The Effects of Peat-Pack Poultice and Salt Groundwater Foot Bath in Taean-gun on Depression and Pain in Single Parent Family

Purpose@#Studies have reported on treating various diseases with marine healing, but not the effects of marine healing on depression, anxiety, and pain in single-parent families. This study aimed to evaluate the scientific efficacy of treatment using peat-pack poultice and salt groundwater and evaluate its effects on depression, anxiety, and pain in single-parent families. @*Methods@#For 26 women of single-parent families, peat-pack thermal therapy and salt-water foot baths were performed daily for 4 days. Of the 26 subjects, three dropped out and 23 were enrolled in the study. The depression and pain results were compared before versus after the peat-pack poultice and salt groundwater treatments. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and visual analog scale (VAS) pain score were evaluated. @*Results@#In Taean-gun, a peat-pack poultice and salt groundwater foot bath program were administered along with a questionnaire for depression, anxiety, and pain. Mean Edinburgh score was significantly improved after the program (11.78±7.6 vs. 9.7±7.6, p=0.005), mean HADS anxiety score (7±9.7 vs. 5.3± 2.7, p=0.002) and mean VAS pain score also improved (5.39±2.8 vs. 3.96±2.7, p=0.003). @*Conclusion@#Peat-pack thermal therapy and salt groundwater foot bath improved chronic pain, depression, and anxiety in single-parent families.

Clinical Course and Outcomes of 3,060 Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Korea, January–May 2020

Background@#The fatality rate of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) varies among countries owing to demographics, patient comorbidities, surge capacity of healthcare systems, and the quality of medical care. We assessed the clinical outcomes of patients with COVID-19 during the first wave of the epidemic in Korea. @*Methods@#Using a modified World Health Organization clinical record form, we obtained clinical data for 3,060 patients with COVID-19 treated at 55 hospitals in Korea. Disease severity scores were defined as: 1) no limitation of daily activities; 2) limitation of daily activities but no need for supplemental oxygen; 3) supplemental oxygen via nasal cannula; 4) supplemental oxygen via facial mask; 5) non-invasive mechanical ventilation; 6) invasive mechanical ventilation; 7) multi-organ failure or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy; and 8) death. Recovery was defined as a severity score of 1 or 2, or discharge and release from isolation. @*Results@#The median age of the patients was 43 years of age; 43.6% were male. The median time from illness onset to admission was 5 days. Of the patients with a disease severity score of 3–4 on admission, 65 (71.5%) of the 91 patients recovered, and 7 (7.7%) died due to illness by day 28. Of the patients with disease severity scores of 5–7, 7 (19.5%) of the 36 patients recovered, and 8 (22.2%) died due to illness by day 28. None of the 1,324 patients who were < 50 years of age died; in contrast, the fatality rate due to illness by day 28 was 0.5% (2/375), 0.9% (2/215), 5.8% (6/104), and 14.0% (7/50) for the patients aged 50–59, 60–69, 70–79, and ≥ 80 years of age, respectively. @*Conclusion@#In Korea, almost all patients of < 50 years of age with COVID-19 recovered without supplemental oxygen. In patients of ≥ 50 years of age, the fatality rate increased with age, reaching 14% in patients of ≥ 80 years of age.

Contemplation of Legal Status of the Committee for the Appropriateness of Hospitalization Related to Involuntary Admission / 신경정신의학

The revised Mental Health Act, in which the legal status and role of “the committee for the appropriateness of hospitalization” as an administrative committee, which has been launched since June 2017, is discussed. The German and British laws were reviewed in comparison with the Korean laws, focusing on the similarities and differences among the laws and which parts require revision. This study reported that patient care should be considered not only from a constitutional point of view, but also from a health care point of view. Self-determination and medical paternalism are both important but generally incompatible values. In recent days, objective and fair diagnosis from medical experts have been challenging. The current Mental Health Act was inevitably revised to actively accept the decisions of the Constitutional Court and apparently guarantee the basic rights of people in the future. The pros and cons of “the committee for the appropriateness of hospitalization” and which parts need to be revised to perform its role properly as a guardian of the admission procedure are assessed. This should reflect the current reality of the mental health medical community. In addition, a face-to-face examination should be made in principle. Nevertheless, the basic rights of the mentally ill are not guaranteed based on current law because of the shortage of budget and human resources. The final option maybe the introduction of a judicial system on involuntary admission. Legitimacy and professionalism are engagements that should be adhered to when treating psychiatric patients.

