• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.762-770
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• 2022

Hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes can be alleviated by promoting cellular glucose uptake. Betulinic acid (3β,-3-hydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid) is a pentacyclic lupane-type triterpenoid compound. Although there have been studies on the antidiabetic activity of betulinic acid, studies on cellular glucose uptake are lacking. We investigated the effects of betulinic acid on glucose uptake and its mechanism of action in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Betulinic acid significantly stimulated glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by increasing the phosphorylation of the insulin receptor substrate 1-tyrosine (IRS-1tyr) in the insulin signaling pathway, which in turn stimulated the activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt). The activation of PI3K and Akt by betulinic acid translocated glucose transporter 4 to the plasma membrane (PM-GLUT4), thereby increasing the expression of PM-GLUT4 and thus stimulating cellular glucose uptake. Betulinic acid also significantly increased the phosphorylation/activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase. The activation of PI3K and AMPK by betulinic acid was confirmed using the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin and the AMPK inhibitor compound C. The increase in glucose uptake induced by betulinic acid was significantly decreased by wortmannin and compound C in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These results suggest that betulinic acid stimulates glucose uptake by activating PI3K and AMPK in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.119-125
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• 1974

Uptake amount, percent translocation to grain and grain yield efficiency of N. P. K. Si were investigated with N. P. K simple trials (countrywide, 1967~69) and other nitrogen fertiltzer field trials in relation to yield class. 1) Uptake rate with yield increase were similar in all nutrients but silica showed greater yearly variation. 2) In N. P. K simple trials showing very low nitrogen efficiency(46kg grain/ nitrogen uptake kg) it and percent translocation increased with yield increase. 3) Nitrogen efficiency deacreased with the increase of nitrogen uptake and the decreasing rate depends greatly on fertilizer forms and variety. Nitrogen efficiency was greater in sandy loam where yield was higher than in clay loam. 4) Nitrogen efficiency positively correlated with percent translocation. 5) In high yielding fields yield was attributed only to the increase of nitrogen uptake, keeping efficiency around 50. 6) Major factor for high yield is considered as the increase of nitrogen efficiency rather than nitrogen uptake. 7) Phosphorus efficiency in N. P. K. simple trials was considerably low, suggesting too much uptake due to soil reduction.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.904-913
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• 1995

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of exercise programs on the treatment of chronic diseases. For this purpose, nine middle-aged women suffering from such chronic diseases as obesity, hypertension and coronary heart disease(CHD) were sampled to perform a 4-month-long exercise program which required the lactate threshold(LT) level corresponding to 70% of maximal oxygen uptake(VO2max). Thereupon, their physiques, physical fitness, blood components and physiological varibles were compared pre and post of exercise program. The results were summarized as follows ; 1) After the 4-month-long exercise program, %fat was significantly decreased, while such variables as grip strength, side step, trunk flexion and leg balance were significantly increased. 2) Blood components such as TG, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, hemoglobin and hematocrit did not show and change in after exercise program. 3) Physiological varables such as HR, SBP, DBP, HR/LT, SBP/LT, DBP/LT, RPE/LT, VE/LT, VO2/LT and VO2 max showed significant increase after 4-month exercise program. These results suggest that regular aerobic exercise in a long period might help to decrease % fat and to increase aerobic capacity in middle-aged women suffering from chronic diseases.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.435-438
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• 2003

Iron required by all organisms is related with diverse biological processes. Most eukaryotes need extra iron to maintain their nutrition balance. However, extra iron supplement gives many problem to solubility in the cells. To increase the bio-availability of iron in cells, yeast was applied to carry the iron with solubility. Selection of yeast mutants with enhanced iron uptake were performed by mutagenesis using the alkylation agent EMS. Eleven mutant strains with enhanced iron uptake were selected by the measurement of iron content with atomic absorption spectrometer. The iron content in mutants was 1.5- to 2.5-fold more than that in wild-type. These mutants could be served as iron-fortified nutrients for food and feed.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.24-33
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• 1990

