• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.677-683
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• 2010

This study investigated the effect of young Phragmites communis (Pc) leaves on lipid profiles, lipid metabolism and erythrocyte antioxidant defense system in high-fat diet fed mice. Three groups of mice were fed different diets for 8 weeks: normal diet (Normal), high-fat diet (High-fat; 37% calories from fat) and high-fat diet supplemented with 1% Pc (wt/wt, HF-Pc). Body weight, daily food intake and energy intake tended to decrease by Pc supplement in high-fat fed mice. Pc supplementation significantly lowered plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations compared to the high-fat control group. Pc also lowered hepatic and heart cholesterol contents, whereas it significantly increased fecal excretion of triglyceride and cholesterol compared to the high-fat control group. Pc significantly inhibited fatty acid synthase, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase and acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activities compared to the high-fat control group. Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were also significantly higher in the high-fat group than in the normal group, however Pc supplementation reversed these changes. The Pc supplementation significantly lowered erythrocyte lipid peroxidation level compared to the high-fat control group. Accordingly, these results suggest that Pc improves lipid metabolism and erythrocyte antioxidant defense system in high-fat diet fed mice.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.12
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• pp.1296-1300
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• 2006

Purpose : We studied the usefulness of transcutaneous bilirubinometers in follow-up of bilirubin levels during phototherapy in neonatal jaundice patients. Methods : Transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) was measured twice per day on 90 neonatal jaundice patients without risk factors of jaundice by transcutaneous bilirubinometer JM-103(Minolta/Hill-Rom Air-shields, Japan). TcB was measured simultaneously on the patched-forehead (TcB-PF), patchedchest(TcB-PC), unpatched-forehead (TcB-UF) and unpatched-chest (TcB-UC) of infants with neonatal jaundice. Plasma bilirubin (PB) was measured by American Optical bilirubinometer (American Optical Co, Buffalo, USA) within 30 minutes after transcutaneous bilirubinometer measurement. Each TcB was compared with PB. Results : In the study group, the mean gestational age was $38.6{\pm}1.3wk$, the mean birthweight was $3,207.0{\pm}472.1g$, the mean age at start of phototherapy was $4.9{\pm}0.9days$ and the mean duration of phototherapy was $1.3{\pm}0.6days$. The correlation between TcB and PB level was observed. The correlation between TcB of the patched part (TcB-PF, TcB-PC) and PB was more significant than that of the unpatched part (TcB-UF, TcB-UC) and PB. The most significant correlation was between PB and TcB-PC. Conclusion : TcB was useful in the follow-up of jaundice during phototherapy as well the screening of jaundice in neonatal jaundice patients. TcB of patched-chest area was the most reliable site in transcutaneous bilirubinometer examination in neonatal jaundice patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.689-699
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• 1996

An animal experiment was designed for the evaluation of in vivo performance of the newly developed electrohydraulic type ventricular assist device and its influence on the left ventricular function during pal- satile left ventricular assist. Eight adult sheep were incorporated into the study and data were collected from seven sheep. Total as- sist time ranged from 69 minutes to 7 days. The performance of the device was satisfactory both in asyn- chr nous and synchronous mode within the range of given native heart rate. More than 4 liters of device output could be reached within the range of normal left atral pressure without development of negative pressure in the left atrium. Moderate to severe degree of hemolysis was noted as evidenced by significant increase of plasma free hemoglobin level after 3 days of left ventricular support along with the presence of the small amount of thrombi around the floating disc type polymer valve apparatus reflecting that further study and refinement of the device need to be done in regard of biocompatibility and thromboresistance. The hemodynamics showed increase in heart rate (p < 0.05), cardiac output and left ventricular minute work (p < 0.05) after placement of the device at the flow rate of 2.0∼2.5 Llmin. The left atrial pressure, left ventricular pressure and LV dpldt were decreased after the device placement(p < 0.05). The endocardial viability ratio and oxygen contents of the mixed ven us blood and coronary venous blood were all increased (p < 0.05) after the device placement suggesting effective unloading of the left ventricle was accomplished. The myocardial perfusion was thought improved in synchronous counterpulsation as suggested by sig- nificant increase in endocardial viability ratio and coronary venous blood oxygen content in synchronous assist mode comparing with asynchronous mode.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.330-335
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• 2007

