• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.220-227
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• 2005

Recently, the use of an electrical apparatus has brought up concerns of health risks from exposure to electromagnetic fields. EMF is composed of electric fields and magnetic fields. Heavy exposure to EMF can occur only in the vicinity of high-voltage overhead transmission lines, close to transformers and underground cables, and also close to large electrical machinery. In this thesis I have investigated the hypothesis of the correlation between occupational exposure to ELF-EMF and the risks of leukemia, anemia, cancer. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate whether or not ELF-EMF emitted from electric power stations and transformer substations affect some hematological parameters and tumor markers of electric utility workers. The hematological test results and tumor markers under investigation were similar in the two groups but some of parameters such as RBC, AFP, LDH showed significant difference between the two groups from two sample t-test (p<0.05). The exposure group showed increased LDH level compared to the control group by two sample t-tests. In addition, the abnormal LDH level in the exposure group was observed to be clinically significant by ${\chi}^2$-test. However, the levels of RBC, AFP observed were not clinically significant by ${\chi}^2$-test (p>0.05). These results suggested that ELF-EMF does not affect most blood test parameters except LDH of electric utility workers.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.23-28
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• 2017

Arctigenin is the main active ingredient of Fructus Arctii, which has been reported with a variety of therapeutic activities including anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, anti-virus, and anti-obesity effects. In this study, a simple and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of arctigenin in rat plasma. The assay utilized a simple protein precipitation with methanol and the mobile phase consisted of 100% methanol and water containing 0.1% formic acid (65:35 v/v). Arctigenin and the internal standard (psoralen) were monitored using a positive electrospray turbo ionspray mode with multiple reaction monitoring transitions of m/z $373.2{\rightarrow}136.9$ and m/z $187.2{\rightarrow}130.9$, respectively, and total chromatographic run time was within 5 min. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of arctigenin was 5 ng/mL in the rat plasma. The intra- and inter-day accuracy of arctigenin at LLOQ and matrix-matched quality control samples ranged 97.4 - 104.8% and 97.2 - 102.0%, respectively. The intra-day precision was within 4.80% and the inter-day precision was within 5.92%. Application of the present method was demonstrated through a pharmacokinetic study after intravenous and oral administration of arctigenin in male Sprague Dawley rats.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Oligonol, mainly found in lychee fruit, is an antioxidant polyphenolic compound which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. The detailed mechanisms by which oligonol may act as an anti-aging molecule have not been determined. MATERIALS/METHODS: In this study, we evaluated the ability of oligonol to modulate sirtuin (SIRT) expression in human lung epithelial (A549) cells. Oligonol was added to A549 cells and reactive oxygen species production, mitochondrial superoxide formation, and p21 protein levels were measured. Signaling pathways activated upon oligonol treatment were also determined by western blotting. Furthermore, the anti-aging effect of oligonol was evaluated ex vivo in mouse splenocytes and in vivo in Caenorhabditis elegans. RESULTS: Oligonol specifically induced the expression of SIRT1, whose activity is linked to gene expression, metabolic control, and healthy aging. In response to influenza virus infection of A549 cells, oligonol treatment significantly up-regulated SIRT1 expression and down-regulated viral hemagglutinin expression. Oligonol treatment also resulted in the activation of autophagy pathways and the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Furthermore, oligonol-treated spleen lymphocytes from old mice showed increased cell proliferation, and mRNA levels of SIRT1 in the lungs of old mice were significantly lower than those in the lungs of young mice. Additionally, in vivo lethality assay revealed that oligonol extended the lifespan of C. elegans infected with lethal Vibrio cholerae. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrated that oligonol may act as an anti-aging molecule by modulating SIRT1/autophagy/AMPK pathways.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.41-45
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• 2013

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare locally aggressive cutaneous neuroendocrine carcinoma with a high incidence of local recurrence, regional lymph node metastasis, followed by distant metastasis. Because of shortage of the retrospective study, standard treatment has not been established. The purpose of this study was to present the surgical treatment and outcome of 8 patients with MCC. Methods: We report our experiences with 8 patients who underwent treatment for MCC at our institution from 2000 through 2012. Two men and 6 women received treatment for MCC. The mean age was 76.4 years (range, 53 to 93 years). Results: The follow-up period ranged from 7 to 26 months (mean, 22.9). During the follow-up period, three of 8 patients had a relapse (mean time before recurrence, 10 months; 1 month, 7 months, and 22 months). After primary surgery, 3 patients underwent radiotherapy, and 1 patient received chemotherapy. Conclusion: MCC is an aggressive skin cancer with a high rate of local recurrence. Complete surgical excision is the mainstay of local treatment, but adjuvant radiotherapy should be considered for better local control.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.29-35
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• 2016

