• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.53-63
• /
• 2023

There have been many studies from the genetic system to physical activity and emotional expression such that there are gender differences. The purpose of this study was to determine how the structural characteristics of cortical thickness differ between males and females. This study used data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP). To analyze age-specific sexual dimorphisms of cortical thickness, selected 8-80 year old subjects were divided into five detailed age range groups according to each criterion. A total of 1,700 individual brain MRI T1 data were registered in stereotaxic space for analysis and classified into white matter (WM), gray matter (GM), and cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF). For surface-based analysis, the WM/GM surface was reconstructed from a spherical polygon model with 40962 vertices per hemisphere, and each vertex was extended to the GM/CSF boundary. Cortical thickness was then measured between each vertex using the t-link method. In the statistical analysis, intracranial volume was used as a covariate to exclude the effect of the difference in brain size of each individual, and the result of using age as a covariate was added to confirm the age effect within each group. Gender differences in cortical thickness had significant results by group. This may be an index to explain diseases with sexual dimorphism in prevalence or become a basis for explaining the characteristics of each sex that appear in behavior, personality, and aging. Therefore, the results of our study could be a criterion for age classification in future studies and for understanding 'normal' sexual dimorphism.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.13-18
• /
• 2017

Objectives : The aim of this study is to investigate anti-inflammation of Leonurus sibiricus methanol extract against UVB-damage in fibroblast. The skin is continuously exposed to damage from environmental stresses. UV radiation causes a variety of biological effects especially on the skin, including inflammation and photoaging. Methods : In this study, we tried to search for Leonurus sibiricus which exhibit protective activities against UVB-induced cytotoxicity and oxidative cell death, NO and $PGE_2$ production. HS68 cells were exposed to UVB ($120mJ/cm^2$) and treated with various concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, $8mg/m{\ell}$) of Leonurus sibiricus methanol extract for additional 24 h. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels generated by UV radiation were detected using a spectrofluorometer after DCF-DA staining. Also, HS68 cells were irradiated with UVB and then treated with Leonurus sibiricus methanol extract for 12 h. The lipid peroxidation was assayed by measuring the levels of 8-isoprostane secreted into the culture medium. Results : UVB-induced cytotoxicity and cell death were effectively suppressed by treatment of Leonurus sibiricus aqueous methanol extracts. Oxidative cell damage was mediated $PGE_2$ in UVB-induced HS68 fibroblast cell, which was significantly inhibited by treatment with Leonurus sibiricus extracts. Also, the protective effect of these extract seemed to be mediated by inhibited intracellular ROS generation and lipid peroxidation in dose-dependent manner. Conclusion : These results suggest that Leonurus sibiricus aqueous methanol extracts may have anti-aging effects new functional materials against oxidative UVB stress-mediated skin damages.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.49 no.4
• /
• pp.905-917
• /
• 2022

It is well known that the fruit of the vitamin tree (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) provides excellent anti-diabetic, antibacterial, immune regulation, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging effects. In some countries including Europe the fruit has been added to certain foods to develop functional foods. The present research was carried out to elucidate the biological function of vitamin tree fruit powder added to fermented milk. It was found that there was an antioxidant effect of yoghurt made with vitamin tree fruit powder, and this effect was greater with increased incubation time and amount of vitamin powder, as shown by 1,1-diphenyl2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-anziobis (3-ehtylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic aicd) (ABTS) radical scavenging activities. The antibacterial effect of yoghurt containing vitamin tree fruit powder was shown to be effective against four pathogenic microorganisms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonela Typhimurium. In particular, yoghurt supplemented with 5% of vitamin tree fruit powder showed the best antibacterial effect. The yogurt containing the vitamin tree fruit powder significantly inhibited the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 (yogurt [Y] + Hippophae rhamnoides L. powder [HP] and yogurt containing 5% Hippophae rhamnoides L. powder [HPY]) and IL-1β (HP, Y + HP and HPY) in a concentration-dependent manner among tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-6, IL-1, and induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Our results clearly demonstrated that vitamin tree fruit powder could be a good functional ingredient for improving health through yoghurt manufactured with vitamin tree.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.139-146
• /
• 2023

