• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.194-201
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• 2005

Purpose: Gall bladder (GB) stones in children are rarely observed, and so reports of them have been quite limited in Korea. Therefore, we tried to assess the epidemiology and clinical features of children with GB stone diagnosed at Severance Hospital. Methods: A clinical study was performed on 18 patients below 15 years of age diagnosed with GB stone by abdominal ultrasonography or CT scan at Severance hospital from January 1999 to May 2005. Results: Concerning patients' profile, their sex ratio of male to female in total 18 cases was 2 : 1 with the mean age of $6{\pm}4.3years$. 15 patients (83.3%) were asymptomatic. Inducing factors were found in 14 children (77.8%) including ceftriaxone therapy in 6 cases (33.3%), infection in 4 cases (22.2%), spherocytosis in 3 cases (16.7%), Down syndrome and abdominal operation in 1 case (5.6%) respectively. Single stone was found in 13 cases (76.5%) and multiple in 4 cases (23.5%). 15 cases (88.2%) had the stones less than 5 mm in size, and 2 cases (11.8%) between 5 and 10 mm. 17 patients received conservative treatment, and one patient had cholecystectomy due to Meckel diverticulum. Conclusion: In this report, Pediatric GB stones are predominant in male children, without typical symptoms, having inducing factors, single and small. Recently the diagnosis of them has been increased because of the development of imaging study. But the reports for them were still rare in Korea. Therefore the study for them is more necessary to find it's clinical characteristics.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.7
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• pp.790-800
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• 2017

As men get older, total testosterone levels decline gradually, and concentrations of free and bioavailable testosterone decline sharply with each decade beyond their 30s. Andropause or testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) is defined as a decrease in sexual satisfaction or decline in general well-being accompanied by low levels of testosterone in older men. This male climacteric is characterized by nervousness, reduced potency, decreased libido, irritability, fatigue, depression, memory problems, sleep disturbances, and hot flushes. Cirsium japonicum (CJ) is used as a traditional medicine for hemorrhage, blood congestion, and inflammation in Korea. However, there is no report on the efficacy of CJ treatment for TDS. In this study, we observed the mitigating effect of CJ extract (CE) and fermented CJ extract (FCE) on symptoms of TDS. In elderly male rats, total and testosterone levels, hind limbs muscles, forced swimming time, and total and motile sperm counts significantly increased after daily intake of CE and FCE for 6 weeks. In contrast, sex hormone binding globulin, retroperitoneal fat, total serum cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were significantly reduced in CE and FCE groups. However, there was no difference in prostate specific antigen, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase levels among all groups, which means CE and FCE did not have putative adverse effects. In a cell experiment, we also observed that CE and FCE enhanced expression of genes related to testosterone biosynthesis but reduced genes involved in testosterone conversion. On the whole, these positive effects on TDS were greater in FCE compared to CE. Thus, these results suggest the potential of FCE as a promising natural product for recovering testosterone levels and alleviating TDS.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.135-141
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• 2003

Physiological responses (cortisol, glucose, lactic acid, osmolality and hematology) of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) to stressors associated with confinement and subsequent transport were investigated. Specimens were subjected to confinement stress for 3 h, prior to transport for 15 h. Two different size cohorts of the fish, large (839.6$\pm$162.7 g) and small (98.2$\pm$14.8 g), were used. Experimental cohorts of the fish were divided into 3 groups for blood sampling: group A, sampled at the beginning of confinement and 3 h before transport (BT, -3 h), after confinement and at the beginning of transport (BT, 0 h), 3 h after transport had begun (AT, 3 h), and after 15 h transport (AT, 15 h); group B, sampled at BT, 0 h, at AT, 3 h, and at AT, 15 h; and, group C, sampled at AT, 3 h, and at AT, 15 h. In the cohort of large fish, plasma cortisol levels of the A group were increased over time, from 4.2 ng/ml (BT,-3 h), to 92.0 ng/ml (BT, 0 h), 118.5 ng/ml (AT, 3 h) and 105.5 ng/ml (AT, 15 h). A similar pattern was evident in the B group, in which cortisol increased from 47.5 ng/ml (BT, 0 h) to 53.5 ng/ml (AT, 15 h); and, for the C group, in which cortisol increased from 43.5 ng/ml (AT, 3 h) to 71.5 ng/ml (AT, 15 h). Glucose levels of the A group also were significantly increased, from 39.5 mg/dl (BT,-3 h), to 121.0 mg/dl (BT, 0 h),298.0 mg/dl (AT, 3 h) and 260.5 mg/dl (AT, 15 h). Lactic acid levels increased markedly during transport, from less than 1 mmol/L (BT, 0 h) to 12.0 mmol/L (AT, 15 h). Plasma osmolality increased from 405.5 mOsm/kg (BT, -3 h, for group A) to values near 500 mOsM/kg subsequent to confinement and transport. In the small-size cohort, plasma cortisol, glucose, lactic acid and osmolality levels showed similar but less pronounced trends than those observed for the large-size cohort. This research provides baseline data on cortisol, glucose, lactic acid, osmolality and hematological responses to confinement and transport, which should be useful to aquaculturists working with olive flounder and to scientists studying other flatfish species.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.132-138
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• 2019

