• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.356-362
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of nursing students in Korea who used concept mapping for understanding pathophysiology. Methods: The data were collected using an open-ended questionnaire from 83 sophomore nursing students after studying concept mapping in pathophysiology class. Each group consisted of five nursing students submitting four concept maps regarding cell injury, inflammation, infection, and neoplasm. After familiarity with concept mapping, the participants wrote their experiences anonymously on sheets of paper. The submitted materials were analyzed via qualitative content analysis. Results: The collected materials were classified into 3 themes, 8 categories, and 18 subcategories. Three themes emerged: (1) awareness of capabilities, (2) difficulties of completion, and (3) benefits of application. Conclusion: The study revealed that participants experienced self-capabilities, and the difficulties and benefits of concept mapping. Concept mapping also provided the opportunity for nursing students to realize communication skill improvement by active group discussion within a group.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2016

The spine is the most common location for skeletal metastases, and the incidence of spinal metastasis shows an increasing tendency. Because metastatic spinal tumors progress from an anterior element to a posterior element resulting in continuing destruction of the pedicles, epidural extension and involvement of neural structures of the metastatic tumor are eventually visible. Therefore, it is clinically significant for radiologists to understand the pathophysiology of spinal metastasis and to assess the involvement of neural structures and the disintegration of spinal instability related to the pathophysiology. As MRI is also the best imaging modality for diagnosing spinal metastasis, radiologists should accurately assess spinal metastasis and provide practical information to physicians. Therefore, we will describe some analysis points focusing on the understanding of pathophysiology of spinal metastasis and the next step toward a more extensive clinical approach using MR imaging.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.43-52
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• 2021

Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease (RLS/WED) is a sleep disorder characterized by sensorimotor symptoms such as unpleasant sensations before sleep, akathisia, and periodic limb movements during sleep. It is also closely related to hyperarousal and is often accompanied by insomnia. Although the mechanism is not clear, the understanding of etiology and pathophysiology has greatly expanded through recent advances in genetic and neurobiological research. The most important pathophysiology of RLS/WED is brain iron deficiency. Such iron deficiency in the brain is caused by complex interactions between several genetic factors and various environmental factors, including comorbidities. Iron deficiency in the brain results in dysfunction of several neurotransmitters. A decrease in adenosine activity appears first, followed by an increase in the activity of glutamate and dopamine. A decrease in adenosine activity and an increase in glutamate activity stimulate the brain arousal system, resulting in hyperarousal. In addition, overproduction of dopamine and glutamate leads to dysfunction of the cortical-striatal-thalamic circuit, resulting in symptoms such as akathisia and periodic limb movements during sleep.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.675-680
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• 2002

In order to investigate the underlying mechanism of HCI in oesophagitis, the inflammatory response to HCI was observed in RBL-2H3 mast cells. Rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells were used to measure histamine release, arachidonic acid (AA) release, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and peroxynitrite generation induced by HCI. Exogenous HCl increased the level of histamine release and ROS generation in a dose dependent manner, whereas it decreased the spontaneous release of [$^3$H] M and the spontaneous production of peroxynitrite. Mepacrine (10 $\mu$M), oleyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (10 $\mu$M) and bromoenol lactone (10 $\mu$M) did not affect both the level of histamine release and ROS generation induced by HCI. U73122 (1 $\mu$M), a specific phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor did not have any influence on level of histamine release and ROS generation. Propranolol (200 $\mu$M), a phospholipase D (PLD) inhibitor, and neomycin (1 mM), a nonspecific PLC and PLD inhibitor, significantly inhibited both histamine release and ROS generation. Diphenyleneiodonium (10 $\mu$M), a NADPH oxidase inhibitor, and tiron (5 mM), an intracellular ROS scavenger significantly inhibited the HCI-induced histamine release and ROS generation. These findings suggest that the inflammatory responses to HCI is related to histamine release and ROS generation, and that the ROS generation by HCI may be involved in histamine release via the PLD pathway in RBL-2H3 cells.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.303-312
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• 2024

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common inflammatory pruritic skin disease worldwide, characterized by the infiltration of multiple pathogenic T lymphocytes and histological symptoms such as epidermal and dermal thickening. This study aims to investigate the effect of vinpocetine (Vinp; a phosphodiesterase 1 inhibitor) on a 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD-like model. DNCB (1%) was administered on day 1 in the AD model. Subsequently, from day 14 onward, mice in each group (Vinp-treated groups: 1 mg/kg and 2 mg/kg and dexamethasone-treated group: 2 mg/kg) were administered 100 µl of a specific drug daily, whereas 0.2% DNCB was administered every other day for 30 min over 14 days. The Vinp-treated groups showed improved Eczema Area and Severity Index scores and trans-epidermal water loss, indicating the efficacy of Vinp in improving AD and enhancing skin barrier function. Histological analysis further confirmed the reduction in hyperplasia of the epidermis and the infiltration of inflammatory cells, including macrophages, eosinophils, and mast cells, with Vinp treatment. Moreover, Vinp reduced serum concentrations of IgE, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-13, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1. The mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6, Thymic stromal lymphopoietin, and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) were reduced by Vinp treatment. Reduction of TGF-β protein by Vinp in skin tissue was also observed. Collectively, our results underscore the effectiveness of Vinp in mitigating DNCB-induced AD by modulating the expression of various biomarkers. Consequently, Vinp is a promising therapeutic candidate for treating AD.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.461-474
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• 2020

