• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.417-424
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• 2020

This study aimed to explore the effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), produced by engineered immortalized mesenchymal stem cells (imMSC), on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in a rat model with neurogenic bladder (NB). Forty-eight Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the following groups: Sham control, LUTS, LUTS+imMSC (treated with immortalized MSC), and LUTS+BDNF-eMSC (treated with BDNF-expressing MSC) groups. LUTS was induced by a crush injury to the major pelvic ganglion (MPG). Bladder function was tested under anesthesia, and bladder tissue strips were collected thereafter for contractility test and western blot analysis. Western blot results showed that the expression of both Angiopoietin 1 (Ang 1) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) increased with MSC injection. The effect of treatment with BDNF-eMSC on LUTS was also evaluated, and the results were found to be better than those with imMSC (P<0.05). BDNF-eMSC prevented fibrosis in the bladder tissue and significantly reduced caspase-3 levels. In conclusion, high expression of BDNF in vivo resulted in recovery of bladder function and contractility, along with the inhibition of apoptosis in a rat model.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2023

Many psychiatric disorders are associated with brain functional dysfunctions and neuronal degeneration. According to the research so far, enhanced brain plasticity reduces neurodegeneration and recovers neuronal damage. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is one of the most extensively studied neurotrophins in the mammalian brain that plays major roles in neuronal survival, development, growth, and maintenance of neurons in brain circuits related to emotion and cognitive function. Also, BDNF plays an important role in brain plasticity, influencing dendritic spines in the hippocampus neurogenesis. Changes in neurogenesis and dendritic density can improve psychiatric symptoms and cognitive functions. BDNF has potent effects on brain plasticity through biochemical mechanisms, cellular signal pathways, and epigenetic changes. There are pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to increase the expression of BDNF and enhance brain plasticity. Non-pharmacological interventions such as physical exercise, nutritional change, environmental enrichment, and neuromodulation have biological mechanisms that increase the expression of BDNF and brain plasticity. Non-pharmacological interventions are cost-effective and safe ways to improve psychiatric symptoms.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.207-210
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• 2003

The locus coeruleus (LC) contains about half of the total number of noradrenergic neurons in the brain and those noradrenergic neurons from the LC innervate entire brain regions. The LC is a major common target region in several neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Pakinson's and Huntington's diseases. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulate neuronal cell survival and differentiation of central nervous system neurons, including LC noradrenergic neurons. In this study, various small molecules and growth factors were tested as candidates to promote the production of BDNF in LC noradrenergic neuronal cells. The molecules tested include neuropeptides, cytokines, growth factors, neurotransmitters, and intracellular signaling agents. Four small molecules or growth factors, FGF8b, BMP-4, forskolin, and dibutyryl cGMP, were found to increase the release of BDNF in LC noradrenergic neurons. Especially, BMP-4 significantly enhanced BDNF production over 2.5-fold in LC noradrenergic neurons.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.115-123
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• 2000

식품의 관능검사는 인간의 의식과 식품간의 반응결과를 객관적으로 나타내는 방법으로 수치, 언어적 묘사, 도표 등의 표현법을 사용하고 있으며 검사 요원들 간의 오차를 발생한다. 이 오차를 줄이기 위하여 통계 및 심리학적으로 접근하여 해결을 시도해 오고 있으며 오차를 심리적 잡음 (psychological noise)이라고 주장되고 있다. 식품의 기호도는 감각신경세포에서 전기적 신호로 전환되어 뇌에 전달되고 의식의 분석과 해석을 거쳐 얻어지는 것이므로 전기적 신호처리가 포함된다. 그러나 현재의 관능검사 방법들은 시간의 함수관계를 중시하고 있지 않다. 감각신경의 신호 전달체계의 유사성을 바탕으로 관능검사과정에 시간함수를 도인하는 개념이 요구된다. 시간을 개입하는 방법론으로 의식과 식품간의 일어나는 순차적 또는 병열적 행동과 의식체계를 분석하고 시간인자의 중요성을 부각시켰다. 시간함수의 도입방법으로 관능영향인자 표의 구성하고 bar-code를 생성하는 프로그램과 파형곡선으로 전환하는 개념을 제안하였다.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.128-139
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• 2004

