• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.129-144
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• 2002

We investigated anti-hyperglycemic and anti-obese effects of Panax ginseng berry extract and its major constituent, ginsenoside Re, in obese diabetic C57BL/6J ob/ob mice and their lean littermates. Animals received daily intraperitoneal injections of Panax ginseng berry extract for 12 days. On Day 5, 150 mg/kg extract-treated ob/ob mice had significantly lower fasting blood glucose levels compared to vehicle-treated mice $(156{\pm}9.0\;mg/dl\;vs.\;243{\pm}15.8mg/dl,$ P<0.01). On Day 12, the extract-treated ob/ob mice became normoglycemic $(137{\pm}6.7\;mg/dl)$ and had significantly improved glucose tolerance. The overall glucose excursion during the two-hour intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT), calculated as area under the curve (AUC), decreased by $46\%$ (P<0.01) compared to vehicle-treated ob/ob mice. Glucose levels of lean mice were not significantly affected by the extract. The improvement in blood glucose levels in 150 mg/kg extracttreated ob/ob mice was associated with significant reduction in serum insulin levels of fed and fasting mice. Consistent with an improvement in insulin sensitivity, hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp study revealed a more than 2-fold increase in the rate of insulin-stimulated glucose disposal in treated ob/ob mice $(112{\pm}19.1\;vs.\;52{\pm}11.8{\mu}mol/kg/min$ for the vehicle group, P<0.01). In addition, 150 mg/kg extract-treated ob/ob mice, but not the lean mice, lost significant weight (from $51.7{\pm}1.9g\;on\;Day\;0\;to\;45.7{\pm}1.2$ on Day 12, P<0.01 compared to vehicle-treated ob/ob mice), associated with a significant reduction in food intake (P<0.05) and a very significant increase in energy expenditure (P<0.01) and body temperature (P<0.01). A 12-day treatment with 150 mg/kg Panax ginseng berry extract also significantly reduced plasma cholesterol levels in ob/ob mice. Additional studies demonstrated that ginsenoside Re, a major constituent of the ginseng berry, but not from the root, plays a significant role in anti-hyperglycemic action. This anti-diabetic effect of ginsenoside Re was not associated with body weight changes, suggesting that other constituents in the extract have distinct pharmacological mechanisms on energy metabolism. The identification of a significant anti-hyperglycemic activity in ginsenoside Re may provide an opportunity to develop a novel class of anti-diabetic agent.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.633-639
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• 2012

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of ethanolic extract from the fruit of Empetrum nigrum var. japonicum (EN) on $CCl_4$-induced hepatotoxicity. Orally provided daily for 7 days were 250-mg/kg or 500-mg/kg EN or vehicle, while $CCl_4$ (40 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected the day after the last treatment of EN. Twenty-four hours after injection of $CCl_4$, we measured serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activity of the liver. The antioxidant activities were measured with the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation. The EN showed a strong DPPH radical scavenging activity and inhibitory effect of lipid peroxidation. The ALT and AST levels in serum were greatly enhanced by the $CCl_4$ injection. However, in the EN treatment group, the levels of ALT and AST in serum were significantly reduced. Moreover, $CCl_4$ significantly increased the MDA contents and decreased the SOD and CAT activity in liver homogenates. The EN recovered MDA contents, close to that in the normal group, while the EN increased the SOD and CAT activity. These results suggest that ethanolic extract from the fruit of Empetrum nigrum var. japonicum has significant antioxidant activity and hepatic protection potential.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.451-459
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• 2013

The biological activity of tissue specific stem cell is under the control of their specific microenvironment and the exogenous chemicals derived from digestive tract can be one of the constructing factors of that. It is suggested that the extract of brown algae Ishige okamurae has antioxidant-, apoptosis induction-, and antiinflammatory-effects. On the other hand, a few studies have shown that antioxidant assist inhibition of accumulation of fat. So we studied the effect of the extract of I. okamura on the cellular activity and differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocyte to adipose cell. The viability of cell was analyzed using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazo-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cell was analyzed after induction in the induction medium containing the I. okamurae extract. The cellular activity was high compared with the vehicle and 0.05 mM caffeine in all groups of I. okamurae extract treated cells. The extract of I. okamura inhibited accumulation of lipids in 10 and $50{\mu}g/ml$. The expression of the marker genes for adipocyte differentiation coincided with cytochemical results. These results suggest that the extract of I. okamurae increases the cellular viability of adipose precursor cells. On the other hand, it suppresses the differentiation of preadipocyte to adipocyte and accumulation of lipids in concentration-dependent manners. It may be possible that the major component of the extract can be applied in the control of adipose tissuegenesis.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 1986