This study was performed to investigate the anti-diabetic mechanism of crude polysaccharides isolated from the fruiting bodies of Grifola frondosa. We treated 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells to observe whether the crude polysaccharides isolated from Grifola frondosa would stimulate insulin sensitivity. Significant insulin sensitizing activity was observed in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes, and giving the crude polysaccharide of Grifola frondosa with 1 nM of insulin caused glucose uptake to increase to a similar level as giving 50 nM of insulin alone. To confirm the mechanism for the anti-diabetic effect of the crude polysaccharides, we performed further examinations within $KK-A^{y}$ mice, an animal model of type 2 diabetes. The crude polysaccharides reduced blood glucose levels in the $KK-A^{y}$ mice for 2 weeks after feeding, and also significantly lowered plasma insulin levels. These results suggest that the anti-diabetic mechanism of the crude polysaccharide of Grifola frondosa is related to the enhancement of insulin sensitivity.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.525-531
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• 2011

This study was conducted to examine the contents of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and mercury (Hg) in meat and meat products in Korea. The contents of Pb, Cd, As, and Hg in 466 samples of beef, pork, chicken, duck, ham, and sausage were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry or a mercury analyzer. Wet ashing and microwave method were compared, and the recovery and reproducibility of the microwave method were better than those of wet ashing for meat and meat products. The recovery of the microwave method was 98.1% for Pb, 104.6% for Cd, and 103.4% for As, respectively. The best result was obtained through digestion using an acid mixture ($HNO_3$/$H_2O_2$, 6:2). Hg content was measured using a mercury analyzer. As a result, the contents of Hg and Cd in samples were lower than those of Pb and As. The average contents of Pb were 0.009 mg/kg in beef, 0.010 mg/kg in pork, 0.006 mg/kg in chicken, 0.007 mg/kg in duck, 0.005 mg/kg in ham, and 0.009 mg/kg in sausage. The average Cd contents were 0.0004 mg/kg in beef, 0.0004 mg/kg in pork, 0.0005 mg/kg in chicken, 0.0012 mg/kg in duck, 0.0015 mg/kg in ham, and 0.0019 mg/kg in sausage. The average As contents were 0.016 mg/kg in beef, 0.004 mg/kg in pork, 0.021 mg/kg in chicken, 0.010 mg/kg in duck, 0.014 mg/kg in ham, and 0.018 mg/kg in sausage. The average Hg contents were 0.713 ${\mu}g/kg$ in beef, 0.902 ${\mu}g/kg$ in pork, 0.710 ${\mu}g/kg$ in chicken, 0.796 ${\mu}g/kg$ in duck, 1.141 ${\mu}g/kg$ in ham, and 1.052 ${\mu}g/kg$ in sausage. Based on the results of the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2005, the levels of dietary exposure to heavy metal contaminants in meat and meat products were compared with the provisional tolerable weekly intake(PTWI) established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. The average dietary exposure of the general population from meat and meat products was 0.03-0.2% of PTWI for Pb, Cd, As, and Hg, which indicates a safe level for public health at present.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.606-615
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• 2007

This study was performed to investigate anti-thrombogenic, anti-inflammatory effects of n-BuOH (B) and $CH_2Cl_2$ (MC) fractions extracted from Sancho (Zanthoxylum. schinifolium) leaves in rats fed high fat diets. The experimental animal groups were consisted of eight including one 5% fat (N) and one 20% fat (H) without the test materials in diets and six H groups of feeding three levels (50, 100 and 150 mg/day) of the B and the MC fractions from Z. schinifolium, respectively. Plasma activated partial thromboplastin times and thrombin times of H group were decreased compared to the N group, but they were increased by feeding the MC fraction of 50 mg and over. Polymorphonuclear leukocyte 5#-lipo-xygenase activities and leukotriene $B_4$ contents of the H group were significantly increased compared to the N group, but they were decreased in the 100 mg and 150 mg of B fraction or the 150 mg of MC fraction fed groups. Liver cytochrome $P_{450}$, $O_2^-$, $H_2O_2$ and GSSG contents were increased by the high fat diet but decreased by feeding the B fraction or the MC fraction, while GSH content and glutathione S-transferase activity lowered by high fat diet were increased by feeding the two solvent fractions. The effects of the solvent fractions were evident at the level of 100 mg/day and over. The present results confirmed that two solvent fractions from the leaves of Z, schinifolium have enhancing effects on anti-thrombosis and anti-inflammation partly by antioxidant action and partly by direct modulation of the respective processeds. In conclusion, the n-BuOH and $CH_2Cl_2$ fractions from leaves of Z, schinifolium can be utilized as the proper ingredients of functional foods for preventing chronic degenerative disease.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.1576-1583
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• 2000

