• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.235-241
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• 2007

Background: Airway mucus hypersecretion plays an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma, and is associated with the induction of MUC5AC expression in airway secretion. The MUC5AC gene is highly polymorphic; however, there are few studies about the association between the polymorphisms of the MUC5AC gene and asthma susceptibility or asthma phenotypes. We have investigated the association of MUC5AC promoter polymorphisms with the risk of asthma and asthma phenotypes. Methods: We determined the genotypes of the MUC5AC promoter (-1274G>A) in 78 asthma patients and in 78 age, sex-matched control individuals in the Korean population. Genomic DNAs from blood were analyzed by PCR and RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) determination. We examined $FEV_1$, total eosinophil count, serum IgE level, $PC_{20}$ and the presence of atopy (by a skin test) in asthma patients. Results: The mean age of the patients was $47.7{\pm}16.1$ years and 38.5% were men, and the mean $FEV_1$ was $84.4{\pm}22.3%$ of predicted in the asthma patients. The -1274G>A polymorphism of the MUC5AC promoter in asthma patients was not significantly different as compared with normal individuals (GG 57.7%, AG 34.6% and AA 7.7% in asthma patients vs. GG 56.4%, AG 38.5% and AA 5.1% in control subject, p = 0.752, Cod). Several clinical parameters in asthma patients such as $FEV_1$, total eosinophil count, serum IgE level, $PC_{20}$ and the presence of atopy, were not associated with the -1274G>A polymorphism of the MUC5AC promoter. Conclusion: The -1274G>A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) frequency of the MUC5AC promoter was not associated with asthma in a Korean population.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.34 no.3 s.104
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• pp.261-267
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• 2004

Nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate (NSCLP) is one of the most common congenital deformities and its prevalence in Far East Asia, such as within Korean and Japanese populations, is relatively high. However, in the eastern part of Europe, clefts are relatively rare situations. These ethnic differences infer a genetic background of the disease. The objective of this study was to compare the frequency of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in $TGF-{\beta}3$ between Korean and Romanian cleft families. Korean cleft families samples were collected from twenty-six families (n=78) and Romanian cleft families samples were collected from eighteen families (n=41). For sequencing, the blood or saliva of the subjects was sampled. A single nucleotide polymorphism was observed in the intron 5 of $TGF-{\beta}3$ (Al8141G). The frequency of each allele was significantly different between the Korean and Romanian samples. The Ah allele was present in 18 out of 78 Korean samples (23.1%) and in 27 out of 41 Romanian samples (65.9%). The AG was present in 27 (34.6%) out of 78 Koreans and in 13 (31.7%) out of 41 Romanians. The GG was found in 33 (42.3%) Koreans and in 1 (2.4%) Romanian. The difference between the groups was significant (p<0.001). In conclusion, the frequency of observed SNP was significantly different between the two countries. SNP in $TGF-{\beta}3$ in the Korean population seemed to have a higher possibility of occurrence for nonsyndromic cleft palate than the Romanian population.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2011

To investigate the toxicological effects of ${\beta}$-glucan, we performed basic studying on ${\beta}$-glucan in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Standard endpoints in this study included mortality, clinical observations, changes of body weights, analysis on food consumption, ophthalmoscopic examination, hematologic examination, serum biochemistry, analysis of organ weights, gross anatomic pathology and histopathology. No clinical signs and mortality were observed in animals treated with beta-glucan throughout the experimental period. The average body weight of each treatment groups showed similar levels at end of experiment. There were no treatment-related changes in mortality, body weights changes, food consumption, ophthalmoscopic examination. Although there were statistically significant differences between the control and treated groups in some relative and absolute organ weights, and hematological and biochemical analysis, the data were in biologically normal ranges and did not show a dose-dependent manner. In the morphological change, hepatic tissue were not showed ballooning degeneration and irregular arrangement of hepatic cell in ${\beta}$-glucan treatment groups with control group. Also, organs weights (liver, heart, kidney and stomach) and hematological indices (WBC, RBC, Hb, Hct and Platelet) did not show statistically significant differences among the experimental groups. In summary of these results, there were no changes in mortality, mean body weight, clinical signs, food consumption. There were no changes in ophthalmological examination, hematology, blood chemistry, necropsy and histopathology. In conclusion, although further investigation of glucan should be performed in the functions registered in many ancient literatures, ${\beta}$-glucan is physiologically safe and may have potential as candidate food for human health.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.12
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• pp.1348-1357
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• 2009

