• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.269-277
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• 2009

"Kenjurok" is a set of medical records of Todo Yoshimasu, a Japanese docotr in the eighteenth century, who suggested that all diseases have originated from a poison, which is his own pathological term describing abnormal states of the body, The 54 records in "Kenjurok" were analyzed in statistical respects, including gender ratio, demographic distribution of patients, types of diseases, and herbal prescriptions used. Among 54 cases, male patients outnumbered female, as much as four times. The patients were quite evenly distributed according to ages. In 23 cases out of 54, abdomen palpation data were mentioned, Majority of the prescriptions used were originated from Sanghanron(傷寒論:Treaties on Febrile Diseases)/Geumgeyoryak(金匱要略: Synopsis of Golden Chamber). In frequency of use of prescriptions, however, showed somewhat different result, that is although Sanghan/Geumge prescriptions were used most often, esoteric prescriptions handed down in his family also composed significant part. The speculations derived from these statistical results are: Although Todo favored abdommen palpation to locate the poison and to decide a prescription, the proportion of abdomen palpation was not as high as expectation, He did use prescriptions not only in Sanghan/Geumge, but also other diverse prescriptions, rather often than not, which are regarded unique Japanese traditional prescriptions including poisonous minerals such as mercury and arsenic.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.337-342
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• 2009

Acquired pigmentary skin diseases such as abnormal melanogenesis, vitiligo, chloasma and inflammatory pigmentation are related to regulate the melanin production, In this study, an ethanol extract of Hovenia dulcis Thunb.(EHD) makedly inhibited melanin biosynthesis and suppressed, the protein expression of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein 1(TRP-1), and tyrosinase-related protein 2(TRP-2) in B16F10 cells. On the other hand, EHD did not inhibit mushroom tyrosinase activity. These results indicate that EHD may contribute to the inhibition of melanin biosynthesis through regulating tyrosinase activity and expression, and serve as a new candidate in the design of new skin-whitening or therapeutic agents.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.122-131
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• 2011

The object of this study was to evaluate the single dose toxicity of Yukmijihwangtanggamibang (YMJHTGMB), a polyherbal formula have been traditionally used as prevention or treatment agent for various lung diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), in male and female mice. Aqueous extracts of YMJHTGMB (Yield = 16.33%) wasadministered to female and male ICR mice as an oral dose of 2,000, 1,000 and 500 mg/kg (body weight) according to the recommendation of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) Guidelines. Animals were monitored for the mortality and changes in body weight, clinical signs and gross observation during 14 days after dosing, upon necropsy; organ weight and histopathology of 12 principle organs were examined. As results, we could not find any mortality, clinical signs, and changesin the body and organ weight except for soft feces restricted to YMJHTGMB 2,000 mg/kg treated two male mice (2/5; 40%) at 1 day after administration. In addition, no YMJHTGMB-treatment related abnormal gross findings and changes in histopathology of principle organs were detected except for some sporadic accidental findings. The results obtained in this study suggest that the 50% lethal dose and approximate lethal dose of YMJHTGMB aqueous extracts in both female and male mice were considered as over 2,000 mg/kg, the limited highest dosage recommended by KFDA Guidelines.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.4803-4812
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• 2015

Chronic alcohol and tobacco abuse plays a crucial role in the development of different liver associated disorders. Intake promotes the generation of reactive oxygen species within hepatic cells exposing their DNA to continuous oxidative stress which finally leads to DNA damage. However in response to such damage an entangled protective repair machinery comprising different repair proteins like ATM, ATR, H2AX, MRN complex becomes activated. Under abnormal conditions the excessive reactive oxygen species generation results in genetic predisposition of various genes (as ADH, ALDH, CYP2E1, GSTT1, GSTP1 and GSTM1) involved in xenobiotic metabolic pathways, associated with susceptibility to different liver related diseases such as fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. There is increasing evidence that the inflammatory process is inherently associated with many different cancer types, including hepatocellular carcinomas. The generated reactive oxygen species can also activate or repress epigenetic elements such as chromatin remodeling, non-coding RNAs (micro-RNAs), DNA (de) methylation and histone modification that affect gene expression, hence leading to various disorders. The present review provides comprehensive knowledge of different molecular mechanisms involved in gene polymorphism and their possible association with alcohol and tobacco consumption. The article also showcases the necessity of identifying novel diagnostic biomarkers for early cancer risk assessment among alcohol and tobacco users.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2016

Although some mutations are beneficial and are the driving force behind evolution, it is important to maintain DNA integrity and stability because it contains genetic information. However, in the oxygen-rich environment we live in, the DNA molecule is under constant threat from endogenous or exogenous insults. DNA damage could trigger the DNA damage response (DDR), which involves DNA repair, the regulation of cell cycle checkpoints, and the induction of programmed cell death or senescence. Dysregulation of these physiological responses to DNA damage causes developmental defects, neurological defects, premature aging, infertility, immune system defects, and tumors in humans. Some human syndromes are characterized by unique neurological phenotypes including microcephaly, mental retardation, ataxia, neurodegeneration, and neuropathy, suggesting a direct link between genomic instability resulting from defective DDR and neuropathology. In this review, rare human genetic disorders related to abnormal DDR and damage repair with neural defects will be discussed.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.273-279
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• 2020

