• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.34-43
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• 2007

Background: Previous research has suggested that single doses of a standardised Panax ginseng extract can decrease fasted blood-glucose levels and modulate cognitive performance in healthy young volunteers. The latter has generally been seen in terms of improved secondary memory performance. However, both the cognitive effects of chronic administration of ginseng and the potential modulation of working memory have received comparatively little research attention. Aims: The current double-blind, placebo-controlled, balanced cross-over study investigated the effects of 8-weeks administration of Korean ginseng extract (200 mg) on cognitive performance, gluco-regulatory parameters and ratings of subjective mood and 'quality of life'. Methods: 'Eighteen healthy young participants were assessed pre-dose and 3 hours post-dose on the mornings of Day 1, Day 29 and Day 57 of 8 week treatment regimens of both placebo and ginseng. A four-week placebo wash-out separated the treatment phases. Each assessment included the Cognitive Drug Research battery, computerised working memory tasks, and Bond-Lader mood scales. The WHO Quality of Life scale (WHOQOL-BREF) was completed once per visit. Gluco-regulatory parameters were assessed with assays of blood glucose, insulin and HbA1c. Results: Data from the 16 participants that completed the study showed that there were no significant, acute treatment related differences on Day 1 of treatment, or in gluco-regulatory parameters throughout the study. However, time related performance improvements were evident following chronic administration of ginseng on the '3-Back' and 'Corsi-block' computerised working memory tasks. Ginseng was also associated with an improved score on the 'social relations' subscale of the WHOQOL-100, and a significant shift on the 'calm' factor of the Bond-Lader mood scales (from calm/relaxed towards excited/tense). Conclusion: The results of the current study suggest that Korean ginseng extract can modulate working memory performance and subjective ratings of 'quality of life' and mood. Replication with a larger sample size may further elucidate the actions of this product.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.11-19
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• 2023

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the incidence of sarcopenic obesity (SO) and examined the specific risk factors in a community-dwelling middle-aged population of women. METHODS: The present study involved analyzing data from a cross-sectional study that included 1,693 community-dwelling women aged between 40 and 49 years. Various risk factors were investigated, including age, height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, skeletal muscle mass index, smoking and drinking behaviors, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose levels, as well as triglyceride and cholesterol levels. To ensure the accuracy and validity of the results, a complex sampling technique was employed for data analysis. Each sample weight was calculated through a three-step process by estimating base weight, adjusting it for non-response, and modulating it for post-stratification. RESULTS: The incidence of SO was 4.26% (95% CI: 3.20-5.67%). The clinical risk factors for SO were age, height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, skeletal muscle mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and levels of fasting glucose, triglycerides, and total cholesterol (p < .05). CONCLUSION: This study explores the prevalence and risk factors of SO among community-dwelling women. It adds to the existing literature on SO and identifies potential risk factors in middle-aged women.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.1-9
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• 2023

PURPOSE: This study examined the prevalence and specific risk factors in males aged 40-49 years with the coexistence of age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and obesity (CALSMO). METHODS: The current study analyzed the data obtained from a cross-sectional study involving a sample of 1,218 men who resided in the community and fell within the age range of 40 to 49 years. Multiple risk factors were examined: age, height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, skeletal muscle mass index, smoking and drinking habits, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose levels, and triglyceride and cholesterol levels. All data were analyzed via complex sampling analysis. RESULTS: The coexistence of age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and obesity in males was 2.94% (95% CI: 2.06-4.17). The clinical risk factors were low height, high weight, body mass index, waist circumference, skeletal muscle index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and fast glucose (p < .05). CONCLUSION: The study identifies the prevalence and risk factors for CALSMO among adults in the community. These findings contribute to the existing literature on CALSMO and highlight potential risk factors associated with CALSMO development in males aged 40-49 years.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2015

CD4+ T-cell count determines the effectiveness for antiretroviral therapy (ART) in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Although ART slows the progression of HIV to AIDS, rapid counting of CD4+ T lymphocytes with a drop of patient's blood sample is urgently needed to ensure timely ART treatment in rural areas. Recently point-of-care CD4 testing devices have been developed by using non-flow based imaging cytometer incorporated with a sample cartridge where CD4+ T cells are reacted with fluorescently tagged specific antibodies. Here we conducted an experimental study using a conventional fluorescence microscope-based imaging system to quantitate the interaction of CD4 antibodies with CD4+ T cells at different reaction conditions. We demonstrated that a fast and affordable point-of-care CD4 test is feasible with a far less amount of antibodies and a shorter incubation time compared with a conventional sample preparation protocol for flow cytometry. We also proposed a general method to evaluate and compare the detection limit across different CD4 counting platforms by using fluorescently labelled microbeads for intensity calibration.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.223-229
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• 2001

