• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.10
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• pp.659-664
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• 2011

As part of the search for biologically active anti-osteoporotic agents that enhance differentiation and mineralization of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells, we identified the ginsenoside Rh2(S), which is an active component in ginseng. Rh2(S) stimulates osteoblastic differentiation and mineralization, as manifested by the up-regulation of differentiation markers (alkaline phosphatase and osteogenic genes) and Alizarin Red staining, respectively. Rh2(S) activates p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in time- and concentration-dependent manners, and Rh2(S)-induced differentiation and mineralization of osteoblastic cells were totally inhibited in the presence of the p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580. In addition, pretreatment with Go6976, a protein kinase D (PKD) inhibitor, significantly reversed the Rh2(S)-induced p38 MAPK activation, indicating that PKD might be an upstream kinase for p38 MAPK in MC3T3-E1 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that Rh2(S) induces the differentiation and mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells through activation of PKD/p38 MAPK signaling pathways, and these findings provide a molecular basis for the osteogenic effect of Rh2(S).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.573-587
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• 2014

Angiogenesis, the formation of new capillary blood vessels, is a tightly regulated process. Under normal physiological conditions, angiogenesis only takes place during embryonic development, wound healing, and female menstruation. Dysregulation of angiogenesis is associated with many diseases, such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and proliferative retinopathy. The growth and expansion of adipose tissue require the formation of new blood vessels. Adipose tissue is probably the most highly vascularized tissue in the body, as each adipocyte is surrounded by capillaries, and the angiogenic vessels supply nutrients and oxygen to adipocytes. Accumulating evidence shows that capillary endothelial cells communicate with adipocytes via paracrine signaling pathways, extracellular components, and direct cell-cell interactions. Activated adipocytes produce multiple angiogenic factors, including VEGF, FGF-2, leptin, and HGF, which either alone or cooperatively stimulate the expansion and metabolism of adipose tissue by increasing adipose tissue vasculature. Recently, it was demonstrated that antiangiogenic herbal Ob-X extracts and Korean red ginseng extracts reduce adipose tissue mass and suppress obesity by inhibiting angiogenesis in obese mice. Thus, angiogenesis inhibitors provide a promising therapeutic approach for controlling human obesity and related disorders.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.26 no.4 s.44
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• pp.551-564
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• 1993

Since the widespread application of hyperbaric oxygenation in clinical medicine, the problems of oxygen toxicity have been attracting a deep interest from the researchers on hyperbaric medicine as a practical issue. Among extensive research trials, the study on the protective agents oxygen toxicity occupied one of the most challenging field. As the mechanisms of oxygen toxicity, the role of the oxygen free radicals produced by peroxidation process are strongly accepted by the leading researchers on oxygen toxicity, the probable protective effects of antioxidant against oxygen toxicity are sustaining a sufficient rational. Maltol ($2-methyl-3-hydroxy-{\gamma}-pyrone$) which is known to be a component of Korean red ginseng has been reporting to have an antioxidant action. But, further study is needed to provide definite evidence for this compound to be an antioxidant, since the action was based on the results which were obtained under in vitro experiment. In this study, the author attempted to evaluate the effect of maltol as protective agent against oxygen toxicity through the observation of death rate, convulsion rate, time to convulsion and microscopic pathological changes in some organs of experimental rats exposed to various conditions. The findings observed are as follows : 1) The death rate, convulsion rate, time to convulsion, lung/weight ratio and microscopic pathological finding of lung were identified as reliable objective and quantitative indices for oxygen toxicity. 2) Maltol showed excellent protective effect against pulmonary oxygen toxicity as an antioxidant.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.911-942
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• 2014

