• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.249-257
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• 2010

Crataegii Fructus is commonly used as a improving digestion, removing retention of food, promoting blood circulation and resolving blood stasis agent in East Asia. Cadmium (Cd) is widely distributed in the environment due to its use in industry. An exposure to Cd causes dysuria, polyuria, chest pain, hepatic and renal tubular diseases. The liver is the most important target organ when considering Cd-induced toxicity because Cd primarily accumulates in the liver. This study investigated the protective effect of Crataegii Fructus water extract against cadmium ($CdCl_2$, Cd)-induced liver toxicity in H4IIE cells, a rat hepatocyte-derived cell line and in rats. Cell viability was significantly reduced in Cd-treated H4IIE cells in a time and concentration-dependent manner. However, Crataegii Fructus water extract (CFE) protected the cells from Cd-induced cytotoxicity via inhibition of PARP cleavage. To induce acute toxicity in rats, Cd (4 mg/kg body weight) was dissolved in normal saline and intravenously injected into rats. The rats then received either a vehicle or silymarin (as a positive control) or CFE (50, 100 mg/kg/day) for 3 days, and were subsequently exposed to a single injection of Cd. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were significantly increased by Cd treatment. In contrast, pretreatment with CFE reduced ALT, AST and LDH. In histopathological analysis, CFE reduced the hepatic degenerative regions and the number of degenerative hepatocytes. These are considered as direct evidences that Crataegii Fructus has favorable inhibitory effects on the Cd-intoxicated liver damages. The efficacy of Crataegii Fructus shows slight lower than that of silymarin in the present study.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.122-122
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• 1998

Propentofylline (PPF), a xanthine derivative, has been reported to be effective for the treatment of both vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The elimination half-life of PPF was ranged from 15 to 45 min in rabbit and human, and PPF was rapidly disappeared from the blood. The objective of this experiment is to investigate whether xanthine analogues have effects on the profile of plasma concentration and metabolism of PPF. Caffeine (50 mg/kg, ip) was treated to Sprague-Dawley rats for consecutive 7 days and PPF was intravenously administered to rats 2 hr after the last dose of caffeine. In the other group, PPF was intravenously administered to rats 1 hr after a single dose of pentoxifylline (50 mg/kg, iv). Control group was treated with saline vehicle for the same period as in treatment groups. Blood was withdrawn at specific time intervals. PPF and one of its metabolite (POH) in plasma were determined by gas chromatography/nitrogen phosphorus detector. Plasma concentrations and pharmacokinetic parameters were compared between groups. The area under the curve (AUC) of PPF in rats treated sub chronically with caffeine was significantly decreased compared to control rats. Caffeine treatment results in a significant increase of total body clearance. The AUC of POH was significantly decreased in the caffeine-treated group. A single dose of pentoxifylline has no effect on the phramacokinetics of PPF. Reduction of the AUCs of PPF and POH both suggests that caffeine may increase the excretion of PPF with no affecting the metabolism of PPF to POH.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.529-535
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• 2012

This paper deals with the determination of mechanical properties of various galvanized steel sheets that are used for fabricating automobile bodies; the instrumented indentation technique and finite element analysis were used for the determination. First, tensile tests were conducted to obtain the true stress-true strain curves of galvanized steel sheets with various thicknesses. Load-deformation curves were then obtained by using the instrumented indentation testing machine, and they were compared with load-deformation curves obtained by finite element analysis. Further, true stress-true strain curves were obtained at the optimal observation point by finite element analysis.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.98-102
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• 2012

Increasing the fuel economy has been an inevitable issue for the development of new cars, and one of the important measures to improve the fuel economy is to decrease the vehicle weight. In order to obtain this goal, the researches about lighter, stronger and the well impact absorbing bumper impact beam have been studied without sacrificing bumper safety. In this study, the overall weight reduction possibility of rear bumper impact beam could be examined based on the variation of frontal, offset and corner impact crash capability by substituting a ultra high strength steel material (boron steel ) having tensile strength of 1.5 GPa grade instead of conventional steels. In addition, the section variations (open section, closed section, open section with 5 stays) of the bumper impact beam structure were examined carefully. It could be reached that this analysis could be well established and be contributed for design guide and the optimum design conditions of the automotive rear bumper impact beam development.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.177-184
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• 1995

