The pyrimidine nucleoside uridine has recently been reported to have a protective effect on cultured human corneal epithelial cells, in an animal model of dry eye and in patients. In this study, we investigate the pharmacokinetic profile of uridine in rabbits, following topical ocular (8 mg/eye), oral (450 mg/kg) and intravenous (100 mg/kg) administration. Blood and urine samples were serially taken, and uridine was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. No symptoms were noted in the animals after uridine treatment. Uridine was not detected in either plasma or urine after topical ocular administration, indicating no systemic exposure to uridine with this treatment route. Following a single intravenous dose, the plasma concentration of uridine showed a bi-exponential decay, with a rapid decline over 10 min, followed by a slow decay with a terminal half-life of 0.36 +/- 0.05 h. Clearance and volume of distribution were 1.8 +/- 0.6 L/h/kg and 0.58 +/- 0.32 L/kg, respectively. The area under the plasma concentration-time curves (AUC) was 59.7 +/- 18.2microg.hr/ml, and urinary excretion up to 12 hr was ~7.7% of the dose. Plasma uridine reached a peak of 25.8 +/- 4.1 microg/ml at 2.3 +/- 0.8 hr after oral administration. The AUC was 79.0 +/- 13.9 microg.hr/ml, representing ~29.4% of absolute bioavailability. About 1% of the oral dose was excreted in the urine. These results should prove useful in the design of future clinical and nonclinical studies conducted with uridine.
Administration, Intravenous* ; Administration, Ophthalmic ; Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Area Under Curve ; Biological Availability ; Epithelial Cells ; Half-Life ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry ; Models, Animal ; Pharmacokinetics* ; Plasma ; Rabbits* ; Uridine*

Purpose: This study was done to analyze research articles and explore research trends in auriculotherapy between 2010 and 2019 in Korean academic journals. Methods: Domestic databases including KMbase, RISS, KISS, and NDSL were searched for studies published between 2010 and 2019. Research trends were analyzed according to The STandards Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) guidelines including research design, control group type, and intervention details from a total of 78 domestic papers. Descriptive statistics were analyzed by frequency and percentage. Results: Most studies were conducted in nursing. Regarding research design, a quasi-experimental design with a no-treatment control group was most common. There were 12 conditions with 4 participant categories. The most common intervention was four-point acupuncture-buried therapy. Interventions conducted weekly with cessation of 2 days for 6 weeks were popular. Regarding dropouts, few studies reported side-effects, with personal reasons being the most frequently reported. However, 50% of the studies failed to provide adequate information regarding intervention details according to the STRICTA guidelines, such as the practitioner background, ear point used for intervention, and a flow diagram. Conclusion Interventional studies on auriculotherapy have been steadily increasing and have included more diversified conditions. Future studies should investigate the effects of auriculotherapy with more rigorous design, and report more detailed information regarding interventions.

Menopause is a well-known risk factor for accelerating cognitive aging in women. This study aimed to assess differences in cognitive function and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) according to menopausal status to determine whether the menopause significantly affects the relationship between cognitive function and HRQOL.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and incidence of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and stroke in Korean male adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors reviewed all medical certificates, medical records, and radiologic images from the examinations of Korean military conscription from January 2008 to May 2011. RESULTS: Of the 101156 examinees, 40 had CVD and stroke during adolescence. The overall prevalence and incidence of CVD and stroke was 39.54 cases per 100000 adolescents and 2.08 cases per 100000 adolescents per year, respectively and these were similar to the worldwide data. There were 3 cases of aneurysm, 3 cases of dural arteriovenous fistula, 11 cases of arteriovenous malformation, 4 cases of cavernous hemangioma, 4 cases of cerebrovascular infarction, 16 cases of Moyamoya disease, and 1 case of missing data. The incidence of arteriovenous malformation (0.57 cases per 100000 adolescents per year) was lower than the incidence for the worldwide general population. The incidence of Moyamoya disease was higher than that in any other country (15.82 cases per 100000 adolescents, vs. 0.83 cases per 100000 adolescents per year). CONCLUSION: We observed ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, each accounting for approximately half of cases, and high incidence of Moyamoya disease with low incidence of arteriovenous malformation in Korean male adolescents.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cerebrovascular Disorders/*epidemiology ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Moyamoya Disease/epidemiology ; Stroke/*epidemiology ; Young Adult