A method for the determination of glucose in human whole blood by chemiluminescence method using a stopped flow injection system has been studied. The method is based on the differences in the chemiluminescence intensities of luminol due to the different amounts of hydrogen peroxide produced from the glucose oxidase catalyzed reaction. The enzyme reactor was prepared by immobilization of glucose oxidase on aminopropyl glass beads and the chemiluminescence from a flow cell was measured by means of an optical fiber bundle. In order to obtain the optimum experimental conditions, effects of pH for the chemiluminogenic solution and enzyme reactor, flow rate and temperature on the chemiluminescence intensity were investigated. The calibration curve obtained under optimum experimental conditions was linear over the range from $1.0{\times}10^{-1}$ mM to 7.0 mM and the detection limit was $6.0{\times}10^{-2}$ mM. The proposed method was applied to the determination of glucose in whole human blood sample and the results were compared with those obtained by an official method. The present method was also evaluated by the results of recovery experiments.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.229-237
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• 2020

Background: We investigated the tolerability and pharmacokinetic properties of various ginsenosides, including Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, and compound K, after single or multiple administrations of red ginseng extract in human beings. Methods: Red ginseng extract (dried ginseng > 60%) was administered once and repeatedly for 15 days to 15 healthy Korean people. After single and repeated administration of red ginsengextract, blood sample collection, measurement of blood pressure and body temperature, and routine laboratory test were conducted over 48-h test periods. Results: Repeated administration of high-dose red ginseng for 15 days was well tolerated and did not produce significant changes in body temperature or blood pressure. The plasma concentrations of Rb1, Rb2, and Rc were stable and showed similar area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) values after 15 days of repeated administration. Their AUC values after repeated administration of red ginseng extract for 15 days accumulated 4.5- to 6.7-fold compared with single-dose AUC. However, the plasma concentrations of Rd and compound K showed large interindividual variations but correlated well between AUC of Rd and compound K. Compound K did not accumulate after 15 days of repeated administration of red ginseng extract. Conclusion: A good correlation between the AUC values of Rd and compound K might be the result of intestinal biotransformation of Rb1, Rb2, and Rc to Rd and subsequently to compound K, rather than the intestinal permeability of these ginsenosides. A strategy to increase biotransformation or reduce metabolic intersubject variability may increase the plasma concentrations of Rd and compound K.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.331-338
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• 2006

A rapid, selective and sensitive reverse-phase HPLC methods for the determination of atenolol and chlorthalidone in human serum and whole blood were validated, and applied to the pharmacokinetic study of atenolol and chlorthalidone combination therapy. Atenolol and an internal standard, pindolol, were extracted from human serum by liquid-liquid extraction, and analyzed on a $\mu$-Bondapak C18 $10-{\mu}$ column in a mobile phase of methanol-0.01 M potassium dihydrogenphosphate(30:70, v/v, adjusted to pH 3.5) and fluorescence detection(emission: 300 nm, excitation: 224 nm). Chlorthalidone and an internal standard, probenecid, were extracted form human whole blood by liquid-liquid extraction, and analyzed on a Luna C18 $5-{\mu}$ column in a mobile phase of acetonitrile containing 77% 0.01 M sodium acetate and UV detection at 214 nm. These analysis were performed at three different laboratories using the same quality control(QC) samples. The chromatograms showed good resolution, sensitivity, and no interference by human serum and whole blood, respectively. The methods showed linear responses over a concentration range of 10-1,000 ng/mL for atenolol and 0.05-20 ${\mu}g/mL$ for chlorthalidone, with correlation coefficients of greater than 0.999 at all the three laboratories. Intra- and inter-day assay precision and accuracy fulfilled international requirements. Stability studies(freeze-thaw, short-, long-term, extracted sample and stock solution) showed that atenolol and chlorthalidone were stable. The lower limit of quantitation of atenolol and chlorthalidone were 10 ng/mL and 0.05 ${\mu}g/mL$, respectively, which was sensitive enough for pharmacokinetic studies. These methods were applied to the pharmacokinetic study of atenolol and chlorthalidone in human volunteers following a single oral administration of Hyundai $Tenoretic^{\circledR}$ tablet(atenolol 50 mg and chlorthalidone 12.5 mg) at three different laboratories.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.606-613
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• 1999