This study was carried out to investigate the flora of indigenous habitat of Donghae-si and Samcheok-si in Gangwon-do, Korea. The vascular plants were collected 18 times (from March to October 2011), and were identified as 804 taxa; 127 families, 445 genera, 720 species, 8 subspecies, 69 varieties, 5 forms and 2 hybrids. In the flora of this area, the calcicolous plants were 55 taxa; Cheilanthes argentea, Clematis serratifoliam, Quercus variabilis. Epipactis papillosa, etc. The endangered plants designated and protected by the wildlife protection law, the Ministry of Environment, Korean were counted to one taxon; Cymbidium macrorhizum. The red list of vascular plants according to IUCN valuation basis were examined, endangered species (EN); Prunus yedoensis and Cymbidium macrorhizum, Vulnerable species (VU); Juniperus chinensis, Pulsatilla tongkangensis, Diarthron linifolium and Swertia wilfordii, Near Threatened species (NT); Paeonia japonica, Allium senescens, Epipactis papillosa and Pogonia minor, Least Concern species (LC); Asplenium ruta-muraria, Platycladus orientalis, Monotropa hypopithys and Eleutherococcus divaricatus var. chiisanensis, etc., Data Deficient species (DD); Paeonia lactiflora var. trichocarpa, and Not Evaluate species (NE); Prunus choreiana, Panax ginseng and Polygonatum infundiflorum etc. Korean endemic plants of this area were 26 taxa; Aconitum pseudolaeve, Corydalis hirtipes, Vicia chosenensis, Salvia chanroenica and Hemerocallis hakuunensis, etc. The floristic regional indicator plants found in this area were 130 taxa comprising 11 taxa of grade V, 15 taxa of grade IV, 33 taxa of grade III, 15 taxa of grade II, 56 taxa of grade I. The naturalized plants were identified as 67 taxa and the percent of naturalized index (NI) was 8.3% of total 804 taxa vascular plants.

• Proceedings of the Korea Information Processing Society Conference
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• 2017.04a
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• pp.573-576
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• 2017

본 연구는 홍삼 등급판정 과정에서 내부 조직 치밀도 분석을 위해 의료 영상 분석 방법을 이용하여 적외선 영상 측정기기를 개발하였다. 기존 홍삼 내부분석방법은 수동으로 암실환경에서 강한 조명을 홍삼에 투과하여 사람 눈으로 직접 판별하는 과정을 거친다. 이러한 기존 검사 과정은 작업 비효율성과 불균일한 검사기준으로 제품 품질 신뢰도 저하의 단점을 가져온다. 이러한 문제점을 해결하기 위해 본 연구는 적외선 조명환경에서 자동 측정이 가능한 홍삼 내부 측정기기를 개발하였다. 개발된 장치는 홍삼의 빛 투과 특성을 응용한 920nm 파장대역의 적외선 조명기구, 조명 제어회로, 적외선 대역 촬영이 가능한 영상 측정 카메라 장치, $0.9^{\circ}$의 간격으로 $360^{\circ}$ 홍삼 영상취득이 가능한 회전 엑츄에이터로 구성이 된다. 본 연구에서 제안 하는 홍삼 단층 영상분석 방법은, 홍삼을 $0.9^{\circ}$ 간격으로 회전시키어 $360^{\circ}$ 홍삼 내부영상을 취득하여 라돈 변환(Radon transform)을 통해 사이노그램(Sinogram)으로 재구성 하였으며, 역 라돈 변환(Inverse Radon transform)을 통해 단층 영상복원(Back-projection)알고리즘을 구현하였다. 이 결과 홍삼을 절단하지 않고 홍삼 내부 단면영상 획득이 가능하였으며 내공(內空), 내백(內白)의 유무를 판단하고 직경을 파악할 수 있었다. 이를 토대로 등급 판별 공식을 산출하면 신뢰성 있는 홍삼 등급 자동화 측정기기를 개발할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.483-493
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• 2011

An acid phosphatase (HppA) activated by $NH_4Cl$ was purified 192- and 34-fold from the periplasmic and membrane fractions of Helicobacter pylori, respectively. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that HppA from the latter appears to be several kilodaltons larger in molecular mass than from the former by about 24 kDa. Under acidic conditions (pH${\leq}$4.5), the enzyme activity was entirely dependent on the presence of certain mono- and/or divalent metal cations (e.g., $K^+$,$ NH_4{^+}$, and/or $Ni^{2+}$). In particular, $Ni^{2+}$ appeared to lower the enzyme's $K_m$ for the substrates, without changing $V_{max}$. The purified enzyme showed differential specificity against nucleotide substrates with pH; for example, the enzyme hydrolyzed adenosine nucleotides more rapidly at pH 5.5 than at pH 6.0, and vice versa for CTP or TTP. Analyses of the enzyme's N-terminal sequence and of an $HppA^-$ H. pylori mutant revealed that the purified enzyme is identical to rHppA, a cloned H. pylori class C acid phosphatase, and shown to be the sole bacterial 5'-nucleotidase uniquely activated by $NH_4Cl$. In contrast to wild type, $HppA^-$ H. pylori cells grew more slowly. Strikingly, they imported $Mg^{2+}$ at a markedly lowered rate, but assimilated urea rapidly, with a subsequent increase in extracellular pH. Moreover, mutant cells were much more sensitive to extracellular potassium ions, as well as to metronidazole, omeprazole, or thiophenol, with considerably lowered MIC values, than wild-type cells. From these data, we suggest that the role of the acid phosphatase HppA in H. pylori may extend beyond 5'-nucleotidase function to include cation-flux as well as pH regulation on the cell envelope.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.237-245
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• 2016

