• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.79-87
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• 2024

Purpose: Recently, the prevalence of eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease (EGID) has shown an increasing trend worldwide. As the diagnosis of EGID requires invasive endoscopy with biopsy, noninvasive markers for detecting EGID in suspected patients, particularly children, are urgently needed. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) beyond peripheral eosinophil counts in pediatric patients with EGID. Methods: Overall, 156 children diagnosed with EGID were enrolled and 150 children with functional abdominal pain disorder (FAPD) were recruited as controls. All participants underwent endoscopic biopsy in each segment of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and serum ECP measurement, as well as peripheral eosinophil percent and absolute eosinophil count. Results: Comparing EGID (n=156) with FAPD (n=150) patients, serum ECP levels were significantly higher in pediatric patients with EGID than in those with FAPD (25.8±28.6 ㎍/L vs. 19.5±21.0 ㎍/L, p=0.007), while there was no significant difference in peripheral eosinophil percent and absolute eosinophil counts between the two groups. Serum ECP levels were correlated with peripheral eosinophil percent (r=0.593, p<0.001) and the absolute eosinophil count (r=0.660, p<0.001). The optimal cutoff value of serum ECP for pediatric EGID was 10.5 ㎍/mL, with a sensitivity of 69.9% and a specificity of 43.4% with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.562. Conclusion: The combination of serum ECP levels and peripheral eosinophil counts, when employed with appropriated thresholds, could serve as a valuable noninvasive biomarker to distinguish between EGID and FAPD in pediatric patients manifesting GI symptoms.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제25권6호
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• pp.964-968
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• 2002

Colon drug delivery is advantageous in the treatment of colonic disease and oral delivery of drugs unstable or suceptible to enzymatic degradation in upper GI tract. In this study, multilayer coated system that is resistant to gastric and small intestinal conditions but can be easily degraded by colonic bacterial enzymes was designed to achieve effective colon delivery of prednisolone. Variously coated tablets containing prednisolone were fabricated using chitosan and cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP) as coating materials. Release aspects of prednisolone in simulated gastrointestinal fluid and rat colonic extracts (CERM) were investigated. Also, colonic bacterial degradation study of chitosan was performed in CERM. From these results, a three layer (CAP/Chitosan/CAP) coated system exhibited gastric and small intestinal resistance to the release of prednisolone in vitro most effectively. The rapid increase of prednisolone in CERM was revealed as due to the degradation of the chitosan membrane by bacterial enzymes. The designed system could be used potentially used as a carrier for colon delivery of prednisolone by regulating drug release in stomach and the small intestine.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.198-203
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• 2017

Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorder (EGID) is a rare disease in children that affects the bowel wall, with eosinophilic infiltration in the absence of any other causes for eosinophilia. The etiology remains unknown, but allergies and immunological imbalance are suspected triggers. We encountered a case of serosal EGID presenting as intractable vomiting and ascites in a 9-year-old girl, after influenza virus infection. Peripheral eosinophilia was not present. The diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy of the bowel wall through laparotomy and endoscopy, and controlled by 2 courses of steroid therapy due to recurring symptoms. Influenza virus infection was assumed to play a role in the onset of EGID through a Th2 response that stimulated eosinophilic infiltration in the GI tract. We therefore report this case along with a literature review.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제9권4호
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• pp.209-213
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• 2005

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) are the pacemaker cells that generate slow waves in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In the present study, we investigated the effect of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (mitoKATP) channel on pacemaking activity in cultured ICCs from murine small intestine by using whole-cell patch clamp techniques. Under current clamp mode, at 10μM glibenclamide, there was no change in pacemaking activity of ICCs. At $30{\mu}M$ glibenclamide, an inhibitor of the ATP sensitive $K^+$ channels, we could find two examples. If pacemaking activity of ICCs was irregulating, pacemaking activity of ICCs was changed into regulating and if in normal conditions, membrane potential amplitude was increased. At $50{\mu}M$ glibenclamide, the resting membrane potential was depolarized. At 3mM 5-HDA, an inhibitor of the mitoKATP channels, inhibited the pacemaking activity of ICCs. Both the amplitude and the frequency were decreased. At 5 mM 5-HDA, both the amplitude and the frequency were completely abolished. Diazoxide, an opener of the mitoKATP channels, was applied to examine its effect on pacemaking activity of ICCs. At $50{\mu}M$ concentration, the pacemaking activity of ICCs was inhibited. Both the amplitude and the frequency were decreased. At 1 mM concentration, both the amplitude and the frequency were completely abolished and the resting membrane potential was shaked.These results indicate that mitoKATP channel has an important role in pacemaking activity of ICCs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제13권11호
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• pp.1499-1507
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• 2000

This trial was to compare the digestive function of laboratory animals, which included omnivores (rats) and herbivores (rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters). Ten weanling rats, rabbits, guinea pigs and hamster were randomly allocated in individual metabolic cages for a performance and a digestibility trial. Results showed that guinea pigs were significantly best in digestion of dietary crude protein and fiber. Rabbits, however, had the poorest nutrient digestion among the herbivores. Crude fiber digested significantly less by rats than by the herbivores (p<0.05). The digesta retention in the GI tract was longest in rabbits followed by guinea pigs, rats and hamsters. The relative length of the large intestine was significantly shorter in rats as compared to guinea pigs or hamsters. Both the weight and length ratio of the caecum or colon-rectum to the large intestine reflected the major site for fermentation that was the caecum in rabbits and the colon-rectum in guinea pigs. 10% of crude fiber diet did not result in damaged mucosa in any of the experimental animals in this trial.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제16권5호
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• pp.376-384
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• 2012

