• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.160-165
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• 2023

Vascular calcification is common in cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis, and is associated with an increased risk of pathological events and mortality. Some semaphorin family members play an important role in atherosclerosis. In the present study, we show that Semaphorin 4D/Sema4D and its Plexin-B1 receptor were significantly upregulated in calcified aorta of a rat chronic kidney disease model. Significantly higher Sema4D and Plexin-B1 expression was also observed during inorganic phosphate-induced calcification of vascular smooth muscle cells. Knockdown of Sema4D or Plexin-B1 genes attenuated both the phosphate-induced osteogenic phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells, through regulation of SMAD1/5 signaling, as well as apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells, through modulation of the Gas6/Axl/Akt survival pathway. Taken together, our results offer new insights on the role of Sema4D and Plexin-B1 as potential therapeutic targets against vascular calcification.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.263-272
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• 2007

This experiment was conducted to examine the effects of cage type (CT) and cage density (CD) on physiological variables in growing rats. Sprague Dawley rats (n=108) weighing an average of 46 g were housed in metallic cage with woodchip bedding (MCWB), metallic cage with wire mesh (MCWM), and plastic shoebox with woodchip bedding (PCWB) separately by sex at normal ($160-cm^2/rat$, ND) and high ($80-cm^2/rat$, HD) CD from 3 to 10 wks of age. All cages were in dimension of $24{\times}40{\times}20$ cm ($W{\times}D{\times}H$). At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected and 6 rats from each cage were sacrificed. No death was observed among rats at ND, whereas mortality rate at HD was 22.3% for males and 13.9% for females. Heart weight was affected by CT. Doubling CD caused 23, 11.8, 17.9, 8.6, 6.9, and 16.4% decreases in BW and weights of heart, liver, kidney, testis, and ovary, respectively. Except for adrenal gland, other organs for males were heavier than for females. Liver weight of males and females responded differently to CT and CD. Comparing with females, males had 7.3 and 5.2% heavier and 9.9% lighter liver weights in MCWB, MCWM, and PCWB, respectively. As CD doubled, liver weight for males and females decreased by 22.4 and 13.1%, respectively. Mean adrenal gland weight increased by 8.4% and decreased by 9.7% for males and females, respectively, with doubling CD. CT affected glucose, TG, Ca, and ALP levels. However, CD did not alter blood chemistry. Rats housed in metallic cages had greater neutrophil count and neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio than rats housed in plastic cages. Doubling CD caused a 24.2% increase in lymphocyte count. There were CT by CD, CT by sex, and CD by sex interaction effects on lymphocyte count. Doubling CD caused 0.1% decrease and 49.8 and 26.7% increases in lymphocyte count for rats housed in MCWB, MCWM, and PCWB, respectively. Comparing with females, lymphocyte count for males housed in MCWB, MCWM, and PCWB had 8.9 and 12.9% greater and 30.3% less lymphocyte counts, respectively. Lymphocyte count decreased by 4.12% for males, whereas it increased by 61.0% for females as CD doubled. Doubling CD resulted in 2.5 and 2.3% increases in erythrocyte count and hematocrit value. These data suggest that animals perform better in metallic cages than in plastic cages and that cage density had pronounceable effects on physiological parameters in a cage type and sex dependent-manner.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.1000-1010
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• 2008

Objective : Hypothyroidism is a syndrome characterized by symptoms such as cold intolerance, or weight gain. Because of side effects of Western medicine treatment, interest in oriental medicine has been increasing. In this study, we examined the therapeutic effects of Evodiae fructus and histological modification in hypothyroidism rat model induced by PTU(6-propyl, 2-thiouracil). Methods : After inducing hypothyroidism in the rats by PTU injections, we divided the rats into four groups, the Evodiae fructus 100 500, control, and $LT_4$ (levothyroxine) groups. After 2 weeks Evodiae fructus and $LT_4$ were administered, respectively. The weight was measured once a week. After sampling the blood for biochemical analysis to check the levels of $T_3$, $T_4$ and TSH, the thyroid tissue was removed, stained with H&E, and an image was obtained using an optical microscope. Results : Compared with normals, controls showed low $T_4$ and high TSH. The Evodiae fructus group showed a statistically meaningful $T_3$ increase to be dose related. But the levels of TSH showed no meaningful difference between the Evodiae fructus group and normals. About the biochemical tests(liver, kidney etc) and weight change, there was no meaningful difference between the Evodiae fructus group and controls. In the biopsy, the Evodiae fructus group showed thyroid tissue improvement compared to controls. Conclusions : These results show that Evodiae fructus stimulates the decreased functions of the thyroid, and also has thyroid cell protecting effects. The lab results also showed that Evodiae fructus is a safe substance that doesn't cause hepatotoxicity or nephrotoxicity. Therefore it is an effective substance in the treatment of hypothyroidism.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.442-451
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• 2002