Hair loss affects both men and women of all ages and often significantly affects social and psychologic health. Recent therapeutic approach for hair loss such as finasteride and minoxidil focused on regulation of hormonal system blood flow. However, long-term use of these drugs caused adverse effects. To develop herbal medicine for therapeutic effect on hair growth, here we screened the 10 medicinal herbs (Red ginseng, Licorice, Ulmus, Barberry root, Lycium root, Rehmanniae radix crudus, Sophora root, Sweet flag, Polygala root, Achyranthes) based on oriental medicine literature. We measured cytotoxicity, anti-oxidant activity, and $5-{\alpha}$ reductase inhibitory effect of the herbal medicine on human dermal papilla (DP) cells to investigate therapeutic effect of the herbal medicine. Treatment of the 1% herbal medicine did not show any cytotoxic effects, and cell growth was increased by treatment of the 0.1% herbal medicine. In addition, the herbal medicine showed stronger antioxidant activity than resveratrol and comparable inhibitory activity of $5-{\alpha}$ reductase with finasteride. Furthermore, when applied to in vivo mouse model, we also observed increases in the number and length of hair of the herbal medicine-treated group. These results suggest that the herbal medicine promotes hair growth by its antioxidant activity and inhibitory activity of $5-{\alpha}$ reductase and might therefore be a promising hair growth-promoting agent.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.317-326
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• 2012

Objectives : To investigate the prevalence and utilization pattern of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Methods : We conducted a nationwide survey and a total of 535 individuals with type 2 diabetes were asked about their demographic, diabetes-related characteristics and CAM use. We used multiple logistic regression modeling to determine independent predictors of CAM use. Results : Of the 535 subjects, 417 (77.9%) used CAM in last 12 months. The most commonly used modality was red ginseng (17.9%). CAM use was independently associated with being married, northern area residence, higher education and diabetes duration of 3-5 years. More than half(58.3%) of the CAM users used it expecting a better outcome in addition to conventional therapy. Information sources about CAM were mostly friends (36.0%) and family (31.9%), only 28.1% of diabetic patients seek counsel from medical doctors or oriental medical doctors about CAM. Many people perceived CAM as effective (62.7%) and reported side effects only rarely (1.2%). Conclusions : Many diabetic patients used CAM and found it effective, which urges clinicians to pay attention to CAM use of their diabetic patients. Also, further studies are required regarding efficacy and safety about CAM.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.83-96
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• 2010

Purpose: A survey was conducted by questionnaire to investigate outpatients' intake status of health food. Methods: The survey of visiting oriental OB&GY clinic in 4 hospitals of oriental medicine and 1 oriental medical clinic has found the status of health food intake. Results: 1. Total respondents were 339(Male: 54, Female: 264) and their average age was $41.4{\pm}11.8$. Outpatients of oriental medicine clinic were 113, outpatients of hospitals of oriental medicine were 226. 2. Among the respondents, 156(40%) persons were taking health food as of today and the proportion of health food intake by oriental medicine clinic's outpatients is higher than the proportion of outpatients of hospitals of oriental medicine. 3. There is no difference in educational background and income among the outpatients who visited the oriental medicine clinic or hospitals of oriental medicine. And the middle income group's health food intake ratio was the highest. 4. The survey showed that heath food intake ratio got higher as persons became old. 5. Among the health foods, the multi-vitamin was most frequently taken. And omega 3, Ginseng steamed red, Vitamin C, Glucosamine, Calcium m were also frequently taken. Conclusion: A study for health food intake status by clinic is indispensable to establish the standard for efficient intake of health food.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.75-80
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• 2011

Objectives : The aim of the present study is to investigate the hypotensive effect of Samhwangsasim-tang (SHSST), Samigangap-tang (SMGAT) and Bangtan-tang (BTT) in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-SP). Methods : SHR-SP rats were treated with SHSST, SMGAT and BTT at dose of 200 mg/kg/day orally for 5 weeks, respectively. Results : Treatment SHR-SP rats with SMGAT significantly lowered blood pressure but not in the SHSST or BTT treat groups. On the other hand, SHSST, SMGAT and BTT ameliorated endothelium-dependent and independent vascular relaxation in the phenylephrine-precontracted aorta and carotid artery, respectively. Conclusions : These results indicated that SMGAT has an antihypertensive effect and SHSST, SMGAT and BTT improve vascular function in stroke-prone hypertensive rat model, respectively.