• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.258-267
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• 2002

In this study the general pharmacological profiles of AS6 on the central nervous system, cardiovascular and the other organs were investigated. The dosages given were 0, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg and drugs were orally administered. The animals used for this study were mice, rats and guinea pigs. Significant increases (p<0.01) in the charcoal transport capacity were observed at the high dose of 1000 mg/kg and significant increases in retardation of pain threshold were observed in the test using acetic acid in all dosed animals. However, AS6 showed no noticeable effects on general behavior, motor coordination, spontaneous locomotor activity, hexobarbital-induced sleep time, body temperature, analgesic activity in the test using hot plate method and anticonvulsant activity. Furthermore no noticeable effects were observed in cardiovascular functions in the isolated rat heart, contraction and relaxation of the smooth muscle in the isolated guinea ileum, gastric secretion and renal function.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제17권5호
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• pp.385-392
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• 2013

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent, primarily due to limited sun exposure, which may be observed in urban areas, or as a result of modern lifestyles. Common myths about vitamin D persist, including that it is mostly obtained from the diet and is only essential for bone and mineral homeostasis. Nonetheless, advances in biomedical science suggest that vitamin D is a hormone that is integral to numerous physiologic functions in most cells and tissues. Therefore, abnormal vitamin D levels may contribute to health disturbances. A number of recent reports on potential associations between vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular disease have highlighted its role in this system. A focus over the previous decade has been to better understand the mechanisms behind vitamin D regulation and the pathophysiology associated with suboptimal vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency is highly associated with the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, even when considering other well-known risk factors. In this process, the renin-angiotensin system is disrupted, and hypertension and endothelial dysfunction contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease. Likewise, clinical outcomes upon the normalization of vitamin D levels have been investigated in different patient populations. It makes sense that vitamin D supplementation to improve vitamin D status among vitamin D-deficient individuals could be useful without requiring a sudden lifestyle change. This manuscript provides a brief overview of vitamin D metabolism and the vitamin D receptor. It also summarizes the current clinical research relating to vitamin D supplementation and its effects on hypertension and endothelial dysfunction in cardiovascular medicine.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.66-78
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• 1999

In order to investigate the pharmacological properties of New Wonbang Woohwangchungsimwon Liquid (NSCL), effects of Wonbang Woohwangchungsimwon Liquid (SCL) and NSCL were compared. In isolated rat aorta, NSCL and SCL showed the relaxation of blood vessels in maximum contractile response to phenylephrine (10$^{-6}$ M) regardless to intact endothelium or denuded rings of the rat aorta. Furthermore, the presences of the inhibitor of NO synthase and guanylate cyclase did not affect the relaxing effect of NSCL and SCL. NSCL and SCL inhibited the vascular contractions induced by acetylcholine, prostaglandin endoperoxide or peroxide in a dose-dependent manner. In conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), NSCL and SCL significantly decreased heart rate. NSCL and SCL, at high doses, had a negative inotropic effect that was a decrease of left ventricular developed pressure and (-dp/dt)/(+dp/dt) in the isolated perfused rat hearts, and also decreased the contractile force and heart rate in the isolated rat right atria. In excised guinea-pig papillary muscle, NSCL and SCL had no effects on parameters of action potential such as resting membrane potential, action potential amplitude, APD$_{90}$ and V$_{max}$ at low doses, whereas inhibited the cardiac contractility at high doses. These results suggested that NSCL and SCL have weak cardiovascular effects with relaxation of blood vessels and decrease of heart rate, and that this effect is no significant differences between cardiovascular effects of two preparations.s.

