BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: An imbalanced adipokine profile in obesity increases the susceptibility to obesity-related cardiometabolic alterations, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The mulberry plant has been reported to have health benefits, such as hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective effects.This study examined the effects of a mulberry (Morus alba L.) fruit ethanol extract (MBEE) on dyslipidemia, liver steatosis, and adipokine imbalance in response to a high-fat diet.MATERIALS/METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to one of 4 groups containing 6 rats each and fed either a control diet (CON), a high-fat diet (HFD), or a high-fat diet with MBEE of 150 mg/kg/day (LMB) or 300 mg/kg/day (HMB). The triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities were measured spectrophotometrically.The leptin, adiponectin, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The plasma TG levels were similar in the 4 groups. Plasma cholesterol and lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and TC/HDL-C ratio increased in the HFD group compared with the CON group, whereas those values decreased in the LMB group (P < 0.05), indicating that MBEE had a plasma lipid-lowering effect. HDL-C decreased in the HFD group, but MBEE did not affect the HDL-C level. The HFD rats significantly increased hepatic TG and cholesterol levels and plasma ALT and AST activities compared to the CON group. The hepatic TG level and ALT and AST activities were reduced markedly by the MBEE treatment. The HFD group showed a higher PAI-1 level, whereas MBEE treatment, especially in the HMB group, significantly reduced leptin level, and leptin/adiponectin and PAI-1/ adiponectin ratios. These findings suggest that MBEE altered the imbalance between the proand anti-inflammatory adipokines to a more anti-inflammatory state. CONCLUSIONS MBEE could protect against abnormal lipid metabolism and hepatic steatosis induced by a high-fat diet, lowering plasma cholesterol, LDL-C and TC/HDL-C, and hepatic TG. These findings are associated with the regulating effect of MBEE on the leptin/ adiponectin and PAI-1/adiponectin ratios.

PURPOSE: To examine effects of a postnatal care program on self-efficacy, self-management, and glycemic control in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: A non-equivalent control group non-synchronized quasi-experimental design was used. Sixty-two women with GDM were enrolled and assigned to either an experimental group (n=30) or a control group (n=32). The experimental group received an intervention which was postnatal care program for women with GDM. The postnatal care program for GDM included an individual education with leaflet and mobile web-based video with three times of telephone counseling. Effects of the intervention were measured with self-efficacy, self-management questionnaire, and a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (75g OGTT). Statistical significance was examined using independent t-test and χ2-test. RESULTS: Although there was no significant difference in 75g OGTT (χ2=.11, p=.748) or self-management (t=−1.28, p=.206), there was a statistically significant increase in self-efficacy (t=−2.02, p=.048) in the experimental group compared to that in the control group. CONCLUSION: A postnatal care program is needed for women with GDM to improve their self-efficacy. Further studies are warranted to improve self-management and glycemic control through tailored education for GDM postpartum women.
Blood Glucose ; Counseling ; Diabetes, Gestational* ; Education ; Female ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Humans ; Postnatal Care* ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Self Care* ; Telephone

PURPOSE:The study was carried out to characterized the clinical and the laboratorial features of children with mitochondrial respiratoy chain disorders in Korea. METHODS:We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and the loboratorial data of 28 children with significantly low activities in respiratory chain complexes of muscle using spectrophotometry. RESULTS:The mean age was 6.67+/-4.44 years and the ratio males to female was 1.15:1. Eighteen patients (64.3%) showed defects in Complex I, 8 (28.6%) in Complex VI, 1 (3.6%) in Complex II, and 1 in Complex I and IV. Eight cases (28.6%) were diagnosed with Leigh disease, one with MELAS, Kearns-Sayre syndrome, and Alpers disease retrospectively, but the predominant clinical presentations were a nonspecific encephalopathy (17/28, 60.7%). Epilepsy was seen in 21 (75.0%) patients, while developmental delay in 27 (96.4%) patients. Fifteen out of 28 children (53.6%), clinical symptoms mostly appeared below age of 1 year. The brain MRI showed diffuse cortical atrophy in 18 (64.3%) patients and basal ganglia signal changes in 12 (42.9%) patients. CONCLUSION:The defects in mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes should be considered in any children with an unexplained neurological condition including even epilepsy.
Atrophy ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Child* ; Diffuse Cerebral Sclerosis of Schilder ; Electron Transport* ; Epilepsy ; Female ; Humans ; Kearns-Sayre Syndrome ; Korea ; Leigh Disease ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; MELAS Syndrome ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Retrospective Studies ; Spectrophotometry

Symptoms of tuberous scelrosis (TS) are mainly related with brain and kidneys. Seizure, mental retardation, other behavioral problems are dominant. A spectrum of renal tumors from benign angiomyolipoma (AML) to polycystic kidney disease, and rarely malignant renal cell carcinoma have been observed. Cystic AML is a rare phenotype of AML. No case of TS with renal cystic AML has been reported in Korea yet. And chronic kidney disease (CKD) in TS has been seldom reported. We experienced a TS case accompanied by renal cystic AML and CKD diagnosed in a 48-year-old female patient who was hospitalized for left side weakness and seizure under the diagnosis of acute cerebral infarction.
Angiomyolipoma* ; Brain ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Kidney ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Phenotype ; Polycystic Kidney Diseases ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic* ; Sclerosis* ; Seizures ; Tuberous Sclerosis

Cyclosporine is an immunosuppressive agent that plays an important therapeutic role for organ transplantation. However, complications due to type 1 renal tubular acidosis, albeit rare, have been reported. We experienced a case of severe metabolic acidosis associated with cyclosporine administration after renal transplantation. A 54-year old man was hospitalized for seizure, confusion and weakness. He demonstrated severe metabolic acidosis and hypokalemia. Continuous renal replacement therapy was started and sodium bicarbonate was administered to correct the acidosis and the dosage of cyclosporine was reduced. Thereafter, the cyclosporine level in whole blood decreased gradually, and the metabolic acidosis improved.
Acidosis ; Acidosis, Renal Tubular ; Cyclosporine ; Hypokalemia ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Organ Transplantation ; Renal Replacement Therapy ; Seizures ; Sodium Bicarbonate ; Transplants

It has been reported that IgA nephropathy is associated with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. However, crescentic glomerulonephritis or nephrotic syndrome are relatively rare. We experienced a patient with IgA nephropathy complicated with alcoholic liver cirrhosis who showed favorable clinical outcomes through steroid treatment. A 54-year-old man with alcoholic liver cirrhosis was hospitalized for generalized edema, nephrotic-range proteinuria and azotemia. We performed a renal biopsy and crescentic formations were found in half of the glomeruli. After use of steroid, azotemia and proteinuria improved gradually.
Alcoholics ; Azotemia ; Biopsy ; Edema ; Glomerulonephritis ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic ; Middle Aged ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Proteinuria

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Few studies have evaluated the effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on the prognosis of patients diagnosed with gastric cancer (GC) after curative surgery. We investigated the association between the H. pylori infection status and clinical outcome after surgery. METHODS: We assessed the H. pylori status of 314 patients who underwent curative resection for GC. The H. pylori status was examined using a rapid urease test 2 months after resection. Patients were followed for 10 years after surgery. RESULTS: An H. pylori infection was observed in 128 of 314 patients. The median follow-up period was 93.5 months. A Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that patients with H. pylori had a higher cumulative survival rate than those who were negative for H. pylori. Patients with stage II cancer who tested negative for H. pylori were associated with a poor outcome. In a multivariate analysis, H. pylori-negative status was a significant independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Having a negative H. pylori infection status seems to indicate poor prognosis for patients with GC who have undergone curative resection. Further prospective controlled studies are needed to evaluate the mechanism by which H. pylori affects GC patients after curative surgery in Korea.
Follow-Up Studies ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Korea ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate ; Urease