• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.745-750
• /
• 2014

This study investigated the effects of squid Todarodes pacificus liver oil on the serum lipids and adipose tissue weight of rats. The rats in the soybean oil (SO) group received a basic diet prepared according to the recommendations of the American Institute of Nutrition (AIN-93G), with 7% SO as lipid source. The rats in the Patagonian toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides muscle oil (PTFO) group received 5% PTFO and 2% SO as the lipid source, while the rats in the eco-friendly squid liver oil (EFSO) group received 5% EFSO and 2% SO. EFSO was prepared according to the method outlined in the author's patent. PTFO was extracted from muscle using a physical method in the author's laboratory. The prominent polyunsaturated fatty acids in the dietary oils were 18:2n-6 (54.3%) and 18:3n-3 (5.64%) in SO, DHA (6.77%) and EPA (3.61%) in PTFO, and DHA (26.2%) and EPA (9.94%) in EFSO. After feeding for 4 weeks, the serum lipid levels (e.g., triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) of the rats in the EFSO group were significantly reduced as compared with those in the SO group (P<0.05); those of the rats in the PTFO group were also reduced, albeit not significantly, compared with the SO group. On the other hand, the total white adipose tissue (visceral, epididymal, and perirenal) weight was significantly reduced in the EFSO and PTFO groups compared to the SO group. These results demonstrate that EFSO is an effective lipid modifying agent in rat blood, and that EFSO and PTFO have greater anti-obesity effects than SO.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.122-127
• /
• 2006

The effects of fermented chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) powder on the lipid concentrations and the activities of liver marker enzymes of serum in genetically diabetic Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats were investigated. Rats were fed a semisynthetic diet supplemented with 50 g/kg chaga mushroom powder (CM) or 50 g/kg fermented chaga mushroom powder (FCM) for 8 weeks (26 to 34 weeks of age). Nondiabetic Long-Evans Toknshima Otsuka (LETO) rats were used as age-matched nondiabetic control animals. Water consumption was significantly higher in the OLETF control than the LETO rats. Water consumption in the FCM-fed OLETF rats tended to be less than in both the OLETF control and CM-fed OLETF rats. Serum concentrations of triglycerides and total cholesterol were significantly higher in the OLETF control rats than in the LETO rats while within the OLETF rat groups, the consumption of FCM resulted in a significantly lower serum triglyceride concentration and slightly lowered serum total cholesterol concentration when compared to the OLETF control and CM-fed rats. The alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity was significantly higher in the OLETF control than in the LETO rats, but this difference was significantly reduced compared to the CM-fed rats and essentially no difference in the ALT levels was observed between the LETO and OLETF-FCM rats. This observation suggests an adaptive effect of the fermented chaga mushroom in liver function. Livers of the LETO rats showed no histopathological changes, whereas those of the OLETF control rats were characterized by many fat depositions in the central zone of the hepatocytes. The livers of the OLETF CM-fed rats showed less fatty changes compared to the OLETF control rats and fat deposition in the hepatocytes was nearly absent. These results suggest that orally ingested fermented chaga mushroom has a potential beneficial effect on the complications known to occur in the obesity-related non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NlDDM) OLETF rat.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.99-103
• /
• 2010

The Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rat, a model of spontaneous type 2 diabetes (T2D), develops hyperglycemic obesity with hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance after the age of 25 weeks, similar to patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DM). In the present study, we determined whether there are differences in the pattern of gene expression related to glucose and lipid metabolism between OLETF rats and their control counterparts, Long-Evans Tokushima (LETO) rats. The experiment was done using 35-week-old OLETF and LETO rats. At week 35 male OLETF rats showed overt T2D and increases in blood glucose, plasma insulin, plasma triglycerides (TG) and plasma total cholesterol (TC). Livers of diabetic OLETF and LETO rats also showed differences in expression of mRNA for glucose and lipid metabolism related genes. Among glucose metabolism related genes, GAPDH mRNA was significantly higher and FBPase and G6Pase mRNA were significantly lower in OLETF rats. For lipid metabolism related genes, HMGCR, SCD1 and HL mRNA were substantially higher in OLETF rats. These results indicate that gluconeogenesis in OLETF rats is lower and glycolysis is higher, which means that glucose metabolism might be compensated for by a lowering of the blood glucose level. However, lipid synthesis is increased in OLETF rats so diabetes may be aggravated. These differences between OLETF and LETO rats suggest mechanisms that could be targeted during the development of therapeutic agents for diabetes.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.21-28
• /
• 2001

