• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.27-33
• /
• 2014

Objectives: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-depressant effects of pharmacopuncture using sumsu (Bufonis venenum). Methods: Animals were divided into three groups (control, sham, and experimental), with eight mice per group. The sham and the experimental groups were exposed to 2 hours of immobilization stress daily for 14 days. They were also injected with normal saline (sham) or subjected to pharmacopuncture with sumsu at the acupoints HT7, SP6, and GV20 (experimental). The depression or anxiety-like behaviors of the mice in each group were evaluated 1 day after treatment. Results: There was no difference in locomotor activity between the groups during the open-field test; i.e., all groups had normal motor function. However, the open-field and the forced-swimming tests revealed that depression and anxiety-like behaviors were decreased significantly in the group treated with sumsu pharmacopuncture. Conclusion: Sumsu pharmacopuncture attenuated depressive or anxiety-like behavior in mice stressed with chronic immobilization. These results suggest that sumsu pharmacopuncture has therapeutic potential for treating neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety or depression disorder.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.92-101
• /
• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to study complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) used among cancer patients in Korea. Method: This study was a descriptive survey. Study participants were 1,150 cancer patients selected from 28 representative hospitals in Korea. Data were collected between December 1, 2004 and March 30, 2005. Results: Their diagnosis were as follows : 20.0% for breast cancer, 15.6% for stomach cancer, 14.4% for liver cancer, 10.8% for lung cancer, 10.0% for colon cancer, and 10.0% for uterine cancer. 75.0% of cancer patients had used CAM. The most popular categories of CAM use were diet with 153.2%, non- prescription of oriental medical doctor 47.9% and mind-body control 20.3%. CAM use gender, age, cancer type, cancer treatment method, and current treatment type was significantly different in. Conclusion: CAM use among cancer patients in Korea was very popular(75.0%) and so systemic guidelines of CAM use are needed.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to review laser acupuncture studies to find possibility for applying high intensity laser to acupuncture and moxibustion treatment. Methods : Searching papers was performed using search engines of five electronic databases, including Pubmed, Thomson ISI, EMBASE, Sciencedirect, and EBSCO, from inception to May 2011 without language limitation. Inclusion criteria were clinical studies with human, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), case-control studies, and case reports. Selecting papers was performed with titles and abstracts in first step, scrutinize full text in second step, and then the extrated data was analyzed by two authors independently. The methodological quality for RCTs was evaluated using Jadad's scale. Results : Total 8 papers, (3 RCTs, 5 controlld studies, and 1 case reports), were finally selected. The study dealt with surgical laser, argon and $CO_2$ laser was one for each, with GaAs laser was two, and with new semiconductor laser, GaN, were four. The output range was from 110 mW to 15 W. The study diseases were alcohol addiction, knee osteoarthritis, bronchopneumonia and asthma for children, and circulation. All studies reported positive effect. The methodological quality in all RCTs was low because of below 3 points and all studies had few subject numbers. Conclusions : We suggest that high intensity laser can be applied to acupuncture and moxibustion. Further rigorous and well-designed study will be needed for various disease. The oriental medical society needs to take active measures to study and clinical application of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment with high intensity laser.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.75-85
• /
• 2018

Objectives: This is a long-term survival case report about glioblastoma treated with western medicine and traditional Korean medicine. 28 year-old man diagnosed glioblastoma in 2003 went through 2 year's chemotherapy first. After emergency brain surgery he took acupuncture and Korean herbal medication including Dohongsamul-tang and Boan-Manyeongdan in addition to conventional radiotherapy and chemotherapy for 3 years. Since May 2008, he was exclusively treated with traditional Korean medicine except taking antiplatelets only for 9 years. Though he has sequelae of tumor necrosis such as facial palsy and hemiparesis, he has survived without recurrence more than 14 years. We suggest that integrative approach including traditional Korean medicine can be a meaningful treatment option for malignant brain tumor. Further studies with more cases should be performed to establish proper treatment protocol of integrative medicine for brain tumor.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.417-420
• /
• 2005

