• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.79-84
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• 2004

To develop a new functional materials, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity, antioxidant effect and total phenolic content of Hovenia dulcis Thunb. cortex were evaluated. Methanol and water extract of H. dulcis inhibited ACE by 81% and 76%, respectively, at the concentration of $4,000\;{\mu}g\;m{\ell}^{-1}$ which were similar level with that (85%) of commercial peptide-type ACE inhibitor. Superoxide radical scavenging activity of two extracts $(99.5%{\sim}99.9%)$ were stronger than that (69%) of ascorbic acid at the final concentration of $200\;{\mu}g\;m{\ell}^{-1}$. Among the solvent fractions, ether and ethylacetate fraction showed also potent scavenging activities (91% and 85%) for superoxide radical. Inhibitory activities of two extracts on oxidation of human low density lipoprotein (LDL) which were similar with that of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$, were higher than 80% at the concentration of $50\;{\mu}g\;m{\ell}^{-1}$. Total phenol contents of methanol and water extracts were 7.2% and 3.6%, respectively, and that of ethylacetate showed the highest value as 60.8% among the solvent fractions. Therefore, it has been suggested that H. dulcis cortex could be a effective anti-hypertention and antioxidant resource to develope a new functional material.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.44-52
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• 2018

Objective : The present study had examined the psychiatric symptoms and physical health consequences for the bereaved parents of the high school students who died in the 2014 Sewol ferry accident. Methods : Forty bereaved parents participated in the study. The authors administered self-report questionnaires about the parents' health behaviors and psychiatric symptoms. The authors also conducted laboratory tests to assess the parents' physical health at 18 and 30 months after the accident. Univariate descriptive statistics were performed to report the prevalence and severity of psychiatric symptoms and health-related behaviors. Paired t-test and Mcnemar test were performed to compare the 18-and 30-month findings. Correlation analysis between psychiatric symptoms and laboratory findings were performed to find a relationship between the two variables. Results : At 30 months after the accident, most of the bereaved parents still appeared to suffer from complicated grief (97.5%), post traumatic stress disorder (80%), insomnia (77.5%) and severe depression (62.5%) based on the scores on the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG), the PTSD Check List-5 (PCL-5), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). One quarter of the bereaved parents reported high-risk drinking, and 47.5% reported increased drinking amount and frequency after the accident. In objective laboratory results, 55% of the bereaved parents were obese as defined by body mass index ${\geq}25$. The parents' mean low-density lipoprotein shows a significant increase over time (118.5 mg/dL at 18 months. vs. 132.5 mg/dL at 30 months. paired t-test t=-4.061, $$p{\leq_-}0.001$$). Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein at 30 months after the accident were in clinically borderline high range. In correlation analysis, triglyceride was positively correlated with ISI. Conclusion : The loss of children in the Sewol ferry accident, a disaster caused by human error, continued to have considerable impact on the victims' parents' mental and physical health 18 and 30 months after the accident. A longitudinal study following the parents' physical health would be necessary to investigate the long-term effects of this traumatic experience on physical health.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.311-316
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• 2004

Antioxidant effects of Rosa davurica Pall extract on copper-mediated LDL oxidative modification were investigated. Oxidation products of LDL were determined based on TBA value, formation of conjugate diene, and apolipoprotein carbonyl value. As revealed through TBA values, ethyl acetate and butanol fractions of R. davurica Pall root showed strong antioxidant effect, with 85.3 and 93.2% inhibitions at $30\;{\mu}g/mL$ each, respectively. Ethyl acetate and butanol fractions at $30\;{\mu}g/mL$ inhibited LDL oxidation up to 8 hr. Conjugate diene formation by lipid oxidation with $Cu^{2+}$ addition in ethyl acetate and butanol fractions decreased 2.2-and 5.6-fold, respectively, compared to control. Carbonyl value decreased in the presence of butanol and ethyl acetate fractions. Methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of R. davurica Pall root showed higher absorbancy at 285 nm. Ethanol extract of R. davurica Pall root and stem contained 10.6 g/100 g total phenolic compounds. Results reveal phenolic compound as major biological component in R. davurica Pall extracts. Ethyl acetate and butanol fraction showed strongest antioxidant effect on LDL oxidation.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.205-210
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• 2003

