• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.179-186
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• 2015

Objectives Adrenergic alpha 1 and 2 receptors work as pathways to control the serotonergic neuron moderation and mirtazapine acts as antagonist of these receptors. The adrenoreceptor alpha 1a (ADRA1A) gene, which encodes adrenergic alpha 1 receptor, has Arg-347Cys genetic polymorphism and the polymorphism has strong relationship with many neuro-psychiatric diseases. In this study, we explored the relationship between ADRA1A R347C polymorphism and mirtazapine treatment response in Koreans with major depression. Methods 352 patients enrolled in this study, and the symptoms were evaluated by 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating (HAMD-17) scale. After 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks of mirtazapine treatment, the association between ADRA1A R347C polymorphism and remission/response outcomes was evaluated. Results Treatment response to mirtazapine was significantly better in T allele carriers than C allele homozygotes after 12 weeks of mirtazapine monotherapy. The percentile decline of HAMD-17 score in T allele carriers was larger than that of C allele homozygotes. ADRA1A R347C genotypes were not significantly associated with remission. Conclusions The result showed that treatment response to mirtazapine was significantly associated with ADRA1A R347C genetic polymorphism. T allele carriers showed better treatment response than C allele homozygotes. It can be supposed that T allele carriers have a trend of better treatment response to mirtazapine monotherapy.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2007

Purpose: Henoch-Sch$\"{o}$nlein purpura (HSP) is a systemic vasculitis involving the skin, joints, gastrointestinal tract, and kidney. Although the pathogenesis of HSP is still unclear, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-${\alpha}$) is regarded as an important cytokine contributing to the disease. The goal of this study was to determine the role of TNF-${\alpha}$ in the pathogenesis of HSP, and to evaluate the TNF-${\alpha}$ polymorphism for genetic susceptibility to HSP. Methods: From March 2004 to November 2005, 40 children with HSP and 32 healthy controls were included. Serum TNF-${\alpha}$ levels were measured using the ELISA method during the acute and convalescent phase of HSP. The genotypic and allelic frequencies of the TNF-${\alpha}$ gene polymorphisms at positions -308 and -238 were evaluated in patients and controls. Results: Serum TNF-${\alpha}$ levels were $23.17{\pm}11.31$ pg/mL in the acute phase of children with HSP and $10.56{\pm}5.59$ pg/mL in the convalescent phase (p=0.000). There was no significant correlation between the serum TNF-${\alpha}$ levels and the clinical scores of HSP (r=0.310, p=0.070). The genotypic frequency of the TNF-${\alpha}$ -308 polymorphism in children with HSP was not significantly different compared to healthy controls (GG 80%, GA 20% vs. GG 93.8%, GA 6.2%; p=0.094). The genotypic frequency of the TNF-${\alpha}$ -238 polymorphism in children with HSP was not significantly different (GG 97.5%, GA 2.5% vs. GG 93.8%, GA 6.3%; p=0.429). Conclusion: TNF-${\alpha}$ is assumed to be the main cytokine associated with the pathogenesis of HSP during the acute phase. However, the presence of TNF-${\alpha}$ gene polymorphisms at positions -308 and -238 did not distinguish children with HSP from normal controls.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.1115-1118
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• 2008

${\alpha}$-Galactosidase gene (aga) from Leuconostoc mesenteroides SY1 was expressed in a heterologous host, Lactobacillus brevis 2.14 using an Escherichia coli-Leuconostoc shuttle vector, pSJE. pSJEaga (pSJE carrying aga) was introduced into Lactobacillus brevis 2.14 by electroporation and transformation efficiency was $1.1{\times}10^3$ per ${\mu}g$ DNA. L. brevis transformants (TFs) showed higher ${\alpha}$-galactosidase (${\alpha}$-Gal) activities than cells containing pSJE. Transcription levels of aga in L. brevis 2.14 grown on different carbon sources (1%, w/v) were examined by slot blot analysis. Aga transcript levels and ${\alpha}$-Gal activities were higher in cells grown on melibiose, raffinose, and galactose than cells on glucose, sucrose, and fructose. Western blot result showed that L. brevis 2.14 harboring pSJEaga produced much more ${\alpha}$-Gal when grown on melibiose than on glucose.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.561-564
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• 1998

