• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.88-100
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• 2020

Objective: We aimed to develop and validate a deep learning system for fully automated segmentation of abdominal muscle and fat areas on computed tomography (CT) images. Materials and Methods: A fully convolutional network-based segmentation system was developed using a training dataset of 883 CT scans from 467 subjects. Axial CT images obtained at the inferior endplate level of the 3rd lumbar vertebra were used for the analysis. Manually drawn segmentation maps of the skeletal muscle, visceral fat, and subcutaneous fat were created to serve as ground truth data. The performance of the fully convolutional network-based segmentation system was evaluated using the Dice similarity coefficient and cross-sectional area error, for both a separate internal validation dataset (426 CT scans from 308 subjects) and an external validation dataset (171 CT scans from 171 subjects from two outside hospitals). Results: The mean Dice similarity coefficients for muscle, subcutaneous fat, and visceral fat were high for both the internal (0.96, 0.97, and 0.97, respectively) and external (0.97, 0.97, and 0.97, respectively) validation datasets, while the mean cross-sectional area errors for muscle, subcutaneous fat, and visceral fat were low for both internal (2.1%, 3.8%, and 1.8%, respectively) and external (2.7%, 4.6%, and 2.3%, respectively) validation datasets. Conclusion: The fully convolutional network-based segmentation system exhibited high performance and accuracy in the automatic segmentation of abdominal muscle and fat on CT images.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.276-283
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• 2005

Purpose : Visceral fat accumulation plays a major role in metabolic complications of obesity. It is known that nonalcoholic fatty liver in obese adults is associated with visceral fat accumulation. Body mass index(BMI) is used as the index of obesity in children. The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation of BMI and visceral adipose tissue(VAT), and the correlation of BMI, body fat distribution, aminotransferases, and severity of fatty liver. Methods : Twenty three obese children with fatty liver diagnosed by non-contrast abdominal computed tomography(CT) were included in this study. Data on BMI, aminotransferase levels were collected from clinical records. Visceral adipose area was evaluated with CT. Results : BMI had a singnificant correlation with VAT(r=0.51719, P=0.0115). The severity of fatty liver had no significant correlations with BMI(r=-0.11938, P=0.5876), VAT(r=-0.31234, P=0.1468), aspartate aminotransferase(AST)(r=0.12729, P=0.5628) or alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(r=-0.00179, P=0.9935). Conclusion : BMI in obese children was correlated with VAT. But the severity of fatty liver cannot be assessed by BMI, VAT or aminotransferase levels.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.205-217
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• 2008

Objectives : We investigated the effects of Herba Ephedrae and Rhizoma Amorphophalli on high fat diet induced obese male mice. Methods : 8 weeks old, high fat diet induced obese male mice were divided into 5 groups: C57BL/6 normal control, obese vehicle control, GGEx55 (Herba Ephedrae), GGEx61 (Rhizoma Amorphophalli), GGEx62 (Herba Ephedrae + Rhizoma Amorphophalli). After mice were treated with GGEx for 8 weeks, we measured body weight gain, food intake, feeding efficiency ratio, rectal temperature, fat weight, plasma leptin and lipid levels. We also took micro-computerized axial tomography (micro-CT) on the mice. Results : 1. GGEx55 and GGEx62 groups significantly decreased body weight gain and feeding efficiency ratio compared with vehicle control. But they significantly increased rectal temperature. 2. Plasma total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations were significantly increased by GGEx55 groups, whereas were significantly decreased by GGEx62 groups compared with vehicle control. 3. GGEx55 and GGEx62 groups significantly decreased total, subcutaneous and visceral fat as well as fat areas in micro-CT analysis of abdomen compared with vehicle control. 4. Plasma GOT and GPT concentrations were significantly increased by GGEx55 groups compared with vehicle control. Conclusions : These results demonstrate that GGEx55 and GGEx62 effectively reduces body weight gain, feeding efficiency ratio in high fat diet induced obese mice, leading to the modulation of obesity. In addition, GGEx55 and GGEx62 decreases visceral adipose tissue mass and improves plasma lipids, suggesting that GGEx55 and GGEx62 may act as a therapeutic agent for obesity.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.73-77
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• 2003

