• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.251-258
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• 2022

Silk fibroin microparticles were fabricated using a phase separation technique between silk fibroin solution and polyvinyl alcohol. We found that the concentration of polyvinyl alcohol determines the size of microparticles. The mean diameter of the silk fibroin microparticles varied from 3.48 ㎛ to 4.05 ㎛. The silk fibroin microparticle size increased as a function of the concentration of PVA in aqueous silk solution. The resulting silk fibroin microparticles have narrow size distribution (i.e. monodisperse) and smooth/spherical surface. Also, we studied the effects of mouse serum, sodium phosphate buffer (PBS), and pH on the stability of the silk fibroin microparticles. Overall, we demonstrated the simple method to fabricate and to control the silk fibroin microparticles that makes our silk microparticles to be usable for a potential drug delivery carrier.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.677-685
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect on plasma levels of lipid and lipid peroxidation by administration of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus) fermented Orostachys malacophyllus (FOM) in alcohol fed rats. Male Sprague-dawley rats were randomly divided into seven groups: normal diet group (N), alcohol treated group (C), 2.5% (w/w) or 5% (w/w) OM treated group (2.5OM, 5OM), 2.5% (w/w) or 5% (w/w) fermented OM treated group (2.5FOM, 5FOM) and silymarin treated group (SM) as a positive control. As a result of measuring serum total lipid, C group were increased total lipid, free fatty acid content and were decreased HDL-cholesterol content, but 5FOM group were significantly decreased lipid content and were increased HDL-cholesterol content and accordingly reduced the incidence of atherosclerosis. Serum total protein content was similarly measured in all groups and serum albumin content was decreased in alcohol feeding groups compared to the N group. The 5FOM group had significantly decreased liver and serum triglycerides compared to the C group. The TBARS content in the liver, serum, testis, kidney, spleen, and heart were slightly decreased in the 5FOM group compared to the C group and the 5FOM group had an increased glutathione concentration. The 5FOM treatment was showed analogous results to those of the SM treatment, suggesting that FOM is can improve the lipid profiles of alcohol-fed rats.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.185-191
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• 2009

Although alcohol drinking may cause fatty liver to induce hepatocytic injury, other factors lead to it. We designed this study to investigate the differences in serum iron, cardiac, and biochemical indices in men with fatty liver and the difference between alcohol drinkers (Alcohol group) and non-drinkers (Non-alcohol group). The alcohol group had higher body indices than the non-alcohol group. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), and right and left intraocular pressure in the alcohol group were higher than those in the non-alcohol group. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and monocyte counts were higher in the alcohol group than in the non-alcohol group. Alanine aminotransferase, ${\gamma}$-glutamyltranspeptidase, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, creatinine, uric acid, iron, total iron binding capacity, and ferritin levels in the alcohol group were greater than those in the non-alcohol group. The present data reveals that alcohol-induced fatty liver has more elevated level of iron indices than in non-alcohol fatty liver as well as biochemical and cardiac indices, indicating that alcohol- induced fatty liver may cause possibility of adult diseases including cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.459-466
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• 1998

To investigate the effect of coffee consumption during pregnancy on serum lipids in maternal and infants` umbilical cord blood, 76 cases of newborn infants and women delivered o f a child who had delivered at hospital located in Chung-Ju city from Feb. 1, 1996 to Aug. 31, 1996 were studied. The gestational ages of cases were 37 to 42 weeks and the average maternal ages were $28.3{\pm}4.63$ years old without any other medical or obstetric problems. Infants` Apgar scores and birth weights were decreased by above 3 cups per day of coffee consumption during pregnancy. No relationships between coffee consumption during pregnancy and maternal serum lipid levels were observed. However, serum total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels in infants` umbilical cord were significantly increased with increasing coffee consumption during pregnancy. In contrary to coffee consumption, alcohol drinking habits affected maternal serum lipid levels but not serum lipid levels in infants` umbilical cord blood. Coffee consumption during pregnancy increased caffeine concentration in infants` umbilical cord blood. These results suggest that caffeine from maternal consumption of coffee can easily pass to the fetus and significantly affect serum lipids levels in infants` umbilical cord blood rather than those in maternal blood.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1371-1380
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• 2013