The stabilizatio of amaylolytic enzyme such as $\beta$-amylase of barley, $\beta$-amylase of wheat, $\beta$-amylase of sweet potato, $\alpha$-amylase of Bacillus licheniformis, $\alpha$-amylase of Aspergillus sp. and $\alpha$-glucosidase of Aspergillus awamori was attained by modification with periodate-oxidized soluble starch. The pH stability of modified enzyme was increased at pH 9 for $\beta$-amylase of sweet potato, pH 3~5 and 8~11 for $\beta$-amylase of barley, pH 2~3 and 7~12 for $\beta$-amylase of wheat and pH 6 for $\alpha$-glucosidase of Aspergillus awamori. Thermal stability increased 17.6% for $\alpha$-amylase of Aspergillus sp. at 6$0^{\circ}C$ for 10min, 30% for $\alpha$-amylase of Bacillus licheniformis at 10$0^{\circ}C$ for 5min and 4.5% for $\alpha$-amylase of sweet potato at 6$0^{\circ}C$ for 10min compared with those of native enzymes.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2013

Animals show a sexual dimorphism in metabolic responses. We investigated to verify whether the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\alpha}$ ($PPAR{\alpha}$) agonist fenofibrate regulates obesity and skeletal muscle lipid metabolism with sexual dimorphism and to determine the changes in skeletal muscle expression of $PPAR{\alpha}$ target genes. After both sexes of C57BL/6J mice received a high fat diet with or without fenofibrate for 7 weeks, we examined the effects of fenofibrate on not only body weight, adipose tissue mass, and skeletal muscle lipid accumulation, but also the mRNA expression of $PPAR{\alpha}$-related genes in skeletal muscle. Male mice given a fenofibrate-supplemented high fat diet showed decreased body weight gain and adipose tissue mass compared with mice fed a high fat diet alone, whereas fenofibrate did not reduce them in high fat diet-fed female mice. Lipid accumulation in skeletal muscle was inhibited by fenofibrate in male mice, but not in female mice. Gene expression analysis revealed that fenofibrate increased the mRNA levels of $PPAR{\alpha}$ target enzymes only in male mice. Therefore, our results suggest that sex-dependence differences in obesity and intramuscular lipid levels under fenofibrate treatment could be due in part to the differences in skeletal muscle $PPAR{\alpha}$ activation between male and female mice.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.255-263
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• 1994

To elucidate the action of the adrenergic nerve on the isolated uterine smooth muscle of the pig, effects of electrical transmural nerve stimulation and norepinephrine were investigated on the pretreatment of phentolamine ； non-selective ${\alpha}$-adrenoceptor blocker, propranolol ; ${\beta}$-adrenoceptor blocker and the yohimbine；${\alpha}_2$-selective adrenoceptor blocker from physiograph. 1. The relaxation response induced by norepinephrine was the concentration of $10^{-6}$ M at first and maximum response was concentration of $10^{-4}$M. 2. The relaxation response induced by norepinephrine was not effected by the pretreatment with non-selective $\alpha$-adrenoceptor blocker, phentolanune ($10^{-6}$ M) but was completely blocked by the pretreatment with ${\beta}$-adrenoceptor blocker, propranolol($10^{-6}$ M). 3. The contractile response induced by electrical transmural nerve stimulation(20V, 10Hz, 0.5msec, 20sec ) was inhibited by the pretreatment with non-selective ${\alpha}$-adrenoceptor blocker, phentolamine($10^{-6}$ M) but was not inhibited and rather increased by the pretreatment ${\beta}$-adrenoceptor blocker, propranolol($10^{-6}$ M), and was not approximately effected by the pretreatment with ${\alpha}_2$-adrenoceptor blocker, yohimbine($10^{-6}$ M). These finding suggest that it was excitatory action by ${\alpha}_1$-adrenergic nerve and inhibitory action by ${\alpha}_2$-adrenergic, ${\beta}$-adrenergic nerve on uterine smooth muscle of the pig.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.1014-1018
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• 2004

