CML-1 is a purified extract from a mixture of 13 Oriental herbs (Achyranthis Radix, Angelicae Gigantis Radix, Cinnamomi Cortex Spissus, Eucommiae Cortex, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Hoelen, Lycii Fructus, Paeoniae Radix, Rehmanniae Radix Preparata and Atractylodis Rhizoma, Zingiberis Rhizoma, Zizyphi Semen, Acori Graminei Rhizoma) that have been widely used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases in Asia. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential of CML-1. The animals used in this study were administered either vehicle or CML-1 (30, 100, 300 and 600 mg/kg) orally. The vascular permeability induced by acetic acid was significantly reduced by CML-1 in all doses. The swelling of the rat's hind paw induced by carrageenan was significantly inhibited by CML-1 in doses of 100, 300 and 600 mg/kg. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis induced by complete Freund's adjuvant in rats, the treatment with CML-1 at a dose level of 300 mg/kg inhibited edema. CML-1 at a dose level of 600 mg/kg inhibited acetic acid-induced writhing syndrome, however it did not have any anti-nociceptive action in the Randall-Selitto assay or the hot plate test. Our findings suggest that CML-1 has a potent anti-inflammatory activity.

Aim We aim to determine the safety and effectiveness of a standard therapeutic package of Korean medicine for the treatment of unexplained infertility in a cross-section of women who sought treatment at an integrative hospital in Seoul, Korea. Background Infertility affects more than 1.2 million women in the United States alone. Treatment options for infertility vary, yet the barriers of invasiveness, cost, and access inhibit treatment use for many women. Alternative medical approaches exist for this indication, and sustain certain popularity. Therefore, we systematically studied a standard therapeutic package of Korean medicine to treat unexplained infertility in women. Methods Female participants included in this observational study met inclusion criteria before receiving a set of treatments including herbal medicine, acupuncture, and moxibustion. A study physician screened each patient in accordance with inclusion criteria, provided study information, and after the patients consented, performed the baseline assessment. Assessments included age, the history of assisted reproductive technology, and duration of infertility. The key outcome measure included the number who achieved pregnancy and any neo-natal morbidity and mortality at follow-up stage for those who got pregnant. Any other adverse events including aggravation of existing symptoms, and the number of dropouts, were recorded. Treatments were supposed to be completed after 6 menstrual cycles between February 2005 and April 2006. Results One hundred and four (104) women with unexplained infertility were included in this observational study. Participant mean age was 32 years (SD: 2.7), with a range between 26 and 41 years. The median duration of infertility after diagnosis was 33.5 weeks (interquartile range: 20.8–50.3). In total, 41 participants (39.4%) had undergone a mean number of 1.4 (SD: 2.2) assisted reproductive technology treatments prior to joining the study. The number of patients remaining in or achieving pregnancy throughout the 6-month study period was 23 (14 pregnancies), 22.1%. Six (6) participants (4.8%) reported minor adverse events including rash in the face (n = 1), diarrhea (n = 2), dizziness (n = 1), and heartburn (n = 2). Of the 14 pregnancies, there were 10 normal births, and 4 miscarriages; otherwise, no neonatal morbidity/mortality occurred. According to per protocol analysis, 14 pregnancies out of 23 total were achieved by those who remained for the entire six menstruation cycle treatments, yielding a pregnancy rate of 60.9%. Conclusions The standard therapeutic package for unexplained infertility in women studied here is safe for infants and the treated women, when administered by licensed professionals. While it remains challenging to have the target population complete a 6-month treatment course, during which most patients have to pay out of pocket, the extent of successfully achieved pregnancy in those who received full treatment provides meaningful outcomes, warranting further attention. A future study that includ...

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Conclusion:The effect of heavy metals on testosterone levels in male patients with infertility remains unclear. There is however suggestive evidence that cupping therapy can have a positive impact on testosterone levels in male infertility. Further trials with larger population sample sizes utilising a randomisation methodology is recommended.Purpose: It has been suggested that scrotal temperature and semen quality are closely associated. The purpose of this study is to explore the associations of the scrotal temperature measured by the infrared thermography and semen quality among infertility clinic outpatients.Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of outpatients who visited at Conmaul Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea from March 2013 to February 2015. In this study, 48 outpatients who had taken scrotal thermography and semen analysis with a difference of less than a month were included. Semen analysis was done according to 2010 World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Abnormal semen parameter was defined as oligozoospermia (O), asthenozoospermia (A) and teratozoospermia (T) according to 2010 WHO guidelines. Scrotal temperature index (STI) was defined as mean left and right skin temperature difference ( T) between the thigh and testicle. We divided patients into two groups as High STI group (n=26) and Low STI group (n=22) by mean STI (1.17) of 48 outpatients. Chi-square test was used to analyze the incidence of at least two abnormal semen parameters between two groups.Results: There were 10 patients (OT=1, AT=7, OAT=2) and 2 patients (AT=1, OT=1) with at least two abnormal semen parameters in High STI group (n=26) and Low STI group (n=22), respectively. High STI group was associated with increased incidences for at least two abnormal semen parameters than Low STI group (OR= 6.25; 95% CI 1.195-32.687, p=0.019).Conclusion: In the hypothesis testing using chi-square method, there was a significant difference of incidence of at least two abnormal semen parameters according to STI. We suggest that the infrared thermography may provide the semen quality information. Further studies with large samples are needed.Contact: Junyoung Jo, studd@naver.com http://dx. Purpose:Traditional East Asian Medicine posits that the tongue color (TC) in patients with the deficiency syndrome (DS) differ according to its subtype patterns. The DS is categorized into four subtype patterns (FSPs) based on the qi, blood, yin and yang; and it provides helpful information for treatment of DS in clinic. However, a clinical evidence of TC difference according to the FSP has not appeared in paper. In this study, we measured the TC with an objective method and analyzed its differences according to the FSPs on DS.Methods: One-hundred and twenty-three subjects with DS were participated in the experiment and classified into qi deficiency (n=32), blood deficiency (n=31), yin deficiency (n=30) and yang deficiency (n=30) groups based on the agreements of diagnostic results between two Korean oriental medicine doctors. Tongue images were ...