• 비만대사연구학술지
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• 제3권1호
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• pp.35-42
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• 2024

Serotonin, a biogenic amine widely found in many organisms, functions as both a neurotransmitter and hormone. Although serotonin is involved in various physiological processes, this study aimed to review its role in energy metabolism. Given that serotonin cannot cross the blood-brain barrier and is synthesized by two different isoforms of tryptophan hydroxylase in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral tissues, it is reasonable to assume that serotonin in the CNS and peripheral tissues functions independently. Recent studies have demonstrated how serotonin influences energy metabolism in metabolic target organs such as the intestines, liver, pancreas, and adipose tissue. In summary, serotonin in the CNS induces satiety and appetite suppression, stimulates thermogenesis, and reduces body weight. Conversely, serotonin in the periphery increases intestinal motility, stimulates gluconeogenesis in the liver, suppresses glucose uptake by hepatocytes, promotes fat uptake by liver cells, stimulates insulin secretion while suppressing glucagon secretion in the pancreatic islets, promotes lipogenesis in white adipose tissue, inhibits lipolysis and browning of white adipose tissue, and suppresses thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue, thereby storing energy and increasing body weight. However, considering that most experimental results were obtained using mice and conducted under specific nutritional conditions, such as high-fat diets, whether serotonin acts in the same way in humans, whether it will act similarly in individuals with normal versus obese weights, and whether its effects vary depending on the type of food consumed, remain unknown.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제44권5호
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• pp.218-225
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• 2011

Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between the blood mercury concentration and cardiovascular risk factors in elderly Korean individuals living in coastal areas. Methods: The sample consisted of 477 adults (164 males, 313 females) aged 40 to 65 years who visited a Busan health promotion center from June to September in 2009. The relationship between blood mercury concentration and cardiovascular risk factors including metabolic syndrome, cholesterol profiles, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), was investigated. Variables related to blood mercury concentration were further evaluated using multiple regression analysis. Results: The blood mercury concentration of the study population was 7.99 (range, 7.60 to 8.40) ${\mu}g$/L. In males, the blood mercury concentration was 9.74 (8.92 to 10.63) ${\mu}g$/L, which was significantly higher than that in females (7.21, [6.80 to 7.64] ${\mu}g$/L). The blood mercury concentration of the study population was related to several cardiovascular risk factors including low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (p=0.044), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (p=0.034), BMI (p = 0.006), waist circumference (p = 0.031), and WHR (p < 0.001). In males, the blood mercury concentration was significantly correlated with WHR in the multiple regression analysis. Conclusions: In males, the blood mercury concentration was related to waist-to-hip ratio, which is a central obesity index and cardiovascular risk factor. Our finding suggests that cardiovascular disease risk in males was increased by mercury exposure via an obesity-related mechanism.

• 한국영양학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국영양학회 2002년도 춘계학술대회
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• pp.29-41
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• 2002

While the sequencing of several genomes was underway, several advanced techniques in genetics, molecular biology and protein chemistry emerged. Within the nutritional sciences, while the focus on nutrition education, epidemiology and public health aspects remains essential; it is crucial to incorporate the new advances in gene and protein discovery in nutritional studies. Nutrition is a discipline that has always integrated social, biochemical and physiological sciences from the studies at the molecule level to studies at the population level. For this reason, nutritionists are in a prime position to readily incorporate the current genomics approaches in nutrition research, All the available analytical techniques can and should be used in modern nutritional sciences. These include genetics, genomics, proteomics and metabolomics which also require integration and use of bioinformatics and computational methods for data analysis and management. These applications will be briefly reviewed with a primary focus on what the genomics and genetics approaches offer to nutritionists. We will use one of our research focus areas to illustrate uses of some of these applications in obesity-hypertension research. Our central hypothesis is that adipose tissue is an endocrine organ that plays a major role in obesity and related hypertension. We are primarily studying the renin angiotensin system (RAS). We provide evidence from our own studies and others for the paracrine as well as endocrine role of adipocyte-derived angiotensin II in adipocyte gene expression, adiposity and blood pressure regulation. Both cell culture studies as well as knockout and transgenic mice models are used to test our hypothesis. Genomics and proteomics technologies are currently developed to complement our physiological and molecular studies on the RAS and for a fine analysis of this system and its function in health and disease.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.83-88
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• 1994

