• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.81-93
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• 2021

Objectives: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is condition of cognitive decline shown in transition from normal aging to dementia. Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture (HPP) is a treatment that combines effects of medication and acupuncture by injecting Hominis placenta into acupoints. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HPP for MCI. Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-center clinical trial. Eligible patients were randomly allocated to either the HPP group or the placebo group. HPP or saline as placebo was administered to participants for eight weeks. Changes in symptoms were observed. The primary outcome was difference in mean change of Korean Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K) score between the HPP group and the placebo group. Cognitive function, overall status of mood and sleep, and quality of life (QoL) were also assessed. Safety assessment and economic analysis were then conducted. Results: Thirty participants were enrolled. One participant in the placebo group dropped out. The score of MoCA-K increased after treatment. Its mean change was smaller in the HPP group than in the control group. HPP ameliorated Global Deterioration Scale and Korean Dementia Rating Scale subtests for attention, organization, and memory compared to the placebo. However, none of them was significantly different between the two groups. Mood, sleep, and QoL all improved more in the HPP group than in the placebo group, although differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. There was no adverse event probably related to the drug. HPP treatment needed KRW 345,000 more than the placebo group in improving Geriatric Quality of Life scale-Dementia score by one point for one year. Conclusions: Although HPP treatment did not significantly improve cognition, it changed behavioral and psychological symptoms in MCI.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.288-296
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• 2022

This study aimed to verify the effect of Citrus unshiu peel water extract (CUP) on a mouse model of acute gastritis (AG) induced by HCl/ethanol. Several studies have found that CUP has anti-inflammatory effects. The AG model was induced by oral administration of 150 mM HCl/60% ethanol (550 µL) to all groups except the control group. Also, for drug treatment, sucralfate (10 mg/kg) and CUP (100 or 200 mg/kg) were orally administered for 90 minutes before induction. The effect of CUP treatment was confirmed by gross gastric mucosal damage measurement, and the levels of Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase (GOT), Glutamic Pyruvic Transaminase (GPT), and myeloperoxidase were reduced as well as the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers and their related proteins. In addition, the levels of inflammatory proteins, mediators, and cytokines were significantly downregulated byPI3K/Akt signaling. Taken together, these results show that CUP treatment alleviates AG by regulating PI3K/Akt signaling.

• 한국노년학
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.149-168
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• 2021

This study was to develop the Medication Adherence Scale in Elderly (MAS-E) with chronic disease and verify its reliability and validity. The MAS-E was developed in 5 steps: Configuration of conceptual frame by content analysis, preliminary items, pilot study, reliability and validity test, and development of final MAS-E with chronic disease. The questionnaires were collected from 345 adults with one-to-one interviews. Verification of its reliability and validity was divided into two phases. Reliability was tested using Cronbach's alpha, split-halves reliability, and test-retest. For validity tests, item analysis, factor analysis, total score-factor score correlation analysis, and criterion related validity were used. The developed scale consisted of 18 items and 4 factors - remember of taking medication (2 items), expectations for drug effects (5 items), practice taking medication according to instructions (8 items), communicating with health professionals (3 items), and explained 69.7% of total variance. The scale had significantly positive correlation (r = .72, p <.001) with the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). Cronbach's alpha was .91, Guttman split half coefficient was .80, and test-retest reliability was .912. Finding suggest that the MAS-E is a suitable scale to assess the status of medication adherence in elderly with chronic disease.

• Journal of Naturopathy
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2022

Background: No studies have reported on the effects of loess beddings on insomnia patients. Purpose: It studied the change in quality of life and quality of sleep after having 15 insomnia subjects use the bedding that emits far-infrared rays. Methods: After using loess bedding for the test group and general yellow bedding for the control group, the study was conducted in the form of a questionnaire on the WHO quality of life of the subjects. Results: In the overall quality of life evaluation, the pre-and post-changes significantly improved in the test group. Using loess bedding was greatly enhanced the physical change, the actual sleep time, and the quality of sleep of the test group. The period of sleep was significantly longer post-treating, and the habitual sleep efficiency was considerably higher, and sleep disturbance was significantly lower than before in the test group. Sleep drug use and daytime dysfunction after treating in the test group significantly improved the sleep effect. Changes in the Sociality Scale, Environmental Change Scale, and Quality of Life Scale significantly improved in the test group. The quality of life for 14 items in the test group was significantly correlated. Daytime drowsiness, depression, and anxiety scale changes were significantly improved in the test group. According to the predictive survey, the subjects felt warmth in their body and comfort in mind during and after using loess bedding and evaluated that sleep quality was good. Conclusions: The overall quality of life in the test group increased using loess bedding.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.553-561
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• 2022