Background: Metabolic syndrome has been known as a risk of cardiovascular disease. Meanwhile, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is used as a predictor of cardiovascular disease. In this paper, we aimed to investigate the association between hs-CRP and metabolic syndrome.Method: A total of 7,633 were chosen as the study population from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey dataset (2016–2017). Our dependent variable was whether an individual had metabolic syndrome or not, and the independent variable of interest was hs-CRP which was categorized into three groups. The chi-square tests and hierarchical logistic regression analyses reflecting survey characteristics were conducted. All analyses were stratified by gender. Results: According to the adjusted model with all covariates, compared to individuals having the low risk of hs-CRP, those having its average risk were more likely to have metabolic syndrome in men (odds ratio [OR], 1.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12–1.76) and women (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.33–2.16). Individuals having the high risk was not significantly different in men; however, they were more likely to have metabolic syndrome in women (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.28–3.23). Conclusion In an upcoming aging society, it is important to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome to improve population health. This study suggests that hs-CRP may be used as a marker of the risk of metabolic syndrome in a gender-specific way, thereby contributing to enhancing awareness of the risk of metabolic syndrome among the general public.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine the effects of various leisure activities on cognitive impairment in young-old (aged 65–74 years) and old-old (aged ≥ 75 years) adults. METHODS: In total, 10,279 elderly Korean individuals from the 2014 Korean National Survey on Older Adults’ cohort were enrolled in our study. Cognitive impairment was assessed using the standardized score of the Mini-Mental State Examination for Dementia Screening, whereas leisure activities were recorded via self-reporting of the extent and type of leisure activity the subjects involved in over the past year. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the effect of leisure activities on cognitive impairment, while controlling for potential covariates. RESULTS: The subjects were more likely to participate in cognitive activities than in non-exercise physical activities. After controlling for selected covariates, involvement in cognitive activities was found to be a significant predictor of cognitive impairment in both the groups, whereas involvement in non-exercise physical activities was not a predictor of cognitive impairment in individuals aged ≥ 75 years. Moreover, depressive symptoms, rural residence, and hearing difficulties were common predictors of cognitive impairment among elderly-Korean-individuals. CONCLUSION: Leisure activity involvement may help delay cognitive impairment, which is often concomitant with aging. Hence, an early intervention service may significantly benefit both young-old and old-old individuals.
Adult ; Aged* ; Aging ; Cognition Disorders ; Cognition* ; Cohort Studies ; Dementia ; Depression ; Early Intervention (Education) ; Hearing ; Humans ; Leisure Activities* ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Motor Activity

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Inflammation and ferroptosis are implicated in various diseases and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) have been linked with these disorders. Recently, many edible insects, such as Gryllus bimaculatus, Protaetia brevitarsis larvae (PB) and Tenebrio molitor larvae, have been recommended as alternative foods because they contain lots of nutritional sources.In this study, we explored the potential of PB extract in preventing LPS-induced inflammation and ferroptosis in Hep3B cells.MATERIALS/METHODS: PB powder was extracted using 70% ethanol and applied to Hep3B cells. Co-treatment with LPS was conducted to induce ferroptosis and inflammation. The antiinflammatory and anti-ferroptosis mechanisms of the PB extract were confirmed using Western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. RESULTS: PB extract effectively prevented LPS-induced cell death and restored LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine production, NF-κB signaling, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and ferroptosis. Interestingly, PB extract reduced LPS-induced ceramide increase and acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) expression. The use of the ASMase inhibitor, desipramine, also demonstrated a reduction in these pathways, highlighting the pivotal role of ASMase in inflammation and ferroptosis. Treatment with each inhibitor revealed that ferroptosis causes ER stress and that NF-κB and MAP kinase pathways are involved in inflammation. CONCLUSION PB emerges as a potential functional food with inhibitory effects on LPS-induced inflammation and ferroptosis, making it a promising candidate for nutritional interventions.