• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1113-1120
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• 2010

This study investigated the efficacy of macelignan and hot water with Chinese traditional herb (CTH) extract on altering severe diabetic conditions in C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice. Previously, the anti-diabetic effects of macelignan were partly reported as a PPAR $\alpha/\gamma$-dual agonist. Here, we futher studied whether a combination of macelignan and CTH had more beneficial effects or not. The macelignan and CTH compound significantly decreased fasting blood glucose and HbA1c compared to macelignan-treated mice, and also significantly improved postprandial glucose, insulin sensitivity, and plasma lipid profiles (FFA, and TG). On the other hand, insulin levels were not significantly changed compared to the diabetic control group. There were no significant changes in the concentrations of total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol, but there were changes in HTR and AI. These results suggest that the macelignan and CTH compound ameliorates hyperglycemia and efficiently improves postprandial glucose, insulin sensitivity, and hyperlipidemia compared with macelignan in db/db mice. Moreover, the macelignan and CTH compound seems to be more potent in affecting diabetic complications than macelignan.

• Journal of mucopolysaccharidosis and rare diseases
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.43-45
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• 2016

Whole body energy balance is achieved through the coordinated regulation of energy intake and energy expenditure in various tissues including liver, muscle and adipose tissues. A positive energy imbalance by excessive energy intake or insufficient energy expenditure results in obesity and related metabolic diseases. Although there have been many obesity treatment trials aimed at the reduction of energy intake, these strategies have achieved only limited success because of their associated adverse effects. Serotonin is among those traditional pharmacological targets for anti-obesity treatment because central 5-HT functions as an anorexigenic neurotransmitter in the brain. Thus, there have been many trials aimed at increasing the activity of 5-HT in the central nervous system, and some of the developed methods are already used in the clinical setting as anti-obesity drugs. However, recent studies suggest the new functions of peripheral serotonin in energy homeostasis ranging from the endocrine regulation by gut-derived serotonin to the autocrine/paracrine regulation by adipocyte-derived serotonin. Pharmacological inhibition of 5-HT synthesis leads to inhibition of lipogenesis in epididymal white adipose tissue (WAT), induction of browning in inguinal WAT and activation of adaptive thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT). Fat specific Tph1 knock-out (Tph1 FKO) mice exhibit similar phenotypes as mice with pharmacological inhibition of 5-HT synthesis, suggesting the localized effects of 5-HT in adipose tissues. In addition, Htr3a KO mice exhibit increased energy expenditure in BAT and Htr2a KO mice exhibit the decreased lipid accumulation in WAT. These data suggest the clinical significance of the peripheral serotonergic system as a new therapeutic target for anti-obesity treatment.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.218-225
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• 2022

High levels of proinflammatory cytokines have been observed in obese pregnancies. Obesity during pregnancy may increase the risk of various pregnancyrelated complications, with pathogenesis resulting from excessive inflammation. Palmitic acid (PA) is a saturated fatty acid that circulates in high levels in obese women. In our previous study, we found that PA inhibited the proliferation of trophoblasts developing into the placenta, induced apoptosis, and regulated the number of cleaved halves derived from transfer RNAs (tRNAs). However, it is not known how the expression of tRNA-derived stress-induced RNAs (tiRNAs) changes in response to PA treatment at concentrations that induce inflammation in human trophoblasts. We selected concentrations that did not affect cell viability after dose-dependent treatment of HTR8/SVneo cells, a human trophoblast cell line. PA (200 μM) did not affect the expression of apoptotic proteins in HTR8/SVneo cells. PA significantly increased the expression of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. In addition, 200 μM PA significantly increased the expression of tiRNAs compared to 800 μM PA treatment. These results suggest that PA impairs placental development during early pregnancy by inducing an inflammatory response in human trophoblasts. In addition, this study provides a basis for further research on the association between PA-induced inflammation and tiRNA generation.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.206-211
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of germinated buckwheat on blood pressure, plasma glucose and lipid levels of spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR). The male and female SHR were divided into two groups. After feeding the germinated buckwheat diet(50%, w/w) ad libitum for 6 weeks, the weight gain of the germinated buckwheat group in male rats was higher than those of control group. Systolic blood pressure of the germinated buckwheat group in male rats was significantly decreased at 6 weeks by 3%. The fasting glucose levels of the germinated buckwheat group had a tendency to be lower compared with those of the control group. Total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and HTR of female SHR fed the germinated buckwheat diet were significantly increased compared to the control diet. Atherogenic index of the germinated buckwheat group was decreased in males(ns) and females(p<0.05) than those of the control group. From these results the germinated buckwheat might be useful for anti-hypertensive and anti-hyperlipidemic agents.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.65 no.6
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• pp.495-503
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• 2008

