Data Mining of Acupoint Characteristics from the Classical Medical Text: <i>DongUiBoGam</i> of Korean Medicine

Lee, Taehyung,Jung, Won-Mo,Lee, In-Seon,Lee, Ye-Seul,Lee, Hyejung,Park, Hi-Joon,Kim, Namil,Chae, Younbyoung Hindawi Publishing Corporation 2014 Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medic Vol.2014 No.-

<P>Throughout the history of East Asian medicine, different kinds of acupuncture treatment experiences have been accumulated in classical medical texts. Reexamining knowledge from classical medical texts is expected to provide meaningful information that could be utilized in current medical practices. In this study, we used data mining methods to analyze the association between acupoints and patterns of disorder with the classical medical book<I> DongUiBoGam </I>of Korean medicine. Using the term frequency-inverse document frequency (tf-idf) method, we quantified the significance of acupoints to its targeting patterns and, conversely, the significance of patterns to acupoints. Through these processes, we extracted characteristics of each acupoint based on its treating patterns. We also drew practical information for selecting acupoints on certain patterns according to their association. Data analysis on<I> DongUiBoGam</I>'s acupuncture treatment gave us an insight into the main idea of<I> DongUiBoGam</I>. We strongly believe that our approach can provide a novel understanding of unknown characteristics of acupoint and pattern identification from the classical medical text using data mining methods.</P>

Fear of acupuncture enhances sympathetic activation to acupuncture stimulation

Lee, In-Seon,Jo, Hee-Jin,Lee, Soon-Ho,Lee, Hyangsook,Lee, Hyejung,Park, Hi-Joon,Chae, Younbyoung BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2013 Acupuncture in medicine Vol.31 No.3

<P><B>Background</B></P><P>Acupuncture treatment frequently evokes both pain and fear, causing patients to be hesitant about undergoing the procedure. This study investigated individual differences in autonomic response to acupuncture stimulation and its relationship to fear of the procedure.</P><P><B>Methods</B></P><P>Twenty-seven participants filled out the acupuncture fear scale (AFS) questionnaire and underwent acupuncture stimulation at the LI4 acupuncture point. Autonomic responses were measured by recording the skin conductance response (SCR) throughout acupuncture stimulation. Pearson correlation analysis was performed between the self-reported AFS scores and changes in SCR.</P><P><B>Results</B></P><P>After acupuncture stimulation, SCR significantly increased and there were greater individual differences in enhanced sympathetic activations to acupuncture stimulation. Changes in SCR correlated with scores for the painful sensation domain of the AFS.</P><P><B>Conclusions</B></P><P>Our results indicate that fear of acupuncture-induced pain is associated with physiological arousal when people receive acupuncture stimulation. Fear of pain is the dominant factor in acupuncture-related fear and it should be considered in practice and in research.</P>

Haptic Simulation for Acupuncture Needle Manipulation

Lee, In-Seon,Lee, Taehyung,Shin, Woo-Chul,Wallraven, Christian,Lee, Hyangsook,Park, Hi-Joon,Lee, Hyejung,Chae, Younbyoung Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Publishers 2014 Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine Vol. No.

<P>Stimulation degree, biomechanical force, and de qi sensation are the three major components of needle manipulation. To date, it has been difficult to measure all three components quantitatively.</P>

Identification of determinants of the utilisation of acupuncture treatment using Andersen's behavioural model

Lee, Ye-Seul,Lee, In-Seon,Kim, Song-Yi,Lee, Hyangsook,Park, Hi-Joon,Lee, Hyejung,Kim, Sung-Hoon,Chae, Younbyoung THE BRITISH MEDICAL ACUPUNCTURE SOCIETY 2015 ACUPUNCTURE IN MEDICINE Vol.33 No.2

<P><B>Objectives</B></P><P>The utilisation of healthcare services is the result of a complex decision-making process with different determinants. This study aims to identify the determinants of the utilisation of acupuncture treatment using Andersen's behavioural model and quality of life.</P><P><B>Methods</B></P><P>In this study we reviewed Korean Health Panel data, a nationally representative set of data, and analysed the utilisation of outpatient acupuncture services during 2011. A two-part model, which included predisposing, enabling and need factors of Andersen's behavioural model in model 1 and the additional factor of health-related quality of life (HRQOL, EQ-5D Korean index) in model 2, was analysed by logistic analysis to identify determinants of acupuncture service usage among subjects who visited traditional Korean medical clinics.</P><P><B>Results</B></P><P>The higher frequency of acupuncture service usage among patients who visited traditional Korean medical clinics was associated with gender, age, number of chronic diseases, physical disabilities and HRQOL of the subjects.</P><P><B>Conclusions</B></P><P>This study shows that the important determinants of the frequency of acupuncture treatment utilisation are gender, age, number of chronic diseases and the presence of physical disabilities. Our findings contribute to understanding the characteristics of patients who use acupuncture treatment and may be used as a basic resource for related policy making by government officials and medical professionals.</P>