Three experiments were conducted to determine the nutritional value of wheat gluten (WG) and spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) in diets for nursery pigs. In Exp. 1, 120 weanling pigs (5.7 kg avg initial BW) were used in a 35-d growth assay. Treatments for d 0 to 14 were: 1) dried skim milk (DSM)-dried whey-SBM based control; 2) WG to replace the protein from DSM; 3) SDPP; and 4) WG-SDPP (50:50 blend on a protein basis) to replace the protein from DSM. From d 14 to 35, all pigs were fed a common corn-SBM-whey-based diet. For d 0 to 14, there were no differences in ADG, ADFI, and gain/feed (p>0.11). However, for d 14 to 35, pigs fed diets with WG had greater gain/feed than those fed SDPP (p<0.05), and pigs fed diets with the WG-SDPP blend had greater ADG than pigs fed diets with WG or SDPP alone (p<0.07). In a second experiment, 60 weanling pigs (5.1 kg avg initial BW) were used in a 28-d growth assay. All pigs were fed the WG-SDPP diet fed in Exp. 1 for d 0 to 14, and changed to experimental diets for d 14 to 28. Treatments were: 1) the whey-SBM-based diet used for d 14 to 28 in Exp. 1; or 2) a whey-SBM based diet with 3% added SDPP. There were no differences in ADG, ADFI, gain/feed, or apparent digestibilities of DM and N among treatments for d 14 to 28 or overall (p>0.14). In a third experiment, 150 weanling pigs (5.6 kg avg initial BW) were used in a 32-d growth assay to determine the optimal blend of WG and SDPP for use after weaning. The SDPP was added as 8% of the control diet, and WG was substituted on a protein basis to yield the desired SDPP:WG blends. Treatments were (d 0 to 14): 1) SDPP; 2) 75% SDPP and 25% WG; 3) 50% SDPP and 50% WG; 4) 25% SDPP and 75% WG; and 5) WG. As in Exp. 1, all pigs were switched to a common corn-SBM-whey-based diet for d 14 to 32. For d 0 to 14, ADG and ADFI increased as replacement of the SDPP was increased up to 50% and decreased when more of the SDPP was removed from the diet (quadratic effects, p<0.004 and 0.02, respectively). Apparent digestibilities of DM and N (at d 13) were not affected by treatments (p>0.18). For d 14 to 32, treatments did not affect ADG (p>0.2), although there were quadratic responses in ADFI (p<0.04), with pigs fed the 50:50 blend suggested the greatest intake of feed. For the overall experimental period (d 0 to 32), ADG, ADFI, and gain/feed increased as WG was used to replace as much as 50% of the SDPP (quadratic effects p<0.04, 0.02, and 0.06, respectively). In conclusion, WG can successfully replace up to 50% of the SDPP in a complex nursery diet, when SDPP is included at the 8% level. There is no advantage to keeping SDPP in the diet after Phase I (d 0 to 14).

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.5-13
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• 2009

Mushrooms have become a largely untapped source of powerful new pharmaceutical products that poses anti-inflammatory, and antimutagenic, and antioxidant activities. The antioxidant effects of the mushroom may be partly explained by protecting cellular components against free radical. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of chaga mushroom against diabetes, via the mitigation of oxidative stress and reduction of blood glucose, in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Rats were rendered diabetic by intravenous administration of STZ through tail at a dose of 50 mg/kg. Animals were allocated into four groups with 8 rats each. The control and diabetic control group were fed with standard rat feed. The other diabeic groups, the low chaga extract group and the high chaga extract group were fed ad libitum using 0.5 g/kg and 5 g/kg of chaga mushroom extract, respectively, for 4 weeks. The blood glucose levels in the two chaga extract groups showed a tendency to decrease but did not reach statistical significance after the supplementation. Leukocyte DNA damage, expressed as tail length, was found to be significantly lower in the high chaga extract group than in the diabetic control group (p > 0.05). Plasma level of total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP) was tend to be higher in the high chaga extract group compared with the diabetic control group. Erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities of two groups did not differ. Although we did not obtain beneficial effect on lowering blood glucose levels in the STZ-induced diabetic rats, this results suggest that the chaga mushroom extracts may initially act on protecting endogenous DNA damage in the short-term experiment.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.656-663
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• 2005

