• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.409-415
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• 2013

We attempted to determine the action target of Shiitake mushroom extract with a known anti-hyperlipidemic effect in poloxamer(P) 407-induced hyperlipidemia model. We investigated the anti-hyperlipidemic effects of the water extract from Shiitake mushroom on the progress of high fat diet for 4 weeks. Experimental rats were divided into 5 different experimental groups including an normal group (normal diet; n=10), control group (hyperlipidemia; n=10), Experimental group I (hyperlipidemic rats treated with Shiitake mushroom extract (100 mg/kg, PO), n=10), Experimental group II (hyperlipidemic rats treated with Shiitake mushroom extract (300 mg/kg, PO), n=10), and Experimental group III (hyperlipidemic rats treated with Shiitake mushroom extract (500 mg/kg, PO), n=10). It is to analysis changes in body weight, visceral fat weight, blood lipid profiles, HMG-CoA reductase and histological findings. Body weight and epididymal fat weight was not significantly change in experimental groups (p>0.05). The level of total cholesterol, TG, arthrogenic index, and HMG-CoA reductase were significantly lower in experimental groups than control group (p<0.05). These results suggested that the Shiitake mushroom extract administration may act by inhibitory the release of cholesterol related factors and HMG-CoA from the hepatocyte without liver and kidney cell damage in hyperlipidemia rats.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.578-584
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• 2017

Purpose: Excess intake of sodium is a major diet-related risk factor for human diseases including hypertension and cancer as well as obesity and inflammation. However, findings are still controversial, and evidence is lacking in Koreans. Therefore, for better understanding of the role of dietary sodium intake in disease etiology, this study investigated the effects of dietary sodium intake on adiposity, inflammation, and hormones in Koreans. Methods: A total of 80 males and females joined the study. The general characteristics and dietary intake data were investigated by trained interviewers using a questionnaire and 24-h dietary recall, respectively. For the markers of adiposity, body weight, body mass index, percent of body fat, visceral fat area, and waist and hip circumference were measured. For the inflammation and hormone markers, leptin, adiponectin, insulin, tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$, and interleukin-6 were also analyzed. Results: Multivariate linear regression analyses suggested that dietary sodium intake was not associated with adiposity. However, dietary sodium showed a significant association with insulin level: Plasma insulin concentration increased with sodium intake independent of other dietary intake or percent of body fat (${\beta}=0.296$, adjusted $r^2=0.276$, p < 0.01). Other markers for inflammation and hormonal responses were not associated with dietary sodium intake. Conclusion: Findings suggested that dietary sodium intake may be a critical modifying factor in the level of plasma insulin. However, it showed a limited effect on obesity and other inflammation markers and hormone levels. These findings should be confirmed in larger, well-designed investigations.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.49-59
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• 2017

Objectives : This study evaluated the efficacy of electroacupuncture therapy using an insulated needle in adults with abdominal obesity. Methods : This study was a randomized, double-blind, parallel-designed pilot trial. Sixteen participants eligible according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly divided into an insulated needle group and a control group. Insulated or common needles were inserted at acupoints located on the abdomen (CV12, CV6, ST25, ST27, SP15) and were electrically stimulated for 30 minutes (16 Hz, within tolerable strength). A total of 10 sessions of treatment were performed twice per week for 5 weeks. All participants were requested to maintain their usual diet and lifestyle. The outcome measures were waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and abdominal computed tomography (CT) of the total fat area (TFA), subcutaneous fat area (SFA), and visceral fat area (VFA). Results : A total of 12 participants divided into the insulated needle group (n = 5) and the control group (n = 7; common needle) were treated for 10 sessions and analyzed per-protocol (PP). WC decreased significantly after 10 sessions in both groups. The WC, TFA, SFA, and VFA of abdominal CT in the insulated needle group decreased more than in the control group; however, there were no significant differences in any parameter between the insulated needle group and the control group. Patients in the insulated needle group were more strongly stimulated with electrical stimulation than patients in the control group. Conclusion : Electroacupuncture using insulated needles in adults with abdominal obesity might be a more effective treatment than common needles. Additional studies are required to compensate for the limitations of this pilot study and to verify the results and efficacy.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.136-147
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• 2007

