• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제32권5호
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• pp.531-539
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• 2024

Sleep is one of the most essential physiological phenomena for maintaining health. Sleep disturbances, such as insomnia, are often accompanied by psychiatric or physical conditions such as impaired attention, anxiety, and stress. Medication used to treat insomnia have concerns about potential side effects with long-term use, so interest in the use of alternative medicine is increasing. In this study, we investigated the hypnotic effects of β-lapachone (β-Lap), a natural naphthoquinone compound, using pentobarbital-induced sleep test, immunohistochemistry, real-time PCR, and western blot in mice. Our results indicated that β-Lap exerts a significant hypnotic effect by showing a decrease in sleep onset latency and an increase in total sleep time in pentobarbital-induced sleep model. The results of c-Fos immunostaining showed that β-Lap decreased neuronal activity in the basal forebrain and lateral hypothalamus, which are wakefulness-promoting brain regions, while increasing in the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus, a sleep-promoting region; all these effects were significantly abolished by 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX), an adenosine A₁ receptor (A₁R) antagonist. Western blot analysis showed that β-Lap increased extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation and nuclear factor-kappa B translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus; these effects were inhibited by DPCPX. Additionally, β-Lap increased the mRNA levels of A₁R. Taken together, these results suggest that β-Lap exerts hypnotic effects, potentially through A₁R.

• 대한지역사회영양학회지
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.61-70
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• 2020

Objectives: This study examined the association of the total diet quality with the incidence risk of metabolic syndrome constituents and metabolic syndrome among Korean adults. Methods: Based on a community-based cohort of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) from 2001 to 2014, data from a total of 5,549 subjects (2,805 men & 2,744 women) aged 40~69 years at the baseline with a total follow-up period of 38,166 person-years were analyzed. The criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel was employed to define metabolic syndrome. The total diet quality was estimated using the Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI). Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for risk of metabolic syndrome constituents and metabolic syndrome in relation to KHEI quintile groups was calculated by multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: After adjusting for age, energy intake, income, education, physical activity, smoking, and drinking, the incidence of abdominal obesity and high blood pressure was significantly lower, by approximately 29.7% (P < 0.01) and 25.2% (P < 0.01), respectively, in the fifth KHEI quintile compared to the first quintile in men. A significant decreasing trend of the metabolic syndrome incidence was observed across the improving levels of KHEI (HRq5vs.q1: 0.775, 95% CIq5vs.q1: 0.619~0.971, P for trend < 0.01). In women, the incidence of abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome was significantly lower, by approximately 29.8% (P < 0.01) and 22.5% (P < 0.05), respectively, in the fifth KHEI quintile compared to the first quintile adjusting for multiple covariates. On the other hand, the linear trend of metabolic syndrome risk across the KHEI levels did not reach the significance level. Conclusions: A better diet quality can prevent future metabolic syndrome and its certain risk factors among Korean men and women.

• 대한영양사협회학술지
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.250-259
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to confirm that calcium intake and healthy status play a role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, to assure that calcium intake and regular exercise are important in reducing serum lipid levels in middle-aged women. Daily nutrient intakes were analyzed by convenient method. Anthropometric measurement such as body weight and height and blood pressure were measured. The subjects divided into two groups : women in group I under 50 years of age($\leq$49 yr group) and those in group II 50 years up($\geq$50 yr group). Average ages of group I and II were 43.87 and 53.46 years. The nutrients intake of subjects were higher than Korean recommended dietary allowances(KRDA) except calorie, iron, calcium, vitamin B1. They showed significant difference each other in vitamin B2(p<0.05), calcium(p<0.01) intake. Mean daily calcium intake was 540.88mg in $\leq$49 yr group and 519.50mg in $\geq$50 yr group. The levels of serum cholesterol, triglyceride, blood pressure, Atherogenic Index(AI), LDL/HDL and Cardiac Index(CI) were increased with age. The triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations and LDL/HDL in $\geq$50 yr group were significantly higher than those of $\leq$49 yr group. There was a highly significantly positive correlation between age and triglyceride, total cholesterol and Atherogenic Index(AI). Triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol concentration and Atherogenic Index(AI) were positively correlated with body weight and WHR(waist-hip ratio). Also ther was a significantly negative correlation between exercise and Cardiac Index(CI). Also a significantly negative correlation was found between Ca intake and LDL-cholesterol. Exercise and Cardiac Index(CI) also had a significantly negative relation. The results suggest that increased habitual physical activity and calcium intake should be recommended as a way of decreasing blood lipids and blood pressure in middle-aged women.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.247-256
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• 1999

