• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.581-590
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• 1998

We developed a novel water-soluble camptothecin analobue, CKD602, and evaluated the inhibition of topoisomerase I and the antitumor activities against mammalian tumor cells and human tumor xenografts. CKD602 was a nanomolar inhibitor of the topoisomerase I enzyme in the cleavable complex assay. CKD602 was found to be 3 times and slightly more potent than topotecan and camptothecin as inhibitors of topoisomerase, respecitively. In tumor cell cytotoxicity, CKD602 was more potent than topotecan in 14 out of 26 human cancer cell lines tested, while it was comparable to camptothecin. CKD602 was tested for the in vivo antitumor activity against the human tumor xenograft models. CKD602 was able to imduce regression of established HT-29, WIDR and CX-1 colon tumors, LX-1 lung tumor, MX-1 breast tumor and SKOV-3 ovarian tumor as much as 80, 94, 76, 67, 87% and 88%, respectively, with comparable body weight changes to those of topotecan. Also the therapeutic margin (R/Emax: maximum tolerance dose/$ED-{58}$) of CKD602 was significantly higher than that of topotecan by 4 times. Efficacy was determined at the maximal tolerated dose levels using schedule dependent i.p. administration in mice bearing L1210 leukemia. On a Q4dx4 (every 4 day for 4 doses) schedule, the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was 25 mg/kg per administration, which caused great weight loss and lethality in <5% tumor bearing mouse. this schedule brought significant increase in life span (ILS), 212%, with 33% of long-term survivals. The ex vivo antitumor activity of CKD602 was compared with that of topotecan and the mean antitumor index (ATI) values recorded for CKD602 were significantly higher than that noted for topotecan. From these results, CKD602 warrants further clinical investigations as a potent inhibitor of topoisomerase I.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.274-277
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• 2012

Cytokinesis is the final stage of cell division, dividing one mother cell into two daughter cells. For the cutting of a plasma membrane during bacterial cytokinesis, a tubulin homolog FtsZ protein is recruited from the cytoplasm to the division site. FtsZ protein polymerizes in a GTP-dependent manner and its N-terminal domain has a GTPase activity. In this study, we have begun to characterize FtsZ from Staphylococcus aureus (SA). Full-length SA FtsZ was cloned into pRSFDuet-1 vector and the clone was transformed into a BL21 (DE3) star cell. The recombinant SA FtsZ protein was purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and dialysis. Using a spectrofluorometer, we showed that SA FtsZ undergoes a GTP-dependant polymerization in vitro. The polymer of the SA FtsZ protein disappeared after a few minutes, suggesting that the polymer is degraded as the GTP is consumed. This assay system may well be applied for inhibitor screening targeting S. aureus FtsZ.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.400-404
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• 2007

The objective of this study was to analyze change of soil organic matter fraction from a range of livestock manure compost that differed in their total C, N content and C quality, to gain a better understanding of their influence on soil organic matter. The chicken (CHM), pig (PIM), and cow (COM) manure-based composts, and manure-sawdust-based composts (CHMS, PIMS, and COMS) were applied annually to the upland soil with $3Mg\;C\;ha^{-1}$ during 4 years. After 4 years, the soil carbon content was increased to 25-30 and 40% for manure-based compost and manure-sawdust-based compost compared to control. In the all treatments, the content of light fraction C was sharply increased after second year. The content of light fraction C in the manure-sawdust-based compost was higher than in the manure-based compost. By contrast, the content of heavy fraction C was higher in the manure-based compost than in the manure-sawdust-based compost. These results indicate that stabilization of carbon applied from microbiological process was faster in the manure-based compost than in the manure-sawdust-based compost.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.204-215
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• 2023

The thermolabile haemolysin (tlh) of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vptlh) from V. parahaemolyticus is a multiple-function enzyme, initially describes as a haemolytic factor activated by lecithin and phospholipase A2 enzymatic activity (Shinoda, 1991; Vazquez-Morado, 2021; Yanagase et al., 1970). Until now, the tlh structure has hypothesized including N-terminal and C-terminal domain, but what domain of the Vptlh structure does the haemolytic activity has not been refined yet. In this study, a 450-bp VpTLH nucleotide sequence of the entire Vptlh gene encoded the C-terminal domain cloned firstly to examine its responsibility in the activity of the Vptlh. The C-terminal domain fused with a 6-His-tag named the His-tag-VpC-terminal domain was expressed successfully in soluble form in the BL21 (DE3) PlysS cell. Remarkably, both expression and purification results confirmed a high agreement in the molecular weight of the His-tag-VpC-terminal domain was 47 kDa. This work showed the His-tag-VpC-terminal domain lysed the erythrocyte membranes in the blood agar and the phosphate buffered saline (0.9%) media without adding the lecithin substrate of the phospholipase enzyme. Haemolysis occurred at all tested diluted concentrations of His-tag-VpC-terminal domain (p < 0.05), providing evidence for the independent haemolytic activity of the His-tag-VpC-terminal domain. The content of 100 ㎍ of the His-tag-VpC-terminal domain brought the highest haemolytic activity of 80% compared to that in the three remaining contents. Significantly, the His-tag-VpC-terminal domain demonstrated not to involve the phospholipase activity in Luria-Bertani agar supplemented with 1% (vol/vol) egg yolk emulsion. All results proved the vital responsibility of the His-tag-VpC-terminal domain in causing the haemolytic activity without the required activation by the phospholipase enzyme. Raw extracts of Phellinus igniarus and Phellinus pipi at 10^-1 mg/mL inhibited the haemolytic activity of the His-tag-VpC-terminal domain from 67.7% to 87.42%, respectively. Hence applying the His-tag-VpC-terminal domain as a simple biological material to evaluate quickly potential derivatives against the Vptlh in vivo conditions will accessible and more advantageous than using the whole of the Vptlh.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.77 no.3
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• pp.303-314
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• 1988