To investigate the anti-obesitic effect of FD extract which consisted of Mori radicis Cortex, Hoelen, Pueraria radix, Schizonepetae spica, Carthami Flos, Bupleuri radix and Saposhnikoviae radix in high-fat diet-fed female lean Zucker rats. Obesity was induced by feeding high-lipid diet contained $3\%$ corn oil and $1\%$ cholesterol for 8 weeks, in which FD extract was added to the diet for treatment group. The rats fed on the high fat diet showed increased gain of body weights, leading to enhanced feed efficiency ratio. Moreover high-fat diet induced hepatic lipid peroxidation and hyperlipemia. The body weight, food efficiency ratio and lipid peroxidation in the liver was decreased as compared with the rats fed on the high fat diet by FD extract. With all such changes, the blood biochemistry about lipid was, if anything, risen. These results suggest that FD extract was supposed to have effective ingredients for improving obesity for controlling adipose tissue.

• Herbal Formula Science
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.115-128
• /
• 2003

Bojungikgitang is the water extracts prepared from Ginseng Radix, Astragali Radix, Angelicae gigantis Radix, Astractylodis Rhizoma alba, Aurantii nobilis Pericarpium, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Bupleuri Radix, Cimicifugae Rhizoma, which has been used for the treatment of indigestion, and immunological disease in oriental countries. In this study, the effects of Bojungikgitang on the productions of nitiric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2\;(PGE_2)$, and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were examined using RAW 264.7 macrophages activated with $interferon-{\gamma}\;(IFN-{\gamma})$ plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Bojungikgitang (10-400 ${\mu}$g/ml) per se had no cytotoxic effect in unstimulated macrophages, but this compound dose-dependently reduced the release of NO and $PGE_2$ caused by stimulation of $LPS/IFN-{\gamma}$. The levels of iNOS and COX-2 protein were markedly suppressed by the treatment with Bojungikgitang in a concentration dependent manner. Moreover, Bojungikgitang also attenuated the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin (1L)-1${\beta}$ and IL-6 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. These results suggest that Bojungikgitang decreases the NO and $PGE_2$ production in macrophages by inhibiting iNOS and COX-2 expression and these properties may contribute to the anti-inflammatory activity of Bojungikgitang.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.13-29
• /
• 2017

Objectives: The objective of this review is to investigate the use of conventional Western medicine (WM) and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) on leg cramps. Leg cramps are the occurrence of muscular spasm in the leg muscles which occur frequently in the elderly and are frequently observed in the clinical field. Methods: Relevant clinical studies were searched from five medical databases including PubMed, KISS, RISS, OASIS, and J-STAGE. Systematic review, clinical studies, and clinical practice guideline were included in this review. Results: In total, 27 clinical studies, 9 systematic review and meta-analysis, and 1 clinical practice guideline met the inclusion criteria. Included studies were classified and analyzed according to the type of intervention. Studies on quinine and magnesium have been most studied in WM and CAM, respectively. Although quinine shows some clinical effects on leg cramps, however, the risk of side effects are suggested. In addition, magnesium failed to improve the clinically significant effects in most studies. Five case reports using Oriental herbal medicine (OHM) were included and OHMs were effective in improving leg cramps without side effects, however, the quality of evidence was low. Clinical studies on other interventions were lacking. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that there is no definite treatment standard for leg cramps until now, and there are limitations such as low level of evidence and side effects for each treatment. OHM can be an effective alternative to conventional intervention on leg cramps, therefore, related clinical studies are needed.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.540-548
• /
• 2018

