• The Journal of Korean Medical History
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.23-42
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• 2018

This study examines the variation in diagrams of the kidney, and the effects on location of the Life Gate as a result. My study analyzes diagrams of kidney form and location, such as appearance, the vertebral spine, ShenXi, and "Life Gate", and also explores the causes for such variations. The kidney is commonly described as having the shape of a bean, which throughout medical history has showed almost no variation. The spine was initially described with a total of 21 vertebrae, and later with a range of 19-25 vertebrae. Regarding the height of kidney in relationship to the spine, it was initially described as beginning at the 14th vertebrae, and later changed to the 15th or 17th vertebrae. However, there have been no changes in the perception of the height of kidney. Initially, the location of the Life Gate could not be identified. Three different suggestions of its location were found throughout historical literature, including: (1) at or within the right kidney; (2) between two kidneys; and (3) between 14th-15th spine. There were also variations noted in the process of copying diagrams of kidney in many books not only because the work of copying was not precise, but also because each medical practitioner had a different interpretation of the kidney's form and function in Traditional Korean and Chinese Medicine. It appears that some practitioners may have been influenced by their understandings of theory of Life Gate.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.154-158
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• 2003

Collagen is a family of proteins which consists of several genetically distinct molecular species and is intimately involved in tissue organization, function, differentiation and development. The purpose of this study was to investigate the concentration of different hydroxyproline (Hyp) fractions viz., total, free, peptide-bound, protein-bound, soluble- and insoluble-collagen hydroxyproline (Hyp) in various bovine tissues. Results showed that liver had the highest concentration of free Hyp followed by kidney, brain, spleen, lungs, muscle and heart. Liver also had the highest concentration of peptide-bound collagen Hyp followed by kidney, heart, spleen, lungs, brain and muscle. The concentration of protein-bound collagen Hyp was highest in the liver, followed by kidney, spleen, lungs, muscle, brain and heart. Total Hyp was highest in the liver, followed by kidney, spleen, brain, heart, muscle and lungs. Liver also had significantly high concentration of collagen as compared to other tissues examined (P<0.001). Spleen had the significantly higher concentration of soluble-collagen Hyp when compared to other tissues (P<0.001). This was followed by heart, muscle, lungs, brain, kidney and liver. Heart had the highest concentration of insoluble-collagen Hyp followed by lungs, kidney, liver, muscle, spleen and brain. The variation among the insoluble-collagen Hyp concentration of heart and muscle, spleen and brain was significant (P<0.001). We speculate that these differences could be due to the variation in turn over of rate of collagen metabolism in this species.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.122-131
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• 2000

This dissertation is try to figure out why chestnut belongs to kidney channel, from the viewpoint of five elements theory. After studying chestnut's property, flavor, channel tropism, main cure ability, prescriptions, shape, sweet, and prohibitions, I came to the following results. 1. Property of chestnut is warm and has no toxicity, so it is less related than kidney property. 2. Flavor of chestnut is salty and sweet, so it has some relation to kidney and spleen properties. 3. Channel tropism of chestnut enters mainly into kidney channel, and then spleen and stomach channels. 4. Chestnut controls kidney function of storing the essence of life, determining the condition of bone and marrow, conduction water metabolism, affecting reasoning activity, and controls activity of nine openings of body. It also has effects on functions of spleen, intestines and stomach. 5. Prescriptions including chestnut is similar to that of human brain, it is possible to reason out that chestnut has some relation to human brain. 7. As flavor of chestnut flower is similar to that of spermatic fluid, so it has som relation to kidney property. 8. As chestnut has property of blocking qi and it causes spleen, stomach and colon system to be confused, so it is suggested that persons with weakende spleen and stomach be not allowed to take in.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.221-230
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• 2023

Diabetic kidney disease is one of the most serious complications of diabetes. Although diabetic kidney disease can be effectively controlled through strict blood glucose management and corresponding symptomatic treatment, these therapies cannot reduce its incidence in diabetic patients. The sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and the traditional Chinese herb "Gegen" have been widely used in diabetes-related therapy. However, it remains unclear whether the combined use of these two kinds of medicines contributes to an increased curative effect on diabetic kidney disease. In this study, we examined this issue by evaluating the efficacy of the combination of puerarin, an active ingredient of Gegen, and canagliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor for a 12-week intervention using a mouse model of diabetes. The results indicated that the combination of puerarin and canagliflozin was superior to canagliflozin alone in improving the metabolic and renal function parameters of diabetic mice. Our findings suggested that the renoprotective effect of combined puerarin and canagliflozin in diabetic mice was achieved by reducing renal lipid accumulation. This study provides a new strategy for the clinical prevention and treatment of diabetic kidney disease. The puerarin and SGLT2 inhibitor combination therapy at the initial stage of diabetes may effectively delay the occurrence of diabetic kidney injury, and significantly alleviate the burden of renal lipotoxicity.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.68-74
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• 2003

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether herbal medication may injure the liver function and kidney function. We clinically studied the changes of biochemistry and complete blood cell count in patients who were hospitalized in Korean hospital. Methods : The subjects were 160 patients admitted in Kangnam Korean hospital, Kyung Hee, whose mean duration of medication was 70 days(min 30, max 252). All patients had been checked biochemistry and complete blood cell count for 30 days since their hospitalization. Results : Aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alanine aminotransferase(ALT), alkaline phosphatase(ALP), blood urea nitrogen(BUN) and Creatinine(Cr) decreased significantly on discharge, compared with the values of admissoin(P<0.05). Total protein significantly elevated on dischrge compared with the values of admisson(P<0.05). Conclusions : This study suggests that even though there are few toxic herbal medicines, in general, herbal medications which are prescribed by oriental medicine doctors should be carefully administered not to hurt liver and kidney function.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.127-130
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• 2014

Autoimmune thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the world. It is characterized clinically by gradual thyroid failure, goiter formation, or both, because of the autoimmune-mediated destruction of the thyroid gland. Renal involvement presenting proteinuria in autoimmune thyroiditis is not uncommon, occurring in 10% to 30% of the cases. Glomerulonephropathy associated with autoimmune thyroiditis, however, is a rare disease. Most reports of autoimmune thyroiditis with glomerulonephropathy have demonstrated a mixed pathological morphology and have been predominantly associated with membranous glomerulopathy. The case of minimal-change disease associated with thyroiditis presenting acute kidney injury is a rare disease that has not been reported in South Korea. Reported herein is the case of a 16-year-old man diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, with minimal-change disease presenting acute kidney injury. He revealed hypothyroidism, proteinuria, and impaired renal function. Renal biopsy showed minimal-change disease and minimal tubular atrophy. The patient was treated with thyroid hormone, and his renal function and proteinuria improved. Therefore, for patients with autoimmune thyroiditis presenting unexplained proteinuria, glomer-ulonephropathy should be ruled out. Conversely, for patients with glomerulonephropathy and persistent proteinuria despite proper treatment, thyroid function and antibody tests should be performed.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.147-157
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• 2000

This study examined the effects of excess intake of calcium (Ca) and iron (Fe) supplement on bone loss, nephrocalcinosis and renal function in osteoporotic model rats. Seven-week-old female rats were first fed a Ca-deficient diet for four weeks after ovariectomy operation, and then one of nine experimental diets for additional eight weeks, containing three levels of Ca, normal (0.5%) or high (1.5%) or excess (2.5%) and three levels of Fe, normal (35ppm) or high (210ppm) or excess (350ppm). The osteoporotic model rats showed a remarkable increase in body weight, serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and decrease in breaking force, Ca, P, Mg contents of femur. Serum Ca concentration was not significantly affected by dietary Ca and Fe levles. Liver Ca content increased in rats fed a high-and excess-Ca diet. Kidney Ca content and microscopic Ca deposition remarkably increased in osteoporotic model rats compared to control group, and showed a tendency to decrease in rats fed a excess-Ca diet. Breaking force of femur increased with increasing dietary Ca levels, but Ca, P contents of femur and serum ALP were not significantly affected by dietary Ca and Fe levels. Serum total protein decreased in rats fed a excess-Ca diet, BUN increased in rats fed a excess-Ca diet, while serum uric acid and creatinine were not significantly affected by dietary Ca levels. Urinary creatinine, GFR increased in rats fed a high-and excess-Ca, diet, and GFR was highest in rats fed a excess-Ca/excess-Fe diet. These results suggest that excess intake of Ca may increase breaking force of femur, but not increase mineral contents of femur, and decrease kidney function. Furthermore, excess intake of Fe and Ca concurrently may aggravate kidney function leading to potential health problems in ovariectomized osteoporotic model rats.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.95-99
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• 1999

Idiopathic membranous nephropathy is one of the most common causes of nephrotic syndromes in adults but rare in childhood. The occurrence of crescentic glomerulonephritis and membranous nephropathy in a patient is rare. This report describes a patient who initially was diagnosed as a membranous glomerulonephropathy at age 12 years and subsequently developed a crescentic, rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis at age 19 years. The patient responded to methylprednisolone pulse therapy and he maintained with partial remission and normal renal function with residual proteinuria.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.268-272
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• 2012

Nephrotoxicity occurs when kidney-specific detoxification and excretion do not work properly due to the damage or destruction of kidney function by exogenous or endogenous toxicants. Exposure to drugs often results in toxicity in kidney which represents the major control system maintaining homeostasis of body and thus is especially susceptible to xenobiotics. Understanding the toxic mechanisms for nephrotoxicity provides useful information on the development of drugs with therapeutic benefits with reduced side effects. Mechanisms for drug-induced nephrotoxicity include changes in glomerular hemodynamics, tubular cell toxicity, inflammation, crystal nephropathy, rhabdomyolysis, and thrombotic microangiopathy. Biomarkers have been identified for the assessment of nephrotoxicity. The discovery and development of novel biomarkers that can diagnose kidney damage earlier and more accurately are needed for effective prevention of drug-induced nephrotoxicity. Although some of them fail to confer specificity and sensitivity, several promising candidates of biomarkers were recently proved for assessment of nephrotoxicity. In this review, we summarize mechanisms of drug-induced nephrotoxicity and present the list of drugs that cause nephrotoxicity and biomarkers that can be used for early assessment of nephrotoxicity.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.37-41
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• 2018

Mitochondrial injury in renal tubule has been recognized as a major contributor in acute kidney injury (AKI) pathogenesis. Ischemic insult, nephrotoxin, endotoxin and contrast medium destroy mitochondrial structure and function as well as their biogenesis and dynamics, especially in renal proximal tubule, to elicit ATP depletion. Mitochondrial fatty acid ${\beta}$-oxidation (FAO) is the preferred source of ATP in the kidney, and its impairment is a critical factor in AKI pathogenesis. This review explores current knowledge of mitochondrial dysfunction and energy depletion in AKI and prospective views on developing therapeutic strategies targeting mitochondrial dysfunction in AKI.