• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제47권2호
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• pp.265-273
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• 2023

Background: The intestinal microbiota is an important regulator of bone health. In previous studies we have shown that intestinal microbiota dysbiosis, induced by treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics (ABX) followed by natural repopulation, results in gut barrier dysfunction and bone loss. We have also shown that treatment with probiotics or a gut barrier enhancer can inhibit dysbiosis-induced bone loss. The overall goal of this project was to test the effect of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) extract on bone and gut health using antibiotics (ABX) dysbiosis-induced bone loss model in mice. Methods: Adult male mice (Balb/C, 12-week old) were administered broad spectrum antibiotics (ampicillin and neomycin) for 2 weeks followed by 4 weeks of natural repopulation. During this 4-week period, mice were treated with vehicle (water) or KRG extract. Other controls included mice that did not receive either antibiotics or KRG extract and mice that received only KRG extract. At the end of the experiments, we assessed various parameters to assess bone, microbiota and in vivo intestinal permeability. Results: Consistent with our previous results, post-ABX- dysbiosis led to significant bone loss. Importantly, this was associated with a decrease in gut microbiota alpha diversity and an increase in intestinal permeability. All these effects including bone loss were prevented by KRG extract treatment. Furthermore, our studies identified multiple genera including Lactobacillus and rc4-4 as well as Alistipes finegoldii to be potentially linked to the effect of KRG extract on gut-bone axis. Conclusion: Together, our results demonstrate that KRG extract regulates the gut-bone axis and is effective at preventing dysbiosis-induced bone loss in mice.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.74-80
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• 2023

Background: Although many studies have evaluated the efficacy and pharmacokinetics of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) components (Rg1, Rb1, Rg3, Rd, etc.), few have examined the in vivo pharmacokinetics of the radiolabeled components. This study investigated the pharmacokinetics of ginsenosides and their metabolite compound K (CK), 20(s)-protopanaxadiol (PPD), and 20(s)-protopanaxatriol (PPT) using radioisotopes in rat oral administration. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were dosed orally once with 10 mg/kg of the tritium(3H) radiolabeled samples, and then the blood was collected from the tail vein after 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 48, 96, and 168 h. Radioactivity in the organs, feces, urine, and carcass was determined using a liquid scintillation counter (LSC) and a bio-imaging analyzer system (BAS). Results and conclusion: After oral administration, as the ³H-labeled ginsenosides were converted to metabolites, C_max and half-life increased, and T_max decreased. Interestingly, Rb1 and CK showed similar values, and after a single oral administration of components, the cumulative excretion ratio of urine and feces was 88.9%-92.4%. Although most KRG components were excreted within 96-168 h of administration, small amounts of components were detected in almost all tissues and mainly distributed to the liver except for the digestive tract when observed through autoradiography. This study demonstrated that KRG components were distributed to various organs in the rats. Further studies could be conducted to prove the bioavailability and transmission of KRG components to confirm the mechanism of KRG efficacy.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제47권3호
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• pp.420-428
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• 2023

Background: Ginsenoside F2 (GF2), a minor component of Panax ginseng, has been reported to possess a wide variety of pharmacological activities. However, its effects on glucose metabolism have not yet been reported. Here, we investigated the underlying signaling pathways involved in its effects on hepatic glucose. Methods: HepG2 cells were used to establish insulin-resistant (IR) model and treated with GF2. Cell viability and glucose uptake-related genes were also examined by real-time PCR and immunoblots. Results: Cell viability assays showed that GF2 up to 50 μM did not affect normal and IR-HepG2 cell viability. GF2 reduced oxidative stress by inhibiting phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling components such as c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), and p38 MAPK, and reducing the nuclear translocation of NF-κB. Furthermore, GF2 activated PI3K/AKT signaling, upregulated the levels of glucose transporter 2 (GLUT-2) and GLUT-4 in IR-HepG2 cells, and promoted glucose absorption. At the same time, GF2 reduced phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose-6-phosphatase expression as well as inhibiting gluconeogenesis. Conclusion: Overall, GF2 improved glucose metabolism disorders by reducing cellular oxidative stress in IR-HepG2 cells via MAPK signaling, participating in the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway, promoting glycogen synthesis, and inhibiting gluconeogenesis.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.417-424
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• 2023

Parkinson's disease (PD) which has various pathological mechanisms, recently, it is attracting attention to the mechanism via microbiome-gut-brain axis. 6-Shogaol, a representative compound of ginger, have been known for improving PD phenotypes by reducing neuroinflammatory responses. In the present study, we investigated whether 6-shogaol and ginger attenuate degeneration induced by Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabilis) on the intestine and brain, simultaneously. C57BL/6J mice received P. mirabilis for 5 days. Ginger (300 mg/kg) and 6-shogaol (10 mg/kg) were treated by gavage feeding for 22 days including the period of P. mirabilis treatment. Results showed that 6-shogaol and ginger improved motor dysfunction and dopaminergic neuronal death induced by P. mirabilis treatment. In addition, they suppressed P. mirabilis-induced intestinal barrier disruption, pro-inflammatory signals such as toll-like receptor and TNF-α, and intestinal α-synuclein aggregation. Moreover, ginger and 6-shogaol significantly inhibited neuroinflammation and α-synuclein in the brain. Taken together, 6-shogaol and ginger have the potential to ameliorate PD-like motor behavior and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons induced by P. mirabilis in mice. Here, these findings are meaningful in that they provide the first experimental evidence that 6-shogaol might attenuate PD via regulating gut-brain axis.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제47권4호
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• pp.543-551
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• 2023

