• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.171-177
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was aimed to evaluate the frequency and course of adverse events associated with azathioprine treatment in Korean pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Methods: Total of 174 pediatric patients (age range, 1 to 19 years) with inflammatory bowel disease who received azathioprine in order to maintain remission at Samsung Medical Center (Seoul, Korea) from January 2002 through December 2012 were included in this study. Medical records of these subjects were retrospectively reviewed regarding the development of adverse events associated with azathioprine treatment. Results: Ninety-eight patients (56.3%) of 174 patients experienced 136 episodes of adverse events, requiring dose reduction in 31 patients (17.8%), and discontinuation in 18 patients (10.3%). The mean dose of azathioprine that had been initially administered was $1.32{\pm}0.42$ mg/kg/day. Among the adverse reactions, bone marrow suppression developed in 47 patients (27.0%), requiring dose reduction in 22 patients (12.6%) and discontinuation in 8 patients (4.6%). Other adverse events that occurred were gastrointestinal disturbance (15.5%), hair loss (12.1%), pancreatitis (7.5%), arthralgia (6.9%), hepatotoxicity (2.9%), skin rash/allergic reactions (2.9%), headache/dizziness (2.3%), sepsis (0.6%), and oral mucositis (0.6%). Conclusion: Bone marrow suppression, especially leukopenia was most commonly associated with azathioprine treatment in Korean pediatric inflammatory bowel disease patients. Close observation for possible adverse events is required in this population with inflammatory bowel diseases who are under treatment with azathioprine.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.315-319
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• 2007

Biofilm formation on various surfaces is a well-known phenomenon and it has caused pollution problems, health and safety hazards, and substantial economic loss in many areas including the food industry. In the present study, Gamma irradiation at a dose of 2.0 kGy reduced the bacterial counts of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa suspensions by 6.7 and >6.5 log CFU/mL, respectively, and 30 ppm of sodium hypochlorite effectively reduced the counts of both bacterial suspensions to below the limit of detection ($<2\;log\;CFU/cm^2$). However, in bacterial biofilms attached to stainless steel, gamma irradiation at a dose of 10.0 kGy reduced the counts of S. aureus attached fur 1 hr and overnight by ${\geq}5.1\;and\;5.0\;log\;CFU/cm^2$, respectively. Gamma irradiation at a dose of 1.0 kGy reduced the counts of P. aeruginosa counts to below the limit of detection ($<2\;log\;CFU/cm^2$). On the contrary, S. aureus and P. aeruginosa cells attached to stainless steel chips were difficult to eliminate using sodium hypochlorite. Four hundred ppm of sodium hypochlorite reduced the counts of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa attached for 1 hr by 2.5 and $3.3\;log\;CFU/cm^2$, respectively.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.61-70
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• 2002

The effects of molecular weights and rheological properties of polypropylene (PP), on its foam structures in batch process were investigated. The effects of crosslinking process were also considered in this study. The rheological properties of polypropylene, such as storage modulus(G'), loss modulus(G"), zero shear viscosity($\eta_O$), and relaxation time($\lambda$), increased with the increase of molecular weights, and these increases in rheological properties directly affected the stability improvements of the PP foam. The increase of crosslinked PP's gel content stopped at the irradiation dose of 3.2 Mrad. The development of foam structures was more enhanced as the irradiation dose increased up to 3.2 Mrad. When the irradiation dose exceeded 3.2 Mrad, however, it negatively affected the structural development of the foam by diminishing gel contents of the foaming material, which resulted in instability of the foam structure.ture.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.829-835
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• 2014

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is caused by dysregulation of colon mucosal immunity and mucosal epithelial barrier function. Recent studies have reported that lipoteichoic acid (LTA) from Lactobacillus plantarum K8 reduces excessive production of pro-inflammatory cytokine. In this study, we investigated the preventive effects of lysate of Lb. plantarum K8 in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were orally pretreated with lysate of Lb. plantarum K8 (low dose or high dose) or live Lb. plantarum K8 prior to the induction of colitis using 4% DSS. Disease progression was monitored by assessment of disease activity index (DAI). Histological changes of colonic tissues were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The colon mRNA expressions of TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-6, and toll like receptor-2 (TLR-2) were examined by quantitative real-time-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Lysate of Lb. plantarum K8 suppressed colon shortening, edema, mucosal damage, and the loss of DSS-induced crypts. The groups that received lysate of Lb. plantarum K8 exhibited significantly decreased levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 in the colon. Interestingly, colonic expression of toll like receptor-2 mRNA in the high-dose lysate of Lb. plantarum K8 group increased significantly. Our study demonstrates the protective effects of oral lysate of Lb. plantarum K8 administration on DSS-induced colitis via the modulation of pro-inflammatory mediators of the mucosal immune system.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.1428-1435
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• 2019

