• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.153-158
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• 2017

Background: Hominis placenta (HP) is used in Korean medicine to tonify qi and blood, and enrich yin and tonify yang. HP has been reported to have therapeutic effects. Methods: A survey of international and Korean electronic databases was conducted using the search terms "hominis placenta pharmacopuncture" and "hominis placenta extract". The search was limited to material published up to May 31, 2017. Results: A total of 83 studies were included in this systematic review: 50 were clinical studies, 25 were basic studies, and 8 were other types of study. Among clinical studies, the most frequently treated disease groups were musculoskeletal diseases and nervous system diseases. In vitro studies were conducted mainly on anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-cell necrosis models. Most of the in vivo studies were performed in rheumatoid arthritis or diabetic complications models. Conclusion: HP pharmacopuncture has effects in the treatment of various diseases. Further large-scale randomized controlled trials are needed to improve the level of evidence for HP pharmacopuncture. It would be helpful if future in vitro and in vivo studies could identify the mechanism of action of HP pharmacopuncture.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.161-168
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• 2016

Purpose: Patients who suffer from rheumatic arthritis, fibromyalgia, other various inflammatory diseases and musculoskeletal disorders, which are all similar to temporomandibular disorders (TMD), have been complaining about changes in the level and type of pain in response to changes in weather conditions for a long time. Through an investigation about pain perception in TMD patients in response to weather conditions, our primary objective was to develop base materials for future studies on change in pain in response to meteorological factors. Methods: Among patients who presented with TMD to Department of Oral Medicine, Pusan National University Dental Hospital from August to October 2016, one hundred consecutive TMD patients diagnosed with TMDs according to Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) were recruited for the study and 28 patients were excluded according to exclusion criteria. Survey was done with the questionnaire and investigated whether there was any difference in incidence and level of pain in TMD patients between non-rainy and rainy days. Results: Among a total of 72 samples, 4 patients reported change in pain on rainy days rather than non-rainy days. Two patients from chronic group (joint and complex subgroup) reported increased pain on rainy days rather than non-rainy days but it was not statistically significant (p>0.05). One patient from chronic/muscle group reported the change in pain characteristics while pain intensity remained unchanged. One patient from acute/complex group reported decreased pain intensity. In comparison of the patients who reported increased pain on rainy days between acute and chronic groups, there were two reported cases and were both from chronic group only. There was a significantly higher chance of reporting increased pain on rainy days in chronic group than acute group (p<0.001). Conclusions: It is considered that TMD patients couldn't perceive the change in pain well in response to weather change on rainy days but some chronic patients could perceive the increase in pain in rainy days.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.320-324
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• 2012

Osteoporosis is an important public health issue in postmenopausal women. It is a major public health concern and is widely believed that osteoporosis results from imbalance between bone resorption and bone formation. Recently natural products from plants have been extensively studied as therapeutic drugs to treat and prevent various diseases. Hoelen (scientific name, Poria cocos) is a mushroom that is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Hoelen exhibits anti-inflammatory activity and has a protective effect on tumor progression. However, the effect of hoelen in osteoclast differentiation remains unknown. Thus, we examined the effect of hoelen in receptor activator of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation. Hoelen significantly inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) in dose dependent manner without toxicity. Also, we showed that hoelen significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of tartrate-resistant acid phophatase (TRAP) and nuclear factor of activated T cells 1 (NFATc1) in BMMs treated with RANKL. In Particular, hoelen greatly inhibited the protein expression of NFATc1. Ectopic expression of NFATc1 partially reverses hoelen-mediated inhibition of osteoclast differentiation. Taken together, our results demonstrated that hoelen may be useful treatment option of bone-related disease such as osteoporosis, reumatoid arthritis, and periodontitis.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.567-575
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• 2014

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring stilbene which is safe and well-described compound with a potent anti-inflammatory activity. Recent studies suggested that resveratrol suppressed various inflammation mediated diseases such as asthma, chronic colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes. These studies indicated that resveratrol might directly modulate $CD4^+$ helper T cells (Th cells)-mediated immune responses. However, it is not fully elucidated whether resveratrol directly regulates $CD4^+$ Th cell activation and differentiation. In the present study, $CD4^+$ Th cells were purified from C57BL/6 and treated with various concentrations of resveratrol. We found that resveratrol directly suppressed $CD4^+$ Th cells activation, leading to a defect in T cell proliferation. When $CD4^+$ Th cells were treated with resveratrol, cytokine production was also significantly reduced in a dose dependent manner. In accordance with these results, resveratrol even inhibited $CD4^+$ Th cells differentiation into Th1, Th2 or Th17, which produces IFN-${\gamma}$, IL-4 or IL-17 respectively. We also found that resveratrol could induce apoptosis of $CD4^+$ T cells at a high concentration. Our data demonstrated that resveratrol inhibited directly $CD4^+$ Th cells activation and differentiation. It suggests that resveratrol could be an efficient therapeutic strategy for autoimmune diseases in which $CD4^+$ Th cells play a critical role.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.15-26
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• 2003

