• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.275-282
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• 2006

In previous our studies, we have reported that eugenol derived from Eugenia caryophyllata(Myrtaceace) exhibits acute N-methyl-D-aspartate(NMDA)- and oxygen/glucose deprivation-induced neurotoxicity in primary cortical cultures and protects hippocampal neurons from global ischemia. In this study, we investigated whether the extracts and fractions of E. caryophyllata or eugenol shows the neuroprotective effects against delayed neuronal injury evoked by NMDA or ${\alpha}$-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole propionate(AMPA), and oxidative damage induced by arachidonic acid-, hydrogen peroxide-, $FeCl_2$/ascorbic acid-, and buthionine sulfoximine(BSO) in primary cortical cultures. We examined the neurotoxicity of eugenol itself in cultures and inhibitory effect of eugenol on NMDA- or kainate(KA)-induced convulsion in BALB/c mice. Each water, methanol extract and methanol fraction of E. caryophyllata was significantly attenuated NMDA-induced delayed neurotoxicity, respectively. Eugenol exhibited a significant inhibitory action against the convulsion evoked by NMDA and KA, and reduced delayed or brief neurotoxicity induced by NMDA, AMPA, and various oxidative injuries. These results suggest that eugenol derived from E. caryophyllata may contribute the neuroprotection against delayed-type excitotoxicity and excitotoxins-mediated convulsion through the amelioration of oxidative stress.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.1670-1674
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• 2001

To understand molecular mechanisms that regulate deposition and release of intramuscular fat, a fasting-induced clone was identified by differential screening from cDNA library of adipose tissues of Korean cattle. The clone had a total length of 1,319 nucleotides coding for 334 amino acids. It was identified as one encoding L-lactate dehydrogenase H chain (LDH-B). Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of bovine LDH-B with those of pig, human, rat, and mouse showed 98%, 98%, 97%, and 96% identity, respectively. Food deprivation for 48 h increased mRNA levels of LDH-B gene in adipose tissues of Korean cattle compared to fed- and 6 h refed- tissues. The expression of obese mRNA was examined for individual adipose tissue from several fat depots. Fasting induced expression of LDH-B gene in subcutaneous adipose tissues, but it did not affect expression levels in abdominal, perirenal and intramuscular tissues. Results demonstrate that induction of LDH-B gene during fasting may represent a metabolic shift from anaerobic state to aerobic predominance in fasted adipose tissues and that its responses to fasting are different among several adipose tissues.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.213-218
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• 2005

Epilepsy constitutes a significant public health problem, and even the newest drugs and neurosurgical techniques have proven unable to cure the disease. In order to select a group of isolates which could generate an active compound with neuroprotective or antiepileptic properties, we isolated 517 actinomycete strains from soil samples taken from Jeju Island, in South Korea. We then screened these strains for possible anti-apoptotic effects against serum deprivation-induced hippocampal cell death, using the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay as an in vitro test. The excitotoxic glutamate analog, kainic acid (KA), was used to induce seizures in experimental mice in our in vivo tests. As a result of this testing, we located one strain which exhibited profound neuroprotective activity. This strain was identified as a Streptomyces species, and exhibited the rifampinresistant genotype, Asn$(AAC)^$442, according to the results of 16S rRNA and rpoB gene analyses

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.410-415
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• 2008

Previously, we identified albumin as an inhibitory factor in serum for cell adhesion of T cells such as human Jurkat T and primary cultured human T cells. In the present study, we found that other hematopoietic cell lines including U-937 human monocytes, THP-1 human monocytes, K-562 promyelocytic leukemia cells, and HL-60 human leukemia cells, also adhere to tissue culture flasks when serum is withdrawn, and albumin exerts an inhibitory effect on cell adhesion by those cells, implying that this inhibition is a common phenomenon in hematopoietic cells. Furthermore, we found that cell adhesion is inhibited by antioxidants such as (-)-epigallocatechin- 3-gallate (EGCG), morin, and a-tocopherol. Our results suggest that albumin may inhibit basal cell adhesion of hematopoietic cells and that the oxidative balance in the plasma may be important for cell adhesion of hematopoietic cells in vivo.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 1977