In oder to investigate the effects of pH and temperature on the formation of bromate ion, which is ozonation by-products of bromine containing natural water. At the same intial pH condition, the increase of pH shown similar trends even if the reaction variables such as temperature and reaction time of ozonation were changed. As pH and temperature were increasing, the bromate concentration was increased but bromine components (HOBr/OBr-) were decreased with increasing pH from 3 to 10. Lipid peroxide content in the kidney was increased by bromate which was ingestion with 0.4g/L for 24 weeks in drinking water. Renal cytosolic enzyme system (XO, AO) of bromate group were significantly increased in comparison with those of normal group. But microsomal enzyme system were not affected. BUN level and urinary ${\gamma}$-glutamyltransferase activity were significantly increased in comparison with those of the normal. But, urinary lactate dehydrogenase activity was not affected. Renal glutathione content of rat was significantly decreased in comparison with those of normal rat given bromate. Renal glutathione S-transferase and ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine synthetase activities were significantly decreased in bromate-treated group, but change in renal glutathione reductase activity was not significantly different from any other experimental group.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.355-364
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• 2009

Objectives : Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common diseases among elderly men. Though medicines such as 5${\alpha}$-reductase inhibitor (finasteride) have recently been developed for treating BPH, their adverse effects and low efficacy should not be overlooked. Curcuma longa has a long history of use in traditional medicines of Asian countries. Many reports conclude the component curcumin in Curcuma lonfa, has the potential to treat various diseases including prostate cancer. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects and action mechanism of Curcuma longa with a BPH rat model. Methods : Sprague-Dawley rats were used with subcutaneous injection of testosterone after castration, which were histologically similar to human BPH. A total of 30 rats were equally divided into five groups: Group 1 served as control (sham-operated group): Group 2 was the model group: Group 3 and Group 4 animals were administered Curcuma longa at dose levels of 0.5g/kg and 1.0g/kg: Group 5 served as a positive control group and was treated with finasteride at a dose of 1 mg/kg. The drugs were administered orally once a day for 30 days consecutively. After 31 days, the prostates were removed, and analyzed for their prostatic weight and histological examination. Results : The oral Curcuma longa ingestion group showed statistically significant decreases in their prostatic weights compared with the BPH-induced group and the oral finasteride ingestion group (p<0.05). Curcuma longa is also very safe in liver and kidney up to a dose of lg/kg. Injected testosterone histologically led to prostatic hyperplasia in rats, but oral Curcuma longa ingestion decreased this change. Conclusions : These results suggest that Curcuma longa has a definite inhibitory effect on BPH and might be an alternative medicine for treatment and prevention of human BPH.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.355-359
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• 2014

The objective of this study was to determine the hyperglycemic effects of mineral-rich salt in type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats and normal Wistar rats. Animals were divided into five groups, including a normal group, fed three different experimental salts [purified salt (PS), mineral-rich salt (WS1 and WS2), and bamboo salt (BS)] in the form of 1% salt solution for 12 weeks. Liver, kidney, and spleen weights were significantly increased in GK rats of salt groups as compared to Wistar normal group without salt. However, there was no difference among the salt groups. For serum lipids, total cholesterol level in the BS group and triglyceride level in the WS group were significantly reduced compared to those of the PS group. The concentration of blood glucose in the GK-PS group increased continuously during the experimental period, whereas that in the GK-WS group was significantly reduced at 12 weeks. In GK rats, glucose levels among the salt groups in OGTT by glucose were not significantly different compared to normal rats. Insulin and glucagon levels in blood were not significantly different among the groups, and no such association was observed for insulin. Pancreatic lslets of Langerhans in the PS group showed irregular formation compared to those of the normal, WS, and BS groups.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.664-671
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• 2002

