• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.210-215
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• 2010

Acute toxicity on the polysaccharide fraction of Pueraria lobata was examined using male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. The polysaccharide fraction of Pueraria lobata was orally administered at a dose of 5 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg, 2,000 mg/kg and 5,000 mg/kg and observed for two weeks. No mortality and abnormal clinical signs were observed at the doses used. There were not any significant differences in parameters of blood biochemical values and urinalysis by the treatment of test material. All rats were appeared to be healthy and normal throughout the observation period. Also there was no difference in net body weight gain and gross pathological findings among the groups rats treated with different doses of the polysaccharide fraction with Pueraria lobata.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.161-172
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• 1994

This study was conducted to examine DA-3002, a biosynthetic human growth hormone, for its acute and subacute toxicities in mice and rats. The drug was administered subcutaneously and orally at a dose level of 1.0, 3.0, 8.9, 26.7 or 80.0 lU/kg once for single dose toxicity and given subcutaneously at a dose level of 0.34, 1.7 or 8.4 lU/kg daily for 13 weeks to investigate repeated dose toxicity. In the acute toxicity study, doses up to 80 lU/kg had no adverse effect on the behavior or body weight gain. Pathological examinations revealed no abnormal changes which could be attributed to toxic effect of DA-3002. In the subacute toxicity study, the growth hormone was tolerated well in broth mice and rats. No drug related deaths occurred and all animals appeared to be normal throughout the dosing period. Increases in body weight gain, food utilisation and absolute organ weights were observed in the rats in the high dose group. Mild changes in the blood chemical parameters were also seen in the treated groups. Histopathologically, however, no abnormal changes were observed in any organ. The changes noted during the treatment periods presumably represent exaggerated pharmacological effects of the growth hormone, and no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) was considered to be more than 8.4 lu/kg/day.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.233-239
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• 2019

Nerium oleander (N. oleander) is a well-known poisonous shrub that is frequently grown in gardens and public areas and contains numerous toxic compounds. The major toxic components are the cardiac glycosides oleandrin and neriin. The aim of our study was to evaluate the toxic effects of an ethanolic N. oleander leaf extract on haematological, cardiac, inflammatory, and serum biochemical parameters, as well as histopathological changes in the heart. N. oleander extract was orally administered for 14 and 30 consecutive days at doses of 100 and 200 mg of dried extract/kg of body weight in 0.5 mL of saline. The results showed significant increases in mean corpuscular volume, white blood cell counts, platelet counts, interleukins (IL-1 and IL-6), tumour necrosis factor alpha, C reactive protein, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase and creatine kinase MB, especially at high doses. Marked pathological changes were perceived in the heart tissue. Thus, it can be concluded that exposure to N. oleander leaf extract adversely affects the heart and liver.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.148-160
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• 2023

Depression is a neuropsychiatric disorder associated with persistent stress and disruption of neuronal function. Persistent stress causes neuronal atrophy, including loss of synapses and reduced size of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. These alterations are associated with neural dysfunction, including mood disturbances, cognitive impairment, and behavioral changes. Synaptic plasticity is the fundamental function of neural networks in response to various stimuli and acts by reorganizing neuronal structure, function, and connections from the molecular to the behavioral level. In this review, we describe the alterations in synaptic plasticity as underlying pathological mechanisms for depression in animal models and humans. We further elaborate on the significance of phytochemicals as bioactive agents that can positively modulate stress-induced, aberrant synaptic activity. Bioactive agents, including flavonoids, terpenes, saponins, and lignans, have been reported to upregulate brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression and release, suppress neuronal loss, and activate the relevant signaling pathways, including TrkB, ERK, Akt, and mTOR pathways, resulting in increased spine maturation and synaptic numbers in the neuronal cells and in the brains of stressed animals. In clinical trials, phytochemical usage is regarded as safe and well-tolerated for suppressing stress-related parameters in patients with depression. Thus, intake of phytochemicals with safe and active effects on synaptic plasticity may be a strategy for preventing neuronal damage and alleviating depression in a stressful life.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.357-369
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• 2023