Objective : Recently there are a lot of attempts to treat obesity through energy expenditure. Especially UCP-1 and PPAR-${\delta}$ is known to play a key role for energy dissipation through the increasing thermogenesis. Gambi-hwan extract is a traditional medicine made of herbs containing the polyunsaturate fatty acids related to the energy expenditure. It is expected to reduce the weight by means of the expression of UCP-1 and PPAR-${\delta}$. Meterial and Method : We divided 21 rats into 3 groups and assigned 8 rats respectively. The normal group was administered normal diet, the control group was administered high-fat diet, and the G50 group was administered high-fat diet with Gambi-hwan extracts50 mg/kg. And then the weights of body, food intake, the changes of lipids in blood stream, and the expressions of UCP-1 and PPAR-${\delta}$ on adipose tissues were measured respectively. Result : The reduction of body weight and the increasing tendency of expression of UCP-1 and PPAR-${\delta}$ mRNA were shown in G50 group. In the G50 group the Triglyceride level is decreased and the HDL-cholesterol level and the expression of PPAR-${\delta}$ and UCP-1 protein on Visceral adipose tissue were significantly increased. Conclusion : This result indicates that Gambi-hwan Extract upregulate the expression of UCP-1 and PPAR-${\delta}$ in adipose tissue, which may contribute to reducing the weight of adipose tissue.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2013

Recent studies have shown that Rosa canina L. and tiliroside, the principal constituent of its seeds, exhibit anti-obesity and anti-diabetic activities via enhancement of fatty acid oxidation in the liver and skeletal muscle. However, the effects of rosehip, the fruit of this plant, extract (RHE), or tiliroside on lipid accumulation in adipocytes have not been analyzed. We investigated the effects of RHE and tiliroside on lipid accumulation and protein expression of key transcription factors in both in vitro and in vivo models. RHE and tiliroside inhibited lipid accumulation in a dose-dependent manner in 3T3-L1 cells. We also analyzed the inhibitory effect of RHE on white adipose tissue (WAT) in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity mice model. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed HFD or HFD supplemented with 1% RHE (HFDRH) for 8 weeks. The HFDRH-fed group gained less body weight and had less visceral fat than the HFD-fed group. Liver weight was significantly lower in the HFDRH-fed group and total hepatic lipid and triglyceride (TG) content was also reduced. A significant reduction in the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR${\gamma}$) was observed in epididymal fat in the HFDRH-fed group, in comparison with controls, through Western blotting. These results suggest that downregulation of PPAR${\gamma}$ expression is involved, at least in part, in the suppressive effect of RHE on lipid accumulation in WAT.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.104-110
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• 2015

Objectives: The herb of Agastache rugosa (AR) is a traditional herbal medicine used for colds, vomiting and furuncles. However, there are few reports to investigate the inhibitory effects of AR on obesity. In this study, the effects of AR on high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and its mechanism of actions were investigated in experimental animals. Methods: The mice were fed HFD for 4 weeks to induce obesity. After randomly divided into normal fat diet, HFD and AR groups, 200 mg/kg of AR was administrated for 4 weeks with continuous HFD feeding while vehicle was orally treated to HFD group. Food intake and body weight were recorded weekly. Results: Increased body weight by HFD was improved by AR treatment. AR administration inhibited an increase of visceral fat weight as well as adipocyte hypertrophy. Hepatic steatosis was ameliorated in AR-treated mice. In addition, treatment of AR attenuated the expression of adipogenic transcription factor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma in the epididymal adipose tissue. Also the increased serum leptin level by HFD was maintained in AR group, leading to inhibition of food intake. Conclusions: AR treatment showed inhibitory effects on HFD-induced obesity by inhibition of PPAR-gamma and reduction of food intake. AR could be an alternative treatment for obesity.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.239-245
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• 2017

