PURPOSE: In this study, we investigated the effects of jaceosidin on blood glucose regulation in type 1 diabetic mice. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups; normal control (Normal), diabetes control (D-Control), diabetes low-jaceosidin (D-0.005%), and diabetes high-jaceosidin (D-0.02%). Type 1 diabetes was induced by streptozotocin and mice were then fed a diet containing jaceosidin for eight weeks. Fasting blood glucose, oral glucose tolerance test, insulin tolerance test, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzyme activities were assessed. RESULTS: Jaceosidin supplementation for eight weeks had no effect on body weight, organ weight, and blood lipid profiles. However, jaceosidin supplementation significantly lowered fasting blood glucose level and reduced insulin resistance. We also found that jaceosidin supplementation increased antioxidant capacity by enhancement of catalase and GSH-px activities. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that jaceosidin could be a therapeutic candidate to ameliorate hyperglycemia through increase of antioxidant enzyme activity.
Animals ; Antioxidants* ; Blood Glucose ; Body Weight ; Catalase ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diet ; Fasting ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Hyperglycemia ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Mice* ; Organ Size ; Streptozocin

OBJECTIVES: The accumulated evidence shows that adult disease may have origins during the fetal period and maternal environmental exposure may affect fetus and infant health. To assess the environmental health of fetus and infants and examine women's concerns about environmental health, we designed and conducted an environmental health survey in reproductive-aged women in 2011. METHODS: A stratified multi-stage design was adopted for our survey, and 1,000 reproductive-aged women aged 25 to 39 years participated. The participants were asked to complete an electronic questionnaire using the computer-assisted web interviewing method. All the participants were married woman, and 80% had experienced pregnancy before completing the survey. RESULTS: In the study, 86.3% of the participants responded that they are worried about the environmental problems that may affect the fetus and infant. The participants responded that they were most worried about global warming and climate change (36.2%), electromagnetic waves (31.4%), and endocrine disrupting chemicals (25.1%). Moreover, participants responded that environmental problem can cause children's allergic disease, such as atopic dermatitis, metabolic syndrome and growth development. CONCLUSION: We found reproductive-aged women have high awareness of children's environmental health. We also recommended that additional surveys on mother and child environmental health be conducted to make a health policy for women, fetus and infant.
Adult ; Child ; Climate Change ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Electromagnetic Radiation ; Endocrine Disruptors ; Environmental Exposure ; Environmental Health* ; Female ; Fetus* ; Global Warming ; Health Policy ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Infant Health ; Infant* ; Methods ; Mothers ; Pregnancy

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Nelumbo leaves have been used in traditional medicine to treat bleeding, gastritis, hemorrhoids, and halitosis. However, their mechanisms have not been elucidated. MATERIALS/METHODS: The present study prepared two Nelumbo leaf extracts (NLEs) using water or 50% ethanol. Inflammatory response was induced with LPS treatment, and expression of pro-inflammatory mediators (inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 and nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) productions were assessed. To determine the anti-inflammatory mechanism of NLEs, we measured nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activity. Major metabolites of NLEs were also analyzed and quantified. RESULTS: NLEs effectively reduced the expression and productions of pro-inflammatory mediators such as IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, PGE₂, and NO. NLEs also reduced NF-κB activity by inhibiting inhibitor of NF-κB phosphorylation. Both extracts contained catechin and quercetin, bioactive compounds of NLEs. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we showed that NLEs could be used to inhibit NF-κB-mediated inflammatory responses. In addition, our data support the idea that NLEs can ameliorate disease conditions involving chronic inflammation.
Catechin ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Dinoprostone ; Ethanol ; Gastritis ; Halitosis ; Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhoids ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukins ; Macrophages ; Medicine, Traditional ; Metabolomics ; Necrosis ; Nelumbo* ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Phosphorylation ; Quercetin ; Water

Korean raspberry, Rubus coreanus Miquel (RCM), contains high concentrations of phenolic compounds, which prevent oxidative stress. To determine the effect of RCM on antioxidant capacity in humans, we assessed in vivo lipid oxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities from plasma in 15 healthy men. The subjects ingested 30 g of freeze-dried RCM daily for 4 weeks. Blood was taken at baseline and at the end of the study to determine blood lipid profiles, fasting plasma glucose, liver function, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzyme activities. RCM supplementation had no effect on blood lipid or fasting plasma glucose concentrations but decreased alkaline phosphatase activity. RCM supplementation increased glutathione peroxidase activities (P < 0.05) but had no effect on lipid peroxidation. These results suggest that short-term RCM supplementation may offer health benefits by enhancing antioxidant capacity in a healthy population.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; Humans ; Insurance Benefits ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; Phenol ; Plasma