Wound healing is a complex and dynamic process, making the accurate and timely assessment of skin wounds a crucial aspect of effective wound care management, especially for chronic wounds. Unlike conventional wound dressings that simply cover the wound area once some form of medicine is administered onto the wound, recent studies have introduced versatile approaches to smart wound dressings capable of interacting with wound fluids to monitor physicochemical and pathological parameters to determine the wound healing status. Such electrochemical wound dressings can be integrated with on-demand, closed-loop drug delivery or stimulation systems and ultimately expanded into an ideal technological platform for the prevention, treatment, and management of skin wounds or illnesses. This article briefly reviews the wound healing mechanism and recent strategies for effective wound care management. Specifically, this review discusses the following aspects of smart wound dressings: sensor-integrated smart bandages to detect wound biomarkers, smart bandages developed to accelerate wound healing, and wireless, closed-loop automatic (on-demand) wound healing systems. This review concludes by providing future perspectives on effective wound care management.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.523-532
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• 1999

Background: With the development of the molecular biological methods, studies of the early diagnosis of lung cancer and the detection in the preneoplastic state by using genetic probes in the high risk groups are widely investigated. In lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma is considered to progress from the normal bronchial mucosa to the preneoplastic state, and finally to the invasive carcinoma. In this study, we investigated the expression of p53 and c-erbB2 in the normal bronchi and the cancer tissues in patients with squamous cell lung cancer to evaluate the possibility of using these immunohistochemical markers as the diagnostic and prognostic parameters of patients with squamous cell lung cancer. Method: The normal and cancerous bronchial tissues of 25 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, surgically resected from May 1995 to November 1996, were immunohistochemically stained with the monoclonal antibodies to p53(DAKO-p53) and c-erbB2(phamingen 15821A) respectively. We compared the expression status of these markers between the normal bronchial mucosa and the tumor tissue, and also investigated the relationship between the expression status of these markers in tumor tissues and the pathological stage, and the survival time. Results: The pathological stage was as follows; stage I, II were found in 5 patients respectively, stage IIIA was in 8 patients, stage IIIB was in 4 patients, and stage IV was in 3 patients. The expression rate of p53 in the squamous cell lung cancer was 48%, and it was not expressed in the normal bronchial mucosa. The expression status was increased as the pathological stage advanced(p=0.0091 by test of trend). But there were no relationship between the expression of p53 and the median survival time. C-erbB2 did not yield a significantly meaningful result. Conclusion: p53 was not found in the normal bronchial mucosa, but it was expressed in 48% of the tumor tissue. And the expression rate increased as the pathological stage advanced. So it would be helpful to apply the immunochistochemical stain with p53 in the bronchial biopsy specimen in the early diagnosis trial or staging of squamous cell lung cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6293-6299
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• 2013

Background: A number of clinicopathologic factors have been found to be associated with pathological lymph node metastasis (pLNM) in rectal cancer; however, most of them can only be identified by expensive high resolution imaging or obtained after surgical treatment. Just like the Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) and the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores which have been widely used in clinical practice, our study was designed to assess the pre-operative factors which could be obtained easily to predict intra-operative pLNM in rectal cancer. Methods: A cohort of 469 patients who were treated at our hospital in the period from January 2003 to June 2011, and with a pathologically hospital discharge diagnosis of rectal cancer, were included. Clinical, laboratory and pathologic parameters were analyzed. A multivariate unconditional logistic regression model, areas under the curve (AUC), the Kaplan-Meier method (log-rank test) and the Cox regression model were used. Results: Of the 469 patients, 231 were diagnosed with pLNM (49.3%). Four variables were associated with pLNM by multivariate logistic analysis, age<60 yr (OR=1.819; 95% CI, 1.231-2.687; P=0.003), presence of abdominal pain or discomfort (OR=1.637; 95% CI, 1.052-2.547; P=0.029), absence of allergic history (OR=1.879; 95% CI, 1.041-3.392; P=0.036), and direct $bilirubin{\geq}2.60{\mu}mol/L$ (OR=1.540; 95% CI, 1.054-2.250; P=0.026). The combination of all 4 variables had the highest sensitivity (98.7%) for diagnostic performance. In addition, age<60 yr and direct $bilirubin{\geq}2.60{\mu}mol/L$ were found to be associated with prognosis. Conclusion: Age, abdominal pain or discomfort, allergic history and direct bilirubin were associated with pLNM, which may be helpful for preoperative selection.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.3207-3210
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• 2014