The total ionizing dose (TID) and non ionizing energy loss (NIEL) effects of 100 MeV phosphorous ($P^{7+}$) and 80 MeV nitrogen ($N^{6+}$) ions on 200 GHz silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs) were examined in the total dose range from 1 to 100 Mrad(Si). The in-situ I-V characteristics like Gummel characteristics, excess base current (${\Delta}I_B$), net oxide trapped charge ($N_{OX}$), current gain ($h_{FE}$), avalanche multiplication (M-1), neutral base recombination (NBR) and output characteristics ($I_C-V_{CE}$) were analysed before and after irradiation. The significant degradation in device parameters was observed after $100MeV\;P^{7+}$ and $80MeV\;N^{6+}$ ion irradiation. The $100MeV\;P^{7+}$ ions create more damage in the SiGe HBT structure and in turn degrade the electrical characteristics of SiGe HBTs more when compared to $80MeV\;N^{6+}$. The SiGe HBTs irradiated up to 100 Mrad of total dose were annealed from $50^{\circ}C$ to $400^{\circ}C$ in different steps for 30 min duration in order to study the recovery of electrical characteristics. The recovery factors (RFs) are employed to analyse the contribution of room temperature and isochronal annealing in total recovery.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.621-632
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• 2021

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementation with rumen-protected γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on carcass characteristics and meat quality of Hanwoo steers. Methods: Eighteen Hanwoo steers with an average initial weight of 644.83±12.91 kg were randomly allocated into three different groups. Each group consisted of 6 animals that were treated with different diets formulated based on the animals' body weights. The control (C) group was fed a basal diet consisting of concentrate and rice straw with 74% total digestible nutrients (TDNs) and 12% crude protein (CP). The two other groups were treatment groups; one group was fed a basal diet (74% TDNs and 12% CP) supplemented with rumen-protected GABA at a dose of 150 mg/kg feed, and the other group was fed a basal diet (74% TDNs and 12% CP) supplemented with GABA at a dose of 300 mg/kg feed. Results: The GABA supplementation significantly contributed to better growth performance (p<0.05), especially the weight gain and average daily gain. It also contributed to the lower cooking loss (p<0.05), improvements in essential antioxidant enzymes and stable regulation of antioxidant activities in the longissimus lumborum of Hanwoo steers, as represented by the lower formation of malondialdehyde content within the meat, the inhibition of myoglobin oxidation indicated by the retention of the oxymyoglobin percentage, and the suppression of metmyoglobin percentage during cold storage (p<0.05). Conclusion: Higher doses of GABA may not significantly promote better animal performance and meat quality, suggesting that dietary supplementation with GABA at a dose of 100 ppm is sufficient to improve the meat quality of Hanwoo steers.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.494-507
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• 2023

Vascular dementia (VaD) is characterized by progressive memory impairment, which is associated with microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. Polyphenol-rich natural plants, which possess anti-inflammatory activities, have attracted scientific interest worldwide. This study investigated whether Rubus fruticosus leaf extract (RFLE) can attenuate VaD. Sprague-Dawley rats were separated into five groups: SO, sham-operated and treated with vehicle; OP, operated and treated with vehicle; RFLE-L, operated and treated with low dose (30 mg/kg) of RFLE; RFLE-M, operated and treated with medium dose (60 mg/kg) of RFLE; and RFLE-H, operated and treated with high dose (90 mg/kg) of RFLE. Bilateral common carotid artery and hypotension were used as a modeling procedure, and the RFLE were intraorally administered for 5 days (preoperative 2 and postoperative 3 days). The rats then underwent memory tests including the novel object recognition, Y-maze, Barnes maze, and passive avoidance tests, and neuronal viability and neuroinflammation were quantified in their hippocampi. The results showed that the OP group exhibited VaD-associated memory deficits, neuronal death, and microglial activation in hippocampi, while the RFLE-treated groups showed significant attenuation in all above parameters. Next, using BV-2 microglial cells challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), we evaluated the effects of RFLE in dynamics of proinflammatory mediators and the upstream signaling pathway. RFLE pretreatment significantly inhibited the LPS-induced release of nitric oxide, TNF-α, and IL-6 and upregulation of the MAPKs/NF-κB/iNOS pathway. Collectively, we suggest that RFLE can attenuate the histologic alterations and memory deficits accompanied by VaD, and these roles are, partly due to the attenuation of microglial activation.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.171-187
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• 2007

