• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.345-350
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• 2006

The pharmacological properties of ginseng are mainly attributed to ginsenosides, the active constituents that are found in the extracts of different species of ginseng. Lately; the studies on ginsenosides are mainly focused on IH-901, a major intestinal bacterial metabolite of ginsenosides. In this study; we examined the anti-diabetic activity of IH-901 in C57BU61 db/db mice model. IH-901 was administrated orally at a dose of 20 mg/kg for 5 weeks. During the experimental period, body weight and blood glucose levels were measured every week. After 5 weeks, db/db mice were sacrificed and diabetic parameters were analyzed. IH-901 treated group showed a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose levels (from 10.5 mM to 9.4 mM), insulin resistance index (from 163.6 to 100.2) and triglyceride levels (from 115.3 to 70.1) compared to the diabetic control. In Pancreatic islets morphology; IH-901 treated group revealed much less infltrated mononuclear cells, indicating that IH-901 recovered ${\beta}$-cell damage due to hyperglycemia. In addition, IH-901 upregulated expressions of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) and PPAR-${\gamma}$ in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, respectively. Taken together IH-901might be a potential anti-hyperglycemic agent with insulin sensitizing effect.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.58 no.5
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• pp.343-348
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• 2014

In the present studies, we examined effect of chamomile flowers extract (CH-Ex), which has traditionally been used as antiphlogistics in Europe for many centuries, against Candida albicans-caused septic arthritis. Candida albicans is a major etiological agent among fungal septic arthritis. This effect was investigated in a murine model of the septic arthritis. That is, mice that were given an emulsion form of C. albicans cell wall (CACW) via footpad route were treated intraperitoneally with the CH-Ex for 3 times every 3 days. Degrees of the footpad-swellings were measured with dial gauger. Data showed that the CH-Ex resulted in the reduction of swelling. For instance, at Day 9 when swelling reached the highest peak, there was up to app. 60% reduction of edema in mice injected with the CH-Ex, compared to that of the control mice that received no treatment (P<0.05). This therapeutic anti-arthritic activity appeared to be mediated by inhibitions of NO (nitric oxide) production from activated RAW264.7 macrophages and proliferation of Con A-treated T lymphocytes. Analysis by HPLC revealed that the CH-Ex contained eight polyphenolic compounds including chlorogenic acid (CRA) and rutin. We have reported the CRA and rutin respectively have the anti-arthritic activity. This correlation implicates that CRA and rutin in the CH-Ex may be responsible for the activity. Combined all together, the CH-Ex has anti-arthritic activity against C. albicans-caused septic arthritis, possibly by inhibiting NO production and proliferation of T cells. This activity seems to be contributed by, at least, CRA and rutin among the compounds in the CH-Ex.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.572-577
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• 2001

The feasibility of skin penetration was studied for aspalatone (AM, acetylsalicylic acid maltol ester), a novel antithrombotic agent. In this studys hairless mouse dorsal skins were used as a model to select composition of vehicle and AM. Based on measurements of solubility and partition coefficient, the concentration of PC that showed the highest flux for AM across the hairless mouse skin was found to be 40%. The cumulative amount permeated at 48 h, however, appear inadequate, even when the PC concentration was employed. To identify a suitable absorption enhancer and its optimal concentration for AM, a number of absorption enhancers and a variety of concentration were screened for the increase in transdermal flux of AM. Amongst these, linoleic acid (LOA) at the concentration of 5% was found to have the largest enhancement factor (i.e., 132). However, a further increase in AM flux was not found in the fatty acid concentration greater than 5%, indicating the enhancement effect is in a bell-shaped currie. In a study of the effect of AM concentration on the permeation, there was no difference in the permeation rate between 0.5 and 1% for AM, below its saturated concentration. At the donor concentration of 2%, over the saturated condition, the flux of AM was markedly increased. A considerable degradation of AM was found during permeation studies, and the extent was correlated with protein concentrations in the epidermal and serosal extracts, and skin homogenates. In rat dorsal skins, the protein concentration decreased in the rank order of skin homogenate > serosal extract > epidermal extract. Estimated first order degradation rate constants were $6.15{\pm}0.14,{\;}0.57{\pm}0.02{\;}and{\;}0.011{\pm}{\;}0.004{\;}h^{-1}$ for skin homogenate, serosal extract and epidermal extract, respectively. Therefore, it appeared that AM was hydrolyzed to some extent into salicylmaltol by esterases in the dermal and subcutaneous tissues of skin. taken together, our data indicated that transdermal delivery of AM is feasible when the combination of PC and LOA is used as a vehicle. However, since AM is not metabolically stable, acceptable degradation inhibitors may be nervessary to fully realize the transdermal delivery of the drug.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2021

