• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.16-22
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• 2021

[Purpose] Exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) is a well-known condition among endurance athletes at low altitudes. The incidence of EAH during ultramarathons at high altitudes warrants further investigation. This prospective observational study was conducted on the participants of the Leadville Trail 100 run, a 161-km race held at a high altitude (2,800 m-3,840 m). [Methods] Venous blood samples were collected before and immediately after the race. The participants completed an electronic survey after the race. Our main outcome measure was the post-race serum sodium ([Na⁺]) level. [Results] Of the 672 athletes who started the race, 351 (52%) successfully completed the event within the 30-hour cut-off. Post-race blood samples were collected from 84 runners (66 finishers). Both pre- and post-race blood samples were collected from 37 participants. Twenty percent of the post-race participants had EAH. Only one post-race participant had a [Na⁺] level of <130 mmol/L. All participants with EAH were asymptomatic. One participant had an abnormal pre-race [Na⁺] level (134 mmol/L). Female participants had a significantly higher rate of EAH than male participants (40% vs. 16%; p=0.039). Age, body mass index, weight changes, race completion status, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, and urine specific gravity were not associated with the development of EAH. Lower postrace [Na⁺] levels were associated with higher serum creatine kinase values (R²=0.1, p<0.005). [Conclusion] High altitude (3,840 m peak) does not appear to enhance the incidence of EAH after an ultramarathon footrace. This suggests that ambient temperature (low temperatures reduce risk), sex (female predilection), endurance running, and overhydration are more prominent risk factors for EAH than high altitude.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.76.1-76.14
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• 2022

Background: Clinical dexamethasone (DEX) treatment or stress in bovines results in extensive physiological changes with prominent hyperglycemia and neutrophils dysfunction. Objectives: To elucidate the effects of DEX treatment in vivo on cellular energy status and the underlying mechanism in circulating neutrophils. Methods: We selected eight-month-old male bovines and injected DEX for 3 consecutive days (1 time/d). The levels of glucose, total protein (TP), total cholesterol (TC), and the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in blood were examined, and we then detected glycogen and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content, phosphofructosekinase-1 (PFK1) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activity, glucose transporter (GLUT)1, GLUT4, sodium/glucose cotransporter (SGLT)1 and citrate synthase (CS) protein expression and autophagy levels in circulating neutrophils. Results: DEX injection markedly increased blood glucose, TP and TC levels, the Ca²⁺/P⁵⁺ ratio and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and significantly decreased blood IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α levels. Particularly in neutrophils, DEX injection inhibited p65-NFκB activation and elevated glycogen and ATP contents and SGLT1, GLUT1 and GR expression while inhibiting PFK1 activity, enhancing G6PDH activity and CS expression and lowering cell autophagy levels. Conclusions: DEX induced neutrophils glucose uptake by enhancing SGLT1 and GLUT1 expression and the transformation of energy metabolism from glycolysis to pentose phosphate pathway (PPP)-tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. This finding gives us a new perspective on deeper understanding of clinical anti-inflammatory effects of DEX on bovine.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.361-382
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• 2022

The third opium war may have already started, not only due to illicit opioid trafficking from the Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle on the international front but also through indiscriminate opioid prescription and opioid diversion at home. Opioid use disorder (OUD), among unintentional injuries, has become one of the top 4 causes of death in the United States (U.S.). An OUD is defined as a problematic pattern of opioid use resulting in clinically significant impairment or distress, consisting of 2 or more of 11 problems within 1 year, as described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Observation of aberrant behaviors of OUD is also helpful for overworked clinicians. For the prevention of OUD, the Opioid Risk Tool and the Current Opioid Misuse Measure are appropriate screening tests before and during opioid administration, respectively. Treatment of OUD consists of 3 opioid-based U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved medications, including methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, and non-opioid-based symptomatic medications for reducing opioid withdrawal syndromes, such as α₂ agonists, β-blockers, antidiarrheals, antiemetics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and benzodiazepines. There are at least 6 recommendable guidelines and essential terms related to OUD. Opioid stewardship programs are now critical to promoting appropriate use of opioid medications, improving patient outcomes, and reducing misuse of opioids, influenced by the successful implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs. Despite the lack of previous motivation, now is the critical time for trying to reduce the risk of OUD.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.133-138
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• 2022

