• Development and Reproduction
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.129-138
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• 2019

In many cases, obesity is associated with metabolic disorders. Recently, natural compounds that may be beneficial for improving obesity have received increasing attention. Bitter melon has received attention as a diabetes treatment. $NAD^+$-dependent deacetylase (Sirtuin 1, SIRT1) has emerged as a novel therapeutic target for metabolic diseases. In this study, ethanol extract of bitter melon (BME) suppressed adipocyte differentiation and significantly increased the expression of SIRT1 in fully differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. Moreover, it enhanced the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). In high-fat diet (HFD)-fed induced-obesity mice, BME suppressed HFD-induced increases in body weight and white adipose tissue (WAT) weight. BME also increased the expression of SIRT1 and suppressed peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor and sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 expressions of WAT from HFD-fed mice. These findings suggest that BME prevents obesity by activating the SIRT1 and AMPK pathway and that it may be a useful dietary supplement for preventing obesity.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The $NAD^+$ precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a type of vitamin $B_3$ found in cow's milk and yeast-containing food products such as beer. Recent studies suggested that NR prevents hearing loss, high-fat diet-induced obesity, Alzheimer's disease, and mitochondrial myopathy. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of NR on inflammation and mitochondrial biogenesis in AML12 mouse hepatocytes. MATERIALS/METHODS: A subset of hepatocytes was treated with palmitic acid (PA; $250{\mu}M$) for 48 h to induce hepatocyte steatosis. The hepatocytes were treated with NR ($10{\mu}M$ and 10 mM) for 24 h with and without PA. The cell viability and the levels of sirtuins, inflammatory markers, and mitochondrial markers were analyzed. RESULTS: Cytotoxicity of NR was examined by PrestoBlue assay. Exposure to NR had no effect on cell viability or morphology. Gene expression of sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) and Sirt3 was significantly upregulated by NR in PA-treated hepatocytes. However, Sirt1 activities were increased in hepatocytes treated with low-dose NR. Hepatic pro-inflammatory markers including tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 were decreased in NR-treated cells. NR upregulated anti-inflammatory molecule adiponectin, and, tended to down-regulate hepatokine fetuin-A in PA-treated hepatocytes, suggesting its inverse regulation on these cytokines. NR increased levels of mitochondrial markers including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ coactivator-$1{\alpha}$, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1, uncoupling protein 2, transcription factor A, mitochondrial and mitochondrial DNA in PA-treated hepatocytes. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrated that NR attenuated hepatic inflammation and increased levels of mitochondrial markers in hepatocytes.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.253-260
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• 1996

An enzyme that hydrolyzes flavin-adenine dinucleotide (FAD) was found to be present in rat liver lysosomal membrane prepared from Triton WR-1339 filled lysosomes (tritosomes) purified by flotation on sucrose. This FAD phosphohydrolase (FADase) exhibited optimal activity at pH 8.5 and had an apparent Km of approximately 3.3 mM. The activity was decreased 50~70% by dialysis against EDTA and this was restored by $Zn^{2+}$, $Mg^{+2}$, $Hg^{+2}$, and $Ca^{+2}$ ions inhibited the enzyme, but $F^-$ and molybdate had no effect. The enzyme was also inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate (pCMB), reduced glutathione and other thiols, cyanide, and ascorbate. The presence of ATP, ADP, AMP. ${\alpha}-{\beta}-methylene$ ATP, AMP-p-nitrophenyl phosphate (PNP), GMP, and coenzyme A (CoA) decreased the activity on FAD, but pyrimidine nucleotides, adenosine, adenine, or $NAD^+$ were without effect. Phosphate stimulated the activity slightly. FAD phosphohydrolase activity was separated from ATPase and inorganic pyrophosphatase activities by solubilization with detergents and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by linear sucrose density gradient centrifugation suggesting that the enzyme is different from ATPase, inorganic pyrophosphatase, and soluble lysosomal FAD pyrophosphatase. Paper chromatography showed that FAD was hydrolyzed to flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and AMP which were further hydrolyzed to riboflavin and AMP by phosphatases known to be present in lysosomal membranes. Incubation of the intact Iysosomes with pronase showed that the active site of FAD phosphohydrolase must be oriented to the cytosol. The FAD hydrolyzing activity was detected in Golgi, microsome, and plasma membrane, but not in mitochondria or soluble lysosomal preparations.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.453-461
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• 2018

