In this study, we conducted an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) so as to compare antidiabetic activities of general potatoes, purple-flesh potatoes, and potato pigments in rats at various concentration levels. After allowing the rats to abstain from food for 12 hours, 10%/20% general potato, purple-flesh potato, and potato extract was orally administered to rats at 100 and 500 mg/kg concentrations. The blood glucose level was measured after an hour. Then, immediately, 1.5 g/kg of sucrose was administered through the abdominal cavity and the blood glucose measured after 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes. 20% purple-flesh potato group and 10% general potato group, both 100 and 500 mg/kg, showed a significant concentration-dependent decrease in blood glucose levels after 30 minutes. The 100 mg/kg potato pigment group also showed a statistically significant decrease after 30 minutes. In conclusion, administration of 10% general potato, 20% purple-flesh potato, and potato pigment can reduce blood glucose level in an OGTT using rats.

The HTCC based multilayer structure plasma head unit have some difficulties in fabrication due to complicated post-processes, such as heat treatment at reduced atmosphere, re-bonding of each layer, and silver metallization. On the other hand, LTCC based technology provides relatively simple process for multilayer plasma unit except weak mechanical properties. To overcome this problem a combined scheme using both LTCC and HTCC technology has been developed in our group, recently. In this work, we report the structural design, materials selection, joining of LTCC with HTCC substrate, and co-firing process for the fabrication of multilayered atmospheric plasma head unit.

The hematopoietic growth factor erythropoietin (EPO) is required for the maintenance, proliferation, and differentiation of the stem cells that produce erythrocytes. To analyse the biological activity of the recombinant human EPO (rec-hEPO), we have cloned the EPO cDNA and genomic DNA and produced rec-hEPO in the CHO cell lines. The growth and differentiation of EPO-dependent human leukemic cell line (F36E) were used to measure cytokine dependency and in vitro bioactivity of rec-hEPO. MIT assay values were increased by survival of F36E cells at 24h or 72h. The hematocrit and RBC values were increased by subcutaneous injection of 20 IU (in mice) and 100IU(in rats) rec-hEPO. Hematocrit values remarkably increased at 13.2% (in mice) and 12.2% (in rats). The pharmacokinetic behavior with injection of 6 IU of rec-hEPO remained detectable after 24 h in all mice tested. The highest peat appeared at 2h after injection. The long half-life of rec-hEPO is likely to confer clinical advantages by allowing less frequent dosing in patients treated for anemia. These data demonstratethat ree-hEPO produced in this study has a potent activity in vivo and in vitro. The results also suggest that biological activity of ree-hEPO could be remarkably enhanced by genetic engineering that affects the potential activity, including mutants with added oligosaccharide chain and designed to produce EPO-EPO fusion protein.