• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.10-15
• /
• 2005

Purpose: Recently the role of vitamins, folate in particular, has been emphasized in the maintenance of health. Folate deficiency is known to give rise to developmental delay, immature vascular disease, neural tube defect, acute leukemia, atherosclerotic vascular disease, delivery defects, breast cancer, and particularly gastrointestinal neoplasia. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is an essential enzyme in folate metaboism, and influences DNA synthesis and DNA methylation. Generally, folate deficiency is associated with gastrointestinal neoplasms. The amino-acid- changing and enzyme-activity-reducing nucleotide polymorphism (766C$\rightarrow$T/ Ala222Val) has been described in the MTHFR polymorphism and leads to low enzyme activity that may reduce the capacity of DNA methylation and possibly uracil mis-incorporation into DNA. These processes may be critical in the oncogenic transformation of human cells, especially in colorectal carcinomas. We investigated the relationship between the MTHFR polymorphism in gastric cancer and the tumor site, the smoking history, and the alcoholic history. Materials and Methods: Ninety-six (96) individuals with gastric cancer and 287 healthy persons were analyzed. Blood sampling was performed, PCR-RFLP was analyzed, and MTHFR polymorphism genotypes of C/C, C/T, and T/T were obtained and analyzed statistically for their correlation. Results: In the gastric cancer group there were 69 ($72\%$) males and 27 ($28\%$) females. There were also 58 cases ($60\%$) involving the gastric lower body, 20 cases ($21\%$) the gastric mid-body, and 18 cases ($19\%$) the gastric upper body. In the control group there were 169 ($59\%$) males and 118 ($41\%$) females. Among the gastric cancer, 56 ($61\%$) smoking patients, 40 ($39\%$) non-smoking patients, 45($47\%$) alcoholic patients, 51 ($53\%$) non-alcoholic patients. In the gastric cancer group, MTHER polymorphisms were C/C in 18 ($19\%$) cases, C/T in 59 ($61\%$) cases, T/T in 19 ($20\%$) cases. In the control group polymorphisms were C/C 116 ($40\%$) cases, C/T 103 ($36\%$) cases, and T/T 68 ($24\%$) cases (P=0.045). In cases of lower gastric body cancer, polymorphisms were C/C in 16 ($24\%$) C/C in 16 ($24\%$) cases and C/T or T/T in 42 ($72\%$) cases. In cases of upper and mid-body cancer, polymorphisms were C/C in 2 ($5\%$) cases and C/T or T/T 36 ($95\%$) cases (P=0.006). In the non-smoking patient group, polymorphisms were C/C in 5 (12%) cases and C/T or T/T in 35 ($88\%$) cases. In the smoking patient group, C/C in 13 ($23\%$) cases and C/T or T/T in 43 ($77\%$) cases (P=0.189). In the non-alcoholic patient group, polymorphisms were C/C in 6 ($12\%$) cases and C/T or T/T in 45 ($88\%$) cases. In the alcoholic patient group, polymorphisms were C/C in 12 ($26\%$) cases and C/T or T/T in 33 ($74\%$) cases (P=0.063) Conclusion: MTHFR polymorphisms are associated with gastric cancer and tumor site, but not with smoking and alcohol drinking.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.40 no.11
• /
• pp.1556-1561
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate antioxidant enzyme activity and vitamin E concentrationin in Sprague-Dawley rat after being fed various extracts of Hizikia fusiforme. There were six experimental groups: control group (C), H. fusiforme ethanol extract group (EtOH), H. fusiforme dichloromethane fraction group ($CH_2Cl_2$), H. fusiforme ethylacetate fraction group (EtOAc), H. fusiforme butanol fraction group (n-BuOH), H. fusiforme water fraction group ($H_2O$). H. fusiforme extracts (400 mg/kg B.W) were orally administrated to the rats every day for 4 weeks. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and vitamin E in the liver and blood were measured. The activity of SOD in the liver was significantly higher in the $CH_2Cl_2$ and $H_2O$ groups (p<0.05) than in the control and other extract groups. The SOD activity in serum increased significantly in all H. fusiforme groups (p<0.05) compared to the control group and it was also significantly higher in the EtOH and $H_2O$ groups (p<0.05) than in other extract groups. The serum catalase activity increased significantly in the n-BuOH group (p<0.05) compared to the control and other extract groups. The plasma MDA concentration decreased significantly in the n-BuOH and $H_2O$ group (p<0.05) compared to the control group. Serum concentration of ${\alpha}$-tocopherol showed no significant differences in most of the experimental groups, but it was significantly higher in the EtOAc group (p<0.05). The ${\alpha}$-tocopherol concentrations in the liver showed a significant increase in the $CH_2Cl_2$ and $H_2O$ groups (p<0.05) compared to the control and other extract groups. The liver ${\gamma}$-tocopherol concentrations in H. fusiforme extract groups showed a tendency to increase compared to the control group and it was significantly higher in the $H_2O$ group (p<0.05) than in other extract groups. These results suggest that supplementation of water extracts of H. fusiforme extract could be effective in improving the antioxidant system.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.661-668
• /
• 2002