Objective : There were few reports on the treatment of Adult-onset Still's disease and Diffuse cerebral dysfunction. This oriental medical treatment shows the possibility of healing Adult-onset Still's disease and Diffuse cerebral dysfunction, therefore we announce this. Methods : The acupuncture, herbal medicine, herbal acupucture(Jahageo, Nockyong) therapies were applied for treating this patient's chief symptom(chest discomfort, palpitation, rigidity, mentality change, global aphasia, dysphagia, coughing and sputum) Results : 1. Adult-onset Still's disease is a rare systemic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology, characterised by salmon-colored rash, intermittent spiking high fever, arthralgia and variety of systemic features. This is one type of Juvenile arthritis. 2. Diffuse cerebral dysfunction is an anoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, and most cause of this is the hypoxia caused by hypotention or respiratory distress. 3. After oriental medical treatments, his chief symptoms were improved. Conclusion : The more study about oriental medical treatment on Adult-onset Still's disease and Diffuse cerebral dysfunction is needed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.1199-1208
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• 2018

Osteoarthritis is a disease that affects the articular cartilage and osseous tissue, and can be worsened by aging, overweight status, and post-traumatic arthritis. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of ID-CBT5101 (tyndallized Clostridium butyricum) on bone metabolism and the inflammatory response in a monosodium iodoacetate-induced rat model of osteoarthritis. ID-CBT5101 was administered orally at doses of $10^8$ or $10^{10}CFU/day$ for 2 weeks before direct injection of monosodium iodoacetate ($3mg/50{\mu}l$ of 0.9% saline) into the intra-articular space of the rats' right knees. The rats subsequently received the same doses of oral ID-CBT5101 for another 4 weeks. We evaluated the treatment effects based on serum biomarkers, mRNA expression, morphological and histopathological analyses of the knee joints, and weight-bearing distribution analysis. Compared with those in control rats, the ID-CBT5101 treatments significantly reduced the serum concentration of inflammation and bone metabolism markers (i.e., COX-2, IL-6, $LTB_4$, and COMP), and significantly increased the concentration of $IFN-{\gamma}$ and glycosaminoglycans. In addition, the ID-CBT5101 treatments inhibited the mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (i.e., MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, MMP-13, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2). Furthermore, the ID-CBT5101 treatments effectively preserved the knee cartilage and synovial membrane, and significantly decreased the amount of fibrous tissue. Moreover, compared with that of the negative control group, the ID-CBT5101 treatments increased the weight-bearing distribution by ${\geq}20%$. The results indicate that ID-CBT5101 prevented and alleviated osteoarthritis symptoms. Thus, ID-CBT5101 may be a novel therapeutic option for the management of osteoarthritis.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.289-299
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• 2004

Background : Although the pathophysiology of asthma has been reported, its mechanism has not been fully elucidated. The mast cell is an effector cells in allergic inflammation and secretes a number of chemokines. Chemokines are important for the recruitment of leukocytes to sites of infection, which is essential in host defense. Chemokines also contribute to the pathogenesis of several disorders such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Objective : In this study, the aim was to identify the effect of Baekryunchihyo-tang(白蓮治哮湯) on expression of chemokines. This was examined by RT-PCR using the human mast cell line (HMC-l) Materials and Methods : HMC-l cells were used, which is known to secrete and express chemokines. In order to investigate the protective effect of Baekryunchihyo-tang(白蓮治哮湯), HMC-l cells were incubated with pretreatment of Baekryunchihyo-tang(白蓮治哮湯) for 24 hrs. RT-PCR analyses of chemokine genes of cells pretreated with Baekryunchihyo-tang(白蓮治哮湯) showed that expressions of IL-8, $MIP-l{\beta}$, and RANTES genes in these cells were lower and $MIP-l{\alpha}$ showed a similar pattern compared to the calcium ionophore-treated group. In addition, cell cytotoxicity concentration measurements were performed by MTT assay method. Results : After stimulation with 1 uM calcium ionophore A23178 for 2 hrs, IL-8, major one of CXC chemokines, was highly expressed, and expression of $MIP-l{\beta}$ and RANTES (CC chemokines) increased, while expression of $MIP-l{\alpha}$ did not change. The cell cytotoxicity of Baekryunchihyo-tang(白蓮治哮湯) with treatments at various concentrations and times was not observed, respectively. Conclusion : This study suggests that Baekryunchihyo-tang(白蓮治哮湯) has dose-dependent effects on mRNA expression of IL-8(CXC chemokines), $MIP-l{\beta}$ and RANTES(CC chemokines) in human mast cellline(HMC-l). So these herbal medicines may inhibit the inflammatory process of asthma. Advanced studies are required to investigate the mechanism of inhibition by herbal medicine in the asthma model. This study provides basic data on the possibility of the clinical treatment of Baekryunchihyo-tang(白蓮治哮湯) for allergic disorders.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.59-66
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• 2016

