• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.37-40
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• 1997

Earthworm extracts are known for anti-inflammatory, analgesic. antipyretic, and anticancer effects but can also influence blood circulation. It was previously shown that an earthworm, Lumbricus rubelius. contained a water-extractable anticoagulant which was a heat- and acid-stable molecule with hydrophilic property. In order to uncover the biochemical nature of this molecule, the anticoagulant was processed with various hydrolases such as trypsin, DNase, RNase. and lysozome. When the digested samples were analyzed with an in vitro coagulation test measuring activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and agarose gel electrophoresis, the anticoagulant proved to be a relatively homogeneous DNA fragment with relative molecular size around 72 base pairs. Interestingly, the activity was further stimulated with a trypsin digestion. RNA. on the other hand, did not prolong the APTT. It was also demonstrated that the DNA accelerated the antithrombin III (AT-III) inhibition of thrombin from $IC_{50}$ of 0.34 to 0.16 unit determined with S-2238 as a substrate, whereas heparin, a popular anticoagulant. shifted the value to 0.05. Therefore, it is suggested that the DNA could be considered as an alternative antithrombotic agent to heparin, which would exhibits bleeding side effects.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.547-555
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• 2001

Objectives: Obesity is regarded as the aggregation of needless risk factors, for instance, cardiovascular disease, joint disease, induce cancer. We studied on interrelation between abnormal liver function and obesity. Methods: We analyzed liver function, T.Cholesterol, Triglyceride before and after lose weight treatment. The collateral condition is over 6 weeks period on obesity treatment, no liver injury and no complicated another disease on personal past history and found out abnormal impression on biochemical liver function blood test. Results: The improvement rate of LFT, compare with before treatment is 10.6% in T.Bilirubin, 11.1% in ALP, 21% in AST, 38% in ALT, 37.3% in r-GTP, 9.2% in LDH and decreased 2.7% in T.Protein, increased 2.3% in Albumin. Hyperlipidemia is 19.4% in T.Cholesterol, 42.5% in Triglyceride. Conclusions: LFT and Hyperlipidemia of abnormal liver function patients, caused by obesity, is improved to normal limit in proportion to reduce patient's weight.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.245-260
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• 1998

The influences of depression and health anxieth on the elderly's drug use and nutritional status were evaluated by interviews with questionaire from August to October in 1996. One hundred and thirty-one male and 231 female elderly in Chung-buk area were the sample for this study. Men's depression score was 22.3 and 25.2 for women, respectively out of 27. Women showed a significantly higher score for depression and health anxiety than men. Gender, age, marital status, number of family, education, income, medical insurance, and mobility and region significantly affected the health anxiety score. The higher depression score the elderly had, the more frequently they took drugs. Conversely. the higher depression score the elderly had, the less frequently they took nutritional supplements. For women, the higher depression score the elderly had, the more they smoked. More depressed elderly showed a significantly smaller BMI compared to the less depressed ones. A negative correlationship existed between the depression score and the elderly's nutrient intakes, especially energy intake which showed a significant negative correlation. There were no significant differences between health anxiety score and nutrient intakes of men. Women who had a higher health anxiety score consumed more energy significantly. The depression score did not affect the elderly's blood biochemical indices. Women who had a low health anxiety score showed a significantly higher HDL-C level.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.920-928
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• 2001

Malnutrition is a common problem in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis(HD) and compromised food intake is an important cause. Malnutrition is one of the important factors influencing mortality in chronic HD patients. We investigated the nutritional parameters of 50 Korean HD patients(mean age: 46.9 $\pm$ 10.3y, men : 23, women : 27) by measuring anthropometric and biochemical blood indices and assessing food intake using 24-h recall method. Also we administered two questionnaires, one for assessing nutritional knowledge about renal disease and dietary therapy, the other for measuring dietary habits related to dietary therapy. According to the distribution of BMI, 21.3% of HD patients were underweight. The hematological values of HD patients, such as plasma hemoglobin, hematocrit, and total lymphocyte count were below the normal range. The serum cholesterol levels were 133.2 $\pm$ 30.5mg/dl. HD patients took energy and protein only 77.5% and 83.1%, respectively, of their RDA. There were significantly positive correlations between nutritional knowledge and intake of nutrients, such as energy, fat, cholesterol, iron, potassium, vitamin B$_1$, vitamin B$_2$, and niacin. Also, there was a significantly positive correlation between nutritional knowledge and dietary habits(r = 0.317, p < 0.05). In conclusion, Korean HD patients showed mild malnutrition and suboptimal nutrition intake. It can be postulated that the dietary intake can be increased by nutrition education improving nutritional knowledge and correcting the dietary habits of HD patients.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.287-297
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• 2003

