• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.301-308
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• 2011

Diabetes has been one of major health risks in industrialized countries. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been focused as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of metabolic syndromes, because AMPK increases glucose uptake through independent insulin signal pathway. In this study, we investigated the anti-diabetic effect of Angelica gigas Nakai extract (AGNEX), a mixture of decursin and decursinol angelate (53 : 47), decursin and decursinol angelate on blood glucose, glucose transport (GLUT) and AMPK expression levels in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. To induce diabetes, 50 mg/kg of STZ was injected via i.v. route and AGNEX 2 mg/kg (STZ+AG), decursin 2 mg/kg (STZ+D), decursinol angelate 2 mg/kg (STZ+DA), and metformin 100 mg/kg (STZ+M) were administered orally for 21 days. STZ+DA group showed a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose levels compared to the other groups. Decursinol angelate significantly upregulated expression of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) and phosphorylation of AMPK (p-AMPK) in skeletal muscle of rats. In pancreas of rats, decursinol angelate significantly increased expression of GLUT2 through down-regulation of p-AMPK. In addition to the result of pancreatic islets morphology, AGNEX, decursin, decursinol angelate, and metformin treated group recovered ${\beta}$-cell damage by hyperglycemia. These results indicate that decursinol angelate might be a potential anti-diabetic agent and AGNEX could be useful in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.483-489
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• 1995

Retinoic acid was found to block membrane fusion of chick embryonic myoblasts in culture. This effed was dosedependent and could he reversed upon removal of the agent from the culture medium. Furthermore, the retinoic acid-mediated inhibition of membrane fusion was observed with the fusion competent cells but not with the cells that had already been committed for fusion, indicating that the effect of RA is differentiation stage-specific. However, retinoic acid showed little or no effect on the ability of the cells to form bipolar shape and to align along their axes. Neither the cell proliferation nor accumulation of muscle specific proteins, such as creatine kinase and tropomyosin, was impaired significantly. On the other hand, retinoic acid blocked the differentiation time~ependent loss of fibronectin, whose process is prerequisite for myoblast fusion. These results suggest that retinoic add acts as a specific inhibitor of membrane fusion by preventing the loss of fibronectin from the differentiating myoblasts.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.12
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• pp.1079-1085
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• 2015

Originally, activins were identified as stimulators of FSH release in reproduction. Other activities, including secondary axis formation in development, have since been revealed. Here, we investigated the influence of activin ${\beta}_A$ on the body, including the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract. Initially, the activin ${\beta}_A$ protein was detected in the serum proportional to the amount of pCMV-rAct plasmid injected. The induced level of activin ${\beta}_A$ in muscle was higher in female than male mice. Subsequent results revealed that stomach and intestine were severely damaged in pCMV-rAct-injected mice. At the cellular level, loss of parietal cells was observed, resulting in increased pH within the stomach. This phenomenon was more severe in male than female mice. Consistent with damage of the stomach and intestine, activin ${\beta}_A$ often led to necrosis in the tip of the tail or foot, and loss of body weight was observed in pCMV-rAct-injected male but not female mice. Finally, in pCMV-rAct-injected mice, circulating activin ${\beta}_A$ led to death at supraphysiological doses, and this was dependent on the strain of mice used. Taken together, these results indicate that activin ${\beta}_A$ has an important role outside of reproduction and development, specifically in digestion. These data also indicate that activin ${\beta}_A$ must be controlled within a narrow range because of latent lethal activity. In addition, our approach can be used effectively for functional analysis of secreted proteins.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2008

Although many studies show that thromboxane $A_2\;(TXA_2)$ has the action of gastrointestinal (GI) motility using GI muscle cells and tissue, there are no reports on the effects of $TXA_2$ on interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) that function as pacemaker cells in GI tract. So, we studied the modulation of pacemaker activities by $TXA_2$ in ICC with whole cell patch-clamp technique. Externally applied $TXA_2\;(5{\mu}M)$ produced membrane depolarization in current-clamp mode and increased tonic inward pacemaker currents in voltage-clamp mode. The tonic inward currents by $TXA_2$ were inhibited by intracellular application of GDP-${\beta}$-S. The pretreatment of ICC with $Ca^{2+}$ free solution and thapsigargin, a $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase inhibitor in endoplasmic reticulum, abolished the generation of pacemaker currents and suppressed the $TXA_2$-induced tonic inward currents. However, chelerythrine or calphostin C, protein kinase C inhibitors, did not block the $TXA_2$-induced effects on pacemaker currents. These results suggest that $TXA_2$ can regulate intestinal motility through the modulation of ICC pacemaker activities. This modulation of pacemaker activities by $TXA_2$ may occur by the activation of G protein and PKC independent pathway via extra and intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ modulation.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.77-82
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• 2002

