• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.215-222
• /
• 2019

Muscle dysfunction may arise from skeletal muscle atrophy caused by aging, injury, oxidative stress, and hereditary disease. Powdered heat-killed Enterococcus faecalis (EF-2001) has anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. However, its antioxidant and anti-atrophy effects are poorly characterized. In this study, we examined the effects of EF-2001 on muscle atrophy. To determine the protective effect of EF-2001 on oxidative stress, C2C12 myoblasts were treated with $H_2O_2$ to induce oxidative stress. This induced cell damage, which was reduced by treatment with EF-2001. The mechanism of EF-2001's effect was examined in response to oxidative stress. Treatment with EF-2001 reversed the expression of HSP70 and SOD1 proteins. Also, mRNA levels of Atrogin-1/MAFbx and MuRF1 increased under oxidative stress conditions but decreased following EF-2001 treatment. To evaluate muscle volume, two and three dimensional models of the muscles were analyzed using micro-CT. As expected, muscle volume decreased after sciatic denervation and recovered after oral administration of EF-2001. Therefore, EF-2001 is a candidate for the treatment of muscular atrophy, and future discovery of the additional effects of EF-2001 may yield further applications as a functional food with useful activities in various fields.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.44 no.6
• /
• pp.481-487
• /
• 2011

Obesity not only reduces bone mineral density but also increases inflammatory markers. Therefore, we examined the change in inflammatory markers and morphological microstructure of the bones using a mouse model fed a high-fat diet. C57BL/6J 4-week-old male mice were divided into a control group (n = 6) and a experimental group (n = 6); the control group was provided with 10% Kcal fat diet, and the high-fat diet group was provided with 45% Kcal fat diet for 12 weeks using the free provision method. Blood was analyzed for inflammatory markers, and micro-computed tomography was used to measure the morphological microstructure of the femoral bone. The weight increases in the control group and high-fat diet group were $5.85{\pm}1.84g$ and $16.06{\pm}5.64g$, respectively (p < 0.01), glucose was $115.00{\pm}16.88mg/dL$ and $188.33{\pm}13.29mg/dL$ (p < 0.01), and triglycerides were $65.00{\pm}6.19mg/dL$ and $103.33{\pm}8.02mg/dL$ (p < 0.05) respectively. Leptin and interleukin (IL)-6 were significantly higher in the high-fat diet group than that in the control group (p < 0.01). As a result of a biochemical index analysis of bone metabolism, osteocalcin tended to be lower in the high-fat diet group, whereas CTx was significantly higher in the high-fat diet group compared to that in the control group (p < 0.01). The thickness of the bony trabecula was significantly narrower in the high-fat diet group than that in the control group (p < 0.05), and the gap in the bony trabecula was significantly wider in the high-fat diet group than that in the control group (p < 0.05). IL-6 and the gap in the bone trabecula, which was a morphological microstructure of the bones, showed a positive correlation (p < 0.05). Taken together, inducing obesity through a high-fat diet in mice during the growth phase caused a change in bone microstructure and was correlated with the inflammation index. Accordingly, restriction of excessive fat intake may be needed to suppress the inflammatory reactions and promote normal bone formation.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.474-480
• /
• 2004

The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the remineralizing effects of three glass ionomer cements (high filled glass ionomer cement, compomer, resin modified glass ionomer cement) with resin composite (control group) on incipient interproximal caries, and to assess long-term change of remineralization effect, in each material, evaluated by microtomography. Proximal restoration was simulated with tooth specimen and Glass Ionomer Cements. And each of these groups was placed into a closed container with artificial saliva at $37^{\circ}C$ and pH 7.0 for a time period of thirty days with constant circulation. At the end of thirty and sixty days, tomographic images were taken from these specimens with micro CT scanner. Materials used in this study were as follows. Group 1: Fuji IX GP (GC Corp., Tokyo, Japan) Group 2: Vitremer (3M ESPE, St. Paul, Minn., USA) Group 3: F2000 (3M ESPE, St. Paul, Minn., USA) Group 4: Z250 (3M ESPE, St. Paul, Minn., USA) Using density-measuring program, the micro-density of carious lesions on the specimens were measured. The mean density changes of each group were compared to the other groups to evaluate the effect of remineralization. The results were as follows: 1. The lesion density of all groups increased. 2. The mean density increase of Group 1, 2, 3 were higher than that of Group 4 every month(p<0.05). 3. There were significant differences of density increase among glass ionomer group(Group 1, 2, 3).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.43 no.10
• /
• pp.1477-1483
• /
• 2014

