• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.237-246
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• 2017

Synapse is the basic structural and functional component for neural communication in the brain. The presynaptic terminal is the structural and functionally essential area that initiates communication and maintains the continuous functional neural information flow. It contains synaptic vesicles (SV) filled with neurotransmitters, an active zone for release, and numerous proteins for SV fusion and retrieval. The structural and functional synaptic plasticity is a representative characteristic; however, it is highly vulnerable to various pathological conditions. In fact, synaptic alteration is thought to be central to neural disease processes. In particular, the alteration of the structural and functional phenotype of the presynaptic terminal is a highly significant evidence for neural diseases. In this review, we specifically describe structural and functional alteration of nerve terminals in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Huntington's disease (HD).

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.149-171
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• 2002

Alzheimer's disease(AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which is pathologically characterized by neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles associated with the acetylcholinesterase, apolipoprotein E and butylcholinesterase, and by mutations in the presenilin genes PS1 and PS2, and amyloid precursor proteins (APPs)'s overexpression. The present research is to examine the inhibitory effect of CWBD on PS1, PS2 and APPs's overexpression detected by Western blotting. To verify further the effects of CWBD on cognitive deficits, we tested it on the scopolamine(1mg/kg)-induced amnesia model of the mice using the Morris water maze tests, and there were ameliorative effects on memory impairment as a protection from scopolamine. CWBD only partially blocked the increase in blood serum level of acetylcholinesterase and Uric acid induced by scopolamine, whereas blood glucose level was shown to attenuate the amnesia induced by scopolamine and increased extracellular serum level. In conclusion, studies of CWBD that has been known as anti-choline and inhibitory ablilities of APPs's overexpression could also be used further as a important research data for a preventive and promising symptomatic treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.377-383
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• 2023

Purpose: There is increasing attention to the application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for enhancing cognitive functions in subjects to aging, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Despite varying treatment outcomes in tDCS which depend on the amount of current reaching the brain, there is no general information on the impacts of anatomical features associated with AD on tDCS-induced electric field. Objective: The objective of this study is to examine how AD-related anatomical variation affects the tDCS-induced electric field using computational modeling. Methods: We collected 180 magnetic resonance images (MRI) of AD patients and healthy controls from a publicly available database (Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative; ADNI), and MRIs were divided into female-AD, male-AD, female-normal, and male-normal groups. For each group, segmented brain volumes (cerebrospinal fluid, gray matter, ventricle, rostral middle frontal (RMF), and hippocampus/amygdala complex) using MRI were measured, and tDCS-induced electric fields were simulated, targeting RMF. Results: For segmented brain volumes, significant sex differences were observed in the gray matter and RMF, and considerable disease differences were found in cerebrospinal fluid, ventricle, and hippocampus/amygdala complex. There were no differences in the tDCS-induced electric field among AD and normal groups; however, higher peak values of electric field were observed in the female group than the male group. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated the presence of sex and disease differences in segmented brain volumes; however, this pattern differed in tDCS-induced electric field, resulting in significant sex differences only. Further studies, we will adjust the brain stimulation conditions to target the deep brain and examine the effects, because of significant differences in the ventricles and deep brain regions between AD and normal groups.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.8
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• pp.475-481
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• 2009

Emerging data demonstrate pivotal roles for brain insulin resistance and insulin deficiency as mediators of cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD). Insulin and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) regulate neuronal survival, energy metabolism, and plasticity, which are required for learning and memory. Hence, endogenous brain-specific impairments in insulin and IGF signaling account for the majority of AD-associated abnormalities. However, a second major mechanism of cognitive impairment has been linked to obesity and Type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Human and experimental animal studies revealed that neurodegeneration associated with peripheral insulin resistance is likely effectuated via a liver-brain axis whereby toxic lipids, including ceramides, cross the blood brain barrier and cause brain insulin resistance, oxidative stress, neuro-inflammation, and cell death. In essence, there are dual mechanisms of brain insulin resistance leading to AD-type neurodegeneration: one mediated by endogenous, CNS factors; and the other, peripheral insulin resistance with excess cytotoxic ceramide production.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.151-167
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• 2001

Alzheimer's disease(AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which is pathologically characterized by neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles associated with the acetylchohnesterase, apolipoprotein E and butylcholinesterase, and by mutations in the presenilin genes PS1 and PS2, and amyloid precursor proteins (APPs)'s overexpression. The present research is to examine the inhibition effect of BYCNT on PS-1, PS-2 and APPs's overexpression by detected to Western blotting. To verify the effects of BYCNT on cognitive deficits further, we tested it on the scopolamine(1mg/kg)-induced amnesia model of the mice using the Morris water maze tests, and there was ameliorative effects of memory impairment as a protection from scopolamine. BYCNT only partially blocked the increase in blood serum level of acetylcholinesterase and Uric acid induced by scopolamine, whereas blood glucose level was shown to attenuate the amnesia induced by scopolamine and inreased extracellular serum level compared with only scopolamine injection. In conclusion, studies of BYCNT that has been known as anti-choline and inhibition ablilities of APPs overexpression, this could also be used further as a important research data for a preventive and promising symptomatic treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.95-110
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• 2003