Background : The B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac neurohormone that is specifically secreted from the ventricles in response to volume expansion and a pressure overload. Differentiating congestive heart failure from the pulmonary causes of dyspnea is very important for patients presenting with acute dyspnea. Methods : A retrospective study was carried out on 261 patients who were admitted to the emergency department of Hanyang University Hospital due to acute dyspnea from March to July 2004. The serum BNP levels of the patients were measured using the ELISA method. Results : The BNP levels were 382, 111-1140 pg/ml (median, interquartile range) in the heart failure group (n=119) and 29, 7-81 pg/ml in the non-heart failure group (n=142). The BNP levels according to the subgroups of heart failure were 820, 354-1620 pg/ml, 1650, 239-1990 pg/ml, and 378, 106-1120 pg/ml for the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with combined left heart failure (n=5), cor pulmonale (n=3), and left heart failure groups (n=111), respectively. The BNP levels according to the subgroups of non-heart failure were 39, 21-101 pg/ml, 59, 10-129 pg/ml, and 15, 6-47 pg/ml for the COPD (n=20), other pulmonary diseases (n=56), and other causes groups (n=66), respectively. The BNP levels were significantly different according to the underlying etiology (p<0.001), and were significantly higher in the COPD patients with left heart failure than in those without (p=0.002). When the patients with no cardiovascular risk factor such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking or renal failure were analyzed, the BNP levels were also significantly higher in the patients with heart failure than in those without(p<0.001). When 133 pg/ml was designated as the BNP cut-off level the sensitivity for predicting heart failure was 73 percent and the specificity was 87 percent. Conclusion : BNP measurements are useful for determining the presence of heart failure in the patients presenting with acute dyspnea. The possibility of heart failure must be seriously considered in patients with high BNP levels even when they have a pre-existing pulmonary disease such as COPD or no risk factors for heart failure.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.12
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• pp.1716-1726
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• 2012

This study was undertaken to evaluate the antihyperglycemic, antilipid peroxidative, and antioxidant effects of the ethanol extracts of Artemisia iwayomogi (Ai) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats with a single intravenous injection (45 mg/kg b.w.) of STZ. The diabetic rats were then randomized to the diabetic and Ai extract therapy groups which were treated with Ai extract at doses of 1, 2, and 3 g/kg b.w./day, respectively, for 14 days. Oral administration of Ai (2 g/kg b.w.) significantly decreased their intake of food. Dosage of 2 g/kg of the extract significantly decreased blood glucose levels in the glucose level in diabetic rats after 4 day, there was no significant difference observed at 1 and 3 g/kg. A dose of 2 or 3 g/kg of the Ai extract significantly reduced plasma glucose levels in STZ-induced hyperglycemic rats at 7 days. The hypoglycemic effect of Ai at a dose of 2 g/kg was significantly more effective than that of STZ-control. The effect was more pronounced in 2 g/kg than 1 g and 3 g/kg. A significant reduction in triglycerides (TG) and free fatty acids (FFA), and a significant increase in liver glycogen were observed in treated diabetic rats at doses of 2 g/kg after 14 days of treatment. Administration of Ai extracts to diabetic rats showed a significant decrease in liver malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was significantly increased in the 3 g extract-supplemented groups. The activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) and catalase (CAT) were significantly increased in the 1 g and 3 g extract-supplemented groups. Ai extract significantly increased glutathione-S transferase (GST) activity in a dose-dependent manner compared with treatment in STZ-control rats. Our result supports the fact that the administration of Ai extract is able to reduce hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia risk, and also reduce the oxidative stress in diabetic rats.