• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.45-53
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• 2014

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by a progressive loss of cartilage. And, increased oxidative stress plays a relevant role in the pathogenesis of OA. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a used drug for liver diseases known for its free radical-scavenging property. The objectives of this study were to investigate the in vivo effects of UDCA on pain severity and cartilage degeneration using an experimental OA model and to explore its mode of actions. OA was induced in rats by intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) to the knee. Oral administration UDCA was initiated on the day of MIA injection. Limb nociception was assessed by measuring the paw withdrawal latency and threshold. Samples were analyzed macroscopically and histologically. Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the expression of interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$), IL-6, nitrotyrosine and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in knee joints. UDCA showed an antinociceptive property and attenuated cartilage degeneration. OA rats given oral UDCA significantly exhibited a decreased number of osteoclasts in subchondral bone legion compared with the vehicle-treated OA group. UDCA reduced the expression of IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, nitrotyrosine and iNOS in articular cartilage. UDCA treatment significantly attenuated the mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), -13, and ADAMTS5 in IL-$1{\beta}$-stimulated human OA chondrocytes. These results show the inhibitory effects of UDCA on pain production and cartilage degeneration in experimentally induced OA. The chondroprotective properties of UDCA were achieved by suppressing oxidative damage and inhibiting catabolic factors that are implicated in the pathogenesis of cartilage damage in OA.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.1371-1376
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• 2007

The effect of Hovenia dulcis Thumb leaves on the mutagenicity in salmonella assay and inhibitory effects on the growth of cancer cells were studied. On antimutagenicity as evaluated by Ames test, the extract and fractions of Hovenia dulcis Thumb leaves had no effect on the mutagenicity by themselves. However, methanol extract and fractions from Hovenia dulcis Thumb showed strong inhibitory effect on the mutagenesis induced by N-methyl-N#-nitro-N-nitroso-guanidine (MNNG) and benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P). Among the solvent fractions of methanol extract, the hexane, chloroform and butanol fraction exhibited stronger inhibitory activity against MNNG and B(a)P induced mutagenesis than water fraction. For anticancer effects, Hovenia dulcis Thumb loaves extract and fractions against cancer cell lines including HepG2 and HT29 were investigated. The methanol extract, the hexane fraction and the chloroform fraction of Hovenia dulcis Thumb leaves inhibited growth of cancer cells but they had no effect on the cytotoxicity of normal human liver cells under the same conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.1365-1370
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• 2007

The inhibitory effects of the water and methanol extracts of Jakwangdo and Honghyangmi on the rat microsome lipid peroxidation and growth of four human cancer cells such as HepG2 (liver cancer), SNU-1 (stomach cancer) MCF-7 (breast cancer) and SNU-C4 (colon cancer) were examined. The methanol extracts of red colored rices showed the antioxidant activity and growth inhibitory effects of cancer cells. However, water extracts did not show the activities. Inhibitory activities of methanol extracts of Jakwangdo and Honghyangmi against lipid peroxidation of rat microsome was 80% and 68%, respectively, at the concentration of 1 mg/assay. Jakwangdo methanol extracts showed the highest growth inhibitory activity in MCF-7 cells among the cancer cells tested. The methanol extracts of red colored rices were further fractionated with hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and butanol. Both chloroform and hexane fractions showed strong growth inhibitory activity in HepG2 and MCF-7 cells.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.10
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• pp.1508-1512
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• 2016

This study was performed to investigate the ameliorating effect of a mixture of extracts from Houttuynia cordata Thunb, Nelumbo nucifera G. (leaf), and Camellia sinensis (seed) (MIX) on acute ethanol-induced hangover in Sprague-Dawley rats. Plasma ethanol and acetaldehyde levels in MIX-treated rats significantly decreased at 3 h and 5 h after acute ethanol administration (25%, 3 g/kg body weight/d) as compared to ethanol-treated rats. Hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activities were significantly higher in MIX-treated rats than in ethanol-treated rats. MIX exhibited high ADH and ALDH activities on direct assays using S9 rat liver fraction for ethanol metabolic enzymes clearance action. These results suggest that MIX could alleviate ethanol-induced hangover symptoms by elevating activities related to hepatic ethanol-metabolizing enzymes against ethanol induced metabolites, and MIX should be further developed to be a new anti-hangover material.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.182-193
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• 1999

In order to establish basic data of SAMP6 as an animal model for osteoporosis, present study has been designed to concentrate on the various biological aspects of SAMP6 such as growth index, hematology, blood biochemistry, biochemical characteristics, and bone and cortical thickness. Investigation period was for 15 months (3 months to 18 months of age) and biological characteristics have been examined throughout the study period. The results were summarized as follows : Decreased body weight of male SAMP6 was noticed from 7 months of age compared to from 18 months of age in female. Although there were no significant differences in organ weights, generally those of male mice were greater than those of females, especially in liver, kidney and lung. According to the analysis of blood biochemistry and hematology, the number of leukocytes in male mice was greater than that of female mice. There was a decrease in bone thickness in both male and female mice starting around from 7 months of age. Peak cortical thickness index was noticed at 5 months of age in both sexes. In femur, the highest $Ca^{2+}$ content for both sexes was noticed at 5 months of age, whereas the highest P$^{3+}$ content was noted at the age of 5 and 7 months in male and female mice, respectively. The contents of both elements were gradually decreased with age after peaks for both sexes. In summary, SAMP6 mice in KRICT colony show osteoporotic characteristics starting from 5 to 7 months of age, suggesting that at least 5 months of old animals should be used for studying the mechanism of osteoporosis or screening anti-osteoporosis drugs. This study also suggests that the cortical index thickness, $Ca^{2+}$ and P$^{3+}$ contents, and alkaline phosphatase activities can be used as indexes for drug screening.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.167-172
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• 1997

Effect of combined preparation (DWP715) containing Alaska pollack extract, maltol, ascorbic acid and nicotinamide on decreasing of blood alcohol was evaluated in human blood. Treatment of DWP715 prior to administration of 25% alcohol (100 mL) decreased alcohol concentration in blood and showed significant difference after 2 hours. The pharmacokinetic parameters such as area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), $C_{max},\;T_{max}\;and\;T_{1/2}$ were also decreased and delayed when compared with control values. Effects of DWP715 on anti-fatigue and anti-oxidation activities were also studied in the restraint stress model using various parameters (GOT, GPT, LDH values and organ weights) on mild condition and examined through the content of lipid peroxide induced by 2% $CCl_4$ in mouse livers. While GPT level, thymus and adrenal weight were not influenced by DWP715 dosing, LDH, GOT level and spleen weight used as a parameter against fatigue and stress states were recovered almost to the nomal level. Furthermore, lipid peroxidation due to $CCl_4$ was significantly inhibited by DWP715 treatment. These results suggest that DWP715 seems to metabolize the blood alcohol rapidly and to restore the damaged liver and fatigue conditions which was caused by alcohol metabolism to normal condition.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.306-315
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• 2019

The estuary of the Han River constantly suffers from pollutants and pathogenic microorganisms which could cause serious damage to aquatic organisms living there. Despite of this potential risk, it is hard to find any reliable scientific reports on the status of reportable disease infection to the organisms living in this area. In this study, cyprinid fish and crustaceans in Jeonryu-ri, a region of the Han River estuary, were investigated for the infection by representative reportable communicable diseases(SVC, spring viraemia of carp; KHVD, koi herpesvirus disease; EUS, epizootic ulcerative syndrome; WSD, white spot disease) and parasites. Peripheral fish and primary freshwater fish were observed in Jeonryu-ri with cyprinid caught most frequently. Crustaceans were mostly marine species. No positive bands to any of the reportable diseases were produced in any of the fish and crustacean examined in this study by PCR. No trace of Clonorchis sinensis, a liver fluke potential threat to human health, was detected in any of fish samples. However, many fish were infected by metacecaria of other flukes, and other various parasites such as nematode, cestode, copepod, monosite and acanthocephalan. These results suggest that important aquatic organisms in the Han River estuary is not seriously polluted yet. However, it is important to keep monitoring the diseases since the water quality in this region is constantly changing, and devastating influence of infectious diseases is unpredictable. Further, it is required to expand monitoring area toward upstream and increase the number of fish for examination.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.282-288
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• 2010

