Objectives To evaluate possible lipid catabolism and body fat regulation effects of 3-caffeoylquinic acid in Green coffee bean extract (GCBE) in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Methods Obesity was induced in mice using a HFD for four weeks. Then, mice were fed only HFD or HFD with GCBE at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg. Fatty acid synthesis mechanism regulation of body fat was investigated through real-time PCR and Western blot assay. Body fat reduction was measured through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results In HFD-induced obese mice, GCBE treatment significantly decreased body weight gain, liver weight and white adipose tissue weights with regulation of adipose tissue lipolysis hormones, like adiponectin and leptin. GCBE treatment decreased mRNA expression levels of adipogenesis and adipocyte metabolism related genes in adipose tissues and the liver, and decreased the corresponding protein expression. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements were used to compare body fat between mice on high-fat and those treated with GCBE. GCBE treated mice had a lower fat mass compared to HFD alone fed mice and relative body weight and fat mass were markedly decreased. Conclusions GCBE has a potential anti-obesity effect with lowering body fat accumulation by regulating adipogenesis and lipid metabolism-related genes and proteins in WAT and liver.

Objective: To explore the anti-obesity effects and the mechanism of action of Monascus pilosus(M. pilosus)-fermented black soybean (MFBS) extracts (MFBSE) and MFBS powders (MFBSP) in adipocytes and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice, respectively. Methods: Black soybean was fermented with M. pilosus, and the main constituents in MFBS were analyzed by HPLC analysis. In vitro, MFBSE were examined for anti-adipogenic effects using Oil-Red O staining. In vivo, mice were fed a normal-fat diet (NFD) control, HFD control or HFD containing 1 g/kg MFBSP for 12 weeks, and then body weight gain and tissues weight measured. Real-time PCR and western blot assay were used to determine the mechanism of anti-adipogenic effects. Results: MFBSE inhibited lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes without exerting cell cytotoxicity. MFBSP treatment in HFD-fed mice significantly decreased the body weight gain compared with the HFD control mice. MFBSE and MFBSP treatment resulted in significantly lower mRNA levels of adipogenesis-related genes, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ(PPAR γ), fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4), and fatty acid synthase (FAS), in adipocytes and in white adipose tissue (WAT) of HFD-induced obese mice. Conclusions: These results suggest that the anti-obesity effects of MFBS are elicited by regulating the expression of adipogenesis-related genes in adipocytes and WAT of HFD-induced obese mice.

Objective: To investigate the anti-obesity activity and the action mechanism of the roots of Adenophora triphylla var. japonica extract (ATE) in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Methods: The roots of Adenophora triphylla were extracted with 70% ethanol. To demonstrate the compounds, linoleic acid was analyzed by using gas chromatography; and the anti-obesity effects and possible mechanisms of ATE were examined in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and HFD-induced obese mice. Results: Treatment with ATE inhibited the lipid accumulation without cytotoxicity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Furthermore, 200 and 400 mg/kg ATE treatment significantly decreased the body weight gain, white adipose tissues (WATs) weight and plasma triglyceride level, while 100 and 200 mg/kg ATE treatment increased the plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level in the HFD-induced obese mice, as compared with the HFD group. Treatment with 200 and 400 mg/kg ATE also lowered the size of adipocytes in adipose tissue and reduced the lipid accumulation in liver. ATE treatment showed significantly lower expression level of adipogenesis-related proteins, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, fatty acid binding protein (aP2), fatty acid synthase in 3T3-L1 adipocytes; and furthermore, decreased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, aP2, fatty acid synthase, sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c, and lipoprotein lipase mRNA expression levels in WAT of the HFD-induced obese mice. Conclusions: These results suggested that the ATE has an anti-obesity effect, which may be elicited by regulating the expression of adipogenesis and lipogenesis-related genes and proteins in adipocytes and WAT of the HFD-induced obese mice.

