• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.624-629
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• 2010

Nardostachys jatamansi water extract (NJ) has long been used for the treatment of inflammation-and immune-mediated disorders in the oriental countries. However, its site of action and pharmacological mechanism are not fully investigated. In this study, the authors tried to explore the cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory actions of NJ. First of all, NJ has no harmful effects on viability of neuronal cell line HT22 cells in the dose range of 300 mg/ml. On the contrary, it shows cytoprotective effects on the cells treated with reactive oxygen species H2O2. Probably the cytoprotective effects of NJ might be caused by its ability to induce well known cytoprotective gene hem oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Furthermore, NJ shows inhibitory effects on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and NO production which are known to destroy the integrity of both cells and tissues. It also inhibits potent proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) production. The blocking effects of NJ on cytopathic and proinflammatory actions of LPS might be caused by the induction of cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory genes HO-1 in macrophages cell line RAW 264.7 cells. The results in this study suggest NJ could be used for the amelioration of inflammation which is underlying mechanism responsible for most chronic diseases.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.373-379
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• 2010

There has been a need for establishing operational curriculum for chinese characters and chinese writing used by traditional korean medicine (TKM), but it was not carefully recognized so far. We analysed the frequency of unicode chinese characters from five medical textbooks and showed prerequisite chinese characters for TKM beginners. It was found that 之, 者, 不, 也, 而, 氣, 陽, 陰, 下, 其, 病, 爲, 人, 以, 中, 則, 於, 脈, 上, 故 are the most frequently used 20 chinese characters. We also showed that adequate prerequisite chinese character should be designated for the more efficient education of TKM. This study was the first systematic approach to get essential and prerequisite chinese characters for the education of TKM. The prerequisite characters by this study will be used for the development of KEET (Korean Medicine Education Eligibility Test), entrance exam to the Colleges of Oriental Medicine and textbooks, and educational curriculum of premed students.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.380-384
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• 2010

The present paper attempts to investigate the factors which may affect the attitude toward Oriental Medicine among the university students in Korea and China. The research on determining factors that may influence the attitude toward the Oriental Medicine can provide the answers for the question how the traditional things can acquire their present position and make a development in modern society. The East Asian countries such as Korea and China have promoted the western-style changes and development, thinking that modernization means the westernization. Given this, the research on the attitude toward Oriental Medicine can be a good case study that shows how tradition sustains its place and develops. The present study makes two hypotheses in order to analyze the factors which make the influence on the attitude toward the Oriental Medicine: Hypothesis there will be no significant difference between the socio-demographic variables and attitude toward Oriental Medicine. Hypothesis there will be significant differences between traditionalism, modernity, nationalism, and attitude toward Oriental Medicine. The statistical results show that hypothesis 1 was confirmed in the case of the gender of the participants, whereas it was not confirmed in the case of the birthplace, economic status, and nationality. And hypothesis 2 was not confirmed in the relations between nationalism and modernity and the attitude toward Oriental Medicine, whereas it was confirmed in the relations between traditionalism and the traditional medical concept and attitude toward Oriental Medicine.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.1111-1116
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• 2010

We in this paper design and implement a traditional korean medicine diagnosis system based on basic ontology. If doctors put the symptoms or tongues or pulses of a patient in the diagnosis system, they can be recommended for the diagnosis results. To support the doctors decision, the diagnosis system make the inference based on the basic ontology and compute the similarity between symptoms of patient and those of ontology. The diagnosis systems also provide the learning mechanism about diagnosis results which save the results in the ontology and reuse them in the next diagnosis. Thus, doctors can share their knowledge for the diagnosis by exchanging their ontology each other. In future, we will expand the knowledge of the basic ontology continuously so that doctors can get the more accurate diagnosis results. We also implement the prescription function and integrate it to the diagnosis system.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.96-99
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• 2008