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the risk of bone fractures increases due to a decrease in bone density caused by aging. Osteoporosis is diagnosed by measuring bone density in the total hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine. To accurately measure bone density in the lumbar spine, the vertebral region must be segmented from the lumbar X-ray image. Deep learning-based automatic spinal segmentation methods can provide fast and precise information about the vertebral region. In this study, we used 695 lumbar spine images as training and test datasets for a deep learning segmentation model. We proposed a lumbar automatic segmentation model, CM-Net, which combines the center point of the spine and the modified U-Net network. As a result, the average Dice Similarity Coefficient(DSC) was 0.974, precision was 0.916, recall was 0.906, accuracy was 0.998, and Area under the Precision-Recall Curve (AUPRC) was 0.912. This study demonstrates a high-performance automatic segmentation model for lumbar X-ray images, which overcomes noise such as spinal fractures and implants. Furthermore, we can perform accurate measurement of bone density on lumbar X-ray images using an automatic segmentation methodology for the spine, which can prevent the risk of compression fractures at an early stage and improve the accuracy and efficiency of osteoporosis diagnosis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.33 no.7
• /
• pp.915-925
• /
• 2023

Sarcopenia is defined as loss of muscle mass and strength due to aging. Recent studies show that sarcopenia may improve via the gut-muscle axis, suggesting that gut health may affect muscle phenotypes. In this study, we aimed to investigate the ability of Lactobacillus rhamnosus JY02 as a probiotic strain isolated from kimchi to alleviate sarcopenia. L. rhamnosus JY02-conditioned medium (CM) reduced dexamethasone (DEX)-induced myotube diameter atrophy and expression of muscle degradation markers (MuRF1 and atrogin-1) in C2C12 cells. The amelioration of sarcopenia was investigated by measuring body composition (lean mass), hand grip strength, myofibril size (using histological analysis), and mRNA and protein expression of muscle-related factors in a DEX-induced mouse model. The results of these analyses showed that L. rhamnosus JY02 supplementation promoted the production of muscle-enhancement markers (MHC Iβ, MHC IIα, and Myo-D) and reduced both the production of muscle degradation markers and the symptoms of muscle atrophy (loss of lean mass and muscle strength). We also found decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IFN- γ) and increased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) in the serum of DEX+JY02-administered mice compared to those in DEX-treated mice. Overall, these results suggest that L. rhamnosus JY02 is a potent probiotic supplement that prevents sarcopenia by suppressing muscle atrophy.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.44 no.6
• /
• pp.377-383
• /
• 2023

Purpose: There is increasing attention to the application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for enhancing cognitive functions in subjects to aging, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Despite varying treatment outcomes in tDCS which depend on the amount of current reaching the brain, there is no general information on the impacts of anatomical features associated with AD on tDCS-induced electric field. Objective: The objective of this study is to examine how AD-related anatomical variation affects the tDCS-induced electric field using computational modeling. Methods: We collected 180 magnetic resonance images (MRI) of AD patients and healthy controls from a publicly available database (Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative; ADNI), and MRIs were divided into female-AD, male-AD, female-normal, and male-normal groups. For each group, segmented brain volumes (cerebrospinal fluid, gray matter, ventricle, rostral middle frontal (RMF), and hippocampus/amygdala complex) using MRI were measured, and tDCS-induced electric fields were simulated, targeting RMF. Results: For segmented brain volumes, significant sex differences were observed in the gray matter and RMF, and considerable disease differences were found in cerebrospinal fluid, ventricle, and hippocampus/amygdala complex. There were no differences in the tDCS-induced electric field among AD and normal groups; however, higher peak values of electric field were observed in the female group than the male group. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated the presence of sex and disease differences in segmented brain volumes; however, this pattern differed in tDCS-induced electric field, resulting in significant sex differences only. Further studies, we will adjust the brain stimulation conditions to target the deep brain and examine the effects, because of significant differences in the ventricles and deep brain regions between AD and normal groups.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.616-621
• /
• 2013

