• CELLMED
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.27.1-27.5
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• 2014

Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth. (Scrophulariaceae) is a traditional Ayurvedic herb known as Kutki. It is used as a remedy for diabetes by tribes of North Eastern Himalayan region of India. Present study was conducted to explore the mechanism of antidiabetic activity of standardized aqueous extract of Picrorhiza kurroa (PkE). PkE (100 and 200 mg/kg/day) was orally administered to streptozotocin induced diabetic rats, for 14 consecutive days. Plasma insulin levels were measured and pancreas of rat was subjected to histopathological investigations. Glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT-4) protein content in the total membrane fractions of soleus muscle was estimated by Western blot analysis. Plasma insulin level was significantly increased along with concomitant increase in GLUT-4 content of total membrane fractions of soleus muscle of diabetic rats treated with extract. There was evidence of regeneration of ${\beta}$-cells of pancreatic islets of PkE treated group in histopathological examinations. PkE increased the insulin-mediated translocation of GLUT-4 from cytosol to plasma membrane or increased GLUT-4 expression, which in turn facilitated glucose uptake by skeletal muscles in diabetic rats.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.23-30
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• 2011

Objectives : This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba water extract on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in rats. Methods : Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups ; normal, STZ-control and Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba (A) water extract-administrated group. Rats in which diabetic was induced by intraperitonal injection with STZ(60 mg/kg body weight). STZ-induced diabetic rats were orally administrated A extract daily for 5 weeks at doses of 200 or 500 mg/kg. Fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride and blood urea nitrogen were measured in sera of rats. Total volume of urine and urinary creatinine were also measured. Histopathological examination and immunohistochemical staining for the expression of insulin and ${\alpha}$-SMA in pancreas and kidney were performed, respectively. Results : There were no differences in body and kidney weights between STZ-control and A extract-administrated groups. However, serum triglyceride level was significantly decreased in A extract-administrated groups compared with those of STZ-control group. Histopathological analysis of pancreas and kidney revealed increased the number of islets and insulin-positive beta-cells in pancreas, and decreased morphological changes of glomerulus and ${\alpha}$-SMA expression in kidney after the administration of A extract. Conclusions : These results suggest that Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba has a biological action on STZ-induced diabetes in rats via decreasing the serum levels of total triglyceride, and suppressing the morphological changes of pancreas and kidney.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.619-626
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• 2020

Background: The effects of diol-ginsenoside fraction (Diol-GF) and triol-ginsenoside fraction (Triol-GF) from Korean Red Ginseng on the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) were examined in diabetes-prone biobreeding (DP-BB) rats that spontaneously develop T1D through an autoimmune process. Methods: DP-BB female rats were treated with Diol-GF or Triol-GF daily from the age of 3-4 weeks up to 11-12 weeks (1 mg/g body weight). Results: Diol-GF delayed the onset, and reduced the incidence, of T1D. Islets of Diol-GF-treated DP-BB rats showed significantly lower insulitis and preserved higher plasma and pancreatic insulin levels. Diol-GF failed to change the proportion of lymphocyte subsets such as T cells, natural killer cells, and macrophages in the spleen and blood. Diol-GF had no effect on the ability of DP-BB rat splenocytes to induce diabetes in recipients. Diol-GF and diol-ginsenoside Rb1 significantly decreased tumor necrosis factor α production, whereas diol-ginsenosides Rb1 and Rd decreased interleukin 1β production in RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, mixed cytokine- and chemical-induced β-cell cytotoxicity was greatly inhibited by Diol-GF and diol-ginsenosides Rc and Rd in RIN5mF cells. However, nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 cells was unaffected by diol-ginsenosides. Conclusion: Diol-GF, but not Triol-GF, significantly delayed the development of insulitis and T1D in DP-BB rats. The antidiabetogenic action of Diol-GF may result from the decrease in cytokine production and increase in β-cell resistance to cytokine/free radical-induced cytotoxicity.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.253-270
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• 2007

