• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.195-198
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• 2007

A cluster headache is characterized by the occurrence of strictly unilateral and periocular pain with no side shift and ipsilateral oculofacial autonomic symptoms such as conjunctival injection, lacrimation, rhinorrhea and miosis. Cluster headache involves the activation of parasympathetic nerve structures located within the sphenopalatine ganglion, and blockade of the sphenopalatine ganglion has been shown to be effective at the treatment of cluster headaches that are resistant to conventional therapy. Herein, we describe a case of a 50-year-old male with a cluster headache that could not be controlled by conventional treatments who showed improvement after being treated with sphenopalatine ganglion pulsed radiofrequency.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.199-207
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• 2002

The tropane alkaloids hyoscyamine (its racemic form being atropine) and scopolamine are used medicinally as anticholinergic agents that act on the parasympathetic nerve system. Because they differ in their actions on the central nervous system, currently there is a 10-fold higher commercial demand for scopolamine, in the N-butylbromide form, than there is for hyoscyamine and atropine combined. Several solanaceous species have been used as the commercial sources of these alkaloids, but the scopolamine contents in these plants often are much lower than those of hyoscyamine. For this reason there has been long-standing interest in increasing the scopolamine contents of cultivated medicinal plants. Naturally occurring and artificial interspecific hybrids of Duboisia have high scopolamine contents and are cultivated as a commercial source of scopolamine in Australia and other countries. Anther culture combined with conventional interspecific hybridization also has been used to breed high scopolamine-containing plants in the genera Datura and Hyoscyamus, but without much success. The use of recombinant DNA technology for the manipulation of metabolic processes in cells promises to provide important contributions to basic science, agriculture, and medicine. In this review, I introduce on the enzymes and genes involved in tropane alkaloid biosynthesis and current progress in metabolic engineering approaches for tropane alkaloid, especially scopolamine, production.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.262-269
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• 2019

Xerostomia is a symptom of subjective complaints due to decreased salivary secretion or various other causes, which is common in about 30% of elderly people. Parasympathetic stimulants or artificial saliva are used as remedies, but this has side effects, and there are limitations in completely resolving symptoms. In this study, an 88-year-old woman with subjective dry mouth syndrome for the previous two to three years was treated with spinal pharmacopuncture and herbal medicine (Yookmigihwang-tang). The patient received pharmacopuncture at the thoracic 3rd, 6th, and 10th level twice a day and took herbal medicine three times daily for seven days. Both the degree of oral dryness and behavior were improved after treatment of Korean medicine, especially in the case of pharmacopuncture for inner core muscles.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.56-67
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• 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of rosemary oil inhalation on memory, attention and autonomic nervous system according to the concentration difference in the aged. The research design was non-equivalent control group non-synchronized design. Participants were 89 individuals aged 65 or older who live in the community. Participants inhaled almond carrier oil(control group), 10%(experimental group A) and 100%(experimental group B) rosemary oil. Memory, attention, and autonomic nervous system responses were measured. Data were analyzed by SPSS win 24.0. The differences of the group and time were analyzed through repeated measure ANOVA. There were no significant differences in immediate recall (F=.42, p =.656), delayed recall (F=.45, p=.639), recognition (F=1.45, p=.242), digit span-forward (F=1.53, p=.223), digit span-backward (F=.46, p=.636), activities of sympathetic nerve system (LF)(F=.19, p=.828), activities of parasympathetic nerve system (HF)(F=.37, p=.694), LH/HF(F=1.39, p=.256), systolic blood pressure (F=.37, p=.694), diastolic blood pressure (F=1.25, p=.291). The inhalation of 10% and 100% rosemary oil for five minutes showed no significant effects on memory, attention and automatic nervous system in the aged.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.13 no.1 s.19
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• pp.129-138
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• 2007

