• Molecules and Cells
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.356-362
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• 2021

An increasing number of studies have revealed an interaction between gut microbiota and tumors. The enrichment of specific bacteria strains in the intestines has been found to modulate tumor growth and influence the mechanisms of tumor treatment. Various bacteria are involved in modulating the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs currently used to treat patients with cancer, and they affect not only gastrointestinal tract tumors but also distant organ tumors. In addition, changes in the gut microbiota are known to be involved in the antitumor immune response as well as the modulation of the intestinal immune system. As a result, the gut microbiota plays an important role in modulating the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Therefore, gut microbiota could be considered as an adjuvant treatment option with other cancer treatment or as another marker for predicting treatment response. In this review, we examine how gut microbiota affects cancer treatments.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.273-278
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• 2018

Bile acids are major constituents of bile and known to help absorb dietary fat and fat-soluble vitamins in the gastrointestinal tract. In the past few decades, many studies have shown that bile acids not only play a role in fat digestion but also function as broad range of signal transduction hormones by binding to various receptors present in cell membranes or nuclei. Bile acid receptors are distributed in a wide range of organs and tissues in the human body. They perform multitudes of physiological functions with complex mechanisms. When bile acids bind to their receptors, they regulate fat and glucose metabolism in a tissue-specific way. In addition, bile acids are shown to inhibit inflammation and fibrosis in the liver. Considering the roles of bile acids as metabolic regulators, bile acids and their receptors can be very attractive targets in treating metabolic disorders. In the future, if roles of bile acids and their receptors are further clarified, they will be the novel target of drugs in the treatment of various metabolic diseases.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.240.1-240.1
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• 2003

Nonsteriodal antiinflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) are widely used to treat pain. fever, and inflammatory conditions including osteoarthritis. However, gastrointestinal (GI) and renal toxicity were related to common NSAIDs limits their usefulness because NSAIDs inhibit not only COX-2 associated with anti-inflammatory activity. but also COX-1 accompanied with side effects in the stomach and kidney. (omitted)

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.188.3-189
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• 2003

Nonsteriodal antiinflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) are widely used to treat pain, fever, and inflammatory conditions including osteoarthritis. But chronic patients suffer from gastrointestinal disturbances such as discomfort, nausea, peptic ulcer and severe bleeding because NSAIDs inhibit not only COX-2 associated with anti-inflammatory activity, but also COX-l accompanied with side effects in the stomach and kidney. Therefore, in this study, we designed a new 2-thiohydantoin derivatives as selective COX-2 inhibitors is that the 5-membered heterocycle ring is substituted with two aryl groups. (omitted)

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2022

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), a potent gastric acid inhibitor, are widely used in gastric acid-related diseases such as gastroesophageal reflux disease and peptic ulcer, and are known as the most frequently used drugs worldwide. However, as the frequency of use increases, the number of cases of long-term PPI therapy without clear indications is increasing. Recently, there have been concerns about the risk of gastric cancer in patients with long-term PPI users. Potential mechanisms for the association between PPI and gastric cancer include enterochromaffin-like cell proliferation due to hypergastrinemia caused by gastric acid suppression, progression of atrophic gastritis, and corpus-predominant type through interaction with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Several epidemiologic studies showed controversial results on the issue, and it is difficult to prove a causal relationship between PPI and gastric cancer. Nevertheless, long-term PPI should be administered cautiously based on individual risk-benefit profile, specifically among those with history of H. pylori infection, in high-risk region of gastric cancer.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.61-69
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• 2015

About 80% of all pancreatic cancer patients suffer from a wasting syndrome defined as the cancer cachexia characterized by abnormally low weight, weakness, and loss of skeletal muscle mass, which directly impacts physical activity, quality of life and overall survival. Over the past decades, we have gained new insights into the underlying mechanism of cachexia associated with pancreatic cancer. The aim of this review was to explore recent findings about cancer cachexia pathophysiology and describe the current pharmacologic approach. Pancreatic cancer cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome mediated by mechanical factors, inflammatory cytokines, neuropeptides, hormones and tumor-derived factors. The treatment of cancer cachexia remains controversial but is currently an active area of research. Several new targeted drugs are under investigation, and we hope to open a new prospect in the management of cancer cachexia in the future.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.77-80
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• 2020

Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The increased expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 has been implicated in the development and progression of gastric cancers. A number of recent studies have been published evaluating the chemopreventive effect of aspirin and non steroidal anti inflammatory drungs (NSAIDs) against gastric cancer. Aspirin and NSAIDs use may reduce the risk of gastric cancer incidence and death, whereas other studies have reported contradictory results. Therefore, further study should be needed to clarify the role of aspirin and NSAIDs in the chemoprevention of gastric cancer.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.1268-1277
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• 2019

Objective: The purpose of this study was to report the effectiveness of Korean medicine in the treatment of functional dyspepsia in a fibromyalgia patient with a history of long-term NSAIDs use. Methods: The patient was diagnosed as a Soeumin, one of the four constitution types in Korean medicine, and treated with herbal medicines such as Seungyangikgibuja-tang and Pyeongjinsunjeom-san. Acupuncture and moxibustion treatment were also performed. The severity of symptoms was assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) of epigastric pain, daily oral intake changes, the Korean Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (KGSRS), the Gastrointestinal Symptom Score (GIS), and the Functional Dyspepsia-Quality of Life (FD-QOL) score. Results: After treatment for 48 days, the severity of epigastric pain decreased from NRS 8 to NRS 0, and daily oral intake was increased. The KGSRS score decreased from 55 to 43, the GIS score was reduced from 18 to 10, and the FD-QOL score also decreased from 69 to 55. Conclusions: This study suggests that Korean medical treatment could be an effective option for treating functional dyspepsia in fibromyalgia patients with a history of long-term NSAIDs use.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.172-180
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• 2016

Background: Ischemic heart disease is the most common type of heart disease and an important cause of death in Korea. Among marketed anti-anginal medications, molsidomine, nicorandil, and trimetazidine are approved in Korea with unique mechanism of actions. As these drugs are not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, the access to the up-to-dated and comprehensive safety-related information has been less than optimal from drug information resources used by Korean pharmacists. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using Embase and Korean manuscripts to compile safety updates for these medications. Out of 418 articles from keyword searches, 52 studies were reviewed in full to compare adverse effects (AEs) with the approved package inserts (PI). Results: Molsidomine related adverse effects were mostly mild or moderate, but anxiety, palpitation, epigastric pain, and sexual potency reduction were additional AEs found from the review not listed in PI. Although PI has included ulceration in oral cavity and gastrointestinal tracts including anus by nicorandil, the Korea FDA recently recommended adding corneal, genital, and skin ulcers to the approved PI. Trimetazidine induced Parkinsonism, worsening of the symptoms for patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, gastrointestinal burning, and muscle cramps were additionally identified AEs not listed in PI for trimetazidine. Conclusion: Continuous evaluations of the safety profile of these agents are needed to balance the risks and benefits to provide evidence-based safety counseling to the patients. In addition, more focused efforts on spontaneous reporting are warranted by healthcare professionals to safeguard patients against AEs.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.12-19
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D is a pleiotropic hormone that affects various body organ systems. We evaluated the prevalence of a vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and its potential role in the clinical condition of critically ill Korean children. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Patients under 18 years old with a 25(OH) vitamin D measurement on the first day of PICU admission were included from among the children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of our tertiary children's hospital between October 2017 and January 2019. RESULTS: A total of 172 pediatric patients were enrolled. The mean 25(OH) vitamin D level was 17.5 ± 12.8 ng/mL. There was a 65.1% prevalence of VDD (25(OH) vitamin D level < 20 ng/mL). VDD was associated with age at PICU admission, gastrointestinal/hepatobiliary disorders, International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis disseminated intravascular coagulation (ISTH DIC) score, pediatric multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (pMODS) score and with several laboratory test findings including hemoglobin, platelet, C-reactive protein, serum albumin, total bilirubin, prothrombin time, and anti-thrombin III levels. Most of these parameters also showed significant linear correlations with the 25(OH) vitamin D level (P < 0.05). However, no statistically meaningful association was found between VDD and other clinical conditions such as the need for a mechanical ventilator, requirement for vasoactive drugs, duration of the PICU and hospital stays, or PICU mortality. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of VDD in critically ill Korean children. There were significant associations between the 25(OH) vitamin D level and gastrointestinal/hepatobiliary disorders, the pMODS score and with coagulation related factors. Further large-scale studies with more specific subgroup analyses are required to more precisely assess the clinical implications of VDD in critically ill pediatric patients.