말초신경은 외상이나 질병 등 여러 가지 원인으로 손상되기 쉬우며, 손상의 정도가 심하거나 치료가 지연되는 경우에는 심각한 기능 소실을 초래할 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 수영이 말초신경손상후 운동기능의 회복과 뇌유인성 신경영양인자 (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF) mRNA의 발현에 미치는 효과를 알아보기 위하여, 흰쥐 좌골신경에 압박 손상을 가하고 수영을 적용한 후 보행궤적분석 (walking track analysis)과 역전사연쇄반응 (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, RT-PCR)을 실시하였다. 그 결과, 좌골신경 압박손상된 쥐는 특징적인 보행패턴을 나타내어 좌골신경기능지수 (sciatic function index, SFI)가 현저히 낮아졌으며, BDNF mRNA의 발현이 증가하였다. 좌골신경 압박 손상후 수영을 한 쥐에서는 SFI가 현저히 향상되었으며, BDNF mRNA의 발현은 억제되었다. 이러한 결과는 말초신경손상후 수영이 BDNF mRNA의 발현을 조절함으로써 기능 회복을 촉진시키는 효과적인 치료방법이 될 수 있음을 제안하고 있다.

• The Zoological Society Korea : Newsletter
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.17-50
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• 1999

시상하부에 극히 적은 수로 존재하는 신경분비세포인 성선자극호르몬-방출호르몬(gonadotropin-releasing hormone; GnRH) 뉴런은인간을 포함한 포유동물의 생식과 발생 과정에 있어 중요한 역할을 담당하고 있다. GnRH 뉴런은 배아 발생과정 중에 후판에서 유래하여 시상하부의 여러 영역으로 이동하며, 생후와 사춘기를 거치면서 분화를 계속한다. GnRH 뉴런에서 합성, 분비되는 10개의 아미노산으로 이루어진 작은 신경호르몬인 GnRH는 맥동적으로 분비되어 뇌하수체 성선자극 세포막에 존재하는 GnRH 수용체와 결합한 후 일련의 신호전달과정을 거쳐 성선자극호르몬의 합성과 분비를 제어하게 된다. GnRH의 합성과 분비는 글루탐산, 노르에피네프린, GABA와 같은 각종 신경입력과 스테로이드 호르몬에 의한 액성 피드백 신호에 의해 조절되나 이들의 GnRH 유전자 발현에 미치는 영향은 최근에 연구되고 있는 실정이다. GnRH 뉴런의 분화와 발생에는 다양한 신경영양인자들이 영향을 미치나 그 분자생물학적 기작은 아직 밝혀져 있지 않다. 본 논단에서는 신경호르몬인 GnRH와 그 수용체에 관하여 최근 연구성과를 중심으로 살펴보고자 한다.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.331-338
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• 2004

