• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.179-189
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• 2011

Objectives : Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Radix(fuzi, 附子) and its class herbs(chaunwu, caowu etc.) are necessary for some clinical conditions, such as cold pain, chilling etc,. But, they has some poison component. And, they have been known to cause liver and kidney injury, and dangerous in the patients who has abnormal range of LFT and RFT. This study shows the consequences for aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alanine aminotransferase(ALT), blood urea nitrate(BUN), and Creatinine were analyzed using samples from patients who took the decoction containing fuzi. Methods : Blood samples for Experiment Group(E) were collected from 63 patients, who took the decoction containing fuzi, admitted into the 6th internal medicine department of Dong Eui Oriental Medical Hospital between from January 2007 to March 2011. In compared to those of experiment group, blood samples as Control Group(C) were collected from 64 patients, who took the decoction not containing fuzi, admitted into the same hospital from January 2009 to April 2011. Results and Conclusions : 1. AST No changed : E 4.17%, C 2.63%, Increased : E 12.5%, C 28.95%, Decreased : E 80.33%, C 68.42% 2. ALT No changed : E2.94%, C5.13%, Increased : E 8.82%, C 20.51%, Decreased : E 88.24%, C 74.36% 3. BUN No changed : E 0%, CG 7.14%, Increased : E 32.25%, CG 14.29% Decreased : EG 67.65%, CG 78.57% 4. Creatinine No changed : EG 5.00%, CG 0%, Increased : EG 35.00%, CG 54.55% Decreased : EG 60.00%, CG 45.45% 5. The results suggest that the decoction containing fuzi isn't harmful AST, ALT, BUN, Cr of the patients who has high range of them.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1568-1574
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether group III muscle afferents play an important role eliciting abnormal blood pressure response mediated during passive muscle stretch in prehypertensive individuals. Eleven middle-aged prehypertensive men (average BP 133/80 mmHg) and nine middle-aged normotensive men (average BP 119/74 mmHg) participated in this study. After 1 min rest baseline data collection, the subject's foot was flexed (dorsiflexion) by an automated cybex for one minute. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, and total peripheral resistance were continuously measured on a beat-by-beat basis from a finger via a Finapres device for 1 minute. To evaluate the role of mechanoreflex, a component of exercise pressor reflex, SBP, DBP, and MAP responses over the course of time were examined. The results showed that the pressor response mediated by the muscle mechanoreflex was faster in prehypertensive individuals compared to the normotensive individuals. The substantial pressor response was observed within mean 20 sec of the onset of passive stretch in prehypertension, while mean 45 sec in normotension (p<0.05). It is concluded that excessive pressor response produced during exercise in prehypertension may be due to the dysfunction of the mechano-receptors.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.338-348
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• 1997

Background : Endotoxin, the component of outermembrane of gram negative organism, plays an important role in the initiation and amplification of inflammatory reaction by its effects on inflammatory cells. Until recently, there have been continuing efforts to delinate the mechanisms of the signal trasduction pathway of endotoxin stimuli on inflammatory cells. By uncovering the mechanisms of signal transduction pathway of endotoxin stimuli, we can expect to have tools to control the excessive inflammatory responses which sometimes may be fatal to the involved host. It was generally accepted that endotoxin exerts its inflammatory effects through inflammatory cytokines that are produced by endotoxin-stimulated inflammatory cells and there were some reports on the importance of protein kinase C and protein tyrosine kinase activation in the production of inflammatory cytokines by endotoxin So we evaluated the effect of pretreatment of protein kinase C inhibitors (H7, Staurosporin) and protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors(Herbimycin, Genistein) on the endotoxin-stimulated cytokines(IL-8 & TNF-$\alpha$) mRNA expression. Method : Peripheral blood monocytes were isolated from healthy volunteers by Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient method and purified by adhesion to 60mm Petri dishes. Endotoxin(LPS 100ng/ml) was added to each dishes except one control dish, and each endotoxin-stimulated dishes was preincubated with H7, Staurosporin(protein kinase C inhibitor), Herbimycin or Genistein(protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor) respectively except one dish. Four hours later the endotoxin stimulation, total RNA was extracted and Northern blot analysis for IL-8 mRNA and TNF-$\alpha$ mRNA was done. Result : Endotoxin stimulation increased the expression of IL-8 mRNA and TNF-$\alpha$ mRNA expression in human peripheral blood monocyte as expected and the stimulatory effect of endotoxin on TNF-$\alpha$ mRNA expression was inhibited by protein kinase C inhibitors(H7, Staurosporin) and protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors (Herbimycin, Genistein). The inhibitory effect of each drugs was increased with increasing concentration. The stimulatory effect of endotoxin on IL-8 mRNA was also inhibited by H7 and protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors (Herbimycin, Genistein) dose-dependently but not by Staurosporin. Conclusion : Protein kinase C and protein tyrosine kinase are involved in the endotoxin induced signal transduction pathway in human peripheral blood monocyte.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.51-57
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• 2007

