Single-dose Intravenous Injection Toxicity of Water-soluble Danggui Pharmacopuncture (WDP) in Sprague-Dawley Rats.

OBJECTIVE: This study is to evaluate both the single-dose intravenous injection toxicity and the approximate lethal dose of Water-soluble Danggui Pharmacopuncture (WDP) in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. METHODS: Toxicity experiments were conducted at Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) laboratory in Biotoxtech Co., according to the regulations of GLP. WDP injection of dose 0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 mL/animal were experimental groups and normal saline injection group was control group. WDP and normal saline were injected once to 6-week old 5 male and 5 female SD rats at the tail veins at approximately 2 mL/min. During 14 days after the injection, general symptoms were observed and weight were measured. After the observation period, hematological and blood biochemical examination, macroscopic autopsy, topical resistance test at the injection area were performed. RESULTS: RThe WDP 0.5 mL/animal injection group in 4 cases of male rats and all cases of female rats showed hematuria 30 minutes after the administration. However, after 1 hour, no more abnormal general symptoms were observed. The WDP did not affect weight, hematological and blood biochemical examination, macroscopic autopsy, and topical resistance test at the injection area. CONCLUSION: WDP single dose intravenous injection results showed that WDP have no toxic effects and a lethal dose of WDP should be over 0.5 mL/animal in male and female rats under the study condition. So WDP may be safe.

A Study on the Characteristics of Infrequent and Frequent Outpatients Visiting Korean Traditional Medical Facilities.

OBJECTIVES: This study was intended to analyze the characteristics of infrequent and frequent outpatients visiting Korean medical facilities, and find the related variables of frequent users. METHODS: The data source was the Report on the Usage and Consumption of Korean Medicine (2011) published by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. We analyzed outpatient data using SAS 9.2. RESULTS: As much as 46.6% of the patients used Korean medical services over 11 times in 3 months. The proportion of frequent users increased depending on age, and their proportion was high in the low-income and low-education group. People with musculoskeletal disease, stroke, hypertension, and obesity were more likely to use Korean medical services. In general, patients were satisfied with their treatment, with frequent outpatients being more satisfied than infrequent outpatients. In logistic regression analysis, age and musculoskeletal disease were significant determinants of frequency of use of Korean medical services. CONCLUSION: Age, musculoskeletal disease, and specific diseases were highly associated with frequent Korean medical utilization.

Mathematical Modeling of Vibrio vulnificus Infection in Korea and the Influence of Global Warming.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the possible link between Vibrio vulnificus population size in seawater and water temperature. METHODS: We collected incidence and water temperature data in coastal regions of Korea and constructed a mathematical model that consisted of three classes; susceptible fish, infected fish available to humans, and infected humans. RESULTS: We developed a mathematical model to connect V. vulnificus incidence with water temperature using estimated bacterial population sizes and actual coastal water temperatures. CONCLUSION: Increased V. vulnificus population sizes in marine environments may increase the risk of infection in people who eat at coastal restaurants in Korea. Furthermore, we estimated the near-future number of infected patients using our model, which will help to establish a public-health policy to reduce the disease burden.

Assessment of prescribed herbal medicine on liver function in Korea: a prospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of herbal medicine (HM) prescribed by doctors of Korean medicine (KMD) on liver function in Korea. DESIGN AND INTERVENTIONS: For this multicenter, prospective, observational study, we enrolled patients who wished to take HM prescribed by KMD for various medical purposes in Korea. One hundred and twenty-two (122) patients took HM for an average of 20.6 +/- 8.4 (mean +/- standard deviation) days, and completed questionnaires. OUTCOME MEASURES: Liver function tests (LFTs) were performed before (first test) and after each HM treatment (second test). For LFT, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin (t-Bil), direct bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase were measured. RESULTS: There were no significant changes in LFT data between the first and second tests, except in the t-Bil level. However, all data of total bilirubin level in second test were within normal range, except only one patient. Multivariate analysis did not identify any herb that significantly increased t-Bil; hence no hepatotoxic herb was found. Twenty-one (21) of the 122 patients were abnormal on first testing, and 10 at the second testing. Of the patients taking herbs, 4 changed from normal to abnormal and 15 from abnormal to normal (p = 0.019). CONCLUSION: The current study showed that ingestion of HM prescribed by KMD did not increase the frequency of abnormal LFTs, at least in the short term.

Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic action of Du-zhong (Eucommia ulmoides Oliver) leaves water extract in C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice.

The anti-diabetic efficacy of Du-zhong (Eucommia ulmoides Oliver) leaves water extract (WDZ) was investigated in type 2 diabetic animals. The WDZ was given to C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice as a dietary supplement based on 1% dried whole Du-zhong leaves (0.187 g WDZ/100 g standard diet) for 6 weeks. The WDZ supplementation significantly lowered the blood glucose level and enhanced the glucose disposal in an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test. The plasma insulin and C-peptide levels were significantly higher in the WDZ group than in the control group, while the glucagon level was lower. The hepatic glucokinase activity was significantly higher in the WDZ group, whereas, the glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activities were significantly lower. The WDZ supplementation also significantly lowered the hepatic fatty acid synthase, HMG-CoA reductase and ACAT activities compared to the control group, while it elevated the lipoprotein lipase activity in the skeletal muscle. The WDZ also altered the plasma and hepatic lipid levels by lowering the cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, while elevating the plasma HDL-cholesterol level. Therefore, these results suggest that WDZ may partly ameliorate hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia with type 2 diabetes through increasing glycolysis, suppressing gluconeogenesis and the biosynthesis of fatty acid and cholesterol in the liver.