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a slowly progressing hematopoietic cell disorder. Sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) plays established roles in tumor initiation, progression, and chemotherapy resistance in a wide range of cancers, including leukemia. However, small-molecule inhibitors targeting SPHK1 in CML still need to be developed. This study revealed the role of SPHK1 in CML and investigated the potential anti-leukemic activity of hirsuteine (HST), an indole alkaloid obtained from the oriental plant Uncaria rhynchophylla, in CML cells. These results suggest that SPHK1 is highly expressed in CML cells and that overexpression of SPHK1 represents poor clinical outcomes in CML patients. HST exposure led to G2/M phase arrest, cellular apoptosis, and downregulation of Cyclin B1 and CDC2 and cleavage of Caspase 3 and PARP in CML cells. HST shifted sphingolipid rheostat from sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) towards the ceramide coupled with a marked inhibition of SPHK1. Mechanistically, HST significantly blocked SPHK1/S1P/S1PR1 and BCR-ABL/PI3K/Akt pathways. In addition, HST can be docked with residues of SPHK1 and shifts the SPHK1 melting curve, indicating the potential protein-ligand interactions between SPHK1 and HST in both CML cells. SPHK1 overexpression impaired apoptosis and proliferation of CML cells induced by HST alone. These results suggest that HST, which may serve as a novel and specific SPHK1 inhibitor, exerts anti-leukemic activity by inhibiting the SPHK1/S1P/S1PR1 and BCR-ABL/PI3K/Akt pathways in CML cells, thus conferring HST as a promising anti-leukemic drug for CML therapy in the future.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.112-118
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• 2022

Objectives : Zolpidem is a common drug used in insomnia. However, there are several reports of side effects of the central nervous system or sleep related behavior in patients who took zolpidem. This study was conducted to investigate risk factors affecting sleep related behavior after taking zolpidem in inpatients. Methods : From January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019, medical records of patients who took zolpidem hospitalized at Inha University Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Results : 907 patients who took Zolpidem, 102 (11.2%) showed sleep related behavior, and if they were 65 years of age or older, men, taking antipsychotics, and taking antipsychotics and benzodiazepines at the same time, they were significantly more likely to show sleep related behavior. Conclusions : Risk factors for sleep-related behavior after use of zolpidem are estimated gender, elderly, antipsychotics, and combination of antipsychotics and benzodiazepines.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.17-24
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• 2013

Objectives : This study was to evaluate the single dose toxicity of Persicae Semen (PS) in ICR mice. Methods : Aqueous extracts of PS (Yield = 18.60%) were administered as an oral dose of 2,000, 1,000 and 500 mg/kg (body weight) according to the recommendation of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) guidelines (2009-116, 2009). Animals were monitored for the mortality and changes in body weight, clinical signs and gross observation during 14 days after dosing, upon necropsy; organ weight and histopathology of 12 principle organs were examined. Results : Amygdalin contents in PS aqueous extracts were detected as $32.50{\pm}5.96{\mu}g/ml$. We could not find any PS extracts treatment related mortalities, clinical signs, changes on the body and organ weights, gross and histopathological observations up to 2,000 mg/kg in both female and male mice, except for transient and slight loss of locomotion detected in female and male mice treated with 2,000 mg/kg. In addition, pharmacological immunomodulatory effects related findings were also demonstrated in 2,000mg/kg treated female and male mice as hypertrophy and hyperplasia of lymphoid cells in the submandibular lymph nodes. Conclusions : Based on the results of this experiment, the approximate lethal dose (ALD) of PS extracts after single oral treatment in female and male mice were considered above 2,000 mg/kg, respectively. It should be carefully used in clinics because the possibilities of respiratory or neurological disorders were observed when administered over 2,000 mg/kg of PS extract related to amygdalin.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.19-28
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• 2018