It is well known that X-irradiation affects on maturing process of differentiated chondrocytes. Nevertheless, It has been remained elusively whether X-irradiation affects the process of differentiation of mesenchymal cells which differentiate into chondrocyte, fibroblast, or muscle cells. In this study, we examined the effect of X-irradiation (with 1 to 10 Gy) on chondrogenesis using the mesenchymal cells of chick limb bud. Our results show that X-irradiation dose-dependently inhibited chondrogenesis. This result suggests that immature chondroblast-like mesenchymal cells are sensitive to X-irradiation. Moreover, X-irradiation affects not only maturing process of chondrocytes, but also inhibits the chondrogenesis. Taken together, we demonstrate that the whole process of differentiation of mature chondrocytes from mesenchymal cells is affected by X-irradiation and undifferentiated cells were more affected by X-irradiation than mature cells.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.452-456
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• 2010

Purpose: The schwannoma is a benign peripheral nerve tumor arising from the Schwann cell of the nerve sheath. Only 2-8% of schwannomas arise in the hand and wrist. Misdiagnosis is frequent such as ganglion and neurofibroma. This article documents and clarifies the clinical features of schwannomas arising in the hand and wrist, and emphasizes importance of differential diagnosis and meticulous surgical extirpation under magnification. Methods: The author reviewed clinical features of 15 patients with pathologic final diagnosis of schwannoma developed in hand and wrist during the last 12 years from 1998 through 2009. The review included the sex, age of onset, duration, preoperative diagnosis, location, involved nerve, preoperative symptoms and. Postoperative sequelae after surgical extirpation of the lesion with magnification, or without magnification of the surgical fields. Results: The chief complaints were slow growing firm mass in all patients, and followed by pain in 40%, and paresthesia in 40% respectively. The lesions were developed solitarily in 14 patients (93%). The postoperative pathologic diagnosis and preoperative diagnosis were coincided with only in 6 patients (40%). Other preoperative diagnosis were soft tissue tumor in 4 patient (26.6%), and ganglion in 3 patients (20%), and neurofibroma in 2 patients (13%). In all patients who were undergone surgical excision under the fields of magnification, all symptoms were subsided without any sequelae. Meanwhile muscle weakness, paresthesia, hypoesthesia and /or accidental nerve resection developed after surgical excision with naked eye. Conclusion: Schwannoma in hand most commonly appears as a slow growing solitary mass with pain or paresthesia. The chance of preoperative misdiagnosis was 60% in this series. To provide good prognosis and less sequelae, careful and elaborate diagnostic efforts and meticulous surgical excision under the magnification are necessary in management of schwannoma.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.663-666
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• 2009

Purpose: Primary malignant lymphomas of the salivary glands are uncommon. The parotid gland was most frequently involved, followed by the submandibular gland, minor salivary gland and sublingual gland. The most common subtype is mucosa - associated lymphoid tissue(MALT) lymphoma. We experienced a case of salivary MALT lymphoma involving parotid gland duct, so report a case with a review of the literature. Methods: A 65 year old female presented with a palpable mass on the left side of her cheek. There was no clinical or laboratory evidence of pre - existing autoimmune disease. Preoperative facial and neck CT with contrast showed $2.1{\times}1.7cm$ sized, ill defined, homogeneous low density mass near left masseter muscle, and no evidence of other enlarged lymph nodes. Results: At operation, a yellowish oval shaped mass was found slightly adhered to middle portion of the parotid gland duct, meaduring $2{\times}1.5{\times}0.7cm$. Microscopic finding showed that centrocyte - like cells, monocyte B cells and plasma cells were diffusely infiltrated. Immunophenotyping was preformed on fixed section. The majority of the small cells were immunoreactive for the B cell marker CD20. Based on the typical histological findings supported by immunostaining, the mass was defined as MALT lymphoma. Conclusion: We report that very rare case of MALT lymphoma involving parotid gland duct in 65 year old female patient was experienced with clinical characteristics, histologic features and references.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.107-111
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• 2014

