• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.52-62
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• 2013

Objectives: To investigate the association between psychological distress and obesity among law enforcement officers (LEOs) in the United States. Methods: Self-reported data on psychological distress based on six key questions were obtained from LEOs who participated in the National Health Interview Survey (2004-2010). We used Prochaska's cut-point of a Kessler 6 score ${\geq}5$ for moderate/high mental distress in our analysis. Mean levels of body mass index (BMI) were compared across three levels of psychological distress. Results: The average age of LEOs (n = 929) was 39.3 years; 25% were female. Overall, 8.1% of LEOs had moderate or high psychological distress; 37.5% were obese (BMI ${\geq}30$). Mean BMI increased with increasing psychological distress (no distress, BMI = $27.2kg/m^2$; mild distress, $27.6kg/m^2$; and moderate/high distress, $33.1kg/m^2$; p = 0.016) after adjustment for age, race, income, and education level among female officers only. Physical activity modified the association between psychological distress and BMI but only among male LEOs (interaction p = 0.002). Among male LEOs reporting low physical activity, psychological distress was positively associated with BMI ($30.3kg/m^2$ for no distress, 30.7 for mild distress, 31.8 for moderate/high distress; p = 0.179) after adjustment, but not significantly. This association was not significant among males reporting high physical activity. Conclusion: Mean BMI significantly increased as psychological distress increased among female LEOs. A longitudinal study design may reveal the directionality of this association as well as the potential role that physical activity might play in this association.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.11-27
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• 2014

Objectives This study was designed to evaluate the effects of Ephedra Sinica and Fibrosum Gypsum extract on obesity by using 3T3-L1 cells and high fat diet rats. Methods In vitro, Ephedra Sinica and Fibrosum Gypsum extract (50, 100, 200, $500{\mu}g/ml$) were added in 3T3-L1 cells. Cytotoxicity was measured by MTT assasy. Adipocyte differentiation was measured by Oil Red O staining, GPDH activity and $C/EBP{\alpha}$ protein expression. In vivo, Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups : Normal diet group (Normal group), taken high fat diet and no treatment group (Control group), taken high fat diet and orally administered Ephedra Sinica and Fibrosum Gypsum extract daily (Group I: 50 mg/kg, Group II: 100 mg/kg, Group III : 200 mg/kg, oral). For 6 weeks of administration, body weight and the amount of food intake were measured once a week. After administration, blood analysis (AST, ALT, T-Bilirubin, BUN, RBC, Hb, HCT), serum lipid level (triglyceride, Total cholesterol, HDL, LDL), serum leptin level, epididymal adipose tissue weight and histological finding of liver were estimated. Results In vitro, The cytotoxicity was not significant. 3T3-L1 cell's differentiation was significantly decreased in Oil Red O staining, GPDH activity and $C/EBP{\alpha}$ protein expression. In vivo, Body weight and the amount of food intake, AST, ALT, Total cholesterol, TG, LDL, serum leptin, epididymal adipose tissue weight showed significant decrease in group I, group II and group III. There were no significant difference in T-bilirubin, BUN, RBC, Hb and HCT between all groups. HDL showed significant increase in group I, group II and group III. In histological finding of liver tissue, there were decreased adiposity and cytopathic effect in group I, group II and group III. Conclusions It is suggested that Ephedra Sinica and Fibrosum Gypsum extract can be used in the treatment of obesity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.474-483
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• 2016

Enzymatically modified isoquercitrin (EMIQ) is a mixture of quercetin glycodsides consisting of isoquercitrin and its ${\alpha}-glucosylated$ derivatives containing one to seven additional linear glucose moieties. The aim of this study was to assess whether or not EMIQ attenuates high-fat diet (HFD)-induced body weight gain and changes in plasma indices of obesity in mice. Male C57BL/6N mice were fed chow diet, HFD, and HFD containing 1.2% EMIQ for 10 weeks. EMIQ significantly (P<0.05) reduced body weight gain (-21%), total visceral fat-pad weights (-31%), and plasma levels of triglycerides (-17%), total cholesterol (-19%), and free fatty acids (-26%) in HFD-fed mice. EMIQ significantly increased protein kinase A (PKA) expression in the epididymal adipose tissue of HFD-fed mice. Expression of adipogenesis-related genes significantly decreased, whereas expression of fatty acid oxidation-related and thermogenesis-related genes increased in epididymal adipose tissue of EMIQ-fed mice compared with HFD-fed mice. These results suggest that the protective effects of EMIQ against HFD-induced adiposity in mice appear to be associated with PKA-mediated signaling cascades involved in adipogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, and thermogenesis in adipose tissue.

• 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.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.599-605
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• 2015

This study was conducted to evaluate suppressive effects of black rice aleurone layer extract (BRE) on body fat, serum lipid, and hormone levels in ovariectomized rats. The rats were divided into five groups (n=8/group): sham operated group (S); ovariectomized control group (OVX); ovariectomized group treated with isoflavone 10 mg/kg B.W. (IF); ovariectomized group treated with BRE 30 or 90mg/kg B.W. (BRE-30 or -90). High fat diet (45% calories from fat) was fed to all rats for 12 weeks. Body weight gain, body fat weight, and adiposity index increased in the OVX group, but they significantly decreased in IF or BRE supplementation. Serum triacylglycerol and leptin levels decreased in BRE groups while serum adiponectin level significantly increased compared to that of the OVX group. Hepatic total lipid, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels increased in the OVX group, but they decreased in BRE supplementation (p>0.05). These data suggest that black rice aleurone layer may be a useful food source to decrease obesity and its related diseases by modulating lipid metabolism in estrogen-deficiency model.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.121-128
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• 2015

Objectives : Ojeok-san (OJS), an oriental herbal formula, has been used in Asian countries including Korea, China and Japan to treat the common cold and illnesses including fatigue and gastrointestinal disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the anti-obesity effect and molecular mechanism of OJS, on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. Also, the effects of OJS in obese mice fed a high-fat diet on adiposity were examined.Methods : Preferentially, we analyzed the component of OJS and measured the stability of its component in OJS according to study periods using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In vitro, 3T3-L1 cells were treated with OJS (50 to 200 μg/mL) during differentiation for 8 days. The accumulation of lipid droplets was determined by Oil Red O staining. The expressions of genes related to adipogenesis were measured by RT-PCR and Western blot analyses. For anti-obesty effect in vivo, we experimented for 8 weeks with four group (normal diet (CON), high-fat diet (HF), high-fat diet with OJS (HF+OJS) and high-fat diet with Bang-pung-tong-sung-san (HF+BTS) in comparison group HF+OJS).Results : OJS showed inhibitory activity on adipocyte differentiation at 3T3-L1 preadipocytes without affect cell toxicity as assessed by measuring fat accumulation and adipogenesis. In addition, OJS significantly reduced the expression levels of several adipocyte marker genes including proliferator activated receptor-γ(PPAR-γ) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α(C/EBP-α). Also OJS-administered mice showed significant inhibitory of body weights and abdominal adipose tissue weights.Conclusions : This study showed that traditional medicine OJS has an anti-obesity effect in vitro and in vivo. Thus, OJS could be developed as a supplement for reduction of body weight gain induced by an obesity.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.179-189
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• 2006

Objective: We investigated the efficacy of a 12-week supplementation of soy isoflavone with L-carnitine on the development of obesity in high fat-induced obese C57BL/6J mice, which are known as a good model of diet-induced obesity. Methods: We measured body weights, adipose tissue mass, serum/liver lipid profiles and fat cell size/number in C57BL/6J mice fed diets containing either low fat (4%) or high fat (35%), or high fat supplemented with soy isoflavone powder containing 10% isoflavone and L-camitine for 12 weeks. Results: Body weight gain, abdominal adipose tissue and liver weight were lower by 31% 78% and 31.4% respectively, in mice on high fat diet containing soy isoflavone+L-carnitine (SC mixture) compared with high fat diet group. Also, SC mixture improved serum lipid profiles such as total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and liver lipid profiles such as total lipids and TG. As subsequent results, this SC mixture prevented high-fat diet from accumulating TG in the liver. The size of fat cell was also significantly decreased in SC mixture fed mice. At the end point of this experiment, our results showed that feeding with soy isoflavone for 12 weeks finally increased camitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT 1) activity through elevating the level of CPT1 expression. Conclusions: This study suggests that long-tenn supplementation with dietary soy isoflavone and L-carnitine is more synergistically beneficial for the suppression of high-fat diet induced obesity by inhibiting liver TG accumulation and the gain in abdominal adipose tissue weight than that with soy isoflavone. The antiobesity effects of SC mixture might be attributed, at least in part, to the induction of fatty acid catabolism by soy isoflavone, genistein.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.763-770
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• 2015

