• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.505-514
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• 2021

Among non-timber forest products, Tricholoma matsutake is a high value added item. Many countries, including Korea, China, and Japan, are doing research and technology development to increase artificial cultivation and productivity. However, the production of T. matsutake is on the decline due to global warming, abnormal temperatures and pine tree pest problems. Therefore, it is necessary to identify trends in domestic and foreign research on T. matsutake, respond to preemptive research and development to preserve the genetic resources of T. matsutake and increase its productivity. Based on the correlation between keywords in the high frequency keywords, it was observed that microbial clusters of T. matsutake are mainly found in Korea. The main focus in China has been the pharmacology studies on the ingredients of T. matsutake. The main focus in Japan has been on preserving the genetic diversity and species of T. matsutake. Thus, future domestic studies of T. matsutake will require pharmacological studies on the ingredients of T. matsutake and on its genetic diversity and species conservation. In addition, unlike China and Japan, genetic keywords did not appear in Korea at high frequency. Therefore, Korea will have to proceed with research using modern molecular biology techniques.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.181-189
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• 2022

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative condition characterized by loss of motor neurons, resulting in motor weakness of the limbs and/or bulbar muscles. Pain is a prevalent but neglected symptom of ALS, and it has a significant negative impact on the quality of life of patients and their caregivers. This review outlines the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, underlying mechanisms, and management strategies of pain in ALS to improve clinical practice and patient outcomes related to pain. Pain is a prevalent symptom among patients with ALS, with a variable reported prevalence. It may occur at any stage of the disease and can involve any part of the body without a specific pattern. Primary pain includes neuropathic pain and pain from spasticity or cramps, while secondary pain is mainly nociceptive, occurring with the progression of muscle weakness and atrophy, prolonged immobility causing degenerative changes in joints and connective tissue, and long-term home mechanical ventilation. Prior to treatment, the exact patterns and causes of pain must first be identified, and the treatment should be tailored to each patient. Treatment options can be classified into pharmacological treatments, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antiepileptic drugs, drugs for cramps or spasticity, and opioid; and nonpharmacological treatments, including positioning, splints, joint injections, and physical therapy. The development of standardized and specific assessment tools for pain-specific to ALS is required, as are further studies on treatments to reduce pain, diminish suffering, and improve the quality of life of patients with ALS.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.86-94
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• 2022

Purpose: Patients experiencing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) apply various palliative care as well as drugs in their daily life to alleviate symptoms. There is a need to identify the influence of these efforts and patients' psychosocial status on the relief of CIPN symptoms. This short-term prospective study investigated how prescription drugs, non-pharmacological behaviors (exercise, massage, and heat therapy), and psychological states (social support, depression, and anxiety) affected CIPN symptoms. Methods: Participants scheduled to receive postoperative platinum or taxane-based chemotherapy were enrolled consecutively. CIPN was measured with the Neurotoxicity-12 subscale of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity-12 instrument. Data were collected three times during the 4 or 5 cycles of chemotherapy. Results: At the end of the 2nd chemotherapy cycle, 93.1% of participants reported CIPN symptoms. Multiple regression analyses showed that a heat therapy (β= -.34, p< .001), massage (β= -.21, p= .012), and walking 5 times or more per week (β= -.26, p= .021) provided relieve for CIPN symptoms. Depression (β= .19, p= .027) significantly exacerbated CIPN symptoms. Conclusion: These results suggested that a comprehensive management program that includes walking, heat therapy, massage, and mood therapy should be encouraged. Moreover, patients should be educated at chemotherapy initiation to understand appropriate interventions that can relieve CIPN symptoms.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was to evaluate the effects of a lettuce-based sleep promotion program on sleep, depression, and life satisfaction of the elderly in the community. Methods: Data collection was conducted from April 19 to May 28, 2021, and 49 elderly people with sleep disorders over the age of 60 living in G province. The program consisted of a total of 6 weeks, and evaluated sleep patterns, insomnia severity, depression, and life satisfaction. The collected data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS/WIN 23.0 program descriptive statistics and paired t-test. Results: As a result, the lettuce-based sleep promotion program was found to be effective for total sleep time (t=-2.71, p=.009), deep sleep (t=-3.98, p<.001), insomnia severity (t=10.11, p<.001), depression (t=2.14, p=.038), and life satisfaction (t=-2.15, p=.036). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that this program should be used as a non-pharmacological intervention to promote sleep of the elderly.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2024

Purpose: Ankle instability is a common issue in both daily activities and sports, often leading to recurrent injuries. Elastic taping is a non-pharmacological intervention used to improve ankle stability. This study aimed to investigate the immediate effects of elastic taping on ankle stability, center of pressure (COP) movement, and foot pressure distribution. Methods: A single-group pre-posttest design was employed, with 30 participants included in the study. Plantar pressure and COP parameters were measured before and after the application of elastic taping. Taping was administered in three distinct patterns to enhance ankle stability. Results: Immediate effects of elastic taping were evident in COP parameters. Following taping application, there was a significant decrease in COP total displacement, COP area, and COP velocity. However, no significant changes were observed in plantar pressure parameters. Conclusion: The application of elastic taping in this study demonstrated immediate effects on ankle stability and COP parameters, indicating its potential as a viable intervention for improving balance. Further research with larger sample sizes and long-term follow-up is needed to elucidate the sustained effects of elastic taping on ankle stability.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.124-133
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• 2024

