• BMB Reports
• /
• v.53 no.6
• /
• pp.317-322
• /
• 2020

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common liver diseases. NAFLD can further progress to irreversible liver failure such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) fibrosis and cirrhosis. However, specific regulator of NASH-fibrosis has yet to be established. Here, we found that glutathione peroxidase 7 (GPx7) was markedly expressed in NASH fibrosis. Although GPx7 is an antioxidant enzyme protecting other organs, whether GPx7 plays a role in NASH fibrosis has yet to be studied. We found that knockdown of GPx7 in transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and free fatty acids (FFA)-treated LX-2 cells elevated the expression of pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory genes and collagen synthesis. Consistently, GPx7 overexpression in LX-2 cells led to the suppression of ROS production and reduced the expression of pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory genes. Further, NASH fibrosis induced by choline-deficient amino acid defined, high fat diet (CDAHFD) feeding was significantly accelerated by knockdown of GPx7, as evidenced by up-regulated liver fibrosis and inflammation compared with CDAHFD control mice. Collectively, these results suggest that GPx7 might be a novel therapeutic target to prevent the progression and development of NAFLD.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.71-75
• /
• 2006

The effect of protein extract from Asterina pectinifera on proliferation of human breast cancer cells and activities of cytochrome P450 1A1 and ornithine decarboxylase was tested. Protein extract from Asterina pectinifera inhibited the growth of both estrogen-dependent MCF-7 and estrogen-independent MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. Cytochrome P450 1A1 activity was significantly inhibited by the protein extract from Asterina pectinifera at concentrations of 80 (p<0.05), 120 (p<0.01) and $160{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ (p<0.01). The extract inhibited induction of ornithine decarboxylase by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, a key enzyme of polyamine biosynthesis, which is enhanced in breast tumor promotion. Therefore, Asterina pectinifera is worth further investigation with respect to breast cancer chemoprevention or therapy.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.247-253
• /
• 2021

Background: Radiation therapy (RT) is frequently used for supportive treatment and management of advanced head and neck cancers. This study performed a retrospective review of the treatment methods that were used for intractable draining fistulas in seven patients who had received RT for head and neck cancers. Treatment methods used for two of the seven patients are presented in detail. Methods: From 2009 to 2020, seven patients underwent reconstructive surgery for intractable fistulas which occurred after RT for head and neck cancers. Patient characteristics, medical history, treatment method, and treatment outcome were reviewed for each case. The type of surgery performed, failure rate, and treatment period were also analyzed. Results: In this study, a total of seven patients received additional management for radiation-induced fistulas. Patients underwent a mean of 3.3±1.4 surgeries (maximum: six surgeries) to resolve their fistulas. The mean time interval from the first surgery to the last surgery for the patients to achieve resolution of the fistula was 8.7 months. Loco-regional flaps have performed an average of 1.9±1.5 times. However, all loco-regional flaps failed. Instead, the patients' intractable fistulas were resolved with the use of distant flaps or free tissue transfers. Conclusion: Fistulas that develop after head and neck cancer treatment following RT are difficult to treat with simple loco-regional flap procedures. Therefore, more aggressive treatment techniques, such as distant flap or free tissue transfer, may be needed to shorten patients' treatment periods and avoid unnecessary surgeries.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.44 no.5
• /
• pp.1083-1091
• /
• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to report a case of a woman with intractable hiccups after a traffic accident through Korean medicine treatment. Methods: A combination of treatments, including herbal medicine (Soshiho-tang), pharmacopuncture, acupuncture, Chuna, cupping, and moxibustion, was administered to the patient for 21 days. The frequency and duration of hiccups, the degree of body shaking, and total sleep time were measured daily. The accompanying symptoms were measured daily using the Visual Analogue Scale. Results: After Korean medicine treatment, Hiccup symptoms disappeared. Further, the degree of clinical symptoms and QOL improved significantly after Korean medicine treatment. No adverse events were observed. Conclusions: This study suggests that Korean medicine treatment can be an effective treatment for intractable hiccups after traffic accidents.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.90-94
• /
• 2001