• 한국군사과학기술학회지
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• 제14권6호
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• pp.1159-1165
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• 2011

Telemetry techniques of rats have been used for assessing safety pharmacology of drugs and chemicals. Biological signals including blood pressure and heart rate measured under anesthesia were significantly different from those obtained under normal conditions. The stress of restraint in awake animals can also affect the accuracy of physiological evaluation. This paper details the surgery required to allow key cardiovascular parameters to be determined. The telemetric measurement of cardiovascular parameters such as blood pressure, heart rate, electrocardiograph(ECG) established. We carried out the continuous monitoring of cardiovascular parameters using the telemetry system in F344 rats. During the measurement, no significant changes were observed in the heart rate and blood pressure. ECG signals and body temperature were also constant during the measurement of biological signals. With the results of this study, we conclude that this telemetry system can be applied usefully for the assesment of biological parameters in the rats.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.57-64
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• 2007

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is known to protect the heart against ischemia/reperfusion (IR)-induced injuries, and regional differences in the mitochondrial antioxidant state during IR or IPC may promote the death or survival of viable and infarcted cardiac tissues under oxidative stress. To date, however, the interplay between the mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme system and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the body has not yet been resolved. In the present study, we examined the effects of IR- and IPC-induced oxidative stresses on mitochondrial function in viable and infarcted cardiac tissues. Our results showed that the mitochondria from viable areas in the IR-induced group were swollen and fused, whereas those in the infarcted area were heavily damaged. IPC protected the mitochondria, thus reducing cardiac injury. We also found that the activity of the mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme system, which includes manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), was enhanced in the viable areas compared to the infarcted areas in proportion with decreasing levels of ROS and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage. These changes were also present between the IPC and IR groups. Regional differences in Mn-SOD expression were shown to be related to a reduction in mtDNA damage as well as to the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c (Cyt c). To the best of our knowledge, this might be the first study to explore the regional mitochondrial changes during IPC. The present findings are expected to help elucidate the molecular mechanism involved in IPC and helpful in the development of new clinical strategies against ischemic heart disease.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제42권4호
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• pp.441-446
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• 2009

배경: 관상동맥 우회술의 대동맥부 근위부 문합을 위한 상행 대동맥 부분 겸자는 대동맥 내벽에 존재하는 죽상반의 색전에 의한 뇌경색의 위험성을 높일 뿐 아니라, 겸자에 따른 직접적 대동맥 손상의 원인이 될 수 있다. Heartstring proximal sealing system (Guidant Corporation, Santa Clara, Calif)을 이용한 근위부 문합은 대동맥 부분 겸자를 피할 수 있어, 이러한 잠재적 위험을 방지할 수 있는 것으로 제시되어 왔다. 이 연구는 무심폐기 관상동맥 우회술의 근위부 문합에 있어서 대동맥 부분 겸자를 통한 수기 문합과 Heartstring system을 이용한 문합간의 수술 후 신경학적 합병증을 비교하고자 하였다. 대상 및 방법: 2003년 1월부터 2008년 8월까지 499명의 환자가 무심폐기 관상동맥 우회술을 시행받았다. 그 중 182명의 환자가 Heartstring system을 이용한 이식편 대동맥 근위부 문합술을 시행받았고(I군), 317명의 환자가 고식적 수기 문합술을 시행 받았다(II군). 이 두 군간의 수술 후 신경 손상을 비롯한 주요 합병증 및 사망율을 비교하였다. 결과: 나이, 성별, 좌심실 구출율, 신장 기능, 당뇨, 고혈압, 흡연력 등의 수술 전 인자들에 있어서 두 군간에 유의한 차이는 없었다. 수술 전 뇌허혈의 과거력은 환자는 두 그룹간에 유의한 차이가 없었으나(I군 31.3%, II군 34.4%, p=0.48), 뇌혈관 MRI상에서의 내경동맥의 협착이 75%가 넘는 환자는 I군이 81명(44.5%), II군이 95명으로(30.0%) 두 군간의 유의한 차이를 나타냈다(p=0.003). 수술 후 새로 발생한 신경 이상의 경우 I군에서 3명, II군에서 2명으로, 두 군간에 유의한 차이를 보이지 않았으나(p=0.258), I군의 경우 모두 일과성 허혈이었던 것에 반해 II군의 경우 모두 색전에 의한 다발성 뇌경색으로 나타났다. 그 외 수술 후 발생한 주요 합병증(p=0.47)및 사망(p=0.40)에 있어서 두 군간에 유의한 차이를 보이지 않았다. II군에서 한 명의 환자에서 수술 중 근위부 분합에 따른 대동맥 박리증이 발생하여 상행대동맥 치환술을 시행하였다. 결론: 비록 수술 후 신경학적 합병증의 빈도가 낮아 통계학적 유의성에 다다르진 못했으나, Heartstring system을 이용한 근위부 문합술은 고식적 문합에 비해 색전에 의한 수술 후 뇌졸중의 합병 및 대동맥 손상의 위험도를 낮출 것으로 기대해 본다.