Background: Acute hepatic failure is a life-threatening critical condition associated with rapid deterioration of liver function and liver transplantation. Several studies have shown that Panax ginseng Mayer has antidiabetic and hepatoprotective effects. However, the hepatoprotective effect of ginseng berry is still unveiled. In this study, we evaluated the hepatoprotective effects of ultrasonication-processed ginseng berry extract (UGBE) on acute hepatic failure model in rats. Methods: Ginseng berry extract (GBE) was ultrasonically processed. The GBE, silymarin, and UGBE were orally administered to male Sprague-Dawley rats for 4 wk. Twenty-four h after the last administration, rats were challenged with D-galactosamine (D-GalN)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Results: After ultrasonication, the component ratio of ginsenosides Rg2, Rg3, Rh1, Rh4, Rk1, Rk3, and F4 in GBE had been elevated. Administration of UGBE significantly increased the survival rate of D-GalN/LPS-challenged rats. Pretreatment with UGBE significantly decreased serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin levels in D-GalN/LPS-challenged rats in a dose-dependent manner. The levels of enzymatic markers for oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione) were increased by UGBE treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Tumor necrosis factor alphalevel, inducible nitric oxide synthase activities, and nitric oxide productions were reduced by UGBE treatment. In addition, hemeoxygenase-1 levels in liver were also significantly increased in the UGBE-treated group. The protein expression of toll-like receptor 4 was decreased by UGBE administration. Hematoxylin and eosin staining results also supported the results of this study showing normal appearance of liver histopathology in the UGBE-treated group. Conclusion: UGBE showed a great hepatoprotective effect on D-GalN/LPS-challenged rats via the toll-like receptor 4 signaling pathway.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.473-484
• /
• 1997

This study was performed to survey the specific information about the time of onset, frequency, duration, and severity of the side effect of radiation therapy following breast cancer surgery, and identify the difference of these data according to the type of breast cancer surgery : modified radical mastectomy(MRM) vs. breast consevative operation(BCO). 38 breast cancer patients were interviewed with side effect profile about radiation therapy. Interview was done weekley from the start of radiation therapy through 6 weeks and 3 month follow-up interview was done at 3 month after completion of the treatment. The results are as follow : 1. Total score of side effect experienced by the breast cancer patients was rapidly increased at 2-3 week after intiating treatement and continousely raised maintaing high score until completion of the treatement. Some problems like cough, dyspnea and pain were more experienced after treatment. 2. Patients with modified radical mastectomy showed more total score of side effects than patients with breast conservative operation. And both patients with MRM and BCO experienced similar pattern of side effect to radiation therapy. Through these data we concluded that side effect to radiation therapy was not ended at completion of treatement. Patents will continously experiend various problems and suffer from not only acute side effects like skin problem, sore throat and swollowing difficulty but also late effect of the radiation therapy. Clinically these data can be used for oncologic nurse to provide informational interventions to prepare breast cancer patients for the radiation therapy.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.157-171
• /
• 2009

Objective : The face is very important for human communication. So facial palsy patients experience not only physical disturbances but also serious emotional stress. Therefore the focus of treatment must be to not only aid the recovery of objective symptoms but also the improvement of subjective quality of life. However there has not been enough Oriental Medical study in this field until now. Thus this study was begun to suggest a useful index for the treatment of facial palsy. Methods : Grade of paralysis, sequelas, and quality of life were used for evaluation. To evaluate Grade of paralysis, House-Brackman Grade was used as the Gross scale and Kim's Grade was used as the Regional scale. Sequelas were evaluated by muscle contraction, synkinesis, NA, and grade of philtrum tilt. Quality of life was evaluated by SF-36v2, Facial Disability Index, and Vas. Results & Conclusion : 1. The change of grade of paralysis between the early and the present time reveals remarkable improvement statistically. 2. There was a remarkable improvement in all parts of quality of life except several areas of SF-36(RP, RE, MH, VT) 3. In only PF(Physical Function) of FDI, quality of life increased remarkably according to the improvement of grade of paralysis. 4. There is the positive relationship among Kim's grade, HB grade and Synkinesis 2. 5. Synkinesis among sequelas has the greatest effect on quality of life. And muscle contraction, change of NA, and grade of philtrum tilt also affect quality to some extent. 6. There was no remarkable relationship between the period of illness and change of quality of life. 7. Change of NA is shown after 3 months of illness and synkinesis becomes worse after 6 months of illness.