OBJECTIVE: No medication currently available for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is universally effective, and all can produce adverse effects. It is well known that the Acanthopanax koreanum extract has an anti-inflammatory action without any adverse effects reported. We conducted this study whether the Acanthopanax koreanum extract has a preventive and/or regressive effect of collagen induced arthritis in DBA/1J mice. METHODS: Three groups of BDA/1J mice were immunized by intradermal injection of 5ma/ka bovine type lI collagen with complete Freund s adjuvant. Group received 20ma/ka of Acanthopanax koreanum extract orally twice weekly and group K received 1ma/ka dexamethasone intraperitoneally twice weekly. Group ll and lll were divided into two subgroups respectively(Group Il-A, E-B, lll-A and Ill-B). Subgroup A is prevention group(Drugs were started to be given 3 weeks after immunization) and subgroup B is suppression group(Drugs were started to be given 6 weeks after immunization when CIA had been developed already). Group I received no treatment. The prevalence of arthritis were assessed twice weekly. Serum anti-collagen antibody and splenic mononuclear cell stimulation indices (SI) to collagen were measured. Serum tumor necrosis factor-a and interleukin-10 levels were also measured by ELISA. RESULT: Collagen induced arthritis(CIA) started to develop 4 weeks after collagen injections. In Acanthopanax koreanum extract treated group, CIA induction seemed not to be inhibited, but questionably partial supressive effect of arthritis were observed at 10 weeks after collagen injection. In dexamethasone treated group, both of prevention and suppression of CIA could be observed. Levels of anti-collagen antibodies were reduced in dexamethasone treated group, but not in the Acanthopanax koreanum extract treated group. No significant differences of splenic mononuclear cell SI among the groups was observed. There were no significant differences in the levels of serum tumor necrosis factor-a and interleukin-10 among the groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings showed that the Acanthopanax koreanum extract does not have a definite effect on induction or supression of CIA.
Eleutherococcus* ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Arthritis* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Collagen* ; Dexamethasone ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Immunization ; Injections, Intradermal ; Interleukin-10 ; Mice* ; Necrosis ; Prevalence

No abstract available.
Antibodies, Monoclonal*

No abstract available.

No abstract availalbe.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Ethics*

No abstract available.
Internet*

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of social support on loneliness and life satisfaction in elderly Korean Immigrants living in the U.S.A. The sample consisted of 174 community-dwelling elderly Korean Immigrants who lived in a large Midwestern city area. Telephone interviews were used to collect the data using translated Korean version of the Social Support Questionnaire 6, Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the Life Satisfaction Index-Z. A descriptive level correlational design was used in this study. Results indicated that the subjects had on the average of two to three emotional supporters. The mean score of social support satisfaction was between fairly and a little satisfaction on the scale. The mean score of loneliness was 42.60, indicating that the subjects were moderately lonely. the mean score of life satisfaction was 12.94, indicating that the subjects were moderately satisfied with their life. In this study, social support variables( network size and satisfaction ) had both a direct effect on life satisfaction and an indirect effect through loneliness. Elderly Korean immigrants who had the large number of people in their network were less lonely and thus more satisfied with their life than those who had the small number of people in their network. also, elderly Koreans who were more satisfied with social support were less lonely and thus more satisfied with their life than those who were less satisfied with social support. Social support satisfaction was a better predictor for loneliness and life satisfaction than social network size.
Aged* ; Emigrants and Immigrants* ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Loneliness* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Urinary Bladder*

Conflicting results have been reported, as to whether or not wound repair is influenced following treatment with low doses of prednisolone, insulin, or thyrotrophic hormone. The present studies were undertaken to evaluate and compare the influence of above hormones on the wound repair process and their target organs in rats at different times after operation. The influence of the above hormones were observed as measurement of the tensile strength of healing skin incisions and the histologic finding of the wound sites and the target organs staining with H-E, PAS, and Masson's trichrome method. Saline 0. 1 ml were injected daily intramusculary in control group: prednisolone acetate 0. 2ml (4mg/kg/day) in prednisolone treated group: regular zinc insulin 0.1 ml(1.5IU/kg/day) in insulin treated group; thyrotrophin 0.1 ml (0.4IU/kg/day) in TSH trcated group. The observation period wer at 4th day, 7th day, 14th day and 21st day of post-operation. The results were as follows: 1. Prednisolone treated group: (1) The tensile strength were decreased at 4th and 7th day than control groups, but there were no statistically significant difference at 14th and 21st day from control group. (2) In histologic findings of the wound sites at 4th and 7th day, the repair processes were suppressed, but at 14th and 21st day, there were no difference from control group. (3) In histologic finding of adrenal cortex, the atrophic changes was observed from early stage. 2. Insulin treated group: (1) There were no statistical difference from control group in tensile strength at each observation period. (2) In histologic findings of the wound sites, the pictures of the repair processes were similar with control group at each observation period. (3) Atrophic change of islets of Langerhans in pancreas was observed at each observation period. 3. TSH treated group: (1) The tensile strength were increased at 4th, 7th, and 14th day than control group, but there was no statistical difference at 21st day frorn control group. (2) In histologic findings of the wound sites, the repair processes were aecelerated at 4th and 7th day than control group, but there were no defferences at 14th and 21st day from control group. (3) Hyperplastic change of acini in thyroid gland was observed through entire observation period.
Adrenal Cortex ; Animals ; Insulin ; Islets of Langerhans ; Pancreas ; Prednisolone ; Rats ; Skin ; Tensile Strength ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyrotrophs ; Thyrotropin ; Wounds and Injuries* ; Zinc

No abstract available.
Thinking*