• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.667-674
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• 2017

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is metabolized from N-terminal by aminopeptidases and from C-terminal by Ang converting enzyme (ACE) to generate several truncated angiotensin peptides (Angs). The truncated Angs have different biological effects but it remains unknown whether Ang-(4-8) is an active peptide. The present study was to investigate the effects of Ang-(4-8) on hemodynamics and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) secretion using isolated beating rat atria. Atrial stretch caused increases in atrial contractility by 60% and in ANP secretion by 70%. Ang-(4-8) (0.01, 0.1, and $1{\mu}M$) suppressed high stretch-induced ANP secretion in a dose-dependent manner. Ang-(4-8) ($0.1{\mu}M$)-induced suppression of ANP secretion was attenuated by the pretreatment with an antagonist of Ang type 1 receptor ($AT_1R$) but not by an antagonist of $AT_2R$ or $AT_4R$. Ang-(4-8)-induced suppression of ANP secretion was attenuated by the pretreatment with inhibitor of phospholipase (PLC), inositol triphosphate ($IP_3$) receptor, or nonspecific protein kinase C (PKC). The potency of Ang-(4-8) to inhibit ANP secretion was similar to Ang II. However, Ang-(4-8) $10{\mu}M$ caused an increased mean arterial pressure which was similar to that by 1 nM Ang II. Therefore, we suggest that Ang-(4-8) suppresses high stretch-induced ANP secretion through the $AT_1R$ and $PLC/IP_3/PKC$ pathway. Ang-(4-8) is a biologically active peptide which functions as an inhibition mechanism of ANP secretion and an increment of blood pressure.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.1184-1194
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• 2022

Objective: High concentrate diets are widely used to satisfy high-yielding dairy cows; however, long-term feeding of high concentrate diets can cause subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA). The endocrine disturbance is one of the important reasons for metabolic disorders caused by SARA. However, there is no current report about thyroid hormones involved in liver metabolic disorders induced by a high concentrate diet. Methods: In this study, 12 mid-lactating dairy cows were randomly assigned to HC (high concentrate) group (60% concentrate of dry matter, n = 6) and LC (low concentrate) group (40% concentrate of dry matter, n = 6). All cows were slaughtered on the 21st day, and the samples of blood and liver were collected to analyze the blood biochemistry, histological changes, thyroid hormones, and the expression of genes and proteins. Results: Compared with LC group, HC group showed decreased serum triglyceride, free fatty acid, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, increased hepatic glycogen, and glucose. For glucose metabolism, the gene and protein expression of glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 in the liver were significantly up-regulated in HC group. For lipid metabolism, the expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1, long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1, and fatty acid synthase in the liver was decreased in HC group, whereas carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1α and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α were increased. Serum triiodothyronine, thyroxin, free triiodothyronine (FT3), and hepatic FT3 increased in HC group, accompanied by increased expression of thyroid hormone receptor (THR) in the liver. Conclusion: Taken together, thyroid hormones may increase hepatic gluconeogenesis, β-oxidation and reduce fatty acid synthesis through the THR pathway to participate in the metabolic disorders caused by a high concentrate diet.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.287-295
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• 2022

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is known to induce apoptosis of host immune cells and impair phagocytic clearance, thereby being pivotal in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) exert therapeutic effects against inflammatory and immune diseases. In the present study, we investigated whether systemic administration of ASCs restores the phagocytic activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and decolonizes cutaneous S. aureus under AD conditions. AD was induced by injecting capsaicin into neonatal rat pups. ASCs were extracted from the subcutaneous adipose tissues of naïve rats and administered to AD rats once a week for a month. Systemic administration of ASCs ameliorated AD-like symptoms, such as dermatitis scores, serum IgE, IFN-γ⁺/IL-4⁺ cell ratio, and skin colonization by S. aureus in AD rats. Increased FasL mRNA and annexin V⁺/7-AAD⁺ cells in the PBMCs obtained from AD rats were drastically reversed when co-cultured with ASCs. In contrast, both PBMCs and CD163⁺ cells bearing fluorescent zymosan particles significantly increased in AD rats treated with ASCs. Additionally, the administration of ASCs led to an increase in the mRNA levels of antimicrobial peptides, such as cathelicidin and β-defensin, in the skin of AD rats. Our results demonstrate that systemic administration of ASCs led to decolonization of S. aureus by attenuating apoptosis of immune cells in addition to restoring phagocytic activity. This contributes to the improvement of skin conditions in AD rats. Therefore, administration of ASCs may be helpful in the treatment of patients with intractable AD.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.558-564
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical results of the 10 male climateric syndrome cases while treated with Singi-hwan. All patients were treated with Singi-hwan two times a days for 5 weeks. We checked testosterone, PSA in blood, HRV and AMS questionnaire score. The questionnaire score was improved after taking Singi-hwan. Stress resistance and autonomic nervous system activity is increased, but there was no statistical significance except for ApEn. Taking Singi-hwan did not affect the serum concentration of testosterone, PSA and blood biochemical tests. The next placebo-controlled studies about late onset hypogonadism treated with Singi-hwan are needed.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2005

The following conclusions are drawn from the review on the frequent urination of old people in perspective of Hyungsang medicine: Frequent urination is a difficulty in urination that is often common to old people. Frequent urination is one of the symptoms occurred when the nine body orifices do not operate normally because Jung(精) and Blood(血) are exhausted with ages. Frequent urination is brought by the deficiency of kidney, bladder and lung's Ki. In six meridian type persons, Yangmyung meridian type persons are most often afflicted with frequent urination because earth checks water(土克水). Persons with big cheek bones are easy to be caught by frequent urination due to the consumption of Jung(精) and Blood(血). Frequent urination is the source of geriatric diseases so that it should be treated preferentially. Frequent urination of old people should be treated with tonic prescription(補劑).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.880-888
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• 2010