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between insulin resistance and obesity in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovarian syndrome(PCO). Twenty-two women with PCO, of whom thirteen were non-obese with body mass index(BMI, kg/$m^2$) of <25 and nine were obese with BMI${\geq}$25 were studied. Eight non-obese control women and seven obese control women were studied. Serum concentrations of testosterone, lutenizing hormone(LH)/follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH) ratio, and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) were found to be significantly higher(P<0.05) in PCO women compared with control women, which clearly is not related to obesity. Serum glucose, insulin, and C-peptide levels were measured during a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT). Non-obese and obese women with PCO both(P<0.05) compared with control women demonstrated significant hyperinsulinemia after OGTT. The degree of hyperinsulinemia was found to be significantly higher in the obese women with PCO compared with the non-obese women with PCO. We concluded that obesity may contribute to hyperinsulinemia, however may not playa central role in the pathogenesis of PCO.

• 한국영양학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국영양학회 2002년도 춘계 심포지움초록
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• pp.598-603
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• 2002

While the sequencing of several genomes was underway, several advanced techniques in genetics, molecular biology and protein chemistry emerged. Within the notritional sciences, while the focus on nutrition education, epidemiology and public health aspects remains essential; it is crucial to incorporate the new advances in gene and protein discovery in nutritional studies. Nutrition is a discipline that has always integrated social, biochemical and physiological sciences from the studies at the molecule level to studies at the population level. for this reason, nutritionists are in a prime position to readily incorporate the current genomics approaches in nutrition research. All the available analytical techniques can and should be used in modem nutritional sciences. These include genetics, genomics, proteomics and metabolomics which also require integration and use of bioinformatics and computational methods for data analysis and management. These applications will be briefly reviewed with a primary focus on what the genomics and genetics approaches offer to nutritionists. We will use one of our research focus areas to illustrate uses of some of these applications in obesity-hypertension research. Our central hypothesis is that adipose tissue is an endocrine organ that plays a major role in obesity and related hypertension. We are primarily studying the renin angiotensin system (RAS). We provide evidence from our own studies and others for the paracrine as well as endocrine role of adipocyte-derived angiotensin II in adipocyte gene expression, adiposity and blood pressure regulation. Both cell culture studies as well as knockout and transgenic mice models are used to test our hypothesis. Genomics and proteomics technologies are currently developed to complement our physiological and molecular studies on the RAS and for a fine analysis of this system and its function in health and disease.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.249-261
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• 2019

Purpose: The neural processing of children with overweight/obesity (CWO), may affect their eating behavior. We investigated the visual information processing of CWO under response control condition, by event-related potential (ERP) study, an electrophysiologic study for cognitive mechanism. Methods: Seventeen CWO (mean age: $10.6{\pm}1.9$), and 17 age-matched non-obese children (NOC), participated in the study. Neurocognitive function tests and visual ERP under Go/NoGo conditions, were implemented. Area amplitudes of major ERP components (P1, N1, P2, N2, and P3) from four scalp locations (frontal, central, parietal, and occipital), were analyzed. Results: For Go and NoGo conditions, CWO had significantly greater occipital P1, frontocentral N1, and P2 amplitudes compared with NOC. P2 amplitude was significantly greater in CWO, than in NOC, at the frontal location. N2 amplitude was not significantly different, between CWO and NOC. For CWO and NOC, Go P3 amplitude was highest at the parietal location, and NoGo P3 amplitude was highest at the frontal location. In Go and NoGo conditions, P3 amplitude of CWO was significantly less than in NOC. Conclusion: The greater P1, N1, and P2 suggested hyper-vigilance to visual stimuli of CWO, but the smaller P3 suggested insufficient mental representation of them. Such altered visual processing, may affect the eating behavior of CWO.