The mutagenic activity of chitosan oligosaccharide and its antimutagenic effect against 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) were investigated using the Salmonella/Ames test. No mutagenic activity was found in the Salmonella typhimurium strains TA 98 and TA 100, either with or without S9 activation. In contrast, chitosan oligosaccharide showed an inhibitory effect on the mutagenic activity of the cooked food mutagen, MeIQx, in the presence of S9. The influence of chitosan oligosaccharide on the genotoxicity of MeIQx was examined using a host-mediated assay in mice. The oligosaccharide was administered for 14 consecutive days (intragastric application at doses of 0.1 or 0.5 g/kg body wt) to mice. S. typhimurium TA 98 was given intravenously before an oral dose of MeIQx (4.5 mg/kg body wt.). The number of $his^+$ revertants were determined from the Ever of mice. The intragastric application of oligosaccharide led to a 47% reduction in the number of mutants induced by MeIQx (p<0.05). These results suggested that chitosan oligosaccharide had antimutagenic properties against MeIQx in vitro and in vivo.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.34 no.2 s.133
• /
• pp.161-165
• /
• 2003

Ethanol extract from Thesium chinense Tunczaninov (TCTE) was tested for breast cancer chemopreventive activity by measuring 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) - induced cytochrome P450 1A1 activity, induction of quinone reductase and glutathione S-transferase, and glutathione level. TCTE significantly inhibited cytochrome P45O 1A1 activity at the concentration of 90 and 150 mg/ml. TCTE induced quinone reductase activity in a dose-dependent manner in a concentration range of 3-150 mg/ml. In addition glutathione S-transferase activity and glutathione level were increased with TCTE in cultured murine hepatoma Hepa1c1c7 cells. These results suggest that TCTE has breast cancer chemopreventive potential by inhibiting cytochrome P45O 1A1 activity, inducing quinone reductase and glutathione S-transferase activities, and increasing GSH level.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.198-201
• /
• 2010

Persistent and intractable hiccups (with respective durations of more than 48 hours and 1 month) can result in depression, fatigue, impaired sleep, dehydration, weight loss, malnutrition, and aspiration syndromes. The conventional treatments for hiccups are either non-pharmacological, pharmacological or a nerve block treatment. Pulsed radiofrequency lesioning (PRFL) has been proposed for the modulation of the excited nervous system pathway of pain as a safe and nondestructive treatment method. As placement of the electrode in close proximity to the targeted nerve is very important for the success of PRFL, ultrasound appears to be well suited for this technique. A 74-year-old man suffering from intractable hiccups that had developed after a coronary artery bypass graft and had continued for 7 years was referred to our pain clinic. He had not been treated with conventional methods or medications. We performed PRFL of the phrenic nerve guided by ultrasound and the hiccups disappeared.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.60-64
• /
• 2010

Despite recent methodological advancement of the practical pain medicine, many cases of the chronic anorectal pain have been intractable. A 54-year-old female patient who had a month history of a constant severe anorectal pain was referred to our clinic for further management. No organic or functional pathology was found. In spite of several modalities of management, such as medications and nerve blocks had been applied, the efficacy of such treatments was not long-lasting. Eventually, she underwent temporary then subsequent permanent sacral nerve stimulation. Her sequential numerical rating scale for pain and pain disability index were markedly improved. We report a successful management of the chronic intractable anorectal pain via permanent sacral nerve stimulation. But further controlled studies may be needed.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.304-308
• /
• 1991

Corticosteroid has been extensively used for the treatment of many medical diseases caused by immune and inflammatory response. And recently it becomes the first choice of treatment for bronchial asthma in a point of it's anti-inflammatory effects. However, this therapy has been associated with many well-known complications including truncal obesity, diabetes mellitus, excerbation of hypertension, delayed wound healing, easy bruisy, atropy of proximal muscles, psychotic symptoms, and/or osteoporosis. We report a case of patient with bronchial asthma who developed an uncommon side reaction, intractable hiccup persisting longer than 48 hours after treatment with oral corticosteroid.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.34 no.4 s.135
• /
• pp.297-302
• /
• 2003

Cnidii Rhizoma water extract (CRW) was tested for liver cancer chemopreventive potential by measuring the inhibition of phase I enzyme and benzo[a]pyrene-DNA adduct formation and induction of phase II detoxification enzymes. There was 17.0% inhibition in the activity of cytochrome P450 1A1 enzyme with the treatment of 150 mg/ml CRW. At concentration of 30 mg/ml CRW, the binding of $[^3H]B[a]P$ metablites to DNA of NCTC-clone 1469 cell was inhibited by 33.3%. CRW was potent inducer of quinone reductase (QR) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities in cultured murine hepatoma Hepalc1c7 cells. However, hepatic glutathione (GSH) level was not influenced by CRW. These findings suggest that CRW has chemopreventive potential of liver cancer by inhibiting cytochrome P450 1A1 activity and benzo[a]pyrene-DNA adduct formation and inducing QR and GST activities.