• 대한약침학회지
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• 제7권3호
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• pp.27-35
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• 2004

Beevenom immunotherapy(BVIT) in allergic patients is a well-established treatment modality for the prevention of systemic anaphylactic reactions caused by insect stings. BVIT is accompanied by increases in allergen-specific IgG, particularly the IgG4 isotype, which blocks not only IgE-dependent histamine release from basophils but also IgE-mediated antigen presentation to T cells. Inhibition of T cells after BVIT also involves decreased induction of the costimulatory molecule ICOS, which, in turn, seems to be dependent on the presence of IL-10, also associated with the inhibited status of T cells after BVIT. Suppression of T cells by IL-10 is an active process, which depends on the expression and participation of CD28. Immune tolerance in specific allergen immunotherapy might be a consequence of decreased Th2 or increased Th1 response of allergen specific T lymphocytes. BVIT shifted cytokine responses to allergen from a TH-2 to a TH-1 dominant pattern, suggesting direct effects on T cells. Many studies showed that severe side effects due to venom immunotherapy are rare. These results suggest that immunological changes after BVIT may be applied to be therapeutic alternative of general allergic diseases including beevenom allergy.

• 대한한의학방제학회지
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.145-154
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• 2017

Objectives : Bufalin is one of the bioactive component of 'Sum Su (蟾酥)', which is obtained from the skin and parotid venom gland of toad. Bufalin has been known to possess the inhibitory effects on cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis in various cancer cells. The tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has concerned, because it can selectively induce apoptotic cell death in many types of malignant cells, while it is relatively non-toxic to normal cells. Here, we investigated whether bufalin can trigger TRAIL-induced apoptotic cell death in EJ human bladder cancer cells. Methods : Effects on the cell viability and apoptotic activity were quantified using MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. To investigate the morphological change of nucleus, DAPI staining was performed. Protein expressions were measured by immunoblotting. Results : A combined treatment with bufalin (10 nM) and TRAIL (50 ng/ml) significantly promoted TRAIL-mediated growth inhibition and apoptosis in EJ cells. The apoptotic effects were associated with the up-regulation of death receptor proteins, and the down-regulation of cFLIP and XIAP. Moreover, our data showed that bufalin and TRAIL combination activated caspases and subsequently increased degradation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Conclusions : Taken altogether, the nontoxic doses of bufalin sensitized TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in EJ cells. Therefore, bufalin might be an effective therapeutic strategy for the safe treatment of TRAIL-resistant bladder cancers.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.141-145
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• 1996

Habitual pregnancy loss has been defined as three or more consecutive spontaneous abortions. The rate of recurrent pregnancy loss is 2% to 5% of reproducible women. Half of this failure can be explained by genetic, hormonal, infectious, and anatomic factors. And eighty percent of the unexplained failures are proposed to have an immunologic cause. The antiphospholipid antibodies are characterized by prolonged phospholipid-dependent coagulation test (known as APTT or Russel viper venom), thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, and fetal loss. The association of antiphospholipid antibodies with one or more of these characteristic clinical features has been termed the antiphospholipid syndrome. We have experienced a case of successful live birth after treated a woman with heparin and aspirin who has experienced spontaneous abortion four times with antiphospholipid antibodies and present it with the review of literature.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.39-44
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• 2017

The venome of Phoneutria nigriventer spider has been shown to have side effects including severe painful erections that last for hours. PnTx2-6, a toxin from P. nigriventer spider venom, modulates voltage gated $Na^+$ channels and activation of nitric oxide (NO) production. NO is essential for the regulation of blood flow and pressure. Therefore, PnTx2-6 is expected to be effective not only for erectile dysfunction but also for cardiovascular diseases. A previously has reported cDNA clone for PnTx2-6 toxin, which was expressed in E. coli cytoplasm. We created the same clone and expressed it in a bacterial expression system. PnTx2-6 increased the genes expression of superoxide dismutase 1, glutathione peroxidase 1, and sulfiredoxin 1. We hypothesized that recombinant PnTx2-6 may indirectly regulate blood flow and pressure, resulting in NO production in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). These data suggest differential regulation of the vascular ageing process, which may contribute to the anatomic heterogeneity of atherosclerosis. The results of this study may be used for the emergency treatment of sudden cardiovascular disease caused by ageing.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.47-59
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• 2012

