• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.383-387
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• 2006

To investigate the effect of GyeongshinhaeGihwan 1(GGT1) frequently used as an anti-obesity herbal medicine in oriental medicine on the expression of obesity-related genes, we measured the changes in mRNA levels of these genes by GGT1 in human growth hormone transgenic (hGHTg) obese female rats, and these effects by GGT1 were compared with those of reductil (RD), an anti-obesity drug approved by FDA. Rats received once daily oral administrations of autoclaved water, RD, or GGT1 for 8 weeks. At the end of study, rats were sacrificed and tissues were harvested. Total RNA from adipose tissue, liver and kidney was prepared and the mRNA levels for LPL (lipoprotein lipase), $PPAR{\gamma}$ (peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma), $PPAR{\delta}$ (peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-delta), leptin, $TNF{\alpha}$ (tumor necrosis factor-alpha), and internal standard G3PDH (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) were analyzed by RT-PCR. Compared with control group, $PPAR{\gamma}$ mRNA levels of liver and kidney were decreased in both RD and GGT1 groups, and the effects were more prominent in GGT1 group than in RD group, suggesting that GGT1 is effective in the inhibition of lipid storage by decreasing the $PPAR{\gamma}$ expression. $PPAR{\delta}$ mRNA levels of adipose tissue were increased by RD and GGT1 compared with DW, and the magnitude of increase were higher in GGT1 group than in RD group, indicating that GGT1 stimulates fatty acid oxidation and energy metabolism by activating $PPAR{\delta}$ expression. GGT1 group had higher concentrations of serum leptin, a well-known inhibitor of appetite, than control and RD groups. However, The mRNA levels of leptin, LPL, and $TNF{\alpha}$ were not changed by GGT1. These results indicate that GGT1 can prevent obesity in hGHTg obese female rats by down-regulating and up-regulating the mRNA expression of $PPAR{\gamma}$ and $PPAR{\delta}$, respectively, and that this anti-obesity effects were more pronounced in GGT1 group compared with RD group. In addition, GGT1 seems to inhibit obesity by increasing the circulating leptin levels.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.991-998
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• 2012

Ginseng is one of the most commonly used herbal medicines and health foods. Korean red ginseng (KRG; Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) extract is known to have potential therapeutic activities, such as anti-viral effects, the amelioration of food allergies, anti-oxidant effects, and obesity reduction. Nevertheless, no reports have been issued the modulatory effects of KRG extract on the activity of cytochrome P450 (CYP). In the present study, we investigated the modulatory effect of KRG extract in vitro and in vivo by using pooled human liver microsomes and male ICR mice. When human liver microsomes were incubated with KRG extract at 0.01-10 mg/ml, CYP1A2, 2B6, 2C19, 2D6, and 3A were not significantly inhibited by KRG extract, although CYP2B6 was slightly inhibited. Mice were orally administered KRG extract at 50, 250, or 500 mg/kg daily for 3, 7, or 14 days. However, the activities of CYPs in mouse livers were not significantly different from those of vehicle-treated controls. In conclusion, no significant ginseng-drug interaction was observed. KRG extract did not significantly modulate the activities of CYPs in vitro or in vivo.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.633-639
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• 2005

The composition of Hwoangbaec-tang has been traditionally used in Korea to treat cancer. Hwoangbaec-tang I is the water extracts prepared from Angelica dahurica, Fritillariae verticillata, Ailanthus altissima, Viscum coloratun, Scutellaria Radix, Ginseng Radix, Astragalus membranaceus, and Glycyrrhizae Radix. Hwoangbaec-tang II also is the water extracts prepared from Ginseng Radix, Astragalus membranaceus, and Glycyrrhizae Radix. The anti-leukemic effects of human promyelocytic leukaemia (HL-60 cells) by Hwoangbaec-tang I or II was accessed by propidium iodide staining flow cytometric analysis, and apoptosis-inducing activity was further confirmed by a nuclear morphological change, a ladder pattern of DNA fragmentation, and an activation of caspase-3 and 9. Hwoangbaec-tang I was found to induce the apoptosis of HL-60 cells via caspase-3 and 9 pathway. In the other side, Hwoangbaec-tang II was found to inhibit the growth of HL-60 cells by inducing these cells to differentiate toward granulocytes. These results indicate that the different anti-leukemic effects of Hwoangbaec-tang in HL-60 cells can be induce the apoptosis or differnetiation of HL-60 cells in Hwoangbaec-tang composition dependent manner.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.249-255
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• 2015