The aim of this study is to delineate 'admixed hybrid' and 'introgressive' Fasciola genotypes present in the Fasciola population in Vietnam. Adult liver flukes collected from ruminants in 18 Provinces were morphologically sorted out by naked eyes for small (S), medium (M) and large (L) body shapes; and human samples (n=14) from patients. Nuclear ribosomal (rDNA) ITS1 and ITS2, and mitochondrial (mtDNA) nad1 markers were used for determination of their genetic status. Total 4,725 worm samples of ruminants were tentatively classified by their size: 6% (n=284) small (S)-, 13% (n=614) medium (M)-, and 81% (n=3,827) large (L)-forms. All the representative (n=120, as 40 each group) and 14 human specimens, possessed maternal mtDNA of only F. gigantica and none of F. hepatica. Paternally, all (100%) of the L-(n=40) and 77.5% (n=31) of the M-flukes had single F. gigantica rDNA indicating 'pure' F. gigantica. A majority (90%, n=36) of the S- and 15% (n=6) of the M-worms had single F. hepatica rDNA, indicating their introgressive; the rest (10%, n=4) of the S- and 7.5% (n=3) of the M-flukes had mixture of both F. gigantica and F. hepatica rDNAs, confirming their admixed hybrid genetic status. Fourteen human samples revealed 9 (64%) of pure F. gigantica, 3 (22%) of introgressive and 2 (14%) of admixed hybrid Fasciola spp. By the present study, it was confirmed that the small worms, which are morphologically identical with F. hepatica, are admixed and/or introgressive hybrids of Fasciola spp., and able to be the pathogens of human fascioliasis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.1120-1128
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• 2004

The SCBFC was composed of bilayered cathode, the outside of which was modified with $Fe^{3+}$ (graphite-Fe(III) cathode) and the inside of which was porcelain membrane, and of an anode which was modified with $Mn^{4+}$ (graphite­Mn(lV) anode). The graphite-Fe(III), graphite-Mn(IV), and porcelain membrane were designed to have micropores. The outside of the cathode was exposed to the atmosphere and the inside was contacted with porcelain membrane. In all SCBFCS the graphite-Fe(III) was used as a cathode, and graphite-Mn(IV) and normal graphite were used as anodes, for comparison of the function between normal graphite and graphite-Mn(IV) anode. The potential difference between graphite-Mn(IV) anode and graphite-Fe(III) cathode was about 0.3 volt, which is the source for the electron driving force from anode to cathode. In chemical fuel cells composed of the graphite-Mn(IV) anode and graphite-Fe(III) cathode, a current of maximal 13 mA was produced coupled to oxidation of NADH to $NAD^{+}$ the current was not produced in SCBFC with normal graphite anode. When growing and resting cells of E. coli were applied to the SCBFC with graphite-Mn(IV) anode, the electricity production and substrate consumption were 6 to 7 times higher than in the SCBFC with normal graphite anode, and when we applied anaerobic sewage sludge to SCBFC with graphite-Mn(IV) anode, the electricity production and substrate consumption were 3 to 5 times higher than in the SCBFC with normal graphite anode. These results suggest that useful electric energy might possibly be produced from SCBFC without electron mediators, electrode-active bacteria, and extra energy consumption for the aeration of catholyte, but with wastewater as a fuel.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2000

Several studies have shown that the stomach has sufficient alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity to metabolize some amount of orally administered alcohol and the sex-related differences in the first-pass metabolism of alcohol might be associated with differences in the activity of gastric ADH(GADH). The aim of this study was to asses the sex-related differences in GADH in 48 male and 48 female Sprague-Dawley rats aged 1, 4, 10, 15, 20, and 30 weeks which each aged group had same sex ratio. The GADH activity was determined spectrophotometrically at 37$^{\circ}C$. The formation of NADH was monitored at 340nm for 10 minutes in the 1 ml of reaction mixture (0.5 M of Tris-HCl, pH 7.2 + 1.5 M of ethanol + 2.8 mM of NAD + 30 $\mu$l gastric mucosal supernatant). The GADH activity (nM of NADH/min/mg of cytosolic protein) was calculated using molecular extinction coefficient of 6.22 $\textrm{cm}^2$/$\mu$M for NADH. The GADH activities were 2.94$\pm$0.82 (n=48) in female rats and 3.34$\pm$2.17 (n=48) in male rats and had not significant difference between sex. However, the GADH activities were significantly (p<0.01) higher in female (1.91$\pm$0.59 and 3.30$\pm$0.49) than in male (0.68$\pm$0.43 and 1.92$\pm$0.81) of 1 and 4 weeks rats. However, it was significantly (p<0.05) higher in male (6.48$\pm$1.81, 3.65$\pm$1.04 and 5.13$\pm$1.30) than in female (4.23$\pm$1.23, 2.18$\pm$0.77 and 2.56$\pm$0.93) of 10, 20 and 30 weeks rats, respectively. Therefore, the results suggested that sex-related differences of the GADH activities in same aged rats were existed by age.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.33
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• pp.175-188
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• 1997

