• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.10
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• pp.1446-1451
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• 2010

Silk sericin protein was hydrolyzed by seven proteolytic enzymes to examine the effectiveness of the hydrolysates to bind iron. The amino acid nitrogen contents of hydrolysates by Flavourzyme were higher than the others enzymes, and its iron binding capacity showed dose-dependent increase. The bioavailability of iron binding peptide from sericin hydolysates was investigated in iron-deficient rats. Three-week-old male rats were fed iron-deficient diet for three weeks. Rats were divided into four groups (DD: no treated group on iron deficient diet, DD+HI: heme-iron treated group, DD+OI: sericin-Fe, and DD+II: inorganic iron ($FeSO_4$) treated group, and then iron supplemented by injection for one week. After oral administration for one week, the iron contents of serum and liver were significantly higher in DD+OI ($4.2\;{\mu}g/mL$ and $80.1\;{\mu}g/mL$) and DD+HI ($3.2\;{\mu}g/mL$ and $70.6\;{\mu}g/mL$) than DD ($2.0\;{\mu}g/mL$ and $47.9\;{\mu}g/mL$). Hemoglobin content of treated groups was significantly higher than DD, but the significant difference among groups was not shown. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels did not show any significant difference among all groups. Binding iron to peptide from sericin hydolysates seems to improve its bioavailability and to hasten the cure of iron deficiency in experimental rat.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.697-704
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• 2013

The inhibitory effect of ethanol extracts from Curdrania tricuspidata leaves (CTL) on osteoarthritis was investigated in primary cultured rat cartilage cells and a monosodium-iodoacetate (MIA)-induced arthritis rat model. To identify the effects of CTL 80% ethanol extracts (CTL80) and CTL 10% ethanol extracts (CTL10) against $H_2O_2$ treatment in vitro, cell survival was measured by the MTT assay. Cell survival after $H_2O_2$ treatment increased with CTL80 and CTL10 close to normal up to $300{\mu}g/mL\;H_2O_2$. The mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) was determined MMP-7 and MMP-13 (known catabolic factors), were significantly inhibited by CTL 80 and CTL10; a $200{\mu}g/mL$ dose of CTL80 especially decreased MMP-13 expression. In vivo, osteoarthritis was induced by an intra-articular injection of MIA into the knee joints of rats, then CTL80 and CTL10 orally administered daily for 35 days. After the animals were sacrificed, histological evaluations of their knee joints revealed a reduction in polymorphonuclear cell infiltration and smooth synovial lining in the CTL80-500 group. Micro-CT analysis of hind paws from CTL80-500 and CTL10 showed a protection against osteophyte formation, soft tissue swelling, and bone resorption. In conclusion, CTL ethanol extracts are effective in ameliorating joint destruction and cartilage erosion in MIA-induced rats. CTL decreases and normalizes articular cartilage through preventing extracellular matrix degradation and chondrocyte injury, and could potentially serve as a therapeutic treatment for humans.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.11
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• pp.1544-1551
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• 2016

Various types of fermented soybean foods are consumed in various Asian countries, including China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Cheonggukjang is a Korean whole soybean paste fermented by Bacillus subtilis and regarded as a healthy food. The objective of this study was to investigate the Ca-bioavailability and anti-osteoporotic effects of cheonggukjang (CGJ) containing high poly-gamma glutamate (PGA) contents in an animal model. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 h after a single oral dose in male rats. Ca-bioavailability in CGJ containing high PGA contents was approximately 3~5 times higher than that of natural CGJ. Female rats were either sham-operated (sham; n=5) or surgically ovariectomized (OVX; five animals per group) and then administered to OVX control, raloxifene hydrochloride (RLX) 1 mg/kg/d, or CGJ containing high contents of PGA (20 and 200 mg/kg/d) for 12 weeks. Serum osteocalcin concentration was significantly lower in the CGJ 200 mg/kg/d group compared with the OVX control group. Serum progesterone concentration was significantly higher in the CGJ 200 mg/kg/d group compared with the OVX control group. Reduction grade of the trabecular bone decreased in the RLX 1 and CGJ 200 mg/kg/d group compared with that of the OVX control group. In conclusion, CGJ 200 mg/kg/d may have inhibitory effects on osteoporosis in OVX rats, and Ca-bioavailability was improved in CGJ containing high PGA contents.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.11
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• pp.1278-1285
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• 2017

