• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2018.04a
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• pp.62-62
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• 2018

Inhibition of aldose reductase (AR) has been shown to prevent the onset and progression of many diabetic complications wherein several AR inhibitors were isolated from plants abundant in polyphenolic compounds. Lespedeza cuneata (Fabaceae), a perennial plant indigenous in East Asian countries, is shown to be abundant in these polyphenolic substances such as flavonoids and tannins. However, there are no studies to date regarding its effects on AR. In this study, the inhibitory activity of the methanol extract and stepwise polarity fractions of Lespedeza cuneata on AR was investigated. The bioactive compounds purified from L. cuneata by repeated column chromatography were also tested for AR inhibition. Results show that the ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions of L. cuneata exhibited potent inhibition against AR with $IC_{50}$ values of 0.57 and $0.49{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Further analysis led to the isolation of acacetin (1), afzelin (2), astragalin (3), kaempferol (4), and scutellarein 7-O-glucoside (5). The AR inhibitory effects these five compounds were also determined in which compounds 2, 3, and 5 showed potent AR inhibitory effects with $IC_{50}$ values of 2.20, 1.91, and $12.87{\mu}M$, respectively. Quantitative analysis of astragalin (3) by HPLC-UV was also performed in the leaves and roots of L. cuneata (0.626 and 0.671 mg/g, respectively). This study reports that the flavonoids isolated from L. cuneata show promising AR inhibitory activities which can be further developed as natural therapies for treating and managing diabetic complications.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.219-225
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• 2011

Korean red ginseng (KRG) is a valuable and important traditional medicine in East Asian countries and is currently used extensively for botanical products in the world. KRG has both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on the central nervous system (CNS) suggesting its complicated action mechanisms. The substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons of the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (Vc) are involved in orofacial nociceptive processing. Some studies reported that KRG has antinociceptive effects, but there are few reports of the functional studies of KRG on the SG neurons of the Vc. In this study, a whole cell patch clamp study was performed to examine the action mechanism of a KRG extract on the SG neurons of the Vc from juvenile mice. KRG induced short-lived and repeatable inward currents on all the SG neurons tested in the high chloride pipette solution. The KRG-induced inward currents were concentration dependent and were maintained in the presence of tetrodotoxin, a voltage gated $Na^+$ channel blocker. The KRG-induced inward currents were suppressed by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, a non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonist and/or picrotoxin, a gamma-aminobutyric acid $(GABA)_A$ receptor antagonist. However, the inward currents were not suppressed by d,l-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid, an NMDA receptor antagonist. These results show that KRG has excitatory effects on the SG neurons of the Vc via the activation of non-NMDA glutamate receptor as well as an inhibitory effect by activation of the $GABA_A$ receptor, indicating the KRG has both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on the CNS. In addition, KRG may be a potential target for modulating orofacial pain processing.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.83-87
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• 2023

Nysius plebeius is a major lygaeid pest of various cereal crops and ornamental plants in East Asian countries, including Korea. The complete mitochondrial genome of N. plebeius was characterized and found to comprise a total of 17,367 bp, which included 13 protein-coding genes, NADH dehydrogenase components (complex I, ND), cytochrome oxidase subunits (complex VI, COX), cytochrome oxidase b (CYPB), two ATP synthases, two ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNAs. The GC content of 23%. It showed high sequence similarity to other Lygaeidae species, such as N. cymoides (94.5%), N. fuscovittatus (91.7%), and an unknown Nysius species (94.1%). This new N. plebeius mitochondrial genome can be widely used for evolutionary studies of Lygaeidae and to improve pest management practices.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.48.1-48.8
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• 2023

Liver cancer is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Well-known risk factors include hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus, along with exposure to aflatoxins, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Genomic variants play a crucial role in mediating the associations between these risk factors and liver cancer. However, the specific variants involved in this process remain under-explored. This study utilized a bioinformatics approach to identify genetic variants associated with liver cancer from various continents. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with liver cancer were retrieved from the genome-wide association studies catalog. Prioritization was then performed using functional annotation with HaploReg v4.1 and the Ensembl database. The prevalence and allele frequencies of each variant were evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficients. Two variants, rs2294915 and rs2896019, encoded by the PNPLA3 gene, were found to be highly expressed in the liver tissue, as well as in the skin, cell-cultured fibroblasts, and adipose-subcutaneous tissue, all of which contribute to the risk of liver cancer. We further found that these two SNPs (rs2294915 and rs2896019) were positively correlated with the prevalence rate. Positive associations with the prevalence rate were more frequent in East Asian and African populations. We highlight the utility of this population-specific PNPLA3 genetic variant for genetic association studies and for the early prognosis and treatment of liver cancer. This study highlights the potential of integrating genomic databases with bioinformatic analysis to identify genetic variations involved in the pathogenesis of liver cancer. The genetic variants investigated in this study are likely to predispose to liver cancer and could affect its progression and aggressiveness. We recommend future research prioritizing the validation of these variations in clinical settings.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.145-149
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• 2022