PAI-1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1), leptin, and resistin are synthesized and secreted by Int cells of rodents and have recently been postulated to be an important link to obesity. This study was conducted to identify the nutritional regulation of PAI-1, leptin, and resistin gene expression in 0b/ob mice. The mice were divided into four groups according to nutritional status: control, 48 hour fasting, 48 hour-fasting/12 hour-refeeding, and 48 hour-fasting/24 hour-refeeding. The mRNA levels of each peptide were measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. In visceral fat tissue, the level of PAI-1 mRNA increased markedly when 48h-fasted animals were refed with a high carbohydrate-low fat diet. However, lasting/refeeding did not appreciably change PAI-1 mRNA levels in subcutaneous fat tissue. Similar results were obtained for resistin mRNA levels in both types of fat tissues. These findings suggest that visceral adipose tissue might be more sensitively involved in the nutritional regulation of PAI-1 and resistin gene expression compared to subcutaneous fat tissue. The level of leptin mRNA decreased markedly in the 48h-fasted animals, and increased markedly when 48h-fasted animals were refed with a high carbohydrate-low fat diet. The nutritional regulation of leptin mRNA showed similar patterns in both types of fat tissues. In conclusion, the nutritional regulation of gene expression encoding PAI-1, resistin, and leptin from adipocytes may vary according to the type of adipose tissue.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.104-109
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• 2017

Objectives: Epicardial fat is true visceral fat that is known to be associated with metabolic syndrome, high abdominal fat, insulin resistance, coronary artery diseases, low coronary flow reserve and subclinical atherosclerosis. Dampness-Phlegm pattern is one of the pattern diagnosis of traditional Korean medicine. Previous studies showed that Dampness-Phlegm pattern is associated with hypertension, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome. This study is intended to find association between Dampness-Phlegm pattern and epicardial fat thickness. Methods: This study was a community-based single center trial. Ischemic stroke patients within 30 days after their ictus were enrolled. Epicardial fat thickness was measured using transthoracic echocardiography. Other measured and obtained variables are medical history, weight, height, body mass index, fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerol, high density lipoprotein, lipid and low density lipoprotein. Results: Three hundred sixty six were enlisted, and one hundred forty were diagnosed with the Dampness-Phlegm pattern. Dampness-Phlegm pattern group had significantly thicker epicardial fat. Binary logistic regression also showed statistically significant result. Conclusions: This study showed close association between epicardial fat and Dampness-Phlegm pattern. This result suggests a clue to standardization of pattern identification.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.257-264
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• 2003

Carnitine, hydroxycitric acid, and soy peptide have been known to be anti-obesity agents. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the combined effects of carnitine, hydroxycitric acid, and soy peptide mixture as a potential anti-obesity supplement in overweight women. Overweight premenopausal women (n=33; PIBW>110; 20 to 39 years) were randomized into two groups: the placebo group and the functional beverage group (the test group). Functional beverage was composed of 2000 mg soy peptide, 20 mg L-carnitine and 300 mg garcinia(40% hydroxycitric acid). Body weight and 3 day food dimes, biochemical measurements and computerized tomography were measured at baseline and 8-week. After 8-week consumption of functional beverage with usual diet and exercise, body weight fell an average of 1.4 kg (2.1%). Visceral fat area reduced an average of 7.8% at L1($69.6{\pm}8.7\;vs\;64.2{\pm}7.5\;\textrm{cm}^2$) and 5.1% ($60.7{\pm}4.9\;vs\;57.6{\pm}4.8\;\textrm{cm}^2$, p<0.05) at L4level after weight loss in the test group. Calf fat area in the test group showed about 10% reduction ($31.0{\pm}2.7\;vs=\;27.7{\pm}1.7\;\textrm{cm}^2$, p<0.05) after weight loss. These reductions in fat areas were not shown in the placebo group. There were tendencies of increase in serum levels of $\beta-hydroxybutyrate$, acetoacetate, and total ketones in the test group. There were 7% and 17% insignificant increase in fasting free fatty acid (FFA) and response area of FFA during oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT), respectively, in this group. ill addition, little weight loss in the test group showed 8% but not significant reduction in insulin response area during OGTT. In conclusion, this study shows that taking a mixture of carnitine, hydroxycitric acid, and soy peptide as a potential anti-obesity supplement for 8-week produced advantageous changes in the weight and visceral fat accumulation of overweight women.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2011