Present study aimed to investigate the radioprotective effects of propolis feeding on rat tissues damaged by X-ray irradiation. It was shown that the number of white blood cell in X-ray irradiated group supplemented with propolis increased as much to those of the control group and also the GOT activities among the blood components were decreased after propolis feeding. The mineral contents such as Mg, Fe, Ca, Mn, Cu, Mo, Ni, As in liver were increased as compared with those of the control group but maintained lower level than those of only irradiated groups, implying that the propolis feeding elevated the recovery capability of white blood cell effectively and propolis have a potential resistance to cell damage by X-ray. According to histological observations of the testis, intestine and liver tissues which are irradiated after feeding propolis, the numbers of damaged undifferentiated cells were decreased in testis and the shape of the goblet cells and inner and outer muscular layers in intestine were restored to the original state and the hepatocytes and interlobular veins were shown intact in liver, suggesting that propolis has a potential capacity to restore cell shapes or resist deformation of cell.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.825-832
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• 2005

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of extract of Fomes fomentarius (FF) on blood glucose, lipid profile, antioxidant enzymes and immune cells in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control, STZ-induced diabetic group (DM), STZ plus FF water extract treated group (DM-FW 200) and STZ plus FF methanol extract treated group (DM-FM 200). FW (200 mg/kg BW) and FM (200 mg/kg BW) were orally administered once a day for 14 days. Admdinistering FW and FM to STZ-induced diabetic rats lowered the blood glucose level. The supplementation of FW and FM suppressed the increase in the total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the serum and liver of the diabetic rats. The high density lipoprotein-cholesterol level and glutathione peroxidase activity were higher in the FF-sup-plemented group compared to the diabetic group. Administering FW and FM increased the suppress in the serum complement component C3, whole blood B-cell, T-cell, helper T cell and suppressor T cell of the diabetic rats. Therefore, it could be suggested that FW and FM are alleviated the diabetic complication through enhancing the hyperglycemia and preventing diabetic complications.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.1-7
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• 2022

Objectives: Bee venom (BV) is a widely used therapy in Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM). We previously reported that BV was clinically effective for treating Parkinson's disease, that phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂) was the main component of BV, and that it induced regulatory T cells (Tregs) by binding CD206 on dendritic cells (DCs). Therefore, we aimed to reconfirm our findings in human blood samples and investigate the relationship between CD206⁺ DCs and clinical syndrome differentiation in TEAM. Methods: We surveyed 100 subjects with questionnaires on cold-heat patternization and obtained their blood samples. The obtained human peripheral blood monocytes (hPBMCs) were washed with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). After resuspension with ex vivo media, numbers of cells were counted. Tregs were counted after culturing the samples in a 37℃ CO₂ incubator for 72 h. Results: We divided the subjects into a relatively high CD206⁺ group or a relatively low CD206⁺ group. The heat factor scores of high CD206⁺ group were significantly higher than that of low CD206⁺ group (high vs low: 239.2 ± 54.1 vs 208.4 ± 55.1, p=0.023). After culturing with PLA₂, Tregs increased in the high CD206⁺ group but decreased in the low CD206⁺ group. Conclusion: In this study, we reconfirm that CD206⁺ DCs induced Treg differentiation by incubating human blood samples with PLA₂ and that they showed an association with syndrome differentiation, especially with heat patterns, in TEAM. A heat pattern in TEAM might be one indication for PLA₂ therapy because its score was elevated in the high CD206⁺ group.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.23-42
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• 2010