The present study has been carried out to elucidate the antiestrogenic effects of tamoxifen on RNA and protein synthesis in uteri of immature rats. Immature female Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated into 4 groups and injected with $5{\mu}g$ of estradiol-$17{\beta}$, $50{\mu}g$ of tamoxifen, a combination of both, or vehicle only subcutaneously three times with an interval of 24 hours respectively. The specific activities of $^3H$-uridine incorporation into uterine RNA and those of $^3H$-leucine incorporation into uterine protein were measured before and 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours after the above treatments. The results obtained were summarized as follows; 1. Tamoxifen itself increased RNA synthesis an hour after treatment(169.18% of control), but it's specific activity was reduced to control level after 3 hours. Tamoxifen inhibited significantly (p<0.01) the activity of RNA synthesis of estradiol-$17{\beta}$. 2. The increasing rate of protein synthesis was lower in tamoxifen treated group than that in estradiol-$17{\beta}$ treated group. While the rate was steadily increased up to 357.4% of control by estradiol-$17{\beta}$ in 72 hours, tamoxifen itself failed to increase the rate after 24 hours and significantly (p<0.01) inhibited the activity of estradiol-$17{\beta}$(-167.4%).

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.379-385
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• 2007

This study was aimed to investigate the estrogenic activity of Di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) using immatured type uterotrophic assay. SD rats were treated with DEHA (40, 200, 1000mg/kg/day), estradiol-3-benzoate (EB) $(1{\mu}g/kg/day)$ as positive control on the assay. In immatured-type uterotrophic assay, relative organ weights of kidney and reproductive organs such as ovary at high-dose group were significantly increased compared to those of vehicle control group. DEHA did not influence the levels of serum FSH and LH, and uterine morphological changes such as luminal epithelial height, myometrial thickness and numbers of uterine gland, and BrdU indices. In these results, there was no significant variation by DEHA treatment, suggesting that DEHA appears not to be a endocrine disrupter with estrogenic activity.

• Journal of The Korean Digital Architecture Interior Association
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.5-16
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• 2009

The importance of playground, which is a central place in the outdoor space scheme for apartment and in children's outdoor activity, is increasing. The stature and availability in playground may be varied according to connection between playground and outdoor space and to characteristics of outdoor space. The purpose of this study is to arrange basic data in guidelines of a planning for supporting children's development and for activating its use in the apartment housing. This study conducted the field survey and questionnaire research after selecting 4-case apartment complexes based on the relevant preceding research. The survey results are as follows. Children were recognizing and preferring the playground as the central space in outdoor play activity. Mothers were preferring outdoor space adjacent to playground. There were the most responses with saying that a mother takes to play with a child. Children responded that the use of playground and the rides are the outdoor activity that they do the most. And, it was surveyed that there is difference in dweller's using playground by apartment complex according to characteristics of a planning for outdoor space. Given being connected with square with segregation of pedestrian and vehicle and with the resting space, the availability in playground was the highest. The availability in playground, which has high connection with diversely outdoor space elements while having good accessibility to the apartment building, was surveyed to be high. Playground had high preference in case of being connected with waterfront and resting space, rather than green zone. Diverse environmental artifacts and decorative fence may become a visually stimulus source that can activate the use of playground.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2009

The antifertility activity of methanol extract of Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. stem (MECR) and Corchorus olitorius Linn. seed (MECO) were studied on male Swiss albino mice. The extracts were found to decrease sperm count, percentage of motile sperm and testosterone level in treated mice when compared with vehicle control after 17 days of treatment. The weight of gonads, epididymis were decreased whereas no significant changes of the body weight of mice were observed after methanol extract treatments. The fertility test showed 100% negative result in MECR and MECO treated mice at medium and high dose level of treatment. MECR and MECO in low (25 mg/kg and 15 mg/kg, respectively), medium (50 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg, respectively) and high (75 mg/kg and 25 mg/kg, respectively) dose level caused a simultaneous fall in testicular ${\Delta}5$-$3{\beta}$-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities which are involved in testicular steroidogenesis. Total cholesterol and ascorbic acid content in testis were increased significantly in gonads. The activities of lactate dehydrogenase, malic dehydrogenase and ascorbic acid oxidase were reduced whereas that of carbonic anhydrase was increased significantly in the testis of MECR and MECO treated mice. All these observations indicate that the methanol extract of C. reflexa stem and C. olitorius seed produced antifertility activity in sexually matured male mice, which may be due to inhibition of gonadal steroidogenesis. This activity may be attributed due to the presence of flavonoids and steroids, respectively.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.159-166
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• 2004

