• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.684-691
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• 2019

Background: We have reported that defective nef and gag genes are induced in HIV-1-infected patients treated with Korean Red Ginseng (KRG). Methods: To investigate whether KRG treatment and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) affect genetic defects in the pol gene, we amplified and sequenced a partial pol gene (p-pol) containing the integrase portion (1.2 kb) by nested PCR with sequential peripheral blood mononuclear cells over 20 years and compared it with those patients at baseline, in control patients, those taking ginseng-based combination therapy (GCT; KRG plus combinational antiretroviral therapy) and HAART alone. We also compared our findings to look for the full-length pol gene (pol) (3.0-kb) Results: Twenty-patients infected with subtype B were treated with KRG for $116{\pm}58months$ in the absence of HAART. Internal deletion in the pol gene (${\Delta}pol$) was significantly higher in the KRG group (11.9%) than in the control group and at baseline; its detection was significantly inhibited during GCT as much as during HAART. In addition, the ${\Delta}pol$ in p-pol significantly depended on the duration of KRG treatment. In pol, the proportion of ${\Delta}pol$ was significantly higher in the KRG group (38.7%) than in the control group, and it was significantly inhibited during GCT and HAART. In contrast, the proportion of stop codon appeared not to be affected by KRG treatment. The PCR success rate was significantly decreased with longer GCT. Conclusion: The proportion of ${\Delta}pol$ depends on template size as well as KRG treatment. HAART decreases the detection of ${\Delta}pol$.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.167-178
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• 1995

It has been believed that the increased release of free oxygen radicals and their tissue damaging potency might be a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. Antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase(SOD) and catalase can protect the tissue damage from the free oxygen radicals($O_2^-,H_2O_2$, and $OH^-$). In order to investigate the SOD- and catalase - activity in the blood plasma and red blood cells(RBCs) of the patients with perodontitis, 19 male periodontitis patients($25{\sim}35$ years old) who had good general health, more than 10 teeth with severely inflamed gingiva, attachment loss more than 6mm and bone loss were selected as periodontitis group, and 13 male volunteers($22{\sim}29$ years old) with good general and periodontal health were selected as normal group. After blood plasma and RBC were separated from peripheral blood of 2ml collected from antecubital vein of each subject, SOD- activity in blood plasma and RBCs was measured by the same method that Paoletti et al. did, and catalase - activity in RBC was measured by the same method that Beers et al, did. The difference of SOD- and catalase - activity between the normal and the periodontitis groups was statistically analyzed by Student t-test with SPSS/PC program.The results were as follows : 1. SOD activity in blood plasma was significantly lower in the periodontitis group($1.986{\pm}0.893$) than in the normal group($3.324{\pm}1.044$)(p<0.05). 2. There was no statistical significance in the difference of SOD- activity in RBCs between the periodontitis group($7.753{\pm}3.206$) and the normal group($8.116{\pm}1.192$)(p$242.8{\pm}45.6$) than in the normal group($280.2{\pm}32.6$)(p

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.35-52
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• 1997

In order to investigate experimentally that Bovis Calculus, Ursi Feli Aqua-acupuncture(BUA) have an effect on Adjuvant Arthritis in rats, the author inserted BUA at points corresponding with Chok-samni(ST36) and T'aegye(KI3), and observed an inhibitory rate of edema and pain, variations of White blood cell(WBC), Red blood cell(RBC), Hemoglobin(Hb) in blood. The author also observed the histological changes of joint tissue. The results were as follows : 1. The BUA group during the 6th and 9th were decreased with statistical significance in inhibitory rate of paw edema as compared with the control group. 2. The BUA group during the 3rd and 9th day were decreased with statistical significance in inhibitory rate of pain as compared with the control group. 3. The BUA group during the 3rd, 6th and 9th day were decreased with statistical significance in blood WBC as compared with the control group. The blood RBC and Hb didn't have statistical significance. 4. According to the histological studies, the synovial cells were necrotized at the 3rd, 6th and 9th day control group, but some synovial cells were necrotized at the 3rd day BUA group. The synovial cells of the the 6th and 9th day BUA group were recovered more than that of the 3th day group.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.10
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• pp.560-564
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• 2012