Objective: In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of low-intensity treadmill training in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity rat models. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: In this study, we randomly divided them into four groups. The normal group included non-cardiotoxicity normal control (n=10), the control group included non-treadmill training after doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity (n=10), the experimental group I included low-intensity treadmill training (3 m/min) after doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity (n=10), and the experimental group II included low-intensity treadmill training (8 m/min) after doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity (n=10). Rats in the treadmill training group underwent treadmill training, which began at 2 weeks after first intraperitoneal injection. We determined the body weight change for each rat on days 1 and 21. Biochemical markers (lactate dehydrogenase [LDH], creatine kinase [CK], glutathion, aspartate transaminase [AST], and alanine transaminase [ALT]) concentration in the serum change of rats from all four groups was examined at the end of the experiment. Results: The results showed that the experimental group I and II showed a significant increase in body weight as compared with that of the control group (p<0.05). We observed that the biochemical markers (LDH, CK, glutathion, AST, and ALT) were improved in the experimental group I than the experimental group II (p<0.05). There was no difference between the experimental groups. Conclusions: In conclusion, our data suggest that low-intensity treadmill training applied after doxorubicin treatment protects against cardiotoxicity following treatment, possibly by enhancing antioxidant defenses and inhibiting cardiac muscle cell apoptosis.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.345-350
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• 2006

The pharmacological properties of ginseng are mainly attributed to ginsenosides, the active constituents that are found in the extracts of different species of ginseng. Lately; the studies on ginsenosides are mainly focused on IH-901, a major intestinal bacterial metabolite of ginsenosides. In this study; we examined the anti-diabetic activity of IH-901 in C57BU61 db/db mice model. IH-901 was administrated orally at a dose of 20 mg/kg for 5 weeks. During the experimental period, body weight and blood glucose levels were measured every week. After 5 weeks, db/db mice were sacrificed and diabetic parameters were analyzed. IH-901 treated group showed a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose levels (from 10.5 mM to 9.4 mM), insulin resistance index (from 163.6 to 100.2) and triglyceride levels (from 115.3 to 70.1) compared to the diabetic control. In Pancreatic islets morphology; IH-901 treated group revealed much less infltrated mononuclear cells, indicating that IH-901 recovered ${\beta}$-cell damage due to hyperglycemia. In addition, IH-901 upregulated expressions of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) and PPAR-${\gamma}$ in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, respectively. Taken together IH-901might be a potential anti-hyperglycemic agent with insulin sensitizing effect.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.297-306
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• 2020

Repetitive changes in the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca²⁺]i) triggers egg activation, including cortical granule exocytosis, resumption of second meiosis, block to polyspermy, and initiating embryonic development. [Ca²⁺]i oscillations that continue for several hours, are required for the early events of egg activation and possibly connected to further development to the blastocyst stage. The sources of Ca²⁺ ion elevation during [Ca²⁺]i oscillations are Ca²⁺ release from endoplasmic reticulum through inositol 1,4,5 tri-phosphate receptor and Ca²⁺ ion influx through Ca²⁺ channel on the plasma membrane. Ca²⁺ channels have been characterized into voltage-dependent Ca²⁺ channels (VDCCs), ligand-gated Ca²⁺ channel, and leak-channel. VDCCs expressed on muscle cell or neuron is specified into L, T, N, P, Q, and R type VDCs by their activation threshold or their sensitivity to peptide toxins isolated from cone snails and spiders. The present study was aimed to investigate the localization pattern of N and P/Q type voltage-dependent calcium channels in mouse eggs and the role in fertilization. [Ca²⁺]i oscillation was observed in a Ca²⁺ contained medium with sperm factor or adenophostin A injection but disappeared in Ca²⁺ free medium. Ca²⁺ influx was decreased by Lat A. N-VDCC specific inhibitor, ω-Conotoxin CVIIA induced abnormal [Ca²⁺]i oscillation profiles in SrCl₂ treatment. N or P/Q type VDC were distributed on the plasma membrane in cortical cluster form, not in the cytoplasm. Ca²⁺ influx is essential for [Ca²⁺]i oscillation during mammalian fertilization. This Ca²⁺ influx might be controlled through the N or P/Q type VDCCs. Abnormal VDCCs expression of eggs could be tested in fertilization failure or low fertilization eggs in subfertility women.