• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.10-17
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• 2017

Objectives: Boswellic acid (BA), a compound isolated from the gum-resin of Boswellia carterii, is a pentacyclic terpenoid that is active against many inflammatory diseases, including cancer, arthritis, chronic colitis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and memory impairment, but the mechanism is poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of boswellic acid on spatial learning and memory impairment induced by trimethyltin (TMT) in Wistar rats. Methods: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: Normal group, TMT-administrated rats (8.0 mg/kg, Intraperitoneally, i.p.) and TMT + BA (40, 80 and 160 mg/kg, i.p.)-administrated rats. BA was used daily for 21 days. To evaluate the cognitive improving of BA, we performed the Morris water maze test. Moreover, to investigate the neuroprotective effect of BA, we determined the acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity, the malondialdehyde (MDA) level as a marker of lipid peroxidation, and the glutathione (GSH) content in the cerebral cortex. Results: Treatment with TMT impaired learning and memory, and treatment with BA at a dose of 160 mg/kg produced a significant improvement in learning and memory abilities in the water maze tasks. Consistent with behavioral data, the activity of AChE was significantly increased in the TMT-injected rats compared to the control group (P < 0.01) whereas all groups treated with BA presented a more significant inhibitory effect against AChE than the TMT-injected animals. In addition, TMT reduced the GSH content and increased the MDA level in the cerebral cortex as compared to the control group) P < 0.01). On the other hand, treatment with BA at 160 mg/kg slightly increased the GSH content and reduced the MDA level in comparison to the TMT-administered group (P < 0.01). Conclusion: The above results suggest that the effect of BA in improving the cognitive function may be mediated through its antioxidant activity.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.75 no.6
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• pp.238-243
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• 2013

Background: The aim of our study was to evaluate the "diagnosis changed" rate in patients notified as tuberculosis (TB) on the Korean TB surveillance system (KTBS). Methods: A total of 1,273 patients notified as TB cases on the KTBS in one private tertiary hospital in 2011 were enrolled in the present study. Patients were classified into three groups: "diagnosis maintained", "diagnosis changed" (initially notified as TB, but ultimately diagnosed as non-TB), and "administrative error" (notified as TB due to administrative errors). Results: Excluding 17 patients in the "administrative error" group, the "diagnosis maintained" and "diagnosis changed" groups included 1,097 (87.3%) and 159 patients (12.7%), respectively. Common causes of "diagnosis changed" were nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease (51.7%, 61/118), and pneumonia (17.8%) in cases notified as pulmonary TB, and meningitis (19.5%, 8/41) and Crohn's disease (12.2%) in cases notified as extrapulmonary TB. Being older than 35 years of age (odds ratio [OR], 2.18) and a positive acid-fast bacilli stain (OR, 1.58) were positive predictors and a TB-related radiological finding (OR, 0.42) was a negative predictor for a "diagnosis changed" result via multivariate logistic regression analysis in pulmonary TB cases. Conclusion: Because of a high "diagnosis changed" rate in TB notifications to the KTBS, the TB incidence rate measured by the KTBS may be overestimated. Considering the worldwide trend toward increased NTM disease, the "diagnosis changed" rate may increase over time. Thus, when reporting the annual TB notification rate in Korea, the exclusion of "diagnosis changed" cases is desirable.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.869-877
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• 2018

