• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.211-243
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• 2000

This study was performed to investigate the cause, symptom, treatment, medicine of Wei symptom through the literature of oriental and western medicine. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Wei symptom is the symptom that reveals muscle relaxation without contraction and muscle relaxation occures in the lower limb or upper limb, in severe case, leads to death. 2. Since the pathology and etiology of Wei symptom was first described as "pe-yeol-yeop-cho"(肺熱葉焦) in Hung Ti Nei Ching(黃帝內經), for generations most doctors had have accepted it. but after Dan Ge(丹溪), it had been classified into seven causes, damp-heat(濕熱), phlegm-damp(濕痰), deficiency of qi(氣虛), deficiency of blood(血虛), deficiency of yin(陰處), stagnant blood(死血), stagnant food(食積). Chang Gyeng Ag(張景岳) added the cause of deficiency of source qi(元氣). 3. The concept of "To treat Yangming, most of all"(獨治陽明) was emphasized in the treatment of Wei symptom and contains nourishment of middle warmer energy(補益中氣), clearance of yangming-damp-heat(淸化陽明濕熱). 4. Since Nei-ching era(內經時代), Wei and Bi symptom(痺症) is differenciated according to the existence of pain. After Ming era(明代) appeared theory of co-existence of Wei symptom and pain or numbness but they were accepted as a sign of Wei symptom caused by the pathological factor phelgm(痰), damp(濕), stagnancy(瘀). 5. In the western medical point of view, Wei symptom is like paraplegia, or tetraplegia. and according to the causative disease, it is accompanied by dysesthesia, paresthsia, pain. thus it is more recommended to use hwal-hyel-hwa-ae(活血化瘀) method considering damp-heat(濕熱), qi deficiency of spleen and stornach(脾胃氣虛) as pathological basis than to simply differenciate Wei and Bi symptom according to the existence of pain. 6. The cause of Gullian-Barre syndrome(GBS) is consist of two factors, internal and external. Internal factors include asthenia of spleen and stomach, and of liver and kidney. External factors include summur-damp(暑濕), damp-heat(濕熱), cold-damp(寒濕) and on the basis of "classification and treatment according to the symptom of Zang-Fu"(臟腑辨證論治), the cause of GBS is classified into injury of body fluid by lung heat(肺熱傷津), infiltration of damp-heat(濕熱浸淫), asthenia of spleen and kidney(脾腎兩虛), asthenia of spleen and stomach(脾胃虛弱), asthenia of liver and kidney (肝腎兩虛). 7. The cause of GBS is divided by according to the disease developing stage: Early stage include dryness-heat(燥熱), damp(濕邪), phlegm(痰濁), stagnant blood(瘀血), and major treatment is reducing of excess(瀉實). Late stage include deficiency of essence(精虛), deficiency with excess(虛中挾實), and essencial deficiency of liver and kidney(肝腎精不足) is major point of treatment. 8. Following is the herbal medicine of GBS according to the stage. In case of summur-damp(暑濕), chung-seu-iki-tang(淸暑益氣湯) is used which helps cooling and drainage of summer-damp(淸利暑濕), reinforcement of qi and passage of collateral channels(補氣通絡). In case of damp-heat, used kun-bo-hwan(健步丸), In case of cool-damp(寒濕), used 'Mahwang-buja-sesin-tang with sam-chul-tang'(麻黃附子細辛湯合蓼朮湯). In case of asthenia of spleen and kidney, used 'Sam-lyeng-baik-chul san'(蔘笭白朮散), In case of asthenia of liver and kidney, used 'Hojam-hwan'(虎潛丸). 9. Following is the herbal medicine of GBS according to the "classification and treatment according to the symptom of Zang-Fu"(臟腑辨證論治). In the case of injury of body fluid by lung heat(肺熱傷津), 'Chung-jo-gu-pae-tang'(淸燥救肺湯) is used. In case of 'infiltration of damp-heat'(濕熱浸淫), us-ed 'Yi-myo-hwan'(二妙丸), In case of 'infiltration of cool-damp'(寒濕浸淫), us-ed 'Yui-lyung-tang', In case of asthenia of spleen, used 'Sam-lyung-bak-chul-san'. In case of yin-deficiency of liver and kidney(肝腎陰虛), used 'Ji-bak-ji-hwang-hwan'(知柏地黃丸), or 'Ho-jam-hwan'(虎潛丸). 10. Cervical spondylosis with myelopathy is occuered by compression or ischemia of spinal cord. 11. The cause of cervical spondylosis with myelopathy consist of 'flow disturbance of the channel points of tai-yang'(太陽經兪不利), 'stagnancy of cool-damp'(寒濕凝聚), 'congestion of phlegm-damp stagnant substances'(痰濕膠阻), 'impairment of liver and kidney'(肝腎虛損). 