• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.970-975
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• 2012

In Sasang constitutional medicine, doctors diagnose and treat patients according to their Sasang consitutition (SC) type. In this work, by a clinical test with a radial pulse tonometer, we investigated radial pulse properties which were significant in distinguishing unhealthy subjects from healthy subjects for each SC type. We measured radial pulse properties on left and right Gwan locations with a pulse tonometer for 299 elderly female subjects of age of 50 years old or above. We used a newly developed SCAT system to determine subjects' SC types. Subjects' health levels of either healthy or unhealthy were determined independently by two Korean medical doctors. To investigate the statistical differences, we used either of Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U test depending on the normality of distribution of test statistic. For TE type, unhealthy subjects were characterized with significant increases in heart rate, systolic to diastolic period, pulse depth, while they showed significant decreases in width of pulse in normal direction, pulse area in diastolic period, and high harmonic components (6th, 7th) of power spectral density. For SE type, unhealthy subjects were characterized with significant increases in pulse pressure and pulse depth, while no significant differences were found for SY type. We investigated the characteristic differences in radial pulse properties due to change in health levels on each SC type for elderly females. Pulse variables which were significantly different between healthy subjects and unhealthy subjects were found to vary between SC types. For TE type subjects, many variables were found significant at the left Gwan location, which is in support of the theory of hyperactive liver functioning for TE type. Irrespective of the constitution, the related changes in the pulse properties due to worsened health level were in support of elevated blood flow amount in compensation with weakened blood circulatory function.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.132-140
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• 2020

Objectives: This research study aimed to determine the effect of Korean medicine treatments on a patient with lumbar disc herniation accompanying polycystic kidney disease. Methods: Acupuncture, herbal medicine, pharmacopuncture, spine decompression therapy, Motion Style Acupuncture Treatment (MSAT), and Chuna were preceded for treatment. We checked the patient's Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), numeric rating scale (NRS), and straight leg raise test (SLRT) on admission and discharge; we also used the NRS and SLRT to evaluate the patient's symptoms on every third day during the hospital stay. Because it is important to manage blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, and blood pressure during the early stage of polycystic kidney disease, BUN and serum creatinine levels were checked weekly while blood pressure was checked every morning. Results: Twelve days after admission, the NRS for lower back pain and right leg pain decreased from 7 to 3 and from 7 to 2, respectively. The ODI value also decreased from 56 to 20 while the SLRT value increased from 30/70 to 60/70. The BUN and serum creatinine levels and the blood pressure readings were all within normal range every time they were checked. Conclusions: The use of Korean medicine treatments resulted in improvements in NRS, ODI, and SLRT on a patient with a herniated lumbar disc herniated who had a past history of polycystic kidney disease; thus, the patient was able to maintaining kidney functioning. Herbal medicine, an alternative method of analgesic anti-inflammatory drugs that has been evaluated as relatively safe on liver and kidney function, could be suggested on a patient with a past history of polycystic kidney disease to maintain kidney function when renal function and blood pressure are monitored.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.225-230
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• 1999

In mouse, the heat shock protein 70-2 (hsp70-2) is found to have special function in spermatogenesis. Based on the observation, the hypothesis that human hspA2 (human gene; 98.2% amino acid homology with hsp70-2) might have important function in spermatogenesis in human testes was proposed. To test the hypothesis, we examined the expression of hspA2 in human tissues. Expression vector pDMC4 for expression of the human hspA2 protein using pTricHisB (invitrogen, USA) was constructed and the expressed hspA2 protein was cross-reacted with antiserum 2A raised against mouse hsp70-2 protein. Based on the cross-reactivity, we determined the expression level of hspA2 protein in human tissues by western blot analysis using the antiserum 2A. We demonstrated that antiserum 2A antibodies detected human hspA2 protein with specificity which was produced in the E.coli expression system. On Western blot analyses, significant hspA2 expression was observed in testes with normal spermatogenesis, whereas a low level of hspA2 was expressed in testis with Sertoli-cell only syndrome. Also, a small amount of hspA2 was detected in breast, stomach, prostate, colon, liver, ovary, and epididymis. These results demonstrate that the hspA2 protein is highly expressed in male specific germ cells, which in turn suggests that hspA2 protein might playa specific role during meiosis in human testes as suggested in the murine model. However, further studies should be attempted to determine the function of hspA2 protein in human spermatogenesis.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.71-97
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• 1975

