• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.15-23
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• 2017

Objectives : It is well known that Sibjotang (Shizaotang), traditional herbal medicine formula, regulates the body fluid blood pressure homeostasis. This study is to investigate whether Sibjotang improves diabetic renal dysfunction in type II diabetes mellitus animal model, db/db mice. Methods : The animals model were divided into three groups at the age of 8 weeks; control group (C57BLKS/J-db/m mice), diabetic group [(C57BLKS/J+Lepr)-db/db mice], and Sibjotang group [(C57BLKS/J+Lepr)-db/db mice + Sibjotang 100 mg/kg/day]. During 8 weeks of treatment, blood glucose and urinary albumin excretion were checked in metabolic chamber at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age, respectively. Results : Body weight and food intake of diabetic group were significantly higher than control group after 8 weeks administration. However, there were not significant different between the diabetic group and Sibjotang group. Urinary albumin excretion was significantly decreased in the Sibjotang group than the diabetic group. In addition, supplementation with Sibjotang significantly lowered levels of blood glucose, insulin, and homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), suggesting reduced insulin resistance. The ratio of mesangial matrix/glomerular area was markedly larger in diabetic group than control group, whereas Sibjotang significantly reduced this expansion. Moreover, immunohistological study revealed that Sibjotang attenuated the increase of transforming growth $factor(TGF)-{\beta}$ expression in kidney. Conclusion : Sibjotang ameliorates diabetes-associated renal injury through the improvement of the blood glucose and insulin sensitivity, and inhibiting the $TGF-{\beta}1$ expression. Therefore, Sibjotang may be a new therapeutic formula for the treatment of diabetic-associated renal dysfunction.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1988

Panax ginseng seedlings were grown at various temperature regimes from 15 to $30^{\circ}C$ for 19 days under dark and the linear relationship between various regrowth efficiencies and thermal stress indices, cumulative superoptimum temperatures corrected with factors. Gross growth efficiency(shoot weight l root weight loss) was 37.5 % at the optimum temperature $15^{\circ}C$/$15^{\circ}C$, and 12.3% at the highest temperature, $30^{\circ}C$/$30^{\circ}C$ while net growth efficiency (shoot weight + Sm)l(root loss-Rm), which corrected by maintenance respiration for shoot(Sm) and root(Rm) was 39.6% and 16.7 at optimum and highest temperature respectively. All growth efficiencies showed negative correlations (p = 0.001) with all thermal stress indices and negative(p = 0.001) with shoot growth(St). When growth temperature difference in a day was nil or above $15^{\circ}C$ growth efficiency decreased greatly. Thermal stress indices showed negative correlation with root dry matter loss(RDL) but positive with Rm. St showed positive correlation with RDL. Thermal stress appeared to inhibit substrate supply for shoot growth resulting in the extremely low growth efficiency comparing with other crops that seems to be main rate limiting factor of slow growth, Thus it is necessary that growth efficiency and thermal stress must be elucidated in terms of metabolic pathway.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1697-1703
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• 2012

Obesity is a risk factor for numerous metabolic diseases. Recently, naturally occurring compounds that may improve obesity have received increasing attention. Xanthigen is a mixture of fucoxanthin and punicic acid derived from brown seaweed and pomegranate seed, respectively, which have been traditionally used for lipid-lowering effects in humans. In this study, we investigated whether Xanthigen attenuates high-fat diet-induced obesity in C57BL/6N mice. The mice were fed on a normal diet (ND), high-fat diet (HFD), HFD plus 1% Xanthigen or HFD plus 1% green tea extract (GTE) for 11 weeks. Food efficiency ratio (FER) and body weight were significantly reduced in mice fed HFD plus Xanthigen compared to HFD-fed mice. Consistent with the results in body weight change, Xanthigen also significantly decreased the weights of epididymal adipose tissue, retroperitoneal adipose tissue, and liver in HFD plus 1% Xanthigen-fed mice. The serum level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol was significantly decreased in HFD plus Xanthigen-fed mice compared to HFD-fed mice. These results suggest that Xanthigen may be useful in the development of a functional health food for anti-obesity.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.249-255
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• 2015

