliferation and excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins is the common pathologic feature of glomerulosclerosis, and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) BB-chain, transforming growth factor betal $(TGF-{\beta}1)$, cyclin dependent kinases (CDK) and CDK inhibitors mediated in these pathophysiological processes. Bupleurum falcatum which is one of the most widely used components in traditional oriental medicines, has multiple pharmacological effects, such as antipyretic, analgesic, immune modulating, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-thrombotic, anti-atherosclerotic, and antitussive effects. Methods : In this study, we evaluated the influence of Bupleurum falcatum on mesangial cell proliferation, DNA synthesis and expression of PDGF-BB chain, $TGF-{\beta}1$, CDKI, CDK2, CDK4, p21 and p27 in fetal bovine serum (FBS)-activated human mesangial cell. Results : Bupleurum falcatum reduced the mesangial cell proliferation and DNA synthesis more than control and captopril. And in the ELISA analysis of $TGF-{\beta}1$, and RT-PCR of PDGF-BB chain, CDK1, CDK2, CDK4, p21, and p27, Bupleurum falcatum inhibited the expression of $TGF-{\beta}1$ protein and PDGF-BB, CDK1, CDK2 gene and promoted that of p21 gene in a dose-dependent manner in comparing with control and captopril. Conclusions: These results suggest that Bupleurum falcatum may inhibit the mesangial cell proliferation and DNA synthesis by regulation of PDGF-BB and $TGF-{\beta}1$ expressions, and by modulation of CDK1, CDK2 and p21 expression.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.510-515
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• 2011

This study was conducted to evaluate the depigmenting properties of ethanol extract from a Fritillaria verticillata Willd. (EFV) in B16F10 cells. Fritillaria verticillata Willd., a perennial herbaceous plant, has been used as a stimulator of mammary gland, expectorant, blood pressure depressant, antitussive agents in Korean herbal medicine. In the present study, we observed that melanin synthesis of B16F10 cells were significantly decreased by EFV without cytotoxicity. However, EFV could not suppress tyrosinase activity in B16F10 cells and mushroom tyrosinase activity. Furthermore, EFV did not effect the protein expression of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein -1 (TRP-1), and TRP-2. These results suggest that EFV inhibited melanin synthesis and the hypopigmentary effect of EVF was not due to regulation of tyrosinase protein.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 1993

Drug abuse is widespread in worldwide and has been associated with neurologic complication. Zipeprol is one of the drugs which been abused for psychological satisfaction in some adolescents. This agent is non-opioid antitussive agent, which is not legally considered as being capable of creating dependence or abuse liability at therapeutic serum levels. But it has been reported that acute or chronic overdose create neurologic complication such as convulsion as well as dependence. Recently we experienced six zipeprol abusers who admitted due to convulsion and variable neurologic symptoms. The aim of our study was to determine the role of $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO brain SPECT in those patients. EEG and brain CT showed no abnormal finding, but brain SPECT showed focal or multiple perfusion abnormalities in frontal, parietal, occipital cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus and especially at temporal cortex. These results suggest that brain SPECT may be a useful diagnostic tool to evaluate the cerebral dysfunction infused by zipeprol abuse.