• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.505-518
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• 2014

Objectives: This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of Gugijagami-bang (GGB) in a hyperlipidemic animal model induced by a high-fat diet using diverse biological methods. Methods: This study was to determine whether fractionated GGB extracts inhibit reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) in RAW 264.7 cells. Hyperlipidemia was induced by a high-fat diet fed for 6 weeks. Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride, liver function and histologic change of liver were measured after oral administration of GGB. Results: 1. DPPH scavenging bow performance was increased in a concentration-dependent manner by GGB. 2. Compared to the control group, NO production (%) and ROS production (%) were decreased significantly by GGB. 3. Total-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride were decreased significantly by GGB. 4. HDL cholesterol increased more than the control group, but not significantly. 5. In histopathologic examination, fatty liver (hepatic steatosis) was inhibited, almost no rounds of fat were observed in the liver. Conclusions: GGB would appear effective in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, other cardiovascular diseases caused by hyperlipidemia.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.126-137
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• 2002

Objective : There is accumulating data that cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, cerebro-vascular accident, coronary heart disease, relate to atherosclerotic changes. Increased serum levels of lipids could play a role in these circumstances. the SDPTG(the second derivative of photoplethysmogram waveform) is noninvasive methods for evaluating the pulse wave and is correlated with age and other risk factors for atherosclerosis. Methods : To study the effects of serum lipid levels on the SDPTG in the middle-age adults, data on serum lipid levels and the SDPTG were collected in 80 healthy middle age with varying serum lipid concentrations. Biological vascular age was assessed using the SDPTG. the SDPTG consists of an a, b, c, and d wave in systole and an e wave in diastole; an SDPTG aging index(Al) was calculated as (b-c-d-e)/a. Results : Serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, total lipid, phospholipid, HDL cholesterol levels were respectively and significantly correlated with SDPTG Al. Serum lipid levels and blood pressure are age-dependent and the SDPTG is blood pressure-dependent. Restricting analysis to age and blood pressure yield strong positive correlations between serum triglyceride, total lipid levels and SDPTG Al, but no correlations between serum total cholesterol, phospholipid levels and SDPTG Al. Conclusion : The results of this study suggest that preventive acupuncture programs or herbal medications for reducing serum lipid, especially triglyceride, levels in middle-age should include a evaluation of biological vascular aging with the second derivative of photoplethysmogram waveform.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.267-274
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• 2016

This study is planned to investigate the change in blood limpid and oxygen-carrying factors of middle-aged women through 12 weeks of circuit weight training. The participants worked out three times a week for 50 minutes each, with 50-80% of 1RM intensity. As such, the purpose of the study and the procedure brought about the following conclusions. First, the query results of blood limpid showed that the total amount of cholesterol, triglycerides in the blood, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased significantly, and the amount of high density lipoprotein cholesterol did not show an increase. Second, the results of oxygen-carrying factors showed that the number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit showed an increase. Therefore, this circuit weight training program which used weights of the geological landscape is considered as an effective way to exercise, since it had a positive impact on the oxygen-carrying capacity and cardiovascular disease prevention

• CELLMED
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.12.1-12.7
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• 2018

The study was designed to assess antioxidant and antidyslipidaemic effects of terpenoid-rich extract from the root of Aristolochia ringens V. Hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress and dyslipidemia were established in rats by single intraperitoneal administration of 65 mg/kg bw streptozotocin. Based on therapeutic dose determined in previous study, streptozotocin-induced rats were orally administered with 75 and 150 mg/Kg bw of A. ringens extract for 14 days. Total protein, serum lipid profiles and biomarkers of oxidative stress in liver and kidney of the experimental rats were determined. Atherogenic and cardiovascular disease risk indices were computed. Streptozotocin-induced hyperglycaemia significantly (p < 0.05) decreased activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione transferase as well as the amount of reduced glutathione in both tissues indicating oxidative stress induced kidney and liver injury due to glucotoxicity. In comparison to non-treated hyperglycaemic rats, activities of the antioxidant enzymes and concentration of glutathione-H were significantly (p < 0.0001) increased, whereas malondialdehyde was reduced in the tissues of rats treated with both 75 and 150 mg/Kg bw of the extract. The extract also caused significant (p < 0.001) reduction in elevated levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels, whereas concentration of the attenuated high density lipoprotein-cholesterol was increased in serum of the treated rats. Reduced atherogenic and cardiac risk indices were projected for the A. ringens extract-treated groups. Results from this study showed that extract from A. ringens root was rich in terpenoids and may reduce risks of complications associated with hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress and dyslipidemia.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.362-367
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• 2007

Hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) has been proven for treatment of postmenopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and urologic symptoms. HRT became very popular in the 1990's, when there were several reports showing that it also helped with other menopausal complications such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Recent studies report that the incidence of breast cancer, endometrial cancer, cerebral infarction, coronary artery diseases, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary thrombembolism could rise after HRT. Among these side effects of HRT, the risk of pulmonary thromboembolism increases 2 to 4 fold after HRT, but can vary with the use of different doses and preparations. Here, we summarize the risk factors and clinical courses for 5 patients who developed pulmonary thromboembolism after postmenopausal HRT.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.348-352
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• 2009

Over the last decade, the incidence of overweight and obesity has nearly doubled in many countries and is considered a pandemic. Obesity was identified as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease as the same level as smoking and diabetes. Visceral fat is considered one of the key contributors to outcome and certain ethnic groups such as Asians seem to be more affected than others. Weight reduction through lifestyle changes was found to be impactful to improve overall health, but weight loss and maintenance thereof is limited and difficult to sustain. Surgical intervention demonstrated a greater weight loss in the severely obese and was associated with improved all-cause mortality. Despite numerous pharmacological targets and a high medical need, only few drugs have been successfully developed. Earlier studies with amphetamine-derived compounds showed significant weight loss but their critical safety profiles led to market withdrawals and disappointment. More recent compounds; orlistat - a lipase inhibitor, rimonabant - a cannaboid-1-receptor antagonist, and sibutramine - a combined serotonin/norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitor, all demonstrated similar significant efficacy; however, they carry specific safety profiles making them unsuitable for every patient. The main limitation of pharmacotherapy is the absence of clear benefit-risk assessments through outcome studies. Such a study - the SCOUT trial - was designed to compare sibutramine versus placebo and the effect on morbidity and mortality in nearly 10,000 obese patients with additional risk factors. Such studies could provide new scientific evidence for obesity treatment and may support future pharmacological approaches.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.160-167
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• 2007

This study was performed to investigate the effects of regular exercise on dietary factors and obesity indices among 407 healthy adult males subjects. Subjects were classified into regular exercise group (REG) and irregular exercise group (IREG). Two hundred and thirteen subjects of REG excercised regularly 3 times (more than 30 minutes/time) per week during more than last 1 month or more. One hundred and ninety-four of IREG (n = 194) didn't regularly exercise during the last 1 month. Obesity indices were BMI (Body Mass Index), WHR (Waist Hip Ratio) and PIBW (Percentage of Ideal Body Weight). And the mean BMI, WHR and PIBW of REG were (22.1, 0.90 and 105.8) significantly lower than those of IREG (25.7, 0.98 and 117.7) respectively. The mean daily starches, seeds, meats, eggs, fish, milk, fats and processed food intakes of REG were significantly lower than those of IREG And the mean daily vegetables, mushrooms and beverages intakes of the IREG were significantly lower than REG. Energy intake of REG and IREG were 1968.2 kcal and 1978.9 kcal respectively. Vitamin C intake of IREG was significantly lower than REG. But niacin and cholesterol intake of REG were significantly lower than the IREG. Exercise regularity was positively related with obesity indices and dietary factors. Therefore, it is necessary to exercise regularly to prevent obesity and cardiovascular disease in Korean adult males.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.162-171
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• 2001

