Earticle

It is well known that exercise is effective in overcoming obesity. Recent studies have focused on various types of exercise in which vibration exercise was involved. In this study, we investigated the effect of whole body vibration (WBV) exercise using the bed-type vibrator through pre-post data analysis. Twenty participants were carefully recruited and were treated on a vibrating bed with an automatic program developed by integration of 1-8 steps for 1 hr maintaining the 40°C of bed temperature. Blood pressure, body mass indices (BMI), hematological indices, oxidative stress-related markers, cytokines, and obesity-related biomarkers such as adiponectin, resistin and irisin were measured. Results showed that diastolic blood pressure was significantly lowered after 1 hr of WBV treatment (p < 0.05). In lipid tests, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were decreased (p < 0.01, respectively). Oxidative stress-related markers such as reactive oxygen species (p < 0.05), nitric oxide (p < 0.05) and glutathione peroxidase (p < 0.01) were significantly increased. Interleukin (IL)-10, and tumor necrosis factor-α were significantly decreased and IL-6 and interferon (INF)-γ also showed decreasing trend. Adiponectin involved in insulin sensitivity was increased and resistin involved in insulin resistance decreased, but there were no significance. In addition, irisin levels were significantly decreased after the WBV exercise. In conclusion, the bed-type of WBV exercise reduced the blood pressure and cholesterol, and showed favorable response to obesity biomarkers. Also, oxidative stress level was increased but relatively stable and not severe, and inflammation and allergic reaction were not observed. Thus, the application of bed-type WBV exercise can be a safe and effective alternative for the improvement of obesity.

Hydrogen water (HW) which is produced by electrolysis of water has characteristics of extremely low oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) value and high dissolved hydrogen (DH). It has been proved to have various beneficial effects including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects; however, HW effect on dementia that is associated with cognitive impairment and memory loss, is poorly documented. In the present study, we investigated the drinking effects of hydrogen water on dementia patient for prevention through oxidative stress and immuno redox mechanism. Dementia patients were administered with HW and purified water (PW) for 6 months. Further, we evaluated hydrogen water effect on the cognitive impairment by checking the serum concentration of Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers [Amyloid β (Aβ) 40, Aβ 42 and tau], inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, IL-13, TNF-α, IL-10 and IL-4, Th1/Th2 cytokines such as IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-12p70 and IL-5, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and nitric oxide (NO) levels. We found that HW treatment significantly decreased the serum level of Aβ 40 after 6 mon of treatment. In parallel, inflammatory cytokines were significantly inhibited in experimental group compared to control group. In line, Th1/Th2 cytokines were significantly decreased in HW than PW group. Furthermore, oxidative stress markers such as ROS and nitric oxide level were decreased in HW treated group than PW control group. Overall our clinical results strongly recommended that drinking hydrogen water might be a promising preventative approach for age-related neurodegenerative disease like dementia and have an enormous impact on future healthcare for the elderly patients. This might be the first note on the clinical application of drinking HW on the serum of dementia patients.

Alcohol-induced hangover and liver diseases are considered as a cause of serious health morbidity, mortality and socio-economic burden worldwide. In recent years, many researchers explored abundant numbers of natural products related with hepatoprotective effect against oxidative damage. In this study we investigated the protective effects of urushiol-free enzyme-treated lacquer tree (Rhus verniciflua sap) extract (ELTE) on alcohol-induced in Sprague Dawley (SD) rat model. Rats were randomly divided into 3 groups; negative control without treatment (NeC), positive control group (PC) treated with anti-hangover drink (Condition), and experimental group orally treated with urushiol-free ELTE. Experimental materials were administered to each SD rat accordingly 25 mg/kg for 5 d via gavage. At 5th day after treatment of experimental materials, each group received a dose of ethanol (4 g/kg body weight) and blood serum sample was assessed after 1 h and 5 h to investigate immune-redox and hangover markers. Our results showed blood lymphocytes levels were significantly lower in ELTE group than NeC group. Likewise, ROS generation was significantly reduced in ELTE group as compared to all other groups. In line, alcohol concentration in blood was significantly reduced in PC and ELTE groups as compared with NeC group. Collectively, our results suggest that urushiol-free ELTE might be an excellent potential candidate against acute alcohol-induced hangover relief and liver protection.

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is a powerful oxidant and a bactericidal agent generally produced by electrolysis, which is much more effective and safer than NaOCl. Recently mineral supplement-treated HOCL (MS-HOCl) water has received attention as a new-concept detergent due to high sterilization power, easy accessibility and safety. In this study we time-dependently investigated the physiochemical properties of MS-HOCl water depending on the kind of diluting agents (tap water, low concentration mineral water and high concentration mineral water), and confirmed anti-bacterial effect of MS-HOCl water according to the ACC level compared to electrolyzed acidic water. Weak acid electrolyzed water (EW-HOCl) was used as a positive control. We evaluated the pH, oxidation reduction potential (ORP), available chlorine concentration (ACC) and total dissolved solid particles (TDS) level to detect physiochemical properties of various kind of MS-HOCl waters. To investigate the bactericidal effects of these experimental waters, 5 different strains of aerobic and anaerobic human pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus mutans and Helicobacter pylori) were used. Three MS-HOCl waters according to ACC levels were prepared through 2-fold serial dilution, and compared with tap water, 70% ethyl alcohol and EW-HOCl. In results, MS-HOCl water had similar physiochemical properties compared to EW-HOCl water. Moreover, MS-HOCl treatment showed excellent bactericidal effect against all five human pathogenic bacterial strains compared to TW and 70% alcohol, and showed similar anti-baterial effect with EW-HOCl. Collectively, our study indicates that MS-HOCl water could be used as a efficient disinfectant alternative due to cost-effectiveness and easy accessibility in hospital settings, food process and poultry industries. However, further studies are required for its safety use.

