Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease associated with various factors, including immunological abnormalities and exposure to allergens. Astaxanthin (AST) is a xanthophyll carotenoid that has recently been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory effects and to regulate the expression of inflammatory cytokines. Thus, we investigated whether AST could improve the derm...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the reliability and validity of Korean version of AST (K-AST) as a bedside screening test of apraxia in patients with stroke for early and reliable detection. METHODS AST was translated into Korean, and the translated version received authorization from the author of AST. The performances of K-AST in 26 patients (21 males, 5 females; mean age 65.42±17.31 years) with stro...

BACKGROUND We investigated the long-term effect of AST-120, which has been proposed as a therapeutic option against renal disease progression, in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). METHODS We performed post-hoc analysis with a per-protocol group of the K-STAR study (Kremezin study against renal disease progression in Korea) that randomized participants into an AST-120 and a ...

Background. Early identification of high risk subjects for cardiovascular disease in health check-up is still unmet medical need. Cardiovascular disease is characterized by the superior increase in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to alanine aminotransferase (ALT). However, the association of AST/ALT ratio with brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and cardiovascular mortality remains unclear ...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS To ascertain the causes of raised aspartate aminotransferase (AST) presumed to be of hepatic origin in two hospitals and the local community served by a centralised biochemistry laboratory. METHODS From June 1996 to February 1997 all patients with AST greater than 400 U/l were identified by the biochemistry laboratory; the patients' clinical records were studied to determi...

Abnormal liver function tests are not uncommon encounter in diabetes mellitus patients. The aim of this study was to find out the liver function test abnormalit ies in a group of d iabetic patients in Myanmar and to determine the factors associated with these biochemical changes. In this cross sectional study conducted at the diabetic clinic of Yangon General Hospital, Myanmar between March 200...

In this study, we evaluated the effect of astragaloside IV (Ast IV) post-ischemia treatment on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury (IRI). We also examined whether hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and its downstream gene-inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS) play roles in the cardioprotective effect of Ast IV. Cultured cardiomyocytes and perfused isolated rat hearts were expose...

Background: Obstructive jaundice is believed to be characterized by abnormalities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), rather than aspartate transaminase (AST). Aim: To compare liver function tests (LFTs) in obstructive jaundice due to malignant strictures with those of jaundice due to gallstones. Methods: LFTs were measured immediately before endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) in...

This study investigated the changes in peripheral benzodiazepine receptors (PBRs) in the penumbra after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, and examined the effects of astragaloside IV (AST) on PBRs in rats. Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a sham operation group, a model group, and three AST treatment groups. Cerebral ischemic models were induced by the clue-blocked method. Neurol...

Liver marker {e.g., alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)} levels independently predict insulin resistance. The aim of the present study is to examine how changes in liver markers are associated with changes in insulin resistance after exercise in Japanese community-dwelling adults. The participants were 76 women aged 67 ± 6 years from a rural village. Nordic walk ...