• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2023

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of herbal medicines on pacemaker potentials of large intestinal interstitial Cells of Cajal (ICC) in mice. Methods : We made the ICC culture in large intestine in mice and used the electrophysiological method to record pacemaker potentials. Also we used MTT assay to check cell viability and examined the ICC protein expression by western blot. Results : 1.Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer (GF) (50-150 ㎍/ml) induced pacemaker depolarization and decreased frequency with concentration-dependent manners. EC₅₀ is 58.95 ㎍/ml. Angelica gigas (AG) (50-200 ㎍/ml) induced pacemaker depolarization and decreased frequency with concentration-dependent manners. EC₅₀ is 77.22 ㎍/ml. Poncirus fructus (PF) (10-100 ㎍/ml) induced pacemaker depolarization and decreased frequency with concentration-dependent manners. EC₅₀ is 13.39 ㎍/ml. Citrus unshiu S. Marcov. (CU) (10-500 ㎍/ml) induced pacemaker depolarization and decreased frequency with concentration-dependent manners. EC₅₀ is 139.80 ㎍/ml. Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis (GJ) (100-500 ㎍/ml) induced pacemaker depolarization and decreased frequency with concentration-dependent manners. EC₅₀ is 78.70 ㎍/ml. Coptis chinensis (CC) (100-1000 ㎍/ml) induced pacemaker depolarization and decreased frequency with concentration-dependent manners. EC₅₀ is 138.10 ㎍/ml. Scutellaria baicalensis (SB) (10-100 ㎍/ml) had no effects on pacemaker potentials and decreased frequency with concentration-dependent manners. IC₅₀ is 18.34 ㎍/ml. Atractylodes macrocephala koidzumi (AM) (10-100 ㎍/ml) induced pacemaker hyperpolarizations and decreased frequency with concentration-dependent manners. IC₅₀ is 18.54 ㎍/ml. 2. PF, SB and AM had no effects on cell death in large ICC. 3. PF increased the ANO1 and c-kit protein expression and SB and AM increased the c-kit protein expression in large ICC. Conclusions : These results suggest that PF, SB, and AM are likely to be the optimal combination of herbal medicines that can be used to treat diseases such as gastrointestinal motility disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.265-274
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• 2014

Gut microbiota is a group of microorganisms that resides in the intestine and serves many important functions in human health. Using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing analysis, a wide variety of bacteria in human gastrointestinal tract has been identified along with intriguing findings that there is a different bacterial composition among individuals. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a procedure of stool transplantation from healthy donors to patients suffering from various diseases. Specifically, FMT is able to alter the composition of gut microbiota of recipients and therefore could be an effective treatment for the patients with gastrointestinal diseases including recurrent Clostridium difficile infection, inflammatory bowel disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. Here we review a list of human diseases related to gut microbiota disturbance and the case studies of FMT. We also summarize medicines and diagnostic tools that are under development. Therefore, gut microbiota can be a next generation's biotherapy for promotion of health and treatment of chronic diseases.

• Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.669-675
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• 2018

Background/Aims Functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are common gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and these patients frequently overlap. Trimebutine has been known to be effective in controlling FD co-existing diarrhea-dominant IBS, however its effect on overlap syndrome (OS) patients has not been reported. Therefore, we investigated the effect of trimebutine on the model of OS in guinea pigs. Methods Male guinea pigs were used to evaluate the effects of trimebutine in corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) induced OS model. Different doses (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg) of trimebutine were administered orally and incubated for 1 hour. The next treatment of $10{\mu}g/kg$ of CRF was intraperitoneally injected and stabilized for 30 minutes. Subsequently, intragastric 3 mL charcoal mix was administered, incubated for 10 minutes and the upper GI transit analyzed. Colonic transits were assessed after the same order and concentrations of trimebutine and CRF treatment by fecal pellet output assay. Results Different concentrations (1, 3, and $10{\mu}g/kg$) of rat/human CRF peptides was tested to establish the OS model in guinea pigs. CRF $10{\mu}g/kg$ was the most effective dose in the experimental OS model of guinea pigs. Trimebutine (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg) treatment significantly reversed the upper and lower GI transit of CRF induced OS model. Trimebutine significantly increased upper GI transit while it reduced fecal pellet output in the CRF induced OS model. Conclusions Trimebutine has been demonstrated to be effective on both upper and lower GI motor function in peripheral CRF induced OS model. Therefore, trimebutine might be an effective drug for the treatment of OS between FD and IBS patients.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.458-467
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• 2022

Background: Few studies have investigated unspecified or idiopathic pain associated with COIVD-19. This study aimed to provide the incidence rates of unspecified pain and idiopathic pain in patients with COVID-19 for 90 days after COVID-19 diagnosis. Methods: A propensity score matched cohort was used, including all patients with COVID-19 in South Korea, and analyzed their electronic medical records. The control group consisted of those who had not had tests for COVID-19 at all. Unspecified pain diagnoses consisted of diagnoses related to pain included in the ICD-10 Chapter XVIII. Idiopathic pain disorders included fibromyalgia, temporomandibular joint disorders, headaches, chronic prostatitis, complex regional pain syndrome, atypical facial pain, irritable bowel syndrome, and interstitial cystitis. Results: After matching, the number of participants in each group was 7,911. For most unspecified pain, the incidences were higher in the COVID-19 group (11.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 11.0-12.5) than in the control group (6.5%; 95% CI, 6.0-7.1). For idiopathic pain, only the headaches had a significantly higher incidence in the COVID-19 group (6.6%; 95% CI, 6.1-7.2) than in the control group (3.7%; 95% CI, 3.3-4.1). However, using a different control group that included only patients who visited a hospital at least once for any reasons, the incidences of most unspecified and idiopathic pain were higher in the control group than in the COVID-19 group. Conclusions: Patients with COVID-19 might be at a higher risk of experiencing unspecified pain in the acute phase or after recovery compared with individuals who had not had tests for COVID-19.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.170-176
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• 1995

