• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.75-85
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• 2008

This study investigated the effects of chitosan on mineral metabolism in rats exposed to cadmium by oral administration. Six week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into eight groups. Four groups were fed AIN-93G based 3% ${\alpha}$-cellulose diets and the other four groups were fed 3% chitosan diets for four weeks with the oral administration of 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 mg Cd/2ml distilled water three times per week, respectively. The essential mineral contents of serum, liver, kidney and bone (femur and lumbar), and the excretion of calcium in feces and urine were determined. There was no significant difference in weight gain and food intake among groups. The cadmium administration significantly decreased calcium in serum, iron in blood, calcium and iron in liver and iron contents in kidney. In contrast, calcium and zinc contents in kidney increased by the administration of cadmium. The weight, length and breaking forces of the femur and lumbar were not significantly different due to cadmium administration and chitosan among the groups. The fecal excretion of calcium was increased by the administration of cadmium. On the other hand, calcium absorption and the absorption rate were decreased by Cd administration. In the groups without Cd administered (N, N-Chi groups), chitosan significantly decreased the absorption rate of calcium by increasing the excretion in feces (p<0.05). These results suggest that cadmium administration may facilitate the decline of essential minerals in rats and also, chitosan may have a conflicting effect between cadmium and the essential minerals of tissues.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.153-157
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• 2016

Tapentadol is a novel oral analgesic with a dual mode of action as an agonist of the ${\mu}$-opioid receptor (MOR), and as a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (NRI) all in a single molecule. Immediate release (IR) tapentadol shows its analgesic effect quickly, at around 30 minutes. Its MOR agonistic action produces acute nociceptive pain relief; its role as an NRI brings about chronic neuropathic pain relief. Absorption is rapid, with a mean maximal serum concentration at 1.25-1.5 h after oral intake. It is present primarily in the form of conjugated metabolites after glucuronidation, and excretes rapidly and completely via the kidneys. The most common adverse reactions are nausea, dizziness, vomiting, and somnolence. Constipation is more common in use of the ER formulation. Precautions against concomitant use of central nervous system depressants, including sedatives, hypnotics, tranquilizers, general anesthetics, phenothiazines, other opioids, and alcohol, or use of tapentadol within 14 days of the cessation of monoamine oxidase inhibitors, are advised. The safety and efficacy have not been established for use during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, or for nursing mothers, pediatric patients less than 18 years of age, and cases of severe renal impairment and severe hepatic impairment. The major concerns for tapentadol are abuse, addiction, seeking behavior, withdrawal, and physical dependence. The presumed problem for use of tapentadol is to control the ratio of MOR agonist and NRI. In conclusion, tapentadol produces both nociceptive and neuropathic pain relief, but with worries about abuse and dependence.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.266-272
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• 2007

The present study evaluated the effect of various dosages of soybean isoflavone extract on body weight changes, glucose tolerance and liver function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. One group of normal rats (normal control) was fed an AIN-76-based experimental diet and four groups of diabetic rats were fed the same diet supplemented with four different levels of soybean isoflavone extract for seven weeks. The daily dosages of pure isoflavone for four diabetic groups were set to be 0 mg (diabetic control), 0.5 mg (ISO-I), 3.0 mg (ISO-II) and 30.0 mg (ISO-III) per kilogram of body weight, respectively. The daily consumption of isoflavone at the level of 3.0mg per kilogram of body weight resulted in the suppression of body weight loss and increased the survival rate of diabetic animals one and half times compared to that of the diabetic control group. Blood glucose levels in a fasting state and after the oral administration of glucose were significantly lower in the ISO-II group during the oral glucose tolerance test. The ISO-II group showed a tendency to elongate the gastrointestinal transit time. The activity of serum aminotransferases, indicator of liver function, was not negatively affected by any intake level of isoflavone. The present study demonstrated that the soybean isoflavone extract may be beneficial to diabetic animals by improving their glucose tolerance and suppressing weight loss without incurring hepatotoxicity at the daily dosage of 3.0 mg per kg of body weight.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.104-113
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• 2011

