• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.52 no.2
• /
• pp.152-158
• /
• 2009

Reduced fetal growth is independently associated with increased risk of health problems in later life, particularly type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Insulin resistance appears to be a key component underlying these metabolic complications. It is suggested that detrimental fetal environment may program insulin resistance syndrome. An insulin-resistant genotype may also result in both low birth weight and insulin resistance syndrome, and it is likely that the association of low birth weight with insulin resistance is the result of both genetic and environmental factors. Early postnatal rapid catch-up growth is closely related to risk for subsequent metabolic diseases. Fat mass is strikingly reduced in neonates born small for gestational age (SGA), and recent data suggest that insulin resistance seen in catch-up growth is related to the disproportionate catch-up in fat mass compared with lean mass. Endocrine disturbances are also recognized in SGA children, but overt clinical problems are infrequent in childhood. Cognitive impairment is reported in some children born SGA, especially those who do not show catch-up growth, in whom early neurodevelopmental evaluation is required. Breast feeding, also known to be protective against the long-term risk of obesity, may prevent some intellectual impairment in SGA children. Calorie-dense feeding does not seem to be appropriate in SGA infants. We must balance the positive effect of nutrition on neural development against rapid fat deposition and the future risk of insulin resistance.

• Journal of mucopolysaccharidosis and rare diseases
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.5-7
• /
• 2016

Mucolipidoses II and III alpha/beta (ML II and ML III) are lysosomal disorders in which the essential mannose-6-phosphate recognition marker is not synthesized onto lysosomal hydrolases and other glycoproteins. The disorders are caused by mutations in GNPTAB, which encodes two of three subunits of the heterohexameric enzyme, N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase ML II, recognizable at birth, often causes intrauterine growth impairment and sometimes the prenatal "Pacman" dysplasia. The main postnatal manifestations of ML II include gradual coarsening of neonatally evident craniofacial features, early cessation of statural growth and neuromotor development, dysostosis multiplex and major morbidity by hardening of soft connective tissue about the joints and in the cardiac valves. Fatal outcome occurs often before or in early childhood. ML III with clinical onset rarely detectable before three years of age, progresses slowly with gradual coarsening of the facial features, growth deficiency, dysostosis multiplex, restriction of movement in all joints before or from adolescence, painful gait impairment by prominent hip disease. Cognitive handicap remains minor or absent even in the adult, often wheelchair-bound patient with variable though significantly reduced life expectancy. As yet, there is no cure for individuals affected by these diseases. So, clinical manifestations and conservative treatment is important. This review aimed to highlight the extra-skeletal clinical problems in ML II and III.

• Journal of Interdisciplinary Genomics
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.35-38
• /
• 2022

Background: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex genetic disease associated with growth impairment, severe obesity and metabolic dysfunctions. High proportion of PWS patients are born small for gestational age (SGA) than normal children, which also increase the risk of growth impairment and metabolic dysfunction in PWS. We aimed to compare growth outcome and metabolic profiles between SGA and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) PWS patients. Methods: Data of 55 PWS children and adults aged more than 2 years old (32 male and 23 female, age 2-18.8 years) from single center were studied. Only patients who were treated with GH were included. The clinical characteristics and laboratory findings were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Among 55 subjects, 39 had 15q11-13 deletion and 16 had uniparental disomy (UPD). Twenty (36.3%) were born SGA. All patients received GH treatment, and 11 (20%) discontinued GH treatment. Mean age at GH treatment initiation was 2.5 (range 0.3-12.4) years, and mean duration of treatment was 6.3 (range 1.0-11.3) years. Current height-SDS (-0.36 vs -0.16) and BMI-SDS (1.44 vs 1.33) did not differ between AGA and SGA group. Two patients in SGA group, but none in AGA group had diabetes mellitus. Mean glucose level was also higher in SGA group (100.1 vs 114.4 mg/dL). Conclusion: Our report gives an overview of growth profile and metabolic dysfunctions recorded in GH treated PWS patients. Growth profile did not differ between AGA and SGA group. Glucose level was higher in SGA group, so more careful monitoring and prevention for DM will be required in SGA group.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.53 no.2
• /
• pp.203-209
• /
• 2010