Autistic-like social behaviour in Shank2-mutant mice improved by restoring NMDA receptor function

Won, Hyejung,Lee, Hye-Ryeon,Gee, Heon Yung,Mah, Won,Kim, Jae-Ick,Lee, Jiseok,Ha, Seungmin,Chung, Changuk,Jung, Eun Suk,Cho, Yi Sul,Park, Sae-Geun,Lee, Jung-Soo,Lee, Kyungmin,Kim, Daesoo,Bae, Yong Chul Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan P 2012 Nature Vol.486 No.7402

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of conditions characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviours. ASD is a highly heritable disorder involving various genetic determinants. Shank2 (also known as ProSAP1) is a multi-domain scaffolding protein and signalling adaptor enriched at excitatory neuronal synapses, and mutations in the human SHANK2 gene have recently been associated with ASD and intellectual disablility. Although ASD-associated genes are being increasingly identified and studied using various approaches, including mouse genetics, further efforts are required to delineate important causal mechanisms with the potential for therapeutic application. Here we show that Shank2-mutant (Shank2<SUP>??/??</SUP>) mice carrying a mutation identical to the ASD-associated microdeletion in the human SHANK2 gene exhibit ASD-like behaviours including reduced social interaction, reduced social communication by ultrasonic vocalizations, and repetitive jumping. These mice show a marked decrease in NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate) glutamate receptor (NMDAR) function. Direct stimulation of NMDARs with d-cycloserine, a partial agonist of NMDARs, normalizes NMDAR function and improves social interaction in Shank2<SUP>??/??</SUP> mice. Furthermore, treatment of Shank2<SUP>??/??</SUP> mice with a positive allosteric modulator of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5), which enhances NMDAR function via mGluR5 activation, also normalizes NMDAR function and markedly enhances social interaction. These results suggest that reduced NMDAR function may contribute to the development of ASD-like phenotypes in Shank2<SUP>??/??</SUP> mice, and mGluR modulation of NMDARs offers a potential strategy to treat ASD.

Gypenosides Attenuate Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuroinflammation and Memory Impairment in Rats

Lee, Bombi,Shim, Insop,Lee, Hyejung Hindawi 2018 Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medic Vol.2018 No.-

<P>Neuroinflammation is deliberated a major factor in various neurodegenerative diseases. Gypenosides (GPS) have pharmacological properties with multiple beneficial effects including anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and protective properties. In the present study, whether GPS could improve cognitive dysfunction and chronic inflammation caused by injecting lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the hippocampus was investigated. Effects of GPS on inflammatory factors in the hippocampus and the downstream mechanisms of these effects were also examined. Induction of LPS into the lateral ventricle caused inflammatory reactions and memory impairment on the rats. Every day treatment of GPS (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) for 21 consecutive days attenuated spatial recognition, discrimination, and memory deficits. GPS treatment significantly decreased proinflammatory mediators such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1<I>β</I> (IL-1<I>β</I>), and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-<I>κ</I>B) levels in the brain. Furthermore, GPS reduced LPS-induced elevated levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mRNA and inhibition of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA level. Collectively, these results showed that GPS may improve cognitive function and provide a potential therapy for memory impairment caused by neuroinflammation. Based on these, GPS may be effective in inhibiting the progress of neurodegenerative diseases by improving memory functions due to its anti-inflammatory activities and appropriate modulation of NF-<I>κ</I>B/iNOS/TLR4/BDNF.</P>

Acupuncture Stimulation Alleviates Corticosterone-Induced Impairments of Spatial Memory and Cholinergic Neurons in Rats

Lee, Bombi,Sur, Bong-Jun,Kwon, Sunoh,Jung, Euntaek,Shim, Insop,Lee, Hyejung,Hahm, Dae-Hyun Hindawi Publishing Corporation 2012 Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medic Vol.2012 No.-

<P>The purpose of this study was to examine whether acupuncture improves spatial cognitive impairment induced by repeated corticosterone (CORT) administration in rats. The effect of acupuncture on the acetylcholinergic system was also investigated in the hippocampus. Male rats were subcutaneously injected with CORT (5 mg/kg) once daily for 21 days. Acupuncture stimulation was performed at the HT7 (Sinmun) acupoint for 5 min before CORT injection. HT7 acupoint is located at the end of transverse crease of ulnar wrist of forepaw. In CORT-treated rats, reduced spatial cognitive function was associated with significant increases in plasma CORT level (+36%) and hippocampal CORT level (+204%) compared with saline-treated rats. Acupuncture stimulation improved the escape latency for finding the platform in the Morris water maze. Consistently, the acupuncture significantly alleviated memory-associated decreases in cholinergic immunoreactivity and mRNA expression of BDNF and CREB in the hippocampus. These findings demonstrate that stimulation of HT7 acupoint produced significant neuroprotective activity against the neuronal impairment and memory dysfunction.</P>

Monitoring of arsenic contents in domestic rice and human risk assessment for daily intake of inorganic arsenic in Korea

