• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.648-655
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• 2003

In this study, the effects of Gamgung-tang gamibang on the hyperthyroidism induced by the intraperitoneal injection of 3,5,3-triiodothyronine was examined by the measurement of physical changes, body weight, the volume of food intake and rectal temperature, and heart weight, heart beat, blood pressure with contrast to propranolol, one of beta-blocking agents. the obtained results were as follows. The Gamgung-tang gamibang extract showed to inhibit the decrease of body weight and rectal temperature, and decrease the food intake, so the inhibitory effects of Gamgung-tang gamibang extract on the experimental hyperthyroidism were exhibited. The Gamgung-tang gamibang extract showed the inhibitory effects on the circulatory functions changed and enhanced by the experimental induced hyperthyroidism, the action of Gamgung-tang gamibang extract was less effective than the propranolol of D-CONT group. The Gamgung-tang gamibang extract showed significant effects to inhibit the concentration of serum thyroid houmone, more effective than the propranolol, beta-blocking agents. The Gamgung-tang gamibang extract showed the effective inhibitory reaction on the biochemical changes in serum, cholesterol, ketone bodies, free fatty acid, glucose in hyperthyroid rats induced by 3,5,3-triiodothyronine.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.36 no.2 s.141
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• pp.93-96
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• 2005

Mutagenicity of Gamgung-tang (GGT) was tested using in vitro S-9 mixture in vitro host-mediated assay with Salmonella typhimurium. In the previous reports, GGT was tested for the safety using Ames(-S-9), Bacillus subtilis Rec, and umu gene expression mutagenicity tests. Mutagenic activity in any assays we tested was not found. In this report, we further investigated safety of GGT after metabolic activation in vivo. Ames test with S-9 mixture and host-mediated assay with Salmonella typhimurium TA98 were used to identify metagenic property of GGT. GGT was administered 3 times with i.m. to Balb/c mice did not induced mutagenic effect in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 recovered from the liver after 3.5h with i.p. treatment. Over the entire dose range $(3{\sim}150mg/mouse)$ tested no toxicity was detected to the bacterial cells. These results suggest that there was no DNA damage and mutagenicity by GGT.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.98-101
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• 2005

Gamgung-tang(GGT) that is included in Gamdu-tang(consists of Glycyrrhizae Radix, black beans) and Gunggui-tang(consists of Angelicae Radix and Cnidii Rhizoma), showed therapeutic effects of autoimmume thyroiditis in the previous reports. GGT was tested for the safety using Rec assay and enzymatic methods. In the Rec assay, Bacillus subtilis H-17$(Rec^+)$ and M-45$(Rec^-)$ strains were used to test DNA damage activity. From the results, there was no DNA damage of GGT. Hepatotoxicity of GGT to female ICR mice was also monitored by the measurements of serum(s)-GOT, s-GPT and LDH activities after oral feeding for 15 days. GGT was not shown any significant changes of s-GOT, s-GPT and LDH activities in mice sera.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.2 s.69
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• pp.215-219
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• 2005

Gamgung-tang (GGT) that is included in Gamdu-tang (consists of Glycyrrhizae Radix, black beans) and Gunggui-tang(consists of Angelicae Radix and Cnidii Rhizoma) showed therapeutic effect of autoimmume thyroiditis in the previous reports. GGT was tested for the safety using Ames and umu gene expression mutagenicity tests. In Ames test, Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 were used to identify mutagenic property, and the number of histidine revertants was measured. In SOS umu test, Salmonella typhimurium TA1535 containing plasmid pSK1002 was used as a test strain, and we monitored the levels of umu operon expression by measuring the $\beta-galactosidase$ activity. Mutagenic activity in any assays we tested was not found. After treating S-9 mixture with GGT, mutagenic activity was also not found. The results of this study suggested that there was no DNA damage and mutagenicity of GGT.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.995-1000
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• 2004