Taurine is a type of sulfur-containing amino acid having a sulfate functional group, that is biosynthesized from cysteine. It is mainly distributed in high concentrations in animal tissues and is known to have various effects such as osmotic pressure control, calcium control, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and hepatocellular protection. Also, taurine deficiency causes a variety of symptoms, including visual impairment. In particular, in the case of cats, taurine is not biosynthesized and must be supplied through food, so it is classified as an essential amino acid. In this study, an analysis method using mass spectrometry was developed instead of the commonly used derivatization method to quickly, environmentally, and precisely analyze taurine in various animal feeds. The developed analytical method showed good linearity (R² > 0.99), accuracy (81.97-105.78%), and precision (0.07-12.37%). In addition, the developed method was further verified through quantitative comparison with the derivatization method. This developed method was used in the determination of taurine in 20 animal feed samples obtained from South Korea. The levels of taurine found ranged from 81.53 to 6,743.53 mg/kg. The developed analysis method will be used for the detection and quantification of taurine in domestic feed.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.95-111
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• 2022

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important healthcare problem worldwide. Often, glucocorticoid (GC) resistance develops during COPD treatment. As a classic hypoglycemic drug, metformin (MET) can be used as a treatment strategy for COPD due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, but its specific mechanism of action is not known. We aimed to clarify the role of MET on COPD and cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced GC resistance. Through establishment of a COPD model in rats, we found that MET could improve lung function, reduce pathological injury, as well as reduce the level of inflammation and oxidative stress in COPD, and upregulate expression of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1), and histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2). By establishing a model of GC resistance in human bronchial epithelial cells stimulated by CSE, we found that MET reduced secretion of interleukin-8, and could upregulate expression of Nrf2, HO-1, MRP1, and HDAC2. MET could also increase the inhibition of MRP1 efflux by MK571 significantly, and increase expression of HDAC2 mRNA and protein. In conclusion, MET may upregulate MRP1 expression by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, and then regulate expression of HDAC2 protein to reduce GC resistance.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.51-58
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• 2022

Quercetin, a flavonoid found in fruits and vegetables, exhibits a strong anti-inflammatory activity. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of quercetin on chemotactic activity of peripheral blood polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) to culture supernatant from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In addition, we determined whether this effect is related to interleukin (IL)-8 and changes in cytoskeleton. The chemotactic activity of PMNs was evaluated by a modified Boyden chamber assay. Total cellular filamentous (F)-actin levels were measured by method of fluorescence microscopy. The levels of IL-8 mRNA and protein were measured by real time polymerase reaction method and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Quercetin (0-50 µM) itself has no chemoattractant effect for PMNs. The culture supernatant from PBMCs (2 × 10⁶ cells/mL) treated with LPS (1 ㎍/mL) showed remarkable increase in chemotaxis of PMNs. However, this effect was reduced dose-dependently by treatment with quercetin. In addition, PBMCs treated with LPS revealed enhanced levels in IL-8 protein and mRNA. Co-treatment of LPS with quercetin (50 µM) in PBMCs decreased IL-8 production and expression. Treatment of quercetin (0-50 µM) on PMNs to rpIL-8 (10 nM) decreased dose-dependently the chemotactic activity of PMNs. Treatment of quercetin on PMNs to IL-8 also reduced their total cellular F-actin level. These results suggested that quercetin attenuates chemotactic activity of PMNs, which is mediated by down-regulation of IL-8 production from LPS-stimulated PBMCs and inhibition of F-actin polymerization in PMNs.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.111-118
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• 2022

