• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.57-63
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• 2018

Objectives: Metabolic syndrome is defined by a cluster of major cardiovascular risk factors: obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and arterial hypertension. Several members of a large family of nonselective cation entry channels, e.g., transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channels have been associated with the development of dyslipidemia and hypertension. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Leejung-tang (Lizhong-tang), Rikkunshito, and Bojungikgi-tang (Buzhongyiqi-tang) on TRPV4 channel. Methods: Human embryonic kidney 293 cells stably transfected with the TRPV4 expression vectors were maintained in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, 1% penicillin/streptomycin, $5{\mu}g/mL$ blasticidin, and 0.4 mg/mL zeocin in a humidified 20% $O_2/10%$ $CO_2$ atmosphere at $37^{\circ}C$. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings were obtained using an Axopatch 700B amplifier and pClamp v.10.4 software (Molecular Devices, San Jose, CA, USA), and signals were digitalized at 5 kHz using Digidata 1422A. Results: Leejung-tang and Rikkunshito (10, 30 and 50 mg/mL) had no effects on the TRPV4 whole-cell currents at dose dependent manner. However, Bojungikgi-tang (10, 30, and 50 mg/mL) inhibited the TRPV4 whole-cell currents in a dose dependent manner and the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of Bojungikgi-tang was 18.2 mg/mL. Conclusions: These results suggest that Bojungikgi-tang plays an important roles to inhibit the TRPV4 channel, suggesting that Bojungikgi-tang is considered one of the candidate agents for the treatment of metabolic syndrome such as dyslipidemia and hypertension.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1198-1205
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• 2017

Objective: An experiment was conducted to isolate and identify new methanogens in Korea from an anaerobic digester that uses pig slurry. Methods: An anaerobic digestate sample was collected from an anaerobic digester using pig slurry. Pre-reduced media were used for the growth and isolation of methanogens. Growth temperature range, pH range, NaCl concentration range, substrate utilization, and antibiotic tolerance were investigated to determine the physiological characteristics of isolated methanogens. The isolates were also examined microscopically for their morphology and Gram-stained. Polymerase chain reaction of 16S rRNA and mcrA gene-based amplicons was used for identification purpose. Results: Four strains, designated KOR-3, -4, -5, and -6, were isolated and were non-motile, irregular coccoid, and 0.5 to $1.5{\mu}m$ in diameter. Moreover, the cell walls of isolated strains were Gram-negative. KOR-3 and KOR-4 strains used acetate for methane production but did not use $H_2+CO_2$, formate, or methanol as a growth substrate KOR-5 and KOR-6 strains utilized acetate, methanol, and trimethylamine for methanogenesis but did not use $H_2+CO_2$ or formate as a growth substrate. The optimum temperature and pH for growth of four strains were $39^{\circ}C$ and 6.8 to 7.2, respectively. The optimum concentration of NaCl for growth of KOR-3, KOR-5, and KOR-6 were 1.0% (w/v). The optimum NaCl concentration for KOR-4 was 0.5% (w/v). All of the strains tolerated ampicillin, penicillin G, kanamycin, streptomycin, and tetracycline; however, chloramphenicol inhibited cell growth. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA and mcrA genes demonstrated that strains KOR-3, -4, -5, and -6 are related to Methanosarcina mazei (M. mazei, 99% sequence similarity). Conclusion: On the basis of physiological and phylogenetic characteristics, strains KOR-3, -4, -5, and -6 are proposed to be new strains within the genus Methanosarcina, named M. mazei KOR-3, -4, -5, and -6.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.216-220
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• 2000

