• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.117-135
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• 2008

Objectives: It is known that the vestibular imbalance leads to vestibular symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, vertigo and postural disturbance. Since the non-labyrinthine inputs from the limbs and viscera converge on the vestibular nucleus neurons receiving signal from peripheral vestibular endorgan, acupuncture to the periphery may influence the activities of vestibular nuclear neurons and produce a therapeutic effect on the vestibulacr symptoms. The present study was to examine a modification and characteristics of the static and dynamic activities of medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) neurons following electroacupuncture (EA) of GB43' acupoint. Methods: In 54 Sprague-Dawley adult male rats weighing 250${\sim}$300g, spontaneous firing discharges and dynamic responses induced by sinusoidal whole body rotation about vertical axis at 0.2 Hz were observed in MVN of rats during EA of GB43' acupoint, located between the left 4th and 5th toe, which is the territory of sural and peroneal nerves, with 0.2 ms, 40 Hz and 600${\pm}$200 ${\mu}A$. Results: EA of the left GB43' acupoint induced modifications of spontaneous firing rates in 45% of MVN neurons recorded, and the percentage of modified neurons was 44% in type I, 52% in type II and 46% in non-type neurons. The excitatory or inhibitory responses of spontaneous firing discharges were predominant in the ipsilateral MVN neurons during EA. The excitatory response was abolished after EA but the inhibitory response was prolonged after EA in the ipsilateral MVN. The neurons of MVN showing modified spontaneous firing discharges by EA showed lower frequency (${\geq}$10 spikes/sec) of mean spontaneous firing rates than non affected ones. Conclusion: These results suggest that the neuronal activities of MVN neurons were influenced by EA of GB43' acupoint and the effects of EA may be related to the convergence of the peripheral vestibular inputs and ascending somatosensory inputs on MVN.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.644-654
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• 2020

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental disorder induced by traumatic stress and often accompanied by depression and/or anxiety, may involve an imbalance in the neurotransmitters associated with the fear response. Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) has long been used as a traditional medicine and is known to be involved in a variety of pharmacological activities. We used the open field test and forced swimming test to examine the effects of KRG on the depression-like response of rats after exposure to single prolonged stress (SPS), leading to activation of the serotonergic system. Methods: Male rats received KRG (30, 50, and 100 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection) once daily for 14 days after exposure to SPS. Results: Daily KRG administration significantly improved depression-like behaviors in the forced swimming test, increased the number of lines crossed and time spent in the central zone in the open field test, and decreased freezing behavior in contextual and cued fear conditioning. KRG treatment attenuated SPS-induced decreases in serotonin (5-HT) tissue concentrations in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex. The increased 5-HT concentration during KRG treatment may be partially attributable to the 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid/5-HT ratio in the hippocampus of rats with PTSD. These effects may be caused by the activation of hippocampal genes encoding tryptophan hydroxylase-1 and 2 mRNA levels. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that KRG has an antidepressant effect in rats subjected to SPS and may represent an effective use of traditional medicine for the treatment of PTSD.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.72-81
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• 2018

Background: Polysaccharides are the most important functional constituent in Astragalus membranaceus. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of polysaccharides isolated from the aboveground parts of A. membranaceus (AMA) and polysaccharides isolated from the roots of A. membranaceus (AMR) immune function by modulated cytotoxic T cell and Th1- and Th2-related cytokines kinetics. Methods and Results: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into exhaustive exercise case groups and non-exercise case, AMA and AMR samples were administered orally for 30 days (500 mg/kg/day and 10 mg/kg/day, respectively) and were compared to those rats in the groups fed commercial sports drink (SPD) and vehicle. Both exhaustive exercise groups and non-exercise groups had a lower ratio of $CD4^+$ and $CD8^+$ cells in the spleens of the rat fed AMA and AMR compared to those in the rats fed SPD and vehicle group. These results suggested that AMA and AMR promote an increase in the proportion of cytotoxic T cells. The IL-4-producing T lymphocytes decreased significantly in the AMR (10 mg/kg/day) group compared to SPD and vehicle, whereas the AMA group increased the IL-4 concentration more than the SPD and vehicle in exhaustive exercise group. However, the populations of IFN-${\gamma}$-producing T lymphocytes of AMR and AMA increased. AMA decreased the concentration of IFN-${\gamma}$ to inhibit the Th1 response and thereby increased the concentration of IL-4 to induce a Th2 response that was related to humoral immunity in the non-exercise group. Conclusions: These results showed that, in addition to Th1/Th2 regulation, AMR and AMA played an important immuno-modulatory role after exhaustive exercise-induced Th1/Th2 lymphocyte imbalance, which might be correlated with cytokine producing immunoregulatory cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.295-303
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• 2023

