• Journal of health informatics and statistics
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.329-335
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• 2018

Objectives: In recent years, there has been an increased need for a way to extract desired information from multiple medical literatures at once. This study was conducted to confirm the usefulness of unstructured data analysis using previously published medical literatures to search for new indications. Methods: The new indications were searched through text mining, network analysis, and topic modeling analysis using 5,057 articles of atorvastatin, a treatment for hyperlipidemia, from 1990 to 2017. Results: The extracted keywords was 273. In the frequency of text mining and network analysis, the existing indications of atorvastatin were extracted in top level. The novel indications by Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) were atrial fibrillation, heart failure, breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, combined hyperlipidemia, arrhythmias, multiple sclerosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, contrast-induced acute kidney injury and prostate cancer. Conclusions: Unstructured data analysis for discovering new indications from massive medical literature is expected to be used in drug repositioning industries.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.192-199
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• 2019

Objectives: KCHO-1(Mecasin), also called Gamijakyakgamchobuja-tang originally, is a combination of some traditional herbal medicines in East Asia. This medicine has been used mainly for alleviating neuropathic pains for centuries in Korean traditional medicine. KCHO-1 was developed to treat pain, joint contracture and muscular weakness in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This study was carried out to investigate the chronic toxicity of KCHO-1 oral administration in rats for 26 weeks. Methods: Sprague-Dawely rats were divided into four groups and 10 rats were placed in the control group and the high-dose group, respectively. Group 1 was the control group and the remaining groups were the experimental groups. In the oral toxicity study, 500 mg/kg, 1,000 mg/kg, and 2,000 mg/kg of KCHO-1 were administered to the experimental group, and 10 ml/kg of sterile distilled water was administered to the control group. Survival rate, body weight, feed intake, clinical signs, and visual findings were examined. Urinalysis, ophthalmologic examination, necropsy, organ weight, hematologic examination, blood chemical examination and histopathologic examination were performed. Results: Mortality and toxicological lesions associated with the administration of test substance were not observed in all groups. Conclusion: NOAEL(No observed adverse effect level) of KCHO-1 is higher than 2000 mg/kg/day. And, the above findings suggest that treatment with KCHO-1 is relatively safe.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.425-431
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• 2019

The Study In order to obtain images of overlap of the two iron cores in the spinal cord simple x-ray scan after surgery of patients with ulcer lateral sclerosis and a fractured backbone, the researcher conducted a subjective evaluation on five radiographers of the university hospital's imaging department for more than 10 years. The results of the experiment showed that the lateral shot of lateral scoliosis of the spinal cord was taken with the middle face of the IR plane, and then the X-ray tube angle was taken vertically with the vertical spinal column fan-tom position, resulting in two overlapping images and high scores in the subjective evaluation. In addition, lateral shots of the lumbar dislocation fractured lumbar vertebrae were taken with the forehead aligned with the center of the IR plane and then with the X-ray angle perpendicular to the fourth waistline and the angle of the spinal cord perpendicular to the fourth waistline, the image of the two iron cores could be obtained from the radiographer.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.82 no.4
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• pp.285-297
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• 2019

Connective tissue disease (CTD) is a collection of disorders characterized by various signs and symptoms such as circulation of autoantibodies in the entire system causing damage to internal organs. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) which is associated with CTD is referred to as CTD-ILD. Patients diagnosed with ILD should be thoroughly examined for the cooccurrence of CTD, since the treatment procedures and prognosis of CTD-ILD are vary from those of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. The representative types of CTD which may accompany ILD include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis (SSc), Sjogren's syndrome, mixed CTD, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, and systemic lupus erythematous. Of these, ILD most frequently co-exists with SSc. If an ILD is observed in the chest, high resolution computed tomography and specific diagnostic criteria for any type of CTD are met, then a diagnosis of CTD-ILD is made. It is challenging to conduct a properly designed randomized study on CTD-ILD, due to low incidence. Therefore, CTD-ILD treatment approach is yet to been established in absence of randomized controlled clinical trials, with the exception of SSc-ILD. When a patient is presented with acute CTD-ILD or if symptoms occur due to progression of the disease, steroid and immunosuppressive therapy are generally considered.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.33-43
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• 2021

