• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2002

In order to search for insulin-like substances from the constituted herbs of Sogal prescriptions, we selected 19 traditional herbs, based on a review of the Donguibogam. The effects of the hot-water extract from the selected herbs on the proliferation and the differentiation of 3T3-L1 fibroblasts were tested. The various water-extracts from Pinellia ternata, Magnolia obovata, Rheum palmatum, Acanthopanax sessiliflorun, Atractylodes japonica and Strychnos ignatii inhibited the proliferation of 3T3-L1 fibroblasts, did not influence entirely in differentiation of 3T3-L1 fibroblasts. Treatment of 3T3-L1 fibroblasts with the extract from Ephedra sinica, Trichosanthes kirilowii, Scrophularia buergeriana and Sophora flavescens significantly increased the differentiation of the cells. In conclusion, these may contain such compounds that play a role of insulin-like action.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.451-456
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• 2004

Based on the data from our previous studies, four new diabetic remedies were composed with the addition of Coicis Semen into Okchun-san (OCH), Commelinae Herba into Gangsim-tang (GST) , Scrophulariae Radix into Sunki-san (SKS), and Erythrinae Cortex into Yukmijihuang-hwan (YMG). The water extracts of these new remedies were treated in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts and adipocytes in order to investigate insulin-like substances and insulin sensitizers, respectively. With and without differentiation inducers, unmodified SKS (SKS-O) treatment induced 3T3-L1 fibroblasts into adipocytes more than the control. However, without inducers, YMG treatment, but not SKS, induced the differentiation more than the control among modified remedies. Without inducers, SKS, OCH as well as YMG increased the induction of differentiation from 3T3-L1 fibroblasts into adipocytes, compared to the control. The treatment of OCH and YMG with 1 ng/mL insulin increased glucose uptake much more than only insulin 1 ng/mL treatment. Thus, OCH and YMG contained increased insulin actions. In conclusions, the modified remedies, OCH and YMG, contained insulin-like substances and insulin sensitizers, and they can be improved the hypoglycemic effects.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.145-252
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• 1987

Isolated rat adipocytes are well known to possess opposite pathways of lipid metabolism: lipolysis and ipogenesis. Both of the metabolism respond to various biologically active substances such as epinephrine, ACTH and insulin. Epinephrine and ACTH stimulate lipolysis and insulin accelerates lipogenesis. Recently, Korean red ginseng powder was found to contain adenosine and an acidic poptide which inhibited epinephrine-induced lipolysis and sl imulated insulin-mediated lipogenesis from added glucose. The acidic peptide is consisted mainly of glutamic acid and glucose. Ginsenosides Rb1 and Re inhibited ACTH-induced lipolysis in isolated rat adipocytes, while they did not affect insulinstimulated lipogenesis, Thus, all these substances extracted from Korean red ginseng exhibited selective modulations toward the opposite metabolic pathways in rat adipocyte; They inhibited the lipolysis but not the lipogenesis. We call these substances"selective modulators". Recently, we isolated a toxic substance named "toxohormone-L " from ascites fluid of patients with various malignant tumors. The toxohormone-L stimulated lipolysis in rat adipocytes and induced anorexia in rats. Both the lipolytic and the anorexigenic actions of toxohormone-L were found to be inhibited by ginsenoside Rb2 in Korean red ginseng. Based on these results, physiological signifi¬cances of these substances in Korean red ginseng were discussed. Pan ax ginseng is a medicinal plant long used in treatment of various pathological states including general complaints such as head ache, shoulder ache, chilly constitution and anorexia in cancer patients, There have been many pharmacological studies on Panax ginseng roots. Petkovllreported that oral administration of an aqueous alcoholic extract of ginseng roots decreased the blood sugar levtl of rabbits. Saito2lreported that Panax ginseng suppressed hyperglycemia induced by epinephrine and high carbohydrate diets. These findings suggest that Panax ginseng roots contain insulin-like substances. Previously, we demonstrated that gin¬seng roots contain an insulin-like peptide which inhibits epinephrine-induced lipolysis and stimulated insulin-mediated lipogenesis. In 1984, we suggested that such an insulin-like substance should be called a selective modulator4). Present investigation describes the details of the selective modulators in ginseng roots. During progressive weight loss in patients with various neoplastic disease, depletion of fat stores have been observed. The depletion of body fat during growth of neoplasms is associated with increase in plasma free fatty acids. Recently, we found that the ascites fluid from patients with hepatoma or ovarian tumor and the pleural fluid from patients with malignant lymphoma elicited fatty acid release in slices of rat adipose tissue in vitro. The lipolytic factor, named"toxohormone-L". was purifed from the ascites fluid of patients with hepatoma. The isolated preparation gave a single band on both disc gel electrophoresis and sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS)-acrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of ${\beta}$-mercaptoethanol. Its molecular weight was determined to be 70,000-75,000 and 65,000 by SDS-acrylamide gel electrophoresis and analytical ultracentrifugation, respectively. Injection of toxohormone-L into the lateral ventricle of rats significantly suppressed food and water intakes. There was at least 5 hr delay between its injection and appearance of its suppressive effect. In the present study, we also tried to find a inhibitory substance toward toxohormone-L from root powder of ginseng.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1980.09a
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• pp.53-57
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• 1980