We investigated the effect of tea fungus/kombucha beverage(TF) on the body weights, the blood glucose levels, lipid and protein concentrations, and enzyme activities in diabetic female rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed drinking water supplemented with 20% or 40% TF groups, respectively for 7 weeks. The female rats (mean weight 155.5$\pm$9.3 g) were assigned to one control and three diabetic groups. Diabetic groups were divided into diabetic control (TF free water), 20% or 40% TFD groups (20% or 40% TF in water) according to the levels of TF supplementation. Diabetes was experimentally induced by intraperitonially administration of streptozotocin in citrate buffer(pH 4.3) after 2 weeks feeding of four experimental water. Animals were sacrificed at the 5 weeks of diabetic state. The diabetic groups showed significantly decrease of body weight(6.8-7.5 g) compared with the control group(48.3 g). The hepatic, kidney and pancreatic weights of 20% or 40% TFD groups were not significantly different with D-control group. The fasting serum glucose level were higher in all diabetic groups than that of the control group. The concentrations of serum triglyceride in 40% TFD group and serum LDL-cholesterol in 20% TFD group were significantly decreased compared with the D-control group. The concentrations of serum total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio, and atherogenic index in 20% or 40% TFD groups were similar to those in D-control group. The concentrations of hepatic triglyceride in 20% or 40% TFD groups were significantly decreased compared with the D-control group, but the concentrations of hepatic cholesterol and phospholipid were similar to all diabetic groups. The concentrations of serum and hepatic total protein, serum albumin, and the activities of GOT, GPT and LDH in the serum were the same levels of all diabetic groups.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.52 no.1
• /
• pp.36-43
• /
• 2009

urpose : The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been demonstrated to play a major role in regulating blood pressure. Therefore, components of the RAS are likely candidate genes that may predispose an individual to essential hypertension and cardiovascular complications. Among them, the M235T polymorphism of the angiotensinogen gene has been speculated to be associated with elevated circulating angiotensinogen concentrations and essential hypertension. This study aimed to analyze the angiotensinogen M235T polymorphism in hypertensive adolescents and investigate its relationship with cardiovascular risks. Methods : Forty Korean hypertensive adolescents (aged 16-17, systolic $BP{\geq}140 mmHg$ and/or diastolic $BP{\geq}90 mmHg$) and fifty seven normal adolescents were included. Obesity index (OI), body mass index (BMI) were calculated. BP was measured by oscillometric methods in resting state. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was performed on DNA from the hypertensives subjects to analyze the M235T polymorphism. Serum homocysteine, insulin, renin, aldosterone and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) were tested according to each genotype. The carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid artery diameter, Pulse wave velocity (PWV) and ankle-brachial index (ABI) were measured according to each genotype. Results : Genotype frequencies of T/T, M/T and M/M were 62.5%, 35.0%, 2.5%, respectively in hypertensive adolescents. The results were not significantly different compared to control group. Serum insulin, renin levels, BMI and OI were significantly higher in thoses with the M/M genotype as compared to those with the T/T of M/T genotype. Conclusion : This study showed that the M235T polymorphism was not associated with essential hypertension or any cardiovascular risks. Further clinical research is required to ascertain the relationship between this polymorphism and cardiovascular complications in Korean hypertensive adolescents.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.249-258
• /
• 1994

