Publications by authors named "Won G Choi"

Background/aim: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women all over the world and new treatment options are urgent. ER stress in cancer cells results in apoptotic cell death, and it is being proposed as a new therapeutic target. SH003, a newly developed herbal medicine, has been reported to have anti-cancer effects.

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Sludge accumulated inside a fluid-flowing pipe used in a chemical or semiconductor processing factory should be periodically removed to avoid flow blockage that increases undesirable pressure inside the pipe. Accordingly, it is common practice to periodically dismantle a pipe system, clean up the accumulate sludge, and reassemble. Therefore, an accurate estimation of sludge accumulation in the pipe is important to minimize the halting time of a chemical process using the system.

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Insulin resistance is a cornerstone of obesity-related complications such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. A high rate of lipolysis is known to be associated with insulin resistance, and inhibiting adipose tissue lipolysis improves obesity-related insulin resistance. Here, we demonstrate that inhibition of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) signaling through serotonin receptor 2B (HTR2B) in adipose tissues ameliorates insulin resistance by reducing lipolysis in visceral adipocytes.

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Secretory proteins are an essential component of interorgan communication networks that regulate animal physiology. Current approaches for identifying secretory proteins from specific cell and tissue types are largely limited to in vitro or ex vivo models which often fail to recapitulate in vivo biology. As such, there is mounting interest in developing in vivo analytical tools that can provide accurate information on the origin, identity, and spatiotemporal dynamics of secretory proteins.

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Tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) has been recently suggested as a promising therapeutic target for treating obesity and fatty liver disease. A new series of 1,2,4-oxadiazolylphenyl alanine derivatives were identified as TPH1 inhibitors. Among them, compound was the most active in vitro, with an IC (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) value of 42 nM, showed good liver microsomal stability, and showed no significant inhibition of CYP and hERG.

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Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly prevalent worldwide, causing serious liver complications, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Recent findings suggest that peripheral serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT) regulates energy homeostasis, including hepatic lipid metabolism. More specifically, liver-specific 5HT knockout mice exhibit alleviated hepatic lipid accumulation and hepatic steatosis.

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Boron is an essential plant micronutrient that plays a structural role in the rhamnogalacturonan II component of the pectic cell wall. To prevent boron deficiency under limiting conditions, its uptake, distribution, and homeostasis are mediated by boric acid transporters and channel proteins. Among the membrane channels that facilitate boric acid uptake are the type II nodulin intrinsic protein (NIP) subfamily of aquaporin-like proteins.

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Unlabelled: Purpose: Red ginseng is one of the world's most popular herbal medicines; it exhibits a wide range of pharmacologic activities and is often co-ingested with other herbal and conventional medicines. This open-label, randomized, 3-period study investigated the in vivo herb-drug interaction potential for red ginseng extract with cytochrome P-450 (CYP) enzymes and organic anion-transporting polypeptide (OATP) 1B1.

Methods: Fifteen healthy male volunteers (22-28 years; 57.

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Objective: Cervical pedicle screw (CPS) placement is very challenging due to high risk of neurovascular complications. We devised a new technique (medial funnel technique) to improve the accuracy and feasibility of CPS placement.

Methods: We reviewed 28 consecutive patients undergoing CPS instrumentation using the medial funnel technique.

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MAM-2201 is a synthetic cannabinoid that is increasingly found in recreational drug abusers and cases of severe intoxication. Thus, characterization of the metabolic pathways of MAM-2201 is necessary to predict individual pharmacokinetics and toxicity differences, and to avoid toxic drug-drug interactions. Collectively, 19 phase 1 metabolites of MAM-2201 were identified using liquid chromatography-Orbitrap mass spectrometry following human liver microsomal incubations in the presence of NADPH: 7 hydroxy-MAM-2201 (M1-M7), 4 dihydroxy-MAM-2201 (M8-M11), dihydrodiol-MAM-2201 (M12), N-(5-hydroxypentyl)-MAM-2201 (M13), hydroxy-M13 (M14), N-dealkyl-MAM-2201 (M15), 2 hydroxy-M15 (M16, M17), MAM-2201 N-pentanoic acid (M18), and hydroxy-M18 (M19).

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 The incidence of thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum (OLF) is increasing, and the available surgical techniques were invasive.  To evaluate the surgical outcome and prognostic factors in relation to clinicoradiologic variables with a novel minimally invasive lamina fenestration technique in patients with thoracic OLF.  Between July 2005 and November 2010, 27 levels with 50 lesions in 17 patients were treated with the lamina fenestration technique for the decompression of thoracic OLF.