This intervention study was performed to assess the effect of spirulina on lipid metabolism, antioxidant capacity, and immune function in elderly Koreans. The subjects were 6 male and 6 female people between the ages of 60 and 75, who were given spirulina supplements of 7.5 g/day for 24 weeks. Dietary intake, anthropometric measurements and biochemical assessment for plasma lipid levels, antioxidant status and immune function were measured before and throughout the intervention period. Before entering the study, the subjects were in relatively good health. Their nutrient intake was satisfactory, and anthropometric indices and plasma nutrient levels were within the normal range. Spirulina supplementation for 24 weeks did not affect dietary intake and anthropometric parameters. However, considerable changes were observed in blood lipid profiles, antioxidant capacity, and immune indices. The plasma concentrations of triglycerides, total- and LDL-cholesterol decreased from 4 weeks of the supplementation period. The antioxidant capacity improved, as shown in increasing TAS and decreasing TBARS after supplementation. Improved immune function was also observed as the PBL lymphocyte proliferation rate and plasma C3 levels increased. The above effects of spirulina supplementation did not differ between mild hypercholesterolemic (cholesterol $\geq$ 200mg/d1) and normochole-sterolemic (cholesterol < 200 mg/dl) subjects. This study provided evidence that spirulina could be used as dietary supplementation in nutritionally vulnerable groups to improve nutritional and health status and to prevent chronic disease such as hyperlipidemia or oxidation-prone diseases. further studies in this area with various population groups are warranted.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.667-674
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• 2003

The study was performed to investigate the effects of isoflavone and/or grape seed oil supplementation on serum and liver lipid profiles and bone strength in ovariectomized female rats. Female Spraque-Dawley rats were assigned into 4 groups of ovariectomized (O), isoflavone (0.085 mg/100 g b.w/day) in ovariectomized rats, grape seed oil in ovariectomized rats and isoflavone and/or grape seed oil in ovariectomized rats. After 8 weeks, biochemical profiles of serum, liver and bone were analyzed. Total food intakes, body weight gains and FER (food efficiency ratio) were not statistically significantly different among groups. Total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol levels in serum were decreased by fed of isoflavone and/or grape seed oils. However, crude lipid and total cholesterol contents in liver were not affect of isoflavone and/or grape seed oil. The hepatic glutathione contents were increased by isoflavone and/or grape seed oil fed. The hepatic glutathione-S-transferase activity in isoflavone and/or grape seed oil supplemented groups were higher than that O group. Bone (scapular and femur bone) dry weight, femur of max weight and bending strength were no significant difference among groups. Our finding suggest that isoflavone/grape seed oils might have potential role for serum lipid profiles improvement and bone strength in vivo.

• CELLMED
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.18.1-18.5
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• 2014

Leea asiatica (L.) Ridsdale, a folk medicinal plant is used by the ethnic people of North East India for the treatment of hepatic disorder. In this study, we have investigated the hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity of L. asiatica leaves against acetaminophen induced hepatotoxicity. Methanol extract of L. asiatica (150 and 300 mg/kg/day, p.o.) were administered to rats for three consecutive days followed by single acetaminophen (3000 mg/kg, p.o.) administration on $3^{rd}$ day. After 48 h of acetaminophen administration animals were sacrificed and biochemical estimation of serum, in vivo antioxidant activity using liver tissue were carried out. High levels of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, serum alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, total cholesterol and triglycerides were observed in disease control group, which found near to normal in extract treated groups. Higher dose exhibited significant hepatoprotective activity against acetaminophen induced toxicity. Level of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase in liver tissue, and reduced glutathione in liver and blood were also significantly increased in extract (300 mg/kg) treated animals compare to disease control group. In this study we found that leaves of L. asiatica exhibited potent hepatoprotective activity against acetaminophen induced hepatic damage in experimental animals which justify the folklore claim, and the possible mechanism of this activity may be due to strong antioxidant activities of extract.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.7 no.1_2
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• pp.1-16
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• 1992