Toxoplasma gondiiis a widespread apicomplexan parasite which is able to infect virtually all warm-blooded vertebrates. Twenty-two percent of the U.S. population is infected, but severe disease in adults is mainly limited to immunosuppressed patients. In patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS), T. gondii causes a life-threatening opportunistic infection, with Toxoplasma encephalitis as its most severe manifestations. T. gondii is also known to cause congenital infection and is among the pathogens with the highest incidence of complications in pregnancies. Despite its clinical importance, only very few therapeutic drugs against T. gondii are available, all of which target the rapidly dividing tachyzoites, leaving the dormant encysted bradyzoite stage unaffected. We searched 15 traditional medicines that have anti-inflammatory effect from dongyibogam and Traditional Chinese medicine. In vitro studies were performed with HeLa cell cultures, with quantification of Toxoplasma growth by a cell proliferation assay. The result of experiment shows the selectivity of Citrus unshiu Markovich is 6.0. This is higher than sulfadiazine (selectivity was 1.63). For in vivo studies, mice were acutely infected intraperitoneally with $10^5$ tachyzoites of the virulent RH strain and then treated per orally for 4 days from 6 hours postinfection. Efficacy was assessed by sequential determination of parasite burdens in peritoneal cavity. In vivo, Citrus unshiu Markoviche inhibited Toxoplasma growth at a concentration of 10㎎/㎏ of body weight per day, the inhibition ratio was estimated to be 64.01%.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.17-27
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• 2012

In order to investigate the possibility of Kamisamultang(KMSMT) as therapeutic for the treatment of atopic dermatitis(AD), cytotoxicity, anti-oxidant activity, modulatory and suppression activities of KMSMT were tested. 90% or higher cell viability was observed in all tested groups from 25 to 200 ${\mu}g/m{\ell}$ using Raw 264.7 cells. KMSMT showed dose-dependent DPPH scavenging activity, with more than 80% scavenging activities at 400 and 800 ${\mu}g/m{\ell}$ concentrations. KMSMT showed dose-dependent suppression activity of reactive oxygen species(ROS) production, especially at 200 ${\mu}g/m{\ell}$ of 42.6%. KMSMT decreased nitric oxide(NO) production activity dose dependently, expecially at 200 ${\mu}g/m{\ell}$ of 30.9%. IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, MCP-1, TNF-${\alpha}$ production rate were decreased by 45.7%, 15.5%, 8.9%, 16.5% respectively when Raw 264.7 cells were treated with LPS and with KMSMT of 200 ${\mu}g/m{\ell}$. However, only IL-$1{\beta}$ and MCP-1 showed significant changes. The results above strongly suggest the modulatory and suppressive effect of KMSMT. The results above indicate that KMSMT significantly reduces the effect of oxidative and inflammatory cytokines. The use of KMSMT in atopic dermatitis can be widely suggested.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.77-92
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• 2010

Objectives : There has been little known about the Tibetan medicine in the society for Korean medicine. The aim of this study is to review the system of Tibetan medicine and compare with Korean medicine. Methods : The authors investigated several literatures that mentioned Tibetan medicine and organized in physiology, pathology, diagnostics, and treatment. And then, we interpreted the characteristics of Tibetan medicine as well as compared Tibetan medicine with Korean medicine. After that, we analyzed the commons and the differences, and also found out the meaning of Tibetan medicine. Results : The theory of Tibetan medicine is basically constituted of three elements of Lung, Tripa, and Peken in every parts of physiology, pathology, diagnostics, and treatment. Many organs of human body are compared to the fabrications of building. There is a detail explanation about the process of the development of fetus in Tibetan medicine. Tibetan medicine uses taking pulse in wrist, analysis of urine, watching of tongue, sperm, and menstruation, and etc. for diagnosis. In Tibetan medicine, regimen is prior to other treatments such as surgical treatment and medications. Conclusions : There is the oriental thought of '3' in Tibetan medicine, and esoteric buddhism is solved in Tibetan medicine. The anatomy and the diagnostics using urine, sperm, and menstruation have especially been developed in Tibetan medicine. Tibetan medicine emphasizes the feature of preventive medicine.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.914-918
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• 2006

