Biomedical subjects

Kyung-Hwan Cho

Publications and source records attributed to Kyung-Hwan Cho.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Natural compounds from Danshen suppress the activity of hepatic stellate cells.

Danshen is an herbal medication frequently used in oriental medicine to treat liver or kidney malfunction. In the course of our studies, we observed that compounds purified from Danshen exhibit an inhibitory activity against Discoidin Domain Receptor 2 (DDR2) tyrosine kinase. Through this inhibition, these compounds also inhibited the growth of HSC T6 cells and suppressed the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin and MMP2, as well as collagen synthesis, all of which are increased in activated liver stellate cells. Given that activation of liver stellate cells is the hallmark of liver fibrosis and that DDR2 plays a critical role in this activation, these results suggest that one of the pharmacological activities of Danshen extract that protects the liver is the inhibition of key cell-signaling kinases, such as DDR2, in liver stellate cells.

Actins↗

PubMed2006

Biomedical issues of dietary fiber beta-glucan.

Beta-glucan is a polysaccharide in the form of fiber and the main element of fiber in grains such as barley, oats, yeast and mushrooms. Many studies have examined the efficacy of beta-glucan in terms of the lipid lowering effects, blood sugar reduction, weight reduction, immune modulator, and anticarcinogenic effect. However, there is no comprehensive review article on the biomedical issues regarding beta-glucan. The authors searched for systematic reviews and clinical experiments for each relevant topic and reviewed the biomedical effects of beta-glucan, for the purpose of developing research strategies for the future.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Adiponectin induces growth arrest and apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell.

Recently, it was reported that reduction in serum adiponectin levels is correlated with the incidence of breast cancer. As an effort to explain this, we screened various human breast cancer cell lines to identify those in which proliferation is directly controlled by adiponectin. Among the five tested cell lines, proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cancer cell was significantly suppressed by adiponectin within the range of physiological concentration. Furthermore, prolonged adiponectin treatment caused cell growth arrest and even apoptosis of MDA-MB-231. This result is the first to show that adiponectin can directly control cancer cell growth and provides a rationale for the theory that reduction in plasma adiponectin levels could be a risk factor for breast cancer.

Adiponectin↗

PubMed2004

Health care for older persons: a country profile-Korea.

The Korean healthcare system is faced with a crisis caused by rapidly changing social values tending toward westernization, increasing insurance benefit requests for elder health care, financial instability of the National Health Insurance (NHI) program, and a lack of social infrastructure for the elderly. The demand for health care for the elderly has increased markedly, because of a rapidly aging population, growing female participation in the labor market, elevated expectations for health care, and a change in the pattern of medical conditions in the elderly from acute illness to chronic disability. NHI lacks the finances to meet the benefit request for long-term care (LTC). Only 0.39% of the elderly can be accommodated in LTC beds. Consequently, the chronically disabled elderly overflow to acute care beds in general hospitals, which places an undue burden on the already strained NHI system in terms of longer stays and higher cost of treatment in hospitals compared with care specific to the elderly in LTC facilities. It is clear that the Korean healthcare system does not have the facilities to meet such challenges and is in a state of disorder. Korea has failed to predict and prepare for population needs before they arise, including financing and the development of appropriate care models, particularly concerning the adequate provision of LTC. This paper advocates the necessity of international discussion of the prospects for developing health care for aging populations and encourages the sharing of differing national experiences concerning care for the elderly.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Primary care physicians shortage: a Korean example.

BACKGROUND: A mismatch in the demand and supply of primary care physicians could give rise to a disorganization of the health care system and public confusion about health care access. There is much evidence in Korea of the existence of a primary care physician shortage. The appropriate required ratio of primary care physicians to the total number of physicians is estimated by analyzing data for primary care insurance consumption in Korea. METHODS: Sums of primary care expenditure and claims were calculated to estimate the need for primary care physicians by analyzing the nationwide health insurance claims data of the Korean National Medical Insurance Management Corporation (KNMIMC) between the years 1989-1998. RESULTS: The total number of physicians increased 183% from 1989 to 1998. However, the number of primary care physicians including general physicians, family physicians, general internists, and general pediatricians showed an increase of only 169% in those 10 years. The demand for primary care physicians reaches at least 58.6%, and up to 83.7%, of the total number of physicians in Korea. However, the number of primary care physicians comprises up to 22.0% of the total number of active physicians during the same research period, which showed a large gap between demand and supply of primary care physicians in Korea. CONCLUSIONS: To provide high quality care overall, a balanced supply of primary care physicians and specialists is required, based on the nation's demand for health services.

Data Collection↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Heart rate variability and obesity indices: emphasis on the response to noise and standing.

BACKGROUND: Obese people have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease, but the mechanism of this result remains obscure. The purpose of this study was to prove heart rate variability (HRV) response at rest and during stimuli in these persons. METHODS: The subjects were 41 healthy persons (19 men, 22 women) ranging in age from 20 to 65 years. HRV was measured at rest and at given stresses with noise and standing. RESULTS: Higher levels of fat mass, percentage fat content, and waist/hip ratio were significantly associated with lower low frequency (LF) (r = -0.34, r = -0.43; P < .01, r = -0.33, P < .05), and lower root mean square differences of successive NN intervals (RMS standard deviation) (r = -0.33, r = -0.35, r = -0.38, P < .05). During rest, noise, and standing, the change amount of the standard deviation of NN interval (SDNN) and low frequency/high frequency ratio were not different between normal and obese groups (P > .05). CONCLUSION: Although there was no significant HRV response to stimuli, root mean square of successive differences (which reflects parasympathetic acivity) and low frequency (which mainly reflects sympathetic activity) were negatively correlated with fat mass, fat percentage, and waist-to-hip ratio at rest in obese persons. These results mean obesity can change cardiac autonomic nervous response, meaning that the mechanism by which obesity increases cardiac mortality would be explained, at least partially.

Acoustic Stimulation↗