• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제25권6호
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• pp.586-592
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• 2017

Sinomenium acutum has been long used in the preparations of traditional medicine in Japan, China and Korea for the treatment of various disorders including rheumatism, fever, pulmonary diseases and mood disorders. Recently, it was reported that Sinomenium acutum, has sedative and anxiolytic effects mediated by GABA-ergic systems. These experiments were performed to investigate whether sinomenine (SIN), an alkaloid derived from Sinomenium acutum enhances pentobarbital-induced sleep via ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic systems, and modulates sleep architecture in mice. Oral administration of SIN (40 mg/kg) markedly reduced spontaneous locomotor activity, similar to diazepam (a benzodiazepine agonist) in mice. SIN shortened sleep latency, and increased total sleep time in a dose-dependent manner when co-administrated with pentobarbital (42 mg/kg, i.p.). SIN also increased the number of sleeping mice and total sleep time by concomitant administration with the sub-hypnotic dosage of pentobarbital (28 mg/kg, i.p.). SIN reduced the number of sleep-wake cycles, and increased total sleep time and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. In addition, SIN also increased chloride influx in the primary cultured hypothalamic neuronal cells. Furthermore, protein overexpression of glutamic acid decarboxylase ($GAD_{65/67}$) and $GABA_A$ receptor subunits by western blot were found, being activated by SIN. In conclusion, SIN augments pentobarbital-induced sleeping behaviors through $GABA_A$-ergic systems, and increased NREM sleep. It could be a candidate for the treatment of insomnia.

• 생약학회지
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• 제43권4호
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• pp.308-315
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• 2012

Opuntia humifusa known as the Eastern prickly pear have been used as a treatment of burns, diarrhea, asthma, rheumatism, gonorrhea, and diabetes in alternative medicine. O. humifusa is widely cultivated in the middle and southern provinces of Korea and distributed in North America. The aim of this study is to investigate anti-diabetic effect of O. humifusa stem (OHS) water or 80% MeOH extract using 3T3-L1 adipocytes and db/db mice animal models. OHS 80% MeOH extract at a dose of $250{\mu}g/ml$ significantly increased the glucose uptake and lipid accumulation compared with the control in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Blood glucose, plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly reduced by oral treatment of OHS 80% MeOH extract (200 mg/kg BW) for 6 weeks in db/db mice. Also, the oral treatment of OHS 80% MeOH extract slightly changed the plasma insulin and insulin resistance levels in db/db mice, but were no significance in comparison to control. Glucose transporter(GLUT)4 expressions of adipose tissue and muscle were significantly increased more than that in the control. Therefore, these results suggest that OHS 80% MeOH extract inhibits the blood glucose level through regulation of lipid profile, insulin resistance, and GLUT4 expression in db/db mice and its diabetic effect is effective more than water extract.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.119-128
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• 2016

Angelica polymorpha Maxim root extract (APRE) is a popular herbal medicine used for treating stomachache, abdominal pain, stomach ulcers, and rheumatism; however the effect of APRE on cancer cells has not yet been explored. Here, we examined APRE cytotoxicity seen on target neuroblastoma cells (NB) using cell viability assays, DAPI visualization of fragmented DNA, and Western blotting analysis of candidate signaling pathways involved in proliferation and apoptosis. We demonstrated that APRE reduced cell viability in NB to a greater extent than in fibroblast cells. In addition, we found that APRE could inhibit the three classes of MAPK proteins and could also down-regulate the PI3K/AKT/GSK-$3{\beta}$ activity all being relevant for proliferation and survival. APRE could also up-regulate Bax expression and down-regulate Bcl-2 and Mcl-1. With APRE treatment, depolarization of mitochondria membrane potential and activation of caspase-3 was demonstrated in the SH-SY5Y cells. We could not found increased activity of death receptor and caspase-8 as markers of the extrinsic apoptosis pathway for the APRE treated cells. In presence of a caspase-3 siRNA and a pan-caspase inhibitor, APRE could not reduce the viability of NB cells to a significant degree. So we predicted that with APRE, the intrinsic pathway was solely responsible for inducing apoptosis as we also showed that the non-caspase autophagy pathway or ER stress-ROS mediated pathways were not involved. These findings demonstrate that an intrinsic mitochondria-mediated apoptosis pathway mediates the apoptotic effects of APRE on SH-SY5Y cells, and that APRE shows promise as a novel agent for neuroblastoma therapy.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.21-26
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• 2008