Objectives : This study has been carried out to understand the effect of Cimicifugae Rhizoma and Seungmagalgeuntang on the hyperglycemic mice induced with Streptozotocin(STZ). Methods : The 60mg/kg of STZ was fed into mice twice by 24 h interval and then 120mg/kg STZ was fed again 3 days after the earlier feeding, Control group was administered mice with 0.9% saline(2mL/kg/day), and experimental groups were administered Cimicifugae Rhizoma extract(CA group, 10mg/kg/day; CB group, 30mg/kg/day) or Seungmagalgeuntang(SA group, 10mg/kg/day; SB group, 30mg/kg/day) after hyperglycemic induction for 6 weeks. Results : The body weight of experimental groups higher than control. The blood glucose concentration of the control group increased continuously reaching to 298.9 mg/dL after 6 weeks, however, significantly(p<0.01 or p<0.05) decreased in the SA and SB groups compared with control group. Blood insulin level significantly(p<0.01) increased in the experimental groups. The activities of SOD and catalase were more decreased in the experimental group than control group compared with normal group. In the point of pancreatic immunohistochemical change, the experimental group's pancreatic islets have increased and enlarged and the concentration of insulin-positive beta cells has also increased, comparing with the control group. Meanwhile forms of nucleus and mitochondria in the experimental group's hepatic cells were almost similar to the normal group. Conclusion : The result from the six weeks of observation demonstrates that the extracts from Cimicifugae Rhizoma and Seungmagalgeuntang have positive effects on lowering blood sugar level and elevating insulin concentration. The extract had also effects on recovering and regenerating pancreatic tissue of the hyperglycemic mice induced with STZ. At the same time, it had a protective effect against hepatotoxicity as well.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.89-95
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• 2020

Our study was conducted to examine the nest attendance of the Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor) from 2015 to 2018 at two Islets located in Incheon, South Korea. We visited study sites in March-April and set up the remote sensor cameras at two breeding sites (Mae-do, Guji-do) to observe chick-rearing behavior. Mean nest bout length at Mae-do (female: 4.2 ± 0.1 hr, male: 4.0 ± 0.1 hr) was shorter than at Guji-do (female: 5.3 ± 0.2, male: 6.0 ± 0.3 hr), and trip duration at Mae-do (female: 4.4 ± 0.1 hr, male: 4.0 ± 0.1) was also shorter than at Guji-do (female: 7.0 ± 0.2 hr, male: 7.0 ± 0.3). Mean nest bout length and trip duration at both study sites decreased as chick rearing progressed. Males attended their nests during the daytime, and females attended their nests during the nighttime. Our results showed that females and males' duties were divided by the diel cycle, but the pattern of nest attendance could change depending on the environment of their breeding sites during the chick-rearing period.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.301-308
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• 2011

Diabetes has been one of major health risks in industrialized countries. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been focused as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of metabolic syndromes, because AMPK increases glucose uptake through independent insulin signal pathway. In this study, we investigated the anti-diabetic effect of Angelica gigas Nakai extract (AGNEX), a mixture of decursin and decursinol angelate (53 : 47), decursin and decursinol angelate on blood glucose, glucose transport (GLUT) and AMPK expression levels in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. To induce diabetes, 50 mg/kg of STZ was injected via i.v. route and AGNEX 2 mg/kg (STZ+AG), decursin 2 mg/kg (STZ+D), decursinol angelate 2 mg/kg (STZ+DA), and metformin 100 mg/kg (STZ+M) were administered orally for 21 days. STZ+DA group showed a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose levels compared to the other groups. Decursinol angelate significantly upregulated expression of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) and phosphorylation of AMPK (p-AMPK) in skeletal muscle of rats. In pancreas of rats, decursinol angelate significantly increased expression of GLUT2 through down-regulation of p-AMPK. In addition to the result of pancreatic islets morphology, AGNEX, decursin, decursinol angelate, and metformin treated group recovered ${\beta}$-cell damage by hyperglycemia. These results indicate that decursinol angelate might be a potential anti-diabetic agent and AGNEX could be useful in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.349-353
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• 2001

