• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.173-181
• /
• 2019

Objectives: The resin infiltration technique is a promising alternative therapy for arresting the early dental caries. However, there are very few reports on the safety and biocompatibility of this technique. We evaluated various properties of resin infiltrant (RI) based on a triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA).The water sorption (Wsp) and water solubility (Wsl) was assessed. Additionally, the cytotoxicity of RI against both animal and human fibroblast cell lines was investigated. Methods: The RI of the $Icon^{(R)}$, the first product developed for resin infiltration, is mainly composed of TEGDMA in the resin matrix. The Wsp and Wsl for the RI were measured in accordance with ISO 4049 specifications. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used for analyzing the polymerization before and after curing of RI. The cytotoxicity of RI against the mouse fibroblasts (L929) and human gingival fibroblasts (hTERT-hNOF) was evaluated using MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay and the data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. Results: Wsp and Wsl of the RI specimens were $53.37{\mu}g/mm^3$ and $10.6{\mu}g/mm^3$, respectively. FTIR analysis revealed a slightly higher degree of curing with longer irradiation time. The degree of conversion for RI was high (80.9%) after 40 seconds of light curing. There was a significant decrease in the viability of L929 and hTERT-hNOF cells at RI extraction solution concentrations above 50%, respectively, compared to that in the negative control (p< 0.05). Conclusions: Even though the RI exhibited positive effect on the early prevention of dental caries, the clinicians should also consider the toxicity of RI on periodontal tissues.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.108-115
• /
• 2018

Purpose: Glehnia littoralis has been reported to have several pharmacological properties but no in vivo reports describing the protective effects of this plant on${\alpha}$-amanitin-induced hepatotoxicity have been published. ${\alpha}$-Amanitin is a peptide found in several mushroom species that accounts for the majority of severe mushroom poisonings leading to severe hepatonecrosis. In our previous in vitro study, we found that ${\alpha}$-amanitin induced oxidative stress, which may contribute to its severe hepatotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Glehnia littoralis acetate extract (GLEA) has protective antioxidant effects on ${\alpha}$-amanitin-induced hepatotoxicity in a murine model. Methods: Swiss mice (n=40 in all groups) were divided into four groups (n=10/group). Three hours after giving ${\alpha}$-amanitin (0.6 mg/kg, i.p.) to the mice, they were administered silibinin (50 mg/kg/d, i.p.) or Glehnia littoralis ethyl acetate extract (100 mg/kg/d, oral) therapies once a day for 3 days. After 72 hours of treatment, each subject was killed, cardiac blood was aspirated for hepatic aminotransferase measurement, and liver specimens were harvested to evaluate the extent of hepatonecrosis. The degree of hepatonecrosis was assessed by a pathologist blinded to the treatment group and divided into 4 categories according to the grade of hepatonecrosis. Results: GLEA significantly improved the beneficial functional parameters in ${\alpha}$-amanitin-induced hepatotoxicity. In the histopathological evaluation, the toxicity that was generated with ${\alpha}$-amanitin was significantly reduced by GLEA, showing a possible hepatoprotective effect. Conclusion: In this murine model, Glehnia littoralis was effective in limiting hepatic injury after ${\alpha}$-amanitin poisoning. Increases of aminotransferases and degrees of hepatonecrosis were attenuated by this antidotal therapy.

• Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.699-709
• /
• 2018

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is a major health concern in current scenario which has been found to affect people of almost all ages. The disease has huge impact on global health; therefore, alternate methods apart from insulin injection are being explored to cure diabetes. Therefore, this review mainly focuses on the current status and therapeutic potential of stem cells mainly mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for Type 1 diabetes mellitus in preclinical animal models as well as humans. METHODS: Current treatment for Type 1 diabetes mellitus mainly includes use of insulin which has its own limitations and also the underlying mechanism of diseases is still not explored. Therefore, alternate methods to cure diabetes are being explored. Stem cells are being investigated as an alternative therapy for treatment of various diseases including diabetes. Few preclinical studies have also been conducted using undifferentiated MSCs as well as in vitro MSCs differentiated into ${\beta}$ islet cells. RESULTS: These stem cell transplant studies have highlighted the benefits of MSCs, which have shown promising results. Few human trials using stem cells have also affirmed the potential of these cells in alleviating the symptoms. CONCLUSION: Stem cell transplantation may prove to be a safe and effective treatment for patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.39 no.5
• /
• pp.235-239
• /
• 2022

