• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2024

Fresh ginseng is prone to spoilage due to its high moisture content. For long-term storage, most fresh ginsengs are dried to white ginseng (WG) or steamed for hours at high temperature/pressure and dried to form Korean Red ginseng (KRG). They are further processed for ginseng products when subjected to hot water extraction/concentration under pressure. These WG or KRG preparation processes affect ginsenoside compositions and also other ginseng components, probably during treatments like steaming and drying, to form diverse bioactive phospholipids. It is known that ginseng contains high amounts of gintonin lysophosphatidic acids (LPAs). LPAs are simple lipid-derived growth factors in animals and humans and act as exogenous ligands of six GTP-binding-protein coupled LPA receptor subtypes. LPAs play diverse roles ranging from brain development to hair growth in animals and humans. LPA-mediated signaling pathways involve various GTP-binding proteins to regulate downstream pathways like [Ca²⁺]_i transient induction. Recent studies have shown that gintonin exhibits anti-Alzheimer's disease and antiarthritis effects in vitro and in vivo mediated by gintonin LPAs, the active ingredients of gintonin, a ginseng-derived neurotrophin. However, little is known about how gintonin LPAs are formed in high amounts in ginseng compared to other herbs. This review introduces atypical or non-enzymatic pathways under the conversion of ginseng phospholipids into gintonin LPAs during steaming and extraction/concentration processes, which exert beneficial effects against degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and arthritis in animals and humans via LPA receptors.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.335-341
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• 2019

Background: Inflammation is a host-defensive innate immune response to protect the body from pathogenic agents and danger signals induced by cellular changes. Although inflammation is a host-defense mechanism, chronic inflammation is considered a major risk factor for the development of a variety of inflammatory autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatic diseases. Rheumatic diseases are systemic inflammatory and degenerative diseases that primarily affect connective tissues and are characterized by severe chronic inflammation and degeneration of connective tissues. Ginseng and its bioactive ingredients, genocides, have been demonstrated to have antiinflammatory activity and pharmacological effects on various rheumatic diseases by inhibiting the expression and production of inflammatory mediators. Methods: Literature in this review was searched in a PubMed site of National Center for Biotechnology Information. Results: The studies reporting the preventive and therapeutic effects of ginseng and ginsenosides on the pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases were discussed and summarized. Conclusion: Ginseng and ginsenosides play an ameliorative role on rheumatic diseases, and this review provides new insights into ginseng and ginsenosides as promising agents to prevent and treat rheumatic diseases.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.135-140
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• 2014

The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are derived from the mesoderm, are considered as a readily available source for tissue engineering. They have multipotent differentiation capacity and can be differentiated into various cell types. Many studies have demonstrated that the MSCs identified from amniotic membrane (AM-MSCs) and amniotic fluid (AF-MSCs) are shows advantages for many reasons, including the possibility of noninvasive isolation, multipotency, self-renewal, low immunogenicity, anti-inflammatory and nontumorigenicity properties, and minimal ethical problem. The AF-MSCs and AM-MSCs may be appropriate sources of mesenchymal stem cells for regenerative medicine, as an alternative to embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Recently, regenerative treatments such as tissue engineering and cell transplantation have shown potential in clinical applications for degenerative diseases. Therefore, amnion and MSCs derived from amnion can be applied to cell therapy in neuro-degeneration diseases. In this review, we will describe the potential of AM-MSCs and AF-MSCs, with particular focus on cures for neuronal degenerative diseases.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.127-134
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• 2001

Objective : In this study, we have discovered that Korean Bee-Venom therapy is effective in treating various hip joint diseases. For example, A vacular Necrosis, Degenerative Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Methods & Results: We have treated three cases of affections of the hip(eg. Degenerative arthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis and Avascular Necrosis of Femoral Head) with Korean Bee-Venom therapy and herbal acupuncture treatments. For acupuncture, Korean Bee-Venom therapy was observed for its pain relieving effects. Korean Bee-Venom therapy was treated on the following acupuncture points: GB29(Koryo), GB30(Hwando:環跳), ST36(Chok-samni:足三理). As the results of these treatments, a little change of inflammation around the hip joint on X-ray scan study was observed. but the degree of pain and range of motion were improved. in addition to general conditions of the patients. Conclusions: Based on the clinical results, Korean Bee-Venom therapy is believed to be effective for treating Avascular Necrosis of Femoral Head, Degenerative arthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis of hip joint. However, it is expected that further studies should be conducted to provide more objective information.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.58 no.5
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• pp.401-411
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• 2015