Tong-ri beach has not enough vegetation to be enjoyed by the sea bathers and to be satisfied with preventing the disaster-damages, but mixed forest near the beach can work its funtions and the old forest of Pirus thunbergii $P_{ARL}$. near the beach do a Little. Therefore it is very urgent to plant more trees near the beach for bathers and disaster-damage prevention. This study was carried out for planning an afforestation, with reporting upon the crown amounts and soil properties of disaster-damage prevention forests of P. thunbergii $P_{ARL}$. planted on the coast sand dunes in 1970 and 1976, and with reporting upon the valuation on soil properties of the lands near the beach in order to set the afforestation site. The results are as follows : 1. In disaster-damage prevention forests, crown surface area and crown volume became increasingly greater in proportion to the height. To D.B.H., crown volume also became increasingly greater in proportion, but crown surface area was directly proportional. 2. In comparison to sail characteristics of sand dune, those of the forests were in large quantity in OM, T-N and avail. $SiO_2$, and almost in the same in avail. $P_2O_5$, but in small quantity in exchangeable canons : K, Ca, Mg and Na. 3. EC, Cl and pH were in small value in the forest soils, but CEC was in large value in those soils. 4. Above facts showed that the forests fulfill their functions for preventing disaster-damages and improve their soil properties. 5. The forests have naturally been thinned up to 34% in 17 years and 39% in 11 years, and one can easily pass through the forest(planted in 1970), because of its sufficient clear-length(2.71m) and its space to pass. 6. A plan for afforestation was oracle nut after judging several sites by the evaluation on the soil properties and considering the best relaxation and the prevention of the various disaster-damages upon which were reported in the last issue. 7. Afforestation should be kept for maintaining its appropriate density for best relaxation and disaster-damage prevention.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.242-252
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• 1984

A port experiment was conducted to compare the effect of chemical forms of nitrogen fertilizers on the rice growth and soil characteristics. The nitrogen fertilizers used for this study were ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium chloride and urea. The results are summarized as follows. 1. The differences in pH of the soil and surface water between treatments during the first week after fertilizer application were great and the pH values were in the order of urea > ammonium nitrate > ammonium sulfate > ammonium chloride treatment. However the differences were insignificant after the first week. 2. The differences in pH of the air-dried soil somewhat increased and pH values were in the order of urea > ammonium nitrate > ammonium chloride > ammonium sulfate treatment. 3. Sulfur contents of the soil and the rice leaf and N content of the rice leaf were highest when ammonium sulfate was applied. But there were few differences between the treatments in total N content of the soil and in P, K, Ca and Mg contents of the soil and the rice leaf. 4. Number of tillers and dry matter weight of the rice plant were highest in ammonium sulfate plot throughout all the growing stages. 5. Number of panicle per hill was highest in ammonium sulfate plot, and this brought the highest grain yield in ammonium sulfate plot. The lowest grain yield in ammonium nitrate plot resulted from the lowest number of panicle per hill and ripened grain ratio.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.498-504
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• 2014

Mammalian hyaluronidases (HAase, EC 3.2.1.35) are a family of enzymes that hydrolyse N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (1-4) glycosidic bonds in hyaluronic acid, which is found in skin, cartilage, and the vitreous body. Although HAase is generally present in an inactive form within subcellular lysosomes, it is released in an active form in some types of inflammation and tissue injuries, thereby contributing to the inflammatory response. The HAase inhibitory activity of 500 methanolic extracts of 500 species from medicinal plants was screened using a Morgan microplate assay. The viscosity of the hyaluronic acid was measured with an Ubbelohde viscometer. Three MeOH extracts inhibited more than 50% of HAase activity at a concentration of 2 mg/ml. HAase inhibitory rates (%) of three species of medicinal plant extracts, Styrax japonica, Deutzia coreana, and Osmanthus insularis were 57.28%, 53.50%, and 53.19%, respectively. The rate of HAase inhibition of the extracts was dose dependent. In the HAase inhibitory assay using the Ubbelohde viscometer, the results were in good agreement with the results from the Morgan assay. The results suggest that HAase inhibitory compounds extracted from the stem of S. japonica, D. coreana, and O. insularis might be multifunctional and prevent the degradation of hyaluronic acid and the induction of allergic reactions and inflammation.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.122-130
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• 2011

