• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.555-563
• /
• 2021

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the pancreatic fat fraction (PFF) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children with and without obesity and to correlate PFF with body mass index (BMI) z-score, hepatic fat fraction (HFF), and ultrasonography-derived pancreato-perihepatic fat index (PPHFI). Methods: This prospective study included 45 children with obesity and 19 without obesity (control group). PFF and HFF were quantitatively assessed using the abdominal multi-echo Dixon method for MRI. The PPHFI was assessed using transabdominal ultrasonography. Anthropometric, MRI, and ultrasonographic characteristics were compared between the two groups. Correlations between PFF, HFF, PPHFI, and BMI z-scores in each group were also analyzed. Results: The PFF, HFF, PPHFI, and BMI z-score were higher in the group with obesity than in the control group (PFF: 6.65±3.42 vs. 1.78±0.55, HFF: 19.5±13.0 vs. 2.31±1, PPHFI: 3.65 ±1.63 vs. 0.94±0.31, BMI z-score: 2.27±0.56 vs. 0.42±0.54, p<0.01, respectively). PFF was correlated with BMI z-scores, PPHFI, and HFF in the obesity group, and multivariate analysis showed that PFF was strongly correlated with BMI z-score and PPHFI (p<0.05). The BMI z-score was strongly correlated with PFF in the control group (p<0.01). Conclusion: These results suggest that MRI-derived PFF measures are associated with childhood obesity. PFF and PPHFI were also highly correlated in the obesity group. Therefore, PFF may be an objective index of pancreatic fat content and has the potential for clinical utility as a non-invasive biomarker for the assessment of childhood obesity.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.361-368
• /
• 2014

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in a maturation medium on oocyte maturation and embryonic development in pigs. Immature pig oocytes were matured for 44 h in a medium supplemented with 0.4% (w/v) BSA, 0.1% (w/v) polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), or 10% (v/v) pig follicular fluid (PFF). After IVM, oocytes reached metaphase II stage were activated for parthenogenesis (PA) or used as cytoplasts for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Nuclear maturation (89.5%, 90.7% and 91.3% for BSA, PVA and PFF, respectively) and intraoocyte glutathione contents (1.20, 1.16 and 1.00 pixels/oocyte for BSA, PVA and PFF, respectively) were not altered by the macromolecules added to maturation medium. IVM of oocytes in a medium containing BSA (21.4%) and PVA (20.7%) showed significantly lower blastocyst formation after PA than culture in medium with PFF (39.2%). After SCNT, oocytes matured in medium with BSA showed decreased embryonic development to the blastocyst stage (9.2%) compared to those matured in medium with PFF (28.9%), while 23.6% of SCNT oocytes matured in medium with PVA developed to the blastocyst stage. When the effect of BSA in a maturation medium during the first 22 h and the second 22 h of IVM in combination with PFF or PVA was examined, PVA-BSA showed a higher nuclear maturation (94.1%) than BSA-PFF (84.5%). However, there was no significant difference in the blastocyst formation among tested combinations (47.3, 52.2, 50.0, 44.4 and 49.0% for PFF-PFF, PFF-BSA, PVA-BSA, BSA-PVA and BSA-PFF, respectively). Our results demonstrate that BSA and PVA added to maturation medium can support oocyte maturation comparable to PFF-supplemented medium. However, maturation of oocytes in a BSA-containing medium decreases embryonic development after PA and SCNT when compared with the medium supplemented with PFF.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
• /
• v.9 no.5
• /
• pp.356-361
• /
• 2004

When SiHa cells were incubated for varying periods of time with extracts of PFF and PFM, the cytotoxicity of the ethanol extracts of PFF was higher than those of the other extracts. These results indicated that the extracts from fruiting bodies of p. ferulae contain antitumor Substances. When A549, SiHa and HeLa cells were incubated with different concentrations of PFF and PFM extracts, the ethanol extracts of PFF showed strong cytotoxicity against A549 tells at concentrations over $10{\mu}g/mL$ and against SiHa and HeLa cells at concentrations over $40{\mu}g/mL$. However, the differences in the cytotoxic effects of the hot water and ethanol extracts of PFM and the hot water extracts of PFF on all 3 cancer cells were not significant. Also, the PFF ethanol extracts induced synergistic effects on the TRAIL-induced apoptosis in A549 cells, which were strongly resistant to TRAIL. These results indicated that ethanol extracts of PFF were the most prominent antitumor agents toward lung cancer cells (A549).