Purpose:The aims of this study were to identify the clinical characteristics and determine the changes in the expression of cytokines and apoptosis-related genes in children with infectious mononucleosis. Methods:Serological examinations of 15 pediatric patients diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis were performed prospectively. Peripheral blood from the patients was used to compare the composition of T cell subsets, cytokines, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA, and the expression of apoptosis-related genes with those in 10 healthy children. Results:Mean age of the patient group was $5.7{\pm}3.4$ (range, 3-9) years, and the male-to-female ratio was 1.5:1. Fever, sore throat, pharyngitis/tonsillitis, and cervical lymph node enlargement were the most common symptoms and signs. The proportions of CD3+ T cells, CD8+ suppressor cells, and CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells were higher in the patient group than in the control group (P<0.01). The IL-2, IL-6, and interferon $(INF)-{\gamma}$ levels were higher in the early symptomatic period (P<0.01). Mean amount of EBV DNA in the patients was $10^{2.38}copies/{\mu}g$, and the amount was the highest at the beginning of the symptomatic period and normalized during the convalescent phase. Bcl-2 expression increased during the initial phase, while Bax expression increased during the convalescent phase. Further, FasL expression increased 1 week after symptom presentation and decreased during the convalescent phase. There was no significant change in Fas expression. Conclusion:We analyzed the clinical characteristics and changes in the expression ofcytokines and apoptosis-related genes in the patients with infectious mononucleosis.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.17-23
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• 1984

For nearly a century it has been known that chemical activity accompanies mental activity, but only recently has it been possible to begin to examine its exact nature. Positron-emitting radioactive tracers have made it possible to study the chemistry of the human mind in health and disease, using chiefly cyclotron-produced radionuclides, carbon-11, fluorine-18 and oxygen-15. It is now well established that measurable increases in regional cerebral blood flow, glucose and oxygen metabolism accompany the mental functions of perception, cognition, emotion and motion. On May 25, 1983 the first imaging of a neuroreceptor in the human brain was accomplished with carbon-11 methyl spiperone, a ligand that binds preferentially to dopamine-2 receptors, 80% of which are located in the caudate nucleus and putamen. Quantitative imaging of serotonin-2, opiate, benzodiazapine and muscarinic cholinergic receptors has subsequently been accomplished. In studies of normal men and women, it has been found that dopamine and serotonin receptor activity decreases dramatically with age, such a decrease being more pronounced in men than in women and greater in the case of dopamine receptors than serotonin-2 receptors. Preliminary studies in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders suggests that dopamine-2 receptor activity is diminished in the caudate nucleus of patients with Huntington's disease. Positron tomography permits quantitative assay of picomolar quantities of neuro-receptors within the living human brain. Studies of patients with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, acute and chronic pain states and drug addiction are now in progress. The growth of any scientific field is based on a paradigm or set of ideas that the community of scientists accepts. The unifying principle of nuclear medicine is the tracer principle applied to the study of human disease. Nineteen hundred and sixty-three was a landmark year in which technetium-99m and the Anger camera combined to move the field from its latent stage into a second stage characterized by exponential growth within the framework of the paradigm. The third stage, characterized by gradually declining growth, began in 1973. Faced with competing advances, such as computed tomography and ultrasonography, proponents and participants in the field of nuclear medicine began to search for greener pastures or to pursue narrow sub-specialties. Research became characterized by refinements of existing techniques. In 1983 nuclear medicine experienced what could be a profound change. A new paradigm was born when it was demonstrated that, despite their extremely low chemical concentrations, in the picomolar range, it was possible to image and quantify the distribution of receptors in the human body. Thus, nuclear medicine was able to move beyond physiology into biochemistry and pharmacology. Fundamental to the science of pharmacology is the concept that many drugs and endogenous substances, such as neurotransmitters, react with specific macromolecules that mediate their pharmacologic actions. Such receptors are usually identified in the study of excised tissues, cells or cell membranes, or in autoradiographic studies in animals. The first imaging and quantification of a neuroreceptor in a living human being was performed on May 25, 1983 and reported in the September 23, 1983 issue of SCIENCE. The study involved the development and use of carbon-11 N-methyl spiperone (NMSP), a drug with a high affinity for dopamine receptors. Since then, studies of dopamine and serotonin receptors have been carried out in over 100 normal persons or patients with various neuropsychiatric disorders. Exactly one year later, the first imaging of opitate receptors in a living human being was performed [1].

