• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.6
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• pp.625-630
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• 2006

Background: Pulmonary hypertension in COPD patients is the result of a direct effect of tobacco smoke on the intrapulmonary vessels with the abnormal production of the mediators that control vasoconstriction, vasodilatation, and vascular cell proliferation, which ultimately lead to aberrant vascular remodeling and physiology. COPD patients are prone to the developmint of an acute and chronic thromboembolism with an elevation of the plasma procoagulant and fibrinolytic markers However, the roles of the coagulation and fibrinolysis system on the right ventricular dysfunction in COPD patients are not well defined. We examined the alteration of the coagulation and fibrinolysis system in COPD patients according to the right ventricular function measured using cardiac multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). Methods: The right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) was measured using cardiac MDCT in 26 patients who were diagnosed with COPD according to the definition of the GOLD guideline. The plasma level of thrombin antithrombin (TAT) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 were measured using an enzyme linked immunoassay. Results: The plasma TAT was markedly elevated in COPD patients ($10.5{\pm}19.8{\mu}g/L$) compared with those of the control ($3.4{\pm}2.5{\mu}g/L$) (p<0.01). However, the plasma PAI-1 in COPD patients ($29.6{\pm}20.7ng/mL$) was similar to that in the controls. The plasma TAT showed a significant inverse relationship with the RVEF measured by the cardiac MDCT in COPD patients (r=-0.645, p<0.01). However, the plasma PAI-1 did not show a relationship with the RVEF (r=0.022, p=0.92). Conclusion: These results suggest that the coagulation system in COPD patients is markedly activated, and that the plasma level of TAT might be a marker of a right ventricular dysfunction in COPD patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.1025-1030
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• 2006

In other to develop new functional doenjangs, two types of the isolated nuruk doenjangs were prepared with protease and amylase-producing Aspergillus oryzae D-2 and antihyperlipidemia Bacillus subtilis LK-12 and then changes of its quality and physiological functionalities were investigated during 2 months of fermentation and compared with those of the commercial nuruk doenjangs made by commercial Aspergillus oryzae and antihyperlipidemia Bacillus subtilis LK-12. ${\alpha}-Amylase$ activity of the isolated nuruk doenjangs during fermentation were decreased slightly, whereas proteases activities were increased significantly to $1.8{\sim}2.8$ Unit per mL after 1 month of fermentation. These ${\alpha}-amylase$ activities and proteases activities were similar with those of the commercial nuruk doenjangs. Amino-nitrogen content and reducing sugar content of the doenjangs after 2 months of fermentation were approximate $1.63{\sim}1.72\;mg%$ and $0.77{\sim}0.81%$, respectively. Antihypertensive angiotensin-Ⅰ converting enzyme inhibitory activities of the isolated nuruk doenjangs were slightly decreased from $85.6{\sim}87.2%$ to $84.0{\sim}85.1%$ after 2 months of fermentation and the commercial nuruk doenjangs were also significantly decreased from $85.7{\sim}88.0%$ to $69.1{\sim}79.7%$, lower than the isolated nuruk doenjangs. Fibrinolytic activity and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activity of the isolated nuruk doenjangs were very low and it were also similar with those of the commercial nuruk doenjangs. Antioxidant activity of the isolated nuruk doenjangs were showed $17{\sim}22%$, lower than that of the commercial nuruk doenjangs $(22{\sim}26%)$.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.177-182
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• 2010

The goal of this study was to characterize the quality and physiological functionality of some traditional rice wines in Chungnam province, Korea. Non-sterilized and commercial sterilized traditional rice wines from five traditional rice wine factories of Chungnam province were collected and investigated for nutritional components, noxious compounds and physiological functionality. Ethanol content ranged from 16.1~18.3% and pH ranged from 3.27~4.76, and they also contained 0.15% to 0.55% of total acid. All traditional rice wines contained 10.15~139.9 mg% of amino nitrogen and 2.5~25.7% of total sugar. Among organic acids, lactic acid was contained 7.4~29.6 mg%, and succinic acid and propionic acid was also contained 0.2~2.7 mg% and 0.7~8.3 mg%, respectively. Antihypertensive angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity were showed 37.0~86.0% in all rice wines, however, fibrinolytic activity, antioxidant activity, SOD-like activity and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity were low or not detected.