• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.29-34
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• 2003

Visceral fat accumulation is known to be an evident clinical index for the insulin resistance related with obesity. Patients with excessive accumulation of visceral fat frequently suffered from metabolic disorder, such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and glucose intolerance. However, molecular mechanism for the pathogenesis of obesity-accompanied metabolic disorders has not been fully elucidated. It has been clarified that adipocytes in visceral fat area have different functions from subcutaneous fat area, and these differences might contribute the pathological significance of excessive accumulation of visceral fat for the accompanied insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2008

Abdominal obesity, especially, visceral obesity is thought to be a risk factor of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease. Based on previous studies visceral fat accumulation is highly related to these diseases compared to subcutaneous fat accumulation. The purpose of this study was to see the relation between abdominal obesity and lipid profiles in adult women. The included subjects were 25 adult women(BMI > $23\;kg/m^2$), who visited the obesity clinic in a general hospital from April 2006 to September 2007. Blood pressure, fasting glucose and lipid profiles were measured. The abdominal fat distribution had been assessed by CT scan at the level of L4-L5. From bivariate analyses, the visceral fat accumulation showed negative correlations with TC and TC/HDL. The BMI, total abdominal fat and Visceral fat/Subcutaneous fat ratio showed significant correlations with visceral fat accumulation. From linear regression analyses of all the study subjects, TC, TG and HDL were found to be determinants of the visceral fat accumulation($R^2\;=\;0.474$).

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.144-153
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• 2017

It was demonstrated that Gangjihwan (DF), which is the herbal composition composed of Ephedra intermedia, Lithospermum erythrorhizon, and Rheum palmatum, inhibits obesity and hepatic steatosis in high fat diet (HFD)-fed obese mice. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of DF on visceral obesity, hepatic inflammation and fibrosis and the mechanism of actions involved in this process using in vivo and in vitro approaches. DF was extracted with water (DF-FW), 30% grain alcohol (DF-GA30), and 70% grain alcohol (DF-GA70). Administration of DF to HFD-fed control mice decreased visceral tissue mass and visceral adipocyte size without adverse effects. Visceral fat mass was decreased by DF-GA30 and DF-GA70, and visceral adipocyte size by all three DF extracts compared with obese control mice. Histological analysis revealed that three kinds of DF extracts reduced toluidine blue-stained mast cells and collagen accumulation in the liver, the extents of which were most eminent in DF-GA70-treated mice. DF-GA70 decreased the mRNA levels of the inflammation ($TNF{\alpha}$ and VCAM-1), fibrosis (${\alpha}-SMA$), and apoptosis (caspase 3) genes, but increasing the anti-apoptosis gene (Bcl-2) mRNA levels in the liver of obese control mice. Consistent with the in vivo data, GA-70 also altered the expression of inflammation genes ($TNF{\alpha}$ and MCP-1) in HepG2 cells. These results indicate that DF not only inhibits visceral obesity, but also ameliorates visceral obesity-induced hepatic inflammation and fibrosis and that this process may be mediated by regulating the hepatic expression of inflammatory and fibrogenic genes.

• Journal of Convergence Korean Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.23-27
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the ameliorative effects of the Epimedium koreanum Nakai (EK) on menopausal obesity in mice. Methods: To induce the menopausal obesity, female C57BL/6J mice were ovariectomized and fed with high fat diet for 12 weeks. 17β-estradiol was injected as a positive control and the extract of EK was orally administered 5 times per week for 6 weeks. Body weight, uterine weight and visceral fat weight were measured. The size of the adipocyte in visceral fat tissues was estimated by Hematoxylin and eosin staining. Fasting glucose level was estimated in serum. Results: Body weight and visceral fat weight were significantly decreased by EK treatment, while the uterine weight/body weight was increased in high fat diet-fed ovariectomized mice. The diameter of adipocyte in the visceral fat tissues was markedly reduced in EK-treated menopausal obese mice. In addition, the fasting blood glucose level was inhibited by oral EK administration. Conclusion: In conclusion, these results showed that EK has ameliorative effects on overweight after menopause. EK could be one of the alternative therapy for treating menopausal obesity.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.97-112
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• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of this study were to evaluate the effects of oriental medical therapy on obesity and different effects according to Body Mass Index(BMI), menopause, obesity treatment experience, age, treatment period in patients. Methods : 46 patients were treated from November 2011 to April 2012 in Oriental Obesity Center, Dong-eui Medical Center. They were measured change of body compositions by bioelectrical impedance analysis every 2~3 weeks and 27 patients out of 46 were checked body compositions every 2 weeks. 46 and 27 patients were divided into two or three groups according to BMI, menopause, obesity treatment experience, age, treatment period. We compared before and after treatment body compositions. Results : Body compositions, except edema index were significantly reduced. Abdominal Visceral Fat(AVF) was significantly reduced in Obese group. Body Weight(BW), BMI, Body Fat(BF), Body Fat Percetage(BFP), Abdominal Visceral Fat Level(AVFL), Abdominal Visceral Fat(AVF), Abdominal Subcutaneous Fat(ASF) were significantly reduced in non-menopause group(43 female patients). But in 26 female patients out of 27, there were no significantly differences between groups in menopause. There were no significantly differences between groups in obesity treatment experience. But in 27 patients, BMI and AVF were significantly reduced in non-experience group and AVFL was significantly reduced in experience group. BW, BMI, BF, BFP, VAF, ASF were significantly reduced in younger age group. But in 27 patients, BW and Muscle were significantly reduced in younger age group. BMI, BF, BFP, Edema, AFVL, Abdominal Visceral Fat Area(AVFA), AVF, ASF were significantly reduced in longer treatment period group. Conclusion : The BF, BMI, BF, BFP, Muscle, AVFL, AVFA, AVF, ASF were almost decreased significantly. It resulted that the effects of oriental medical therapy in obesity was positive. And it was meaningful study to know about different effects between groups.

