• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.319-328
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• 2013

Objectives: This study estimated the association of cardiovascular health behaviors with the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in middle-aged men in Korea. Methods: In total, 12 538 men aged 40 to 59 years were enrolled in 1993 and followed up through 2011. Cardiovascular health metrics defined the following lifestyle behaviors proposed by the American Heart Association: smoking, physical activity, body mass index, diet habit score, total cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose. The cardiovascular health metrics score was calculated as a single categorical variable, by assigning 1 point to each ideal healthy behavior. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratio of cardiovascular health behavior. Population attributable risks (PARs) were calculated from the significant cardiovascular health metrics. Results: There were 1054 total and 171 CVD deaths over 230 690 person-years of follow-up. The prevalence of meeting all 7 cardiovascular health metrics was 0.67%. Current smoking, elevated blood pressure, and high fasting blood glucose were significantly associated with all-cause and CVD mortality. The adjusted PARs for the 3 significant metrics combined were 35.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 21.7 to 47.4) and 52.8% (95% CI, 22.0 to 74.0) for all-cause and CVD mortality, respectively. The adjusted hazard ratios of the groups with a 6-7 vs. 0-2 cardiovascular health metrics score were 0.42 (95% CI, 0.31 to 0.59) for all-cause mortality and 0.10 (95% CI, 0.03 to 0.29) for CVD mortality. Conclusions: Among cardiovascular health behaviors, not smoking, normal blood pressure, and recommended fasting blood glucose levels were associated with reduced risks of all-cause and CVD mortality. Meeting a greater number of cardiovascular health metrics was associated with a lower risk of all-cause and CVD mortality.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.380-384
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• 2013

Zinc may participate in blood pressure regulation and in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The study examined the relationship between zinc status and blood pressure in obese Korean women. Forty obese women (body mass index (BMI) ${\geq}25kg/m^2$) aged 19-28 years participated in this study. Zinc intake was estimated from one 24 hour recall and 2-day diet records. Serum and urinary zinc concentrations were determined by atomic absorbance spectrophotometry. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured using an automatic sphygmometer. Metabolic variables, such as waist circumference, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, fasting glucose, and fasting insulin, were also measured. Dietary zinc intake of obese women was averagely 7.5 mg/day. Serum zinc and urinary zinc concentrations were $13.4{\mu}mol/L$ and $378.7{\mu}g/day$, respectively. Averages of SBP and DBP were 119 mmHg and 78 mmHg. Dietary zinc intake was negatively correlated with SBP after adjusting for energy intake (P < 0.05), but serum and urinary zinc concentrations were not found to be correlated with SBP or DBP. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that dietary zinc intake was inversely associated with SBP in obese women after adjusting for body weight, energy intake and sodium intake (P = 0.0145). The results show that dietary zinc intake may be an independent risk factor of elevated SBP in obese Korean women.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.302-307
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• 2009

The present study was designed to clarify the antidiabetic activity and mechanism of Dioscorea rhizome in diabetic db/db mice. Mice were administered Dioscorea rhizome and rosiglitazone orally for 7 weeks and the effects of these compounds on fasting blood glucose, glucose tolerance and intestinal disaccharidase activity in db/db mice were evaluated. The fasting serum glucose of the D. rhizome treated group was reduced when compared with that of the db/db control group. In addition, the disaccharidase activities in homogenates of the proximal, middle and distal segment of the small intestine were significantly decreased response to D. rhizome treatment, especially in the middle segment. These results suggest that D. rhizome decreases blood glucose via a decrease in the activity of disaccharidase in the mucosa of the middle region of the small intestine in db/db mice.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.601-605
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• 2007

This study investigated the therapeutic effects of Inonotus obliqua extract on blood glucose, insulin, and other biochemical parameters in genetically diabetic mice $(C57BL/KsJ^-m^{+/+}Lepr^{db})$. The mice were divided into four groups-control, Chaga 1 (dose of 0.09 mg/kg of body weight), Chaga 5 (5 times of Chaga 1), and Chaga 10 (10 times of Chaga 1) - according to supplemented dose. Inonotus obliqua extract was orally administered to the animals for 6 weeks. The body and organ (liver and kidney) weights were not different among groups. Fasting blood glucose level was significantly lower in the Chaga 5 group compared with the control (p < 0.05). Hemoglobin A1c content was significantly lower in the Chaga 5 group compared with either the control and Chaga 1 group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in serum insulin level among groups. The glucose-6-phosphatase activity in liver was significantly the lowest in Chaga 10 group and was significantly lower in Chaga 5 group as compared with those of control and Chaga 1 groups. Therefore, the results of this study demonstrate that Inonotus obliqua extract alleviates many of the symptoms of diabetes in genetically obese mice and may offer a possibility as a therapeutic supplement for the normalization of blood glucose levels in human with hyperglycemia and have beneficial effects in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2024