Airborne fine dust (FD) particles smaller than 10 ㎛ in diameter (PM10) are one of the major causes of air pollution in East Asia, including Korea, and have become a major contributor to respiratory and skin problems. FD inordinately promotes the production of reactive oxygen species and inflammatory response in macrophages, leading to cell damage and death. Rosa rugosa, a deciduous shrub of the Rosa genus, has been used in traditional East Asian herbal medicine to treat various illnesses. The present study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of R. rugosa organ extracts on PM10-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Compared to non-treated RAW264.7 cells, treatment with 100 ㎍.ml^-1 PM10 resulted in increased nitric oxide (NO) production, similar to lipopolysaccharide treatment. Additionally, 100 ㎍/ml stem extract reduced NO production by more than 45% compared to mock treatment. Furthermore, PM10-induced expression of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, inducible NO synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 was significantly reduced by stem extract treatment, indicating that the anti-inflammatory effect of the stem extract is mediated by the inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators in PM10-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. These results indicate that the R. rugosa stem could be considered a natural remedy with a protective effect against inflammatory responses induced by harmful airborne dust.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.791-805
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• 2015

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L. Beaur) is a native Korean herbal medical food and a native millet, and Koreans have eaten it as a substitute for rice since ancient times. Foods using foxtail millet (Setaria italica L. Beaur) have been recorded not only in cookbooks but also in Korean traditional medical books several times. Therefore, the purposes of this study was to investigate Food-Therapy (食治) using foxtail millet (Setaria italica L. Beaur) recorded in the literature from 1300 to 1600 from early to mid-Joseon (朝鮮) and provide data required to develop menus for Yaksun (藥膳, herbal food). This study examined Food-Therapy using foxtail millet (Setaria italica L. Beaur) in 10 types of literatures from the 1300s to the 1600s. and is described in the literature a total of 63 times. According to classification by cooking method, porridge (粥) was most frequently mentioned in the literature at 27 times. The cooking method of Soup (湯) is described 11 times. Cooking methods such as porridge juice and soup are frequently used since those methods are digestive and absorptive. Other food ingredients described using foxtail millet (Setaria italica L. Beaur) are white leek (Allii Fistulosi Bulbus) ginger (Zingiber officinale), chicken egg, Allium chinense, sparrow (Passer montanus), rooster liver, Du-si, crucian carp (Carassius auratus L), and white broiler. Other medicinal herbs described with Setaria italica are Panax ginseng (人蔘), Poria cocos (茯笭), Angelica acutiloba (當歸), Ziziphus jujuba (大棗), Liriopeplatyphylla (麥門冬), and cinnamon (肉桂). Food-Therapy using Setaria italica L. Beauv was described as a prescription for stomach and spleen (脾胃), stomach reflux (反胃), defecation and urinary disorder (大小便難), cholera, deficiency syndrome (虛症), and tonification (補益). This focus on promoting health and preventing diseases by strengthening the stomach and spleen and improving defecation and urination using Food-Therapy when herbal medicine was rare.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.85-88
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• 2016

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy among women worldwide, and women of reproductive age in Thailand. However, information on the behavior regarding cervical cancer in rural community Thailand is sparse. Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding cervical cancer (CC) among rural community women in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, using predesigned structured questionnaires. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 8 villages of Non Sung district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, during January to April 2015. Bloom's taxonomy was used as a framework for the study. 265 women aged between 30-60 years old were selected by simple random sampling. All participants completed predesigned questionnaires with 4 parts: demographic data, knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding cervical cancer. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis in this study. Results: The majority of participants were in the age group of 41-50 years old (42.6%) with senior secondary school level of education (32.1%), marriage status (85.0%), agricultural employment (59.6%), and family income between 6,000-10,000 baht per month (54.3%). Some 63.4% and 68.7% participants had high knowledge and moderate level of attitudes regarding CC, while 41.1%, 48.7%, and 10.2% had neem regularly, irregularly or never screened for CC, respectively. The main reasons for not screening were were shyness (44.4%) and no time (55.6%). Vaginal discharge and itching were the common signs and symptoms of participants who were screened at a health promotion hospital of sub-district. Conclusions: CC is still a health problem in the rural community. Therefore, health education is required, particularly for those who have never undergone screening.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.6027-6032
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• 2015