• 순환기질환의공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 순환기질환의공학회 2002년도 제2회 학술대회 초록집
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• pp.3-18
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• 2002

Hemorheology plays an important role in atherosclerosis. Hemorheologic properties of blood include whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, hemaocrit, RBC deformability and aggregation, and fibrinogen concentration in plasma. Blood flow is determine by three parameters (pressure, lumen diameter, and whole blood viscosity), whole blood viscosity is one of the key physiological variables. However, the significance of whole blood viscosity has not yet not been fully appreciated. Whole blood viscosity has a unique property, non-Newtonian shear-thinning characteristics, which is primarily due to the presence of RBCs. Hence, RBC deformability and aggregation directly affect the magnitude of blood viscosity, and any factors or diseases affecting RBC characteristics influence blood viscosity. Therefore, on can see that whole blood viscosity is the causal mechanism by which traditional risk factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking, exercise, obesity, age, and gender are related to atherogenesis. In this regard, we included whole blood viscosity in the three key determinants of injurious pulsatile flow that results in mechanical injury and protective adaptation in the arterial system. Because whole blood viscosity is a potential predictor of cardiovascular diseases, it should be measured in routine cardiovascular profiles. Incorporating whole blood viscosity measurements into a standard clinical protocol could improve our ability to identify patients at risk for cardiovascular disease and its complications.

• 대한수학회지
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• 제43권4호
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• pp.885-897
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• 2006

A new mathematical model of pumping heart coupled to lumped compartments of blood circulation is presented. This lumped pulsatile cardiovascular model consists of eight compartments of the body that include pumping heart, the systemic circulation, and the pulmonary circulation. The governing equations for the pressure and volume in each vascular compartment are derived from the following equations: Ohm's law, conservation of volume, and the definition of compliances. The pumping heart is modeled by the time-dependent linear curves of compliances in the heart. We show that the numerical results in normal case are in agreement with corresponding data found in the literature. We extend the developed lumped model of circulation in normal case into a specific model for arrhythmia. These models provide valuable tools in examining and understanding cardiovascular diseases.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제48권6호
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• pp.443-446
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• 2015

A 36-year-old man, who had undergone thoracoscopic anterior spinal fusion using the plate system and posterior screw fusion three months previously, presented to our hospital with left flank pain and fever. Computed tomography indicated the presence of a psoas muscle abscess. However, after two days of percutaneous catheter drainage, a mycotic abdominal aortic pseudoaneurysm was detected via computed tomography. We performed in situ revascularization using a prosthetic graft with omental wrapping. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was identified on blood and pus culture, and systemic vancomycin was administered for one month. Although the abscess recurred, it was successfully treated with percutaneous catheter drainage and systemic vancomycin administration for three months, without the need for instrumentation removal. The patient remained asymptomatic throughout two years of follow-up.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.185-190
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• 2006

Lysyl oxidase (LOX) catalyzes the lysine-derived cross-links of fibrillar collagens and elastin in the extracellular matrix. Recent molecular cloning has revealed existence of a LOX family consisting of LOX and four lysyl oxidase-like proteins (LOXL, LOXL2, LOXL3 and LOXL4). Pathological conditions associated with impaired LOX activity in several heritable and acquired disorders lead to severe structural and functional abnormalities of cardiovascular tissues, such as occlusion of coronary arteries and aneurysms, suggesting an essential role for the LOX family proteins in the maintenance of the cardiovascular system. However, the specific roles of the lysyl oxidase-like proteins in normal and pathological conditions of the cardiovascular tissues have not been established yet. Here, I report that LOXL3, a novel member of the LOX family, is predominantly expressed in the aorta, with an amine oxidase activity toward collagen and elastin, suggesting an essential role of LOXL3 in the development and maintenance of the aorta.