• Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.64-72
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• 2007

Iron is an important micronutrient for plants. Iron metabolism is a complex mechanism under a delicate balance. Iron metabolism represents two major problems for plants: deficiency as a consequence of solubility problems and toxicity due to excess solubility in anaerobic conditions. In the last few years, new genes have been discovered that influence iron uptake, transport and storage. Irrigated rice is exposed to high levels of $Fe^{II}$, normally rare in aerobic soil conditions. The implications of altering iron uptake rates and the effects of newly discovered genes are discussed.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.599-611
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• 2020

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Hwanggi-tang on glucose digestion, uptake, and metabolism in murine C2C12 myotubes. Methods: Hwanggi-tang was prepared according to the Dong-ui-bo-gam (≪東醫寶鑑≫) prescription by 70% ethanol extraction. The effect on glucose digestion was examined by determining the inhibitory effect of Hwanggi-tang on α-glucosidase activity. We also compared and verified the gene and protein expression of genes related to glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes treated with Hwanggi-tang or insulin. Glucose metabolism was assessed by the expression levels of associated enzymes. Results: Hwanggi-tang caused a dose-dependent inhibition of α-glucosidase activity, induced glucose uptake by activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in the insulin signaling pathway, and promoted glucose oxidation and β-oxidation. Conclusions: Hwanggi-tang exerts an anti-diabetic effect on murine myotubes by inhibiting glucose digestion and inducing glucose uptake and consumption.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.477-486
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Consumption of pine nut oil (PNO) was shown to reduce weight gain and attenuate hepatic steatosis in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). The aim of this study was to examine the effects of PNO on both intestinal and hepatic lipid metabolism in mice fed control or HFD. MATERIALS/METHODS: Five-week-old C57BL/6 mice were fed control diets containing 10% energy fat from either Soybean Oil (SBO) or PNO, or HFD containing 15% energy fat from lard and 30% energy fat from SBO or PNO for 12 weeks. Expression of genes related to intestinal fatty acid (FA) uptake and channeling (Cd36, Fatp4, Acsl5, Acbp), intestinal chylomicron synthesis (Mtp, ApoB48, ApoA4), hepatic lipid uptake and channeling (Lrp1, Fatp5, Acsl1, Acbp), hepatic triacylglycerol (TAG) lipolysis and FA oxidation (Atgl, Cpt1a, Acadl, Ehhadh, Acaa1), as well as very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) assembly (ApoB100) were determined by real-time PCR. RESULTS: In intestine, significantly lower Cd36 mRNA expression (P<0.05) and a tendency of lower ApoA4 mRNA levels (P = 0.07) was observed in PNO-fed mice, indicating that PNO consumption may decrease intestinal FA uptake and chylomicron assembly. PNO consumption tended to result in higher hepatic mRNA levels of Atgl (P = 0.08) and Cpt1a (P = 0.05). Significantly higher hepatic mRNA levels of Acadl and ApoB100 were detected in mice fed PNO diet (P<0.05). These results suggest that PNO could increase hepatic TAG metabolism; mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and VLDL assembly. CONCLUSIONS: PNO replacement in the diet might function in prevention of excessive lipid uptake by intestine and improve hepatic lipid metabolism in both control diet and HFD fed mice.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.351-358
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• 2013

A suitable supply of mineral elements into shoot via a root system from growth media makes plants favorable growth and yield. The shortage or surplus of minerals directly affects overall physiological reactions to plants and, especially, strongly influences carbohydrate metabolism as a primary response. We have studied mineral uptake and synthesis and translocation of soluble carbohydrates in N, P or K-deficient tomato plants, and examined the interaction between soluble carbohydrates and mineral elements. Four-weeks-old tomato plants were grown in a hydroponic growth container adjusted with suboptimal N ($0.5mmol\;L^{-1}\;Ca(NO_3)2{\cdot}4H_2O$ and $0.5mmol\;L^{-1}\;KNO_3$), P ($0.05mmol\;L^{-1}\;KH_2PO_4$), and K ($0.5mmol\;L^{-1}\;KNO_3$) for 30 days. The deficiency of specific mineral element led to a significant decrease in its concentration and affected the concentration of other elements with increasing treatment period. The appearance of the reduction, however, differed slightly between elements. The ratios of N uptake of each treatment to that in NPK sufficient tomato shoots were 4 (N deficient), 50 (P deficient), and 50% (K deficient). The P uptake ratios were 21 (N deficient), 19 (P deficient), and 28% (K deficient) and K uptake ratios were 11 (N deficient), 46 (P deficient), and 7% (K deficient). The deficiency of mineral elements also influenced on carbohydrate metabolism; soluble sugar and starch was substantially enhanced, especially in N or K deficiency. In conclusion, mineral deficiency leads to an adverse carbohydrate metabolism such as immoderate accumulation and restricted translocation as well as reduced mineral uptake and thus results in the reduced plant growth.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.161-169
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• 1995