In order to formulate an aqueous topical preparation of epidermal growth factor(EGF) for the treatment of open wound and bum, the stability of EGF in aqueous vehicles containing various stabilizers was evaluated and the pharmacological activity of gel preparations formulated with poloxamer 407 was determined with wound model. Various additives, which are known as potent stabilizers for proteins and polypeptides so far, were used to increase the stability of EGF in aqueous vehicles. The contents of EGF in the vehicles containing stabilizers were determined with an HPLC method after the storage at $37^{\circ}C$. EGF was more stable in ultrapure water than RO water or saline. All the additives studied resulted in deleterious effects on EGF stability. Therefore, it was speculated that any additives or impurities in the vehicle made EGF unstable. However, nitrogen purge of solution increased the stability of EGF in aqueous vehicles. The aqueous topical preparations of EGF were formulated with poloxamer 407 as a gel base in saline. Gelatin or amastatin was employed as a protease inhibitor. The pharmacological effect of EGF gel was studied with open wound model in mice. EGF preparations, made of oleaginous base or poloxamer gel base, showed significant healing effect compared to the control group(p<0.05). The addition of protease inhibitor in poloxamer 407 gel resulted in significant healing effect compared to the gel without it(p<0.05). Body weights of mice treated with EGF preparation were increased at the first day after the formation of open wound, while those of the control group were decreased. The EGF gel made of poloxamer 407 containing a pretense inhibitor would be a promising aqueous topical preparation for EGF.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Biology Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.33-37
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• 2002

The present was performed to identify the effects of tributyltin (TBT) in the immature mice testes. 3-week-old male ICR mice were orally administrated on one time basis of TBT dose of O (Vehicle control, VC), 25 (TBT 25 mg/kg, T$_{25}$ ), 50 (TBT 50 mg/kg, T$_{50}$ ), 100 (TBT 100 mg/kg, T$_{100}$ ) mg/kg per each one. After 3 days the time treated of TBT, mice were sacrified and wighted body, testis, epididymis, seminal vesicle, vas deferens, and prostate. As the result of weighing, wights of each oragan and gonad index were tendency decresed in comparing groups of TBT treated with that (C) of unteated (p <0.05). As the result of examination of steroid hormones in the immature male mice, The concentrations of serum and intratesticular testosterone were significatly increased rather than the control group. But concentrations of estradiol were decresed objectly. A group of the highest change of concentrations of steroid hormones is T$_{100}$ . The high dose group, T$_{100}$ , was decreased all of concentrations of steroid hormones rather than those of T$^{25}$ . The result of observation with histological changes in testis showed a tendency for innercellular wall to increase damage and extinction in seminiferous tubles. As the result of investigation apoptotic cell numbers in the testis using teminal deoxy-nucleotidyl transferase -mediated dUTP-digoxygenin nick end-labeling immunohistochemical straia, The ratio of Apoptic cells significantly was incensed in depending on treatment of TBT does. In conclusion, these results shows that TBT triggers apoptosis on reproductive cell in testis and changes level of concentrations of steroid hormones in the immature male mice , as endocrine disruptors (EDs).

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.258-268
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• 2004

This study was carried out to investigate preventive effects of extracts of cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, against the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin(TCDD)-induced toxicity in 7-week-old Sprague-Dawley male rats. Thirty five male rats were divided into 5 groups: one normal control group treated with vehicle and saline (G1); one TCDD-treated group by single intraperitoneal injection (G2); three preventive groups (G3, G4, and G5). The last three groups, G3, G4, and G5, were fed on cricket extracts (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, respectively) for 2 weeks before TCDD treatment. Various harmful effects were shown by TCDD treatment. The body weights of rats were lost by TCDD. In addition, severe hypertrophy and color change, and the weights gaining were found in the livers of TCDD-treated rats. It was observed that the cytoplasmic vacuolizations and inflammatory cell infiltration around portal triad in the liver. TCDD also elevated the serum activity levels of alanine transaminase(ALT) and aspartate transaminase(AST). However, those losses were compensated by cricket extracts treatment at the level of 200 mg/kg. These findings indicate that cricket extracts may have protective effects against TCDD-induced toxicities in rats.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.121-129
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• 2013

To find a healthy driving posture, in this study, survey and empirical analysis given onto measurement of car-seat angle has been performed. Among 153 male respondents, those drivers who has minimum 5 year experience and 2 hours daily driving has been selected by a multiple screening process. They were further confirmed to have no discomfort history in any body region caused by the driving task. Final 44 people verified that their actual driving posture is not significantly different (p = 0.692) from healthy one they think. And their data, accordingly, the healthy driving postures are clustered based on the same seat-cushion angle, seat-back angle and trunk-thigh angle. Consequently, three seat-angles of the 44 subjects showed a significant difference only with their height information which is the most effecting factor on driving posture among the physical characteristics. That is a first result categorized healthy driving posture classified physical, if it were departmentalized into additional study, could be able to reflected a factor of "healthy" on car seat design.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.67-71
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• 2013

Porous $Al_2O_3$ dispersed with nano-sized Cu was fabricated by freeze-drying process and solution chemistry method using Cu-nitrate. To prepare porous $Al_2O_3$, camphene was used as the sublimable vehicle. Camphene slurries with $Al_2O_3$ content of 10 vol% were prepared by milling at $50^{\circ}C$ with a small amount of oligomeric polyester dispersant. Freezing of the slurry was done in a Teflon cylinder attached to a copper bottom plate cooled to $-25^{\circ}C$ while unidirectionally controlling the growth direction of the camphene. Pores were subsequently generated by sublimation of the camphene during drying in air for 48 h. The green body was sintered in a furnace at $1400^{\circ}C$ for 1 h. Cu particles were dispersed in porous $Al_2O_3$ by calcination and hydrogen reduction of Cu-nitrate. The sintered samples showed large pores with sizes of about $150{\mu}m$; these pores were aligned parallel to the camphene growth direction. Also, the internal walls of the large pores had relatively small pores due to the traces of camphene left between the concentrated $Al_2O_3$ particles on the internal wall. EDS analysis revealed that the Cu particles were mainly dispersed on the surfaces of the large pores. These results strongly suggest that porous $Al_2O_3$ with Cu dispersion can be successfully fabricated by freeze-drying and solution chemistry routes.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.153-161
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• 2016

Chronic alcoholic myopathy is one of the most common skeletal muscle disorders. It is characterized by a reduction in the entire skeletal musculature, skeletal muscle weakness, and difficulties in gait. Patients with alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis have severe muscle loss that contributes to worsening outcome. Although the myopathy selectively affects Type II (fast twitch, glycolytic, anaerobic) skeletal muscle fibers, total skeletal musculature is reduced. The severity of the muscle atrophy is proportional to the duration and amount of alcohol consumed and leads to decreased muscle strength. The mechanisms for the myopathy are generally unknown but it is not due to overt nutritional deficiency, nor due to either neuropathy or severe liver disease. Skeletal muscle mass and protein content are maintained by a balance between protein synthesis and breakdown and in vivo animal models studies have shown that ethanol inhibits skeletal muscle protein synthesis. Daekumeumja is a traditional Korean medicine that is widely employed to treat various alcohol-induced diseases. Muscle diseases are often related to liver diseases and conditions. The main objective of this study was to assess that Daekumeumja extract could have protective effect against alcoholic myopathy in a Sprague-Dawley rat model. Rats were orally given 25% ethanol (5ml/kg, body weight) for 8 weeks. After 30 minutes, rats were administrated with Daekumeumja extract. Controls were similarly administrated with the vehicle alone. The weights of gastrocnemius, soleus and plantaris muscles were assessed and the morphologic changes of gastrocnemius and plantaris muscles were also assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. In results, The muscles from ethanol treated rats displayed a significant reduction in muscle weight and average cross section area compared to Normal group. Daekumeumja extract treated group showed increased muscle weight and muscle fiber compared to the ethanol treated group. It was concluded that Daekumeumja extract showed ameliorating effects on chronic alcohol myopathy in skeletal muscle.