Publications by authors named "Se-Jin Park"
Chronic stress disrupts gut microbiota homeostasis, contributing to anxiety and depression. This study explored the effects of Limosilactobacillus reuteri fermented brown rice (FBR) on anxiety using an ICR mouse chronic mild stress (CMS) model. Anxiety was assessed through body weight, corticosterone levels, neurotransmitter profiles, and behavioral tests.
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- PTSD is a serious mental health condition triggered by traumatic events, with symptoms like anxiety, depression, and negative mood changes.
- Traditional treatments have limited effectiveness and side effects, prompting research into 4-methoxycinnamic acid (4-MCA) as a new potential therapy for PTSD.
- Studies on mice showed that 4-MCA significantly reduced anxiety and depression, improved cognitive function, and corrected fear-related issues, suggesting it may work by impacting specific brain signaling pathways related to fear memory.
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- * This study introduced a new method using a respirometer to measure oxygen consumption in ICR mice exposed to various concentrations of benzene, toluene, and xylene, revealing significant decreases in respiration rates at high concentrations of benzene and toluene.
- * The method was validated in a model of pulmonary fibrosis, showing a strong link between weight loss and decreased oxygen consumption, suggesting oxygen consumption might serve as a reliable endpoint in inhalation toxicity assessments without needing to sacrifice animals.
Chios gum mastic enhance the proliferation and odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells.
Korean J Physiol Pharmacol
September 2024
Article Synopsis
- - Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are easy to collect and have a higher growth rate than bone marrow stem cells, making them useful for regenerating teeth and nerves.
- - Chios gum mastic (CGM) is a natural resin that can enhance the growth and differentiation of human DPSCs by promoting key proteins involved in the cell cycle and odontogenic processes.
- - The study found that CGM treatment led to increased cell proliferation, activated important differentiation markers, and improved the mineralization process in DPSCs, highlighting its potential for tissue engineering applications.
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- The study focuses on the benefits of barley husk, specifically its water-soluble xylan (BH-WSX), highlighting its high dietary fiber and prebiotic content that support gut health.
- Researchers extracted BH-WSX and found it to have a significant yield, specific molecular characteristics, and antioxidant properties, suggesting it could be useful for food applications.
- Advanced analyses, including spectroscopy and thermal testing, confirmed the chemical composition and structure of BH-WSX, making it a promising candidate for enhancing gut microbiota and potentially preventing adhesion of harmful bacteria.
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- The skin serves as a protective barrier against external irritants, and Pilea mongolica (P. mongolica) is a traditional Chinese herb that may help reduce inflammation, despite limited research on its effects.
- This study investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of the methanol extract of P. mongolica (MEPM) on LPS-stimulated human skin cells, showing that it significantly lowered inflammatory markers without being toxic to the cells.
- The study identified geraniin, an active compound in MEPM, as a key player in these anti-inflammatory effects, suggesting that MEPM and geraniin could be valuable for developing natural cosmetic products.
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- This study assessed long-term immunity in adults who received the BA.4/5 bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, focusing on both antibody and T-cell responses.
- Participants showed significant increases in anti-binding domain IgG and neutralizing antibodies (NAb) against certain Omicron variants by 9 months post-vaccination.
- The T-cell responses were robust and cross-reactive for both previously infected and SARS-CoV-2-naïve individuals, although there was minimal increase after vaccination.
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- Cheonwangbosimdan (CWBSD) is a traditional herbal medicine known for treating anxiety, insomnia, depression, and heart palpitations, and shows potential in reducing PTSD-like behaviors.
- The study employed a mouse model of PTSD to test CWBSD’s effects on various behavioral tests, signaling improvements in anxiety, depression, and cognitive function.
- Results indicated that CWBSD improved emotional and cognitive issues in PTSD-like mice and potentially normalized certain protein levels in the amygdala affected by stress.
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- Particulate matter (PM) pollution, linked to various health issues, has not been thoroughly studied in relation to the development of schizophrenia.