Ginseng has been used in maintaining physical vitality throughout the far-eastern countries and recently its metabolism and actions on neurologic, cardiovascular, and endocrinologic systems are studied. Korean red ginseng (KRG) has been used in various ailments, and to prove its efficacy for erectile dysfunction an international study on Asians other than Korean was performed. Patients with borderline organic and psychogenic erectile dysfunction were included. KRG were given daily, and placebo were given as controls. Treatment lasted a total of 3 months. Surveys including libido, erection, ejaculation, sexual activity, and sexual satisfaction were given. Serum testosterone and erectile function study were taken. Among the 64 patients, 37 patients were followed with KRG. Five had diabetes, 5 hypertension, 5 hypercholesterolemia, 6 low testosterone, 6 psychogenic, and 11 idiopathic. The improvement after KRG administration was $70.2\%$ on objective questionnaire and $75.7\%$ on subjective analysis. When KRG were given, all parameters surveyed have shown improvements compared to the placebo. The effects of KRG in Chinese and Singapores were similar to the Koreans. Serum testosterone levels were nonnalized in 6 patients with KRG, who's serum testosterone levels were reduced from pre-study. Two patient reported constipation, and 2 gastric upsets in the KRG group. In conclusion, KRG has beneficiary action on male erectile capabilities with little side effects. KRG is effective in Koreans and also Asians. The exact action mechanism and the active ingredients in KRG need to be studied.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.201-210
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• 2007

많은 질병들과 기존에 존재하는 신체적인 질병들은 스트레스로 인해 발병되거나 크고 작은 스트레스의 영향으로 악화된다. 스트레스의 연구에 호르몬을 사용하는 기본은 신체의 대부분 시스템이 스트레스를 받는 동안 변화를 보인다는 것과 이러한 변화에 호르몬이 스트레스와 확실하게 연관되어 있다는 것을 관찰하는 것이다. 개념적으로 스트레스에 있어서 교감신경계와 시상하부-뇌하수체-부신축의 활성화가 중심적인 역할을 한다는 것이 호르몬의 변화를 측정해야 할 충분한 근거를 제공한다. 에피네프린과 노르에피네프린과 같은 카테콜라민, 코티졸, 테스토스테론 그리고 성장호르몬 등은 스트레스에 예민한 반응을 보인다. 한편 스트레스 연구를 위한 타액표본은 혈액이나 요의 표본과는 달리 스트레스를 주지 않고도 표본을 얻을 수 있으며 신체적인 구속이나 윤리적인 문제 등을 염려하지 않고도 채취가 가능하다는 장점이 있다. 타액내의 호르몬의 수치는 혈액내의 호르몬 수치를 잘 반영하므로 스트레스와 관련된 구강안면통증의 연구에 있어서 타액내의 스트레스 호르몬에 활용도는 매우 높으리라고 사료된다.

• 대한영양사협회학술지
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.283-297
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the nutrient intake and level of depressive symptoms. A total of 5,761 subjects with depression were selected for the main data analysis from a Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, KNHANES (2016), and were divided into low depressed and high depressed groups. The data were analyzed by descriptive analysis, ${\chi}^2-test$, logistic regression, and t-test using SPSS 24.0 statistics. The results revealed significant differences in the prevalence of depression according to sex (P<0.001), age (P<0.001), income (P<0.001), and education (P<0.001). Regarding the health behavior, higher stress levels (P<0.001) and smoking habit (P<0.001) appeared to be strongly associated with high levels of depression. On the other hand, the possibility of experiencing depressive symptoms was lower when the number of walking days per week was more than 3 days (P<0.05), when the number of working days per week was more than 5 days (P<0.01), and the rate of aerobic physical activity was higher. Based on the 'Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans 2015', the subjects in the low depression group showed better intake of energy and 22 nutrients than the high depression group.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.110-118
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• 2020