The First Generation of iPSC Line from a Korean Alzheimer's Disease Patient Carrying APP-V715M Mutation Exhibits a Distinct Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which is pathologically defined by the accumulation of amyloid plaques and hyper-phosphorylated tau aggregates in the brain. Mitochondrial dysfunction is also a prominent feature in AD, and the extracellular Aβ and phosphorylated tau result in the impaired mitochondrial dynamics. In this study, we generated an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from an AD patient with amyloid precursor protein (APP) mutation (Val715Met; APP-V715M) for the first time. We demonstrated that both extracellular and intracellular levels of Aβ were dramatically increased in the APP-V715M iPSC-derived neurons. Furthermore, the APP-V715M iPSC-derived neurons exhibited high expression levels of phosphorylated tau (AT8), which was also detected in the soma and neurites by immunocytochemistry. We next investigated mitochondrial dynamics in the iPSC-derived neurons using Mito-tracker, which showed a significant decrease of anterograde and retrograde velocity in the APP-V715M iPSC-derived neurons. We also found that as the Aβ and tau pathology accumulates, fusion-related protein Mfn1 was decreased, whereas fission-related protein DRP1 was increased in the APP-V715M iPSC-derived neurons, compared with the control group. Taken together, we established the first iPSC line derived from an AD patient carrying APP-V715M mutation and showed that this iPSC-derived neurons exhibited typical AD pathological features, including a distinct mitochondrial dysfunction.

Anti-obesity Effects of Ginsenosides in High-Fat Diet-Fed Rats / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To examine the anti-obesity effects of ginsenosides in Korea Red Ginseng (KRG, Panax ginseng) in rats fed with a high-fat diet (HFD).@*METHODS@#Twenty-five 4-week-old obesity rats after receiving an HFD for 5 weeks; subsequently, they were additionally treated with ginsenosides Rb1, Rd, Rg1, or Re (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection) for a further 3 weeks (n=5 in each group). The control rats were fed a normal diet. The food consumption, body weight, locomotor activity, serum lipids, adipose tissues, nitric oxide (NO) expression, leptin, neuropeptide Y (NPY), cholecystokinin (CCK) in the brains were measured.@*RESULTS@#In the HFD-fed rats, body weight, body fat mass, serum levels of leptin and NO were significantly higher than in the control rats (P<0.05 or P<0.01). However, the treatment of Rd, Re, and Rb1 markedly decreased body fat mass and body weight (P<0.05). The serum level of leptin and NO in ginsenoside-treated rats were markedly lower than the control group (P<0.01). The expression of NPY and CCK in the hypothalamic nuclei showed insignificant difference among groups. However, the expression of NPY immunoreactive neurons in the hypothalamus was significantly reduced in the Rb1-treated group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#PD-type ginsenoside Rb1 from the crude saponins of KRG may be a useful compound for the treatment of obesity and related disorders through the modulation of peripheral and central appetite-regulating signals.

Effects of adults' health behaviors and combinations thereof on health outcomes: an analysis using National Health Insurance Service of Korea cohort data / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of health-risk behaviors, alone and in combination, on health outcomes.METHODS: This study used sample cohort data provided by the National Health Insurance Service focusing on the use of hospital services, direct medical expenses, length of stay, and re-entry rate according to health-risk behaviors. A frequency analysis and the chi-square test were used to investigate associations between the demographic characteristics of study subjects and their health-risk behaviors. The strength of the association of each factor was calculated as the odds ratio in a crossover analysis.RESULTS: Obesity had the largest effect, especially in combination with smoking and drinking. In particular, significant associations were shown with the duration of hospitalization and direct medical expenses. After adjustment for sex, age, economic status, and pre-existing medical conditions, the duration of hospitalization was 7.37 times longer and that of medical expenses was 5.18 times higher in the obese group relative to the non-obese group. Drinking showed a statistically significant association with the number of days of hospitalization. After adjusting for the control variables, the number of hospital days was 1.24 longer in the drinking group than in the non-drinking group.CONCLUSIONS: An analysis of combinations of health risk factors showed obesity had the largest effect.

