Cordyceps militaris, a caterpillar-grown traditional medicinal mushroom, produces an important bioactive compound, cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine). Cordycepin is reported to possess many ...pharmacological activities including immunological stimulating, anti-cancer, anti-virus and anti-infection activities. The molecular mechanisms of cordycepin on pharmacological and biochemical actions of macrophages in inflammation have not been clearly elucidated yet. In the present study, we tested the role of cordycepin on the anti-inflammation cascades in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. In LPS-activated macrophage, nitric oxide (NO) production was inhibited by butanol fraction of C. militaris and the major component of C. militaris butanol faction was identified as cordycepin by high performance liquid chromatography. To investigate the mechanism by which cordycepin inhibits NO production and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression, we examined the activation of Akt and MAP kinases in LPS-activated macrophage. Cordycepin markedly inhibited the phosphorylation of Akt and p38 in dose-dependent manners in LPS-activated macrophage. Moreover, cordycepin suppressed tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) expression, IkappaB alpha phosphorylation, and translocation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB). The expressions of cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were significantly decreased in RAW 264.7 cell by cordycepin. Taken together, these results suggest that cordycepin inhibits the production of NO production by down-regulation of iNOS and COX-2 gene expression via the suppression of NF-kappaB activation, Akt and p38 phosphorylation. Thus, cordycepin may provide a potential therapeutic approach for inflammation-associated disorders.
Sanitary evaluation of seawater and Pyropia sp. laver collected from the five major laver growing areas in Korea was performed four times over the course of a year. The seawater quality in four of ...these five areas was regarded as the clean area according to Korean criteria, but the seawater at one investigation site in Seoheon area was found to exceed the standard for fecal coliform. In the bacteriological safety analysis of laver (raw source), the percentages of samples not conforming to Chinese criteria at the five sites were 55.6% (Seocheon), 70.0% (Shinan), 81.8% Jindo (Haenam), 63.6% (Wando), and 28.6% Goheung (Jangheung). Pathogenic bacteria were not detected in all laver samples. The food safety of laver (raw source) based on heavy metal concentration was confirmed using Korean criteria; the concentrations of heavy metals in laver samples collected from the major laver growing areas were 0.008-0.632 mg/kg wet weight (ww) lead, 0.024-0.137 mg/kg ww cadmium, 0.908-2.892 mg/kg ww total arsenic, and 0.003-0.013 mg/kg ww total mercury. Therefore, pollution source management and periodic monitoring of heavy metals may be required to improve the food safety of laver produced in these laver growing areas.
Ketosis-prone 당뇨병은 전형적인 1형 당뇨병의 형태를 보이지 않으면서 특별한 유발인자 없이 당뇨병성 케톤산증을 유발하는 특징을 보이는 질환이다. 임상적인 특징은 제1형 당뇨병과 제2형 당뇨병사이의 형태를 보이며 췌장의 베타세포 기능 보존 여부 및 자가항체 여부가 병태 생리기 전과 예후 및 임상경과에 중요하다. 최근들어 분류기준 및 아형에 대한 ...보고가 이루어지고 있으며 Aβ분류가 가장 정확하고 예후 예측에 도움이 된다. 국내에서는 현재까지 3 예의 Ketosis-prone 당뇨병환자들이 문헌상에 보고되어 있으며 저자들은 최근 경구 혈당 강하제 복용 중에 발생한 당뇨병성 케톤산증으로 내원하여 Ketosis-prone 당뇨병으로 진단되어 치료 받은 환자 1예를 경험하였다. 이에 총 4 예의 국내 Ketosis-prone 당뇨병환자들의 임상적, 생화학적 특징 및 치료, 예후 등에 대해서 문헌고찰과 함께 보고하는 바이다.
Ketosis-prone diabetes (KPD) is a widespread, heterogeneous syndrome characterized by diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) or unprovoked ketosis without a precipitating cause that is not necessarily associated with the typical phenotype of autoimmune type 1 diabetes. The presence or absence of β-cell autoimmunity and β-cell functional reserve are important for pathophysiology, clinical course, and outcome. Recently, a few classifications were reported that were clinically and etiologically useful for predicting outcomes. The "A β" classification system of KPD has proven to be highly accurate and predictive of clinically important outcomes such as glycemic control and insulin dependence. We reviewed four Korean cases of KPD that manifested with DKA, along with a review of the related literature. (Korean Clinical Diabetes J 11:342-348, 2010)
Background. DNA ploidy and S‐phase fraction measured by DNA flow cytometry were shown to correlate with several clinicopathologic characteristics in several types of tumors.
Methods. DNA flow ...cytometry was performed on 329 samples (164 normal mucosa, 165 tumors) obtained from 165 patients (112 men) with stomach cancer, and the findings were correlated with various clinicopathologic characteristics of the patients in a prospective manner.
Results. Seventy‐nine of 165 samples (48%) from the tumors gave an aneuploid histogram. None of 164 samples from the normal mucosa showed aneuploidy. There was no significant difference in the frequency of DNA aneuploidy in terms of age, sex, symptom duration, bleeding history, gastric outlet obstruction, weight loss, performance status, serum hemoglobin level, albumin level, creatinine level, tumor size, tumor location in the stomach, and TNM stage. Moderately well differentiated tumors had a significantly higher frequency of aneuploidy compared to well differentiated or undifferentiated tumors. S‐phase fraction was obtained in 162 of 164 samples from the normal mucosa, and 123 of 165 samples from the tumors. The overall mean of the S‐phase fraction was 4.01% (range, 0.5–23.6%) for the normal mucosa and 13.8% (range, 0–51.9%) for the tumors. Higher S‐phase fraction of tumors was correlated with history of weight loss, poorer performance status, and histologically less differentiated tumors.
Conclusions. The overall frequency of aneuploidy was 48% in stomach cancer. DNA aneuploidy showed significant correlation with histologic differentiation of tumors. S‐phase fraction of the tumors showed significant correlation with history of weight loss, performance status of the patients, and histologic differentiation of tumors.
The seasonal variation in the proximate composition, pH, and glycogen contents of oystersCrassostrea gigas collected in Geoje and Jaran Bays on the southern coast of Korea was studied between March ...2012 and February 2013. In the Geoje Bay oysters, the moisture content was 77.49-81.50 g/100 g, lipids ranged between 1.22 and 2.47 g/100 g, proteins between 9.46 and 13.11 g/100 g, and ash between 1.88 and 2.58 g/100 g. In the Jaran Bay oysters, the moisture content was 74.22-82.05 g/100 g, lipids comprised 1.32-2.37 g/100 g, proteins 9.19-13.35 g/100 g, and ash 1.96-2.45 g/100 g. The moisture content was highest in October and January in Geoje and Jaran Bay, respectively, and tended to increase from July until September. The highest protein levels occurred in August in both bays, which coincided with the timing of oocyte maturation, and then decreased at the beginning of total spawning. The highest lipid levels occurred in April in Geoje Bay, and February in Jaran Bay. The glycogen content was 0.40-2.28 g/100 g in Geoje Bay, and 0.61-3.53 g/100 g in Jaran Bay, and was highest in February and decreased from March onwards. The lowest glycogen content occurred in September and then increased from October onwards. The pH ranged between 6.29 and 6.48, and 6.32 and 6.59, for Geoje and Jaran Bay, respectively, and was highest in February.
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