Diabetes mellitus, the most common metabolic disorder, is divided into two types: type 1 and type 2. The essential treatment of type 1 diabetes, caused by immune-mediated destruction of ${\beta}-cells$, is transplantation of the pancreas; however, this treatment is limited by issues such as the lack of donors for islet transplantation and immune rejection. As an alternative approach, stem cell therapy has been used as a new tool. The present study revealed that bone marrowderived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) could be transdifferentiated into pancreatic cells by the insertion of a key gene for embryonic development of the pancreas, the pancreatic and duodenal homeobox factor 1 (PDX1). To avoid immune rejection associated with xenotransplantation and to develop a new cell-based treatment, BM-MSCs from ${\alpha}$-1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout (GalT KO) pigs were used as the source of the cells. Transfection of the EGFP-hPDX1 gene into GalT KO pig-derived BM-MSCs was performed by electroporation. Cells were evaluated for hPDX1 expression by immunofluorescence and RT-PCR. Transdifferentiation into pancreatic cells was confirmed by morphological transformation, immunofluorescence, and endogenous pPDX1 gene expression. At 3~4 weeks after transduction, cell morphology changed from spindle-like shape to round shape, similar to that observed in cuboidal epithelium expressing EGFP. Results of RT-PCR confirmed the expression of both exogenous hPDX1 and endogenous pPDX1. Therefore, GalT KO pig-derived BM-MSCs transdifferentiated into pancreatic cells by transfection of hPDX1. The present results are indicative of the therapeutic potential of PDX1-expressing GalT KO pig-derived BM-MSCs in ${\beta}-cell$ replacement. This potential needs to be explored further by using in vivo studies to confirm these findings.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.1756-1762
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• 2011

The aim of the present investigation was to investigate the relationship of repeated racehorse simulator exercise on plasma ghrelin and hormons in fasted jockeys. The fasted jockeys and apprentice jockeys performed $1^{st}$ short distance 1000m, $2^{nd}$ middle distance 1700m and $3^{rd}$ long distance 2300m racehorse simulator exercises, and venous blood samples were obtained before, immediately after. In addition to ghrelin concentration, leptin, insulin, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and cortisol values were measured. Pearson correlation coefficients revealed plasma ghrelin and insulin concentration in apprentice jockeys r=.55 after the $3^{rd}$ exercise. There were relationships between significant relationships (p<.05) between plasma ghrelin and leption concentration in jockeys r=.73, and between plasma ghrelin and cortisol concentration in apprentice jockeys r=.64 before exercise. There was no difference in the ghrelin, leptin, insulin and IGF-1 concentration responses to the consecutive exercise. The IGF-1 and cortisol level showed significant (p<.05)difference between groups. In conclusion, these results suggest that negative energy balance induced by of repeated racehorse simulator exercise elicits a metabolic response with positive relationship in plasma ghrelin and insulin in apprentice jockeys after the $3^{rd}$ exercise.

• Journal of Oriental Physiology
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• v.14 no.2 s.20
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• pp.189-198
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• 1999