the main purpose of this study was to inves-tigate the consumer dissatisfaction and com-plaining behavior in purchase and use by con-sumer value. The subjects participated this study were 204 female students. They were classified into 3 groups by important degree of instrumental value which is one of the 2 value categories that divided by the Rokeach. In order to assess consumer dissatishaction in purchase and use of clothing by those groups. The Clothing Purchase Dissatisfaction Inventory was used and The Consumer Complaining Behavior Inventory was adapted to asses consumer complaining behavior. The Clothing Purchase Dissatisfaction Inventory has 4 subscales(Price related factor Produt and Quality related factor Information and Service related factor Purchase decision-mak-ing related factor)and The Consumer Complaining behavior Inventory consisted in 3 subscales(Do nothing Private complaining Public complaining) Using SAS package in order to examine Clothing Purchase Dissatisfaction Inventory scores anaslysis of variance (MANOVA) was excuted And turkety test a kind of post-hoc multiple comparisons methods was adapted to compare Clothing Purchase Dissatisfaction In-ventory scores of each groups. in order to in-vestigate consumer complaining behavior by each groups and grade major pocket money a month the mean purchse price of clothing a month x2-test Frequency Percent were executed. Conclusion eached in this study are as fol-low: 1. Each group had differences in price re-lated factor Product nad Quality related fac-tor Information and Service related factor ex-cept Purchase decision -making related factor Groups which made much of value tend to dis-satisfy in price related facor Product and Quality related factor Information and Service related factor. 2. Group that made much of value had more high scores in private complaining complainto third party and the middle group had more high scores in private complaining . Group made little of value tended to do nothing. 3. Grade major pocket money a monty the mean purchase price of clothing a month didn't have difference signficantly in consumer behavior. but major had difference on private complaining.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.197-201
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• 2003

Automatic addition of glucose, ammonium and phosphate to alcohol distillery wastewater and their control at low concentrations have been carried increase the cell concentration of a baker's yeast cultivated in the wastewater. Glucose was automatically added using dissolved oxygen as the control parameter, and maintained below 300 mg/L. Ammonium was automatically added by a pH-stat method and maintained in the low range of 12.6~17.4 mM. An automated FIA system, which used an ascorbic acid-based method was developed for the automatic analysis nad addition of phosphate. With this system, the phosphate concentration was succesfully analysed and controlled afrer 19.4 hr in the range 23.3~43.4 mg/L. The cell concentration was increased by 33.0-fold by the addition of these three nutrients. The overall specific growth rate of the yeast was 0.19 $hr^{-1}$.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.248-256
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• 1996

The present study was performed to clone and express human poly (ADP-ribose) synthetase (PARS) cDNA in E coli. For these purposes, the CDNA for human poly (ADP-ribose) synthetase, encoding the entire protein, was cloned into pGEM-7Zf(+). The resulting recombinant plasmid pPARS6.1 was restriction enzyme mapped and its identity was confirmed by Southern blot analysis. The pPARS6. 1 contained full-length CDNA of human PARS and the nudeotide sequences were identical with those reported previously. The recombinant protein which migrated as a unique 120 kDa band on 10% SDS-polyacrylamide gels, was identified as PARS by Southwestern blots using nick-translated DNA probes and by activity gels and activity blots using 32 P-NAD as a substrate for poly (ADP-ribose) synthetase (PARS). The signals corresponding to 120 and 98 kDa proteins were obtained following IPTG (0.4 mM) induction of the PARS cDNA cloned into Xba I-digested pGEM-7Zf(+) vector. Nonspecific signals corresponding to 45 and 38 kDa proteins were also shown in both IPTG-induced and noninduced cells. The nonspecific proteins may be products of incomplete translation or proteolytic products of intact PARS.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.206-213
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• 2017

BACKGROUN/OBJECTIVES: Although studies have revealed that black garlic is a potent antioxidant, its antioxidant mechanism remains unclear. The objective of this study was to determine black garlic's antioxidant activities and possible antioxidant mechanisms related to nuclear factor erythroid 2-like factor 2 (Nrf2)-Keap1 complex. METHODS/MATERIALS: After four weeks of feeding rats with a normal fat diet (NF), a high-fat diet (HF), a high-fat diet with 0.5% black garlic extract (HF+BGE 0.5), a high-fat diet with 1.0% black garlic extract (HF+BGE 1.0), or a high-fat diet with 1.5% black garlic extract (HF+BGE 1.5), plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin,homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were determined. As oxidative stress indices, plasma concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and 8-isoprostaglandin $F2{\alpha}$ (8-iso-PGF) were determined. To measure antioxidant capacities, plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and activities of antioxidant enzymes in plasma and liver were determined. The mRNA expression levels of antioxidant related proteins such as Nrf2, NAD(P)H: quinone-oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione S-transferase alpha 2 (GSTA2) were examined. RESULTS: Plasma glucose level, plasma insulin level, and HOMA-IR in black garlic supplemented groups were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those in the HF group without dose-dependent effect. Plasma TBARS concentration and TAC in the HF+BGE 1.5 group were significantly decreased compared to those of the HF group. The activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the HF+BGE 1.0 and HF+BGE 1.5 groups compared to those of the HF group. The mRNA expression levels of hepatic Nrf2, NQO1, HO-1, and GSTA2 were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the HF with BGE groups compared to those in the HF group. CONCLUSIONS: The improvements of blood glucose homeostasis and antioxidant systems in rats fed with black garlic extract were related to mRNA expression levels of Nrf2 related genes.