• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.865-871
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• 2001

The adipose tissue hormone leptin has been proposed to be involved in the regulation of flood intake and energy expenditure via thermogenesis by uncoupling protein(UCP) in brown adipose tissue(BAT). The objective of the study was to examine the effects of high fat diet on the serum leptin levels, BAT UCPl expression and the body fat mass in rats after weaning. During experimental period of 12 weeks, 4 male Sprague-Dawley rats were killed for the baseline experiment at 4 weeks of age while the remaining rats were fed the two different diets: the control diet AIN-76A(n = 20), high fat(beef tallow) diet(n = 20) ad libitum, which provided 11.7% or 40% of calories as fat, respectively. At 16 weeks of age, the increase in the food efficiency ratio(FER) was related to fat mass in rats on high fat diet. Serum leptin level was increased by age and dietary high fat. There was no difference in serum insulin level between groups until 10 weeks of age, but rats fed high fat diet for 12 weeks showed hyperinsulinemia. The amount of body fat pads was increased significantly in high fat group compared to normal diet group. Visceral fat mass affected acutely by high fat diet, as a result, it was higher in rats fed high fat diet for 2 weeks than normal diet. At 16 weeks of age, BAT and visceral fat mass were significantly high in high fat group. Also, the serum leptin levels reflected the amount of body fat mass. BAT UCPI mRNA expression increased with age and dietary high fat. This study demonstrates that dietary high fat increased serum leptin levels, BAT UCPI expression and body fat mass. Futhermore, in rats fed high fat diets, the increases in leptin and UCPI expression counteracts only in part the excess adiposity and obesity.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.483-490
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• 2003

Chitosan, hydroxycitrate and L-carnitine have been known to be antiobesity components. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the combined effects of chitosan, hydroxycitrate and L-carnitine mixture as a potential antiobesity supplement in overweight women. Pre-menopausal healthy females who were overweight (percent ideal body weight > 110) were included in this study. Forty-nine subjects randomly received a placebo (n = 25) or antiobesity-supplement (n = 24), which was a mixture of chitosan, hydroxycitrate, and L-carnitine. Before and after the eight-week experimental period, anthropometric parameters, blood components and computerized tomography were measured. At baseline, the two groups were well matched in terms of age, body mass index and lipid profile. After the eight weeks of potential antiobesity supplementation, the subjects' body fat percent had decreased significantly (p < 0.001) by 5.6% (39.1 $\pm$ 1 vs 36.9 $\pm$ 1%) while lean body mass increased (p < 0.01). Vsceral fat area at the L4 vertebra decreased significantly (p < 0.01) by 8.6% in the supplemented group and the total fat area at the L4 vertebra showed a tendency to decrease (p = 0.051) by 2.4%. Also, in the group given the antiobesity-supplement rather than the placebo, the fasting triglyceride level decreased significantly (p < 0.05) by 10.0%. In addition, serum total cholesterol levels in the antiobesity-supplement group showed a tendency to decrease (p=0.159) by 2.7% (194 $\pm$ 6 vs 189 $\pm$ 6 mg/dl). No side effects were found in either group during the intervention. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that taking a mixture of chitosan, hydroxycitrate, and L-carnitine as a potential antiobesity supplement for eight weeks produced advantageous changes in the weight and visceral fat accumulation of overweight women without any side effects. (Korean J Nutrition 36(5): 483~490, 2003)

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.162-171
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• 2007

Obesity is an independent risk factor fur coronary artery disease in the postmenopausal women, which may be mediated by alteration of blood lipid metabolism. We are aimed to evaluate the effects of low energy diet, restriction of high fat foods and exercise education on weight, fat mass and blood lipid profile. Fifteen postmenopausal obese women were studied. Subjects received detailed advice about how to achieve a reduction of weight by a low-energy diet (1,200kcal), restriction of high fat food and increased exercise in every 4 wks during 8 wk. To evaluate the effectiveness for education programs, dietary fat habit and daily nutrient intakes, exercise were tested before and after intervention. Anthropometry, computerized tomography, and blood lipid profile were assessed before and after intervention. According to the nutrition education, energy intake (from 1776.1 ${\pm}$ 28.2 kcal to 1268.7 ${\pm}$ 115.2 kcal, p < 0.001) and percent of energy from fat (21.9%, p < 0.01) were significantly decreased. However, the index of nutritional quality was over 1.0. On the contrary, exercise (from 341.3 ${\pm}$ 222.1 kcal to 569.4 ${\pm}$ 309.8 kcal, p < 0.05) was increased and dietary fat habit scores (from 30.8 ${\pm}$ 5.2 to 36.1 ${\pm}$ 3.0, p < 0.01) were improved. Also, body weight (4.2%, p < 0.001), BMI (4.5%, p < 0.001), body fat mass (3.4%, p < 0.05) and waist to hip ratio (1.1%, p < 0.05) were decreased. Among abdominal fat, visceral fat (26.1%, p < 0.05) and subcutaneous fat (14.8%, p < 0.01) were decreased. But there was no difference in visceral fat to subcutaneous fat ratio. We observed HDL-cholesterol increase (11.7%, p < 0.05), triglyceride reduction(14.8%, p < 0.05) and atherogenic index improvement (from 2.7 ${\pm}$ 0.7 to 2.3 ${\pm}$ 0.7, p < 0.05) However, there was no change in LDL-cholesterol and total cholesterol. Theses results showed that low energy diet, restriction of high fat foods and exercise education could result in reduction of body weight, fat mass, visceral and subcutaneous fat, and in improvement of blood lipid profile in the postmenopausal obese women.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.513-519
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• 2012