More than 10 years have passed since lumbar total disc replacement (LTDR) was introduced for the first time to the world market for the surgical management of lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD). It seems like the right time to sum up the relevant results in order to understand where LTDR stands on now, and is heading forward to. The pathogenesis of DDD has been currently settled, but diagnosis and managements are still controversial. Fusion is recognized as golden standard of surgical managements but has various kinds of shortcomings. Lately, LTDR has been expected to replace fusion surgery. A great deal of LTDR reports has come out. Among them, more than 5-year follow-up prospective randomized controlled studies including USA IDE trials were expected to elucidate whether for LTDR to have therapeutic benefit compared to fusion. The results of these studies revealed that LTDR was not inferior to fusion. Most of clinical studies dealing with LTDR revealed that there was no strong evidence for preventive effect of LTDR against symptomatic degenerative changes of adjacent segment disease. LTDR does not have shortcomings associated with fusion. However, it has a potentiality of the new complications to occur, which surgeons have never experienced in fusion surgeries. Consequently, longer follow-up should be necessary as yet to confirm the maintenance of improved surgical outcome and to observe any very late complications. LTDR still may get a chance to establish itself as a substitute of fusion both nominally and virtually if it eases the concerns listed above.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.203-213
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• 2006

Purpose : This study was carried out to evaluate correlation between Bone Mineral Density(BMD) and degenerative lumbar disease in postmenopausal low back pain patients. Methods : 69 postmenopausal patients with low back pain were examined. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed to evaluate degenerative lumbar disease and bone mineral density of lumbar spine was measured by Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Data were analyzed by Pearson's Linear Correlation Coefficient. Results : In postmenopausal patients with low back pain, BMD(T-score, Z-score) had negative correlation with the grade of intervertebral disc herniation and positive correlation with weight. Other lumbar diseases including Spinal stenosis, Spondylolisthesis and Facet joint arthrosis didn't have significant correlation with BMD. Conclusion : In postmenopausal patients with low back pain, BMD(T-score, Z-score) had inverse relationship with the grade of intervertebral disc herniation.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.20-30
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• 2024

Red ginseng (RG) is widely used as a herbal medicine. As the human lifespan has increased, numerous diseases have developed, and RG has also been used to treat various diseases. Neurodegenerative diseases are major problems that modern people face through their lives. Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are featured by progressive nerve system damage. Recently, neuroinflammation has emerged as a degenerative factor and is an immune response in which cytokines with nerve cells that constitute the nervous system. RG, a natural herbal medicine with fewer side effects than chemically synthesized drugs, is currently in the spotlight. Therefore, we reviewed studies reporting the roles of RG in treating neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases and found that RG might help alleviate neurodegenerative diseases by regulating neuroinflammation.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1193-1199
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• 2001

Objectives : The goal of operation for degenerative lumbar diseases is to relieve radiculopathy and low back pain and to prevent further degeneration. The authors analyzed the surgical results of posterior lumbar interbody fusion(PLIF) and $0^{\circ}$ fixation to evaluate the proper treatment policy in spinal stenosis, degenerative spondylolisthesis and low grade isthmic spondylolisthesis. Material and Methods : The authors performed PLIF on 92 patients and $0^{\circ}$ fixation on 138 patients with spinal stenosis, degenerative spondylolisthesis and low grade isthmic spondylolisthesis. We retrospectively studied clinical outcomes and subjective satisfaction of these patients by several criteria such as visual analog scale(VAS), Prolo's economic and functional outcome scale, medication usage after operation and questionaire for overall outcome. Result : Pre- and postoperative VAS on back pain and leg pain showed decrease of pain from 6.5, 6.7 to 2.2, 2.4 in PLIF group and from 7.0, 7.2 to 2.5, 2.7 in $0^{\circ}$ fixation group. Excellent and good outcomes on Prolo's scale were 81.5% in PLIF group and 82.6% in $0^{\circ}$ fixation group. Medication usage after operation was reduced in 79.3% of PLIF group and in 78.3% of $0^{\circ}$ fixation group. Patients' self-reported overall success of their procedure showed 82% in PLIF group and 84% in $0^{\circ}$ fixation group. Conclusion : Both PLIF and $0^{\circ}$ fixation showed good outcomes and provided biomechanically stable fusion in spinal stenosis, degenerative spondylolisthesis and low grade isthmic spondylolisthesis. Therefore, only PLIF seems necessary and considered a proper surgical treatment for these disorders.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.161-166
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• 2008