Background: Epigenetic alterations in certain genes are now known as at least important as genetic mutation in pathogenesis of cancer. Especially abnormal hypermethylation in or near promoter region of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) are known to result in gene silencing and loss of gene function eventually. The authors tried to search for new lung cancer-specific TSGs which have CpG islands and HpaII sites, and are thought to be involved in carcinogenesis by epigenetic mechanism. Methods: Tumor tissue and corresponding adjacent normal tissue were obtained from 10 patients who diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and underwent surgery in Konyang university hospital in 2005. Methylation profiles of promoter region of 21 genes in tumor tissue & non-tumor tissue were examined with HpaII-MspI methylation microarray (Methyl-Scan DNA chip$^{(R)}$, Genomic tree, Inc, South Korea). The rates of hypermethylation were compared in tumor and non-tumor group, and as a normal control, we obtained lung tissue from two young patients with pneumothorax during bullectomies, methylation profiles were examined in the same way. Results: Among the 21 genes, 10 genes were commonly methylated in tumor, non-tumor, and control group. The 6 genes of APC, AR, RAR-b, HTR1B, EPHA3, and CFTR, among the rest of 11 genes were not methylated in control, and more frequently hypermethylated in tumor tissue than non-tumor tissue. Conclusion: In the present study, HTR1B, EPHA3, and CFTR are suggested as possible novel TSGs of NSCLC by epigenetic mechanism.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.1-15
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• 2005

Objectives: This research was performed to investigate the effect of invasive low level laser acupuncture therapy(LLLAT) at Yolgyol(LU7), Yogu(LR5) and Yolgyol+Yogu(LU7+LR5) on weight gain, food intake, food efficiency, lipid metabolism, atherogenic index, HTR(HDL-cholesterol to total cholesterol ratio) and liver function in hyperlipidemia rats. Methods : Experimental groups were divided into high fat diet group(Control group), high fat diet and LLLAT at LU7(LU7 group), high fat diet and LLLAT at LR5(LR5 group), LLLAT at LU7 and LR5(LU7+LR5 group). Animals was treated by the LLLAT at 30mW-5min once a 2day during 5 weeks. Results: Body weight was decreased significantly in LU7+LR5 group when compared with control group. Food intake was increased significantly in LU7, LR5, LU7+LR5 group when compared with control group. Food efficiency was decreased significantly in LU7, LR5, LU7+LR5 group when compared with control group. In the lipid metabolism, total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol was decreased significantly in LU7+LR5 group, LDL-cholesterol and phospholipids were decreased significantly in LR5, LU7+LR5 group, triglyceride and fee fatty acid were decreased significantly in LU7 group when compared with control group. Atherogenic index was decreased significantly in LU7, LR5, LU7+LR5 group when compared with control group. HTR was increased significantly in LU7 group when compared with conool group. In the liver function, the significance was not showed in AST and ALT, ALP was decreased significantly in LU7+LR5 group when compared with control group. Conclusions: LLLAT at LU7 and LR5 maybe can manage hyperlipidemia by controlling body weight, food intake, food efficiency ratio and lipid metabolism.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.14-22
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• 2008

