• Title/Summary/Keyword: Natural treatment

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Effect of Fermented Cirsium japonicum Extract on Testosterone Deficiency Syndrome (엉겅퀴 발효 추출물을 통한 남성 갱년기 증상 개선 효과)

  • Jeong, Byung Seo;Kim, Seong Hoon;Kim, Hyun Pyo
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.46 no.7
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    • pp.790-800
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    • 2017
  • As men get older, total testosterone levels decline gradually, and concentrations of free and bioavailable testosterone decline sharply with each decade beyond their 30s. Andropause or testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) is defined as a decrease in sexual satisfaction or decline in general well-being accompanied by low levels of testosterone in older men. This male climacteric is characterized by nervousness, reduced potency, decreased libido, irritability, fatigue, depression, memory problems, sleep disturbances, and hot flushes. Cirsium japonicum (CJ) is used as a traditional medicine for hemorrhage, blood congestion, and inflammation in Korea. However, there is no report on the efficacy of CJ treatment for TDS. In this study, we observed the mitigating effect of CJ extract (CE) and fermented CJ extract (FCE) on symptoms of TDS. In elderly male rats, total and testosterone levels, hind limbs muscles, forced swimming time, and total and motile sperm counts significantly increased after daily intake of CE and FCE for 6 weeks. In contrast, sex hormone binding globulin, retroperitoneal fat, total serum cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were significantly reduced in CE and FCE groups. However, there was no difference in prostate specific antigen, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase levels among all groups, which means CE and FCE did not have putative adverse effects. In a cell experiment, we also observed that CE and FCE enhanced expression of genes related to testosterone biosynthesis but reduced genes involved in testosterone conversion. On the whole, these positive effects on TDS were greater in FCE compared to CE. Thus, these results suggest the potential of FCE as a promising natural product for recovering testosterone levels and alleviating TDS.

Wearable Computers

  • Cho, Gil-Soo;Barfield, Woodrow;Baird, Kevin
    • Fiber Technology and Industry
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    • v.2 no.4
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    • pp.490-508
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    • 1998
  • One of the latest fields of research in the area of output devices is tactual display devices [13,31]. These tactual or haptic devices allow the user to receive haptic feedback output from a variety of sources. This allows the user to actually feel virtual objects and manipulate them by touch. This is an emerging technology and will be instrumental in enhancing the realism of wearable augmented environments for certain applications. Tactual displays have previously been used for scientific visualization in virtual environments by chemists and engineers to improve perception and understanding of force fields and of world models populated with the impenetrable. In addition to tactual displays, the use of wearable audio displays that allow sound to be spatialized are being developed. With wearable computers, designers will soon be able to pair spatialized sound to virtual representations of objects when appropriate to make the wearable computer experience even more realistic to the user. Furthermore, as the number and complexity of wearable computing applications continues to grow, there will be increasing needs for systems that are faster, lighter, and have higher resolution displays. Better networking technology will also need to be developed to allow all users of wearable computers to have high bandwidth connections for real time information gathering and collaboration. In addition to the technology advances that make users need to wear computers in everyday life, there is also the desire to have users want to wear their computers. In order to do this, wearable computing needs to be unobtrusive and socially acceptable. By making wearables smaller and lighter, or actually embedding them in clothing, users can conceal them easily and wear them comfortably. The military is currently working on the development of the Personal Information Carrier (PIC) or digital dog tag. The PIC is a small electronic storage device containing medical information about the wearer. While old military dog tags contained only 5 lines of information, the digital tags may contain volumes of multi-media information including medical history, X-rays, and cardiograms. Using hand held devices in the field, medics would be able to call this information up in real time for better treatment. A fully functional transmittable device is still years off, but this technology once developed in the military, could be adapted tp civilian users and provide ant information, medical or otherwise, in a portable, not obstructive, and fashionable way. Another future device that could increase safety and well being of its users is the nose on-a-chip developed by the Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee. This tiny digital silicon chip about the size of a dime, is capable of 'smelling' natural gas leaks in stoves, heaters, and other appliances. It can also detect dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. This device can also be configured to notify the fire department when a leak is detected. This nose chip should be commercially available within 2 years, and is inexpensive, requires low power, and is very sensitive. Along with gas detection capabilities, this device may someday also be configured to detect smoke and other harmful gases. By embedding this chip into workers uniforms, name tags, etc., this could be a lifesaving computational accessory. In addition to the future safety technology soon to be available as accessories are devices that are for entertainment and security. The LCI computer group is developing a Smartpen, that electronically verifies a user's signature. With the increase in credit card use and the rise in forgeries, is the need for commercial industries to constantly verify signatures. This Smartpen writes like a normal pen but uses sensors to detect the motion of the pen as the user signs their name to authenticate the signature. This computational accessory should be available in 1999, and would bring increased peace of mind to consumers and vendors alike. In the entertainment domain, Panasonic is creating the first portable hand-held DVD player. This device weight less than 3 pounds and has a screen about 6' across. The color LCD has the same 16:9 aspect ratio of a cinema screen and supports a high resolution of 280,000 pixels and stereo sound. The player can play standard DVD movies and has a hour battery life for mobile use. To summarize, in this paper we presented concepts related to the design and use of wearable computers with extensions to smart spaces. For some time, researchers in telerobotics have used computer graphics to enhance remote scenes. Recent advances in augmented reality displays make it possible to enhance the user's local environment with 'information'. As shown in this paper, there are many application areas for this technology such as medicine, manufacturing, training, and recreation. Wearable computers allow a much closer association of information with the user. By embedding sensors in the wearable to allow it to see what the user sees, hear what the user hears, sense the user's physical state, and analyze what the user is typing, an intelligent agent may be able to analyze what the user is doing and try to predict the resources he will need next or in the near future. Using this information, the agent may download files, reserve communications bandwidth, post reminders, or automatically send updates to colleagues to help facilitate the user's daily interactions. This intelligent wearable computer would be able to act as a personal assistant, who is always around, knows the user's personal preferences and tastes, and tries to streamline interactions with the rest of the world.

