• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.10-18
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• 2018

Tumors are dynamic metabolic systems which highly augmented metabolic fluxes and nutrient needs to support cellular proliferation and physiological function. For many years, a central hallmark of tumor metabolism has emphasized a uniformly elevated aerobic glycolysis as a critical feature of tumorigenecity. This led to extensive efforts of targeting glycolysis in human cancers. However, clinical attempts to target glycolysis and glucose metabolism have proven to be challenging. Recent advancements revealing a high degree of metabolic heterogeneity and plasticity embedded among various human cancers may paint a new picture of metabolic targeting for cancer therapies with a renewed interest in glucose metabolism. In this review, we will discuss diverse oncogenic and molecular alterations that drive distinct and heterogeneous glucose metabolism in cancers. We will also discuss a new perspective on how aberrantly altered glycolysis in response to oncogenic signaling is further influenced and remodeled by dynamic metabolic interaction with surrounding tumor-associated stromal cells.

• BMB Reports
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.283-290
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• 2002

The glycogen-associated protein phosphatase (PP1G/$R_{GL}$) may play a central role in the hormonal control of glycogen metabolism in the skeletal muscle. Here, we investigated the in vivo epinephrine effect of glycogen metabolism in the skeletal muscle of the wild-type and $R_{GL}$ knockout mice. The administration of epinephrine increased blood glucose levels from 200±20 to 325±20 mg/dl in both wild-type and knockout mice. Epinephrine decreased the glycogen synthase -/+ G6P ratio from 0.24±0.04 to 0.10±0.02 in the wild-type, and from 0.17±0.02 to 0.06±0.01 in the knockout mice. Conversely, the glycogen phosphorylase activity ratio increased from 0.21±0.04 to 0.65±0.07 and from 0.30±0.04 to 0.81±0.06 in the epinephrine trated wild-type and knockout mice respectively. The glycogen content of the knockout mice was substantially lower (27%) than that of both wild-type mice; and epinephrine decreased glycogen content in the wild-type and knockout mice. Also, in Western blot analysis there was no compensation of the other glycogen targeting components PTG/R5 and R6 in the knockout mice compared with the wild-type. Therefore, $R_{GL}$ is not required for the epinephrine stimulation of glycogen metabolism, and rather another phosphatase and/or regulatory subunit appears to be involved.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.376-383
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• 1999

The effects of $\beta$-carotene substitutionl for vitamin A and the chronic consumption of ethanol of ethanol on hepatic folate metabolism were studied it rats. The substitution of $\beta$-carotene for vitamin A depressed hepatic 10-formyl-tetreahydrofolate dehydrogenase(10-formyl-tetrahydrofolate : NADP oxidoreductase, E.C. 1.5. 1.6)activity to 65% of controls(p<0.001) and enhanced hepatic 5, 10-methy-lenetetrahydrofolate reductase(E. C. 6.3.3.2)activity by 56% with respect to control levels(p<0.001). Hepatic activity of 10-formyltertrahydrofolate dehydrogenase was depressed to about half that of control levels by ethanol administration to rats(36% ethanol diet, p<0.001). The activity of 5, 10-methyleneterahydrofolate reductase was not changed by ethanol consumption. The increased activity of 5, 10-methyleneterahydrofolate reductase and the decreased activity of 10-formyltetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase appeared to decrease the level of nonmethyl folate conezyme and the rate of one-carbon metabolism. Plasma homocysteine concentrations were significantly higher in rats fed ethanol(p<0.01) o $\beta$-carotene(p<0.001) than in controls, which suggests that increased activity of 5, 10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase can depress homocysteine metabolism. We concluded that dietary substitution of $\beta$-carotene for vitamin A or chronic administration of ethanol resulted in changes in the activity of hepatic folate-dependent enzymes, which could affect the distribution of folate derivatives, plasma homocysteine levels and one-carbon metabolism.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.480-487
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• 1997

The present study was designed to examine how Ca intake contributes to the increase of peak bone mass with growing female rats. Weaned rats were fed experimental diets consisting in five levels of Ca; very low(0.1%), low(0.2%), moderate(0.5%), high(1.0%) and very high(1.5%) for 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Bone growth, metabolism and Ca metabolism were determined. As for the rats fed for 4 weeks, the bone weight, length and breaking force and bone metabolism were not significantly affected by dietary Ca levels, whereas the current intakes of Ca were observed to have significantly affected the rats fed for 8 or 12 weeks with regard to the bone weight, length and breaking force and bone metabolism. The bone ash and Ca contents of the rats were affected by dietary Ca levels for the total period of feeding. It is suggested that dietary Ca itself affected the mineralization process either during the growth or later, although the resulting bone mass is not a linear function of dietary Ca content.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2009

Recent advances in RNA biology reveal unexpected diversity and complexity of cellular RNA metabolism. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are essential players in RNA metabolism, regulating RNA splicing, transport, surveillance, decay and translation. Aberrant expression of RBPs affects many steps of RNA metabolism, significantly altering expression of RNA. Thus, altered expression and dysfuncting of RBPs are implicated in the development of various diseases including cancer. In this minireview, we briefly describe emerging roles of RBPs as a global coordinator of post-transcriptional steps and altered RBP as a global generator of cancer related RNA alternative splicing. Identification and characterization of the RNA-RBP network would expand the scope of cellular RNA metabolism and provide novel anti-cancer therapeutic targets based on cancer specific RNA-RBP interaction.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.492-498
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• 2012