Chestnut honey is a sweet dark-colored honey with a distinct bitter aftertaste. It contains numerous phenolic compounds and alkaloids and is noted for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. However, it has been established that there are differences in the composition and activity of chestnut honey constituents depending on the region of origin, the sources of which warrant further research. In this study, we analyzed the kynurenic acid (KA) contents in chestnut honey produced in nine different regions in Korea, using high-performance liquid chromatography in conjunction with ultraviolet detection, and validated the analytical method developed. Use of a reverse-phase column and detection at a wavelength of 240 nm were found to be optimal for the detection of KA. Similar evaluation of an optimal method for extracting KA from chestnut honey revealed that extraction using 10% EtOH at 20 times the sample volume over a 6 h period was the most suitable for obtaining a high content of KA. Among the nine regional chestnut honeys assessed, KA content was found to be highest in the "Gongju" sample (1.14 mg/g), followed by that in the "Cheongdo" and "Damyang" samples. Validation of the KA analytical method revealed a good analyte linearity, with a correlation coefficient (r²) of 0.9995, an accuracy of between 92.37% and 107.35%, and good precision (RSD ≤ 1.05%). Our findings in this study, based on a validated quantitative analytical method for KA, could make an important contribution to establishing a data profiling procedure for characterizing chestnut honeys produced in different regions, and may also provide basic data for the identification of functional honey.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.214-218
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the PMF in the treatment of acidosis and inflammation by monitoring the pH change for the continuity of PMF effect on the blood in the micro-circulation system that mimics the capillaries in the human body. Micro-tubes and micro-channels similar in diameter to those of arteries and arterioles were fabricated using PDMS and connected to a micro-pump for blood circulation. The continuity of PMF effect was verified in a micro-circulation system in-vitro. The pH changes for the circulating blood and for persistence time of PMF stimulus effect were confirmed using the optimized PMF conditions based on the previous studies. Also pH changes were observed by continuously stimulating PMF for a set period of time. The result was observed that the pH of the blood acidified using tBHP continued to rise from immediately after stimulation of PMF to 70 minutes of stimulation, reaching a normal pH range, and then decreasing. Our study showed that PMF has a positive effect on the control of blood pH homeostasis, so it is suggested the possibility of being used as a noninvasive treatment for acidosis treatment and anti- inflammatory treatment.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.26-33
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• 2023

Eugenol, which can be extracted from clove oil, is a phenolic aromatic compound and has been found to have antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant functions. Consequently, clove oil has long been used in several fields (food, medicine, skincare). Hence, in this study, the sensory profile of clove oil contained in milk analogs (almond, oat, and soy milks) was evaluated at different amounts (added at 0.25%-0.5% increments from 0% to 1.5%). Because of the strong scent of clove oil, the value of the evaluation for sensory profile determined in this study tended to be low. However, compared with the control group, good values in the evaluation for the sensory profile were found in all samples containing 0.25% of clove oil. We evaluated clove oil contained in milk analogs to help increase their sales through products with improved functionality.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.32-47
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) characterized by an enlarged prostate gland is common in elderly men. Corni Fructus (CF) and Schisandrae Fructus (SF) are known to have various pharmacological effects, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory efficacy of CF, SF, and their mixture (MIX) on the development of BPH using an in vivo model of testosterone-induced BPH. MATERIALS/METHODS: Six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into seven groups. To induce BPH, testosterone propionate (TP) was injected to rats except for those in the control group. Finasteride, saw palmetto (SP), CF, SF, and MIX were orally administered along with TP injection. At the end of treatment, histological changes in the prostate and the level of various biomarkers related to BPH were evaluated. RESULTS: Our results showed that BPH induced by TP led to prostate weight and histological changes. Treatment with MIX effectively improved TP-induced BPH by reducing prostate index, lumen area, epithelial thickness, and expression of BPH biomarkers such as 5α-reductase type 2, prostate-specific antigen, androgen receptor, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen compared to treatment with CF or SF alone. Moreover, MIX further reduced levels of elevated serum testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and prostate-specific antigen in BPH compared to the SP, a positive control. BPH was also improved more by MIX than by CF or SF alone. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results, MIX is a potential natural therapeutic candidate for BPH by regulating 5α-reductase and AR signaling pathway.