It was examined that the effect of fermented traditional wine made by using mycelium of Phellinus linteus on the expression of inflammation-related proteins in HepG2 cells. HepG2 cells were incubated with or without ertract of traditional wine (ETMP), then analyzed by microscopic observation, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot. The results of RT-PCR and Western blot analyses showed that the level of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$ was induced by LPS, Dut the treatment of ETMP inhibited the expression of these proteins and its mRNAs. Besides, the results of Western blot analyses showed that the expression of nuclear $factor-{\kappa}Bp65$ and $inhibitory-{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ were also slightly affected by ETMP treatment. These results suggest that ETM P alleviate the expression of inflammation-related protein expressions and thus may be used as a functional alcoholic beverage.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.215-223
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• 2006

This research surveyed oriental medicine therapies currently used in oriental medicine circles by referring to oriental medicine books-based existing traditional authentic therapies, as well as market-sold supplementary therapy-related ordinary health books and Internet information, and supplementary therapy-related dissertations, reviewed the fundamental operating significance of these therapies, and pursued their clinical operating measures based on their clinical information as follows Various therapies currently used in oriental medicine circles are categorized into authentic therapies and supplementary therapies in oriental medicine. Authentic therapies in Oriental medicine are based on bodily self-vitality abilities, pursue positive methods of treating diseases, and include medication therapies, acupuncture therapies, and external therapies. Supplementary therapies in oriental medicine are based on bodily self-vitality abilities, pursue indirect methods of treating diseases, and consist of lifestyle therapy and body management therapy. Authentic and supplementary therapies in Oriental medicine are used either separately or together according to clinical treatment methods. In treating diseases, clinical operating methods exclusively based on traditional authentic therapies and supplementary therapies include Donguibogam (anthology of ancient oriental medicine), Uihakipmun (introduction to medicine), Somun school, and bodily acupuncture according to diagnoses of symptoms, as well as sasangbang (prescription based on four types of bodily constitution), myeongribang prescription, hyeongsangbang prescription, and bodily constitution-based acupuncture according to diagnoses of bodily constitutions. In clinical operation of Oriental medicine, supplementary therapies are parity duplicated dy alternative medicine. However, given patients' needs and clinical practicality, Oriental medicine circles should establish a system based on the fundamental viewpoint of Oriental medicine theories, and corresponding policies should also be researched.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.121-131
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• 2019

Purpose: The significance of neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) in gastric carcinoma (GC) is controversial, leading to ambiguous concepts in traditional classifications. This study aimed to determine the prognostic threshold of meaningful NED in GC and clarify its unclear features in existing classifications. Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemical staining for synaptophysin, chromogranin A, and neural cell adhesion molecule was performed for 945 GC specimens. Survival analysis was performed using the log-rank test and univariate/multivariate models with percentages of NED ($P_{NED}$) and demographic and clinicopathological parameters. Results: In total, 275 (29.1%) cases were immunoreactive to at least 1 neuroendocrine (NE) marker. GC-NED was more common in the upper third of the stomach. $P_{NED}$, and Borrmann's classification and tumor, lymph node, metastasis stages were independent prognostic factors. The cutoff $P_{NED}$ was 10%, beyond which patients had significantly worse outcomes, although the risk did not increase with higher $P_{NED}$. Tumors with ${\geq}10%$ NED tended to manifest as Borrmann type III lesion with mixed/diffuse morphology and poorer histological differentiation; the NE components in this population mainly grew in insulae/nests, which differed from the predominant growth pattern (glandular/acinar) in GC with <10% NED. Conclusions: GC with ${\geq}10%$ NED should be classified as a distinct subtype because of its worse prognosis, and more attention should be paid to the necessity of additional therapeutics for NE components.