• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.640-650
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• 2020

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is an atypical member of the FGF protein family which is highly synthesized in the liver, pancreas, and adipose tissue. Depending on the expression tissue, FGF21 uses endo- or paracrine features to regulate several metabolic pathways including glucose metabolism and energy homeostasis. Different physiologically stressful conditions such as starvation, a ketogenic diet, extreme cold, and mitochondrial dysfunction are known to induce FGF21 synthesis in various tissues to exert either adaptive or defensive mechanisms. More specifically, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha control FGF21 expression in adipose tissue and liver, respectively. In addition, the pharmacologic administration of FGF21 has been reported to decrease the body weight and improve the insulin sensitivity and lipoprotein profiles of obese mice and type 2 diabetes patients meaning that FGF21 has attracted huge interest as a therapeutic agent for type 2 diabetes, obesity, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, understanding FGF21 remains complicated due to the paradoxical condition of its tissue-dependent expression. For example, nutrient deprivation largely increases hepatic FGF21 levels whereas adipose tissue-derived FGF21 is increased under feeding condition. This review discusses the issues of interest that have arisen from existing publications, including the tissue-specific function of FGF21 and its action mechanism. We also summarize the current stage of a clinical trial using several FGF21 analogs.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.14-17
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• 2009

The clinical significance of hepatic resection for gastric metastases is controversial, even though hepatic resection has been widely accepted as a modality for colorectal metastases. Very few patients with gastric hepatic metastases are good candidates for hepatic resection because of multiple bilateral metastases, extrahepatic disease, or advanced cancer progression, such as peritoneal dissemination or extensive lymph node metastases. Therefore, several authors have reported the clinical significance of hepatic resection for gastric metastases in a small number of patients. Considering the present results with previous reports. The number and distribution of tumors in hepatic metastases from gastric cancer was considered based on the present and previous reports. Several authors have reported significantly better survival in patients with metachronous metastasis than in those with synchronous disease. However, metachronous hepatic resection necessitates the dissection of adhesions between the pancreas, liver, and residual stomach to prepare for Pringle's maneuver. Patients with unilobar liver metastasis, and/or metastatic tumors <4 cm in diameter may be good candidates for hepatic resection. Synchronous metastasis is not a contraindication for hepatic resection. Most of the long-term survivors underwent anatomic hepatic resection with a sufficient resection margin. After hepatic resection, the most frequent site of recurrence was the remaining liver, which was associated with a high frequency of mortality within 2 years. A reasonable strategy for improvement in survival would be to prevent recurrence by means of adjuvant chemotherapy and careful follow-up studies.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.341-348
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• 2021

Serum amylase is a representative enzyme secreted by the salivary gland and pancreas. This study investigates the clinical significance of serum amylase levels in Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Totally, 70 female subjects were enrolled, who were diagnosed as SS and had no accompanying afflictions that affected the serum amylase levels. Unstimulated salivary flow rate (U-SFR) and stimulated SFR (S-SFR), salivary gland scan, and disease activity markers (ESSDAI and ESSPRI), as well as blood tests including ESR, CRP, and amylase, were evaluated. Serum amylase showed significant positive correlation with the U-SFR and S-SFR, and was increased with higher ejection fraction (EF) of the parotid gland. However, there was no significant correlation with disease activity and inflammatory markers. Based on their average amylase levels, subjects were divided into two groups. The group with higher serum amylase levels showed a statistically significant increase in the S-SFR and EF of the parotid gland. Considering the results of the salivary gland scan, we conclude that serum amylase is significantly correlated with SFR and the EF of the parotid gland, thereby indicating that the salivary gland function remains intact in SS.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.116-121
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• 2010