Recently, hydrogen as a renewable energy carrier has attracted attentions for fuel cell vehicles, energy storage and generation, bio and health applications. However, there is a critical issue of hydrogen about safety because hydrogen is colorless, odorless and explosive in 4 % H2 in air. This characteristic has been considered as a bottle-neck to spread hydrogen-based applications.1 In addition, it is essential to monitor hydrogen concentration at high precision over wide range of concentration at ppm- 100%. Hence, the research on hydrogen detecting sensor to ensure hydrogen safety and wide-range concentration control has been actively conducted. In addition to the typical electrical sensing, recent research on hydrogen gas sensors has focused on optical sensor using IR detector but it is subject to critical issues of a high cost, lots of electrical connections2 and accidental errors. Now, visible coloration hydrogen sensor (chemochromic) has been reported with various materials3. This chemochromic sensor is electrical power-free and is available in flexible applications. In this presentation, I report various hydrogen sensing technique based on our group developed active materials such as (1) nanostructure oxides (WO3, MoO3) for reversible and sulfide (CuS) for irreversible for chemochromic sensing, (2) super lattice structure based on Pd alloy for wide range hydrogen dissociation from 100 ppm to 100 %. Chemochromic hydrogen sensor with catalyst can dissociate molecular hydrogen and then, atomic hydrogen diffuse into lattice of nano-columnar WO3 and MoO3. In the diffusion process, the interaction between hydrogen and oxides generates unpaired d-spin providing polaron effect that is formed with ion core and unpaired d electrons. Then, visible coloration that consists of plasmonic effect and a H-defect state appears from transparent to blue. The measurement of coloration is conducted with color difference (ΔE^*). In case of the Pd-WO3, hydrogen detection from 0.1 to 100 % is confirmed with fast response ΔE^*>20 and remarkable selectivity against CH4 and CO. Moreover, the sensor shows a possibility to use multi-modal sensor that involves resistance and chemochromic method. Besides, we discuss a subject to expand hydrogen applications with a precise hydrogen concentration determination by using high precise H2 concentration sensor and with hydrogen associated health applications such as hydrogen containing water.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is chronic relapsing skin inflammatory allergic disease characterized by a complex pathogenesis including skin barrier dysfunction, immune-redox disturbances and pruritus. Topical treatment medications such as corticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitors, T-cell inhibitors were used in AD but these agents may have some potential side-effects. Therefore, many researchers explored abundant numbers of alternative therapies by using natural products and mineral compounds related with its antioxidant and immunomodulator effects to minimize toxicity and adverse-effects. In the present study, we investigated the effects of mineral complex material patch (MCM) treatment on AD-like lesions in 2, 4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced hairless mice. Animals were divided into four groups; normal control, negative control (DNCB Only), DNCB+ Tacrolimus (PC) and DNCB+MCM patch to evaluate its therapeutic effect on DNCB-induced AD. Our results showed that MCM patch improved the skin dermatitis by significantly increasing the skin barrier strength, score and moisture level and decreasing the transepidermal water loss as compared to DNCB only group. In line, ROS level, inflammatory, Th1 and Th2 cytokines were decreased with MCM treatment whereas nitric oxide level and total anti-oxidant enzyme activities were significantly enhanced as compared to DNCB only and NC groups. Moreover, total IgE level was significantly increased in DNCB only group and decreased in PC and MCM treated group. Taken together, our findings suggest that MCM may potentially protect against AD lesional skin via regulation of skin barrier function and immune-redox response. However, further studies are needed to explain the detail molecular mechanism of MCM effect.

Hydrogen water (HW) produced by electrolysis of water has characteristics of extremely low oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) value and high dissolved hydrogen (DH). It has been proved to have various beneficial effects including anti-oxidantion and anti-inflammation however, the antibacterial effect on human pathogenic bacteria is poorly studied. In the present study, we investigated the antibacterial effects of hydrogen water on three different types of human pathogenic bacterial species, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and S. mutans. S. aureus, S. mutans, and E. coli were cultured and diluted with hydrogen water and tap water at different ratio (9:1, 5:5 and 1:9) and inoculated on Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) and Mac Conkey agar. After inoculation, the S. aureus, E. coli culture plates were incubated at 37 ℃ in aerobic condition for 24 h, S. mutans in anaerobic condition for 48 hours. After 24 h of incubation, the total number of the colony was measured as CFU/mL. We found that the number of all three bacterial species was fully reduced at the ratio of 1:9 hydrogen water, but the tap water had no effects. We can conclude from our results, that hydrogen water may have positive and strong antibacterial effects on various human pathogenic bacteria. But, it needs other experiments to clarify the antimicrobial effects of hydrogen water.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is closely related to insulin resistance and genetic susceptibility, and it is a metabolic stress liver injury. As a result of the multifactorial pathological development in vivo, endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) increase, leading to inflammatory necrosis of hepatocytes. In recent years, many studies have confirmed that hydrogen is not a physiological inert gas. It has reliable therapeutic properties for some diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, atherosclerosis and so on. It can be said that hydrogen is a gas with great potential medical value. We used nitrogen-oxygen mixture as control, and inhaled hydrogen-oxygen mixture (66% hydrogen and 33% oxygen) to non-alcoholic fatty liver patients. We found that hydrogen can improve the blood lipid level, reduce the plasma total cholesterol level and low density lipoprotein level, and increase the liver/spleen CT ratio in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver. At the same time, hydrogen can improve the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxygen ability of plasma in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver. It can reduce plasma glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and alanine transaminase levels in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The results showed that hydrogen could protect hepatocytes and alleviate the degree of nonalcoholic fatty liver.