The purpose of this study is to detect metabolic syndrome components related to exposure of organic solventthrough comparison and analysis of metabolic syndrome components between workers at the workplace exposedto organic solvent (toluene, xylene, styrene) and workers at general workplace. During the period from Januaryto December 2010, the survey was conducted against male workers of 168,769 persons with age group 30-59completed medical checkup, dividing workers at organic solvent exposed work place and workers of generalworkplace against which comparisons were carried out about the result of general characteristics, blood test.Whether exposed to organic solvent and exposed period relationship with metabolic syndrome components wereidentified through execution of multiple logistic regression analysis. The prevalence rate of the metabolic syndromeby age was 15.0% for the 30s, 19.8% for the 40s, 22.9% for the 50s. For the whole workers, the prevalence rateof the metabolic syndrome was 17.4% in exposed workplace and 18.4% in general workplace that was higherthan the rate in exposed workplace. Even if age, drinking, smoking, exercise, region and BMI were corrected,the exposure to the organic solvent was the higher the significance of blood pressure and fasting glucose werestatistically and also the longer the period of exposure was, the higher the significance of blood pressure wasstatistically. In this study, the exposure to the organic solvent showed a statistically significant relevance with bloodpressure and fasting glucose among the metabolic syndrome components and the period of exposure showed astatistically significant relevance with blood pressure. Further researches should be conducted by prospective cohortstudy about the organic solvent and the metabolic syndrome components supplementing the defects.

본 연구는 남성 근로자들의 대사증후군 유병율을 알아보 고, 체위와 혈액학적 지수, 식습관과 건강관련 행동 등 여러 가지 요인들과 관련성을 규명하고자 하였다. 대상자들의 일 반적인 사항은 연령은 정상군 및 위험군은 ‘20대’가 가장 많 은 반면, 대사증후군군에서는 ‘30대’가 가장 많게 나타났다. 혈청 ALT의 농도는 대사증후군군(31.3±14.0 U/ℓ)이 정상군 (19.2±7.6 U/ℓ) 및 위험군(22.8±12.5 U/ℓ)에 비해 유의적으 로 높게 나타났으며, AST(p<.05) 및 γ-GTP 농도(p<.001)는 대 사증후군군(30.3±8.8 U/ℓ, 91.1±40.2 U/ℓ) > 위험군(25.7±8.1 U/ℓ, 41.8±20.2 U/ℓ) > 정상군(22.8±6.0 U/ℓ, 26.6±10.7 U/ ℓ) 순으로 높게 나타났다. 수축기 혈압은 대사증후군군(132.9±6.3 ㎜Hg)>위험군(123.5± 9.8 ㎜Hg)>정상군(116.8±7.0 ㎜Hg) 순으로 높게 나타났으며, 이완기 혈압은 대사증후군군이 정상군(75.0±5.1 ㎜Hg)과 위 험군(79.1±7.1 ㎜Hg)보다 높게 나타났다. 혈청 중성지질 및 혈 당 농도는 대사증후군군(242.5±114.8 ㎎/㎗, 142.3± 53.7 ㎎/㎗)> 위험군(186.9±134.3 ㎎/㎗, 111.3±37.0 ㎎/㎗)>정상군(82.8±33.8 ㎎/㎗, 84.7±16.9 ㎎/㎗) 순으로 높게 나타났으며, 동맥경화지 수는 대사증후군군(3.5±1.2)이 정상군(2.2±0.7)과 위험군(2.7±1.0) 에 비해 높게 나타난 반면 HDL-콜레스테롤 농도는 대사증후 군군(45.9±14.0 ㎎/㎗)이 정상군(62.4± 16.6 ㎎/㎗) 및 위험군 (56.2±14.5 ㎎/㎗)에 비해 낮았다. 아침식사의 빈도에서는 아침식사를 ‘매일 한다’는 응답률은 대사증후군군이 가장 높은 반면 ‘전혀 하지 않는다’라는 응 답률은 정상군이 가장 높았다. 음주 빈도는 정상군과 위험군 에서는 ‘주 3~4회’가 가장 많은 반면에 대사증후군군의 경우 에는 ‘주 5회 이상’이 가장 많았다. 음주량에서 ‘주 200 g 미 만’은 위험군이 가장 많았고, ‘주 200~399 g’은 정상군이 가장 많았으며, ‘주 400 g 이상’은 대사증후군군이 가장 많았다. 정 상군의 경우 연령이 많아질수록 Hemoglobin 농도는 낮았으 나 LDL-C/HDL-C와 AI는 높았고, 위험군은 연령이 많아질수 록 Hemoglobin 농도는 낮았으나 혈당 농도는 높게 나타났다. 대사증후군군의 경우에는 연령이 많아질수록 Hemoglobin 농 도는 낮았으나 γ-GTP, LDL-콜레스테롤및 수축기 혈압은 높 게 나타났다. AST 농도가 높을수록 대사증후군군에서는 혈 당 농도가 높았으며, ALT 농도가 높을수록 위험군에서는 허 리둘레와 수축기 혈압이 높았다. 그리고 γ-GTP 농도가 높을 수록 위험군에서는 수축기 혈압과 허리둘레가 높았으며, 대 사증후군군에서는 혈당 농도가 높게 나타났다. 이상의 결과로 보아 본 조사 대상자들의 아침식사 빈도, 교육 수준, 음주량 및 음주 빈도, 운동 빈도, AST, ALT 및 γ- GTP 농도가 대사증후군의 유병률에 영향을 미치는 중요 요 인인 것으로 나타났다. 따라서 대사증후군의 유병률을 줄이 고 나아가서는 심혈관질환의 위험을 감소시키기 위해서는 체중 감소, 활동량 증가, 음주량 및 음주 빈도 줄이기 등의 다양한 생활습관 교정이 필요하며, 이에 대한 연구와 교육이 지속적으로 이루어져야 할 것으로 사료된다.