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) promote the development of brain and vision of the fetus, relieve inflammation, inhibit oral dysplasia of rumor cell, decrease the incidence of cardiovascular disease and regulate arrhythmia. ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase is the rate-limited enzyme in the desaturation process. This study reports the cloning, characterization and tissue expression of a ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase gene in the chicken. PCR primers were designed based on the predicted sequence of chicken ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase (accession number: XM421053) and used to isolate a cDNA fragment of 1,323 bp from chicken liver. Based on the 1,323 bp fragment an EST (BI390105) was obtained by BLAST. The EST and 5'nd of the 1,323 bp fragment were partially overlapped. Gene specific primers derived from the EST were used for amplification of the 5'nd. Another gene-specific primer derived from the 1,323 bp fragment was used for amplification of the 3'nd by 3'ACE. Then the three overlapping cDNA sequences obtained were assembled with DNAMAN software and a full-length ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase of 2,153 bp was obtained. The full-length cDNA contained an ORF of 1,335 bp with a 5'ntranslated region of 147 nucleotides followed by an ATG initiation codon. Stop codon TGA was at position 1,481-1,483 bp. The deduced amino acids shared an homology above 77% with bovine, mice, orangutan, rat and human. The protein sequence had three histidine-rich regions HDFGH (HisI region), HFQHH (HisII region) and HH (HisIII region), a cytochrome $b_{5}$-like domain containing a heme-binding motif and two transmembrane domains. Sequence analysis of the chicken genomic DNA revealed that the coding sequence of chicken ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase included 12 exons and 11 introns. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that the ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase expression levels were in turn liver, spleen, pancreas, lung, breast muscle, heart, and abdominal fat. The expression of ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase in liver was significantly higher than that in breast muscle (p<0.01). The expression of ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase in lung was significantly higher than that in abdominal fat (p<0.01). This is the first clone of chicken ${\Delta}-6$ desaturase.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.295-302
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• 2008

Two dogs were referred to Veterinary Medical Center, Chungbuk National University with the clinical signs of vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, and jaundice. Both dogs were diagnosed as extrahepatic biliary tract obstruction(EHBO) with concurrent pancreatitis based on dilated common bile duct and hyperechoic or mixed-echoic pancreas in abdominal ultrasonographic examination and serum biochemical abnormalities, such as high serum bilirubin, cholesterol, and increased cholestatic enzyme activity. Percutaneous ultrasound-guided cholecytocentesis(PUCC) was performed to examine bile and decompress the gall bladder. After PUCC with medical therapy, both dogs were steadily improved clinical signs of jaundice and anorexia. Also, cholestatic enzyme activity and serum bilirubin concentration decreased. Any complications that have been described in previous studies, such as peritonitis resulting from bile leakage and hemorrhage, were not identified. It is assumed that percutaneous ultrasound guided cholecystocentesis may be an useful diagnostic and therapeutic tool in canine gallbladder disease and can be used easily and safely to gain bile for diagnosis of bacterial cholecytitis.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.158-164
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• 2016

This study was conducted to verify the potential of Allium hookeri to control blood glucose metabolism in diabetes model. We fed the experimental diets(ALE, ARE) supplemented with the extract of Allium hookeri leaf or root at 1% of diet to the diabetic mice (C57BLKS/J, db/db) for 8 weeks. Hetero and control mice were fed the control diet without any extract of Allium hookeri leaf or root. At 8th week of feeding the diets, we measured body weight, blood glucose, HbA1c, and plasma insulin levels and conducted an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and staining insulin immunoreactive cells in islets of pancreas. ARE group treated with the root of A. hookeri showed significantly lower blood glucose levels than the Cont group at 120 min in the OGTT. However, HbA1c level was significantly reduced in both ALE and ARE groups, and higher serum insulin levels and increased density of insulin immunoreactive cells compared with the Cont group were found in these 2 groups. Based on these results, A. hookeri is considered to be effective in improving glucose tolerance by partially affecting insulin secretion and it may be used to prevent and treat diabetic disease.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.78-83
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• 2015

