• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.28-35
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• 2009

Purpose : We compared body growth, blood cell counts, and chemistry among infants receiving soy-based formula (SF), breast milk (BM), and casein-based formula (CF). Methods : Full-term neonates delivered at our hospital from June 2001 to August 2003 were recruited and divided into 3 feeding groups (BM=20, SF=19, CF=12 ) according to the parents wishes. Breast feeding or artificial formulae were given during the initial 3 months of age; thereafter, weaning foods were added freely. Height, weight, head circumference, skin-fold thickness, and mid-arm circumference were measured at birth and 1, 2, 4, 5, 12, and 36 months of age. Cell counts and blood chemistry were analyzed at 5, 12, and 36 months of age. Result : At 5 months of age, body weight was the lowest in the SF group; the height was similar among all groups. Thereafter, there were no differences in height or weight among the groups until 36 months of age. Hemoglobin was the lowest in the BM group at 5 and 12 months of age (P< 0.05 ). At 5 months of age, serum cholesterol, BUN, phosphates, and K+ were significantly lower in the SF group; thereafter, all chemical parameters were similar until 36 months of age. Conclusion : Infants fed with SF showed normal growth during the first 3 years of life as compared to infants fed with BM and CF. Low values of serum phosphates and K+ at 5 months of age in the SF group, despite the high mineral content, suggest that further investigation is needed for effective mineral absorption.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.655-663
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• 2002

Liver fibrosis is a prepathological state wherein damaged liver tissues in chronic liver diseases, such as hepatitis, are not repaired to normal tissues, but converted to fibrous tissue. 5-(2-Pyrazinyl)-4-methyl-1,2-dithiol-3-thione (oltipraz), a cancer chemopreventive agent, is effective against a wide variety of chemical carcinogens. Recently, we reported that oltipraz inhibits liver fibrogenesis (Kang et al., 2002). In the present study, the effects of oltipraz in combination with dimethyl-4,4'-dimethoxy-5,6,5',6'-dimethylene dioxybiphenyl-2,2'-dicarboxylate (DDb) on dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-induced liver fibrogenesis were assessed in rats. Oltipraz (30 mg/kg body weight, po, 3 times per week for 4 weeks) was found to inhibit the increases in plasma ALT, AST and bilirubin by DMN, whereas DDB (30 mg/kg body weight, po, 3 times per week for 4 weeks) attenuated the increases in the plasma ALT and bilirubin. The lowered plasma protein and albumin contents in DMN-treated rats were completely restored by oltipraz, but not by DDB. DDB decreases liver cell injury and inflammation through inhibition of nuclear factor-kB. DMN increased the accumulation of liver collagen, as indicated by the increase in the 4-hydroxyproline content in liver homogenates, which was reduced by treatment with oltipraz, but not by DDB. Given the differential effect between oltipraz and DDB, the potential enhancement of antifibrotic efficacy by the drugs was assessed in the animal model. Despite the minimal effect of DDB on DMN-induced fibrogenesis, DDB (5-25 mg/kg), administered together with oltipraz (25-5 mg/kg), showed an additive protective effect against hepatotoxicity and fibrosis induced by DMN, which was shown by the blood chemistry parameters and histopathological analysis. The adequate composition ratio of oltipraz to DDB was 5:1. These results provide information on the pharmaceutical composition, comprising of oltipraz and DDB as the active components, for the treatment and/or prevention of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.124-130
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• 2012

The uniform nanofibers of poly(L-lactide-$co$-${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone) (PLCL) with different contents of marine collagen (MC) were successfully prepared by electrospinning method. The effects of the major parameters in electrospinning process such as tip to target distance (TTD), voltage, nozzle size and flow rate on the average diameter of the electrospun nanofiber were investigated in generating composite nanofiber. The diameter and morphology of the nanofibers were confirmed by a scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Also, we measured a water contact angle to determine the surface wettability of the nanofibers. The average diameter of the nanofibers decreased as the value of TTD, MC contents, and voltages increased in comparison with that of pristine PLCL nanofiber. In contrast, the diameter of the nanofibers increased as the flow rate and inner diameter of nozzle increased in comparison with that of pristine PLCL. In addition, the hydrophilicity of the nanofiber and attachment of MG-63 cells on the sheets increased as incorporated collagen contents increased. Therefore, the marine collagen would be a potential material to enhance cellular interactivity of synthetic materials by mimicking the natural tissue.