Along with the widespread use of pesticides in the world, concerns over human health impacts are rapidly growing. There is a large body of evidence on the relationship between the exposure to pesticides and the elevated rate of chronic diseases such as different types of cancers, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson, Alzheimer, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), birth defects, and reproductive disorders. This research assessed the health risk of pesticide residues by the dietary intake of vegetables collected from the agro-based markets of Dhaka, Bangladesh. As some of the banned pesticides were also found in vegetable samples, they may pose a higher risk because of cheaper availability and hence the government of Bangladesh should take strong measures to control these banned pesticides. Five organo phosphorus (chlorpyrifos, parathion, ethion, acephate, fenthion) and two carbamate (carbaryl and carbofuran) pesticide residues were identified in twenty four samples of two common vegetables (tomato and brinjal). The pesticide residues ranged from below a detectable limit (< 0.01) to 0.36 mg·kg^-1. Acephate, chlorpyrifos, ethion, and carbaryl were detected in only one sample, while co-occurrence occurred twice for parathion. Continuous monitoring and strict regulation should be enforced regarding the control of pesticide residues in fresh vegetables and other food commodities in Bangladesh.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.506-518
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• 2021

The imprinted tumour suppressor NOEY2 is downregulated in various cancer types, including ovarian cancers. Recent data suggest that NOEY2 plays an essential role in regulating the cell cycle, angiogenesis and autophagy in tumorigenesis. However, its detailed molecular function and mechanisms in ovarian tumours remain unclear. In this report, we initially demonstrated the inhibitory effect of NOEY2 on tumour growth by utilising a xenograft tumour model. NOEY2 attenuated the cell growth approximately fourfold and significantly reduced tumour vascularity. NOEY2 inhibited the phosphorylation of the signalling components downstream of phosphatidylinositol-3'-kinase (PI3K), including phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK-1), tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC-2) and p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K), during ovarian tumour progression via direct binding to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). Particularly, the N-terminal domain of NOEY2 (NOEY2-N) had a potent anti-angiogenic activity and dramatically downregulated VEGF and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), key regulators of angiogenesis. Since no X-ray or nuclear magnetic resonance structures is available for NOEY2, we constructed the three-dimensional structure of this protein via molecular modelling methods, such as homology modelling and molecular dynamic simulations. Thereby, Lys15 and Arg16 appeared as key residues in the N-terminal domain. We also found that NOEY2-N acts as a potent inhibitor of tumorigenesis and angiogenesis. These findings provide convincing evidence that NOEY2-N regulates endothelial cell function and angiogenesis by interrupting the VEGFR-2/PDK-1/GSK-3β signal transduction and thus strongly suggest that NOEY2-N might serve as a novel anti-tumour and anti-angiogenic agent against many diseases, including ovarian cancer.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.157-180
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• 2022

Objectives: To perform a systematic review of placenta pharmacopuncture for treating neuropsychiatric diseases, focusing on its efficacy and the safety so that evidence on its clinical use could be obtained, thus contributing to further studies. Methods: Through Korean, English, and Chinese databases (OASIS, Korean TK, KISS, RISS, ScienceON, Pubmed, Cochrane, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, CNKI, and Wanfang), combinations of keywords (placenta, pharmacopuncture, etc.) were used to select clinical studies published until January 2021 about placenta pharmacopuncture for neuropsychiatric diseases. Interventions included combined treatments. Study design included cases studies, series, and clinical trials. Cohort studies, literature reviews, in vitro and animal experiments were excluded. The primary outcomes involved measurements of symptoms, Visual Analogue Scale, or questionnaires. Data extracted from databases were imported to Endnote X7 to remove duplicates. The quality of the literature was assessed based on CAse REports Guidelines and Cochrane's Risk of Bias (ROB). Results: Twenty-one studies were selected, including ten case reports, three case series, two one-armed clinical trials, one non-randomized clinical trial, and five randomized clinical trials. There were six studies on sleep disorders, five studies on stroke sequela, two on mood disorders, two on enuresis, two on Guillain-Barré syndrome, two on multiple sclerosis, one on neurocognitive disorder, and one on vertigo. The most frequent combined treatment was acupuncture in both the experimental group (n=10) and the control group (n=3). Acupoints were ST36, SP6, BL23, CV4, GB20, GV20, N-HN54, and so on. All studies reported improvement of symptoms. The quality of case studies was relatively high. Assessment of ROBs resulted in low risks. Conclusions: Placenta pharmacopuncture is effective for neuropsychiatric diseases such as sleep disorders, mood disorders, enuresis, and neurocognitive disorders. Regarding insomnia, several studies have reported significant improvements with placenta pharmacopuncture. There was no adverse event associated with placenta pharmacopuncture.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.426-438
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• 2022

