• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.231-238
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• 2016

Purpose: Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) is a 65-kDa acute phase protein, derived from the liver, which is present in high concentrations in plasma. Data regarding the association between circulating plasma LBP levels and obesity-related biomarkers in the pediatric population are scarce. We aimed to determine whether there was a difference in plasma LBP levels between overweight/obese and normal-weight adolescents and to assess the correlation of circulating LBP levels with anthropometric measures and obesity-related biomarkers, including insulin resistance, liver enzyme levels, and lipid profiles. Methods: The study included 87 adolescents aged 12-13 years; 44 were overweight/obese and 43 were of normal-weight. We assessed anthropometric and laboratory measures, including body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, insulin resistance, liver enzyme levels, and lipid profiles. Plasma LBP levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The mean age of the participants was $12.9{\pm}0.3$ years. Circulating plasma LBP levels were significantly increased in overweight/obese participants compared with those in normal-weight participants ($7.8{\pm}1.9{\mu}g/mL$ vs. $6.0{\pm}1.6{\mu}g/mL$, P<0.001). LBP levels were significantly and positively associated with BMI, systolic blood pressure, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, fasting glucose and insulin, and insulin resistance as indicated by the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (all P<0.05). In multivariate linear regression analysis, BMI and HOMA-IR were independently and positively associated with plasma LBP levels. Conclusion: LBP is an inflammatory biomarker associated with BMI and obesity-related insulin resistance in adolescents. The positive correlation between these parameters suggests a potentially relevant pathophysiological mechanism linking LBP to obesity-related insulin resistance in adolescents.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.120-126
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• 2012

Objective : Previous studies reported a correlation between the low serum cholesterol level and impulsive behaviors. In this study, we investigate an association between the serum lipid levels and psychological parameters in maladaptive soldiers in the Korean Army. Methods : A total of ninety-six maladaptive subjects and thirty-six normal controls in the Korean army were evaluated with the Korean version of Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (K-BIS), Korean version of Beck Suicidal Ideation Scale (K- BSIS), Korean version of Beck Depression Inventory (K-BDI) and Korean version of Beck Anxiety Inventory (K-BAI). Serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) level were measured by overnight fasting blood sampling. Results : There were no significant differences between the groups in demographic characteristics. Serum total cholesterol levels (t=-2.209, p=0.032), triglyceride levels (t=-4.593, p<0.001), and LDL levels (t=-3.753, p=0.001) of maladaptive subjects were significantly lower than those of normal controls, and maladaptive subjects had higher K-BIS scores than normal controls (t=7.542, p<0.001). Negative correlation was found between LDL levels and non-planning impulsiveness in the maladaptive subjects (r=-0.253, p=0.013). LDL levels (${\beta}=-0.258$, p=0.008) and K-BDI scores (${\beta}=0.266$, p=0.043) emerged as significant predictors for non-planning impulsiveness. Conclusion : These results suggested that LDL level was associated with non-planning impulsiveness. These findings suggested that serum cholesterol levels might be available as a biological marker of impulsiveness. However, more large samples, longitudinal biological study and psychiatric evaluations should be needed to develop a preventive intervention for maladaptive male conscripts in the Korean army.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.194-202
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• 2001

Objectives : Many studies have shown an association between serum lipid concentrations and psychologic characteristics. However, conflicting results have also been reported. This study was designed to find the relationship between serum lipid levels(cholesterol and triglycerides) and psychologic characteristics(impulsiveness, aggressiveness, depressiveness) in adolescents. Methods : Serum cholesterol concentration, serum triglycerides concentration, complete blood count, electrolytes, liver function test, and blood sugar level were measured by overnight fasting blood sampling and urinalysis was also conducted in 407 high school students. Impulsiveness level was measured by Barratt Impulsiveness Scale(BIS). Aggressiveness level was measured by Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory(BDHI). Depressiveness level was measured by Beck Depression Inventory(BDI). Serum cholesterol was measured by standard enzymatic assay and serum triglycerides was measured by Boehringer Mannheim method. Results : 1) Low cholesterol group(<15 percentile) were found to have significantly higher BIS score than high cholesterol group(>85 percentile) in female. Female low cholesterol group were also found to have significantly higher motor impulsivity score, a subscale of BIS, than high cholesterol group. 2) High triglycerides group(>85 percentile) were found to have significantly higher BDI score than low triglycerides group(<15 percentile) in male and female separately. Especially, male high triglycerides group were also found to have significantly higher BIS and motor impulsivity score than low triglycerides group. Conclusion : These results support the previous hypothesis that serum lipid levels(cholesterol and triglycerides) affect human psychologic characteristics.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2005

