• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.346-351
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• 2003

The current studies investigated the therapeutic effects of Ephedra sinica Stapf (ES) herb-acupuncture on the inflammatory responses of rat arthritic joint, which was induced by the intradermal injection of heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis emulsified in squalene to the base of the tail. The measurements of body weight and articular index were exploited as the assessment methods addressing arthritic symptoms, and the expression profiles of cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in the rat joint were analyzed using RT-PCR. The articular indexes of arthritic rats were significantly restored after the treatment with ES herb-acupuncture. Although the clinical symptoms of arthritic rats were apparently alleviated by the ES treatments, their body weights were not recovered. It maybe due to the weight-loss and energy enhancement effects of ES extracts. The expression of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 genes, which were highly stimulated in the knee joints of arthritic rats, were restored to the levels of normal rats after the ES treatment. The therapeutic effect of ES herb-acupuncture was not observed in ES-treated, non-acupoint arthritic group as a sham control. The ES herb-acupuncture into an acupoint ST36 was found to be effective in alleviating the arthritic symptoms in adjuvant-induced arthritis rats as regards the body weight, joint appearance and the expression profiles of inflammatory cytokines.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.113-117
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• 2004

The effect of ultrasonification on immuno-stimulatory activities of the extracts from Ephedra sinica Stapf and Rubus coreanus Miq. was observed by the growth of human immune cells. The extraction yields from water extracts and water extract with ultrasonification at 40$^{\circ}C$, 60$^{\circ}C$ and 100$^{\circ}C$ were compared. The highest yield was observed enhancement ratio 2.34% in the extract at 40$^{\circ}C$ with ultrasonification. The growth of human T-cell was increased up to 13.8${\times}$10$^4$ viable cells/$m\ell$ in adding 1.0 g/L of the ultrasonification extracts. The treated extracts increased the specific secretion of TNF-${\alpha}$ up to 10.5${\times}$10$\^$-4/ pg/cell. It was suggested that of the extracts on water the extraction yield with ultrasonification compared improved the extraction with ultrasonification of low than.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.94-101
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• 2024

Herbal medicine (HM)-containing Ephedra Sinica (ES) has been associated with false-positive amphetamine immunoassay (FP IA) results. This study retrospectively evaluated the effects of dose, duration, and withdrawal instructions on FP IA and the safety of HM-containing ES at a clinic in Seoul from 2022 to 2023. The study included 6 patients in the FP IA group and 5 patients in the withdrawal instruction negative (Neg) group. The pre-test ephedrine alkaloids dose in the FP IA group was 95.17±31.90 mg, compared with 88.6±20.43 mg in the Neg group. The FP IA group had taken HM for 226.67±152.87 days before testing, and testing was performed while taking HM. In contrast, the Neg group had taken HM for 147.6±23.49 days and had 5.4±1.50 days of withdrawal period before the test following instructions of Korean medicine doctors. All adverse events (AEs) were moderate in severity, and the number of occurrences was similar: 5 in the FP IA group and 7 in the Neg group. AEs included constipation, insomnia (3 cases each), and palpitations (2 cases). The results of this study show that ES-induced FP IA can be resolved with withdrawal instructions and ES can be safely prescribed and administered by Korean medicine doctors. Further studies are needed to determine how to prevent FP IA after taking ES.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.102-108
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• 2009

This study was performed to enhance anticancer activities of E. sinica, and A. gigas by ultra high pressure extraction process. The cytotoxicity of E. sinica and A. gigas on human kidney cell (HEK293) was as low as 24.94% and 25.3% in adding 1.0 $mg/m{\ell}$ of the sample extracted at 500 Mpa for 15 minute. Generally, the inhibition of cancer cell growth on A549 and MCF-7 was increased over 20% in the ultra high pressure samples, compared to the conventional extraction process. Under the extracts from ultra high pressure process showed not only the strongest anticancer activities, but also had better stability than normal extracts. It was also found that the extracts of A. gigas reduced the hypertrophy of the internal organs, such as adrenal and spleen caused stresses in several mouse models.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.144-153
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• 2017