• Journal of mucopolysaccharidosis and rare diseases
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.44-48
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• 2015

Body fat distribution in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is characterized by reduce lean body mass (LBM), increased total body fat mass (FM), and lower percentage of visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Individuals with PWS seem to have a lower risk for insulin resistance with high levels of adiponectin, an anti-atherogenic adipocytokine that is decreased in visceral fat hypertrophy subjects compared to simple obese subjects, both in children and in adults. The mechanism of the reduction in visceral adiposity in PWS is still unclear. It might be related to qualitative intrinsic characteristics of adipocyte or novel genetic influences on the control of fat distribution. However, obesity remains a critical problem, and obesity status plays a crucial role in individual metabolic risk clustering and development of metabolic syndrome (Mets) in PWS children and adults. Long-term growth hormone (GH) treatment after cessation of skeletal growth improved body composition, with an increase in lean body mass and a reduction in total body fat and subcutaneous and visceral fat in PWS adults. Thus, the role of GH is important after childhood because it might attenuate obesity and Mets in PWS adult by adipocyte modification.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.311-318
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• 2018

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) supplementation has been suggested to negatively correlate with obesity in humans and other animals. Previous studies, including ours, have demonstrated that a high-fat diet (HFD) induces obesity and related diseases such as hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Here, we investigated the effects of vitamin C on visceral adipocyte hypertrophy and glucose intolerance in C57BL/6J mice. Mice received a low-fat diet (LFD, 10% kcal fat), HFD (45% kcal fat), or the same HFD supplemented with vitamin C (HFD-VC, 1% w/w) for 15 weeks. Visceral adiposity and glucose intolerance were examined using metabolic measurements, histology, and gene expression analyses. Mice in the HFD-VC supplementation group had reduced body weight, mesenteric fat mass, and mesenteric adipocyte size compared with HFD-fed mice. Vitamin C intake in obese mice also decreased the mRNA levels of lipogenesis-related genes (i.e., stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c) in mesenteric adipose tissues, inhibited hyperglycemia, and improved glucose tolerance. In addition, vitamin C attenuated the HFD-induced increase in the size of pancreatic islets. These results suggest that vitamin C suppresses HFD-induced visceral adipocyte hypertrophy and glucose intolerance in part by decreasing the visceral adipose expression of genes involved in lipogenesis.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.167-179
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• 2011

Objectives: In this study, we used with visceral fat area(VFA)/subcutaneous fat area(SFA) ratio(V/S ratio) and bioelectrical impedence analysis(BIA) for a comparative study between VFA measured from several abdominal computed tomography(CT) images and obesity indexes, such as body mass index(BM), waist circumference(WC), and waist-hip ratio(WHR). Methods: A group of 63 test subjects were gathered in the oriental medical hospital of Kyung-Won university. BIA for body composition and body size for obesity indexes were estimated to evaluate the obesity indexes. Pearson correlation coefficients and regression analysis were used to select useful obesity index. Results: The VFA-CT was significantly related to BMI, SFA, WC, hip circumference(HC), body fat mass(BFM), basal metabolic rate(BMR), and VFA-BIA. Especially, we found that the VFA-BIA and BMI were significantly correlated to VFA-CT. Conclusions: VFA-BIA index is an optimized index for diagnosis and evaluation of obesity. Finally, we found that the BMI is optimized to represent VFA.

• 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 Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.8-14
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how much effect to accuracy when measuring abdominal fat by Computed Tomography (CT) under different respiration movements. The study volunteer composed of 66 normal adults ($50.4{\pm}11.2$ years, 33 males, 33 females). We measured their obesity by using Broca index, body mass index (BMI) and CT and have investigated the correlation. The CT scanning for the obesity measurement have done in two ways, one was done in stopping breath after exhaling and the other was holding a breath after inhaling. The results showed no statistically significant difference among the three measuring techniques. And, the error in two ways of inhaling and exhaling was showed 24.2% of volunteers. The two ways of respiration movements made different result in visceral fat area (P = 0.044), subcutaneous fat area (P = 0.636) and abdominal obesity value (P = 0.012). This study demonstrates that the two ways of respiration movements when scanning CT makes change in accuracy in visceral fat area, and in abdominal obesity quantitative measure. Therefore, our study suggests that CT should take twice in two ways while a patient stops breath after exhaling and holds a breath after inhaling when measuring abdominal obesity using CT equipments.