• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.321-332
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• 2007

Objectives : Anticancer and immune-modulating effects of several Korean medical prescriptions including Yukgunja-tang, Bohwa-tang, Sogam-Won, and Kamiboa-tang were investigated. Methods : In vitro anti-cancer effects were measured by cytotoxicity MTT assay using SNU-1 gastric cancer cell lines, In vivo anti-cancer effects were measured by increased life span of S-180 sarcoma-injected ICR mouse. Immune-modulating effects were analyzed by measuring hemagglutinin titer, appearance of rosette forming cells, lymphocyte proliferation, and phagocytic index in methotrexate-pretreated mice. Results : In vitro assay showed that only Sogam-won showed cytotoxic effect with $IC_{50}$ of 87.9 ${\mu}g/ml$. All other prescriptions showed no cytotoxic effects against SNU-1 gastric cancer cell line. However, in vivo assay showed that Sogam-won showed lowest anti-cancer effects in contrast to its highest cytotoxic effects, Kamiboa-tang, which showed no cytotoxic effect, showed the highest in vivo anticancer effects, with increased life span of 140%. Kamiboa-tang showed significant immune-enhancing activities by significantly increasing rosette forming cells, lymphocyte proliferation, and phagocytic index in methotrexate-pretreated mice (P<0.05). Conclusion : The anticancer effect of Kamiboa-tang is not mediated by direct inhibition of cancer cells but is mediated by improving immune reactions against cancer cells.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.111-117
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• 1999

Free radicals are thought to be the most important cause of the reperfusion injury subsequent to ischemia. The antioxidant status of the tissue affected by ischemia-reperfusion is of great importance for the primary endogenous defense against the free radical induced injury. Therefore, antioxidant therapy has been shown to be beneficial in neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and cerebral ischemia. In this study, the protective effects of Chungpesagan-tang (CST) was investigated against ischemia/reperfusion-induced cytotoxicity in SK-N-MC neuronal cells It was found out that low concentration of CST was highly effective in protecting neuronal cells against ischemia/reperfusion-induced cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effect of CST on malondialdehyde formation during ischemia/reperfusion-induced oxidative stress in SK-N-MC cells showed obvious dose-dependent responses. Also, CST showed relatively high inhibitory activity to xanthine oxidase induced by ischemia/reperfusion environment Therefore, it is thought that CST has both antioxidant and xanthine oxidase inhibitory effect and can be used for clinical applications for protection of neuronal cells from ischemia-reperfusion injury.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.37-49
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• 2014

Objectives & Methods : The objective of this study was to evaluate the single oral dose toxicity of Chongmyung-tang (CMT) in ICR mice. Korean traditional herbal prescription CMT has traditionally been used as a neuroprotective for treatment of learning disability and memory improvement. CMT, lyophilized aqueous extracts (yield=9.7%) were administered to female and male mice with oral dose of 2,000, 1,000 and 500 mg/kg (body weight) according to the recommendation of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) Guidelines. Animals were monitored for mortality, changes in body weight, clinical signs and gross observation during 14 days after administration upon necropsy; organ weight and histopathology of 14 principle organs were examined. Results : We could not find any CMT extracts treatment related mortalities, clinical signs, changes in body and organ weight, or gross and histopathological observations against 14 principle organs up to 2,000 mg/kg in both female and male mice, except for some accidental sporadic findings which did not show any obvious dose-relations and most of which also demonstrated in both the female and male vehicle control mice in this experiments. Conclusions : Based on the results of this experiment, the 50% lethal dose ($LD_{50}$) and approximate lethal dose (ALD) of CMT extracts after single oral treatment in female and male mice can be considered to be over 2,000 mg/kg, and is likely to be safe in humans.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.75-81
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• 2010

Objectives : It was investigated new herbal prescription HT005 supported by traditional Korean medicine has a activity on the longitudinal bone growth of rats. HT005 were consisted of the root of Angelica sinensis, the fruit of Alpinia oxyphylla, the root of Astragalus membranaceus, the stem of Eleutherococcus senticosus, and the root of Dioscorea japonica, and Poria cocos. Method : To investigate the effect on longitudinal bone growth in adolescent male Sprague-Dawley rats, the longitudinal length of growth plate was measured directly by the tetracycline fluorescent labeling method and chondrocyte staining method. HT005 administered orally for four days, and the tetracycline was injected twice on the growth plate of the animals for fluorescent dying. The rate of longitudinal bone growth was measured the length between the tetracycline bands which fixed on the 3rd day and 5th day after injection. Cresyl violet was also used to stain the chondrocytes in the growth plate. The length of growth plate after administration was compared. Expression of IGF-1 and BMP-2 in the growth plate was investigated by immunohistochemistry. Results : HT005 showed a significant longitudinal bone growth which was $301.0{\pm}6.1\;{\mu}m/day$ at the dose of 100 mg/kg and $283.8{\pm}1.25\;{\mu}m/day$ (p < 0.001)at the dose of 10 mg/kg of HT005, compared to control group by the tetracycline fluorescent labeling method. HT005 showed a significant chondrocyte length on growth plate which was measured $797.19{\pm}3.31\;{\mu}m$ (p < 0.001) at the dose of 100 mg/kg and $720.14{\pm}2.19$ (p < 0.001) ${\mu}m$ at the dose of 10 mg/kg compared to the control group by cresyl-violet staining method. Both the number and intensity of BMP-2 and IGF-1 positive cells were increased in the hypertrophic zone of growth plate. There was a significant correlation between BMP-2 and IGF-1 expression and heights of chondrocytes in growth plate. Conclusions : Treatment of HT005 on Sprague-Dawley rats markedly increased the longitudinal bone growth. Therefore, HT005 may be an alternative herbal source to growth hormone as it promotes bone growth in children afflicted by growth retardation.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.969-979
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• 2003