Accumulation of excess low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood can initiate and accelerate atherosclerosis. Statins mediate the transactivation of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), which in turn limits their cholesterol-lowering effects via LDL receptor (LDLR) degradation. The objective of this study was to investigate whether or not Allium tuberosum (AT) regulates LDLR and PCSK9. Mice were fed a low fat control diet (LD) or Western diet (WD) supplemented with AT (1%, w/w). AT significantly attenuated total and LDL cholesterol levels in mice fed WD (P<0.05). AT also significantly inhibited hepatic PCSK9 gene expression (P<0.05) while AT maintained hepatic LDLR gene expression. To further investigate AT-mediated PCSK9 regulation, HepG2 cells were treated with 10% delipidated serum (DLPS) in the presence or absence of AT. Non-toxic level of AT dose-dependently increased the LDLR protein level, and AT at $400{\mu}g/mL$ markedly inhibited PCSK9 protein expression. Similarly, AT significantly increased LDLR gene expression, whereas it significantly down-regulated PCSK9 gene expression. AT-mediated reduction of PCSK9 gene expression is likely due to decreased hepatic nuclear factor $1{\alpha}$ ($HNF1{\alpha}$) expression, but not SREBP2 in HepG2 cells under lipid-depleted conditions. AT-mediated PCSK9 inhibition contributed to LDLR protein stabilization via protection against LDLR lysosomal degradation in HepG2 cells under lipid-depleted conditions. Further investigation is warranted to determine the active components of AT and whether or not these components are effective in reducing hypercholesterolemia.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.167-173
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• 2007

Purpose: Mistletoe (Viscum album L.) extract is one of the most widely used agents in alternative cancer therapeutic regimens in Europe. This study was conducted to determine the effect of mistletoe extract on immune function in gastric cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Ten patients that had undergone a curative gastrectomy were enrolled in the prospective study. ABNOBAviscum $Q^{(R)}$ was injected subcutaneously three times a week from postoperative-day 7 to week 16 with an increasing dose. All of the patients simultaneously received chemotheraphy with mitomycin, oral 5-FU and a cisplatin regimen. The WBC count, differential count, lymphocyte/WBC ratio and the level of cytokines (IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-2, IL-6, IFN-$\gamma$, TNF-$\alpha$) were checked in the peripheral blood preoperatively, at postoperative week 8 and at postoperative week 16. Results: The WBC and neutrophil counts significantly decreased after treatment on week 8 and week 16 (P=0.001), but the total eosinophil count was slightly increased (P=0.15). The total lymphocyte count also decreased during treatment but the lymphocyte/WBC ratio was slightly increased without statistical significance (P=0.91). The cytokine levels did not significantly change during treatment. Conclusion: It is somewhat difficult to determine the direct effect of mistletoe therapy on immune function as the effect may be compromised by the concurrent chemotherapy. It can be assumed that the slightly increased lymphocyte/WBC ratio and eosinophil count may be a result of the immunomodulatory effect of the mistletoe extract.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.66-85
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• 2002

