• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.10 no.10
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• pp.237-245
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• 2010

Nerve conduction studies (NCS) are the most objective measure of nerve function and essential for the diagnosis of sub-clinical neuropathy in diabetes mellitus and diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN). This study evaluates the characteristic of electrophysiological abnormalities in DPN. Electrodiagnostic data from 120 patients with diabetic polyneuropathies and 77 control subjects were reviewed. Motor nerve conduction velocities (MNCV), distal motor latencies (DML), compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitudes, No potential frequency and conduction block were analyzed. Data were normalized based on normative reference values, and the proportion of nerves with abnormal values in the lower and upper limbs were evaluated. DPN was systemic demyelinating peripheral polyneuropathy and more severe abnormal nerve conduction was found in lower limbs than in upper limbs. The abnormal degree was more severe in peroneal nerve. It was no statistically significant difference of conduction block in control and DPN group. Our findings suggest that DPN had more common and severe peroneal nerve involvement in the motor nerve conduction studies (MNCS). These findings have important implications for the electrophysiological evaluation of DPN.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2007

Resveratrol (3,5,4’-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), a naturally occurring phytoallexin abundant in grapes and several plants, has been shown to be active in inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis in several human cancer cell lines. On the line of the biological activity of resveratrol, a variety of resveratrol analogs were synthesized and evaluated for their growth inhibitory effects against several human cancer cell lines. In the present study, we found that one of the resveratrol analogs, 3,4,5-trimethoxy-4’-bromo-cis-stilbene, markedly suppressed human colon cancer cell proliferation (EC$_{50}$ = 0.01 ${\mu}$g/ml), and the inhibitory activity was superior to its corresponding trans-isomer (EC$_{50}$ = 1.6 ${\mu}$g/ml) and resveratrol (EC$_{50}$ = 18.7 ${\mu}$g/ml). Prompted by the strong growth inhibitory activity in cultured human colon cancer cells (Col2), we investigated its mechanism of action. 3,4,5-Trimethoxy-4’-bromo-cis-stilbene induced arrest of cell cycle progression at G2/M phase and increased at sub-G1 phase DNA contents of the cell cycle in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Colony formation was also inhibited in a dose-dependent manner, indicating the inhibitory activity of the compound on cell proliferation. Moreover, the morphological changes and condensation of the cellular DNA by the treatment of the compound were well correlated with the induction of apoptosis. These data suggest the potential of 3,4,5-trimethoxy-4’-bromo-cis-stilbene might serve as a cancer chemotherapeutic or chemopreventive agent by virtue of arresting the cell cycle and inducing apoptosis for the human colon cancer cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.771-778
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• 2013

Essential oils are increasingly of interest for use as novel drugs acting as antimicrobial and antiviral agents. In the present study, we report the in vitro antiviral activities of 29 essential oils, extracted from Chinese indigenous aromatic plants, against the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Of these essential oils, those oils from ginger, lemon, tea tree, tangerine peel, artemisia, and lemongrass effected a more than 50% inhibition of TMV at 100 ${\mu}g/ml$. In addition, the mode of antiviral action of the active essential oils was also determined. Essential oils isolated from artemisia and lemongrass possessed potent inactivation and curative effects in vivo and had a directly passivating effect on TMV infection in a dose-dependent manner. However, all other active essential oils exhibited a moderate protective effect in vivo. The chemical constitutions of the essential oils from ginger, lemon, tea tree, tangerine peel, artemisia, and lemongrass were identified by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major components of these essential oils were ${\alpha}$-zingiberene (35.21%), limonene (76.25%), terpinen-4-ol (41.20%), limonene (80.95%), 1,8-cineole (27.45%), and terpinolene (10.67%). The curative effects of 10 individual compounds from the active essential oils on TMV infection were also examined in vivo. The compounds from citronellal, limonene, 1,8-cineole, and ${\alpha}$-zingiberene effected a more than 40% inhibition rate for TMV infection, and the other compounds demonstrated moderate activities at 320 ${\mu}g/ml$ in vivo. There results indicate that the essential oils isolated from artemisia and lemongrass, and the individual compound citronellal, have the potential to be used as an effective alternative for the treatment of tobacco plants infected with TMV under greenhouse conditions.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.14-19
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• 2004