12. In treatment of cervical spondylosis with myelopathy, are used 'Ge-ji-ga-gal-geun-tang-gagam'(桂枝加葛根湯加減), 'So-hwal-lack-dan-hap-do-hong-eum-gagam(小活絡丹合桃紅飮加減), 'Sin-tong-chuck-ue-tang-gagam(身痛逐瘀湯加減), 'Do-dam-tang-hap-sa-mul-tang-gagam'(導痰湯合四物湯加減), 'Ik-sin-yang-hyel-guen-bo-tang'(益腎養血健步湯加減), 'Nok-gakyo-hwan-gagam'(鹿角膠丸加減). 13. The cause of muscle dystropy is related with 'the impairement of vital qi'(元氣損傷), and 'impairement of five Zang organ'(五臟敗傷). Symptoms and signs are classified into asthenia of spleen and stomach, deficiency with excess, 'deficiency of liver and kidney'(肝腎不足) infiltration of damp-heat, 'deficiency of qi and blood'(氣血兩虛), 'yang deficiency of spleen and kidney'(脾腎陽虛). 14. 'Bo-jung-ik-gi-tang'(補中益氣湯), 'Gum-gang-hwan'(金剛丸), 'Yi-gong-san-hap-sam-myo-hwan'(異功散合三妙丸), 'Ja-hyel-yang-gun-tang'(滋血養筋湯), 'Ho-jam-hwan'(虎潛丸) are used for muscle dystropy. 15. The causes of myasthenia gravis are classified into 'insufficiency of middle warmer energy'(中氣不足), 'deficiency of qi and yin of spleen and kidney'(脾腎兩處), 'asthenia of qi of spleen'(脾氣虛弱), 'deficiency of qi and blood'(氣血兩虛), 'yang deficiency of spleen and kidney'(脾腎陽虛). 16. 'Bo-jung-ik-gi-tang-gagam'(補中益氣湯加減), 'Sa-gun-ja-tang-hap-gi-guk-yang-hyel-tang'(四君子湯合杞菊地黃湯), 'Sa-gun-ja-tang-hap-u-gyi-eum-gagam'(四君子湯合右歸飮加減), 'Pal-jin-tang'(八珍湯), 'U-gyi-eum'(右歸飮) are used for myasthenia gravis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.58-66
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• 1995

Background: Acute interstitial pneumonia is a relatively rare form of interstitial pneumonia, since the vast majority of interstitial pneumonia have a more chronic course. It corresponds to the lesion described by Hamman and Rich, as Hamman-Rich disease in 1944. Another name in the clinical literature is accelerated interstitial pneumonia, idiopathic acute respiratory distress syndrome (idiopathic ARDS), and the organizing stage of diffuse alveolar damage. Acute interstitial pneumonia differs from chronic interstitial pneumonia by clinical and pathologic features. Clinically, this disease is characterized by a sudden onset and a rapid course, and reversible disease. Method and Purpose: Five cases of pathologically proven acute interstitial pneumonia were retrospectively studied to define the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features. Results: 1) The five cases ranged in age from 31 to 77 years old. The onset of illness was acute in all patients, it began with viral-like prodrome 6~40 days prior to shortness of breath, and respiratory failure eventually developed in all patients. In 2 cases, generalized skin rash was accompanied with flu-like symptoms. Etiologic agent could not be identified in any case. 2) All patients had leukocytosis and severe hypoxemia. Pulmonary function test of 3 available cases shows restrictive ventilatory defect, and one survived patient(case 5) has a complete improvement of pulmonary function after dismissal. 3) Diffuse bilateral chest infiltrates were present radiologically. Theses were the ground-glass, consolidation, and reticular densities without honeycomb fibrosis in all patients. The pathologic abnormalities were the presence of increased numbers of macrophages and the formation of hyaline membranes within alveolar spaces. There was also interstitial thickening with edema, proliferation of immature fibroblast, and hyperplasia of type II pneumocyte. In the survived patient(case5), pathologic findings were relatively early stage of acute interstitial pneumonia, such as hyaline membrane with mild interstitial fibrosis. 4) Of the 5 patients, four patients died of respiratory failure 14~90 days after onset of first symptom, and one survived and recovered in symptoms, chest X ray, and pulmonary function test Conclusion: These results emphasize that acute interstitial pneumonia is clinically, radiologically, and pathologically distinct form of interstitial pneumonia and should be separated from the group of chronic interstitial pneumonia. Further studies will be needed to evaluate the pathogenesis and the treatment of acute interstitial pneumonia.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 1996