Eighty-eight strain3 o~methicillin resistant Stopllylococcus awecis were Isolated from pus (64.7%); spuhm (26.2%), blood, fluid, andurine of 83 patients at Dong-A Hospital in P~~san to invesligate theil-coagulase typ- Ing, and multi-drug resistaut ppattems. The presence of niec A gene confe~~ing melhicillin resistance was tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with uwo mec A gene specific primers using purified clromosonlal DNA as templates. DNA fragments of expected size wel-e detected frorn 86 strains, but not from two strains. !i coagulase typmg, the 86 isolates were assigned to 5 coagulase lypes, I, 11, lll. 1V, VI, VII, VIlI, but there was no isolate helong lo type V. The most abundant coagulase type was type TI(50 %), lollowed by type IV Rest ofthe coagulase types were ininor; ranging fmm 4.5 to 12.5 '% Most of the type I1 ~netlucillin resistant Stapl\ulcorneryiococcus nwem (MRSA) strams were isolated from the generd sulzely ward, but major strains of type IV were Isolated from the otorhinolq~ngology of the hospital's outpatient clinic center. All of the 88 st~nins were sensitive to vancomycin and teicoplanin, but 71 (81%) strains showed multi-drug resitant to penicillin, cephalotl~n, eiythroinycin, gentan~ycin, imipenem, clindamycin, ciprofloxacin and ooxacillin. Yo relationship was found between the antibiotic resistance pattems aud the coagulase typing patterns.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.194-202
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• 1999

Background : Group B ${\beta}$-hemolytic Streptococcus(GBS) has been the major pathogen of neonatal sepsis in western country. In contrast, GBS has played little role in neonatal sepsis in Korea. But recently, neonatal GBS infections are encountered more frequently. It is important to characterize the clinical and epidemiological features of GBS infection in Korean children. Methods: We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of twenty-seven infants and children with GBS infection experienced at the Seoul National University Children's Hospital during 14 year-period from June, 1985 to June, 1999. Fourteen strains isolated from blood and cerebrospinal fluid were serotyped. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of 10 strains were determined by agar dilution method for penicillin, ampicillin, ampicillin with sulbactam, cefarolin, cefuroxime, and cefuiaxone. Results: The numbers of cases with GBS infection increased in 1990s. Among twenty seven cases, twenty-five cases were under three months of age and both of two cases with underlying disease occurred at three years of age. All neonatal infections were late-onset type and meningitis predominated. Serotypes were III(6 strain), Ib(4), Ia(l) and V(2). All of the strain were susceptible to all of the antibiotics tested. Conclusion: GBS infections in infants were increasingly recognized. GBS should be considered as an etiological agent of neonatal sepsis or meningitis in Korea. Maternal screening and prophylactic antibiotic therapy may be considered.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 2019

This study was conducted to find out the effect that ${\kappa}-Carrageenan$ has on the properties of dog sperm when it was added to the cryoprotectant. Extender basically was contained 1.21 g Trizma base, 0.67 g citric acid, 0.4 g glucose, 0.03 g penicillin G, 0.05 g streptomycin sulfate. Extender1 was added with 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, and 0.5% carrageenan, while extender2 was supplemented with glycerol. After freezing-thawing, the motility, viability, acrosome integrity, apoptosis, and ROS (reactive oxygen specifications) of sperm were measured to analyze the effects of the supplementation of carrageenan. Total Motile (TM), Rapid Progressive Motile (RPM), Medium Progressive Motile (MPM), and Immotile were measured through the CASA system after thawing in 37 degree water. Extender with 0.2% ${\kappa}-carrageenan$ ($64.26{\pm}0.49$) was significantly higher than control ($40.24{\pm}8.27$) (p < 0.05). RPMs of extender with 0.1%, 0.2% ${\kappa}-carrageenan$ ($57.64{\pm}6.34$, $56.47{\pm}1.35$) were significantly higher than the other groups (p < 0.05). Acrosome integrity was measured by dyeing to PSA-FITC with an epifluorescence microscope. Normal acrosome ratio of extender with 0.5% ${\kappa}-carrageenan$ ($61{\pm}8.03$) was higher than the other groups (p < 0.05). Apoptosis was measured with a FACSCalibur flow cytometer using FITC (FITC Annexin V Apoptosis Detection Kit). Treated groups of ${\kappa}-carrageenan$ of 0.1% ($0.81{\pm}0.05$), 0.2% ($0.85{\pm}0.05$) were significantly higer (p < 0.05) than control. Modified SYBR/PI staining was used for determination of viability and DCF staining was used for evaluation of ROS. Viability and ROS were not significantly different from other groups. In conclusion, adding a certain concentration of carrageenan to the extender of cryopreservation, carrageenan contributes to the improvement of the sperm motility, acrosome integrity and prevention of apoptosis.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.115-123
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• 2006

