• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.5
• /
• pp.3023-3028
• /
• 2013

Objective: Photodynamic therapy (PDT ) is a promising modality for the treatment of various tumors. In order to assist in optimizing treatment, we applied 5-ALA/PDT in combination with low-dose cisplatin to evaluate cytotoxicity in Hela cells. Methods: Antiproliferative effects of 5-ALA/PDT and cisplatin, alone and in combination, were assessed using MTT assay. To examine levels of apoptosis, Hela cells treated with 5-ALA/PDT, and combination treatment were assessed with Annexin-V/PI by flow cytometry. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying alterations in cell proliferation and apoptosis, Western blot analysis was conducted to determine the expression of p53, p21, Bax and Bcl-2 proteins. Results: MTT assays indicated that combination treatment obviously decreased the viability of Hela cells compared to individual drug treatment. In addition, it was confirmed that exposure of Hela cells to 5-ALA/PDT in combination with low-dose cisplatin resulted in more apoptosis in vitro. Synergistic anticancer activity was related to upregulation p53 expression and alteration in expression of p21, Bcl-2 and Bax. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that administration of 5-ALA/PDT in combination with the low-dose cisplatin may be an effective and feasible therapy for cervical cancer.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.44-55
• /
• 2021

Objectives : The aim of this article is to compare the effect of the korean medicine alone with korean-western combination treatment to herpes zoster. Methods : Domestic databases(OASIS, NDSL, RISS, KISS, KTKP, KMBASE, DBPIA, KoreaMed, National Assembly Library) were used to search case study papers related to herpes zoster and korean medicine treatment. We searched them using the term 'Herpes zoster' or 'Ramsey Hunt' combinated with 'Acupuntcure', 'Herbal medicine' or 'Korean medicine'. Results : A total of 36 studies were selected and analyzed. 25 studies treated with korean medicine and 11 studies treated with korean-western combination treatment which include any western medication. Of these 36 papers, there were a total of 24 cases in which a VAS test was undertaken. According to 36 published papers, no statistically significant difference in the periods of treatment with korean medicine alone from those of korean-western combination treatment was found. Also, no statistical difference in the VAS changes per period with korean medicine alone from those with korean-western combination treatment was found. Conclusions : According to the results, These findings suggest that korean medicine treatment can be effective for the herpes zoster the same as korean-western combination treatment.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.251-258
• /
• 1997

The dysfunction of either or both noradrenaline and serotonin system are important in the pathophysiology of depression. Previous reports have suggested that there may be an important interaction between these two systems. Recently, some investigators have suggested that the combination of tricyclic antidepressants(TCAs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs) would produce a rapid synergistic effect on down-regulation of either or both of these two systems and that this combination may produce a more rapid and absolute antidepressant effect. We compared the treatment efficacy, treatment associated side effects, treatment satisfaction, and the quality of life between the combination therapy of dothiepin-sertraline as well as the therapy of dothiepin alone in the treatment of major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder. In our study, the combination therapy of dothiepin and sertraline produced a more rapid and absolute antidepressant effect than dothiepin alone. And the patients with combination therapy experienced relatively high treatment satisfaction than the patients with dothiepin therapy. The patients' quality of life improved more rapidly in the combination therapy, especially, in the health perception, social behavior, and life satisfaction, than dothiepin alone. These results support the hypothesis that the combination of TCA and SSRI may produce a rapid synergistic effect on either or both norepinephrine and serotonin system, and more rapid antidepressant effect and high treatment satisfaction.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.131-139
• /
• 2000

