• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.624-633
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• 2021

Objective: To evaluate the reliability of CT measurements of muscle quantity and quality using variable CT parameters. Materials and Methods: A phantom, simulating the L2-4 vertebral levels, was used for this study. CT images were repeatedly acquired with modulation of tube voltage, tube current, slice thickness, and the image reconstruction algorithm. Reference standard muscle compartments were obtained from the reference maps of the phantom. Cross-sectional area based on the Hounsfield unit (HU) thresholds of muscle and its components, and the mean density of the reference standard muscle compartment, were used to measure the muscle quantity and quality using different CT protocols. Signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were calculated in the images acquired with different settings. Results: The skeletal muscle area (threshold, -29 to 150 HU) was constant, regardless of the protocol, occupying at least 91.7% of the reference standard muscle compartment. Conversely, normal attenuation muscle area (30-150 HU) was not constant in the different protocols, varying between 59.7% and 81.7% of the reference standard muscle compartment. The mean density was lower than the target density stated by the manufacturer (45 HU) in all cases (range, 39.0-44.9 HU). The SNR decreased with low tube voltage, low tube current, and in sections with thin slices, whereas it increased when the iterative reconstruction algorithm was used. Conclusion: Measurement of muscle quantity using HU threshold was reliable, regardless of the CT protocol used. Conversely, the measurement of muscle quality using the mean density and narrow HU thresholds were inconsistent and inaccurate across different CT protocols. Therefore, further studies are warranted in future to determine the optimal CT protocols for reliable measurements of muscle quality.

• 한국응용약물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국응용약물학회 2007년도 Proceedings of The Convention
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• pp.79-92
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• 2007

Oxidative stress have known to be a risk factor for the degenerative processes and closely related to a lot of diseases. It is well established that antioxidants are good in protection and therapeutic means against oxidative damage. There is increasing interest in natural antioxidants and many natural antioxidants have been found and utilized as the possible protection for various diseases and skin aging. We have screened natural antioxidant agents for cosmeceuticals, nutraceuticals, and drugs as therapeutic and preventive means against oxidative stress, and have developed a number of novel antioxidants from various natural sources. A novel melanin synthesis inhibitor, Melanocin A, isolated from the metabolite of a fungal strain Eupenicillium shearii F80695 inhibited mushroom tyrosinase and melanin biosynthesis of B16 melanoma cells with $IC_{50}$ value of 9.0 nM and MIC value of $0.9\;{\mu}M$, respectively. Melanocin A also exhibited potent antioxidant activity by scavenging of DPPH and superoxide anion radicals. UV was found to increase the level of hydrogen peroxides and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) in skin tissues. This increase in ROS may not only alter the structure and function of many genes and proteins directly but may also modulate their expressions through signal transduction pathways and, ultimately, lead to skin damage. We investigated the effect of Melanocin A on UV-induced premature skin aging. Firstly, the effect of Melanocin A on UV-induced matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 expression in an immortalized human keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT in vitro was investigated. Acute UV irradiation induced MMP-9 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels and Melanocin A suppressed this expression in a dose-dependent manner. We then investigated UV-induced skin changes in hairless mice in vivo by Melanocin A. Chronic exposure of hairless mouse dorsal skin to UV increased skin thickness and induced wrinkle formation and the gelatinase activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Moreover, Melanocin A significantly suppressed UV-induced morphologic skin changes and MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. These results show that Melanocin A can prevent the harmful effects of UV that lead to skin aging. Therefore, we suggest that Melanocin A should be viewed as a potential therapeutic agent for preventing and/or treating premature skin aging. Terrein is a bioactive fungal metabolite isolated from Penicillium species. Terrein has a relatively simple structure and can be easily synthesized. However, the biologic effects of terrein are comparatively unknown. We found for the first time that terrein potently inhibit melanin production in melanocytes and has a strong hypopigmentary effect in a spontaneously immortalized mouse melanocyte cell line, Mel-Ab. Treatment of Mel-Ab cells with terrein (10-100 mM) for 4 days significantly reduced melanin levels in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, terrein at the same concentration also reduced tyrosinase activity. We then investigated whether terrein influences the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) pathway and the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), which is required for tyrosinase expression. Terrein was found to induce sustained ERK activation and MITF down-regulation, and luciferase assays showed that terrein inhibits MITF promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner. To elucidate the correlation between ERK pathway activation and a decreased MITF transcriptional level, PD98059, a specific inhibitor of the ERK pathway, was applied before terrain treatment and found to abrogate the terrein-induced MITF attenuation. Terrein also reduced the tyrosinase protein level for at least 72 h. These results suggest that terrain reduces melanin synthesis by reducing tyrosinase production via ERK activation, and that this is followed by MITF down-regulation.

• 전자공학회논문지
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• 제51권12호
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• pp.180-188
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• 2014

서구화된 식습관, 운동부족, 비만증가 등에 기인한 허혈성 뇌졸중의 급격한 증가로 뇌혈관 협착 또는 폐색의 신속하고 정확한 진단이 매우 중요하다. 뇌혈관을 관찰할 수 있는 기법 중 비 조영 검사인 TOF-MRA 기법은 가장 대표적이고 안정적인 기법이다. 또한 최근 TOF-MRA 혈관영상기법은 CE-MRA 기법에 비해 큰 직경이 아닌 두개 내 혈관과 같은 작은 혈관의 협착 평가에서 유용하다는 평가를 받고 있다. 그러나 TOF-MRA 기법은 뇌 경색의 주요 원인인 플라그 형성에 의한 혈류 역학적인 난류 형성으로 협착 및 폐색의 실제 길이보다 과 측정되는 문제점이 있다. 본 연구의 목적은 유속신호 강조효과를 이용한 TOF-MRA 기법에서 발생하는 플라그 과 측정 오류를 해결하기 위하여 유속신호 감쇄효과를 이용한 3D SPACE T2 시퀀스를 이용, 보다 정확한 협착 및 폐색의 혈관질환 진단을 위한 새로운 시퀀스를 제시하고 난류에 의한 과 측정 원인을 해결하여 임상 활용 가능성을 높이는데 있다. 실험 방법은 플라그 혈관 팬텀을 제작하여 40%, 50%, 60%, 70% 협착을 형성시키고 flow control set를 이용하여 생리식염수로 만든 가상혈류에 0.9ml/sec, 1.5ml/sec, 2.1ml/sec, 2.6ml/sec의 속도 차이를 주어 동일한 조건으로 TOF-MRA 16회, 3D SPACE T2 16회 총 32회를 교차실험 하였고 실제 플라그 길이의 정확도를 비교 실험 하였다. 실험 결과는 각각의 동일한 협착 정도와 혈류 속도의 조건에서 16회의 비교데이터 결과, 새롭게 제안된 SPACE 3D T2 에서 실제 플라그 길이와 유사한 정확도 우위를 보였고, 혈류속도가 빠를수록 그리고 협착 정도가 클수록 TOF-MRA에서 과 측정 오류의 차이가 커짐을 확인 할 수 있었다. 따라서 TOF-MRA에서 발생하는 플라그 과 측정 문제를 해결하고 비 조영 검사인 장점을 유지하기 위해 본 논문에서 제시한 유속신호 감쇄효과를 이용한 3D SPACE T2를 혈관 검사에 사용한다면 보다 정확한 뇌혈관 진단에 큰 도움이 될 것으로 사료된다.