Abdominal epilepsy is accepted as unusual cause of abdominal pain in children and young adolescents. Although its abdominal symptoms may be similar to those of the irritable bowel syndrome, it may be distinguished from the latter condition by the presence of the altered consciousness during some of attacks, EEG abnormalities, and a good response to anticonvulsant medication. The diagnosis of abdominal epilepsy came into vogue in the 1950s and 1960s as an explanation for childhood abdominal complaints. More recently, it has been recognized that isolated vomiting without loss of consciousness or other more common paroxysmal symtoms is rarely attributable to abdominal epilepsy. We report 4 cases of abdominal epilepsy, whose ages ranged from 8 to 11 years, with paroxysmal abdominal pain or vomiting consistent with a diagnosis of abdominal epilepsy.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.22-32
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• 1997

The gastrointestinal disorders (GI disorders) is one of the most common diseases in Korea. The community pharmacists are often faced with the complaints of symptoms due to the GI disorders. However the drugs used to treat the GI disorders are frequently abused by the patients themselves because these drugs are easily available and have high placebo effects. Therefore, we have reviewed the digestive diseases statistics of 1996 to find out the frequencies of the GI disorders in the outpatients of Samsung Medical Center. Using these statistic data, we figured out the frequently diagnosed GI disorders and analysed commonly used prescriptions from February 1st to 28th of 1997. In addition, we also evaluated the commonly used drugs in these prescriptions. About twenty thousands of patients visited the hopital because of their GI symptoms in 1996. It was found that dyspepsia, viral hepatitis, and gastric and duodenal ulcer disease are frequently diagnosed in these patients. In a point of view on other GI disorders, gastritis and duodenitis, irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease, constipation and diarrhea were commonly detected. And a number of drugs were prescribed to treat the GI disorders, which included the prokinetics, Histamine-2 receptor antagonists, proton pump inhibitor, antacids, tranquillizers, antidepressants, antispasmodics, laxatives and so on. Interestingly, there were many prescriptions composing of the antibiotic regimens to eradicate H. pylori which has been proven to cause peptic ulcers.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.139-152
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• 2004

Objective: The aim of this study was to find about relation between Chiljung(七情) and chronic recurrent abdominal pain in children. Methods: It was surveyed the oriental medical book concerning Chiljung(七情) and western medical book concerning Chronic recurrent abdominal pain. Results: Chronic recurrent abdominal pain which is common disorder in children is mostly functional abdominal pain due to stress. The Stress can be defined as spiritual factor which lead to imbalance of body homeostasis in medicine. In oriental medicine, it is considered as Chiljung(七情) disorder. The gastrointestinal disease due to stress are peptic ulcer, chronic gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic abdominal pain, vomitting etc. In oriental medicine pathology mechanism, it is considered as discord with liver and spleen, depression of spleen-energy. It comes within the category of depression. Children with chronic recurrent abdominal pain is dependent on parents and they have an introspective nature, compulsive idea which is intolerable for failure.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.209-221
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• 2012

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and the cold-heat pattern in patients with chronic constipation. Methods : Subjects with chronic constipation (n=30) and without chronic constipation (n=20) were recruited, interviewed and measured for heart rate variability (HRV). Chronic constipation was defined as functional constipation and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) with constipation based on Rome III criteria. We surveyed patients' general characteristics, categorized by cold-heat pattern, and took measurement of HRV for 5 minutes. Analysis was conducted among these three indices. Results : Women accounted for most of the subjects with chronic constipation (96.7%). In groups with or without constipation, the number of cold patterns was more than of heat patterns. The mean heart rate of subjects without chronic constipation was significantly higher than that of subjects with chronic constipation. No other statistical significance was noted among indices of HRV and cold-heat pattern. Conclusions : Through this study, there were few relationships between autonomic nervous system measured by HRV and cold-heat pattern in chronic constipation.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2014

Generally, Gwakhyangjeonggi-san has been used for treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. In this study, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometer method was established for the simultaneous quantification of marker compounds 1-20 in Gwakhyangjeonggi-san water extract. All analytes were separated by gradient elution using two mobile phases on a UPLC BEH $C_{18}$ ($100{\times}2.1mm$, $1.7{\mu}m$) column and maintained at $45^{\circ}C$. The injection volume was $2.0{\mu}L$ and the flow rate was 0.3 mL/min with detection at mass spectrometer. Regression equations of the compounds 1-20 were acquired with $r^2$ values ${\geq}0.9950$. The values of limit of detection and quantification of all analytes were 0.01-2.79 ng/mL and 0.03-8.37 ng/mL, respectively. The amounts of the compounds 1-20 in Gwakhyangjeonggi-san water extract were not detected $-3,236.67{\mu}g/g$. The established LC-MS/MS methods will be valuable to improve quality control of traditional herbal formula, Gwakhyangjeonggi-san.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.254-257
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• 1994

In the patients having constipation or irritable bowel syndrome, stellate ganglion block is commonly used in many pain clinics because of its excellent effects. But in the case of patients having spinal cord injury complain constipation, its management is very difficult and there is no report about the effects of stellate ganglion block in this case. We experieced good results that stellate ganglion block was very effective in the patients having spinal cord injury complaining severe constipation and other symptoms.