This study analyzed the current status of MRI (frequency, amount of treatment) based on the history of application of the MRI health insurance benefit standard and health insurance claim data. MRI examinations began as a health insurance benefit in 2005. In 2005, the indications were restricted for some diseases, but coverage for benefits in 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2018 was expanded. In 2021, the Ministry of Health and Welfare decided to apply health insurance for all MRI examinations. From 2010 to 2017, the number of MRI examinations increased by 86.7% in 2017 compared to 2010, and the amount of treatment increased by 53.5%. According to general characteristics, the number of MRI examinations was higher in women than in men. By age, the number of examinations was the highest among ages 70-79. Outpatient examinations were more frequent than inpatient examinations, and the number of examinations in the tertiary hospitals was the highest among the types of hospitals. The number of brain MRI examinations was the highest in each exam site. In December 2013, the standard of MRI was expanded for heart disease and Crohn's disease, the number of cardiac MRI and abdominal MRI examinations increased in 2014 compared to 2013. However, the number of examinations is small and not associate with the disease, it would be difficult to say that it affected the increase in the total number of MRI examinations. To assess health insurance sustainability and policy effectiveness, monitoring will be necessary.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.767-775
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• 2023

Sulfasalazine is a disease-modifying antirheumatic abiotic agent. It is a derivative of aminosalicylic acid and has been used for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease, since it was first synthesized in 1941 and approved as a medicine in the United States in 1950. However, its mechanism of action has not yet been clearly identified. In this study, the effects of sulfasalazine on cell survival, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression in macrophages, which are major immune cells that regulate inflammatory responses, were investigated using mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Sulfasalazine inhibited the viability of RAW 264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner, starting at a concentration of 0.25 mM. Annexin-V staining was used to confirm that the decrease in cell viability was due to apoptosis, and the number of Annexin-V-positive cells increased significantly at a concentration of 0.25 mM or higher. The effect of sulfasalazine on the expression of key proteins that regulate the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle was also investigated. Sulfasalazine treatment significantly increased the expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21 and p27 in RAW 264.7 cells. Although sulfasalazine is frequently used as a control drug in studies on inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory colitis and rheumatoid arthritis, studies on its effect on macrophages are very limited. Therefore, the results of this study are expected to provide vital information on the use of sulfasalazine as a disease treatment.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.27-43
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• 1970

This study is designed to find out proper nursing activities for the needs of the colostomy patients, i.e., mental and psychological as well as physical needs for rapid recovery, and to help them build up the follow-up care for proper social adjustment. The study is based on 268 cases out of 381 colostomy patient's records kept in Ewha Womans University Hospital, Yonsei Medical Center, and National Medical Center in between the period from Jan. 1953 to Jan. 1970. The items of study are mainly on etiology, sex, age, duration of hospitalization, mortality rate, seasonal frequency, time from the onset of illness to the admission of the hospital, signs and symptoms. 1. Frequency of onset by etiology: Neoplastic disease 112 cases (42%), Inflammatory disease 33 cases (12%), Congenital malformation 30 cases (11%), Intussusception 25 cases (9.3%), Trauma 24 cases (9%), Volvulus 17 cases (6.3%), and Crohn's disease 6 cases (2.2%). 2. By sex: male 167 cases (62.9%), and female 101 cases (37.1%). So the ratio of portion of male and female 2:1. 3. By age: under 1·year·old 27 cases (10.1%) highest, 41-50 yrs 54 cases (20.2%), 51-60 yrs 42 cases (15.5%), above 71 yrs 5 cases (1.9%). 4. Duration of hospitalization: the shortest is 2-days and the longest is 470 days. 1-20-days 52%, 40-60 days 14%. 5. Mortality rate: Under the 10-days-admission 19.5%, and the beyond 30-days-admission 3.9%. 6. Seasonal frequency: Higher in summer (32% ). 7. Signs and symptoms: abdominal pain (56%), abdominal distention (54%), vomiting (40%), bloody mucoid diarrhea (38%) , pain of anal region (18%), abdominal tenderness, anorexia, indigestion, constipation, disuria, tenesmus, high fever and chilling sensation, bile tingled vomiting. Nursing activities for the patient's physical needs are as follows: Skin care for colostomy region, Prevention of colostomy constriction and depression, Removal of an offensive odor, The use of colostomy bag-selection for, and demonstration of the use of inexpensive colostomy irrigation equipment, Personal hygiene, general skin care, care of hair, finger nails and toe-nails, Oral hygiene, sleep and rest, aquate, Daily activities, etc. Measures for regulation of bowl movement. Keeping the instruction of taking food, Preparing the meal and help for anorexia, Constipation and it's solution, Prevention of diarrhea, helping the removal of mucous, and stretch constricted steam as needed. Nursing activities for pt's socio-psychological needs are as follows; Help the patient to make decision for the operation, Remove pt's anxiety toward operation and anesthesia, To meet the pt's spiritual needs at his death bed, Help to establish family and friends cooperation, Help to reduce anxiety at the time of admission and it's solution, Help to meet religious need, Help to remove pt's anxiety for loosing his job and family maintenance, Follow-up studies for 7 cases have been done to implement the present thesis. The items of the personal interviews with the patients are as follows: Acceptability for artificial anus, The most anxious thing they had in mind at the time of discharge, The most anxious thing they hat·e in mind at present, Their friends and family's attitudes toward the patient after operation, Relations with other colostomy patients, Emotional damage from the operation, Physical problem of enema, irrigation, Control of diet, Skin care, Control of offensive odor, Patient's suggestions to nurses during hospital stay and after discharge. In conclusion, the follow-up care for colostomy patients shares equal weight or perhaps more than the post-operative care. The follow-up care should include the spiritual care for moral support of the patient, to drag him out of isolation and estrangement, and make him fully participate in social activities. It is suggested that the following measures would help to rehabilitate the colostomy patients (1) mutual acquaintance with other colostomy patients if possible form a sort of club for the colostomy patient to exchange their experiences in care (2) through the team work of doctor, nurse and rehabilitation specialists, to have a sort of concerted effort for betterment of the patient.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.217-230
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• 2007