Dermal cells from neonatal mice can initiate the formation of hair follicles (HFs) when combined with adult mouse epidermal cells and transplanted subcutaneously into athymic mice. In the present study, the effects of dermal cells on HF formation were tested in terms of total cell number and the time course of cell harvest. Results demonstrated that the number of dermal cells is critical to the formation of HF. Furthermore, hair forming ability is rapidly decreasing as the neonatal mice age. To examine potential differences in gene expression, cDNA array was performed. Results demonstrate that numerous molecules which are directly involved in receptor and signaling correlated with decreased hair inductivity in early time points after delivery. It is reported that bone morphogenic protein (BMP)-6 and Wnt3a treatment increased hair inductivity of dermal papilla cells. But in our study, no changes were observed in the expression levels of BMP-6 and Wnt3a. However, several Wnt related genes demonstrate increased or decreased expression levels. Thus, our results suggest that co-ordinated regulation of these molecules will be important in hair neogenesis within our model system.
Adult ; Animals ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 6 ; Cell Count ; Gene Expression ; Hair ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Social interests and the prevalence of skin disease have increased rapidly along with social development and improvement of life quality. Information on skin diseases and aesthetics are available through the internet and mass media. However, there have been few studies on the value of this information and the treatment-seeking behavior of patients. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the recognition of skin health and diseases in patients who visit dermatology clinics and to improve the role of dermatologists in the process. METHODS: From March, 2008, to April, 2008, 1901 patients were asked to complete a questionnaire in 62 dermatologic hospitals. The questions covered: purposes of visiting the clinic; duration of skin disease; treatment-seeking behavior; recognition of the prescribed medicine; compliance and common sense about representative skin problems. RESULTS: Patients visited the dermatologic clinic because of skin disease for 67.39% of patients, esthetic treatment in 22.88% of patients, and both in 9.73% of patients. For visits to a dermatology clinic for skin problems, 61.28% of patients visited a clinic but 38.72% did not. Most (81.38%) patients followed the doctor's prescription. Most negative responses to prescribed medicine were due to the internet and mass media or wrong information from pharmacists (52.24%). Moreover, patients who learned about skin diseases and prescription medicines through the internet usually lacked compliance and common sense regarding their skin problems. CONCLUSION: The internet can provide good information about healthy skin and skin diseases, but we have to consider its disadvantages of exaggeration and misbelief. The effects of this tool have been overstated and excessively publicized in comparison to actual established clinical results. Use of the internet may delay diagnosis and decrease compliance. Consequently, dermatologists have to provide correct information to minimize the disadvantages of internet information. Patients who have abnormal skin problems should visit dermatologic clinics to be evaluated and treated appropriately.
Compliance ; Dermatology ; Esthetics ; Humans ; Internet ; Mass Media ; Outpatients ; Pharmacists ; Prescriptions ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Social Change ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: To compared obstetric outcomes of pregnancies complicated by diabetes according to the managing department and to consider role of obstetrician and endocrinologist METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 72 pregnant women managed for diabetes during March 2004 to December 2006 was performed. Eighteen women had been managed by obstetricians (Group I) while 54 women had been managed by endocrinologists of internal medicine (Group II) during their pregnancies at Eulji Hospital. None of these patients had multiple pregnancies, abnormal karyotype, or other medical disorders other than diabetes. Pregnancy outcomes were compared between two groups. RESULTS: No difference was found with regard to the age, parity, BMI (body mass index), weight gain during the pregnancy, and the gestational weeks of delivery. There was also no difference in the blood glucose levels after 100 gm OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) and HbA1C levels in two groups. The neonatal birth weight of group I (2.89+/-0.21 kg) was significantly lower than that of group II (3.38+/-0.08 kg, P=0.040). The 1 min APGAR score, which was corrected by weight through ANCOVA test, was also significantly lower in group I (7.11+/-0.51 vs 8.11+/-0.19, P=0.028). But There was no difference in 5 min APGAR score. The incidence of birth weight over 3.8kg was significantly higher in group II [37/54 (68.5%) vs 1/17 (5.6%), P=0.030]. Neonatal hypoglycemia was also higher in group II (37.0% vs 11.1%, P=0.043). Other neonatal and maternal complications associated with diabetes were not significantly different between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: In medical point of view, obstetrician can effectively manage diabetes during pregnancy as good as internist. Besides, the management by obstetricians may be more economic, less annoying, and can induce more compliance and motivation of the patients.
Abnormal Karyotype ; Apgar Score ; Birth Weight ; Blood Glucose ; Compliance ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Glucose ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia ; Incidence ; Internal Medicine ; Motivation ; Parity ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy, Multiple ; Pregnant Women ; Retrospective Studies ; Weight Gain

