• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.9-15
• /
• 2007

Purpose: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has recently been clinically applied in the treatment of drug resistant depressed patients. There are mixed findings about the efficacy of rTMS on depression. Furthermore, the influence of rTMS on the physiology of the brain is not clear. We prospectively evaluated changes of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) between pre- and post-rTMS treatment in patients with drug resistant depression. Materials and Methods: Twelve patients with drug-resistant depression (7 male, 5 female; age range: $19{\sim}52$ years; mean age: $29.3{\pm}9.3$ years) were given rTMS on right prefrontal lobe with low frequency (1 Hz) and on left prefrontal lobe with high frequency (20 Hz), with 20-minute-duration each day for 3 weeks. Tc-99m ECD brain perfusion SPECT was obtained before and after rTMS treatment. The changes of cerebral perfusion were analyzed using statistical parametric mapping (SPM; t=3.14, uncorrected p<0.01, voxel=100). Results: Following areas showed significant increase in rCBF after 3 weeks rTMS treatment: the cingulate gyrus, fusiform gyrus of right temporal lobe, precuneus, and left lateral globus pallidus. Significant decrement was noted in: the precental and middle frontal gyrus of right frontal lobe, and fusiform gyrus of left occipital lobe. Conclusion: Low-frequency rTMS on the right prefrontal cortex and high-frequency rTMS on the left prefrontal cortex for 3 weeks as an add-on regimen have increased and decreased rCBF in the specific brain regions in drug-resistant depressed patients. Further analyses correlating clinical characteristics and treatment paradigm with functional imaging data may be helpful in clarifying the pathophysiology of drug-resistant depressed patients.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.41 no.8
• /
• pp.701-710
• /
• 2008

The wild simulated ginseng (WSG) has been effectively used in folk medicine as a remedy against hepatic disease, hypertension and arthritic disease. However, there is still lack of scientific proof about its antioxidant capability. The present study has been conducted to evaluate the protective role of the WSG ethanol extract in the CCl4-induced oxidative stress and resultant hepatic disfunction in ICR mice. The electron donating abilities and IC50 of WSG etnanol extract were 76.86 ${\pm}$ 1.06% and 33.3 ${\mu}g$/mL (that of ascobic acid was 16.5 ${\mu}g$/mL), respectively. Total antioxidant status of WSG extract was 2.13 ${\pm}$ 0.06 mmoL/mg, while the values of ascorbic acid and BHT were 3.63 ${\pm}$ 0.06 and 3.12 ${\pm}$ 0.02, respectively. ICR mice (aged 3weeks) were fed for 4 weeks on AIN-93M diet and had free access to food and water. The animals were divided into three groups: normal group (intraperitoneally (i.p) injected with PBS at 100 ${\mu}L$/mouse), group C; CCl4-induced and without any treatment. (i.p injected only PBS, 100 ${\mu}L$ /mice), group G; CCl4-induced and treated with WSG (i.p injected with 5 mg WSG extract per mouse, suspended in 100 ${\mu}L$ phosphate buffer). After the i.p. injection of WSG or PBS (5 times for 7weeks), all mice were administered CCl4 in olive oil at the last day of the experiment, except for normal group. The normal group was administered only olive oil. Determination of plasma triglyceride, total cholersterol, fasting glucose and GPT activity was performed using automatic blood analyzer. To evaluate the protective effect against the oxidative stress, DNA fragmentation and TBARS were determined in blood leucocytes and RBC and hepatocyte, respectively. Body and organs weights and food intake did not show significant differences among the groups. Blood total cholesterol of group G was similar to that of normal group, which was the lowest in group C. The fasting blood glucose level was the highest in normal group (205.20 ${\pm}$ 135.24), which were decreased in group C (134.2 ${\pm}$ 79.31) and group G (126.48 ${\pm}$ 77.05). TBARS values in a red blood cell and hepatic tisuue homogenate were lower in group G comparing to the group C. DNA% in tail, tail length (TL) and tail moment (TM) of blood leucoocytes showed the highest values in group C (20.11 ${\pm}$ 2.47, 17.36 ${\pm}$ 2.58, 94.11 ${\pm}$ 12.29) and they were significantly diminished in group G (9.63 ${\pm}$ 1.19, 7.04 ${\pm}$ 1.50, 38.64 ${\pm}$ 7.60). In conclusion, wild simulated ginseng might be a protective agent against the oxidative stress.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.197-204
• /
• 2012