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.181-189
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• 2015

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of vitamin C and Sea buckthorn on the performance, blood biochemistry and meat quality in old laying hens. A total 200 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (101 weeks old) were randomly allotted to 1 of 5 dietary treatments : (1) Basal : basal diet, (2) Vit. C : basal diet + 0.1% vitamin C, (3) SB 0.1 : basal diet + 0.1% Sea buckthorn, (4) SB 0.5 : basal diet + 0.5% Sea buckthorn, and (5) SB 1.0 : basal diet + 1.0% Sea buckthorn. Each treatment was replicated 4 times with 10 birds units were arranged according to randomized block design. Feeding trial lasted 4 weeks under 16L:8D lighting regimen. The diets were fed to hens on an ad libitum basis for 4 weeks. Result indicated that during feeding trial of the experiment, hen-day egg production and feed conversion ratio were not significantly influenced by treatments. However, feed intake was significantly (P<0.05) higher in Vit. C and SB treated groups than the basal during 1 wks and 3 wks. Egg weight was significantly (P<0.05) higher in basal and Vit. C than the SB 1.0 treatment. There were no differences in carcass yield during feeding trials. However, partial ratio (breast and neck) was significantly (P<0.05) higher in SB 0.5 than other treatment. There were no differences in the level of leukocytes and erythrocytes. There were no significant differences on proximate analysis (DM, crude protein, crude fat, and crude ash), meat color, water holding capacity, cooking loss, and fatty acids concentrations. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of vitamin C and Sea buckthorn to the diet of old laying hens might be a potential ingredient for increasing partial weight (breast) in old laying hens.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.107-115
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• 1968

