• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.21-24
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• 2011

Xerostomia is subjective feeling of dry mouth, a symptom that may or may not be accompanied by hyposalivation, an objective decrease in salivary flow. There are many causes induced xerostomia like drugs, salivary gland diseases, radiation therapy to the head and neck region, Sjogren syndrome, emotional stress etc. Insufficient salivary flow creates complications with oral candidiasis, dental caries, periodontitis, halitosis, dysgeusia. So finally, these complications lead to an overall decline in quality of life. Managements of xerostomia are eliminating or alterating the etiologic factors, relieving symptoms, preventing or correcting the consequences of salivary dysfunction, treating underlying disease and stimulating salivation. One of the salivation stimulation agents studied to treat xerostomia was the pilocarpine muscarinic agonist. Pilocarpine is one of salivation stimulants, a parasympathomimetic drug and non-selective muscarinic receptor agonist. Systemic pilocarpine has been used to stimulate salivary secretion. But systemic administration of pilocarpine has limitations such as increased risk of side effects and contraindications. Side effects of systemic pilocarpine administration are sweating, urinary and gastrointestinal disturbance, risk of cardiovascular and pulmonary disorders. This drug must be used carefully by patients with controlled asthma, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary or cardiac disease. Patient with acute asthma, narrow angle glaucoma, iritis should not use pilocarpine. Like this, systemic pilocarpine has many limitations. So, many investigators also have looked at the effectiveness of topical pilocarpine. Here we present patients with xerostomia which was relieved by pilocarpine mouthwash.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.4 s.59
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• pp.791-804
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• 1997

Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) is one of the common health problem that has been considered as stress-induced. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between life style and the level of stress and IBS by structured questionnaire which included questions on life style, the self-esteemed gastrointestinal symptoms, and Psychosocial Well-being Index(PWI). Subjects were 1,498 male white collars who get the regular health check and participated in survey at Inje University Health Promotion Center from January to ,December, 1996. The overall prevalence of IBS was 37.5%(561 cases), and the level of stress by PWI score was higher in IBS group$(41.8{\pm}14.2)$ than symptom-free group$(34.6{\pm}12.6)$. As the result of comparison between the two groups, heavier smoking (adjusted O.R=2.48, 95% C.I 1.81-3.41), longer daily working time (adjusted O.R=5.19, 95% C.I 3.59-7.56), stimulatory food materials-mainly hot or salty (adjusted O.R=1.87, 95% C.I 1.44-2.45), higher body mass index (adjusted O.R=1.80, 95% C.I 1.27-2.57), and higher level of stress (adjusted O.R=2.81, 95% C.I 1.80-4.43) were estimated as risk factors of IBS. On the contrary, 6-8 hours sleeping per day (adjusted O.R=0.38 95% C.I 0.21-0.70), 3-4 times exercise per week (adjusted O.R=0.57 95% C.I 0.39-0.83), and tenure more than 20 years (adjusted O.R=0.25 95% C.I 0.16-0.35) were considered as protective factors to IBS. In summary, the assessment of the stress level might be placed in the first priority to control IBS, at least by some degree, which suggested that IBS could be controlled by avoiding such risk factors and by encouraging such protective factors.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.387-391
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• 2007

Recently, much attention has been paid to developing various kinds of fermented herbal extracts, a new type of traditional herbal medicine, in the field of Korean traditional medicine. The fermentation of medicinal herbs is intended to exert a favorable influence on digestability, bioavailavility and pharmacological activity of herbal extract in the gastrointestinal tract. It also produces a number of fermentation products that intensify the nutritional and pharmacological aspects of the medicinal herbs. In order to develop a functional beverage of alleviating the aftereffects of the previous drinks, the extracts (HP-1) of fermented herbal mixture, including Artemisia capillaris Thunb., Lonicera japonica Thunberg, and Hovenia dulcis Thunb., were prepared and the medicinal effect as a hangover cure was evaluated in ethanol-loaded rats. The enzyme activities of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) were analyzed by measuring the concentration of blood ethanol and acetaldehyde. The mRNA expression of ADH and ALDH2 was also investigated through RT-PCR analysis. In the HP-1-treated group, the concentration of blood ethanol was significantly reduced at one hour after loading of ethanol, as compared to that in the saline-treated group. The reduced ethanol was converted to acetaldehyde, which resulted in rapid increase in acetaldehyde concentration in an hour. Acetaldehyde was started to decrease at 5 hours after ethanol loading. It implies that HP-1 is highly effective to stimulate the activities of ADH and ALDH2. The HP-1 treatment also activated the mRNA expression of ADH and ALDH. This study suggests that fermented herbal extract, HP-1 can be used as a functional beverage of alleviating the alcohol-induced hangover symptoms by stimulating the activities and gene expression of hepatic alcohol metabolizing enzymes.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.265-274
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• 2005

