• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2018

We tried to determine the optimum salinity for a cultured of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) by investigating after exposing the fish at different salinity (10, 15, 20 and 25 psu) for 24 and 48 hours compared with control group (fish before transfer to experimental tank). As a control groups, we compared an analyzed with other experimental groups using olive flounder in natural sea water. Hematological parameters including hematocrit (Ht) and hemoglobin (Hb), cortisol and glucose, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), $NH_3$, osmolality, total protein (TP), $Na^+$, $K^+$ and $Cl^-$ mostly exhibited significant changes at 10 and 15 psu groups compared with control groups for 24 and 48 hours exposed. Plasma SOD (superoxide dismutase) and CAT (catalase) activity also increased with experimental groups (10 and 15 psu) compared to the control groups. The expression of HSP70 mRNA was also higher at low-salinity (10 and 15 psu) than at control group. In particular, after 24 hours exposed, it expression to 15 psu groups showed a significant difference compared to the control group. However, after 48 hours exposed, it expression was higher in the 10 psu groups than the control. It is assumed that the changes in the hematological responses and hormone, homeostasis and metabolism were resulted in to protect fish body from stress. Based on these results, we are expected that it will be used as basic data for the culture of olive flounder prepared for low salinity.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.57-65
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• 2014

Purpose: Since most terminally ill cancer patients die of multiple organ failure, plasma endotoxin concentration levels may be used to predict the life expectancy. This study was performed to evaluate the clinical significance of endotoxin level in plasma as a prognostic factor for survival in patients with terminal cancer. Methods: This study was conducted with 56 terminally ill cancer patients, above 20 years old, from April 2009 through October 2009. Demographic characteristics, Karnofsky performance status, and survival time were evaluated. We analyzed blood levels of white blood cell hemoglobin, hematocrit, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, c-reactive protein, total bilirubin and endotoxin in each patient. Results: We considered following variable for univariate analysis: plasma endotoxin level, sex, age, WBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, AST, ALT, total bilirubin, CRP and severity of pain. Univariate analysis did not show a significant association between plasma endotoxin level and survival time. However, in a multivariate analysis with factors that were found to be significantly associated with survival sex, WBC count and total bilirubin level in univariate analysis, high levels of plasma endotoxin and short survival time were significantly related. Conclusion: Plasma endotoxin level could be used as a prognostic factor to predict the life expectancy of terminally ill cancer patients.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.767-772
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• 2006

This study was to investigate the effect of betaine on the hypoglycemia and hepatoprotection of streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing around 280 g were randomly assigned to the three experimental groups: a healthy normal group and two groups with STZ-induced diabetes and fed either control diet or betaine diet. Betaine given to the STZ-diabetic rats had significant effect in lowering the serum glucose concentrations compared to the STZ-diabetic rats. The alanine aminotransferase (AST) and aspartate aminotransferase (ALT) activities and triglyceride contents in serum were dramatically higher in the STZ-diabetic rats, but these increases in relation to diabetes also decreased in the STZ-diabetic rats fed betaine. However, the total-cholesterol concentration in the STZ-diabetic rats was even increased by betaine. The morphology of the pancreatic islets in the normal rats showed a typical round form, but most of the islets in the STZ-diabetic rats showed severe morphological alterations by being markedly destroyed. However, the islet morphology of STZ-diabetic rats given betaine mostly maintained a normal rounded appearance. The present study strongly suggests that the administration of betaine showed a moderate hypoglycemic effect by protecting the pancreatic beta-cells by morphological examination from STZ-induced destruction.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.325-329
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• 2002

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of porphyran on enzyme activity in rats and immunity in mice. Animals were divided into 5 groups, and were given porphyran diet for 4 weeks. Porphyran was extracted from Porphyra yezoensis: Diet groups were normal diet, control diet fed high fat, cholesterol and sodium cholate, control and 1% porphyran diet (1% PD), control and 5% porphyran diet (5% PD), control and 10% of porphyran diet (10% PD). Also Balb/c female mouse were injected i.p. with porphyran extract every other day for 20 days at levels of 1%, 2% and 5%. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities were lower in the porphyran diet group than those in control group. Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in liver homogenates were reduced in porphyran diet group compared to those of control group. Also, the level of liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) was lower in porphyran group than that of control group. Porphyran increased IL-1 production in a dose-dependent manner, however, interleukine-2 production was reduced as the amount of porphyran increases. These results showed that supplementation of porphyran lowered antioxidant enzyme activities and has possibility of modulating immunological function.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.179-189
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• 2011

Objectives : Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Radix(fuzi, 附子) and its class herbs(chaunwu, caowu etc.) are necessary for some clinical conditions, such as cold pain, chilling etc,. But, they has some poison component. And, they have been known to cause liver and kidney injury, and dangerous in the patients who has abnormal range of LFT and RFT. This study shows the consequences for aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alanine aminotransferase(ALT), blood urea nitrate(BUN), and Creatinine were analyzed using samples from patients who took the decoction containing fuzi. Methods : Blood samples for Experiment Group(E) were collected from 63 patients, who took the decoction containing fuzi, admitted into the 6th internal medicine department of Dong Eui Oriental Medical Hospital between from January 2007 to March 2011. In compared to those of experiment group, blood samples as Control Group(C) were collected from 64 patients, who took the decoction not containing fuzi, admitted into the same hospital from January 2009 to April 2011. Results and Conclusions : 1. AST No changed : E 4.17%, C 2.63%, Increased : E 12.5%, C 28.95%, Decreased : E 80.33%, C 68.42% 2. ALT No changed : E2.94%, C5.13%, Increased : E 8.82%, C 20.51%, Decreased : E 88.24%, C 74.36% 3. BUN No changed : E 0%, CG 7.14%, Increased : E 32.25%, CG 14.29% Decreased : EG 67.65%, CG 78.57% 4. Creatinine No changed : EG 5.00%, CG 0%, Increased : EG 35.00%, CG 54.55% Decreased : EG 60.00%, CG 45.45% 5. The results suggest that the decoction containing fuzi isn't harmful AST, ALT, BUN, Cr of the patients who has high range of them.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.48-54
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• 2019