Purpose : Growth impairment is usually observed in children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Studies on the final height and weight of this population are insufficient. Our aim was to evaluate the final height of children with CHD and to identify the relationship between CHD and growth. Methods : We recorded the values of final height and weights of 105 CHD patients (age, <19 years) who visited Chonnam National University Hospital between November 2000 and March 2009, and we reviewed the medical records. Results : The mean values of weight and height of male CHD patients were significantly lower than those of the normal subjects. Patients with severe growth impairment (below the third percentile of normal) included 5 males (8.6%) and 4 females (8.5%) with height less than normal and 9 males (15.5%) and 8 females (17.0%) with weight less than normal. The mean growth of the patients in the cyanotic heart disease group was lower than that of normal subjects, but a statistically significant difference was noted in the weights of males. In a comparative study based on the type of CHD, a significant difference was noted in weights of males. Patients with patent ductus arteriosus and those with tetralogy of Fallot had the highest and lowest mean values of weight, respectively. Conclusion : Growth impairment was more evident in children with CHD than normal children. Patients should be treated during an optimal time frame. Thus, CHD patients should be treated if follow-up studies indicate growth impairment.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.42 no.8
• /
• pp.475-481
• /
• 2009

Emerging data demonstrate pivotal roles for brain insulin resistance and insulin deficiency as mediators of cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD). Insulin and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) regulate neuronal survival, energy metabolism, and plasticity, which are required for learning and memory. Hence, endogenous brain-specific impairments in insulin and IGF signaling account for the majority of AD-associated abnormalities. However, a second major mechanism of cognitive impairment has been linked to obesity and Type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Human and experimental animal studies revealed that neurodegeneration associated with peripheral insulin resistance is likely effectuated via a liver-brain axis whereby toxic lipids, including ceramides, cross the blood brain barrier and cause brain insulin resistance, oxidative stress, neuro-inflammation, and cell death. In essence, there are dual mechanisms of brain insulin resistance leading to AD-type neurodegeneration: one mediated by endogenous, CNS factors; and the other, peripheral insulin resistance with excess cytotoxic ceramide production.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.12-18
• /
• 2015

Skin is an emerging target tissue in pharmaceutical and cosmetic science. Safety assessment for dermal toxicity is a critical step for development of topically applicable pharmaceutical agents and ingredients in cosmetics. Urgent needs exist to set up toxicity testing methods for dermal safety, and identification of novel biomarkers for pathological cutaneous alteration is highly required. Here we will discuss if vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has a potential as a biomarker for dermal impairment. Experimental and clinical evidences for induction of keratinocytic VEGF under pathological conditions will be reviewed.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.31-38
• /
• 2014

Objectives : Egg yolk is composed of various important chemical substances for human health. A calcium shortage causes the growth retardation on the body growth. In this study, we examined the therapeutic effects of calcium, vitamin D and egg yolk peptide (EYP) treatment on the retardation of the longitudinal bone growth induced by low-calcium diet in adolescent rats. Methods : Low calcium diets were administrated for 15 days. During the last five days, calcium and/or vitamin D and/or EYP were administrated. The body weights, longitudinal bone growth rates, the heights of growth plates, and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 expressions were measured using histochemical analysis. Results : Low calcium diets caused the significant reduction in body weight gains and the longitudinal bone growth. The heights of growth plates and the expressions of BMP-2 and IGF-1 showed the impairment of body growth as well. Calcium and/or vitamin D administration could not significantly increase the longitudinal bone growth. However, calcium, vitamin D, and EYP administration significantly increased the bone growth, the growth plate height, and BMP-2 and IGF-1 expressions. Conclusions : These results suggest that EYP enhances the longitudinal bone growth in the calcium and/or vitamin D deficiency and it could be a promising agent for the treatment of children suffering from malnutrition.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.325-338
• /
• 2009