Objective: Although recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) has revolutionized the treatment of anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) receiving hemodialysis (HD) with no need of blood transfusion, some patients have a blunted or appear to be resistant to rhEPO. There is a controversy in the causes of rhEPO resistance in maintenance HD patients with anemia. This study is to examine current anemia treatment outcomes and the factors influencing the rhEPO responsiveness in HD patient with CKD. Methods: The clinical parameters or factors relating to erythrompoietin treatment outcomes and erythropoietin responsiveness were collected from the HD patients in two large dialysis centers for three months. The collected paramenters included serum iron, total iron biding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation rate, ferritin, albumin, intact PTH, C-reactive protein (CRP), nPCR and medications such as an angiotensin converting enzyme inhbitor, an angiotension II receptor blocker and an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (HMG-CoA RI). The data were analyzed to examine the degree of acheiveing the anemia treatment goal and factors relating to ERI. Results: Among total 111 patients, 42 (42.3%) and 47 (37.8%) patients achieved the target Hct and Hb based on the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Services (HIRA) reimbursement criteria. In the higher ERI group (upper quartile), the patients had higher CRP levels (0.5 mg/dl) (p=0.0096), and lower TIBC score (<$240{\mu}g/dl$) (p=0.0027), and less patients were taking HMG-CoA RI (p=0.0019). Male patients (p=0.0204), patients with high TIBC score ($R^2$=0.084, p=0.0021) and patients taking HMG-CoA RI (p=0.0052) required to administer less dose of rhEPO meaning higher erythropoietin responsiveness. Conclusion: Less than 50% of CKD patients were achieving the goals of anemia by erythropoietin administration in large hospitals in Korea even though the goals were lower than those of NKF-K/DOQI practice guideline. The factors influencing ERI were sex, TIBC and HMG-CoA RI administration status, and neither an ACEI nor an ARB did not influence ERI.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1496-1502
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• 2007

The roles of melatonin in the control of deiodinase (MD) activity in cashmere goat skin and associated cashmere fibre growth were investigated. Eighteen half-sib Chinese Inner Mongolia cashmere wethers were allocated randomly to two groups (n = 9/group). One group was implanted subcutaneously with melatonin (2 mg/kg BW) at three 2-monthly intervals while the other group served as a control. All goats were maintained under natural photoperiodic conditions and were grazed on natural pasture. The plasma melatonin concentration showed a significant difference (p<0.01) between the implant group (M) and the control group (C) but plasma $T_4$ (or $T_3$) showed no significant difference (p>0.05). The monodeiodinase type II (MDII) activity in skin tended to increase gradually from the summer solstice to November. During July and August, the activity of MDII for the M group was higher (p<0.05) than that of the C group; also during this period, there was a significant positive correlation between MDII activity of skin and cashmere fibre growth rate. The monodeiodinase type III (MDIII) activity and the ratio of MDIII and MDII tended to decrease from the summer solstice to November. The ratio of MDIII and MDII for the M group was lower (p<0.05) than that of the C group in July and August. The cashmere fibre growth rate of the M group was significantly greater than that of the C group in July (p<0.01), August (p<0.001) and September (p<0.05). The cashmere fibre diameter and guard hair and body weight were not influenced (p>0.05) by melatonin implantation. The results demonstrate that melatonin plays an important role in the regulation of skin MD activity. Simultaneously, the cashmere fibre elongation stimulated by melatonin may result from enhanced MDII activity during a period of two months after melatonin treatment.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.83-94
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of application of spent mushroom compost(SMC) on soil chemical properties and tomato growth. After the mushroom has been harvested, the SMC contains a lot of organic material, different microorganism and high density of mushroom hypha. SMC of white button mushroom(Agaricus bisporus) contained diverse microorganisms including fluorescent Pseudomonas sp. and actinomycetes. These isolates showed strong antagonistic to bacterial wi1t(Ralstonia solanacearum) and fusarium wi1t(Fusarium oxysporum) of tomato. The growth and sugar content of tomato showed no significant difference with other treatments by stage of maturity. The EC, exchangeable K and Ca contents of the soil during growing stage were increased in comparison to those of farmhouse practice, but available phosphate decreased. Microbial population in the soil in all growing stages showed no significant difference with other treatments, but yield of tomato decreased in some way in comparison to farmhouse practice. As the result of analysis on chemical property of soil and plant growth and yield of tomato, it seems likely that SMC of white button mushroom(Agaricus bisporus) may be used as substitute of practice compost on cultivation of tomato.