Effectiveness and Safety of Acupotomy on Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Pragmatic, Pilot, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: In Korea, complex treatments such as acupotomy, acupuncture, and physical therapy are performed for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Although there are reports of acupotomy as monotherapy or acupuncture treatment for LSS, pragmatic studies are lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effectiveness and safety of acupotomy for LSS to provide baseline evidence for a large-scale study.

Efficacy and safety of thread embedding acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled pilot trial.

Background: Thread embedding acupuncture (TEA) is a widely used clinical procedure for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain. However, few clinical studies have been conducted on the efficacy and safety of TEA for knee osteoarthritis (KOA), and data from randomized controlled trials are lacking. This randomized controlled pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility of conducting large-scale studies on the efficacy and safety of TEA for KOA.

Efficacy and safety of thread embedding acupuncture on knee osteoarthritis: A randomized, controlled, pilot clinical trial.

Introduction: Although there are various therapeutic methods for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, each has its advantages and shortcomings, and a definitive treatment method is yet to be determined. This pilot study is designed to obtain basic data for a further large-scale trial as well as provide information about the feasibility of thread embedding acupuncture (TEA) with polydioxanone thread in knee osteoarthritis patients.

Methods And Analysis: This study is a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TEA for knee osteoarthritis.

Hepatoprotective Effect of Extract Is Mediated via Antagonism of Oxidative Stress.

has been extensively used in traditional Oriental medicine to treat gastric disorders and has anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities. Therefore, the present study examined a possible hepatoprotective effect of a extract (PZE) and investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms. We employed an model of arachidonic acid (AA) + iron-induced hepatocyte damage and an model of CCl-induced liver injury to assess the effects of PZE and evaluated the relevant molecular targets using biochemical assays, flow cytometry analysis, Western blot, and histopathological analysis.

Effects of and Coptis Rhizoma 2 : 1 Mixed Formula (PS + CR) on Ovalbumin-Induced Asthma in Mice.

(PS) is traditionally used to treat respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, dysmenorrhea, and hepatic disorders in South Africa. Coptis Rhizoma (CR) is used to treat gastroenteric disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer in East Asia. In the present study, we intended to observe the possible beneficial antiasthma effects of PS and CR on the ovalbumin- (OVA-) induced asthma C57BL/6J mice.

Hemistepsin A alleviates liver fibrosis by inducing apoptosis of activated hepatic stellate cells via inhibition of nuclear factor-κB and Akt.

Hemistepsin A (HsA), isolated from Hemistepta lyrata (Bunge) Bunge, has the ability to ameliorate hepatitis in mice. However, the effects of H. lyrata and HsA on other types of liver disease have not been explored.

Alleviates Oxidative Stress-Mediated Liver Injury through Activation of the CaMKK2-AMPK Signaling Pathway.

(SDT) is used frequently as a herbal prescription to treat deficiency syndromes in traditional Korean medicine. We investigated the hepatoprotective effects of SDT against oxidative stress and attempted to clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms. SDT pretreatment reduced arachidonic acid (AA) plus iron-mediated cytotoxicity in a concentration-dependent manner and prevented changes in apoptosis-related protein expression.

Amelioration of inflammatory responses by Socheongryong-Tang, a traditional herbal medicine, in RAW 264.7 cells and rats.

Socheongryong-Tang (SCRT) is a natural medicine prescription that has been mainly used in East Asia for the treatment of inflammatory disorders, including asthma and allergic rhinitis. The present study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of SCRT on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and in a rat model of carrageenan (CA)-induced paw edema.

Epimedium koreanum Ameliorates Oxidative Stress-Mediated Liver Injury by Activating Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2.

Oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species is the main cause of various liver diseases. This study investigated the hepatoprotective effect of Epimedium koreanum Nakai water extract (EKE) against arachidonic acid (AA)[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]iron-mediated cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells and carbon tetrachloride (CCl-)-mediated acute liver injury in mice. Pretreatment with EKE (30 and 100[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/mL) significantly inhibited AA[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]iron-mediated cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells by preventing changes in the expression of cleaved caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase.

Efficacy and safety of combined treatment of miniscalpel acupuncture and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: an assessor-blinded randomized controlled pilot study.

Background: Chronic neck pain is a common musculoskeletal disease during the lifespan of an individual. With an increase in dependence on computer technology, the prevalence of chronic neck pain is expected to rise and this can lead to socioeconomic problems. We have designed the current pilot study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of miniscalpel acupuncture treatment combined with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients with chronic neck pain.

Tryptanthrin prevents oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis through AMP-activated protein kinase-dependent p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation.

Tryptanthrin (6,12-dihydro-6,12-dioxoindolo-(2,1-b)-quinazoline) has been reported to have a variety of pharmacological activities. Present study investigated the cytoprotective effects of tryptanthrin on arachidonic acid (AA) + iron-mediated oxidative stress and the molecular mechanisms responsible. In HepG2 cells, pretreatment with tryptanthrin inhibited the cytotoxic effect of AA + iron in a concentration-dependent manner.

20-Protopanaxadiol, an aglycosylated ginsenoside metabolite, induces hepatic stellate cell apoptosis through liver kinase B1-AMP-activated protein kinase activation.

Background: Previously, we reported that Korean Red Ginseng inhibited liver fibrosis in mice and reduced the expressions of fibrogenic genes in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). The present study was undertaken to identify the major ginsenoside responsible for reducing the numbers of HSCs and the underlying mechanism involved.

Methods: Using LX-2 cells (a human immortalized HSC line) and primary activated HSCs, MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide) assays were conducted to examine the cytotoxic effects of ginsenosides.

Activation of AMPK by Maxim. Flower Extract Contributes to Protecting Hepatocytes from Oxidative Stress.

The Maxim. flower is used in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine to treat inflammation, vascular diseases, headache, and stroke, as well as enhance liver function. This research investigated the effects of Maxim.

Effects of spaced retrieval training (SRT) on cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.

Among the non-pharmacological treatments of dementia, SRT is a good candidate strategy for rehabilitating the cognition of AD patients. This study investigates the efficacy of SRT on the cognition of AD patients with very mild to mild disease. We administered 24-session SRT to 13 very mild and 6 mild AD patients.