PURPOSE: Hyperhomocysteinemia is known as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclesosis and myocardiac infarct. A common mutation in 5, 10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase(MTHFR) gene results in a valine for alanine substitution, which makes enzyme thermolabile and reduces enzymal activity. We examined the relation of MTHFR genetic mutation and Kawasaki disease. METHODS: We extracted DNA from the peripheral blood of Kawasaki disease patients who were treated in Ewha University Mokdong Hospital between January 2000 and June 2003, and normal children. We genotyped for the polymorphism by using PCR of known alleic varients and digested them with Hinfl restriction enzyme. Products were visualized after electrophoresis in 2.5% agarose gel. RESULTS:The respective prevalence of the homozygous and heterozygous genotypes(CC genotype, CT genotype, TT genotype) was 33.3%, 38.9%, and 27.8% in the control group and 31.3%, 47.9%, and 20.8% in the Kawasaki disease group(P>0.05). CONCLUSION:The mutation of MTHFR gene shows no relation to development of coronary artery complications in Kawasaki disease.
Alanine ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Child ; Coronary Vessels ; DNA ; Electrophoresis ; Gene Expression* ; Genotype ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia ; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Sepharose ; Valine

No abstract available.
Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis*

Spinal anesthesia is a relatively ease and useful technique and provides excellent analge-sia and relaxation for a great number of surgical procedures. It has been used widelr until the introduction of Muscle relaxant to the general anesthesia. However, complications, including hypotension, nausea, postspinal headache, neurologic sequelae, and death have been reported. In addition to those problems, number of failures after administration of spinal anesthetic haute been reported. We collected the 316 cases of spinal anesthesia given between January to May, 1986.the incidence of failure and the int-errelationships between the incidence and technical factors were reuiewed. Variables exam-ined including the patient population, the technical aspects of performing subarachnoid tap and subsequent blockade, and the level 7f training of anesthetist. Total number of patients with administration of anesthesia for 5 monthes was 2075; 316 patients in spinal anesthesia(15.237). We found a 4, l1% incidence of spinal failure, defined as the need to use general anesthesia or frequent administration of anlgesics during the surgical procedures. The technical factors(position of patients, approach method, puncture sites, needle gauge, agents type, and the performer) were insignificantlr contributed to the failure rate, but the amount of local anesthetic was showed statistical significance.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Incidence* ; Nausea ; Needles ; Punctures ; Relaxation

In recent years the use of epidural opiates has increased and although this method of pain relief has shown good results in clinical practice it is still subject to certain drowba-cks, the most serious of which appears to be delayed respiratory depression. Since ketamine administered systemically is unlikely to produce respiratory depression it seemed worthwhile to investigate the possibility of exploiting the potent analgesic property to ketarnine by its epidural administration. The analgesic effect of ketamine 4 mg, administered epidural space, was evaluated. The duration of pain relief varied from less than 3 hours in 20% to over 24 hours in 30 % of the cases. In 62.5% of the cases pain relief exceeded 6 hours. There was no evidence of respiratery depression, and there no postoperative neurologic sequelae. The present results indicated the need for farther studios to compare the efficacy and safety of epidural ketamine with the response to epidural opioids for the relief of posto- peratiue pain.
Analgesics, Opioid ; Depression ; Epidural Space ; Ketamine* ; Pain, Postoperative* ; Respiratory Insufficiency