Gamisoamsan is a prescription originated in Soamsan which is known as an anti-cancer remedy in the traditional Korean Medicine. To enhance the synergic effects of anti-cancer activity of Soamsan, this study reconstituted the original components of Soamsan with a slight modification and produced a novel herbal remedy, namely Gamisoamsan. To investigate the effects of Gamisoamsan on anti-cancer reaction, I studied the effects of Gamisoamsan on angiogenesis via chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay, corneal neovascularization assay and the effects on expression of growth factor which are VEGF, TGF-β, bFGF and IMUP-1. Anti-cancer effects of Gamisoamsan was also abserved through hematological parameters, tumor volume and survival rate in mice. Gamisoamsan inhibited embryonic angiogenesis of blood vessels in CAM assay and inhibited neovascularization of ral cornea. Gamisoamsan reduced cell proliferation in HT1080 cells and IC50 was 2.18 ㎎/㎖ Gamisoamsan reduced the expression of VEGF, TGF-β, bFGF and IMUP-1 which was known as vascular growth factor and this effects of Gamisoamsan was predominant than VP-16. The treatment of Gamisoamsan decreased the CT-26 cell inoculated-tumor volume in mice colon adenocarcinoma and increased mice survival which was inoculated CT-26 cells. The results of the present study suggest that Gamisoamsan extracts has a potential anti-tumor activity and may be an useful remedy to prevent and/or treat cancer.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.1-13
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• 2009

Objectives : The glial cell, located in between the blood vessel and nerve cell, takes charge of the cell support, nutrition supply, elimination of body waste, and cell action. GagamSohabhwangwon(GGSH), a chinese traditional medicinal prescription has been used orally for the treatment of seizures, infantile, convulsion, stroke and so forth. This paper examines the effect of the GagamSohabhwangwon(GGSH) essential oil on cell activity and anti oxidation. Methods : MTT assay methods were employed to measure the cell activity based on the amount of the GagamSohabhwangwon(GGSH) essential oil by using primarily cultivated glial cell. In addition, this paper measured a viability of the glial cell after a protein active retarder control to confirm the multiplication of the cell and examined the cell extinction by the active oxygen, an extinction shielding effect with different amount of the GagamSohabhwangwon(GGSH) essential oil to observe anti oxidation. Furthermore, this paper measured a viability of the cell and phosphorylation(phosphorylation) of the protein which affects the multiplication of the glial cell. Results : When controlling the amount of the GagamSohabhwangwon(GGSH), there was a multiplication effect of the primary glial cell, the multiplication of the cell was dependent on the density of the GagamSohabhwangwon. The multiplication power of the primary glial cell was suppressed by PKA inhibiter (H89). In compliance with the active oxygen the extinction of the primary glial cell was dependent on the density of the GagamSohabhwangwon, there was a shielding effect of the cell extinction when GagamSohabhwangwon(GGSH) was preprocessed. When inducing the multiplication of the primary glial cell, phosphorylation of the Akt, BDNF, CREB, ERK and ERM were increased. Conclusions: Based on the results, GagamSohabhwangwon essential oil will have the effect which activates the nervous system cell and protects the cell through anti oxidation.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.165-176
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• 1999

The in vivo effects of Fructus Benincasae (FB-Baekdongkwa(B) and FB- on the expectoration (decrease in sputum viscoelasticity) by their sorts and using rats (Sp. D. male, $150{\sim}160g$). FB was divided by seed, flesh, and bark, extracted by 95% ethanol for 3 hr. The extracts were given to rats administration and the following results were obtained: 1. When FB Recens-C extract was administered at the concentration of 300 mg/kg b.w., mucus secretion effect in the trachea was desirably stimulated. 2. The secretion of phenol red was increased in the FB-treated tracheas in the order of Semen Benincasae(SB)-B $(153{\pm}8\;%)$, FB-B $(149{\pm}10\;%)$, and FBR-C $(117{\pm}26\;%)$. In general, the effect of FB-B extract on phenol red secretion was stronger than that of FB-C. 3. When tracheobronchial lavage fluid was analyzed, the mucus secretion was relatively high $(111{\pm}14\;%)$ in FB-B compared with other extracts. 4. Microscopic analysis after direct treatment of the FB extracts to the rat tracheal tissue showed that all the FB extracts possessed no effects for the activity of the ciliary movement. 5. Glycoprotein content secreted by the seed extract of FB-B was increased compared with the control group, which represents the highest secretion effect of mucus. From the above results. we could conclude that the seed of SB-B possesses better activity for mucus secretion from trachea than the extracts of any other parts. Therefore, it is expected that the seed of SB-B may be available for the purpose of expectorant activity in the prescription of traditional medicine.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.38 no.2 s.149
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• pp.123-127
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• 2007