Aminoglycosides, including gentamicin, have been used as antibiotics for the various infections by gram-negative bacteria. However, there are some restrictions for using these drugs. Gentamicin, a typical aminoglycoside, has the side effect of nephrotoxicity, including polyuria, glycosuria, proteinuria, glomerulonephritis, and uremia. The aims of this study were to examine the prevention or reduction effects of Jinmootang on the gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity and to investigate the possible mechanisms on the effect of Jinmootang. The subcutaneous injections of 60mg of gentamicin per kg of boby weight to Sprague-Dawley rats for 8 days induced typical symptoms of nephrotoxicity by aminoglycosides. 0.6ml of water extract Jinmootang (100ml/chup) was orally treated in the experimental animal. 24-hour urine was collected with the metabolic cage and plasma was sampled from the abdominal aorta. The plasma concentration of sodium was significantly decreased by the treatment of gentamicin but it was not-significantly changed by the treatment of Jinmootang to the animal. The concentration of potassium was greatly decreased in the gentamicin-treated animals. However. it was returned to the normal level in the Jinmootang-treated animals. The concentrations of creatinine and urea were increased by gentamicin treatment. But, Jinmootang reduced these concentrations. Nevertheless, the osmolalities of plasma in both group were not different from each other. Even though the plasma concentration of aldosterone was not significantly changed, the mean value was increased by the gentamicin intoxication. The concentration of aldosterone was decreased by the treatment of Jinmootang. The reduction of aldosterone level in plasma could be a factor to improve the hypokalemia. The fractional excretion of potassium was much higher than normal by the treatment of gentamicin and it was decreased by 50% in the Jinmootang-treated rats. Therefore, the reabsorption of potassium was significantly increased by the treatment of Jinmootang, even though the filtered load of potassium in the experimental group was much highter than control. Even though the concentration of plasma aldosterone was decreased by the treatment of Jinmootang, the fractional excretion of sodium was not increased, slightly lower. These data suggested that Na reabsorption was increased in the proximal tubule by Jinmootang. The filtered load of glucose in the Jinmootang-treated group was greater than in control. Nevertheless, the fractional excretion of glucose in the experimental group was not different from that in control. These results indicate that glucose reabsorption was increase in the proximal tubule by Jinmootang treatment. The results of this study suggest that Jinmootang could improve the some nephrotoxic symptoms induced by gentramicin treatment. Hypokalemia, the reduced glomerular filtration rate, and dysfunctions of renal proximal tubule and distal nephron were significantly recovered to normal level. The increase of glomerular filtration rate by Jinmootang might contribute to eliminate the waste product, including creatinine and urea, and/or gentamicin through the kidney.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.447-454
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• 2019

Fat accumulation in adipocytes occurs through the process of adipogenesis in which preadipocytes differentiate into adipocytes. Obesity is a metabolic disorder caused by excessive accumulation of fat in the body, which increases the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and various cancers. Recently, inhibition of adipocyte differentiation was shown to be a potential antiobesity strategy. In this study, the inhibitory effect of dichloromethane fractions from Illicium verum Hooker fil. water extract on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes to adipocytes was investigated. Dichloromethane fractions from I. verum Hooker fil. significantly inhibited adipocyte differentiation when applied during the adipocyte differentiation process, as assessed by measuring fat accumulation using Oil-red O staining. In addition, dichloromethane fractions from I. verum Hooker fil. reduced important adipogenic transcription factors, such as CCAAT/enhancer binding protein ${\alpha}$ ($C/EBP{\alpha}$), $C/EBP{\beta}$, and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor ${\gamma}$ ($PPAR{\gamma}$). The expression of FAS and LPL, which are terminal differentiation markers of mature adipocytes, was also reduced in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with dichloromethane fractions from I. verum Hooker fil. In addition, the treatment significantly inhibited mitotic clonal expansion, which is essential for adipocyte differentiation, by arresting the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Taken together, these results suggest that dichloromethane fractions from I. verum Hooker fil. may be a natural material with antiobesity effects.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.303-329
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• 2019

