Anti-Fibrosis Effect of and Formula in Human Pulmonary Fibroblasts.

Meyer and Thunb. are well established in traditional medicine and are known for their therapeutic properties in managing a range of ailments such as diabetes, asthma, and cancer. Although and can alleviate pulmonary fibrosis (PF), the anti-fibrosis effect on PF by the combination of two herbal medicines remains unexplored.

The antiviral activity of Thuja orientalis folium against Influenza A virus.

Thuja orientalis Folium (TOF) has been prescribed traditionally as an expectorant for inflammatory airway disease. In this study, we evaluated the anti-influenza A virus (IAV) activity of TOF by detecting GFP expressed by influenza A virus (A/PR/8/34-GFP) infection. The fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis showed that TOF potently inhibited IAV infection, dose-dependently.

Association of CYP26C1 Promoter Hypomethylation with Small Vessel Occlusion in Korean Subjects.

The risk factors for stroke, a fatal disease, include type two diabetes, hypertension, and genetic influences. Small vessel occlusion (SVO) can be affected by epigenetic alterations, but an association between SVO and the methylation of cytochrome P450 family 26 subfamily C member 1 (CYP26C1) has not been identified. In this study, we measured the level of DNA methylation in the CYP26C1 promoter and the 5' untranslated region of 115 normal subjects and 56 patients with SVO in Korea.

Transcriptomic analysis of rat kidney reveals a potential mechanism of sex differences in susceptibility to cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.

Although cisplatin is an effective platinum-based anticancer drug against solid cancer, its availability is limited owing to its adverse side effects. Our study aimed to identify the potential relationship within cisplatin-induced multi-organ physiological changes and genetic factors associated with sex differences in nephrotoxicity susceptibility. To investigate this, mice received a single intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin.

Association of serum resistin with blood stasis syndrome in traditional Korean medicine for metabolic diseases: A cross-sectional multicenter observational study.

Background: Blood stasis syndrome (BSS) is considered as the cause of several chronic disease including metabolic diseases in traditional East Asian medicine. In this study, we investigated the levels of serum resistin and other proteins related to metabolic syndrome (MS) and several other diseases categories to identify the association with BSS.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, multicenter study of patients recruited from seven traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) hospitals.

FANCA Polymorphism Is Associated with the Rate of Proliferation in Uterine Leiomyoma in Korea.

Uterine leiomyomas are the most common benign gynecologic tumors. This study was aimed to identify single nucleotide polymorphism of Fanconi anemia complementation group A (FANCA), associated with the rate of proliferation in uterine leiomyomas. In vitro study of patient-derived primary-cultured leiomyoma cells and direct sequencing of fresh frozen leiomyoma from each subject was conducted.

Hypermethylation of the TSPOAP1-AS1 Promoter May Be Associated with Obesity in Overweight/Obese Korean Subjects.

Obesity is a major chronic disease associated with the risk of serious cardiovascular or endocrinal diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis and stroke. Considerable interest has been directed towards the potential effects of epigenetic variations in obesity. In this study, we evaluated DNA methylation level at the promoter region of the gene encoding TSPO-associated protein 1 antisense RNA 1 (TSPOAP1-AS1) in 80 overweight/obese subjects (body mass index (BMI) > 25) and 104 non-obese subjects who participated in the SOPI-Stroke study in Korea.

Cricket paralysis virus internal ribosome entry site-derived RNA promotes conventional vaccine efficacy by enhancing a balanced Th1/Th2 response.

An ideal adjuvant should increase vaccine efficacy through balanced Th1/Th2 responses and be safe to use. Recombinant protein-based vaccines are usually formulated with aluminum (alum)-based adjuvants to ensure an adequate immune response. However, use of alum triggers a Th2-biased immune induction, and hence is not optimal.

Lysophosphatidylcholine induces expression of genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis in THP-1 derived macrophages.

Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), a major component of oxidized low-density lipoprotein, is associated with atherosclerosis, obesity, stroke, and cancer. However, the direction and mechanism of this relationship remains unclear. In this study, we conducted RNA profiling in THP-1 derived macrophages treated with LPC and uncovered a relationship between LPC and the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway.

Network pharmacology-based prediction of active compounds and molecular targets in Yijin-Tang acting on hyperlipidaemia and atherosclerosis.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Yijin-Tang (YJT) is a traditional prescription for the treatment of hyperlipidaemia, atherosclerosis and other ailments related to dampness phlegm, a typical pathological symptom of abnormal body fluid metabolism in Traditional Korean Medicine. However, a holistic network pharmacology approach to understanding the therapeutic mechanisms underlying hyperlipidaemia and atherosclerosis has not been pursued.

Aim Of The Study: To examine the network pharmacological potential effects of YJT on hyperlipidaemia and atherosclerosis, we analysed components, performed target prediction and network analysis, and investigated interacting pathways using a network pharmacology approach.

Stroke in Traditional Korean Medicine: A Nine-Year Multicentre Community-Based Study in South Korea.

In Korea, patients with stroke are commonly treated using traditional Korean medicine (TKM). The aim of this study was to provide information on the clinical characteristics of the pattern identification (PI) of stroke used in TKM. Stroke patients admitted to 15 TKM university hospitals from April 2005 through December 2013 were evaluated.

Genetic association of G-607C Located at wnt10b promoter with bi-sup type among Korean cerebral infarction patients.

Obesity is a disease threatening health and is known one of risk factors causing chronic disease. In Traditional Korean Medicine, bi-sup is casus of obesity. Wnt10b has been indicated as a potential regulator of adipogenesis in vivo and in vitro models of obesity.

Metabolomic analysis of clinical plasma from cerebral infarction patients presenting with blood stasis.

Blood stasis (BS) is characterized as a disorder of blood circulation. In traditional Korean medicine (TKM), it is viewed as a cause factor of diseases such as multiple sclerosis and stroke. This study investigated differences in the plasma metabolites profiles of subjects displaying BS or non-BS patterns.

Metabolic Profiles Distinguish Non-Dampness-Phlegm and Dampness-Phlegm Patterns among Korean Patients with Acute Cerebral Infarction.

TRADITIONAL KOREAN MEDICINE CLASSIFIES STROKE INTO FOUR SUBTYPE PATTERNS ACCORDING TO SYMPTOMATIC PATTERN IDENTIFICATION: Qi deficiency (QD), Yin deficiency (YD), Dampness-phlegm (DP), and Fire and Heat (FH). This study investigated the difference in metabolic profiles of plasma comparing subjects displaying non-DP and DP patterns. A total of 141 patients with cerebral infarction enrolled in this study were distributed as non-DP (N = 68) and DP (N = 73).

Association of the UCP-1 single nucleotide polymorphism A-3826G with the dampness-phlegm pattern among Korean stroke patients.

Background: Patients with stroke have various syndromes and symptoms. Through pattern identification (PI), traditional Korean medicine (TKM) classifies the several syndromes and symptoms of stroke patients into five categories: Fire-heat (FH), Dampness-phlegm (DP), Yin-deficiency (YD), Qi-deficiency (QD) and Blood-stasis (BS). DP has been associated with obesity and hyperlipidemia.

WNT10B Polymorphism in Korean Stroke Patients with Yin Deficiency Pattern.

WNT10B has been indicated as a potential regulator of adipogenesis in vivo and in vitro models of obesity. In this study, we analyzed the distribution of WNT10B polymorphism in elderly Korean subjects with cerebral infarction (CI) and Yin Deficiency pattern and Non-Yin Deficiency pattern. A total of 630 CI patients, including 75 with Yin Deficiency pattern and 555 with Non-Yin Deficiency pattern, participated in this study.

Differential Association of Uncoupling Protein 2 Polymorphisms with Pattern Identification among Korean Stroke Patients: A Diagnostic System in Traditional Korean Medicine.

Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), a mitochondrial protein present in many organs and cell types, is known to dissipate the proton gradient formed by the electron transport chain. Its function is correlated with predictive parameters, such as obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndromes. We analyzed the distribution of UCP2 polymorphisms in stroke patients diagnosed with one of the following four stroke subtypes based on the TKM standard pattern identification (PI): Qi-deficiency (QD), Dampness and Phlegm (D&P), Yin-deficiency (YD), and Fire and Heat (F&D).

Genetic Association of NPY Gene Polymorphisms with Dampness-Phlegm Pattern in Korean Stroke Patients.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY), which is widely expressed in both the central and peripheral nervous systems, has an important role in a variety of biological fields. In this study, we analyzed the distribution of NPY polymorphisms in dampness-phlegm pattern and non-dampness-phlegm pattern in elderly Korean subjects with cerebral infarction (CI). A total of 1.

1H-NMR-based metabolomics study of cerebral infarction.

Background And Purpose: Stroke is one of the leading causes of adult disability and death in developing countries. However, early diagnosis is difficult and no reliable biomarker is currently available. Thus, we applied a 1H-NMR metabolomics approach to investigate the altered metabolic pattern in plasma and urine from patients with cerebral infarctions and sought to identify metabolic biomarkers associated with stroke.

A functional promoter polymorphism -607G>C of WNT10B is associated with abdominal fat in Korean female subjects.

WNT10B has been implicated as a potential regulator of adipogenesis in cellular and animal models of obesity. In this study, we attempted to characterize the associations between common genetic polymorphisms of WNT10B and fat accumulation in a sample of 1029 Korean female subjects. Direct sequencing of genomic DNAs of 45 subjects identified six common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of WNT10B, which were in almost complete linkage disequilibrium.

Age and sex dependent genetic effects of neuropeptide Y promoter polymorphism on susceptibility to ischemic stroke in Koreans.

Background: In our previous study, the neuropeptide Y (NPY) C-399T promoter polymorphism (rs16147C>T) was identified as a risk factor for ischemic stroke in Koreans. In this study, we investigated whether age and sex modify the genetic effect of C-399T on susceptibility to ischemic stroke.

Methods: A total of 1,350 subjects (802 ischemic stroke patients, 548 healthy controls) were genotyped for C-399T using a primer extension method.

Association of the C-399T promoter polymorphism of neuropeptide Y with susceptibility to ischemic stroke.

Objectives: The common sequence variants of neuropeptide Y (NPY) were known to be associated with some kinds of diseases including stroke. This study investigated the association of NPY promoter polymorphism, C-399T, with ischemic stroke and its underlying mechanism using in vitro systems.

Design And Methods: Study subjects consisted of 444 ischemic stroke patients and 326 controls without stroke.

Association between PON1 5'-regulatory region polymorphisms, PON1 activity and ischemic stroke.

Objectives: Paraoxonase I (PON1) was known as a risk factor for cerebrovascular diseases. This study assessed the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the PON1 5'-regulatory region with ischemic stroke and serum PON1 activity.

Design And Methods: Study subjects consisted of 418 healthy controls and 86 ischemic stroke patients with small vessel occlusion.

A UCP1-412A>C polymorphism is associated with abdominal fat area in Korean women.

We used genomic sequencing of Korean subjects to identify the uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) polymorphism -412A>C (rs3811787 in the dbSNP database). This study is the first to associate this polymorphism with a human phenotype. The frequency of the major A allele was 0.

Association of UCP1 genetic polymorphisms with blood pressure among Korean female subjects.

Recent studies have provided some clues with regard to the relationship existing between uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and blood pressure in animal experiments. In an attempt to determine the genetic polymorphisms that are associated with blood pressure in humans, we have analyzed genetic polymorphisms in UCP1 gene. In this study, we assessed the association between UCP1 genotypes and systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), in a population comprised of 832 Korean female subjects, using a general linear model, which was adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI).