• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.92-97
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• 2017

It is widely known that pulsed magnetic field (PMF) is very useful tool to manipulate chemical and physiological processes in human body. The purpose of our study is to observe dynamics of rouleaux patterns of red blood cells (RBC) under PMF. The aggregation of RBCs or rouleaux formation is caused by fibrinogen in blood plasma. The maximum magnetic field intensity is 0.27 T and pulse time of 0.102 msec and pulse repetition rate was 1 Hz. PMF stimulus was applied to the palm of left hand for 5, 10, 15 and 20 min. Live blood analysis was used in vitro in order to quantitatively estimate the velocity of RBC exposed to PMF stimulus. The velocity of stacked-RBC of 10 minute PMF stimulus was increased up to $8{\times}10^{-4}m/sec$, but it decreased rapidly as the time passed. The results of present study have adduced that PMF stimulus on hand provide the improvement of RBC rouleaux formation, increase of RBC's moving velocity as well as low blood viscosity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.425-432
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• 2015

This study was performed to develop high-value-added biomaterials for health and beauty products. Extracts of ethanol and hot water and their subsequent organic solvent fractions were prepared from Lees of Wookukseng (LW), a commercialized Korean traditional rice wine. We investigated their activities on blood coagulation, platelet aggregation, hemolysis against human red blood cells (hRBCs), and anti-oxidation. The water content, pH and brix of the LW were 80.3%, 3.94 and 13.0°, respectively. The yield of ethanol extraction (6.62%) was 3.15 times higher than that of hot-water extraction (2.1%), and the ethyacetate fraction (EAF) of ethanol extract showed the highest content of total polyphenol (128 mg/g) among the various fractions. In anticoagulation activity assay, the EAF of ethanol extract showed a 15-fold extension in TT, PT, and aPTT, indicating that the EAFs contain various inhibitory substances against thrombin, prothrombin and coagulation factors. In anti-platelet aggregation activity assay, the butanol fraction and water residue of ethanol extract showed significant inhibition activity. The activities were comparable to aspirin, a commercial anti-thrombosis agent. The above extracts and fractions did not show hemolysis activity against hRBC up to 5 mg/ml, and had radical scavenging activity against DPPH anion, ABTS cation and nitrite. Our results suggest that the active fractions prepared from LW, which has no specific usage until now, have a high potential as novel resources for anti-thrombosis agents.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.417-424
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• 2019

Despite its superior ability to show distinct cellular morphology and for long-term storage, conventional tissue fixation by formalin has many drawback, including slower fixation, the exposure to harmful chemicals and extensive protein modification. Herein, we assessed the effects of rapid microwave-assisted tissue fixation on histological examination and on protein integrity by comparing these microwave irradiation fixated tissues with the formalin-fixed tissues. One of the paired mouse tissues (liver and kidney) was fixed in formalin and the other was fixed by using microwave irradiation in phosphate buffered saline. Each slide from the paraffin-embedded tissues was examined by H & E staining for the adequacy of fixation and by immunohistochemical staining for antigenicity in a blinded fashion. Evaluation of protein recovery and the protein quality from the fixed tissues were analyzed by the BCA method and Western blotting, respectively. The results from H & E staining and immunohistochemical staining showed that the sections obtained from microwave-fixed tissues under our experimental conditions were comparable to those of the formalin-fixed tissues except for the integrity of RBCs. Furthermore, proteins were effectively extracted from the microwave-fixed tissues with acceptable preservation of the proteins' quality. Taken together, this microwave-assisted tissue processing yields a quick fixation and better protein recovery in higher amounts, as well as the adequacy of fixation and the antigenicity being comparable to formalin-fixed tissues, and this all suggests that this new fixation technique can be applied in an environment where rapid tissue fixation is required.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.452-460
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• 2016

