• CELLMED
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.15.1-15.5
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• 2013

Previous reports showed that Compound Astragalus and Salvia miltiorrhiza extract (CASE), which was mainly composed of astragalosides, astragalus polysaccharide and salvianolic acids, inhibited hepatic fibrosis by mediating transforming growth factor-${\beta}$ (TGF-${\beta}$)/Smad signaling. Our aim was to examine the effects of CASE on D-galactosamine (D-GalN) treated liver injury in mice and carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-induced liver fibrosis in rats. CASE was administered to mice with D-GalN-induced liver injury and to rats with $CCl_4$-induced liver fibrosis, respectively. Liver injury was routinely evaluated by relative liver weight, serum levels of ALT, AST, hyaluronic acid (HA), hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, hydroxyproline (HYP) and histopathologic changes. Treatment of mice with CASE (60, 120, and 240 mg/kg, ig) significantly lowered ALT, relative liver weight, and MDA levels when compared with D-GalN treated mice. CASE (120, 240 mg/kg) significantly lowered ALT, AST, HA, HYP, and MDA levels against $CCl_4$ treated rats. Decreased SOD level was reversed with CASE treatment. Upon histopathological examination, CASE treatment had significantly inhibitory effect on the progression of hepatic fibrosis in rats. These results indicate that CASE might be effective in treatment and prevention of acute and chronic hepatic injury due to its antioxidant activity.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.613-619
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• 2016

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), a serious complication of diabetes mellitus, is associated with changes in myocardial structure and function. This study sought to explore the ability of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) to modulate DCM and its related mechanisms. Twenty-four male Wistar rats were injected with streptozotocin (STZ, 60 mg/kg) to mimic diabetes mellitus. Myocardial fibrosis and apoptosis were evaluated by histopathologic analyses, and relevant proteins were analyzed by Western blotting. Inflammatory factors were assessed by ELISA. Markers of oxidative stress were tested by colorimetric analysis. Rats with DCM displayed decreased body weight, metabolic abnormalities, elevated apoptosis (as assessed by the bcl-2/bax ratio and TUNEL assays), increased fibrosis, increased markers of oxidative stress (MDA and SOD) and inflammatory factors (TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$), and decreased phosphorylation of Akt and glycogen synthase kinase (GSK-$3{\beta}$). IGF-1 treatment, however, attenuated the metabolic abnormalities and myocardial apoptosis, interstitial fibrosis, oxidative stress and inflammation seen in diabetic rats, while also increasing the phosphorylation levels of Akt and GSK-$3{\beta}$. These findings suggest that IGF-1 ameliorates the pathophysiological progress of DCM along with an activation of the Akt/GSK-$3{\beta}$ signaling pathway. Our findings suggest that IGF-1 could be a potential therapeutic choice for controlling DCM.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.22
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• pp.9781-9784
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• 2014

Background: The study aimed to evaluate changes in hematologic parameters, including white blood cell, platelet count, platelet indices, the platelet to lymphocyte and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratios in patients with early and advanced stages of epithelial ovarian cancers. Materials and Methods: The study included 100 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer who underwent primary staging exploratory laparotomy. Preoperative hematologic parameters, tumor histopathologic type, grade, stage and serum CA-125 levels were retrospectively analyzed. These parameters were compared between the patients with early (stage I-II) and advanced (stage III-IV) ovarian cancer. Results: White blood cell count and platelet indices, including mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width and platelet crit did not show a statistically significant difference between groups with early and advanced ovarian cancer. However, the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, platelet count, the platelet to lymphocyte ratio and CA-125 level showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.001, p<0.01 respectively). Conclusions: It was found that the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, platelet count and the platelet to lymphocyte ratio increased with the increasing stage of ovarian cancer. Furthermore, it was seen that the platelet to lymphocyte ratio is an independent prognostic factor related to the stage of epithelial ovarian cancer.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.51-64
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• 2014

Objectives This study was carried out to know the effects of Keonbodan (hereinafter referred to KBD) in osteoarthritis induced by Monosodium iodoacetate(hereinafter referred to MIA) on Wistar rat. Methods Osteoarthritis was induced by injection of MIA into left knee joint cavities of rat. Osteoarthritis rats were divided into 4 groups (normal (n=6), control (n=6), indomethacin (n=6), KBD (n=6) group). The control group was administered normal saline and indomethacin group was administered indomethacin (2 mg/kg). And the KBD group was administered KBD (142 mg/kg). Each groups were administered by orally for 4 weeks. This experiment were carried out in vivo. In vivo, at the end of the experiment (5 weeks after MIA injection), effects on hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity, cytokines in serum, arachidonic acid, osteocalcin, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and cartilage volume were evaluated. And histopathological examinations on the articular structures of knee joints were performed. Results 1. In weight-bearing measurement, level of weight was increased. 2. In order to hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity, ALT, AST, BUN and creatinine were tested. And there were no significant changes. 3. In serum, levels of TNF-$\alpha$, IL-$1{\beta}$ were significantly decreased. IL-6 was insignificantly decreased. 4. In serum, level of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 was decreased. 5. In serum, level of $LTB_4$, $PGE_2$ and osteocalcin was decreased. 6. In ${\mu}$CT-arthrography, the cartilage volume was greater than that of the control group. 7. The joint damage induced by osteoarthritis was lesser than the control group in histopathologic observation (H&E, Safranin-O staining). Conclusions These results demonstrated that KBD suppressed the osteoarthritis- inducing effects of MIA in rat. And further studies are required to find out more effective substance and anti-osteoarthritic mechanism in the future.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.575-581
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• 2013

We examined the effect of starvation on the occurrence of tunic softness to determine the cause of mass mortality of cultured Halocynthia roretzi (Drasche) in the Tongyeong region, Korea. In terms of the survival rate of H. roretzi and the occurrence rate of tunic softness, H. roretzi starved for 35 days at water temperatures of 8, 12, and $15^{\circ}C{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$ (room temperature of $15^{\circ}C{\pm}1^{\circ}C$) did not exhibit tunic softness at water temperatures of either $8^{\circ}C$ or $12^{\circ}C$. for morphological changes, although the tunic of H. roretzi was shrunken and became visibly smaller with a darkening color in all experimental groups, as compared to the state prior to starvation, its tunics bulbs continuously. The ratio of RNA/DNA concentrations and protein contents for each of the tunic sections were lower in the starved group. Our results indicate that tunic softness is not related to feeding deficiency, as no histopathological symptoms were apparent in the digestive gland or tunic of H. roretzi due to starvation.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.831-836
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• 2009

The aims of this investigation was to examine the anti-obesity effects of oral administration with Mulberry leaves extraction in the high-fat diet induced obesity rats. We investigated the anti-obesity effects of the extract from Mulberry leaves on the progress of high fat diet for 8 weeks. Experimental rats were divided into 5 different experimental groups including an normal group (normal dieat; n=10), control group (high fat diet; n=10), I (Mulberry leaves extraction 100 mg/kg oral administration induced obesity; n=10), II (Mulberry leaves extraction 300 mg/kg oral administration; n=10), and III (Mulberry leaves extraction 500 mg/kg oral administration; n=10). It is to analysis changes in body weight, epididymal fat weight, blood lipid profiles, and fat histological findings. Body weights were significantly increase in control group than normal groups(p<0.05). The level of total cholesterol, LDL-C and TG were significantly lower in experimental groups than control group (p<0.05). In histopathologic finding of fat-tissue around testicle experimental group I and II were more decreased than high fat diet-induced control group in fat cell size. These results suggested that the Mulberry leaves extraction oral administration made the increase of anti-obesity effect in high-fat diet induced obesity rats.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.121-130
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• 2014

The larval form of Tenebrio molitor (T. molitor) has been eaten in many countries and provides benefits as a new food source of protein for humans. However, no information exists regarding its safety for humans. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the genotoxicity and repeated dose oral toxicity of the freeze-dried powder of T. molitor larvae. The genotoxic potential was evaluated by a standard battery testing: bacterial reverse mutation test, in vitro chromosome aberration test, and in vivo micronucleus test. To assess the repeated dose toxicity, the powder was administered once daily by oral gavage to Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at dose levels of 0, 300, 1000 and 3000 mg/kg/day for 28 days. The parameters which were applied to the study were mortality, clinical signs, body and organ weights, food consumption, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, serum chemistry, gross findings and histopathologic examination. The freezedried powder of T. molitor larvae was not mutagenic or clastogenic based on results of in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity assays. Furthermore, no treatment-related changes or findings were observed in any parameters in rats after 28 days oral administration. In conclusion, the freeze-dried powder of T. molitor larvae was considered to be non-genotoxic and the NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) was determined to be 3000 mg/kg/day in both sexes of SD rats under our experimental conditions.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3551-3558
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• 2016