This report describes 90 prescriptions related to the use of Platycodi Radix main blended from Dongeuibogam. The following conclusions were reached through investigations on the prescriptions that use Platycodi Radix as a key component. Prescriptions that Platycodi Radix was taken as a monarch drug are utilized for 30 therapeutic purposes, for example, cough disease, throat disease, abscess and pus, and wind disease. In particular, 12.1% of prescriptions appear in the chapter of cough, and 9.9% of those appear in the chapter of throat, and each 8.8% of those appear in the chapter of abscess and of wind disease. Prescriptions that utilize Platycodi Radix as the main ingredient are used in the treatment of cough disease, throat disease and abscess, and they are also used for treating 74 different types of disease. The prescriptions are compounded with Platycodi Radix as a monarch drug are related to exogenous agents such as wind-cold pathogen, wind-heat pathogen, epidemic diseases, and endogenous agents such as seven emotions, and non-endo-exopathogenic factors like excessive labor, deficiency of Qi and blood, phlegm-mass, phlegm-fire, ect. The dosage of Platycodi Radix is 2pun(about 0.75g) to 1nyang(about 37.5g), however 1don (about 3.75g) has been taken the most for clinical application. We can find out that according to herbs or prescriptions blended with it self, Platycodi Radix makes a variety of functions to penetrate lung stagnancy and remove phlegm, relieve throat pain and get rid of pus, and regulate Qi flow. And Gamgiltang is the most useful base prescription which used the Platycodi Radix as the main component.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.143-148
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• 2016

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary egg yolk antibody (IgY) powder supplementation on the growth performance, blood component profile, intestinal microflora, and immunoglobulin G in ducks. A total of 300 1-day-old ducks (Cherry Valley) were randomly divided into 5 groups, with 3 replicates of 20 birds. The treatment groups were the negative (NC), positive (PC), egg yolk antibody powder 0.1% (T1), egg yolk antibody powder 0.5% (T2), and egg yolk antibody powder 1.0% (T3) groups. In the growth performance of ducks during the entire experimental period, the IgY groups and positive control group (PC) showed significantly higher (P<0.05) body weights and body weight gains compared to the negative control group (NC). However, no significant differences were observed in the feed intake and feed conversion ratio. The blood component profiles showed that the IgY 0.1 and 1.0% groups decreased in total cholesterol content compared to the NC group. The aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotranferease (ALT) contents were lower in the IgY 1.0% group, but there were no significant differences. Regrading the leukocyte content after feeding IgY, the heterophil: lymphocyte ratio decreased in the IgY groups, especially in the IgY 0.1% group, which had a lower content than the other groups. However, these results showed no significant differences. The Lactobacillus count in the intestines significantly increased (P<0.05) in the IgY 0.1 and 0.5% groups, the level of IgY increased, and the Escherichia coli count decreased. However, no significant difference was observed in the total plate count. The immunoglobulin G content was lower in the IgY groups than in the NC group, and compared with the IgY groups, the IgY 0.5% had a lower content, which was not a significant difference.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.23-25
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• 2008

