• Journal of mucopolysaccharidosis and rare diseases
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.43-45
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• 2016

Whole body energy balance is achieved through the coordinated regulation of energy intake and energy expenditure in various tissues including liver, muscle and adipose tissues. A positive energy imbalance by excessive energy intake or insufficient energy expenditure results in obesity and related metabolic diseases. Although there have been many obesity treatment trials aimed at the reduction of energy intake, these strategies have achieved only limited success because of their associated adverse effects. Serotonin is among those traditional pharmacological targets for anti-obesity treatment because central 5-HT functions as an anorexigenic neurotransmitter in the brain. Thus, there have been many trials aimed at increasing the activity of 5-HT in the central nervous system, and some of the developed methods are already used in the clinical setting as anti-obesity drugs. However, recent studies suggest the new functions of peripheral serotonin in energy homeostasis ranging from the endocrine regulation by gut-derived serotonin to the autocrine/paracrine regulation by adipocyte-derived serotonin. Pharmacological inhibition of 5-HT synthesis leads to inhibition of lipogenesis in epididymal white adipose tissue (WAT), induction of browning in inguinal WAT and activation of adaptive thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT). Fat specific Tph1 knock-out (Tph1 FKO) mice exhibit similar phenotypes as mice with pharmacological inhibition of 5-HT synthesis, suggesting the localized effects of 5-HT in adipose tissues. In addition, Htr3a KO mice exhibit increased energy expenditure in BAT and Htr2a KO mice exhibit the decreased lipid accumulation in WAT. These data suggest the clinical significance of the peripheral serotonergic system as a new therapeutic target for anti-obesity treatment.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.645-650
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• 2019

Brown adipocytes have an important role in the regulation of energy balance through uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1)-mediated nonshivering thermogenesis. Although brown adipocytes have been highlighted as a new therapeutic target for the treatment of metabolic diseases, such as obesity and type II diabetes in adult humans, the molecular mechanism underlying brown adipogenesis is not fully understood. We recently found that protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type B (PTPRB) expression dramatically decreased during brown adipogenic differentiation. In this study, we investigated the functional roles of PTPRB and its regulatory mechanism during brown adipocyte differentiation. Ectopic expression of PTPRB led to a reduced brown adipocyte differentiation by suppressing the tyrosine phosphorylation of VEGFR2, whereas a catalytic inactive PTPRB mutant showed no effects on differentiation and phosphorylation. Consistently, the expression of brown adipocyte-related genes, such as UCP-1, $PGC-1{\alpha}$, PRDM16, $PPAR-{\gamma}$, and CIDEA, were significantly inhibited by PTPRB overexpression. Overall, these results suggest that PTPRB functions as a negative regulator of brown adipocyte differentiation through its phosphatase activity-dependent mechanism and may be used as a target protein for the regulation of obesity and type II diabetes.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.791-803
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• 2022

Genome/gene-editing (GE) techniques, characterized by a low technological barrier, high efficiency, and broad application among organisms, are now being employed not only in medical science but also in agriculture/veterinary science. Different engineered CRISPR/Cas9s have been identified to expand the application of this technology. In pig production, GE is a precise new breeding technology (NBT), and promising outcomes in improving economic traits, such as growth, lean or healthy meat production, animal welfare, and disease resistance, have already been documented and reviewed. These promising achievements in porcine gene editing, including the Myostatin gene knockout (KO) in indigenous breeds to improve lean meat production, the uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) gene knock-in to enhance piglet thermogenesis and survival under cold stress, the generation of GGTA1 and CMP-N-glycolylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (CMAH) gene double KO (dKO) pigs to produce healthy red meat, and the KO or deletion of exon 7 of the CD163 gene to confer resistance to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection, are described in the present article. Other related approaches for such purposes are also discussed. The current trend of global regulations or legislation for GE organisms is that they are exempted from classification as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) if no exogenes are integrated into the genome, according to product-based and not process-based methods. Moreover, an updated case study in the EU showed that current GMO legislation is not fit for purpose in term of NBTs, which contribute to the objectives of the EU's Green Deal and biodiversity strategies and even meet the United Nations' sustainable development goals for a more resilient and sustainable agri-food system. The GE pigs generated via NBT will be exempted from classification as GMOs, and their global valorization and commercialization can be foreseen.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2021

