• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.235-245
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• 2010

Mitochondria have long been recognized as ATP engines for the cell and recently as a dynamic and mobile organelles that control cell death and life. This exquisite organelle is the site of reactive oxygen species production and is highly vulnerable to exogenous stresses, resulting in catastrophic damage to the cell. Mitochondrial dysfunction is linked to a wide range of age-associated degenerative diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of mitochondria-dependent pathogenesis may provide important strategies to treat these diseases. Indeed, mitochondria are emerging therapeutic targets for the mitochondria-related diseases. In this paper, we review the recent concepts of mitochondrial biology and how mitochondria are involved in age-associated degenerative diseases. Furthermore, we summarize the therapeutics which target to improve mitochondrial functions.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.12 no.10
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• pp.4411-4417
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• 2011

Degenerative brain diseases including Alzheimer's diseases, Parkinson's diseases increase in frequency with age. They are amongst the most costly and devastating diseases to patients and their families. Therefore developing therapies for degenerative brain diseases is of the highest priority. Recently therapeutics for these diseases have undergone scrutiny by many clinical trials according to the advances of cellular and molecular neurobiology. This review is focused on studies investigating the current therapeutic strategies already undergone different stage of clinical trials and recent R&D trend by nations through patent analysis on treatments for degegerative brain diseases.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.286-293
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• 2003

Several polyphenolic compounds and complex mixtures were isolated from brown algae species. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydarzyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of these compounds were evaluated to determine their physiological usefulness as antioxidants for vascular protection. The antioxidative protection of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was also evaluated and compared with that of catechin, because the generation of oxidized LDL is one of the most active and specific risk factors contributing to atherogenesis. Oral administration to rats of a commercially available sample ($VNP^{TM}$) containing 30% of these polyphenolic compounds and 70% dietary fiber revealed that the serum reducing capacity measured in terms of FRAP value was significantly elevated 30 min after the treatment, but declined rather quickly thereafter, indicating the good oral absorption of the compounds and their fast binding to the lumenal surface of the blood vessels. An eight-week, human, clinical trial (n=31) of $VNP^{TM}$ showed significant improvement in erectile function measured by IIEF (international index of erectile function) score. These results collectively demonstrated the usefulness of these polyphenolic compounds as fundamental chemopreventive agents against vascular risk factors originating from oxidative stress.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.193-199
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• 2015

Degenerative retinal diseases affect millions of people worldwide, which can lead to the loss of vision. However, therapeutic approaches that can reverse this process are limited. Recent efforts have allowed the possibility of the stem cell-based regeneration of retinal cells and repair of injured retinal tissues. Although the direct differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into terminally differentiated photoreceptor cells comprises one approach, a series of studies revealed the intrinsic regenerative potential of the retina using endogenous retinal stem cells. Muller glial cells, ciliary pigment epithelial cells, and retinal pigment epithelial cells are candidates for such retinal stem cells that can differentiate into multiple types of retinal cells and be integrated into injured or developing retina. In this review, we explore our current understanding of the cellular identity of these candidate retinal stem cells and their therapeutic potential for cell therapy against degenerative retinal diseases. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(4): 193-199]

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.355-361
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• 2009

Mitochondria play a key role in maintaining life by producing ATP and heat. Recent researches have demonstrated that degenerative diseases such as heart failure, obesity/diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and psychiatric diseases are accompanied by mitochondria dysfunction. In this sense, mitochondria medicine considers the significance of mitochondria in human pathology and tries to explain degenerative diseases as a fatal consequence of mitochondria dysfunction. Here, I introduce the fundamentals of mitochondria physiology and present examples showing the relationship between mitochondria dysfunction and chronic complex diseases. Although mitochondria medicine uses a molecular biological approach predominantly, a biomedical engineering approach might play a critical role in unveiling the complexity of mitochondria medicine and in its application to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases. Thus, I also briefly review the prospects of research using biomedical engineering methods.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.78-89
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• 2002

