목적: 백내장 환자를 대상으로 수술 전과 후의 안구표면의 온도변화 양상을 열화상카메라의 서모그래피를 이용하여 연구 하고자 하였다. 방법: 본 연구는 백내장 수술을 받은 환자 50-79세까지 75명 75안의 환자 군을 대상으로 하였다. 과거에 굴절교정수술, 각막관련 수술을 받은 자와 콘택트렌즈를 사용하는 자, 눈물관 이상자, 전신질환 치료 약물을 복용하는 자 등 눈물분비와 눈물막에 영향을 줄 수 있는 자는 연구 대상자에서 제외하였고 눈물막파괴시간 검사(Tear Break Up Time, BUT), 쉬르머 검사(Schirmer’s Test), 맥모니테스트(Mcmonnies questionnaire)를 시행한 후 열화상카메라(Cox CX series, Answer., Korea)를 이용하여 안구표면의 온도변화를 실시간으로 측정하였다. 결과: 전체 대상자의 술 전 안구표면 온도는 35.20±0.54 ℃이었고 술 후에는 35.30±0.53 ℃로 표면온도가 상승하였으나 유의한 차이를 보이지 않았다. 안구표면 온도변화는 술전에서 -0.12±0.08 △(℃/sec)에서 술 후 -0.18±0.07 △(℃/sec)로 통계학적으로 유의한 결과를 나타냈다. 연령 별 비교에서는, 50 대군은 백내장 술 전 대상자의 안구표면 온도변화가 -0.14±0.09 △(℃/sec)에서 -0.19±0.05 △(℃/sec)으로 나타났고 60 대군에서는 -0.12±0.08 △(℃/sec)에서 -0.15±0.07 △(℃/sec)으로 나타났으며 70 대군에서는 술 전 대상자의 안구표면 온도변화는 -0.12±0.08 △(℃/sec)에서 -0.18±0.07 △(℃/sec)으로 전 연령에서 모두 유의한 안구표면 온도변화를 보였다. 결론: 백내장 술 후에는 안구건조증 평가지표가 모두 감소하였고 안구표면 온도변화가 유의함을 보였다. 안구표면의 서모그래피 기술은 비침습적으로 안구건조증을 평가하는데 용이하였고 객관적으로 수치화할 수 있는 장점이 있어 다양한 안구건조증 연구에 활용 될 것으로 기대된다.

목적: 한국 폐경기 여성에서 호르몬 관련 요인과 건성안의 연관성에 대하여 알아보고자 하였다. 방법: 본 인구 기반 단면 연구는 제5기 국민건강영양조사(2010-2012)를 완료한 총 4,586명의 폐경기 여성을 대상으로 복합표본설계 프로시저를 구성하여 분석을 시행하였다. 폐경기 여성을 대상으로 건성안 유병 률을 산출하였고, 공변량을 보정한 다중 로지스틱 회귀분석을 시행하여 내생적 및 외생적 호르몬 관련요인 과 건성안의 연관성을 평가하였다. 결과: 폐경기 여성에서 건성안의 가중된 유병률은 14.2%(95% 신뢰구간: 13.0－15.8)이었다. 사회 인구학 적 요인, 건강행태 요인, 동반질환을 보정한 후에도 경구피임약을 23개월 이상 복용한 경우 건성안 발생 위 험이 1.47배(95% 신뢰구간: 1.03－2.09) 증가하였으며, 여성호르몬제를 36개월 이상 복용한 경우 건성안 발생 위험이 1.70배(95% 신뢰구간: 1.17－2.47) 증가하였다. 결론: 한국 폐경기 여성에서 장기간의 경구피임약과 여성호르몬제의 복용은 건성안의 위험을 유의하게 증가시켰다.

Differential capacity of the parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells (PESCs) is still under controversy and the mechanisms of its neural induction are yet poorly understood. Here we demonstrated neural lineage induction of PESCs by addition of insulin-like growth factor-2 (Igf2), which is an important factor for embryo organ development and a paternally expressed imprinting gene. Murine PESCs were aggregated to embryoid bodies (EBs) by suspension culture under the leukemia inhibitory factor-free condition for 4 days. To test the effect of exogenous Igf2, 30 ng/ml of Igf2 was supplemented to EBs induction medium. Then neural induction was carried out with serum-free medium containing insulin, transferrin, selenium, and fibronectin complex (ITSFn) for 12 days. Normal murine embryonic stem cells derived from fertilized embryos (ESCs) were used as the control group. Neural potential of differentiated PESCs and ESCs were analyzed by immunofluorescent labeling and real-time PCR assay (Nestin, neural progenitor marker; Tuj1, neuronal cell marker; GFAP, glial cell marker). The differentiated cells from both ESC and PESC showed heterogeneous population of Nestin, Tuj1, and GFAP positive cells. In terms of the level of gene expression, PESC showed 4 times higher level of GFAP expression than ESCs. After exposure to Igf2, the expression level of GFAP decreased both in derivatives of PESCs and ESCs. Interestingly, the expression level of Tuj1 increased only in ESCs, not in PESCs. The results show that IGF2 is a positive effector for suppressing over-expressed glial differentiation during neural induction of PESCs and for promoting neuronal differentiation of ESCs, while exogenous Igf2 could not accelerate the neuronal differentiation of PESCs. Although exogenous Igf2 promotes neuronal differentiation of normal ESCs, expression of endogenous Igf2 may be critical for initiating neuronal differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. The findings may contribute to understanding of the relationship between imprinting mechanism and neural differentiation and its application to neural tissue repair in the future.

