• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.899-905
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• 2003

The effects of cooked soybean and a traditional fermented soy product, chongkukjang, on blood pressure and lipid metabolism were studied in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). SHRs were divided into 3 groups (n=10, male), and fed casein, powders of cooked soybean, and chongkukjang as dietary protein sources for 6 weeks. Body weight gain was not different among experimental groups, but food efficiency was increased in groups fed cooked soybean and chongkukjang diets compared to control group. Consumption of cooked soybean and chongkukjang for 6 weeks in SHR significantly suppressed blood pressure rise with aging (p<0.05). Feeding of cooked soybean and chongkukjang to SHR decreased plasma triacylglycerols (p<0.05) by 21.6% and 30.2% and LDL-cholesterol by 30.0% and 27.5%, respectively. Addition of cooked soybean and chongkukjang to the diet resulted in reduction of total lipids and triacylglycerols of liver, while consumption of cooked soybean and chongkukjang resulted in the increase of fecal cholesterol and bile acid excretions, respectively (p<0.05). Cooked soybean and chongkukjang diets down-regulated the activity of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase by 56.4% and 94.5%, compared to control, respectively. From the above-mentioned results, it can be concluded that consumption of cooked soybean and chongkukjang might be helpful in preventing cardiovascular disease by suppressing blood pressure rise and hyperlipidemia.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.83-92
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• 1968

A study was planned to evaluate the effects of removal of the cingulate cortex upon the occurrence of any behavior commonly displayed by the rat, and to compare the effects of cingulectomy with those of removal of the parietal, parieto-occipital, or occipital regions. The subjects were 54 male albino rats (Holtzman strain, body weight $200{\sim}330\;gm$) including 14 rats in which the cingulate gyri between splenium and genu of the corpus callosum were bilaterally ablated by suction (cingulate group), 9 animals which had their parietal cortices (chiefly area 7) partially removed (parietal group), 9 rats whose parietal and occipital regions (chiefly areae 7 & 17), 13 animals in which the occipital cortices (chiefly area 17) were removed bilaterally (occipital group), and 9 normal rats (normal control group). Eighteen observation cages, each of which housed a subject and was provided with food and water ad lib., were arranged in 6 rows on a rack and the behavior of each subject was scanned by an observer at a distance of 1.5 m from the rack. The observer scanned the first and second rows 6 times in 1 min, then proceeded to the 3rd and 4th rows, scanning for another 1 min, and finally to the 5th and 6th rows. The speed of scanning was such that behavioral observations of all of the 18 rats were completed in 3 min, each subject receiving 6 observations. The scanning was repeated every 3 min for 18 min, which constituted one observation session and was followed by a 72 minutes' recess. The whole procedure was repeated through 24 hours so that a total of 576 behavioral observations were made on each subject in 16 observation sessions. Behaviors checked were sleeping, lying, lying and sniffing, standing, standing and sniffing, exploring, eating, drinking, grooming (included were washing, licking, and scratching), and others. Results obtained were as follows: 1. The cingulate group ate significantly more often than the normal control, the parietal, and the parieto-occipital groups. 2. Exploration was significantly less frequent in the cingulate group than in the normal control, the parietal, and the occipital groups. There was, in the case of the cingulate group, a significant negative correlation between the occurrence of eating and the exploratory activity. 3. The general activity, as judged from the value obtained by adding the occurrence of exploration, eating, drinking, grooming, and standing and sniffing, was significantly increased in the cingulate group compared with those of any other groups including the normal control. 4. Though statistically insignificant, the cingulate group slept least often among all the animal groups tested. 5. The parieto-occipital group tended to groom less, and the parietal group to eat less often than the normal control group did, but the difference was not significant. There were no significant differences among all the groups except the cingulate group as regards other behaviors analyzed. Based on the above results, it was inferred that the cingulate cortex exerts an inhibitory influence upon the occurrence of eating and general activity, while it tends to facilitate the occurrence of sleep.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.7 no.1 s.12
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• pp.53-61
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• 2004