The current study explored the relative effects of reciprocal/empathic type on messages appealing to help patients with Lou Gehrig's disease and their family. By this, we attempted to examine the applicable scope of the reciprocal type, a way of appealing rationally in the delivery of helping messages. The focus was on the moderation of empathic concern trait, a representative altruistic personality. Conducted as the online experiment, empathic concern trait was measured in the first stage, and the helping messages presented each by reciprocal/empathic type were shown and evaluated in the second stage after about 7 days. The data of 134 people were finally analyzed, excluding insincere participants. As a result, the relative advantage of empathic type was shown, but it was only limited to the subject attitude. In the result of the interaction, the reciprocal type were as much or more influential as the empathic type for the individuals high in empathic concern trait.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.244-249
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• 2022

Characterized by abnormal proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), neointima hyperplasia is a hallmark of vascular restenosis after percutaneous vascular interventions. Vaccinia-related kinase 1 (VRK1) is a stress adaption-associated ser/thr protein kinase that can induce the proliferation of various types of cells. However, the role of VRK1 in the proliferation and migration of VSMCs and neointima hyperplasia after vascular injury remains unknown. We observed increased expression of VRK1 in VSMCs subjected to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB by western blotting. Silencing VRK1 by shVrk1 reduced the number of Ki-67-positive VSMCs and attenuated the migration of VSMCs. Mechanistically, we found that relative expression levels of β-catenin and effectors of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) such as phospho (p)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), p-S6, and p-4EBP1 were decreased after silencing VRK1. Restoration of β-catenin expression by SKL2001 and re-activation of mTORC1 by Tuberous sclerosis 1 siRNA (siTsc1) both abolished shVrk1-mediated inhibitory effect on VSMC proliferation and migration. siTsc1 also rescued the reduced expression of β-catenin caused by VRK1 inhibition. Furthermore, mTORC1 re-activation failed to recover the attenuated proliferation and migration of VSMC resulting from shVrk1 after silencing β-catenin. We also found that the vascular expression of VRK1 was increased after injury. VRK1 inactivation in vivo inhibited vascular injury-induced neointima hyperplasia in a β-catenin-dependent manner. These results demonstrate that inhibition of VRK1 can suppress the proliferation and migration of VSMC and neointima hyperplasia after vascular injury via mTORC1/β-catenin pathway.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.35.1-35.13
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• 2024

Importance: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model of multiple sclerosis characterized by inflammation within the central nervous system. However, inflammation in non-neuronal tissues, including the lungs, has not been fully evaluated. Objective: This study evaluated the inflammatory response in lungs of EAE mice by immunohistochemistry and histochemistry. Methods: Eight adult C57BL/6 mice were injected with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein_35-55 to induce the EAE. Lungs and spinal cords were sampled from the experimental mice at the time of sacrifice and used for the western blotting, histochemistry, and immunohistochemistry. Results: Histopathological examination revealed inflammatory lesions in the lungs of EAE mice, characterized by infiltration of myeloperoxidase (MPO)- and galectin-3-positive cells, as determined by immunohistochemistry. Increased numbers of collagen fibers in the lungs of EAE mice were confirmed by histopathological analysis. Western blotting revealed significantly elevated level of osteopontin (OPN), cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), MPO and galectin-3 in the lungs of EAE mice compared with normal controls (p < 0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed both OPN and CD44 in ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1-positive macrophages within the lungs of EAE mice. Conclusions and Relevance: Taken together, these findings suggest that the increased OPN level in lungs of EAE mice led to inflammation; concurrent increases in proinflammatory factors (OPN and galectin-3) caused pulmonary impairment.