To investigate the effects of different type of dietary fat on survival metabolism of fasting rats, one group rats (FO) were fasted, another one group rats (BM) were fed normal diet and the others were fed only one of the following fat diets: beef tallow (FT), corn oil (FC), and perilla oil (FP) of 11.4g/kg respectively. Most FO group rats survived for 6 days and large part of the only-fat-diet groups rats survived for 16 days. Body weights of all rats in fasting and only-fat-groups, measured just one day prior to death owing to fasting or caloric malnutrition, decreased by 24.5%~25% only-fat to fasting rat somewhat extended the survival time but the specific properties of dietary fat types had no remarkably differential effect on survival time and body weight gain rate. The features of liver and kidney weight gain rate of all rats in fasting and only-fat-diet groups were similar to those of body weight gain rate. In FO groups blood levels of total-cholesterol, triglyceride, and glucose markedly reduced whereas GPT activities and BUN levels considerably increased as compared to BM group. However the types of dietary fat perse did not affect blood total cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, BUN levels, and GPT activities in early stage of fasting in FC and FP group. GPT activities in rats of FP group just prior to death of starvation seemed to be affected by the dietary fat types. The results showed that only-fat-feeding to fasting rats somewhat extended survival time but the types of dietary fat had no remarkably differential effect on survival time and metabolism of fasting rats.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.346-351
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• 2003

The current studies investigated the therapeutic effects of Ephedra sinica Stapf (ES) herb-acupuncture on the inflammatory responses of rat arthritic joint, which was induced by the intradermal injection of heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis emulsified in squalene to the base of the tail. The measurements of body weight and articular index were exploited as the assessment methods addressing arthritic symptoms, and the expression profiles of cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in the rat joint were analyzed using RT-PCR. The articular indexes of arthritic rats were significantly restored after the treatment with ES herb-acupuncture. Although the clinical symptoms of arthritic rats were apparently alleviated by the ES treatments, their body weights were not recovered. It maybe due to the weight-loss and energy enhancement effects of ES extracts. The expression of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 genes, which were highly stimulated in the knee joints of arthritic rats, were restored to the levels of normal rats after the ES treatment. The therapeutic effect of ES herb-acupuncture was not observed in ES-treated, non-acupoint arthritic group as a sham control. The ES herb-acupuncture into an acupoint ST36 was found to be effective in alleviating the arthritic symptoms in adjuvant-induced arthritis rats as regards the body weight, joint appearance and the expression profiles of inflammatory cytokines.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.175-182
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• 2006

Diets consist of two different pork samples: pork of a Jeju native pig ( 260 days old, $101{\sim}103kg$ ) not fed tangerine byproduct during finishing period ($T_0$), and pork fed 8% and 15% tangerine byproduct during growing and finishing period ($T_1$), respectively. The effects of the diet on the physiological activities of rats were studied by feeding 17-week old rats with the two diets for 4 weeks. There was no significant difference between $T_0$ and $T_1$ in the rat's feed intake, feed efficiency ratio, and weight gain. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between $T_0$ and $T_1$ in the rat's weight of liver, kidney, spleen, epididymal fat pad, triglyceride and cholesterol of liver. Both $T_0$ and $T_1$ showed similar trends in terms of total lipid, phospholipid, triglyceride, total cholesterol, atherogenic index, protein, glucose, hemoglobin level, mineral level, and ${\gamma}$-GTP, ALT, AST and ALP activities. However, $T_1$ showed the trend of increasing amount of the serum's HDL and LDL cholesterol level, compared with $T_0$.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.264-269
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• 2017

Prunella vulgaris, well-known traditional medicinal plant, is used for the cure of abscess, scrofula, hypertension and urinary diseases. Diabetic nephropathy is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease. The pathological characteristics of diabetic nephropathy are glomerular and tubular basement membrane thickening. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of Prunella vulgaris, on diabetic glomerular injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetes rats. Diabetes mellitus was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ; 45 mg/kg) and confirmed by random glucose level higher than ${\leq}300mg/dL$. The experimental rats were divided into five groups: control group (Male SD rats), STZ group (Male SD rats injected STZ), Aminoguanidine group (Male SD rats injected STZ + AG 100 mg/kg/day), Low dose group (Male SD rats injected STZ + APV 100 mg/kg/day), High dose group (Male SD rats injected STZ + APV 300 mg/kg/day). AG or APVs were administered once a day for 8 weeks. Body weight and food/water intake were measured every four weeks. At the end of study, the kidneys were collected and cut into pieces for immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. Our study showed that body weight and water/food intake were no significant differences between untreated STZ-induced diabetic rat and APV treated-STZ rat. However, phosphorylation of receptor-regulated Smads (Smad3) was significantly decreased in APV treated-STZ rat as compared with the diabetic group. In addition, APV was improved nephrin level in kidney tissue. Therefore, we suggest that APV has a protective effect against STZ-induced diabetic glomerular injury.