Objectives Our purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between depression, stress, and obesity indexes. Methods This study was performed in 110 healthy overweight and obese(BMI${\geq}23\;kg/m^2$) women in Korea. Subjects underwent abdominal CT(computed tomography) scanning and were asked to complete Beck depression inventory(BDI), social readjustment rating scale(SRRS), and stress response inventory(SRI) questionnaires. Weight, body-mass index(BMI), waist circumference(WC), and waist-hip ratio(WHR) were evaluated. Subjects were given written consent and this study was performed under permission of institutional review board of KyunHee University Hospital at Gangdong. Results 1. BDI and SRI were significantly correlated with VFA(visceral fat area)(p<0.05). However, other obesity indexes were not significantly correlated with BDI and SRI(p>0.05). 2. SRRS was not significantly correlated with all obesity indexes(p>0.05). Conclusions This study suggests that depression and stress might be correlated with visceral fat, and this result would be helpful for planning a treatment schedule of obese patients with depression or stress in the clinic.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.489-495
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of dried Momordica charantia aqueous extracts (MCA) and ethanol extracts (MCE) on obesity and lipid profiles in mice fed a high-fat diet. MATERIALS/METHODS: Forty two ICR mice were randomly divided into six groups. The normal group was fed a basal diet, and other groups were fed a 45% high-fat diet (HFD) for 7 weeks. The normal and HFD groups were also orally administered distilled water each day for 7 weeks. The remaining groups received Momordica charantia extract (0.5 or 1.0 g/kg/day MCA, and 0.5 or 1.0 g/kg/day MCE). In order to measure the anti-obesity and lipid profile improvement effects, body and visceral tissue weight, lipid profiles, plasma insulin levels, hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured. RESULTS: Both MCA and MCE significantly decreased body and visceral tissue weight relative to those of the HFD group (P < 0.05). Additionally high doses of MCE and MCA significantly reduced the plasmatic insulin levels compared to the HFD groups (P < 0.05) to concentrations comparable to those found in the normal group. MCA and MCE supplementation also significantly modulated the lipid profiles in plasma, liver, and feces compared to mice fed the HFD (P < 0.05). Furthermore MCA and MCE significantly increased hepatic SOD activity, and reduced MDA generation in the liver of the HFD mice (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Results from the present study suggest that Momordica charantia extracts have anti-obesity effects and the ability to modulate lipid prolife of mice fed a HFD by suppressing body weight gain, visceral tissue weight, plasma and hepatic lipid concentrations, and lipid peroxidation along with increasing lipid metabolism.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2006

To evaluate whether metformin restores leptin sensitivity in aged rats with leptin resistance, we measured leptin sensitivity in aged (2 year old) and adult (5 month old) rats after 4 weeks of treatment with metformin (300 mg/kg/D, mixing in drinking water), by measuring food intake, body weight and visceral fat losing effects. Leptin ($15{\mu}g/D$) was administered by intracerobroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion through osmotic minipump for 1 week. Metformin treatment decreased body weight and daily food intake in both adult and aged rats compared with their control rats, however, these effects were more prominent in aged rats than in adult rats. Anorexic and fat losing responses following i.c.v. leptin were attenuated in aged rats compared to adult rats. However, these responses of aged rats to leptin were restored by metformin treatment. Moreover, serum concentration of leptin in aged rats was significantly decreased by combined treatment with metformin and leptin. These results suggest that metformin enhances leptin sensitivity in aged rat model, and that combination therapy with metformin and leptin would be helpful for treatment of aging-associated obesity.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.374-381
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• 2010

This study was performed to examine the diet effect of green coffee bean extract on body fat reduction. Overweight/obese women (body mass index > $23\;kg/m^2$ or body fat > 27%) who were not diagnosed any type of disease were included in this study and subjects were randomly assigned to green coffee bean extract group (n = 23) or placebo group (n = 20). We measured anthropometric parameters, abdominal fat distribution by computed tomography and blood components before and after the 8-weeks intervention period. After supplementation, green coffee bean extract group showed a significant reduction of body weight (p < 0.01), body fat percent (p < 0.01), total fat area at L1 vertebra (-4.8%, p < 0.05) and visceral fat area at L4 vertebra was(-4.7%, p < 0.05). In addition, total fat area and visceral fat area at L1 vertebra decreased significantly in green coffee bean extract group compared with placebo group (p < 0.05, p < 0.05 respectively). The result of present study demonstrated that the supplementation of green coffee bean extract for 8 weeks can give beneficial effects on body fat reduction and visceral fat accumulation.