• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.150-155
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• 2001

Background: Tramadol is known to be a weak opioid. However, it has also been shown that tramadol is an effective norepinephrine and serotonin uptake blocker, which may be effective in the treatment of neuropathic pain. The present study was undertaken in order to assess the antinociceptive action of tramadol and to investigate possible antinociceptive mechanisms by using antagonists in an animal neuropathic pain models in rats. Methods: Rats were prepared with tight ligation at the left 5 and 6th lumbar spinal nerves (Kim and Chung's neuropathic pain model). The antinociceptive effects of tramadol (10, 20, and 50 mg/kg i.p.) in rats with neuropathic pain were assessed. Additionally, following coadministration of antagonists such as naloxone (1 mg/kg i.p.), yohimbine (1 mg/kg i.p.) and ritanserin (1 mg/kg i.p.) with 50 mg/kg of tramadol, the responses to mechanical and thermal stimuli were measured over a two-hour period. Results: Tramadol displayed potent antinociceptive effects in a dose-dependent manner on rats with neuropathic pain (P < 0.05). The effects of tramadol were inhibited by coadministered naloxone and yohimbine in rats with mechanical and thermal allodynia, respectively (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant changes in the pain behaviors in the case of ritanserin. Conclusions: Tramadol showed significant antinociceptive effects in rats with regards to neuropathic pain against both mechanical and thermal allodynia. The antinociceptive effect on the mechanical stimuli is medicated via an opioid receptor. However, it appears that the antinociceptive effects on thermal allodynia are mediated via a noradrenalin receptor vice a serotonergic receptor.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.582-586
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• 2005

The present study was designed to characterize the possible roles of spinally located cholera toxin (CTX)- and pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive G-proteins in pro- inflammatory cy tokine induced pain behaviors. Intrathecal injection of tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-${\alpha}$; 100 pg), interleukin-1${\beta}$ (IL-1${\beta}$ 100 pg) and interferon-${\gamma}$ (INF-${\gamma}$; 100 pg) showed pain behavior. Intrathecal pretreatment with CTX (0.05, 0.1 and 0.5 mg) attenuated pain behavior induced by TNF-${\alpha}$ and INF-${\gamma}$ administered intrathecally. But intrathecal pretreatment with CTX (0.05, 0.1 and 0.5${\mu}g$) did not attenuate pain behavior induced by IL-1${\beta}$. On the other hand, intrathecal pretreatment with PTX further increased the pain behavior induced by TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-1${\beta}$ administered intrathecally, especially at the dose of 0.5 ${\mu}g$. But intrathecal pretreatment with PTX did not affect pain behavior induced by INF-${\gamma}$. Our results suggest that, at the spinal cord level, CTX- and PTX-sensitive G-proteins appear to play important roles in modulating pain behavior induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines administered spinally. Furthermore, TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-1${\beta}$ arid INF-${\gamma}$ administered spinally appear to produce pain behavior by different mechanisms.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.267-274
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• 2020

Background: General anesthesia (GA) has been considered the anesthetic technique which most frequent leads to phantom limb pain (PLP) after a limb amputation. However, these prior reports were limited by small sample sizes. The aims of this study were to evaluate the incidence of PLP according to the various anesthetic techniques used for limb amputation and also to compare the occurrence of PLP according to amputation etiology using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service for large-scale demographic information. Methods: The claims of patients who underwent limb amputation were reviewed by analyzing the codes used to classify standardized medical behaviors. The patients were categorized into three groups-GA, neuraxial anesthesia (NA), and peripheral nerve block (PNB)-in accordance with the anesthetic technique. The recorded diagnosis was confirmed using the diagnostic codes for PLP registered within one year after the limb amputation. Results: Finally, 7,613 individuals were analyzed. According to the recorded diagnoses, 362 patients (4.8%) developed PLP after amputation. Among the 2,992 patients exposed to GA, 191 (6.4%) were diagnosed with PLP, whereas 121 (4.3%) of the 2,840 patients anesthetized with NA, and 50 (2.8%) of the 1,781 patients anesthetized under PNB developed PLP. The relative risks were 0.67 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53-0.84; P < 0.001) for NA and 0.43 (95% CI, 0.32-0.59; P < 0.001) for PNB. Conclusions: In this retrospective cohort study, using large-scale population-based databases, the incidence rates of PLP after limb amputations were, in the order of frequency, GA, NA, and PNB.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.289-294
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• 2013

Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is an acute-phase protein induced by injury, infection, or other inflammatory stimuli. LCN2 binds small hydrophobic ligands and interacts with cell surface receptor to regulate diverse cellular processes. The role of LCN2 as a chemokine inducer in the central nervous system (CNS) has been previously reported. Based on the previous participation of LCN2 in neuroinflammation, we investigated the role of LCN2 in formalin-induced nociception and pathological pain. Formalin-induced nociceptive behaviors (licking/biting) and spinal microglial activation were significantly reduced in the second or late phase of the formalin test in Lcn2 knockout mice. Likewise, antibody-mediated neutralization of spinal LCN2 attenuated the mechanical hypersensitivity induced by peripheral nerve injury in mice. Taken together, our results suggest that LCN2 can be therapeutically targeted, presumably for both prevention and reversal of acute inflammatory pain as well as pathological pain.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.132-141
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• 2022

Objectives : Some acupoints are commonly utilized to treat a variety of diseases. The acupoints appear to have a wide range of effects caused by several mechanisms. The purpose of this study is to investigate into the potential role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the multipotent effects of individual acupoint stimulation. Methods : We examined the miRNA expressions in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of neuropathic or inflammatory pain rats following ST36 and GB34 electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation. Neuropathic pain was induced by L5 spinal nerve ligation. Inflammatory pain was induced by knee joint injection of Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). EA was given under gaseous anesthesia with the same parameters (1mA, 2Hz, 30 min) in 5 consecutive days. Pain behaviors and miRNA expressions were analyzed. Results : In rats with neuropathic and inflammatory pain, EA treatments significantly enhanced the paw withdrawal threshold and weight-bearing force. After nerve injury, 36 miRNAs were upregulated in the DRG of neuropathic rats, while EA downregulated 10 of them. Furthermore, 14 miRNAs were downregulated following nerve damage, while one was increased by EA. 15 miRNAs were increased in the DRG of inflammatory rats following CFA injection, while 5 were downregulated by EA. Furthermore, 17 miRNAs were downregulated following CFA injection, while 7 were increased by EA. The miRNAs rno-miR-335, rno-miR-381-5p, rno-miR-1306-3p, and rno-miR-1839-3p were regulated by EA in both models. Conclusions : In two pain models, EA applied to ST36 and GB34 regulated miRNA expression differently. There appeared to be both acupoint-specific and non-specific miRNAs, and miRNA regulation of differential protein expression may modulate a variety of EA mechanisms.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.37 no.7
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• pp.1193-1201
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• 2007

Purpose: This study was aimed to identify the factors that influence eating behaviors in coronary artery disease patients and to create data for nursing which is thought to improve the eating behavior. Method: The study population was coronary artery disease patients who were treated on an outpatient basis. The measurements were eating behavior, diet self-efficacy, perceived-benefits, perceived-seriousness, family support and medical team support. All of the measurement tools above were thoroughly modified to verify validity and reliability. Statistical analysis was done by the SPSS PC 12.0 program. Results: The influencing factors for the eating behavior was diet self-efficacy (${\beta}=0.476$), social support (${\beta}=0.253$), chest pain (${\beta}=0.177$), smoking (${\beta}=-0.173$) and regular exercise (${\beta}=.169$), which explained 46.2%. Conclusion: Eating behaviors of coronary artery disease patients were influenced by diet self-efficacy, family support and the presence of chest pain. Therefore, the development of a program for efficient dietary education that prevents the progression of coronary artery disease is needed.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.279-288
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to compare the health behaviors and health indices according to whether a percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI) was performed due to chest pain. This is a secondary data analysis study of nursing information questionnaires and electronic medical records of 247 chest pain patients in a hospital from January 2010 to December 2017. The participants were divided into non-PCI and PCI groups, and the health behaviors, blood pressure, and blood lipid levels were collected at the first hospital admission and re-admission. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0. As a result of the study, smoking and lipid levels were significantly healthier than the participants in PCI group during re-hospitalization. Non-PCI group had a high risk of smoking despite the high risk of coronary artery stenosis. It was found that continuous integrated management to promote health behavior is needed. The significance of this study was to identify the importance of health behavior in patients with the risk of cardiovascular disease.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.59-76
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• 2004

