• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.25 no.11
• /
• pp.1214-1222
• /
• 2015

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Pueraria lobate-root based combination supplementation containing Rehmannia glutinosa and exercise on histone modification in ovariectomized rat hindlimb skeletal muscle. Sixty rats were fed with high fat diet and randomly assigned into the following groups for 8 weeks: 1)HSV; High fat+Sedentary+Vehicle, 2)HSP; High fat+Sedentary+PR, 3)HSH; High fat+Sedentary+Estradiol, 4)HEV; High fat+Ex+Vehicle, 5)HEP; High fat+Ex+PR, 6)HEH; High fat+Ex+Estradiol. Exercise consisted of low intensity treadmill exercise(1-4th wk:15 m/min for 30 min, 5-8th wk: 18 m/min for 40 min, 5 times/week). The result of this study showed that exercise and Pueraria and Rehmannia glutinosa intake suppressed weight gain. Furthermore, exercise and Pueraria and Rehmannia glutinosa intake increased muscle mass. This study observed H3K9 acetylation and demethylation in plantaris muscle in exercised group, but no difference in soleus muscle. To test whether the decrease in HDAC4, HDAC5 and G9a mRNA levels after exercise and Pueraria/Rehmannia glutinosa intake, HDAC4, HDAC5 and G9a mRNA levels were determined by real-time PCR. Only exercise induced HDAC5 and G9a mRNA reduction in plantaris muscle, but not in soleus muscle. In conclusion, these data demonstrates that exercise and Pueraria/Rehmannia glutinosa intake effect on body compositions. These changes are regulated by epigenetic modifications, such as histone acetylation and methylation. Future studies should focus on gene-specific epigenetics and other epigenetic mechanism for Pueraria/Rehmannia glutinosa intake.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.17 no.5
• /
• pp.644-652
• /
• 2007

In this study, we examined family history of chronic diseases, food group intake and physical activity in $5^{th}\;and\; 6^{th}$ grade elementary school children. Food group intake was compared with the KDRI food guides for children. The measurements of daily physical activity, television viewing, computer use, and daily servings of five food groups, including grains, meats, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables, were based on child and parent self-reports. As indices of obesity, the obesity index(%) and BMI(Body Mass Index) were used. The results were as follows. In boys, 83.2% were normal weight with 7.4% slightly obese, 7.4% moderately obese, and 2.0 were highly obese while the percentages of normal and slightly obese in girls were 89.9% and 6.2% respectively (p<0.05). The boys had more hours of daily physical activity(p<0.05) and more hours of computer usage(Internet searching or games)(p<0.05) than the girls. Slightly over 50% of the subjects met the daily recommended servings of grains, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables according to the KDRI food guides. However, only 26% of boys and 27% of girls met the recommended daily servings of protein foods such as meats, beans, and eggs. Thirty two percent(32%) of girls consumed high fat snacks everyday while 32% consumed high sugar snacks every day. The girls consumed more vegetables(p<0.05) and more high sugar snacks(p<0.05) than the boys. The children with family histories of obesity showed greater obesity rates(p<0.05) and sedentary lifestyles(p< 0.05) than those children without a family history of obesity. Children with family histories of high blood pressure consumed more sewings of vegetables and high fat snacks than the controls(p<0.05). The children with family histories of obesity consumed more high sugar or high fat snacks than the controls(p<0.05).

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.209-218
• /
• 2016

PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 samples were collected at the 1100 site of Mt. Halla in Jeju Island during 2011~2012, and their ionic and elemental species were analyzed, in order to investigate the characteristics of emission sources as well as aerosol compositions. The mass concentrations of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were 22.0±13.1 µg/m³ and 11.3±6.1 µg/m³, respectively, showing 2.4~2.6 times lower than those of the capital city area of Korea. The composition ratios of major secondary pollutants (nss-SO₄²⁻, NH₄⁺, and NO₃⁻) were the highest as 85.5 % for PM₁₀ and 91.3 % for PM_2.5, and followed by the order of marine (Na⁺, Cl⁻, and Mg²⁺), organic acid (HCOO⁻ and CH₃COO⁻), and soil (nss-Ca²⁺) sources. Among the elemental species in PM₁₀, soil-originated components (Al, Fe, and Ca) were consisted of 50.9 %, which was higher proportion than marine and anthropogenic elements. The acidification of the fine particulate matters was found to be influenced mostly by sulfuric and nitric acids, and these acids were mainly neutralized by calcium carbonate in PM₁₀ and by ammonia in PM_2.5. The clustered back trajectories showed that 47 % of total air mass inflows was from the China, and the concentrations of NO₃⁻ and nss-Ca²⁺ were especially high corresponding to the inflows.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.19 no.8
• /
• pp.1145-1151
• /
• 2009