Red ginseng powder was administered at a dose of 2.7 g per day for 3 months to 21 diabetic patients who were under the treatment with insulin. It was found that the ginseng powder was effective to 12 patients and ineffective to 9 patients. Based on these clinical results, experiments were carried out to elucidate factors which concerned with improvement of pathological conditions of diabetes mellitus. In the previous symposium, we reported that red ginseng powder contained an anti-lipolytic peptide, or an insulin-like peptide. In the course of purification of the insulin-like peptide in the ginseng, we found another fraction which possessed anti-lipolytic activity. The anti-lipolytic factor of the fraction was purified by gel filtration on Bio Gel P-2 column and Dowex $50W{\times}4$ column chromatography. The character of the finally purified material was examined by thin-layer chromatography, high-speed liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. With these examinations, the active principle was indentified to be adenosine. Pharmacological significance of these insulin-like substances, the peptide and adenosine, was discussed.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2013

Background: Recently, substances from seaweeds have been widely used in hair growth solutions, and have been proven to be effective. Seaweeds have been documented to possess hair growth activity; however, no report on the effect of seaweed on hair regeneration has been issued to date. In this study, we investigated which exact substance of hair tonic made by JW-bio and our institute shows effects on hair growth by studying the mechanisms of candidate substances. Methods: The study was conducted to investigate the hair restoring effect of domestic natural substances; we categorized the candidate substances as seaweed, cereal, and herbal medicine. Five experimental groups were included in the study as follows: a saline group, a 50% ethanol group, seaweed group, a cereal group, and a herbal medicine group. Results: Three extracts (seaweed, cereal, and herbal medicine) were administered to C57BL/6 mice for two weeks after depilation. Depilated areas were found to be completely covered with fully grown hair, and the hair re-growth score was highest in the seaweed group. Using a hair analysis system, hair characteristics were measured in all groups on days 10 and 14 after depilation. The width and length of hair follicles were largest in the seaweed group. Groups treated with seaweed showed significantly increased gene expression of insulin-like growth factor-1. Groups treated with all the three extracts showed decreased expression of transforming growth factor-${\beta}1$. Conclusion: Findings from our study suggest that seaweeds possess hair-growth effects and may be useful for the treatment of alopecia in the future.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.42-46
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• 2002

Effects of the water extract from Kalopanax pictus NAKAI on insulin-like action and glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 cells were investigated. The bark of K. pictus NAKAI was treated with hot water and the extract was freeze-dried. Total extract of K. pictus NAKAI was fractionated into 6 fractions with increasing gradients from 0 to 100% MeOH on Amberlite XDA-4. Treatment of 3T3-L1 fibroblasts with 1 ${\mu}g/ml$ and 10 ${\mu}g/ml$ of K. pictus NAKAI total extracts significantly increased the differentiation of the cells. When co-treated with inducers such a dexamethasone, 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine and insulin, the differentiation was increased at 1 ${\mu}g/ml$ of total extract, but not at 10 ${\mu}g/ml$. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, glucose uptake was increased by 3.3 times with addition of 0.3 and 3 ${\mu}g/ml$ of Fr. 1 (0-10% MeOH) and Fr. 3 (30% MeOH) at 3 ng/ml insulin. In conclusion, K. pictus NAKAI contains such compounds that play a role of insulin-like action and insulin sensitizer.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.558-562
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• 1988

Localized mesothelioma is a primary pleural tumor that induces hypoglycemia rarely. We experienced a case of the localized mesothelioma that induced hypoglycemia. The patient was 70 year-old man who was admitted to Severance Hospital because of general weakness and mental confusion in morning before breakfast. He was found to have low level of fasting blood sugar and C-peptide, but had normal serum insulin level. After excision of the tumor, the patient was free from symptoms of hypoglycemia, and fasting blood sugar level was returned to normal range. The most likely speculation of causing hypoglycemia by the mesothelioma was thought to be that the tumor did not secrete insulin itself but the undetectable insulin-like substance and/or antigluconeogenic substances. During the follow up, 5 months after surgical removal of tumor, the patient was in a good condition without symptoms of hypoglycemia.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1988.08a
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• pp.28-32
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• 1988