Background: Interferon-$\gamma$ has various biologic effects, including antiviral effect, antitumor proliferative effect, activation of macrophage and B lymphocyte, and increased expression of major histocompatibility complex. Especially, antitumor proliferative effect of interferon-$\gamma$ has already been proved to be important in vivo as well as in vitro. And, clinical studies of interferon-$\gamma$ have been tried in lung cancer patients. However, the mechanism of antitumor effect of interferon-$\gamma$ has not yet been established despite of many hypotheses. "Necrosis" is a type of cell death which is well known to occur in the circumstances of severe stresses. In contrast, "apoptosis" is another type of cell death which occurs in such biological circumstances as embryonic development, regression of organs, and self-tolerance of lymphocytes. And, apoptosis is an active process of cell death in which cells are dying with fragmentations of their cytoplasms and nuclei. And, in the process of apoptosis the DNAs of cells are cleaved between nucleosomes by unidentified endonuclease and therefore DNAs of apoptotic cells result in a typical electrophoresis pattern known as DNA ladder pattern. Recently it has been suggested that cytotoxic effect of interferon-$\gamma$ occurs via apoptosis. To elucidate the mechanism of antitumor cytotoxic effect of interferon-$\gamma$, we microscopically observed a lung cancer cell line, A549 which was treated with interferon-$\gamma$. We observed A545 treated with interferon-$\gamma$ was dying fragmented. And so, we performed this study to find out that the mechanism of antitumor cytotoxic effect of interferon-$\gamma$ be apoptosis. Method: We treated A549, human lung cancer cell line with various concentration of interferon-$\gamma$ and quantified its cytotoxic effect of various periods, 24 hours, 72 hours and, 120 hours by MTT(dimethylthiazolyl diphenyltetrazolium bromide) bioassay. Also, after we treated A549 with 100 units/mi of interferon-$\gamma$ for 120 hours, we observed the pattern of cell death with inverted microscope and we extracted DNAs from the dead A549 cells and observed the pattern of 1.5% agarose gel electrophoresis with ethidium bromide staining. Result: 1) Cytotoxic effect of interferon-$\gamma$ on A549: For the first 24 hours, threre was little cytotoxic effect and for between 24 hours and 72 hours, there was the beginning of cytotoxic effect and for 120 hours there was increased cytotoxic effect. 2) Pattern of A549 cell death by interferon-$\gamma$: We observed with inverted microscope that A549 cells were dying fragmented. 3) DNA ladder pattern of gel electrophoresis: We observed DNA ladder pattern of gel electrophoresis of extracted DNAs from dead A549 cells. Conclusion: We concluded that the mechanism of interferon-$\gamma$induced cytotoxicity on lung cancer cell line, A549 be via apoptosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.685-696
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• 1999

Background : Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a diffuse inflammatory and fibrosing process that occurs within the interstitium and alveolus of the lung with invariably poor prognosis. The major problem in management of IPF results from the variable rate of disease progression and the difficulties in predicting the response to therapy. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the short-term efficacy of steroid and immunosuppressive therapy for IPF and to identify the pre-treatment determinants of favorable response. Method : Twenty patients of IPF were included. Diagnosis of IPF was proven by thoracoscopic lung biopsy and they were presumed to have active progressive disease. The baseline evaluation in these patients included clinical history, pulmonary function test, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and chest high resolution computed tomography (HRCT). Fourteen patients received oral prednisolone treatment with initial dose of 1mg/kg/day for 8 to 12 weeks and then tapering to low-dose prednisolone (0.25mg/kg/day). Six patients who previously had experienced significant side effects to steroid received 2mg/kg/day of oral cyclophosphamide with or without low-dose prednisolone. Follow-up evaluation was performed after 6 months of therapy. If patients met more than one of followings, they were considered to be responders : (1) improvement of more than one grade in dyspnea index, (2) improvement in FVC or TLC more than 10% or improvement in DLco more than 20% (3) decreased extent of disease in chest