This study was conducted to verify the potential of Allium hookeri to control glucose metabolism in a diabetes model. We fed the experimental diets (AL, AR, Dex) supplemented with the powder of leaf, root, or dextrin as a positive control, respectively at 3% of diet to the diabetic mice (C57BLKS/J, db/db) for 8 weeks. Control mice were fed with the diet supplemented with cornstarch (Cont) at 3% level of diet. At 8th week of feeding the diets, we measured body weight, blood glucose, HbA1c, and plasma insulin levels and conducted an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and staining insulin immunoreactive cells in islets of pancreas. AL group treated with the leaf of A. hookeri showed significantly lower blood glucose and HbA1c levels, higher plasma insulin levels, and increased density of insulin immunoreactive cells compared with the Cont group. During the OGTT, AL group showed lower blood glucose levels than the Cont group for 120 min. Based on these results, leaf of A. hookeri is considered to be effective in improving glucose tolerance by partially affecting insulin secretion and it may be used to prevent and treat diabetic disease.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.211-219
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• 1982

Chickens from 10 to 32 weeks of age were inoculated with P. multocida via seven routs(intravenous, intramuscular, intraperitoneal, subcutaneous, into ear, intranasal, per oral). The development or distribution of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in multiple organs and the role of P. multocida endotoxins in disease process of fowl cholera were studied. The histological diagnosis of DIC was made by demonstration of fibrinous in arterioles, capillaries, venules and medium-sized blood vessels. The presence of fibrinous thrombi in blood vessels of multiple organs was observed in chickens which died within approximately 3 days post inoculation. Fibrinous thrombi were observed most frequently in the lung(90% of all cases with DIC) followed by liver (70%), kidney (60%), heart(20%), spleen, brain, pancreas, thymus and thyroid gland. The density of fibrinous thrombi (i.e. the number of thrombi per section) was greatest in the lung, followed by spleen, kidney, liver and heart. It is thought that the widespread hemorrhage of acute fowl cholera is also caused by P. multocida endotoxin which initiates DIC in variety of organs. The cause of death for the chickens after infection with acute fowl cholera is probably due to an endotoxin (septic) shock accompanied with DIC in multiple organs.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1390-1395
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• 1997

Intravascular lymphomatosis(IVL) which was first described by pfleger and Tappeiner in 1959 is rare malignancy characterized by neoplastic proliferation of lymphoid cell lineage within the vascular lumen with little or no adjacent parenchymal involvement Its usual sites of involvement are central nervous system and skin or infrequently heart, lungs, pancreas, liver, spleen, kidney, adrenal glands, genitourinary tract, and bone marrow. Pulmonary involvement of IVL is not common. Symptoms of pulmonary involvement include dyspnea, cough and fever. Radiologicially, the disease is manifested with diffuse interstitial infiltrates. We report a recently experienced case of pulmonary intravascular lymphomatosis which was manifested with fever and chest pain.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.204-209
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• 2008

Purpose: The goal of this study was to review the clinicopathologic characteristics of neuroendocrine tumor (NET) of the stomach. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 13 patients who were diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumor from January 1999 to August 2007 at Kosin Medical Center; 4,159 gastric cancer patients were treated surgically during the same time. The average follow up period was 14.3 months. Results: The majority of 13 patients were men (male-female ratio: 11:2) and the average age of patients with NET was 59.4 years (range: 42~72 years). The presenting symptoms were mostly epigastric pain and soreness. The tumor was limited to the mucosa or submucosa in two cases, and the tumor extended beyond the muscle layer in 11 cases. The mean size of the tumor was 7.0 cm, ranging from 0.7 cm to 15 cm. The type of the NEC (according to the WHO classification) was type 3 for eight patients, type 4 for four patients and type 1 for one patient. Regional lymph node metastasis was noted in 11 patients. Four cases showed recurrence of disease and the site of recurrence included liver in two patients, multiple organs (including the peritoneum and lung) in one patient and multiple organs (including liver, pancreas and duodenum) in one patient. The recurrent cases were type 3 and type 4 and the average survival period of the recurrent patients was 12.8 months. Conclusion: The majority of neuroendocrine tumors of the stomach were at an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. These tumors frequently recurred in the liver and they have a poor prognosis.