• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.71-77
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• 2010

This case report documents a case in which the administration of an herbal product, an extract of the lacquer tree, Rhus verniciflua Stokes was related with a prolonged survival in a elderly advanced non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) patient. A 79-year-old man who had been diagnosed with advanced NSCLC refused conventional therapy and treatment with the allergen-removed Rhus verniciflua Stokes(aRVS) had continued from September 2007 to July 2010. He had survived for 35 months after the administration of aRVS and maintained good performance status with European Cooperative Oncology Group performance status(ECOG PS) of 1. This case suggests that aRVS be alternative treatment for the elderly advanced NSCLC patients.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.701-709
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• 2006

The Rhus verniciflua Stokes (乾漆-RVS) has been used in traditional East Asia medicine for the therapy of gastritis, stomach cancer, although the mechanism for the biological activity is unclear. In the present study aims to investigate RVS extract contributes to growth inhibitory effect and it's the molecular mechanism on the human gastric cancer cells. AGS (gastric cancer cells) and RIEI (normal cells) were treated to different concentrations and periods of RVS extract $(10{\;}{\sim{{\;}100{\;}ug/mil)$. Growth inhibitory effect was analyzed by measuring FACS study and MTS assay. Cell cycle inhibition was confirmed by measuring CDK2 kinase activity by immunoprecipitation and kinase assay. And apoptosis was confirmed by surveying caspase cascades activation using a pan caspase inhibitor Exposure to RVS extract (50 ug/mll) resulted in a synergistic inhibitory effect on cell growth in AGS cells. Growth inhibition was related with the inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis. The extract induces Gl -cell cycle arrest through the regulation of cyclins, the induction of p27kip1, and the decrease CDK2 kinase activity. And upregulated p27kip1 level is caused by protein stability increment by the reduction of S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (Skp2), a key molecule related with p27kip1 ubiquitination and degradation, and do novo protein synthesis. Besides, 乾漆 extract induces apoptosis through the expression of Bax, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and activation of caspase-3. RVS extract induces Gl -cell cycle arrest via accumulation of p27kip1 and apoptosis in human gastric cancer cells but not in normal cells, therefore we suggest that the extract can be used as a novel class of anti-cancer drugs.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.101-105
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• 2009

Alcohol oxidation activities and optimization of extraction conditions of Rrhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) extract were evaluated for the development of a functional biomaterial for improving liver function. When alcohol oxidation activities of RVS was analyzed, the Rrhus verniciflua Stokes bark (RVSB) were higher than the Rrhus verniciflua Stokes heartwood (RVSH). Alcohol oxidation activity value of RVSB increased in a concentration-dependent manner. In the comparative analysis between Hovenia dulcis Thunb (HOT) and Alnus japonica Steud (AJS) which was reported as a alcohol oxidation material, alcohol oxidation activity is much higher than the others. The experimental conditions were optimized for alcohol oxidation-active components production from RVSB. The extraction conditions such as temperature, time, pH and particle size were performed. It was recommended to extract the alcohol oxidation-active components from RVSB by hot water (pH 7.0) at $85^{\circ}C$ for 8 hours.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.573-578
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• 2008

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality and overall treatment outcomes for lung cancer are still to be considered disappointing despite of development of new medical therapeutics on cancer. Cytostatic agents are considered as novel medication in the treatment of cancer though its benefit is most appropriately assessed through survival end points rather than the objective-response end points. We present a case of a lung adenocarcinoma patient who showed tumor lesion in patient's two different lung sites. From the day of diagnosis, the tumor lesion stayed with the almost same size with more than 1 year of Allergen-Removed Rhus Verniciflua Stokes (A-RVS) based Traditional Korean Medicine treatment without any western conventional treatment. No significant side effect was noted and the patient maintained good performance status throughout the treatment period. We assume A-RVS may have cytostatic effect on NSCLC patient and our observation justifies further investigation.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.125-131
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• 2000

The ethanol extract of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS), the Korean Lacquer tree, was subsequentely isolated and fractioned into two portions using distilled water (SED) and 99% ethanol (SEE) as elution buffers through silica gel column (4x28 em, 22 $\AA$. 28~200 mesh). To know the antioxidative effect of the RVS extracts, primary hepatocytes were exposed to hydroxyl radical generated by 20 mU/$m\ell$ glucose oxidase with SED or SEE for 4 hr. The addition of 100$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ SED in culture medium showed good protection from glucose oxidase (GO)-mediated cytotoxicity of hepatocytes, showing approximately equivalent to control. When the hepatocytes were incubated with 100 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ SED or SEE only for 4 hr. the activities of cell-associated superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase were elevated up to 1.22 fold and 1.4 fold, respectively, compared to control. Further increase, 1.88fold in SOD activity or 1.64fold in catalase activity, was also observed when the hepatocytes were incubated with 100 units/$m\ell$ of commercial SOD or catalase for 4 hr. Moreover. the glucose oxidase-mediated cytotoxicity in cultured hepatocytes was generally reduced upon addition of lysate obtained from SED or SEE-stimulated hepatocytes in a dose-dependent manner. From these results, we suggest that, in cultured hepatocytes, RVS ethanol extract can efficiently reduce cytotoxicity induced by glucose oxidase and may increase the activity of cell-associated SOD and/or catalase, thereby preventing and/or scavenging superoxides and hydroxyl radicals in this experiment.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.157-162
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• 2009