Wnk kinase maintains cell volume, regulating various transporters such as sodium-chloride cotransporter, potassium-chloride cotransporter, and sodium-potassium-chloride cotransporter 1 (NKCC1) through the phosphorylation of oxidative stress responsive kinase 1 (OSR1) and STE20/SPS1-related proline/alanine-rich kinase (SPAK). However, the activating mechanism of Wnk kinase in specific tissues and specific conditions is broadly unclear. In the present study, we used a human salivary gland (HSG) cell line as a model and showed that $Ca^{2+}$ may have a role in regulating Wnk kinase in the HSG cell line. Through this study, we found that the HSG cell line expressed molecules participating in the WNK-OSR1-NKCC pathway, such as Wnk1, Wnk4, OSR1, SPAK, and NKCC1. The HSG cell line showed an intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) increase in response to hypotonic stimulation, and the response was synchronized with the phosphorylation of OSR1. Interestingly, when we inhibited the hypotonically induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increase with nonspecific $Ca^{2+}$ channel blockers such as 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate, gadolinium, and lanthanum, the phosphorylated OSR1 level was also diminished. Moreover, a cyclopiazonic acid-induced passive $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ elevation was evoked by the phosphorylation of OSR1, and the amount of phosphorylated OSR1 decreased when the cells were treated with BAPTA, a $Ca^{2+}$ chelator. Finally, through that process, NKCC1 activity also decreased to maintain the cell volume in the HSG cell line. These results indicate that $Ca^{2+}$ may regulate the WNK-OSR1 pathway and NKCC1 activity in the HSG cell line. This is the first demonstration that indicates upstream $Ca^{2+}$ regulation of the WNK-OSR1 pathway in intact cells.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.347-352
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• 2014

Most known osteoporosis medicines are effective for bone resorption, and so there is an increasing demand for medicines that stimulate bone formation. Watercress (N. officinale R. Br.) is widely used as a salad green and herbal remedy. This study analyzed a watercress extract using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, and identified a rutin as one of its major constituents. Osteogenic-related assays were used to compare the effects of watercress containing rutin (WCR) and rutin alone on the proliferation and differentiation of human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells. The reported data are expressed as percentages relative to the control value (medium alone; assigned as 100%). WCR increased cell proliferation to $125.0{\pm}4.0%$ ($mean{\pm}SD$), as assessed using a cell viability assay, and increased the activity of alkaline phosphatase, an early differentiation marker, to $222.3{\pm}33.8%$. In addition, WCR increased the expression of collagen type I, another early differentiation marker, to $149.2{\pm}2.8%$, and increased the degree of mineralization, a marker of the late process of differentiation, to $122.9{\pm}3.9%$. Rutin alone also increased the activity of ALP (to $154.4{\pm}12.2%$), the expression of collagen type I (to $126.6{\pm}6.2%$), and the degree of mineralization (to $112.3{\pm}5.0%$). Daidzein, which is reported to stimulate bone formation, was used as a positive control; the effects of WCR on proliferation and differentiation were significantly greater than those of daidzein. These results indicate that WCR and rutin can both induce bone formation via the differentiation of MG-63 cells. This is the first study demonstrating the effectiveness of either WCR or rutin as an osteoblast stimulant.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.211-234
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• 1999