This study investigated the anti-obesity effects of African mango (Irvingia gabonesis, IGOB $131^{TM}$) extract in leptin-deficient obese mice. Experimental groups were treated with two different doses of IGOB $131^{TM}$ (1% and 2% in each AIN93G supplement) for 8 weeks. Treatment of obese mice with both low and high dose of IGOB $131^{TM}$ significantly reduced body weight gain by 10.9% and 13.3%, respectively, compared to control obese mice. Subcutaneous adipose tissue weight of mice was significantly reduced by 18% by low-dose and 23% by high-dose supplementation. This result was supported by micro-CT analysis around the abdominal regions of mice, indicating that the adipose tissue area and volume were significantly reduced by treatment with IGOB $131^{TM}$. Serum levels of triglycerides in the low- and high-dose groups were reduced by 36.5% and 43.8%, respectively, upon treatment with IGOB $131^{TM}$, whereas total cholesterol levels were reduced by 31.8% and 35.4%. Interestingly, the serum LDL level decreased upon treatment with IGOB $131^{TM}$ while the serum level of HDL dramatically increased upon high-dose treatment with IGOB $131^{TM}$, resulting in a significant reduction in the LDL to HDL ratio of 59.2%. These results were supported by the expression levels of enzymes and proteins related to lipid metabolism assessed by real-time PCR. There was a significant increase of in adiponectin expression as well as significant decreases in the expression of FAS, LPL, and lipid regulatory transcription factors such as PPAR-${\gamma}$, C/EBP, and SREBP upon both low- and high-dose IGOB $131^{TM}$ treatment. However, there was no statistical difference between low- and high-dose treatments. These results suggest that IGOB $131^{TM}$ is able to regulate the serum lipid profiles by reducing triglyceride and increasing HDL levels as well as regulate expression of lipid metabolic factors, resulting in reduction of a weight gain in leptin-deficient obese mice.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.46 no.4
• /
• pp.370-377
• /
• 2009

Objective : There is no definite adjustment protocol for patients shunted with programmable valves. Therefore, we attempted to find an appropriate method to adjust the valve, initial valve-opening pressure, adjustment scale, adjustment time interval, and final valve-opening pressure of a programmable valve. Methods : Seventy patients with hydrocephalus of various etiologies were shunted with programmable shunting devices (Micro Valve with $RICKHAM^{(R)}$ Reservoir). The most common initial diseases were subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and head trauma. Sixty-six patients had a communicating type of hydrocephalus, and 4 had an obstructive type of hydrocephalus. Fifty-one patients had normal pressure-type hydrocephalus and 19 patients had high pressure-type hydrocephalus. We set the initial valve pressure to $10-30\;mmH_2O$, which is lower than the preoperative lumbar tapping pressure or the intraoperative ventricular tapping pressure, conducted brain computerized tomographic (CT) scans every 2 to 3 weeks, correlated results with clinical symptoms, and reset valve-opening pressures. Results : Initial valve-opening pressures varied from 30 to $180\;mmH_2O$ (mean, $102{\pm}27.5\;mmH_2O$). In high pressure-type hydrocephalus patients, we have set the initial valve-opening pressure from 100 to $180\;mmH_2O$. We decreased the valve-opening pressure $20-30\;mmH_2O$ at every 2- or 3-week interval, until hydrocephalus-related symptoms improved and the size of the ventricle was normalized. There were 154 adjustments in 81 operations (mean, 1.9 times). In 19 high pressure-type patients, final valve-opening pressures were $30-160\;mmH_2O$, and 16 (84%) patients' symptoms had nearly improved completely. However, in 51 normal pressure-type patients, only 31 (61%) had improved. Surprisingly, in 22 of the 31 normal pressure-type improved patients, final valve-opening pressures were $30\;mmH_2O$ (16 patients) and $40\;mmH_2O$ (6 patients). Furthermore, when final valve-opening pressures were adjusted to $30\;mmH_2O$, 14 patients symptom was improved just at the point. There were 18 (22%) major complications : 7 subdural hygroma, 6 shunt obstructions, and 5 shunt infections. Conclusion : In normal pressure-type hydrocephalus, most patients improved when the final valve-opening pressure was $30\;mmH_2O$. We suggest that all normal pressure-type hydrocephalus patients be shunted with programmable valves, and their initial valve-opening pressures set to $10-30\;mmH_2O$ below their preoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressures. If final valve-opening pressures are lowered in 20 or $30\;mmH_2O$ scale at 2- or 3-week intervals, reaching a final pressure of $30\;mmH_2O$, we believe that there is a low risk of overdrainage syndromes.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.69-79
• /
• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of composite resin restorations on the stress distribution of notch shaped noncarious cervical lesion using three-dimensional (3D) finite element analysis (FEA). Extracted maxillary second premolar was scanned serially with Micro-CT (SkyScan1072 ; SkyScan, Aartselaar, Belgium). The 3D images were processed by 3D-DOCTOR (Able Software Co., Lexington, MA, USA). ANSYS (Swanson Analysis Systems, Inc., Houston, USA) was used to mesh and analyze 3D FE model. Notch shaped cavity was filled with hybrid or flowable resin and each restoration was simulated with adhesive layer thickness ($40{\mu}m$) A static load of 500 N was applied on a point load condition at buccal cusp (loading A) and palatal cusp (loading B). The principal stresses in the lesion apex (internal line angle of cavity) and middle vertical wall were analyzed using ANSYS. The results were as follows 1. Under loading A, compressive stress is created in the unrestored and restored cavity. Under loading B, tensile stress is created. And the peak stress concentration is seen at near mesial corner of the cavity under each load condition. 2. Compared to the unrestored cavity, the principal stresses at the cemeto-enamel junction (CEJ) and internal line angle of the cavity were more reduced in the restored cavity on both load con ditions. 3. In teeth restored with hybrid composite, the principal stresses at the CEJ and internal line angle of the cavity were more reduced than flowable resin.