We investigated the systemic effects of leaf folder (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis) resistant rice (transgenic rice, Nakdongbyeb) in Sprague-Dawley rats for 13 weeks. Leaf folder resistant rice was added to the diet at percentage levels of 0, 5 and 20 percentage/feeder and was administered for 13 weeks. The results did not show any changes in food and water intake. There were also no biologically significant changes in both body and organ weights, hematological and blood biochemical parameters, autopsy and histopathology between the treatment and control groups. Based on these results, no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of transgenic rice was considered to be more than 10,000 mg/kg b.w. under the conditions of the present study.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.75-82
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• 2009

Saengshik is an uncooked and powdered functional food composed of various edible plants, and has been consumed widely due to its health benefits and convenient uptake. Recently, superfine ground saengshik, which contains a certain extent of nanoscale particles, has been commercialized to enhance efficacy, but its safety has not been determined. This study was conducted to evaluate the food safety of superfine saengshik (SS) through general toxicity examination after oral uptake in mice compared to conventional fine saengshik (FS). The SS particle size distribution was 0.479-26.303 f.1m in diameter, with about 68.92% of particles with a diameter < $0.955{\mu}m$. From our safety evaluation, the number of white blood cells (WBCs) and biochemical values in the serum fell into the normal range, and the weight of organs showed no significant difference between FS and SS groups. Histological observation of the liver, small intestine and large intestine did not show any abnormal or pathological findings under light microscopy. Our results suggest that oral intake of SS is not harmful to mice in terms of general toxicity.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.247-251
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• 2006

Bezoars are collections or concretions of indigestible foreign material that accumulate and coalesce in the gastrointestinal tract; they usually occur in patients who have undergone gastric surgery and have delayed gastric emptying. Treatment options include dissolution with enzymes, endoscopic fragmentation with removal or aspiration, and surgery. Recently, the efficacy of nasogastric lavage or endoscopic infusion of Coca-Cola for the dissolution of phytobezoar have been reported. We report a case of phytobezoar successfully treated by oral administration and endoscopic injection of Coca-Cola. A 62-year-old woman was referred to Yeungnam University Hospital for epigastric pain. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed one very large, dark-greenish, solid bezoar in the stomach with gastric ulcer and duodenal bulb deformity. We performed endoscopic injection of Coca-Cola into the bezoar. The patient was instructed to drink four liters of Coca-Cola per day. At endoscopy two days later, the phytobezoar was easily broken into pieces. At endoscopy on the $11^{th}$ day of admission, the phytobezoar was decreased in size and removed by endoscopic fragmentation with a polypectomy snare. At follow up endoscopy after 13 days, the bezoar was completely dissolved.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.150-160
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• 2015

We previously reported that 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-3-acetyl-rac-glycerol (PLAG) accelerates hematopoiesis and has an improving effect on animal disease models such as sepsis and asthma. The effects of PLAG supplementation on immune modulation were assessed in healthy men and women. The objective was to evaluate the effects of PLAG supplementation on immune regulatory functions such as activities of immune cells and cytokine production. A randomized double blind placebo-controlled trial was conducted. Seventy-five participants were assigned to one of two groups; all participants had an appropriate number of white blood cells on the testing day. The PLAG group (n=27) received oral PLAG supplements and the control group (n=22) received oral soybean oil supplements. IL-4 and IL-6 production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were lower (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively) with PLAG than with soybean oil. However, the production of IL-2 and IFN-$\gamma$ by PBMC was unaltered with PLAG supplementation. The B cell proliferation decreased significantly in the PLAG group compared to the soybean oil control (p<0.05). The intake of PLAG in healthy adults for 4 weeks was deemed safe. These data suggest that PLAG has an immunomodulatory function that inhibits the excessive immune activity of immunological disorders such as atopic and autoimmune diseases. PLAG could improve the condition of these diseases safely as a health food supplement.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.572-583
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• 2014