Among several marine-derived microorganisms isolated from the coast of Jeju Island that had antimicrobial activity against fish disease pathogens, Bacillus subtilis MD-02 was tested for its dietary effect on the innate immune response and disease resistance of olive flounder. Strain MD-02 was fed to the olive flounder at a concentration of $1.2{\times}10^4$, $1.2{\times}10^6$, or $1.2{\times}10^8CFU/100g$, respectively. Consequently, the hematocrit was higher in these three groups than that in the control group at 4 weeks, and the aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels were decreased in the $1.2{\times}10^8$ and $1.2{\times}10^4CFU/100$ groups compared with the control group levels. The amylase activity and total protein were significantly increased in the $1.2{\times}10^4CFU/100g$ group at 3 weeks. The innate immune response, determined from the lysozyme and macrophage activities, was higher in the $1.2{\times}10^8CFU/100g$ group than in the control group. In addition, treatment of the olive flounders with Streptococcus parauberis at $1.2{\times}10^6CFU/ml$ confirmed the mortality rate, which was 100% in the control group and 40-60% in the groups fed B. subtilis MD-02, indicating that the fish had resistance to fish disease pathogens. Therefore, it was confirmed that when fed MD-02, olive flounder builds an innate immune response and acquires resistance to fish disease pathogens, indicating that B. subtilis MD-02 can be developed as a beneficial feed additive.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.118-122
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• 2005

Immu-Forte (Dong-Ahm Bio's. Corp., Korea) was evaluated fir its effectiveness as a nonspecific immunostimulator in mice. The effects of Immu-Forte were determined by analysis of cytokines using ELISh and phenotype of leukocyte subpopulations using monoclonal antibodies specific to mouse leukocyte differentiation antigens and flow cytometry. CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, macrophages, IL-12 and IFN-r in Immu-Forte EX-treated middle dose group increased in 3 months posttreatment and were significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of control at 3 months posttreatment. All T cells, all B cells, macrophages, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-12 in Immu-Forte EX-treated low dose uoup increased in 3 months posttreatment and were significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of control at 3 months posttreatment. In the Immu-Forte soy-treated group, CD4 T cells, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-12 were significantly higher in high dose-treated group, and CD 4 T cell, macrophages, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-12 were significantly higher in middle dose-treated group, and all T cell, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-12 were significantly higher in low dose-treated group. In the Itnmu-Forte A-treated group, macrophages, m cells and IL-12 in high dose-treated group and all T cells, macrophages, NK cells, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-12 in middle dose-treated group and NK cells in low dose-treated group were significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of control at 3 months posttreatment. In the Immu-Forte F-treated Group, all B cells, IL-4 and IL-12 in high dose-treated group and all T cells, aBl B cells, CD 4 T cells, CD8 T cells, macrophage, IL-2, IL-4, IL-12 and IFN-r in middle dose-treated group and NK cells and IL-12 in low dose-treated group were significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of control at 3 months posttreatment. In conclusion, the study has demonstrated that Immu-Forte had an immunostimulatory effect on mice through proliferation and activation of mouse immune cells.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.975-988
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• 2010

Two experiments were conducted to determine whether water extracts from Artemisia capillaries (A. capillaries) and Camellia sinensis (C. sinensis) could be used as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in broiler feed. The experiment 1 was verified their chemical composition, extracts yields, total phenolic compounds concentration, antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity, and chicken splenocytes proliferation through in vitro test. The extract yields of A. capillaries and C. sinensis were 26.5 and 16.8%, respectively. Total phenolic compounds concentrations of them expressed as gallic acid equivalent were 15.28 and 26.74 mg/mL, respectively. Electron donating abilities of them expressed as $SC_{50}$ showing 50% DPPH radical scavenging were 0.30 and 0.06 mg, respectively. Bacterial inhibitory rates of them against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella Typhimurium were ranged from 42.1 to 52.3% and from 21.6 to 33.7%, respectively. And, these extracts increased proliferation of chicken splenocytes. Especially, A. capillaris was more excellent than Echinacea and Concanavalin A known as T-cell stimulator. The experiment 2 was investigated their effects on growth performance, relative organ weight, cecal microflora, blood biochemical parameters, and splenic cytokines mRNA expression in broiler chicks. Four hundred eighty 1-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were divided in to 4 treatment groups with 4 replicates of 30 birds in each group: NC (control, no antibiotics), PC (avilamycin, 10 ppm; salinomycin, 60 ppm), AC (A. capillaries, 100 ppm), and CS (C. sinensis, 100 ppm); treatments were administered through water supplementation. Final body weight was significantly higher in all treated groups than in NC (p<0.05). Cecal Salmonella numbers were significantly or somewhat decreased in all treated groups than in NC (p<0.05). The relative weights and lengths of the small intestine were more significantly decreased in the PC and AC groups than in the other groups. Cecal Salmonella numbers were significantly or somewhat decreased in all treated groups than in the NC group (p<0.05). The contents of total cholesterol, aspatate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase in blood serum were more significantly decreased in all treated groups than in NC (p<0.05). In conclusion, these results suggested the possibility that these extracts could serve as alternatives for antibiotic growth promoters.