Background: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is an aggressive form of locally advanced breast cancer characterized by rapidly progressive breast erythema, pain and tenderness, oedema and paeu d'orange appearance. It accounts for 1-3% of all newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer in the west. Data on IBC from India are lacking. The aim of our study was to assess the clinical-pathological parameters and outcome of IBC at, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, a large tertiary care centre. Materials and Methods: We screened 3,650 breast cancer cases registered from January 2004 to December 2012 and found 41 cases of IBC. Data included demographics as well as clinical, radiological and histopathological characteristics, and were collected from clinical case records using the International Classification of Diseases code (C-50). Patients who presented with IBC as a recurrence, or who had a neglected and advanced breast cancer that simulated an IBC were excluded from this study. Results: The median age was 45 years (range 23-66). The median duration of symptoms was 5 months. The American Joint Committee on Cancer stage (AJCC) distribution was Stage III - 26 and IV - 15 patients. Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) positivity and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu) positivity were 50%, 46% and 60%, respectively. Triple negativity was found in 15% of the cases. All the non metastatic IBC patients received anthracycline and/ or taxane based chemotherapy followed by modified radical mastectomy, radiotherapy and hormonal therapy as indicated. Pathological complete remission rate was 15%. At a median follow-up of 30 months, the 3 year relapse free survival and overall survival were 30% and 40%respectively. Conclusion: IBC constituted 1.1% of all breast cancer patients at our centre. One third of these had metastatic disease at presentation. Hormone positivity and Her2 neu positivity were found in 50% and 60% of the cases, respectively.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.5081-5086
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• 2016

Background: Pathological factors, based mainly on immunohistochemistry (IHC) and histological differentiation, are mostly used to differentiate breast cancer (BC) subtypes. Our present aim was to describe the characteristics and survival of a relapsing BC patient cohort based on clinico-pathologic subtypes determined for the primary tumors. Methods: We used a clinico- pathological definition of BC subtypes based on histological grade (HG), estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR),and epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) expression assessed by IHC. We determined variables associated with loco-regional recurrence (LRR), second primaries (SP), systemic recurrence (SR) and post-recurrence survival (PRS). Results: Out of 1,702 patients, 240 (14%) had an event defined as recurrence. Those with recurrent disease were significantly younger than those without,and were initially diagnosed at more advanced stages, with larger tumors, greater lymph nodal involvement and higher HG. With a median follow up of 61 months (1-250), 4.6% of patients without recurrence and 56.6% of patients with an event defined as recurrence had died. The median PRS for the LRR group was 77 months; 75 months for those who developed a SP and 22 months for patients with an SR (p <0.0001). In SR cases, the median PRS was shorter for ER- tumors than for ER+ tumors (15 vs. 26 months, respectively; p = 0.0019, HR 0.44; CI: 0.25-0.44). Conclusions: Subtype, defined through classic histopathologic parameters determined for primary tumors, was found to eb related to type of recurrence and also to prognosis after relapse.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.639-652
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• 2006

Objective : The etiology of chronic prostatitis is likely multifactorial, resulting from either a cascade of events after an initiating factor or from a variety of etiologic mechanisms. There is substantiating evidence to support the role of the inflammatory responses in its pathogenesis, and the clinical value in the evaluation of therapeutic efficacy. Forsythiae Frucus has been traditionally used in treatment of inflammatory diseases, including of prostatitis and urinary tract inflammation. In this study, we investigated the effects of Forsythiae Frucus on inflammatory cytokines and cyto-pathological alternation in the rat model of chronic non-bacterial prostatitis induced by castration and $17{\beta}$-estradiol treatment. Methods : Two-month-old rats were treated with $17{\beta}$-estradiol after castration for induction of experimental non-bacterial prostatitis. which is similar to human chronic prostatitis in histopathological profiles. Forsythiae Frucus as an experimental specimen, and testosterone as a positive control, were administered orally. The prostates were evaluated by histopathologlcal parameters including the epithelial score and epithelio-stromal ratio for glandular damage. and the expression of inflammatory cytokine genes including interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$, IL-5, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-$\alpha$. eotaxin, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2(cox-2). Results : While prostates of control rats revealed severe acinar gland atrophy and stromal proliferation. the rats treated with Forsythiae Frucus showed a diminished range of tissue damage. Epithelial score was improved in the Forsythiae Frucus group over that of the control (P<0.05). The epithelia-stromal ratio was lower in the Forsythiae Frucus group when compared to that of the control (P<0.05). In the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of inflammatory cytosine genes. Forsythiae Frucus inhibited the expression of IL-$1{\beta}$, TNF-$\alpha$, iNOS, cox-2 genes, while it modulated the expression of IL-5, which is an anti-inflammatory cytokine. Conclusions : These findings suggest that Forsythiae Frucus may protect the glandular epithelial cells and also inhibit stromal proliferation in association with the immune modulation including the suppression of inflammatory cytokines and increase of anti-inflammatory cytokines. From theses results. we suggest that Forsythiae Frucus could be a useful remedy agents for treating chronic non-bacterial prostatitis.