Objective : The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of stimulation of specific auricular acupuncture points on appetite suppression. Methods : The fasted rats were deprived of food and water for 48 hours. Stimulation of tho inner auricular region of the rat correspond to the human stomach acupuncture point was made for leptin, tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) and c-fos expression in the brain of the fasted rats by immunohistochemistry. Results : The immunoteactivities of leptin in the periventricular nucleus of the auricular acupunctured group with fasted were significantly higher compared to those of the fasted group. The immunoreactivities of TPH in the median raphe neucleus and reticulotegmental neucleus pons of the auricular acupunctured group with fasted were significantty higher compared to those of the fasted group. And the immunoreactivities of c-fos in the dentate gyrus of the auricular acupunctured group with fasted were significantly lower compared to those from the fasted group. Conclusions : We conclude that the auricular acupuncture altered leptin and TPH-expression in the brain of the fasted rats. The results suggest that auricular acupuncture may inhibit food intake.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.39 no.5
• /
• pp.321-325
• /
• 2009

5-HT$_{2C}$ receptors have been considered as therapeutic targets for the treatment of various central nervous system disorders such as depression, anxiety, epilepsy, schizophrenia and sleep disorders. We chemically synthesized KKHQ80114 (K14) and KKHQ80109 (K09), selective 5-HT$_{2C}$ agonists, with the purpose of developing therapeutic agents for the treatment of obesity. The objective of this work is to investigate analytical methods of these compounds in the plasma and urine of rats by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. In this experiment, K14 was determined in plasma and urine by using K09 as internal standard. Calibration curves give a good linearity in plasma (r$^2$=0.9993) and urine (r$^2$=0.9988). Among hexane, ethyl acetate and diethyl ether, the highest peak was observed in diethyl ether. However, ethyl acetate was used since more interfering peaks were observed with diethyl ether. Inter-day precision and accuracy were determined in the ranges of 50-500 ng/mL for plasma and 10-500 ng/ml for urine. Quantitation limits were 50 ng/mL plasma and 25 ng/ mL urine. These data may be applicable for further studies of these compounds including absorption and metabolism due to no pharmacokinetic or analytical data available.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2006

Objectives: To find out the effects GGT1, an antiobestic drug widely used clinics, has on the amount of feed intake, the amount of change in the body weight and the food efficiency ratio using the data from the hGHTg obese male rats. Also, to evaluate in terms of antiobestic effects, the difference between GGT1 and reductil (sibutramine), which has been approved by the FDA of the United States. Methods: We measured the change in body weight and the amount of feed intake for 8 weeks by categorizing the hGHTg obese male rats into three groups: the control group, the GGT1 group, and the reductil (RD) group. We also evaluated the antiobestic effect by calculating the food efficiency ratio, which is the increase of bodyweight divided by the amount of feed intake. Results: In case of body weight, moderate slope of the curve in the graph of GGT1 group could mean that the weight is decreasing as time flows. In case of food efficiency ratio, the p-value was 0.745 in a test for determining if an interaction exists between the group and the point of measurement, meaning that it does not exist; also, the p-value in a test for the effect of level of repetition in food efficiency ratio according to the point of measurement equaled 0.002. Conclusion: The drug-treated groups had a greater inhibitory effect in feed intake than the control group. The results showed the food efficiency ratio had a tendency to decrease. The GGT1 group in particular was under a greater effect than the RD group.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.657-662
• /
• 2016

