Purpose: Deodeok (Codonopsis lanceolata) is generally used in conventional medicines and is considered to have remedial properties to cure several diseases. However, application of the C. lanceolata bud as a novel food ingredient has not been fully explored. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is associated with the production of oxidative damage that results in mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, and cell death. This study examines the neuroprotective effect of C. lanceolata bud extracts (CLBE) on H2O2 -stimulated apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells. Methods: C. lanceolata bud of length 10 to 15 cm was collected and extracted using 70% ethanol. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by the EZ-cytox reagent, measurement of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) release and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The morphological changes of the nuclei were determined using the Hoechst 33258 dye. Enzyme activities were analyzed using the caspase activity assay kit. Related protein expressions were quantified by the Western blot immunoassay in H2O2 -stimulated SH-SY5Y cells. Results: Cell viability, LDH release and ROS generation, demonstrated neuroprotective effects of CLBE in H2O2-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells. The occurrence of apoptosis in H2O2-stimulated cells was confirmed by caspase activity, which was increased in H2O2-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells compared to the unexposed group. Pretreatment of CLBE was observed to inhibit the H2O2–stimulated apoptosis. In addition, exposure to CLBE resulted in increased expression of the Bcl-2 (B cell lymphoma 2) protein and decreased expression of the Bax (Bcl2 associated X) protein. Conclusion This study shows that exposure to CLBE alleviates the H2O2-stimulated neuronal damage in SH-SY5Y cells. Our results indicate the potential application of CLBE in neurodegenerative disease therapy or prevention.

Olfactory disorders one of the most frequent distinctive symptoms of COVID-19 infection. COVID-19-induced olfactory disorder can be classified as post-infectious olfactory dysfunction (PIOD). The effect of drugs on olfactory disorder following upper respiratory infection, including PIOD, has not been clearly established, which adds to the difficulty with treating the disorder. However, the effect of olfactory training on PIOD has been confirmed by numerous studies. As such, olfactory training is gaining attention, and has taken on greater importance, as the sole treatment for COVID-19–induced olfactory disorder in this pandemic age. This review describes the effect of olfactory training for COVID-19–induced olfactory disorder by analyzing the relevant literature.

Objective: The use of a high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) might cover the gap between conventional oxygen therapy andmechanical ventilation in the management of acute respiratory failure patients and could be a significant factor in determiningpatient outcomes. Early predictors of HFNC failure may help a clinician decide whether to shift the patient to amechanical ventilator. We aimed at identifying the predictors associated with HFNC failure and the application of amechanical ventilator using arterial blood gas analysis (ABGA). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who were admitted to the emergency room at a single center with respiratorydistress and a PaO2/FiO2 ratio (ratio of arterial partial pressure of oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen) of less than300. Comparing keeping and weaning HFNC groups with the escalation group, we sought to identify a few discriminatingfactors. Initial ABGA was done when the patients entered the emergency room and this was followed up within 2 hoursafter HFNC therapy. Results: Two hundred and eighteen patients were enrolled and of these HFNC therapy succeeded in 153 and failed in65. At baseline Glasgow Coma Scale, follow-up (F/U) pH, ΔpH, and F/U respiratory rate-oxygenation index were lowerand pro-brain natriuretic peptide, initial lactate, F/U lactate, ΔPCO2, heart rate, acidosis, consciousness, oxygenation,respiratory rate score, Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation score, Simplified Acute Physiology Score, andSequential Organ Failure Assessment score were significantly higher in the HFNC failure group. The results of the multivariateanalysis indicated that initial lactate (odds ratio [OR], 1.215; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.081-1.366; P=0.001)and ΔpH (OR, 0.000; 95% CI, 0.000-0.018; P<0.001) were independently associated with the prediction of application ofthe mechanical ventilator. Conclusion Patients who had higher initial lactate levels and insufficiently corrected pH after HFNC therapy may needto be monitored carefully and escalation of oxygen therapy may need to be considered.

Objective: The use of a high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) might cover the gap between conventional oxygen therapy andmechanical ventilation in the management of acute respiratory failure patients and could be a significant factor in determiningpatient outcomes. Early predictors of HFNC failure may help a clinician decide whether to shift the patient to amechanical ventilator. We aimed at identifying the predictors associated with HFNC failure and the application of amechanical ventilator using arterial blood gas analysis (ABGA). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who were admitted to the emergency room at a single center with respiratorydistress and a PaO2/FiO2 ratio (ratio of arterial partial pressure of oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen) of less than300. Comparing keeping and weaning HFNC groups with the escalation group, we sought to identify a few discriminatingfactors. Initial ABGA was done when the patients entered the emergency room and this was followed up within 2 hoursafter HFNC therapy. Results: Two hundred and eighteen patients were enrolled and of these HFNC therapy succeeded in 153 and failed in65. At baseline Glasgow Coma Scale, follow-up (F/U) pH, ΔpH, and F/U respiratory rate-oxygenation index were lowerand pro-brain natriuretic peptide, initial lactate, F/U lactate, ΔPCO2, heart rate, acidosis, consciousness, oxygenation,respiratory rate score, Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation score, Simplified Acute Physiology Score, andSequential Organ Failure Assessment score were significantly higher in the HFNC failure group. The results of the multivariateanalysis indicated that initial lactate (odds ratio [OR], 1.215; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.081-1.366; P=0.001)and ΔpH (OR, 0.000; 95% CI, 0.000-0.018; P<0.001) were independently associated with the prediction of application ofthe mechanical ventilator. Conclusion Patients who had higher initial lactate levels and insufficiently corrected pH after HFNC therapy may needto be monitored carefully and escalation of oxygen therapy may need to be considered.