To investigate the metabolism of various substrates in preimplantation bovine embryos, uptake of glucose and pyruvate, and lactate production were measured in single IVF-derived bovine embryos by a non-invasive method. When the embryos were incubated for 5 h in culture medium supplemented with 1 mM glucose and 0.4mM pyruvate as substrates at each developmental stage, glucose uptake was increased with more advanced developmental stages while pyruvate uptake was decreased. Total lactate producton of 2-cell embryos was significantly higher than that of blastocysts (p<0.05). Both of glucose uptake and lactate production in normal morulae produced in vitro was significantly high compared to the degenerated embryos(p<0.05). The results obtained in the study suggest that pyruvate as an exogenous substrate may be support in bovine embryos until 8-cell stage, whereas glucose may be effective as an energy source after morula stage. In addition, it was proven thatlactate was not effective as an energy source in preimplantation development of IVF-derived bovine embryos.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.163-171
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• 2011

The effects of a high-fat diet and fasting on resting energy expenditure and energy substrate utilization were examined using the method of measuring whole body energy metabolism and oxygen uptake. Eight 4-week old male Sprague-Dawley rats were used for the high-fat diet experiment. Energy metabolism was measured using acrylic metabolic chambers over 24 hours. After 1-week of preliminary feeding, 4 rats were fed a chow diet, whereas the remaining 4 rats were fed a high-fat diet (HF) ad libitum, which contained 40% (w/w, calorie base 60%) more fat than that in the chow diet. The flow rate to measure energy metabolism inside the chamber was controlled at a mean of 3.5 L/min, and five chambers were subjected to measurement. One of the five chambers was used to correct errors by measuring the atmosphere. As a result of 5 weeks of control diet and high-fat diet feeding, body weight of the high-fat diet group tended to increase more than that in the control diet fed group, but the difference was not significant. Oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production changed as time went on over the 24 hr. The respiratory exchange ratio also changed during the 24 hr, and the difference between the groups was significant. The control group showed significantly more carbohydrate oxidation than that of the high-fat diet fed group. A fasting experiment was conducted using six 7-week old Sprague-Dawley male rats. Energy metabolism measurements were performed using the same method as that used in the high-fat diet experiment; resting metabolism was measured prior to fasting, and a fasting condition began from 9:00 am the next day for 3 days to calculate energy metabolism. Both body weight and 24-hour oxygen uptake decreased significantly as a result of 3-day fasting. Total oxygen uptake in the first day decreased, and declined significantly on day 3 of fasting. Total 24-hour carbon dioxide production decreased significantly over the 3 days. The mean 24-hour respiratory exchange ratio decreased significantly. Additionally, energy expenditure during the dark period (20:00-08:00), which is the active period for rats, decreased significantly with fasting, whereas energy expenditure during the light period (08:00-20:00) did not increase by fasting.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1999