The leaves of Acanthopanax species have traditionally been used as a tonic and a sedative as well as in the treatment of rheumatism and diabetes. Chiisanoside is the major active lupane triterpenoid of Acanthopanax leaves. To investigate the bioactivities of chiisanoside, which act on bone metabolism, the effects of chiisanoside on the function of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were studied. Chiisanoside $(0.02{\sim}20\;{\mu}M)$ significantly increased the growth of MC3T3-E1 cells and caused a significant elevation of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, collagen content, and nodules mineralization in the cells (P < 0.05). The effect of chiisanoside (2 ${\mu}M$) in increasing ALP activity was completely prevented by the presence of tamoxifen, suggesting that the effect of chiisanoside might be partly estrogen receptor mediated. Moreover, cotreatment of p38 inhibitor SB203580 or JNK inhibitor SP600125 inhibited chiisanoside-mediated ALP upregulation, suggesting that the induction of differentiation by chiisanoside is associated with increased activation of p38 and JNK mitogen-activated protein kinases. Our data indicate that the enhancement of osteoblast function by chiisanoside may result in the prevention for osteoporosis.

• 생약학회지
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• 제49권2호
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• pp.124-131
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• 2018

Phytolaccae Radix has long been used as a traditional indigenous medicine to cure edema and rheumatism. However, there is insufficient background information on toxicological evaluation of Phytolaccae Radix extract to support the safe use. Therefore, we conducted a series of standardized, OECD and KFDA guidelines compliant in vivo study, to find a dose levels for the 13 weeks toxicity study. The extract of Phytolaccae Radix was administered orally to F344 rats at dose levels of 0, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks. Each group was composed to five male and five female rats. In the result, there were no test article-related adverse changes in clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, ophthalmology, hematology, clinical chemistry, gross finding at necropsy and organ weight examination. Therefore, we recommend that 2000 mg/kg/day is a highest treatment group in 13-week exposure study.

• 약학회지
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• 제53권6호
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• pp.303-313
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• 2009

Traditionally, Cham dang-gui (Angelica gigas Nakai) is one of the most popular herbal medicines in Asian countries including Korea. A. gigas has been used as a functional food product for treatment anemia, women's health care, a sedative, an anodyne or a tonic agent. Decursin and decursinol angelate isolated from the roots of A. gigas are pyranocoumarin compounds. Recently, as the global herbal medication market is increasing, investigations about pharmacological effects of decursin and decursinol angelate are rapidly increasing. We summarized previous studies about pharmacological effects of decursin and decursinol angelate, and reviewed relation with pharmacological effects of decursin and decursinol angelate on human disorder, focused on the approach for new drug development. Pharmacological effects of decursin and decursinol angelate were classified as anti-tumor activity, anti-bacterial activity, improvements of the circulating system, inhibition of cytochrome P-450 activity, anti-inflammation activity, anti-oxidant activity and cognitive-enhancing activites. The activity of A. gigas with improvement of the circulating system may have wide therapeutic potential for circulatory diseases, including diabetes, hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. Also, anti-inflammation activity A. gigas may be beneficial for the treatment and prevention of asthma, atopic dermatitis and rheumatism arthritis. This relation could potentially lead to the development of herbal new drugs. In order to development a new drug containing decursin and decursinol angelate, it is also necessary to consider the safety profile, and the information in this review would contribute to development a new drug from herbal medicine.