Diabetic gastroparesis is a disorder in a diabetic of delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical obstruction. It is estimated that about 20%-50% of diabetics suffer from gastroparesis. Clinical Sympoms include early satiety, bloating, nausea, anorexia, vomiting, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Severe gastroparesis might result in recurrent hospitalization, malnutrition, and even death, but, no exact treatment has yet been established. Electrogastrography has been known to be a simple, non-invasive, and effective method in assessing gastric motility and EGG has been used to diagnosis diabetic gastroparesis and to estimate its prognosis. Recently, two cases of diabetic gastroparesis were observed. For this cases, manual acupucture, electroacupucture, lumbar skin warming and herb medicine were applied. After application of these therapies, gastrointestinal symptoms improved and these therapeutic effects were confirmed in EGG. Moreover, blood glucose control improved, so patients were able to discontinue insulin injection and change to p.o.medication. In light of this encouraging application of oriental medicine, this is reported along with investigation of the literature.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.169-172
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• 2012

A 12-year-old castrated male Shih-tzu dog presented with vomiting, anorexia, and weight loss. The patient's medical history and hematological, radiographic, ultrasonographic, and endoscopic findings were used for diagnosis. The patient's medical history showed that he was being treated for chronic kidney disease since a few weeks. The serum biochemical analysis showed moderate azotemia. However, abdominal radiographic and ultrasonographic findings showed the presence of a mass in the pylorus area of the stomach. On gastrointestinal endoscopic examination, the proliferative mass was found in the pyloric antrum. The histopathological results of the endoscopic biopsy specimen indicated that it was strongly suspected a gastric adenoma; therefore, we surgically excised the pyloric outflow region via a Y-U pyloroplasty. The histopathological examination of the surgically excised specimen also indicated that the mass was a gastric adenoma. After surgical treatment, the patient's condition improved gradually, and the clinical symptoms diminished in approximately 3 weeks after surgery. The patient's condition was well controlled until recently, i.e., 18 months after surgery. This case report describes the clinical findings, imaging characteristics, endoscopic findings, and histopathological features of a gastric adenoma in the pyloric outflow tract of a dog.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.672-677
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• 2001

There was an outbreak of food poisoning due to eating well-cooked imported tropical fish, Stromateus stellatus on May, 2000, in Korea. Gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea ($92\%$), nausea ($77\%$), abdominal pain ($54\%$), vomiting ($46\%$) and headache ($23\%$) were experienced within $0.5\~2$ hours (median 1 hour) after eating, Any specific natural toxins were not confirmed concerned to those poisoning, but large amount of abnormal lipid ($23\%$) was found from the muscle such as 1-O-diacyl glyceryl ethers (DAGE), which was consisted of $61.8\%$ of total lipid. The 16:0 ($66.3\%$) and 18:1 ($15.8\%$) alkyl chains were dominant in all alkyl chains of DAGE which were presumed as the causative agent for the diarrheal food poisoning. O1eic acid (18:1) was found as a major fatty acid at the sn-2 or 3 in DAGEs. O-16:0-18:1-18:1 ($16.2\%$),O-16:0-18:1-22:1 ($14.7\%$) and O-18:0-18:1-22:1 ($11.0\%$) were contained as the major molecular species of DAGEs by RI-HPLC.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 2005

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a rare clinicopathologic entity of unknown etiology with a variety of digestive symptoms. The pathogenesis is poorly understood. Diagnostic criteria include demonstration of eosinophilic infiltration of the affected bowel wall, lack of evidence of extraintestinal disease, and exclusion of various disorders that could mimic similar conditions. The disease might involve any area of the gastrointestinal tract from the esophagus to the rectum, but the stomach and the proximal small bowel are most commonly affected. The clinical features depend on which layer and site are involved. We report the case of a 59-year-old male patient with a 3-week history of post-prandial vomiting with malnutrition and weight loss. An abdominopelvic CT showed a gastric outlet obstruction with diffuse wall thickening, as with linitis plastica. Three gastrofiberscopic biopsies showed chronic gastritis. We carried out a radical total gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection. The pathologic report revealed a mural type eosinophilic gastritis with a marked hypertrophic scar formation at the proper muscle layer. We report this case with a brief review of the literature. (J Korean Gastric Cancer Assoc 2005;5:47-51)