Although ginsenosides have a variety of physiologic or pharmacologic functions in various regions, there are only a few reports on the effects of transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (TRPM7) channels. Here, we showed evidence suggesting that TRPM7 channels play an important role in ginseng total saponin (GTS)-mediated cellular injury. The combination techniques of electrophysiology, pharmacological analysis, small interfering RNA (siRNA) method and cell death assays were used. GTS depolarized the resting membrane potentials and decreased the amplitude of pacemaker potentials in cultured interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) in gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The TRPM7-like currents in single ICCs and the overexpressing TRPM7 in HEK293 cells were inhibited by GTS. However, GTS had no effect on $Ca^{2+}$-activated $Cl^-$ conductance. GTS inhibited the survival of human gastric (AGS) and brea (MCF-7) adenocarcinoma cells. Also, GTS inhibited the TRPM7-like currents in AGS and MCF-7 cells. The GTS-mediated cytotoxicity was inhibited by TRPM7-specific siRNA. In addition, we showed that overexpression of TRPM7 channels in HEK293 cells was inhibited by GTS. Thus, TRPM7 channels are involved in GTS-mediated cell death in AGS and MCF-7 cells, and these channels may represent a novel target for physiological disorders where GTS plays an important role.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.308-312
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• 1998

Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is usually confined to the respiratory tract but it can cause a variety of extrapulmonary manifestations such as rashes, myalgia, hemolytic anemia, cerebral infarction, transverse myelitis, cerebellar ataxia, Guillain-Barre syndrome and meningoencephalitis. Neurologic complications of Mycoplasma pneumonia have been rarely reported until now. Cerebral infarction as a complication of mycoplasma infection in children has been very rarely reported. In our case, in a young girl with M. pneumoniae infection, a cerebral infarct resulted in persistent and significant neurological dysfunction. We report a 11-year-old girl with cerebral infarction associated with clinical and serologic evidence of Mycoplasma infection.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제18권7호
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• pp.1048-1060
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• 2005

Dietary acidifiers appear to be a possible alternative to feed antibiotics in order to improve performance of weaning pigs. It is generally known that dietary acidifiers lower gastric pH, resulting in increased activity of proteolytic enzymes, improved protein digestibility and inhibiting the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria in GI tract. It is also hypothesized that acidifiers could be related to reduction of gastric emptying rate, energy source in intestine, chelation of minerals, stimulation of digestive enzymes and intermediate metabolism. However, the exact mode of action still remains questionable. Organic acidifiers have been widely used for weaning pigs' diets for decades and most common organic acidifiers contain fumaric, citric, formic and/or lactic acid. Many researchers have observed that dietary acidifier supplementation improved growth performance and health status in weaning pigs. Recently inorganic acidifiers as well as organic acidifiers have drawn much attention due to improving performance of weaning pigs with a low cost. Several researchers introduced the use of salt form of acidifiers because of convenient application and better effects than pure state acids. However, considerable variations in results of acidifier supplementation have been reported in response of weaning pigs. The inconsistent responses to dietary acidifiers could be explained by feed palatability, sources and composition of diet, supplementation level of acidifier and age of animals.

• 대한의용생체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한의용생체공학회 1998년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.199-200
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• 1998

The mucociliary system is one of the most important airway defense mechanisms, and knowledge of the ciliary beat frequency(CBF) is important in the understanding of this system. Using a laser light scattering method and fiber optic probe, we developed a simple and practical instrument for real-time in vivo measurements of CBF of cells in human nasal cavity. From the ciliated epithelium cells in an anterior end of middle terminator in nasal cavity, the signals of ciliary movement are transferred into a PC and analyzed by a autoregressive(AR) power spectrum. The mean CBF of 8 normal subjects was $7.1{\pm}1.1$(Hz). This instrument provided a convenient and reliable method of studying the mucociliary activity in the respiratory tract.

• 혜화의학회지
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.247-258
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• 2001

The following results were obtained. 1. The Urticaria is similar to the korean medical name of yeun-jin, yum-leu, pung-jin-geu(風疹槐), Pung-sa, Pung-so-yeunjin. 2. The most part of the causes that induce Urticaria are like that, the sup-yeul(濕熱) that caused by the sa-gi(邪氣)'s invasion, food and behavior's fault, is gathering in the gastrointestinal tract. 3. The symptomes are like that, the severe pruritic blisters are spread on the whole body, and the color of the blisters is red or white, and nausea, vomitting, abdominal pain, chest discomfort are induced with the Urticaria. 4. The Su-Chok yangmyong Kyong(手 足陽明經), Chok taeum Kyong(足太陰經) and Chok taeyang Kyong(足太陽經) are used for the acupuncture therapy of Urticaria. 5. The acupuncture points of the Kokchi(曲池), Hyolhae(血海), Chok-Samni(足三里), Samumgyo(三陰交), Hapkok(合谷) are used for the acupuncture therapy of Urticaria. 6. the Pye-area(肺區), Shinmun(神門), dammajin-area(蕁麻疹區), Shinsangsun(腎上腺), Chimbu(枕部) are used for the acupuncture therapy of Urticaria in the ear-acupuncture therapy of Urticaria.