Background: Polymorphisms of genes encoding PSCA, PLCE1 and MUC1 have been associated with the risk of different cancers in genome wide association studies (GWAS). Up to date there are limited data on the role of these genetic alterations in colorectal cancer (CRC) development. The aim of this study was to evaluate potential associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of genes encoding PSCA, PLCE1 and MUC1 and the presence of CRC in European populations. Materials and Methods: Gene polymorphisms were analyzed in 574 European subjects (controls: n=382; CRC: n=192). PSCA C>T (rs2294008), PSCA G>A (rs2976392), MUC1 A>G (rs4072037) and PLCE1 A>G (rs2274223) SNPs were genotyped by RT-PCR. Results: The distribution of genotypes for all four SNPs was in line with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (rs2294008, P=0.153; rs2976392, P=0.269; rs4072037, P=0.609; rs2274223, P=0.858). The distribution of genotypes and alleles of PSCA C>T, PSCA G>A, MUC1 A>G and PLCE1 A>G SNPs was similar among controls and CRC patient groups (P>0.05). GG genotype of MUC1 SNP was more frequent in CRC patients (24.0%) than in controls (20.2%); however, this association failed to reach significance (OR-1.45, P=0.15). Overall, in the present study SNPs of PSCA (rs2294008, rs2976392), MUC1 (rs4072037) and PLCE1 (rs2274223) genes were not associated with the presence of CRC. Conclusions: Gene polymorphisms of PSCA, PLCE1 and MUC1 genes are not associated with the presence of CRC in European subjects.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.79-84
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• 2007

Purpose : Tibial internal torsion is prevalent in East Asian countries such as Korea and Japan, where sitting on the floor is common behavior. Tibial internal torsion or excessive lateral tibial torsion may cause esthetical, functional, or psychological problems and also may induce degenerative arthritis in older age. The aim of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic effect of Tibial Counter Rotator (TCR) in patients with tibial internal torsion. Method : One hundred forty nine children (274 limbs) with tibial internal torsion participated in this study. Transmalleolar angle were measured with gravity goniometer. When tibial internal torsion was detected, TCR was applied at least for 3 hours a day during sleep. The patient's progress was followed monthly and transmalleolar angle was reevaluated by the same examiner. Results : Transmalleolar angle was significantly increased in patients with tibial internal torsion during TCR application (P<0.001). Conclusion : TCR can be one of the effective methods for correcting tibial internal torsion in children under 12 years old of age.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7633-7640
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• 2015

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide and it is responsible for most cases of cervical uterine cancer. Although HPV infections of the cervix do not always progress to cancer, 90% of cervical cancer cases have been found to be associated with high risk HPV (HR-HPV) infection. HPV DNA testing is widely used, along with Papanicolaou (Pap) testing, to screen for cervical abnormalities. However, there are no data on the prevalence of genotype-specific HPV infections assessed by measuring HPV E6/E7 mRNA in women representative of the Chinese population across a broad age range. Materials and Methods: In the present study, we compared the results with the CervicGen HPV RT-qDx assay, which detects 16 HR-HPV genotypes (Alpha-9: HPV 16, 31, 33, 35, 52, and 58; Alpha-7: HPV 18, 39, 45, 51, 59, and 68; and Alpha-5, 6: HPV 53, 56, 66, and 69), and the REBA HPV-ID assay, which detects 32 HPV genotypes based on the reverse blot hybridization assay (REBA) for the detection of oncogenic HPV infection according to cytological diagnosis. We also investigated the prevalence and genotype distribution of HPV infection with a total of 324 liquid-based cytology samples collected in western Shandong province, East China. Results: The overall HPV prevalences determined by HPV DNA and HPV E6/E7 mRNA assays in this study were 79.9% (259/324) and 55.6% (180/324), respectively. Although the positivity of HPV E6/E7 mRNA expression was significantly lower than HPV DNA positivity, the HPV E6/E7 mRNA assay showed greater specificity than the HPV DNA assay (88.6% vs. 48.1%) in normal cytology samples. The prevalence of Alpha-9 (HPV 16, 31, 33, 35, 52, and 58) HPV infection among these women accounted for up to 80.3% and 76.1% of the high-grade lesions detected in the HPV mRNA and DNA tests, respectively. The HR-HPV genotype distribution, based on HPV DNA and E6/E7 mRNA expression by age group in patients with cytologically confirmed lesions, was highest in women aged 40 to 49 years (35.9% for cytologically confirmed cases, Pearson correlation r value=0.993, p<0.001) for high-grade lesions. Among the oncogenic HR-HPV genotypes for all age groups, there was little difference in the distribution of HPV genotypes between the HPV DNA (HPV -16, 53, 18, 58, and 33) and HPV E6/E7 mRNA (HPV -16, 53, 33, 58, and 18) assays. HPV 16 was the most common HPV genotype among women with high-grade lesions. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the HPV E6/E7 mRNA assay can be a sensitive and specific tool for the screening and investigation of cervical cancer. Furthermore, it may provide useful information regarding the necessity for early cervical cancer screenings and the development of additional effective HPV vaccines, such as one for HPV 53 and 58. Additionally, gaining knowledge of HPV distribution may also inform us about ecological changes in HPV after the vaccination.