• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.795-800
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• 2009

In this study, the $CO_2$ removal characteristics of the Vortex tube type absorbtion apparatus were investigated to enhance the compactness of $CO_2$ absorption process and to reduce the amount of absorbing solution of the $CO_2$ separation process. The Vortex tube with the diameter of 17 mm and the length of 250mm was introduced in the experimental apparatus to treat $20Nm^3/hr$ of $CO_2$ containing flue gas. The flue gases for experiments containing 11~13 vol% of $CO_2$ were supplied from the coal-firing CFBC power plant with 12 ton/hr of steam producing capacity. The mixed solutions of 20 wt% of MEA as base solution with the adding solutions like HMDA, AMP and KOH were used as absorbents. The experiments were executed under the various conditions like the absorbing solution concentrations in the range of 20 to 50 wt%, the flow rate of $CO_2$ containing flue gases in the range of 6 to $15Nm^3/hr$ and the flow rate of absorbing solution in the range of 1.0 to 3.0 l/min. As a results, the $CO_2$ removal efficiency of mixed absorbent of 20 wt% of MEA with HMDA was remarkable. From this study, we concluded that the efficient separation of $CO_2$ from flue gases using the features of the Vortex tube type absorbing unit for gas/liquid contact and the separation of gas/liquid be possible. But more works are needed to increase the $CO_2$ removal efficiency of Vortex tube process.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.231-241
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• 2001

The mammalian cortical collecting duct (CCD) plays a major role in regulating renal NaCl reabsorption, which is important in $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ homeostasis. The M-1 cell line, derived from the mouse cortical collecting duct, has been used as a mammalian model of the study on the electrolytes transport in CCD. M-1 cells were grown on collagen-coated permeable support and short circuit current $(I_{sc})$ was measured. M-1 cells developed amiloride-sensitive current $5{\sim}7$ days after seeding. Apical and basolateral addition of ATP induced increase in $I_{sc}$ in M-1 cells, which was partly retained in $Na^+-free$ or $Cl^--free$ solution, indicating that ATP increased $Na^+$ absorption and $Cl^-$ secretion in M-1 cells. $Cl^-$ secretion was mediated by the activation of apical cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) chloride channels and $Ca^{2+}-activated$ chloride channels, but $Na^+$ absorption was not mediated by activation of epithelal sodium channel (ENaC). ATP increased cAMP content in M-1 cells. The RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that M-1 cells express $P2Y_2,\;P2X_3\;and\;P2Y_4$ receptors. These results showed that ATP regulates $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ transports via multiple P2 purinoceptors on the apical and basolateral membranes in M-1 cells.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2024

Objectives: Ephedrae herba (EH) and Coicis semen (CS) has been frequently prescribed for the treatment of obesity. However, effects of combinational extracts of these two herbs on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of EH and CS on lipid accumulation and glucose absorption in free fatty acids (FFAs) or palmitic acid (PA)-treated HepG2 cells. Methods: Five samples of EH and CS were extracted by combination ratios (S1=0:100, S2=25:75, S3=50:50, S4=75:25, S5=100:0). Oil Red O staining was used to measure lipid accumulation in FFAs-induced steatosis cells. Intracellular triglycerides and total cholesterol levels were measured in FFAs-induced steatotic HepG2 cells. In PA-treated cells, intracellular 2-NBDG was detected using a fluorescence microplate reader and flow cytometry. Phosphorylation of key metabolism-related factors of AMP-activated protein kinase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase, expression of key lipid synthesis-related factors carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 alpha (CPT1α), sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and CCAAT enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα) were confirmed by western blot. Results: Treatment of EH-CS combination in the FFAs-induced steatotic HepG2 cells significantly reduced lipid accumulation. As the relative ratio of Ephedrae herba increased, the lipid-lowering effects of the combination were increased. However, S1 and S5 of Ephedrae herba and Coicis semen did not significantly reduce triglycerides and total cholesterol induced by FFAs. However, the combination of Ephedrae herba and Coicis semen restored glucose absorption in PA-induced HepG2 cells. Major makers of SREBP1, PPARγ, C/EBPα, and CPT1α expression tended to decrease with EH ratio. Conclusions: The EH-CS combination has advantages over sole EH and CS extracts in improving lipid and glucose metabolism in liver steatosis models.

• Clean Technology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.383-389
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• 2014

$CO_2$ absorption processes have a good potential for large scale capture of $CO_2$ but a large amount of absorbing solution has to be regenerated, undesirably increasing the consumption of energy such as sensible heat and latent heat of vaporization. In this study, a cooling crystallization process which would separate the $CO_2$-rich potassium bicarbonate crystals from $CO_2$-lean water was developed to reduce the energy penalty. Sterically hindered alkanolamine additives were used to enhance the $CO_2$ removal efficiency and their antisolvent effect on the crystallization was found in a continuous cooling crystallizer. The production yields of crystals were increased in the sequence of 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) < 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol (AMPD) < 2-amino-2-hydroxymethyl-1,3-propanediol (AHPD), which are related to the number of hydroxyl groups in the additive molecules. Using $^{13}carbon$ nuclear magnetic resonance, the additives favored the formation of bicarbonate ions by steric hindrance effect and increased the supersaturation of $KHCO_3$. It is shown that the additives increase the mean size of crystals and crystal growth rate by increasing supersaturation. The additives are promising for enhancing the $CO_2$ removal efficiency and reducing the regeneration energy cost of $CO_2$ absorbing solution by promoting $KHCO_3$ crystallization.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.86-93
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• 2022

Lupeol is a type of pentacyclic triterpene and has been reported to have pharmacological activities against various diseases; however, the effect of lupeol on glucose absorption has not been elucidated yet. This study aimed to investigate the effect of lupeol on glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Lupeol significantly facilitated glucose uptake by translocating glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) to the plasma membrane of the 3T3-L1 adipocytes, which was related to activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) and 5 'adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathways. In the PI3K/AKT pathway, lupeol stimulates the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1), which activates PI3K. Its activation by lupeol promotes the phosphorylation of AKT, but not the atypical protein kinase C isoforms ζ and λ. Lupeol also promoted the phosphorylation of AMPK. The activation of AMPK increased the expressions of the plasma membrane GLUT4 and the intracellular glucose uptake. The increase in the glucose uptake by lupeol was suppressed by wortmannin (PI3K inhibitor) and compound C (AMPK inhibitor) in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The results indicate that lupeol can facilitate glucose uptake by increasing insulin sensitivity through the stimulation of the expression of plasma membrane glucose transporter type 4 via the PI3K/AKT and AMPK pathways in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes.