• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.96-105
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• 2001

Objective : Lithium inhibits the action of inositol monophosphatase(IMPase) in phosphoinositide(PI) signal transduction system at therapeutically relevant concentration. The depletion of inositol by lithium itself cannot explain the lithium's therapeutic effect. However, attention has focused on the abnormality of PI signal transduction system as the pathophysiology of bipolar affective disorder(BPD). We investigated whether IMPase mRNA levels of lymphocytes would be different between BPD patients(n=16) and age, sex-matched normal controls(n=16). We also investigated the change of IMPase mRNA level by lithium during 4 weeks to probe the possibility that IMPase mRNA levels could predict the therapeutic response to lithium and clinical course. Method : Relative IMPase mRNA levels in lymphocyte were quantified by reverse transcriptase(RT)-PCR in sixteen drug-free BPD patients and sex, age-matched normal controls. The psychopathology of patients were measured using YMRS (Young Mania Rating Scale) and CGI(Clinical Global Impression). Results : There was no significant difference in IMPase mRNA levels between BPD patients and normal controls. And the IMPase mRNA levels were not significantly changed by 4 week treatment with lithium. However, the basal IMPase mRNA levels were negatively correlated with the changes of CGI after 4 weeks. Furthermore, the patients with relatively high basal IMPase mRNA levels showed much more improvement during 4 weeks. Conclusions : BPD patients and normal controls were not distinguished by lymphocyte IMPase mRNA level. Although we do not support the hypothesis that lymphocyte IMPase activity would be related with the pathogenesis of BPD and the action of lithium, these data raise the possibility that lymphocyte IMPase mRNA levels could function as a predictor of therapeutic response and clinical course of BPD.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.53-62
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• 2013

Purpose: The cross-protection of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) against vaccine-related serotypes has been controversial. We investigated the serological properties of cross-protective antibodies against vaccine-related serotypes 6A, 6C, and 19A induced in young children aged 12-23 months after booster immunization of PCV7. Methods: IgG and IgM antibody concentrations and opsonic index (OI) against vaccine serotypes 6B and 19F and vaccine-related serotypes 6A, 6C, and 19A were measured by ELISA and opsonophagocytic killing assay (OPA) in 4 selected immunesera. The serological properties and antigenic specificity of protective antibodies were determined by IgM depletion of immunesera, OPA, and competitive OPA against serogroup 6 and 19 pneumococci. Results: Compared to pre-IgM depleted immunesera, OI of IgM-depleted immunesera against 6B and 19F decreased and OI against 6A, 6C, and 19A decreased, too. In competition OPA, free 6B and 19F polysaccharide completely inhibited the immune protection against vaccine-related serotypes 6A, 6C, and 19A as well as vaccine types 6B and 19F. Conclusions: The booster immunization of PCV7 certainly induced cross-protective antibodies against vaccine-related serotypes 6A, 6C, and 19A with both IgG and IgM isotypes. Furthermore, IgM antibodies are more highly contributed to opsonophagocytic activity against vaccine-related serotypes as well as most of vaccine types than do IgG antibodies. Further studies are needed for the more immunized sera in the children as well as adults.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.4 s.46
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• pp.167-179
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• 2006

Division of granites in the Galmal-Yeonbug area, northern Gyeonggi, can be grey hornblende biotite granite (JHBG), biotite granite (JBG) and pink hornblende biotite granite (CHBG) by lithofacies. JHBG of small stock occurs as medium-grained with grey color and minute sphene. JBG occurs as medium-grained and light grey to grey in the north-east part of the area. The main study target CHBG covers in the north-southeast part of the area, and occurs medium-to coarse-grained with pink color. CHBG shows partly minute miaroles, and pegmatitic pocket with druse texture. From the mineral age data (K-Ar method). JHBG and JBG and CHBG are the igneous activity products of Daebo orogeny with different Jurassic and Bulgugsa disturbance of Cretaceous, respectively. And the age data also agree with geologic occurrences and interpretations of the granites in the field. CHBG consists of quartz, plagioclase, alkali-feldspar, biotite, hornblende, allanite, apatite, zircon, some calcite and opaques. Among them, alkalifeldspar and calcite occur characteristically in mostly perthitic othoclase and secondary filling of minutely miarolitic cavity, respectively. In modal analysis and QAP diagram, CHBG plots in granite field, and especially boundary of monzo-and syeno-granite fields. From the major oxide variations, molar A/CNK, $SiO_{2}\;vs\;K_{2}O$, AMF and so on, CHBG belongs to the acidic, peraluminous and high-K calc-alkaline, and was late differentiation product of single granitic magma. Barium and strontium have also dominantly differentiation trend, and in CaO vs Sr and $K_{2}O$ vs Sr, Sr was more participitated in the fractionation of plagioclase than that of alkali-feldspar. Normalized REE concentrations to chondrite value have parallel and gradual LREE enrichment and HREE depletion patterns, and weak Eu negative anomalies and narrow ranges of normalized Eu can suggest that plagioclase fractionations occurred mildly in the whole CHBG.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.260-265
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• 2011

Plantago asiatica L. (P. asiatica) has been used as one of the popular folk medicines in Asia for human health care practices. Various activities of P. asiatica have been reported, such as anti-oxidant, anti-glycation, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity. Therefore, the potential of P. asiatica to reduce oxidative stress has been studied in several ways for over 20 years, especially at liver and kidney. However no investigation has been reported revealing its protective effect on prostate. Method: Treatment of P. asiatica leaf ethanolic extract (PLE) (1 g/kg body weight (b.w.), 2 g/kg b.w., or 4 g/kg b.w.) were given separately to animals for pretreatment once per day for 7 days, and on the seventh day ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA; 0.24 mmol Fe/kg b.w.), which is known as an oxidative stress-inducer at prostate, was administrated by i.p to negative control group. At the end of the study period, dissection was carried out for detecting the prostate protective effect of PLE. Result: Fe-NTA-treated animals produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in depletion of antioxidant biomaker, such as glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione s-transferase (GST) and increase of lipid peroxidation in prostate. However, PLE pretreatment resulted in an increase in the GSH, GST and GR levels concentration dependent manner and in an significant decrease in the levels of lipid peroxidation. Conclusion: Our data suggest that PLE may be effective in protecting oxidative stress-induced damage of prostate, and PLE may be an chemopreventive agent against Fe-NTA-mediated prostate oxidative damage.