HRCT findings. Result : One patient died of extrapulmonary cause after 3 month of therapy, and another patient gave up any further medical therapy due to side effect of steroid. Eventually medical records of 18 patients were analyzed. Nine of 18 patients were classified into responders and the other nine patients into nonresponders. The histopathologic diagnosis of the responders were all nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) and that of nonresponders were all usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) (p<0.001). The other significant differences between the two groups were female predominance (p<0.01), smoking history (p<0.001), severe grade of dyspnea (p<0.05), lymphocytosis in BAL fluid ($23.8{\pm}16.3%$ vs $7.8{\pm}3.6%$, p<0.05), and less honeycombing in chest HRCT findings (0% vs $9.2{\pm}2.3%$, p<0.001). Conclusion : Our results suggest that patients with histopathologic diagnosis of NSIP or lymphocytosis in BAL fluid are more likely to respond to steroid or immunosuppressive therapy. Clinical results in large numbers of IPF patients will be required to identify the independent variables.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2004

Purpose: Although acute nonspecific mesenteric lymphadenitis (ANML) is probably common cause of abdominal pain in children, which can be severe enough to be an abdominal emergency, the clinical features of mesenteric lymphadenitis are not clear. Also, a differential diagnosis with acute appendicitis (APPE) is indispensable to avoid serious complications. The clinical features of ANML were determined, and the risk factors for differential diagnosis with APPE were analyzed. Methods: Between November 2000 and May 2001, data from 26 patients (aged 1 to 11 years) with ANML and 21 patients (aged 2 to 13 years) with APPE were reviewed. ANML was defined as a cluster of five or more lymph nodes measuring 10 mm or greater in their longitudinal diameter in the right lower quadrant (RLQ) without an identifiable specific inflammatory process on the ultrasonographic examination. There were risk factors on patient's history, physical examination, and laboratory examination; the location of abdominal pain, abdominal rigidity, rebound tenderness, fever, nocturnal pain, the vomiting intensity, the diarrhea intensity, the symptom duration, and the peripheral blood leukocytes count. Results: Of the 26 ANML patients and 21 APPE patients, abdominal pain was noted on periumbilical (76.9% vs 14.2%), on RLQ (11.5% vs 71.4%), with abdomen rigidity (7.6% vs 80.9%), with rebound tenderness (0.0% vs 76.1%)(p<0.05), in the lower abdomen (11.5% vs 14.2%), and at night (80.8% vs 100.0%) (p>0.05). The clinical symptoms were vomiting (38.4% vs 90.4%), the vomiting intensity ($1.5{\pm}0.7$ [1~3]/day vs $4.5{\pm}2.9$ [1~10]/day), diarrhea (65.3% vs 28.5%) (p<0.05), and fever (61.5% vs 76.2%)(p>0.05). The period to the subsidence of abdominal pain in the ANMA patients was $2.5{\pm}0.5$ (2~3) days. The laboratory data showed a significant difference in the peripheral blood leukocytes count ($8,403{\pm}1,737[5,900{\sim}12,300]/mm^3\;vs\;15,471{\pm}3,749[5,400{\sim}20,800]/mm^3$)(p<0.05). Discriminant analysis between ANML and APPE showed that the independent discriminant factors were a vomiting intensity and the peripheral blood leukocytes count and the discriminant power was 95.7%. Conclusion: The clinical characteristics of ANML were abrupt onset of periumbilical pain without rigidity or rebound tenderness, a mild vomiting intensity, normal peripheral leukocytes count, and relatively short clinical course. If the abdominal pain persist for more than 3 days, and/or the vomiting intensity is more than 3 times/day, and/or the peripheral leukocytes count is over $13,500/mm^3$, abdominal ultrasonography is recommended to rule out APPE.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.139-166
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• 2010