Recently, we isolated a toxic substance named 'toxohormone-L' from ascites fluid of patients with various malignant tumors. The toxohormone-L stimulated lipolysis in rat adipocytes and induced anorexia in rats. Both the lipolytic and the anorexigenic actions of toxohormone-L were found to be inhibited by ginsenoside $Rb_2$ in Korean red ginseng. Isolated rat adipocytes are well known to possess opposite pathways of lipid metabolism: lipolysis and lipogenesis. Both of the metabolism respond to various biologically active substances such as epinephrine, ACTH and insulin. Epinephrine and ACTH stimulate lipolysis and insulin accelerates lipogenesis. Recently. Korean red ginseng powder was found to contain adenosine and an acidic substance which inhibited epinephrine-induced lipolysis and stimulated insulin-mediated lipogenesis from added glucose. The chemical structure of this acidic substance is determined to be pyro-glutamic acid (Pyro-Glu), Pyro-Glu exhibits selective modulations toward the opposite metabolic pathways in rat adipocyte; It inhibits the lipolysis but stimulates the lipogenesis. We call these substances (adenosine, Pyro-Glu) 'selective modulators' or 'insulin-like substances'. Based on these results, physiological significances of these substances in Korean red ginseng were discussed.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.206-213
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• 2017

BACKGROUN/OBJECTIVES: Although studies have revealed that black garlic is a potent antioxidant, its antioxidant mechanism remains unclear. The objective of this study was to determine black garlic's antioxidant activities and possible antioxidant mechanisms related to nuclear factor erythroid 2-like factor 2 (Nrf2)-Keap1 complex. METHODS/MATERIALS: After four weeks of feeding rats with a normal fat diet (NF), a high-fat diet (HF), a high-fat diet with 0.5% black garlic extract (HF+BGE 0.5), a high-fat diet with 1.0% black garlic extract (HF+BGE 1.0), or a high-fat diet with 1.5% black garlic extract (HF+BGE 1.5), plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin,homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were determined. As oxidative stress indices, plasma concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and 8-isoprostaglandin $F2{\alpha}$ (8-iso-PGF) were determined. To measure antioxidant capacities, plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and activities of antioxidant enzymes in plasma and liver were determined. The mRNA expression levels of antioxidant related proteins such as Nrf2, NAD(P)H: quinone-oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione S-transferase alpha 2 (GSTA2) were examined. RESULTS: Plasma glucose level, plasma insulin level, and HOMA-IR in black garlic supplemented groups were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those in the HF group without dose-dependent effect. Plasma TBARS concentration and TAC in the HF+BGE 1.5 group were significantly decreased compared to those of the HF group. The activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the HF+BGE 1.0 and HF+BGE 1.5 groups compared to those of the HF group. The mRNA expression levels of hepatic Nrf2, NQO1, HO-1, and GSTA2 were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the HF with BGE groups compared to those in the HF group. CONCLUSIONS: The improvements of blood glucose homeostasis and antioxidant systems in rats fed with black garlic extract were related to mRNA expression levels of Nrf2 related genes.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 1998

Plasma concentrations of Vitamins E and A were measured in 15 non-insulin dependent Korean female subjects and 15 age-matched normal subjects using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. No differences were found in plasma Vitamin E concentrations between the 2 groups. Plasma Vitamin A concentrations were higher in subjects with non-insulin dependent diabetes melitus (NIDDM). The effects were evaluated of 4 weeks of daily supplementation of 400 mg Vitamin E on plasma levels of these two vitamins. In addition, the effects were observed for Vitamin E supplementation on oxidative stress and immune-related compound productions in non-insulin dependent diabetic patients and control subjects. After treatment with Vitamin E, plasma Vitamin E concentrations were significantly elevated in both groups. Basal plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBABS) were identical, and a decreased level of TBARS caused by Vitamin E was observed only in the diabetic group (0.02739$\pm$0.0024 versus 0.01814$\pm$0.0008 nmols malondialdehyde equivalents/dl plasma ; p<0.05). The basal and after-treatment levels of immunoglobulins A, G, M were identical in control and diabetic groups, indicating that Vitamin E did not appear to alter gross humoral responses in this study. However, elevation of Complement 3 ($C_3$) was noticed due to Vitamin E supplementation, revealing a possible effect of vitamin E on one aspect of humoral immunity, Furthermore, an increase in prostaglandin E_2 ($PGE_2$) levels in diabetic patients was normalized by Vitamin E supplementation. This suggests indirectly that the depressed cell-mediated response due to elevated $PGE_2$ could be normalized. For the definitive antioxidant intake recommendations for prevention and treatment of adverse effects of non-insulin dependent diabetes, evidence from intervention trials like this study should be collected. The present data suggests that Vitamin E may oxen some protective effects against oxidative damage and might have beneficial effects of partial immune-stimulation.