Folate nutrition in early pregnancy is crucial in order to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs) in the fetus and maternal folate deficiency in late pregnancy If the influencing factors on maternal folate status are identified we may be able to detect the women at most risk of folate deficiency. This study intends to determine folate intakes, assess the levels of serum folate, erythrocyte folate, and plasma homocysteine, and reveal theinfluencing factors on maternal folate status in early pregnancy. A total of 151 healthy women in their first trimester volunteered for this study. The average length of gestation period was 9.1$\pm$ 2.3 weeks and seventy subjects were primipara. They consumed 1599$\pm$589 ㎉/day of energy and 230.8$\pm$145.2 $\mu\textrm{g}$/day of folate. This represented 72.5％ and 46.2％ of the Korean RDA respectively for pregnant women in the first half of Pregnancy. Results show that they consume less folate and energy due to morning sickness. Morning sickness correlated negatively with the intakes of energy, folate, ana Kimchi also. Their levels of serum folate, erythrocyte folate, and plasma homocysteine were 5.5$\pm$1.9 ng/mL, 266.6$\pm$75.0 ng/mL, and 7.0$\pm$1.8 $\mu$mol/L, respectively. Results indicate that 7.8% were deficient and 60.3% were borderline deficient in serum folate, 4.3% were deficient in erythrocyte folate, however, all had normal levels of plasma homocysteine. Results indicate that the folate status was not poor Contributing factors influencing serum folate concentrations ($R^2$= 0.724, p = 0.0001) were self-reported health status (+), folate intake (+), age (-), length of gestation (-), and homocysteine levels (-). Factors influencing erythrocyte folate concentrations ($R^2$ = 0.570, p = 0.0029) were the infant birth height of the last pregnancy (+), energy intake (+), age (-), plasma homocysteine concentration (-), and education level (-). Factors influencing plasma homocysteine concentrations ($R^2$= 0.450, p = 0.0051) were income level (+), prepregnancy weight (+), serum folate concentration (-), and the infant birth weight of the last pregnancy (-). These results indicate that pregnant women are likely to have a folate deficiency if they are in poor health status, having a history of delivering small infant and low energy and/or folate intake, and/or are older. And folate status is likely to decline as pregnancy progresses.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.2 s.82
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• pp.167-173
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• 2007

To study the transcriptional mechanisms by which expression of the murine glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor inducible transcription factor (mGIF) gene is regulated, a murine genomic clone was iso-lated using a mGIF cDNA as probe. A 13-kb genomic fragment, which comprises 4-kb upstream of the transcription initiation site was sequenced. The promoter region lacks a TATA box and CAAT box, is rich in G+C content, and has multiple putative binding sites for the transcription factor Spl. The mGIF gene also has consensus sequences for AP2 binding sites. The transcriptional activity of five deletion mutants of a 2.1-kb fragment was analyzed by modulating transcription of the heterologous luciferase gene in the promoterless plasmid pGL2-Basic. All mutants showed significant transcriptional activity in the murine neuroblastoma cell line NB41A3. Transient expression assays suggested the presence of a positive regulator between -213 and -129 while a negative regulator was found in the region between -806 and -214. Relatively strong transcriptional activity was observed in neuronal NB41A3, glial C6 cells and hepatic HepG2, but very weak activity in skeletal muscle C2C12 cells. These findings confirm the tissue-specific activity of the mGIF promoter and suggest that this gene shares structural and functional similarities with the dopamine receptor genes that it regulates.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.131-137
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• 1999

Neurotrophic factors control the survival and differentiation in developing neurons, Furthermore, nut evidence suggests that neurotrophic factors promote the axonal growth and synaptic plasticity In the CNS. Research is currently being undertaken in order to determine whether members of the neurotrophic factor family have potential therapeutic roles in preventing and/or reducing the neuronal cell death and atrophy. This review summarizes the current knowledge of characterized neurotrophic factors including NGF, BDNF, NT-3, and NT-4/5.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.129-135
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• 2015

Objective : Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is implicated in the pathophysiology of several neuropsychiatric disorders. However, there are few studies on BDNF of panic disorder. In this study, we investigated plasma BDNF levels in patients with panic disorder, and evaluated whether there are associations between clinical characteristics of panic disorder and plasma BDNF levels. Methods : We included 110 patients with panic disorder and 110 health controls in the current study. Plasma BDNF levels were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Plasma BDNF level differences were evaluated according to the clinical characteristics, such as duration of illness, recent stressful life event, agoraphobia, and insomnia. Results : The mean plasma BDNF levels of patients with panic disorder were significantly lower, as compared with those of controls (192.50 pg/mL vs. 693.75 pg/mL, t=8.838, p<0.001). The mean plasma BDNF levels of patients who had recent stressful life events were significantly higher, as compared with those who did not ($269.79{\pm}358.96pg/mL$ vs. $136.94{\pm}187.06pg/mL$, t=-2.525, p=0.013). Conclusion : These results suggested that BDNF plays a potential role in the pathophysiology of panic disorder.