We evaluated the anti-diabetic effects of Triticum aestivum sprout water extract (TA) in diabetes mellitus type 2. For the experiments, the diabetic animal model db/db mice were divided to 3 groups: diabetic control (db/db) and two experimental groups orally treated with 25 and 100 mg/kg single dose of TA (TA-25 and TA-100, respectively). The lean mice were used as the non-diabetic normal control. All mice have free access to water and AIN-93 diet. TA was administrated to diabetic mice for 5 weeks and the diabetic clinical markers, including blood glucose level, body weight, food intake and insulin level, were measured at a time. After administration for 5 weeks, the blood glucose level was decreased 1.10 and 1.98 folds in TA-25 and TA-100 groups, respectively, compared with db/db group. The body weight and diet consumption were significantly reduced by TA treatment in dose-dependent manner. The treatments of TA-100 also significantly decreased remarkedly liver weight and slightly serum insulin levels when compared with them of the diabetic control group. However the immunohistochemical staining for insulin clearly showed high expression of insulin in the pancreatic islet cells derived from all db/db mice, even if TA was administrated. Moreover, TA-100 treatment significantly improved impaired glucose tolerance in diabetic db/db mice. The results suggest that TA has anti-hyperglycemic effect attenuating blood glucose in the animal model of type 2 diabetes and might be useful as a functional diet for human diabetic diseases.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.284-291
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• 1997

The pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of DWP20367 (1-cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-8-chloro-7-(2, 7-diazabicyclo[3,3,0]tract-4-ene-7-yl)-1,4-dihydro-4-oxoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid), a novel fluoroquinolone, were examined in rats and beagle dogs after a single intravenous and oral administration. Analysis of DWP20367 in plasma, tissue, and urine was determined by both HPLC and microbiological assay (bioassay). The plasma concentration-time curves of the drug in rats and beagle dogs were biexponentially declined. The terminal half-life (t$_{1}$2$\beta$/) of the drug in rats was about 60.1 $\pm$7.3 min (i.v.) and 61.3 $\pm$ 12.4 min (p.o.) in bioassay, and 86.3 $\pm$19.8 min (i.v.) and 50.9$\pm$ 14.9 min (p.o.) in HPLC. In beagle dogs, half-life of the drug determined by bioassay was about 121.8$\pm$6.2 min (i.v.) and 111.0$\pm$7.6 min (p.o.). The volume of distribution at steady-state (Vd$_{ss}$ ) was 243.8$\pm$74.1 ml/kg (bioassay) and 339.2$\pm$84.3 ml/kg (HPLC) in rats, and 1587.5 $\pm$536.9 ml/kg (bioassay) in beagle dogs. The total body clearance (Cl$_{t}$) of DWP20367 was 3.4 $\pm$ 0.4 ml/min/kg (bioassay) and 2.4$\pm$0.4 ml/min/kg (HPLC) in rats, and 12.3$\pm$ 1.0 ml/min/kg (bioassay) in beagle dogs, respectively. The extent of bioavailability after oral administration was 89.1%(bioassay) and 79.9% (HPLC) in rats, and 78.7% (bioassay) in beagle dogs. Urinary recovery (24-h) assayed by bioassay was 0.7% (p.o.) and 1.2% (i.v.) in rats, and 0.8% (p.o.) and 1.0% (i.v.) in beagle dogs. In rats, 24-h fecal recovery determined by bioassay was 11.2% (p.o.) and 0.1% (i.v.). Rat and human serum protein binding ratios at 2$\mu$g/ml were about 90~91%. This drug determined by bioassay was also distributed by the order of liver, kidney, lung, heart, spleen and muscle 30 min after oral administration.on.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.1 s.56
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• pp.17-29
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• 1997

To estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and to determine associated risk factors, a population-based seroepidemiologic study was carried out. In 1993, a health examination survey of the population was carried out in rural area known to have a high incidence of liver cancer. The study population were those who volunteered to participate in a health survey over 10 years of age. Examinees were interviewed by specially trained staffs. Sera from 1,033 study subjects were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by .everse passive hemagglutinin (RPHA) estimation and for hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV) by 2nd generation passive hemagglutinin (PHA) estimation. The age and sex standardized prevalence of HBsAg was 6.3% which was similar to national average, but that of anti-HCV was 5.1% which was 4 to 5 times higher than that of blood donors or other health examinees in Korea. In a multivariate analysis, transfusion history, surgical operative history, and acupuncture history were not associated with HBsAg positivity. In contrast, acupuncture history (adjusted odds ratio[OR]=2.2 : 95% Confidence interval[CI] 1.0-4.7) and surgical operative history(adjusted OR=2.0 : 95% CI 1.0-4.1) were associated with anti-HCV positivity. The present study suggest that there is an highly endemic area of HCV infection in Korea and probably this endemicity is associated with a parenteral source of HCV infection other than blood transfusion.