Purpose: We examined the effects of Dansam (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, SM) and Dansam-eum (DSE) on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and reflux esophagitis by comparing the inhibitory effects of SM and DSE with the representative treatment of PPI Omeprazole to determine if the effects of the prescription DSE based on Korean medicine are better than those of a single-use of SM.Methods: We performed experiments using both animal models and cancer cells.Results: Comparison of SM and DSE with PPI in the animal model tests revealed that the effects were superior for SM and DSE than for PPI in all categories (8-OHdG, p-IκB, PAR2, COX-1, cathelicidin, p-JNK, Caspase 3, ATP6V1B1, GRPR, serotonin, and NPY). In three categories (COX-1, serotonin, and NPY), SM and DSE showed superior results over the Controls. In the animal model tests, DSE was superior to SM in all categories except for serotonin. The anti-cancer effects observed in cancer cell tests revealed that SM and DSE had meaningful results in terms of cytotoxicity and cell movement rate, as well as in cancer cell apoptosis.Conclusions: We confirmed that SM and DSE can have effects on reflux esophagitis through the regulation of oxidative stress, inflammation, mucosal protection, apoptosis, proton pumping, and the enteroendocrine system in the stomach and esophagus. We also confirmed that SM and DSE have superior effects to those of PPI on all aspects, especially gastric mucosa protection and enteroendocrine system control. We also confirmed that SM and DSE have anti-cancer effects. Above all, we confirmed that DSE has superior effects on almost all aspects compared to using SM alone.

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Adrenal insufficiency is caused by adrenal failure or impairment of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The main symptoms of adrenal insufficiency are chronic fatigue, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, and weight loss. We report a case of adrenal insufficiency in a 38-year-old female. The patient complained of headache, dizziness, anorexia, and general weakness. We treated her with Iggisaengjin-tang and acupuncture. After treatment, the patient's symptoms were improved and serum cortisol levels rose to a normal range without the aid of steroid supplementation therapy. This case suggests that Korean medicine can be effective in the treatment of adrenal insufficiency, but more clinical reports are needed.