Objectives : Blood stasis (BS) is related to be caused by blood circulation and stagnation which are cancer, atherosclerosis and hyperlipidemia in traditional medicine. We extracted 3 kinds of BS formula; Seogakjihwang-tang (SGT), Tonggyuhawlhyul-tang (THT), Hyulbuchukeo-tang (HCT). This study was conducted to investigate whether the 3 kinds of herbal formula extracts have inhibitory efficacy association with anti-adipogenesis. Methods : To investigate the anti-adipogenesis, we used the mouse fibroblast cell line, 3T3-L1 which differentiated into adipocytes in response to insulin, IBMX and dexamethasone (MDI). Cytotoxicity of herbal formula extracts were examined by CCK-8 kit. Intracellular lipid droplets were detected by Oil-Red-O staining. Triglyceride (TG) and leptin were measure using elisa kit. Results : The yield of water extracts was 14.62% (SGT), 21.27% (THT), 20.02% (HCT). Lipid accumulation was reduced significantly by 3 kinds of herbal formula compared to control. Especially, THT and HCT decreased lipid droplet, respectively at all concentration. The TG and leptin were also inhibited by 3 kinds of herbal formula. The IC50 of TG were $280.51{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ (SGT), $52.62{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ (THT), $313.99{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ (HCT). The IC50 of leptin were $348.76{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ (SGT), $164.02{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ (THT), $257.00{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ (HCT). THT was better than other herbal formula on anti-adipogenesis. Conclusion : kinds of herbal formula inhibited adipogenesis in MDI-induced 3T3-L1 adipocytes, as indicated by the significant reduction in TG and leptin concentration without cytotoxicity. Therefore, 3 kinds of herbal formula for BS might act as a therapeutic agent for preventing lipid diseases, such as obesity and atherosclerosis.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.481-489
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• 2019

This study was conducted to identify the effect of laughter therapy on the moods, pain and stress of the patients in a hospice ward. Participants were divided as control (23 patients), and experimental group (26 patients). Laughter therapy was provided for 5 days, and 20-30 minutes per day. Data collected on the $3^{rd}$ and $8^{th}$ day, respectively, were analyzed using SPSS win 24.0 program, Chi-square test, fisher's exact test, Independent-test, and Mann-Whitney U test. Experimental groups showed the significant differences in Mood (t= -12.88, p<.001), Pain (t= -6.38, p<.001) and Stress (z= -6.03, p<.001). Conclusion: Laughter therapy was an effective nursing intervention to relieve the negative mood condition, pain and stress on patients, as one of the daily nursing services in the hospice ward.

• BMB Reports
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• v.54 no.10
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• pp.505-515
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• 2021

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) include human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) derived from blastocysts and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) generated from somatic cell reprogramming. Due to their self-renewal ability and pluripotent differentiation potential, hPSCs serve as an excellent experimental platform for human development, disease modeling, drug screening, and cell therapy. Traditionally, hPSCs were considered to form a homogenous population. However, recent advances in single cell technologies revealed a high degree of variability between individual cells within a hPSC population. Different types of heterogeneity can arise by genetic and epigenetic abnormalities associated with long-term in vitro culture and somatic cell reprogramming. These variations initially appear in a rare population of cells. However, some cancer-related variations can confer growth advantages to the affected cells and alter cellular phenotypes, which raises significant concerns in hPSC applications. In contrast, other types of heterogeneity are related to intrinsic features of hPSCs such as asynchronous cell cycle and spatial asymmetry in cell adhesion. A growing body of evidence suggests that hPSCs exploit the intrinsic heterogeneity to produce multiple lineages during differentiation. This idea offers a new concept of pluripotency with single cell heterogeneity as an integral element. Collectively, single cell heterogeneity is Janus-faced in hPSC function and application. Harmful heterogeneity has to be minimized by improving culture conditions and screening methods. However, other heterogeneity that is integral for pluripotency can be utilized to control hPSC proliferation and differentiation.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.301-308
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• 2021