Objectives : The authors purposed to present data for explaining gene-environmental interaction causing depressive disorder by examining the effects of genetic factors related to the serotonin system and environmental factors such as stressful life events in early adulthood. Methods : The subjects were 150 young adults(mean age 25.0${\pm}$0.54), a part of 534 freshmen who had completed the previous study of genotyping of TPH1 gene. We assessed characteristics of life events, depression and anxiety scale and checked if they had a depressive disorder with DSM-IV SCID interview. Along with TPH1 A218C genotype confirmed in previous study, TPH2 -1463G/A and 5HTR2A -1438A/G genes were genotyped using the SNaPshot$^{TM}$ method. Results : In comparison with the group without C allele of TPH1 gene, the number of life events had a significant effect on the probability of depressive disorder in the group with C allele. Other alleles or genotypes did not have a significant effect on the causality of life events and depressive disorder. Conclusion : The results of this study suggest that TPH1 C allele is a significant predictor of onset of depressive disorder following environmental stress. It means that the TPH1 gene may affect the gene-environmental interaction of depressive disorder.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.893-899
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• 2009

Few studies have reported the existence of imprinted genes in cattle compared to the human and mouse. Genomic imprinting is expressed in monoallelic form and it depends on a single parent-specific form of the allele. Comparative analysis of mammals other than the human is a valuable tool for explaining the genomic basis of imprinted genes. In this study, we investigated 34 common imprinted genes in the human and mouse as well as 35 known non-imprinted genes in the human. We found short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs), long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs), and long terminal repeats (LTRs) in imprinted (human and mouse) and control (cattle) genes. Pair-wise comparisons for the three species were conducted using SINEs, LINEs, and LTRs. We also calculated 95% confidence intervals of frequencies of repetitive sequences for the three species. As a result, most genes had a similar interval between species. We found 11 genes with conserved SINEs, LINEs, and LTRs in the human, mouse, and cattle. In conclusion, eleven genes (CALCR, Grb10, HTR2A, KCNK9, Kcnq1, MEST, OSBPL5, PPP1R9A, Sgce, SLC22A18, and UBE3A) were identified as candidate imprinted genes in cattle.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 2008

This study was done to investigate the antidiabetic and antioxidant effects of Lycii fructus in Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by intravenous injection of STZ at a dose 45mg/kg.b.w. dissolved in citrate buffer(pH4.5). The ethanol extract of Lycii fructus was orally administrated once a day for 7 days. The contents of serum glucose, total cholesterol were significantly decreaed (p<0.05) in Lycii fructus treated group compared to the those of STZ-control group, also content of Triglyceride (TG), Altherogenic index (AI) were decreased, but not statistically significant. But high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio (HTR) were increased in Lycii fructus treated group compared to the those of STZ-control group. The content of hepatic glycogen and activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase(G-6PDH), glutathione-s-transferase(GST), superoxide dismutase(SOD) were significantly increased(p<0.05), glucose-6-phos-phatase(G-6pase)was significantly decreased(p<0.05) and The glutathione(GSH), glucokinase(GK) were increased. But not statistically significant In Lycii fructus treated group compared to the those of STZ-control group These results indicated that ethanol extract of Lycii fructus would have antidiabetic and antioxidant effects in STZ-induced diabetic rats.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.357-373
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• 2022

The high-temperature gas-cooled reactor pebble-bed module project is the first commercial Generation-IV NPP(Nuclear Power Plant) in China. A new joint is used for the vertical support of RPV(Reactor Pressure Vessel). The steel corbel is integrally embedded into the reactor-cabin wall through eight asymmetrically arranged pre-stressed high-strength bolts, achieving the different path transmission of shear force and moment. The vertical monotonic loading test of two specimens is conducted. The results show that the failure mode of the joint is bolt fracture. There is no prominent yield stage in the whole loading process. The stress of bolts is linearly distributed along the height of corbel at initial loading. As the load increases, the height of neutral axis of bolts gradually decreases. The upper and lower edges of the wall opening contact the corbel plate to restrict the rotation of the corbel. During the loading, the pre-stress of some bolts decreases. The increase of the pre-stress strength ratio of bolts has no noticeable effect on the structure stiffness, but it reduces the ultimate bearing capacity of the joint. A simplified calculation model for the elastic stage of the joint is established, and the estimation results are in good agreement with the experimental results.