The purpose of this article was to get hold of adolescent's needs for sex knowledge and to reveal their understanding of sex. These results may be applied to the sex education and counselling for adolescent. The participants of study were 267 students (females, 144 ; males, 123) who were the first and second grade form 1 middle and 2 high schools. They were asked to describe 3 questions that they wanted to know or to learn about sex. Their questions about sex were total 779(girls, subtotal 456, mean 3.2, boys, subtotal 323, mean, 2.6). These questions categorized to 9 items by content analysis. The items were ‘sexual drive, behavior and tendency(229, 29.4%)’ , ‘anatomy and physiology of reproductive system(140, 18.0%)’, ‘reproduction(131, 16.8%)’, ‘concept of sex(31, 4.0%)’, ‘acquaintance between the other sexes(17, 2.2%)’, and ‘the others(9, 1.2%)’ in order of frequency. The most frequent item that the student want to know or team about sex was ‘sexual drive, behavior and tendency’ except girls of sophomore in middle school. There were several features in participants' needs for sex knowledge as respects of the understanding of sex- biological sex, gender, and sexuality. The prominent feature in knowledge need of bio logical sex was that the participants had the interests according to their biological sex. They had the negative attitude to the phenomenons (ex, menstruation and pregnancy, phimosiectomy, etc) that they experienced or would experience due to their biological sex. A part of them asked the questions based the misconceptions and used the slangs or ‘××’, ect. to name the male or female genitalia. The male students wanted to know the female genitalia. The participants' understanding of gender reflected the sexism of our society, but they didn't accept and had doubts about the dual, hierarchical structure of that. The students, especially female seemed to be powerless to the harms of the sexual violence. Girls had much interest in their appearances and complained to our sexual culture that women comforted and served men. The participants had the dual perspective that the sexuality as respects of physiologic phenomenon was considered as natural but that as related to heterosexuals was as negative. And they deemed that men's sexual drive was stronger than women's and was difficult or was not able to be inhibited. They had much interests in homosexuality but reflected the negative attitude to that in our society. Adolescent felt wonder why the expressions of sexuality of adult were permitted but theirs were not. Lastly, a part of boys substituted querying the sexuality of animals for asking that of human. Maybe it was because of the embarrassment to talk about human's sexuality directly. The teenaged participants understood that the sex had not only the biological meanings but also the sociocultural meanings. They regarded the sex as natural and wanted to know it, but they had conceptions that it was difficult and embarrass to talk about it openly and directly.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.354-364
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• 2015

Background: Intracellular $Ca^{2+}$($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) is a platelet aggregation-inducing molecule. Therefore, understanding the inhibitory mechanism of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$mobilization is very important to evaluate the antiplatelet effect of a substance. This study was carried out to understand the $Ca^{2+}$-antagonistic effect of total saponin from Korean Red Ginseng (KRG-TS). Methods: We investigated the $Ca^{2+}$-antagonistic effect of KRG-TS on cyclic nucleotides-associated phosphorylation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type I ($IP_3RI$) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKA) in thrombin (0.05 U/mL)-stimulated human platelet aggregation. Results: The inhibition of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ mobilization by KRG-TS was increased by a PKA inhibitor (Rp-8-BrcAMPS), which was more stronger than the inhibition by a cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)- dependent protein kinase (PKG) inhibitor (Rp-8-Br-cGMPS). In addition, Rp-8-Br-cAMPS inhibited phosphorylation of PKA catalytic subunit (PKAc) ($Thr^{197}$) by KRG-TS. The phosphorylation of $IP_3RI$ ($Ser^{1756}$) by KRG-TS was very strongly inhibited by Rp-8-Br-cAMPS compared with that by Rp-8-BrcGMPS. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ mobilization by KRG-TS is more strongly dependent on a cAMP/PKA pathway than a cGMP/PKG pathway. KRG-TS also inhibited the release of adenosine triphosphate and serotonin. In addition, only G-Rg3 of protopanaxadiol in KRG-TS inhibited thrombin-induced platelet aggregation. Conclusion: These results strongly indicate that KRG-TS is a potent beneficial compound that inhibits $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ mobilization in thrombin-platelet interactions, which may result in the prevention of platelet aggregation-mediated thrombotic disease.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.239-255
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• 1996