Despite the great socioeconomic burden of stroke, there have been few reports of stroke statistics in Korea. In this scenario, the Epidemiologic Research Council of the Korean Stroke Society launched the “Stroke Statistics in Korea” project, aimed at writing a contemporary, comprehensive, and representative report on stroke epidemiology in Korea. This report contains general statistics of stroke, prevalence of behavioral and vascular risk factors, stroke characteristics, pre-hospital system of care, hospital management, quality of stroke care, and outcomes. In this report, we analyzed the most up-to-date and nationally representative databases, rather than performing a systematic review of existing evidence. In summary, one in 40 adults are patients with stroke and 232 subjects per 100,000 experience a stroke event every year. Among the 100 patients with stroke in 2014, 76 had ischemic stroke, 15 had intracerebral hemorrhage, and nine had subarachnoid hemorrhage. Stroke mortality is gradually declining, but it remains as high as 30 deaths per 100,000 individuals, with regional disparities. As for stroke risk factors, the prevalence of smoking is decreasing in men but not in women, and the prevalence of alcohol drinking is increasing in women but not in men. Population-attributable risk factors vary with age. Smoking plays a role in young-aged individuals, hypertension and diabetes in middle-aged individuals, and atrial fibrillation in the elderly. About four out of 10 hospitalized patients with stroke are visiting an emergency room within 3 hours of symptom onset, and only half use an ambulance. Regarding acute management, the proportion of patients with ischemic stroke receiving intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular treatment was 10.7% and 3.6%, respectively. Decompressive surgery was performed in 1.4% of patients with ischemic stroke and in 28.1% of those with intracerebral hemorrhage. The cumulative incidence of bleeding and fracture at 1 year after stroke was 8.9% and 4.7%, respectively. The direct costs of stroke were about ₩1.68 trillion (KRW), of which ₩1.11 trillion were for ischemic stroke and ₩540 billion for hemorrhagic stroke. The great burden of stroke in Korea can be reduced through more concentrated efforts to control major attributable risk factors for age and sex, reorganize emergency medical service systems to give patients with stroke more opportunities for reperfusion therapy, disseminate stroke unit care, and reduce regional disparities. We hope that this report can contribute to achieving these tasks.
Adult ; Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; Ambulances ; Atrial Fibrillation ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Emergency Medical Services ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Hope ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality ; Prevalence ; Reperfusion ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stroke ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Writing

The number of wild animal species is gradually decreasing due to poaching, hunting and habitat loss. While several endangered animal species have been successfully preserved at the zoo, assisted reproductive technology (ART) must be applied to restore wild animals. In the case of critically endangered animals, somatic cell cloning is considered the most appropriate method of ART. Somatic cell cloning can be beneficial for the reproduction of endangered species with limited female populations. However, gene and cell banks, and understanding of reproductive physiology and optimization of ART for wild animals are urgently required for further activation of artificial reproduction of endangered species, which enlarges its application and maintains biodiversity. Care should also be taken to consider ethical and legal issues associated with somatic cell cloning for conservation of endangered animals.
Animals ; Animals, Wild ; Biodiversity ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; Ecosystem ; Endangered Species* ; Female ; Humans ; Physiology ; Reproduction ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted

PURPOSE: Recently, mitochondrial DNA 4977bp deletion (mtDNA4977-mut), a somatic mutation related to oxidative stress, has been shown to be associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that patient age, as well as electroanatomical characteristics of fibrillating left atrial (LA), vary depending on the presence of mtDNA4977-mut in peripheral blood among patients with non-valvular AF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Analyzing clinical and electroanatomical characteristics, we investigated the presence of the mtDNA4977-mut in peripheral blood of 212 patients (51.1+/-13.2 years old, 83.5% male) undergoing catheter ablation for non-valvular AF, as well as 212 age-matched control subjects. RESULTS: The overall frequency of peripheral blood mtDNA4977-mut in patients with AF and controls was not significantly different (24.5% vs. 19.3%, p=0.197). When the AF patient group was stratified according to age, mtDNA4977-mut was more common (47.4% vs. 20.0%, p=0.019) in AF patients older than 65 years than their age-matched controls. Among AF patients, those with mtDNA4977-mut were older (58.1+/-11.9 years old vs. 48.8+/-11.9 years old, p<0.001). AF patients positive for the mtDNA mutation had greater LA dimension (p=0.014), higher mitral inflow peak velocity (E)/diastolic mitral annular velocity (Em) ratio (p<0.001), as well as lower endocardial voltage (p=0.035), and slower conduction velocity (p=0.048) in the posterior LA than those without the mutation. In multivariate analysis, E/Em ratio was found to be significantly associated with the presence of mtDNA4977-mut in peripheral blood. CONCLUSION: mtDNA4977-mut, an age-related somatic mutation detected in the peripheral blood, is associated with advanced age and electro-anatomical remodeling of the atrium in non-valvular AF.
Adult ; Aged ; Atrial Fibrillation/blood/*genetics/*physiopathology ; Atrial Remodeling/*genetics ; Base Pairing/*genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*blood/*genetics ; Female ; Heart Atria/pathology/physiopathology ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation Rate ; Phenotype ; Sequence Deletion/*genetics