Rice seed storage proteins (SSPs) are accumulated in storage organelles of the endosperm during seed maturation. The SSPs from the rice seeds consist of glutelins as a major SSP, and prolamins and globulins comprise about the rest 20 % of the SSPs. To improve the nutritional quality of rice seeds or processing properties of rice flour, we are attempting to change the composition of the SSPs in rice seeds. For this purpose, we generated many transgenic rice plants, which show the altered levels of the SSPs, by using the RNA interference (RNAi). Accumulation of glutelins was 76% reduced in the GluA-RNAi lines. The Pro-RNAi lines revealed the reduced levels of prolamins to 36%. The protein level of globulins was 61% reduced in the Glb-RNAi lines. Interestingly, an obvious reduction of glutelins, prolamins, and globulins was not examined in the GluA:Pro:Glb-RNAi lines. This suggests that a reduction of a few SSPs could be compensated by the increases of other SSPs at the protein levels. We are also attempting to generate transgenic rice plants expressing both a high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutelin subunit and a low-molecular-weight (LMW) glutelin subunit. These manipulations of rice SSPs might be an important contribution on improving the functional properties of rice seeds.

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of medicinal plants on ethanol-metabolism. Sprague Dawley rats divided into 6 groups (n=8), fed with 10% ethanol and diets supplemented with each 1% of four plant extracts, α-tocopherol (as positive control) and fiber (as negative control) for 4 weeks. Group supplemented with plant extract of Ulmus davidiana showed the most high value (322 nM NADH/min/mg protein) in alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity among the experimented groups (144~312 nM NADH/min/mg protein) at p〈0.05. Groups fed with Lagerstroemia indica and Zelkova serrata extract-supplemented diets indicated high activity in aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH, 16.7 & 12.3 M NADH/min/mg protein), which were comparatively lower than 20.1 M NADH/min/mg protein of α-tocopherol fed group. All of the groups fed with plant extracts indicated very low GPT activities (13.9~17.3 IU/l) compared to those (146.1 & 128.6 IU/l) fed with α-tocopherol and fiber at p〈0.05. From these results, it is suggested that Lagerstroemia indica have a potent ethanol-metabolizing activity.

Several wild plant species are known to contain biologically active substances that are allelopathic to weed species as well as antioxidant to foods. Plant extracts or residues from leaves of 4 species, Achyranthes japonica (speedwell), Cucumis sativus (Cucumber), Trifolium repens (white clover), and Vicia angustifolia (narrowleaf vetch) were bioassayed against Medicago sativa (alfalfa) or Echinochloa crus-galli (barnyard grass) to determine their allelopathic effects, and used for measurement of antioxidant activities. The aqueous extracts applied on filter paper significantly inhibited root growth of alfalfa. Aqueous extracts or residues from V. angustifolia showed the most inhibitory effect on alfalfa or barnyard grass seedling growth and followed by A. japonica and T. repens. Oxidative stability by Rancimat method, antioxidant activity by TBA (2-thiobarbituric acid) method and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity for the ground samples or methanol extracts were the greatest in V. angustifolia, although were less than those of commonly used antioxidants, BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) and ascorbic acid. These results suggest that the wild plant species had potent allelopathic and antioxidant activities, and that their activities differed depending on plant species.

In this study, plant regeneration through in vitro culture from plantlet stems of Yooja (C. junos Sieb.) and trifoliate orange (P. trifoliata Rafin.) was attempted to make mass-production system of virus-free plants having the same genotype with mother plant. In order to investigate physiological change depending on the developmental stage of plant regeneration, the changes of total protein, peroxidase and esterase activity and their isozyme patterns as well were examined in 1/2 MS medium. The results are as follows : 1. The MS medium for the optimal callus induction and shoot formation was utilized. The medium was supplemented either with 2,4-D and Kinetin or with BA and NAA. The optimal concentrations were the combination of 1.0mg/ 2,4-D +0.3mg/ Kinetin and 1.0mg BA +0.3mg NAA in callus induction and shoot formation, respectively. 2. For the plant regeneration from somatic embryos, 1/2 MS medium was used with supplements of growth regulators (free, 1.0mg/ IBA +1.0mg/ BA ,0.5mg/ IBA +0.5mg/ BA). Shooting and rooting were the best in the treatment of 0.5mg/ IBA and 0.5mg/ BA combination. 3. The total protein content has a tendency of increase with the developmental stage of embryo, but it was decreased at the plantlet. Also it was the highest at 8 and 6 weeks stage in C. junos Sieb. and P. trioliata Rafin, respectively. In the SDS-PAGE pattern of protein, C. junos Sieb. showed bands of 29.0 and 40kDa at 10 weeks. The 45,66 and 97.4 kDa bands at 10 weeks of culture were shown in P. trifoliata Rafin. 4. The highest esterase activity was shown at the 6 and 8 weeks of culture in C.junos Sieb. and P. trifoliata Rafin.., respectively. 5. Esterase isozyme patterns were shown difference according to the developmental stage. In C. junos Sieb. a new band was observed at pl 7.7 following 4 weeks culture. On the other hand, new bands in P. trifoliata Rafin. were observed at pl 7.5~6.5 following 4 and 6 weeks culture, respectively.