• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.213-222
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• 2013

Few studies investigated the effects of nutrition education and exercises in women with osteopenia. This study examined the relationship between changes in dietary intakes and changes in indicators related to bone health in postmenopausal women with osteopenia (-2.5 ${\leq}$ T-score ${\leq}$ 1) after a 12-week intervention. Thirty-one postmenopausal women aged > 50 years residing in Seoul were recruited and participated in nutritional education regarding bone health and general nutrition practices and aerobic exercises (three times a week; 60 min per session). Twenty-five subjects completed the study and were eligible for the analysis. Bone mineral density (BMD) at femoral neck was measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Serum calcium, osteocalcin, and intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) were also measured. Dietary intake was estimated by using a one-day 24 recall by a clinical dietitian. After 12 weeks, meat consumption increased (P = 0.028) but vegetable intake decreased (P = 0.005). Intakes of animal protein (P = 0.024), vitamin B1 (P = 0.012) and vitamin $B_2$ (P = 0.047) increased, and sodium intake decreased (P = 0.033). Intact PTH (P = 0.002) decreased and osteocalcin (P = 0.000) increased, however, BMD decreased (P = 0.000). Changes in mushroom consumption were positively correlated with femoral neck BMD (r = 0.673, P = 0.003). Changes in animal iron intake were negatively correlated with intact PTH (r = -0.488, P = 0.013) but were positively correlated with osteocalcin (r = 0.541, P = 0.005). These results suggested that the association between animal iron intake and biochemical markers of bone turnover may play an important role in bone metabolism. Further studies are needed to shed light on complicated mechanisms of diet, hormonal levels of bone metabolism, and bone density.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2010

Equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) is a heavily glycosylated glycoprotein composed of non-covalently linked $\alpha$- and $\beta$-subunits. To study the function and signal transduction of tethered recombinant-eCG (rec-eCG), a single chain eCG molecule was constructed, and the rec-eCG protein was prepared. In this study, we constructed 5 mutants (${\Delta}1$, ${\Delta}2$, ${\Delta}3$, ${\Delta}4$, and ${\Delta}5$) of rec-eCG using data about known glycoprotein hormones to analyze the role of specific follicle stimulating homone (FSH)-like activity. Three amino acids of certain specific sites were replaced with alanine. The expression vectors were transfected into CHO cells and subjected to G418 selection for 2~3 weeks. The media were collected and the quantity of secreted tethered rec-eCGs was quantified by ELISA. The LH- and FSH-like activities were assayed in terms of cAMP production by rat LH/CG and rat FSH receptors. Then, the metabolic clearance rate analyzed by the injection of rec-eCG (5 IU) into the tail vein was analyzed. The mutant eCGs (${\Delta}l$, ${\Delta}4$, and ${\Delta}5$) were transcripted, but not translated into proteins. Rec-eCG A2 was secreted in much lower amounts than the wild type. Only the rec-eCG ${\Delta}3$ ($\beta$-subunit: $Gln^{94}-Ile^{95}-Lys^{96}{\rightarrow}Ala^{94}-Ala^{95}-Ala^{96}$) was efficiently secreted. Although activity is low, its LH-like activity was similar to that of tethered $eCG{\beta\alpha}$. However, the FSH-like activity of rec-$eCG{\beta\alpha\Delta}3$ was completely flat. The result of the analysis of the metabolic clearance rate shoed the persistence of the mutant in the blood until 4 hours after the injection. After then, it almost disappeared at 8 hours. Taken together, these data suggest that 94~96 amino acid sequences in eCG $\beta$-subunit appear to be of utmost importance for signal transduction of the FSH receptor.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.393-398
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• 2010

