As the country's elderly people who are 65 years or older recently exceeded 10% of the total population with development of medical technology and improvement of living standards, Korea has turned into an aging society. Especially in Gyeonggi-do, as of late December 2012, elderly people who were 65 years or older were 1,135,242 persons, taking up 18.98% of the region's population and registering the largest number of elderly people in the nation's cities or provinces. Due to such a sharp rise in elderly population, support for the elderly is increasing the burden on families and communities. The study aims to take as its subjects elderly people staying at authorized elderly welfare facilities, who are weak in mind and body and have difficulty in daily life with disabilities, or adult day care facilities that take care of elderly people during the day or at night, examine the concept of adult day care facilities and instances in foreign countries, and study the status of the adult day care facilities located in Gyeonggi-do, their services, and safety by figuring out space arrangement based on program implementation. Spacial arrangement in program operation should satisfy fuction and purpose from the manager and user's perspective, and a desirable program operation should provide separate spaces for the elderly with Alzheimer's and those without Alzheimer's. Compared to residential care facilities, adult day care facilities incur less financial burden and, compared to other authorized services, have many right functions that can upgrade the quality of users and satisfy their desires. Major countries like Japan, the UK, and Sweden recognize the right functions of day and night care services and aggressively support and utilize adult day care facilities. For adult day care facilities, quality services should be developed and use and choices should be enhanced as regards services. Development of special programs for the elderly with dementia and stroke, instead of simple protective functions of a program, must be actively promoted, while manpower training is required for program operation, conveniences, and safety. By developing and providing space arrangement models that focus on efficiency, convenience, and safety of program operation, adult day care operation can be revitalized, while quality of elderly care may be enhanced and welfare budget can be saved.

Under constant environmental pollution, the incidence of Atopic Dermatitis (AD) caused by air pollutants and allergens has increased. AD is an allergy inflammatory skin disease characterized by pruritus, eczema, and skin dryness. In herbal medicine, Anemarrhena asphodeloides (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma; AR) has been utilized to treat Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, hypertension, and inflammation. The purpose of study evaluated the effect of AR in a mouse model of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD-like skin lesions. After acclimatization for 5 days, the mice (6-week-old, male Balb/c) were divided into five groups (n=6/group): NC (normal control), DNCB (control), Dex (5 mg·kg-1, p.o.), AR100 (100 mg·kg-1, p.o.), and AR300 (300 mg·kg-1, p.o.). On days 1 and 3, 1% DNCB was applied to the skin and ears. After 4 days, 0.5% DNCB was applied once every 2 days for 2 weeks. Then, skin and ears eczema area and severity index (EASI); skin nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels; and plasma immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were examined. The AR groups showed lower EASI, skin and ear thickness, mast cell count, and IgE levels than the control groups. Moreover, AR reduced iNOS, COX-2, and PGE2 levels. Therefore, AR possesses anti-inflammatory properties and can improve skin damage, indicating its therapeutic potential against AD.

Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μM (PM2.5) is one of the major environmental pollutants. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), an endocrine disrupting chemical in PM2.5, has been utilized for the manufacturing of polyvinyl chloride to increase the flexibility of final products. In the present study, we investigated the ecotoxicological effect of DEHP on the viability of skin keratinocytes (HaCaT). DEHP induced apoptotic cell death mediated by phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase through the production of intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Interestingly, we found that DEHP induces the phosphorylation of the nuclear factor-kappa B responsible for the expression of cleaved caspase-3 as an executional cell death protease in HaCaT cells. On the basis of these results, we suggest that DEHP in PM2.5 induces the apoptotic death of human keratinocytes via ROS-mediated signaling events.

피부에 가해지는 스트레스는 헤어조절 및 사이클에 직⋅간접적으로 중요한 영향을 미친다고 알려져 있 다. 특히, 모근세포는 스트레스에 의한 부신피질관련호르몬과 세포손상 및 사멸과 밀접한 관련이 있다고 보고되 고 있지만, 현재까지 실험적으로 입증된 사실은 매우 제한되어 있다. 보고에 의하면, 부신피질자극호르몬방출인 자가 증가되면 모근세포의 마이토콘드리아 활성을 저해하여 초기단계의 세포사멸을 가져올 수 있다고 임상학적 으로 보고된바가 있다. 특히 아토피 피부염으로 인한 스트레스는 부신피질자극호르몬방출인자와 부신피질관련 호르몬의 양을 증가시키며, 이는 모발의 outer epithelial sheath에 영향을 준다고 알려져 있으며, 이러한 스트 레스의 변화는 마이토콘드리아 손상을 초래하여 초기단계세포손상을 준다고 한다. 따라서 본 연구는 아토피피부 염스트레스가 피부의 모근세포에 주는 영향에 대하여 연구를 하였는데, 이에 대한 연구는 현재까지 전무한 실정 이다. 우리는 NC/Nga 마우스에 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)로 아토피피부염을 유발 후, 피부 스트레스 생성에 의한 초기단계 세포손상을 스트레스관련 인자, 부신피질자극호르몬방출인자 및 그 관련 인자, annexin V 및 마이토콘드리아 반응을 이용하여 연구하였다. 그 결과, 아토피피부염에 의한 스트레스는 체내의 부신피질 자극호르몬방출인자 및 관련인자의 활성을 증가시킬 뿐 아니라, 모근세포에 영향을 주어 초기단계세포사멸을 초래하는 것으로 나타났다. 이는 아토피피부염관련 헤어손상을 일으킨다는 중요한 연구결과를 보고하는 바이며, 부신피질자극호르몬 조절관련 의약품 및 화장품 등과 같은 보조적 요법이 필요함을 제안한다.