Usefulness of Virtual Expiratory CT Images to Compensate for Respiratory Liver Motion in Ultrasound/CT Image Fusion: A Prospective Study in Patients with Focal Hepatic Lesions

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether virtual expiratory (VE)-computed tomography (CT)/ultrasound (US) fusion imaging is more effective than conventional inspiratory (CI)-CT/US fusion imaging for hepatic interventional procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study was approved by the Institutional Review Board, and informed consent was obtained from each patient. In total, 62 patients with focal hepatic lesions referred for hepatic interventional procedures were enrolled. VE-CT images were generated from CI-CT images to reduce the effects of respiration-induced liver motion. The two types of CT images were fused with real-time US images for each patient. The operators scored the visual similarity with the liver anatomy upon initial image fusion and the summative usability of complete image fusion using the respective five-point scales. The time required for complete image fusion and the number of point locks used were also compared. RESULTS: In comparison with CI-CT/US fusion imaging, VE-CT/US fusion imaging showed significantly higher visual similarity with the liver anatomy on the initial image fusion (mean score, 3.9 vs. 1.7; p < 0.001) and higher summative usability for complete image fusion (mean score, 4.0 vs. 1.9; p < 0.001). The required time (mean, 11.1 seconds vs. 22.5 seconds; p < 0.001) and the number of point locks (mean, 1.6 vs. 3.0; p < 0.001) needed for complete image fusion using VE-CT/US fusion imaging were significantly lower than those needed for CI-CT/US fusion imaging. CONCLUSION: VE-CT/US fusion imaging is more effective than CI-CT/US fusion imaging for hepatic interventional procedures.

Expansion of Health Insurance Coverage for Prenatal Care and Its Association with Low Birth Weight and Premature Birth

PURPOSE@#The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the cost of medical care for pregnancy and childbirth and the birth outcome.@*METHODS@#Using the Korean National Health Insurance Corporation cohort data, we compared the birth outcome of 2,198 subjects before policy (2005–2008) and after policy (2009–2012) costs related to pregnancy and childbirth.@*RESULTS@#After the rate of application of the maternity care fee increased by 2.3%, the cesarean section rate increased by 15%. The incidence of low birth weight was significantly lower in women under 35 years of age, as well as in women over 35 years of age who had delivered a child through cesarean section.@*CONCLUSION@#After the policy implementation, the rates of low birth weight and premature childbirth decreased at all ages, for second or subsequent births. Considering the purpose of the pregnancy and childbirth care support policy, implemented to reduce the burden of medical expenses and to create a favorable environment for childbirth, it is necessary to expand coverage by converting nonpayment items, and to develop diverse and comprehensive policies that consider pregnant women's characteristics.

Effects of adults' health behaviors and combinations thereof on health outcomes: an analysis using National Health Insurance Service of Korea cohort data / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES@#The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of health-risk behaviors, alone and in combination, on health outcomes.@*METHODS@#This study used sample cohort data provided by the National Health Insurance Service focusing on the use of hospital services, direct medical expenses, length of stay, and re-entry rate according to health-risk behaviors. A frequency analysis and the chi-square test were used to investigate associations between the demographic characteristics of study subjects and their health-risk behaviors. The strength of the association of each factor was calculated as the odds ratio in a crossover analysis.@*RESULTS@#Obesity had the largest effect, especially in combination with smoking and drinking. In particular, significant associations were shown with the duration of hospitalization and direct medical expenses. After adjustment for sex, age, economic status, and pre-existing medical conditions, the duration of hospitalization was 7.37 times longer and that of medical expenses was 5.18 times higher in the obese group relative to the non-obese group. Drinking showed a statistically significant association with the number of days of hospitalization. After adjusting for the control variables, the number of hospital days was 1.24 longer in the drinking group than in the non-drinking group.@*CONCLUSIONS@#An analysis of combinations of health risk factors showed obesity had the largest effect.

Regulation of Allergic Immune Responses by Microbial Metabolites

Emerging evidence demonstrates that the microbiota plays an essential role in shaping the development and function of host immune responses. A variety of environmental stimuli, including foods and commensals, are recognized by the host through the epithelium, acting as a physical barrier. Two allergic diseases, atopic dermatitis and food allergy, are closely linked to the microbiota, because inflammatory responses occur on the epidermal border. The microbiota generates metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids and poly-γ-glutamic acid (γPGA), which can modulate host immune responses. Here, we review how microbial metabolites can regulate allergic immune responses. Furthermore, we focus on the effect of γPGA on allergic T helper (Th) 2 responses and its therapeutic application.