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia. Carvacrol (CAR) has demonstrated the potential to mitigate dyslipidemia. This study aims to investigate whether CAR can modulate blood glucose and lipid levels in a T2DM rat model by regulating short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and the GPR41/43 pathway. The T2DM rat model was induced by a high-fat diet combined with low-dose streptozocin injection and treated with oral CAR and/or mixed antibiotics. Fasting blood glucose, oral glucose tolerance, and insulin tolerance tests were assessed. Serum lipid parameters, hepatic and renal function indicators, tissue morphology, and SCFAs were measured. In vitro, high glucose (HG)-induced IEC-6 cells were treated with CAR, and optimal CAR concentration was determined. HG-induced IEC-6 cells were treated with SCFAs or/and GPR41/43 agonists. CAR significantly reduced blood lipid and glucose levels, improved tissue damage, and increased SCFA levels in feces and GPR41/43 expression in colonic tissues of T2DM rats. CAR also attenuated HG-induced apoptosis of IEC-6 cells and enhanced GPR41/43 expression. Overall, these findings suggest that CAR alleviates blood lipid and glucose abnormalities in T2DM rats by modulating SCFAs and the GPR41/43 pathway.

• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.12
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• pp.567-574
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• 2013

Liver plays a major role in maintaining glucose homeostasis in mammals. Under fasting conditions, hepatic glucose production is critical as a source of fuel to maintain the basic functions in other tissues, including skeletal muscle, red blood cells, and the brain. Fasting hormones glucagon and cortisol play major roles during the process, in part by activating the transcription of key enzyme genes in the gluconeogenesis such as phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose 6 phosphatase catalytic subunit (G6Pase). Conversely, gluconeogenic transcription is repressed by pancreatic insulin under feeding conditions, which effectively inhibits transcriptional activator complexes by either promoting post-translational modifications or activating transcriptional inhibitors in the liver, resulting in the reduction of hepatic glucose output. The transcriptional regulatory machineries have been highlighted as targets for type 2 diabetes drugs to control glycemia, so understanding of the complex regulatory mechanisms for transcription circuits for hepatic gluconeogenesis is critical in the potential development of therapeutic tools for the treatment of this disease. In this review, the current understanding regarding the roles of two key transcriptional activators, CREB and FoxO1, in the regulation of hepatic gluconeogenic program is discussed.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.272-278
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• 2009