This study was performed to analyse some rick ffactors for chronic degenerative diseases of the Korean dict. The study subjects consisted of preschool children(PC), elementary school children(EC), high school students(HS), college students(CS), and adults over 30 years old living in Seoul and the surrounding areas. The subjects over 30 years old were classfied to 30-49 years, 50-69 years, and over 70 years. A dietary survey was conducted using 24-hour recall method and data were collected from 2392 subjects. The dietary risks for chronic degenerative disease such as food sources of fat consumption, high cholesterol intake, low dietary fiber intake, and low calcium intake and high protein intake were analyzed. Younger subjects had more animal fat proportion than older subjects did. HS and CS had the least fat proportion from fishes and shellfishes. Each mean cholesterol intake of PC, EC, HS, and CS was over 300mg/day, and HS load the highest level of 415mg/day. Cholesterol density of the diet of PC was the highest of 175mg/1000kcal and the level decreased when the age increased. The subjects consuming cholesterol over 100 mg/1000kca1 were about 70% of PC and HS. More than 20% of PC, EC, and HS consumed calcium under 75% of RDA with protein consumption over 125% of RDA. Dietary fiber intakes were 18g for HS, CS, 30-49 years, and 50 ∼ 69 years, 14g for EC and over 70 years, and 12g for PC. Ninety percent of PC and EC, 80% of HS and CS, and 70% of tole subjccts over 30years consumed dietary fiber under the level of 10g/1000kca1. The major food sources of dietary fiber were vegetables and grains. From these results, children and adolescents had ricks for chronic degenerative diseases on all the analyzed items. The results of this study would provide the basic information for development of dietary interventions to improve diet find health.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.430-438
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• 1999

This study was designed to investigate the effects of sea tangle (Laminaria japonica) extract and fucoidan components on chronic degenerative diseases. Sprague-Dawley(SD) male rats (210$\pm$5g) were fed experimental diets: Dasi-Ex group: dasima extract powder of 4.0% added to control diet; Fuco-I, II and III groups: fucoidan powder of 1, 2 and 3% added to Dasi-Ex group for 45 days. Triglyceride (TG) levels in serum were significantly lower (10~15%) in Fuco-I, II and III groups compared with control group. Total cholesterol levels were significantly decreased (7~10% and 15~ 35%) in brain mitochondria and microsomes of Fuco-II and III group compared with control group. LDL-cholesterol levels were remarkably decreased (20~30%) in Dasi-Ex and Fuco-I, II, III groups, but HDL-cholesterol levels were significantly increased (10~12%) in Fuco-II and III groups only compared with control group. The ratios of HDL/total cholesterol resulted in a marked increase (3 5~55%) in Dasi-Ex and Fuco-I, II, III groups, but atherogenic indices were remakably decreased (40~50%) in Dasi-Ex and Fuco-I, II, III groups compared with control group. Membrane fluidities were remarkably increased (45~70% and 38~42%, respectively) in brain mitochondria and microsomes of Fuco-II and III groups compared with control group. Administrations of fucoidan added to dasima effectively decreased TG, total and LDL-cholesterol, and atherogenic index, while also effectively increased HDL-cholesterol, HDL/total cholesterol ratio, and membrane fluidity, suggesting chronic degenerative diseases were very effectively prevented by the administration of fucoidan component.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.115-122
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• 2010