A 10-year-old neutered male Siberian Husky presented with paraparesis and severe lethargy. On physical examination, the patient was unable to weight-bear and walk and exhibited significant muscle mass loss in both hindlimbs and generalized truncal alopecia with a dull coat of hair. On neurological examination, cranial lumbar vertebral pain, hind limb cross-extensor reflex, delayed hindlimb postural reaction, upper motor neuron bladder dysfunction, and total absence of cutaneous trunci reflex were identified. Computed tomography revealed diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis and spondylosis deformans of the cervical and thoracolumbar vertebrae. In addition, a generalized decrease in bone mineral density of the vertebrae was identified. Magnetic resonance imaging showed hyperplasia of the epidural fat compressing the spinal cord in the thoracolumbar region and concurrent mild multiple intervertebral disc herniations. No specific findings were observed in cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Blood analysis of thyroid function revealed decreased total T4 and free T4 levels, and increased TSH levels. The patient was tentatively diagnosed with spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) secondary to hypothyroidism. The patient was treated with levothyroxine, firocoxib, and gabapentin. Clinical signs gradually improved, and the patient showed normal ambulation 40 days after treatment initiation. SEL is extremely rare in dogs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of SEL secondary to hypothyroidism that was treated conservatively. Secondary SEL can be sufficiently managed by treating the underlying cause, if possible.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.29-38
• /
• 2021

Background and objective: The physical environment where children spend most of their time is closely associated with their emotional development. To improve the emotional health of children, the introduction of natural elements in the indoor space has been suggested, the benefits of which have been shown in preliminary studies. This study aims to examine the effects that a biowall - a wall installation - in a classroom has on the emotional health of children in kindergarten. Methods: A total of four biowalls were separately installed in four kindergarten classrooms at a school in Seoul, South Korea, and the 60 children in these classrooms participated in the study. We assessed the children's emotional intelligence (via an Emotional Intelligence Rating Scale), resilience (via the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment), and eco-friendly attitudes (via the Children's Attitudes Toward Scale) before the installation of the biowalls and then again 3 months later. Results: The children's emotional intelligence, resilience, and eco-friendly attitudes had been significantly improved after the installation of the biowalls (p = .01). The sub-categories of the children's emotional intelligence and resilience were also significantly improved (p < .001). Conclusion: This study demonstrates the potential of biowalls-as an indoor environmental factor-in promoting the healthy emotional development of children. By bringing natural elements into indoor classroom settings, biowalls appear to increase children's direct/indirect contact with nature. To extrapolate the results of the study to the general population, future studies should be conducted with broader age groups.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.9.1-9.15
• /
• 2020

Regenerative therapy holds great promise in the development of cures of some untreatable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, and pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) including induced PSCs (iPSCs) are the most important regenerative seed cells. Recently, differentiation of human PSCs into functional tissues and cells in vitro has been widely reported. However, although porcine reports are rare they are quite essential, as the pig is an important animal model for the in vitro generation of human organs. In this study, we reprogramed porcine embryonic fibroblasts into porcine iPSCs (piPSCs), and differentiated them into cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31)-positive endothelial cells (ECs) (piPSC-derived ECs, piPS-ECs) using an optimized single-layer culture method. During differentiation, we observed that a combination of GSK3β inhibitor (CHIR99021) and bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) promoted mesodermal differentiation, resulting in higher proportions of CD31-positive cells than those from separate CHIR99021 or BMP4 treatment. Importantly, the piPS-ECs showed comparable morphological and functional properties to immortalized porcine aortic ECs, which are capable of taking up low-density lipoprotein and forming network structures on Matrigel. Our study, which is the first trial on a species other than human and mouse, has provided an optimized single-layer culture method for obtaining ECs from porcine PSCs. Our approach can be beneficial when evaluating autologous EC transplantation in pig models.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.24.1-24.16
• /
• 2023

This review aimed to answer the following question "Does photobiomodulation treatment of the root surface decrease the occurrence of root resorption in reimplanted teeth?" Electronic searches were performed in the MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Grey Literature Report databases. Risk of bias was evaluated using SYRCLE Risk of Bias tool. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) tool was used to assess the certainty of evidence. In total, 6 studies were included. Five studies reported a reduced occurrence of root resorption in teeth that received photobiomodulation treatment of the root surface prior to replantation. Only 1 study reported contradictory results. The photobiomodulation parameters varied widely among studies. GRADE assessment showed a low certainty of evidence. It can be inferred that photobiomodulation treatment of the root surface prior to replantation of teeth can reduce the occurrence of root resorption. Nonetheless, further clinical studies are needed.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.245-252
• /
• 2024