목적 : 이 연구는 봉독이 사람의 난소암 세포인 SKOV3와 PA-1에서 death receptor의 발현을 높여 세포자멸사를 촉진함으로써 암세포의 성장을 억제하는지 밝히고자 하였다. 방법 : 난소암의 세포자멸사의 관찰에는 DAPI, TUNEL staining assay를 시행하였으며, 세포자멸사 조절 단백질의 변동 관찰에는 western blot analysis를 시행하였고, 난소암 세포에서 death receptor의 변화를 관찰하기 위해 RT-PCR analysis를 시행하였다. 결과 : 1. DAPI, TUNEL staining assay 결과, 봉독은 투여량에 따라 세포자멸사의 유도를 통해 SKOV3와 PA-1 난소암세포의 증식을 억제하였고, 세포자멸사와 동반하여 DR4와 DR6의 발현이 두 암세포 모두에서 증가하였고, DR3의 출현은 PA-1 세포에서 증가하였다. 2. Death Receptor의 발현 증가에 따라 caspase-3, 8, 9 and Bax를 포함하는 세포자멸사 촉진 단백질의 발현이 동반하여 상승하였고 JAK2, STAT3의 인산화와 Bcl-2의 발현은 억제되었다. 3. siRNA 처리 시 봉독에 의한 DR3, DR4, DR6 발현증가와 STAT3의 활성억제가 역전되었다. 결론 : 이러한 결과는 봉독이 난소암 세포에서 DR3, DR4, DR6의 증가와 JAK2/STAT3 pathway의 억제를 통하여 세포자멸사를 유발한다는 것을 시사하며, 난소암의 예방과 치료에 효과적으로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.52-60
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• 2018

Background: This was a retrospective review of published articles reporting acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of peroneal nerve palsy. Methods: On-line database searches were carried out using; Cochrane Library, Pubmed, CNKI, NDSL and OASIS to find articles reporting acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for peroneal nerve palsy. Duplicate articles and studies that were not relevant to the topic were excluded, along with review articles and commentaries. Results: 20 studies were selected, 18 clinical case studies (47 patients) and 2 randomized controlled trials (154 patients). Intervention treatments included acupuncture, moxibustion, bee-venom (BV), pharmacopuncture, electroacupuncture and acupotomy. Surprisingly, although peroneal nerve palsy is not a very rare disease, only 2 studies out of 20 carried out a randomized controlled trial. Conclusion: Although studies to date report the efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment in peroneal nerve palsy patients, the absence of objective evaluation and the absence in the reporting of side-effects remains an issue.

• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.27-36
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• 2015

Objectives The aim of this review is to analyze research trends on the Korean medical treatment and study of fracture. Methods We searched 38 studies related treatment of fracture via Korean medicine web databases. We classified these studies by three types (experimental reports, case reports and retrospective reports) and researched how to treat the patient of fracture. Results 38 studies were published since 1993 and published every year since 2004 to 2013. There were 8 experimental reports, 20 case reports and 10 retrospective reports. Most of these studies were effective to treat of fracture. Bee venom treatment and Hua-Tuo-Jia-Ji-Xue acupuncture treatment were more effective than general treatment. Conclusions These results suggest that Korean medicine is effective treatment to fracture and we need continuously agonize and research more effective therapy method.

• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.261-268
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• 2013

This study was performed to report the case of Korean medical treatment for the Patulous Eustachian tube patient with headache. The patient was treated by acupuncture, herbal medicine, bee venom injection, needle-embedding therapy, chuna therapy, release of cranial base and sacro-occipital therapy. Korean medical treatment was administered during 3 weeks. The improvement of clinical symptoms was evaluated by VAS (visual analogue scale) and SF-36 (36-Item Short Form Healthy Survey Instrument). After treatment, most symptoms decreased, headache VAS score changed 10 to 6 and tinnitus VAS score changed 10 to 5. Also, most SF-36 scores increased. Our study suggested that Korean medical treatments are effective in the patient with Patulous Eustachian tube. And further studies are required to identify underlying mechanism of treatment.

• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.127-136
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to report a clinical progress of fibromyalgia syndrom patient treated by Korean Medicine treatment. The patient was treated with acupuncture, acupotomy, pharmacopuncture (Bee venom, Hwangryun, Hominis Placental), herbal medicine, moxibustion, cupping treatment. We measured Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), American College of Rheumatology Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria (ACR, 2010), Fibromyalgia Impact Qustionnaire (FIQ), and observed the change in body temperature using Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI). After Korean Medicine treatment, pain was controlled and VAS, ACR, FIQ were decreased. The result showed that Korean Medicine treatment is effective in fibromyalgia syndrome.

• BMB Reports
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• 제31권5호
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• pp.515-518
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• 1998

Adhesive interaction of the platelet glycoprotien IIb-IIIa (GP IIb-IIIa) with a plasma protein, such as fibrinogen, plays an important role in thrombosis and hemostasis. The specific sequence Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) is critical for the binding of fibrinogen to platelet. To examine and characterize the GP IIb-IIIa antagonist from natural sources, we have developed a simple enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) system. The GP IIb-IIIa complex was purified to homogeneity from platelet Iysates by the combination of two affinity chromatographic methods using the synthetic RGD peptide (GRGDSPK)-immobilized Sepharose and wheat germ lectin-Sepharose. The synthetic peptide GRGDSP inhibits GP IIb-IIIa binding to immobilized fibrinogen with an $IC_{50}$ of $1.5\;{\mu}M$. Venoms of three different snake species and a Korean scolopendra extract have strong antagonistic activities for the binding of human fibrinogen to the platelet GP IIb-IIIa complex. The $IC_{50}$ values of the snake venom s and scolopendra were in the range of $5.5\;{\mu}g$ to $60\;{\mu}g$. These results provide meaningful information for developing antiplatelet agents.