Background : Recently a discussion about Qi including a study about the effect or the theory of acupuncture is getting prevailing in various angles. In most of studies about acupuncture stimulus, 'Filiform acupuncture'(毫鍼) is used. A study about Nine kinds of acupuncture(九鍼), except 'Filiform acupuncture'(毫鍼) has not been reported yet, and there is no study about using a special acupuncture made for controling Qi either. Objectives : 'DONG CHU CHIM' can be used for patients who are scared of a pain because it is a medical Qikong tool and non-invasive stimulus one. To assess a effect of Qikong operation using 'DONG CHU CHIM' objectively, we stimulated non-invasive to Sobu point of 30 normal adults using 'DONG CHU CHIM' and examined the result in the basis of high confirmed and repetitive HRV which is a functional assessment method of the autonomic nervous system. Method : This study has been proceeded in three periods. Total was 35min : 10min for the former and latter period of acupuncture stimulus, l5min for the acupuncture stimulus period. For each period, we measured 5min of 3 times(Stage I, II, III). Result : Comparing the changes of HRV during pre-stimulation and post-stimulation, HRT was significantly reduced, LOGTP, LOGVLF, LOGLF, LF/HF were significantly increased and SDNN, LOGHF were generally increased but did not show any significant changes. So we think that the stimulus of 'DONG CHU CHIM' affects on the sympathetic system and parasympathetic system, it activates the autonomic nervous system, and it makes the inequality of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve to be equal status. Conclusions : We can conclude that the non-invasive stimulus of 'DONG CHU CHIM' can affect significantly to the autonomic nervous system. So it can be used in clinic as a tool of Qikong operation, and it can be also used to weak patients or children because it doesn't give a lot of pain like 'Filiform acupuncture'(毫鍼) compared to invasive stimulus. By the basis of this study, more studies about the effect of 'DONG CHE CHIM' should be done in the future.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2008

Objectives : Essential hyperhidrosis is a socially and occupationally disabling disorder. There are many suggestions that hyperhidrosis is associated with the autonomic nervous system. This study was designed to investigate the autonomic nerve system the patients with hyperhidrosis. Methods : 348 palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis patients and 20 systemic hyperhidrosis patients in the ambulatory care were investigated. All patients were inspected at the first medical examination, using the PSA of HRV. HRV was measured for 5 minutes after 5 minutes' bed rest. We checked the frequency domain analysis of HRV (i.e. TP, VLF, LF, HF and LF/HF) which were transformed into natural logarithm of patients against the standard measures of the HRV components. Then, we compared the means of patients with means and highest values of in the normal range of Koreans 1) between the patients with palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis and the healthy controls and 2) between the patients with the systemic hyperhidrosis and healthy controls, by the frequency domain analysis of heart rate variability (HRV), respectively. We then compared the results between 1) and 2). Results : The values of natural logarithmic measures of LF/HF ratio in the patients with palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis we examined were significantly higher than the values of healthy controls, but those in the patients with systemic hyperhidrosis were not higher. Conclusion : This study suggests that the autonomic nervous function did not simply increase but that the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous function did matter in patients with palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis. This balance included that the sympathetic nervous function aggravated comparatively with parasympathetic nervous function. On the other hand, we couldn't find any significance of the patients with the systemic hyperhidrosis as for the autonomic nervous function.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.6
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• pp.809-816
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• 1997

The present study was designed to investigate whether endogenous nitric oxide(EDNO) is involved in submandibular vasodilation and salivation induced by parasympathetic nerve stimulation. Effects of $N^w$-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME) which blocks the synthesis of EDNO from L-arginine on the submandibular vasodilation and salivation induced by chords stimulation or administration of various vasodilators were examined in anesthetized cats. Effect of L-NAME on $K^+$ efflux induced by carbachol was also examined using the excised submandibular slice in vitro. In the submandibular slices, acetylcholine$(10^{-5}\;mol/L)$ or vasoactive intestinal polypeptide$(VIP,\;10^{-5}\;mol/L)$ increased $NO_2$ contents, which was Prevented by pretreatment with L-NAME. Salivary secretion in response to the chords stimulation$(3\;V,\;1\;msec,\;10{\sim}20\;Hz)$ was completely blocked by treatment with atropine(1 mg/kg). Increased blood flow response to the low frequency(1, 2, 5 Hz) stimulation was significantly reduced, whereas the blood flow induced by the higher frequency(10,20 Hz) stimulation was not affected. Lingual-arterial infusion of L-NAME(100 mg/kg) significantly diminished the vasodilatory and salivary responses to the chorda stimulation at all stimuli frequencies used. Intra-arterial infusion of L-NAME(100 mg/kg markedly diminished the vasodilatory responses to acetylcholine$(5\;{\mu}g/kg)$, VIP$(5\;{\mu}g/kg)$ or bradykinin$(5\;{\mu}g/kg)$. In the excised submandibular slice, $K^+$ efflux in response to carbachol$(10^{-5}\;mol/L)$ was significantly decrease by pretreatment with L-NAME$(10^{-5}\;mol/L)$. In the isolated submandibular artery precontracted with phenylephrine$(10^{-5}\;mol/L)$, the vasorelaxation induced by ACh$(10^{-7}\;mol/L)$ was reversed into a contraction by methylene blue$(10^{-4}\;mol/L)$. These results suggest that EDNO may play an important role in vasodilation and secretion of the submandibular gland.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2005