The supply chain management (SCM) systems have emerged as strong managerial tools for manufacturing firms in enhancing competitive strength. Despite of large investments in the SCM systems, many companies are not fully realizing the promised benefits from the systems. A review of literature on adoption, implementation and success factor of IOS (inter-organization systems), EDI (electronic data interchange) systems, shows that this issue has been examined from multiple theoretic perspectives. And many researchers have attempted to identify the factors which influence the success of system implementation. However, the existing studies have two drawbacks in revealing the determinants of systems implementation success. First, previous researches raise questions as to the appropriateness of research subjects selected. Most SCM systems are operating in the form of private industrial networks, where the participants of the systems consist of two distinct groups: focus companies and vendors. The focus companies are the primary actors in developing and operating the systems, while vendors are passive participants which are connected to the system in order to supply raw materials and parts to the focus companies. Under the circumstance, there are three ways in selecting the research subjects; focus companies only, vendors only, or two parties grouped together. It is hard to find researches that use the focus companies exclusively as the subjects probably due to the insufficient sample size for statistic analysis. Most researches have been conducted using the data collected from both groups. We argue that the SCM success factors cannot be correctly indentified in this case. The focus companies and the vendors are in different positions in many areas regarding the system implementation: firm size, managerial resources, bargaining power, organizational maturity, and etc. There are no obvious reasons to believe that the success factors of the two groups are identical. Grouping the two groups also raises questions on measuring the system success. The benefits from utilizing the systems may not be commonly distributed to the two groups. One group's benefits might be realized at the expenses of the other group considering the situation where vendors participating in SCM systems are under continuous pressures from the focus companies with respect to prices, quality, and delivery time. Therefore, by combining the system outcomes of both groups we cannot measure the system benefits obtained by each group correctly. Second, the measures of system success adopted in the previous researches have shortcoming in measuring the SCM success. User satisfaction, system utilization, and user attitudes toward the systems are most commonly used success measures in the existing studies. These measures have been developed as proxy variables in the studies of decision support systems (DSS) where the contribution of the systems to the organization performance is very difficult to measure. Unlike the DSS, the SCM systems have more specific goals, such as cost saving, inventory reduction, quality improvement, rapid time, and higher customer service. We maintain that more specific measures can be developed instead of proxy variables in order to measure the system benefits correctly. The purpose of this study is to find the determinants of SCM systems success in the perspective of vendor companies. In developing the research model, we have focused on selecting the success factors appropriate for the vendors through reviewing past researches and on developing more accurate success measures. The variables can be classified into following: technological, organizational, and environmental factors on the basis of TOE (Technology-Organization-Environment) framework. The model consists of three independent variables (competition intensity, top management support, and information system maturity), one mediating variable (collaboration), one moderating variable (government support), and a dependent variable (system success). The systems success measures have been developed to reflect the operational benefits of the SCM systems; improvement in planning and analysis capabilities, faster throughput, cost reduction, task integration, and improved product and customer service. The model has been validated using the survey data collected from 122 vendors participating in the SCM systems in Korea. To test for mediation, one should estimate the hierarchical regression analysis on the collaboration. And moderating effect analysis should estimate the moderated multiple regression, examines the effect of the government support. The result shows that information system maturity