This study was performed to investigate the effects of Sineui-Dae (Sasa coreana Nakai, a kind of bamboo) extracts on the improvement of serum lipid composition by using rats fed a hypercholesterol diet for 4 weeks. The experiment animals were administered with the following diets; high cholesterol diet group (HC diet) as a control and three supplemented groups with high cholesterol diets (HCW, HCM or HCH diet). Three kinds of extracts were prepared by orderly extraction with hexane, methanol, and water. We measured free cholesterol, cholesteryl ester, total cholesterol LDL- and HDL-cholesterol triglyceride and phospholipid in the serum of rats in three experimental and control groups. There were no significant differences in body weights and feed intakes between the HC control group and the extract supplemented groups. The levels of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in the serum of extract supplemented groups were lower than that of the group fed with HC diet only. Serum HDL-cholesterol levet which is known as an antiatherosclerosis factor, was higher in all groups supplemented with bamboo extract by 17.2-21.9% compared to the HC control group. All groups supplemented with bamboo extracts showed the lowering effect of atherogenic index compared to the HC control group (HC group: 2.96${\pm}$0.08, HCM group: 1.48${\pm}$0.02, HCW group: 1.69${\pm}$0.04, HCH group: 1.84${\pm}$0.01). Furthermore, serum triglyceride and phospholipid decreased significantly in the HCM diet compared to the HC control diet. These results suggest that Sineui-Dae bamboo extract, especially methanol extract, has improving effects on hyperlipidemia of rats fed a high cholesterol diet.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.24 no.8
• /
• pp.827-836
• /
• 2014

There is a rising trend in obesity due to various factors, including changes in eating habits, lack of exercise, and genetic and psychological factors. Citrus peel has been reported to prevent obesity via antioxidative, antihypertensive, and LDL cholesterol-lowering effects. This study investigated the effects of citrus peel extract fermented with or without Aspergillus oryzae in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity. The animals were divided into four groups: a high-fat diet group (HFD), a normal fat diet (NFD) group, a citrus peel extract (CP) group, and a citrus peel extract fermented with A. oryzae (CPA) group. The citrus peel extract improved lipid metabolism and weight loss in the high-fat diet-induced obese mouse model. As expected, the body weight was higher in the HFD group compared with the NFD, CP, and CPA groups. However, the concentrations of total cholesterol (TG) and triglyceride (TC) in the serum and liver of the CP and CPA groups were lower than in the HFD group. There were no significant differences in the HDL cholesterol concentration among the groups. Taken together, our results suggest that extract of citrus peel biotransformed with A. oryzae had more antiobesity activity than citrus peel not transformed by A. oryzae through the fermentation of metabolites.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.186-192
• /
• 2014