Immune and metabolic systems are important factors in maintaining homeostasis. Immune response and metabolic regulation are highly associated, so, when the normal metabolism is disturbed, the immune response changed followed the metabolic diseases occur. Likewise, obesity is highly related to immune response. Obesity, which is caused by an imbalance in energy metabolism, is associated with metabolic diseases, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver diseases, atherosclerosis and hypertension. As known, obesity is characterized in chronic low-grade inflammation. In obesity, the microenvironment of immune cells became inflammatory by the unique activation phenotypes of immune cells such as macrophage, natural killer cell, T cell. Also, the immune cells interact each other in cellular or cytokine mechanisms, which intensify the obesity-induced inflammatory response. This phenomenon suggests the possibility of regulating the activation of immune cells as a pharmacological therapeutic strategy for obesity in addition to the common pharmacological treatment of obesity which is aimed at inhibiting enzymes such as pancreatic lipase and α-amylase or inhibiting differentiation of preadipocytes. In this review, we summarize the activation phenotypes of macrophage, natural killer cell and T cell, and their aspects in obesity. We also summarize the pharmacological substances that alleviates obesity by regulating the activation of immune cells.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.95-105
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• 2009

Traffic accidents on highways are likely to happen when there is an imbalance in the complex relationships among key elements such as road geometries, driver related factors, and mechanical performances. The Demand-Effort Model (DEM), which evaluates highway safety, can be explained by the imbalance, which occurs when the level of demand of the driver's attention to the road environment exceeds that of the response from the driver. This study suggests a new model that improves the reliability of the current DEM through the reinterpretation on the physiological signals with the help of the Neural Network Model (NNM). The data were collected from 149 subjects, who drove a test vehicle on the Yongdong, Honam, and Seohaean Expressways in Korea. Three important results could be drawn from the recursive tests as follows; (1) Only 5 out of 10 parameters on the physiological signals which are currently used were proven to be meaningful through the Normality Test, Cluster Analysis, and Mann-Whitney Analysis. (2) The revised DEM, which internally uses the NNM, showed more reliable results than existing DEM. Group 1, which is based on the new DEM showed 80.0% of accuracy in measuring the level of driver's efforts, however, that of Group 2 based on the current DEM was 74.3%. (3) Field tests on the Honam Expressway showed lower 'type II error' with the new DEM (40.5%) than the old DEM (58.8%). The DEM is designed as a quick and easy way to determine highway safety prior to the minute road safety audit (RSA) by a professional audit team. Then a new DEM, which is based on the NNM, needs to be considered since it showed higher reliability and lower error.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.30 no.3 s.47
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• pp.345-352
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• 2004

There are two paradigms to explain the atopic dermatitis. The first is outside-inside paradigm and the second is inside-outside paradigm. According to the outside-inside paradigm the best way to treat the atopic dermatitis is recovery of skin barrier function. The barrier function is maintained by the specific structure of stratum corneum, which is constructed from corneocytes and intercellular lipids. In terms of lipid structures of SC in atopic dermatitis and lamellar ichthyosis, they contain more fluid hexagonal gel structures in SC and show deficiencies in free fatty acids, especially long chains and certain ceramides. With this reason, moisturizer which has the lamellar structure and restoring function of intrinsic intercellualr long periodicity phase can maintain and restore the lamellar structure of intercellular lipids in SC. The moisturizers containing ceramide or pseudoceramide also seem to be reasonable therapy for atopic dermatitis and several skin diseases, which interrelated with impaired skin harrier. By the way, according to the inside-outside paradigm, immune response including helper T cells, IgE, eosinophils is related. It is effective treatment of atopic dermititis to restore imbalance between Th1 and Th2 cells. Even though several kinds of immune-suppressor were introduced, these can affect the intrinsic immune function. SPC and S1P, metabolites of ceramide, would be interesting because they have the function of wound healing and immune modulating properties.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.288-298
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• 1992

Since the major important factors limiting plant growth and crop productivity are environmental stresses, of which low temperature is the most serious. It has been well known that many physiological processes are alterant in response to the environmental stress. With regard to the relationship between plant hormones and the regulation of chilling tolerance in rice seedlings, the major physiological roles of plant hormones: abscisic acid, ethylene and polyamines are evaluated and discussed in this paper. Rice seedlings were grown in culture solution to examine the effect of such plant hormones on physiological characters related to chilling tolerance and also to compare the different responses among tested cultivars. Intact seedlings about 14 day-old were chilled at conditions of 5$^{\circ}C$ and 80% relative humidity for various period. Cis-(＋)-ABA content was measured by the indirect ELISA technique. Polyamine content and ethylene production in leaves were determined by means of HPLC and GC respectively. Chilling damage of seedlings was evaluated by electrolyte leakage, TTC viability assay or servival test. Our experiment results described here demonstrated the physiological functions of ABA, ethylene, and polyamines related to the regulation of chilling tolerance in rice seedlings. Levels of cis-(＋)-ABA in leaves or xylem sap of rice seedlings increased rapidly in response to 5$^{\circ}C$ treatment. The tolerant cultivars had significant higher level of endogenous ABA than the sensitive ones. The ($\pm$)-ABA pretreatment for 48 h increased the chilling tolerance of the sensitive indica cultivar. One possible function of abscisic acid is the adjustment of plants to avoid chilling-induced water stress. Accumulation of proline and other compatible solutes is assumed to be another factor in the prevention of chilling injuies by abscisic acid. In addition, the expression of ABA-responsive gene is reported in some plants and may be involving in the acclimation to low temperature. Ethylene and its immediate precusor, 1-amincyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid(ACC) increased significantly after 5$^{\circ}C$ treatment. The activity of ACC synthase which converts S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to ACC enhanced earlier than the increase of ethylene and ACC. Low temperature increased ACC synthase activity, whereas prolonged chilling treatment damaged the conversion of ACC to ethylene. It was shown that application of Ethphon was beneficial to recovering from chilling injury in rice seedlings. However, the physiological functions of chilling-induced ethylene are still unclear. Polyamines are thought to be a potential plant hormone and may be involving in the regulation of chilling response. Results indicated that chilling treatment induced a remarkable increase of polyamines, especially putrescine content in rice seedlings. The relative higher putrescine content was found in chilling-tolerant cultivar and the maximal level of enhanced putrescine in shoot of chilling cultivar(TNG. 67) was about 8 folds of controls at two days after chilling. The accumulation of polyamines may protect membrane structure or buffer ionic imbalance from chilling damage. Stress physiology is a rapidly expanding field. Plant growth regulators that improve tolerance to low temperature may affect stress protein production. The molecular or gene approaches will help us to elucidate the functions of plant hormones related to the regulation of chilling tolerance in plants in the near future.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.5125-5135
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• 2015