The ameliorative effect of salts and ascorbic acid polyphosphate supplementation on heat stress was studied in buffaloes. Adult buffaloes of either sex were randomly divided into 2 groups of 4 animals each. Group I served as control and Group II was supplemented with sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate and ascorbic acid polyphosphate. All the animals were exposed to two conditions of temperature and humidity: hot-dry and hot-humid in a psychrometric chamber for 4 h daily for 10 days. Blood was collected on day 1, 5 and 10 of treatment. The activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD), concentrations of serum glutathione (GSH), cortisol, sodium, potassium, and chloride and lipid peroxidation were estimated in serum. Lymphocyte proliferation was assessed in blood. The activities of catalase and SOD, serum concentration of GSH, sodium, potassium and chloride decreased while lipid peroxidation and serum cortisol increased in both groups when subjected to heat stress. Dietary supplementation resulted in further decreasing of the enzyme activities but increasing of the serum concentrations of GSH, sodium, potassium and chloride. Lipid peroxidation and serum cortisol increased in the supplemented group in both types of stress. Dietary supplementation caused an increase in lymphoproliferative response to con A. Thus, supplementation of ascorbate in addition to electrolytes relieves the animals of oxidative stress and boosts cell mediated immunity.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.12 no.1_2
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• pp.1-5
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• 1978

In an attempt to explore the effect of Ginseng on the permeability of the biological membrane to cations we have investigated the effect of Ginseng-alcohol extract on the transport of $Na^+$ human red blood cell preprations. The $Na^+$ influx was measured in intact red cells using $^{22}Na$ as a tracer and the efflux in reseated red cells using $^{24}Na$ as a tracer. 1. The influx of $Na^+$ was not apparently changed by the Ginseng-alcohol extract of 20mg% in the incubation medium. 2. Similarly, 20mg% Ginseng-alcohol extract in the cellular space did not alter the efflux of $Na^+$ from the cell. However, 50mg% of Ginseng-alcohol extract in the cell resulted in a significant increase in the $Na^+$ efflux and this effect was magnified when the cell was suspended in the medium containing the Ginseng-alcohol extract in a concentration of 20mg %. The results suggest that Ginseng-alcohol extract over 50mg% increase permeability of red blood cell membrane to $Na^+$ by altering the membrane integrity.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.77-82
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• 1975

This experiment was carried out to observe a biological effect of ginseng on the weight gain, physical performance and lactic acid production after exercise in mice. A group of mice weighing about 19 gm was divided into ginseng and cotrol group. on the treadmill (Exp. I & II) and LDH activity of liver and heart homogenates (Exp. II) were determined. Results are summerized as follows; 1. Body weight gain was greater id ginseng group than in control and the difference was statistically significant at 9th and 16th days of experimental period. 2. Maximal running time of ginseng was found to be longer than that of control (p<0.05) in experiment I and the experiment II also revealed the significant increase in maximal running time in ginseng group. 3. Bloo lactate concentration of 48 hour-rest from physical exertion was lower in ginseng group than in control (p<0.05). 4. LDH activity in liver homogenate was lower compared to control group, but in heart homogenate, it was greater in ginseng group. Above findings may be concluded tat the range of biological dose (20 mg/mice/day) of ginseng powder stimulated the body weight gain and increase of physical performance and its mechanism might be attributable to a lower level of blood lactic acid. The adaptive change of LDH activity also contributed to the change in lactate level in blood and tissue.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.89-97
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• 1992

In hypoxic tissue conditions, pyruvate can not enter the Krebs cycle and lactic acid, produced from pyruvate, accumulates to induce lactic acidosis. Pyruvate, However, can also be converted to alanine by glutamate pyruvate transaminase, that could be enhanced by glutamate. Therefore, it would be a fundamental measure to treat the lactic acidosis in tissue hypoxic conditions when one can convert the accumulated lactic acid, through pyruvate, to alanine. To test the above hypothesis, we induced a lactic acidosis in cats and the effect of glutamate on recovery of acid base state and removal of the lactic acid from blood were assessed and the results were compared with those of bicarbonate administration, which is one of the most frequently used conventional measure for correction of the acid base state during lactic acidosis. The results were that glutamate and combined glutamate bicarbonate solutions not only restored the acid base status completely from the lactic acidosis in an hour or two, but also restored the blood level of lactate partially. We concluded that administration of glutamate solution to convert pyruvate into alanine is effective in preventing lactic acid accumulation and treating lactic acidosis.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 1973

The changes of plasma renin activity, aldosterone concentration, serum sodium-, and potassium levels were studied before and after the water loading followed by diuretics injection. The materials were: 13 non-, 11 normal-, and 11 toxemic pregnancy cases. The plasma renin activity and aldosterone concentration of the cord and postpartum blood were also measured. Following were the results: 1. The plasma renin activity was elevated significantly in normal pregnancy, and slightly in toxemic pregnancy. The serum sodium levels were decreased in pregnancy. 2. The plasma aldosterone concentration was slightly decreased in normal pregnancy, and slightly increased in toxemic pregnancy, however, statistically insignificant. 3. The plasma renin activity of the cord and postpartum blood were lower than those of pregnancy cases. 4. The changes of plasma renin activity after the diuretic administration showed an initial increase, which recovered within 2 hours. These changes were the least in normal pregnancy, and the most in toxemic pregnancy. 5. The changes of plasma aldosterone concentration after the diuretic administration were similar to those of plasma renin activity, although the variations were not so wide.