Background: Panax ginseng Meyer is a representative Chinese herbal medicine with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol (PPD) has been isolated from ginseng and shown to have promising pharmacological activities. However, effects of PDD on pulmonary fibrosis (PF) have not been reported. We hypothesize that PDD may reverse inflammation-induced PF and be a novel therapeutic strategy. Methods: Adult male C57BL/6 mice were used to establish a model of PF induced by bleomycin (BLM). The pulmonary index was measured, and histological and immunohistochemical examinations were made. Cell cultures of mouse alveolar epithelial cells were analyzed with Western blotting, coimmunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, siRNA transfection, cellular thermal shift assay and qRT-PCR. Results: The survival rate of PPD-treated mice was higher than that of untreated BLM-challenged mice. Expression of fibrotic hallmarks, including α-SMA, TGF-β1 and collagen I, was reduced by PPD treatment, indicating attenuation of PF. Mice exposed to BLM had higher STING levels in lung tissue, and this was reduced by phosphorylated AMPK after activation by PPD. The role of phosphorylated AMPK in suppressing STING was confirmed in TGF-b1-incubated cells. Both in vivo and in vitro analyses indicated that PPD treatment attenuated BLM-induced PF by modulating the AMPK/STING signaling pathway. Conclusion: PPD ameliorated BLM-induced PF by multi-target regulation. The current study may help develop new therapeutic strategies for preventing PF.

• 한국해양환경ㆍ에너지학회지
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• 제15권4호
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• pp.281-291
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• 2012

MPUV와 Plasma를 사용하여 선박의 평형수를 처리하는 ARA Plasma BWTS가 개발되었으며, 이로부터 방류되는 배출수가 해양생태계 미치는 영향을 파악하기 위하여 Skeletonema costatum, Tigriopus japonicus 및 Paralichthys olivaceus를 이용하여 배출수독성시험과 생성된 화학물질에 대한 환경위해성을 평가하였다. 34 psu 배출수는 P. olivaceus에 대하여 미약한 만성 독성영향을 보였다($7d-LC_{50}{\Rightarrow}100.00%$ 배출수, $7d-LC_{25}{\Rightarrow}85.15%$ 배출수). 34 psu 배출수에서 Bromobenzene, chlorobenzene과 4-chlorotoluene이 해수의 배경농도보다 높게 검출되었다. MAMPEC을 이용한 Bromobenzene, chlorobenzene과 4-chlorotoluene의 PEC 산출결과는 각각 3.34E-03, 2.10E-03 및 1.73E-03 ${\mu}g\;L^{-1}$이었고, PNEC는 1.6, 0.5 및 1.9 ${\mu}g\;L^{-1}$였다. 세 화학물질의 PEC/PNEC 비율은 1을 초과하지 않았고, PBT 특성을 보이지 않았다. 따라서 WET test 결과와 환경위해성평가결과는 ARA Plasma BWTS에 의하여 처리된 해수가 해양생태계에 수용 불가한 영향을 미치지 않을 것임을 시사하였다.

• 환경위생공학
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.55-61
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• 2001

There are many reservoirs used as the source of water supply and they show various specific characteristics in water quality depend seasonal. Especially, there were not a little variations of water quality in summer, as a natural consequence it follows that stratification occured phenomenon and changed anaerobic condition in the bottom of reservoir, and then accumulated Fe and Mn substance in soil and sediment were resolved into water, it attributes to coloration. G purification plant located in Y gun is very small plant in which coloration occurs by Fe and Mn in every summer. Using this plant as a model, the removal methods of Fe and Mn were studied. After prechlorination plus LAS coagulation, Fe, Mn, $NH_3-N$ were decreased from 7.290 mg/l to 0.080 mg/l, from 0.480 mg/l to 0.075 mg/l, from 0.55 mg/l to 0.04 mg/l. But $THM_{s}$ was increased from 0.050 mg/l to 0.044 mg/l. It shows that the prechlorination plus LAS coagulation treatment process in purification plant is effective to remove Fe and Mn ion.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.604-615
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• 1998

Although previous studies revealed the association of physical activity with mortality rate, it is unclear whether there is a linear trend between physical activity and mortality rate. In this study, the association of physical activity with the risk of all-cause mortality was analysed using Cox's proportional hazard model for a cohort of 14,204 healthy Korean men aged 40-59 years followed up for 4 years(Jan. 1993-Dec. 1996). Physical activity and other life style were surveyed by a postal questionnaire in December 1992. Total of 14,204 subjects were grouped into quartiles by physical activity. Using death certificate data, 123 deaths were identified. The second most active quartile had a lowest mortality .ate with relative risk of 0.44(95% C.I. : 0.23-0.84) compared with most sedentary quartile, showing a J-shape pattern of physical activity-mortality curve. By examining the difference in proportion of cause of the death between most active quartile and the other quartiles, there was no significant difference of proportional mortality from cardiovascular deaths, cerebrovascular deaths or deaths from trauma. The covariates were stratified into two group between which the trend of RR was compared to test the effect modification. There was no remarkable effect modification by alcohol intake, smoking, body mass index, calorie consumption, percent fat consumption. In conclusion, moderate activity was found to have more protective effect on all-cause mortality than vigorous activity and that the J-shape pattern of physical activity-mortality curve was not due to the difference of mortality pattern or effect modification by alcohol intake, smoking, body mass index, calorie consumption and percent fat consumption.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제50권1호
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• pp.19-26
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• 2008

본 연구는 1998년부터 2006년까지 축산과학원에서 능력검정을 실시한 Duroc종 산육능력 검정자료 3,526두와 혈통자료 3,910두의 자료를 이용하여 30kg시 일당증체량, 90kg시 일당증체량, 평균 등지방두께, 90kg 도달일령 및 사료요구율에 대한 유전모수를 추정하기 위하여 실시하였다. 검정기록을 바탕으로 유전모수의 추정은 단형질 및 다형질 혼합모형을 이용하여 Gibbs sampling을 이용한 Bayesian 방법을 이용하였다. 듀록 종의 산육능력 검정자료를 바탕으로 분산분석을 실시한 결과 모든 조사형질에 대하여 성별, 연도, 계절에 있어서 고도의 유의성을 보였으며, 단형질 Bayesian 방법에 의해 추정한 Post-gibbs 후의 30kg 도달시 일당증체량, 30kg~90kg 도달시 일당증체량, 등지방두께, 90kg 도달일령 및 사료요구율의 유전력은 각각 0.43, 0.49, 0.31, 0.48 및 0.62로 추정되었다. 또한 다형질 Bayesian 방법에 의해 추정한 형질간 유전상관은 30kg 도달시 일당증체량과 30kg~90kg 도달시 일당증체량, 등지방두께, 90kg 도달일령, 사료요구율에서는 각각 －0.02, －0.13, －0.55 및 －0.15로 추정되었으며, 30kg~90kg 도달시 일당증체량과 등지방두께, 90kg 도달일령, 사료요구율간의 유전상관은 각각 0.16, －0.73, －0.32로 추정되었고, 등지방두께와 90kg 도달일령, 사료요구율에서는 각각 0.01 및 －0.08로 추정되었으며, 90kg 도달일령과 사료요구율간의 유전상관은 0.23으로 추정되었다.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제21권10호
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• pp.1395-1403
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• 2008

The objective of the present study was to estimate genetic parameters for economic traits in Markhoz goats. Data collected from 1993 to 2006 by the Markhoz goat Performance Testing Station in Sanandaj, Iran, were analyzed. The traits recorded as body weight performance at birth (BW), weaning (WW), six month (6MW), nine month (9MW), yearling (YW) and yearling fleece weight (YFW) were investigated. Least square analyses were used for estimation of environmental effects. Genetic parameters were estimated with single and multi trait analysis using restricted maximum likelihood (REML) procedures, under animal models. By ignoring or including maternal additive genetic effects and maternal permanent environmental effects, five different models were fitted for each trait. The effects of sex, type of birth, age of dam and year of birth on the all body weights were significant (p<0.01), but had no effects on YFW except year of birth. Age of kids had significant influences on WW and 6MW (p<0.01). A log likelihood ratio test was carried out for choosing the most suitable model for each trait. Total heritability estimates for YFW and growth traits varied from 0.16 for YFW and WW to 0.41 for YW. For all traits, maternal heritability was lower than direct heritability, ranging from 0.06 for BW to 0.01 for 6MW and 9MW. The magnitude of $c^2$ was more substantial for BW than the others, and relative importance was reduced from 0.12 for BW to 0.04 for 9MW. The direct additive genetic correlations estimates were positive and varied from 0.21 between BW-YW to 0.96 between WW-6MW. Direct additive genetic correlations between YFW and body weight traits were positive and ranged from 0.14 between BW-YFW to 0.67 between 6MW-YFW. For all traits, the corresponding estimates for phenotypic correlation were positive and lower than genetic correlations. The maternal additive genetic correlations between various traits were varied and ranged from -0.19 between 9MW-YFW to 0.96 between 6MW-9MW. The estimates of the maternal permanent environmental correlations between various traits were positive and ranged from 0.33 between WW-YFW to 0.93 between WW-6MW. Also, the environmental correlations between various traits ranged from 0.01 between BW-YFW and WW-YFW to 0.70 between 9MW-YW. Estimates of genetic parameters for various traits in this study confirm that selection should be applied on WW for genetic improvement in Markhoz goats.