• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.443-450
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• 2012

Recently, NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4)-mediated generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was proposed to accelerate adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cell. We have previously shown that Cheonnyuncho (Opuntia humifusa) extract significantly inhibited adipocyte differentiation via downregulation of $PPAR{\gamma}$ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma) gene expression. In this study, we focused on the molecular mechanism(s) of NOX4, G6PDH (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) and antioxidant enzymes in anti-oxidative activities of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Our results indicate that Cheonnyuncho extracts markedly inhibits ROS production during adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. Cheonnyuncho extracts suppressed the mRNA expression of the pro-oxidant enzyme such as NOX4 and the NADPH-producing G6PDH enzyme. In addition, treatment with Cheonnyuncho extract was found to upregulate mRNA levels of antioxidant enzymes such as Mn-SOD (manganese-superoxide dismutase), Cu/Zn-SOD (copper/zinc-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathion reductase (GR), and catalase, all of which are important for endogenous antioxidant responses. These data suggest that Cheonnyuncho extract may be effective in preventing the rise of oxidative stress during adipocyte differentiation through mechanism(s) that involves direct down regulation of NOX4 and G6PDH gene expression or via upregulation of endogenous antioxidant responses.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.151-165
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• 2008

Objectives : To evaluate the effects of Head Acupuncture versus Upper and Lower Limbs Acupuncture on signal activation of Blood Oxygen Level Dependent(BOLD) fMRI on the Brain and Somatosensory Cortex. Subjects and Methods : 10 healthy normal right-handed female volunteer were recruited. The average age of the 10 subjects was 30 years old. The BOLD functional MRI(fMRI) signal characteristics were determined during tactile stimulation was conducted by rubbing 4 acu-points in the right upper and lower limbs($LI_1$, $LI_{10}$, $LV_3$, $ST_{36}$). After stimulation of Head Acupuncture in Sishencong($HN_1$), $GB_{18}$, $GB_9$, $TH_{20}$ of Left versus Upper and Lower Limbs Acupuncture($LI_1$, $LI_{10}$, $LV_3$, $ST_{36}$ of Right) and took off needles. Then the BOLD fMRI signal characteristics were determined at the same manner. Results : 1. When touched with cotton buds(sensory stimulation), left Parietal Lobe, Post-central Gyrus, primary somatosensory cortex(BA 1, 2, 3), and primary motor cortex(BA 4) were mainly activated. When $ST_{36}$ was stimulated, Frontal Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Cerebellum, and Posterior Lobe as well as Inter-Hemispheric displaying a variety of regions. 2. In signal activation before and after Head Acupuncture reaction, it showed signal activation after removing the acupuncture needle and right Somatosensory Association Cortex, Postcentral Gyrus, and Parietal Lobe were more activated. 3. In reactions of before and after Upper and Lower Limb Acupuncture, it also showed signal activation after removing the acupuncture needle and bilateral Occipital Lobe, Lingual Gyrus, visual association cortex, and Cerebellum were activated. 4. After acupuncture stimulation, In Upper and Lower Limb Acupuncture Group, left frontal Lobe, Precentral Gyrus and Bilateral parietal lobe, Postcentral Gyrus and Primary Somatosensory Cortex(BA 2) were activated. In Head Acupuncture Group, which has most similar activation regions, but especially right Pre-Post central Gyrus, Primary Somatosensory Cortex(BA 3), Primary Motor Cortex, frontal Lobe and Parietal Lobe were activated. Conclusions : When sensory stimulation was done with cotton buds on four acup-points($LI_1$, $LI_{10}4, $LV_3$, $ST_{36}$), while bilaterally activated, contralateral sense was more dominant. It showed consistency with cerebral cortex function. When $ST_{36}$ was stimulated Frontal Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Cerebellum, Posterior Lobe as well as Inter-Hemispheric were stimulated. In Head Acupuncture, it showed more contralateral activation after acupuncture. In Upper and Lower Limb Acupuncture, it showed typically contralateral activation and deactivation of limbic system after acupuncture stimulation. Therefore, there were different fMRI BOLD signal activation reaction before and after Head Acupuncture vs Upper and Lower Limb Acupuncture which might be thought to be caused by acu-points' sensitivity and different sensory receptor to response acupuncture stimulation.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.426-436
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• 2007