- This study exposed preadolescent mice to PM and examined the impact on schizophrenia-like behaviors, finding that PM exposure worsened symptoms like social deficits and cognitive impairments in adulthood.
- The research also revealed that PM exposure reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and affected related signaling pathways, suggesting a biological mechanism behind the exacerbation of schizophrenia symptoms.
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- The study focused on understanding the genotype-phenotype relationships in children with Gitelman syndrome (GS) by analyzing genetic variations in the SLC12A3 gene in 50 Korean children.
- The median age for diagnosis was 10.5 years, with 68% having biallelic variants; those with truncating variants experienced more severe electrolyte imbalances compared to those without.
- Findings suggest that children with monoallelic SLC12A3 variants exhibited similar clinical symptoms and treatment responses as those with biallelic variants.
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- ForensicNet is a multi-task deep learning network designed to automatically estimate sex and chronological age from panoramic radiographs, improving efficiency in forensic investigations compared to traditional manual methods.
- The study utilized a dataset of 13,200 images, covering various sex and age ranges, to train the network and mitigate data bias.
- Results showed ForensicNet achieved high accuracy in both age and sex estimation, demonstrating significant performance improvements through its attention branches for analyzing anatomical features.
Article Synopsis
- PTSD is a mental illness that arises from trauma, and current treatments are often ineffective and have significant side effects.
- This study explored the potential of D-Pinitol, shown to help depression and anxiety, in a mouse model of PTSD, finding it improved symptoms and cognitive functions.
- D-Pinitol works by antagonizing the mineralocorticoid receptor, which may help explain its effectiveness in reducing PTSD-like behaviors and fear responses in the tested mice.
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- - Researchers developed a new transient overexpression vector to quickly produce large amounts of antigen proteins needed for vaccine evaluation against infectious diseases, moving beyond just using the CMV promoter.
- - The constructed vector, which included a combination of transcriptional and translational enhancers, demonstrated significantly higher efficiency, yielding about 27 times more enhanced green fluorescent protein compared to a control vector.
- - The highest protein expression was achieved using the vector with the human elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1a) promoter, likely due to the combined effects of the CMV enhancer improving transcription and the synergistic action of both promoters.
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- * A study tested the effects of a novel herbal complex called LK5, which has anti-inflammatory properties, on HaCaT cells and in a mouse model of AD.
- * Results showed that LK5 reduced expression of inflammatory cytokines, improved clinical symptoms in mice, and inhibited itch, indicating its potential to modulate the immune response and alleviate AD symptoms by targeting the JAK-STAT pathway.
Article Synopsis
- * Methods: A clinical trial was conducted with 154 healthy adults who received either both vaccines at the same time or separately, with follow-ups for adverse events and immune response assessments over six months.
- * Results: While the combined vaccine group showed slightly lower overall antibody response rates for some coronavirus strains compared to the separate vaccine group, it produced a stronger neutralizing antibody response against the Omicron variant, with mostly mild side effects reported in both groups.
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- This study focuses on improving lung cancer diagnosis through a new test that analyzes DNA methylation from bronchial washing cytology, which has shown better sensitivity compared to traditional bronchoscopy methods.
- Researchers enrolled 187 patients with suspicious CT lesions and performed tests on two specific methylation biomarkers, revealing that the combination of both tests increased diagnostic sensitivity.
- The findings suggest that using DNA methylation analysis could potentially reduce the need for invasive procedures like biopsies in detecting lung cancer.
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- This study focused on childhood-onset lupus nephritis (LN), examining the clinical features, kidney outcomes, and risk factors related to prognosis in 216 patients across South Korea.
- Most patients presented with nephrotic syndrome or hematuria, and the most common kidney damage was WHO class IV LN, with nearly 15% developing advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) after an average follow-up of about 8 years.
- Key risk factors identified for advanced CKD included being male and not achieving remission within the first year of treatment, indicating the need for careful monitoring of these patients to improve their long-term outcomes.