This study was performed to investigate the relationship between obesity, health-related lifestyle, and dietary intake and serum lipid level in 96 male university students. Health-related lifestyle factors were obtained from questionnaires. Dietary intakes were evaluated with one-day 24-hr recall and two-day dietary record. Anthoropometric data were recorded and serum cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations were measured. 21.9%, 36.5%, 36.5%, and 6.2% of the subjects had levels beyond the normal range in serum total cholesterol(TC), HDL-cholesterol(HDL-C), LDL-cholesterol(LDL-C), and triacyglycerol respectively, and 57.3% of the subjects had more than one hyperlipidemic factor. TC was correlated positively with BMI(p〈0.01), waist length(p〈0.05), hip length(p〈0.05), and the amount of smoking(p〈0.05). HDL-C was correlated negatively with BMI(p〈0.05) and hip lenghth(p〈0.05). LTD-C was correlated positively with BMI(p〈0.01), water length(p〈0.05), hip length(p〈0.01), and coffee consumption(p〈0.05). TG was correlated positively with waist length(p〈0.01), waist-to-hip ratio(p〈0.05), and amount of smoking(p〈0.01) and negatively correlated with frequence of exercise(p〈0.05). Among nutrient intakes, only the ratio of protein to energy was correlated negatively with TC(p〈0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that BMI, waist length, hip length, waist-to-hip ratio, and amount of cigarette smoking were associated with an increased risk of hyper-TC. BMI, waist length, and hip length were associated with an increased risk of hypo-HDL-C. BMI and coffee consumption were associated with an increased risk of hyper-LDL-C. Amount of cigarette smoking was associated with an increased risk of hyper-TG. In conclusion, a high prevalence of hyperlipidemia in subjects was observed. Also obesity, smoking, and coffee consumption were observed to be highly with the risk of hyperlipidemia in subjects. These findings imply that these factors should be primarily considered in planing the nutrition education program for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in male university students.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.507-515
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• 2001

The elevation of plasma total homocysteine(tHcy) is now established as a risk factro for cardiovascular disease. It is also well known that plasma levels of folate and vitamin $B_{12}$ influences homocysteine metabolism as cofactors. Recently, the effects of health-related lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol drinking coffee consumption, regular exercise, and etc, on plasma tHcy have been determined. The Hordalane Homocysteine Study revealed that smoking and coffee consumption are major deter minants of plasma tHcy as well as folate levels; however, the influence of alcohol intake is still controversial. In Koreans, the effects of lifestyle factors of plasma tHcy have not yet been determined. Thus, we investigated the relationships of various lifestyle determinants with plasma tHcy, folate, and vitamin $B_{12}$ levels and the erythrocyte folate concentrations in Korean adults (99 males and 96 fermales). Plasma tHcy levels were significantly hight in male subjects. On the contrary, plasma levels of folate and vitamin $B_{12}$ and erythrocyte folate concentration of the females were significantly higher than those of the males. Among the five lifestyle factors determined in the study, regular exercise significantly affects plasma tHcy levels only in the females, Contrary to the expectation, there were on significant differences in plasma tHcy levels between alcohol drinkers and non-alcohol drinkers as well as smokers and non-smokers. And also, plasma tHcy leverls were not different between coffee consumers and non-coffee consumer and between green tea consumers and non-green tea consumers. Although alcohol intake did not influence plasma tHcy levels, the duration, frequency, and amount of alcohol drinking showed significant negative relationships with plasma folate levers. These results indicate the regular exercise and alcohol intake might influence plasma levels of tHcy and folate in Koreans, although the results were not reveled in both sexes.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.73-78
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• 2008

Red ginseng acidic polysaccharide (RGAP), isolated from Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer), has been shown to have a variety of biological functions such as immunostimulating and anti-tumor activities. In the present study, we investigated whether RGAP inhibited ligand-induced platelet aggregation. The washed platelet-rich plasma was prepared from male SD rats with successive centrifugation. The platelets $(10^8/ml)$ were preincubated with 1 mM of $CaCl_2$ for 2 min either in the presence or in the absence of RGAP $(10{\sim}50\;{\mu}g/ml)$ and were stimulated with collagen (2.5 ${\mu}g/ml$) and thrombin (0.1 U/ml). RGAP dose-dependently inhibited thrombin-induced platelet aggregation with $IC_{50}$ value of $26.2{\pm}2.0$ ${\mu}g/ml$. In collagen-induced platelet aggregation, RGAP inhibited the reaction with an $IC_{50}$ value of $31.5{\pm}3.0\;{\mu}g/ml$. RGAP potently suppressed the intracellular calcium ion, which was stimulated by thrombin (0.1 U/ ml). Among mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) subtypes, the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 and p38 MAPK were analyzed in the present study. RGAP inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK2 and p38 MAPK, which was activated by collagen (2.5 ${\mu}g/ml$). Finally, these results suggested that besides saponin fraction, RGAP take an important role in the preventive effect of Korean red ginseng against cardiovascular disease such as thrombosis and atherosclerosis.