This study was designed to develop a functional pharma-food using Salicornia europaea (SE). Tiny seeds from the mature SE were collected, and their biological activities were evaluated. The extraction yield of the seed in hot water was found to be 29.6% and the hot water extract (HWE) contained 25.7 mg/g total polyphenol (TP) and 11.5 mg/g total flavonoid (TF), which are similar to those contained in leaf and stem of SE. Among the subsequent organic solvent fractions, the ethylacetate (EA) fraction exhibited the highest content of TP (158.3 mg/g), TF (136.2 mg/g), and total sugar (228.3 mg/g). The EA fraction exhibited broad-range antibacterial activities against gram-positive bacteria, and the butanol fraction exhibited growth inhibitory effect against only Staphylococcus epidermidis. An antioxidation activity assay of the HWE and its fractions showed the EA fraction to have the highest radical scavenging activity with $RC_{50}$ values of 57.0, 29.0, and $28.9{\mu}g/ml$ against DPPH anion, ABTS cation, and nitrite, respectively. The $RC_{50}$ values of vitamin C against DPPH anion, ABTS cation, and nitrite were 10.7, 4.0, and $18.0{\mu}g/ml$, respectively, indicating that the EA fraction of SE has potent antioxidant compounds. In an anticoagulation assay, the EA fraction exhibited a 15-fold extended thrombin time at 5 mg/ml and activated partial thromboplastin time at 7 mg/ml, which are comparable to the activities of aspirin. The HWE and its fractions had no hemolysis activities against human RBCs at up to 1 mg/ml. These results suggest that the EA fraction from SE has a great potential as a new antibacterial and anticoagulation agent.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2003

Purpose : Lipoprotein(a) is a genetically determined risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular disease and is elevated in patients with renal disease. Especially the patients with nephrotic syndrome exhibit excessively high Lp(a) plasma concentrations. Also the patients with end-stage renal disease have elevated Lp(a) levels. But the mechanism underlying this elevation is unclear. Thus, in this study, by measuring the level of serum Lp(a) in common renal diseases in children, we hoped to see whether there would be a change in Lp(a) in renal diseases other than nephrotic syndrome. Then, we figured out its implications, and looked for the factors that affect the Lp(a) concentrations. Methods : A total of 75 patients(34 patients with hematuria of unknown etiology, 10 with hematuria and hypercalciuria, 8 with IgA nephropathy, 8 with poststreptococcal glomerulone phritis, 3 with $Henoch-Sch\"{o}nlein$ nephritis, 7 with urinary tract infection, and 5 with or- thostatic proteinuria) were studied. The control group included 20 patients without renal and liver disease. Serum Lp(a), total protein, and albumin levels, 24-hour urine protein and calcium excretions, creatinine clearance and the number of RBCs and WBCs in the urinary sediment were evaluated. Data analysis was peformed using the Student t-test and a P-value less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results : LP(a) was not correlated with 24-hour urine calcium and creatinine. Lp(a) level had a positive correlation with proteinuria and negative correlation with serum albumin and serum protein. Among the common renal diseases in children, Lp(a) was elevated only in orthostatic proteinuria (P<0.05). Conclusion : Lp(a) is correlated with proteinuria, serum protein, and serum albumin, but not with any kind of specific renal disease. Afterward, Lp(a) needs to be assessed in patients with orthostatic proteinuria and its possible role as a prognostic factor could be confirmed.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.156-162
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• 2009

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical usefulness of upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy in children with Henoch-Sch$\"{o}$nlein purpura (HSP). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical, endoscopic, and histopathologic records of children with HSP who had been admitted to the Department of Pediatrics of Gil Hospital and underwent upper GI endoscopy between January 2002 and June 2009. Patients were classified into the following two groups for statistical analysis: duodenal involvement (+) and duodenal involvement (-). Results: Fifty-one children with HSP underwent upper GI endoscopy; the mean age was 7.2${\pm}$2.9 years. The upper GI endoscopy showed abnormalities of the duodenum in 38 cases (74.5%), 22 of which had duodenal ulcers. Among the biopsy specimens obtained from the duodenum of 37 cases, 13 cases (35.1%) had leukocytoclastic vasculitis, neutrophil debri, and/or extravasation of RBCs. Steroid use was more frequent in the duodenal involvement (+) group (86.8%) than the duodenal involvement (-) group (53.8%; p=0.02). The mean length of hospitalization was 13.9${\pm}$8.43 days in the duodenal involvement (+) group and 8.1${\pm}$4.62 days in the duodenal involvement (-) group (p=0.003). The recurrence rate was significantly higher in the duodenal involvement (-) group than the duodenal involvement (+) group (p=0.027), whereas none of the other study parameters, such as the age of onset, renal involvement, and steroid use, led to significantly higher or lower recurrence rates. Conclusion: These results suggest that duodenal involvement can influence the clinical course and prognosis of HSP in children.