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Mechanism Underlying a Proteasome Inhibitor, Lactacystin-Induced Apoptosis on SCC25 Human Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells (사람혀편평상피세포암종세포에서 proteasome 억제제인 lactacystin에 의해 유도된 세포자멸사의 기전에 대한 연구)

  • Baek, Chul-Jung;Kim, Gyoo-Cheon;Kim, In-Ryoung;Lee, Seung-Eun;Kwak, Hyun-Ho;Park, Bong-Soo;Tae, Il-Ho;Ko, Myung-Yun;Ahn, Yong-Woo
    • Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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    • v.34 no.3
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    • pp.261-276
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    • 2009
  • Lactacystin, a microbial natural product synthesized by Streptomyces, has been commonly used as a selective proteasome inhibitor in many studies. Proteasome inhibitors is known to be preventing the proliferation of cancer cells in vivo as well as in vitro. Furthermore, proteasome inhibitors, as single or combined with other anticancer agents, are suggested as a new class of potential anticancer agents. This study was undertaken to examine in vitro effects of cytotoxicity and growth inhibition, and the molecular mechanism underlying induction of apoptosis in SCC25 human tongue sqaumous cell carcinoma cell line treated with lactacystin. The viability of SCC25 cells, human normal keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) and human gingiva fibroblasts (HGF-1 cells), and the growth inhibition of SCC25 cells were assessed by MTT assay and clonogenic assay respectively. The hoechst staining, hemacolor staining and TUNEL staining were conducted to observe SCC25 cells undergoing apoptosis. SCC25 cells were treated with lactacystin, and Western blotting, immunocytochemistry, confocal microscopy, FAScan flow cytometry, MMP activity, and proteasome activity were performed. Lactacystin treatment of SCC25 cells resulted in a time- and does-dependent decrease of cell viability and a does-dependent inhibition of cell growth, and induced apoptotic cell death. Interestingly, lactacytin remarkably revealed cytotoxicity in SCC25 cells but not normal cells. And tested SCC25 cells showed several lines of apoptotic manifestation such as nuclear condensation, DNA fragmentation, the reduction of MMP and proteasome activity, the decrease of DNA contents, the release of cytochrome c into cytosol, the translocation of AIF and DFF40 (CAD) onto nuclei, the up-regulation of Bax, and the activation of caspase-7, caspase-3, PARP, lamin A/C and DFF45 (ICAD). Flow cytometric analysis revealed that lactacystin resulted in G1 arrest in cell cycle progression which was associated with up-regulation in the protein expression of CDK inhibitors, $p21^{WAF1/CIP1}$ and $p27^{KIP1}$. We presented data indicating that lactacystin induces G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptois via proteasome, mitochondria and caspase pathway in SCC25 cells. Therefore our data provide the possibility that lactacystin could be as a novel therapeutic strategy for human tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