Number of aspects, not only nutritional but social as well as political involved in human starvation pose nowadays global problems. In order to help establish the minimum nutritional requirements in the daily life of a man and to free people as well from either undernourishment, malnutrition or even starvation many workers have devoted themselves so far on the research programs to know what and how number of metabolic events take place in animals in vivo. It is the purpose of the present paper to examine in effect to what extent both of the protein and nucleic acids (DNA & RNA) together with an enzyme, guanine deaminase, which converts guanine into xanthine and in turn ends up to uric acid as an end product, undergo changes, quantitatively during acute starvation, using the mouse as an experimental animal. The mouse was strictly inhibited from taking foods except drinking water ad libitum and was sacriflced 24, 48, and 72 hours following starvation thus acutely induced. The animals consisted of two experimental groups, one control and another starvation groups, each being consisted of 6-24 mice of whose body weights ranged in the vicinity of 10 g. The animals were sacriflced by a blow on the head, followed by immediate excision of their livers into ice-cold distilled water, washing adherent blood and other contaminant tissues. The liver was minced foramin, by an all-glass homogenizer immersing it in an ice-bath, followed by subsequent fractionatin of the homogenate (10% W/V in 0.25M sucrose solution made up with 0.05M phosphate buffer of pH 7.4). For the liver protein and guanine deaminase assay, the 10% homogenate was centrifuged at 600 x g for 10 minutes to eliminate the nuclear fraction; and for the estimation of DNA and RNA, the homogenate was prepared by the addition of 10% trichloroacetic acid in order to free the homogenate from the acid-soluble fraction, the remaining residue being delipidate by the addition of alcohol and dried in vacuo for later KOH (IN) hydrolysis. The changes in body and liver wegihts during acute starvation were checked gravimetrically. Protein contents in the liver were monitored by the method of Lowry et al; and guanine deaminase activities were followed by the assay of liberated ammonia from the substrate utilizing the Caraway's colorimetry. The extraction of both DNA and RNA was performed by the Schmidt-Thannhauser's method, which was followed by Marmur's method of purification for DNA and by Chargaff's method of purification for RNA. The determinations of both DNA and RNA were carried out by the diphenylamine reaction for the former and by the orcinol reaction for the latter. The following resume was the results of the present work. 1. It was observed that the body as well as liver weights fall abruptly during starvation, and that the loss of body weight showed no statistical correlation with the decreases in the content of liver protein. 2. The content of liver protein and activity of liver guanine deaminase activity as well decline dramatically, and the specific activities of the enzyme (activity/protein), however, decreased gradually as starvation proceeded. 3. Both of the nucleic acids, DNA and RNA, showed decrements in the liver of mouse during acute starvation; the latter, however, being more striking in the decline as compared to the former. 4. The decreases in the liver protein content as resulted from the acute starvation had no statistically significant correlation with the decrements of DNA in the same tissue, but had regressed with a significant statistical correlation with the fall of RNA in the tissue. 5. The decrease in the activity of guanine deaminase in the liver of mouse during acute starvation was functionally more proportional to the decrease in RNA than DNA, and moreover correlated with the changes in the content of the liver protein. 6. The possible mechanisms involved during in this acute starvation as bring the decreases in the contents of DNA, protein, and guanine deaminase were discussed briefly.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.735-743
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• 2009

The common word flavonoids is often used to classify a family of natural compounds, highly abundant in all higher plants, that have received significant therapeutic interest in recent years. Naringin is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, neurodegenerative disease, cancer and other chronic diseases; however the molecular basis of this effect remains to be elucidated. Thus we attempted to elucidate the anti-allergic effect of Naringin in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model mice. The OVA-induced mice showed allergic reactions in the airways. These included an increase in the number of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, an increase in inflammatory cell infiltration into the lung around blood vessels and airways, airway luminal narrowing, and the development of airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR). The administration of Naringin before the last airway OVA challenge resulted in a significant inhibition of all asthmatic reactions. Accordingly, this study may provide evidence that Naringin plays a critical role in the amelioration of the pathogenetic process of asthma in mice. These findings provide new insight into the immunopharmacological role of Naringin in terms of its effects on asthma in mice.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.329-336
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• 2004

Objectives : Iron (Fe) is an essential element in biological processes; however excessive Fe is harmful to human health. Some air pollutants contain a high level of Fe, and the human lung could therefore be over-exposed to Fe through inhaled air pollutants. This study was performed to investigate the role of metal transporters (divalent metal transporter 1, DMT1, and metal transporter protein 1, MTP1) in the lung under the environments of Fe deficiency in the body and Fe over-exposure in the lung. Methods : Rats were fed Fe deficient (FeD, 2-6 mg Fe/kg) or Fe supplemented (FeS, 120 mg Fe/kg) diet for 4 weeks, followed by a single intratracheal instillation of ferrous sulfate at low (10 mg/kg) or high (20 mg/kg) dose. Fe concentration was analyzed in the serum, lung and liver, and histopathological findings were observed in the lung at 24 hours after Fe administration. The level of DMT1 and MTP1 expression in the lung was analyzed by RT-PCR. Also, the effect of Fe deficiency in the body was evaluated on the level of Fe concentration and metal transporters compared to FeS-diet fed rats at the end of 4-week FeD or FeS diet. Results : The 4-week FeD diet in rats induced an Fe deficiency anemia with decreased serum total Fe, increased unsaturated Fe binding capacity and hypochromic microcytic red blood cells. The concentration of Fe in the lung and liver was lower in the FeD-diet fed rats than in the FeS-diet fed rats. The level of metal transporters mRNA expression was higher in the FeD-diet fed rats than in the FeS-diet. The concentration of Fe in the lung was increased in a dose-dependent pattern after intratracheal instillation of Fe into the rats, while the level of Fe in the serum and liver was not increased in the low-dose Fe administered rats. Therefore, DMT1 and MTP1 mRNA was highly expressed in both FeD-diet and FeS-diet fed rats, after intratracheal instillation of Fe. Conclusions : DMT1 and MTP1 mRNA were more highly expressed in FeD-diet fed rats than in FeS-diet fed rats. The over-exposure of Fe intratracheally induced high expression of metal transporters and increased Fe deposition in the lung in both FeD-diet and FeS-diet fed rats, but did not increase the Fe level of the serum and liver in low-dose Fe administered rats. These results suggest that the role of metal transporters in the lung might be different in a part from the duodenum under the environment of over-exposure to Fe.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.1129-1136
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• 2005

