• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.10
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• pp.1500-1509
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• 2014

The object of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of chios mastic gum (MG) on gastric acid secretion in an ethanol-induced SD rat model and primary parietal cells. Rats were randomly divided into four groups: Vehicle (normal group), Control (treated with ethanol), MG50 (treated with ethanol and mastic gum at 50 mg/kg b.w), MG100 (treated with ethanol and mastic gum at 100 mg/kg b.w). Groups treated with both MG50 and MG100 showed attenuation of gastric mucosal injury, sub-epithelial loss, hemorrhaging, and gastric juice secretion. We also examined the acidity of gastric juice during gastric injury. Oral administration of both MG50 and MG100 significantly decreased acidity of gastric juice by % and %, respectively. To examine the stimulatory factors related to gastric acid secretion, mRNA expression levels of H2r, M3r, CCK2r, and $H^+/K^+$ ATPase were measured by real-time PCR. Compared with a vehicle group, mRNA expression levels of H2r, CCK2r, and $H^+/K^+$ ATPase clearly increased in the control group. However, levels of H2r, CCK2r, and $H^+/K^+$ ATPase slightly but significantly decreased in MG-treated groups compared with control. Blood level of histamine significantly decreased in MG-treated groups, which indicates the involvement of MG on in histamine-related acid secretion. To identify the mode of action of MG in regulating histamine-related pathways, intracellular level of cAMP and mRNA levels of H2r, M3r, CCK2r, and $H^+/K^+$ ATPase were measured in primary parietal cells. While mRNA levels of M3r and CCK2r remained unchanged, levels of H2r and $H^+/K^+$ ATPase significantly decreased upon MG treatment. Subsequently, intracellular levels of cAMP decreased. These results suggest that mastic gum has the ability to inhibit gastric acid secretion by regulating a histamine-related pathway.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.221-233
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• 2009

Purpose: Erythropoietin (EPO) has neuroprotective effects in many animal models of brain injury, including hypoxic-ischemic (HI) encephalopathy, trauma, and excitotoxicity. Current studies have demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of EPO, but limited data are available for the neonatal periods. Here in we investigated whether recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO) can protect the developing rat brain from HI injury via modulation of NMDA receptors. Methods: In an in vitro model, embryonic cortical neuronal cell cultures from Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at 19-days gestation were established. The cultured cells were divided into five groups: normoxia (N), hypoxia (H), and 1, 10, and 100 IU/mL rHuEPO-treated (H+E1, H+ E10, and H+E100) groups. To estimate cell viability and growth, a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was done. In an in vivo model, left carotid artery ligation was performed on 7-day-old SD rat pups. The animals were divided into six groups; normoxia control (NC), normoxia Sham-operated (NS), hypoxia-ischemia only (H), hypoxia-ischemia+vehicle (HV), hypoxia-ischemia+rHuEPO before a HI injury (HE-B), and hypoxia-ischemia+rHuEPO after a HI injury (HE-A). The morphologic changes following brain injuries were noted using hematoxylin and eosin (H/E) staining. Real-time PCR using primers of subunits of NMDA receptors (NR1, NR2A, NR2B, NR2C and NR2D) mRNA were performed. Results: Cell viability in the H group was decreased to less than 60% of that in the N group. In the H+E1 and H+E10 groups, cell viability was increased to >80% of the N group, but cell viability in the H+E100 group did not recover. The percentage of the left hemisphere area compared the to the right hemisphere area were 98.9% in the NC group, 99.1% in the NS group, 57.1% in the H group, 57.0% in the HV group, 87.6% in the HE-B group, and 91.6% in the HE-A group. Real-time PCR analysis of the expressions of subunits of NMDA receptors mRNAs in the in vitro and in vivo neonatal HI brain injuries generally revealed that the expression in the H group was decreased compared to the N group and the expressions in the rHuEPO-treated groups was increased compared to the H group. Conclusion: rHuEPO has neuroprotective property in perinatal HI brain injury via modulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.690-696
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effect of extracts from Canavalia gladiata (CGE) on gastric inflammation induced by alcohol treatment in SD rats. Rats were divided into four groups: G1 (normal group), G2 (gastric inflammation induced by alcohol), G3 (gastric inflammation induced by alcohol with lansoprazole pretreatment), G4 (gastric inflammation induced by alcohol with 250 mg/kg b.w. CGE pretreatment), G5 (gastric inflammation induced by alcohol with 500 mg/kg b.w. CGE pretreatment). After the oral administration of 40% alcohol and samples for seven days, acute gastritis was induced with 70% alcohol and 0.15 M HCl. After 1 h of alcohol administration, the animals were sacrificed. Groups pretreated with lansoprazole or CGE showed an attenuation of gastric mucosal injury, including decreases in sub-epithelial loss, hemorrhages, and gastric juice secretion induced by administration of alcohol. The oral administration of CGE (500 mg/kg b.w.) significantly decreased the levels of TBARS. To examine molecular factors that regulate inflammation, the protein expression of NF-${\kappa}B$ and COX-2 were measured through immuno-histochemistry. Compared with the normal group (G1), the expression of NF-${\kappa}B$ and COX-2 were clearly increased in G2. COX-2 and NF-${\kappa}B$ were expressed even higher in groups pretreated with CGE compared to G2. In conclusion, our data show that Canavalia gladiata has inhibitory and protective effects on gastric inflammation induced by alcohol treatment in SD rats.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.11
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• pp.1552-1563
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• 2016