Objectives : The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effect of Flaxseed oil and Chrysanthemi Indici Flos 50% ethanol extract in an HCl/ethanol induced acute gastritis model. Methods : ICR mice were divided into 6 groups; normal mice (Nor), gastritic mice with distilled water (Veh), gastritic mice with 10 mg/kg sucralfate (SC), gastritic mice with 16 g/㎏ Flaxseed oil (FO), gastritic mice with FO + 50 mg/kg Chrysanthemi Indici Flos (FCL), and gastritic mice with FO + 100 mg/kg Chrysanthemi Indici Flos (FCH). Then, mice were orally administered with 150 mM HCl/60% ethanol and caused acute gastritis. After 1 hr, mice were sacrificed, and blood and stomach tissue were collected. Results : Administration of FCL and FCH to mice prior to the induction of gastritis was found to reduce gastric injury. reactive oxygen species (ROS) and peroxy nitrite ($ONOO^-$) levels of stomach tissues were significantly decreased in FO, FCL, and FCH compared to Veh group. As results of stomach protein analyses, FCL and FCH effectively reduce inflammatory-related factors such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin 1 beta ($IL-1{\beta}$) in gastric lesion mice. In addition, nuclear factor kappa B p65 ($NF-{\kappa}B$ p65) and phosphorylation inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa $B{\alpha}(p-I{\kappa}B{\alpha})$ were down-regulated in FCL and FCH administrated gastric lesion mice. Conclusions : These results suggest that FCL and FCH has an inhibitory effect against gastric injury. Therefore, FCL and FCH has the potential to be used as a natural therapeutic drug.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2018

Objectives : Liver disease is an inflammatory reaction caused by oxidative stress, viral, alcohol, and drug properties. Inflammatory reaction causes hepatitis and chronic hepatitis is persistent, it progresses to liver fibrogenesis and liver cancer. The aim of this study was to confirm the hepatoprotective effect of Tongyuhwalhyeol-tang(Tongqiaohuoxue Decoction) (TH) and Gamtongyuhawlhyeol-tang(GTH) in TAA-induced liver injury animal model. Methods : The antioxidant activities were evaluated through in vitro experiments, such as 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2, 2'-azinobis-3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging assays, total polyphenol and total flavonoid content measurement. To confirm the liver protective effect, induced by Thioacetamide (TAA) for 3 days injection at 200 mg/kg rats. TH and GTH were treated 3 days at 200 mg/kg/day. The changes of reactive oxygen species (ROS), peroxynitrite ($ONOO^-$), alanine aminotransferanse (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum were analyzed after experiment. Also, expression of anti-inflammation, anti-oxidant related proteins were investigated by western blot analysis. Results : TH was inhibited the antioxidant activities. In the TAA-induced rat, TH decreased ROS, $ONOO^-$, ALT, AST level in serum. Inflammation related protein expressions increased in TAA-induced rat compared to normal rat. However, TH group inhibited the down expression of these proteins. Also, anti-oxidant related protein expressions increased in TH group compared TAA-induced rat. Conclusion : Therefor, these results suggested that TH provided hepatoprotective effects on the hepatic injury leading to the reduction of inflammatory response. In addition, the effect of TH was superior to that of GTH.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1004-1009
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• 2021

Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) has been used in Korean herbal medicine for various pharmacological activities, such as to create antioxidant and skin whitening effects. Decursin and decursinol angelate of AGN extracts can be used as potential active drugs and cosmetic ingredients. This study investigated the possibility of topical delivery of AGN extracts using a manufactured emulsion system. Lotion was formulated by using Tefose^® and paraffin for the oil phase, Kolliphor RH 40 for the surfactant and solubilizing agent-which showed high solubility in water (0.82 mg/ml)-and a water phase with a carbomer. In vitro skin permeation of decursin and decursinol angelate was determined using a Strat-M^® membrane in Franz diffusion cells. Lotion samples as the experimental group (248.08±19.72 ug/cm²) significantly increased the permeation of decursin and decursinol angelate for up to 24 hr compared to the control group (119.18±19.23 ug/cm²). The permeability was also characterized by the flux (penetration rates) and Kp (permeability coefficient) values. The experimental group (17.20±1.23 ug/h/cm² and 5.73±1.39 cm/h^*10^-3) had higher flux and Kp than the control group (8.22±1.24 ug/h/cm² and 2.74±0.51 cm/h^*10^-3). Lotion with decursin and decursinol angelate of AGN extracts could be used for the topical application of drug and cosmetic products.