• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.203-209
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• 2006

Ethane 1,2-Dimethane sulfonate(EDS), a toxin which specifically kills Leydig cells(LC), has been widely used to prepare the reversible testosterone(T) depletion rat model. Previous studies including our own clearly demonstrated that the dramatic weight loss of the T-dependent accessory sex organs such as epididymis and seminal vesicle in this 'LC knock-out' rats. These weight loss could be derived from massive and abrupt death of the cells via apoptotic process. The present study was performed to test the effect of EDS administration on the expression of some apoptotic genes in the rat epididymis. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats($300{\sim}350$ g B.W.) were injected with single dose of EDS(75 mg/kg, i.p.) and sacrificed on Weeks 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Tissue weights and the numbers of the epididymal sperm were measured. The transcriptional activities of the bcl-2, bax, Fas and Fas ligand(Fas-L) were evaluated by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. As expected, the weights and the sperm counts of epididymis declined progressively after the EDS treatment during Week 1 and 2. These decrements were discontinued with a gradual return towards normal during Weeks $5{\sim}7$, although the maximal recoveries of the epididymal weights(71%) and sperm count(38%) were subnormal on Week 7. The initial level of bcl-2 transcripts persisted to Week 6 then elevated significantly on Week 7. The level of bax transcripts significantly decreased on Week 6, and no remarkable change was found in the rest of the experimental period. The transcripts for the Fas in epididymis elevated during Weeks $1{\sim}2$, returned to normal on Week 3, and the level persisted to the Week 7. Similarly, the level of Fas-L transcripts elevated during Weeks $1{\sim}3$ and returned to normal after Week 4. Our results demonstrated the transient T depletion by EDS administration could induce the changes in expression of the apoptotic genes in rat epididymis. The activation of Fas and Fas-L in the epididymis of EDS-treated rats might be responsible for the initial apototic process and consequently the tissue damage and the sperm loss. Future studies will attempt to determine the precise molecular mechanism(s) of apoptosis in the rat epididymis.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.117-127
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• 1982

Mulberry plants (Morus alba L.) were grown in pots with the following different nitrogen sources: ammonium sulphate, urea, ammonium nitrate, sodium nitrate + ammonium nitrate ($NO_3:NH_4$=2:1), and sodium nitrate. The effects of the nitrogen sources on mulberry yields, nitrogen recovery, distribution of ions and cation-anion balance (C-A) along leaf sequence and growth stage were investigated. The results were as follows: 1. Leaf yields and nitrogen recovery decreased with increasing $NO_3$-N application rates. 2. Relative cation contents in leaves in the early growth stages showed the following pattern : Na < Mg < Ca < K. However, the order of Ca and K reversed in the later stages. The order of anion contents chifted from $SO_4$ < $NO_3$ < Cl < $H_2PO_4$ in the early stages to $NO_3$ < Cl < $SO_4$ < $H_2PO_4$ in the later stages. 3. Contents of K, $H_2PO_4$, $SO_4$, $NO_3$, T-N and the sum of anion contents (${\sum}A$) were higher in upper leaves whereas Ca, Mg, Cl, the sum of cation contents (${\sum}C$) and (C-A) were higher in lower leaves. 4. When $NO_3$ in leaves decreased, Cl and K as counter-cations increased and consequently Ca decreased. 5. The (C-A) in leaves varied with leaf sequence and growth stage from 700 to 900 me/kg D.M.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.572-577
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• 2010

Field monitoring was performed to evaluate the soil chemical properties of 31 sweet persimmon orchard soil samples every two months from April to October in 2008 at Gyeongnam Province. Soil chemical properties such as pH, organic matter, available phosphate, exchangeable potassium, exchangeable calcium, exchangeable magnesium, exchangeable sodium, ammonium nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen were analyzed. The soil chemical properties of both top soil, and subsoil showed that soil pH was significantly increased whereas ammonium nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen were significantly decreased. The insufficient levels of nutrients in top soil, and subsoil were higher in 69.4%, and 84.7% for pH, 63.7%, and 84.7% for organic matter compared to optimum range. Meanwhile, the excessive levels of available phosphate showed 70.2% in top soil, and 46.8% in subsoil compared to optimum range. The experimental results showed that the optimum fertilization based on soil testing was the most important thing in soil nutrients management for sweet persimmon.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.334-340
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• 2011

The study was done to investigate the effects of the extracts from the different parts of Lythrum salicaria (LS) on liver protective activities in chronically alcohol-treated rats. SD male rats except normal animals were administrated with alcohol ($30m{\ell}$ of 30%~40% ethanol/kg/day) and the extracts (300 mg/kg/day) for 10 weeks. Chronic alcohol administration decreased body weight, high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and the reduced form-glutathione (GSH), whereas increased the ethanol content, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL)- cholesterol, triglyceride in blood/serum and the ratio of the oxidized form of glutathione (GSSG) and total GSH (GSSG/total GSH) in liver tissue. Groups treated with the extracts of leaf, root and stem, showed decrease in GOT, total cholesterol and GSSG/total GSH and increase in hepatic aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), total GSH and serum albumin. Administration with the root extract of LS decreased blood ethanol content compared with the other part extracts. But, serum triglyceride values in rats treated with root and stem extract were higher than that of the negative control animals. Flower extract-fed group showed decrease in body weight and serum triglyceride, but increase in the ratio of GOT and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), and GSSG/total GSH. From the results, we conclude that the extracts of root and leaf among the plant parts of LS might be useful for the amelioration of the chronic alcohol-induced liver demage of rat.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.231-241
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• 2012