It was demonstrated that Gangjihwan (DF), which is the herbal composition composed of Ephedra intermedia, Lithospermum erythrorhizon, and Rheum palmatum, inhibits obesity and hepatic steatosis in high fat diet (HFD)-fed obese mice. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of DF on visceral obesity, hepatic inflammation and fibrosis and the mechanism of actions involved in this process using in vivo and in vitro approaches. DF was extracted with water (DF-FW), 30% grain alcohol (DF-GA30), and 70% grain alcohol (DF-GA70). Administration of DF to HFD-fed control mice decreased visceral tissue mass and visceral adipocyte size without adverse effects. Visceral fat mass was decreased by DF-GA30 and DF-GA70, and visceral adipocyte size by all three DF extracts compared with obese control mice. Histological analysis revealed that three kinds of DF extracts reduced toluidine blue-stained mast cells and collagen accumulation in the liver, the extents of which were most eminent in DF-GA70-treated mice. DF-GA70 decreased the mRNA levels of the inflammation ($TNF{\alpha}$ and VCAM-1), fibrosis (${\alpha}-SMA$), and apoptosis (caspase 3) genes, but increasing the anti-apoptosis gene (Bcl-2) mRNA levels in the liver of obese control mice. Consistent with the in vivo data, GA-70 also altered the expression of inflammation genes ($TNF{\alpha}$ and MCP-1) in HepG2 cells. These results indicate that DF not only inhibits visceral obesity, but also ameliorates visceral obesity-induced hepatic inflammation and fibrosis and that this process may be mediated by regulating the hepatic expression of inflammatory and fibrogenic genes.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.47-60
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• 2011

Objectives The objective of this study was to contribute to the development of pharmacupuncture for obesity treatment by reviewing the studies of pharmacupuncture experimentations and clinical trials. Methods We searched the papers with keywords of 'obesity' and 'pharmacupuncture' in the search site, RISS, Oriental medicine advanced searching integrated system(OASIS), Korean traditional knowledge portal, the society of Korean medicine for obesity research, Korean pharmacupuncture institute, the Korean academy of oriental rehabitation medicine and Korean acupuncture & moxibustion society. Results 1. We reviewed 37 articles searched. 27 articles(73.0%) were animal experimentations, 5 articles(13.5%) were cell experimentations, 4 articles(10.8%) were clinical trials and 1 article(2.7%) was study analysis. 2. The herbs, using for animal experimentations, were atratylodes japonica, coix lachrymajobi, ephedra sinica, crataegus pinnatifida, wild ginseng and etc. Acupucture points were joksamni(ST36), zhongwan(CV12), gansoo(BL18), pungnyung(ST40), umnungchon(SP9), bisu(BL20), gokji (LI11), cheun-chu(ST25) and etc. 3. For cell experimentations, preadipocytes and adipocytes performed on cell cultures with using rats, 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and porcine skin including fat tissue were treated with fel ursi, bovis calculus, ephedrae herba, spirodelae herba, wild ginseng. 4. For clinical trials, Sangsik no.1, Bigiheo, ephedra, green tea and sweet bee venom were injected at the region where a lot of fat like zhongwan(CV12), xiawan(CV10), kwanwon(CV4), cheun-chu(ST25) and thigh. Conclusion Through animal and cell experimentations and clinical trials, the treatment of obesity using local acupuncture therapy was effective. For clinical use, however, it is considered that animal and cell experimentation and clinical trial's connection using one kind of herb and studies about more clinical trials and associated side effects are needed.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.26-30
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• 1994

Some ammonium oxalate soluble pectic fragments prepared from cultured cell wall of Ephycla distrahya elicited the accumulation of p-coumarocylamino acids (p-CAA) in E. distachya cultures while water soluble and alkali soluble fractions had no activity. Partial purification of the pectic fragments fraction using DEAE-cellulose chromatography afforded two active fractions (PS-I and PS-II) which were composed of mainly uronic acids (98-99 w/w %). They elicited the accumulation of p-CAA in an amount of 52-60 nmol per gram fresh weight of cultures. The acidic sugar compositions of PS-I and PS-II were found to be galacturonic acid and glucuronic acid by TLC analysis. They were supposed to act as endogenous elicitors of p-CAA accumulation. In order to investigate the effect of ethylene on p-CAA accumulation, Ethrel, which is known as ethylene generator, and ACC(1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid), a direct precusor of ethylene biosynthesis, were added to the culture. However, they did not glycopeptide elicitor [(Con A-II)], either. Consequently, no relationships between ethylene and p-CAA accumulation were recognized. Several tentative elicitors were teted for their activity. Commercial yeast glucan, $CuCl_2$, laminarin and laminariheptaose had slight activity whereas ${\alpha}$-methylmannopyranoside and commercial yeast mannan had no elicitor activity. ${\alpha}$-methylmannopyranoside which has been known as a tentative inhibitor of glucan elicitor in Glycine max did not affect on the elicitor activity of Con A-II.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.71-85
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• 2007

