• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.280-283
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• 2013

Leuconostoc spp. is intrinsically resistant against vancomycin and rarely causes the infection in immunocompromised patients. In this report, we describe a fatal case of Leuconostoc lactis bacteremia in a patient with biliary tract stent insertion to resolve the biliary tract obstruction by multiple pseudocysts in the pancreatic head region. Leuconostic lactis isolated from the blood of the patients was confirmed by 16S rRNA sequencing and this isolate was susceptible against most antibiotics, including levofloxacin, penicillin, erythromycin and cefotaxime except vancomycin. The septic shock and multi-organ failure was abruptly progressed due to delayed use of adequate antibiotic. Using vancomycin as the empirical antibiotics in a bacteremic patient by Gram positive cocci, the treatment failures by the isolates with intrinsic resistance against vancomycin have to be considered. In addition, the prompt and accurate identification of Leuconostoc spp. are very important to select the adequate antibiotics.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.270-274
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• 2013

Egg allergy has been raised as the most prevalent food hypersensitivity in children. Ovalbumin (OVA), which is one of the major egg allergens, is the major protein in egg white. Isoliquiritigenin (ILG) is an active component present in licorice and has been used to treat many chronic diseases for many years. In this study, we present biochemical evidence that ILG inhibits OVA-induced nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) activation. ILG also inhibits OVA-induced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. These data suggest that ILG has anti-allergy effects.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.224-232
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• 2013

Cucurbitacins are a natural cell-permeable triterpenoid compound isolated from Cucurbitaceae and Cruciferae. Cucurbitacins have been used as folk medicine because of their anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. In the present study, we investigate the anti-cancer effects of cucurbitacin I on colitis-associated colon carcinogenesis induced by azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in BALB/c mice. Cucurbitacin I treatment attenuated loss of body weight and decreased the number of colon tumors. Western blot analysis showed that cucurbitacin I treatment significantly inhibited the protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ and interleukin (IL)-6. These results suggest that cucurbitacin I suppressed inflammatory reaction and tumor development in colitis-associated colon carcinogenesis.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.206-212
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• 2013

The herbal composition Gyeongshingangjeehwan 18 (GGEx18), which is composed of three herbs, Laminaria japonica Aresch (Laminariaceae), Rheum palmatum L. (Polygonaceae), and Ephedra sinica Stapf (Ephedraceae), has been used as an anti-obesity drug in Korean local clinics. Thus, we investigated whether GGEx18 regulates obesity by suppressing appetite in high fat diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice. Administration of GGEx18 to obese mice for 9 weeks significantly decreased body weight gain, epididymal adipose tissue weight, and food efficiency ratio. GGEx18 also caused a significant decrease in the circulating levels of leptin, which were increased by about 450% in obese control mice compared with normal lean mice. Concomitantly, GGEx18 decreased mRNA levels of a potent appetite-stimulating hormone neuropeptide Y, but increased an appetite-suppressing hormone pro-opiomelanocortin mRNA levels. These results suggest that GGEx18 may prevent obesity through regulating appetite in nutritionally obese mice.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2013

This study was to know the effects of massage on the back region in order to reduce stress in middle age women. To investigate the effects of massage to the stress levels of middle aged women, we evaluated blood pressure (BP), heart rate variability (HRV), and ultrasonography before and after back massage. The blood pressure after massage was reduced when compared to that of pre-massage. The HRV spectrum analysis was used Frequency domain analysis such as Mean HRV, normalized low frequency (norm LF), norm high frequency (norm HF), and LF/HF ratio. Post-massage BP tended to be low, but not statistical significant. After Massage, the Mean HRV, norm LF, and LF/HF ratio were significantly reduced, while norm HF was significantly increased as compared with pre-massage. The muscle layer and fat layer were significantly diminished by massage. The study was suggested that massage may be an effective treatment for relief of stress.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2013

Electrospun nanofibers are being widely used as a substratum for mammalian cell culture owing to their structural similarity to collagen fibers found in extracellular matrices of mammalian cells and tissues. Especially, development of diverse synthetic polymers has expanded use of electrospun nanofibers for constructing cell culture substrata. Synthetic polymers have several benefits comparing to natural polymer for their structural consistency, low cost, and capability for blending with other polymers or small molecules to enhance their structural integrity or add biological functions. PMGI (polymethylglutarimide) is one of the synthetic polymers that produced a rigid nanofiber that enables incorporation of small molecules, peptides, and gold nanoparticles through co-electrospinning process, during which the materials are fixed without any chemical modifications in the PMGI nanofibers by maintaining their activities. Using the phenomenon of PMGI nanofiber, here I introduce a construction method of a nanofiber substratum having cell-affinity function towards a pluripotent stem cell by incorporating a small molecule in the PMGI nanofiber.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.155-160
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• 2017

Biomedical laboratory is full of risks. Risk could be biological, chemical, radioactive, mechanical, physical, fire and electrical. All possible risks need to be identified, evaluated and controlled. A risk management system must be in place to prevent accident or loss of lives and to improve overall workplace safety and productivity. Safety in laboratory is a combination of appropriate risk management system, engineering controls and technical facilities, administrative controls and safety procedures and practices. Laboratory safety culture must be developed so that exposure to hazards for laboratory personnel, community and environment will be minimized or eliminated. In this review, importance of safety in a biomedical laboratory and risk management will be discussed.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.281-285
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• 2017

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the cognition-enhancing effects of Ixeris dentata (Thunb) Nakai in scopolamine-induced amnesic mice. Scopolamine (2 mg/kg, i.p.) was used to induce amnesia in mice. The cognitive-enhancing activity of the IDE (10, 20 and $40{\mu}g/mL$) was studied by passive avoidance response, elevated plus maze and Y-maze behavioral paradigm in normal and scopolamine-induced amnesic mice. Scopolamine-induced cognitive deficits were significantly reversed by IDE (P < 0.001 at 20 mg/kg) in a dose-dependent fashion in all the behavioral paradigms tested. IDE possesses cognitive-enhancing properties in amnesic mice due to its potent antioxidant action.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.166-174
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• 2017

The bacterial cells located within the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) outnumber the host's cells by a factor of ten. These human digestive-tract microbes are referred to as the gut microbiota. During the last ten years, our understanding of gut microbiota composition and its relation with intra- and extra-intestinal diseases including risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) such as atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome, have greatly increased. A question which frequently arises in the research community is whether one can modulate the gut microbial environment to 'control' risk factors in CVD. In this review, we summarized promising intervention methods, based on our current knowledge of intestinal microbiota in modulating CVD. Furthermore, we explore how gut microbiota can be therapeutically exploited by targeting their metabolic program to control pathologic factors of CVD.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.286-289
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• 2017

This study was designed to clarify the effect of juniper essential oil on the autonomic nervous system. Blood pressure and heart rate variability (HRV) reflecting autonomic nervous system activity were measured. The systolic and diastolic blood pressure were decreased by inhalation of juniper essential oil. High frequency (HF) power level, an indicator of parasympathetic nervous system activity was increased in the stimulation of juniper essential oil. High frequency/low frequency (HF/LF) ratio, an indicator of sympathetic nervous system activity was decreased by the juniper essential oil. These results suggest that juniper essential oil has a modulatory effect on the autonomic nervous system activity.