Background: Total fat intake may be associated with increased risk of breast cancer, and fish oil has been suggested as a protection factor to breast cancer. But the effect of vegetable oils is inconclusive. We aimed to investigate the association with high vegetable oils consumption and breast cancer risk, and evaluated their dose-response relationship. Design: We systematically searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane databases, and CNKI updated to December 2014, and identified all observational studies providing quantitative estimates between breast cancer risk and different vegetable oils consumption. Fixed or random effect models were used to estimate summary odds ratios for the highest vs. lowest intake, and dose-response relationship was assessed by restricted cubic spline model and generalized least-squares trend (GLST) model. Results: Five prospective cohort studies and 11 retrospective case-control studies, involving 11,161 breast cancer events from more than 150,000 females, met the inclusion criteria. Compared with the lowest vegetable oils consumption, higher intake didn't increased the risk of breast cancer with pooled OR of 0.88 (95% CIs:0.77-1.01), and the result from dose-response analyses didn't show a significant positive or negative trend on the breast cancer risk for each 10g vegetable oil/day increment (OR=0.98, 95% CIs: 0.95-1.01). In the subgroup analyses, the oils might impact on females with different strata of BMI. Higher olive oil intake showed a protective effect against breast cancer with OR of 0.74 (95% CIs: 0.60-0.92), which was not significant among the three cohort studies. Conclusions: This meta-analyses suggested that higher intake of vegetable oils is not associated with the higher risk of breast cancer. Olive oil might be a protective factor for the cancer occurrence among case-control studies and from the whole. Recall bias and imbalance in study location and vegetable oils subtypes shouldn't be ignored. More prospective cohort studies are required to confirm the interaction of the impact of vegetable oils on different population and various cancer characteristic, and further investigate the relationship between different subtype oils and breast cancer.

• The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.19-37
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• 2014

This study is to focus on the status of implementation of bilateral-fishery order based on the Korea-China fisheries agreement and aims to improve fisheries relationship between two countries. Korea-China Fisheries Agreement entered into force in 2001, and serves as a basic framework of the bilateral fisheries order. However, the fishing order between Korea and China has the following limitations. First, it is standstill of joint response for a practical resource management. Second, there are still gaps between the quotas of mutual accord fishing and fishing operation work performance. Third, China's illegal fishing is taking place consistently. Fourth, the effective cooperation between two countries in fisheries is not carried out. Finally, the Korea has faced difficult situations to adhere to a balanced position in the fishery negotiations due to conflicting positions on China and Japan. In order to solve these problems, the fishing order between Korea and China will be able to maintain the competitiveness of Korean fishery sector by reinforcing Korea's fishing sovereignty, Korea and China, based on trust and cooperation, will make efforts to improve bilateral fisheries relations to maximize mutual benefit in fishery sector. Specifically, first, the two countries should strengthen the resources management based on the scientific research and the improvement of imbalance of the mutual agreed fishing in EEZ. Second, Korea has to achieve our targeted performance of fishing operation and establish a joint resources management system between two countries in the provisional measure zone. Third, Korea should implement to collect fisheries information about China fishing vessels which are operating in the EEZ of Korea. Finally, Korea and China should be building up effective governance framework for the establishment of fishing order.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.259-266
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• 2005

Tension headache is one of the most common form of headache. It may occur at any age, but is most common in adults and adolescents. One cause of this muscle contraction is a response to stress that induces changes and imbalance on autonomic nerve system. And it is not easy to classify the type of tension headache simply in oriental medicine. In this case, we described a 25-year old woman who diagnosed as tension headache. She complained headache with nausea and vomiting, and her condition was improved through oriental medical treatment.