Objectives : The usage of acupuncture has gained popularity for certain chronic pain conditions. However, the efficacy of acupuncture in various diseases has not been fully established and the underlying mechanism is not clearly understood. In the present study, the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) applied to yangno$(SI_6)$ on the neuropathic pain was examined. Methods : A common source of persistent pain in human is a neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain was induced by tight ligation of L5 spinal nerve. When rats developed pain behaviors, EA was applied for 30 min. under enflurane anesthesia with repeated train stimuli at the intensity of 10X of muscle twitch threshold. The foot withdraw latency of the hind limb was measured for an indicator of pain level after each manipulation. Results : EA increased the mechanical threshold of the foot in the rat model of neuropathic pain significantly for the duration of 1 hr. suggesting a partial alleviation of pain. EA applied to SI6 point produced a significant improvement of mechanical sensitivity of the foot lasting for at least 1 h. However, $ST_{36}$ point did not produce any significant increase of mechanical sensitivity. The improvement of mechanical threshold was interpreted as an analgesic effect. The analgesic effort was specific to the acupuncture point since the analgesic effect on the neuropathic pain model could not be mimicked by EA applied to a point, $ST_{36}$. In addition, this analgesic effect of EA is mediated by a adrenergic mechanism of descending control of spinal cord from the brain. Conclusions : The data suggest that EA produces a potent analgesic effect on the neuropathic pain model in the rat; and 2) that EA-induced analgesia is mediated by a adrenergic mechanism of descending control in a point specific manner.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.23 no.1 s.53
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• pp.38-43
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• 1999

Ginseng total saponins (ginsenosides) are biologically active main ingredients of Panax ginseng. In present study, we have investigated whether pretreatment of ginsenosides inhibited capsaicin-induced pain at the spinal level, in the view that capsaicin causes substance P (SP) release from primary afferents. Ginsenosides relieved capsaicin-induced pain in a dose-dependent manner. The $ED_{50}$ of the effect was 43 (20-93, $95\%$ C.I.) ${\mu}g/mouse$. We investigated excitatory amino acids-induced nociceptive responses in mice, because these agents are also involved in nociceptive transmission in the spinal cord. Coadministration of ginsenosides with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) or kainate via i.t. inhibited NMDA- but not kainate-induced pain behaviors. The $ED_{50}$ for the inhibition of NMDA-induced pain by ginsenosides was 37 (21-66, $95\%$ C.I.) ${\mu}g/mouse$. These results suggest that the ginsenosides-induced antinociception results from blocking of pain transmitter-induced nociceptive information at the spinal level.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.97-104
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• 1996

Different neural substrates have been reported to be implicated in analgesic mechanisms in the acute phasic and the sustained tonic pains. To explore the differential antinociceptive action of diphenylhydantoin (DPH) and carbamazepine (CBZ) on the acute phasic and the tonic pains, changes in tail flick latency, hot plate latency and the formalin-induced nociceptive score were assessed prior to and after intraperitoneal administration of DPH (20 & 40 mg/Kg) and CBZ (20 mg/Kg). In 11 rats, CBZ was administered repeatedly for 6 days at the dose of 20 mg/Kg/day. Also studied were the effects of strychnine and picrotoxin (1 mg/Kg, i.p.) on the CBZ-produced changes in the formalin-induced pain behaviors. The tail flick and hot plate ltencies were not changes after administration of DPH and CBZ. However DPH strongly suppressed the formalin-induced tonic pain. A single and the repeated administration of CBZ inhibited both the early phasic and the late tonic pain responses to formalin in n similar manner. On the other hand, the antinociceptive actions of CBZ were not altered by strychnine or picrotoxin. These experimental findings lead to the conclusion that DPH and CBZ have differential antinociceptive action on the acute and the tonic pains and that their antinociceptive actions are independent of the GABA- and glycine-receptors.