Biologically, MGK-264 (N-octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide) acts as a synergists for insecticides mainly pyrethrins and pyrethroids. It's used extensively in combination with pyrethrin and piperonyl butoxide and also with personal insect repellent and cockroach repellents. But the toxic effect of MGK-264 in mamalians was a relatively little known therefore in this studies it was initiated to examine the toxic effect of MGK -264 in rats. For 5 weeks it administrated daily in each 250 mg and 500 mg of MGK-264 per kg of body weight in rats. 1) The body weight gain and the LYMPH (%) value in blood were observed a slight tendency to reduce in accordance with amount of dose and number treatment time. 2) The content of cytochrome P-450 and activity of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase were decreased in liver and those were observed some tendency in the kidney as liver but not significant. 3) The liver cholinesterase activity in the both 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg per kg of body weight with treated groups and the liver aniline hydroxylase in 500 mg/kg treated group were gradually decreased from 4 weeks after treated groups. In consequence it would sugested that the toxic effect of MGK-264 was low but in could offer hazard effect in liver and nervers system of rats if it was administrated move dose of MGK-264 and agumented in number of treated time.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.396-401
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• 2017

BACGROUND/OBJECTIVES: In this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, we evaluated the antihypertensive effects of enzymatic hydrolysate from Styela clava flesh tissue in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension. SUBJECTS/METHODS: S. clava flesh tissue hydrolysate (SFTH) (n = 34) and placebo (n = 22) were randomly allocated to the study subjects. Each subject ingested two test capsules (500 mg) containing powdered SFTH (SFTH group) or placebo capsules (placebo group) during four weeks. RESULTS: In the SFTH group, systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly 4 weeks after ingestion by 9.9 mmHg (P < 0.01) and 7.8 mmHg (P < 0.01), respectively. In addition, the SFTH group exhibited a significant decrease in hemoglobin $A_{1c}$ with a tendency toward improvement in homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, triglyceride, apolipoprotein B and plasma insulin levels after 4 weeks. No adverse effects were observed in other indexes, including biochemical and hematological parameters in both groups. CONCLUSION: The results of our study suggested that SFTH exerts a regulatory, antihypertensive effect in patients with T2DM and hypertension.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.8 no.1_2
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• pp.19-29
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• 1993

The toxicity and histopathologic changes of diazinon (O, O-diethy-O-(2-isopropyl-6-methyl-4-pyrimidinyl)phosphorothioate) was investigated in rat. Rat was treated with diazinon (100 mg/kg/day) by oral administration for 12 days. The experimental results were summarized as follows. Biochemical parameters such as ALT, AST, LDH and glucose in serum were significantly increased and hematological parameters such as Hb, Hct and PLT in blood were slightly increased in treated groups. Also the activities of serum cholinesterase were very significantly decreased in treated groups. In the histopathological changes, the normal lobular architectural pattern of the liver was well preserved in all treated groups. However, vacuolation or fatty change were represent in hepatocytes. Sections of liver from rats treated with diazinon for 3 and 6 days contained slight lipid infiltration in the form of small droplets randomly distributed that were graded minimal (＋) or moderate (＋＋) compared with the respective control condition. After 9 days, there were numerous small and large vacuoles in the terminal hepatic venule and perilobular areas of many serial sections of these rats indicative of fatty infiltration which were graded moderate (＋＋) and severe (＋＋＋). After 12 days, fatty infiltration progressed periportal tract areas and graded severe (＋＋＋) and very severe (＋＋＋＋) in experimental groups. Note absence of cellular necrosis or inflammation.