To improve the food qualities in Korea, two hundred and fourtynine kinds of food additives have been allowed in food processing, of which one hundred and nineteen kinds could be used under the limitted conditions. Hence, in practical uses in food processing, many kinds of them are mixed at random within the permitted amounts for their special purposes. For last several years, many kinds of the food additives were prohibited because they have been proved to be toxic even with the single dose. Until recently a few studies on the toxicity in the mixture of food additives were reported, however, they were shown to be no severe additional effect on the animal. This study was performed to see if any elevation of chronic or subacute toxicity of food additives occur especially when they are mixed with each other, using three kinds of food additives (DHA, AF-2, BHT) most widely used as food preservatives, antiseptics and antioxidants. One hundred and fifty young male rats were taken and divided into ten feeding groups, one first control group (food additives blank), three second control groups (DHA 0.1%, AF-2 0.1%, BHT 0.5%), three mixture groups of low level (mixture of each 60% of two second control level) and three mixture groups of high level (mixture of each 90% of two second control level). As the methods of biological and clinical tests, the change of body weight (growth rate), daily intake of diets, organ to body weight ratio, histopathological findings of organs, hematological observation, liver and kidney function tests were checked three times during the periods of 24 weeks. The following results were obtained. 1. The low level group of DHA, AF-2 mixture and DHA, BHT mixture revealed a little retardation in growth rate than the first control group, however, they were similar to the second controls, while all the mixture groups of high level showed a more remarkable retardation than the first and second controls. 2. Average daily intake of the diets was the same in each group, showing a similar decreasing tendency (70-100g/kg of body weight) in accordance with the growth rate. It was observed that there are no differences in the taste and appetite in each group of rats. 3. Abnormal enlargements of kidney and lung were not seen in all the mixture groups compared with the controls, while a slight hepatomegaly was observed in all mixture groups of low level as in the second controls. Significant differences (almost 1% level) were observed between the high level groups and the first control group. 4. Histopathological effects of the food additives on lung, kidney and liver tissues were found in all mixture group of high level. The less frequencies of the same effects were also seen in the low level groups. 5. The esterified cholesterol to total cholesterol ratio in the mixture groups of high level showed a little lower values, and the activities of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase decreased almost with significance of 5% level compared with the first control group. The serum A/G ratio in the mixture groups also decreased. The results demonstrated that the liver function was decreased in the mixture groups compared with the controls. 6. In all groups throughout the test period, kidney functions (concentration of protein and creatinine excreated per hour in urine and renal filtration rate) were shown almost as normal as the first control. 7. Average values of hematocrit, erythrocytes and leucocytes in the mixture groups were in the normal ranges as in the controls, which denotes that the production of blood cells in bone marrow were also normal in all groups. With the above results, it is concluded that when the food additives (DHA, AF-2, BHT) were given together to the rats in several combinations even in less amount, they showed more toxic signs than the single doses.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.13-22
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• 1975

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of the ETR test as compared to other thyroid function tests in normal persons, patients with thyroid disorders and patients with alterations of thyroxine-binding proteins. The ETR values were obtained from 35 cases as normal control, 63 hyperthyroid patients, 56 euthyroid patients, 23 hypothyroid patients, 10 pregnant women, 5 women taking oral contraceptive medication, 8 liver cirrhosis patients and 4 nephrotic syndrome patients. The results obtained were as follows. 1. The mean value of ETR obtained from the normal controls was $0.99{\pm}0.06$. 2. The mean ETR values of various thyroid states were $1.25{\pm}0.16$ in hyperthyroidism, $0.99{\pm}0.08$ in euthyroidism and $0.82{\pm}0.05$ in hypothyroidism and significant difference was found between these groups. 3. Seven out of 63 hyperthyroid patients(11.1%) and 2 out of 23 hypothyroid patients(8.7%) had ETR values within normal range and among the 56 euthyroid patients 6(10.7%) had ETR values outside normal range, so the diagnostic compatibility of ETR was 89.4% in thyroid diseases. 4. Even though the ETR value was well correlated with $^{131}I$-thyroid uptake rate, serum $T_3$ resin uptake rate and serum $T_4$, a high positive correlation was found (r=0.79) between ETR and $T_7$. 5. The mean ETR values from patients with alteration in TBG binding capacity were $0.99{\pm}0.05$ in pregnant women, $0.98{\pm}0.04$ in women with oral contraceptive medication, $1.04{\pm}0.09$ in liver cirrhosis patients and $0.94{\pm}0.02$ in nephrotic syndrome patients and most of them (85.2%) had ETR values within normal range. Our results, therefore, suggests that the ETR estimation does offer the simplest and most reliable single procedure for the screening and diagnosis of various thyroid diseases as a indirect indicator of serum-free thyroxine concentration without essential influence of changes in the thyroxine-binding proteins in serum.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.492-500
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• 1992

The rate of vitamin K-dependent carboxylation of endogenous liver microsomal proteins and an exogenous peptide substrate for carboxylase were measured to test the effects of excess vitamin A on vitamin K function in rats. In vitro vitamin A incubation in normal rat microsomes of vitamin K-sufficient ras did not influence the carboxylation rates of either endogenous prothrombin precursors or a peptide substrate added, Similarly vitamin A incubation in micro-somes from control and excess vitamin A-fed rats that were on vitamin K-free diet did not change the rate significantly within the respectively groups ; however the rates of endogenous protein carboxylation from excess vitamin A-fed rats tended to be increased by the in vitro vitamin A addition compared to that of control rats. Excess vitamin A-fed rats had 2- to 3- fold higher carboxylase activites of endogenous protein carboxylation either with or without the invitro vitamin A incubation than did control rats. In an in vivo study carboxyalase activites with an added exogenous peptide substrate were not influenced by excess intake of vitamin excess vitamin A-fed rats than for control rats. Carboxylase activites tended to be increased amounts of vitamin A on endogenous protein carboxylation appeareed as early as one week post-initiation of the diet. The results of this study indicate that excess vitamin A produces toxic effect rapidly and that excess dietary vitamin A increase the rate of carboxylation of endogenous protein mainly prothrombin precursors which is an indication of vitamin K defi-ciency.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.231-239
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of gobonyangjeonbang (GYB) on the endocrine function and the antioxidant efficacy of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced oxidative stress in rats. In 2017, to evaluate the efficacy of GYB on oxidative stress, 35 male SD rats were divided into five groups and tested. The normal control group was administered saline as a vehicle, while the TCDD-alone group was administered TCDD (2 ㎍/kg per week) intraperitoneally and with physiological saline, and the test group was administered GYB orally by dividing it into three concentrations (75, 150, and 300 mg/kg) for six weeks. Bodyweight decreased significantly after six weeks of TCDD exposure, when compared to rats in the NC group (p<0.001). However, weight loss from TCDD was significantly protected by administration of GYB at 300 mg/kg (p<0.01). The rat liver induced by TCDD showed cytoplasmic vacuole degeneration, and the hepatic sinusoid and weight increased. As a result of measuring MDA and SOD, both items tended to decrease under TCDD administration. On the other hand, there was no change due to GYB administration, and significance was observed in the GYB 300 mg/kg group compared to the NC group in the SOD result (p<0.05). These findings demonstrated that GYB may have a protective effect against TCDD-induced liver toxicity in rats.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.26 no.1 s.41
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• pp.74-85
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• 1993

To measure the serum succinyl trialanine p-nitroanilide hydrolytic activity as new index of liver function in workers exposed to organic solvents, this study conducted 114 workers in department of shoe-making of shoes factories. The results obtained from this study were as follows : 1. The mean values of serum GOT, GPT, ${\gamma}GT$ in whole workers were $22{\pm}12.32,\;20{\pm}9.05,\;28{\pm}21.35IU/l$, respectively and the mean value of serum STN hydrolytic activity was $0.08{\pm}0.05$. 2. The serum STN hydrolytic activity was significantly higher for male (p<0.05) and there was no difference among the groups of age. 3. There was no difference in the groups by working hours but significant difference in persons who worked over 3 years or were exposed to toluene over 100ppm (p<0.05). 4. The correlation of the exposed dose of toluene and serum GOT, GPT, ${\gamma}GT$ and serum STN hydrolytic activity were statistically significant (r=0.027-0.518). 5. The exposed dose of toluene was most explainable variable and statistically significant among the factors affecting serum STN hydrolytic activity (p<0.05).

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.13 no.1_2
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• pp.15-21
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• 1979

From January 1975 to March 1978, 18 cases of chronic myelogenous leukemia diagnosed at Kyungpook National University Hospital were tested by hepatosplenic scanning with $^{198}Au$ colloidal gold. The photo scanning findings in relation to clinical and laboratory findings are following. 1) Male to female ratio was 2:1 and 2nd and 3rd decades were predominant. 2) No focal space-occupying lesion was noticed both in the liver and spleen. 3) 4 cases revealed well visualization of spleen, 7 cases poor visualization, and 7 cases nonvisualization. 4) No significant difference between well visualization group and poor visualization group was noted in clinical findings, liver function test and hematologic findings. 5) Cases with nonvisualization of the spleen tended to be associated with thrombocytopenia, decreased megakaryocytes in the marrow and longer duration of the illness.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.203-209
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• 1994

When $^{14}C-{\alpha}-endosulfan$ was incubated with carp liver, kidney and gut preparations, it was metabolized to water soluble and organosoluble metabolites. In an in vitro test, endosulfan was converted to endosulfan ${\alpha}-hydroxyether$ (EHE), endosulfan alcohol (EA) and endosulfan ether (EE). The addition of NADPH resulted in rapid conversion of endosulfan to the metabolites in 105,000 g soluble fraction and microsomes. However, the rate of metabolism of endosulfan in liver, kidney and gut supplemented with NADPH as a cofactor was higher in the 105,000 g soluble fraction than that in the microsomes of carp under incubation conditions. The enzymes probably involved in the metabolism of endosulfan include the glutathione S-transferase (GST) and the mixed function oxidases (MFO), based on the evidence that addition of either GSH or NADPH increased the degradation of endosulfan.