Farming using natural salts for supply of nutrients to crops is increasing recently. It is necessary to evaluate the salt accumulation in soil and the effects on crop growth by treatment of natural salt. This study was conducted at the organic cultivation fields which garlics were planted. The treatments were no natural salts (control) and plots applied 100~600 $kg\;ha^{-1}$ with natural salts. Soil samples were taken from the 0 to 25 cm depth at 12 and 107 day (harvest time) after natural salts application. The results showed that electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable Na (Exch.$-Na^+$) and Cl- were increased by application of natural salts. But, pH and exchangeable cations ($K^+$, $Ca^{2+}$ and $Mg^{2+}$) had not significantly differences among treatments. In 300 $kg\;ha^{-1}$ plots of natural salt, the level of EC, Exch.$-Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ in top soil (0-5 cm) was were increased more 0.3, 3.7, and 12.7 times than control plot, respectively. EC, Exch.$-Na^+$, and $Cl^-$ were highest in the top 5 cm of soil and decreased with depth at 12 days after natural salts application, but were decreased in the plower layer (0-15cm) at the harvest time because they were leached with natural rain. An increasing the application level of natural salt resulted in increasing of sodium adsorption ratio, exchangeable sodium percentage, and percentage of soil dispersion. The concentration of nutrient uptake such as total nitrogen (T-N), chloride (Cl) in garlic had significant difference between control and plots applied with natural salts The content of T-N of garlic in plots with natural salt application was lower than control plot, but Cl is higher than control plot.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.392-399
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• 2007

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. (SBGE) is known to be antioxidant effect. In addition of the effects, we further investigated the SBGE on the antioxidant effect on a renal cortical slices cell and kidney protecting effects. The results were as follows. 1 When renal cortical slices separated from a rabbit's kidney were treated with 1mM tert-Butylhydroperoxide (t-BHP) in the presence of SBGE. SBGE significant prevented t-BHP induced increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and lipid peroxidation. 2. When renal cortical slices separated from a rabbit's kidney were treated with oxidant $300{\mu}M$ cisplatin in the presence of SBGE. SBGE significant prevented cisplatin-induced increase in LDH release and lipid peroxidation. 3. Pretreatment with 0.1g/kg SBGE for seven day and treatment with 5 mg/kg cisplatin by the intraperitoneal injection The results were that the pretreatment group with SBGE showed a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation, increase in clearance rate of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine in the kidney than the administering single agent group of cisplatin. and pretreatment group with SBGE showed intact microvillus of proximal tubule and no contraction of rumen, it was a similar result with normal group. With the results SBGE showed to be highly effective on antioxidant effect and cellular protection activity against cisplatin that was a toxic agent on a kidney. Therefore, SBGE is considered to have protective effective on a disordered kidney or kidney diseases such as nephritis or renal failure that cause tissue damages in a kidney.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.201-212
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• 2002

The objective of this study was to investigate the treatment efficiency, kinetics, and morphological characteristics of biofilm in upflow $Biobead^{(R)}$ process, a kind of biological aerated filter(BAF). The $Biobead^{(R)}$ system showed high removal rates of $COD_{Mn}$(76~83%), $BOD_5$(67~88%) and SS(71~91%) for food wastewater with high salt concentration ($>4,000mg/{\ell}$) under short reaction times(2~3hrs). Even at aerobic condition, the system had high treatment efficiency for both T-N (51~63%) and T-P(62~81%). The removal kinetics of $COD_{Mn}$, $BOD_5$, T-N, T-P, and $Cl^-$ in the $Biobead^{(R)}$ system showed a plug-flow pattern with reaction rate constants($hr^{-1}$) of 0.58, 0.63, 0,30, 0.48, and 0.38 respectively. A backwashing process to remove excess biomass and filtered solids was needed at least once during 22-hour operation at $0.5kg\;BOD\;m^{-3}{\cdot}d^{-1}$ loading. At the higher loading($1.0kg\;BOD\;m^{-3}{\cdot}d^{-1}$) the backwashing interval was shorten by 8 hours. The COD, BOD, T-N, and T-P were removed from 43 to 66% only by aerobic biodegradation. The SS was removed over 70% by the filtering of $Biobead^{(R)}$ media in the treatment system. The first one of three serial Biobead reactors showed the highest removal values for $COD_{\alpha}$(52.3%), $COD_{Mn}$(38.8%), BOD(62.5%), and T-N(40.0%). The SS and T-P had the highest removal values(47.5% and 29.2%) at the second one of the serial reactors. The biofilm had non-homogeneous spatial distribution and the colonies were embedded in the sunk area of the Biobead. The thickness of the biofilm was very thin ($5.0{\sim}29.4{\mu}m$) compared to the biofilm thickness($200{\sim}300{\mu}m$) used in other BAF systems.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.295-306
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• 2018