Understanding the long-term kinetics of antibodies in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is essential in interpreting serosurvey data. We investigated the antibody response one year after infection in 52 mildly symptomatic patients with severe acute respiratory syndromecoronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, using three commercial immunoassays and a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) kit. Anti-N pan-immunoglobulin (Ig), anti-S IgG, and anti-S1 IgG were detected in 43 (82.7%), 44 (84.6%), and 30 (57.7%), respectively. In 49 (94.2%), the antibody could be detected by either anti-N pan-Ig or anti-S IgG assay. In the sVNT, 30 (57.7%) had positive neutralizing activity. Despite waning immunity, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies can be detected up to one year after infection, even in mild COVID-19 patients.

Background: The objective of this article is to assess the mental health issues of the mild condition coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients admitted to a community treatment center (CTC) in Korea. Methods: A total of 107 patients admitted to a CTC were included as the study population, and their mental health problems including depression (patient health questionnaire-9), anxiety (generalized anxiety disorder scale-7), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (PTSD checklist-5) and somatic symptoms (by patient health questionnaire-15) were evaluated every week during their stay. The stigma related to COVID-19 infection was evaluated with an adjusted version of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) stigma scale. Results: During the first week of isolation, the prevalence of more-than-moderate depression was 24.3%, more-than-moderate anxiety was 14.9%, more-than-moderate somatic symptoms was 36.5% and possible PTSD was 5.6% of total population. For depression and anxiety, previous psychiatric history and stigma of COVID-19 infection were significant risk factors. For PTSD, previous psychiatric history and stigma of COVID-19 infection as well as total duration of isolation were found to be significant risk factors. Prevalence of depression, anxiety and possible PTSD remained similar across the four weeks of observations, though the prevalence of severe depression, increased after four weeks of stay. Somatic symptoms seemed to decrease during their stay. Conclusion The results suggest that social mitigation of COVID-19 related stigma, as well as care of patients with pre-existing mental health problems are important mental health measures during this crisis period. It is also important that clinical guidelines and public health policies be well balanced over the protection of the public and those quarantined to minimize the negative psychosocial consequences from isolation of the patients.

Understanding the long-term kinetics of antibodies in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is essential in interpreting serosurvey data. We investigated the antibody response one year after infection in 52 mildly symptomatic patients with severe acute respiratory syndromecoronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, using three commercial immunoassays and a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) kit. Anti-N pan-immunoglobulin (Ig), anti-S IgG, and anti-S1 IgG were detected in 43 (82.7%), 44 (84.6%), and 30 (57.7%), respectively. In 49 (94.2%), the antibody could be detected by either anti-N pan-Ig or anti-S IgG assay. In the sVNT, 30 (57.7%) had positive neutralizing activity. Despite waning immunity, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies can be detected up to one year after infection, even in mild COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Rubus Coreanus Miquel (RCM), used as a traditional Korean medicine, reduces chronic inflammatory diseases such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. However, its mechanism has not been elucidated. In this study, we examine the anti-inflammatory effects of RCM and their possible mechanisms using RAW 264.7 cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: Unripe RCM ethanol extract (UE), unripe RCM water extract (UH), ripe RCM ethanol extract (RE), and ripe RCM water extract (RH) were prepared. Inflammatory response was induced with LPS treatment, and expression of pro-inflammatory mediators (iNOS, COX-2, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6) and NO and PGE2 productions were assessed. To determine the anti-inflammatory mechanism of RCM, we measured NF-kappaB and MAPK activities. RESULTS: UE and UH treatment significantly reduced NF-kappaB activation and JNK and p38 phosphorylation and reduced transcriptional activities decreased iNOS, COX-2, and pro-inflammatory cytokines expressions, and NO and PGE2 productions. RE and RH treatments reduced IL-1beta and IL-6 expressions through suppressions of JNK and p38 phosphorylation. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we showed that RCM had anti-inflammatory effects by suppression of pro-inflammatory mediator expressions. Especially, unripe RCM showed strong anti-inflammatory effects through suppression of NF-kappaB and MAPK activation. These findings suggest that unripe RCM might be used as a potential functional material to reduce chronic inflammatory responses.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Cytokines ; Dinoprostone ; Ethanol ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; NF-kappa B* ; Phosphorylation ; Phosphotransferases* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Water