Serum complement proteins comprise an important system that is responsible for several innate and adaptive immune defence mechanisms. There were three well described pathways known to lead to the generation of a C3 convertase, which catalyses the proteolysis of complement component C3, and leads to the formation of C3 opsonins (C3b, iC3b and C3d) that fix to bacteria. A pivotal step in the complement pathway is the assembly of a C3 convertase, which digests the C3 complement component to form microbial-binding C3 fragments recognized by leukocytes. The spleen clears microorganisms from the blood. Individuals lacking this organ are more susceptible to Streptococcus pneumoniae. Innate resistance to S. pneumoniae has previously been shown to involve complement components C3 and C4, however this resistance has only a partial requirement for mediators of these three pathways, such as immunoglobulin, factor B and mannose-binding lectin. Therefore it was likely that spleen and complement system provide resistance against blood-borne S. pneumoniae infection through unknown mechanism. To better understand the mechanisms involved, we studied Specific intracellular adhesion molecule-grabbing nonintegrin (SIGN)-R1. SIGN-R1, is a C-type lectin that is expressed at high levels by spleen marginal-zone macrophages and lymph-node macrophages. SIGN-R1 has previously been shown to be the main receptor for bacterial dextrans, as well as for the capsular pneumococcal polysaccharide (CPS) of S. pneumoniae. We examined the specific role of this receptor in the activation of complement. Using a monoclonal antibody that selectively downregulates SIGN-R1 expression in vivo, we show that in response to S. pneumoniae or CPS, SIGN-R1 mediates the immediate proteolysis of C3 and fixation of C3 opsonins to S. pneumoniae or to marginal-zone macrophages that had taken up CPS. These data indicate that SIGN-R1 is largely responsible for the rapid C3 convertase formation induced by S. pneumoniae in the spleen of mice. Also, we found that SIGN-R1 directly binds C1q and that C3 fixation by SIGN-R1 requires C1q and C4 but not factor B or immunoglobulin. Traditionally C3 convertase can be formed by the classical C1q- and immunoglobulin-dependent pathway, the alternative factor-B-dependent pathway and the soluble mannose-binding lectin pathway. Furthermore Conditional SIGN-R1 knockout mice developed deficits in C3 catabolism when given S. pneumoniae or its capsular polysaccharide intravenously. There were marked reductions in proteolysis of serum C3, deposition of C3 on organisms within SIGN-$R1^+$ spleen macrophages, and formation of C3 ligands. The transmembrane lectin SIGN-R1 therefore contributes to innate resistance by an unusual C3 activation pathway. We propose that in the SIGN-R1 mediated complement activation pathway, after binding to polysaccharide, SIGN-R1 captures C1q. SIGN-R1 can then, in association with several other complement proteins including C4, lead to the formation of a C3 convertase and fixation of C3. Therefore, this new pathway for C3 fixation by SIGN-R1, which is unusual as it is a classical C1q-dependent pathway that does not require immuno globulin, contributes to innate immune resistance to certain encapsulated microorganisms.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.174-179
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• 2007

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Gastrodiae elata Blume fractions on systolic blood pressure and serum lipid profiles in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR/NCrj) fed high fat diet. Twenty-four males SHR weighing approximately 160 g were randomly divided into four groups; A (low molecule, GR-1), B (polysaccharide, GR-2), C (protein, GR-3) fractions of G. elata Blume, respectively, and D (high fat diet as control). After orally tube feeding the fractions of G. elata Blume, there were no differences in final body weights among the treatment groups. Diet intake was somewhat high in the control group (D), but there were no significant differences in feed efficiency ratios. In terms of serum lipid profiles, total-cholesterol level was statistically higher in the control group (D) than in G. elata Blume fraction groups (p<0.05). Triglyceride levels of low molecule (A) and polysaccharide (B) groups were lower by 16% and 11%, respectively than that of the control group (D). HDL-cholesterol level was remarkably higher (p<0.05), whereas LDL-cholesterol level was significantly lower (by 25%) in the group B as compared to the control group (D). Atherogenic index (AI) of G. elata Blume fraction groups were significantly lower than in the control group (p<0.05). Reference blood pressure (RBP) showed an average of $180\sim190mmHg$ at 8 weeks old after 3 weeks on feeding high fat diet. Compared with RBP, final blood pressure of treatment groups (35 days after feeding the fractions of G. elata Blume gractions) were decreased by 1.7% (A), 5.5% (B) and 3.6% (C), respectively, but the control group (D) contrarily showed an increase of 2.6%. Especially, final systolic blood pressure of the polysaccharide group (B) was lower by 22 mmHg than that of the control group (D). From these findings, it can be suggested that polysaccharide fraction may improve blood serum lipids and should be considered as effective in lowering of blood pressure.