Intestinal failure (IF) is the critical reduction of the gut mass or its function below the minimum needed to absorb nutrients and fluids required for adequate growth in children. Severe IF requires parenteral nutrition (PN). Pediatric IF is most commonly due to congenital or neonatal intestinal diseases or malformations divided into 3 groups: 1) reduced intestinal length and consequently reduced absorptive surface, such as in short bowel syndrome (SBS) or extensive aganglionosis; 2) abnormal development of the intestinal mucosa such as congenital diseases of enterocyte development; 3) extensive motility dysfunction such as chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction syndromes. The leading cause of IF in childhood is the SBS. In clinical practice the degree of IF may be indirectly measured by the level of PN required for normal or catch up growth. Other indicators such as serum citrulline have not proven to be highly reliable prognostic factors in children. The last decades have allowed the development of highly sophisticated nutrient solutions consisting of optimal combinations of macronutrients and micronutrients as well as guidelines, promoting PN as a safe and efficient feeding technique. However, IF that requires long-term PN may be associated with various complications including infections, growth failure, metabolic disorders, and bone disease. IF Associated Liver Disease may be a limiting factor. However, changes in the global management of IF pediatric patients, especially since the setup of intestinal rehabilitation centres did change the prognosis thus limiting "nutritional failure" which is considered as a major indication for intestinal transplantation (ITx) or combined liver-ITx.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1942-1949
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• 2019

Objective: Leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2) is associated with several physiological processes including inflammation, tumorigenesis, and natural killer T cell generation. Chicken LECT2 (chLECT2) gene was originally identified as one of the differentially expressed genes in chicken kidney tissue, where the chickens were fed with different calcium doses. In this study, the molecular characteristics and gene expression of chLECT2 were analyzed under the stimulation of toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) ligand to understand the involvement of chLECT2 expression in chicken metabolic disorders. Methods: Amino acid sequence of LECT2 proteins from various species including fowl, fish, and mammal were retrieved from the Ensembl database and subjected to Insilco analyses. In addition, the time- and dose-dependent expression of chLECT2 was examined in DF-1 cells which were stimulated with polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly [I:C]), a TLR3 ligand. Further, to explore the transcription factors required for the transcription of chLECT2, DF-1 cells were treated with poly (I:C) in the presence or absence of the nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$ ($NF{\kappa}B$) and activated protein 1 (AP-1) inhibitors. Results: The amino acid sequence prediction of chLECT2 protein revealed that along with duck LECT2 (duLECT2), it has unique signal peptide different from other vertebrate orthologs, and only chLECT2 and duLECT2 have an additional 157 and 161 amino acids on their carboxyl terminus, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that chLECT2 is evolved from a common ancestor along with the actinopterygii hence, more closely related than to the mammals. Our quantitative polymerase chain reaction results showed that, the expression of chLECT2 was up-regulated significantly in DF-1 cells under the stimulation of poly (I:C) (p<0.05). However, in the presence of $NF{\kappa}B$ or AP-1 inhibitors, the expression of chLECT2 is suppressed suggesting that both $NF{\kappa}B$ and AP-1 transcription factors are required for the induction of chLECT2 expression. Conclusion: The present results suggest that chLECT2 gene might be a target gene of TLR3 signaling. For the future, the expression pattern or molecular mechanism of chLECT2 under stimulation of other innate immune receptors shall be studied. The protein function of chLECT2 will be more clearly understood if further investigation about the mechanism of LECT2 in TLR pathways is conducted.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.103-112
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• 2021

Gallbladder polyps (GBPs) may be a cause of gallbladder cancer. The known risk factors for GBPs are male gender, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and dyslipidemia. Especially, male gender has been known that it strongly affects on the prevalence of GBPs. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate risk factors affecting the prevalence of GBPs among adults on Jeju Island according to genders. We examined 5,574 subjects who visited a single health-screening center at Jeju National University Hospital between January 2015 and December 2019. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed to identify risk factors affecting the prevalence of GBPs. The prevalence of GBPs were 8.9% in male subjects and 8.1% in female subjects, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that ≥60 year age (odds ratio [OR] 0.659; P=0.027) and aspartate aminotransferase >32 IU/L (OR 0.658; P=0.009) in male subjects and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ≥60 mg/dL (OR 0.514; P=0.013) in female subjects were independent factors affecting the prevalence of GBPs. The prevalence of GBPs in men (8.9%) is comparable to that in women (8.1%) on Jeju Island. Age <60 years and the higher level of aspartate aminotransferase in men and the normal or lower high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol in women were independent risk factors of GBPs on Jeju Island.