National parks provide recreation, health, and science to human being. The provision of beautiful landscape view of the national park improves an economic and social phase of a nation. However, visibility impairment frequently occurred in the national park area of Gyeongju. The purpose of this study is to investigate the physical and the chemical characteristics of visibility reduction observed at the national park area of Gyeongju. Optical, chemical, meteorological characteristics and scenic monitoring were performed at the visibility monitoring station of Gyeongju University located at the Seoak section of Gyeongju national park from April 28 to May 9, 2008. Light extinction, light scattering, and light absorption coefficients were continuously measured using a transmissometer, a nephelometer, and an aethalometer, respectively. In order to investigate the impact of aerosol chemistry on visibility impairment, size-resolved aerosols were collected at intervals of 2-hour (from 8 A.M. to 6 P.M.) and 14-hour (from 6 P.M. to 8 A.M.) interval each sampling day. The average light extinction coefficient and the average visual range were measured to be $270{\pm}135\;Mm^{-1}$ and $14.5{\pm}6.3\;km$ during the intensive monitoring period, respectively. It was revealed that sulfate particle was the largest contributor to the light extinction under hazy condition. Organic mass accounted for about 26% of the average light extinction. The mass extinction efficiencies for $PM_{1.0}$, $PM_{2.5}$, and $PM_{10}$ were estimated to be 9.0, 4.7, and $2.7\;m^2\;g^{-1}$ under the consideration of water growth function of hygroscopic aerosols, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.49 no.3
• /
• pp.317-328
• /
• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of ghrelin on memory impairment in a rat model of vascular dementia induced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Methods: Randomized controlled groups and the posttest design were used. We established the representative animal model of vascular dementia caused by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion and administered $80{\mu}g/kg$ ghrelin intraperitoneally for 4 weeks. First, behavioral studies were performed to evaluate spatial memory. Second, we used molecular biology techniques to determine whether ghrelin ameliorates the damage to the structure and function of the white matter and hippocampus, which are crucial to learning and memory. Results: Ghrelin improved the spatial memory impairment in the Y-maze and Morris water maze test. In the white matter, demyelination and atrophy of the corpus callosum were significantly decreased in the ghrelin-treated group. In the hippocampus, ghrelin increased the length of hippocampal microvessels and reduced the microvessels pathology. Further, we confirmed angiogenesis enhancement through the fact that ghrelin treatment increased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-related protein levels, which are the most powerful mediators of angiogenesis in the hippocampus. Conclusion: We found that ghrelin affected the damaged myelin sheaths and microvessels by increasing angiogenesis, which then led to neuroprotection and improved memory function. We suggest that further studies continue to accumulate evidence of the effect of ghrelin. Further, we believe that the development of therapeutic interventions that increase ghrelin may contribute to memory improvement in patients with vascular dementia.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.624-629
• /
• 2008

Effects of Kyungohkgo Ga Nokyong(Yongohkgo) on growth development and learning ability were investigated growth and intellectual impairment rat with insufficient nutrition diet. We divided male Sprague-Dawley rats into 4 groups. They were Normal group, Growth deficiency rat with insufficient nutrition diet group, Growth deficiency rat with 0.1% Yongohkgo group and 0.2% Yongohkgo group. They were administered for 5 weeks. We measured body weight, and morris water maze test in escape distance, escape time and escape speed, serum growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor and thyroid stimulating hormone, RBC, concentration of Hb and PCV ratio, total WBC and its composition, the values of GOT and GPT activities. The results are as follows that Yongohkgo 0.1%, 0.2% groups were showed significantly different than control groups in body weight and the counts of RBC. In the morris water maze test, in escape distance and escape time, in concentration of Hb and PCV ratio, 0.2% Yongohkgo group were significantly different than control groups. Serum growth hormone, insulin- like growth factor and thyroid stimulating hormone showed a tendency to increase in Yongohkgo groups. The counts of total WBC and its composition, GOT, GPT activities showed no significantly different in all treatment groups. These results suggested that Yongohkgo have an effect of promoting growth and learning ability of rats and might be effect to treat various kinds of growth and learning ability delay in children.