and top management support are the most important determinants of SCM system success. Supply chain technologies that standardize data formats and enhance information sharing may be adopted by supply chain leader organization because of the influence of focal company in the private industrial networks in order to streamline transactions and improve inter-organization communication. Specially, the need to develop and sustain an information system maturity will provide the focus and purpose to successfully overcome information system obstacles and resistance to innovation diffusion within the supply chain network organization. The support of top management will help focus efforts toward the realization of inter-organizational benefits and lend credibility to functional managers responsible for its implementation. The active involvement, vision, and direction of high level executives provide the impetus needed to sustain the implementation of SCM. The quality of collaboration relationships also is positively related to outcome variable. Collaboration variable is found to have a mediation effect between on influencing factors and implementation success. Higher levels of inter-organizational collaboration behaviors such as shared planning and flexibility in coordinating activities were found to be strongly linked to the vendors trust in the supply chain network. Government support moderates the effect of the IS maturity, competitive intensity, top management support on collaboration and implementation success of SCM. In general, the vendor companies face substantially greater risks in SCM implementation than the larger companies do because of severe constraints on financial and human resources and limited education on SCM systems. Besides resources, Vendors generally lack computer experience and do not have sufficient internal SCM expertise. For these reasons, government supports may establish requirements for firms doing business with the government or provide incentives to adopt, implementation SCM or practices. Government support provides significant improvements in implementation success of SCM when IS maturity, competitive intensity, top management support and collaboration are low. The environmental characteristic of competition intensity has no direct effect on vendor perspective of SCM system success. But, vendors facing above average competition intensity will have a greater need for changing technology. This suggests that companies trying to implement SCM systems should set up compatible supply chain networks and a high-quality collaboration relationship for implementation and performance.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.83-93
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• 2003

Background: Lung-to-heart uptake ratio (LHR) in $^{201}Tl-chloride$ myocardial perfusion scan is believed to be a reliable marker for left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, but the clinical value of LHR is controversial for $^{99m}Tc-MIBI$ imaging. Furthermore, most of results suggesting lung uptake of $^{99m}Tc-MIBI$ as a potential marker for LV dysfunction used immediate post-stress images, instead of routine images acquired 1 hour after tracer injection. The goal of our study was to investigate whether LHR evaluated with routine gated $^{99m}Tc-MIBI$ imaging can reflect the degree of perfusion defect or left ventricular performance. Subjects and Methods: 241 patients underwent exercise $^{99m}Tc-MIBI$ myocardial SPECT were classified into normal myocardial perfusion (NP, n=135) and abnormal myocardial perfusion (AP, n=106) group according to the presence of perfusion defect. LHR was calculated from anterior projection image taken at 1-hour after injection. Two legions of interest (ROIs) were placed on left lung above LV and on myocardium showing the highest radioactivity. Subjects were classified by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), as Gr-I: >50%, Gr-II: 36-50%, Gr-III: <36% and by summed stress score (SSS), as Gr-A: <4, Gr-B: 4-8, Gr-C: 9-13, Gr-D: >13, LHR was compared among these groups. Results: In NP group(n=135), LHR, were higher in men than women ($men:\;0.311{\pm}0.03,\;women:\;0.296{\pm}0.03,\;p<0.05$). Significant difference, in LHR were found between NP and AP groups both for men and women ($men:\;0.311{\pm}0.03\;vs\;.