• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.111-117
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• 2018

Purpose: The prevalence of obesity has significantly increased among children and adolescents worldwide and is becoming an important health care problem in parallel with the increased prevalence of obesity pediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Betatrophin is a newly define hormone that is commonly secreted by liver and plays role in glucose tolerance. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum betatrophin levels and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese children. Methods: The study included 40 obese children with a body mass index (BMI) above 95th centile, and 35 non-obese subjects with a BMI 3-85th centile, whose age and gender were similar to those of the patient group. For the evaluation of metabolic parameters fasting serum glucose, insulin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lipid profile and serum betatrophin levels were measured. Total cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios were calculated as "atherogenic indices." Results: Serum betatrophin levels of the obese subjects were similar to that of non-obese subjects (p=0.90). Betatrophin levels were not correlated with the metabolic parameters. Conclusion: In the present study, levels of betatrophin are not different between obese and insulin resistant children and non-obese subjects, and they are not correlated with atherogenic indices. To elucidate the exact role of betatrophin in obesity, further studies are required to identify the betatrophin receptor and/or other possible cofactors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.99-106
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• 2021

PURPOSE: This study aimed to provide supporting data for the clinical use of breathing exercise with a WBV stimulation as a sustained and safe intervention program, by examining the effect of breathing exercise with WBV stimulation on the pulmonary function, gait ability, and life quality in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), who have difficulty performing exercise. METHODS: For this study, after collecting the samples from 20 patients with severe COPD, they were placed randomly in an experimental group to perform breathing exercises with a WBV stimulation (n = 10) and a control group to perform breathing exercises only (n=10). Before the intervention, pulmonary function, six-minute gait distance, and health-related life quality were measured as pre-tests. After applying the intervention program to the patients for 30 minutes once a day, for four days a week, for six weeks, the post-test items were remeasured in the same way as the pre-tests, and the results were analyzed. RESULTS: In the within-group comparison, both the experimental and control groups showed significant differences in the forced expiratory volume in one second, six-minute gait distance, and health-related life quality (p < .01) (p < .05). In the intergroup comparison, there were significant differences in the forced expiratory volume in one second and the six-minute gait distance (p < .05). CONCLUSION: WBV stimulation was more effective for the patients by improving the muscular strength and muscular endurance through the reflexive contraction of muscles, and increasing the exercise tolerance. This result could serve as an alternative means to clinically improve the physical function of patients with severe COPD, who have difficulty performing breathing exercises in the future.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.303-310
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• 2002

Cell therapy applied to wound healing or tissue regeneration presents a revolutionary realm to which principles of gene engineering and delivery may be applied. One promising application is the transplantation of cells into the wounded tissue to help the tissue repair. However, when cells are transplanted from in vitro to in vivo, immune rejection occurs due to the immune response triggered by the activation of T-cell, and the transplanted cells are destroyed by the attack of activated T-cell and lose their function. Immune suppressant such as FK506 is commonly used to suppress immune rejection during transplantation. However, such kind of immune suppressants not only suppresses immune rejection in the periphery of transplanted cells but also suppresses whole immune response system against pathogenic infection. In order to solve this problem, we developed a method to protect the desired cells from immune rejection without impairing whole immune system during cell transplantation. Previously, we reported the success of constructing glomerular epithelial cells for removal of immune complex, in which complement receptor of type 1 (CR1) was over-expressed on the membrane of renal glomerular epithelial cells and could bind immune complex of DNA/anti-DNA-antibody to remove immune complex through phagocy-tosis [1]. Attempting to apply the CR1-expressing cells to cell therapy and evade immune rejection during cell transplantation, we constructed three plasmids containing genes encoding a soluble fusion protein of cytolytic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4 (CTLA4Ig) and an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). The plasmids were transfected to the above-mentioned glomerular epithelial cells to express both genes simultaneously. Using the clone cells for cell transplantation showed that mice with autoimmune disease prolonged their life significantly as compared with the control mice, and two injections of the cells at the beginning of two weeks resulted in remarkable survivability, whereas it requires half a year and 50 administrations of proteins purified from the same amount of cells to achieve the same effect.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.105-111
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• 2013