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of cingulate cortical ablation upon gastric ulceration, and the pathway through which cingulate cortex exerts the effect. 56 female rats were divided equally into cingulate (cingulate cortical ablation), cingulate-vagal (cingulate cortical ablation and vagotomy), normal control and vagal (vagotomy) groups. Cingulate cortex was ablated through a slit-shaped opening (1 mm in width, 13 mm in length) which was made symmetrically on both sides of, and parallel to, the sagittal suture by removing a bone flap from parietal and frontal bones on each side. Vagus nerves on both sides were transected around the distal end of the esophagus. In the normal control animals, surgical intervention ended with scalp incision. All rats were kept without restraint or food deprivation for 3 weeks after surgery. The stomach of each rat was inflated with 7 ml of physiological saline and then removed under deep anesthesia. The mucosal surface was examined under dissecting microscope for the location, shape and number of ulcers, and then enlarged photograph $(4{\times})$was taken. The incidence of ulcer in each group was counted and the number of ulceration as well as the total area of glandular mucosa were measured on the photograph. Results obtained were as follows: 1. The mean number of ulcer per stomach and the total area of ulcer exprssed as permillage of the total area of glandular mucosa were significantly higher in the cingulate group than the cingulate-vagal, the normal control and the vagal groups. There was no difference among the latter three groups. 2. The incidence of ulcer in the cingulate group was significantly higher than that in the .normal control group and was also higher, though not significantly, than those in the cingulate-vagal and the vagal groups. There was no difference among the normal control, the cingulate-vagal and the vagal groups. It is inferred from the above results that the cingulate cortex exerts an inhibitory influence upon gastric ulceration and that this influence is mediated by controlling the vagal activity.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.405-416
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore health behavior and perception of therapeutic restrictions in chronically ill children and their parents in Korea. Method: Nine children with chronic disease and of six of their parents were interviewed using semi-structured a questionnaire. The data were analyzed using explorative content analysis. Results: Health behaviors related to therapeutic restrictions was classified into four domains, and the perceptions of therapeutic restrictions into two domains. The domains regarding compliance in health behavior with therapeutic restrictions included control-centered restrictions (maintaining food limitations, avoiding harmful environments, restriction on physical activity, restriction on social activity, restriction on learning activity), and everyday pursuit of balance(preference for healthy diet, maintaining a regular life style, maintaining a standard body weight, pursuing psychological well-being, family participation). Domains regarding perception of therapeutic restrictions included obstacles to growth and development (bridled life, opportunity deprivation, prevented from playing proper role), origin of conflict (tenacity, conflict, stressor, cover-up), task for normal life (doing proper duty), and everyday affairs (becoming ordinary, familiarity). Conclusion: This study will help to enhance understanding the behavior and perception of therapeutic restrictions by chronically ill children and their families and to establish educational programs and counseling for these children and their families.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.662-668
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• 2007

Studies have shown that onions exhibit a wide variety of health-promoting properties. The health benefits by the onion have been attributed to its ability to scavenge free radicals, to reduce blood lipids, to lower blood pressure, and to inhibit platelet aggregation. This study was performed to investigate whether onion extract supplementation would affect the blood markers of ethanol-induced fatty liver in rats. Initially, male Sprague-Dawley rats were housed singly in a room of controlled temperature and lighting and had free access to a nutritionally adequate AIN-93G and deionized water. The rats were trained for meal feeding to prevent a decline in food intake, as inevitably observed following an ethanol feeding. After the training period, rats were weight-matched and assigned to the following three groups: 1) a control group, fed the AIN-93G diet alone (control); 2) an ethanol group, fed the AIN-93G diet with ethanol at 4 g/day/kg body weight (ethanol); and 3) an onion group, fed the AIN-93G diet with ethanol plus supplemental freeze-dried onion powder at 500 mg/day/rat (ethanol + onion). All three group were meal-fed 7.0 g of their respective diets at 0900 h and 7.5 g at 1600 h for 28 days. At 0, 2, and 4 wk, blood was collected via the orbital sinus and organs were collected following overnight food deprivation. Both control and experimental groups continually gained weight throughout the study. No significant differences in the weights of the liver, kidneys, heart, spleen, and testis were observed. However, the serum level of triglycerides was significantly increased by ethanol but significantly decreased by onion extract. The activities of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) at 4 wk were significantly increased by ethanol feeding but were significantly decreased by onion supplementation. However, no differences among groups were observed in the serum levels of alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, bilirubin, and protein. These results provide that onion extract favorably affect alcoholic fatty liver by decreasing the serum concentration of triglyceride and the activities of GOT and GPT.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.398-404
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• 2010