Postprandial hypoglycemic effect of mulberry leaf (Morus alba L.) was compared in two animal models: Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats, a spontaneous non-obese animal model for type II diabetes, and their counterpart control Wistar rats. First, the effect of a single oral administration of mulberry leaf aqueous extract (MLE) on postprandial glucose responses was determined using maltose or glucose as substrate. With maltose-loading, MLE reduced peak responses of blood glucose significantly in both GK and Wistar rats (P < 0.05), supporting the inhibition of $\alpha$-glucosidase by MLE in the small intestine. With glucose-loading, MLE also significantly reduced blood glucose concentrations, measured at 30 min, in both animal models (P < 0.01), proposing the inhibition of glucose transport by MLE. Next, dried mulberry leaf powder (MLP) was administered for 8 weeks by inclusion in the diet. By MLP administration, fasting blood glucose was significantly reduced at weeks 4 and 5 (P < 0.05), but then returned to values that were similar to those of the control at the end of experimental period in GK rats. Insulin, HOMA-IR, C-reactive protein, and triglycerides tended to be decreased by MLP treatment in GK rats. All other biochemical parameters were not changed by MLP administration in GK rats. Collectively, these findings support that MLE has significant postprandial hypoglycemic effect in both non-obese diabetic and healthy animals, which may be beneficial as food supplement to manage postprandial blood glucose. Inhibitions of glucose transport as well as $\alpha$-glucosidase in the small intestine were suggested as possible mechanisms related with the postprandial hypoglycemic effect of MLE.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.469-475
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The goal of the present study was to investigate the effects of moderate caloric restriction on ${\beta}$-cell function and insulin sensitivity in middle-aged obese Korean women. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Fifty-seven obese pre-menopausal Korean women participated in a 12-week calorie restriction program. Data on total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and fasting serum levels of glucose, insulin, C-peptide, blood pressure, leptin and anthropometrics were collected. A dietary intake assessment was based on three days of food recording. Additionally, ${\beta}$-cell function [homeostasis model assessment of ${\beta}$-cell (HOMA-${\beta}$), insulinogenic index (ISI), C-peptide:glucose ratio, and area under curve insulin/glucose ($AUC_{ins/glu}$)] and insulin sensitivity [homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), Quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index (QUICKI) and Matsuda index (MI)] were recorded. RESULTS: When calories were reduced by an average of 422 kcal/day for 12 weeks, BMI (-2.7%), body fat mass (-10.2%), and waist circumference (-5%) all decreased significantly (P < 0.05). After calorie restriction, weight, body fat percentage, hip circumference, BP, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, plasma glucose at fasting, insulin at fasting and 120 min, $AUC_{glu}$ and the insulin area under the curve all decreased significantly (all P < 0.05), while insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR, QUICKI and Matsuda index) measured by OGTT improved significantly (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Moderate weight loss due to caloric restriction with reduction in insulin resistance improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in middle-aged obese women and thereby may help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.498-510
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• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Obesity, characterized by abnormal fat accumulation and metabolic disturbances, presents a significant health challenge. Opuntia humifusa Raf., commonly known as Korean Cheonnyuncho, is rich in various beneficial compounds and has demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. However, its potential impact on glucose and lipid metabolism, particularly in obese rats, remains unexplored. We aimed to investigate whether O. humifusa stems and fruits could beneficially alter glucose metabolism and lipid profiles in a rat model of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. MATERIALS/METHODS: Thirty-two rats were allocated into 4 groups: normal diet (NF), HFD control (HF), HFD treated with 2% O. humifusa stems (HF-OS), and HFD treated with 2% O. humifusa fruits (HF-OF). Experimental diets were administered for 6 weeks. At the end of the treatment, liver and fat tissues were isolated, and serum was collected for biochemical analysis. The major flavonoid from O. humifusa stems and fruits was identified and quantified. RESULTS: After 6 weeks of treatment, the serum fasting glucose concentration in the HF-OS group was significantly lower than that in the HF group. Serum fasting insulin concentrations in both HF-OS and HF-OF groups tended to be lower than those in the HF group, indicating a significant improvement in insulin sensitivity in the HF-OS group. Additionally, the HF-OS group exhibited a tendency towards the restoration of adiponectin levels to that of the NF group. CONCLUSION: The 2% O. humifusa stems contain abundant quercetin and isorhamnetin, which alter fasting blood glucose levels in rats fed a HFD, leading to a favorable improvement in insulin resistance.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2002

Cocoon production, which is a representative of traditional sericulture shifted into silkworm powder production in the spring of 1995. This, infect, signifies the change from the dress-centered textile business to the bio-industry and the functional resource industry. One of the most outstanding shifting is utilization of silkworm larvae for anti-diabetic agent. In Asian countries including Korea, silkworm powder derived from the domestic silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) has long been favored for anti-diabetic agent, but its efficacy was not tested until last decade by modern scientific methods. In this article, we reviewed the major researches on the silkworm powder as a blood glucose-lowering substance. After the beginning test of the efficacy of silkworm powder by a cooperative research between Department of Sericulture and Entomlogy, NIAST, RDA and Kyung Hee University, substantial data have been accumulated so far, In a serial experiment to select best condition, the fifth instar larvae prepared by freeze dry method turned out to have the best blood glucose-lowering effect. In the pharmacological experiment to understand the mechanism of silkworm powder in small intestine, the silkworm powder turned out to inhibit the activity of ${\alpha}$-glucosidase, by competitively binding to $\alpha$-type disaccharides. The animal experiment showed that the extract of silkworm powder prevents a rapid increase of blood glucose level after meal and prevents hunger and law blood glucose level during empty stomach. In the experiment to isolate the major component of silkworm powder, which exerts blood glucose-lowering effect, 1-deoxynojirimy-cin (DNJ) was eventually mass-purified, and it turned out that DNJ isolated from silkworm powder was excellent in its blood glucose-lowering effect. In the experiment to understand the personal difference of the efficacy of the silkworm powder, clinical candidates were divided on the basis of the criterion of traditional Chinese medicine: Tae-Yang, Tae-Um, So-yang, and So-Um. The result showed that silkworm powder has a tendency to reduce blood glucose level at fasting and at 2 hours after meal, and this trend was somewhat obvious in the Tae-Um body type. In summary, we reviewed scientific papers on the efficacy of silkworm powder and its purified DNJ as a blood glucose-lowering agent. These suggest that silkworm powder truly possesses blood glucose-lowering effect as documented in the traditional Chinese medicine, although further researches will be required to develop them as "medical" resource instead of functional food.