Even the pharmacotherapy is more effective than placebo for the treatment of depression, the outcome of pharmacoltherapy remains unsatisfactory for many patients. Apart from side effects, there are two major limitations of antidepressant therapy. One is the delayed onset of improvement and another is partial response. In order to address these clinical dilemmas, many psychiatrists more commonly employ add-on therapy. In past, the practice of using multiple drugs to enhance treatment response was called polypharamcy, and was disparaged as poor clinical practice. However, with improved understanding of how drugs affects the central nervous system and increased communication in journals and on computer networks about the relative merits of specific combinations, the scientific basis for the combining drugs is being defined. Indeed, the use of multiple medications as a stratege to enhance response has become both acceptable and widespread now a days. It is now referred to more positively as add-on therapy, co-medication, combination therapy, or drug augmentation. Thus, as the methods of practical strategies for treatment of depression, switching classes antidepressant drugs, combination therapy, augmentation strategies and brief treatment algorithm will be presented with items of considerations. However, when combination of drugs being tried, knowledges about the action of mechanism, pharamcokinetics, and pharmacodynamics are essential to cope with the possible adversive reactions and to get the appropriate responses for the treatment of depressive symptoms.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.371-377
• /
• 2010

The purpose of this study is to investigate treatment efficiency in dyeing wastewater treatment by the high rate aeration system(HRA) and a combination of the HRA with magnetized wastewater treatment system(MWS). At the hydraulic retention time of 16hr, 24hr, 30hr, BOD removal efficiencies of HRA system were 93%, 96% and 98%, combination of the HRA with MWS system were 94%, 96.8% and 98.2%, respectively. In ease of COD, at the hydraulic retention time of 16hr, 24hr, 30hr, COD removal efficiencies of HRA system were 66%, 77.1% and 83.1%, combination of the HRA with MWS system were 70.2%, 80.1% and 86.6%, respectively. The comparison of the HRA and combination of the HRA with MWS, effluent BOD of the former was 22.7mg/${\ell}$ and the latter was 19.4mg/${\ell}$, theretore biological treatment efficiency identified to increase by the MWS.

• Plant Resources
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.263-274
• /
• 2005

We have studied the effects of dampening papers (Dampened paper, Newspaper, Korean paper, Flower sheet), silica gel (30g, 60g) and temperature ($20^{\circ}C,\;25^{\circ}C$) on color changes of Erythronium japonicum. In the treatment of $20^{\circ}C$, color changes were low in treatments with silica gel rather than in a treatment of dampening papers. In particular, newspaper and Korean paper showed much less changes in colors by the combination treatments with 30g of silica gel. Likewise, in the treatment of $25^{\circ}C$, color changes were low in combination treatments with silica gel rather than in a alone treatment of dampening papers. For the combination treatment with 30g of silica gel, low color changes were shown in the divisions of newspaper and Korean paper, while for the combination treatment with 60g of silica gel, low color changes were shown in the those of Korean paper and dampened paper.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.53 no.4
• /
• pp.184-188
• /
• 2009

Fluorouracil (5-FU) is one of the most widely used chemotherapeutic drugs in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer patients. Capsaicin (N-vanillyl-8-methyl-alpha-nonenamide), a spicy component of hot pepper, is a homovanillic acid derivative that preferentially induces cancer cells to undergo apoptosis. The purpose of the present study is to examine whether capsaicin enhances the anticancer effect of 5-fluorouracil in HT-29 human colon cancer cells by inducing apoptosis, and whether PPARgamma is involved in the capsaicin action in combination treatment with 5-FU. Treatment of the cells with either 5-FU or capsaicin alone for 48 h had little effect on the cell viability up to $50{\mu}M$ concentration, whereas co-treatment of the cells with capsaicin in the presence of 5-FU for 48 h significantly decreased the cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, caspase-3 activity, a marker enzyme for apoptosis, was significantly increased by the combined treatment with 5-FU and capsaicin compared to the 5-FU or capsaicin alone treatment. Also, treatment with troglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ($PPAR{\gamma}$) agonist, further enhanced the effect of the combination treatment on the cell viability and caspase-3 activity, and bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE), a $PPAR{\gamma}$ antagonist, blocked the effect of the combination treatment. These results suggest that the combination treatment of HT-29 cells with 5-FU and capsaicin induces apoptotic cell death at relatively low concentration than each drug alone, and the combination treatment may be associated with the $PPAR{\gamma}$ pathway activation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.11
• /
• pp.5903-5908
• /
• 2012