Migration presents a substantial social and public health issue. However, it is unclear whether diabetes is worse among Asian migrants than natives of South Korea over time. This longitudinal study investigated the nationwide population, including 2,680,495 adults aged 20 years and older (987,214 Asian migrants and 1,693,281 natives), who received health check-ups, using the Korean National Health Insurance Service data (2009-2015). Joinpoint regression was used to estimate the annual percentage change of diabetes, and multivariable logistic regression was used to examine differences in incident type 2 diabetes between Asian migrants and natives adjusting for age, sex, economic status, body mass index, smoking status, any alcohol use, and physical activity. The age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes increased among native men (from 8.8% in 2009 to 9.7% in 2015, APC=1.64, p<0.05) compared to Asian migrant men, and the age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes increased among native women (from 6.0% in 2009 to 6.7% in 2015, APC=1.88, p<0.05) compared to Asian migrant women. In the multivariate analyses, Asian migrants were less likely to get type 2 diabetes than natives (odds ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.78 to 0.86) between the first and last health check-ups. However, the odds ratio for developing type 2 diabetes was 1.15 (95% CI, 1.10 to 1.20) among low-income levels compared to high-income levels, regardless of whether they were Asian migrants or natives. The results could help to establish a new strategy for prevention, treatment, and management of diabetes among the Asian population.

• 한국식품영양학회지
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.196-206
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• 2021

The main purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between the consumption of red ginseng-based 'SSR' for 30 days and the reduction in human fatigue, blood component changes, and immune cell activity in 35 human subjects. 'SSR' is composed of zinc oxide, folic acid, and D-α-tocopherol with red ginseng as the main component. According to the protocol criteria of the study, 35 subjects who understood the purpose of the study and signed an informed consent form were selected. The fatigue survey was conducted through a questionnaire, and after taking 'SSR', a decreased tendency of physical, mental, and neurosensory fatigue was observed. In hematological analysis, no significant changes were observed in the levels of WBC, RBC, and hemoglobin; however, AST (SGOT) and ALT (SGPT) levels were statistically significantly decreased. In immunological analysis, it was observed that the proliferative effect of T cells (CD3+CD4+) was greater than that of NK cells (CD16+CD56+). The collected data were subjected to t-test analysis using the SPSS 25.0 statistical program. The result from this study proposes that 'SSR' can be used as a functional food material as it reduces human fatigue and enhances immune function.

• 대한지역사회영양학회지
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.117-126
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• 2019

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the current difficulties surrounding children's obesity management and evaluate the application of a mobile phone as a tool to overcome such difficulties of obesity management from the perspective of main caregivers of elementary school students. Methods: The qualitative data were collected through 3 focus group interviews including 6 full-time housewives, 7 mothers with overweight children, and 4 working mothers. Data were analyzed using a thematic approach. Results: The limitations of current children's obesity management included difficulty in diet management and exercise as well as challenges of setting goals and lack of support at the household and school levels. Mobile technology may be useful to overcome the current problems by providing real-time knowledge on diet management and physical activity, online compensation scheme according to goal setting, and interactive environmental supports at both household and school levels for promoting overall health. Conclusions: The mobile-based multiple support program may assist in overcoming the current limitations of child obesity management by providing tailored information and by creating a more supportive environment.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제48권2호
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• pp.96-105
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• 2022

Background: Pyrethroid insecticides account for more than 30% of the global insecticide market and are frequently used in agricultural settings and residential and public pest control among the general population. While several animal studies have suggested that exposure to pyrethroids can alter glucose homeostasis, there is only limited evidence of the association between environmental pyrethroid exposure and diabetes in humans. Objectives: This study aimed to report environmental 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) concentrations in urine and evaluate its association with the risk of diabetes in Korean adults. Methods: We analyzed data from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) Cycle 2 (2012~2014) and Cycle 3 (2015~2017). A total of 10,123 participants aged ≥19 years were included. Multiple logistic regressions were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) for diabetes according to log-transformed urinary 3-PBA levels. We also evaluated age, sex, education, monthly income, marital status, alcohol drinking, physical activity, urinary cotinine, body mass index, and sampling season as potential effect modifiers of these associations. Results: After adjusting for all the covariates, we found significant dose-response relationships between urinary 3-PBA as quartile and the prevalence of diabetes in pooled data of KoNEHS Cycles 2 and 3. In subgroup analyses, the adverse effects of pyrethroid exposure on diabetes were significantly stronger among those aged 19~39 years (p-interaction<0.001) and those who consumed high levels of cotinine (p-interaction=0.020). Conclusions: Our findings highlight the potential diabetes risk of environmental exposure to pyrethroids and should be confirmed in large prospective studies in different populations in the future.