Oral cancer take up 2-6% of all carcinomas and squamous cell carcinoma, which is the most common type in oral cancer, has a poor prognosis due to its high metastasis and recurrence rates. In treating oral cancer, chemotherapy to the primary, metastasized and recurrent lesion is a very important and useful treatment, even though its widespread usage is limited due to high general toxicity and local toxicity to other organs. Taxol, a microtubule stabilizing agent, is an anticancer drug that induces cell apoptosis by inhibiting depolymerization of microtubules in between the metaphase and anaphase of the cell mitosis. Recently, its effectiveness and mechanism on various tumor has been reported. However, not much research has been done on the application of Taxol to oral squamous cell carcinoma. Cyclosporin A, which is an immunosuppressant, is being used on cancers and when co-administered with Taxol, effectiveness of Taxol is enhanced by inhibition of Taxol induced multidrug resistance. In this study, Cyclosporin A with different concentration of Taxol was co-administered to HN22, the oral squamous cell carcinomacell line. To observe the cell apoptosis and the mechanisms that take part in this process, mortality evaluation of tumor cell using wortmannin, c-DNA microarray, RT-PCR analysis, cytometry analysis and western blotting were used, and based upon the observation on the effect and mechanism of the agent, the following results were obtained: 1. The HN22 cell line viability was lowest when $100{\mu}M$ of Wortmannin and $5{\mu}g/ml$ of Taxol were co-administered, showing that Taxol participates in P13K-AKT1 pathway. 2. In c-DNA microarray, where $1{\mu}g/ml$ of cyclosporine A and 3mg/ml of Taxol were co-administered, no up regulation of AKT1, PTEN and BAD c-DNA that participate in cell apoptosis was observed. 3. When $1{\mu}g/ml$ of Cyclosporin A was applied alone to HN22 cell line, no difference was found in AKT1, PTEN and BAD mRNA expression. 4. Increased AKT1, mRNA expression was observed when $3{\mu}g/ml$ of Taxol was applied alone to HN22 cell line. 5. When $1{\mu}g/ml$ of Cyclosporin A and Taxol($3{\mu}g/ml\;and\;5{\mu}g/ml$) were co-administered to HN22 cell line, PTEN mRNA expression increased, whereas AKT1 and BAD mRNA decreased. 6. As a result of cytometry analysis, in the group of Cyclosporin A($1{\mu}g/ml$) and Taxol($3{\mu}g/ml$) co-administration, increased Annxin V was observed, which shows that apoptosis occurred by deformation of plasma membrane. However, no significant difference was observed with vary ing concentration. 7. In western blot analysis, no caspase 3 was observed in the group of Cyclosporin A($1{\mu}g/ml$) and Taxol($3{\mu}g/ml$) co-administration. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that synergistic effect can be observed in combination therapy of Taxol and Cyclosporin A on oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line, where decreased activity of the cell line was observed. This resulted in decreased AKT1 and BAD mRNA and increased PTEN mRNA expression and when wortmannin and Taxol were co-administered, the viability decreased which confirms that Taxol decreases the viability of tumor cell line. Hence, when Taxol and cyclosporine A are co-administered, it can be assumed that cell apoptosis occurs through AKt1 pathway.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2007

Radiation safety managements in medical institutions are needed to protect certain radiation damages as a part of National Coalition. This study investigates the characteristics of self-efficacy that become the major factor on the knowledge, attitude, and behavior on the radiation safety management of radiation workers as an approach of educational aspects and analyzes the relationship between such factors to provide basic materials for improving the activity level of radiation safety managements. In order to implement the goal or this study, a survey was performed for 1,200 workers who were engaged in radiation treatments in medical centers, such as general hospital, university hospital, private hospital, and public health center for 42 days from July 23,2006. Then, the results of the analysis can be summarized as follows: 1. Average scores on knowledge, attitude, and behavior in the radiation safety management were presented as $75.76{\pm}11.20$, $90.55{\pm}8.59$, $80.58{\pm}11.70$, respectively. Also, the average score of self-efficacy was recorded as $73.55{\pm}9.82$. 2. Knowledge levels in the radiation safety management showed significant differences according to the sex, age, marriage, education, and experience. Also, males of married, older, highly educated, and largely experienced represented high knowledge levels. Attitude levels in the radiation safety management showed certain significant differences according to the type of medical centers in which private hospitals showed a relatively low level compared to that of high levels in university hospitals. Behavior levels in the radiation safety management also represented significant differences according to the age, marriage, education, experience, and types of medical centers. Factors in married, general hospital, older, highly educated, and largely experienced showed high behavior levels. In addition, the self-efficacy showed certain differences according to the marriage and types of medical centers. Factors in married and general hospital demonstrated high self-efficacy levels. 3. Relationship between knowledge, attitude, behavior, and self-efficacy on the radiation safety management showed statistical differences according to the relationship between the knowledge and the attitude, the knowledge and the behavior, the attitude and the behavior, the attitude and the self-efficacy, and the behavior and the self-efficacy. The relationship between the behavior and the self-efficacy was represented as r = 0.482, which was the strongest relationship in such factors. Also, the knowledge and self-efficacy didn't show certain relationships.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2005