In the current study, the relationships between abdominal adipose tissue depots and skinfold thickness, body circumference and composition, and blood lipids and pressure were investigated in adolescent obese man. Total abdominal adipose tissue (TAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were correlated with skinfold thickness. Especially subscapular skinfold was highly correlated with TAT and SAT, and it was found that chest skinfold was the only predictor for estimating visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Body circumference and body composition were associated with TAT and SAT, not VAT, and correlation coefficient of waist circumference was highest. On the other hand, body fat mass was highly correlated with TAT and SAT than %body fat and fat free mass. It was also shown that blood triglyceride concentration and systolic blood pressure were the only predictor for estimating VAT and SAT respectively.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1100-1106
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of Hatha Yoga exercise on serum leptin and metabolic syndrome factors in obese and menopausal middle-aged women. The subjects were 26 obese women divided into the Hatha Yoga exercise group (n=13), which trained for 16 weeks, and the Control group (n=13). Variables of body composition, serum leptin and metabolic syndrome factors were measured in all the subjects before and after the 16-week Hatha Yoga training. The results of the study in the Hatha Yoga group were as follows: body weight, % fat, BMI, WC, WHR and VFA had significantly decreased, but SMM had increased. HDL-C had significantly increased, but leptin, TC, TG, LDL-C, insulin, glucose and HOMA-IR had decreased. The main variables affecting changes in VFA were % body fat, BMI, WHR, TC, LDL-C, glucose, and HOMA-IR. Therefore, regular and continuous Hatha Yoga exercise was effective in improving body composition, visceral fat and serum lipids. Consequently, Hatha Yoga exercise will be effective in preventing cardiovascular disease caused by obesity in obesew and menopausal middle-age women.

• CELLMED
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.3.1-3.7
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• 2019

Recent researches on adipocytes in human and mice model have reported that the adipocytes are not only the fat depots but having role in maintenance of physiology and metabolism through adipokines released by them in accordance to their anatomical location. Ayurveda scholars too have mentioned different tissues like Vasa (inter muscular fat), Meda (visceral fat) and Majja (bone marrow) which are predominantly rich in adipocytes similar to adipose tissues, with a different sites, functions, compositions and pathological outcomes. The metabolic effect of Meda and Majja Dhatu on other tissues like muscle (Mamsa Dhatu), bone (Asthi Dhatu) and reproductive tissue (Shukra Dhatu) shows their functional interdependence. The detailed description of therapeutic indications of Vasa and Majja under Snehakarma (oleation therapy) illustrates that clinical physiology of these tissues have been elaborated rather than general physiology. This article is an attempt to comprehend the physiological aspect of Vasa, Meda and Majja retrospectively on the basis of their therapeutic indication for the management of variety of disorders, in the form of Sneha through different therapeutic procedures. An effort has been also taken to distinguish Vasa, Meda, Majja based on the functional peculiarities of adipocytes present in different sites of body like omentum, muscle and bone marrow. Critical observation of explanations of Vasa, Meda and Majja in Ayurveda compendia and advanced research in field of adipocytes reflected that Ayurveda scholars had deep insights regarding the various dimensions of adipocytes, most of which are in consistent with the advanced physiology and biomolecular studies of adipocytes.

• Archives of Obesity and Metabolism
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.74-77
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• 2022

Treatment of obesity includes diet therapy, exercise therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, drug therapy, and bariatric surgery. Most obese patients lose weight by combining diet, exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy or medication. But, in some cases, only one of these treatments is preferred. A 56-year-old male patient had a body mass index (BMI) of 33.1 kg/m² and a waist circumference of 108 cm. He had been treated for hypertension; diabetes and dyslipidemia were diagnosed but not treated. However, at the initial visit to treat obesity, he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia again. So he decided to treat these two diseases with drugs first and modify his lifestyle. He started walking more than 20,000 steps every day and then he really walked about 15,000 steps every day during 5 months, although diet calorie or alcohol drinking amount was not significantly decreased. After about 6 months, the patient's weight decreased by 10.1 kg, the BMI decreased by 4.1 kg/m², the waist circumference decreased by 10 cm, the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) decreased by 4.59%, the visceral fat area decreased by 115 cm², and the subcutaneous fat decreased by 38 cm². As a result of body composition analysis, muscle mass increased by 1.2 kg, and the percentage of body fat decreased by 10.4%. The walking exercise does not have any space restrictions and has high accessibility by using a mobile phone app. Therefore, considering the patient's situation, it would be better to treat obese patients by first recommending walking exercises and increasing the number of steps to lose weight and improve the comorbidities.