• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.693-702
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• 2023

The present study examined the rate of cell growth and differentiation potential into adipocytes in A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells exposed to each adipogenic medium containing glucose metabolism hormones, such as thyroxine (T4) thyroid hormone and glucocorticoid (GC) adrenal steroid hormone, as well as pioglitazone (PGZ), a PPARγ agonist. Following each adipogenic treatment for 2 weeks, the rate of cell growth was significantly (p<0.05) inhibited, and the level of telomerase activity was significantly (p<0.05) decreased in the PGZ-based adipogenic medium containing both T4 and GC hormone compared with those containing each T4 or GC hormone. Moreover, the adiposome-like vesicles were highly reacted with Oil-Red O staining solution, and the levels of transcripts expressed in the differentiating adipocytes for adipogenesis, including adinopectin, leptin, and resistin, were significantly (p<0.05) increased in the PGZ-based adipogenic medium containing both T4 and GC hormone compared with those of the adipogenic medium containing each T4 or GC hormone, implying that adipocytic differentiation has fully occurred in the A549 cancer cells. Based on present observations, the PGZ-based adipogenic medium containing both T4 and GC efficiently induces inhibition of cell growth and cellular differentiation into adipocytes in A549 cancer cells rather than in the adipogenic medium containing only T4 or GC hormone. Adipogenic treatment could provide potential probability in cancer chemotherapy.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.65-71
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• 2012

Oxygen is the final acceptor of electron transport from fat and carbohydrate oxidation, which is the rate-limiting factor for cellular ATP production. Under altitude hypoxia condition, energy reliance on anaerobic glycolysis increases to compensate for the shortfall caused by reduced fatty acid oxidation [1]. Therefore, training at altitude is expected to strongly influence the human metabolic system, and has the potential to be designed as a non-pharmacological or recreational intervention regimen for correcting diabetes or related metabolic problems. However, most people cannot accommodate high altitude exposure above 4500 M due to acute mountain sickness (AMS) and insulin resistance corresponding to a increased levels of the stress hormones cortisol and catecholamine [2]. Thus, less stringent conditions were evaluated to determine whether glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity could be improved by moderate altitude exposure (below 4000 M). In 2003, we and another group in Austria reported that short-term moderate altitude exposure plus endurance-related physical activity significantly improves glucose tolerance (not fasting glucose) in humans [3,4], which is associated with the improvement in the whole-body insulin sensitivity [5]. With daily hiking at an altitude of approximately 4000 M, glucose tolerance can still be improved but fasting glucose was slightly elevated. Individuals vary widely in their response to altitude challenge. In particular, the improvement in glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity by prolonged altitude hiking activity is not apparent in those individuals with low baseline DHEA-S concentration [6]. In addition, hematopoietic adaptation against altitude hypoxia can also be impaired in individuals with low DHEA-S. In short-lived mammals like rodents, the DHEA-S level is barely detectable since their adrenal cortex does not appear to produce this steroid [7]. In this model, exercise training recovery under prolonged hypoxia exposure (14-15% oxygen, 8 h per day for 6 weeks) can still improve insulin sensitivity, secondary to an effective suppression of adiposity [8]. Genetically obese rats exhibit hyperinsulinemia (sign of insulin resistance) with up-regulated baseline levels of AMP-activated protein kinase and AS160 phosphorylation in skeletal muscle compared to lean rats. After prolonged hypoxia training, this abnormality can be reversed concomitant with an approximately 50% increase in GLUT4 protein expression. Additionally, prolonged moderate hypoxia training results in decreased diffusion distance of muscle fiber (reduced cross-sectional area) without affecting muscle weight. In humans, moderate hypoxia increases postprandial blood distribution towards skeletal muscle during a training recovery. This physiological response plays a role in the redistribution of fuel storage among important energy storage sites and may explain its potent effect on changing body composition. Conclusion: Prolonged moderate altitude hypoxia (rangingfrom 1700 to 2400 M), but not acute high attitude hypoxia (above 4000 M), can effectively improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance for humans and antagonizes the obese phenotype in animals with a genetic defect. In humans, the magnitude of the improvementvaries widely and correlates with baseline plasma DHEA-S levels. Compared to training at sea-level, training at altitude effectively decreases fat mass in parallel with increased muscle mass. This change may be associated with increased perfusion of insulin and fuel towards skeletal muscle that favors muscle competing postprandial fuel in circulation against adipose tissues.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.1063-1071
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• 1997

Backgroung : The efficacy of oral corticosteroids in the treatment of chronic asthma is undisputed, but their long-term use is associated with adverse side-effects, including supression of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis function, osteoporosis, weight gain, hypertension and impaired glucose tolerance. The introduction of inhaled corticosteroids in the early 1970's represented a significant therapeutic advance in the management of asthma, since these compounds combined high topical potency with low systemic activity. Fluticasone propionate is a new topically active synthetic glucocorticosteroid that combinds a high degree of efficacy with negligible systemic bioavailability. This study was perfomed to determine the effect of inhaled fluticasone propionate on the adreocortical supression in patients with bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Method : The adrenocortical function was assessed by measurement of plasma cortisol concentration at 8 o'clock in morning and free cortisol in 24 hour urine collection at interval. Absolutely, no steroid was taken during pretreatment period of 10days. There after each subject inhaled fluticasone aerosol, in daily doses of 500 or 1000micrograms for 12days. The dose was delivered by metered dose inhaler(MDI). Results : The serum cortisol and 24hour urinary free cortisol were not decreased during the treatment period in patients with inhaled fluticasone propionate in daily doses of 500 micrograms. In contrast, serum cortisol was significantly decreased on 9th and 12th day(p less than 0.05). And, 24hour urinary free cortisol was also significantly decreased on 3rd and 12th day of treatement period(p less than 0.05) in patients with inhaled fluticasone in daily doses of 1000 micrograms. Conclusion : These results suggested that endogenous cortisol secretion was not supressed after short-term inhalation of fluticasone in daily dose of 500 micrograms, but in daily dose of 1000 micrograms, the endogenous cortisol secretion was supressed.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.33-43
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• 2005