Cladosiphon okamuranus is edible brown algae cultured commercially and extensively on the Okinawa coast in Japan. We examined the effects of Cladosiphon okamuranus on the lipid metabolism in high-fat-diet rats. Seven-week-old female SD rats were divided into five groups and fed high-fat diets for 42 days. In addition, Cladosiphon okamuranus was administered orally for 42 days at 95 mg/kg of the body weight of the rats. The effects of lipid metabolism were evaluated by the total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), glutamic pyruvate transaminase (GPT), glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT) levels in sera. The levels of TC, TG, LDL, GPT, and GOT were reduced in the Cladosiphon okamuranus treated group compared with the high-fat diet group. However, the levels of HDL in the Cladosiphon okamuranus treated groups were higher than in the high-fat diet groups. These results demonstrated that Cladosiphon okamuranus had positive effects on lipid metabolism, suggesting Cladosiphon okamuranus could be used as an ingredient in useful, functional products.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.81-96
• /
• 2008

Objectives : This study was performed to investigate inhibitory effects of Gamipalmul-tang($jiaweibawu-t{\bar{a}}ng$) on the hematological and histological changes of obese mice. Methods : C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups (normal group, high fat diet with normal saline, high fat diet with reductil, high fat diet with Gamipalmul-tang($jiaweibawu-t{\bar{a}}ng$) and fed for 8 weeks. Body weight change, final increase of body weight, ALT, AST, creatinine, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, cell viability by cytotoxicity, the expression of ${\beta}3AR$ in 3T3-L1 cell, the expression of leptin, ${\beta}3AR$ and serotonin in adipocyte tissue and size of adipocyte were observed in 8 weeks. Results : 1. In 3T3-L1 cell. the expression of ${\beta}3AR$ was increased significantly. 2. The final increase of body weight in obese-mouse were decreased significantly. 3. The level of AST, ALT were decreased significantly. 4. The level of LDL-cholesterol was decreased significantly and HDL-cholesterol was increased significantly. 5. The levels of triglyceride was decreased and leptin and glucose were decreased significantly. 6. In adipocyte tissue, the expression of ${\beta}3AR$ were increased significantly. 7. In adipocyte tissue, the expression of leptin and serotonin were decreased significantly. 8. The size of Adipocyte was decreased. Conclusions : On the basis of these results, we concluded that Gamipalmul-tang($jiaweibawu-t{\bar{a}}ng$) has inhibitory effects in rat.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.7-12
• /
• 2008

OLETF (Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty) rats are characterized by obesity-related insulin resistance, which is a phenotype of type 2 diabetes. Sulfonylurea drugs or benzoic acid derivatives as inhibitors of the ATP-sensitive potassium $(K_{ATP})$ channel are commercially available to treat diabetes. The present study compared sulfonylurea drugs (glimepiride and gliclazide) with one of benzoic acid derivatives (repaglinide) in regard to their long-term effect on ameliorating insulin sensitivity in OLETF rats. Each drug was dissolved and fed with drinking water from 29 weeks of age. On high glucose loading at 45 weeks of age, response of blood glucose recovery was the greatest in the group treated with glimepiride. On immunohistochemistry analysis for the Kir6.2 subunit of $K_{ATP}$ channels, insulin receptor ${\beta}$-subunits, and glucose transporters (GLUT) type 2 and 4 in liver, fat and skeletal muscle tissues, the sulfonylurea drugs (glimepiride and gliclazide) were more effective than repaglinide in recovery from their decreased expressions in OLETF rats. From these results, it seems to be plausible that $K_{ATP}$-channel inhibitors containing sulfonylurea moiety may be much more effective in reducing insulin resistance than those with benzoic acid moiety. In contrast to gliclazide, non-tissue selectivity of glimepiride on $K_{ATP}$ channel inhibition may further strengthen an amelioration of insulin sensitivity unless considering other side effects.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.451-458
• /
• 1990

Lean and obese male spontaneously hypertensive(SHR/Mcc-cp) rats were fed a ground rat chow diet with or without 0.001% estrone added from 6 to 18 weeks of age. Urine samples were collected weekly with 24 hour fasting. Both control lean and obese rats showed significantly higher urinary protein than their estrone treated counterparts. Treatment with 0.001% estrone diet was found to reduced the proteinuria in the maturing lean and obese SHR/Mcc-cp rats. Peaks in urinary protein level were noted at 16 weeks of age in both lean and obese control rats. Both control and estrone treated lean rats showed higher proteinuria than the obese rats. Therefore, obesity does not appear to be a contributing factor to the proteinuria in young male SHR/Mcc-cp rats.