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world, with chronic inflammation and diet as major causes in its development. Chemopreventive effects of natural dietary products have been the focus of studies for prevention over the past decade. This study was conducted to determine the effects of unpolished Thai rice during precancerous stage through the involvement of ${\beta}$-catenin, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and inflammatory cytokines focusing on azoxymethane (AOM)-induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF)-related to CRC. Male Sprague Dawley rats received two injections of AOM (15 mg/kg body weight) at weeks 4 and 5 while rats were treated with 20% or 70% unpolished Thai rice. The rats were sacrificed at week 38 and the colons removed for aberrant crypt foci (ACF) identification. Histopathologic changes, immunohistochemical analysis of ${\beta}$-catenin and COX-2 expression, and cytokine expression of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers were determined. The administration of unpolished Thai rice significantly and dose dependently decreased the total number of ACF and the percentages of ACF with high-grade dysplasia. Interestingly, unpolished Thai rice suppressed the expression of ${\beta}$-catenin and COX-2. In addition, it also altered proinflammatory (IL-6 and IFN-${\gamma}$) and anti-inflammatory (IL- 10) markers. The results suggested that unpolished Thai rice may provide a promising dietary intake for prevention during precancerous stage of CRC development, through the involvement of ${\beta}$-catenin and COX-2 expression, and also modulate inflammatory cytokines-related to CRC.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.225-232
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this retrospective study is to find the differentiating characteristics of cystic and cystic-appearing lesions that involve the impacted mandibular third molar by analyzing panoramic radiographs and computed tomography images, and to aid the preoperative diagnosis. Materials and Methods: Eighty-one patients who had a mandibular cystic or cystic-appearing lesion that involved impacted mandibular third molar and underwent cyst enucleation were included in the study. The preoperative panoramic radiograph and computed tomography findings were analyzed in accordance to the histopathologic type. Results: Most of the cystic lesions containing the mandibular third molar were diagnosed as a dentigerous cyst (77.8%). The occurrence of mesio-distal displacement of the third molar was more frequent in the odontogenic keratocyst (71.4%) and in the ameloblastoma (85.7%) than in the dentigerous cyst (19.1%). Downward displacement was primarily observed in each group. Odontogenic keratocyst and ameloblastoma showed more aggressive growth pattern with higher rate of bony discontinuity and cortical bone expansion than in dentigerous cyst. Conclusion: When evaluating mandibular cystic lesions involving the impacted mandibular third molar, dentigerous cyst should first be suspected. However, when the third molar displacement and cortical bone absorption are observed, then odontogenic keratocyst or ameloblastoma should be considered.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.87-94
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• 2006

This study is to investigate the patients who had blepharoplasty for cosmetic purposes or facial nerve disorders. 21 patients were examined with an age from 17 to 63 years. Sixteen cases were classified as a normal group for investigation of the histopathologic change according to the age. The rest were patients of Bell's palsy(2), $Botox^{(R)}$ injection(2) and blepharospasm (1). We measured a mean diameter of myofiber and dimension's proportion of muscluar tissue per regular visual field. First, we measured a statistical significance according to the age in normal cases by grouping them into younger than 30-year-old, 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's. Second, we divided normal cases(16) into Group A and B by two bases for statistical analysis. In conclusion, although there were several differences as vacuolation, internalization of sarcolemnic nuclei between 35-year-old and 62-year-old patients in simple comparison, there was no uniform decrease according to the age. There were also no significant statistical changes in the value of a diameter of myofibers and dimension's proportion of muscular tissue according to the age in any of the two normal groups. But in $Botox^{(R)}$ injection and Bell's palsy, blepharospasm patients, two values showed remarkable difference compared to the normal group of same age.