\;0.331{\pm}0.06,\;women:\;0.296{\pm}0.03\;vs.\;0.321{\pm}0.07.\;p<0.05$). There were weak negative correlation between LHR and LVEF (r=-0.342, p<0.05) and weak positive correlation between LHR and SSS (r=0.478, p<0.05) in men, but not in women (LVEF: r=-0.279, p=0.100, SSS: r=0.276, p=0.103). Increased LHR was defined when for more than mean + 2SD value ($men{\geq}0.38,\;women{\geq}0.37$) of the LHR of the subject with normal perfusion. Increased LHR were observed more frequently in subjects with lower LVEF (Gr-I: 11.1%, Gr-II: 27.0%, Gr-III: 35.4%, p<0.05) and higher SSS(Gr-A: 14.0%, Gr-B: 5.7%, Gr-C: 18.2%, Gr-D: 40.7%, p<0.05). Conclusions: LHRs obtained from routine $^{99m}Tc-MIBI$ gated SPECT images were weakly correlated with LVEF and perfusion defect. Although significant overlaps were observed between normal and abnormal perfusion group, LHRs could be used as an indirect marker of severe perfusion defect or reduced left ventricular function.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.5 s.250
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• pp.323-334
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• 2005

Background: Gene therapy is a new and promising option for the treatment of severe myocardial ischemia by therapeutic angiogenesis. The goal of this study was to elucidate the efficacy of therapeutic angiogenesis by using VEGF165 in large animals. Material and Method: Twenty-one pigs that underwent ligation of the distal left anterior descending coronary artery were randomly allocated to one of two treatments: intramyocardial injection of pCK-VEGF (VEGF) or intramyocardial injection of pCK-Null (Control). Injections were administered 30 days after ligation. Seven pigs died during the trial, but eight pigs from VEGF and six from Control survived. Echo-cardiography was performed on day 0 (preoperative) and on days 30 and 60 following coronary ligation. Gated myocardial single photon emission computed tomography imaging (SPECT) with $^{99m}Tc-labeled$ sestamibi was performed on days 30 and 60. Myocardial perfusion was assessed from the uptake of $^{99m}Tc-labeled$ sestamibi at rest. Global and regional myocardial function as well as post-infarction left ventricular remodeling were assessed from segmental wall thickening; left ventricular ejection fraction (EF); end systolic volume (ESV); and end diastolic volume (EDV) using gated SPECT and echocardiography. Myocardium of the ischemic border zone into which pCK plasmid vector had been injected was also sampled to assess micro-capillary density. Result: Micro-capillary density was significantly higher in the VEGF than in Control ($386\pm110/mm^{2}\;vs.\;291\pm127/mm^{2};\;p<0.001$). Segmental perfusion increased significantly from day 30 to day 60 after intramyocardial injection of plasmid vector in VEGF ($48.4\pm15.2\%\;vs.\;53.8\pm19.6\%;\;p<0.001$), while no significant change was observed in the Control ($45.1\pm17.0\%\;vs.\;43.4\pm17.7\%;\;p=0.186$). This resulted in a significant difference in the percentage changes between the two groups ($11.4\pm27.0\%\;increase\;vs.\;2.7\pm19.0\%\;decrease;\;p=0.003$). Segmental wall thickening increased significantly from day 30 to day 60 in both groups; the increments did not differ between groups. ESV measured using echocardiography increased significantly from day 0 to day 30 in VEGF ($22.9\pm9.9\;mL\;vs.\;32.3\pm9.1\;mL;\; p=0.006$) and in Control ($26.3\pm12.0\;mL\;vs.\;36.8\pm9.7\;mL;\;p=0.046$). EF decreased significantly in VEGF ($52.0\pm7.7\%\;vs.\;46.5\pm7.4\%;\;p=0.004$) and in Control ($48.2\pm9.2\%\;vs.\;41.6\pm10.0\%;\;p=0.028$). There was no significant change in EDV. The interval changes (days $30\~60$) of EF, ESV, and EDV did not differ significantly between groups both by gated SPECT and by echocardiography. Conclusion: Intramyocardial injection of pCK-VEGF165 induced therapeutic angiogenesis and improved myocardial perfusion. However, post-infarction remodeling and global myocardial function were not improved.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.53-61
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• 1998