Background: Animal studies have shown that a leukocyte influx precedes the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in premature sheep. The CXC chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of BPD because of the predominance of CXCR2 ligands in tracheal aspirates of preterm infants who later developed BPD. Purpose: To test the effect of CXCR2 antagonist on postnatal systemic and pulmonary inflammation and alveolarization in a newborn Sprague-Dawley rat model of BPD. Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) into the newborn rats on postnatal day 1 (P1), P3, and P5 to induce systemic inflammation and inhibit alveolarization. In the same time with LPS administration, CXCR2 antagonist (SB-265610) or vehicle was injected i.p. to investigate whether CXCR2 antagonist can alleviate the detrimental effect of LPS on alveolarization by attenuating inflammation. On P7 and P14, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and peripheral blood (PB) were collected from the pups. To assess alveolarization, mean cord length and alveolar surface area were measured on 4 random nonoverlapping fields per animal in 2 distal lung sections at ×100 magnification. Results: Early postnatal LPS administration significantly increased neutrophil counts in BALF and PB and inhibited alveolarization, which was indicated by a greater mean cord length and lesser alveolar surface area. CXCR2 antagonist significantly attenuated the increase of neutrophil counts in BALF and PB and restored alveolarization as indicated by a decreased mean cord length and increased alveolar surface area in rat pups exposed to early postnatal systemic LPS. Conclusion: CXCR2 antagonist preserved alveolarization by alleviating pulmonary and systemic inflammation induced by early postnatal systemic LPS administration. These results suggest that CXCR2 antagonist can be considered a potential therapeutic agent for BPD that results from disrupted alveolarization induced by inflammation.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.201-207
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• 2021

We have previously reported that Acer tegmentosum extract, which is traditionally used in Korea to reduce alcohol-related liver injury, suppresses liver inflammation caused by excessive alcohol consumption and might improve metabolism. The active ingredient, 6-O-galloylsalidroside (GAL), was isolated from A. tegmentosum, and we hypothesized that GAL could provide desirable pharmacological benefits by ameliorating physiological conditions caused by alcohol abuse. Therefore, this study focused on whether GAL could ameliorate alcoholic fat accumulation and repair liver injury in mice. During chronic alcohol consumption plus binge feeding in mice, GAL was administered orally once per day for 11 days. Intrahepatic lipid accumulation was measured in vivo using a noninvasive method, ¹H magnetic resonance imaging, and confirmed by staining with hematoxylin and eosin and Oil Red O. The serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured using a Konelab system, and the triglyceride content was measured in liver homogenates using an enzymatic peroxide assay. The results suggested that GAL alleviated alcohol-induced steatosis,e as indicated by decreased hepatic and serum triglyceride levels in ethanol-fed mice. GAL treatment also correlated with a decrease in the Cd36 mRNA expression, thus potentially inhibiting the development of alcoholic steatosis via the hepatic de novo lipogenesis pathway. Furthermore, treatment with GAL inhibited the expression of cytochrome P450 2E1 and attenuated hepatocellular damage, as reflected by a reduction in ALT and AST levels. These findings suggest that GAL extracted from A. tegmentosum has the potential to serve as a bioactive agent for the treatment of alcoholic fatty liver and liver damage.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.474-484
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• 2018

The cleaning efficiency of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes inevitably fouled by organic foulants depends upon both chemical (type of cleaning agent, concentration of cleaning solution) and physical (cleaning time, flowrate, temperature) parameters. In attempting to determine the optimal procedures for chemical cleaning organic-fouled RO membranes, the design of experiments concept was employed to evaluate key factors and to predict the flux recovery rate (FRR) after chemical cleaning. From experimental results and based on the predicted FRR of cleaning obtained using the Central Composite Design of Minitab 17, a modified regression model equation was established to explain the chemical cleaning efficiency; the resultant regression coefficient ($R^2$) and adjusted $R^2$ were 83.95% and 76.82%, respectively. Then, using the optimized conditions of chemical cleaning derived from the response optimizer tool (cleaning with 0.68 wt% disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid for 20 min at $20^{\circ}C$ with a flowrate of 409 mL/min), a flux recovery of 86.6% was expected. Overall, the results obtained by these experiments confirmed that the equation was adequate for predicting the chemical cleaning efficiency with regards to organic membrane fouling.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2019.04a
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• pp.122-122
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• 2019