This study was conducted to investigate the possibility of cultivating tea plants planted in the mountain area of west Gyeongnam province, Korea for 2 years from March 27th, 2001 to July 30th 2003. Ninety each plants collected from 5 different sife were cultivated in nursery cup pot$(\phi\;16cm)$. in the greenhouse condition and transplanted in 5 different location and monitored their survival growing state etc. The results obtained are as follow : 1. Survival rate tea plants after transfer to soil was relatively high Gaya-myeon Hanyang-gun with $90.0\%$ and the lowest in Buksang-meyon Geochang-gun with $80.0\%$. The tea plant collected from Gaya-myeon showed the best growing activity at early stage. 2. For the second year of harvesting time, survival rate was the highest in Machun-myeon Hamyang-gun with $92.2\%$ and the lowest was Buksang-myeon Geochang-gun with $76.7\%$. 3. For the 3rd year of harvesting time, it was impossible to data collection because of the most upper parts of plants were killed by severe freezing weather condition. In the Baekjeon-myeon, Hamyang-gun Buksang-myeon, Ungyang-myeon Geochang-gun, which are severly cold$(below\;-10^{\circ}C)$ in winter season, seems not a suitable places for tea plant cultivation since it is very different to harvest the young loaves in growing season. In conclnsion we could select two sites Gaya-myeon, Hapcheon-gun, Machun-myeon, Hamyang-gun, as tea plant cultivation in the mountain area of west-Gyeongnam province, korea.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.132-141
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• 2012

This study was carried out to test seed germination responses to temperatures and pre-treatments in Hippophae rhamnoides, which has many abilities in antioxidant activity, soil improvement and erosion control. H. rhamnoides seeds were placed at 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and $35^{\circ}C$ under light condition. As the results, germination percentage (GP) was the highest at 15 and $20^{\circ}C$, and mean germination time (MGT), germination rate (GR) and germination value (GV) were the highest at $25^{\circ}C$. Quadratic and linear regression model were used to determine the cardinal temperatures such as base ($T_b$), maximum ($T_m$) and optimum ($T_o$) temperature for germination. In quadratic regression model using PG, $T_b$, $T_m$ and $T_o$ was estimated as 0.6, 36.4 and $18.5^{\circ}C$, respectively, and temperature range for germination was $35.8^{\circ}C$. In linear regression model using GR, $T_b$, $T_m$ and $T_o$ was estimated as 8.3, 35.4 and $25.3^{\circ}C$, respectively, and temperature range for germination was $27.2^{\circ}C$. Germination properties were investigated after H. rhamnoides seeds were treated by prechilling (1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks), stratification (2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks), solid matrix priming (seed : carrier : water = 5 : 1 : 7, 8, 9 and 10), osmo-priming (-0.25, -0.5, -1.0 and -1.5 MPa) and calcium chloride ($CaCl_2$) -priming (100, 200, 300 and 400 mM). The highest GP was observed in $CaCl_2$ 300 and 400 mM treatments, and MGT was the shortest in stratification 6 and 8 weeks treatments. GR and GV were the highest and GP was the second highest when seeds were prechilled for 1 and 2 weeks. Consequently, prechilling 1 or 2 weeks treatment was considered as the appropriate method when we contemplate qualitative and quantitative effects in seedling production.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1301-1309
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• 2011

The major function of adipocytes is to store fat in the form of triglycerides. One of the signaling pathways known to affect adipogenesis, i.e. fat formation, is the WNT/${\beta}$-catenin pathway which inhibits the expression and activity of key regulators of adipogenesis. The purpose of this research is to find genes among the WNT/${\beta}$-catenin pathway which regulate adipogenesis by using small interfering (si) RNA and to find the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the gene with serum triglyceride levels in the human population. To elucidate the effects of ${\beta}$-catenin siRNA on adipogenesis key factors, PPAR${\gamma}$ and C/EBP${\alpha}$, we performed real-time PCR and western blotting experiments for the analyses of mRNA and protein levels. It was found that the siRNA-mediated knockdown of ${\beta}$-catenin upregulates adipogenesis key factors. However, upstream regulators of the WNT/${\beta}$-catenin pathway, such as DVL2 and LRP6, had no significant effects compared to ${\beta}$-catenin. These results indicate that ${\beta}$-catenin is a candidate gene for human fat accumulation. In general, serum triglyceride level is a good indicator of fat accumulation in humans. According to statistical analyses of the association between serum triglyceride level and SNPs of ${\beta}$-catenin, -10,288 C>T SNP (rs7630377) in the promoter region was significantly associated with serum triglyceride levels (p<0.05) in 290 Korean subjects. On the other hand, serum cholesterol levels were not significantly associated with SNPs of the ${\beta}$-catenin gene. The results of this study showed that ${\beta}$-catenin is associated with fat accumulation both in vitro and in the human population.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1027-1033
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• 2010