Objectives : Ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease has been recognized as Ha-ri (下痢) or Jang-Byok in Korean oriental medicine. A purpose of the present study is to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of moxi-tar herbal acupuncture at LI4 (HapGok) on 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) induced colitis in rats and further elucidate the possibility of herbal acupuncture on ulcerative colitis which is chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Methods : Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing $170{\sim}190$ g, were subjected to intrarectal injection of either saline (300 ${\mu}l$, 500 ${\mu}l$) for a control or 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) (300 ${\mu}l$, 500 ${\mu}l$) for a colitis, Moxi-tar (20 mg/ml) were subcutaneously injected to the LI4 just after the secondary injection time of TNBS in rats. To study the effects of Moxi-tar acupuncture in LI4, body weight, RBC count, WBC count, total protein, Paw edema rate, rate of protein leakage into CMC-pouch fluid, IgG levels and IgM levels were observed. Results: Moxi-tar acupuncture in LI4 on TNBS-induced colitis inhibited the body weight lose rate but not effect RBC, WBC count. In addition, it inhibited the reduction of total protein concentration, paw edema, rate of protein leakage into CMC-pouch fluid, IgG levels and IgM levels. Conclusions : It is suggested that moxi-tar herbal acupuncture at LI4 helps to recover TNBS-induced colitis and plays an important role for an treatment of the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.287-292
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• 2020

Lathyrus palustris often used as a treatment for inflammation of the kidneys in Korean traditional medication. Generally, drugs for arthritis have anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties. However, the validity of the anti-inflammatory effect has not been scientifically investigated so far. Therefore, the purpose of the research was to investigate the latent anti-inflammatory ability of L. palustris using the ethanol extract. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory activities, we examined the inflammatory arbitrators such as a nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) on RAW 264.7 cells. Our results indicated that ethanol extract significantly inhibited the lipopolysaccharide E (LPS) derived PGE₂ production in RAW 264.7 cell. The inhibitory activity of ethanol extract for PGE₂ tests with inhibition ratio showed in 40 ㎍/mL. Overall, PGE₂ tests had a higher inhibitory effect on inflammation than NO tests. This result anticipated that the ethanol extract from L. palustris is a good candidate for developing the origin of anti-inflammatory agents.