Purpose: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome has increased in both the adult population and in adolescents. However, few studies have been conducted for adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine the association of metabolic syndrome and its risk factors with high carbohydrate diet and high fat diet using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1998-2009). Methods: Using the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range for Korean Dietary Reference Intakes, subjects whose energy intake from carbohydrate was greater than 70% and from fat was less than 15% were classified as the 'High-carbohydrate & low-fat diet (HCLF)' group and subjects whose energy intake from carbohydrate was less than 60% and from fat was 25% or more were classified as the 'Low-carbohydrate & high-fat Diet (LCHF)' group. Among 5,931 eligible subjects, HCLF included 853 subjects and LCHF included 1,084 subjects. Results: The mean age in both groups was 14 years and significant difference in age, BMI, sex, physical activity, and household income was observed between the HCLF and LCHF groups. Regarding the energy intake compared to Estimated Energy Requirement, the HCLF group met 79.0% and the LCHF group met 100.3%. Regarding nutrient intake per 1,000 kcal, carbohydrate, iron, potassium, and vitamin C intake in the HCLF group were significantly higher, but protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin intakes were significantly lower in the HCLF group compared to the LCHF group. After adjusting for age, sex, BMI, study year, household income, physical activity, and energy intake, the serum triglycerides level and systolic blood pressure were slightly higher, while the serum HDL-cholesterol level was significantly lower in HCLF than LCHF. The odds ratio of metabolic syndrome did not differ significantly between HCLF and LCHF. Conclusion: Our findings indicate an association of a high carbohydrate diet with increased risks for metabolic syndrome components. Conduct of future studies would be necessary in order to explore the underlying mechanism and to confirm our findings in a prospective study.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.52 no.5
• /
• pp.427-448
• /
• 2019

This study reconstructed the paleoenvironments and paleogeography of the Taebaeksan Basin, through a review of the previous researches on sedimentology, paleontology and stratigraphy. This study also carried out a sequence stratigraphic analysis on regional tectonism and sea-level fluctuations on the basin during the Early Paleozoic. The basin broadly occur in the Taebaek, Yeongweol-Jecheon, Jeongseon-Pyeongchang, and Mungyeong areas, Gangwon province, South Korea. The basin-fills are composed mainly of mixed carbonates and siliciclastics, divided into the Taebaek, Yeongweol, Yongtan, Pyeongchang and Mungyeong groups according to lithologies and stratigraphic characteristics. Recently, there are a lot of studies on the provenance and depositional ages of the siliciclastic sequences of the basin. The detrital sediments of the basin would be derived from two separated provenances of the core-Gondwana and Sino-Korean cratons. In the Early Cambrian, the Taebaek and Jeongseon-Pyeongchang platforms have most likely received detrital sediments from the provenance of the Sino-Korean craton. On the other hand, the detrital sediments of the Yeongweol-Jecheon platform was probably sourced by those of the core-Gondwana craton. This separation of provenance can be interpreted as the result of the paleogeographic and paleotopographic separation of the Yeongweol-Jecheon platform from the Taebaek and Jeongseon-Pyeongchang platforms. The analyses on detrital zircons additionally reveal that the separation of provenance was ceased by the eustatic rise of sea-level during the Middle Cambrian, and the detrital sediments of the Taebaeksan Basin were entirely supplied from those of the core-Gondwana craton. During that period, sediment supply from the Sino-Korean craton would be restricted due to inundation of the provenance area of the craton. On the other hand, the Jeongseon-Pyeongchang platform sequences show the unconformable relationship between the Early Cambrian siliciclastic and the Early Ordovician carbonate strata. It is indicative of presence of regional uplift movements around the platform which would be to the extent offset of the effects of the Middle to Late Cambrian eustatic sealevel rise. These movements expanded and were reinforced across the basin in the latest Cambrian and earliest Ordovician. After the earliest Ordovician, the basin was tectonically stabilized, and the shallow marine carbonate environments were developed on the whole-platform by the Early Ordovician global eustatic sea-level rise, forming very thick carbonate strata in the basin. In the Late Ordovician, the Early Paleozoic sedimentation on the basin was terminated by the large-scale tectonic uplift across the Sino-Korean platform including the Taebaeksan Basin.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.303-310
• /
• 2019