The effect of safflower seed fraction extract on periodontal ligament fibroblast and MC3T3-E1 cell in vitro (홍화씨 분획 추출물이 치주인대 섬유아세포와 MC3T3-E1 세포에 미치는 영향)

  • Huh, Ji-Sun;Kang, Jung-Hwa;Yoo, Yun-Jung;Kim, Chang-Sung;Cho, Kyoo-Sung;Choi, Seong-Ho
    • Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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    • v.31 no.4
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    • pp.833-846
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    • 2001
  • Recently, use of natural medicine is getting more attention, and some of them are believed to be effective in the treatment of periodontitis. Among them, the seeds of safflower(Carthamus tinctrorius L.) have been proven to be effective through its use in bone diseases such as fracture and osteoporosis. During the last few years, studies using the seeds of safflower gown in Korea have been active, and it has been reported that safflower seed extract increase the proliferation and the alkaline phosphatase(ALP) activity of human periodontal ligament fibroblast(hPDLF), osteoblast, and that they promote the mineralization process. In animal studies, when safflower seed extract were administered orally new bone formation was promoted. Recently, in an effort to find out the most effective osteogenic components, among many components of the safflower seed, various safflower seed fraction extracts were obtained by multistep extraction of the safflower components using various solvents. Among these, saf-M-W fraction extracted by methanol and water was most effective in increasing osteogenic potential of osteoblasts. In this study, the effect of safflower seed fraction extract, saf-M-W, on the growth and differentiation of hPDLF and MC3T3-E1 cell was investigated. The toxicity of saf-M-W on both cells was measured using M'IT(3-(4,5dimethylthiazol-2-y1)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) test, and ALP activity was measured using the colorimetric assay of hPDLF. In addition, in MC3T3-El cells, the expression of ALP, bone sialoprotein(BSP) mRNA was observed using Northern blot, and the mineralized nodule formation Was observed using von Kossa stain and phase-contrast microscope. 1. In concentrations below $10{\mu}g/ml$, saf-M-W didn't show any toxicity on hPDLF and MC3T3-El cell. 2. The change in saf-M-W concentration had no effect on the ALP activity of hPDLF. 3. In MC3T-E1 cells, mRNA expressions of ALP and BSP were greater in the experimental group treated with $10{\mu}g/ml$ concentration of saf-M-W compared with the control group. 4. In MC3T3-El cells, abundance of mineralized nodules were formed in the experimental group treated with $10{\mu}g/ml$ Concentration of saf-M-W, while no mineralized nodule was formed in the control group. These results suggest that safflower seed fraction extract, saf-M-W. didn't show any toxicity on hPDLF and MC3T3-E1 cell at concentrations below $10{\mu}g/ml$ and effectively enhanced the differentiation and osteogenic potential of MC3T3-El cell.