The changes in water uptake rate, cooking properties, color of rice grains and gelatinization properties of brown and milled rices during storage were studied. The brown and milled rices were stored at $4^{\circ}$ and $25^{\circ}C$ for 5 and 3 months, respectively. The water uptake rate constants of rices during hydration at $30^{\circ}$ were linearly decreased during storage. The volume increase rate also showed similar trend to the water uptake rate. The terminal point of cooking of milled rice at $100^{\circ}$ in a sealed brass vessel was about a half of that of brown rice. The cooking rate of milled rice was 1.8 times faster than that of brown rice. The cooking rate constant of both brown and milled rices linearly decreased with the increase of storage time. The L(lightness) value increased for brown rice grain and remained unchanged for milled rice grain during storage. The peak viscosity of rice flours by amylograph increased during storage, but enthalpy for gelatinization decreased, as measured by differential scanning calorimetry.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.180-189
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Recent living condition improvements, changes in dietary habits, and reductions in physical activity are contributing to an increase in metabolic syndrome symptoms including diabetes and obesity. Through such societal developments, humankind is continuously exposed to metabolic diseases such as diabetes, and the number of the victims is increasing. This study investigated Cordyceps militaris water extract (CMW)-induced glucose uptake in HepG2 cells and the effect of CMW treatment on glucose metabolism. MATERIALS/METHODS: Colorimetric assay kits were used to determine the glucokinase (GK) and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activities, glucose uptake, and glycogen content. Either RT-PCR or western blot analysis was performed for quantitation of glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 alpha ($HNF-1{\alpha}$), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3k), protein kinase B (Akt), phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (pAMPK), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, GK, PDH, and glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta ($GSK-3{\beta}$) expression levels. The ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ inhibitory activities of acarbose and CMW were evaluated by absorbance measurement. RESULTS: CMW induced glucose uptake in HepG2 cells by increasing GLUT2 through $HNF-1{\alpha}$ expression stimulation. Glucose in the cells increased the CMW-induced phosphorylation of AMPK. In turn, glycolysis was stimulated, and glyconeogenesis was inhibited. Furthermore, by studying the mechanism of action of PI3k, Akt, and $GSK-3{\beta}$, and measuring glycogen content, the study confirmed that the glucose was stored in the liver as glycogen. Finally, CMW resulted in a higher level of ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ inhibitory activity than that from acarbose. CONCLUSION: CMW induced the uptake of glucose into HepG2 cells, as well, it induced metabolism of the absorbed glucose. It is concluded that CMW is a candidate or potential use in diabetes prevention and treatment.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.150-157
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• 2001

Intestinal absorption of dietary taurine is one of the regulatory component maintaining taurine homeostasis along with renal reabsorption, bile acid conjugation and secretion, and de nobo synthesis of taurine in mammals. Recent observations of decreased enterocytic levels of taurine in response to trauma, infection and surgical insults, postulate the possibility that intestinal taurine absorption might be impaired in such stressed conditions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate changes in enterocytic taurine transporter activity using the human intestinal colon carcinoma cell line, HT-29, in various stress-induced conditions. Pretreatment of the HT-29 cells with dexamethasone, a stress hormone(0.1,1,10 or 100$\mu$M) for 3 hrs, or with E coli heat-stable enterotoxin(10, 100, or 200nM) for 30 minutes in order to induce the condition of enterotoxigenic infection did not influence taurine uptake as compared to the value found in control cells. In contrast, pretreatment of the cells with cholera toxin(10, 100, 500, or 1000ng/ml)for 3hr or 24hr significantly decreased taurine uptake by HT-29 cells to 40~50% of the value found in untreated control cells. Kinetic studies of the taurine transporter activity were conducted in control and cholera toxin treated HT-29 cells with varying taurine concentrations(2~60$\mu$M) in the uptake medium. Pretreatment of the cells with cholera toxin(100ng/ml) for 3hr did not influence the Vmax, but resulted in a 55% increase in the Michaelis-Menten constant(Km) of the taurine transporter compared to those in control cells. These results suggest that cholera toxin-induced reduction in taurine transporter activity in HT-29 cells is associated with decreased affinity of the taurine transporter without altering the amount of transporter protein. Intestinal taurine absorption appears to be reduced in the condition of water-borne diseases caused by bacteria such as V. cholerae. This might influence the taurine status of infants and young children more readily, an age group in which the prevalence of intestinal infection is high and the role of intestinal absorption is crucial for maintaining the body taurine pool. (Korean J Nutrition 34(2) : 150-157, 2001)