Aristolochic acid (AA) included in the plants Aristolochiaceae have been well known to be nephrotoxic and carcinogenic inducer and to cause renal disease such as Chinese Herb Nephropathy (CHN). In this study, we used a high performance liquid chromatopaphy-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) under the positive ion detection mode for the quantitative change of aristolochic acid-I and-II (AA-I and AA-II) in Aristolochiaceae (Aristolochia contorta Bunge, Aristolochia debilis Sieb. et Zucc., Aristolochia fangchi Wu), some related plants (Cocculus trilobus De candolle, Inula helenium Linne, Saussurea lappa Clarke), and its prescriptions (防己茯笭湯, 定喘散) with or without processing. Here, the processing methods and prescriptions in oriental medicine were generally used to alleviate toxicity or alter property of herbal medicines. However, the concentrations of AA-I and AA-II were highly determined in processed material extracts rather than unprocessed those, not measured in some related plants. Also, the concentrations of AA-I and AA-II even at the prescriptions mixed the plants of Aristolochiaceae were detected to range from 0.73 to 2.53 ppm. Thus, the present results suggest that the content of AA-I and AA-II contained to plants of Aristolochiaceae was not reduced by the processing methods or prescriptions which can induce the physico-chemical change and pharmacological transformation in traditional herbal medicines.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.189-199
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• 2005

Objectives : This interview survey was carried out to identify how Korean medical doctors make acupuncture prescriptions for knee osteoarthritis in clinics. Methods : Survey questions were developed based on a consensus of acupuncture professors at Kyung Hee University, Dongguk University, Daegu Haany University. The interviews were conducted to 72 members of the Korea Oriental Medical Association who answered to prefer remote acupuncture prescription at previous telephone survey. Results : Korean medical doctors prefer to use five shu acupuncture points, especially 'hyung' or , 'shu' points, on the contralateral side of lesion and that the first target organ is liver. Five element points theory was mainly based on 'Nanjing' and 'Hwangdi Neijing'. The De-qi sensation of both doctor and patients was emphasized. Diagnosis and evaluation generally depend on subjective evaluation rather than objective scale. Conclusion : This study showed that Koran medical doctors prefer to follow the Korean traditional acupuncture methods respecting the old classic principles. And these results can guide us to develop advanced clinical trial protocols more close to our acupuncture practice.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.104-129
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• 1995

Sabaeksan and Sabaeksangagaryureuk, a traditional prescription, has been used in Korea for many centuries as a treatment for chronic respiratory disease. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of Sabaeksan and Sabaeksangagaryureuk on acetylcholine-induced tracheal smooth muscle contraction in guinea pigs and norepinephrine-induced vascular smooth muscle contraction in pigs. Guinea pig (500g, female) were killed by CO2 exposure and a segment (8-10mm) of the thoracic trachea from each guinea pig and renal artery from each pig were cut into equal segments and mounted 'in pairs' in a tissue bath. Contractile force was measured with force displacement transducers under 0.5g loading tension. The dose of acetylcholine (Ach) and norepinephrine (NE) which evoked 50% of maximal response ($ED_{50}$) was obtained from cumulative dose response curves for acetylcholine (10-7-10-4M) and norepinephrine (10-7-10-4M). Contractions of tracheal smooth muscle evoked by Ach ($ED_{50}$) were inhibited significantly by Sabaeksan and Sabaeksangagaryureuk. Propranolol (10-7M) slightly but significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of Sabaeksan and Sabaeksangagaryureuk. Indomethacin and methylene blue (10-7M) did not significantly alter the inhibitory effect of Sabaeksan and Sabaeksanga-garyureuk. Contractions of vascular smooth muscle evoked by NE (NE50) were inhibited significantly by Sabaeksan and Sabaeksangagaryureuk. Propranolol (10-7M) slightly but significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of Sabaeksan and Sabaeksangagaryureuk. Indomethacin and methylene blue (10-7M) did not significantly alter the inhibitory effect of Sabaeksan and Sabaeksangagaryureuk. These results indicate that Sabaeksan and Sabaeksangagaryureuk can relax acetylcholine-induced contraction of guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle, and norepinephrine-induced contraction of pig vascular smooth muscle that this inhibition involves, in part, the relation of adrenergic receptor.