Korea has a variety of favorable conditions for utilizing wind as energy. First of all, as a geographical characteristic, it is a peninsular country with its three frontiers surrounded by sea. Such a location makes the country influenced, all the year round, both by sea winds and by seasonal winds, so that it has a good possibility of putting its rich wind resources to use as an energy source. Particularly, in view of the results of observations and analysis of actual data about wind sources, it is quite possible to build wind paver plants in many regions across the country, such as inhabited islands dotted on its southern and western coasts around the Korean peninsular, a number of uninhabited islets attached the main islands, large-scaled reclaimed lands, and major inland areas. In Korea, the attempt to develop the technology of wind paver generation started in the 1970's. It was since 1988, when the Law on the promotion of Alternative Energy Development was enacted, that research and development activities for employing the wind force as a part of energy source have got into full swing. At that moment, however, due to the low level of domestic technological development, such efforts were mainly focused on the attainment of basic technologies with regard to wind power generation. Recently, there have been many noticeable changes in the international as well as domestic environments, such as the conclusion of the International Climate Treaty and the increase in public concerns of natural environment. It is quite possible to predict that the demand for wind paver generation will increase in the near future. Therefore, recognizing that wind, as a clean energy source, can be a promising method for coping with the International Climate Treaty and for replacing the fossil fuel, oil, this essay investigates the development history of wind paver generation systems and the status of technological development in Korea and presents an appropriate model for the development of the paver generation system that can compete with other energy sources.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.585-590
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• 2012

On the basis of the potentials for the growth of local economy and the result of investigation of the ocean space development status, an ocean resort complex was proposed at the small harbor with a parallel beach in the east coast of Korea. As the development plan needs to reclaim the noticeable amount of coastal water area together with the applied shore facilities, it is necessary to analyze their impacts. Here, it was intended to analyze the coastal environment change such as water circulation and bottom change because of the development plan. A horizontal two-dimensional numerical model was applied to represent the combined impact of wind waves and tidal currents to sediment transport in that coastal region. Based on the result of 30 days tidal current simulations considering major four tidal components of $M_2$,$S_2$,$K_1$ and $O_1$ for the upper and lower boundaries and wind field data, bottom change was discussed. Flow velocities were not changed much at outer breakwater of Yangpo harbor. Bottom was eroded by maximum 1.7m after construction but some locations such as lee side of outer breakwater and some islets near the entrance shows isolated accretions. Although it needs more field observations for bottom change in the period of construction, the numerical calculation shows that there exist small impacts near the entrance area and coastal boundaries because of the development.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.463-468
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• 2012

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is caused by dysregulation of the immune system in the pancreatic islets, which eventually leads to insulin-producing pancreatic ${\beta}$-cell death and destabilization of glucose homeostasis. One of the major characteristics of T1D pathogenesis is the production of inflammatory mediators by macrophages that result in destruction or damage of pancreatic ${\beta}$-cells. In this study the inflammatory microenvironment of T1D was simulated with RAW264.7 cells and MIN6 cells, acting as macrophages and pancreatic ${\beta}$-cells respectably. In this setting, peroxiredoxin-1, an anti-oxidant enzyme was knocked down to observe its functions in the pathogenesis of T1D. RAW264.7 cells were primed with lipopolysaccharide and co-cultured with MIN6 cells while PRX-1 was knocked down in one or both cell types. Our results suggest that hindrance of PRX-1 activity or the deficiency of this enzyme in inflammatory conditions negatively affects pancreatic ${\beta}$-cell survival. The observed decrease in viability of MIN6 cells seems to be caused by nitric oxide production. Additionally, it seems that PRX-1 affects previously reported protective activity of IL-6 in pancreatic ${\beta}$ cells as well. These results signify new, undiscovered roles for PRX-1 in inflammatory conditions and may contribute toward our understanding of autoimmunity.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.747-755
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• 1996

The regional distribution and relative frequencies of the gastro-entero-pancreatic endocrine cells were studied immunohistochemically in the GIT and pancreas of the Korean mole. Seven kinds of endocrine cells were identified in this study. Although 5-HT- and somatostatin-immunoreactive cells were seen throughout the GIT, they were most predominant in the pyloric gland region. Glucagon-immunoreactive cells were restricted on the large intestine. Bovine CG-immunoreactive cells were more frequent in the stomach than in the intestines which were not detected in the duodenum. Numerous Gas/CCK-immunoreactive cells were found in the pyloric gland region, but rarely in the jejunum and ileum. BPP-immunoreactive cells were observed to be rare in the stomach and ileum but were a few in number in the intestines. In the pancreas, four types, namely, glucagon-, somatostatin-, BPP- and insulin-immunoreactive cells were identified in the pancreatic islets and exocrine portion. These results suggest that although endocrine cells of the Korean mole is less abundant in the duodenum, the distribution pattern of its gastro-entero-pancreatic endocrine cells is similar to that reported for the Korean hedgehog.