It has been generally accepted that obesity and overweight are associated with metabolic diseases and cancer incidence. In fact, obesity increased risks of cancers i.e. breast, liver, pancreatic and prostate. Celastrol is a pentacyclic triterpenoid isolated from Thunder god vine, was used as a Chinese traditional medicine for treatment of inflammatory disorders such as arthritis, lupus erythematosus and Alzheimer's disease. Also, celastrol has various biological properties of chemo-preventive, neuro-protective, and anti-oxidant effects. Recent studies demonstrated that celastrol has anti-proliferation effects in different type of obesity-related cancers and suppresses tumor progression and metastasis. Anticancer effects of celastrol include regulation of $NF-{\kappa}B$, heat shock protein, JNK, VEGF, CXCR4, Akt/mTOR, MMP-9 and so on. For these reasons, celastrol has shown to be a promising anti-tumor agent. In this review, we will address the anticancer activities and multiple mechanisms of celastrol in obesity-related cancers.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.651-656
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• 2006

Activation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ is known to be a trigger of various cellular disorders including inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Numerous approaches are ongoing within laboratories to identify potential therapeutic agents which inhibit the $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation. In this study, we have tested the inhibitory effects of five traditional medicines on the activation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ by NIK. Among three medicines which exhibited inhibitory effect on the expression of $NF-{\kappa}B$ repoter plasmid, we investigated further the inhibitory mechanism of Dichroa febrifuga in connection with IKKY activity. Wild type $IKK{\gamma}$ inhibited the $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation by NIK but the C-terminal deletion mutant of IKKY did not show the inhibitory effect, indicating that the C-terminal leucine zipper domain of $NF-{\kappa}B$ is important for the inhibition of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation. The water extract of Dichroa febrifuga(DFE) also strongly inhibited the $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation by NIK. The inhibitory activity of DFE appeared to be independent of the expression of $IKK{\gamma}$, suggesting that the pathways of inhibition by Dichroa febrifuga and $IKK{\gamma}$ are different. Our results suggest that Dichroa febrifuga can be used as a medicine for inhibition of the $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation in a wide range of cells without relation to the expression of $IKK{\gamma}$.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.11-15
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• 2007

Background: The term "overlap syndromes" designates a group of diseases in which polymyositis (PM) or dermatomyositis (DM) is associated with some other disorders of connective tissues. The aim of this study was to delineate the clinical features, laboratory findings, and outcome of treatment of "overlap syndromes" Methods: We analyzed the medical records of 16 patients (PM in 10, DM in 6) with well documented "overlap syndromes" between 1997 and 2004. The diagnosis was made when the criteria for two different disorders were fulfilled. Results: All patients were female. Age of onset ranged from 14 to 52 years (mean 29.8 years) with peak incidence in the third and fourth decades. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was associated in 10, systemic sclerosis in 7, and rheumatoid arthritis in 3 patients. Four of the patients had two different connective tissue diseases simultaneously. The characteristic clinical features were muscle weakness, arthralgia, Raynaud's phenomenon, and myalgia. In laboratory tests, creatine kinase (CK), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), and transaminases were usually abnormal. Positive antinuclear antibody (ANA), rheumatoid factor (RF), and cryoglobulin were found in 100%, 69%, and 67% of the patients, respectively. Needle electromyography (EMG) showed abnormal findings compatible with myopathy in 15 patients. The pathology of muscle biopsy from 14 patients revealed findings compatible with inflammatory myopathy. Glucocorticoids were administered to 15 patients. The muscle strength improved in all the treated patients, which was well correlated with repeat CK level and EMG findings. Conclusions: The presence of autoantibodies such as ANA, RF, and cryoglobulin in patients with PM or DM highly suggests the possibility of an overlap syndromes. These syndromes reveal a strong female predominance. The myositis associated with them usually shows a good response to glucocorticoids treatment.