Lee, Seul Gi,Kim, Da Hyun,Lee, Young Seok,Cho, Seung-Yong,Chung, Myung-Sub,Cho, MinJa,Kang, YoungWoon,Kim, HyeJung,Kim, DongSul,Lee, Kwang-Won Elsevier 2018 Journal of food composition and analysis Vol.69 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Rice can be the major contributor to exposure of inorganic arsenic (iAs). A total of 485 domestic rice (polished rice, n = 368; husked rice, n = 117) samples produced in 2014 were determined for total arsenic (tAs) and As species. The determination of As species was conducted by HPLC-ICP-MS. AsIII was the major detected species. AsV, DMA, and MMA were occurred in lower level in both types of rice. In polished rice, iAs represented 43–91% of tAs: tAs = 0.088 ± 0.021 mg/kg; iAs = 0.060 ± 0.013 mg/kg. In husked rice, iAs ranged from 55% to 91% of tAs; tAs = 0.160 ± 0.042 mg/kg, iAs = 0.114 ± 0.029 mg/kg. The iAs level of polished rice samples was below the current maximum limit of the Chinese and German standard (0.2 mg/kg for inorganic arsenic in milled rice). Also, husked rice samples did not exceed the standard for iAs. Average dietary exposure to iAs from polished rice consumption was calculated as 0.17 ± 0.21 μg/kg·bw/day which was 8.09% level of Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake. The result obtained in the present study provide a reference data of iAs in Korean rice for the establishment of safety standards.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Korean polished and husked rice were analyzed for total and inorganic arsenic. </LI> <LI> In rice AsIII was the major detected species, and iAs represents 43–91%. </LI> <LI> The level of iAs of polished rice was below the current maximum limit of standard. </LI> <LI> Safety standards depend on the As characteristic in rice and other foods. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Amphiphilic siRNA Conjugates for Co-Delivery of Nucleic Acids and Hydrophobic Drugs

Lee, Soo Hyeon,Lee, Jeong Yu,Kim, Jee Seon,Park, Tae Gwan,Mok, Hyejung American Chemical Society 2017 Bioconjugate chemistry Vol.28 No.8

<P>Combination therapy of nucleic acids and chemical drugs for cancer treatment is a promising strategy to enhance the therapeutic efficacy by simultaneously regulating multiple troublesome pathways. In this study, we report on polyethylene glycol-siRNA-polycaprolactone (PEG-siRNA-PCL) micelles that encapsulate hydrophobic drugs for efficient co-delivery of siRNA and drugs to cancer cells. Amphiphilic PEG-siRNA-PCL copolymers were synthesized by annealing antisense siRNA-PCL conjugates with sense siRNA-PEG conjugates. After paclitaxel encapsulation, PEG-siRNA-PCL micelles containing antiapoptotic Bcl-2-specific siRNA were stabilized with linear polyethylenimine via electrostatic interactions. Stabilized PEG-siRNA-PCL micelles showed superior anticancer effects, assessed by caspase-3 activity analysis, apoptotic cell staining, and a cytotoxicity test, to those of paclitaxel-free PEG-siRNA-PCL micelles and unmodified siRNAs. The strong anticancer activity of paclitaxel-incorporated siRNA micelles can be attributed to the synergistic effect of Bcl-2 siRNA and paclitaxel. This work provides an efficient co-delivery platform for combination anticancer therapy with siRNA and chemotherapy.</P>

Susceptibility for ischemic stroke in four constitution medicine is associated with polymorphisms of FCGR2A and IL1RN genes.

Lee, Byung-Cheol,Lee, Hyejung,Park, Hun-Kuk,Yang, Jong-Soo,Chung, Joo-Ho Butterworths [etc.] 2010 Neurological research Vol.32 No.suppl1

<P>OBJECTIVES: To determine the association between Four Constitutional classification and Fc fragment of IgG, low affinity of IIa, receptor (FCGR2A) and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN) in Korean ischemic stroke patients. METHODS: We classified the Four Constitutional types in ischemic stroke patients (n=162) and healthy control subjects (n=135), and genotyped FCGR2A and IL1RN polymorphisms using direct DNA sequencing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. RESULTS: In the IL1RN polymorphisms, the IL1RN*1/IL1RN*2 genotype (OR=5.80, p=0.0142), and in the FCGR2A polymorphisms, the rs7535475 (OR=0.58, p=0.0218) and rs7512140 (OR=0.09, p=0.0335), were significantly associated with ischemic stroke. The prevalence of IL1RN*1/IL1RN*2 genotype of IL1RN and rs7535475 of FCGR2A in greater Yin person ischemic stroke patients were different from greater Yin person healthy controls (OR=18.97, p=0.0063; OR=0.38, p=0.0045). DISCUSSION: These results suggest that IL1RN*1/IL1RN*2 genotype in greater Yin person might be associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke, and rs7535475 of FCGR2A might be associated with decreased risk of ischemic stroke. Furthermore, this relationship could provide the basis for a new approach in investigating the etiology of ischemic stroke.</P>