Objective: This study aims to investigate the immediate effects of myofascial release and Duoball assisted self-relaxation (DASR) techniques on pain and muscle tension in patients experiencing chronic cervical pain. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Methods: This study is a randomized controlled experimental study. Eighteen patients with chronic neck pain who met the selection criteria were randomly assigned to myofascial release group and myofascial release group using Duoball. Results: The frequency results for assessment muscle tension showed a decrease of about 10% in the suboccipital muscle, SCM, Pect m, UT, and LS in both the MFR and DASR groups, and the stiffness results showed a decrease in all muscles except the upper trapezius in the MFR group and the DASR group. All were found to decrease by about 10% in the suboccipital muscle, SCM, Pect m, UT, and LS, and the decrement results showed an increase of about 15% in the suboccipital muscle, SCM, Pect m, UT, and LS in both the MFR and DASR groups(p<0.05). Conclusions: In patients experiencing chronic neck pain, application of MFR and duoball assisted self relaxion was shown to be effective on pain and muscle tension. MFR is a non-pharmacological intervention method with few potential side effects and is considered a universal and easily applicable treatment method.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.51-54
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• 1990

Human leukocyte cathepsin-Gs are active participant in the active phase of inflammations like rheumatoid arthritis, emphysema and glomerular injury. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used for treatment of these inflammatory diseases. Mechanism of action of NSAIDs for treatment of inflammatory diseases, especially like rheumatoid arthritis, are known as the inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis. Inhibitions of the activities of human leukocyte cathepsin-Gs by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, however, were not same as the known pharmacological effects (inhibition of cyclooxygenase) of these drugs. Among them, especially, sulindac, salicylate, phenylbutazone, oxyphenbutazone, and salicyluric acid inhibited human leukocyte cathepsin-Gs effectively. $IC_{50}s$ of each drug were 4.3mM, 14.3mM, 6.5mM, 11mM and 15mM respectively. The drugs which have same chemical structure and same degree of inhibition effect on cyclooxygenase showed different degree or no effect on inhibition of cathepsin G. These inhibition effect might be, beside of inhibition of cyclooxygenase in the prostaglandin synthesis pathway, another benefitial antiinflammatory effect of NSAIDs by direct protection against tissue destruction in inflammatory diseases.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.138-144
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• 2017

The pharmacological rationale of Agastache rugosa (AR) or Pogostemon cablin (PC), which have been used in traditional Korean medicine to treat dampness pattern or syndrome in gastrointestinal tract, was investigated on the gastrointestinal disorders. In-vivo model studies that examined the effect on the gastrointestinal disorders of AR or PC were collected. They were classified into disease-induced in-vivo models or non-disease in vivo models. The target disease, animal species, induction method, administration, and outcomes (changes in morphological and histological parameter, or blood and fluid) of each study were analyzed. The therapeutic mechanism of AR or PC extract was evaluated by the induced diseases and the changes in outcomes. There were contradictory reports on gastrointestinal motility of AR or PC in disease non-disease in-vivo model. AR or PC inhibited gastrointestinal motility in disease model of increased gastrointestinal motility, while promoted motility in disease model of decreased gastrointestinal motility. AR or PC also inhibited inflammatory changes in gastrointestinal inflammation model. These results suggest that the bidirectional regulation of gastrointestinal motility and the improvement of gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders might underpin traditional therapeutic effect of AR or PC, that is effect to resolve dampness of gastrointestinal tract.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.133-141
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• 2020

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of active release technique on pain, Oswestry Disability Index, and pelvic asymmetry in chronic low back pain patients. METHODS: Thirty five outpatients diagnosed with chronic low back pain were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided randomly into an active release technique therapy group(experimental group; n=18) and myofascial release technique therapy group(control group; n=17). These groups performed their respective therapy for a 40-minute session occurring twice a week over six weeks. The Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) was used to measure the subjects' pain, and the Korean Oswestry Disability Index(KODI) was used to measure the subjects' dysfunction. To assess the patients' pelvic asymmetry, their pelvic tilt and pelvic rotation were measured using X-ray imaging. RESULTS: Both the experimental group and control group exhibited significant decreases in their VAS and KODI scores after the therapy(p<.05). The experimental group exhibited a significant decrease in their pelvic tilt and pelvic rotation after therapy(p<.05). A significant difference was observed between the experimental group and the control group (p<.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that active release technique is effective in decreasing the level of pain and dysfunction in chronic low back pain patients. In addition, the active release technique is considered to be more effective in improving the pelvic tilt and pelvic rotation than myofascial release technique. This can be an effective method for the non-pharmacological and non-surgical treatment of chronic low back pain.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.99-103
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• 2010

Background: Glycogen synthase kinase $3{\beta}$ ($GSK3{\beta}$) is a ubiquitous serine/threonine kinase that is regulated by serine phosphorylation at 9. Recent studies have reported the beneficial effects of a number of the pharmacological $GSK3{\beta}$ inhibitors in rodent models of septic shock. Since most of the $GSK3{\beta}$ inhibitors are targeted at the ATP-binding site, which is highly conserved among diverse protein kinases, the development of novel non-ATP competitive $GSK3{\beta}$ inhibitors is needed. Methods: Based on the unique phosphorylation motif of $GSK3{\beta}$, we designed and generated a novel class of $GSK3{\beta}$ inhibitor (GSK3i) peptides. In addition, we investigated the effects of a GSK3i peptide on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cytokine production and septic shock. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with GSK3i peptide and monitored over a 7-day period for survival. Results: We first demonstrate its effects on LPS-stimulated pro-inflammatory cytokine production including interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-12p40. LPS-induced IL-6 and IL-12p40 production in macrophages was suppressed when macrophages were treated with the GSKi peptide. Administration of the GSK3i peptide potently suppressed LPS-mediated endotoxin shock. Conclusion: Collectively, we present a rational strategy for the development of a therapeutic GSK3i peptide. This peptide may serve as a novel template for the design of non-ATP competitive GSK3 inhibitors.