Beta-Catenin Downregulation Contributes to Epidermal Growth Factor-induced Migration and Invasion of MDAMB231 Cells

We previously demonstrated that epidermal growth factor (EGF) enhances cell migration and invasion of breast cancer cells in a SMAD ubiquitination regulatory factor 1 (SMURF1)-dependent manner and that SMURF1 induces degradation of β-catenin in C2C12 cells. However, the relationship between EGF-induced SMURF1 and β-catenin expression in breast cancer cells remains unclear. So, we investigated if EGF and SMURF1 regulate β-catenin expression in MDAMB231 human breast cancer cells. When MDAMB231 cells were incubated with EGF for 24, 48, and 72 hours, EGF significantly increased expression levels of SMURF1 mRNA and protein while suppressing expression levels of β-catenin mRNA and protein. Overexpression of SMURF1 downregulated β-catenin mRNA and protein, whereas knockdown of SMURF1 increased β-catenin expression and blocked EGF-induced β-catenin downregulation. Knockdown of β-catenin enhanced cell migration and invasion of MDAMB231 cells, while β-catenin overexpression suppressed EGF-induced cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, knockdown of β-catenin enhanced vimentin expression and decreased cytokeratin expression, whereas β-catenin overexpression decreased vimentin expression and increased cytokeratin expression. These results suggest that EGF downregulates β-catenin in a SMURF1-dependent manner and that β-catenin downregulation contributes to EGF-induced cell migration and invasion in MDAMB breast cancer cells.

A 4-Axis Technique for Three-Dimensional Printing of an Artificial Trachea

BACKGROUND: Several types of three-dimensional (3D)-printed tracheal scaffolds have been reported. Nonetheless, most of these studies concentrated only on application of the final product to an in vivo animal study and could not show the effects of various 3D printing methods, materials, or parameters for creation of an optimal 3D-printed tracheal scaffold. The purpose of this study was to characterize polycaprolactone (PCL) tracheal scaffolds 3D-printed by the 4-axis fused deposition modeling (FDM) method and determine the differences in the scaffold depending on the additive manufacturing method. METHODS: The standard 3D trachea model for FDM was applied to a 4-axis FDM scaffold and conventional FDM scaffold. The scaffold morphology, mechanical properties, porosity, and cytotoxicity were evaluated. Scaffolds were implanted into a 7 × 10-mm artificial tracheal defect in rabbits. Four and 8 weeks after the operation, the reconstructed sites were evaluated by bronchoscopic, radiological, and histological analyses. RESULTS: The 4-axis FDM provided greater dimensional accuracy and was significantly closer to CAD software-based designs with a predefined pore size and pore interconnectivity as compared to the conventional scaffold. The 4-axis tracheal scaffold showed superior mechanical properties. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the 4-axis FDM process is more suitable for the development of an accurate and mechanically superior trachea scaffold.

Effects of Smoking Behaviors on Maternal Conditions and Conditions Arising during the Perinatal Period among Women of Reproductive Age

PURPOSE: This study analyzes the effects of smoking behaviors of women of reproductive ages in terms of maternal conditions and conditions arising during the perinatal period in Korea. METHODS: We used the National Health Insurance Corporation's medical panel data. Subjects included 382 individuals suffering from maternal conditions and conditions arising during the perinatal period from 2013 to 2014. A t-test was used to analyze the individual differences between maternal conditions and conditions arising during the perinatal period-A hierarchical regression analysis was performed in two steps to measure the effects of smoking behaviors on diseases. RESULTS: The amount and duration of smoking are significant factors causing maternal conditions and conditions arising during the perinatal period. In the regression analysis, the explanatory power of model was significantly increased by adding smoking behavior to the maternal conditions and conditions arising during the perinatal period. Smoking behavior during pregnancy displayed a significant influence on diseases. CONCLUSION: Results of this study showed that the effects of smoking behavior on maternal conditions and conditions arising during the perinatal period were significant. Therefore it is necessary to develop a smoking cessation education program for pregnant women in Korea.