Objective:The purposes of this study were to investigate heart rate variability(HRV) in patients with generalized anxiety disorder(GAD) compared with major depressive disorder in Korea. Methods:Fifty-six GAD patients(20 male and 36 female) was classified into their comorbid psychiatric illness. Among them, Twenty-five patients(10 male and 15 female) who do not have any psychiatric comorbidity were compared with 30 major depressive disorder patients(12 male and 18 female). Clinical symptoms, HRV and MMPI were analysed between two group. Results:Comorbid psychiatric illnesses of GAD were ranked into no diagnosis(44.6%), MDD(32.1%), panic disorder(10.7%), social phobia(5.3%), PTSD(1.7%), OCD(1.7%), MDD+panic disorder(1.7%) and MDD+specific phobia(1.7%). GAD patients showed low functioning in HRV, but degree of decreasing HRV is not so severe compared with MDD patient. Balance of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve tone is more severely impaired in GAD patients compared with MDD patient. The score of MMPI did not reveal any differences between two groups. Conclusions:The result showed that HRV can differenciate GAD and MDD patients. GAD patients could show decreased HRV functioning, less than MDD patients. But autonomic imbalance could be more severe in GAD than MDD patients.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.395-400
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• 2010

Hypertension is the chronic disease that the 16% of total population are suffering, and it needs to be studied to find alternative treatment because of the tolerance and side effect of medications that may bother some patients. in this paper, we verified practicality of implantable electrical stimulator that can readily change stimulus magnitude and frequency. And this device is possible to stimulate baroreflex or parasympathetic nerve. Therefore we performed in vitro tests and animal experiment for device's operating conditions. This device consist of implantable electrical stimulator and extracorporeal control/monitoring system. Stimulator was designed to make 1Hz~100Hz pulses and it can change continuous or periodic pulse train type. And this device can control stimulator's function and monitor stimulator's status and patients' blood pressure at exterior of body using ZigBee module as wireless telecommunication. We verified that stimulator have error rate under 5% at 50mm depth of organs and, stimulator makes high-efficiency energy with closer position of two electrodes. Also we can confirm the performance of device that decreasing blood pressure and heart rate of a rat by electrical stimulation.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.85-92
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• 1983

Intestine is innervated by an interconnected plexus of both sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve fibers. Sympathetic influence causes inhibition of intestinal motility mediated by both ${\alpha}-\;and\;{\beta}-adrenergic$ receptors. The mechanism of intestinal relaxation by ${\beta}-receptors$ has been extensively studied, but the function of ${\alpha}-receptors$ in intestinal motility is still unclear. Although it is suggested that catecholamine reduces acetylcholine release and this may play an important role in ${\alpha}-receptor$ mediated intestinal relaxation, there is no definite evidences about the mechanism and site of action of ${\alpha}-receptor$ mediated relaxation. In this experiment, therefore, the effect and site of action of ${\alpha}-receptor$ agonists were investigated in the guinea pig ileum using electrical field stimulation. The results are summarized as follows : 1) Electrical field stimulation elicited tonic contraction in isolated guinea pig ileum ana this contraction was completely inhibited by the pretreatment of tetrodotoxin or atropine. 2) Norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine inhibited the contraction induced by electrical field stimulation but methoxamine and phenylephrine had little effects. 3) Inhibitory effects of norepinephrine and dopamine was partially blocked by yohimbine and phentolamine pretreatment. But haloperidol and propranolol pretreatment cause no effects on the electrical field stimulation induced contraction. Inhibitory effect of dopamine was completely blocked by both haloperidol and yohimbine pretreatment. 4) Inhibitory effects of norepinephrine and dopamine were little affected by the pretreatment with hexamethonium. It is suggested that electrical field stimulation causes tonic contraction of guinea pig ileum by releasing acetylcholine from postganglionic fiber, and this release is blocked by presynaptic ${\alpha}-receptor$ activation.