To survey the possibility of replacing the pyrogen test with Limulus Amebocyte Lysate(LAL) test and to find out a standard methods suitable to our blood products made in Korea, 100 samples of 20% human serum albumin were tested by commercial LAL test kits and results of those were compared with rabbit pyrogen test. The LAL test is used both dinetic-chromogenically and kinetic-turbidimetrically. Both methods equally showed broad detection range (5.0~0.005 EU/ml), excellent sensitivity ($\geq$ 0.005 EU/ml) and predominant recovery rate within valid dilution range, but kinetic-turbidimetric method seemed to be more reproducible than kinetic-chromogenic method(kinetic-chromogenic method : S.D. = 15.88, kinetic-turbidimetric method : S.D. = 8.12). After heating the sample at 75$^{\circ}C$ for 15 min, the results showed a little elevated recovery rate with both methods. After performing the test on 100 albumin samples with both kits, the results were analysed using the USP standard (1.33 EU/ml). 7% of samples in kinetic-chromogenic methods and 1% of samples in kinetic-turbidimetric method exceeded the limit of endotoxin levels regulated for blood products in USA. Because this phenomenon was not observed in both methods at the same time and both methods have high sensitivity ($\geq$0.005 EU/ml), these results seemed to depend on nonspecific reaction. Considering its sensitivity and reproducibility, we could assure that LAL test is proper to detecting pyrogenic with good sensitivity.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.270-275
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• 2012

This paper presents a portable and compact optical device which can conveniently be used to perform a functional analysis of human liver function. The proposed system employed red/green LEDs, as a light source, and CMOS image sensor, which is commonly used in cellular phones. With this system, several blood serum samples have been evaluated for liver functional analysis by measuring light absorption level through the blood serum samples depending on aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and total bilirubin concentration. The light absorption through the blood serum samples containing AST, ALT, or total bilirubin can provide their concentrations. The green light absorption is more sensitive to the concentration of AST or ALT, and the red light absorption is more sensitive to the total bilirubuin concentration. Additional calibration steps were performed by using a MATLAB program in order to eliminate the light scattering effects from the extraneous particles existing in each blood serum sample. From the blind test, three standard light intensity curves through each enzyme have been obtained and the enzyme concentration values have been compared to those obtained from a commercially available biochemistry analyzer (Toshiba 200 FR). The average percent difference in the obtained concentrations from two systems for AST, ALT, and total bilirubin concentration came out to be 7.79%, 7.98%. and 7.56%, respectively, with the adjusted coefficient of determination (R2) higher than 0.98. This system can possibly lead to a low-cost and simple system that can be used as a point-of-care (POC) system in a condition without advanced equipments.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.288-293
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• 1999

Postabsorptive serum iron level was determined after oral administration of the compounds to human. In serum and whole blood, $Fe^{3+}$ was measured by ion chromatography (IC) using a pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (PDCA) as an eluent. The serum sample solutions were pretreated with I N HCI and 50% TCA. The whole blood sample solutions were treated with 3 N HCI for 30 min at $125^{\circ}C$. The limit of detection (LOD) of the IC technique is $0.2 {\mu}M$ for$Fe^{2+}$and 0.1 $\mu$M for $Fe^{3+}$. The area under concentration (AUC) can be obtained by the above analytical condition. In addition, to compare the stability of $Fe^{2+}$ to that of $Fe^{3+}$ in pharamaceutical preparations, accelerated stability test was carried out. After storing the samples under $40^{\circ}C$, 75%RH in light-resistant container for various time intervals, the contents of iron of different valencies were determined separately by the IC technique and the change and/or the interchange of among those iron species in preparations was investigated. Iron raw materials are stable, but $Fe^{2+}$ in$Fe^{3+}$ source materials was slightly converted to $Fe^{3+}$ by oxidation. $Fe^{2+}$ in$Fe^{3+}$ source raw materials and $Fe^{3+}$ in $Fe^{2+}$ raw materials are determined as impurities. Therefore, IC technique is found to be an appropriate method for comparative evaluation of dissimilar bioavailability of $Fe^{2+}$ and $Fe^{3+}$, stability of $Fe^{2+}$ and $Fe^{3+}$ raw materials and preparations.