Substantial evidence suggests that behavioral and reinforcing effects of cocaine can be mediated by the mesolimbic dopaminergic system. It has been shown that repeated injections of cocaine produce increase in locomotor activity, expression of the immediate-early gene, c-fos in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which was one of the main dopaminergic terminal areas. Herbal-acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention has been widely used for the treatment of many functional disorders such as drug abuse. Coptidis Rhizoma (CR) and its main component, berberine (BER) were selected as herbal medicine of herbal-acupuncture. Both medicines have been known to have the therapeutic effect on the central nervous system. In order to investigate the effects of CR and BER herbalacupuncture at shenmen (HT7) point (CR/H and BER/H) on the cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization, the influence of CR/H and BER/H on repeated cocaine-induced locomotor activity, the change of c-Fos expression in the brain by immunohistochemistry were examined. Male SD rats were given CR/H (0.4mg/kg) and BER/H (0.1mg/kg) 30 min before daily injections of cocaine hydrochloride (15mg/kg. i.p.) 10 days. After 3 days withdrawal, rats received a challenge injection of cocaine (15mg/kg, i.p.). Systemic challenge with cocaine produced much larger increased locomotor activity, accumbal Fos-like immunoreactivity in the NAc. Pretreatment with CR/H and BER/H significantly inhibited cocaine-induced locomotor activity, the change of c-Fos expression in the rats. Our data demonstrated that the inhibitory effects of cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization by CR/H and BER/H were closely associated with the reduction of presynaptic dopamine release in the NAc. These results suggest that CR/H and BER/H can be effectively applied to cocaine addiction.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.119-125
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• 2008

Background: Cerebral blood vessels are innervated by sympathetic nerves from the superior cervical ganglia (SCG), and these nerves may influence the cerebral blood flow. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of superior cervical sympathetic ganglion block in rats that were subjected to focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Methods: Eighty male Sprague-Dawley rats (270-320 g) were randomly assigned to one of two groups (the ropivacaine group and a control group). In all the animals, brain injury was induced by middle cerebral artery (MCA) reperfusion that followed MCA occlusion for 2 hours. The animals of the ropivacaine group received $30{\mu}l$ of 0.75% ropivacaine, and their SCG. Neurologic score was assessed at 1, 3, 7 and 14 days after brain injury. Brain tissue samples were then collected. The infarct ratio was measured by 2.3.5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeled (TUNEL) reactive cells and the cells showing caspase-3 activity were counted as markers of apoptosis at the caudoputamen and frontoparietal cortex. Results: The death rate, the neurologic score and the infarction ratio were significantly less in the ropivacaine group 24 hr after ischemia/reperfusion injury. The number of TUNEL positive cells in the ropivacaine group was significantly lower than those values of the control group in the frontoparietal cortex at 3 days after injury, but the caspase-3 activity was higher in the ropivacaine group than that in the control group at 1 day after injury. Conclusions: The study data indicated that a superior cervical sympathetic ganglion block may reduce the neuronal injury caused by focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion, but it may not prevent the delayed damage.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.100-105
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• 2007

Background: Ginseng has been used to manage various types of pain in folk medicine. This study characterized the effect of treatment with intrathecal ginsenosides, the active components of ginseng in a postoperative pain model. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with lumbar intrathecal catheters. An incision was made in the plantar surface of the hindpaw. Withdrawal thresholds following the application of a von Frey filament to the wound site were measured. To determine the role of the opioid or GABA receptors following treatment with the ginsenosides, naloxone, bicuculline (a $GABA_A$ receptor antagonist), and saclofen (a $GABA_B$ receptor antagonist) were administered intrathecally 10 min before the delivery of the ginsenosides and the changes of the withdrawal thresholds after application of the von Frey filament were Observed. Results: Treatment with the intrathecal ginsenosides increased the withdrawal threshold in a dose dependent manner. Pre-treatment with intrathecal naloxone reversed the antinociceptive effect of the ginsenosides. However, pre-treatment with intrathecal bicuculline and saclofen failed to have an effect on the activity of the ginsenosides. Conclusions: These results suggest that ginsenosides are effective to alleviate the postoperative pain evoked by paw incision. The opioid receptor, but not GABA receptors, may be involved in the antinociceptive action of the ginsenosides at the spinal level.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.2 no.5
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• pp.735-744
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• 1997