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the combined effects of exemestane and aspirin on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Methods: Antiproliferative effects of exemestane and aspirin, alone and in combination, on growth of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells were assessed using the MTT assay. Synergistic interaction between the two drugs was evaluated in vitro using the combination index (CI) method. The cell cycle distribution was analyzed by flow cytometry and Western blotting was used to investigate the expression of cyclooxygenase-1, cyclooxygenase-2 and Bcl-2. Results: MTT assays indicated that combination treatment obviously decreased the viability of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells compared to individual drug treatment (CI<1). In addition, the combination of exemestane and aspirin exhibited a synergistic inhibition of cell proliferation, significantly arrested the cell cycle in the $G_0/G_1$ phase and produced a stronger inhibitory effect on COX-1 and Bcl-2 expression than control or individual drug treatment. Conclusion: These results indicate that the combination of exemestane and aspirin might become a useful method to the treatment of hormone-dependent breast cancer. The combination of the two inhibitors significantly increased the response as compared to single agent treatment, suggesting that combination treatment could become a highly effective approach for breast cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.17
• /
• pp.7129-7135
• /
• 2014

Background: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the growth inhibitory effect of the combination of ethaselen (BBSKE) and low fixed dose of selenite against A549 human non-small cell lung cancer cells in vitro. Materials and Methods: Growth inhibitory effects against A549 cells were determined by SRB assay. Combination index (CI) values were calculated based on Chou-Talalay median-effect analyses. Dose reduction index (DRI) values were applied to calculate dose reduction of selenite. Contents of free thiols and GSH were determined by DTNB assay and intracellular ROS levels by DCFH-DA fluorescence labeling. Results: Compared with BBSKE or selenite single treatment, the combined application of ethaselen and a low fixed dose of selenite shortened the onset time of sodium selenite, reduced $IC_{50}$ values, and increased the maximum inhibition rates, suggesting a possible molecular mechanism of the synergism. Obvious synergistic effects were observed after different times of combination treatment, especially after 24 h. Compared with selenite single treatment, dosage of selenite could be remarkably reduced in combination therapy to gain the same inhibitory effect on cell proliferation. Compared with BBSKE single treatment, the content of free thiols and GSH were significantly reduced and ROS levels greatly elevated in the combination group. For the combination treatment, cell viability increased as greater concentrations of GSH were added. Conclusions: All these results indicate that the combination treatment of BBSKE and selenite showed synergism to inhibit A549 cell proliferation in vitro, and also reduced the selenite dosage to mitigate its toxicity which is very meaningful for combination chemotherapy of lung cancer. The synergism was probably caused by the accelerated exhaustion of intracellular reductive substances, such as free thiols and GSH, which ultimately leads to enhanced oxidative stress and apoptosis.

• Journal of Convergence Korean Medicine
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.5-23
• /
• 2023

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of combination treatment of herbal medicine for external use and western medicine for atopic dermatitis (AD). Methods: We searched randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which assess the effect of combination treatment of herbal and western medicine for AD through 8 electronic databases from the start to December 2022. The data synthesis was conducted by using Review Manager (RevMan, ver.5.4.1) and Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used to evaluate the risk of bias. Results: 13 RCTs were included. The combination treatment group had significantly higher total efficacy rate(p<0.0001) and lower SCORAD score (p<0.00001) than the western medicine treatment group. The adverse event rate was also significantly lower in the combination treatment than the western medicine treatment group (p<0.0001). But there was no significant difference in recurrence rate (p=0.09). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the combination treatment of herbal and western medicine could be safe and effective for AD. However, due to limits of included studies such as high heterogeneity between the literature and unclear risk of bias, further studies are warranted.