• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.396-402
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• 2018

Hataedock (HTD) treatment is a traditional preventive therapy for the fetal toxicosis- the acute allergic disease after childbirth, mainly manifested by a variety of skin allergies such as scab, phlegm. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of HTD treatments for the alleviation of inflammation in Dermatophagoides farinae-induced obese NC/Nga mice. 20 mg/kg of Coptidis Rhizoma, Glycyrrhizae Radix (CRGR) extracts as a remedy of HTD treatments were orally administered to NC/Nga mice. We induced obesity in the mice by high-fat diet. To induce skin allergies, the extracts of Dermatophagoides farinae were topically applied on the NC/Nga mice at 4th-6th and 8th-10th weeks. Structural and molecular changes in the skin tissues were measured by immunohistochemical staining. HTD treatment decreased the atopic dermatitis (AD)-like symptoms including hemorrhage, erythema, erosion, edema, and dryness. HTD treatment suppressed the mast cell activation confirmed by reduction of $Fc{\varepsilon}RI$, substance P, and serotonin. The expression of several inflammatory mediators including nuclear factor-kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$) p65, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) was also decreased by HTD treatment. HTD treatment suppressed the allergic, inflammatory responses in the skin tissues of the NC/Nga mice by reducing mast cells and down-regulating several inflammatory mediators.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.12-21
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• 2019

Objectives Coptidis Rhizoma and Glycyrrhiza Uralensis are herbs that treat obesity and dampness-phlegm. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of Coptidis Rhizoma and Glycyrrhiza Uralensis on lipid deposition with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods Male 6-week-old C57BL/6 male mice were divided into three groups: control group (Ctrl), high fat diet group (HFF), and high fat diet with Coptidis Rhizoma and Glycyrrhiza Uralensis extract administration group (CGT). Each 10 mice were allocated to each group (total of 30 mice). All mice were allowed to eat fat rich diet freely throughout the experiment. To examine the effect of Coptidis Rhizoma and Glycyrrhiza Uralensis, we observed weight changes, total cholesterol and glucose levels, lipid blot distributions, PGC-1, p-$I{\kappa}B$, and p-JNK. Results Body weights for all mice were measured and analyzed the difference between the groups. Weight gain was significantly lower in CGT group than the HFF group. Total cholesterol and glucose levels were significantly lower in CGT group. The distribution of lipid blots and positive reaction of PGC-1 were significantly lower in CGT group. The positive reaction of p-$I{\kappa}B$ in hepatic tissues was significantly lower in CGT group. The positive reaction of p-JNK in hepatic tissues was significantly lower in CGT group. Conclusions Coptidis Rhizoma and Glycyrrhiza Uralensis have the effect of improving non - alcoholic fatty liver induced insulin resistance through regulation of lipid metabolism.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.1030-1051
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• 2020

Objective: This study investigated the measurement interval in the ultrasonographic gastric emptying test for patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) and the correlation between gastric emptying and the findings of various questionnaires. Methods: In total, 119 patients (59 patients with FD and 60 healthy controls) were recruited from July 2018 to June 2020. Gastric volume (GV) and gastric emptying half-time (T1/2) were measured by ultrasonography at fasting and again at 0, 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min after meals (apple juice, 500 mL, 224 kcal), and the average half-time (average T1/2) was calculated. Questionnaires on food retention (FRQ), phlegm pattern e (PPQ), cold and heat (CHQ), deficiency and excess (DEQ), and spleen-qi deficiency (SQDQ), stomach qi deficiency pattern (SSDQ), visual analogue scale (VAS), and Nepean dyspepsia index-Korean version (NDI-K) were completed by all participants. The differences in GV and T1/2 were analyzed in participants whose maximal GV occurred at 0 min versus after 0 min. The correlation of the average T1/2 with the questionnaire scores was also analyzed after excluding erroneous data. Results: Patients with FD who took a certain amount of time to reach maximal GV after meals had a greater gastric volume up to about 30 minutes after meals, and the PPQ, DEQ, and NDI-K scores, especially for upper gastrointestinal symptoms and general weakness-related symptoms, showed statistically significant correlations with average T1/2. Conclusions: Ultrasonography can be a quantitative evaluation tool for FD. However, further studies on measurement methods based on FD physiopathology are required.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.85-93
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• 2021