Backgrounds and objectives: POEMS (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, and skin changes) syndrome is the rare cause of polyneuropathy. Although the polyneuropathy is essential for the diagnosis of the disease, the pattern of electrodiagnostic abnormalities has not been characterized in detail. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the features of nerve conduction abnormalities in POEMS syndrome. Methods: We reviewed the medical records and nerve conduction studies (NCS) of 12 consecutive patients with POEMS. Results: A total of 68 motor and 46 sensory nerves were examined. Compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) and sensory nerve action potentials were abnormally attenuated or not elicited in majority of motor and sensory nerves (80.88% in motor, and 82.6% in sensory nerves). Frequency of the nerves with no potential was significantly higher in lower limbs than in upper limbs (p<0.01 in both motor and sensory nerves), and CMAP amplitude was more reduced in lower limbs than in upper limbs (p<0.01). Conduction slowing was very frequently observed with 95% and 76% of motor and sensory nerves, respectively, having the abnormally reduced values of conduction velocity. Distal motor latencies were abnormally prolonged in 75% of motor nerves, and terminal latency indices were significantly higher in patients than in normal controls (p < 0.05). Conduction block was observed only in 5% of motor nerves. Conclusions: NCS in POEMS syndrome showed characteristic patterns, in which conduction abnormalities were more frequently and severely affected in the lower limbs, and more predominantly in the intermediate nerve segments than in the distal portions. The recognition of these characteristic patterns may be helpful in early diagnosis of polyneuropathy in POEMS syndrome.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.169-176
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• 1983

It is well known that the acupuncture has been used effectively for the relief of certain types of pain. Although the precise mechanism of action of acupuncture analgesia is unknown, it is generally accepted that their analgesic properties are related to the activation of endogenous opiate system in central nervous system. And it is suggested that pain-relieving properties of acupunture may be related to a stimulation of peripheral nerve underlying the acupuncture point on the skin. However, the efficacy of acupuncture has no relationship between the site of pain and the acupuncture point. Consequently, the present study was undertaken to investigate electroacupuncture analgesia in relation to the site of peripheral nerve stimulation. Cats were decerebrated ischemically and the flexion reflex as an index of pain was elicited by stimulating the sural nerve (20V, 0.5 msec duration) and recored as a compound action potential from the nerve innervated to the posterior biceps femoris muscle in the ipsilateral hindlimb. Bilateral common peroneal nerve and contralateral superficial radial nerve were selected as the site of peripheral nerve stimulation. For the stimulation of peripheral nerve, a stimulus of 20 V intensity, 2 msec-duration and 2 Hz-frequency was applied for 60 min respectively. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1) Both stimulation of contralateral common peronal nerve and contralateral superficial radial nerve did not change the flexion reflex and there were no significant differences between them. 2) Stimulation of ipsilateral common peroneal nerve markedly depress the flexion reflex, the effect being reversed by naloxone application. These results suggest that stimulation of ipsilateral common peroneal nerve has the analgesic effect but both stimulation of contralteral common peroneal nerve and contralateral superficial radial nerve to the pain site where flexion reflex was elicited have no analgesic effect.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.585-587
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• 2007

Peroneal neuropathy presenting at birth is a rare disorder. Although neonatal mononeuropathies may be related to obstetrical complications, prenatal mechanisms should be also considered. We describe an infant who was born at term by cesarean section due to breech presentation with a unilateral footdrop. Lack of compound muscle action potential in the peroneal nerve and denervation potentials confined to the tibialis anterior and the extensor hallucis longus muscles in the electrophysiological studies on the fourth day of life strongly suggest an isolated peroneal neuropathy of intrauterine onset. Early and sequential electrodiagnostic studies will be important to provide better temporal and pathophysiologic definitions, the better timing of onset and prognosis for mononeuropathies presenting in newborn infants.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
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• 2001.08a
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• pp.139-149
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• 2001