Objectives: Despite its advantages, it is not yet common practice in Korea for researchers to investigate disease associations using spatio-temporal analyses. In this study, we aimed to review health-related epidemiological research using spatio-temporal analyses and to observe methodological trends. Methods: Health-related studies that applied spatial or spatio-temporal methods were identified using 2 international databases (PubMed and Embase) and 4 Korean academic databases (KoreaMed, NDSL, DBpia, and RISS). Two reviewers extracted data to review the included studies. A search for relevant keywords yielded 5919 studies. Results: Of the studies that were initially found, 150 were ultimately included based on the eligibility criteria. In terms of the research topic, 5 categories with 11 subcategories were identified: chronic diseases (n=31, 20.7%), infectious diseases (n=27, 18.0%), health-related topics (including service utilization, equity, and behavior) (n=47, 31.3%), mental health (n=15, 10.0%), and cancer (n=7, 4.7%). Compared to the period between 2000 and 2010, more studies published between 2011 and 2020 were found to use 2 or more spatial analysis techniques (35.6% of included studies), and the number of studies on mapping increased 6-fold. Conclusions: Further spatio-temporal analysis-related studies with point data are needed to provide insights and evidence to support policy decision-making for the prevention and control of infectious and chronic diseases using advances in spatial techniques.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.1084-1092
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• 2018

Background/Aims: There has been no evidence for the necessity of endoscopy in asymptomatic young men with iron deficiency anemia (IDA). To determine whether endoscopy should be recommended in asymptomatic young men with IDA, we compared the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) lesions between young men (< 50 years) with IDA and those without IDA. Methods: We conducted a case-control study on asymptomatic young men aged < 50 years who underwent both esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and colonoscopy as part of a health checkup between 2010 and 2014. Results: Of 77,864 participants, 128 (0.16%) had IDA and 512 subjects without IDA were matched for several variables including age. Young men with IDA had a significantly higher proportion of colorectal cancer (CRC) (0.8% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.045), villous adenoma (0.8% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.045), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; 2.3% vs. 0.4%, p = 0.025) than those without IDA. Additionally, the prevalence of advanced colorectal neoplasia (ACRN) tended to be higher in subjects with IDA than in those without IDA (3.1% vs. 1.0%, p = 0.084). The prevalence of significant lower GI lesions including ACRN and IBD was higher in subjects with IDA than in those without IDA (5.5% vs. 1.4%, p = 0.011). Regarding upper GI lesions, a positive association with IDA was observed only for gastric ulcer (4.7% vs. 1.0%, p = 0.011). Conclusions: GI lesions including CRC, villous adenoma, IBD, and gastric ulcer were more common in asymptomatic young men with IDA. Our results suggest that EGD and particularly colonoscopy should be recommended even in asymptomatic young men with IDA.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.38-44
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• 2019

Background: Taraxacum platycarpum has been used in traditional medicine in Korea to treat intoxication and edema and as a diuretic. According to previous reports, it has anti-cancer, anti-gastritis, and anti-inflammation effects. However, the improvement effect of T. platycarpum on rheumatoid arthritis has not been investigated. The anti-oxidative and anti-inflammation effects of the aerial parts of T. platycarpum are different from those of its subterranean parts. Thus, we evaluated the effect of the water extracts of Taraxaci radix (WTR) on type II collagen-induced rheumatoid arthritis (CIA) in animal models. Methods and Results: Rheumatoid arthritis was induced by type II collagen. WTR (100 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg) was administered to the animal models. Methotrexate was used as the positive control. The levels of interleukin-6, TNF-alpha, and type II collagen IgG in the animals were measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Treatment with 500 mg/kg WTR decreased the serum levels of interleukin-6, TNF-alpha, and collagen IgG in the CIA models. Moreover, treatment with WTR diminished the arthritisinduced swelling of the hind legs and monocyte infiltration in the bloodvessels of the animal models. Conclusions: These results indicate that WTR has the potential to improve rheumatoid arthritis by reducing the levels of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 and TNF-alpha. However, further experiments are required to elucidate the influence of WTR on signal transduction in vitro and in vivo.