Improved meat quality and greater muscle yield are highly sought after in high-quality chicken breeding programs. Past studies indicated that polymorphisms of the Perilipin gene (PLIN1) are highly associated with adiposity in mammals and are potential molecular markers for improving meat quality and carcass traits in chickens. In the present study, we screened single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in all exons of the PLIN1 gene with a direct sequencing method in six populations with different genetic backgrounds (total 240 individuals). We evaluated the association between the polymorphisms and carcass and meat quality traits. We identified three SNPs, located on the 5' flanking region and exon 1 of PLIN1 on chromosome 10 (rs315831750, rs313726543, and rs80724063, respectively). Eight main haplotypes were constructed based on these SNPs. We calculated the allelic and genotypic frequencies, and genetic diversity parameters of the three SNPs. The polymorphism information content (PIC) ranged from 0.2768 to 0.3750, which reflected an intermediate genetic diversity for all chickens. The CC, CT, and TT genotypes influenced the percentage of breast muscle (PBM), percentage of leg muscle (PLM) and percentage of abdominal fat at rs315831750 (p<0.05). Diplotypes (haplotype pairs) affected the percentage of eviscerated weight (PEW) and PBM (p<0.05). Compared with chickens carrying other diplotypes, H3H7 had the greatest PEW and H2H2 had the greatest PBM, and those with diplotype H7H7 had the smallest PEW and PBM. We conclude that PLIN1 gene polymorphisms may affect broiler carcass and breast muscle yields, and diplotypes H3H7 and H2H2 could be positive molecular markers to enhance PEW and PBM in chickens.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.782-789
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• 2012

This study was designed to evaluate the anti-metabolic syndrome effects of capsule-filled cheonggukjang (CGJ) added with arrowroot (Pueraria thunbergiana) extracts on body weight, adiposity and lipid metabolism in ob/ob mice. Experimental groups were normal control group (NC: basal diet), positive control group (PC: 2% CGJ), CGJ added with arrowroot extracts group (AR: 2% arrowroot in CGJ), and capsule-filled CGJ added with arrowroot extracts group (ARC: 2% arrowroot CGJ capsule). Each group was fed experimental diet for 10 weeks. Final body weight gain and atherogenic index were significantly lower in the ARC than NC group. Serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides, blood glucose and atherogenic index were significantly lower in the ARC than NC group. Furthermore, fatty liver and regional lipid accumultion in ob/ob mice were inhibited in the ARC group. The hepatic activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione S-transferase were significantly higher in the ARC than NC group. Therefore, the anti-matabolic syndrome effects of the ARC group were higher than the AR group. In conclusion, these results indicated that CGJ added with arrowroot mediates its anti-obesity effects in ob/ob mice by improving lipid metabolism and antioxidant enzyme.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.181-186
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• 2012

Fenofibrate is a selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\alpha}$ ($PPAR{\alpha}$) activator and is prescribed to treat hyperlipidemia. The mechanism through which $PPAR{\alpha}$ agonists reduce food intake, body weight, and adiposity remains unclear. One explanation for the reduction of food intake is that fenofibrate promotes fatty acid oxidation and increases the production of ketone bodies upon a standard experimental dose of the drug (100~300 mg/kg/day). We observed that low-dose treatment of fenofibrate (30 mg/kg/day), which does not cause significant changes in ketone body synthesis, reduced food intake in Long-Evans Tokushima (LETO) rats. LETO rats are the physiologically normal controls for Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats, which are obese and cholecystokinin (CCK)-A receptor deficient. We hypothesized that the reduced food intake by fenofibrate-treated LETO rats may be associated with CCK production. To investigate the anorexic effects of fenofibrate in vivo and to determine whether CCK production may be involved, we examined the amount of food intake and CCK production. Fenofibrate-treated OLETF rats did not significantly change their food intake while LETO rats decreased their food intake. Treatment of fenofibrate increased CCK synthesis in the duodenal epithelial cells of both LETO and OLETF rats. The absence of a change in the food intake of OLETF rats, despite the increase in CCK production, may be explained by the absence of CCK-A receptors. Contrary to the OLETF rats, LETO rats, which have normal CCK receptors, presented a decrease in food intake and an increase in CCK production. These results suggest that reduced food intake by fenofibrate treatment may be associated with CCK production.