The role of peroxiredoxin (Prx) I as an erythrocyte antioxidant defense in red blood cells (RBCs) is controversial. Here we investigated the function of Prx I by using Prx $I^{-/-}$ and Prx I/$II^{-/-}$ mice. Prx $I^{-/-}$ mice exhibited a normal blood profile. However, Prx I/$II^{-/-}$ mice showed more significantly increased Heinz body formation as compared with Prx $II^{-/-}$ mice. The clearance rate of Heinz body-containing RBCs in Prx $I^{-/-}$ mice decreased significantly through the treatment of aniline hydrochloride (AH) compared with wild-type mice. Prx I deficiency decreased the phagocytic capacity of macrophage in clearing Heinz body-containing RBCs. Our data demonstrate that Prx I deficiency did not cause hemolytic anemia, but showed that further increased hemolytic anemia symptoms in Prx $II^{-/-}$ mice by attenuating phagocytic capacity of macrophage in oxidative stress damaged RBCs, suggesting a novel role of Prx I in phagocytosis of macrophage.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.66-71
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• 2012

Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense is often used in treatment of human disease such as hemorrhage, blood congestion and inflammation. This study was accomplished to evaluate the antioxidant properties of the leaf (CLE) and flower (CFE) extracts of C. japonicum var. ussuriense to protect normal human red blood cells (RBC) and plasma samples against oxidative damage in vitro. CLE and CFE were prepared by extracting with hot water. In red blood cells and plasma, oxidative hemolysis and lipid peroxidation induced by the aqueous peroxyl radical generator [2,2'-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride, AAPH] were significantly suppressed by CLE or CFE in a dose-dependent manner at the same time. CLE and CFE also prevented the depletion of cytosolic antioxidant glutathione (GSH) in RBC. These results suggest that the leaves and flowers of C. japonicum var. ussuriense may have the antioxidant properties.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.127-131
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• 2022

Feline hemotropic mycoplasmosis (hemoplasmosis) is an infection of the red blood cells caused by the Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf), Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum (CMhm), and Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis (CMt). The existence of Mhf, CMhm, and CMt has been demonstrated in feral cats in Korea using molecular methods, but no clinical cases have yet been reported. This study reports 2 clinical cases of hemotropic mycoplasmosis caused by CMhm and CMt in 2 anemic cats. The first case was a client-owned intact female domestic shorthair cat that presented with fever, pale mucous membranes, and normocytic normochromic non-regenerative anemia. Prior to referral, an immunosuppressive prednisolone dose was administered at the local veterinary clinic for 1 month. The cat was diagnosed with high-grade alimentary lymphoma. Organisms were found on the surface of the red blood cells on blood smear examination. The second case was of a rescued cat that presented with dehydration and fever. The cat had normocytic normochromic non-regenerative anemia. Necropsy revealed concurrent feline infectious peritonitis. Polymerase chain reaction assay targeting 16S rRNA revealed CMhm infection in case 1 and dual infection of CMhm and CMt in case 2. Normocytic normochromic non-regenerative anemia was observed in both cats before and during the management of the systemic inflammation. This is the first clinical case report in Korea to demonstrate CMhm and CMt infections in symptomatic cats.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.192-198
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• 2021

Red yeast rice has been extensively used as food and traditional medicine for thousands of years in East Asian countries. It is produced by the fermentation of a particular yeast (in general, Monascus purpureus) as rice and various cereals (barley, soybean, etc.). Monascus sp. produces many secondary metabolites during its growth, including pigments, monacolins, and γ-aminobutyric acid. Some metabolites―specifically, monacolin K, γ-aminobutyric acid, dimerumic acid, and monascus pigments―have been reported to lower cholesterol and blood pressure while showing anti-obesity effects. In this study, we investigated the anti-obesity effect of ethanol extract from red yeast barley (RYB) fermented with Monascus sp. BHN-MK 2 on 3T3-L1 cells. The anti-obesity effects of RYB extract were examined: its lipid accumulation inhibitory effect was tested by Oil Red O staining, and obesity-related mRNA expression levels were tested by real-time RT-PCR in MDI stimulated 3T3-L1 cells. The intracellular lipid content of MDI-stimulated 3T3-L1 cells decreased significantly to 5.04%, 12.24%, and 23.52% in response to 200, 400, and 800 ㎍/ml RYB, respectively. Moreovers, we evaluated that RYB extract significantly downregulated the expression of C/EBPα, SREBP-1, and PPAR-γ gene in a dose-dependent manner. As a result, red yeast barley ethanol extracts exerted the strongest anti-obesity effects. Also, the results indicate that red yeast barley could be used as a functional anti-obesity food material.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.577-584
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• 2018