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Honokiol has antitumor, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antithrombotic effects. Here we aimed to identify the metabolic profile of honokiol in mouse, rat, dog, monkey, and human hepatocytes and to characterize the enzymes responsible for the glucuronidation and sulfation of honokiol. Honokiol had a high hepatic extraction ratio in all five species, indicating that it was extensively metabolized.

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Gastritis cystica profunda (GCP) is an uncommon hyperplastic benign lesion, and histologically characterized by hyperplasia and cystic dilatation of the gastric glands extending into the submucosal layer. GCP usually occurs at a gastroenterostomy site, although it can occasionally be found in an unoperated stomach. GCP is thought to be a possible precancerous lesion, since a few early gastric cancers associated with it were reported.

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Annotation of the recently sequenced genome of the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) identified a gene ApAQP2 (ACYPI009194, Gene ID: 100168499) with homology to the Major Intrinsic Protein/aquaporin superfamily of membrane channel proteins. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that ApAQP2 is a member of an insect-specific clade of this superfamily. Homology model structures of ApAQP2 showed a novel array of amino acids comprising the substrate selectivity-determining "aromatic/arginine" region of the putative transport pore.

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Spinal cysticercosis is a very uncommon manifestation of neurocysticercosis which is caused by the larvae of Taenia solium. However, it can develop as a primary infection through blood stream or direct larval migration. It can result in high recurrence and severe neurologic morbidity if not treated appropriately.

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Background Context: We previously reported the preliminary results of minimally invasive anterior lumbar interbody fusion (mini-ALIF) with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation (PPF) in 2004.

Purpose: To investigate the long-term results of mini-ALIF followed by PPF for the treatment of back and leg pain in adult isthmic spondylolisthesis.

Study Design: Retrospective study with a minimum 5-year follow-up.

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Study Design: A case report describing our experience with anterior revision surgery for a dislocated ProDisc artificial disc at the L4-5 level, 2.5 years after the initial surgery.

Objective: To highlight the difficulties and risks associated with the use of a repeat anterior approach for the revision of a ProDisc that has failed at the L4-5 level.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study looked at a procedure called vertebroplasty, which helps fix broken bones in the spine using cement.
  • Instead of using two needles like usual, the doctors used one needle at a specific angle made for each patient, which they figured out by doing special scans beforehand.
  • Out of 103 cases, 90% were successful, and most patients felt much less pain after the procedure.
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Objective: Even though cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) has several unique clinical features compared with spondylotic myelopathy or cervical disc disease, there have been few reports about factors affecting prognosis after decompression using corpectomy. To clarify the prognostic factors for cervical OPLL, the authors analyzed the clinical and radiologic parameters of 47 patients retrospectively.

Methods: The patients were classified into a good-prognosis group and a poor-prognosis group according to the changes of Nurick grade after operation.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the PDN prosthetic disc nucleus device for the treatment of chronic discogenic back pain caused by degenerative disc disease. Among the 48 patients who underwent nucleus replacement surgery from January 2001 through May 2002, 46 patients were followed >6 months. The mean Oswestry Disability Index score was 58.

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A phenyl propanoid derivative, dillapional(1) was found to be a antimicrobial principle of the stems of Foeniculum vulgare (Umbelliferae) with MIC values of 125, 250 and 125/ against Bacillus subtilis, Aspergillus niger and Cladosporium cladosporioides, respectively. A coumarin derivative, scopoletin(2) was also isolated as marginally antimicrobial agent along with inactive compounds, dillapiol(3), bergapten(4), imperatorin(5) and psolaren(6) from this plant. The isolates 1-6 were not active against the Escherichia coli.

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Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Won G Choi"

  • - Won G Choi's recent research encompasses a broad range of topics, including oncology, obesity, metabolic diseases, and botanical pharmacology, reflecting a strong focus on health-related biomedical science.
  • - Notable findings include the identification of new therapeutic targets such as serotonin receptors involved in obesity-related insulin resistance, and the potential of herbal medicines like SH003 showing anti-cancer effects through apoptosis mechanisms in breast cancer cells.
  • - Choi's work also extends to innovative techniques in non-invasive monitoring, such as ultrasonic inspection methods for sludge accumulation in industrial pipes, and his research on the dynamics of tissue-specific secretory proteins has implications for understanding interorgan communication in live systems.