This study was performed to investigate the characteristics of nutrient intake according to metabolic syndrome in Korean elderly. Data on 1,200 elderly (men 545, women 655) over 65 years was obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010. The subjects were divided into metabolic syndrome (MetS) and normal groups based on NCEP-ATP III guidelines and by applying the Asia-Pacific definition with waist circumference. The prevalence of MetS was 48.9% in all subjects, 35.6% in men and 58.9% in women, respectively. All nutrient intake was significantly lower in MetS than normal subjects, except iron, vitamin A, carotene, and retinol. In the carbohydrate: protein: fat (C:P:F) ratio, MetS showed a higher rate for carbohydrate, but a lower rate for protein and fat than normal. MetS was lower in calcium, vitamin B1, and vitamin C by the nutrient adequacy ratio than normal. Mean adequacy ratio of MetS (0.69) was lower than that of the normal group (0.72). These results demonstrated that undernutrition, not excess intake of specific nutrients - energy, fat, or cholesterol was associated with the risk for MetS in Korean elderly with MetS. Therefore, it is recommended to have a healthy dietary pattern with diverse nutrients for the prevention of MetS.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous syndrome associated with follicle growth arrest, dysregulated sex hormone profile, hyperthecosis and insulin resistance. Chemerin, a novel adipokine, is associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Although obese women and in PCOS subjects have elevated plasma chemerin levels, whether and how chemerin is involved in the regulation of follicular growth/steroidogenesis and pathogenesis of PCOS is unknown. Our objective is to better understand the complex regulatory mechanisms involved in the control of these processes and gain insights in their dysregulation in the pathogenesis of PCOS. We hypothesize that: (a) hyperandrogenism induces small and medium antral follicle growth arrest and ovarian structural changes, resulting from granulosa cell and oocyte apoptosis and theca cell survival, and (b) chemerin regulates follicular growth and steroidogenesis and contributes to the pathogenesis of PCOS. Using immature rats (day 13～15 for follicle culture and day 21～24 for granulosa cells culture) and a chronically androgenized rat model [dihydrotestosterone (DHT); 83 μg daily, day 21～105] which recapitulates the reproductive and metabolic phenotypes of human PCOS, we have examined the granulosa cell expression patterns of chemerin and its receptor CMKLR1 and their steroidogenic and follicle growth capability. DHT treatment resulted in decreased follicle numbers in preantral to preovulatory stages and absence of corpus luteum, but increased numbers of condensed atypical follicles. Atypical follicles, constituted predominantly of theca cells, exhibited high expression of calpain and down‐regulation of the cytoskeletal protein substrates vimentin, fodrin and β‐tubulin. Granulosa cell aromatase expression was significantly down‐regulated, a response accompanied by increased activated caspase‐3 content and DNA fragmentation. While PTEN levels were considerably higher in granulosa cells in the PCOS rats than controls, phospho‐Akt (Ser473) content was lower. In addition, DHT also activated granulosa cell caspase‐3, decreased XIAP, PARP and phospho‐Akt contents and induced apoptosis in vitro, responses that could be attenuated by forced expression of XIAP. These findings are consistent with our hypothesis that dysregulated follicular growth in PCOS is associated with changes in follicular growth dynamics and follicle cell fate, a consequence of dysregulated interactions of pro‐survival (p‐Akt, XIAP, PARP) and proapoptotic (calpain, PTEN, caspase‐3) modulators in a cell‐specific manner. Chemerin