Background: Ginseng (Panax ginseng) is a widely used traditional herbal supplement that possesses various health-enhancing efficacies. Various ginseng products are available in market, especially in the Korean peninsula, in the form of drinks, tablets, and capsules. The different ginseng types include the traditional red ginseng extract (RGE), white ginseng, and black red ginseng extract (BRGE). Their fermented and enzyme-treated products are also available. Different treatment regimens alter the bioavailability of certain compounds present in the respective ginseng extracts. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to compare the antioxidant and immune-stimulating activities of RGE, BRGE, and fermented red ginseng extract (FRGE). Methods: We used an acetaminophen-induced oxidative stress model for investigating the reduction of oxidative stress by RGE, BRGE, and FRGE in Sprague Dawley rats. A cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression model was used to evaluate the immune-stimulating activities of these ginseng extracts in BALB/c mice. Results: Our results showed that most prominently, RGE (in almost all experiments) exhibited excellent antioxidant effects via increasing superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities in the liver and decreasing serum 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase levels compared with the groups treated with FRGE and BRGE. Moreover, RGE significantly increased the number of white blood cells, especially T and B lymphocytes, and antibody-forming cells in the spleen and thymus, and it also activated a number of immune cell subtypes. Conclusion: Taken together, these results indicate that RGE is the best supplement for consumption in everyday life for overall health-enhancing properties.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.40-51
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• 2006

To investigate the association between Korean red ginseng (KRG) intake in HIV-1 infected patients and occurrence of grossly deleted nef genes ($g{\Delta}nef$), we characterized nef genes in 10 long-term slow progressors (LTSP) infected with HIV-1 subtype B and 34 control patients. LTSP was defined whose the annual decrease in CD4 T cells was less than $20/{\mu}l$ over 10 years in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. They were treated with KRG for a prolonged period. Nef genes were amplified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using nested PCR and products were sequenced directly. Patient CD4 T cell counts decreased from $444{\pm}207/{\mu}l$ to $294{\pm}177/{\mu}l$ over $136{\pm}23$ months of KRG intake. This corresponds to an annual decrease in the level of CD4 T cells of $13.3/{\mu}l$. A total of 479 nef genes were amplified from 137 PBMC samples. Nine out of the 10 patients, 47 (34.3%) out of the 137 samples, and 92 out of the 479 genes revealed $g{\Delta}nef$. The deletion extended outside the nef gene in 25 $g{\Delta}nef$ obtained from 6 patients. The proportion of samples with $g{\Delta}nef$ (34.3%) was significantly higher than 4.8% in control patients (P<0.001). In addition, it significantly increased as the duration of KRG intake prolongs (P<0.01). These data suggest the possibility that occurrence of $g{\Delta}nef$ might be associated with long-term intake of KRG.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.75-82
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• 1982

Normal range of mercury contents in blood and its relationship with urinary mercury excretion were studies with 68 healthy male adults living in Seoul city, who had no obvious evidence of .either occupational exposure to mercury or therapeutic use of mercurial agents. Mercury analysis was made by means of dithizone colorimetric method with coefficient of variation of 10.9% in .an average ranging from 5.1% to 18.0%. 1. Mercury contents in normal human blood were both normally and log-normally distributed, and better fitted to the latter. 2. Geometric mean and standard deviation of the mercury contents were $24.0(log^{-1}1.38){\pm}1.66{\mu}g/100ml(log^{-1}0.22{\mu}g/100ml)$ ranging from 7.2 to 79.7 ${\mu}g/100ml$ with 95% confidence interval. 3. Mercury contents in normal human blood differed from person to person (p<0.01), and the variability of the measurements was negligible (p>0.05). 4. Mercury in the blood was contained much higher in erythrocytes than in plasma (p<0.01), showing the geometric means of $21.0{\pm}1.25{\mu}g/100ml$ in red blood cells and $14.3{\pm}1.62{\mu}g/100ml$ in plasma, respectively. 5. Mercury contents in normal human blood had a relationship of power function with mercury excretion in urine corrected with a gram of creatinine excretion per liter of urine (p<0.10).