Aconitum pesudo-laeve var erectum has been known to possess anti-inflammatory activity and modulate the intestinal immune system. In addition, it has traditionally been used for the treatment of water retention in the body. In this study, the anti-aging and anti-diabetes effects of water and ethanol extracts from Aconitum pesudo-laeve var. erectum were investigated. The activities of each extract were measured by antioxidant tests such as DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity, antioxidant protection factor (PF), TBARs content, and ${\alpha}$-amylase and ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition activity assay. DPPH radical scavenging activity was found in over 50% of water and ethanol extracts at $100{\mu}g/ml$, $50{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. The ABTS radical scavenging activity of ethanol extract was $99.8{\pm}0.1$% at $1,000{\mu}g/ml$ in water, which was highest among the ethanol extract concentrations. PFs measured with ${\beta}$-carotene-linoleate model systems were in the order of ethanol (1.49 PF at $1,000{\mu}g/ml$) > ethanol (1.40 PF at $500{\mu}g/ml$) > water (1.33 PF at $1,000{\mu}g/ml$) > water (1.27 PF at $500{\mu}g/ml$). TBARs content in ethanol extracts ($1,000{\mu}g/ml$) was $0.16{\pm}0.03{\mu}M$, which was lower than that of water extracts and other ethanol extract concentrations. The extracts also showed over 90% of ${\alpha}$-amylase inhibition and over 60% of ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition ratio in water ($1,000{\mu}g/ml$) and ethanol extracts (100~$1,000{\mu}g/ml$). These results suggest that Aconitum pesudo-laeve var. erectum extracts could be used as a cosmetic source and preventive agent for aging and diabetes.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.62 no.2
• /
• pp.187-193
• /
• 2019

The newly bred Picnic apple was extracted using water and ethanol for extracting solvent. Each water and ethanol extract showed relatively high phenolic compound of 3.69 and 5.55 mg/g. Each water and ethanol extract of Picnic apple showed 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl of 88.10 and 88.07%, 2,2'-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) of 98.79 and 97.25%, antioxidant protection factor of 2.07 and 2.00 PF and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances showed anti-oxidation effect of 9.69 and 19.83% all at $100{\mu}g/mL$ phenolics concentration. Therefore extract of Picnic apple can be considered as anti-oxidant for anti-aging. The anti-inflammatory effect (hyaluronidase inhibition) of extract of Picnic apple were 4.62% with water extract and 4.39% with ethanol extract both at $200{\mu}g/mL$ phenolics concentration. Both water and ethanol extract showed low ${\alpha}$-amylase inhibition effect but each showed 67.37 and 79.16% of ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition effect at $200{\mu}g/mL$ phenolics concentration. In anti-wrinkle effect, water extract showed each 23.70 and 66.29% in elastase inhibition and collagenase inhibition and ethanol extract showed 64.83 and 65.70% each. These result show high potential for functional food and cosmetic source. Picnic apple was identified to have various functions of anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-wrinkle effect, and anti-diabetic effect. Therefore, Picnic apple is qualified as a source for new functional cosmetics and functional foods.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.41 no.5
• /
• pp.439-447
• /
• 2008