This study was carried out to determine the action mechanism of sulfur-grain larvae extract (SGE) on anti-obesity and the reduction of blood lipid level in high-fat diet induced obese model animals. Animals were classified into a normal diet group (NC, normal control), HFD (high-fat diet without SGE), HFD 15 (high-fat diet + oral administration of 15 mg of SGE extract per 100 g body weight) and HFD 30 (high-fat diet + oral administration of 30 mg of SGE extract per 100 g body weight). The body weight gain declined in HFD 15 and HFD 30 groups compared with the HFD group, even though the diet intake increased significantly. The weight of liver and adipose tissue increased significantly in HFD group compared with in the HFD 15 and HFD 30 groups. Triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL-C and AI decreased in HFD 15 and HFD 30 groups compared with in the HFD group, but the contents of HDL-C increased significantly. Expression of SREPB-$1{\alpha}$, SREPB-2 mRNA in the liver was lower in the high-fat diet group compared with the HFD group, but the expression of LPL mRNA in adipose tissue and $PPAR{\alpha}$ increased significantly. Fat accumulation in the liver tissues and liver damage were greatly reduced in HFD 15 and HFD 30 groups compared with in the HFD group. The size of adipocytes became smaller in the HFD 15 and HFD 30 groups compared with HFD group. In conclusion, this research discovered for the first time that grain maggot has anti-obesity effects, by reducing the abdominal fat of obese model animals and lowering blood lipid level through the down-regulation of PPAR-$1{\alpha}$ and SREPB-2 mRNA and the up-regulation of PPAR-${\alpha}$ mRNA.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.239-245
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• 2016

Objectives: This study was conducted to clarify the effects of agarwood on histamine release from mast cells in rats and on the scratching behaviors in mice. Methods: Histamine release from rat mast cells induced by compound 48/80 or concanavalin A (Con A) and compound 48/80-induced scratching behavior in mice were examined to investigate the effects of agarwood. The hyaluronidase activity and the 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels in mast cells were examined to investigate the mechanisms for the inhibition of histamine release. The correlation between the inhibitory effects of agarwood on histamine release and the content of its typical ingredients, a 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone derivatives, was analyzed using thin-layer chromatography. Results: Agarwood showed an inhibitory effect on mast-cell histamine release induced by compound 48/80 or Con A without any effect on hyaluronidase activity; this effect involves an increase in the cAMP levels in mast cells. Oral administration of agarwood showed an inhibitory effect on compound 48/80-induced scratching behavior in mice. The inhibitory effects of agarwood on histamine release were quite different, depending on the area where the agarwood was produced, its quality, and its market price. No correlation was found between the inhibitory effects of agarwood on histamine release and the typical ingredients of agarwood, which are 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone derivatives. Conclusion: These results show that agarwood inhibits histamine release from mast cells partially through an increase in the cAMP levels in cells. We suggest that some active ingredients of agarwood must be effective on oral intake and that agarwood can be used to treat patients with a number of conditions, including urticaria, atopic dermatitis, and bronchial asthma, in which an increase in histamine release occurs. Differences in the pharmacological effects of this crude drug among markets may provide important information for the quality control of this herbal medicine.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.692-699
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• 1985

Fifty cases of Open Heart Surgery due to congenital and acquired heart disease were done using the cardiopulmonary bypass in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular surgery, Chosun University Hospital from November, 1980 to June, 1985. 1. The age of the congenital heart disease was from 7 to 29 years, the mean age was 14.5 years. In the acquired heart disease, the age was from 14 to 48 years, and the mean age was 22.3 years. The ratio of male to female was about 1.8:1. 2. The number of congenital cyanotic heart disease were 7 patients, congenital acyanotic heart disease were 17 patients and acquired valvular heart disease were 26 patients. All of the acquired heart disease was one or more valve disease. 3. Preoperative symptoms of the congenital heart disease were exertional dyspnea [cyanotic 100%, acyanotic 70.6%] and palpitation [cyanotic 28.6%, acyanotic 76.1%], and the acquired heart diseases were exertional dyspnea [92.3%], palpitation [34.1 %], and chest discomfort [30.8%]. 4. The method of the myocardial protection during the cardiopulmonary bypass were mild or moderate hypothermia, intermittent coronary perfusion of the cardioplegic solution, topical myocardial hypothermia with 4oC Hartmann`s solution. 5. In the cases of the valve replacement, postoperative oral anticoagulant therapy was started at oral intake of food using the warfarin and persantin, and the prothrombin time was maintained 30-50% of control value during 3-6 months for tissue valve replacement and permanently for metal valve replacement. 6. The postoperative complications were appeared in 24 cases and the complications were wound infection, occipital alopecia, hemorrhage etc. 7. The mortality after open heart surgery was 8 percents and the cause of death was low cardiac output syndrome, right heart failure, DIC, and Left ventricle rupture.