The effect of green tea drinking on the hepatocellular chemical cacinogenesis have been studied. Placental glutathione S-transferase(GST-P) positive foci area in a liver tissue, contents of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances(TBARS), total cytochrome P450 and glucose 6-phospphatase(G6P) activity in hepatic microsomes were investigated. Weaning Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed AIN-76A diet with deionized water or green tea infusion, Rats of CTR and CTR+ groups were provided deionized water while GTI and GTI+ groups were provided green tea instead of deionized water for the entire experimental period of 13weeks. Rats of GTP and GTP + groups had deionized water for the first 6 weeks and switched to green tea for the last 7weeks of the experimental period. CTR+, GTI +, and GTP + groups were carcinogen treated groups, Diethylnitrosamine(DEN) was injected as a single dose of 200mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally after 4 weeks of feeding. 2-Acetyla-minofluorene(AAF) was used as a carcinogen proliferater and suppled in the diets of carcinogen treated rats as 0.02% content for the last 6weeks starting from 2weeks after DEN injection. Rats were sacrificed after 13week weeks of feeding. The area and number of GST-P positive foci detected in carcinogen treated rats were decreased by green tea ingestion but when timing and duration of green tea ingestion was delayed after promotion period as in GTP + group, GST-P positive foci were not decreased as much as in GTI+ group. TBARS contents of carcinogen treated rats decreased by 13weeks of green tea ingestion but GTP groups did not show statiscally significant differences. G6P activities tended to decrease by carcinogen treatment but changes were not statiscally significant by green tea ingestion. Total cytochrome P450 contents were increased by carcinogen treatment. Thirteen weeks of green tea ingestion (GTI) also increased to total cytochrome P450 contents while 7weeks of green tea ingestion(GTP) did show any effects. These results suggest that green tea has suppressive effects on hepatocellular chemical carcinogenesis probably through the activities of antioxidant compounds. (Korean J Community utrition 2(5) : 735∼744, 1997)

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.199-205
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• 2010

A neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) has been widely used to create animal model for Parkinson's disease (PD). The present study was undertaken to examine whether depletion of brain dopamine (DA) stores with 6-OHDA can make alteration in the activities of the testicular steroidogenesis in adult rats. Young adult male rats (3 months old) were received a single dose of 6-OHDA (200 ${\mu}g$ in 10 ${\mu}{\ell}$/animal) by intracerebroventricular (icv) injection, and sacrificed after two weeks. The mRNA levels of steroidogenesis-related enzymes were measured by qRT-PCRs. Serum testosterone levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Single icv infusion of 6-OHDA significantly decreased the mRNA levels of CYP11A1 (control:6-OHDA group=$1:0.68{\pm}0.14$ AU, p<0.05), CYP17 (control:6-OHDA group=$1:0.72{\pm}0.13$ AU, p<0.05). There were no changes in the mRNA levels of $3{\beta}$-HSD (control:6-OHDA group=$1:0.84{\pm}0.08$ AU) and $17{\beta}$-HSD (control: 6-OHDA group=$1:0.63{\pm}0.20$ AU), though the levels tended to be decreased in the 6-OHDA treated group. Administration of 6-OHDA decreased significantly the mRNA level of StAR when compared to the level of saline-injected control animals (control:6-OHDA group=$1:0.72{\pm}0.08$ AU, p<0.05). Treatment with single dose of 6-OHDA remarkably lowered serum testosterone levels compared to the levels of control group (control:6-OHDA group=$0.72{\pm}0.24:0.13{\pm}0.03ng/m{\ell}$, p<0.05). Taken together with our previous study, the present study demonstrated that the activities of hypothalamus-pituitary-testis hormonal axis could be negatively affected by blockade of brain DA biosynthesis, and suggested the reduced reproductive potential might be resulted in the animals. More precise information on the testicular steroidogenic activities in PD patients and PD-like animals should be required prior to the generalization of the sex steroid hormone therapy to meet the highest standards for safety and efficacy.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.323-328
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• 2010