Purpose : We investigated whether there had been any change in the epidemiology of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Korea before and after introduction of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine(PCV7). Methods : Between September 2001 and August 2006, clinical isolates were collected from patients with pneumococcal infection in Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. We analyzed trends in serotype distribution and antibiotic resistance before and after the introduction of PCV7. Results : There were 363 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from clinical specimens; 143 before and 220 after PCV7 introduction. The predominant serotypes, in order of decreasing frequency, were 19F, 19A, 23F, 6B, 6A, 3, 9V, 14, 11A, 4, 29, and 18C; 152 isolates(41.9%) belonged to types included in PCV7. The proportion of clinical isolates that were nonsusceptible to penicillin increased from 58.8% in 2001 to 83.6% in 2006(P=0.046). There was no significant diminution in pneumococcal infection caused by vaccine serotypes after the introduction of PCV7. In children younger than age 2 years, the proportion of clinical isolates that were vaccine serotypes was higher than in persons older than age 15 years (59.3% vs 37.8%, P=0.004). Conclusions : There was no significant diminution in pneumococcal infection caused by vaccine serotypes after the introduction of PCV7, therefore more universal pneumococcal immunization program is recommended especially for children younger than age 2 years.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.79-86
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• 2017

Purpose: This study was aimed at analyzing the serotypes of group B streptococcus (GBS) isolated from Korean infants with invasive disease and evaluating their association with disease manifestation. Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from invasive GBS infections at Gachon University Gil Medical Center from January 2006 to June 2012 and at Samsung Medical Center from April 2010 to November 2012. Serotypes were determined by slide agglutination test. Results: A total of 37 cases were identified, which included 22 full-term infants and 15 preterm infants. Fifteen cases (40.5%) were early-onset, 19 (51.4%) was late-onset, and three (8.1%) was very late-onset. Early-onset diseases among preterm infants were higher than those among full-term infants (60.0% [9/15] vs. 27.3% [6/22], P=0.17). The most common manifestation was bacteremia (70.3%), followed by meningitis and septic arthritis. Among 24 isolates retrievable for serotyping, serotype III (41.7%) was most common, followed by V (16.7%), Ia, Ib, and II (12.5%, respectively), and non-typeable (4.2%). Serotype III was more common in isolates from full-term infants (10/22) than from preterm infants (0/15), whereas serotype V was more common in isolates from preterm infants (4/15) than from full-term infants (0/22) (P=0.002). No penicillin-resistant strain was detected, and resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin were both 64.9%. Conclusions: GBS is an important pathogen in both preterm and full-term infants, and serotype distribution of GBS causing invasive diseases can differ between preterm and full-term infants. It is necessary to monitor the nationwide epidemiology of GBS diseases, including in preterm infants, in order to prepare preventive measures without underestimating early-onset diseases.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2008

Purpose : Better understanding of the epidemiology of Streptococcus pneumoniae affects preventive and therapeutic strategies for children with otitis media. This study was undertaken to examine the prevalence of pneumococcal serotypes causing otitis media in children. Methods : Pneumococcal isolates obtained from the ear discharge of children with otitis media between January 2001 and December 2006 were characterized by serotyping and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Results : There were 54 pneumococcal isolates from 54 children with otitis media. The median age of patients was 13 months, and the proportion of children <5 years old was 81%. The predominant serotypes, in order of decreasing frequency, were 19A (44%), 19F(28%), 6B (7%), 6A (4%), 9V (4%), and 1 (4%); 23 isolates (43%) belonged to types included in the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7). The proportion of serotype 19A and 19F accounted for 72% of overall pneumococcal isolates, which accounted for 84% of pneumococcal isolates from otorrhea of children <5 years old (vs 20% in children ${\geq}5$ years old, P<0.001). All serotypes isolated from 3 vaccinees of PCV7 were 19A. There was no significant diminution in otitis media caused by pneumococcal vaccine serotypes after the introduction of PCV7. The frequency of nonsusceptibility to penicillin, erythromycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was higher in serotype 19A than in other non-vaccine serotypes, respectively. The frequency of multiple drug resistance was 96% in serotype 19A, compared with 29% in other non-vaccine serotypes (P=0.001). Conclusion : 19A was the most common pneumococcal serotype causing otitis media and represented a large proportion of strains with multiple drug resistance in children younger than 5 years of age.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.619-624
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• 2011