Effects of Home-Based Intervention Program to Prevent Child Abuse for Parents: A Meta Analysis

PURPOSE: This study was done to conduct a meta-analysis of articles describing randomized controlled trials which showed substantiated effects for home-based child abuse prevention programs for all parents. METHODS: The articles regarding child abuse prevention programs for parents were investigated using the systematic review method. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane central library, Eric, and RISS on material published. Article searches and quality appraisal through RoB (Risk of Bias) yielded 14 records. RESULTS: The total random effect size was 0.344 (Parents outcome, 0.333; Child outcome, 0.310; Environment, 0.275). The home based intervention for parents was effective for prevention of potential child abuse. CONCLUSION: This study supports the effectiveness of health care professional directing child abuse prevention programs for all parents whose children are in the early years of life including during the period of pregnancy.

Distribution Analysis of Cerebral Microbleeds in Alzheimer's Disease and Cerebral Infarction with Susceptibility Weighted MR Imaging

BACKGROUND: Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) reflect cerebral small vessel disease and has a pathological role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and stroke according to their distribution. We investigated to determine whether association of CMBs distribution in Korean patients with AD and cerebral infarction by susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) which is a most sensitive magnetic resonance imaging technique for enhanced detection and localization of CMBs. METHODS: Seventy-one patients (AD 30, recent cerebral infarction 21, control 20) were included and 1.5 Tesla SWI was used to image. The Microbleed Anatomical Rating Scale (MARS) was used to localize each CMBs distribution (lobar versus basal ganglia/thalamus [deep], and infratentorial). RESULTS: The prevalence of CMBs was higher in AD and cerebral infarction than controls (p=0.004). Predilection of the total CMBs (n=71) were in order of lobar, basal ganglia/thalamus (deep), and infratentorial region (p=0.029). There was only significant predilection of CMBs in basal ganglia/thalamus (deep) region in cerebral infarction compared with AD (p=0.037) and controls (p=0.011). However, predilection of CMBs in lobar region than infratentorial region (p=0.019) in AD, and predilection of CMBs in basal ganglia/thalamus (deep) region than infratentorial region (p=0.033) in cerebral infarction were significant. Hypertension, a strong risk factor for hypertensive angiopathy was not significant in contributing CMBs prevalence in three groups even though the incidence of hypertension was higher in cerebral infarction than AD and controls. CONCLUSION: Characteristic predilection pattern of CMBs distribution between AD and cerebral infarction through SWI might provide an imaging biomarker for differentiation between dementia due to cerebrovascular disease and cerebral degenerative disorders.

Dose-dependent effects of busulfan on dog testes in preparation for spermatogonial stem cell transplantation / 한국실험동물학회지

Successful male germ cell transplantation requires depletion of the host germ cells to allow efficient colonization of the donor spermatogonial stem cells. Although a sterilizing drug, busulfan, is commonly used for the preparation of recipient models before transplantation, the optimal dose of this drug has not yet been defined in dogs. In this study, 1-year-old mongrel dogs were intravenously injected with three different concentrations of busulfan (10, 15, or 17.5 mg/kg). Four weeks after busulfan treatment, no fully matured spermatozoa were detected in any of the busulfan-treated groups. However, small numbers of PGP9.5-positive spermatogonia were detected in all treatment groups, although no synaptonemal complex protein-3-positive spermatocytes were detected. Of note, acrosin-positive spermatids were not detected in the dogs treated with 15 or 17.5 mg/kg busulfan, but were detected in the other group. Eight weeks after busulfan treatment, the dogs treated with 10 mg/kg busulfan fully recovered, but those in the other groups did not. PGP9.5-positive spermatogonia were detected in the 10 mg/kg group, and at a similar level as in the control group, but these cells were rarely detected in the 15 and 17.5 mg/kg groups. These results suggest that a dose of 15-17.5 mg/kg is optimal for ablative treatment with busulfan to prepare the recipient dogs for male germ cell transplantation. At least eight weeks should be allowed for recovery. The results of this study might facilitate the production of recipient dogs for male germ cell transplantation and can also contribute to studies on chemotherapy.