The purpose of the study was to compare the effect of either moderate or high intensity aerobic exercise on inflammasome, M1, M2 macrophage infiltration and brown adipocyte markers in subcutaneous adipose tissue of the high fat diet-induced obese mice. The 4 weeks male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to four groups: normal diet control (NC; n=10), high-fat diet control (HC; n=10), high fat diet with moderate intensity exercise (HME; n=10), or high fat diet with high intensity exercise (HIE; n=10) groups. The high fat diet was given 60% calories from fat whereas normal diet was given 18% calories from fat. The moderate intensity exercise group (HME) was set at 10m/min in the first 2 weeks, 12m/min in 3-5 weeks and 14m/min in 6-16 weeks and the high intensity exercise group (HIE) was set at 14m/min in the first 2 weeks, 17m/min in 3-5 weeks and 18m/min in 6-16 weeks. The semi quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) was used to analyze the gene expression. The moderate intensity exercise significantly reduced the expression of NLRP3, F480, CD11c and CD86. Further, the moderate intensity exercise significantly increased CD206 and $PGC1{\alpha}$, BMP7 and PRDM. The high intensity exercise significantly reduced NLRP3, CD11c and CD86. Further, the high intensity exercise significantly increased $PGC1{\alpha}$ and BMP7. In conclusion, moderate intensity exercise has more positive effects on inflammasome, M1, M2 macrophage infiltration and brown adipocyte maskers compared to high intensity exercise in high fat diet induced obese mice.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.32 no.7
• /
• pp.532-541
• /
• 2022

Obesity induced by high-fat diet (HFD) is verified as a strong risk factor and negative prognostic factor for prostate cancer in several genetically engineered mice although it was not examined in the normal mice. To investigate whether HFD-induced obesity can affect the development and progression of cancer in the prostate of normal mice, alterations in the weight and histological structure of the prostate as well as the expression of cancer-related proteins were analyzed in obese C57BL/6N mice fed with 60% HFD for 16 weeks. First, HFD-induced obesity, including an increase in organ weight, body weight, fat accumulation, and serum lipid profile, was successfully induced in C57BL/6N mice after HFD treatment. The total weight of the prostate significantly increased HFD-induced obesity in the model mice compared with the control group. Among the four lobes of the prostate, the weight of the ventral prostate (VP) and anterior prostate (AP) were higher in HFD-induced obesity model mice than in the control group, although the weights of the lateral prostate (DLP) and seminal vesicle (SV) were constantly maintained. In addition, the incidences of hyperplasia and non-hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in the histological structure were remarkably increased in HFD-induced obesity model mice, while the epithelial thickness was higher in the same group. A significant increase in the phosphorylation levels of key proteins in the AKT (protein kinase B) signaling pathway was detected in HFD-induced obesity model mice. Therefore, these results suggest that HFD-induced obesity can promote hyperplasia and NHL in the prostates of C57BL/6N mice through the activation of the AKT signaling pathway.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.383-392
• /
• 2007

The water soluble components were analyzed in the $PM_{2.5}$ fine particles collected at the 1100 site of Mt. Halla for the spring seasons between 1998 and 2004. The $PM_{2.5}$ mass concentrations were within $13.4{\pm}9.6{\sim}21.7{\pm}20.0{\mu}g/m^3$, and the concentrations of ionic components were in the order of nss-$SO{_4}^{2-}$ > $NH{_4}{^+}$ > $NO{_3}{^-}$ > $Ca^{2+}$ > $K^+$ > $Na^+$ > $Cl^-$ > $Mg^{2+}$, in which the concentration of nss-$SO{_4}^{2-}$($3.41{\pm}2.42{\mu}g/m^3$) was the highest. The concentrations of $NH{_4}{^+}$, $SO{_4}^{2-}$, and $NO{_3}{^-}$, the secondary pollutants, were respectively 0.60~1.50, 2.86~4.42, and $0.24{\sim}1.57{\mu}g/m^3$, which had occupied 88 % of the total ionic components, on the other hand, the concentrations of marine species were less than 5 %. The nss-$SO{_4}^{2-}$ showed the high correlation with $NH{_4}{^+}$, $K^+$, so that $NH{_4}{^+}$ and nss-$SO{_4}^{2-}$ might exist in the form of $(NH_4)_3H(SO_4)_2$ and $(NH_4)_2SO_4$ in fine particles. From the backward trajectory analysis, in case of high concentrations of $NH{_4}{^+}$ and nss-$SO{_4}^{2-}$ simultaneously, the air masses were originated and stagnated at the east region of China for a while, then moved into the atmosphere of Jeju. However, in case of $NO{_3}{^-}$ and nss-$Ca^{2+}$, the air masses originated at China and Siberia were moved into Jeju via the eastern China.