Objectives : This study was performed to identify the efficacy and safety of ephedra and green tea mesotherapy on localized fat. Methods : Twenty-five healthy $20{\sim}35$ year overweight women (body mass $index{\geq}23kg/m^2$) were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups : experimental(mahuang and green tea) group (n=13), placebo(Normal saline) group (n=12). Total 8 times of herbarl mesotherapy treatment were performed once per week, 4 times were performed on right thigh (1st period), after wash-out for 1 week, the other 4 times were performed on left thigh (2nd period) without any modification of diet or exercise. Body composition, thigh circumferences were measured at each period before and after the intervention. Subcutaneous fat was measured by CT scan at before and after the 1st period of intervention and free fatty acid(FFA) was measured immediately before 1st intervention, 1 hour later, 24 hours later, and 7 days later. Satisfaction score and adverse events were evaluated. Results : In the subcutaneous fat, there were no significances, but in the circumferences. Experimental group had significant change when compared with placebo group (p<0.05). In FFA, experimental group has significant elevation at after 1 hour (p<0.05) evaluation. There were no serious adverse events in both groups. Conclusions : Experimental group had some significant findings in circumference, FFA, and had no serious adverse events comparing with placebo group, and no serious adverse events have been reported in both group. Mesotherapy with herb have a possibility of treating localized fat

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.74-80
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• 2001

Objectives : Ma-huang is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, derived from Ephedra sinica Stapf and other Ephedra species, used to treat asthma, nose and lung congestion, and fever with anhidrosis. It contains 0.5-2.5% by weight of total alkaloids, of which ephedrine accounts for 30 to 90%. Recently, Ma-huang has been used as a source of ephedrine in many dietary supplements formulated for the treatment of obesity, since ephedrine has been found to be effective in inducing weight loss in the obese. In this study the effects of the methanol extract of Ma-huang on the adipocyte of epididymal and brown fat pads in rats fed a high fat diet for six weeks were studied. Methods : Male Sprague Dawley rats weighing an average 94g (4 weeks old) were fed either a regular diet (RE) or a high fat diet (HF), and the HF group was subdivided into a Ma-huang methanol extract (30mg/100g body weight) group (HF+MH). The weight of epididymal fat pad and brown adipose tissue were measured. The cell size and cell number per unit area of epididymal fat pad were investigated. Results : The yield weight of methanol extract of Ma-huang was 3.63mg per l00g of Ma-huang. The body weight gain of the HF group was similar with that of the HF+ MH but higher than that of the RE. The weights of the epididymal fat pads and brown adipose tissue of the RE group were lower than those of HF and HF+MH groups. The cell sizes and numbers per unit area of epididymal fat pads of the RE and HF+MH groups were larger than those of HF group. The cell numbers per unit area size of epididymal fat pads were the smallest in the RE group. Conclusions : It could be concluded that the Ma-huang extract has no effect on the epididymal fat pads in rats fed a high fat diet and the clinical application of Ma-huang for the treatment of obesity should be re-considered.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.105-113
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• 2010

Objectives : This study was performed to analyze the quality of Ojeok-san extract powders distributed in Korea. Methods : HPLC analyses of Ojeok-san decoction produced in laboratory and 8 kinds of Ojeok-san extract powders were done. Also, quantity analyses of paeoniflorin in Paeonia lactiflora, Glycyrrhizin in Glycyrrhiza uralensis, alkaloid in Ephedra sinica, Hesperidin in Citrus unshiu Markovich, and cinnamic acid in Cinnamomum cassia Blume were performed to investigate the accurate content of 6 kinds of Ojeok-san extract powders. Results : In the pattern analysis, the peaks were compared. The content of components in herbal extract powders was 14.7 to 15.8% of that of decoction in average. The range was measured from 8.5 to 25.7%. The pattern comparison showed significant differences among the pharmaceutical companies' products. As for the quantity analysis, one of herbal extract powder contained insufficient amount of Paeonia lactiflora components and one of herbal extract powder was in short of Ephedra sinica components. All of the others contained more than standard component(over 90%). Conclusions : Because herbal extract powders are also medicine, standardized manufacturing methods and consistent quality management are necessary. Therefore exaction and operation of national standards and various researches to improve the quality management of herbal extract powders is urgent.