Traditional herbal medicine is used extensively among the Korean populations, and other Asian countries employ similar therapies as well In recent years, extensive focus was laid on adulteration of the herbal medicine with heavy metals. This may be mainly due to a soil contamination by an environmental pollution. The objective of this study is to identify the contents of various heavy metals in the blood from OhJeokSan-Decoction (OD) treated-rats. For this study, 13 kinds of metals including essential and heavy metals, i.e. Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn were analyzed by a slight modification of EPA methods and the following results are obtained. ; 1. There is no significant difference between the OD-treated groups and control group in liver, kidney, bone, brain, weight, food intake. 2. The amount of each metal analyzed in the liver are as follows; Al ; $0.235{\sim}4.215mg／kg$, As ; $0.103{\sim}0.461mg／kg$, Cd ; $0.005{\sim}0.010mg／kg$, Co ; $0.017{\sim}0.046mg／kg$, Cr ; $0.137{\sim}0.403mg／kg$, Cu ; $1.736{\sim}4.827mg／kg$, Fe ; $54.472{\sim}381.447mg／kg$, Hg ; not detected, Mn ; $1.159{\sim}2.803mg／kg$, Ni ; $0.007{\sim}0.095mg／kg$, Pb ; not detected, Se ; $0.682{\sim}1.887mg／kg$, Zn ; $10.213{\sim}26.119mg／kg$, by groups, respectively. In control and other experimental group, several metal (Co, Cu, Mn, Zn, As, Cr) has a significant difference, but in experimental I and other experimental II, III, IV, V groups, there are no significant difference. 3. The amount of each metal analyzed in the kidney are as follows; Al ; $1.712{\sim}31.230mg／kg$, As ; $0.062{\sim}0.439mg／kg$, Cd ; $0.010{\sim}0.062mg／kg$, Co ; $0.000{\sim}0.101mg／kg$, Cr ; $0.125{\sim}0.636mg／kg$, Cu ; $3.385{\sim}12.502mg／kg$, Fe ; $41.148{\sim}99.709mg／kg$, Hg ; $0.000{\sim}0.270mg／kg$, Mn ; $0.433{\sim}2.301mg／kg$, Ni ; $0.000{\sim}0.221mg／kg$, Pb ; $0.000{\sim}0.584mg／kg$, Se ; $0.540{\sim}1.600mg／kg$, Zn ; $8.775{\sim}17.060mg／kg$, by groups, respectively. The concentration of Cu, Se, Cr, and Hg are variated significantly in control and other experimental group, and Cu, Se, Cd, Cr are variated significantly in experimental I and other experimental II, III, IV, V groups. 4. The amount of each metal analyzed in the bone(tibia and fibula) are as follows; Al ; $9.557{\sim}119.464mg／kg$, As ; $0.139{\sim}12.250mg／kg$, Cd ; $0.000{\sim}0.295mg／kg$, Co ; $0.022{\sim}0.243mg／kg$, Cr ; $0.239{\sim}1.999mg／kg$, Cu ; $0.000{\sim}2.291mg／kg$, Fe ; $240.249{\sim}841.956mg／kg$, Hg ; $0.000{\sim}0.983mg／kg$, Mn ; $0.214{\sim}7.353mg／kg$, Ni ; $5.473{\sim}11.453mg／kg$, Pb ; $0.000{\sim}8.502mg／kg$, Se ; $0.000{\sim}3.005mg／kg$, Zn ; $61.158{\sim}195.038mg／kg$, by groups, respectively. The concentration of Se, Cd are variated significantly in control and other experimental groups, and Se is variated significantly in experimental I and other experimental II, III, IV, V groups. 5. Exceptionally several metal concentration is increased or decreased. but there is no significant harmful difference of metal concentration in the liver, kidney and bone, from the OD-treated-rats compared to those of the control group even if higher dosage($1{\sim}8$ times dosage of person) of OD was administered. Thus, it is expected that the herbal decoction in the traditional herbal medicine would not lay any burden on the body and the heavy metal toxins would not affect our physiological system. However, other kinds of herbal treatment, such as i.v. and i.p. should be considered in terms of metal toxicity in the body since the level of certain metal.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.152-162
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• 1999

Purpose: To determine whether $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI is recognized by the multidrug resistant P-glycoprotein (Pgp), we have measured quantitatively $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI uptake in cancer cells. The effects of various Pgp reversing agents on cellular $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI uptake were also investigated in the presence of multidrug resistance gene-1 (mdr1 gene) overexpression. Materials and Methods: We measured percentage uptake of $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI at different incubation temperatures both in mdr1 positive and negative cells. The effects of verapamil, cyclosporin, and dipyridamole on cellular uptake of $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI were also evaluated with or without overex-pression of mdr1 gene in cultured murine leukemia Ll210 cells. Results: The mdr1 gene expressing cell lines were effectively induced in in vitro with continuous application of low-dose adriamycin or vincristine. Cellular uptake of $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI was higher in mdr1 negative Ll210 cells than those of mdr1 positive cells, and higher when incubated in $37^{\circ}C$ than $4^{\circ}C$. In the presence of verapamil, cyclosporin or dipyridamole, $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI uptake was increased upto 604% in mdr1 positive cells. Conclusion: Cellular uptake of $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI is lower in leukemia cells over-expressing mdr1 gene, and MBR-reversing agents increase cellular uptake. These results suggest that $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI can be used for characterizing Pgp expression and developing MDR-reversing agents in vitro.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.532-539
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• 2004