Critical Review on Amendment Bill of Mental Health Act / 신경정신의학

The Korean Mental Health Act, enacted in 1995, was entirely amended 20 years later and the amendment was passed by the National Assembly plenary session on May 19. 2015. The amended Mental Health Act reflects the recent rapid changes in the mental health environment and contributes one more step toward securing human rights for people with mental illness. However, after review of some major issues, it is doubtful whether there was sufficient discussion on the national mental health policy and whether a national consensus was obtained. This paper describes some problems within the amended Act and discusses several ways to improve the Act. Patients' autonomy and medical paternalism are typical major concerns in the field of medical ethics. Especially for patients with mental illness, it is difficult to maintain a balance between those two concerns because there is often an inability to assign responsibility for those concerns. Therefore, a revised Act should take into account these two concerns. When creating subordinate legislation ahead of the enactment of the amendments on May 30, 2016, establishment of a more reasonable and efficient system is expected ; if there has been sufficient discussion with related organizations and professionals and sufficient consideration of the realities of various medical fields. Such expectations should improve public mental health welfare.

Application of a Collagen Patch Derived from Duck Feet in Acute Tympanic Membrane Perforation

We investigated the utility of the duck-feet collagen extraction patching procedure in the traumatic tympanic membrane (TM) perforation via a comparison with spontaneous healing or paper patch. Fifty-six ears of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, each weighing in the range of 250 to 300 g, were used for the animal studies. Sixteen rats had one-side ear in the control group and the opposite-side ear in the treated groups. The remaining twelve rats had a one-side ear with the duck-feet collagen patch and the opposite-side ear with a paper patch. The proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression cells were calculated among the 200 basal cells, and the expression percentage was identified as the labeling index. The healing of the perforation in the duck-feet collagen patch group was confirmed to be more rapid compared to the healing of the other groups. PCNA staining was observed in the migrating portion of PCNA enhanced cell to collagen scaffold in Post operative day (POD) 7 of collagen patch group. Thus, the adhesive effect of the duck-feet collagen patch to perforated margin was better than that of the paper patch. After completing the healing process, the collagen patch shrank and detached from the tympanic membrane (POD 14). In this study, we confirmed that the use of a duck-feet collagen patch had the advantage of early healing, inducing natural TM contour, and disappearing ability after the patch effect is complete.

Fabrication and Characterization of Hydrocolloid Dressing with Silk Fibroin Nanoparticles for Wound Healing

Hydrocolloid dressings have been developed for many types of wound healing. In particular, dressing is a critical component in the successful recover of burn injuries, which causes a great number of people to not only suffer from physical but also psychological and economic anguish each year. Additionally, silk fibroin is the safest material for tissue engineering due to biocompatibility. In this study, we fabricated hydrocolloid dressings incorporating silk fibroin nanoparticles to enhance the efficacy of hydrocolloid dressing and then use this silk fibroin nanoparticle hydrocolloid dressing (SFNHD) in animal models to treat burn wounds. The structures and properties of SFNHD were characterized using tensile strength and Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. The results indicated the structural stability and the cellular biocompatibility of the hydrocolloid dressing suggesting that SFNHD can be applied to the treatment of wounds. To demonstrate the capacity of a silk fibroin hydrocolloid dressing to treat burn wounds, we compared SFNHD to gauze and Neoderm®, a commercially available dressing. This study clearly demonstrated accelerated wound healing with greater wound structural integrity and minimal wound size after treatment with SFNHD. These observations indicate that SFNHD may be an improvement upon current standard dressings such as Gauze and Neoderm® for burn wounds.

Development of a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay for the quantification of simvastatin acid, the active metabolite of simvastatin, in human plasma

Simvastatin is a lipid-lowering drug that is metabolized to its active metabolite simvastatin acid (SA). We developed and validated a sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method to quantitate SA in human plasma using a liquid-liquid extraction method with methanol. The protonated analytes generated in negative ion mode were monitored by multiple reaction monitoring. Using 500-mL plasma aliquots, SA was quantified in the range of 0.1-100 ng/mL. Calibration was performed by internal standardization with lovastatin acid, and regression curves were generated using a weighting factor of 1/χ2. The linearity, precision, and accuracy of this assay for each compound were validated using quality control samples consisting of mixtures of SA (0.1, 0.5, 5, and 50 ng/mL) and plasma. The intra-batch accuracy was 95.3-107.8%, precision was -2.2% to -3.7%, and linearity (r2) was over 0.998 in the standard calibration range. The chromatographic running time was 3.0 min. This method sensitively and reliably measured SA concentrations in human plasma and was successfully used in clinical pharmacokinetic studies of simvastatin in healthy Korean adult male volunteers.