최근 남성성탈모증에 대한 관심이 증대되고 있으며, 이에 천연물 및 그의 활성성분을 활용한 새로운 약물 개발에 대한 연구가 증가하고 있다. 송지(Resina Pini, RP)는 Pinus sp. (Pinaceae)의 수지질로 전통의 학적으로 감염, 우식증, 치주질환에 사용되어왔다. 본 연구진은 RP의 성분인 아비에트산(abietic acid, AA)이 남성성탈모기전에 중요한 효소인 5α-reductase를 억제하는 효과를 세포 수준에서 입증한바 있으며, 이번 연 구에서는 실제로 탈모억제 및 모발 성장에 대하여 실험동물 수준에서 입증하고자 한다. C3H/HeN 탈모마우스 모델에서 RP는 300 mg/kg에서 유의하게 탈모억제를 확인하였으며, 뿐만 아니라 AA는 30 mg/kg에서도 유의 하게 탈모억제효과를 보였다. 이상의 결과로부터 RP는 그 활성성분인 AA가 5α-reductase 억제하는 기전을 통해 남성성탈모억제효과를 보였다고 사료되며, 향후 탈모억제 보완치료법으로의 이용 가능성을 보였다.

This study is an endeavor to evaluate the risk assessment of hazardous(aflatoxin B1) in medicines from oriental medical prescription which are circulated much recently. For that, twelve globular and granule types, seven liquid types of herbal medicine were bought to compare and analyze the content of aflatoxin B1, which are harmful to human body. Woo Hwang Cheong Sim Hwan of Aflatoxin B1 concentration lower than the standard accepted by all the products have been detected, B company(tradition) is the concentration of 1.24 ㎍/kg, C company 1.04 ㎍/kg, A company(tradition) and B company did not detect. And the general pill of aflatoxin B1 concentration lower than the standard accepted by all the products have been detected, S-1 is the concentration of 1.8 ㎍/kg, S-2 of 1.04 ㎍/kg, S-3 of 0.88 ㎍/kg, S-4 of 9.32 ㎍/kg, S-6 of 7.8 ㎍/kg, S-5 did not detect. All the products eundan allowed in the concentration of aflatoxin B1 levels were lower than detection, D company of 0.96 ㎍/kg, E company concentration was not detected. The liquid product of aflatoxin B1 concentration was found liwer than the standard accepted by all the product, L-3 concentration of 0.8 ㎍/kg, K-4 was detected in the 1.16 ㎍/kg, L-1 and L-2 is not detected, L-5 concentration of 15 ㎍/kg, L-7 is detected as 1.08 ㎍/kg and, L-6 was not detected.

Carrots (Daucus carota L.) are consumed as an important dietary source of provitamin A including β-carotene, α-carotene and lutein. An HPLC method was applied to determine the content of the carotenoid composition in carrot cutivars cultivated in Korea. HPLC analyses were carried out with five carrot cultivars (Socheon-5-chon, Hongsim-5-chon, Myeongju-5-chon, Seonhongbom-5-chon and Betarich) sown at April, 2007 and six cultivars (Yeoreum-5-chon, Hanyeoreum-5-chon, Sinheukjeon-5-chon, Bibariheukjeon, Manina and Betarich) sown at August of the same year. In general, the former varieties are not used for the sowing at summer because of their bolting (growth of floral axis). The former and the latter carrots were harvested after 110 and 96 days from seeding, respectively, and the carotenoids were extracted with acetone after freeze-drying. The amount of α-carotene (117.7∼205.3 μg/g・DW) was similar to that of β-carotene (113.1∼189.6 μg/g・ DW) for the carrot cultivars sown at spring, while the content (46.2∼71.1 μg/g・DW) was about a half of β-carotene content (92.5∼140.2 μg/g・DW) for the latter cultivars. In addition, the average content of lutein (25.2 μg/g・DW) in the former cultivars was eight times higher than that in the latter cultivars (3.1 μg/g・DW). Among the spring cultivation types, Socheon-5-chon and Myeongju-5-chon showed higher amount of α-carotene and β-carotene, while the higher amount was determined in Yeoreum-5-chon and Sinheukjeon-5-chon among the autumn cultivation types. Validation of the HPLC-DAD method showed good linearity (r2 > 0.997) of the three compounds analyzed in a wide concentration range (0.025∼20 μg/ml). The R.S.D. values for intra-day and inter-day precision were less than 19.2% and the mean recovery of each compound was 85.4∼104.7%.