This study was performed to investigate the antiulcer effects of Opuntia dillenii Haw. on the stomach ulcer induced by restraint and water-immersion stress in rats. For this experiment, 48 male Sprague-Dawley strain were used. The experimental groups were divided into four: a control (C) and 3 Opuntia dillenii Haw. treatment groups (E-1, E-2, E-3). Each dose of Opuntia dillenii Haw. was 30 mg/kg bw (E-1), 60 mgfKg bw (E-2) and 120 mg/kg bw (E-3). The rats were allocated to each group by 12 and observed for 4 weeks. The results were as following: 1. The stomach surface pH in each group showed no significant difference, but the values of Opuntia dillenii Haw. treatment groups were higher than the value of the control group. 2. The gastric wall mucus was increased in all Opuntia dillenii Haw. treatment groups compared with the control group. Especially in E-1 difference was higher (p<0.05) and in E-2 difference was significantly higher (p<0.01). 3. At shear rate 11.25, 45.0, 90.0, $225\;sec^{-1}$, whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity were measured. Most of the values of Opuntia dillenii Haw. treatment groups were low compared with that of the control group. At shear rate 90.0, $225\;sec^{-1}$ the values of whole blood viscosity in E-1 were significantly low (p<0.05) and at shear rate 11.25, $45.0\;sec^{-1}$, more significant (p<0.01). At shear rate 11.25, 45.0, 90.0, $225\;sec^{-1}$ the values of whole blood viscosity in E-2 were significantly low (p<0.01). At shear rate $90.0\;sec^{-1}$ the value of plasma viscosity in E-1 was significantly low (p<0.05) and at shear rate 90.0, $225\;sec^{-1}$ the values of plasma viscosity in E-2 we resignificantly low (p<0.01). 4. Less severe ulcers were obsered in Opuntia dillenii Haw. treatment groups than in the control group. Especially E-1 groups tissues had only slight ulcers and necrosis of tissue was not observed in this group. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that the oral administratio-n of Opuntia dillenii Haw. results in protection of stomach ulcer by stimulating the secretion of gastric mucus and improving the gastric mucosal microcirculation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.66 no.3
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• pp.192-197
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• 2009

Background: Despite the benefits of home oxygen therapy in patients suffering chronic respiratory failure, previous reports in Korea revealed lower compliance to oxygen therapy and a shorter time for oxygen use than expected. However, these papers were published before oxygen therapy was covered by the national insurance system. Therefore, this study examined whether there were some changes in compliance, using time and other clinical features of home oxygen therapy after insurance coverage. Methods: This study reviewed the medical records of patients prescribed home oxygen therapy in our hospital from November 1, 2006 to September 31, 2008. The patients were interviewed either in person or by telephone to obtain information related to oxygen therapy. Results: During study period, a total 105 patients started home oxygen therapy. The mean age was 69 and 60 (57%) were male. The mean oxygen partial pressure in the arterial blood was 54.5 mmHg and oxygen saturation was 86.3%. Primary diseases that caused hypoxemia were COPD (n=64), lung cancer (n=14), Tb destroyed lung (n=12) and others. After oxygen therapy, more than 50% of patients experienced relief of their subjective dyspnea. The mean daily use of oxygen was 9.8${\pm}$7.3 hours and oxygen was not used during activity outside of their home (mean time, 5.4${\pm}$3.7 hours). Twenty four patients (36%) stopped using oxygen voluntarily 7${\pm}$4.7 months after being prescribed oxygen and showed a less severe pulmonary and right heart function. The causes of stopping were subjective symptom relief (n=11), inconvenience (n=6) and others (7). Conclusion: The prescription of home oxygen has increased since national insurance started to cover home oxygen therapy. However, the mean time for using oxygen is still shorter than expected. During activity of outside their home, patients could not use oxygen due to the absence of portable oxygen. Overall, continuous education to change the misunderstandings about oxygen therapy, more economic support from national insurance and coverage for portable oxygen are needed to extend the oxygen use time and maintain oxygen usage.