Root extract of Lythrum salicaria reported a hepato-protective effect on $CCl_4$-induced liver toxicity of rat was prepared into fractions such as n-hexane up layer (HA), n-hexane down layer (HB), diethyl ether (E), ethylacetate (EA), n-butanol (B) and water (W). Fractions prepared were tested their activities in vitro and in vivo condition. All of the fractions showed effective antioxidant asctivities on DPPH radical and $CuSO_4$-induced oxidation of human low density lipoprotein and E fraction showed the highest inhibitory effect (98.1% at $50\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) on linoleic acid autoxidation at $40^{\circ}C$, which was more effective than $\alpha$-tocopherol (82.4%). Five fractions (H = HA plus HB, E, EA, B, and W, 150 mg/kg/day) were fed into Sprague Dawley, male rats for 4 days, which were intoxicated with intra-peritoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride ($1\;m{\ell}/kg$ in corn oil) at the 4th day and were sacrificed in 24 hrs. Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-$\alpha$), a proinflammatory cytokine, elevated with $CCl_4$-intoxication in negative control group ($83\;pg/m{\ell}$) was significantly decreased in E fraction-supplemented group ($18\;pg/m{\ell}$). Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased in negative control group (0.12 U/mg protein) was decreased in E fraction (0.07 U/mg protein). From the results, it is suggested that ether fraction from root extract of L. salicaria would be a potent antioxidant candidate for ameliorating liver injury induced by chemical intoxicant.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2002

Korean safflower (Carthami Flos) seed has been known to have healing effects on both bone fracture and osteoporosis. On the base of such a notice, this experiment was carried out to explore the effects of safflower seed on bone formation and bone repair. In addition, the healing mechanism was evaluated by analysing serum after feeding the seed to experimental. animals. The effect of Korean safflower seed were evaluated with 40 rats,3-month old. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats composed of 20 male and 20 female were underwent unilateral tibial defect and then fastened with unilateral fixators. The operated rats were divided into two groups depending on the composition of diet, such as positive control group fed normal diet (C-OP group) and safflower seed group fed 30% of safflower seed diet and 70% of normal diet (S-OP group). Postoperative radiographys were taken once in 2 weeks to evaluate callus formation for operated groups. In addition, a possible protein spots involved in bone recovery were examined using 2-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis (2-DE). The comparison of the radiography between C-OP and S-OP group were showed that the safflower seed diet appeared to stimulate the formation of callus in the rat. On the images of 2-BE, it was able to identify possible five protein spots, having pl from 4 to 5 and molecular weight range from 24 to 26 kDa, involved in bone formation and repair, since no differing protein spots were found the two between groups except the five spots. No differences were observed between two groups before operation, but clear and bigger protein spots were observed from the S-OP group compared with C-OP group on 6 and 9 weeks post operation. These protein spots were, however, showed similar sizes and densities between two groups in 12 weeks later. The transformation of protein spots was suggested that these protein spots were involved in bone formation and recovery, in addition safflower seed might induce the formation of factors and activate these factors. In conclusion, this study suggest that safflower seed influence a variety of factors in the course of bone formation or the periods of remedy.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.384-391
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• 2007

This study was conducted to clarify the effects of the Korean raisin (Hovenia dulcis Thunb) extracts and polyherbal extracts consisted of 6 types herbal extracts including HDT (HDTmix) on $CCl_4$ induced organ damages. Extracts were prepared by autoclave ($121^{\circ}C$, 15 psi, 3 hours) and filtered with nylon cloth and filter paper then freezing dried. Male Sprague-Dawley rats $(200^{\circ}{\ae}20g)$ were used as experimental groups, which were divided into 5 groups; intact control group (100 mg/kg), $CCl_4$ dosing group (100 mg/kg), $CCl_4$ dosing after HDT extract dosing group (100 mg/kg), $CCl_4$ dosing after HDTmix dosing group (100 mg/kg), Silymarin dosing group (5 mg/kg) after all test articles were orally dosed once a day for 28 days. They were sacrifiled under ether anesthesia. HDT extracts and HDTmix dramatically inhibits the $CCl_4$ intoxicated hepato/nephropathies with immuno-suppress changes on the spleen. They showed more dramatical protective effects on most of specific organs compared to that of Silymarin 5 mg/kg except for hepatoprotective effects in which, quite similar effects were detected. In addition, HDT extracts showed synergic effects with other types of herbal extracts because HDTmix showed more favorable protective effects on the all specific organs showing $CCl_4-related$ histopathological changes compared to HDT extracts.