Asarum sieboldii Miq. (Aristolochiaceae) is a perennial herbaceous plant and has been used as traditional medicine for treating diseases, cold, fever, phlegm, allergies, chronic gastritis, and acute toothaches. Also, it has various biological activities, such as antiallergic, antiinflammatory, antinociceptive, and antifungal. However, the anticancer effect of A. sieboldii have been rarely reported, except anticancer effect on lung cancer cell (A549) of water extracts of A. sieboldii. This study investigated the anticancer activity of methanol extracts of A. sieboldii (MeAS) and the underlying mechanism in human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells. MeAS inhibited FaDu cells grown dose-dependently without affecting normal cells (L929), as determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and live and dead assay. In addition, concentration of MeAS without cytotoxicity (0.05 and 0.1 mg/mL) inhibited migration and colony formation. Moreover, MeAS treatment significantly induced apoptosis through the proteolytic cleavage of caspase-3, -7, -9, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, and downregulation of Bcl-2 and upregulation of Bax in FaDu cells, as determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis, 4'6-diamidino-2-phenylindole stain, and western blotting. Altogether, these results suggest that MeAS exhibits strong anticancer effects by suppressing the growth of oral cancer cells and the migration and colony formation via caspase- and mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathways in human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells. Therefore, MeAS can serve as a natural chemotherapeutic for human oral cancer.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2021

Objective : Citri Unshius Pericarpium (Citrus unshiu peel) has been used in Korean medicine to treat indigestion, vomiting, coughing and phlegm. This study investigated the hepatoprotective effect of ethanol extract of Citrus unshiu peel (CEE) in cadmium (CdCl2)-treated mouse model. Methods : CEE was dissolved in water and administered orally to mice once a day for 7 consecutive days. The mice were then exposed to a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of cadmium (4 mg/kg body weight) to induce acute hepatotoxicity. At the end of the experiment, blood and liver tissue samples were collected, analyzed for alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and histopathological evaluation. Liver damage was assessed as the percentage of degenerative areas of the hepatic parenchyma, the number of degenerative hepatocytes, and the number of infiltrated inflammatory cells. Results : In cadmium-treated rats, pretreatment with CEE significantly reduced the serum ALT and AST levels associated with liver damage. Histopathologically, CEE prevented degenerative changes on the hepatic tissues including confluent necrosis, congestions and infiltration of inflammatory cells. CEE also reduced the elevation of oxidative stress markers (nitrotyrosine and 4-hydroxynonenal) and apoptosis markers (cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP) positive cells. PARP protein expression in liver tissue was also restored by CEE. Conclusion : This study showed that CEE exerted antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects against cadmium-induced liver injury. Thus, it can be concluded that CEE can be used to prevent liver damage caused by cadmium.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2021

Objective : Citrus unshiu peel (Citri Unshius Pericarpium) has been prescribed to suppress coughing and phlegm in Korean medicine. In this study, the effect of ethanol extract of Citrus unshiu peel (CEE) on apoptosis was investigated using cadmium chloride (CdCl2) treated HepG2 cells. Methods : CEE was prepared by extracting 300 g of Citri Unshius Pericarpium in 3 L of ethanol for 72 h. Apoptosis was determined by the TUNEL assay. The mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was monitored using the membrane-permeable fluorescent dye Rh123. The expression level of each protein was monitored by Western blot analysis. Results : CEE protected HepG2 cells from apoptosis as determined by the TUNEL assay. A decrease in MMP was observed in cells exposed to cadmium, indicating that mitochondria are involved in the induction of apoptosis. However, CEE recovered the reduction in MMP caused by cadmium. In addition, decreased expression of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), procaspase, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) by cadmium was increased by CEE. The anti-apoptotic effect of CEE was found to be associated with inhibition of JNK and p38 phosphorylation when examining the expression of phosphorylated MAPK by Western blot. Conclusion : This study showed that CEE exerted anti-apoptotic effects in cadmium-induced HepG2 cells by inhibiting the reduction of MMP and changes in the expression level of apoptotic proteins. These results suggest the potential for CEE to be used for heavy metal-induced liver damage.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.1-32
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• 2022