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to propose the utilization plan of Ryodoraku in the U-health care systems. Methods : Computerized literature searches were performed for Ryodoraku related articles using the following databases: KISS, RISS, DBPIA, NDSL from 1990 to Oct 2010. Search terms were '양도락' or 'Ryodoraku' or 'U-health'. Due to Ryodoraku coming from Japan, additional literature review(articles published by 2008) on Japanese journal of Ryodoraku medicine was done for compensation. Results : 1. Introduction of U-health : As rapid progress of population aging and strong interest in health, the demand for the traditional Korean medical service is increasing. Until now healthcare service has provided post treatment by face-to-face manner. But according to related researches, proactive treatment is resulted to be more effective for preventing diseases. Particularly, the existing healthcare services have limitations in preventing and managing chronic geriatric degenrative diseases such as metabolic syndrome, CVA, coronary heart diseases, parkinson's diseases, degenerative joint disease, spondylosis, etc., because the cause of the above is complex and even related to life habit. As the advent of ubiquitous technology, patients with the chronic geriatric degenrative diseases can improve life habit such as poor eating habits and physical inactivity without the constraints of time and space through u-healthcare service. Therefor, lots of researches for u-healthcare service focus on providing the personalized healthcare service for preventing and managing that. To cope with this situations, The concept of u-healthcare service should be adopted in the traditional korean medicine and diagnostic devices suitable for it should be also devised and developed based on traditonal korean medine. 2. Review of existing Ryodoraku related articles for applying to U-health : articles investigating feasibility applying Ryodoraku to meridian diagnosis and raising problems of it, articles providing recent research trends of Ryodoraku, Ryodoraku related articles considering usefulness for U-health, and articles confirming the repeatability and reproducity of Ryodoraku were included. Based on the review of the above Ryodoraku related articles, several application of Ryodoraku in the U-health care system. Conclusions : To make preparations for the increasing need of traditional Korean medicine due to rising morbidity rate of chronic geriatric degenerative diseases, it is necessary to appropriately apply Ryodoraku to the U-health care system. The application of Ryodoraku is as follows. 1. To use Ryodoraku additionally to the established diagnostic device of metabolic syndrome, CVA, coronary heart diseases, parkinson's diseases, degenerative joint disease, spondylosis. 2. To apply Ryodoraku to the symptoms or diseases having a tendency to be diagnosed by correlation between the affected meridian and the lesion such as headache, nuchal pain, shoulder pain, low back pain, sciatica, HNP, etc. 3. To secure the repeatability and reproducity of Ryodoraku. 4. To devise and develop Ryodoraku appliance in order to overcome the known drawbacks and to improve error of measurement.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.165-171
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• 2006

Osteoarthritis is thought to be induced by the ageing-related loss of homeostatic balance between degeneration and repair mechanism around cartilage tissue in which inflammatory mediators such as reactive oxygen species, cytokines and prostaglandins are prone to overproduction under undesirable physiological conditions. Phlorotannins are unique polyphenolic compounds bearing dibenzo-1,4-dioxin skeleton which are not found in terrestrial plants but found only in some brown algal species such as Ecklonia and Eisenia families. Phlorotanninrich extracts of Ecklonia cava including LAD103 showed significant antioxidant activities such as DPPH radical scavenging, ferric ion reduction, peroxynitrite scavenging, and inhibition of LDL oxidation, indicating their possible antioxidative interference both in onset and downstream consequences of osteoarthritis. LAD103 also showed significant down regulation of $PGE_2$ generation in LPS-treated RAW 246.7 cells, and significant inhibition of human recombinant interleukin-$1{\alpha}$-induced proteoglycan degradation, indicating its beneficial involvement in pathophysiological consequences of osteoarthritis, the mechanism of which needs further investigation. Since LAD103 showed strong therapeutic potentials in arthritic treatment through several in vitro experiments, it is highly encouraged to perform further mechanistic and efficacy studies.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.13-22
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• 2000

The study was curried out to collect information to establish a framework for nutrition education for the prevention of chronic degenerative disease. We analyzed differences in diet quality, food habits and health status of workers by work condition. Anthrometric parameters of height, weight and body fat were measured and biochemical parameters including glucose, total cholesterol, GOT, GPT and hemoglobin were determinded for 194 subjects. To assess the nutrient intake and diet quality of workers, dietary intake was measured by the day 24-hour recall method, Average daily nutrient intake, except for phos-phorous and vitamin C was lower than Korean RDA. The obesity related behavior score was significantly better in laborers than in office workers, while chronic degenerative diseases related to food habit score was significantly better in laborers than in office workers, while chronic degenerative diseases related to the food habit score was beet in offices workers than in laborers. Blood pressure, blood glucose levels were significantly higher in laborer than in office workers. Dietary variety score (DVS) food composition group score(FCGS), mean adequacy ratio(MAR) of office worker were better than those of labor workers. When diet quality was evaluated by FCGS(food composition group score) 16.0% of the subjects acquired 5 points and 14.4% of the subjects acquired 2 points.　MAR and INQ showed a significantly positive correlation with DVS and FCGS . This results indicated that the onset possibility of hypertension and diabetes mellitus among chronic degenerative disease was higher in laborers than in office workers, while the onset possibility of obesity was higher in office workers than in laborers. In conclusion the overall diet quality of office workers is betters than that of laborers, therefore, nutrition education for prevention of chronic degenerative disease of industrial workers needs to be more focused on the improvement of the health status of laborers.