• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.84 no.3
• /
• pp.171-175
• /
• 2021

Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) is a type of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia with an acute or subacute clinical course. Bilateral lung consolidations located in the subpleural area and bronchovascular bundle are the most common findings on chest high-resolution computed tomography. The pathologic manifestations include granulation tissue in the alveoli, alveolar ducts, and bronchioles. COP responds fairly well to glucocorticoid monotherapy with rapid clinical improvement, but recurrence is common. However, treatment with combined immunosuppressant agents is not recommended, even if the COP patient does not respond to glucocorticoid monotherapy with expert opinion.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
• /
• 2003.04a
• /
• pp.248.1-248.1
• /
• 2003

Glucocorticoids are used most widely for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). For the efficient treatment and reduction of side effects, colon-specific delivery of a glucocorticoid is highly desirable. Previously, we synthesized prednisolone 21-sulfate sodium (PDS) as a colon-specific prod rug of prednisolone (PD) expecting that it might be stable and nonabsorbable in the upper intestine and hydrolyze in the colon to release PD. (omitted)

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.48 no.4
• /
• pp.295-302
• /
• 2021

As glucocorticoids are well-known as important regulators of stress and the immune system, their function and clinical use have elicited substantial interest in the field of reproduction. In particular, the effect of glucocorticoid therapy on endometrial receptivity during assisted reproduction, including in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles, has led to a great deal of interest and controversy. However, previous studies have not been able to provide consistent and reliable evidence due to their small, non-controlled designs and use of different criteria. Considering the potential risk of exposure to glucocorticoids for mothers and fetuses in early pregnancy, the use of glucocorticoids in IVF cycles should be carefully evaluated, including the balance between risk and benefit. To date, there is no conclusive evidence that the use of glucocorticoids improves the pregnancy rate in IVF cycles with unselected subjects, and a further investigation should be considered with a proper study design.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
• /
• 2005.10a
• /
• pp.133-133
• /
• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
• /
• 2005.10a
• /
• pp.133-133
• /
• 2005

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.2 no.6
• /
• pp.677-685
• /
• 1998

To investigate the effects of neonatal stress on behavior and neurochemistry, rats were exposed to the footshock stress on postnatal day (PND) 14 or PNDs 14 and 21. Rats were exposed to uncontrollable electric shocks delivered to the floor with a constant current (0.8 mA) for 5 sec period. Daily sessions consisted of 60 trials on a random time schedule with an average of 55 sec. The first exposure to footshocks on PND 14 decreased body weight gain for 1 day. However, the second exposure to footshocks on PND 21 did not affect body weight gain. Exploratory activity was measured by exposing a rat to a novel environment 24 h after experience of footshocks. Similar to the body weight changes, a decreased activity was noted after the first exposure to footshocks, while no changed activity was noted after the second exposure to footshocks. However, the Bmax value of $5-HT_{2A/2C}$ receptors in the cortex decreased by the second exposure to footshocks, but not by the first exposure to footshocks. Moreover, an autoradiographic study revealed that the density of $[^3H]dexamethasone$ binding in hippocampus decreased in rats exposed to footshocks 4 times during PND $14{\sim}20.$ These results suggest that the uncontrollable footshock stress changes 5-hydroxytryptamine and glucocorticoid receptor systems acutely and that the repeated exposure to the same stress may not elicit behavioral alterations by the compensatory activity of young brain although changes in some neurochemistry exist.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.884-890
• /
• 2008