This study examined the protective effects of an ethanol extract of Youngia denticulata leaf (YDL) and Youngia denticulata root (YDR), and Youngia sonchifolia leaf (YSL) and Youngia sonchifolia root (YSR) on acute ethanol-intoxicated rat. The rats were pretreated with an ethanol extract of YDL, YDR, YSL and YSR for 4 weeks before being exposed to ethanol (5 g ethanol, po/kg BW). The biochemical indices (hepatic alcohol metabolic enzymes and serum ALT activities, and hepatic and serum lipid profiles) were examined to evaluate the protective effects. The hepatic ADH activities in all experimental groups were not changed significantly by acute ethanol after a pretreatment with the YS and YD ethanol extracts. In contrast, the ALDH activity in EC (ethanol control) was higher than that of NC (normal control); these activities in the YDL and YSL groups were significantly higher than that of the EC group. On the other hand, acute ethanol exposure resulted in a significant increase in the serum TG, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, hepatic TG, total lipid and cholesterol levels, and serum ALT activity, and a decrease in the serum HDL-cholesterol. A pretreatment with the YS and YD ethanol extracts dramatically attenuated these adverse effects. In particular, the YDL pretreatment markedly suppressed the ethanol-induced increase in the serum and hepatic TG and total cholesterol levels. Furthermore, serum ethanol was decreased by a pretreatment with YSL, YSR, YDL, or YDR. Overall, YD and YS ethanol extracts attenuate acute ethanol-induced hyperlipidemia and fatty liver significantly. Nevertheless, further study will be needed.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.26 no.9
• /
• pp.1063-1073
• /
• 2016

Male climacteric syndrome, andropause, or testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) is one of the new health issues in elderly men. It is a natural phenomenon that happens with age in men, which is clinically characterized by a decline in levels of serum testosterone resulting in a significantly decreasing of physical and mental activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the putative alleviative effects of dandelion extract on the symptoms of TDS by increasing serum testosterone levels and compare the efficacy between dandelion extract (DE) and fermented dandelion extract (FDE). After daily intake of DE and FDE for 4 weeks, serum testosterone levels, muscles of vastus lateralis, forced swimming time, total sperm counts, and motile sperm counts were significantly increased in older rats (22 weeks). Additionally, SHBG, epididymal fat pad, total serum cholesterol and triglyceride were significantly decreased in DE and FDE fed groups. However, PSA levels were not different among all groups. Furthermore, DE and FDE enhanced the expression of genes related to testosterone biosynthesis in TM3 Leydig cells. Overall, these positive effects on andropause were greater in FDE compared to DE. These results suggest the potential of FDE as a safe and efficacious natural material for recovering testosterone levels and reducing andropause symptoms.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.36 no.6
• /
• pp.528-536
• /
• 2021

The purpose of the study was to investigate the content of sinigrin, an index component, in Brassica juncea extract and to evaluate the differentiation of lipocytes, inhibition of production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduction of protein production by lipogenic factors (PPARγ, C/EBPα, aP2) in the processing of Brassica juncea extract and sinigrin in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes which induces Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disrupting environmental hormone. From the investigation, the content of sinigrin in Brassica juncea extract, measured by HPLC, is found to be 21.27±0.2 mg/g. The XTT assay result on BPA-derived 3T3-L1 adipocytes shows there is no cytotoxicity found from 180 µM of sinigrin and 300 ㎍/mL of Brassica juncea extract. Moreover, both intracellular lipid accumulation and ROS production during differentiation of lipocyte are significantly reduced in cells processed with Brassica juncea extract and sinigrin. Lastly, it was also found that the production of transcription factors of lipocyte differentiation, PPARγ, C/EBPα and aP2, were found to be suppressed by the application of Brassica juncea extract and sinigrin. Such results reveals that Brassica juncea is effective in not only suppressing lipid accumulation in the environmental hormone bisphenol A-derived lipocyte, but also in reducing the ROS. The sinigrin-containing Brassica juncea is highly expected to be used in natural functional supplements that prevents the lipid metabolism disorders caused by BPA. There are necessities for additional clinical research and follow-up studies on the in vivo model to verify the relevant mechanisms.