• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.923-927
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• 2009

Effects of deep sea water on blood glucose and the Langerhans' islet in STZ-induced type I diabetic mice were investigated. Results showed that diabetic symptoms in STZ-induced diabetic mice improve with a supplement of deep sea water. That is, the level of blood glucose was lower, the area of the Langerhan' islet was wider, and the number of pancreatic $\beta$-cells was larger in the diabetic mice supplied with deep sea water than in the diabetic mice supplied with tap water. Such effects might be related to the high level of Mg$^{2+}$ in the deep sea water.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.271-278
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• 2014

Rubus coreanus has been used as a traditional medicine in Asia because of its various pharmacological properties. This study examined the effects of protocatechuic acid (PCA), one of phenolic compounds derived from R. coreanus on the lipid metabolism in high cholesterol diet-induced mice. A total of 30 male C57BL/6 mice were divided into 5 groups with 6 mice in each group as follows: (1) Control mice received normal diet (ND). (2) Mice received high-cholesterol diet (HCD) plus water, 10% sucrose solution and treated daily oral phosphate-buffered-saline (PBS) of equal volumes through gavage. (3) Mice received HCD and treated daily with 25 mg/kg b.w./day of PCA (4) with 50 mg/kg b.w./day or (5) with 10 mg/kg b.w./day of simvastatin via oral gavage for 12 weeks. Body weights were measured weekly for a period of experiment. After treatment, liver, thymus, spleen and kidney were harvested and weighed, and the lipid metabolite profiles (total cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-c), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) and liver-damaging markers (GOT and GPT) in serum were examined. PCA significantly reduced the total cholesterol, TG, LDL-c level and increased the HDL-c level. PCA administration also significantly reduced the levels of GOT and GPT. These results indicate that the PCA could be used as a functional material for lowering lipid and an adjuvant for the treatment of hyperlipemia.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.260-265
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• 2014

Dried Citrus unshiu peels (Aurantii Nobilis Pericarpium; ANP) are used as a traditional folk medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders in East Asia, including Korea. In the present study, an ethanolic extract of ANP (ANP-E) exhibited no significant toxicity in mice, even at an oral dose of 5 g/kg. The effects of ANP-E on GI motor function were investigated by measuring the intestinal transit rate (ITR) of Evans blue in normal mice and mice with experimental GI motility dysfunction (i.e., peritoneal irritation by acetic acid; PIA). In normal mice, ANP-E significantly increased the ITR in a dose-dependent manner. The ITR in the PIA mice was significantly retarded compared to that in the normal mice. However, ANP-E significantly inhibited this retardation in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, in all the models, the potency of ANP-E appeared to be same or higher than that of cisapride, which was used predominantly for the treatment of various GI motility disorders in humans in the 1900s but was removed from the market in 2000 due to fatal side effects. The results suggest that ANP-E has potential as a new prokinetic agent that could be used as a substitute for cisapride.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.589-594
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• 2022

The objective of this study was to investigate whether betulinic acid can inhibit the activities of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes and reduce postprandial hyperglycemia in mice with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Our results revealed that betulinic acid has potent inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase and α-amylase activities. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) of betulinic acid were 12.83±6.81 and 18.32±3.24 μM for α-glucosidase and α-amylase, respectively. This result indicates lower IC₅₀ values and higher inhibitory activities than those of acarbose, an oral hypoglycemic drug. The increase in postprandial blood glucose levels was significantly suppressed in the betulinic acid group than in the control group of diabetic and normal mice. Postprandial blood glucose levels were 23.22±1.1, 24.38±1.31, and 21.05±1.36 μM in the betulinic acid group compared to 24.64±1.7, 27.22±1.58, and 26.36±1.40 μM in the control group of diabetic mice at 30, 60 and 120 min, respectively. The area under the curve also significantly decreased with the administration of betulinic acid in diabetic mice, however, it did not decrease more than that after acarbose administration. Our results showed that betulinic acid may be a potent inhibitor of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes and ameliorate postprandial hyperglycemia in diabetic mice.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.491-497
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• 2014

This study investigated the effects of alginate oligosaccharide on lipid metabolism in mice fed a high-cholesterol diet for 6 weeks. Male apoE mice were assigned to four groups: normal diet group (N), high-cholesterol diet group (HC), HC with 5% alginate oligosaccharide group (HC-AOL), and 10% alginate oligosaccharide group (HC-AOH). Epididymal adipose tissue and kidney adipose tissue weights were significantly reduced in the HC-AOH group by 131.4% and 148.4%, respectively, as compared to the HC group. Serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and LDL-cholesterol levels were also significantly reduced in the HC-AOH group by 57.5%, 51.4%, and 82.9%, respectively, as compared to the HC group. Hepatic TC and TG levels in the HC-AOH group were significantly reduced by 72.3% and 33.5%, respectively, as compared to the HC group. These results indicate that alginate oligosaccharide might improve lipid metabolism and reduce fat accumulation.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.120-123
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• 2002

In order to investigate the effects of chitosan on the normal and cyclophosphamide (CY)-suppressed primary humoral immune response in mice, chitosan was orally administered alone (single dose of 62.5, 250 mg/kg) or with CY (20 mg/kg, i.p.) to female ICR mice on the 2nd day before or after immunization with SRBC-antigen. When chitosan alone was administered before antigenic challenge, splenic IgM plaque forming cells (PFC) and splenic cellularity were slightly increased and serum IgM was not changed when compared with control group. However, chitosan significantly enhanced PFC, serum IgM and splenic cellularity when administered after antigenic challenge. The PFC numbers, serum IgM and splenic cellularity were significantly decreased by the treatment of CY, whereas those values were slightly increased by the concomitant treament of CY and chitosan when compared with CY alone-administration. These results indicate that chitosan is able to increase normal humoral immunity (HI) and to slightly inhibit the suppressive effects of CY on HI.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.23-30
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• 2008