Advantage of saliva analysis are the ease of sample collection and that samples can be collected more frequently with much less stress on the patient. The objective of the present study was to comparatively evaluate the concentrations of saliva and fasting serum glucose in both normal and diabetic subjects. The mean salivary glucose level in diabetic patients was $15.66{\pm}17.1$ mg/dl and $1.78{\pm}1.72$ mg/dl (P = 0.0006) in the control group. The mean fasting serum glucose level in diabetic patients was $202.12{\pm}66.91$ mg/dl, while that in the control group was $94.21{\pm}14.97$ mg/dl (P < 0.0001). The 0.95 degree of correlation between salivary and fasting serum glucose could be demonstrated. The concentration of salivary and fasting serum glucose was not significant different betweeen the measurements for male and female. In the oral glucose tolerance test (75g), the glucose concentration in saliva progressively increased during the first 30 minutes of the test and then progressively decreased, reaching at minutes 120 ~ 180 lowest point as like fasting serum glucose concentration. We can conclude that salivary glucose concentration was significantly higher in the diabetic subjects and that there was significant correlation between salivary and fasting serum glucose concentration. Measurement of salivary glucose could be a useful test having good correlation between salivary and fasting serum glucose concentration.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 1999

Objectives. The health examination survey was conducted in order to estimate the prevalence of major chronic diseases in a community Methods. A multi-stage stratified probability sample of 1,656 persons, aged from 20 to 69 years, was drawn out from Kuri City. All sampled persons were personally informed of the purpose, content and procedures of the survey and mobile examination center was run between 6 AM and 9 PM for the convenience of the participants. Results. 854 persons (339 males and 515 females) completed this survey with a response rate of 53.4%. Prevalent diseases in male were hypertension(19.0%), HBs Ag carrier(9.8%), impaired glucose tolerance(8.7%), diabetes mellitus(6.3%), hypercholesterolemia(3.4%), anemia(2.7%) and degenerative arthritis(2.6%) in order of prevalence rate. Prevalent diseases in female were osteoporosis(22.5%), impaired glucose tolerance(17.3%), anemia(12.8%), hypertension(12.4%), degenerative arthritis (6.6%), HBs Ag carrier(5.8%), diabetes mellitus(5.4%) and hypercholesterolemia(3.5%) in order of prevalence rate. Conclusions. This results suggest that hypertension was most prevalent in adult male whereas diabetes mellitus including IGT, osteoporosis were most prevalent in adult female, in Kuri City.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 2015

Trichomoniasis caused by the parasitic protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the world. Dendritic cells are antigen presenting cells that initiate immune responses by directing the activation and differentiation of naive T cells. In this study, we analyzed the effect of Trichomonas vaginalis-derived Secretory Products on the differentiation and function of dendritic cells. Differentiation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells in the presence of T. vaginalis-derived Secretory Products resulted in inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced maturation of dendritic cells, down-regulation of IL-12, and up-regulation of IL-10. The protein components of T. vaginalis-derived Secretory Products were shown to be responsible for altered function of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that IL-12 expression was regulated at the chromatin level in T. vaginalis-derived Secretory Products-treated dendritic cells. Our results demonstrated that T. vaginalis- derived Secretory Products modulate the maturation and cytokine production of dendritic cells leading to immune tolerance.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.582-589
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• 2015

Several theories emphasize that aging is closely related to oxidative stress and disease. The formation of excess ROS can lead to DNA damage and the acceleration of aging. Vigna angularis is one of the important medicinal plants in Korea. We isolated vitexin from V. angularis and elucidated the lifespan-extending effect of vitexin using the Caenorhabditis elegans model system. Vitexin showed potent lifespan extensive activity and it elevated the survival rates of nematodes against the stressful environments including heat and oxidative conditions. In addition, our results showed that vitexin was able to elevate antioxidant enzyme activities of worms and reduce intracellular ROS accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. These studies demonstrated that the increased stress tolerance of vitexin-mediated nematode could be attributed to increased expressions of stress resistance proteins such as superoxide dismutase (SOD-3) and heat shock protein (HSP-16.2). In this work, we also studied whether vitexin-mediated longevity activity was associated with aging-related factors such as progeny, food intake, growth and movement. The data revealed that these factors were not affected by vitexin treatment except movement. Vitexin treatment improved the body movement of aged nematode, suggesting vitexin affects healthspan as well as lifespan of nematode. These results suggest that vitexin might be a probable candidate which could extend the human lifespan.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.156-164
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• 2018