Objectives: The purpose of this study is reporting the possibility of the treatment of metastatic brain tumors with allergen removed Rhus verniciflua Stokes (aRVS) after gamma knife radiosurgery. Methods: A patient with lung cancer felt a headache about one year after conventional therapies, and metastatic brain tumors were diagnosed. He received gamma knife radiosurgery twice but refused to get more conventional therapies afterwards. So he has been treating with aRVS since then. Results: During 143 weeks of administration of aRVS, the size of brain masses has decreased continuously without extracranial metastasis and the patient has maintained a good performance status. Conclusions: This report suggests that aRVS may play a therapeutic role in the treatment of metastatic brain tumors. Further studies will be needed to determine the effect of aRVS on metastatic brain tumors.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.189-195
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• 2005

This study was carried out to investigate the antioxidant effect of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) extracts. The antioxidant activity of ethanol and water extract from RVS was examined on model systems and cooked beef, respectively. As concentration of RVS ethanol extract increased (1, 10, 100, and 1,000 ppm), the reductive activity of DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) was significantly increased (14.79, 75.08, 82.02, and $83.97\%$ respectively) (p<0.05). The RVS ethanol extract (10 ppm) was showed higher antioxidant activity than control in liposome and meat homogenate (p<0.05). It had more antioxidative effect in 10 ppm RVS ethanol extract with 2 ppm $\alpha-tocopherol$ treatment The maximum antioxidant activity appeared at pH 6.0 in meat homogenate and at pH $5.0\~6.0$ in liposome. Cooked beef mixed with Rhus verniciflua Stokes water extract showed significantly lower TBARS value, POV during storage for 4 days at $4^{\circ}C$ (p<0.05). And the RVS water extract also showed strong antioxidant activity in cooked beef which accelerated NaCl-catalyzed oxidation. Therefore, the results suggest that RVS extract may be used in commercial meat products as natural antioxidant in the near future.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.200-206
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to report the possibility of treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer with Traditional Korean Medicine based allergen-removed Rhus verniciflua Stokes (ARVS) following chemoradiotherapy. Methods: A patient with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (stage IIIB) felt chest discomfort, fatigue, and anxiety after chemoradiotherapy. To prevent recurrence, he opted to receive Traditional Korean Medicine. Results: After treatment with ARVS, the size of the residual primary cancer and a metastatic lymph node decreased, without new cancerous regions. The patient has maintained good performance and has shown prolonged overall survival. Conclusions: This report suggests that ARVS may play a therapeutic role in the treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer after chemoradiotherapy. Further studies will be needed to determine the effect of ARVS on locally-advanced unresectable non-small cell lung cancer.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 2011

Background : Approximately 50% of patients with low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LGESS) develops recurrent disease, mainly in lung or pelvis. Peritoneal metastasis of LGESS is an extremely rare phenomenon. Optimal treatment for metsatatic LGESS has not been established. Case : A 43-year-old woman had been diagnosed with LGESS with aortocaval lymphadenopathy. Despite of surgical resection, adjuvant radiation, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy, multiple lung and peritoneal metastasis developed after 15 months from initial treatment. Additional chemotherapy was done, but disease progressed. She had treatment with the allergen-removed Rhus verniciflua Stokes (aRVS) from November 2010 to May 2011. About 5 months to progression was observed. Conclusion : We suggests that aRVS could be an alternative treatment option for the metastatic LGESS patients. Further clinical studies on the efficacy of aRVS against metastatic LGESS are needed.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2009

Advanced gastric cancer is the most common type of all cancers in Korea, which account for approximately 18.1% of all incident cancers, and mortality from advanced gastric cancer is estimated at nearly 15.6% of death that caused by all cancer. In the conventional medicine, treatments of advanced gastric cancer include chemotherapy such like FOLFOX. In this case report, we introduce a case of advanced gastric cancer with greater omentum, thyroid, supraclavicular lymph node metastasis who had received chemotherapy. Chemotherapy was stopped because of weight loss and neurologic symptom such like cognitive disorder. The patient visited $M{\cdot\mu}$ Integrative cancer center in 2008, and was treated by Sojeukjungwon-san and allergen removed Rhus verniciflua stokes(aRVS). There was no evidence of brain metastasis. The patient showed improvement of cognitive disorder and gained weight. Further case study will be needed in order to determine the effects of Sojeukjungwon-san and allergen removed Rhus verniciflua stokes(aRVS) for the quality of life of advanced gastric cancer patients after chemotherapy.