This study implicated that the CBT-AK5 purified from Lactobacillus casei (LAFTI L26) which showed antitumor activity in ICR mice. Hence, ICR mice were inoculated intraperitoneally Sarcoma-180 as well as CBT-AK5. Then we observed the life span and tumor increment of those ICR mice. Here our studies showed effect on two different way of treatment as intraperitoneally and orally treated in Sarcoma-180 infected ICR mice. We found that intraperitoneally treatment of Sarcoma-180 and CBT-AK5 is more effective than orally fed. The life span of the ICR mice were highly reduced after the inoculation of Sarcoma-180. Those effects like increment of body weight, the growth of ascites and solid were inhibited significantly after the treatment of CBT-AK5 in Sarcoma-180 infected ICR mice. Finally these studies suggested that CBT-AK5 isolated form Lactobacillus casei showed excellent antitumor activity against Sarcoma-180 infected ICR mice.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.12
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• pp.1537-1543
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• 2007

This study was investigate the effect of grape seed water extract (GSW) on lipid profiles, lipid metabolism and erythrocyte antioxidant defense system in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. Three groups of male C57BL/6 mice were fed different diets for 6 weeks: normal diet (Normal), high-fat diet (HF control; 37% calorie from fat) and high-fat diet supplemented with GSW (HF-GSW; 1% wt/wt). Supplementation of GSW did not affect the body weight, food intake, daily energy intake, white adipose tissue weights and plasma leptin level in high-fat fed mice. Plasma and hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride contents were significantly higher in the HF control group than in the Normal group; however, GSW supplement significantly lowered plasma triglyceride and hepatic cholesterol concentrations compared to the HF control group. GSW supplement significantly increased fecal excretion of triglyceride in high-fat fed mice. Hepatic carnitine palmitoyl transferase activity was significantly higher in the HF-GSW group than in the HF control group, while fatty acid ${\beta}$-oxidation tended to be lowered by GSW supplement. Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity was also significantly higher in the HF-GSW group than in the HF control group and glutathione peroxidase activity tended to be lowered in HF-GSW group. The GSW supplement significantly lowered erythrocyte lipid peroxidation level compared to the HF control group. Accordingly, these results suggest that GSW can be considered as a lipid-lowering agent and as being effective for enhancing erythrocyte antioxidant defense system in high-fat diet-induced obese mice.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.284-294
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• 2006

Objective: Activating mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor-2 (FGFR2) have been shown to cause syndromic craniosynostosis such as Apert and Crouzon syndromes. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the resultant phenotypes induced by the two distinctive bone-targeted gene constructs of FGFR2, Pro253Arg and Cys278Phe, corresponding to human Apert and Crouzon syndromes respectively. Methods: Wild type and a transgenic mouse model with normal FGFR2 were used as controls to examine the validity of the microinjection. Micro-CT and morphometric analysis on the skull revealed the following results. Results: Both Apert and Crouzon mutants of FGFR2 induced fusion of calvarial sutures and anteroposteriorly constricted facial dimension, with anterior crossbite present only in Apert mice. Apert mice differed from Crouzon mice and transgenic mice with normal FGFR2 in the anterior cranial base flexure and calvarial flexure angle which implies a possible difference in the pathogenesis of the two mutations. In contrast, the transgenic mice with normal FGFR2 displayed normal craniofacial phenotype. Conclusion: Apert and Crouzon mutations appear to lead to genotype-specific phenotypes, possibly causing the distinctive sites and sequence of synostosis in the calvaria and cranial base. The exact function of the altered FGFR2 at each suture needs further investigation.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.181-191
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• 2006

NFI-C null mice demonstrated aberrant odontoblast differentiation and thus abnormal dentin formation while other tissues/organs in the body, including ameloblasts, appear to be unaffected and normal. However little is known about the mechanism of NFI-C function in odontoblast differentiation and dentin formation. Odontoblasts are tall, highly polarized cells that are responsible for formation and maintenance of the predentin and dentin. An indication of their polarity is the acquisition of specialized intercellular junctions. As preodontoblasts differentiate into odontoblasts, they are Joined and attached at the apical end by well developed terminal webs of cytoskeletal actins, and associated tight as well as adherent njunctions. In this study, in order to investigate if disruption of the NFI-C gene interferes with formation of a specific or other structural proteins of the intercellular junctions, we examined morphological characteristic of the aberrant odontoblast in NFI-C null mice using light and electron microscope. In addition, we determined the expression of major structural proteins of intercellular junctions, ZO-1 and occludin, during the differentiation of odontoblasts using immunohitochemistry. The results were as follows : 1. In light microscopy, abnormal odontoblasts of incisors of the NFI-C null mice were round in shape, lost their polarity, and trapped in osteodentin-like mineralized tissue. Mutant molars have relatively normal crowns, but short and abnormal differentiating adontoblasts in root formation area. 2. Electron microscopy of abnormal odontoblasts revealed the dissociation of the round osteoblast-like cells, the loss of their cellular polarity, and the absence of an intercellular junctional complex known as the tight junctions. 3. A mutant incisor showed labeling for ZO-1 at the proximal and distal ends of secreting ameloblasts, while staining for ZO-1 was not observed in the abnormal odontoblasts. 4. A normal incisor showed immunoreactivity for occludin in the differentiating odontoblasts. However, staining for occludin was not observed in the abnormal odontoblasts of mutant incisor. These results suggest that NFI-C gene causes dissociation of odontoblast and thus abberant odontoblast differentiation and abnormal dentin formation by interfering with the formation of intercellular junctions.