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.729-735
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• 2021

Type 2 diabetes occurs when there is an abnormality in the tissue's ability to absorb glucose. Glucose uptake and metabolism by insulin are the basic mechanisms that maintain blood sugar. Glucose uptake goes through various signaling steps initiated by the binding of insulin to receptors on the cell surface. In line with the foregoing, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 2,7-phloroglucinol-6,6-bieckol (PHB), an active compound isolated from Ecklonia cava, on glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Notably, PHB increased glucose uptake in a dose-dependent manner owing to the enhanced glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) expression in the plasma membrane of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These effects of PHB were attributed to the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 and protein kinase B (PKB or AKT), as well as to the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activation in the insulin signaling pathway. PHB also stimulated 5' AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation and activation. The phosphorylation and activation of the PI3K/AKT and AMPK pathways by PHB were identified using wortmannin (a PI3K inhibitor) and compound C (an AMPK inhibitor). In this study, we showed that PHB can increase glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by promoting GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane via the PI3K and AMPK pathways. The results indicate that PHB may help improve insulin sensitivity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.86-93
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• 2022

Lupeol is a type of pentacyclic triterpene and has been reported to have pharmacological activities against various diseases; however, the effect of lupeol on glucose absorption has not been elucidated yet. This study aimed to investigate the effect of lupeol on glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Lupeol significantly facilitated glucose uptake by translocating glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) to the plasma membrane of the 3T3-L1 adipocytes, which was related to activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) and 5 'adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathways. In the PI3K/AKT pathway, lupeol stimulates the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1), which activates PI3K. Its activation by lupeol promotes the phosphorylation of AKT, but not the atypical protein kinase C isoforms ζ and λ. Lupeol also promoted the phosphorylation of AMPK. The activation of AMPK increased the expressions of the plasma membrane GLUT4 and the intracellular glucose uptake. The increase in the glucose uptake by lupeol was suppressed by wortmannin (PI3K inhibitor) and compound C (AMPK inhibitor) in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The results indicate that lupeol can facilitate glucose uptake by increasing insulin sensitivity through the stimulation of the expression of plasma membrane glucose transporter type 4 via the PI3K/AKT and AMPK pathways in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.183-189
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• 2011

Caffeine and capsaicin increase resting energy metabolism. However, most measurements have been conducted in short-term studies. Therefore, we investigated the effects of caffeine and capsaicin on energy expenditure and energy substrate utilization in resting rats for 6 h. The caffeine (Experiment 1) experiment included four male rats aged 5 weeks and measured the effects of oral administration of caffeine (10 or 50 mg/kg) on respiratory gas, energy expenditure, and energy substrate oxidation for 6 h. Experiment 2 included four male rats aged 6 weeks to measure the effects of capsaicin (10 mg/kg) using the same method as in Experiment 1. The results of Experiment 1 indicated that O₂ uptake and carbohydrate oxidation after caffeine administration for 2 h was higher in the 10 mg trial than that in the 50 mg or placebo trials (P < 0.05). However fat oxidation was not significantly different. In contrast, capsaicin (Experiment 2) observed no differences between the placebo and the capsaicin trials. In conclusion, caffeine initially increased the resting energy consumption for 2 h, and this energy expenditure was due to carbohydrate oxidation. Capsaicin did not change oxygen uptake, respiratory exchange ratio, fat oxidation, or carbohydrate oxidation.