Early pregnancy diagnosis of bovine is an essential component for efficient reproductive plan in farms because long term of non-pregnancy results in economic losses by failure of offspring production and low milk yield in dairy cattle. The major steroid hormones related with reproduction are known to be progesterone and estrogen in bovine pregnancy. To evaluate detection level of hormones in milk, plasma and milk progestrone and estrogen of Holstein cows was analyzed during artificial insemination (AI) and embryo transfer (ET). Progesterone concentration at 21 days postestrus was significantly different in plasma and milk between pregnant and non-pregnant cows. Estrogen concentration at estrus was higher in pregnant recipients than that in non-pregnant recipients. To analyze correlation between hormone levels and conception rates in Holstein, the conception and return rates were checked following AI, and the returned cows were on the track of pregnancy after consecutive AI. Pregnant cows following first AI were considered as high conception group while pregnant cows following third AI were rated as low conception group. Proportion of high and low conception groups in this study was 78.2% and 9.1%, respectively. Hormone analysis indicated that high conception group had higher estrogen level during estrus than low conception group ($26.45{\pm}3.32$ vs $19.017{\pm}2.97$). Progesterone level was not different between high and low conception groups during estrus but increased significantly after 21 days postestrus (21 day: $4.95{\pm}1.12$ vs $0.95{\pm}0.23$, 35 day: $12.47{\pm}3.82$ vs $2.41{\pm}1.21$). In conclusion, the pattern of progesterone and estrogen secretion in Holstein milk samples could be a good candidate for early pregnancy detection and selection of recipients during ET.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.651-654
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• 1999

Using recombinant human growth hormone as a model protein, we carried out unfolding by adding a denaturant such as urea, guanidine HCl, or SDS followed by refolding by dilution and dialysis. The objectives were to monitor the structural changes during in vitro refolding process and, based on the results, to develop a quantitative method of refolding progress assessment. The changes in surface hydrophobicity were measured by fluorescence tagging of 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonate(1,8-ANS) to the hydrophobic portions, and those in the secondary structure were monitored by using far UV-CD(circular dichroism) spectroscopy. Also, we used RP-HPLC to separate and quantify the folded and unfolded proteins to correlate the result with the structure analysis. Our results indicate the surface hydrophobicity are well correlated with the formations of the secondary structure, primarily ${\alpha}$-helices, as well as the disulfide bridges. We expect this monitoring technique can be applied in industrial fields as a means to quantitatively assess the progress of in-vitro refolding of recombinant proteins.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.17-17
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• 2010

Ethylene, known as a stress hormone regulate wide developmental processes including germination, root hair initiation, root and shoot primordial formation and elongation, leaf and flower senescence and abscission, fruit ripening. The acceleration of ethylene biosynthesis in plant associated with environmental and biological stresses. 1-Aminocycloprophane-1-carboxlyate deaminase(ACCD) is an enzyme that cleaves ACC into and ammonia, a precursor of the plant hormone ethylene. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) having ACCD can decrease endogenous ACC level of tissue, resulting in reduced production of ethylene in plants. ACC deaminse was a key enzyme for protect stressed plants from injurious effects of ethylene. ACCD gene was encoded from Pseudomonas flourescens, PGPR and was cloned in Escherichia coli. We expressed the recombinant ACCD(rACCD) containing 357 amino acids with molecular weight 39 kDa that revealed by SDS-PAGE and western blot. The rACCD was purified by Ni-NTA purification system. The active form of rACCD having enzyme activity converted ACC to a-ketobutyrate. The optimal pH for ACC deaminase activity was pH 8.5, but no activity below pH 7.0 and a less severe tapering activity at base condition resulting in loss of activity at over pH 11. The optimal temperature of the enzyme was $30^{\circ}$ and a slightly less severe tapering activity at 15 - 30$^{\circ}$, but no activity over $35^{\circ}$. P. flourescens ACC deaminase has a highly conserved residue that plays in allowing substrate accessibility to the active sites. The enzymatic properties of this rACCD will provide an important reference for analysis of newly isolated ACCD and identification of newly isolated PGPR containing ACCD.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.3207-3210
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• 2014

Background: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is an aggressive form of locally advanced breast cancer characterized by rapidly progressive breast erythema, pain and tenderness, oedema and paeu d'orange appearance. It accounts for 1-3% of all newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer in the west. Data on IBC from India are lacking. The aim of our study was to assess the clinical-pathological parameters and outcome of IBC at, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, a large tertiary care centre. Materials and Methods: We screened 3,650 breast cancer cases registered from January 2004 to December 2012 and found 41 cases of IBC. Data included demographics as well as clinical, radiological and histopathological characteristics, and were collected from clinical case records using the International Classification of Diseases code (C-50). Patients who presented with IBC as a recurrence, or who had a neglected and advanced breast cancer that simulated an IBC were excluded from this study. Results: The median age was 45 years (range 23-66). The median duration of symptoms was 5 months. The American Joint Committee on Cancer stage (AJCC) distribution was Stage III - 26 and IV - 15 patients. Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) positivity and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu) positivity were 50%, 46% and 60%, respectively. Triple negativity was found in 15% of the cases. All the non metastatic IBC patients received anthracycline and/ or taxane based chemotherapy followed by modified radical mastectomy, radiotherapy and hormonal therapy as indicated. Pathological complete remission rate was 15%. At a median follow-up of 30 months, the 3 year relapse free survival and overall survival were 30% and 40%respectively. Conclusion: IBC constituted 1.1% of all breast cancer patients at our centre. One third of these had metastatic disease at presentation. Hormone positivity and Her2 neu positivity were found in 50% and 60% of the cases, respectively.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.175-183
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• 2005

The two major isoflavones in soy, genistein and daidzein, are well known to prevent hormone-dependent cancers by their anti estrogenic activity. The exact molecular mechanisms for the protective action are, however, not provided yet. It has been reported that genistein and daidzein have a potential anticancer activity through their antiproliferative effect in many hormone-dependent cancer cell lines. Transforming growth $factor-\beta1(TGF-\beta1)$ has also been found to have cell growth inhibitory effect, especially in mammary epithelial cells. This knowledge led to a hypothetical mechanism that the soy isoflavones-induced growth inhibitory effect can be derived from the regulation of $TGF-\beta1$ and $TGF-\beta$ receptors. In order to test this hypothesis, the effects of the soy isoflavones at various concentrations and periods on the expression of $TGF-\beta1$and $TGF-\beta$ receptors were investigated by using Northern blot analysis in human breast carcinoma epithelial cell lines, an estrogen receptor positive cell line (MCF-7) and an estrogen receptor negative cell line (MDA-MB-231). As a result, only genistein has shown a profound dose-dependent effect on $TGF-\beta1$ expression in the $ER^+$ cell line within the range of doses tested, and the expression levels are correspondent to their inhibitory activities of cell growth. Moreover, daidzein showed down-regulated $TGF-\beta1$ expression at a low dose, the cell growth proliferation was promoted at the same condition. Therefore, antiproliferative activity of the soy isoflavones can be mediated by $TGF-\beta1$ expression, and the effects are mainly, if not all, occurred by ER dependent pathway. The expression of $TGF-\beta$ receptors was induced at a lower dose than the one for $TGF-{\beta}1$ induction regardless of the presence of ER, and the expression patterns are similar to those of the cell growth inhibition. These results indicated that the regulation of $TGF-\beta$ receptor expression as well, prior to $TGF-\beta1$ expression, may be involved in the antiproliferative activity of soy isoflavones. Little or no expression of $TGF-\beta$ receptors was found in the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, suggesting refractory properties of the cells to growth inhibitory effect of the $TGF-\beta$. The soy isoflavones can seemingly restore the sensitivity of growth inhibitory responses to $TGF-\beta1$ by re-inducing $TGF-\beta$ receptors expression. In conclusions, our findings presented in this study show that the antitumorigenic activity of the soy isoflavones could be mediated by not only $TGF-\beta1$induction but $TGF-\beta$ receptor restoration. Thus, soy isoflavones could be good model molecules to develop new nonsteroidal antiestrogenic chemopreventive agents, associated with, regulation of $TGF-\beta$ and its receptors.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.138-146
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• 2013

Purpose: To analyze the results of locoregional and systemic therapy in the breast cancer patients with locoregional recurrence (LRR) after mastectomy. Materials and Methods: Seventy-one patients who received radiotherapy for isolated LRR after mastectomy between January 1999 and December 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Among the 71 patients, 59 (83.1%) underwent wide excision and radiotherapy and 12 (16.9%) received radiotherapy alone. Adjuvant hormonal therapy was given to 45 patients (63.4%). Oncologic outcomes including locoregional recurrence-free survival, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) and prognostic factors were analyzed. Results: Median follow-up time was 49.2 months. Of the 71 patients, 5 (7%) experienced second isolated LRR, and 40 (56%) underwent distant metastasis (DM). The median DFS was 35.6 months, and the 3- and 5-year DFS were 49.1% and 28.6%, respectively. The median OS was 86.7 months, and the 5-year OS was 62.3%. Patients who received hormone therapy together showed better 5-year DFS and OS than the patients treated with locoregional therapy only (31.6% vs. 22.1%, p = 0.036; 66.5% vs. 55.2%, p = 0.022). In multivariate analysis, higher N stage at recurrence was a significant prognostic factor for DFS and OS. Disease free interval (${\leq}30$ months vs. >30 months) from mastectomy to LRR was also significant for OS. The patients who received hormone therapy showed superior DFS and showed trend to better OS. Conclusion: DM was a major pattern of failure after the treatment of LRR after mastectomy. The role of systemic treatment for LRR after mastectomy should be investigated at prospective trials.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.642-648
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• 2008

The aim of this study is to investigate Chegameuiin-tang water extracts (CETE) have potent anti-obesity activities in a high fat diet-induced obesity mouse model. In this study, we designed three group (normal diet group, high fat diet group, high fat diet plus CETE group for 13-week oral administration). Increases in body weight and fat storage were inhibited by 13-week oral administration of CETE at a 500 mg/kg concentration in this animal model, while the amount of food intake was not affected. Results from blood lipid analysis showed that the levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were significantly lowered by CETE administration, also HDL-cholesterol was increased more than high fat diet-induced obese mouse. To understand the underlying mechanism at the molecular level, the effects of CETE were examined on the expression of the genes involved in lipogenesis and lipolysis by real-time PCR. In epididymal fat of CETE-treated mice, the mRNA level of lipogenic genes such as sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 and fatty acid synthase were decreased, which was well correlated with the reduction of the epididymal fat weight. Also, CETE administration inhibited decreases of the hormone-sensitve lipase and lipoprotein lipase mRNA expressions, which are genes related with lipolysis. These results suggest that Chegameuiin-tang may have great potential as a novel anti-obesity agent.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.34-40
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• 2010

1. Objectives: Leptin is ob-gene originated hormone that is concerned with energy metabolism, obesity and asthma which features are supposed to related with Sasangin's 4 viscera physiological theory of Sasang constitutional medicine(SCM). This study aims to investigate whether serum leptin concentration is associated with Sasangin. 2. Methods: Two Way ANOVA analysis was used on the constitution and serum leptin concentration corresponding with BMI among 1054 cases drawn from the Constitutional Information Bank, which was a database with clinically confirmed constitution cases collected from 21 oriental medical institutes in Korea starting from November 2007 to May 2009. The measurement of serum leptin concentration is implemented through radioimmunoassay by request to SCL. 3. Results: Male subjects showed notable difference(p=0.033) in the comparison between constitution and serum leptin concentration corresponding to BMI levels. Tae-eumins showed the highest serum leptin concentration levels in the normal and overweight groups, followed by Soyangin and Soeumin. As the groups changed from overweight to obese, there was an interaction phenomenon in the order of serum leptin concentration levels(p=0.040). As a result, Soeumins showed the highest serum leptin concentration levels and Tae-eumins and Soyangins followed in place. Female subjects did not show statistically notable differences in comparison between constitution and serum leptin concentration corresponding to BMI levels(p=0.239). Serum leptin concentration levels among overweight and obese groups, resulted in the order of Soeumins, Tae-eumins, and Soyangins. But in the as groups changed from overweight to normal the order resulted in Tae-eumin, Soyangin, and Soeumin(p=0.660). 4. Conclusion: Due to a number of limitations in this study, the examination of the relation between constitution and leptin, a main hormone responsible for the digestion, appetite, and energy metabolism, resulted to be uncertain. But statistically notable differences were confirmed in male Tae-eumins with the consideration of BMI. Further examination of the relation between constitution and leptin is necessary through prospective studies with the restriction of confusion variables in the future.