Eucommia ulmoides Oliver leaf extract increases endogenous antioxidant activity in type 2 diabetic mice.

Eucommia ulmoides Oliver (Du-zhong) leaf extract was investigated for its antioxidant effects in type 2 diabetic animals, C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice. Du-zhong extract equivalent to 1% dried whole Du-zhong leaf (0.187 g of extract/100 g of diet) was added to the experimental diets for 6 weeks. The Du-zhong extract supplement significantly lowered blood glucose concentrations and elevated plasma paraoxonase activity compared with the control group. The activities of erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were significantly higher in the Du-zhong group compared with the control group, while glutathione reductase (GR) activity was not different between groups. The activities of SOD, GSH-Px, and GR in liver and kidney were not affected by Du-zhong extract supplementation, whereas the CAT activity was significantly higher in the Du-zhong group than in the control group. Du-zhong extract supplementation resulted in lower levels of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxide in erythrocytes, liver, and kidney. These results suggest that the antioxidant activity of Du-zhong extract is potentially beneficial for the prevention and management of complications of type 2 diabetes.

Hypoglycemic effect of Du-zhong (Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.) leaves in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

The current study investigated whether Du-zhong (Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.) leaves could improve the hyperglycemia in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a non-diabetic group (NDM), diabetic group (DM), diabetic group supplemented with powdered Du-zhong leaves (DM-PDZ) and diabetic group supplemented with a water extract of the powdered Du-zhong leaves (DM-WDZ). Diabetes was induced by injecting STZ (70 mg/kg B.W., i.p.). The powdered Du-zhong leaves or its powdered water extract was add to a standard diet based on 1% dried Du-zhong leaves (1 g PDZ/100 g diet and 0.187 g WDZ/100 g diet, respectively) for 3 weeks. Body weight was significantly higher in both types of Du-zhong leaves supplemented groups than in the DM group. The blood glucose levels were significantly lower in the DM-PDZ and DM-WDZ groups than in the DM group (20.05+/-0.88 and 18.96+/-1.23 mmol/l versus 24.42+/-1.07 mmol/l, P<0.05), whereas the plasma insulin and C-peptide levels were significantly higher in the PDZ and WDZ supplemented groups than in the DM group (7.45+/-0.27 and 7.62+/-0.69 microl U/ml versus 3.75+/-0.27 microl U/ml for the plasma insulin, and 224.52+/-14.6 and 239.76+/-15.52 pmol/l versus 166.5+/-10.4 pmol/l for the plasma C-peptide, respectively, P<0.05). The supplementation of PDZ and WDZ also resulted in lower plasma urea nitrogen levels compared to the DM group. Du-zhong leaves supplement seemed to be helpful to preserve the normal histological appearance of pancreatic islets as well as to preserve insulin-positive beta-cells but it did not reverse the effect of STZ to a great extent. Accordingly, the reduction in plasma glucose by the powdered Du-zhong leaves and its water extract is quite small but significant, nevertheless, this was occurred with simultaneous the increase in plasma insulin and C-peptide. They improved hyperglycemia and seemingly enhance the function of pancreatic beta-cells in STZ-induced diabetic rats.

Polygonatum rhizoma affects antioxidant defense systems without changing mRNA expression in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

This study was conducted to determine the antioxidant effects of a Polygonatum extract compared with the major antioxidant, vitamin E, in rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet. Rabbits were given a high-cholesterol (0.5%, wt/wt) diet with vitamin E (0.03%, wt/wt) or a Polygonatum extract (0.05%, wt/wt) for 8 weeks. The body weight gain (g/week) was only significantly increased only in the high-cholesterol-fed control group, yet the relative liver weight was significantly lower in the Polygonatum group compared with the other groups. The supplementation of vitamin E and Polygonatum extract led to an increase in the hepatic catalase (CAT) activity without any change in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities. Hepatic total glutathione content was significantly higher in the Polygonatum group than in the other groups. The level of hepatic mitochondrial H(2)O(2) was significantly lower in the two supplemented groups compared with the control group, whereas the level of cytosolic H(2)O(2) was only significantly lower in the Polygonatum group than in the control group. The level of plasma thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) was only significantly lower in the vitamin E group, whereas the level of hepatic TBARS was slightly lower in the Polygonatum group than in the other groups. In the case of the high-density lipoprotein-related antioxidant enzyme, vitamin E supplementation produced the highest plasma paraoxonase (PON) activity compared with the other groups, although there was no difference in the hepatic PON activity among the groups. Meanwhile, the plasma vitamin E concentration was significantly higher in the vitamin E and Polygonatum groups than in the control group; however, plasma vitamin A concentration did not differ significantly between the groups. As regards the mRNA expressions of hepatic antioxidant enzymes, the vitamin E and Polygonatum extract supplementation had no effect on the SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, and PON mRNA expression. Accordingly, these results indicate that the Polygonatum extract had a positive effect on the antioxidant defense system based on decreasing the content of hepatic TBARS and hydrogen peroxide, increasing the CAT activity and total glutathione level in the liver, and sparing the plasma vitamin E. Thus, further studies on the functional components in Polygonatum extract and their biological efficacies are needed.