• 한국식품영양학회지
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.149-158
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate antioxidant characteristics and anti-adipogenic effects of colored rice and brown rice extracts in 3T3-L1 adipocyte depending on cultivar (Josaengheugchal, Heugjinmi, Hongjinju, Geongganghongmi, Seolgaeng, Milyang 320, Sindongjin, Baegjinju). Colored rice and brown rice was extracted with 100% ethanol, followed by the analysis of polyphenol, flavonoid, anthocyanin, antioxidant, and anti-adipogenic activity. Total polyphenol and flavonoid content ranged from 6.86~314.08 mg GAE/g and 1.47~56.88 mg CE/g the highest total polyphenol and flavonoid content was observed in Heugjinmi cultivar. Anthocyanin composition was analyzed by HPLC, cyanidin-3-gluoside and peonidin-3-glucoside was found in black rice including Josaengheugchal and Heugjinmi. Also, the ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activity of colored rice cultivars was higher than that of brown rice cultivars, the highest ABTS radical scavenging activity also was observed in Heugjinmi (128.20 mg TE/g). The anti-adipogenic effects of colored rice and brown rice extracts on differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes evaluated that extracts of Heugjinmi cultivar significantly reduced intracellular lipid accumulation. These results provide valuable information for the use of Korean colored rice cultivar as a functional food materials relative to anti-obesity.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.171-182
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• 2009

본 연구에서는 도시 저소득층 여성을 대상으로 비만 및 영양소 섭취 부족과 관련된 사회경제적 요인을 분석하고자 했다. 대상자는 저소득층 가구를 대상으로 한 무료건강검진센터를 방문한 여성 중 연구 참여에 동의한 $41{\sim}87$세 125명의 여성이었다. 대상자들의 72%가 초등학교 이하의 교육, 70%가 50만원 미만의 수입, 68%가 집을 소유하지 않고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 대상자들을 65세 미만, 이상으로 나누어 봤을 때 65세 미만군의 비만유병율은 BMI (${\geq}\;25kg/m^2$) 기준으로 44%, WHR (${\geq}$ 0.85) 기준으로 48%, 허리둘레 (${\geq}$ 80 cm) 기준으로 50%이었다. 65세 이상군에서 는 이보다 높아 BMI (${\geq}\;25\;kg/m^2$) 기준 57%, WHR (${\geq}$ 0.85) 기준 81%, 허리둘레 (${\geq}$ 80 cm) 기준으로 79%였다. 대상자는 주로 채소류, 곡류, 과일류를 많이 섭취했다. 모든 대상자에서 열량 및 영양소 섭취 상태는 대체적으로 불량했고 특히 65세 이상 노인에서 더욱 불량한 것으로 나타나 여자노인에서 EAR을 충족시키지 못하는 비율은 철을 제외한 모든 영양소에서 50% 이상이었다. 대부분의 대상자들의 영양소 섭취량은 RI 수준에 미치지 못했고 그러한 사람의 비율은 65세 미만의 경우 단백질과 Vitamin $B_6$ 제외한 65세 이상에서는 모든 영양소에서 50% 이상이었다. 65세 미만에서는 비만 및 영양불량과 사회경제적 지표와의 관련성이 없었다. 그러나 65세 이상에서 비만의 경우 수입과 영양불량의 경우 학력과 집소유 여부와 관련이 있었다. 따라서, 65세 이상에서 연령을 보정한 후에, 사회경제적 수준에 따른 비만 및 영양부족의 위험도를 살펴본 결과, BMI 기준 비만의 위험도 (OR = 12.601; 95% CI = 2.338-67.911)와 WC 기준 복부 비만의 위험도(OR = 4.778; 95% CI = 1.103-20.696)는 월평균 가구 수입 50만원 미만인 군에서 그 이상인 군보다 높았다. 영양섭취불량의 경우, 교육 수준이 낮은 사람들 (무학)에게서 Vitamin A (OR = 4.555; 95% CI = 1.491-13.914)를 EAR보다 적게 섭취할 위험이 높았고 자기 집을 소유하지 않은 사람의 경우, 단백질 (OR = 3.660; 95% CI = 1.118-11.981), 인 (OR = 3.428; 95% CI = 1.157-10.158), 철분 (OR = 3.765; 95% CI = 1.205-11.766)섭취가 EAR보다 부족할 위험이 집을 소유한 사람들보다 높았다. 저소득층 노인여성에서 사회경제적 수준은 비만 (소득수준) 및 영양불량 [교육수준 (Vitamin A), 자가집 소유 여부(단백질, 인, 철)] 위험과 관련이 있는 것으로 보여진다. 따라서 이러한 여성들의 비만 및 영양불량을 예방하기 위한 노력이 필요할 것으로 사료된다.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.244-255
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• 2018

