• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.196-204
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate the in vivo and in vitro inhibitory effect of a traditional herbal complex (HC) extract prepared from a mixture of four oriental herbs (Dioscorea Rhizoma, Glycine soja Sieb. et Zucc, Bombycis corpus, Fermented Glycine soja) that have been widely used for the treatment and prevention of diabetes mellitus on hyperglycemia. The water extract of HC showed potent inhibitory effect on $\alpha$-glucosidase with $IC_{50}$ value of 1.24 mg/mL. Additionally, the ethanol extract of HC was also found to exhibit significant inhibitory effect against protein tyrosine phosphatase $1{\beta}$ ($PTP1{\beta}$), which is known as a major regulator of both insulin and leptin signaling. In the $PTP1{\beta}$ inhibitory assay, the most active n-hexane fraction obtained from the ethanol extract of HC, was identified as a mixture of fatty acid derivatives by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In high-fat diet-low dose streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat, the water extract of HC improved the oral glucose intolerance as compared with rosiglitazone. HC also caused a marked decrease of body weight and fasting blood glucose and a significant improvement on glucose tolerance in metabolic syndrome mice model. These findings support that this traditional HC may be useful in the control of blood glucose in diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.393-408
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• 2005

We developed and compared two automatic algorithms for moving object detections in the YSTAR-NEOPAT sky survey program. One method, called starlist comparison method, is to identify moving object candidates by comparing the photometry data tables from successive images. Another method, called image subtraction method, is to identify the candidates by subtracting one image from another which isolates sources moving against background stars. The efficiency and accuracy of these algorithms have been tested using actual survey data from the YSTAR-NEOPAT telescope system. For the detected candidates, we performed eyeball inspection of animated images to confirm validity of asteroid detections. Main conclusions include followings. First, the optical distortion in the YSTAR-NEOPAT wide-field images can be properly corrected by comparison with USNO-B1.0 catalog and the astrometric accuracy can be preserved at around 1.5 arcsec. Secondly, image subtraction provides more robust and accurate detection of moving objects. For two different thresholds of 2.0 and $4.0\sigma$, image subtraction method uncovered 34 and 12 candidates and most of them are confirmed to be real. Starlist comparison method detected many more candidates, 60 and 6 for each threshold level, but nearly half of them turned out to be false detections.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.780-787
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• 2006

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways, which characterized by bronchial hyperresponsiveness, reversible airflow limitation and respiratory symptoms. Internationally, the prevalence of asthma has been increased over last 3 decades. Recently, several studies of asthma have been reported with gradually increasing importance. To tesify the hypothesis that interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10 may be an important determinant of the severity of airway inflammation, their expression was studied in mouse model of asthma. BALB/c mouse, IL-4 Knockout (KO) mouse and IL-10 KO mouse were sensitized with intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin adsorbed to aluminum potassium sulfate, followed by challenges with intranasal ovalbumin on 3 consecutive days. The severity of pulmonary inflammation was assessed by eosinophilia in BAL fluid, number of total BAL cells, histopathological changes in lung tissues, and immunohistochemical staining against IL-4 and IL-10. In BAL fluid, the number of total cells was significantly increased in asthma induced mouse compare to the control. In asthma induced mouse, eosinophil was increased to 56% and neutrophil was 0.2%. In H &E stains, eosinophilic infiltration and epithelium hyperplasia were clearly noticed in asthma induced mouse. In immunohistochemical staining for IL-4 and IL-10, there was no positive reaction in control group. However, very strong reactions were appeared in asthma induced group. In this research, IL-4 and IL-10, which seem to play a central role in allergic asthma, KO mouse was utilized to test the causative relationship between airway inflammation and role of specific cytokine. Asthma induced IL-4 and IL-10 KO mice showed much decreased inflammatory reactions in the number of total BAL cells, in eosinophilic infiltration, and in immunohistochemical stains against diverse inflammatory proteins. These results suggest that IL-4 and IL-10 increase the asthmatic reactions in vivo mice model.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.167-177
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• 2007

In the present study, we isolated three human adult stem cells including adipose tissue-derived stem cells(HAD), umbilical cord-derived stem cells(HUC), and amnion-derived stem cells(HAM) and analysed their characteristics. And we examined whether HAD could be used as therapeutical cells for the heart diseases. Both HAM and HUC appeared very similar morphology but HAD was different. Doubling time of HUC was most fast, but total doubling numbers of HUC was same with HAM. Total doubling numbers of HAD was much more than others. Expression patterns of genes and proteins of three human adult stem cells were very similar. Also they were differentiated into adipocytes, osteocytes, and chondrocytes. In addition, they expressed many cardiomyocyte-related genes. But expression pattern of genes is a little different. When HAD were cultivated in the presence or absence of various combinations of BMP and FGF after 5-azacytidine expose for 24 h, expression of Cmlc-1, and ${\alpha}1c$ genes was significantly increased. However, expression of troponin T, troponin I and Kv4.3 genes was not changed. Based on these observations, it is suggested that HAD, HUC, and HAM might be used as potentially therapeutical cells for clinical application.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.458-464
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• 1998