Since 1990, the National Cancer Institute(NCI) has screened more than 60.000 compounds against a panel of 60 human cancer cell lines. The 50-percent growth-inhibitory concentration (GI$_{50}$) values encode unexpectedly rich, detailed information on mechanisms of drug action and drug resistance. Each compound's pattern is like a fingerprint, essentially unique among the many billions of distinguishable possibilities. These activity patterns are being used in conjunction with molecular structural features of the tested agents to explore the NCI's database of more than 460, 000 compounds, and they are providing insight into potential target molecules and modulators of activity in the 60 cell lines. For example, the information is being used to search for candidate anticancer drugs that are not dependent on intact p53 suppressor gene function for their activity. It remains to be seen how effective this information-intensive strategy will be at generating new clinically active agents.s.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1423-1428
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• 2014

Iso-suillin, a natural product isolated from Suillus luteus, has been shown to inhibit the growth of some cancer cell lines. However, the molecular mechanisms of action of this compound are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate how iso-suillin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in a human hepatoma cell line (SMMC-7721). We demonstrated the effects of iso-suillin on cell proliferation and apoptosis in SMMC-7721 cells, with no apparent toxicity in normal human lymphocytes, using colony formation assays and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) analysis. Western blotting was used to examine the expression of $G_1$ phase-regulated and apoptosis-associated protein levels in iso-suillin treated SMMC-7721 cells. The results indicated that iso-suillin significantly decreased viability, induced $G_1$ phase arrest and triggered apoptosis in SMMC-7721cells. Taken together, these results suggest the potential of iso-suillin as a candidate for liver cancer treatment.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.372-374
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• 1997

In order to develop new anti-inflammatory agents having different action mechanisms compared with nonsteroidal and steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the culture broths of various actinomycetes isolated from soil were screened using an in vivo mouse ear edma assay and one strain (Streptomyces sp. MT 2705-4: KCTC 8651 P) was selected. Activity-guided purification led to the isolation of a polyether compound, dianemycin. Topically, dianemycin showed a potent anti-inflammatory activity in mouse ear edema induced by croton-oil or arachidonic acid.$ED_{50}$value of dianemycin was found to be 0.8 mg,/ear compared to 0.4 mg/ear of prednisolone in croton-oil ear edema. However, dianemycin did not show the inhibitory activity in UV-erythema and delayed hypersensitivity reaction. These results indicate that dianemycin is a potential topical anti-inflammatory agent.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.255-294
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• 2003

This paper is relating to the debates upon the physicians' duty to issue the prescription documents to their patients. The duty should be approached in light of the patients' right to know about the prescription and pharmacy. The Korean Constitution is construed to protect the citizens' right to know as a fundamental right. The Constitution article 10 reads as follows: "All citizens shall be assured of human dignity and worth and have the right to pursue happiness. It is the duty of the State to confirm and guarantee the fundamental and inviolable human rights of individuals." The rights confirmed and guarantee by this article include the patients' right to know about what happens to their body, that is the treatments taken for them and so on. One of the treatments is the prescription and pharmacy. The information is necessary for them to establish their action for the damages in case of their harm resulted in by the negligence in prescription and pharmacy. Now that the prescription is written about by a physician and then the pharmacists compound the prescribed medicines, the patients need to get the documents signed by the pharmacists about the pharmacy. It should be noted that the patients right to know is the right to know and remember. Therefore the patients, who are laymen about the pharmacy, need two prescription documents one of which should be kept by them even after they take the prescribed and compounded medicines for the potential trial.