BACKGROUND: After transplanting, the recent abnormal low temperature caused physiological disorders of pepper seedlings. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of UV-A LED, a physical elicitor, on the chilling tolerance of pepper seedlings. METHODS AND RESULTS: Seedlings were continuously irradiated with 370 and 385 nm UV-A LEDs with 30 W·m^-2 for 6 d. After that, seedlings were exposed to 4℃ for 6 h and then recovered under the normal growing condition for 2 d. There were no significant differences in growth characteristics of UV-A treatments compared to the control. Fv/Fm values of two UV-A treatments were below 0.8. Electrolyte leakage in the control was increased by chilling stress, while 385 nm UV-A had the significantly lowest value. Total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of two UV-A treatments significantly increased due to UV-A radiation. However, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of the control increased due to chilling stress and tended to decrease again during the recovery time. CONCLUSION: We confirmed that UV-A light was effective to induce the chilling tolerance of pepper seedling, and the supplemental radiation of 385 nm UV-A LED before transplanting could be used as a cultivation technique to produce high quality pepper seedlings.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.1019-1026
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• 2010

The object of this study was to evaluate the single dose toxicity of Iijintanggami-bang (IJTGMB), a polyherbal formula have been traditionally used as prevention or treatment agent for various digestive disorders including reflux esophagitis, in male and female mice. Aqueous extracts of IJTGMB (Yield = 8.45%) was administered to female and male ICR mice as an oral dose of 2,000, 1,000 and 500 mg/kg (body weight) according to the recommendation of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) Guidelines. Animals were monitored for the mortality and changes in body weight, clinical signs and gross observation during 14 days after dosing, upon necropsy; organ weight and histopathology of 12 principal organs were examined. As results, we could not find any mortality, clinical signs, and changesin the body and organ weight except for soft feces restricted to IJTGMB 2,000 mg/kg treated two male mice (2/5; 40%) at 1 day after administration. In addition, no IJTGMB-treatment related abnormal gross findings and changes in histopathology of principle organs were detected except for some sporadic accidental findings. The results obtained in this study suggest that the 50% lethal dose and approximate lethal dose of IJTGMB aqueous extracts in both female and male mice were considered as over 2,000 mg/kg, the limited highest dosage recommended by KFDA Guidelines.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.137-141
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• 2008

Samul-tang(Siwu-tang) has been traditionally prescribed as a restorative. The present study was undertaken to determine the possible toxic effects of Samul-tang on SD rats. In this study, we investigated the subacute toxicity of water-extracted Samul-tang(Siwu-tang) on SD rats. Twenty rats were orally adiministered Samul-tang for 28 days at a dose of 0 mg/kg(control group) or 1500 mg/kg(treated group), respectively. All of subjects was survived. No significant difference in abnormal clinical signs, related to hematological values, serum biochemical values, water and feed intake, coagulation time, autopsy analysis, organ weight, tissue microscopically, funduscopy, urine intake and urinalysis, was detected. Compared with the control group, we could not find any subacute toxic alteration in treated group (1500 mg/kg) for 28 days. This result suggests that Samul-tang(Siwu-tang), a herbal medicine prescription, is a safe prescription to body.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2010

Programmed cell death systems are important for an active type of cell deaths. Among them, a type of programmed cell death, autophagy is activated in cancer cells in response to multiple stresses and has been demonstrated to promote tumor cell survival and drug resistance. Thus, in the area of cancer, over the time frame form around the 1940s to date, of the 155 small molecules, 73% are other than "synthetic", with 47% actually being either "natural products" or "directly derived therefrom". Autophagy has multiple physiological functions in multicellular organisms, including protein degradation and organelle turnover. Genes and proteins that constitute the basic machinery of the autophagic process were first identified in the yeast system and some of their mammalian orthologues have been characterized as well. Numerous oncogenes, including Akt1, Bcl-2, NF1, PDPK1, class I PI3K, PTEN, and Ras and oncosuppressors, inculuding Bec-1, Bif-1, DAPK-1, p53 and UVRAG suppress or promote the autophagy pathway. Regulation of autophagy in tumors is governed by similar principles of the normal cells, only in a much more complicated manner, given the frequently observed abnormal PI3K activation in cancer and the multitude of interactions between the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and other cell signaling cascades, often also deregulated in tumor cells. Autophagy induction by some anticancer agents underlines the potential utility of its induction as a new cancer treatment modality of development for natural medicines.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.193-198
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• 2004

PET/CT combines the functional information from a positron emission tomography (PET) exam with the anatomical information from a computed tomography (CT) exam into one single exam. A CT scan uses a combination of x-rays and computers to give the radiologist a non-invasive way to see inside your body. One advantage of CT is its ability to rapidly acquire two-dimensional pictures of your anatomy. Using a computer these 2-D images can be presented in 3-D for in-depth clinical evaluation. A PET scan detects changes in the cellular function - how your cells are utilizing nutrients like sugar and oxygen. Since these functional changes take place before physical changes occur, PET can provide information that enables your physician to make an early diagnosis. The PET exam pinpoints metabolic activity in cells and the CT exam provides an anatomical reference. When these two scans are fused together, your physician can view metabolic changes in the proper anatomical context of your body. PET/CT offers significant advantages including more accurate localization of functional abnormalities, and the distinction of pathological from normal physiological uptake, and improvements in monitoring treatment. A PET/CT scan allows physicians to measure the body's abnormal molecular cell activity to detect cancer (such as breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, lymphoma, melanoma and other skin cancers), brain disorders (such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy), and heart disease (such as coronary artery disease).