Tea extract (TE) has been shown to have anti-tumor properties in a wide variety of experimental systems. We evaluated green tea extract (GTE) as a biochemical modulator for the antitumor activity of cisplatin and doxorubicin in the treatment of human lung cancer A549 cells. Cells were grown in RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with 10% (v/v) heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum and two antibiotics (100 units/mL penicillin and $100\;{\mu}g$/mL streptomycin). Two types of TE, epigallocatechin galate (EGCG) and GTE, were used in this experiment. The cells were seeded at $1{\times}10^4$ cells/well in the RPMI-1640 media with or without TE ($100\;{\mu}g$/mL) and then treated with different concentrations of doxorubicin ($0{\sim}14\;{\mu}g$/mL) or cisplatin ($0{\sim}35\;{\mu}g$/mL). After incubation in 5% $CO_2$ at $37^{\circ}C$ for 24 hr, cell viability was determined with a MTT assay. We used a Western blot to detect the influence of EGCG and GTE on the expression of p53 and caspase-3 genes in the A549 cells. A549 cell viability decreased to 15% with a $10\;{\mu}g$/mL concentration of cisplatin, and to 21% with a $8\;{\mu}g$/mL concentration of doxorubicin, as measured with the MTT assay. However, pre-treatment of the cells with EGCG ($100\;{\mu}g$/mL) or GTE ($100\;{\mu}g$/mL) resulted in decreased cell viability with $6\;{\mu}g$/mL of cisplatin and $4\;{\mu}g$/mL of doxorubicin. There was no apparent change in cell viability between EGCG or GTE administration in cisplatin- or doxorubicin-induced cytotoxicity in A549 cells. The levels of p53 and caspase-3 in the A549 cells increased with both EGCG and GTE treatment. We found that GTE could potentially affect cisplatin- or doxorubicin-induced cytotoxicity of A549 cells, which may be useful in the chemotreatment of cancer.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.40-50
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• 2008

Spread of pathogenic micro-organisms through contaminated hands is a well recognized way of transmitting disease such as food poisoning. We investigated the prevalence of aerobic plate counts, coliform bacteria, and food-poisoning bacteria on hands in various age groups. The average number of aerobic plate counts was 3.3 log CFU/hand in kindergarteners, 3.4 log CFU/hand in elementary students, 3.2 log CFU/hand in middle school students, 3.4 log CFU/hand in high school students, and 3.3 log CFU/hand in adults. Two kindergarteners, 6 elementary students, and 2 adults were positive for the coliform bacteria. Among the food poisoning bacteria we tested, S. aureus was isolated from 47 individuals. Eight isolates of B cereus were all from kindergarteners. C. perfringens was isolated from 7 individuals. Among 47 isolates of S. aureus, 25 isolates produced toxins. Seven of eight isolates of B. cereus produced toxins. None of seven C. peifringens isolates produced toxins. All 47 isolates of S. aureus were sensitive to ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, clindamyccin, imipenem, rifampin and vancomycin. Four isolates (8.5%) were resistant to cefepime, chloramphenicol, cefotetan, and gentamycin. Five isolates (10.6%) were resistant to oxacillin and 6 isolates were resistant to tetracycline. This study shows that it is needs to be established policy of school lunch and personal sanitation management.