Phytochemicals have been known to exhibit potent antioxidant activity. This study examined cytoprotective effects of phytochemicals including quercetin, catechin, caffeic acid, and phytic acid against oxidative damage in SK-Hep-1 cells induced by the oxidative and non-oxidative metabolism of ethanol. Exposure of the cells to excess ethanol resulted in a significant increase in cytotoxicity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, lipid hydroperoxide (LPO), and antioxidant enzyme activity. Excess ethanol also caused a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and the quantity of reduced glutathione (GSH). Co-treatment of cells with ethanol and quercetin, catechin, caffeic acid and phytic acid significantly inhibited oxidative ethanol metabolism-induced cytotoxicity by blocking ROS production. When the cells were treated with ethanol after pretreatment of 4-methylpyrazole (4-MP), increased cytotoxicity, ROS production, antioxidant enzyme activity, and loss of MMP were observed. The addition of quercetin, catechin, caffeic acid and phytic acid to these cells showed suppression of non-oxidative ethanol metabolism-induced cytotoxicity, similar to oxidative ethanol metabolism. These results suggest that quercetin, catechin, caffeic acid and phytic acid have protective effects against ethanol metabolism-induced oxidative insult in SK-Hep-1 cells by blocking ROS production and elevating antioxidant potentials.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.165-168
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• 2008

A processed Aconiti tuber (Korean name, Kyeong-Po Buja) was extracted with 80% aqueous EtOH, and the concentrated extract was partitioned with EtOAc and water ($H_2O$). From the EtOAc fraction, two flavonoids were isolated through repeated silica gel column chromatographies. From the result of physico-chemical data including NMR, mass spectrometry and IR, the chemical structures of the compounds were determined to be liquiritin (1) and liquiritigenin (2). This is the first study to isolate flavonoids (1) and (2) from the processed Aconiti tuber.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.535-543
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of brown rice and brown rice phytosterol on blood pressure and lipid levels in spontaneously hypertension rats (SHR). SHR were grouped according to blood pressure and fed either a control diet or experimental diets containing 50% brown rice powder or 5% brown rice phytosterol for 3 weeks. Body weight gain and epididymal fat weight were significantly reduced in the brown rice powder and brown rice phytosterol groups compared to control. Brown rice and brown rice phytosterol diets suppressed age-dependent increases in systolic blood pressure compared to control. In addition, brown rice and brown rice phytosterol diets decreased total lipid, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels in the liver, whereas serum HDL cholesterol increased. Lastly, brown rice phytosterol reduced TBARS contents in the kidney. These results suggest that brown rice and brown rice phytosterol exert antihypertensive effects that improve lipid metabolism in SHR.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2016

Objectives: The all anti-obesity drugs currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration work by reducing energy intake. In fact, no approved drug targets energy expenditure. In Korean medicine, it is known to Qi or Yang invigorating therapy could increase energy metabolism. Aconitum carmichaeli Debx (ACD) is a Yang invigorating herb, often used for treat obesity in Korean medicine. In the present study, the authors investigated the regulatory effects of ACD in energy metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells. Methods: The water extract of ACD (0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml) were treated in differentiated C2C12 cells. The protein or mRNA levels of target genes were analyzed and mitochondrial mass were investigated. Results: ACD activated the expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha ($PGC-1{\alpha}$), nuclear respiratory factor 1 and TFAM and increased mitochondrial mass. ACD also increased adenosin monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Conclusions: This study suggests that ACD has the potential to increase energy metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis by activating AMPK and $PGC1{\alpha}$.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.485-492
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• 1996

myo-Inositol, a growth factor for Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae), has been known to be incorporated into phosphatidylinositol (PI), which is a kind of phospholipid in the cell membrane, by a membrane-associated PI-synthesizing enzyme. The deficiency of myo-inositol in S. cerevisiae adversely affected the membrane structure and function. On the basis of biochemical functions of myo-inositol, the effect of deficiency of myo-inositol on the aerobic glucose metabolism was investigated by measuring specific oxygen uptake rate (Q$_{O2}$) used as an indicator representing the respiratory capacity of S. cerevisiae in batch and continuous cultures. The respiratory capacity of aerobic glucose metabolism in S. cerevisiae was also monitored after glucose pulse-addition in a continuous culture (D=0.2, 1/hr), in which glucose was utilized through respiratory metabolism. The deficiency of myo-inositol was found to lead to both the decrease of the maximum specific oxygen uptake rate (Q$_{O2max}$) observed from the batch as well as in the continuous culture experiment and the decrease of the respiratory capacity of aerobic glucose metabolism of S. cerevisiae determined from the glucose pulse-addition experiment, in which the glucose flux into respiratory and fermen- tative metabolism was quantitatively analyzed.