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Inflammation and ferroptosis are implicated in various diseases and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) have been linked with these disorders. Recently, many edible insects, such as Gryllus bimaculatus, Protaetia brevitarsis larvae (PB) and Tenebrio molitor larvae, have been recommended as alternative foods because they contain lots of nutritional sources.In this study, we explored the potential of PB extract in preventing LPS-induced inflammation and ferroptosis in Hep3B cells.MATERIALS/METHODS: PB powder was extracted using 70% ethanol and applied to Hep3B cells. Co-treatment with LPS was conducted to induce ferroptosis and inflammation. The antiinflammatory and anti-ferroptosis mechanisms of the PB extract were confirmed using Western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. RESULTS: PB extract effectively prevented LPS-induced cell death and restored LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine production, NF-κB signaling, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and ferroptosis. Interestingly, PB extract reduced LPS-induced ceramide increase and acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) expression. The use of the ASMase inhibitor, desipramine, also demonstrated a reduction in these pathways, highlighting the pivotal role of ASMase in inflammation and ferroptosis. Treatment with each inhibitor revealed that ferroptosis causes ER stress and that NF-κB and MAP kinase pathways are involved in inflammation. CONCLUSION PB emerges as a potential functional food with inhibitory effects on LPS-induced inflammation and ferroptosis, making it a promising candidate for nutritional interventions.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Inflammation and ferroptosis are implicated in various diseases and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) have been linked with these disorders. Recently, many edible insects, such as Gryllus bimaculatus, Protaetia brevitarsis larvae (PB) and Tenebrio molitor larvae, have been recommended as alternative foods because they contain lots of nutritional sources.In this study, we explored the potential of PB extract in preventing LPS-induced inflammation and ferroptosis in Hep3B cells.MATERIALS/METHODS: PB powder was extracted using 70% ethanol and applied to Hep3B cells. Co-treatment with LPS was conducted to induce ferroptosis and inflammation. The antiinflammatory and anti-ferroptosis mechanisms of the PB extract were confirmed using Western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. RESULTS: PB extract effectively prevented LPS-induced cell death and restored LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine production, NF-κB signaling, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and ferroptosis. Interestingly, PB extract reduced LPS-induced ceramide increase and acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) expression. The use of the ASMase inhibitor, desipramine, also demonstrated a reduction in these pathways, highlighting the pivotal role of ASMase in inflammation and ferroptosis. Treatment with each inhibitor revealed that ferroptosis causes ER stress and that NF-κB and MAP kinase pathways are involved in inflammation. CONCLUSION PB emerges as a potential functional food with inhibitory effects on LPS-induced inflammation and ferroptosis, making it a promising candidate for nutritional interventions.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Inflammation and ferroptosis are implicated in various diseases and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) have been linked with these disorders. Recently, many edible insects, such as Gryllus bimaculatus, Protaetia brevitarsis larvae (PB) and Tenebrio molitor larvae, have been recommended as alternative foods because they contain lots of nutritional sources.In this study, we explored the potential of PB extract in preventing LPS-induced inflammation and ferroptosis in Hep3B cells.MATERIALS/METHODS: PB powder was extracted using 70% ethanol and applied to Hep3B cells. Co-treatment with LPS was conducted to induce ferroptosis and inflammation. The antiinflammatory and anti-ferroptosis mechanisms of the PB extract were confirmed using Western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. RESULTS: PB extract effectively prevented LPS-induced cell death and restored LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine production, NF-κB signaling, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and ferroptosis. Interestingly, PB extract reduced LPS-induced ceramide increase and acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) expression. The use of the ASMase inhibitor, desipramine, also demonstrated a reduction in these pathways, highlighting the pivotal role of ASMase in inflammation and ferroptosis. Treatment with each inhibitor revealed that ferroptosis causes ER stress and that NF-κB and MAP kinase pathways are involved in inflammation. CONCLUSION PB emerges as a potential functional food with inhibitory effects on LPS-induced inflammation and ferroptosis, making it a promising candidate for nutritional interventions.