This study was purposed to investigate the effect of Gamgung-tang(GGT) on immune responses induced by glucocorticoid in mice. GGT solution was treated by intraperitoneal injection for 7 days after glucocorticoid treatment(80㎎/㎏). And then B and T cell proliferation and cytolytic activity of natural killer(NK) cells were measured. There was 25% inhibition in B cell proliferation with treatment of glucocorticoid. However, B cell proliferation was not influenced by GGT treatment. T cell proliferation was also inhibited by 18.4% with treatment of glucocorticoid. On the other hand, T cell proliferation was increased dose-dependent manner in GGT treated group. Furthermore in purified T cell, the proliferation was furtherly increased than non-purified T cell. At concentration of 18㎎/mouse GGT, purified T cell proliferation was increase to above level of normal group. The cytotoxic activity of NK cell was decreased by 35.3% with treatment of glucocorticoid. In GGT treated group, the cytotoxic activity of NK cell was increased to the normal level. In purified NK cell, the cytolytic activity of NK cell was further increased than non-purifed NK cell. These results suggest that GGT may proliferate T cell that is suppressed by glucocorticoid, and activate NK cell activity.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.623-627
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• 2005

Abnormal thyroid cell proliferation has a very important role in hypothyroidism. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) stimulates proliferation and maintains differentiated function in thyroid follicular cells. A functioning rat thyroid cell line (FRTL) was used to study the effect of Gamgung-tang (GGT, Glycyrrhizae Radix, black beans, Angelicae Radix and Cnidii Rhizoma) on proliferation and cAMP accumulation of thyrocytes. Proliferation of cell was assessed by DNA synthesis and incorporation of $[^3H]thymidine$ into DNA. The concentration of cAMP was measured simultaneously with growth assessment. Extract of GGT ($0.15{\sim}0.9\;mg/ml$ increased DNA synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. GGT at 0.6 (p<0.05) and 0.9 mg/ml (p<0.01) significantly increased $[^3H]thymidine$ incorporation. A comparable effect was observed with TSH. GGT also enhanced cAMP accumulation. These results indicate that GGT increases the proliferation of thyrocytes and may be considered a promising agent for the treatment of autoimmune thyroid disease.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.934-937
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• 2005

Inflammatory cytokine, abundantly produced in Hashimoto's thyroiditis, induced Fas expression in normal thyrocytes. We determined that susceptibility to Fas-activated apoptosis could be influenced by inflammatory cytokine and investigated a potential role of Gamgung-tang (GGT, Glycyrrhizae Radix, black beans, Angelicae Radix and Cnidii Rhizoma) in the thyroid follicular cells. $IL-1\beta$ was able to induce Fas expression in normal thyrocytes. GGT inhibited $IL-1\beta-induced$ Fas expression. Thyroid follicular cells were found to undergo DNA fragmentation with the inflammatory cytokines. GGT inhibited DNA fragmentation in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that GGT inhibit Fas-mediated apoptosis in thyroid follicular cells, therefore, may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of autoimmune chronic thyroiditis.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.36 no.2 s.141
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• pp.88-92
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• 2005

Apoptosis plays an important role in autoimmune chronic (Hashimoto's) thyroiditis, a disorder that often results in hypothyroidism. The goal of this study was to induce apoptosis by the combination of inflammatory cytokines, interferon $(IFN)-{\gamma}$ and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$, and to investigate a potential role of medicinal plants in the thyroid follicular cells (FRTL) in vitro. The apoptosis was evaluated by cellular viability, DNA fragmentation, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxy-UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Extract of Gamgung-tang (GGT, Glycyrrhizae Radix, black beans, Angelicae Radix, and Cnidii Rhizoma) $(0.3{\sim}9.0mg/ml)$ was shown to maintain the viability of cells treated with $IFN-{\gamma}(100U/ml)$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ (0.5 ng/ml). FRTL cells were found to undergo DNA fragmentation with the inflammatory cytokines. The extract of GGT inhibited DNA fragmentation in dose-dependent manner. The cells with TUNEL-positive nuclei were detected with $IFN-{\gamma}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ treatment. The number of TUNEL-positive cells decreased with the treatment of extract of GGT. These results indicate that medicinal plants inhibit the occurrence of apoptosis in thyroid follicular cells, therefore, may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of autoimmune chronic thyroiditis.