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Analgesic Effect of Hippophae rhamnoides Extract in Orofacial Pain in Rats (구강안면통증모델에서 산자나무 추출물의 진통효과)

  • Kim, Yun-Kyung;Choi, Ja-Hyeong;Kim, Hee-Jin;Yoon, Hyun-Seo;Hyun, Kyung-Yae;Lee, Min-Kyung
    • Journal of dental hygiene science
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    • v.17 no.6
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    • pp.495-500
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    • 2017
  • Hippophae rhamnoides L. (sea buckthorn) is a shrub wood that belongs to the bamboo tree family, and is rich in vitamin C, D, and E; it is referred to as a vitamin tree. It is mainly grown in the high mountains of Europe and Central Asia, and has been widely used in China and Russia as natural medicine. Recent studies have shown that it is effective in the treatment of cancer, liver diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and gastrointestinal diseases. However, results of studies on its effect on the regulation of pain are insufficient. In this study, we investigated the effect of sea buckthorn on the development and control of pain in two facial areas. The experimental animals included 7- to 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats (240~260 g). Formalin (5%), which is known as an inflammation inducer, was injected into the vibrissa pad or temporomandibular joints to induce orofacial acute pain. Rubbing or scraping of the region injected with formalin was regarded as a pain index, and the behavioral response was observed for 45 minutes after the injection. Sea buckthorn extract diluted to 150, 300 mg/kg (in 1 ml of distilled water) was orally administered 30 minutes prior to the acute pain. The facial pain behavior was effectively reduced in the 300 mg/kg group when compared to the control group (vehicle). Likewise, in an experiment in which formalin was injected into the temporomandibular joints, effective pain alleviation was confirmed at the same drug concentration. These results suggest that sea buckthorn extract may be useful in the development of therapeutic agents for acute inflammatory pain in the orofacial area and for controlling temporomandibular joint pain.

The Anti-angiogenic Potential of a Phellodendron amurense Hot Water Extract in Vitro and ex Vivo (in Vitro와 ex vivo에서 황백 온수추출물의 신생혈관 억제효과)

  • Kim, Eok-Cheon;Kim, Seo Ho;Bae, Kiho;Kim, Han Sung;Gelinsky, Michael;Kim, Tack-Joong
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.25 no.6
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    • pp.693-702
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    • 2015
  • Blocking new blood-vessel formation (angiogenesis) is now recognized as a useful approach to the therapeutic treatment of many solid tumors. The best validated approach to date is to target the vascular endothelial growth-factor (VEGF) pathway, a key regulator of angiogenesis. Many natural products and extracts that contain a variety of chemopreventive compounds have been shown to suppress the development of malignancies through their anti-angiogenic properties. Phellodendron amurense, which is widely used in Korean traditional medicine, has been shown to possess antitumor, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties, among others. The present study investigated the effects of P. amurense hot-water extract (PAHWE) on angiogenesis, a key process in tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. To investigate PAHWE’s anti-angiogenic properties, this study’s authors performed an analysis of angiogenesis and endothelial-cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tube formation, as well as zymogram assays and the rat aortic ring-sprouting assay. PAHWE inhibited cell growth, mobility, and vessel formation in response to VEGF in vitro and ex vivo. Furthermore, it reduced VEGF-induced intracellular signaling events, such as the activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) -2 and -9. These results indicate that PAHWE’s anti-angiogenic properties might lead to the development of potential drugs for treating angiogenesis-associated diseases such as cancer.

The Consideration of Bolus Effects of Games Attached on Lesion area (환부 부착용 거즈의 Bolus Effect에 관할 고찰)