Schisandra chinensis (SC) and Lycium chinense (LC) were widely distributed in Asia and the fruit has been used traditionally for medicinal herbs. The processing method was solid-state fermentation using Aspergillus oryzae for 48 h after stir-frying treatment at $220^{\circ}C$ for 12 min. In this study, in vitro the anti-inflammatory effect and in vivo hangover reduction were compared to unprocessed SC and LC water extract. Anti-inflammatory effects have been evaluated in pro-inflammatory mediators which were secreted by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. Nitric oxide (NO) was determined using Griess reaction. Proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$ and interleukin $(IL)-1{\beta}$ were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activities were compared to processed SC or LC and mixtures thereof (1:1). In vivo study was compared to hangover relief in alcohol-fed mice. After administering a mixture of SC and LC (300 mg/kg) water extract (1:1), mice were fed 3 g/kg of ethanol. Serum was collected at 1, 3, and 5 h intervals to analyze ethanol and acetaldehyde levels using a colorimetric assay kit. The processed SC and LC water extracts compared to raw materials significantly inhibited LPS-induced NO and inflammatory cytokine production in RAW 264.7 cells. The results of the hangover mouse model are also consistent with anti-inflammatory effects. These results suggest that processed SC and LC extracts may be functional materials for the treatment of inflammation and hangover.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.11-17
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• 2014

Objective : Portulaca oleracea (PO) has been used as an important traditional medicine for inflammatory and bacterial diseases in East Asia. However, the protective effects of PO on acute pancreatitis (AP) is not well-known. Therefore, this study was performed to identify the anti-inflammatory and prophylactic effects of PO on cerulein-induced AP. Methods : AP was induced in mice via intraperitoneal injection of supramaximal concentrations of the stable cholecystokinin analogue cerulein ($50{\mu}g/kg$) given every hour for 6 times. Water extracts of PO (100, 300, or 500 mg/kg) was administrated intra-peritoneally 1 h prior to the first injection of cerulein. The mice were killed at 6 h after the final cerulein injection. Pancreas and lung were rapidly removed for morphologic and histochemical examination, myeloperoxidase (MPO) assay. Blood samples were taken to determine serum amylase and lipase activities. Results : Administration of PO significantly inhibited pancreatic weight/body weight ratio, pancreas and lung histological injury. And MPO activity which indicates neutrophil infiltration was inhibited by PO extracts on cerulein-induced pancreatitis. In addition, PO administration inhibited digestive enzymes such as serum amylase and lipase activity on cerulein-induced pancreatitis. Conclusion : Our results could suggest that pre-treatment of PO reduces the severity of cerulein-induced AP, thereby, PO could be used as a protective agent against AP. Also, this study could give a clinical basis that PO could be a drug or agent to prevent AP.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2003

Cyclosporine (CsA) has become well established as a potent immunosuppressive agent in the renal transplantation. However, therapy is complicated by large intraindividual and interindividual variability in pharmacokinetics of CsA and frequent undesirable clinical outcomes such as graft rejection and nephrotoxicity. The objective of this study was to determine the CsA trough blood concentrations that were associated with acute graft rejection and renal toxicity in renal transplant patients. Also, the ability of the current recommendation of therapeutic range for CsA to prevent graft rejections and CsA-associated renal toxicity was assessed. The clinical courses of the patients on CsA as an immusuppressive agent for preventing the graft rejection with renal ransplantation performed at Seoul National University Hospital from January 1995 to September 1998 were retrospectively reviewed. Total of 78 patients were included and three of them were retransplantation cases. Twenty-two acute episodes of rejection were identified, but only 16 episodes were clinically significant. Of these all the episodes occurred during the first month after transplantation except one. Mean daily doses of CsA were $427.2\pm72.1,\;352.6\pm56.8,\;308.62\pm48.3\;and\;268.47.1\;mg$ at posttransplant 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Mean CsA whole blood though levels were $259.8\pm36.2,\;238.5\pm39,\;200.8\pm45.8\;and\;161.9\pm25.8\;ng/ml$ at posttransplant 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively. Mean daily doses/weight were $7.9\pm1,\;6.4\pm1,\;5.3\pm0.7\;and\;4.6\pm0.7\;mg/kg$ at posttransplant 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively. CsA doses decreased significantly as months progressed (p<0.001). During the first month after transplantation, only $12.5\%$ of the patients in rejection group had CsA concentration in therapeutic range, and 87.5, 93.8, and $100\%$ were within the therapeutic range at posttransplant 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. These results suggested that CsA concentrations of $250\sim300\;ng/ml$ might be appropriate for preventing the acute rejection during the first posttransplant month.