It is known that onions, or bioactive compounds therein, providehealth benefits. The present study was designed to investigate whether a concentrated onion extract lowered blood lipid levels in rats fed a high-fat diet. Initially, male Sprague-Dawley rats were housed singly in an environment in which temperature and light duration were controlled, and had free access to a nutritionally adequate AIN-93G diet and deionized water. After an acclimatization period, rats were weight-matched and assigned to one of the following five groups: 1) a control group, fed the AIN-93G diet mixed with 10% (w/v) lard and 0.7% (w/v) cholesterol to induce hyperlipidemia (control); 2) three experimental groups, fed the AIN-93G diet mixed with a high-fat source plus concentrated onion extract at three different levels (termed the low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose groups); and, 3) a placebo group, fed the AIN-93G diet with fats plus the same concentrated extract but devoid of onion-derived material. All five groups freely ingested their respective diets over 6 weeks. At 0, 3, and 6 weeks, blood samples were collected from the orbital sinus following overnight food deprivation. At 6 weeks, livers were collected. Both control and experimental groups continually gained body weight throughout the study. No significant differencein body weight gain was observed among groups. However, the serum concentrations of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and non HDL-cholesterol were significantly reduced by ingestion of concentrated onion extract. Also, the hepatic levels of total lipids and total fatty acids, especially C18:1 (oleic acid), were significantly decreased in rats fed a high level of concentrated onion extract, compared with the control and placebo groups. These results provide clear evidence that ingestion of a concentrated onion extract has a profound inhibitory effect on serum lipid levels in rats fed a high-fat diet. Our findings indicate that a concentrated onion extract may be used to alleviate hyperlipidemia by lowering serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.39-45
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• 1976

This study was conducted to see whether the hippocampectomy exerted facilitatory influence upon gastric ulceration in animals, and if so, whether the effect of hippocampectomy could be suppressed by adrenalectomy. 107 male rats were divided into 5 groups: rats that had over 90% of their hippocampal tissue removed through an opening on each side of the cerebral cortex(hippocampal group, N=21), rats that received bilateral adrenalectomy(adrenal group, N=29), rats that received adrenalectomy as well as hippocampectomy(hippocampo-adrenal group, N=10), rats that received damage to each side of the cortex over the hippocampus(cortical control group, N=20), and rats that had solely their head skin incised(normal control group, N=27). All rats were kept without restraint or food deprivation until on the 25th day after surgery, the stomach of each rat was inflated with 7ml of physiological saline and then removed under deep anesthesia. The mucosal surface was sketched under dissecting microscope, and enlarged photographs$(4{\times})$ were taken. The percentage of animals developing gastric ulcer in each animal group was calculated, the number of ulcer in each stomach was counted, and the total area of ulceration per stomach was measured on the Photograph with the aid of superimposed graph paper and expressed as permillage of total area of the glandular mucosa. Results obtained were as follows: 1. The percentage of animals developing gastric ulcer was significantly larger in the hippocampal group than they were in the hippocampo-adrenal, the adrenal, the cortical, and the normal control groups. 2. The mean number of ulcer per stomach was significantly larger in the hippocampal group than they were in the adrenal, the cortical control, and the normal control groups, while no significant difference existed between the hippocampal and the hippocampo-adrenal groups. 3. Total area of ulcer per stomach was significantly larger in the hippocampal group than they were in the cortical control and the normal control groups, but no significant differ-ence existed among the hippocampal, the adrenal, and the hippocampo·adrenal groups. 4. All measured values of the adrenal group were not significantly different from those of the hippocampo-adrenal, the cortical control, and the normal control groups. It is inferred from the above results that the hippocampus exerts an inhibitory influence upon gastric ulceration and that the hippocampal influence is mediated only partly through suppression of pituitary·adrenal activity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.251-256
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• 2011

EGCG, catechins in green tea, is a kind of phytochemical. Through the regulation of signal pathways, EGCG has been known to show anti-oxidant and anti-tumor effects in cells. In this study, we investigated the apoptotic effects of EGCG through AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signal pathways, including hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-$1{\alpha}$). The experiments were performed in B16F10 melanoma cells in a hypoxic state. AMPK is activated by ATP consumption such as nutrient deficiency, exercise, heat shock, etc. The activated AMPK that plays an important role as an energy sensor inhibits proliferation of cancer cells, as well as inducing apoptosis. HIF-$1{\alpha}$, the primary transcriptional regulator of the response to oxygen deprivation, plays a critical role in modulating tumor growth and angiogenesis in a hypoxic state. The apoptotic effects of EGCG were studied in B16F10 cells in a hypoxic state. The results show that EGCG inhibits the transcriptional activity of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ and induces apoptosis. These observations suggest that EGCG may exert inhibitory effects of angiogenesis and control tumor cell growth in hypoxic melanoma cells.