• 근관절건강학회지
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.309-322
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• 2000

This study was conducted to find out the relationship among several variables such as health status, self-efficacy, health related hardiness, family support and pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The subjects were 108 patients with rheumatoid arthritis who visited the out patient department of Rheumatism at E university hospital in Teajon. Data were collected by questionnaire from November 26, 1999 to January 14, 2000. The instrument used in this study were health status developed by Bae et al(1998), self-efficacy scale developed by KRHPS, health related hardiness modified by Suh(1988), family support scale developed by Kang(1984), Pain with graphic rating scale. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, Pearson Correlation Coefficient, multiple regression using the SPSS Win program. The results were as follows; 1. There were no statistically significant differences between general characteristics and variables such as health status, self-efficacy, health related hardiness and family support respectively. 2. Statistically significant differences were not found between clinical characteristic and variables such as health status, self-efficacy, health related hardiness and family support respectively. 3. Significant correlations were found between health status and self-efficacy, self-efficacy and hardiness, hardiness and family support, health status and pain, self-efficacy and pain respectively(p<0.01), and health status and hardiness, self-efficacy and family support, hardiness and pain respectively(p<0.05). 4. Self-efficacy and pain were significant affecting factors of a health status. In these results, it is suggested that nursing intervention to increase self-efficacy and to reduce pain was very important for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

• 근관절건강학회지
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.257-269
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of aquatic exercise and to identify directions for future research. Methods: Twenty one articles from 2 sites of article database (1990-2010) and 6 from Korean nursing journals were reviewed. Results: There were 20 quasi experimental design and 1 randomized controlled design. Major subjects of research were older women with arthritis. The most common type of exercise was Kim (1994)'s form. The most frequent duration of exercise was over 6 weeks. Outcome measurement was classified to physical and psychosocial variables. For physical outcomes, pain release was found in 13 articles among 15 articles, muscle strength improvement in 5 articles among 10 articles, flexibility improvement in 5 articles among 9 articles, and balance improvement in 3 articles among 6 articles. For psychosocial outcomes, improvement of quality of life was found in 3 articles among 7 articles and self-efficacy improvement in 5 articles among 7 articles. Conclusion : The effect of aquatic exercise over 6 weeks improves the physical and psychosocial functions. It is suggested that meta analysis needs to be done to integrate the various results.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.119-126
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• 2014

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic and systemic inflammatory disorder that primarily affects the flexible joints and may also affect a number of tissues and organs. The progression of RA involves an inflammatory response of the capsule around the joint, swelling of synovial cells with excess synovial fluid (SF), and the development of fibrous tissue in the synovium. Since the progressive pathology of the disease often leads to the irreversible destruction of articular cartilage and ankylosis of the joint, early diagnosis of RA is essential. Thus, we undertook a comparative proteomic approach to investigate novel biomarkers for early diagnosis using SFs and serums from RA patients. As a result, we identified 32 differentially expressed spots in SFs and 34 spots in serums. The differential expression of the STEAP4 and ZNF 658 proteins were validated using immunoblotting of the SFs and serums, respectively. These data suggest that differentially expressed proteins in SFs and serums could be used as RA-specific biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of RA. Furthermore, these findings advance our understanding of the molecular etiopathogenesis of RA.

• 약학회지
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.251-261
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• 1996

Acanthopanax divaricatus Seem. is a medicinal plant growing widely through out Korea, Japan and China. The plant material of Acanthopanax spp. is used as analgesic , tonic, sedative drug as well as for the treatment of hypertension, rheumatism and diabetes. From the stem barks and root barks of A. divaricatus, diterpenoid compound was isolated and identified as pamaric acid ($C_{20}H_{30}O_2,\;mp\;164^{\circ}C$), lignan compounds were isolated and identified as d-sesamin ($C_{20}H_{18}O_6,\;mp\;123{\sim}124^{\circ}C$), eletheroside E ($C_{34}H_{46}O_{18},\;mp\;257{\sim}259^{\circ}C$), three sterol compounds were identified as ${\beta}$-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and six fatty acid compounds were identified as stearic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid and behenic acid. And also leaves of A. divaricatus, chiisanoside were identified, one of secotriterpenoidal compound(white amorphorous powder crystal, mp $228^{\circ}C$). Anticancer activity and nephrotoxicity were tested by MTT assay. Anticancer effect of chiisanoside was much lower than that of cisplatin.