There is a limitation to estimate vitamin $B_{12}$ intake due to lack of data on vitamin $B_{12}$ content in many Korean foods. In this study, vitamin $B_{12}$ content was determined in some soybean or vegetable-fermented foods, edible seaweeds and other frequently consumed foods in Korea by microbioassay using Lactobacillus delbruecki ATCC 7830. The traditional type of Doenjang and Chungkookjang contained 1.85 ${\mu}g/100$ g and 0.69 ${\mu}g/100$ g of vitamin $B_{12}$, respectively, while the factory-type of Doenjang and Chungkookjang contained 0.04-0.86 ${\mu}g/100$ g and 0.06-0.15 ${\mu}g/100$ g. Vitamin $B_{12}$ was not detected in steamed soybeans and Tofu which is a not-fermented soybean product, indicating that vitamin $B_{12}$ in Doenjang and Chungkookjang might be produced during the fermentation process. The Korean-style soy sauce contained 0.04 ${\mu}g$ vitamin $B_{12}$/100 mL, but vitamin $B_{12}$ was not detected in Japanese-style soy sauce and white miso. Commercial Kimchi, a representative Korean vegetable- fermented food, made of Korean cabbage, Yeolmu, or Mustard leaves contained 0.013-0.03 ${\mu}g$ vitamin $B_{12}$/100 g, while Kimchi without red pepper and fermented fish sauce (White Kimchi) did not. Vitamin $B_{12}$ content was very high in some edible seaweeds such as laver (66.76 ${\mu}g/100$ g dry weight) and sea lettuce (84.74 ${\mu}g/100$ g dry weight), and it was 17.12 ${\mu}g/100$ g of dried small anchovy, 1.07 ${\mu}g/100$ g of whole egg, and 0.02 ${\mu}g/100$ g of coffee mix. From these results, it is assumed that Koreans take substantial amount of vitamin $B_{12}$ from plant-origin foods. And, with these data, we will be able to calculate dietary vitamin $B_{12}$ content more correctly than before. In conclusion, soybean-fermented foods, Kimchi, laver and sea lettuce are recommendable as good sources of vitamin $B_{12}$ for vegetarians or Korean elderly on grain and vegetable based diet.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.281-287
• /
• 2013

A major barrier to progress in pig to primate organ transplantation or cell therapy is the presence of terminal ${\alpha}$-1,3-galactosyl epitopes on the surface of pig cells. Therefore, the purpose of this experiment was to establish and cha- racterize mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) derived from ${\alpha}$-1,3-galactosyltransferase (GalT) knock out (GalT KO) pig to confirm their potential for cell therapy. Bone marrow (BM)-MSCs from GalT KO pig of 1 month old were isolated by Ficoll-Paque PLUS gradient and cultured with A-DMEM + 10% FBS on plastic dishes in 5% $CO_2$ incubator at 38.5. GalT KO BM-MSCs were analyzed for the expression of CD markers ($CD45^-$, $29^+$, $90^+$ and $105^+$) and in vitro differentiation ability (adiopogenesis and osteogenesis). Further, cell proliferation capacity and cell aging of GalT KO BM-MSCs were compared to Wild BM-MSCs by BrdU incorporation assay (Roche, Germany) using ELISA at intervals of two days for 7 days. Finally, the cell size was also evaluated in GalT KO and Wild BM-MSCs. Statistical analysis was performed by T-test (P<0.05). GalT KO BM-MSCs showed fibroblast-like cell morphology on plastic culture dish at passage 1 and exhibited $CD45^-$, $29^+$, $90^+$ and $105^+$ expression profile. Follow in ginduction in StemPro adipogenesis and osteogenesis media for 3 weeks, GalT KO BM-MSCs were differentiated into adipocytes, as demonstrated by Oilred Ostaining of lipid vacuoles and osteocytes, as confirmed by Alizarinred Sstaining of mineral dispositions, respectively. BrdU incorporation assay showed a significant decrease in cell proliferation capacity of GalT KO BM-MSCs compared to Wild BM-MSCs from 3 day, when they were seeded at $1{\times}10^3$ cells/well in 96-well plate. Passage 3 GalT KO and Wild BM-MSCs at 80% confluence in culture dish were allowed to form single cells to calculate cell size. The results showed that GalT KO BM-MSCs($15.0{\pm}0.4{\mu}m$) had a little larger cell size than Wild BM-MSCs ($13.5{\pm}0.3{\mu}m$). From the above findings, it is summarized that GalT KO BM-MSCs possessed similar biological properties with Wild BM-MSCs, but exhibited a weak cell proliferation ability and resistance to cell aging. Therefore, GalT KO BM-MSCs might form a good source for cell therapy after due consideration to low proliferation potency in vitro.