• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.29-35
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• 1995

The effects of prostaglandin $F_2{\alpha}$ were investigated on the uterine smooth muscle motility in the pig. The results were summarized as follows : 1. Prostaglandin $F_2{\alpha}$ caused the contraction of the porcine uterine smooth muscle and the contractile responses increased between the concentration of prostaglandine $F_2{\alpha}$ $10^{-9}$ M and $5{\times}10^{-8}$ M with a dose-dependent manner. 2. The contractile response induced by prostaglandine $F_2{\alpha}$($10^{-8}$ M) was not blocked by pre-treatment with cholinergic receptor blocker, atropine ($10^{-6}$ M). 3. The contractile response induced by prostaglandine $F_2{\alpha}$(10$^{-8}$ M) was not blocked by pretreament with ${\alpha}$-adrenergic receptor blocker, phentolamine($10^{-6}$ M) and ${\beta}$-adrenergic receptor blocker, propranolol($10^{-6}$ M). From these results, it was concluded that the effects of uterine smooth muscle by prostaglandine $F_2{\alpha}$ were only the contraction mediated by prostaglandine TEX>$F_2{\alpha}$ receptor in pig, and that it may not be related to the cholinergic and adrenergic receptor.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.186-194
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• 2001

Scrub typhus, caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi infection, is clinically and histopathologically characterized by local as well as systemic inflammatory reactions, indicating that orientiae induce mechanisms that amplify the inflammatory response. To reveal underlying mechanisms of chemoattraction and activation of responding leukocytes, expression of chemokine and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-$\alpha$) genes in murine peritoneal macrophages after infection with the obligate intracellular bacterium Ο.tsutsugamushi was investigated. The genes that were unregulated included macrophage inflammatory proteins l$\alpha$/$\beta$(MIP-l$\alpha$/$\beta$), MIP-2, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1(MCP-1), RANTES (regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted), gamma-interferon-inducible protein 10(IP-10) and TNF-$\alpha$. Peak expression of these chemokines and TNF-$\alpha$ was observed between 1 and 3 h after infection. These responses returned to or approached baseline preinfection levels 6 h after challenge. Semiquantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR analysis revealed dramatic Increases during infection in the steady-state levels of mRNA ceding for the inhibitory subunit of NF-kB (IkB$\alpha$), whose transcription is enhanced by binding of NF-kB within the IkB$\alpha$promoter region. Thus, Ο. tsutsugamushi appears to be a stung inducer of chemokines and TNF-$\alpha$ which may significantly contribute to inflammation and tissue damage observed in scrub typhus by attracting and activating phagocytic leukocytes.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2007

This study was conducted to examine the effects of prostaglandin $F_2{\alpha}(PGF_2{\alpha})$ and prostaglandin $E_2 (PGE_2)$ on the expansion and hatching of bovine embryos. During the in vitro culture, embryos were cultured with the following groups: (1) 0, 1, 10 and 100ng/ml $PGF_2{\alpha}$ (2) 0, 1, 10 and 100 ng/ml $PGF_2{\alpha}$, (3) low concentration of $PGF_2{\alpha}$ ; low concentration of $PGF_2{\alpha}$, (1ng/ml : 1ng/ml), (4) low concentration of $PGF_2{\alpha}$ : high concentration of $PGF_2{\alpha}$ (1ng/ml : 10ng/ml) (5) high concentration of $PGF_2{\alpha}$ : low concentration of $PGE_2$ (10ng/ml 1ng/ml) (6) high concentration of $PGF_2{\alpha}$ : high concentration of $PGE_2$(10 ng/ml : 10ng/ml). In the results of this study, treatment of $PGF_2{\alpha}$ or $PGE_2$ did not affect in vitro development to blastocysts. However, the hatching rates of embryos cultured with 10ng/ml $PGE_2$(10.3%) and 1ng/ml $PGF_2{\alpha}$ 10ng/ml $PGE_2$(22.2%) were significantly (P<0.05) higher than in control (4.3% and 12.7%) and other treatment groups. All groups treated with high concentrations of $PGF_2{\alpha}$ showed decreased hatching rates. Thus, this results suggested that $PGF_2{\alpha}\;and\;PGE_2$ were concerned with the hatching in bovine embryos, and their effects on hatching were different by the concentrations.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.389-397
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• 2018