Pesticide application in agriculture provides significant benefits such as protection from disease, prevention of harmful insects, and increased crop yields. However, accurate toxicological tests and risk assessments are necessary because of many related adverse effects associated with pesticide use. In this review, we discuss and analyze residual pesticides contained in livestock feed in Korea. A pesticide residue tolerance standard for livestock feed has not been precisely established; so, risk assessments are required to ensure safety. Standards and approaches for animal criteria and appropriate methods for evaluating residual pesticides are discussed and analyzed based on technology related to animal product safety in Korea. The safety of livestock feed containing pesticides is assessed to establish maximum residue limits relative to pesticides. Analysis of residual pesticides in milk, muscle, brain, and fat was performed with a livestock residue test and safety evaluation of the detected pesticide was performed. Efficacy of organic solvent extraction and clean-up of feed was verified, and suitability of the instrument was examined to establish if they are effective, rapid, and safe. This review discussed extensively how pesticide residue tolerance in livestock feed and hazard evaluation may be applied in future studies.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.49-66
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• 2005

Panax ginseng has been useful for the treatment of diverse disease in oriental countries for thousands of years. In addition, a folk medicine prescribed by seven herbal drugs including Panax ginseng has been antinarcotics in the treatment of morphine-dependent patients. Many articles have been reported on these works. Therefore, we review the protective effects of Panax ginseng on the neurotoxicity induced by abuse drugs. Ginseng total saponins (GTS) extracted and isolated by Panax ginseng antagonized Morphine-induced analgesia, and inhibited the development of analgesic tolerance to and physical dependence on morphine. GTS inhibited morphine-6 dehydrogenase, which catalyzes production of mophinone from morphine, and increased hepatic glutathione level responsible to toxicity. Therefore, we hypothesized that these dual actions of ginseng can be associated with the detoxication of morphine. In addition, the inhibitory or facilitated effects of GTS on electrically evoked contraction in guinea pig ileum ($\mu$-receptors) and mouse vas deferens($\delta$-receptors) were not mediated through opioid receptors, suggesting non-opioid mechanisms. On the hand, antagonism of U-50,488H ($\kappa$-agonist)-induced antinociception is mediated by serotonergic mechanisms. GTS also inhibited hyperactivity, reverse tolerance (sensitization) and conditioned place preference-induced by psychostimulants such as methamphetamine, cocaine and morphine. On the other hand, GTS reduced the dopamine levels induced by methamphetamine. Moreover, GTS blocked the development of dopamine receptor activation, showing antidopaminergic effect. We suggest that GTS Prevent the methamphetamine-induced striatal dopaminergic neurotoxicity. In addition, Ginsenoside also attenuates morphine-induced cAMP signaling pathway. These results suggested that GTS might be useful for the therapy of the adverse actions of drugs with abuse liability.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2009

This experiment was carried out to know adaptability and forage production and quality of corn hybrid for silage at paddy field from 2007 to 2008 at JullaNamdo Agricultural Research and Extension Services (ARES). Among agronomic characteristics, 'Kwangpyongok' hybrid was somewhat strong for waterlogging and good stay green, lodging, disease and insect resistance. The fresh yield and total digestible nutrients (TDN) of 'Kwangpyongok' hybrid were the highest among corn hybrids. Dry yield of 'Kwangpyongok' hybrid was increased to 50.5%, 13.6% due to waterlogging tolerance than those 'P3156' and 'P32P75' hybrids, respectively. The result of this study indicated that 'Kwangpyongok' hybrid could be recommended as having good characters according to production, waterlogging tolerance, stay green at paddy field in southern region of Korea.