Alzheimer's disease(AD) is a geriatric dementia that is widespread in old age. In the near future AD will be the biggest problem in public health service. Although a variety of oriental prescriptions in study Jeonmaedan have been traditionally utilized for the treatment of AD, their pharmacological effects and action mechanisms have not yet fully elucidated. It has been widely believed that A${\beta}$ peptide devided from APP causes apoptotic neurotoxicity in AD brain. However, recent evidence suggests that CTl05(carboxy terminal 105 amino acid peptide fragment of APP) may be an important factor causing neurotoxicity in AD. In addition, AD is one of brain degeneration disease. So we studied on herbal medicine that have a relation of brain degeneration. In Oriental Medicine, Jeonmaedan has been used for disease in relation to brain degeneration. As the result of this study, in Jeonmaedan the apoptosis in the nervous system is inhibited, the repair against the degerneration of SK-N-SH cell lines by CT105 expression is promoted. So Jeonmaedan may be beneficial for the treatment of AD.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.10-19
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• 2020

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by the accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. The AD pathophysiology entails chronic inflammation involving innate immune cells including microglia, astrocytes, and other peripheral blood cells. Inflammatory mediators such as cytokines and complements are also linked to AD pathogenesis. Despite increasing evidence supporting the association between abnormal inflammation and AD, no well-established inflammatory biomarkers are currently available for AD. Since many reports have shown that abnormal inflammation precedes the outbreak of the disease, non-invasive and readily available peripheral inflammatory biomarkers should be considered as possible biomarkers for early diagnosis of AD. In this minireview, we introduce the peripheral biomarker candidates related to abnormal inflammation in AD and discuss their possible molecular mechanisms. Furthermore, we also summarize the current state of inflammatory biomarker research in clinical practice and molecular diagnostics. We believe this review will provide new insights into biomarker candidates for the early diagnosis of AD with systemic relevance to inflammation during AD pathogenesis.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 2020

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease and has become a major socioeconomic issue in many developed countries. Currently available therapeutic agents for AD provide only symptomatic treatments, mainly because the complete mechanism of the AD pathogenesis is still unclear. Although several different hypotheses have been proposed, mitochondrial dysfunction has gathered interest because of its profound effect on brain bioenergetics and neuronal survival in the pathophysiology of AD. Various therapeutic agents targeting the mitochondrial pathways associated with AD have been developed over the past decade. Although most of these agents are still early in the clinical development process, they are used to restore mitochondrial function, which provides an alternative therapeutic strategy that is likely to slow the progression of the disease. In this mini review, we will survey the AD-related mitochondrial pathways and their small-molecule modulators that have therapeutic potential. We will focus on recently reported examples, and also overview the current challenges and future perspectives of ongoing research.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.3
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• pp.453-472
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• 2022

Over the past decades, the immense clinical need for early detection methods and treatments for dementia has become a priority worldwide. The advances in PET biomarkers play increasingly important roles in understanding disease mechanisms by demonstrating the protein pathology underlying dementia in the brain. Amyloid-β and tau deposition in PET images are now key diagnostic biomarkers for the Alzheimer's disease continuum. The inclusion of biomarkers in the diagnostic criteria has achieved a paradigm shift in facilitating early differential diagnosis, predicting disease prognosis, and influencing clinical management. Furthermore, in vivo images showing pathology could become prognostic as well as surrogate biomarkers in therapeutic trials. In this review, we focus on recent developments in radiotracers for amyloid-β and tau PET imaging in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Further, we introduce their potential application as future perspectives.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.20-30
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• 2024

Red ginseng (RG) is widely used as a herbal medicine. As the human lifespan has increased, numerous diseases have developed, and RG has also been used to treat various diseases. Neurodegenerative diseases are major problems that modern people face through their lives. Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are featured by progressive nerve system damage. Recently, neuroinflammation has emerged as a degenerative factor and is an immune response in which cytokines with nerve cells that constitute the nervous system. RG, a natural herbal medicine with fewer side effects than chemically synthesized drugs, is currently in the spotlight. Therefore, we reviewed studies reporting the roles of RG in treating neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases and found that RG might help alleviate neurodegenerative diseases by regulating neuroinflammation.