and CMKLR1 were expressed in granulosa cells and negatively regulated by gonadotropin in vivo and in vitro. Serum and ovarian chemerin levels in DHT‐treated rats were elevated, and associated with arrested early antral follicular growth, remodeling of the follicle wall and decreased expression of p450 side‐chain cleavage enzyme (p450- scc), aromatase and hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases. Recombinant chemerin inhibited FSH ‐ induced estradiol secretion in granulosa cells from DHT‐treated rats in vitro. Chemerin also suppressed basal and FSH‐ and GDF9‐induced follicle growth and estradiol/ progesterone production in preantral follicle cultures. Moreover, chemerin suppressed FSH‐induced p450scc/aromatase expression and progesterone/estradiol secretion in immature rat granulosa cells in vitro. These studies demonstrate that chemerin is a novel negative regulator in FSH‐induced follicular growth and steroidogenesis and support the notion that the dysregulation of chemerin expression and function contributes to pathogenesis of PCOS. Our observations also suggest that this chronically androgenized rat model may be useful not only for studies on the long term effects of androgen on folliculogenesis, but also on the pathophysiology of PCOS. * This work was supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR; MOP‐119381) and the World Class University (WCU) program through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea (R31‐10056).

This study aims to assess forest healing programs to middle-aged people in Korea with metabolic syndrome as a method to control the syndrome through prevention and health improvement rather than treatment. In order to develop healing programs in the urban forests for metabolic syndrome patients, environment condition of the forests and moods of participants were compared. Thermal environments and the concentration of phytoncides were analyzed by the site. Saneum Healing Forest had a lower temperature but a higher humidity than Seoul Forest. Seoul Forest had higher PMV and PPD levels than Saneum Healing Forest, providing patients with freshness. This seems to be due to the seasonal factor of autumn. As for the total emissions of phytoncide, mountain forest generated more than urban forest. Nine components out of investigated twenty turned out to be generated more in the urban forests. The atmospheric composition of phytoncides, volatile organic compounds that are released from vegetation, was analyzed at both sites. Profile of Mood States (POMS) was measured before and after the healing program. The POMS suggested that forest environments reduce stress and increase comfort, calm, and feelings of refreshment. The tendency towards positive mood state in the forest recommend that middle-aged Metabolic syndrome patients participate in healing programs in the forests.

Reactive oxygen radicals (ROS) are highly reactive and the overproduction of ROS could induce the pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction, and might serve as a main cause of the life style diseases, such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, and several cancers. These life style diseases are currently called as metabolic syndromes. The plant polyphenols as ROS scavengers have been widely studied and dietary antioxidants like tea and wine are well known as antioxidant foods. In order to look for the effective natural antioxidants which possess a health‐benefit function, we have collected and assayed numerous medicinal herbs and plant materials like agricultural by‐products. Some strong antioxidant polyphenols which had been isolated and identified from these plants extracts are presented here.