• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.36-43
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• 2007

In this study, cutaneous role of IL-4 in UVB-induced apoptosis was investigated using transgenic mice with skin-specific expression of IL-4 (IL-4 Tg mice). The transgenic mice did not show any gross clinical abnormalities. However, epidermis was thickened and increased MHC class II positive cells were detected as well as enhanced expression of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1 and TNF-$\alpha$ in skin. In addition, histological analysis revealed increased infiltration of lymphocytes, acanthosis, hyperkeratosis, and parakeratosis in skin of IL-4 Tg mice. The physiological effect of IL-4 overexpression in skin against environmental stimulus such as UVB was investigated by irradiating wild-type and IL-4 Tg mice with UVB followed by evaluation of apoptosis. The result demonstrated suppressed apoptosis in epidermis of IL-4 Tg mice compared with wild-type mice. To further assess anti-apoptotic function of IL-4 in keratinocytes, stable cell clones were made where IL-4 was constitutively overexpressed and examined for UVB-induced apoptosis. The results showed that apoptosis was remarkably decreased in IL-4 over-expressing cell clones compared with that in mock transfected cells. Collectively, data presented here shows that IL-4 has an inhibitory effect against UVB-induced apoptosis in keratinocytes, suggesting that IL-4 may be an important regulator in cutaneous immunity against UVB.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2009

Bile juice prevents deposition of cholesterol in the blood vessel, digests fat, and absorbs fatty acid and vitamins, and it plays a great role on metabolism. Recently, emotional stimulus and mentally over-depression cause a person to come to illness, and westernization of way of life makes more patients with cholelithiasis, resulting into without bile secretion after cholelithotomy. Ageing, and gastrectomy and kidney transplantation are also the causes of more cholelithiasis occurrences. To solve these medical problems, we studied how Fel Sus Scrofa, which is not different from human bile juice, was used in the traditional Korean medicine. We I researched flavor, property, efficacy of Fel Sus Scrofa and how it was used by folk medicine, and we studied the usage examples of Fel Sus Scrofa in Sanghanlon and Dongeuibogam. The property of Sus Scrofa is bitter and cold. Its efficacy is to deposit glycogen. So it is known that it has been widely used, with many edible forms, without any humoral loss, for the inflammatory disease from various fever, problems of urine and feces, cutaneous disease, pulmonary disease, opthalmopathy, fever, thirst from diabetes, hepatocystic duct disorder. Fel Sus Scrofa can be used internally and externally to prevent humoral loss, and to control cutaneous disease among various pediatric disorder full of fever. And as we have in mind that it also can be used to treat patients with cholestasis after cholecystectomy, it is expected that post study of it must be done.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.87-94
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• 1997

The purposes of this study were 1) to determine the changes between pre-treatment and post-treatment of four groups of 15 persons each and 2) to compare the effect of conventional transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(TENS) and laser at auricular acupuncture points on experimental pain threshold measured at the wrist. Sixty healthy adult men and women(M:32, F:28), aged 20 to 28 years, were assigned randomly to one of four groups. Group 1 received TENS to the appropriate auricular point for wrist pain, Group 2 received laser to the appropriate auricular point for wrist pain, Group 3 received placebo TENS to the appropriate auricular point for wrist pain, Group 4 received no treatment and served as controls. Experimental pain threshold at the wrist was determined with a painful electrical stimulus before and 20 minutes after ear stimulation. Group 1 was the only group that showed a stastically significant increase (p<0.05) in pain threshold after treatment whereas the Group 2,3 and 4 did not. These results suggest that TENS has the capability to higher pain threshold but laser does not.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.198-205
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to identify whether cutaneous sensory (CS) changes induced by mechanical intervention(MI) increases the trigger point threshold and muscle tone of the same spinal segment to neck disc patients. Thirty persons with Neck disc patients were recruited in this experiment. The subjects consisted of 10 men and 20 women. The mechanical stimulus group induced CS changes for 5 minutes using the Graston instrument and the control group received no action. The CS changes were estimated by using the Von Frey Filament, PPT changes were measured by using the pressure threshold meter and msucle tone changes were measured by using Myotone pro. CS threshold increased significantly when MI was applied (p<0.05). On the same spinal segment, increases in the right infraspinatus PPT and muscle tone was observed (p<0.05) and decreases in the right trapezius PPT was observed(p<0.05). However, the PPT and muscle tone changes in other muscles were not significantly different. Furthermore, the control group CS, PPT and muscle tone were not significantly different. As a result, CS changes induced by MI make to change PPT and muscle tone on the same spinal segment. Therefore, application of MI to the same spinal segment may be of clinical significance as a new rehabilitation method for increasing pain threshold, muscle tone and pain control in neck disc patients.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.5-10
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• 1997

Background : The Current Perception Threshold (CPT) provides an objective, quantitative gauge of sensory nerve integrity which is obtainable from any cutaneous site. CPT measurement can confirm and quantify or rule out dysfunction of nerve through comparison with established normative values ($Neuval^{TM}$ CPT database). The aim of this study is to compare collected data from Korean adults with $Neuval^{TM}$ CPT database. Method : Normative data from 5 standard test site in face, hand, toe were obtained from 50 healthy adults. Three frequencies(5, 250, 2000 Hz) were stimulated with $Neuromoter^{(R)}$ CPT device. Results : The results of our data were statistically significantly different than Neuval data except in face, but within normal range. Sensory Threshold increased as the frequency of the stimulus changed from 5 Hz to 250 Hz to 2000 Hz., and from face to hand to toe. Conclusion : CPT testing is a valuable neurologic testing modality that is noninvasive and highly reliable for diagnosis and evaluation of sensory nerves where neuropathy is suspected.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.157-166
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• 2019

Objective: This study examined the effects of stimulating fingertip temperature on the patterns of force sharing and stability properties during multi-finger force production tasks. Method: 9 adult subjects (male: 3, female: 6, age: $26.11{\pm}4.01yrs$, height: $169.22{\pm}5.97cm$, weight: $61.44{\pm}11.27kg$) participated in this study. The experiment consisted of three blocks: 1) maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) task, 2) single-finger ramp task to quantify enslaving (i.e., unintended force production by non-task fingers), and 3) 12 trials of multi-finger steady-state force production task at 20% MVC. There were three temperature conditions including body-temperature (i.e., control condition), $40^{\circ}C$, and $43^{\circ}C$, and the stimulation was given to the index finger only for all experimental conditions. Results: There were no significant differences in the MVC forces, enslaving, and the accuracy of performance during the steady-state task between the conditions. However, the share of stimulated index finger force increased with the index fingertip temperature, while the share of middle finger force decreased. Also, the coefficient of variation of both index and middle finger forces over repetitive trials increased with the index fingertip temperature. Under the framework of the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) hypothesis used to quantify indices of multi-finger synergies (i.e., stability property) stabilizing total force during the steady-state task, the two variance components within the UCM analysis increased together with the fingertip temperature, while no changes in the synergy indices between the conditions. Conclusion: The current results showed that fingertip temperature stimulation only to index finger does not affect to muscle force production capability of multi-finger, independence of individual fingers, and force production accuracy by the involvement of all four fingers. The effect of fingertip temperature on the sharing pattern and force variation may be due to diffuse reflex effects of the induced afferent activity on alpha-motoneuronal pools. However, the unchanged stability properties may be the reflection of the active error compensation strategies by non-stimulated finger actions.