To examine the cognitive function of onion (Allium cepa L.) beverages (odourless and fortified), we analyzed in vitro neuronal cell protection against $H_2O_2$-induced cytotoxicity and performed in vivo tests on amyloid beta ($A{\beta}$)-induced cognitive dysfunction. Cellular oxidative stress and cell viability were evaluated by DCF-DA assay and MTT assay. These results show that fortified beverage resulted in better neuronal cell protection than odourless beverage at lower concentration ($0{\sim}100{\mu}g/mL$). Fortified beverage also showed more excellent acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity ($IC_{50}$: 4.20 mg/mL) than odourless beverage. The cognitive functions of odourless beverage and fortified beverage in $A{\beta}$-induced neurotoxicity were assessed by Y-maze, passive avoidance, and Morris water maze tests. The results show improved cognitive function in both groups treated with beverages. After in vivo tests, cholinergic activities were determined based on AChE inhibition and acetylcholine levels, and antioxidant activities were measured as SOD, oxidized glutathione (GSH)/total GSH ratio, and MDA levels in mouse brain tissue. In a Q-TOF UPLC/MS system, main compounds were analyzed as follows: odourless beverage (five types of sugars and three types of phenolics) and fortified beverages (six types of phenolics and two types of steroidal saponins).

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.190-198
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• 2001

Purpose : It was reported that Captopril (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor) had an effect to reduce the pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis induced by radiation in rat. We peformed this study to investigate the radioprotective effect and mechanism of Captopril. Methods and Materials : The comparison was made between the radiation only group and the combined Captopril and radiation group by examining histopathologic findings and immunohistochemical stains $(TNF\alpha\;and\;TGF\beta1)$ at 2 and 8 weeks after irradiation. Each group has 8 to 10 rats (Sprague-Dawley). 12.5 Gy of X-ray was irradiated to the left hemithorax in a single fraction. Captopril (50 mg/kg/d) mixed with water was given per oral and continuously from 1 week prior to irradiation up to 8th week of the experiment. Result : In the combined Captopril and radiation group, the histopathologic changes which were hemorrhage into alveolar space, changes of alveolar epithelium, bronchial epithelium and blood vessels, and perivascular edema were less severe than in the radisation only group at 2 weeks. At 8 weeks, the alveolar epithelial changes and perivascular edema were less prominant in the combined Captopril and radiation group. At 2 weeks, the $TNF\alpha$ expression of the combined Captopril and radiation group was markedly decreased at the alveolar epithelium (p<0.01), lymphoid tissue (p=0.06) and the macrophage of alveolar space (p<0.01) compared with the radiation only group. Furthermore the $TGF\beta1$ expression was significantly prominant at the alveolar epithelium (p<0.02) and the macrophage in alveolar space (p<0.02). At 8 weeks, the expression of $TNF\alpha\;and\;TGF\beta1$ of most sites, except $TGF\beta1$ of the macrophage of alveolar space (p=0.09), showed no significant difference between 2 groups. Conclusion : This study revealed that early lung damage induced by irradiation was reduced with the addition of Captopril in the latent and early pneumonitis phase. The expression of $TNF\alpha\;and\;TGF\beta1$ at 2 weeks and $TGF\beta1$ at 8 weeks was further decreased in the combined Captopril and radiation group than the radiation only group. From these results, it may be concluded that the proinflammatoy cytokine $(TNF\alpha)$ and fibrogenic cytokine $(TGF\beta1)$ probably play the role of the radioprotective mechanism in Captopril.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 1999