Relationships between muscle $\alpha$-tocopherol oncentrations and metmyoglobin percentages during display of six muscles, m. serratus ventralis (SV), m. psoas major (PM), m. gluteus medius (GM), m. semimembranosus (SM), m. semitendinosus (ST) and m. longissimus lumborum (LL), of Japanese Black steers slaughtered at 28 months of age were studied. Steers were supplemented with 0, 2,000 and 4,000 mg $\alpha$-tocopheryl acetate/head/day for 28 days prior to slaughter in the VE 0, the VE 2,000 and the VE 4,000 groups, respectively. $\alpha$-Tocopherol concentrations in PM, GM, SM, ST and LL of the VE 2,000 and the VE 4,000 groups were significantly (p<0.05) higher than those of the VE 0 group. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences in $\alpha$-tocopherol concentrations in all muscles between the VE 2,000 group and the VE 4,000 group. The muscle $\alpha$-tocopherol concentrations ($\ell$/g meat) which can retard metmyoglobin formation in muscles were estimated to be 5.3 for SV, 4.5 for PM, 4.2 for GM, 4.0 for SM, 3.6 for ST and 3.5 for LL. The equation to predict color-shelf-life of each muscle from the $\alpha$-tocopherol concentration in each muscle could be obtained.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.85-89
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• 2011

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the $CHCl_3$-soluble fraction of a MeOH extract of the fruiting bodies of Hygrophorus russula led to the isolation of five ergosterol derivatives (1 - 5). The structures of these compounds were identified as ergosterol peroxide (1), ergosta-4,6,8(14),22-tetraen-3-one (2), ergosta-7,22-diene-3${\beta}$,5${\alpha}$,6${\alpha}$-triol (3), ergosta-7,22-diene-3${\beta}$,5${\alpha}$,6${\beta}$,9${\alpha}$-tetraol (4), and 5${\alpha}$,6${\alpha}$-epoxy-ergosta-8(14),22-diene-3${\beta}$,7${\alpha}$-diol (5) by comparing their physicochemical and spectral data with those in the literature. These compounds were evaluated for in vitro cytotoxicity against A549 and XF498 cancer cell lines. Most of the tested compounds, except for compound 3, exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against both A549 and XF498 cell lines with $IC_{50}$ values ranging from 10.2 to 18.3 ${\mu}g/ml$ and from 11.4 to 24.6 ${\mu}g/ml$, respectively.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 1989

We have reported earlier on the reactivity of 7-dithiocarboxy-3-phenyl-5,6-dihydro imidazo[2,1-b]thiazolium-betaine with several para-substituted phenacyl bromides. In this work reactions of 7-dithiocarboxy-3-phenyl(or methyl)-5,6-dihydro imidazo[2,1-b]thiazolium-betaine with a series of aliphatic alkylating agents of ${\alpha}$ -halo ketone,${\gamma}$-halo koto ester and ${\alpha}$ -halo ester were examined for the similar purpose. In case of ${\alpha}$-halo ketone or ${\gamma}$-halo koto ester such as ${\alpha}$ -chloro acetone or ethyl 4-chloro acetoacetate new biheterocyclic compound was obtained via ring transformation reaction. However, reaction of the betaine with methyl(or ethyl) bromoacetate used as a ${\alpha}$-halo ester, gave, in-stead, S-alkylated quarternary ammonium salt.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.167-172
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• 2005

Sex reversal to a functional male of sevenband grouper $(41.0{\pm}1.3cm\;TL,\;1.4{\pm}0.1kg\;BW)$ was induced by $17{\alpha}-methyltestosterone\;(MT,\;0.5\sim2.0mg/kg\;BW)$ implantation from March 17 to May 12,2002. Gonad of control group was composed of genial cells and peri-nucleolus oocyte during the experimental period. Gonad of fish treated with 0.5 mg MT/kg BW had peri-nucleolus oocytes, spermatogonia, spermatids and spermatozoa at the late stages of spermatogenesis, while the fish group treated with 1.0 and 2.0 mg MT/kg BW contained spermatoza in the efferent duct. Sperm were obtained from the experimental groups treated with a dose of $1.0{\sim}2.0mg$ MT/kg BW. In the MT treated groups, testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone levels were higher than those in the control group during the $2{\sim}6$ weeks of the experimental period (P<0.05). $Estradiol-17{\beta}$ was detected from fish in the experimental fish.