Aged garlic extract (AGE) is known to have a protective effect against immune system, endothelial function, oxidative stress and inflammation. We examined the effects of exercise with and without aged garlic extract administration on body weight, lipid profiles, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress marker in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats. Forty-five Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either a HFD (HFD, n = 40) or a normal diet (ND, n = 5) for 6 weeks and thereafter randomized into ND (n = 5), HFD (n = 10), HFD with AGE (n = 10), HFD with Exercise (n = 10), or HFD with Exercise+AGE (n = 10) for 4 weeks. AGE groups were administered at a dose of 2.86 g/kg body weight, orally. Exercise consisted of running 15-60 min 5 days/week with gradually increasing intensity. AGE (P<0.01), Exercise, and Exercise+AGE (P<0.001) attenuated body weight gain and food efficiency ratio compared to HFD. Visceral fat and liver weight gain were attenuated (P<0.05) with all three interventions with a greater effect on visceral fat in the Exercise+AGE than AGE (P<0.001). In reducing visceral fat (P<0.001), epididymal fat (P<0.01) and liver weight (P<0.001), Exercise+AGE was effective, but exercise showed a stronger suppressive effect than AGE. Exercise+AGE showed further additive effects on reducing visceral fat and liver weight (P<0.001). AGE significantly attenuated the increase in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol compared with HFD (P<0.05). Exercise+AGE attenuated the increase in triglycerides compared with HFD (P<0.05). Exercise group significantly decrease in C-reactive protein (P<0.001). These results suggest that AGE supplementation and exercise alone have anti-obesity, cholesterol lowering, and anti-inflammatory effects, but the combined intervention is more effective in reducing weight gain and triglycerides levels than either intervention alone.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.47-62
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• 2012

Objectives : This study is to figure the relations of the heart rate variability, body component analysis and accompanying symptoms of 350 insomnia patients. Methods : For this study we evaluated Heart Rate Variability(HRV) and body component analysis on 350 insomnia patients who visited Dongeui oriental hospital of Dongeui university from January 2008 to March 2012. The accompanying symptoms was collected based on each patient's progress note. Results : 1. There was no difference between PR, LF and VLF of male and female groups. HF was higher in the patients' of female group and LF/HF ratio was higher in the male group. The patients' group of age under 39 had higher HF, LF, VLF and LF/HF ratio than the group over 39. 2. The average of LF was the smallest, and the average of VLF was in the middle, while the average of HF was the largest. 3. Regarding patients' age and gender, as the patients' age increased, their HF, LF, VLF and LF/HF ratio decreased significantly. HF, LF, VLF, and LF/HF ratios were, however, independent on the patients' gender. As the patients' age increased, their BMI increased, while the patients' gender did not affect on their BMI. The amount of visceral fat increased with the patients' age, but wasn't dependent on the patients' gender. 4. As the patients' BMI increased, PR and LF decreased. As the patients' amount of visceral fat increased, PR, HF, LF and VLF decreased. 5. The most frequent accompanying symptoms of the insomnia patients was headache. Neither HF nor LF/HF ratio was dependant on any of the accompanying symptoms. Patients with anxiety showed significantly higher LF than those without anxiety. Patients with fatigue and physical pain showed significantly higher VLF than those without either of them. Conclusions : The study showed that as the insomnia patients age increased, the HF, LF, VLF, LF/HF ratio significantly decreased, but the BMI and visceral fat increased. The HF, LF, VLF, LF/HF ratio BMI, or the visceral fat was independent on the gender. As BMI increased, PR and LF decreased. As visceral fat increased, PR HF, LF and VLF decreased. Patients presenting anxiety had higher LF. Patients either with fatigue or physical pain had higher VLF. Neither HF nor LF/HF ratio had any significant correlation with any of the accompanying symptoms.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2001

Obesity is a metabolic disease associated with multiple hormonal abnormalities. Therefore, obesity management aims at balancing these endocrine malfunctions nowadays. Although many studies proved interactions of hormones related with obesity, there are still lots of controversies. Most of these malfunctions are more pronounced in central, visceral obesity than in peripheral obesity. Recently, it is revealed that a central lesion of endocrine malfunction in human visceral obesity is probably related with a hypersensitivity of hypothalamopituitary-adrenal(HPA) axis. Probably associated with this axis, Insulin and cortisol promote lipid accumulation by expressing lipoprotein lipase activity, while sex hormones and growth hormone exert the opposite effects. Also reviewed was thyroid hormone which is closely related with thermogenesis. Serotonin is prescribed as antidepressant and it is applied to some eating disorders. Recently, leptin made in fat deposit also took attentions in terms of regulator of appetite and messenger of sex signal.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.26-32
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• 2013