The aim of this study was to estimate the influence of 37 bp insertion/deletion (I/O) poly-morphism of the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-associated protein 1 (LRPAP1) gene on anthropometrical or biochemical parameters in korean general population. To determine the frequency of the genotype, we analyzed 244 samples of Korean origin. The frequency of the I allele was 0.55 in men and 0.56 in women, which were significantly higher than the frequency (0.26) that was reported in Czech population of Caucasian origin. In addition, the I allele of this polymorphism was significantly associated with higher value of body mass index (BMI) in our subjects by ANOVA test (P<0.05), and this association was maintained after controlling for age and gender by ANCOVA test (P<0.05). Thus, our results suggest that the I/O polymorphism of the LRPAP1 gene may be useful as a genetic marker for obesity in Korean general population.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.304-310
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• 1996

For a probiotic yoghurt it is desirable to utilize lactic acid bacteria with a high survival rate and beneficial function to human beings. We have examined a variety of lactic acid bacteria to assess the acid and bile tolerance and antibiotic resistance. In addition, an in vitro culture experiment was performed to evaluate their ability to reduce cholesterol levels in the growth medium. Thirteen strains were selected from in vitro cholesterol assays and fed to Sprague-Dawley rats with a high-cholesterol diet. Among the 13 strains tested, 8 strains were shown to reduce serum cholesterol levels significantly after 24 days of administration in vivo. Rats were fed lyophilized yoghurt powder fermented with a combination of 3 selected strains: Bifidobacterium infantis AM-220, Lactobacillus AM-245, and Styeptococcus MA-1. The levels of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein were significantly lower (p$\leq$0.05) in rats fed the yoghurt powder compared with control group. These studies suggest that yoghurt fermented with appropriately selected lactic acid bacteria may have a anticholesterolemic effect.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.464-469
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• 2012

Endothelial cells (ECs) apoptosis induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is thought to play a critical role in atherosclerosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNAs that posttranscriptionally regulate the expression of genes involved in diverse cell functions, including differentiation, growth, proliferation, and apoptosis. MiRNA let-7 family is known to be involved in the regulation of cell apoptosis. However, the function of let-7 in ox-LDL induced ECs apoptosis and atherosclerosis is still unknown. Here, we show that let-7c expression was markedly up-regulated in ox-LDL induced apoptotic human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Let-7c over-expression enhanced apoptosis in ECs whereas inhibition of let-7c could partly alleviate apoptotic cell death mediated by ox-LDL. Searching for how let-7c affected apoptosis, we discovered that antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xl was a direct target of let-7c in ECs. Our data suggest that let-7c contributes to endothelial apoptosis through suppression of Bcl-xl.

• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.323-328
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• 2017

Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) is a major phospholipid component of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and is implicated in its atherogenic activity. This study investigated the effects of LPC on cell viability, intracellular calcium homeostasis, and the protective mechanisms of chlorogenic acid (CGA) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). LPC increased intracellular calcium ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) by releasing $Ca^{2+}$ from intracellular stores and via $Ca^{2+}$ influx through store-operated channels (SOCs). LPC also increased the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased cell viability. The mRNA expression of Transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channel 1 was increased significantly by LPC treatment and suppressed by CGA. CGA inhibited LPC-induced $Ca^{2+}$ influx and ROS generation, and restored cell viability. These results suggested that CGA inhibits SOC-mediated $Ca^{2+}$ influx and ROS generation by attenuating TRPC1 expression in LPC-treated HUVECs. Therefore, CGA might protect endothelial cells against LPC injury, thereby inhibiting atherosclerosis.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.113-130
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• 2008