Safety pharmacological properties of CJ-11555, an anti-cirrhotic agent, were investigated in experimental animals and in vitro test system. CJ-11555 had no effects on normal body temperature in rats, motor coordination, chemoshock induced by pentetrazol, electric shock induced by electric shocker and writhing syndromes in mice at dose levels of 100, 300 and 1,000 mg/kg. CJ-11555 inhibited intestinal activity and prolonged hexobarbital-induced sleeping time in mice at the dose level of 1,000 mg/kg. CJ-11555 affected on general activity and behaviour tests in SD rats, such as lacrimation, ptosis, piloerection, decreased body tone, abnormal dispersion within the cage, diarrhoea, red colored faeces, slight hypothermia and decreased grooming, at the dose level of 1,000 mg/kg in rats. CJ-11555 was effected on cardiovascular and respiratory system in anesthetized beagle dogs, such as tachycardia, increase of mean blood pressure and decrease of PR interval, decrease of respiratory rate and minute volume, at dose levels of 10 and 30 mg/kg. However, these effects were also observed in vehicle treated anesthetized beagle dogs. In in vitro experiments, CJ-11555 inhibited agonists (histamine, acetyl-choline or $BaCl_2$) induced contraction of isolated guinea-pig at the concentration of 30$\times$$10^6$ M. CJ-11555 was weekly inhibited hERG channel current at concentrations of 10 and 30$\times$$10^6$ M, and $IC_{50}$ was estimated to be higher than 30${\times}$$10^6$M. Based on these results, it was concluded that CJ-11555 affected on cardiovascular and respiratory system, general activity and behaviour and hexobarbital-induced sleeping time at the dose level of 1,000 mg/kg and contraction of the smooth muscle and hERG channel current at the concentration of 30$\times$$10^6$ M.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.207-213
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• 2012

The present study examined the effects of krill-derived phosphatidylserine (Krill-PS) on the learning and memory function and the neural activity in rats with trimethyltin (TMT)-induced memory deficits. The rats were administered vehicle (medium-chain triglyceride: MCT) or Krill-PS (50, 100 mg/kg, p.o.) daily for 21 days. The cognitive improving efficacy of Krill-PS in TMT-induced amnesic rats was investigated by assessing the Morris water maze test and by performing choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) immunohistochemistry. The rats with TMT injection showed impaired learning and memory of the tasks and treatment with Krill-PS produced a significant improvement of the escape latency to find the platform in the Morris water maze at the $2^{nd}$ and $4^{th}$ day compared to that of the MCT group (p<0.05). In the retention test, the Krill-PS+MCT groups showed increased time spent around the platform compared to that of the MCT group. Consistent with the behavioral data, Krill-PS 50+MCT group significantly alleviated the loss of acetylcholinergic neurons in the hippocampus and medial septum compared to that of the MCT group. Treatment with Krill-PS significantly increased the CREB positive neurons in the hippocampal CA1 area as compared to that of the MCT group. These results suggest that Krill-PS may be useful for improving the cognitive function via regulation of cholinergic marker enzyme activity and neural activity.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1146-1150
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• 2008

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma ($PPAR_{\gamma}$), a member of the nuclear receptor of ligand-activated transcription factors, plays a key role in lipid and glucose metabolism or adipocytes differentiation. A lignan compound was isolated from mace (the aril of Myristica fragrans Houtt.) as a $PPAR_{\gamma}$ ligand, which was identified as fragrin A or 2-(4-allyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenoxy)-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-propane. To ascertain whether fragrin A has $PPAR_{\gamma}$ ligand-binding activity, it was performed that GAL-4/$PPAR_{\gamma}$ transactivation assay. $PPAR_{\gamma}$ ligand-binding activity of fragrin A increased 4.7, 6.6, and 7.3-fold at 3, 5, and $10{\mu}M$, respectively, when compared with a vehicle control. Fragrin A also enhanced adipocytes differentiation and increased the expression of $PPAR_{\gamma}$ target genes such as adipocytes fatty acid-binding protein (aP2), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), and phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). Furthermore, it significantly increased the expression level of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4). These results indicate that fragrin A can be developed as a $PPAR_{\gamma}$ agonist for the improvement of insulin resistance associated with type 2 diabetes.