Search for a new $\alpha$-methylene-$\gamma$-butyrolactone-bearing 6-substituted purine as a potental antitumor agent has led to synthesize seven, hitherto unreported, $5^1$-Methyl-$5^1$-[(6-substituted-9H-purin-9-yl)methyl]-$2^1$-oxo-$3^1$- methylenetetrahydrofurans (H, Cl, l, $CH_3$, $NH_2$, SH, >C=O) (6a-g). These include $5^1$-Methyl-$5^1$-[(9H-purin-9-yl)methyll-$2^1$-oxo-$3^1$ -methylenetetrahydrofurans (6a), $5^1$-Methyl-$5^1$-[(6-chloro-9H-purin-9-yl)methyl]-$2^1$-oxo-$3^1$-methylenetetrahydr ofurans (6b), $5^1$-Methyl-$5^1$-[(6-chloro-9H-purin-9-yl) methyl]-$2^1$-oxo-$3^1$-methylenetetrahydrofurans (6c), $5^1$-Methyl-$5^1$-[(6-methyl-9H-purin-9-yl) methyl]-$2^1$-oxo-$3^1$-methylenetetrahydrofurans (6d), $5^1$-Methyl-$5^1$-[(9H-adenin-9-yl)methyll-$2^1$-oxo-$3^1$-methylenetetrahydrofurans (6e), $5^1$-Methyl-$5^1$-[(6-mercapto-9H-purin-9-yl) methyl]-$2^1$-oxo-$3^1$-methylenetetrahydrofurans (6f) and $5^1$-Methyl-$5^1$-[(9H-hypoxanthin-9-yl)methyll-$2^1$-oxo-$3^1$-methylenetetrahydrof urans (6g) which were made by the Reformatsky-type reaction of ethyl $\alpha$-(bromomethyl) acrylate with the corresponding (6-substituted-9H-purin-9-yl)-2-propanone intermediates (5a-g). These ketone intermediates 5a-g, 1-(9H-purin-9-yl)-2-propanone (5a), 1-(6-chloro-9H-purin-9-yl)-2-propanone (5b), 1-(6-iodo-9H-purin-9-yi)-2-propanone (5c), 1-(6-methyl-9H-purin-9-yl)-2-propanone (5d), 1-(9H-adenin-9-yl)-2-propanone (Se), 1-(6-mercapto-9H-purin-9-yl)-2-propanone (5f), and 1-(9H-hypoxanthin-9-yl)-2-propanone (5g) were directly obtained by the alkylation of the 6-substituted purine bases with the chloroacetone in the presence of $K_2$$CO_3$ (or NaH) under DMF (or DMSO). The preliminary in vitro cytotoxcity assay for the synthetic .alpha.-methylene-y-butyro-lactone compounds (6a-g) were determined against three cell lines (PM-3A, P-388, and K-562) and showed the moderate antitumor activity ($IC_50$ ranged from 1.4 to 4.3 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml) with the compound $5^1$-methyl-$5^1$ -[(9H-hypoxanthin-9-yl)methyl]-$2^1$-oxo-$3^1$-methylenetetrahydrofuran (6g) showing the least antitumor activity.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.67-74
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• 2016

Objectives : The Knee degenerative osteoarthritis patients are not satisfied with the conventional therapies of KDOA, which results in the use of alternative therapies. The miniscalpel acupuncture is effective in treating chronic soft tissue, releasing contractures. However, there is little scientific evidence supporting the use of miniscalpel acupuncture in knee degenerative osteoarthritis. This study was designed to obtain basic data for a further large-scale trial as well as provide information about the feasibility of miniscalpel acupuncture in knee degenerative osteoarthritis patients. Methods : We describe the protocol for a randomized controlled pilot clinical trial of 5 weeks duration. Twenty patients will be recruited and randomly allocated to two treatment groups: miniscalpel acupuncture treatment(experimental group); and acupuncture and electro-acupuncture treatment(control group). Miniscalpel acupuncture will be performed once with a 1-week interval for 3 weeks. Electro-acupuncture will be administered twice per week for a period of 3 weeks. The primary outcomes will be measured by visual analogue scale and range of motion. The secondary outcomes will be short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. Both primary and secondary outcomes will be measured at baseline and at 1, 2, 3 and 5 weeks(i.e. 2 weeks after treatment completion). Conclusions : This pilot study will provide a basic foundation for a future large-scale trial as well as information about the feasibility of miniscalpel acupuncture in knee degenerative osteoarthritis.