Purpose: There has been a renewal of interest in Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), especially correlation in pathogenesis of sepsis by many infectious diseases and in regulation of host inflammatory and immune response. We developed immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) to determine serum human MIF concentration. Materials and Methods: The IRMA system utilizes solid phase bound monoclonal anti-recombinant human MIF (rhMIF) antibody as a capture antibody, biotinylated polyclonal anti-rhMIF antibody as a detector antibody. We applied with rhMIF that concentration of standard solutions increased from 0 ng/ml to 100 ng/ml. We used $^{125}I$-streptavidin (SA) as radiotracer to determination of rhMIF concentration. Streptavidin was labeled with $^{125}I$ by Chloramine-T method and $^{125}I$-SA was purified by ultracentrifugation. $^{125}I$-SA stability was evaluated by ITLC analysis at $4^{\circ}C$ and room temperatures until 60days. To validate IRMA system for MIF, we experimented intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation, recovery test and dilution test. Results: Radiolabeling yield of $^{125}I$-SA was 87% and purified $^{125}I$-SA retained above 99% radiochemical purity. $^{125}I$-SA showed above 93% stability in $4^{\circ}C$ until 60days that it is good for immunoradiometric assay as radiotracer. Plotted standard dose response curve showed that increased concentration of rhMIF linearly correlated (R2=0.99) with bound radioactivity of $^{125}I$-SA. The highest intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were 5.5% and 7.6%, respectively. The average of recovery of MIF in samples was 102%. In dilution test, linear response curves were obtained (R2=0.97). Conclusion: Radioimmunoassay using $^{125}I$-SA as radiotracer thought to be useful for the determination of serum MIF concentration, and further, its data will be used to evaluate the correlation between clinical significance and serum MIF concentration in patients with various inflammatory diseases.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.172-180
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• 2007

Among the nuclear medicine imaging methods available today, $H_2^{15}O-PET$ is most widely used by cognitive neuroscientists to examine regional brain function via the measurement of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). The short half-life of the radioactively labeled probe, $^{15}O$, often allows repeated measures from the same subjects in many different task conditions. $H_2^{15}O-$ PET, however, has technical limitations relative to other methods of functional neuroimaging, e.g., fMRI, including relatively poor time and spatial resolutions, and, frequently, insufficient statistical power for analysis of individual subjects. However, recent technical developments, such as the 3-D acquisition method provide relatively good image quality with a smaller radioactive dosage, which in turn results in more PET scans from each individual, thus providing sufficient statistical power for the analysis of individual subject's data. Furthermore, the noise free scanner environment $H_2^{15}O$ PET, along with discrete acquisition of data for each task condition, are important advantages of PET over other functional imaging methods regarding studying state-dependent changes in brain activity. This review presents both the limitations and advantages of $^{15}O-PET$, and outlines the design of efficient PET protocols, using examples of recent PET studies both in the normal healthy population, and in the clinical population.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2006

Gap junction is an ion channel forming between adjacent cells. It also acts as a membrane channel like sodium or potassium channels in a single cell. The amino acid residues up to the $10^{th}$ position in the amino (N)-terminus of gap junction hemichannel affect gating polarity as well as current-voltage (I-V) relation. While wild-type Cx32 channel shows negative gating polarity and inwardly rectifying I-V relation, T8D channel in which threonine residue at $8^{th}$ position is replaced with negatively charged aspartate residue shows reverse gating polarity and linear I-V relation. It is still unclear whether these changes are resulted from the charge effect or the conformational change of the N-terminus. To clarify this issue, we made a mutant channel harboring cysteine residue at the $8^{th}$ position (T8C) and characterized its biophysical properties using substituted-cysteine accessibility method (SCAM). T8C channel shows negative gating polarity and inwardly rectifying I-V relation as wild-type channel does. This result indicates that the substitution of cysteine residue dose not perturb the original conformation of wild-type channel. To elucidate the charge effect two types of methaenthiosulfonate (MTS) reagents (negatively charged $MTSES^-$ and positively charged $MTSET^+$) were used. When $MTSES^-$ was applied, T8C channel behaved as T8D channel, showing positive gating polarity and linear I-V relation. This result indicates that the addition of a negative charge changes the biophysical properties of T8C channel. However, positively charged $MTSET^+$ maintained the main features of T8C channel as expected. It is likely that the addition of a charge by small MTS reagents does not distort the conformation of the N-terminus. Therefore, the opposite effects of $MTSES^-$ and $MTSETT^+$ on T8C channel suggest that the addition of a charge itself rather than the conformational change of the N-terminus changes gating polarity and I-V relation. Furthermore, the accessibility of MTS reagents to amino acid residues at the $8^{th}$ position supports the idea that the N-terminus of gap junction channel forms or lies in the aqueous pore.