Recently, the importance of toxoplasmosis is raised as a complication in immunosuppressed or AIDS patients. Our study focused on the identification of a variety of Toxoplasma antigens by immunoblotting. Rabbits and BALB/c mice were immunized with Toxoplosmo Iysate (RH strain) , frozen tachyzoites (RH strain) or cysts (Beverly and Fukaya strain) . Blood were collected from ear vein, heart or orbital plexus for detecting the serum antibody levels. For excretory-secretory (E.S) antigens, T gondii (RH) tachyzoite were cultured in CHL (Chinese hamster lung) cells with MEM containing of 5% FCS. After 72hrs, culture supernatant was collected. BALB/c mice were inoculated with RH tachyzoite intraperitoneally and peritoneal fluids were extracted three days later. E.S antigens were detected in culture supernatant and infected mouse peritoneal fluid by EITB. Serum IgG levels in rabbit were 1 :512 of 10 days after primary immunization, 1 : 2,048 of 10 days after secondary immunization, 1: 1,024 of 20 days after secondary immunization by IFAT, respectively. Serum IgG levels of immunized mice were 1:128 after 7 weeks. Tachyzoite antigens of the RH strain were detected 25 protein bands ranging 10 kDa-220 kDa of molecular weights with Coomassie blue stain. Toxoplcsma major antigens corresponding to n of 24 kDa, 27 kDa,30 kDa, 35 kDa, 38 kDa were recognized by IgG and IgM antibodies. Excretory-secretory antigens present in culture supernatant with M. W. of 20, 30 kDa and in infected mouse peritoneal fluid with M.W. of 33 (P30), 45 kDa. When RH tachyzoite antigen was probed with different mice sera immunized with 2 strains of T gondii, the IgG antibody bud of Fukaya and Beverly strain (8 week-serum) is identical to those of RH strain. It is considered that the 30 kDa polypeptide detected in excretory- secretory materials and Iysate was important major antigen of T gondii (RH).

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.125-133
• /
• 1998

This study was designed to identify the efficiency of serum troponin-T(s-TnT) level as a diagnostic indicator for the perioperative myocardial damage with open heart surgery(OHS) and to compare with the conventional myocardial enzyme tests such as isoenzyme fraction of creatine kinase(% CK-MB) and isoenzyme ratio of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH1/LDH2 ratio). The study was performed on 30 adult patients who underwent OHS from Jan. 1996 to June 1996 at Inje University Pusan Paik Hospital, and they were divided into two groups accor- ding to aortic clamping time(ACT) duration : group I(ACT＜60 minutes, n=15); group II (ACT＞60 minutes, n=15). S-TnT, % CK-MB, and LDH1/LDH2 ratio were measured in serial blood samples from all subjected patients. The results were obtained as follows. 1. In both groups, s-TnT concentrations increased gradually during OHS and elevated significantly at CPB-10(p＜0.001). The peak level was noticed at POD 1 in group I(1.10 $\pm$0.19 ng/ml), whereas, at CPB-off in group II(1.88$\pm$0.42 ng/ml). The elevated levels remained until POD 7 in both groups. 2. %CK-MB was risen significantly with the initiation of operations(p＜0.001) and the peak levels were noticed at CPB-off in both groups(7.14$\pm$0.86% in group I, 10.69$\pm$1.27% in group II). Thereafter, these levels returned to normal values at POD 3. 3. There were no significant changes in the values of LDH1/LDH2 ratio during and after OHS compared with the control levels(p＞0.05). 4. The serial changes of s-TnT were relatively well correlated with those of changes of % CK-MB(r=0.64, p＜0.05). 5. The serial s-TnT levels were significantly higher in group II than group I from B-ACR to POD 1(p＜0.05), suggesting that duration of aortic clamping time was a major factor concerned with perioperative myocardial injury. In conclusion, measurement of s-TnT is a very useful indicator in assessing the myocardial cell damage and therefore it is expected that serial checking and evaluation of the s-TnT is very available for identification of the perioperative myocardial damage and for postoperative cares in patients with OHS.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.107-115
• /
• 1968

Number of aspects, not only nutritional but social as well as political involved in human starvation pose nowadays global problems. In order to help establish the minimum nutritional requirements in the daily life of a man and to free people as well from either undernourishment, malnutrition or even starvation many workers have devoted themselves so far on the research programs to know what and how number of metabolic events take place in animals in vivo. It is the purpose of the present paper to examine in effect to what extent both of the protein and nucleic acids (DNA & RNA) together with an enzyme, guanine deaminase, which converts guanine into xanthine and in turn ends up to uric acid as an end product, undergo changes, quantitatively during acute starvation, using the mouse as an experimental animal. The mouse was strictly inhibited from taking foods except drinking water ad libitum and was sacriflced 24, 48, and 72 hours following starvation thus acutely induced. The animals consisted of two experimental groups, one control and another starvation groups, each being consisted of 6-24 mice of whose body weights ranged in the vicinity of 10 g. The animals were sacriflced by a blow on the head, followed by immediate excision of their livers into ice-cold distilled water, washing adherent blood and other contaminant tissues. The liver was minced foramin, by an all-glass homogenizer immersing it in an ice-bath, followed by subsequent fractionatin of the homogenate (10% W/V in 0.25M sucrose solution made up with 0.05M phosphate buffer of pH 7.4). For the liver protein and guanine deaminase assay, the 10% homogenate was centrifuged at 600 x g for 10 minutes to eliminate the nuclear fraction; and for the estimation of DNA and RNA, the homogenate was prepared by the addition of 10% trichloroacetic acid in order to free the homogenate from the acid-soluble fraction, the remaining residue being delipidate by the addition of alcohol and dried in vacuo for later KOH (IN) hydrolysis. The changes in body and liver wegihts during acute starvation were checked gravimetrically. Protein contents in the liver were monitored by the method of Lowry et al; and guanine deaminase activities were followed by the assay of liberated ammonia from the substrate utilizing the Caraway's colorimetry. The extraction of both DNA and RNA was performed by the Schmidt-Thannhauser's method, which was followed by Marmur's method of purification for DNA and by Chargaff's method of purification for RNA. The determinations of both DNA and RNA were carried out by the diphenylamine reaction for the former and by the orcinol reaction for the latter. The following resume was the results of the present work. 1. It was observed that the body as well as liver weights fall abruptly during starvation, and that the loss of body weight showed no statistical correlation with the decreases in the content of liver protein. 2. The content of liver protein and activity of liver guanine deaminase activity as well decline dramatically, and the specific activities of the enzyme (activity/protein), however, decreased gradually as starvation proceeded. 3. Both of the nucleic acids, DNA and RNA, showed decrements in the liver of mouse during acute starvation; the latter, however, being more striking in the decline as compared to the former. 4. The decreases in the liver protein content as resulted from the acute starvation had no statistically significant correlation with the decrements of DNA in the same tissue, but had regressed with a significant statistical correlation with the fall of RNA in the tissue. 5. The decrease in the activity of guanine deaminase in the liver of mouse during acute starvation was functionally more proportional to the decrease in RNA than DNA, and moreover correlated with the changes in the content of the liver protein. 6. The possible mechanisms involved during in this acute starvation as bring the decreases in the contents of DNA, protein, and guanine deaminase were discussed briefly.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.36-41
• /
• 2014