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.205-208
• /
• 2004

The composition of Pleurotus ferulae fruit body (PFF) has been investigated to determine the possible use for medicinal and edible purposes. The nutritional compositions of PFF were as follows; carbohydrate 54.3 g%, crude protein 20.2 g%, moisture 12.5 g%, crude fat 8.0 g% and ash 5.0 g% (w/w). Potassium concentration in PFF was high up to 2,337.0 mg% (w/w) and Mg, Na, Zn, Ca and Fe were followed. There were seventeen amino acids in PFF. The glutamic acid content was high up to 13.65% mol and aspartic acid, glysine, alanine, leucine, arginine, valine and lysine were followed. Since PFF contains major free amino acids such as alanine, phenylalanine, tyrosine and leucine, it will be a favorable food stuff, Vitamin contents of PFF were vitamin A 0.12, vitamin B$_1$ 0.31, vitamin B$_2$ 0.68, vitamin C 7.99, vitamin E 316.88 and vitamin D$_3$ 0.29 mg%. PFF will have a good anti-aging effect due to the high content of vitamin C and E.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.691-698
• /
• 2005

Phlorotannins, the polyphonic compounds found in brown Eisenia and Ecklonia algae, have several pharmacologically beneficial effects such as anti-inflammation. In addition, our recent data show that these compounds may improve the cognitive functions of aged humans suggesting the potential ability to enhance memory in several neurodegenerative disorders. To examine the experimental hypothesis that two effective components of Ecklonia cava, dieckol and phlorofucofuroeckol (PFF), have memory-enhancing abilities, both were administered orally to mice before a passive avoidance test. The repeated administration of either dieckol or PFF dose-dependently reduced the inhibition of latency by the administration of ethanol. To investigate the mode of memory-enhancing actions, the levels of major central neurotransmitters in three different regions (striatum, hippocampus, and frontal cortex) of the mouse brain were measured. The levels of some of the neurotransmitters were significantly changed by ethanol. Both dieckol and PFF altered the levels of some neurotransmitters modified by the ethanol treatment. It is noteworthy that both dieckol and PFF increased the level of acetylcho-line, and they exerted anticholinesterase activities. Overall, the memory-enhancing abilities of dieckol and PFF may result from, at least in part, the increment of the brain level of acetylcho-line by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.107-111
• /
• 2009

The transfection efficiency of a transgene into pig and goat fetal fibroblast cells (PFF and GFF, respectively) was tested using co-transfection of a human tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) transgene and neomycin-resistant ($Neo^r$) gene, followed by G418 selection. To initially test G418 resistance, GFF and PFF were incubated in culture medium containing different concentration of G418 for 2 weeks, and cell survival was monitored over time. Based on the obtained results, the concentrations chosen for G418 selection were 800 ug/ml and 200 ug/ml for GFF and PFF, respectively. For co-transfection experiments, the pBC1/tPA and $Neo^r$ vectors were co-transfected into GFF and PFF ($1{\times}10^6$ cells in each case) using the FuGENE6 transfection reagent, and resistant colonies were obtained following 14 days of G418 selection. We obtained 96 and 93 drug-resistant colonies of GFF and PFF, respectively, only 54 and 39 of which, respectively, continued proliferating after drug selection. PCR-based screening revealed that 23 out of 54 analyzed GFF colonies and 5 out of 39 analyzed PFF colonies contained insertion of the tPA gene. Thus, the experimentally determined transfection efficiencies for tPA gene co-transfection with the $Neo^r$ gene were 42.6% for GFF and 12.8% for PFF. These findings suggest that co-transfection of a transgene with the $Neo^r$ gene can aid in the successful integration of the transgene into fetal fibroblast cells.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.49-55
• /
• 2005

We cloned cDNA of the PGH(porcine growth hormone) gene and constructed retrovirus vector designed to express PGH gene under the regulation of CMV (cytomegalovirus) promoter. To maximize the expression, WPRE(woodchuck hepatitis virus posttranscriptional regulatory element) sequence was placed at the downstream of the PGH gene. After infection with recombinant viruses, approximately 1×10/sup 6/ PFF(porcine fetal fibroblast) cells released PGH protein into the media as much as 1,400 ng. In a subsequent experiment, a modifications of the retrovirus vector was made to express the PGH gene in a teracycline-inducible manner. In PFF cells carrying these viral vector sequences, addition of doxycycline to the media resulted in 2∼6 fold increase in PGH synthesis. In the modified retrovirus vectors, the WPRE sequence also played a role in boosting the effect of the tetracycline induction. This result indicates that our tetracycline-inducible expression system might be a promising candidate in alleviating the complicate physiological problems caused by constitutive expression of the exogenous genes in the transgenic animals.