This study assessed development in vitro of pronuclear(PN) stage embryos cryopreserved by the method of either vitrification or slow freezing, by using of different cryoprotectants, and equilibration and cooling rate, in rabbit. Ethyleneglycol- ficoll- sucrose(EFS) or ethyleneglycol- polyvinylpyrrolidone - galactose- (EPG-I) for vitrification, and EPG- II for slow freezing as cryoprotectant were used. The pronuclear embryos were exposed to EFS for 0 to 5 min and diluted with D-PBS and/or pre-dilution with 0.5 M sucrose. To examine the viability of frozen-thawed embryos, PN embryos were co-cultured with bovine oviductal epitherial cell(BOEC) for 5 days to hatching blastocyst stage in 39 $^{\circ}C$ 5% $CO_2$incubator. The results obtained were as follows: The dilution with 0.5 M sucrose and D-PBS after the exposure to EFS for 1.0 min resulted in no significant(P＜0.05) decrease in the development of PN embryos to hatching blastocyst(72.0%), compared with controls. The development of PN embryos cryopreserved to hatching blastocyst was not significantly (P＜0.05) different between EFS for 1.0 min(72.0%), EPG-I for 1.0 min(72.0%) and EPG-II for 30 min(66. 7%). The post-thaw development of PN embryos to hatching blastocyst was similarly very low as 6.1% and 11.5% in vitrification with EFS and slow freezing with EPG-II, respectively. The incidence of post-thaw zona-crack in PN embryos cryopreserved by slow freezing with plunging to liquid nitrogen at －35$^{\circ}C$ was signicantly(P＜0.05) higher(25.0%), compared with －85$^{\circ}C$ (1.9%). These results indicated that the rabbit PN embryos could be cryopreserved with either vitrification or slow freezing procedure, and frozen PN embryos could be successfully developed in vitro to haching blastocyst. but the post-thaw development of cryopreserved PN embryos was still very low under the present conditions.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.686-693
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• 2007

Purpose : Mycophenolic acid (MPA), the active metabolite of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), is a potent inhibitor of inosine-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH), a new immunosuppressive drug used. It was reported that MPA protected neurons after excitotoxic injury, induced apoptosis in microglial cells. However, the effects of MPA on hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury has not been yet evaluated. Therefore, we examined whether MPA could be neuroprotective in perinatal HI brain injury using Rice-Vannucci model (in vivo) and in rat brain cortical cell culture induced by hypoxia (in vitro). Methods : Cortical cells were cultured using a 18-day-pregnant Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and incubated in 1% $O_2$ incubator for hypoxia. MPA ($10{\mu}g/mL$) before or after a HI insult was treated. Seven-day-old SD rat pups were subjected to left carotid occlusion followed by 2 hours of hypoxic exposure (8% $O_2$). MPA (10 mg/kg) before or after a HI insult were administrated intraperitoneally. Apoptosis was measured using western blot and real-time PCR for Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3. Results : H&E stain revealed increased brain volume in the MPA-treated group in vivo animal model of neonatal HI brain injury. Western blot and real-time PCR showed the expression of caspase-3 and Bax/Bcl-2 were decreased in the MPA-treated group In in vitro and in vivo model of perinatal HI brain injury, Conclusion : These results may suggest that the administration of MPA before HI insult could significantly protect against perinatal HI brain injury via anti-apoptotic mechanisms, which offers the possibility of MPA application for the treatment of neonatal HI encephalopathy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.119-130
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• 2004