The effect of Monascus-fermented Angelica gigas Nakai (AFAG) on the contents of serum lipids and tissue lipid peroxidation was investigated in alcohol feeding rats (Alc group). The serum contents of total lipid and free fatty acid in the alcohol feeding rats were significantly increased, but these increases tended to decrease in the AFAG group. The content of serum triglyceride was also significantly decreased in the AFAG group compared to the other groups. The serum content of total-cholesterol was not significantly different between the normal group and the AFAG group. The content of HDL-cholesterol in serum was slightly increased in the AFAG group compared to the Alc group. The content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the liver, heart, spleen, and testis were significantly increased in the Alc group compared to the normal group, but these increases were significantly decreased in the AFAG group. The content of liver zinc was decreased in the Alc group and it was significantly increased in the AFAG group, which suggested that the lipid peroxidation contents are inversely correlated with the liver zinc content. The hepatic glutathione concentration was significantly decreased in the Alc group, but this content was significantly increased in the AFAG group, and it showed the antioxidant ability of glutathione. These activities were also compared to the standard silymarin drug treatment. Thus, the findings of the present study indicated the significant antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic activity of Monascus-fermented Angelica gigas Nakai against ethanol-induced toxicity.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1099-1104
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• 2017

Objective: This work was to find the correlation of alcohol dehydrogenase 1C (ADH1C) genotype with vitamin A reduction and carcass traits during the vitamin A restriction period. Methods: In study 1, 60 Korean native steers were fed a diet (890 IU/kg) with 8,000 IU and 0 IU of supplemental premix vitamin A/kg of dry matter (DM) for control and treatment group, respectively. The levels of serum vitamin A were analyzed through high preparative performance liquid chromatography, and the ADH1C genotype was analyzed based on polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP; 78.1% TT type, 21.9% TC type); however, CC type was not found. Then, the interaction between ADH1C and carcass traits on the vitamin A restriction was investigated in study 2. A total of 136 Korean native steers were fed a diet that included 930 IU/kg vitamin A of DM. Results: Serum vitamin A in treatment was reduced to 112.4 IU/dL in steers with TT type of ADH1C, while for steers with TC type the concentration of serum vitamin A was dropped to 79.5 IU/dL (p<0.1) in study 1. This showed that TC type had the potential to lower serum vitamin A concentration during vitamin A restriction compared to TT type. In study 2 we found that eye muscle area, marbling and carcass weight in Korean native steers with TC type were higher than in steers with TT type (p<0.05). Conclusion: The interaction between vitamin A restriction and TC type of ADH1C gene could have the potential of increasing the marbling in Korean native steers. These results indicated that steers with TC type of the ADH1C gene were more sensitive to the change of serum vitamin A than TT types. Furthermore, this finding has the potential to enable a higher marbling score under the condition of vitamin A restriction in Korean native steers.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.2 s.27
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• pp.15-24
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• 1980

[${\alpha}$]-Amylase catalyses the hydrolysis of starch, glycogen, and related poly- and oligosac-charide by random cleavage of ${\alpha}$-D-(l-4) glucan linkage. In man large amounts of amylase are secreted into the digestive tract by the salivary and exocrine pancreatic gland, minimal amount being produced also in other tissues. It has been known that ${\alpha}$-amylase exists in multiple molecular forms, isoenzyme which can be separated from each other because of difference in their physicochemical properties. By using various methods, several groups of investigator have separated the many isoenzyme in serum, saliva and pancreatic juice. Furthermore, changes of the normal serum isoenzyme pattern is diagnostically useful even when the total serum enzyme activity is noninformative, such as the clinical use of isoenzyme of serum lactate dehydrogenase. Procarboxypeptidase-A which is one of the pancreatic enzymes is also present as isoenzymes. Four forms of procarboxypeptidase-A haye been found in the bovine enzyme and three forms of the porcine enzyme. In human pancreatic juice four forms of procarboxypeptidase-A isoenzyme were found by isoelectric focusing method. Recently, the so-called isoamylase analysis was developed for the diagnostic use of amylase in pancreatic diseases. In alcohotic patients, the serum concentration of pancreatic isoamylase is subnormal and this lowered activity provides strong evidence for pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the variations of the isoenzyme of amylase and procarboxypeptidase-A in serum, saliva and pancreatic juice of the experimental animals. The results are as follow. 1) Three main forms of isoenzyme of amylase by isoelectric focusing were found in pancreatic juice of normal rabbit. However, many new bands were appeared in the pancreatic juice of cholic acid administered animal intravenously while the infusion of cholic acid or elastase into pancreatic duct produced the decrease of number of the fractions on the isoelectric focusing. In the case of serum isoenzyme from normal animal, two major and a few minor isoamylases were observed. By injecting alcohol intravenousely the fractions of serum isoamylase were significantly decreased and in contrary to the pattern in the pancreatic juice the infusion of cholic acid or elastase into pancreatic duct exhitited a significant decrease of the isoenzyme of amylase fractions. In saliva from normal animal three main isoamylase were produced of the administration of alcohol. 2) In the case of procarboxypeptidase-A isoenzyme, two major fractions which have isoelectric point at 6.2 and 6.4 and other two minor bands were observed in the pancreatic juice of normal rabbit. By the treatment of the juice with trypsin, only one band was produced on the isoelectric focusing. No procarboxypeptidase was appeared on the electrofocusing by the infusion of cholic acid or phospholipase A into the pancreatic duct of rabbit. However, a single major fraction of procarboxypeptidase-A was appeared at 3 hr after simple ligation of the pancreatic duct. No significant changes were observed in the juice of the alcohol or cholic acid administered group.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.34-43
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• 2005

The poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based thin film composite nanofiltration (NF) membranes were prepared by coating polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes, sulfonated polyethersulfone and polyamide NF membranes with aqueous PVA solution by a pressurizing method. The PVA was cross-linked with aqueous glutaraldehyde solution. The NF membranes coated with a very low concentration of PVA on all the support membranes was successfully prepared. With increasing the hydrophilicity of the support membranes, the water flux increased. Especially, ζ-potential of negatively charged polyamide NF membrane was reduced by coating the membrane with PVA. A fouling experiment was carried out with positively charged surfactant, humic acid, complex of humic acid and calcium ion and bovine serum albumin. A non-coated polyamide NF membrane was significantly fouled by various foulants. The fouling process when using humic acid and protein occurred at the isoelectric point. There was severe fouling when using humic acid and adding bivalent cations. By coating the polyamide NF membrane with aqueous PVA solution, fouling was reduced. The polyamide NF membrane coated with PVA was resistant to the acidic and basic solution.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5695-5699
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• 2012

We investigated the relationships between demographics, lifestyle characteristics, and serum total prostate specific antigen (PSA) concentration and examined the population-based distribution of total PSA by age among 2,246 Korean men with a median age of 45 years. We obtained data about demographic and lifestyle characteristics based on self-reporting using a quetionnaire. We also performed physical examinations, anthropometric measurements, and biochemical measurements. The PSA concentration increased with age and there was a significant difference in total PSA concentration between the age groups of 21-60 years and >60 years. Age >60 years, height ${\geq}1.8$ m, a low frequency of alcohol consumption, and taking nutritional supplements showed a significantly increased odds ratio for increased PSA when 3.0 ng/mL was chosen as the PSA cut-off level. Smoking status, BMI, percent body fat, diabetes mellitus, fatty liver, herbal medicine use, vitamin use, and diet were not significantly associated with total PSA regardless of the cut-off level. When interpreting a single PSA test, height, alcohol consumption, and nutritional supplement use should be considered, in addition to age.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.72 no.2
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• pp.163-168
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• 2012

Background: Cigarette smoke induced release of iron could alter iron metabolism in the lungs of chronic smokers and contribute to the increase in the total oxidative burden on the lungs of smokers. In previous studies, ferritin levels of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in smokers were elevated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between serum ferritin concentration, smoking and lung function in Korean people. Methods: This study was based on the data acquired in the second year (2008) of the Forth National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey that was conducted from 2007 to 2009. The analysis included 2,244 subjects who were older than 20 years and had complete data from both lung function test and serum ferritin concentration. Among participants, 1,076 were male and 1,168 were female. Results: Mean serum ferritin concentrations in males were $120.3{\pm}80.1{\mu}g/L$ and $47.9{\pm}39.8{\mu}g/L$ in females. There were no differences in serum ferritin concentrations between non-smokers and smokers after adjusting for age, body mass index, and amounts of alcohol. Serum ferritin concentrations were associated with smoking amounts by simple linear regression but not associated with smoking amounts after adjustment with age, body mass index, and amounts of alcohol in both males and females. Lung function was not associated with serum ferritin concentrations. Conclusion: Our data suggested that serum ferritin concentrations are not related with smoking and lung function.