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- Electroencephalography (EEG) is a method used to study human behavior by monitoring brain activity during various tasks, while machine learning (ML) helps recognize these activities.
- This study aimed to see how well an EEG-based ML model could categorize daily activities like resting, walking, and reading, and to use explainable AI techniques to understand which EEG features were most important in these classifications.
- The research involved 75 healthy participants and found that ML models like Random Forest and Gradient Boosting performed excellently in differentiating activities, with clear correlations found between machine learning results and EEG spectral data, suggesting potential benefits for healthcare and rehabilitation applications.
Article Synopsis
- Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines targeting Omicron subvariants BA.1 and BA.4/BA.5 were studied to evaluate their effectiveness in producing neutralizing antibodies (Nabs) after vaccination.
- The study involved 21 participants and found that those previously infected with BA.1/BA.2 or BA.5 had significantly higher levels of Nabs compared to non-infected individuals following the booster shot.
- Both bivalent vaccine formulations demonstrated similar immunogenicity, but even with the booster, the neutralizing activity against newer Omicron strains (BQ.1.1, BN.1, and XBB.1) was still deemed insufficient for adequate protection.
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- - The study aimed to investigate the connection between changes in the pericruciate fat pad (PCFP) seen on MRI and the severity of cartilage damage in the knee.
- - Involving 234 patients, two radiologists graded the PCFP signal changes and cartilage lesions, finding significant correlations between the grades of PCFP change and cartilage alterations, particularly in the medial knee compartment.
- - The results suggest that PCFP signal changes could serve as an indicator of osteoarthritis in patients, related to other knee issues like bone marrow lesions and meniscal tears.
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- Interest in using fermented sprouts from smart farms is growing due to their health benefits, particularly in reducing inflammation.
- A study found that a fermented extract of CL sprouts (F-CSA) exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effects by reducing harmful cytokines in macrophage cells and mice.
- The anti-inflammatory action of F-CSA is linked to its high luteolin content and its ability to inhibit the JNK/NF-κB signaling pathway, showing potential for therapeutic applications in inflammatory conditions.
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- Kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented vegetable, typically has its lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated under warmer conditions, which may not fully capture the diversity of LAB present.
- This study explored different isolation temperatures (5°C, 10°C, 20°C, and 30°C) and media (MRS, PES, LBS) to identify the most suitable conditions for LAB isolation from kimchi.
- Results showed that MRS was the best medium, and lower temperatures (10°C and 20°C) were crucial for isolating specific LAB, highlighting the need for more diverse psychrotrophic strains compared to those isolated at mesophilic temperatures.
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- The NLRP3 inflammasome, which is promoted by certain agents, plays a key role in increasing IL-1β levels, contributing to the worsening of atopic dermatitis (AD) symptoms.
- Despite its critical role, there are currently no drugs specifically targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome for AD patients.
- Research showed that MAEO can inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation and reduce AD symptoms in laboratory tests and animal models, suggesting its potential as a treatment for AD.
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- Cynanchum paniculatum has a history of use in East Asia for its pain-relieving and antiviral properties, and traditional texts indicate potential benefits for treating psychotic symptoms like hallucinations and delusions.
- The study investigated the effects of C. paniculatum and its main compound, paeonol, on mice with schizophrenia-like behaviors induced by MK-801, finding that paeonol may help alleviate symptoms.
- Results showed that both C. paniculatum extract and paeonol improved sensorimotor gating and cognitive deficits in the mice, suggesting paeonol could be a promising treatment for schizophrenia-related issues.
Article Synopsis
- Patellar instability is common in young patients, and the study discusses the appropriateness of using adult TT-TG distance values for diagnosing pediatric patients, which is deemed unreasonable as children grow.
- The study aimed to establish normative values for the TT-TG and TT-PCL distances in children without instability and to determine cutoff values that indicate an increased risk of instability.
- Results showed that the TT-TG and TT-PCL distances are significantly higher in those with patellar instability compared to controls, and these distances increase with age, suggesting tailored diagnostic thresholds are necessary for pediatric populations.