The starfish, Asterina pectinifera Muller and Troschel (Asterinidae) is an indigenous species commonly found in all coasts of Korea causes damages to shellfish farms. In order to exterminate A. pectinifera, they are dried and used as fertilizer. Although various studies have been conducted to create high added value from the retrieved A. pectinifera, their actual utilization is relatively low. Accordingly, this study aimed to find new practical uses of starfish by identifying useful ingredients for skin anti-aging. Two polyhydroxysteroids and one asterosaponin were isolated from the A. pectinifera. The structures of these compounds were identified as $5{\alpha}$-cholestane-$3{\beta},6{\alpha},7{\alpha},8,15{\alpha},16{\beta},26$-heptol, $5{\alpha}$-cholestane-$3{\beta},4{\beta},6{\alpha},7{\alpha},8,15{\beta},16{\beta},2$6-octol, and asterosaponin $P_1$ on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic analysis. Among these compounds, we have found that asterosaponin $P_1$ increased epidermal stem cell proliferation and the expression of hyaluronan synthase-2 and hyaluronan synthase-3 gene, which are enzymes that synthesize water-binding matrix hyaluronic acids in keratinocytes. In addition, asterosaponin $P_1$ increased synthesis of pro-collagen type I, a major dermal collagen in fibroblasts. As a result, asterosaponin $P_1$ isolated from A. pectinifera could be used as a useful cosmetic ingredient that improves skin symptoms accompanying skin aging.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.71-75
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• 2004

$\alpha$-LiFe $O_2$ powders have been prepared by a sol-gel method. The crystallographic and magnetic properties were characterized with a x-ray diffractometry, Mossbauer spectroscopy, and vibrating Samples magnetometry. The ${\gamma}$-LiFe $O_2$+LiFe$_{5}$ $O_{8}$ phase is observed in the Samples annealed at $600^{\circ}C$ for 3h in air and $\alpha$-LiFe $O_2$ phase is observed in the Samples annealed at $600^{\circ}C$ for 3 h in $H_2$(5％)/Ar(Bal.) gas atmosphere. The crystal structure of $\alpha$-LiFe $O_2$ is found to be cubic with a lattice a=4.193$\pm$0.0005 $\AA$. The Neel temperature of $\alpha$-LiFe $O_2$ is found to be 130$\pm$3 K.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.225-230
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• 2016

Zingiber officinale Roscoe has been widely used as a folk medicine to treat various diseases, including cancer. This study aims to re-examine the therapeutic potential of co-administration of natural products and cancer chemotherapeutics. Candidate material for this project, ${\alpha}$-zingiberene, was extracted from Zingiber officinale Roscoe, and ${\alpha}$-zingiberene makes up $35.02{\pm}0.30%$ of its total essential oil. ${\alpha}$-Zingiberene showed low $IC_{50}$ values, $60.6{\pm}3.6$, $46.2{\pm}0.6$, $172.0{\pm}6.6$, $80.3{\pm}6.6$ (${\mu}g/mL$) in HeLa, SiHa, MCF-7 and HL-60 cells each. These values are a little bit higher than $IC_{50}$ values of general essential oil in those cells. The treatment of ${\alpha}$-zingiberene produced nucleosomal DNA fragmentation in SiHa cells, and the percentage of sub-diploid cells increased in a concentration-dependent manner in SiHa cells, hallmark features of apoptosis. Mitochondrial cytochrome c activation and an in vitro caspase-3 activity assay demonstrated that the activation of caspases accompanies the apoptotic effect of ${\alpha}$-zingiberene, which mediates cell death. These results suggest that the apoptotic effect of ${\alpha}$-zingiberene on SiHa cells may converge caspase-3 activation through the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into cytoplasm. It is considered that anti-proliferative effect of ${\alpha}$-zingiberene is a result of apoptotic effects, and ${\alpha}$-zingiberene is worth furthermore study to develop it as cancer chemotherapeutics.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.275-280
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• 2012