To evaluate the hypoglycemic effect of propolis, streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats were divided into 4 groups such as, diabetic control group, low dose of propolis (0.1 ml) group, medium dose of propolis (0.3 ml) group and high dose of propolis (0.9 ml) group and feeded with propolis extracts for 30 days. After experiment, oral glucose tolerance test (Oral GTT) was carried, and 16 hours fasting blood sugar levels, body weights, blood lipid levels were measured. Finally, pancreatic histopathological study was performed. In conclusion, the propolis is effective to the treatment diabetes due to the reduction of the blood sugar level and the regeneration of the damaged $\beta$-cells shown in streptozotocininduced diabetic rats.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.363-371
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• 2007

The methanol extract of the seed of Swietenia macrophylla (Meliaceae) seeds were investigated for its hypoglycaemic activity in normal and alloxan induced diabetic rats. Seed extract suspended in aqueous Tween 80 solution, the graded doses were administered to normal and experimental diabetic rats for 10 days. Fasting blood glucose levels, serum lipid profiles and changes in body weight were evaluated in normal rats while the hepatic marker enzymes and liver glycogen levels were evaluated additionally in diabetic rats. The diabetic groups treated with the seed extract were compared with standard drug glibenclamide. The findings showed the significant antidiabetic potential of the extract in ameliorating the diabetic conditions in diabetic rats. The extract also has hypoglycaemic action in normal rats. A toxicity study has been performed for the extract, which revealed that the extract is safe to use even at the doses of 3.2 mg/kg of body weight orally. The result from the present investigation indicates good correlation between the folk use and scientific investigation.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.512-519
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• 2009

Among patients who visited each clinical department for oriental medical treatments, anthropometric measurement, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and blood lipid profile level were measured at their first initial visit. 55 subject patients who were diagnosed as having metabolic syndrome and 150 mg/dL or more of triglyceride were selected as subjects whose fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were measured after fasting. According to each patient's disease, the subject received treatments such as herb medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping therapy, physical therapy and rehabilitation therapy from each clinical department, and after an average of 4.10${\pm}$0.31 weeks, another test was performed yielding the following results. Serum triglyceride was 243.72${\pm}$13.05 mg/dL before the oriental medical treatment and 188.11${\pm}$12.17 mg/dL after the treatment where although it continued to show an abnormal value even after the treatment, there was statistically significant decrease compared to pre treatment(P<0.05). Serum total cholesterol was 207.50${\pm}$5.89 mg/dL before the oriental medical treatment and 192.37${\pm}$5.53 mg/dL after the treatment which was statistically insignificant compared to pre treatment(P>0.05). Serum HDL cholesterol was 51.19${\pm}$3.95 mg/dL before the oriental medical treatment and increased to 52.53${\pm}$1.49 mg/dL after the treatment although it was statistically insignificant compared to pre treatment(P>0.05). Serum LDL cholesterol was 110.66${\pm}$5.86 mg/dL before the oriental medical treatment and decreased to 106.12${\pm}$4.82 mg/dL after the treatment although it was statistically insignificant compared to pre treatment(P>0.05). In regards to the change of triglyceride for each sex, it was 221.84${\pm}$14.01 mg/dL before the treatment and 187.00${\pm}$15.47 mg/dL after the treatment for men, and it was 271.50${\pm}$22.78 mg/dL and 189.53${\pm}$19.76 mg/dL respectively for women where even though men and women showed the decrease of 34.84${\pm}$12.79 mg/dL and 81.96${\pm}$20.01 mg/dL respectively, both men and women continue to show abnormal values after the treatments. However, there was statistically significant decrease compared to pre treatment(P<0.05). In regards to the change of total cholesterol for each sex, with 198.24${\pm}$7.60 mg/dL for men before the treatment and 188.93${\pm}$7.45 mg/dL after the treatment, values for both before and after the treatment were within the normal range where the change value was 9.30${\pm}$5.86 mg/dL and statistically insignificant(P>0.05). For women, it was 219.26${\pm}$8.87 mg/dL and 196.73${\pm}$8.43 mg/dL respectively for women where with 22.53${\pm}$7.60 mg/dL, it decreased to the normal level after the treatment, and there was a statistically significant decrease compared to pre treatment(P<0.05). With such results, serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels of patients who have been diagnosed as having metabolic syndrome were observed to decrease after the oriental medical treatment. Especially, for both men and women, abnormally high triglyceride level decreased while the effect of lipid profile improvement for women was more significant compared to men.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.301-307
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• 2011

The hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic effects of two dietary dosages (0.1% and 0.5%) of water and 80% ethanol extracts from hot-air dried Orostachys japonicus A. Berger were evaluated in the serum and organ tissues of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The STZ-induced diabetic groups supplemented with the O. japonicus extracts showed significantly higher body weight compared to a diabetic control group at the end of experiment. The extracts exhibited substantial hypoglycemic effects by significant reductions of fasting blood glucose levels at all time points tested compared to the initial stage before treatment of the extracts. Declines of serum and hepatic triglyceride levels were greater than declines of total cholesterol in the groups treated with the 0.5% O. japonicus extract (DBW2 and DBE2) when compared to the DBC group. Hepatic glycogen content was higher in the groups treated with O. japonicus extract, while lipid peroxide content was decreased in these treated groups compared to the DBC group. Hepatic antioxidant activity was significantly increased in the groups supplemented with the O. japonicus ethanol extract The hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic effects of the O. japonicus ethanol extract were significantly greater than the effects of the water extract. Based on this study, it seems that O. japonicus ethanol extract, due to its higher phenolic and flavonoid components than the water extract, may control blood glucose and alleviate hyperlipidemia in diabetes.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.805-818
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• 1994

This study investigated the effect of enteral nutrition supplementation on glucose and lipid metabolism in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus(NIDDM) patients(n=29). Nutrition formula(400kcal/day) were supplied daily for eight weeks as a substitute for a snack or a meal. Subjects were divided into three groups based on changes of fasting blood glucose(FBG), glucose response area(GRA) on oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT), before and after intake of nutrition formula : group 1(the group of a decrease in FBG and GRA, n=20), group 2(the group of a decrease in FBG and an increase in GRA, n=4), and group 3(the group of an increase in FBF and GRA, n=5). Before nutrition supplementation, group 3 showed a longer tendency of DM duration and a lower tendency of insulin and C-peptide response are than those of group 1 and 2. At 8 weeks after nutrition supplementation, group 1 showed a significant increase in insulin and C-peptide response areas but group 2 and 3 showed no change in those areas. After nutrition supplementation, all three groups showed a tendency of decrease in glycated hemoglobin and no significant changes in the levels of serum triglycerides, HDL, LDL, total cholesterol, albumin, transferrin, creatinine, GOT and GPT. The results suggest that using an enteral nutrition formula in NIDDM patients is a good substitute for a meal or snack and could improve blood glucose control without any changes in lipid levels, and liver and kidney functions. The beneficial effect of nutrition supplementation on glycemic control resulted from components of nutrition formula had such as additional fiber and high monounsaturated fatty acid as the source of fat to be helpful 세 glycemic control in diabetics.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.10-14
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• 2007

Type 2 diabetes mellitus relavant to insulin resistance is a chronic and hard to control. In order to develop an antidiabetic agent from natural products, anti-hyperglycemic effect of herbal formula containing Mori Follium, Euonymi Lignum Suberalatum and Ginseng Radix(MEG) was investigated in db/db mice. Treatment group was administered orally with MEG formula at a dose of 300 mg/kg for 5 weeks, and blood glucose, insulin and lipid levels were determined. MEG treatment group showed a marked decrease in fasting blood glucose level and insulin resistance index(IRI) compared to those in diabetic control. Improvement of insulin resistance(60.6%) was indicative of reducing lipid levels in plasma and triglyceride contents in muscle and adipose tissue. In addition, expressions of an insulin responsive gene, glucose transporter 4(Glut4), in muscle and adipose tissue were upregulated in MEG treatment group. Compared islet morphology between groups, MEG formula prevented the ${\beta}$-cell destruction caused by high blood glucose. Taken together, MEG formula can act as an anti-hyperglycemic agent with insulin sensitizing effect, and thus deserves a clinical trial in the future.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.111-117
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• 2018

Purpose: The prevalence of obesity has significantly increased among children and adolescents worldwide and is becoming an important health care problem in parallel with the increased prevalence of obesity pediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Betatrophin is a newly define hormone that is commonly secreted by liver and plays role in glucose tolerance. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum betatrophin levels and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese children. Methods: The study included 40 obese children with a body mass index (BMI) above 95th centile, and 35 non-obese subjects with a BMI 3-85th centile, whose age and gender were similar to those of the patient group. For the evaluation of metabolic parameters fasting serum glucose, insulin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lipid profile and serum betatrophin levels were measured. Total cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios were calculated as "atherogenic indices." Results: Serum betatrophin levels of the obese subjects were similar to that of non-obese subjects (p=0.90). Betatrophin levels were not correlated with the metabolic parameters. Conclusion: In the present study, levels of betatrophin are not different between obese and insulin resistant children and non-obese subjects, and they are not correlated with atherogenic indices. To elucidate the exact role of betatrophin in obesity, further studies are required to identify the betatrophin receptor and/or other possible cofactors.