Deep pectoral myopathy (DPM), also known as Oregon muscle disease or green muscle disease, was first described in 1968 by Dickinson et al as "degenerative myopathy" in turkeys. Even though this condition was first recognized in adult meat-type turkey and chicken breeders, it is becoming more and more common in meat-type growing birds. DPM occurs exclusively in birds that have been specially selected for breast muscle development. It is generally recognized that DPM is an ischemic necrosis that develops in the deep pectoral muscle (supracoracoideus or pectoralis minor muscle) mainly because this muscle is surrounded by inelastic fascia and the sternum, which do not allow the muscle mass to swell in response to the physiological changes occurring when muscle are exercised, as in wing flapping. The lesion does not impair the general health of birds and is generally found during cut-up and deboning, moreover, it can be both unilateral or bilateral, affecting just one or both pectoralis minor muscle, respectively. No public health significance is associated to DPM, but it is aesthetically undesirable. The fillet should be removed, whereas the rest of the carcass is still fit for human consumption. However, the required trimming operations determine the downgrading of the products and produce an economic loss for the industry, especially because it affects the more valuable part of the carcass. The incidence of DPM increases with market weight in broilers, with more cases reported in higher-yielding strains and in males. Increased bird activity (flock nervousness, flightiness, struggle, and wing flapping) induced by factors such as feed or water outages, lighting programs and intensity, human activity, and excessive noises in and around chicken houses should be looked at as a trigger for the development of DPM in broiler. However, most of the studies conducted to evaluate the incidence of DPM in poultry are concerned with parental commercial breeding stocks under experimental conditions (Bianchi et al. 2006. Poult Sci 85 : 1843-1846). There is a possible genetic relationship between the selection for large-breasted birds and this condition. Management procedures that discourage excessive wing flapping would reduce the incidence (Jordan and Pattison. 1998. Poultry diseases. 398-399).

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.5-24
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• 2000

Middle age for women is one of the most important stages of the whole normal life span and has unique problems concerning the psychological and physical health, specifically degenerative musculoskeletal diseases. Therefore middle age women should prepare in order to lead a healthy and fruitful life as they enter/begin old age. As the population of middle age women increase, the demands of nurses who care for this age group also continue to glow. Nurses must be interested in this middle age group of women in Korea. This study was designed to identify the extent of family support and self-esteem of the middle age women with degenerative musculoskeletal diseases and the relationship between them and nurse's contribution to middle age women's health promotion that maintain and promote qualify of her life. The population of this study was 112 women aged 40-60, attending the out patient clinic one University Hospital and one Hospital, in Pusan. The data was collected from 1st August to the 30th of September, 1998 by using 36 items questionnaire. The instrument used for measuring family support was of Chai's(1983) FSS which was modified by Kang's(1984) Family Support Scale. And that for self-esteem was Rosenberg's(1965) Self-esteem Scale. The reliability of Chai's FSS and Rosenberg's instruments were tested by Cronbach's alpha and showed that they were 0.93 and 0.89 each respectively. Data was analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's Correlation Coefficient using the SPSS computer program. The results of the study were summarized as follows : 1. The mean score of the perceived family support was $39.31{\pm}9.42$. 2. The mean score of the perceived self-esteem was $33.16{\pm}6.75$. 3. Statistically significant factors influencing the family support among sociodemographic variables was satisfaction of marriage(F=-3.069, p<0.003). 4. Statistically significant factors influencing the self-esteem among sociodemographic variables were age(F=3.992, p=0.000), education(F=2.260, P=0.026), housing (F=-1.987, P=0.049) and satisfaction of marriage(F=-2.305, P=0.023). 5. There was a significant correlation between family support and self-esteem (r=.621, p<.000). In conclusion, perceived the family support was important for middle age women to increase their self-esteem. Nurses should be aware of the necessity of family support in the supportive nursing of middle age women and should be able to make a plan to educate the family about supporting the wife/mother. The continuing study of the health promotion of middle age women to find out variables influencing middle age women' health must continue.