Purpose: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common source of bacterial infections in infants and young children. Accurate diagnosis and treatment is important because of their association with renal scarring, which can lead to complications. Urine endothelin-1 (ET-1) is the major renal isoform produced and released by renal mesangial cells in response to glomerular injury. This study aimed to investigate whether urinary levels of ET-1 can be used as a biomarker for UTI diagnosis. Method: We conducted a prospective study using medical records of 70 patients below the age of 18 years, who visited Chung-Ang University Hospital from July 2012 to July 2013. We classified the patients into the UTI and control groups based on urine culture studies. The UTI group was further divided into upper and lower UTI groups using 99m-Technetium dimercaptosuccinic acid scintigraphy. Urine ET-1 was measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay with 0.3 mL urine. Results: The UTI and control groups were comprised of 45 and 25 patients, respectively. Mean urine ET-1 levels were significantly higher in the UTI group than in the control group ($1.41{\pm}0.35$ pg/mL vs. $0.33{\pm}0.07$ pg/mL, P =0.04). There was no significance difference in the quantitative value between the upper and lower UTI groups (P =0.552). There was no correlation between urine ET-1 and serum C-reactive protein (Pearson correlation [R]=0.24), urine ET-1 and serum white blood cell count (R=0.19). Conclusion: Our study suggests that urine ET-1 can be used for early diagnosis of UTI in children.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.93-100
• /
• 2003

Objectives : Because shipyard workers are involved with various manufacturing process, they are exposed to many kinds of hazardous materials. Welders especially, are exposed to bisphenol-A (BPA) during the welding and flame cutting of coated steel, This study was conducted to assess the exposure status of the endocrine disrupter based on the job-exposure matrix. The effects of the genetic polymorphism of xenobiotic enzyme metabolisms involved in the metabolism of BPA on the levels of urinary metabolite were investigated. Methods : The study population was recruited from a shipyard company in the f province. A total of 84 shipbuilding workers 47 and 37 in the exposed and control groups, respectively, were recruited for this study. The questionnaire variables included, age, sex, use of personal protective equipment, smoking, drinking and work duration. The urinary metabolite was collected in the afternoon and correction made for the urinary creatinine concentration. The of the CYP1A1, CYP2E1 and UGT1A6 genotypes were investigated using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods with the DNA extracted from venous blood. Results : The urinary BPA level in the welders group was significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.05). The urinary BPA concentration with the wild type UGT1A6 was higher than the other UGT1A6 genotypes, but with no statistical significant. From themultiple regression analysis of the urinary BPA, the regression coefficient for job grade was statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusions : The grade of exposure to BPA affected the urinary BPA concentration was statistically significant. However, the genetic polymorphisms of xenobiotics enzyme metabolism were not statistically significant. Further investigation of the genetic polymorphisms with a larger sample size is needed.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.5-12
• /
• 2003

The biological activities of extracts from Rubus coreanus Miq. were compared. About 70% of the growth of human hepatocarcinoma and 79% of human gastric cancer cell was inhibited in adding 1.0 mg/ml of the extracts of Rubus coreanus Miq. respectively. The growth of human breast cancer cells was also inhibited in adding 1.0 mg/ml of the extracts as well as 78% of the human cancer cells. It was proved that the growth of human normal lung cell, scored as 15% for the extracts. Overall selectivity of the extracts on several human cancer cell line was over 5, which is higher than those from the Rubus coreanus Miq. The growth of both human immune B and T cells was enhanced up to 1.4 to 1.8 times by adding the extracts, compared to the controls. The secretion of tumor necrosis $factor-alpha(TNF-{\alpha})$ from T cell was also increased up to 78.8 pg/ml in adding the ethanol extract (0.5 mg/ml). Ethanol extract also increased up to about 70 pg/ml of interleukin-6(IL-6) from B cell. For screening regulate function of blood pressure, angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) activity was inhibited up to 25% by adding the ethanol extract (1.0 mg/ml). In testing the hypoglycemic activity, 20% of ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ activity was inhibited for the extracts (0.5 mg/ml). GST activity was increased in the range of 1.2 to 1.6 times by adding extracts.