• ALGAE
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.313-323
• /
• 2015

Lipid peroxidation means the oxidative degradation of lipids. The process from the cell membrane lipids in an organism is generated by free radicals, and result in cell damage. Phlorotannins, well-known marine brown algal polyphenols, have been utilized in functional food supplements as well as in medicine supplements to serve a variety of purposes. In this study, we assessed the potential anti-lipid peroxidation activity of phlorofucofuroeckol-A (PFF-A), one of the phlorotannins, isolated from Ecklonia cava by centrifugal partition chromatography in 2,2-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)-stimulated Vero cells and zebrafish system. PFF-A showed the strongest scavenging activity against alkyl radicals of all other reactive oxygen species (ROS) and exhibited a strong protective effect against ROS and a significantly strong inhibited of malondialdehyde in AAPH-stimulated Vero cells. The apoptotic bodies and pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and caspase-3, which were induced by AAPH, were strongly inhibited by PFF-A in a dose-dependent manner and expression of Bcl-xL, an anti-apoptotic protein, was induced. In the AAPH-stimulated zebrafish model, additionally PFF-A significantly inhibited ROS and cell death, as well as exhibited a strong protective effect against lipid peroxidation. Therefore, these results suggest that PFF-A has excellent protective effects against ROS and lipid peroxidation induced by AAPH in both an in vitro Vero cell model and an in vivo zebrafish model.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.59 no.2
• /
• pp.81-88
• /
• 2019

This study was performed to examine the effects of various macromolecules in in vitro growth (IVG) media on the growth, maturation, and parthenogenesis (PA) of pig oocytes derived from small antral follicles (SAF). Immature oocytes were cultured for two days in IVG medium supplemented with 10% (v/v) fetal bovine serum (FBS), 10% (v/v) pig follicular fluid (PFF), 0.4% (w/v) bovine serum albumin (BSA), or 0.1% (w/v) polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and then maintained for 44 h for maturation. After IVG, the mean diameters of the SAF treated with FBS, PVA, and no IVG-MAF ($113.0-114.8{\mu}m$) were significantly larger than that of no IVG-SAF ($111.8{\mu}m$). The proportion of metaphase II oocytes was higher in PFF (73.6%) than in BSA (43.5%) and PVA (53.7%) but similar to that in the FBS treatment (61.5%). FBS and PFF increased cumulus expansion significantly compared to PVA and BSA while the intraoocyte glutathione content was not influenced by the macromolecules. Blastocyst formation of PA oocytes treated with FBS (51.8%), PFF (50.4%), and PVA (45.2%) was significantly higher than that of the BSA-treated oocytes (20.6%). These results show that the PFF and FBS treatments during IVG improved the growth, maturation, and embryonic development of SAF.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.179-186
• /
• 2008

Several lines of evidence suggest that osteocytes play a critical role in bone remodeling. Both healthy and apoptotic osteocytes can send signals to other bone surface cells such as osteoblasts, osteoclasts, osteoclast precursors, and bone lining cells through canalicular networks. Osteocytes responding to mechanical strain may also send signals to other cells. To determine the role for osteocytes an mechanical strain in bone remodeling, we examined the effects of fluid flow shear stress on osteoclast precursor cell and osteoblast proliferation and recruitment induced by osteocytes. In addition, the effects of fluid flow shear stress on osteocyte M-CSF, RANKL, and OPG mRNA expression were also examined. MLO-Y4 cells were used as an in vitro model for osteocytes, RAW 264.7 cells and MOCP-5 cells as osteoclast precursors, and 2T3 cells as osteoblasts. MLO-Y4 cells conditioned medium (Y4-CM) was collected after 24h culture. For fluid flow experiments, MLO-Y4 cells were exposed to 2h of pulsatile fluid flow (PFF) at 2, 4, 8, $16{\pm}0.6\;dynes/cm^2$ using the Flexcell $Streamer^{TM}$ system. For proliferation assays, MOCP-5, RAW 264.7, and 2T3 cells were cultured with control media or 10-100% Y4 CM. Cells were cultured for 3d, and then cells were counted. RAW 264.7 and 2T3 cell migration was assayed using transwells with control media or 10-100% Y4-CM. M-CSF, RANKL and OPG in MLO-Y4 mRNA expression was determined by semiquantitative RT-PCR. Y4-CM increased osteoclast precursor proliferation and migration, but decreased 2T3 cell proliferation and migration. CM from MLO-Y4 cells exposed to PFF caused decreased RAW 267.4 cell proliferation and migration and 2T3 migration compared to control Y4-CM. However, Y4-CM from cells exposed to PFF had no effect on 2T3 osteoblastic cell proliferation. PFF decreased RNAKL mRNA and increased OPG mRNA in MLO-Y4 cells compared to control(without PFF). PFF had no effect on M-CSF mRNA expression in MLO-Y4 cells. These results suggest that osteocytes can regulate bone remodeling by communication with osteoclast precursors and osteoblasts and that osteocytes can communicate mechanical signals to other cells.