Objectives : Hyangsapyungwisan (HPS) has been used for treatment of cardiovascular diseases including of arthralgia, myalgia in traditional Korean medicine. However, the medical actions of HPS have not been clearly investigated. The aim of this study was to elucidate the antiradical and antioxidant activity of the extract for herb-acupuncture (HPS-HA) obtained from HPS. Methods & Results : HPS-HA exhibited a stronger inhibition rate (55.5%) on lipid peroxidation of rat liver homogenate induced by $FeCl_2$-ascorbic acid. In addition, HPS-HA markedly interfered with hydroxylradical generation through iron ions chelating action. While pro-oxidant effect of HPS-HA was nearly undetectable at concentrations of 0.5-10㎎/mL. Moerover, HPS-HA revealed a potent antiradical activities on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radicals, superoxide anions, nitric oxide and peroxynitrite. Furthermore, HPS-HA inhibited copper- and AAPH-mediated oxidation of human low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and also suppressed the relative electrophoretic mobility of LDL. HPS-HA showed strong protective activity against oxidative damage of HUVECs induced by SIN-1. Conclusions : These results suggest that HPS-HA may be effective in protecting against oxidative diseases.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.116-125
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• 2021

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the most common cause of death in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and dyslipidemia is considered at least partially responsible for the increased CVD risk in NAFLD patients. The aim of the present study is to understand how hepatic de novo lipogenesis influences hepatic cholesterol content as well as its effects on the plasma lipid levels. Hepatic lipogenesis was induced in mice by feeding a fat-free/high-sucrose (FF/HS) diet and the metabolic pathways associated with cholesterol were then analyzed. Both liver triglyceride and cholesterol contents were significantly increased in mice fed an FF/HS diet. Activation of fatty acid synthesis driven by the activation of sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)-1c resulted in the increased liver triglycerides. The augmented cholesterol content in the liver could not be explained by an increased cholesterol synthesis, which was decreased by the FF/HS diet. HMG-CoA reductase protein level was decreased in mice fed an FF/HS diet. We found that the liver retained more cholesterol through a reduced excretion of bile acids, a reduced fecal cholesterol excretion, and an increased cholesterol uptake from plasma lipoproteins. Very low-density lipoproteintriglyceride and -cholesterol secretion were increased in mice fed an FF/HS diet, which led to hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia in Ldlr-/- mice, a model that exhibits a more human like lipoprotein profile. These findings suggest that dietary cholesterol intake and cholesterol synthesis rates cannot only explain the hypercholesterolemia associated with NAFLD, and that the control of fatty acid synthesis should be considered for the management of dyslipidemia.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2022

Objectives Sleep is fundamental to maintaining homeostatic control and has behavioral and psychological effects on humans. To better understand the function and pathophysiology of sleep, specific gene expressions in reference to sleep deprivation have been studied. In this study, we investigated the gene expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells after sleep deprivation to better understand the functional consequence of sleep. Methods In eight healthy men, 24 h sleep deprivation was induced. Blood was sampled at 14:00, before and after sleep deprivation. mRNA was isolated and analyzed via microarrays. cDNAs before and after sleep deprivation were coupled to Cy3 or Cy5, respectively, and normalized cDNAs were selected with a ratio greater than two as a significant gene. Results are expressed as mean. Results Among 41174 transcripts, 38852 genes were selected as reliable, and only a small minority (< 1%) of the genes were up-or down-regulated. Total six and eleven genes were selected as significant upregulated and downregulated genes, respectively. Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type O was most upregulated (6.9-fold), and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5-like protein showed the most substantial inhibition (0.06-fold). Conclusions This study showed significant associations between sleep deprivation and the immune system. Acute sleep deprivation affects pathways in proinflammatory cytokines as well as metabolic pathways of glutamate and purine, neurotransmitters related to sleep and wake cycle.