Background: Ginseng effectively reduces fatigue in both animal models and clinical trials. However, the mechanism of action is not completely understood, and its molecular targets remain largely unknown. Methods: By screening for proteins that interact with the primary components of ginseng (ginsenosides) in an affinity chromatography assay, we have identified muscle-type creatine kinase (CK-MM) as a potential target in skeletal muscle tissues. Results: Biolayer interferometry analysis showed that ginsenoside metabolites, instead of parent ginsenosides, had direct interaction with recombinant human CK-MM. Subsequently, 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD), which is a ginsenoside metabolite and displayed the strongest interaction with CK-MM in the study, was selected as a representative to confirm direct binding and its biological importance. Biolayer interferometry kinetics analysis and isothermal titration calorimetry assay demonstrated that PPD specifically bound to human CK-MM. Moreover, the mutation of key amino acids predicted by molecular docking decreased the affinity between PPD and CK-MM. The direct binding activated CK-MM activity in vitro and in vivo, which increased the levels of tissue phosphocreatine and strengthened the function of the creatine kinase/phosphocreatine system in skeletal muscle, thus buffering cellular ATP, delaying exercise-induced lactate accumulation, and improving exercise performance in mice. Conclusion: Our results suggest a cellular target and an initiating molecular event by which ginseng reduces fatigue. All these findings indicate PPD as a small molecular activator of CK-MM, which can help in further developing better CK-MM activators based on the dammarane-type triterpenoid structure.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.150-156
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• 2007

Some flavonoids have spasmolytic activities in various smooth muscles, but structure-activity relationships on their spasmolytic activity and its mechanism are unclear. In this study, effects of flavones (flavone and apigenin) and flavonols (quercetin and rutin) on the rat ileal smooth muscle contraction were studied in vitro and in vitro. In the electric stimulation-induced contraction, all of four flavonoids inhibited concentration-dependently the rat ileal smooth muscle contraction induced by electric stimulation (10 mV, 0.1 cps, 0.1 msec duration), IC$_{50}$ of quercetin, apigenin, flavone and rutin were 0.98${\times}$10$^{-5}$, 1.20${\times}$10$^{-5}$, 1.55${\times}$10$^{-5}$ and 1.85${\times}$10$^{-5}$ M, respectively. Flavonoids at a concentration of 2${\times}$10$^{-5}$ M also significantly inhibited the anaphylactic contraction and decreased concentration-dependently the mast cell degranulation by anaphylactic reaction, IC$_{50}$ of quercetin, apigenin, flavone and rutin were 4.0${\times}$10$^{-5}$, 7.5${\times}$10$^{-5}$, 8.0${\times}$10$^{-5}$ and 9.5${\times}$10$^{-5}$ M, respectively. These results indicated that flavones and flavonols inhibited the rat ileal smooth muscle contraction induced by electric stimulation because of their antagonism against acetylcholine and have spasmolytic activities on anaphylactic contraction which may be due to their mast cell-stabilizing activities. Furthermore, double bond of C$_{2,3}$ in benzene ring of flavonoids may be important in the their antispasmodic activities on the rat ileal smooth muscle contraction induced by electric stimulation and anaphylactic reaction.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.56-59
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• 1992

The zinc, copper and chromium contents in the hair in 103 healthy Korean and 126 Korean with schizophrenic(aged 20 to 59 years in Yanbian district)by atomic absorbtion spectrometer(Type WFZ-II). Research Period : from May 1985 to September 1986. The zinc, copper and chromium contents in the schizophrenic hair are significantly lower than those of healthy persons, respectively. The standard rates of discriminant from healthy persons and the patients by method of (Department of Pathophysiology, Yanbian Medical Colloge ; Yanbian Neuropsychosis Hospital, Yanji Jilin Prov, P.R. China) Fisher discrominant analysis are 72.9% and 84.4%, respectively. The rates of the contribution of the target for the functional equation of zinc, copper chromium are 12.3%, 5.9% and 81.8%, respectively. Zinc contents in hair of male patients are significantly higher than those of female patients ; copper contents in hair of the female are sign

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2016

Depression is a complicated psychiatric illness with severe consequences. Despite recent advanced achievements of molecular neurobiology, pathophysiology of depression has not been well elucidated. Among new findings of pathophysiology of depression, the possible fast antidepressant effect by N-methyl-D-asparate receptor antagonist, such as ketamine, is regarded as a promising treatment target of depression. Ketamine stimulates the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and activation of mTOR signaling pathway may be a key mechanism of the antidepressant effect of ketamine. Thus, this review describes the role of mTOR signaling in the pathophysiology of depression and developing a new treatment target of depression.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5583-5586
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• 2014

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection induces apoptosis in gastric epithelial cells, and this occurrence may link to gastric carcinogenesis. However, the regulatory mechanism of H. pylori-induced apoptosis is not clear. MicroRNA-146a has been implicated as a key regulator of the immune system. This report describes our discovery of molecular mechanisms of microRNA-146a regulation of apoptosis in human gastric cancer cells. We found that overexpression of microRNA-146a by transfecting microRNA-146a mimics could significantly enhance apoptosis, and this upregulation was triggered by COX-2 inhibition. Furthermore, we found that microRNA-146a density was positively correlated with apoptosis rates in H. pylori-positive gastric cancer tissues and intratumoral microRNA-146a density was negatively correlated with lymph node metastasis among H. pylori-positive gastric cancer patients. Understanding the important roles of microRNA-146a in regulating cell apoptosis in H. pylori infected human gastric cancer cells will contribute to the development of microRNA targeted therapy in the future.