Objectives : This paper examines major symptoms representation in COVID-19 patients as groundwork for development of an effective clinical data collection format in Korean Medicine. Methods : Major symptoms representation in COVID-19 related papers published worldwide were collected. Corresponding symptoms in Korean Medicine were then examined, followed by discussion of symptomatic features that require further consideration in regards to a more systematic clinical data collection. Results : Of 256 papers, most papers listed fever and cough while symptoms such as difficulty breathing, diarrhea, muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, chest pain, phlegm, nasal discharge were also mostly listed. Clinical representations could be categorized into general symptoms, throat symptoms, chest symptoms, head and facial symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, musculo-skeletal and cutaneous symptoms, psychiatric symptoms and sensory problems. Conclusions : Although each clinical representation could be likened to certain clinical representations of Korean Medicine, the variety of symptoms were too limiting and lacking in detail to be applied in the pattern identification[辨證] of Korean Medicine. For effective clinical data collection and analysis in the future, symptom change according to time, comparison between location, climate and ethnicity, existence of interior symptoms when diagnosing exterior symptoms, deficiency-excessiveness of blood patterns, consciousness levels, etc., need to be considered in establishing criteria for symptom evaluation.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.117-136
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• 2022

Objectives : The objective of this paper is to examine the pathology and treatment methods of tinnitus and deafness. Methods : Contents on the ears, pathology and treatment methods of tinnitus and deafness in the Donguibogam were examined. Results & Conclusions : Findings indicate that Kidney jing deficiency and problems of qi metabolism of the Kidney are at the root of tinnitus and deafness pathology. In treatment, once the primary symptoms are managed, the root, which is Kidney deficiency, needs to be improved, together with life style management. In the case of Heart-Kidney disconnection, the Heart must be collected while nurturing jing; in the case of yin deficiency and flaring, ministerial fire must be managed while tonifying jing and blood. If the cause lies in the Lungs and Kidney, they must be tonified, while in cases due to problematic water fluid metabolism, phlegm-fire or exterior pathogens, the Kidney needs to be dealt with even after treating the aforementioned causes.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.80-94
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to re-evaluate the importance of questions of obesity syndrome differentiation (OSD) questionnaire based on real-world survey and to explore the possibility of simplifying OSD types. Methods: The OSD frequency was identified, and variance threshold feature selection was performed to filter the questions. Filtered questions were clustered by K-means clustering and hierarchical clustering. After principal component analysis (PCA), the distribution patterns of the subjects were identified and the differences in the syndrome distribution were compared. Results: The frequency of OSD in spleen deficiency, phlegm (PH), and blood stasis (BS) was lower than in food retention (FR), liver qi stagnation (LS), and yang deficiency. We excluded 13 questions with low variance, 7 of which were related to BS. Filtered questions were clustered into 3 groups by K-means clustering; Cluster 1 (17 questions) mainly related to PH, BS syndromes; Cluster 2 (11 questions) related to swelling, and indigestion; Cluster 3 (11 questions) related to overeating or emotional symptoms. After PCA, significant different patterns of subjects were observed in the FR, LS, and other obesity syndromes. The questions that mainly affect the FR distribution were digestive symptoms. And emotional symptoms mainly affect the distribution of LS subjects. And other obesity syndrome was partially affected by both digestive and emotional symptoms, and also affected by symptoms related to poor circulation. Conclusions: In-depth data mining analysis identified relatively low importance questions and the potential to simplify OSD types.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.327-343
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• 2022

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop a standard tool for identifying idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patterns. Methods: Textbooks, published literature, and references with comments on patterns were reviewed. Using the Delphi method, we determined pattern identification based on the advice of a committee consisting of 11 Korean respiratory internal medicine professors. Results: Four pattern identifications were selected by the Delphi method: qi difficiency (氣虛), yin difficiency (陰虛), phlegm dampness (痰飮), blood stasis (瘀血). The tool was developed in a question-and-answer format containing 38 questions. Conclusions: An IPF pattern identification tool that can analyze IPF patterns for standardized diagnostics was developed with the consent of experts. Further research is needed on its reliability.