Purpose Brown fat, or brown adipose tissue (BAT), is involved in non-shivering thermogenesis and creates heat through glucose metabolism. BAT activation occurs stochastically by internal factors such as age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) and external factors such as temperature and environment. In this study, as a retrospective, electronic medical record (EMR) observation study, statistical analysis is conducted to confirm BAT activation and various factors. Materials and Methods From January 2018 to December 2019, EMR of patients who underwent PET/CT scan at the National Cancer Center for two years were collected, a total of 9155 patients were extracted, and 13442 case data including duplicate scan were targeted. After performing a univariable logistic regression analysis to determine whether BAT activation is affected by the environment (outdoor temperature) and the patient's condition (BMI, cancer type, sex, and age), A multivariable regression model that affects BAT activation was finally analyzed by selecting univariable factors with P<0.1. Results BAT activation occurred in 93 cases (0.7%). According to the results of univariable logistic regression analysis, the likelihood of BAT activation was increased in patients under 50 years old (P<0.001), in females (P<0.001), in lower outdoor temperature below 14.5℃ (P<0.001), in lower BMI (P<0.001) and in patients who had a injection before 12:30 PM (P<0.001). It decreased in higher BMI (P<0.001) and in patients diagnosed with lung cancer (P<0.05) In multivariable results, BAT activation was significantly increased in patients under 50 years (P<0.001), in females (P<0.001) and in lower outdoor temperature below 14.5℃ (P<0.001). It was significantly decreased in higher BMI (P<0.05). Conclusion A retrospective study of factors affecting BAT activation in patients who underwent PET/CT scan for 2 years at the National Cancer Center was conducted. The results confirmed that BAT was significantly activated in normal-weight women under 50 years old who underwent PET/CT scan in weather with an outdoor temperature of less than 14.5℃. Based on this result, the patient applied to the factor can be identified in advance, and it is thought that it will help to reduce BAT activation through several studies in the future.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.239-245
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• 2003

The $\beta$3-adrenergic receptor ($\beta$3AR) plays a major role in thermogenesis and lipolysis in brown and visceral adipose tissue, and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity and metabolic disorders. The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of $\beta$3AR gene polymorphism on the risk of hyperglycemia in 980 Korean women who attended a weight loss program in a local clinic. Each subject s height, weight, BMI, WHR, obesity index and body composition were measured. The genotype of the $\beta$3AR gene in codon 64 was analyzed by the PCR RFLP method. Serum concentrations of fasting glucose, of total and HDL cholesterol, and of TG were determined. Genotype distributions were as follows : 67% WW type, 31% WR type, and 2% RR type. Among the many measured parameters, fasting glucose levels were significantly higher in the WR/RR type compared with the WW type (p=0.0ll). When the subjects were divided into two groups by a fasting blood glucose level higher or lower than 6.105mmol/L (110mg/dl), the frequency of hyperglycemia showed a significant difference in relation to $\beta$3AR genotype as measured by $\X^2$-analysis (p=0.014); the frequency of hyperglycemia was significantly higher (at 24.8%) in WR/RR type subjects, compared to 18.2% in WW type subjects. When all of the measured parameters were included in stepwise logistic regression analyses to find the risk factors for hyperglycemia, the odds ratios for hyperglycemia were 1.573 (p=0.0ll) for the WR/RR type of the $\beta$3AR gene, 1.053 (p=0.001) for TG, 1.044 (p=0.037) for BMI, and 1.026 for age (p=0.031). These data suggest that the WR/RR genotype of the $\beta$3AR has a very strong association with increased blood glucose level and might be a significant risk factor for hyperglycemia among Korean women.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.192-202
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• 2017

In this study, factors involved in lipid and energy metabolism following treatment with ethanolic extract of the Polygonatum sibiricum rhizome (ID1216) were evaluated in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. ID1216-treated mice showed a significant reduction in weight gain compared to non-treated mice. ID1216 treatment increased the protein levels of AMP-dependent protein kinase, sirtuin1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ coactivator 1-${\alpha}$ ($PGC1{\alpha}$), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\alpha}$ ($PPAR{\alpha}$) and uncoupling proteins in the adipose tissue, liver and muscle compared to vehicle treatment. Analysis of downstream signals of the sirtuin1 $PGC1{\alpha}$-$PPAR{\alpha}$ pathway showed that ID1216 regulates the expression of ${\beta}$-oxidation related genes such as acyl-CoA oxidase, carnitine palmitoyltransferase1, acyl-CoA dehydrogenase and adipocyte protein 2. In addition, ID1216 increased the expression of adipose triglyceride lipase. These results suggest that ID1216 has anti-obesity effects by regulating the genes involved thermogenesis, ${\beta}$-oxidation and lipolysis in a diet-induced obesity model.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.37-45
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• 1981