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are a diverse family of homo- or heteropentameric ligand-gated ion channels. Understanding the physiological role of each nAChR subtype and the key residues responsible for normal and pathological states is important. ${\alpha}$-Conotoxin neuropeptides are highly selective probes capable of discriminating different subtypes of nAChRs. In this study, we performed homology modeling to generate the neuronal ${\alpha}3$, ${\beta}2$ and ${\beta}4$ subunits using the x-ray structure of the ${\alpha}1$ subunit as a template. The structures of the extracellular domains containing ligand binding sites in the ${\alpha}3{\beta}2$ and ${\alpha}3{\beta}4$ nAChR subtypes were constructed using MD simulations and ligand docking processes in their free and ligand-bound states using ${\alpha}$-conotoxin GIC, which exhibited the highest ${\alpha}3{\beta}2$ vs. ${\alpha}3{\beta}4$ discrimination ratio. The results provide a reasonable structural basis for such a discriminatory ability, supporting the idea that the present strategy can be used for future investigations on nAChR-ligand complexes.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.393-400
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• 2017

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by lack of insulin and high glucose levels. T2DM can cause bone loss and fracture, thus leading to diabetic osteoporosis. Promoting osteogenic differentiation of osteoblasts may effectively treat diabetic osteoporosis. We previously reported that Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1), a $NAD^+$-dependent deacetylase, promotes osteogenic differentiation through downregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) ${\gamma}$. We also found that miR-132 regulates osteogenic differentiation by downregulating Sirt1 in a $PPAR{\beta}/{\delta}$-dependent manner. The ligand-activated transcription factor, $PPAR{\alpha}$, is another isotype of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor family that helps maintain bone homeostasis and promot bone formation. Whether the regulatory role of $PPAR{\alpha}$ in osteogenic differentiation is mediated via Sirt1 remains unclear. In the present study, we aimed to determine this role and the underlying mechanism by using high glucose (HG) and free fatty acids (FFA) to mimic T2DM in MC3T3-E1 cells. The results showed that HG-FFA significantly inhibited expression of $PPAR{\alpha}$, Sirt1 and osteogenic differentiation, but these effects were markedly reversed by $PPAR{\alpha}$ overexpression. Moreover, siSirt1 attenuated the positive effects of $PPAR{\alpha}$ on osteogenic differentiation, suggesting that $PPAR{\alpha}$ promotes osteogenic differentiation in a Sirt1-dependent manner. Luciferase activity assay confirmed interactions between $PPAR{\alpha}$ and Sirt1. These findings indicate that $PPAR{\alpha}$ promotes osteogenic differentiation via the Sirt1-dependent signaling pathway.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.95-101
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• 2000

This study was investigated to the reaction of alumina sintering with alkaline. The soluble $NaAlO_2$ was made after the commercial ${\alpha}-Al_2O_3$ was calcinated with NaOH. The reaction of alumina was carried out to be based on the effects of calcination temperature, time, and the mixing ratio of ${\alpha}-Al_2O_3/NaOH$. The alumina was calcined over $500^{\circ}C$ with NaOH powder after it was sieved with 170/270 mesh. The calcined alumina with NaOH powder was dissolved into $25^{\circ}C$ distilled water and filtrated, and HCI was added to adapt pH 6.5~7.5. The residue was separated with vacuum pump for filtration after it was adapted to proper pH, and aluminum compound was precipitated with $Al(OH)_3$. The investigation was carried out with the variables; the calcination temperature($500-900^{\circ}C$), the calcination time (30~90 min), and the concentration of HCI when leaching(0.5~3.0N) respectively. In this investigation, the main product of ${\alpha}-Al_2O_3$ and NaOH was $NaAlO_2$ and the maximum conversion ratio was 91.4% under the optimum conditions as followed ; the ratio of NaOH/${\alpha}-Al_2O_3$ was 1.5 and the calcination conditions were $800^{\circ}C$ and 90 min.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.149-153
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• 1989

One strain of Aspergillus niger K-25 producing an acid-stable ${\alpha}-amylase$ was isolated from the soil. The optimum culture conditions were investigated. The production of the acid-stable ${\alpha}-amylase$ was enhanced when the strain was incubated in a medium containing soluble starch 3.5%, peptone 2%, $KH_2PO_4$ 0.5%, $MaSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$ 0.25% and $FeCI_3$ 1.0% at pH 3 for 7 days. However, higher activity of acid-stable ${\alpha}-amylase$ was demonstrated on wheat bran culture. Amylase production was doubled when A. niger K-25 was incubated on the wheat bran supplemented with fumaric acid buffer (pH 3).