Protaetia brevitarsis (PB) extracts has been traditionally used as medicinal stuff to treat blood stasis, occlusion of menstruation, tetanus and liver cancer in Asian countries (Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, India and Myanmar). Especially, Donguibogam, which is traditional korean medicinal book, described the PB extracts as traditional medicine to treat hepatic diseases and vascular disorders. The PB extracts has been considered as highly nutritional food. The major constituents of PB extracts are rich in protein, healthy fats, iron, calcium. Recent studies announced that PB extracts has hepatoprotective effect and anti-microbacterial effect. However, the effect of PB on ulcerative colitis has not been uncovered yet. The aim of this study was to examine the anti-inflammatory effect of PB extracts in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mice model. Cytotoxicity of PB was determined by MTT assay and the antiinflammatory effect of PB extract was investigated by measuring nitric oxide (NO) production. PB extracts did not show any cytotoxicity. AIso, PB extracts supressed NO production in LPS-stimulated mice peritoneal macrophages. To determine whether PB could be an effective treatment on ulcerative colitis, DSS was administered in BALB/c mice for 10 days. PB extract significantly improved the clinical signs of DSS-induced UC, including body weight loss, colon length shortening, and disease activity index increase, with histological markers of colon injury. These findings indicated the possibility of PB as a therapeutic agent on ulcerative colitis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.1230-1239
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• 2019

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi has been widely used in China for treatment of various diseases. This study investigated the effect of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi extracts (SBE) against Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3)-induced myocarditis in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, Hela cells and primary myocardial cells were infected with CVB3 and treated with SBE ($50-800{\mu}g/ml$) and ribavirin ($200{\mu}M$) for 48 h and then determined by CCK8 assay. Real-time PCR and western blotting assays were performed. In vivo, a myocarditis model was induced in male BALB/c mice by injecting CVB3 suspension intraperitoneally for three times, followed by treatment with SBE (400 and 200 mg/kg) and ribavirin (100 mg/kg) for 28 days. SBE ameliorated the cytotoxicity of CVB3 in Hela cells, especially at $400{\mu}g/ml$ (39.93% vs 65.67%, p < 0.05) without influencing cell growth and also significantly reduced CVB3 replication in primary myocardial cells. The levels of AKT, ERK, and p38 were increased after CVB3 infection. SBE could downregulate the expressions of AKT and p38. In vivo, the mortality rate from CVB3 reached to 66.67%, while 10.00% and 23.33% of this came after 400 and 200 mg/kg SBE treatment, respectively (p < 0.05). The CVB3 replication was obviously reduced after SBE administration from day 5. Similarly, the levels of AKT, ERK, and p38 mRNAs and proteins were increased, and SBE suppressed the expression of AKT and p38. Our study indicates that SBE is a promising potent antiviral agent against CVB3-induced myocarditis by inhibition of virus replication via depressing AKT and p38 expressions.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.257-264
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• 2019

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of 70% ethanol extract (DR) on the mast cell-mediated allergic contact dermatitis induced by dinitrofluorobenzene in BALB / c mice, which affects the cell activity by antigen in RBL-2H3 mast cells Respectively. The ethanol extracts of RBL-2H3 cells activated by DNP-HSA and anti-DNP IgE antibodies inhibited the secretion of ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase, histamine, and IL-4 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ Production was suppressed. In the DNFB-induced contact allergic dermatitis animal model, treatment with ethanol extract reduced ear swelling and inhibited serum histamine and IL-4 secretion, and DR treatment effectively prevented mast cell infiltration in dermatitis-induced areas. As a result, the ethanol extract may be used as a therapeutic agent for mast cell-mediated allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2019

Recently, in various business fields, companies are concentrating on providing chatbot services to various environments by adding artificial intelligence to existing messenger platforms. Organizations in the field of job placement also require chatbot services to improve the quality of employment counseling services and to solve the problem of agent management. A text-based general chatbot classifies input user sentences into learned sentences and provides appropriate answers to users. Recently, user sentences inputted to chatbots are inputted as short texts due to the activation of social network services. Therefore, performance improvement of short text classification can contribute to improvement of chatbot service performance. In this paper, we propose T-EBOW (Translation-Extended Bag Of Words), which is a method to add translation information as well as concept information of existing researches in order to strengthen the short text classification for employment chatbot. The performance evaluation results of the T-EBOW applied to the machine learning classification model are superior to those of the conventional method.