Purpose: X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy(ALD) is a rare disorder that shows a great deal of phenotypic variability. We subdivided chidhood X-linked ALD patients into several phenotypes by the age at onset, the sites of most severe clinical involvement and the rate of progression of neurologic symptoms. Methods: Thirteen patients who had been diagnosed as X-linked ALD and followed up for at least one year were enrolled from 1996 to 2003. Results: 1. Ten had childhood cerebral ALD, who showed first neurologic symptoms at 7.02 years and progressed rapidly: interval between first symptoms and vegetative state was 1.35 years, and interval from initial symptoms to death was 3.35 years. Treatment with Lorenzo's oil did not prevent neurologic progression. Two patients who underwent umbilical cord blood transplantation died. 2. Two had adolescent cerebral ALD. They had first symptoms at 11.5 years, and showed tendency to progress less rapidly than childhood cerebral form patients. 3. One "Addison only" patient who had adrenal insufficiency without nervous system involvement remained asymptomatic during Lorenzo's oil treatment. 4. All cerebral form patients except one showed the lesions in both parieto-ocipital white matter in brain magnetic resonance imaging. Conclusion: The cerebral ALD was the most common form in childhood and was asoociated with a serious prognosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.888-899
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• 1995

Background: Topical inhaled steroids, budesonide(Bu) and beclomethasone dipropionate (BOP), are now established as effective drugs in the management of chronic asthma. These drugs have high topical anti-inflammatory effect with low systemic activity. This study was performed to determine the effects of two inhaled corticosteroids, Bu and BOP, on the adrenocortical supression in 44 patients with bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods: The adrenocortical function was assessed by measurement of serum cortisol concentration at 8 o'clock in morning and free cortisol in 24-hour urine collection at interval in 44 patients. No steroid was administered during the pretreatment period of 10 days and the final 6 days of the study. Each subject inhaled BOP or Bu, in daily doses of 800 or 1,600 micrograms for 12 days. The dose was delivered by metered dose inhaler (MDI) or diskhaler or large spacing device attached to MDI. Results: The levels of serum cortisol and 24-hour urinary free cortisol were decreased during the treatment period in patients inhaled Bu delivered by MDI in daily doses of 800 and 1,600 micrograms. In contrast, serum cortisol level was decreased on 6 and 12th day of treatment period in patients with BDP diskhaler in daily doses of 800 micrograms. In daily doses of 1,600 micrograms, the serum cortisol and 24hour urine free cortisol levels were decreased on 6, 9 and 12th day of treatment period in patients with BDP disk haler. The serum cortisol and 24-hour urinary free cortisol levels were not significantly decreased during the treatment period in patients inhaled Bu delivered by large spacing device attached to a MDI. Conclusion: These results showed that 1) the endogenous cortisol secretion was suppressed after inhalation of BDP and Bu in daily doses of 800 and 1,600micrograms, 2) Bu with MDI suppressed the adrenocortical function more than BDP with diskhaler, in daily doses of 1600 micrograms. and 3)large spacing device attached to a MDI might decrease the risk of suppression in the hypothalamic -pituitary- adrenal axis.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.38-41
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• 2022

Purpose Testosterone is a steroid hormone synthesized by the Leydig cells of the testes in men, and by the adrenal cortex and ovaries in women. Testosterone production is regulated by luteinzing hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. In this experiment, the effectiveness of testosterone radioimmunoassay (RIA) kits produced by three companies was evaluated and compared in case the production of testosterone kits was stopped or supply problems occurred. Materials and Methods In October 2021, samples were collected from the patients (n=49) who requested the testosterone RIA test. The experiment was conducted by dividing the patient's sample into low concentration (1.0 ng/mL or less), medium concentration (2.0-4.0 ng/mL) and high concentration (6.0 ng/mL or more). The Testosterone RIA test compared and evaluated the validity of Company A kits used in this hospital and those of Company B and C used in other hospitals. The precision, sensitivity, recovery, linearity and correlation were evaluated for each kit. The testosterone RIA test was carried out in accordance with the insert kit manual for each manufacturer. Results As a result of measuring the precision of the intra assay, the Coefficient of Variation (CV) value of the company A kit was high at 11.4% only in the low concentration sample, and in the case of the company B and C kits, the CV value was less than 10% at low, medium, and high concentrations. In the inter-assay precision measurement, the CV value was less than 15% in both A and C kits, but in the case of the B kit, the CV value exceeded 15% at low and medium concentrations. Sensitivity was 0.13 ng/mL for company A, 0.01 ng/mL for company B, and 0.01 ng/mL for company C, and the linearity of all three kits showed excellent linearity. In the case of recovery rate, all of the A, B, and C company kits showed results that were out of 90-110%. In the case of correlation test, when compared with the company A kit currently use in here, the correlation coefficient (R²) value for the company B kit was 0.9508, and for the company C kit was 0.9352 Conclusion As a result, there was a slight difference in precision at the low concentration sample. The correlation test showed an excellent correlation coefficient. However, it was difficult to secure samples of various concentrations because there were not many tests of testosterone requested at this hospital. So, additional experiments should be carried out by acquiring samples of various concentrations on each laboratory later.