Cancer cells are known to show increased rates of glycolysis metabolism. Based on this, PET studies using F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose have been used for the detection of primary and metastatic tumors. To account for this increased glucose uptake, a variety of mechanisms has been proposed. Glucose influx across the cell membrane is mediated by a family of structurally related proteins known as glucose transporters (Gluts). Among 6 isoforms of Gluts, Glut-1 and/or Glut-3 have been reported to show increased expression in various tumors. Increased level of Glut mRNA transcription is supposed to be the basic mechanism of Glut overexpression at the protein level. Some oncogens such as src or ras intensely stimulate Glut-1 by means of increased Glut-1 mRNA levels. Hexokinase activity is another important factor in glucose uptake in cancer cells. Especially hexokinase type II is considered to be involved in glycolysis of cancer cells. Much of the hexokinase of tumor cells is bound to outer membrane of mitochondria by the porin, a hexokinase receptor. Through this interaction, hexokinase may gain preferred access to ATP synthesized via oxidative phosphorylation in the inner mitochondria compartment. Other biologic factors such as tumor blood flow, blood volume, hypoxia, and infiltrating cells in tumor tissue are involved. Relative hypoxia may activate the anaerobic glycotytic pathway. Surrounding macrophages and newly formed granulation tissue in tumor showed greater glucose uptake than did viable cancer cells. To expand the application of FDG PET in oncology, it is important for nuclear medicine physicians to understand the related mechanisms of glucose uptake in cancer tissue.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.485-492
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• 1996

myo-Inositol, a growth factor for Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae), has been known to be incorporated into phosphatidylinositol (PI), which is a kind of phospholipid in the cell membrane, by a membrane-associated PI-synthesizing enzyme. The deficiency of myo-inositol in S. cerevisiae adversely affected the membrane structure and function. On the basis of biochemical functions of myo-inositol, the effect of deficiency of myo-inositol on the aerobic glucose metabolism was investigated by measuring specific oxygen uptake rate (Q$_{O2}$) used as an indicator representing the respiratory capacity of S. cerevisiae in batch and continuous cultures. The respiratory capacity of aerobic glucose metabolism in S. cerevisiae was also monitored after glucose pulse-addition in a continuous culture (D=0.2, 1/hr), in which glucose was utilized through respiratory metabolism. The deficiency of myo-inositol was found to lead to both the decrease of the maximum specific oxygen uptake rate (Q$_{O2max}$) observed from the batch as well as in the continuous culture experiment and the decrease of the respiratory capacity of aerobic glucose metabolism of S. cerevisiae determined from the glucose pulse-addition experiment, in which the glucose flux into respiratory and fermen- tative metabolism was quantitatively analyzed.

• Archives of Obesity and Metabolism
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2024

Serotonin, a biogenic amine widely found in many organisms, functions as both a neurotransmitter and hormone. Although serotonin is involved in various physiological processes, this study aimed to review its role in energy metabolism. Given that serotonin cannot cross the blood-brain barrier and is synthesized by two different isoforms of tryptophan hydroxylase in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral tissues, it is reasonable to assume that serotonin in the CNS and peripheral tissues functions independently. Recent studies have demonstrated how serotonin influences energy metabolism in metabolic target organs such as the intestines, liver, pancreas, and adipose tissue. In summary, serotonin in the CNS induces satiety and appetite suppression, stimulates thermogenesis, and reduces body weight. Conversely, serotonin in the periphery increases intestinal motility, stimulates gluconeogenesis in the liver, suppresses glucose uptake by hepatocytes, promotes fat uptake by liver cells, stimulates insulin secretion while suppressing glucagon secretion in the pancreatic islets, promotes lipogenesis in white adipose tissue, inhibits lipolysis and browning of white adipose tissue, and suppresses thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue, thereby storing energy and increasing body weight. However, considering that most experimental results were obtained using mice and conducted under specific nutritional conditions, such as high-fat diets, whether serotonin acts in the same way in humans, whether it will act similarly in individuals with normal versus obese weights, and whether its effects vary depending on the type of food consumed, remain unknown.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.233-238
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• 1998

Certain basic characteristics of choline uptake in nerve terminals were studied with synaptosomes from rat hippocampus. Synaptosomal $[^3H]$-choline uptake was clarified as specific and high affinity by low Km value(2.2 uM), Na+-dependency and high sensitivity to hemicholinium-3, a competitive inhibitor of choline uptake. Choline uptake into synaptosomes was linearlys related to Na+ concentration and membrane potential. Extracellular Ca2+ modulated the choline uptake, but probably not through increase of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$, because this modulation was not affected the by high $K^+$-depolarization. EGTA (2mM) added for $Ca^{2+}$-free condition had a peculiar effect of decreasing choline uptake. These results suggest that Ca2+ may play an important role in regulating the metabolism of acetylcholine in the nerve terminals directly through the increase of acetylcholine release.