The writer reports the conclusions gained from study about the cause of the hypersensitive large intestine syndrome with Dongeuibogam as the central figure through researching the disharmony among Body Essence, Vital Energy, Mentality, and Blood, mutual action of five viscera and six bowels, and external shapes. The hypersensitive large intestine syndrome is generally chronic and recurred in many cases, so it is more efficacious than symptomatic to treat according to find the contradictions of individual shapes. The shapes and cases suffering frequently the hypersensitive large intestine syndrome are Gi-kwa and Sin-kwa, having a long nose, having a bruised spot on Triple warmer, man with inclined mouth, Taeeum type, man with congested fluids, man with colic symptoms. The hypersensitive large intestine syndrome in Oriental medicine is recognized of diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, abdominal distention and fullness caused by seven emotions. In Dongeuibogam it can be found out the similarity in depressive symptoms due to disorder of Gi, stagnation of Gi, dysphasia due to disorder of Gi, diarrhea due to disorder of Gi, fullness of due to Gi, diarrhea due to phlegm-retention, retention of undigested food, immoderate drinking, hypo-function of the spleen, or deficiency, abdominal pain from colic symptom, and difficulty in defecation and urination, internal injury, diarrhea due to weakness and fatigue. If the Jung, Gi, Sin, and Hyul composed the human body is broken harmony, the function of large intestinal transmission would be fallen, so similar symptoms like the hypersensitive large intestine syndrome are gotten. Especially Gi-kwa suffers diarrhea, constipation abdominal pain, and abdominal distention and fullness due to depressive symptoms from disorder of Seven emotions or Seven Gi. And Sin-kwa suffers from the hypersensitive large intestine syndrome due to emotional restlessness having an influence on rhythmic movement of abdomen. Examining between five viscera and six bowels and the hypersensitive large intestine syndrome, Liver cannot disperse well having influence on mutual relation of Liver-Large intestine, Heart reduces the function of defecation and urination not to control the seven emotions, Lung having exterior and interior relation with intestine has an influence on primordial energy and let the main symptoms occur, Spleen circulating the body fluid let the main symptoms occur due to malfunction of circulation, Kidney locating in lower part of the body has deep connection with intestine, so let the disorder. Urinary bladder is connected with intestine in moisture metabolism, Stomach is connected in receive and transmission, Small intestine is connected in absorption and excretion, from small intestine pain disturbing the abdominal movement, Samcho managing the catharsis of lower heater if declined its function causes the hypersensitive large intestine syndrome. The colic symptoms of Front private parts which disorder in lower abdomen give rise to abdominal pains, difficulty in defecation and urination due to Cold are similar to the hypersensitive large intestine syndrome. The treatments of applying the shapes of colic syndrome advocated by Master Park can be efficacious cure in clinic. Researching after the clinical cases of Master Park advocating Hyungsang medicine, we came to know that plenty of prescriptions of internal injury are applied and take good effects.