The study was conducted for the purpose of finding out an objective classification method for the Sasang Constitutional medicine, which divides people into 4 groups of constitution and presents comprehensively physiology, pathology, diagnosis, theraphy and recuperation fit to each constitution. Questionnaire of Sasang Constitution collected during 9 months from March 1995 to November 1995. For the purposes of this study, the collected data were analyzed by crosstabs, variation analysis, discrimination analysis. The analyzing program was SPSS PC+V4.0. The results were as follows : 1. QSCC consists of the authorized questions studied by te oriental medicine specialists based on "four groups" given the diagnosis of Sasang Constitution Classification and variation analysis by scores of body constitution. 2. When human's body constitution is classified on the basis of QSCC scores of body constitutions and classified by the absolute size, group cases correctly classified was So-Yang-In 17.3%, Tae-Em-In 26.4%, So-Em-In 74.2%, Tae-Yang-In 100%. However, the number of examples are rare. Average percent of "group" cases correctly classified was 39.3%. 3. When human's body constitution is classified on the basis of QSCC scores of body constitutions and clasified by the relative size, group cases correctly classified was So-Yang-In 40.5%, Tae-Em-In 29.1%, So-Em-In 49.2%, Tae-Yang-In 100%. However, the number of examples are rare. Average percent of "group" cases correctly classified was 39.6%. 4. If the diagnosis of body constitution applies to the people after discrimination formula applies to them before the scores of body constitution is correctly analyzed, group cases correctly classified was So-Yang-in 50.5%, Tae-Em-In 36.9%, So-Em-In 55.9%, Tae-Yang-In 100%. However, the number of examples are rare. Average percent of "group" cases correctly classified was 44.03%. 5. As discrimination formula is applied and analyzed based on the questions of higher percent of reaction freqency, So-Yang-in 61.4%, Tae-Em-In 48.8%, So-Em-In 62.0%. Average percent of group cases correctly classified was 54.91% and it was percent increased compared to chance probability. 6. Therefore, it comes to the conclusion if we utilize QSCC, we are able to predict Sasang Constitution.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.515-522
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• 2018

Patients with head and neck cancer are treated with therapeutic irradiation, which can result in irreversible salivary gland dysfunction. Because there is no complete cure for such patients, stem cell therapy is an emerging alternative for functional restoration of salivary glands. In this study, we investigated in vitro characteristics of primarily isolated epithelial cells from human salivary gland (Epi-SGs) and in vivo formation of acini-like structures by Epi-SGs. Primarily isolated Epi-SGs showed typical epithelial cell-like morphology and expressed E-cadherin but not N-cadherin. Epi-SGs expressed epithelial stem cell (EpiSC) and embryonic stem cell (ESC) markers. During long-term culture, the expression of EpiSC and ESC markers was highly detected and maintained within the core population with small size and low cytoplasmic complexity. The core population expressed cytokeratin 7 and cytokeratin 14, known as duct markers indicating that Epi-SGs might be originated from the duct. When Epi-SGs were transplanted in vivo with Matrigel, acini-like structures were readily formed at 4 days after transplantation and they were maintained at 7 days after transplantation. Taken together, our data suggested that Epi-SGs might contain stem cells which were positive for EpiSC and ESC markers, and Epi-SGs might contribute to the regeneration of acini-like structures in vivo. We expect that Epi-SGs will be useful source for the functional restoration of damaged salivary gland.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.973-981
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• 2007

In the present study, we investigated the antiproliferative activity of the water extract of Samgibopae-tang (SGBPT) in NCI-H460 and A549 non-small-cell lung cancer cell lines. We found that exposure of A549 cells to SGBPT resulted in the growth inhibition in a dose-dependent manner as measured by MTT assay, however SGBPT did not affect the growth of NCI-H460 cells. The antiproliferative effect by SGBPT treatment in A549 cells was associated with morphological changes such as membrane shrinking and cell rounding up. SGBPT treatment did not induce the cell cycle arrest in both cell lines, however the frequency of sub-G1 population was concentration-dependently increased by SGBPT treatment in A549 cells. SGBPT treatment partially induced the expression of tumor suppressor p53 in A549 cells and the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(WAF1/CIP1) was markedly increased in both transcriptional and translational levels in A549 cells. The up-regulation of p21 by SGBPT occurred in a similar a concentration dependent manner to that observed with the inhibition of cell viability and induction of sub-G1 population of the cell cycle. However SGBPT treatment did not affect other growth regulation-related genes such as early growth response-1 (Egr-1), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene-1 (NAG-1), inducible nitric oxide synthease (iNOS), cyclooxygenases (COXs), telomere-regulatory factors in A549 as well as NCI-H460 cells. Taken together, these findings suggested that SGBPT-induced inhibition of human lung carcinoma A549 cell growth was aoosciated with the induction of p21 and the results provided important new insights into the possible molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity of SGBPT.