Boesenbergia pandurata (Roxb.) Schltr. has been reported to possess anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Boesenbergia pandurata extract (BPE) in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice model. C57BL/6J mice were fed with either the high-fat diet or a 0.5% BPE-supplemented HFD for 8 weeks. The BPE-containing HFD significantly reduced body weight gain and the accumulation of visceral fat mass in mice model without altering the amount of food intake. Moreover, mice fed with BPE-containing HFD had lower concentrations of lipids in their blood, lower hepatic lipid accumulation, and lower serum leptin levels compared with the HFD-fed mice. RT-PCR analysis showed that the expression levels of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor ${\gamma}2$ ($PPAR{\gamma}2$) and CCAT/enhancer binding protein ${\alpha}$ ($C/EBP{\alpha}$) genes in the epididymal fat tissue of mice fed the BPE-containing HFD increased 1.16- and 1.30-fold, respectively, compared to mice fed HFD only. In conclusion, BPE attenuated visceral fat accumulation and improved dyslipidemia in a mice model with HFD-induced obesity.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.172-179
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• 2010

Purpose: Visceral adipose tissue may be strongly linked to increased metabolic risks in adults. However, because little is known regarding the effect of visceral adipose tissue in children and adolescents, we performed this study to determine the association between abdominal fat distribution and metabolic risk factors in this population. Methods: One hundred one children and adolescents (78 males and 23 females; mean age, 10.8${\pm}$2.4 years) were enrolled. The anthropometric data and metabolic risk factors were evaluated. Theabdominal fat distribution was assessed according to the CT measurement. Age-adjusted, partial correlations were performed among the visceral adipose fat area (VFA), subcutaneous adiposefat area (SFA), metabolic risk factors, and anthropometrics. Results: The SFA increased more rapidly than the VFA with advancing years in both genders. In males, the VFA and SFA were positively correlated with anthropometrics. The VFA was correlated with low HDL-cholesterol and the SFA was correlated with diastolic blood pressure (DBP). However, there was no statistical significance between the VFA, SFA, anthropometrics, and other metabolic risk factors. The VFA and SFA were strongly linked to a number of metabolic risk factors, such as other anthropometrics. Conclusion: This study investigated how a low HDL-C was correlated with VFA and how a high DBP was associated with SFA in Korean male children and adolescents. Our results suggest that the correlation between the VFA, SFA, and metabolic risk factors was relatively weak compared to that reported in previous adult studies.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.45-56
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• 2006

Objectives : We evaluated anti-hyperlipidemia effect of Gyeongshinganjeehwan (GGEx) in high fat induced obese male micro-pigs. Methods : 7 month-old micro-pigs are fed with normal (n = 3) or high fat diet (n = 18) for 12 weeks. The pig revealed obesity in high fat diet were divided into 2 groups (n = 5 each) and vehicle (OMP) and Gyeongshingangjeehwan (GGEx, 616.7 mg/kg/day) were administrated for 1 month. We monitored the changes in body weight and measured plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, free fatty acid, GOT and, GPT after 1 month. The visceral fat were measured with computerized tomography and weights of various organs were measured after sacrifice. Results : 1. GGEx group had significantly reduced body weight gain than obese control group in statistics. 2. GGEx group didn't significantly differ from obese control group in blood total cholesterol, blood LDL-cholesterol, blood triglyceride. but it's data were similar to normal control group. 3. GGEx group had prominantly reduced visceral fat than obese control group in computerized tomography. 4. Blood GOT and GPT didn't differ from between groups. The organ weight were not significant different. And it is normal in size and colour of visceral organs. Conclusions : It is concluded that GGEx has anti-hyperlipidemia effect by improving visceral fat and access to security.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.219-223
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate the body composition, biochemical parameters, and consumption of convenience foods according to leptin receptor polymorphism in university students. A survey was conducted on a total of 418 students - 271 males and 147 females. Based on a self-reporting method, questionnaires were administered for over 20 minutes, and leptin receptor and blood samples were analyzed. The genotype frequencies of leptin receptor polymorphism were Gln/Arg heterozygote (64.8%) and Gln/Gln homozygote (35.2%). Leptin polymormphism showed no significant association with biochemical parameters(ALT, cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and hemoglobin) and body composition. GG homozygote was associated with a higher risk of visceral fat obesity compared to those with GA heterozygote (odd ratio 1.758, 95% confidence intervals 0.812~3.803). Leptin polymorphism appeared to be a genetic risk factor for visceral fat obesity. This study suggests that leptin polymorphism has a causative role to body fat distribution in Korean.