Liriope platyphylla has traditionally been used in Korea and China as a therapeutic drug for the treatment of coughing, sputum, neurodegenerative disorders, obesity, and diabetes. In an effort to assess the functions of a novel extract from Liriope platyphylla in diabetes therapy, the insulin secretion abilities of 10 extracts were screened via measurements of insulin concentration in the culture supernatant using an Insulin ELISA kit. The results of this assay showed the highest levels of insulin in the LP9M80-H treated group, followed by the LP-H, LP-M, LP-E and LP9M80-C treated groups, whereas other extracts did not induce insulin secretion in the HIT-T15 cells. However, the extracts capable of stimulating insulin secretion simultaneously evidenced high apoptotic activity as compared with other extracts. Therefore, one of these extracts, LP9M80-H, was initially selected as the optimal candidate for a therapeutic drug and its optimal concentration was determined. The results of the ELISA and MTT assay demonstrated that a concentration of approximately 100-125 ug/ml of LP9M80-H was optimal with regards to cell viability and insulin secretion in the HIT-T15 cells. These results suggest that LP9M80-H could be considered as an excellent candidate for a diabetes-therapeutic drug that could induce insulin secretion in pancreatic $\beta$-cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.967-972
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• 2014

In the present study, we prepared eighty-five different kinds of lees extracts and their solvent fractions and investigated their anti-proliferative activities against human colorectal cancer HCT116 cells. HCT116 cells were treated with eighty-five solvent fractions of lees extracts and then cell viability was measured using MTS assay. Among the treated solvent fractions, three solvent fractions (KSD-E1-3, KSD-E2-3, and KSD-E4-3) were selected based on cell viability assay. In addition, we performed an oligo DNA microarray analysis to analyze the gene expression changes by treatment of KSD-E1-3 in HCT116 cells. Among the upregulated genes, we selected 4 genes (NAG-1, ATF3, p21, and DDIT3) and performed RT-PCR using gene-specific primers. Among the treated solvent fractions, KSD-E1-3 dramatically induced the expressions of the four selected genes. In addition, we investigated whether the upregulations of those genes were dependent on the transcription factor p53's presence using p53 null HCT116 cells. The results indicate that the upregulations of NAG-1, ATF3, and DDIT3 are not dependent on the p53 presence, whereas p21 is dependent on the p53 presence. These findings may help to understand the molecular mechanisms of the anti-proliferative activity mediated by rice wine lees in human colorectal cancer cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1436-1444
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• 2013

To improve the functionality of black garlic drinks, black garlic extract (5%) and five herb extracts (1%) were mixed in 70:30 (v/v) ratios as BHF1, and BHF2 was prepared using a 3X concentration of BHF1. After the black garlic and herb formulas (BHFs) were administered over the course of five weeks in rats by interval running training, the lipid profiles and the antioxidant enzyme activities were tested. The total phenolic content of the BHFs were significantly higher in BHF2 than they were in BHF1, and their antioxidant activities were dependent upon the total phenolic content. No significant difference was found in the total serum protein levels among the rats in the Ex-con group by interval running training and the rats in the BHFs-fed groups. However, the albumin level was significantly higher in the Ex-BHF2 to Ex-con group. AST and ALT activities significantly decreased in the BHFs-fed groups compared to the Ex-con group. In terms of changes in the serum lipid profiles, no significant difference was found between the specimens that underwent interval running training and those that did not undergo interval running training. Triglyceride levels, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and HTR levels in the serum were significantly decreased in the Ex-BHF2 to Ex-con group. No significant difference was found in the total lipid levels in the livers of the BHFs-fed groups and the Ex-con group. The triglyceride levels and total cholesterol levels in the Ex-BHF2 group were significantly lower compared to another group. Hepatic catalase activity was significantly increased in the Ex-BHF2 group, but SOD and GSH-px activities were significantly increased as the concentration of the BHF. The antioxidant enzyme activities by supplementation of BHFs increased; thus, three intakes of BHF each day could improve antioxidant status against different types of oxidative stress.