This study classified 40 of 10 weeks-old male Sprague Dawley rats which have osteoporosis caused by glucocorticoid(GC) induction into four groups of 10 rats and made the subjects medicated them Eucommia ulmoides Oliver and participate in treadmill exercise. Group I was non-treatment after GC induction; Group II was treadmill exercise after GC induction; Group III was Eucommia ulmoides Oliver feeding after GC induction; Group IV was treadmill exercise and Eucommia ulmoides Oliver feeding after GC induction. In the bone mineral density and bone strength test, there was a statistically significant difference between the group I, II, III compared to group IV(p<0.05). In the osteocalcin level as one of bone formation indexes, there was a statistically significant difference between the group I, II, III compared to group IV(p<0.05). In respect to the calcium there was a statistically significant difference between group I, II, III compared to group IV(p<0.05). In respect to histological findings, the group IV showed mild femur disruption and lytic change on femur section. The above results suggests that Eucommia ulmoides Oliver medicated and treadmill exercise is effective to prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.249-255
• /
• 2009

All living things have been developed efficient strategies to cope with external and internal environmental changes via a process termed 'homeostasis'. However, chronic prenatal maternal stress may significantly contributes to pregnancy complications by disturbing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the automatic nervous system (ANS), and results in unfavorable development of the fetus. Dysregulation of these two major stress response systems lead to the increased secretion of the glucocorticoids (GCs) which are known to be essential for normal development and the maturation of the central nervous system. As Hox genes are master key regulators of the embryonic morphogenesis and cell differentiation, we aimed to determine the effects of dexamethasone, a potent synthetic glucocorticoid, on gene expression in mesenchymal stem cell C3H10T1/2. Analysis of 39 Hox genes based on reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) method revealed that the expression patterns of Hox genes were overall upregulated by long dexametasone treatment. These results indicate that maternal stress may have a deleterious effect on early developing embryo through the stress hormone, glucocorticoid.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.46 no.9
• /
• pp.454-459
• /
• 2013

LRRK2 (leucine-rich repeat kinase 2) has been identified as a gene corresponding to PARK8, an autosomal-dominant gene for familial Parkinson's disease (PD). LRRK2 pathogenic-specific mutants induce neurotoxicity and shorten neurites. To elucidate the mechanism underlying LRRK2 expression, we constructed the LRRK2-promoter-luciferase reporter and used it for promoter analysis. We found that the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) transactivated LRRK2 in a ligand-dependent manner. Using quantitative RT-PCR and Western analysis, we further showed that treatment with dexamethasone, a synthetic GR ligand, induced LRRK2 expression at both the transcriptional and translational levels, in dopaminergic MN9D cells. Dexamethasone treatment also increased expression of ${\alpha}$-synuclein, another PD causative gene, and enhanced transactivation of the ${\alpha}$-synuclein promoter-luciferase reporter. In addition, dexamethasone treatment to MN9D cells weakly induced cytotoxicity based on an LDH assay. Because glucocorticoid hormones are secreted in response to stress, our data suggest that stress might be a related factor in the pathogenesis of PD.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.89-95
• /
• 2012

Poncirus trifoliata fruit (PTF) affects the digestive and cardiovascular systems, and kidney function. The authors studied the effects of ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract of PTF on the activities of osteoblasts and in an animal model. The main compounds of the EtOAc extract, naringin and poncirin have been confirmed by HPLC and NMR analysis. Effects of osteoblastic differentiation were measured by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, osteopontin (OPN) protein expression and osteoprotegerin (OPG) mRNA expression in MC3T3-E1 cells. Also, osteoclast differentiation was measured by multinucleated cells (MNCs) formation through tartrate resistance acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive staining. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured before and after treatment with EtOAc extract of PTF in prednisolone-induced osteoporotic mice. Dexamethasone (DEX) decreased OPN and OPG expression level in MC3T3-E1 cells and ALP activity was decreased by DEX dose-dependently. EtOAc extract of PTF recovered the levels of ALP activity, and the expression of OPN and OPG in MC3T3-E1 cells treated with DEX. In osteoclast differentiation, multinucleated TRAP-positive cell formation was significantly suppressed by the EtOAc extract of PTF. Total body BMD was restored by EtOAc extract of PTF in prednisolone-induced osteoporotic mice. In conclusion, EtOAc extract of PTF recovered DEX-mediated deteriorations in osteoblastic and osteoclastic functions, and increased BMD in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.