Ginseng is a traditional herbal medicine used for prevention and treatment of various diseases as a tonic. Recent scientific cohort studies on life prolongation with ginseng consumption support this record, as those who consumed ginseng for more than 5 years had reduced mortality and cognitive decline compared to those who did not. Clinical studies have also shown that acute or long-term intake of ginseng total extract improves acute working memory performance or cognitive function in healthy individuals and those with subjective memory impairment (SMI), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or early Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia who are taking AD medication(s). Ginseng contains various components ranging from classical ginsenosides and polysaccharides to more recently described gintonin. However, it is unclear which ginseng component(s) might be the main candidate that contribute to memory or cognitive improvements or prevent cognitive decline in older individuals. This review describes recent clinical contributors to ginseng components in clinical tests and introduces emerging evidence that ginseng components could be novel candidates for cognitive improvement in older individuals, as ginseng components improve SMI cognition and exhibits add-on effects when coadministered with early AD dementia drugs. The mechanism behind the beneficial effects of ginseng components and how it improves cognition are presented. Additionally, this review shows how ginseng components can contribute to SMI, MCI, or early AD dementia when used as a supplementary food and/or medicine, and proposes a novel combination therapy of current AD medicines with ginseng component(s).

• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.227-245
• /
• 1998

A most appropriate model of 3-D conformal radiotherapy has been induced by clinical evaluation and animal study, and therapeutic gains were evaluated by numerical equation of tumor control probability(TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). The radiation dose to the tumor and the adjacent normal organs was accurately evaluated and compared using the dose volume histogram(DVH). The TCP and NTCP was derived from the distribution of given dosage and irradiated volume, and these numbers were used as the biological index for the assessment of the treatment effects. Ten patients with liver disease have been evaluated and 3 dogs were sacrificed for this study. Based on the 3-D images of the tumor and adjacent organs, the optimum radiation dose and the projection direction which could maximize the radiation effect while minimizing the effects to the adjacent organs could be decided. 3). The most effective collimation for the normal adjacent organs was made through the beams eye view with the use of multileaf collimator. When the dose was increased from 50Gy to 70Gy, the TCP for the conventional 2-port radiation and the 5-port multidimensional therapy was 0.982 and 0.995 respectively, while the NTCP was 0.725 and 0.142 respectively, suggesting that the 3-D conformal radiotherapy might be the appropriate therapy to apply sufficient radiation dose to the tumor while minimizing the damages to the normal areas of the liver. Positive correlation was observed between the NTCP and the actual complication of the normal liver in the animal study. The present study suggest that the use of 3-D conformal radiotherapy and the application of the mathematical models of TCP and NTCP may provide the improvements in the treatment of hepatoma with enhanced results.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.772-783
• /
• 2015

This study focuses on horticultural activities using colorful food to reduce diets unbalanced in vegetables and to increase emotional intelligence. Horticultural activities using colorful food vegetables were based on 'Health in Daily Life' in the '7th Kindergarten Curriculum'; to improve the dietary habits of the young children, the program was also linked with a parents' education program. The research was conducted with a total of 70 children from classes for four-year-olds in three child-care centers located in Seoul. The horticultural activities based upon nutrition education included activities using colorful food vegetables and nutrition education. For the nutrition education group, only nutrition education was provided, while neither horticultural activities nor nutrition education were provided to the control group. The study was conducted from September to December 2011. A total of twelve sessions were conducted once a week for 60 minutes each. According to the result, after the horticultural activities with colorful food vegetable were conducted, both the nutrition education group and horticultural activity & nutrition education group showed improvements in 'Nutrition Knowledge' compared to the control group. Regarding 'Unbalanced Diet Behaviors', the horticultural activities & nutrition education group showed meaningful decreases compared to the control group. Moreover for preference of fruits and vegetables, the horticultural activities & nutrition education group revealed meaningful improvements. In conclusion, colorful food vegetable horticultural activity could be an effective approach to resolve the imbalance of health caused by unbalanced diets as children who participated in the colorful food vegetable horticultural activities continued to respond spontaneously to the colors of vegetables and fruits and showed joy and kept voluntarily eating them.