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.735-742
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• 2010

Biogenic amines are synthesized by microbial decarboxylation for the putrefaction or fermentation of foods containing protein. Although biogenic amines such as histamine, tyramine, and putrescine are required for many physiological functions in humans and animals, consumption of high amounts of biogenic amines can cause toxicological effects, including serious gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hemodynamic, and neurological symptoms. In this study, a novel amperometric biosensor wasdeveloped to detect biogenic amines. The biosensor consisted of a working electrode, a reference electrode, a counter electrode, an enzyme reactor with immobilized diamine oxidase, an injector, a peristaltic pump and a potentiostat. A working electrode was fabricated with a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) by coating functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-$NH_2$) and by electrodepositing Prussian blue (PB) to enhance electrical conductivity. A sensor system with PB/MWCNT-$NH_2$/GCE showed linearity in the range of $0.5 {\mu}M{\sim}100 {\mu}M$ hydrogen peroxide with a detection limit of $0.5 {\mu}M$. The responses for tyramine, 2-phenylethylamine, and tryptamine were 95%, 75%, and 70% compared to that of histamine, respectively. These results imply that the biosensor system can be applied to the quantitative measurement of biogenic amines.

• Journal of Korean Society of Health-System Pharmacists
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.453-462
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• 2018

Background : The prevalence of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) tends to be higher in the elderly. Pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy (Peg-IFN/RBV) was recommended as the first-line treatment in the past decades, but this regimen showed unsatisfactory results in terms of safety and efficacy especially in elderly patients. Recently, it was demonstrated that dual therapy with daclatasvir and asunaprevir was well tolerated and led to high sustained virological response (SVR) rates, irrespective of age. We conducted a study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of daclatasvir plus asunaprevir by involving elderly patients aged above 65 years. Methods : We retrospectively analyzed clinical data from chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1b patients treated with daclatasvir plus asunaprevir from September 2015 to December 2016 at Seoul St. Mary's hospital. The patients were divided into two groups as elderly patients (older than 65 years) and non-elderly patients (younger than 65 years) and compared the efficacy and safety. Results : A total of 112 patients were treated with daclatasvir plus asunaprevir for chronic hepatitis C. Among them, 101 patients completed the whole treatment, and in 88 patients the amount of HCV RNA was measured after 12 weeks of treatment. There was no significant difference in SVR at 12 weeks between both the groups (p=0.68). Typically, 91.4%(32/35) of elderly patients and 94.3%(50/53) of non-elderly patients achieved SVR12. Common adverse events included elevation in transaminase level, headache, and gastrointestinal disorders. There was no statistical difference in the symptoms between the two groups. Conclusions : The combination therapy with daclatasvir plus asunaprevir exhibited similar rates of SVR12 in HCV elderly patients without leading to further adverse events compared to non-elderly patients. Therefore, it is proposed that daclatasvir plus asunaprevir therapy could be considered as an effective and safe treatment, even in patients aged over 65 years.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.207-216
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• 2022

Canine babesiosis has been scarcely investigated in the Republic of Korea (ROK). Although it is known that Babesia gibsoni is its primary causative agent, its clinical presentation has not been completely clarified in the ROK. Consequently, the aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical appearance of this parasitic infection based on the anamnesis of the patient and compare of hematological and biochemical test results. Four hundred whole blood samples from patients with a presumptive diagnosis of tick-borne disease were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the Babesia spp. 18S rRNA gene and by a rapid diagnostic test kit (VetAll Laboratories^®) to detect B. gibsoni seroreactive animals. Thirty-six (9.0%) dogs were PCR-positive but only 24 (6.0%) were seropositive. The investigation revealed that all the courses of the disease are present in the ROK, with the acute course being predominant. The acute course tends to consist of inappetence, lethargy, pyrexia, gastrointestinal symptoms, and occasionally hematuria. It also occurs with common hematological abnormalities, such as thrombocytopenia and anemia, and to a lesser extent biochemical abnormalities, such as hyperbilirubinemia, hypoalbuminemia, and elevated liver enzymes. This research shows that B. gibsoni is an endemic hemoparasite capable of producing a variety of clinical manifestations in dogs. For its accurate diagnosis, a descriptive history of the clinical signs, hematology, and biochemical profile of the patient, along with a well-performing PCR assay, are essential. These findings will help in planning pragmatic preventive strategies against this potent threat in the ROK.