  • Park JuYoung;Ju SangKyu;Park YoungChul;Han YoungYi;Shin EunHyuk;Park YongHwan
    • The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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    • v.16 no.1
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    • pp.51-56
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    • 2004
  • The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of skin dose and PDD by using wounds protecting gauzes or Vaselinespread gauzes. And it was studied that the possibility to substitute custom bolus into gauzes. 4MV photon (CL600C, varian, US), Polystyrene Phantom (30(W) X30(L) X 30(H)) with Markus chamber(PTW, US) were used for dose measurement. This study was distinguished natural gauzes and spread over Vaseline gauzes. We gave variety to the gauze thickness at 5, 10 and 15 sheets respectively. For comparison between using bolus and not that, we had used 1.0 cm thickness bolus so that analyzed surface dose and PDD at the same conditions above mentioned. When maximum point was defined as reference point, surface dose was measured as $35\%$ in open beam. When the gauzes were attached to surface as 5, 10 and 15 sheets, surface dose were increased as 69, 80 and $91\%$ respectively according to thickness of gauzes. When spread over Vaseline gauzes were attached to surface as 5, 10 and 15 sheets, surface dose were increased respectively as 98, 100 and $98\%$ according to thickness of gauzes. Also when 0.5 cm bolus and 5 sheets gauzes were composed, surface dose was measured as $98\%$. The gauzes that were attached to skin surface in radiation therapy had been scattering material and contributed increasing surface dose without variation of percentage depth dose. However, if we want to delivery much dose to skin surface then we have to apply many sheets of gauzes to skin surface. Although we get easy that result by bolus or spread over Vaseline gauzes, we have to revise percentage depth dose at calculation. Therefore, if we find pertinent conditions based on measured data that are considered skin dose and patient setup efficiency, to replace custom bolus with gauzes will be helpful to efficient treatment.

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Effect of Wangsuk Stream on NOM and Chlorinated DBPFPs in Han River Water (왕숙천 유입에 따른 한강본류의 천연유기물질과 염소소독부산물 생성능 변화)

  • Park, Hyeon;Kim, Chang-Mo;Chang, Hyun-Seong;Kim, Hyun-Suk;Park, Chang-Min;Yu, Myong-Jin
    • Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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    • v.28 no.10
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    • pp.1031-1037
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    • 2006
  • The main purposes of this study were to compare the characteristics of fractionated natural organic matters(NOM) from Han River water and Wangsuk(W) stream water, and to investigate the relationships between NOM and the formation of disinfection by products(DBPs). Three types of resin such as XAD-4, XAD-7HP and IRC-50 were used to isolate the water samples into three organic fractions. The DOC concentrations of raw waters were relatively low($1.5{\sim}3.3$ mg/L) at all seasons. The hydrophilic was the major constituent, contributing $44{\sim}63%$ of the total NOM and hydrophobic $21{\sim}33%$, transphilic $16{\sim}31%$, respectively. The formation of trihalomethans(THMs) was highly influenced by particulated NOM especially in the rainy season, whereas haloaceticacid forming potentials(HAAFPs) depended more on the hydrophilic fraction of dissolved NOM which is known to be difficult to be removed through conventional processes. The NOM of W stream was characterized as 15% hydrophobic, 9% transphilic, and 76% hydrophilic. In the fractionation of NOM using resins, $20{\sim}40%$ of the NOM in W tributary water could not be clearly isolated, whereas, 85% of the NOM in the raw water was recovered. Although the DOC concentration of tributary water was higher than the raw waters from the Han River, the DBPFPs was approximately 40% of the raw waters. In DBPFPs aspect, W stream has less effect than Han River water itself. Bromide in tributary waters discharged from waste water treatment plants has been found to shift the distribution of THMs and HANs to the more brominated DBPs.

A Study on Efficiency of Water Purification of Korean Village Bangjuk[dike] as a Means of Ecological Watershed Management (생태적 유역관리 도구로써 마을방죽의 수질정화 효율성 고찰)