Decrease in cardiac function after open heart surgery is due to an ischemia induced myocardial damage during surgery, and ischemic preconditioning, a condition in which the myocardial damage does not accumulate after repeated episodes of ischemia but protects itself from damage after prolonged ischemia due to myocytes tolerating the ischemia, is known to diminish myocardial damage, which also helps the recovery of myocardium after reperfusion, and decreases incidences of arrythmia. Our study is performed to display the ischemic preconditioning and show the myocardial protective effect by applying cardioplegic solution to the heart removed from rat. Material and Method: Sprague-Dawley male rats were used, They were fixed on a modified isolated working heart model after cannulation. The reperfusion process was according to non-working and working heart methods and the working method was executed for 20 minutes in which the heart rate, aortic pressure, aortic flow and coronary flow were measured and recorded. The control group is the group which the extracted heart was fixed on the isolated working heart model, recovered by reperfusion 60 minutes after infusion and preserved in the cardioplegic solution 20 minutes after the working heart perfusion and aortic cross clamp, The thesis groups were divided into group I, which ischemic hearts that were hypoxia induced were perfused by cardioplegic solution and preserved for 60 minutes; group II, the cardioplegic solution was infused 45 seconds (II-1), 1 minutes (II-2), 3 minutes (II-3), after the ischemia induction, 20 minutes after working heart perfusion and aortic cross clamp; and group III, hearts were executed on working heart perfusion for 20 minutes and aortic cross clamp was performed for 45 seconds (III-1), 1minute (III-2), 3 minutes (III-3), reperfused for 2 minutes to recover the heart, and then aortic cross clamping was repeated for reperfusion, all the groups were compared based on hemodynamic performance after reperfusion of the heart after preservation for 60 minutes. Result: The recovery time until spontaneous heart beat was longer in groups I, II-3, III-2 and III-3 to control group (p<0.01). Group III-1 (p<0.05) had better results in terms of recovery in number of heart rates compared to control group, and recovered better compared to II-1 (p<0.05). The recovery of aortic blood pressure favored group III-1 (p<0.05) and had better outcomes compared with II-1 (p<0.01). Group III-1 also showed best results in terms of cardiac output (p<0.05) and group III-2 was better compared to II-2 (p<0.05). Group I (p<0.01) and II-3 (p<0.05) showed more cardiac edema than control group. Conclusion: When the effects of other organs are dismissed, protecting the heart by infusion of cardioplegic solution after enforcing ischemia for a short period of time before the onset of abnormal heart beats for preconditioning has a better recovery effect in the cardioplegic group with preconditioning compared to the cardioplegic solution itself. we believe that further study is needed to find a more effective method of preconditioning.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.327-343
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• 2013

The aim of this study is to perform community analysis and biological assessment of water quality using benthic macroinvertebrate from Wangpi-cheon watershed which is defined as conservation areas of ecosystem and landscape by ministry of environment in Korea. Field survey of the study area was carried out 2 times from June to September in 2012. As a result of the field survey, total 155 species of benthic macroinvertebrates in 74 families, 15 orders, 7 classes and 5 phyla were collected. The findings of community analysis using the classified species and individuals showed relatively low DI(Dominant Index) value of 0.22 and very high value of average H'(Diversity index) as 4.24. And the analyzed results of SI(Similarity Index) according to habitat types using functional feeding groups showed higher values of 94.51% and 93.19% respectively to tributary and main stream after the designation of conservation areas of ecosystem and landscape. These results infer that various species and lots of individual are widely distributed at Wangpi-cheon watershed and stream ecosystem of the study area is healthy and well maintained after the designation of conservation areas. And also, the calculated EPT value was 62.9% as high enough to explain the cleanness of Wangpi-cheon watershed. We evaluated environmental condition and biological water quality by using ESB(Ecological Score of Benthic macroinvertebrate community) and KSI(Korean Saprobic Index). The average evaluated ESB shows very high value of 208.2, therefore Wangpi-cheon watershed is designated as 'First priority protection waters' area and the value of KSI is 0.32 which meets the saprobic water quality standard as 'First class'.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.747-753
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• 2019

Cognitive decline is characterized by reduced long-/short-term memory and attention span, and increased depression and anxiety. Such decline is associated with various degenerative brain disorders, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). The increases in elderly populations suffering from cognitive decline create social problems and impose economic burdens, and also pose safety threats; all of these problems have been extensively researched over the past several decades. Possible causes of cognitive decline include metabolic and hormone imbalance, infection, medication abuse, and neuronal changes associated with aging. However, no treatment for cognitive decline is available. In neurodegenerative diseases, changes in the gut microbiota and gut metabolites can alter molecular expression and neurobehavioral symptoms. Changes in the gut microbiota affect memory loss in AD via the downregulation of NMDA receptor expression and increased glutamate levels. Furthermore, the use of probiotics resulted in neurological improvement in an AD model. PD and gut microbiota dysbiosis are linked directly. This interrelationship affected the development of constipation, a secondary symptom in PD. In a PD model, the administration of probiotics prevented neuron death by increasing butyrate levels. Dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been identified in AD and PD. Increased BBB permeability is also associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis, which led to the destruction of microtubules via systemic inflammation. Notably, metabolites of the gut microbiota may trigger either the development or attenuation of neurodegenerative disease. Here, we discuss the correlation between cognitive decline and the gut microbiota.