Objectives : This study was performed to determine if Orostachys japonicus A. Berger herbal acupuncture (OjB) provides the protective effect against the loss of cell viability and DNA damage induced by oxidant in renal proximal tubular cells. Methods : The cell viability was evaluated by a MTT reduction assay and DNA damage was estimated by measuring double stranded DNA breaks in opossum kidney (OK) cells, an established proximal tubular cell line. Lipid peroxidation was determined by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA), a product of lipid peroxidation. Results : H2O2 increased the loss of cell viability in a time-dependent manner, which were prevented by 0.1% OjB. The protective effect of OjB was dose-dependent over concentration range of 0.05-0.5%. H2O2 caused ATP depletion and DNA damage, which were prevented by OjB and the hydrogen peroxide scavenger catalase. The loss of cell viability by H2O2 was not affected by the antioxidant DPPD, but lipid peroxidation by the oxidant was completely inhibited by DPPD. Generation of superoxide and H2O2 in neutrophils activated by phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate was inhibited by OjB in a dose-dependent manner. OjB inhibited generation of H2O2 in OK cells treated with antimycin A and exerted a direct H2O2 scavenging effect. Exposure of OK cells to 1 mM tBHP caused a significant depletion of glutathione which was prevented by OjB. OjB accelerated the recovery in cells cultured for 20 hr in normal medium without oxidant following oxidative stress. Conclusions : These results suggest that OjB exerts the protective effect against oxidant-induced cell injury and its protective effect was resulted from radical scavenging and antioxidant activities.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.91-101
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• 1995

A perinatal and postnatal study of KTC-1, a new semisyntheitic rifamycin antituberculous drug, was conducted in Sprague-Dawley rats. Dosages of KTC-1 0, 12, 27.6, and 63.5 mg/kg/day were administered to dams orally by gavage from day 17 of gestation to day 21 of lactation. All pregnant rats were allowed to deliver naturally for postnatal examination of their offspring. At 63.5 mg/kg/day, weakness, dark-red discharge around eyes, a loss in body weight, and a decrease in food and water consumption were observed in dams. An increase in the weight of adrenal gland and spleen, and a decrease in the weight of kidney and heart were also found. An increase in neonatal deaths during the lactation period, a loss in body weight, a delay in physical development, a decrease in traction ability, an increase in the number of errors and the time required for the multiple T-maze trial were found in F1 offspring. In addition, an increase in the incidence of visceral variations and retarded ossification were observed in F1 4 day old rats. An increase in the incience of skeletal anomalies was seen in F2 fetuses. There were no sings of maternal toxicity or embryotoxicity at 12 and 27.6 mg/kg/day. From the results mentioned above, it can be concluded that the no-effect dose levels(NOELs)for dams, F1 offspring, and F2 fetuses are 27.6 mg/kg/day.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.81-89
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• 1995

A teratogenicity study of KTC-1, a new semisynthetic rifamycin antituberculous drug, was conducted in Sprague-Dawley rats. Dosages of KTC-1 0, 7, 21, and 63 mg/kg/day were administered to darns orally gayage from day 7 to day 17 of gestation. Two-third of dams per group were subjected to cesarean section on day 21 of pregnancy for examination of their fetuses, and the remaining one-third of darns per group were allowed to deliver naturally for postnatal examination of their offspring. At 21 mg/kg/day, an increase in the skeletal variations of F1 fetuses and a decrease in the body weight of F1 offspring were seen. At 63 mg/kg/day, a loss in body weight was observed in darns. An increase in fetal death rate, a decrease in litter size and body weight, and an increase in the incidence of visceral malforrnations and skeletal variations were found in F1 fetuses. In particular, lumar rib occurred at an incidence of 31%. In addition, an increase in the dead newborns at birth and neonatal deaths during the lactation period, a loss in body weight, and a decrease in spleen weight were observed in F1 offspring. There were no signs of maternal toxicity or embryotoxicity at 7 mg/kg/day. The results suggest that the no-effect dose level(NOEL)for dams is 21 mg/kg/day, and NOELs for F1 fetuses and offspring are 7 mg/kg/day.