  • An, Byung-Chul
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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    • v.30 no.2
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    • pp.90-100
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    • 2012
  • This study centering on 10 village - Bangjuks analyzed multifunctionality value of village Bangjuks which have been main water treatment system in Korean traditional villages. On the basis of understanding the structure and character of components such as the well, common spring, village waterway and others which making water-flow and consisting of aquatic system in Korean traditional village Bangjuk, the conclusion as the instrumental device of social and ecological role and ecological watershed management, securing the ecosystem soundness of the damaged or deteriated aquatic ecosystem due to the industrialization and urbanization is as below; 1. The traditional village Bangjuk was environmentally friendly hydraulic system which gathers waterways of village into a point including sewage water, retains and flows out to village through agricultural waterway. Through this Bangjuk, they have managed sewage and rainfall runoff flowed out village efficiently. It is not only a detention system of water but a kind of eco-friendly system that flow out water into the rivers after reusing and filtering it. 2. Around five traditional villages and five villages after modernization, this study classified the types of village Bangjuk as three types considering geographic location, size, etc; marsh type of low swamp, high water -low rice field type of natural flow stucture, low water - high rice field type requiring artificial irrigation facility. All the five traditional villages were turned out to be marsh type of low swamp. Geoji, Sanjeri, Ma-am, Yangchon of the agricultural villages were high water-low rice filed type, and Sangchoenri village was classified low water-high rice field type. 3. This study checked up the function of water purification of village Bangjuk. In Wonteo and Geji villages affected by discharge of village sewer and domestic sewage, the efficiency of ammonia nitrogen($NH_3-N$) and total phosphorus(T-P) was 56~95%, which was high. In Sangcheonri and Sanjeri villages strongly affected by stall and farmland, the efficiency of suspended solids(SS) was 70~85%, and that of total nitrogen(T-N) and total phosphorus(T-P) was 5.3~65%. 4. A water purification system can be found out in the system of village Bangjuk that filter out village sewage and rainfall runoff flowed through the settle and filter of pollution source and denitrification of plants. Through this system of village Bangjuk, it must be used as the basic facilities for the ecological watershed management. The sewage management system of village Bangjuk as a eco-filter must be used and studied as an eco-friendly facility for the ecological watershed management around the subwatershed and catchment.

The Effect of Isoflavone Supplementation on Bone Metabolism in Ovariectomized SD Rats (이소플라본 보충이 난소절제 흰쥐의 골대사에 미치는 영향)

  • Park, Young-Hee;Yoon, Sun;Chung, Soo-Youn;Yang, Seoung-Oh;Yoo, Tae-Moo;Yang, Ji-Sun;Kwon, Dae-Joong
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.30 no.4
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    • pp.657-661
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    • 2001
  • Osteoporosis that is associated with ovarian hormone deficiency following menopause (postmenopausal osteoporosis) is by far the most common cause of age-related bone loss. Isoflavone has been reported as a natural substance that possibly minimizes bone loss in postmenopausal women. This study was conducted to investigate the preventing, treating effects of isoflavone on bone loss in ovariectomized rats. 120 Sprague Dawley rats of 13 week-old were devided into 2 groups, a treatment group and prevention group. Each group was consisted of six subgroups; control (CON), sham operated (SH) or ovariectomized (OVX) and isoflavone supplemented goups: OVX+0.25mg isoflavone/kg diet (OL), OVX+0.8mg isoflavone/kg diet(OM) and OVX+2.5mg isoflavone/kg diet(OH). to study the preventing effects of isoflavone on bone loss, OL, OM and OH groups were fed with isoflavone from 4 days after ovariectomization. Treating effects of isoflavone on bone metabolism were investigated with OL, OM, OH groups supplemented with isoflavone from 8 weeks after ovariectomization. Isoflavone supplementation continued for 8 weeks. At 8 weeks after ovariectomization significant increase in alkaline phosphatase occurred comparing with CON and SH group. By isoflavone supplementation from 4 days after ovariectomy alkaline phosphatase and urinary hydroxyproline were lowered and bone mineral density, bone strength of the femur and tibia and bone dry weight were slightly enhanced with no significant difference. Isoflavone supplemented group at the level of 0.8mg/kg diet (OM group) had significantly lower serum alkaline phosphatase, urinary hydroxyproline, and higher strength of femur than OVX group. Groups with isoflavone supplementation fro 8 weeks after ovariectomy had lower level of serum alkaline phosphatase, urinary hydroxyproline than OVX group. Bone mineral density, bone dry weight and bone strength of the femur and tibia were slightly enhanced by isoflavone supplementation. However there was no significanct difference between OVS ad isoflavone supplementation groups. The results suggest that isoflavone might have potential role for preventing postmenopausal bone loss. Isoflavone supplementation at early stage of postemenopause may be beneficial to age-related bone health.

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