The importance of thyroid hormones for the survival of rats in the cold is along-established fact. Hypothyroid animals are unable to survive in a cold environment. It was also reported that acute exposure of rats, guinea pigs and rabbits to cold produced an increased secretion of TSH and thereby thyroid hormone secretion within 10 to 30 min, but this increase of thyroid activity disappeared quite rapidly during warming. However, in human study no significant difference was found in the concentration of $T_4$, TSH and cortisol between summer and winter. But plasma $T_3$ concentration was increased significantly in winter in 56 adult men. On the other hand, it has been also known that catecholamines are important in the maintenance of body temperature of rat exposured to cold. Abundant evidences suggest that the sympathetic nervous system is involved in the activation of nonshivering thermogenesis and that thyroid hormone metabolism and secretion are influenced by catecholamines and consequently by the activity of the sympatheticadrenal system. Many of the metabolic effects of catecholamines are associated with an increase in the level of cAMP mediated through activation of adenylate cyclase which converts ATP to cAMP. Other studies have shown that thyroid hormones affect the amount of adenylate cyclase present in the adipose tissue. On the other hand. it was also reported that a particulate cAMP phosphodiesterase activity in fat cells was modulated by the action of thyroid hormones. The objective of the present study was to determine the interaction between thyroid activity and cyclic nucleotides during acute exposure to cold. Albino rats weighing around 200 g were used as the experimental animal. The room temperature group was kept at $25^{\circ}C$ and the cold-exposured group was kept at $4^{\circ}C$ for 1 week or 2 weeks. Each group was subdivided into three subgroups; control, KI, and MTU group. At the end of experiment the animals were etherized and blood was taken from abdominal aorta for $T_4,\;T_3$ and cyclic nucleotides. The determinations of $T_3,\;T_4$ and cyclic nucleotides were carried out with a radioimmunoassay(RIA) method. The results were summerized as followings. 1) A significant increase of thyroid weight was observed in rats exposured to cold for 2 weeks. Furthermore, in rats administered MTU while to exposure to cold the thyroid weight was also increased significantly. 2) After 2 weeks $T_3$ concentration in the plasma of cold-exposured rats was significantly increased in KI group and MTU group as well as in control group. On the contrary, after 2 weeks of cold exposure $T_4$ level was decreased in control group. 3) In the case of cyclic nucleotides, plasma cAMP was increased in the control group after 1 or 2 weeks of cold exposure. However, cAMP level in plasma was rather significantly decreased in KI group and MTU group as well as in control group.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.384-391
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• 2016

In previous studies, we confirmed that the ethanol extract of Polygonatum sibiricum (ID1216) has anti-obesity effects on high-fat diet-fed mice. To identify the obesity-related genes affected by ID1216, we studied its effects both in vivo and in vitro. In mice, single administration of ID1216 increased the expression of obesity-related genes including sirtuin1 (SIRT1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ coactivator $1{\alpha}$ ($PGC1{\alpha}$) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\alpha}$ ($PPAR{\alpha}$) compared to that in mice administered the vehicle; their downstream genes (uncoupling proteins, acyl-CoA oxidase, adipocyte protein 2, and hormone-sensitive lipase) were also increased by ID1216. In fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, ID1216 showed the same effects on anti-obesity genes as those in the animal model. Based on these results, we propose that ID1216 has anti-obesity effects by regulating the $SIRT1-PGC1{\alpha}-PPAR{\alpha}$ pathway and their downstream genes, thereby controlling energy and lipid metabolisms.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.101 no.3
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• pp.517-525
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• 2012

In this study, a 4-year-old mountain ginseng was mixed and ripened with 4-year-matured persimmon vinegar, and then it was diluted 5 times and orally administerd to rats. Afterwards, by analyzing the protein expression rate which affects both the carbohydrate metabolism and the lipid metabolism, this study examined the anti-obesity effect of the fusion material. The rats were divided into a control group (CON), a persimmon vinegar group (PV) and a mountain ginseng+persimmon vinegar fusion material group (MPV). The weight gain rate was found to be low in PV and MPV, and the concentration of glucose was also low in PV and MPV. However, GLUT-2 was found to be significantly high in these two groups on the contrary. Both the concentration of free fatty acid and CPT-1 protein expression rate were high in PV and MVP, but MVP was higher than PV. Cytochrome C oxidase was found to be higher in MPV than in CON. AMPK, $PPAR-{\gamma}$ and $PGC1-{\alpha}$ were all high in PV and MPV, but MPV was higher than PV. All the results above verified the thermogenesis effect of the fusion material, leading to an increase of energy metabolism, and it was thought that the fusion material could be effectively used for anti-obesity. However, it seems necessary to verify the anti-obesity effect through various further studies.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.315-320
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• 2005

With regard to the fact that temperature of human body remains almost constant at $37^{\circ}C$, changes by circadian variation, this study intended to investigate the effect of circadian rhythm on physiological responses of human body according to body fat rate. Fifteen healthy adult women were recruited for this study and were measured body fat as a method of bio impedance. We organized subjects into three groups ; low body fat group(group L-less than 20% of body fat), medium body fat group(group M-20%~30% of body fat) and high body fat group(group H-more than 30% of body fat). The experiment was carried out in a climate chamber of $32^{\circ}C$, 60% RH with the repeat of 'Exercise' and 'Rest' period. Subjects participated in two experiments, one is morning experiment(called 'AM'), the other is afternoon experiment (called 'PM'). The results of this study are as follows ; As to the variation of rectal temperature, group L and M had a significant difference in the time of the day between AM and PM, but group H had almost the same rectal temperature in the two kinds of experimental time. The reason why group H had a smaller difference in the circadian rhythm of rectal temperature in this study is estimated at the Budd et al.(1991)'s results that body fat had effects on reduction in thermogenesis, radiation, mean skin temperature, and increase in insulation of the tissues. Group M had the highest mean skin temperature in the 'PM'. All the 3 groups didn't have stable values in 'AM'. But it showed more stable in 'PM' than 'AM'. Sweat rate was the highest in group H in both 'AM' and 'PM'. Group M had larger sweat rate in 'PM' than 'AM'. but in group L and H, sweat rate was almost the same in two kinds of time of the day. This result suggests that who have more or less body fat have larger difference in sweat rate between morning and afternoon than who have normal body fat.