Low-grade pro-inflammatory state and leptin resistance are important underlying mechanisms that contribute to obesity-associated hypertension. We tested the hypothesis that Astragaloside IV (As IV), known to counteract obesity and hypertension, could prevent obesity-associated hypertension by inhibiting pro-inflammatory reaction and leptin resistance. High-fat diet (HFD) induced obese rats were randomly assigned to three groups: the HFD control group (HF con group), As IV group, and the As IV + ${\alpha}$-bungaratoxin (${\alpha}-BGT$) group (As IV+${\alpha}-BGT$ group). As IV ($20mg{\cdot}Kg^{-1}{\cdot}d^{-1}$) was administrated to rats for 6 weeks via daily oral gavage. Body weight and blood pressure were continuously measured, and NE levels in the plasma and renal cortex was evaluated to reflect the sympathetic activity. The expressions of leptin receptor (LepRb) mRNA, phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (p-STAT3), phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (p-PI3K), suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) mRNA, and protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) mRNA, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA and neuropeptide Y (NPY) mRNA were measured by Western blot or qRT-PCR to evaluate the hypothalamic leptin sensitivity. Additionally, we measured the protein or mRNA levels of ${\alpha}7nAChR$, inhibitor of nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$ kinase subunit ${\beta}/nuclear$ factor ${\kappa}B$ ($IKK{\beta}/NF-KB$) and pro-inflammatory cytokines ($IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$) in hypothalamus and adipose tissue to reflect the anti-inflammatory effects of As IV through upregulating expression of ${\alpha}7nAChR$. We found that As IV prevented body weight gain and adipose accumulation, and also improved metabolic disorders in HFD rats. Furthermore, As IV decreased BP and HR, as well as NE levels in blood and renal tissue. In the hypothalamus, As IV alleviated leptin resistance as evidenced by the increased p-STAT3, LepRb mRNA and POMC mRNA, and decreased p-PI3K, SOCS3 mRNA, and PTP1B mRNA. The effects of As IV on leptin sensitivity were related in part to the up-regulated ${\alpha}7nAchR$ and suppressed $IKK{\beta}/NF-KB$ signaling and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the hypothalamus and adipose tissue, since co-administration of ${\alpha}7nAChR$ selective antagonist ${\alpha}-BGT$ could weaken the improved effect of As IV on central leptin resistance. Our study suggested that As IV could efficiently prevent obesityassociated hypertension through inhibiting inflammatory reaction and improving leptin resistance; furthermore, these effects of As IV was partly related to the increased ${\alpha}7nAchR$ expression.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.5-14
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• 2004

Acupuncture has fairly good weight-reducing effect in treating simple obesity due to the neuroendocrine regulation. In this study, the antiobesity effects of herbal acupuncture(HA) with Sang-hwang(phellinus linteus) at Fuai(SP16) were investigated in the rat fed on high-fat(HF) diet. Sang-hwang mushroom has been proven to have anti-carcinogenic effects and Sang-hwang extracts are highly effective in treatment and preventive treatment of AIDS, diabetes and high blood-pressure. To determine whether the Sang-hwang herbal acupuncture may have the anti-obesity effect, male Sprague-Dawley(4-wk-old) rats were fed a HF diet for 5 wk, which produced significant weight gain compared to rats were fed a normal diet, and then herbal acupuncture were treated for 3 wk in HF diet group. The body weight, food consumption, food effeciency ratio(FER), body fat mass, plasma nitric oxide(NO) were investigated in rats fed on normal diet, HF diet, and HF diet with HA(HF-diet-HA) groups. NO has been proposed to be involved in the regulation of food intake. In addition, the expression of appetite peptides such as orexigenic peptide neuropeptide Y(NPY) and the anorectic peptide cholecystokinin(CCK) were observed in the hypothalamus. HF-HA group reduced body weight gain, FER, body fat contents and NO concentration compared to HF diet group. The expression of NPY was reduced in arcuate nucleus(ARC), and CCK was increased in the paraventricular nucleus(PVN) after treatment of HA. In conclusion, Sang-hwang HA reduced adipocity, plasma NO and hypothalamic NPY, but increased CCK expression in the HF dietinduced obesity rat, therefore HA may have anti-obesity action through regulating body weight and appetite peptide of the central nervous system.