Purpose: Liver metabolism plays a pivotal role in the development of metabolic disorders. We aimed to investigate the clinical and laboratory risk factors associated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in young adolescents from an urban population in Korea. Methods: A population of 120 apparently healthy adolescents aged 12-13 years was included in the cross-sectional design study; 58 were overweight or obese and 62 were of normal weight. We estimated anthropometric and laboratory measurements, including waist-to-height ratio, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, aspartate aminotransferases (AST), ALT, and lipid profiles. Results: The mean ages of the overweight or obese and normal weight participants were $12.9{\pm}0.3$ and $13.0{\pm}0.3years$, respectively. Height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, AST, ALT, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglyceride, insulin, and the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) score were significantly higher and the high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index were significantly lower in the overweight/obese participants in comparison to the normal-weight participants (all P<0.05). In multivariate linear regression analysis, waist-to-height ratio, systolic blood pressure, and HOMA-IR score were independently and positively associated with serum ALT levels. Conclusion: Screening for ALT levels in adolescents may help to differentiate those at risk of metabolic abnormalities and thus prevent disease progression at an early age.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.558-560
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• 2005

Hepatoprotective effects of white ginseng extract (WGE), and IH-901 (20-O-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranosyl-20(S)-protopanaxadiol) derived from intestinal metabolite of ginsenoside $Rb_1$ were studied using two experimental animal models with chemical-induced hepatic damage. Administration of WGE (200 and 500 mg/kg) and IH-901 (0.01, 0.05, and 0.1 mM/kg) significantly decreased aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in acute hepatitic mice induced by $CCl_4$. Administration of WGE (l00 mg/kg) and IH-901 (0.02, 0.04, and 0.08 mM/kg) significantly decreased AST and ALT levels in acute hepatitic rats induced by D-galactosamine. AST and ALT levels of IH-901 groups decreased. These results suggested WGE and IH-901 may have protective effects against chemical-induced hepatic damage.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.412-418
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• 2015

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of acute hypoxia on the physiological stress responses (plasma cortisol as the primary response, and hematocrit, hemoglobin, plasma glucose, sodium, chloride, osmolality, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) as the secondary responses) of Korean rockfish. The mortality in Korean rockfish started at $0.7mg\;L^{-1}$ and $0.8mg\;L^{-1}$ levels at $12^{\circ}C$ and $20^{\circ}C$, respectively. And the time required for the mortality in experimental fish was 274 and 148 minutes at $12^{\circ}C$ and $20^{\circ}C$, respectively. Levels of hematocrit, hemoglobin, AST, ALT, ion concentration, osmolality, glucose and cortisol had significantly increased with decreasing dissolved oxygen at $12^{\circ}C$ and $20^{\circ}C$.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.248-256
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• 2014

Purpose: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children has become an important public health issue because of its high prevalence and severity. Several noninvasive methods for estimating NAFLD are under investigation. We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of serum ferritin as a biomarker of severity of pediatric NAFLD patients. Methods: A total of 64 NAFLD patient were enrolled from Severance Children's Hospital from March 2010 to February 2013. Serum ferritin levels, liver related laboratory tests, liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (2-dimensional [2D] proton density-fat fraction) and NAFLD severity markers were compared between obese group and overweight group. Correlation analyses were performed between serum ferritin and laboratory values including NAFLD severity markers. Results: In obese group, serum ferritin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin, international normalized ratio (INR), MRI 2D proton density-fat fraction, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to platelet ratio index (APRI) and fibrosis- 4 (FIB-4) (an index score calculated from platelet count, ALT, AST and age) were significantly higher than those of overweight group. NAFLD severity markers, APRI and FIB-4, and liver specific important laboratory values, AST, ALT, INR, cholesterol, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein show significant correlation with serum ferritin in NAFLD patients. Conclusion: Serum ferritin concentrations could be a candidate of useful severity marker in the pediatric NAFLD patients.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.443-448
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate changes of blood metabolites and enzyme activities at different slaughter ages of Hanwoo cattle. Blood samples were taken from six hundred thirty two steers (24~33 months of age) and one hundred twenty eight bulls (17~24 months of age) by venipuncture from caudal vein immediately prior to slaughter. Glucose concentrations were linearly increased (P<0.001) with increases of the slaughter age in steers, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentrations were linearly decreased (P<0.001) with increases of the slaughter age in steers. Likewise, glucose and albumin concentrations in bulls were linearly decreased (P=0.009 and P<0.001, respectively) with increases of the slaughter age. BUN, cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol concentrations were linearly increased (P<0.001, 0.018 and 0.002, respectively), and creatinine concentrations were quadratically increased (P=0.009) with increases of the slaughter age. Activity of gamma glutamyltransferase (${\gamma}$-GT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was linearly increased (P<0.001) with increases of the slaughter age in both steers and bulls, whereas alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was not affected by increasing slaughter age. In addition, the concentrations of ${\gamma}$-GT and AST were higher (P<0.05) for bulls than those of steers at 24 months of age. Increased levels of ${\gamma}$-GT and AST indicate impaired liver function; it may be associated with increases of concentrate level which is a concomitant of the extended fattening periods in Hanwoo feeding. In conclusion, the results in the present study may be one of the useful information for diagnosis of the metabolic disorder in Hanwoo cattle.