• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.291-295
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• 2011

PD98059 is the specific inhibitor of extracellular signaling-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase (MEK). ERK is involved in a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade controlling cell growth and differentiation. Although the inhibition of ERK is known to induce cell death in various cell lines, this effect is still controversial and the role of PD98059 on the death of HeLa $S_3$ cells, a subclone of the cervical cancer cell line, is not well understood. The apoptosis of HeLa $S_3$ cells increased after the treatment of 50 ${\mu}M$ PD98059. The induction of apoptosis by PD98059 was occurred in a time- and a dose-dependent manners. The expression of Bcl-2 was reduced in accordance with decrease of ERK2 expression. Taken together, these results indicate that PD98059 has a cytotoxicity in HeLa $S_3$ cells and it may be used as a potential target for the treatment of cervical cancer.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.275-281
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• 2008

Plasma fibrinogen is risk factor of vascular disease including stroke, ischemic heart disease, atherosclerosis and thrombosis. Many studies have confirmed that high plasma fibrinogen levels are related with age, obesity, cholesterol, alcohol consumption, and genotype. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of fibrinogen genotype and other characteristics on the plasma fibrinogen levels in the elderly Koreans. For this study the blood samples were collected from 178 healthy elderly Koreans (102 males and 76 females, $55{\sim}80$ year olds). The blood samples were analyzed by smoking status, cholesterol levels, genotype, age, exercise, drinking, and gender. The plasma fibrinogen was assayed by clotting method, cholesterol being assayed by cholesterol oxidase method. The $\beta$-fibrinogen genotype was detected by PCR of relevant region and digestion with Alu I. The alleres with the restriction site and the non cleavable alleres were designated $A_1$ and $A_2$. In conclusion, genotype $A_1A_2$ and exercise are increased and associated with plasma fibrinogen levels. But, there were no significant differences by smoking, gender, age, drinking and cholesterol.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.10-18
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• 2010

The present study was set to develop comprehensive system for assessing the safety of drinking water using PCR-reverse blot hybridization assay (REBA). The REBA developed in this study can detect waterborne pathogens such as Shigella spp., Salmonella spp., Citrobacter spp., Enterobacter spp., Klebsiella spp., Yersinia spp., Mycobacterium spp., Listeria spp. at the genus level, and Escherichia coli, Citrobacter freundii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Yersinia enterocolitica, Y. pseudotuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium complex, M. marinum, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus at the species level, and E. coli O157:H7 at the strain level.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.65-67
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• 2010

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a multifunctional intercellular organelle in which several posttranslational modification steps occurred such as protein folding, lipid biosynthesis, calcium storage and release. Perturbations that disrupt ER homeostasis lead to the misfolding of proteins in the ER lumen and up-regulation of ER signaling pathway called the unfolded protein response (UPR). Here, we have demonstrated that ageing changes the expression of ER chaperone and associated ER membrane kinases of IRE1, ATF6 and PERK.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.53-64
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• 2010

A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled human intervention study involving 58 menopause women was performed to investigate the effect of pomegranate extracts on menopausal symptoms. The volunteers were randomly distributed into two groups, one taking pomegranate extracts (1.5 g/day) and the other being a placebo by taking oral administration for 8 weeks. The results from this study showed that duration of hot flush and sweating were significantly decreased by taking pomegranate extracts. In addition, menopausal rating scales and the Kuppermann index were significantly decreased in pomegranate extract taking group. This result suggests a possibility that pomegranate extracts can be helpful for menopause women.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.49-54
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• 2004

The hair growth effect of the oriental medicine extract which is composed of Polygoni multiflori Radix, Angelica gigantis Radix and Lycii Fructus was studied biochemically and histologically. The study was conducted dividelly into three groups, control, propecia and oriental medicine extract and three groups were compared each other in skin androgen, testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), content biochemically and the number of hair follicular unit and hair follicle histologically. The oriental medicine extract and propecia decreased skin DHT conetent and increased skin total (T+DHT) content compared with control. In transverse sections of skin specimens the oriental medicine extract and propecia increased total counts of follicular units and follicles compared with control. On the basis of the result, the oriental medicine extract has same hair growth effect as propecia and it is suggested that the oriental medicne extract is capable of a therapeutic agent of alopecia.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.43-48
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• 2004

Changes of thiol methyltransferase (TMT) activity in cholestatic rat liver were studied. Hepatic subcellular and serum TMT activities were determined in cholestatic rat induced by common bile duct (CBD) ligation over a period 28 days. The mitochondrial and microsomal TMT activities in cholestatic rat liver were found to be significantly increased between the 1st and the 28th day after CBD ligation. The TMT activity in serum was significantly increased throughout the experiments. The Vmax values of the above hepatic TMT in cholestatic rat were significantly increased at the 7th day after CBD ligation. However, the Km values of the above hepatic enzymes did not vary in all the experimental groups. Therefore, the results indicate that the biosynthesis of TMT was increased in cholestatic rat liver. The elevated serum TMT activity is most likely caused by increased hepatocytes membrane permeability due to cholestasis mediated liver cell necrosis.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.23-29
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• 2005

Molecular imaging with targeted contrast agents enables tissues to be distinguished by detecting specific cell-surface receptors. In the present study, a ligand-targeted acoustic nanoparticle system is used to identify angioplasty-induced expression of tissue factor by smooth muscle cell within carotid arteries. Pig carotid arteries were overstretched with balloon catheters, treated with tissue factor-targeted or a control nanoparticle system, and imaged with intravascular ultrasound before and after treatment. Tissue factor-targeted emulsion bound and increased the echogenicity and gray-scale levels of overstretched smooth muscle cell within the tunica media, versus no change in contralateral control arteries. Expression of stretch-induced tissue factor in carotid artery media was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. The potential for abnormal thrombogenicity of balloon-injured arteries, as reflected by smooth muscle expression of tissue factor, was imaged using a novel, targeted, nanoparticulate ultrasonic contrast agent.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.45-49
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• 2005

The change of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) activity during regeneration of rat liver was studied. Cytosolic, mitochondrial and microsomal COMTs activities were estimated in regenerating rat livers over a period of ten days after $70\%$ (median and left lateral lobes) partial hepatectomy. The values of Km and Vmax in the hepatic enzymes were also measured. The activities of cytosolic and microsomal COMTs in regenerating rat liver after partial hepatectomy were found to be significantly increased between the second and the third day. Whereas the mitochondrial COMT activity did not change. The Vmax values of the cytosolic and microsomal COMTs in the regenerating rat liver were significantly increased at the second day after partial hepatectomy, however, the Km values of the above hepatic enzymes did not vary in all the experimental groups. Therefore, the results suggest that the biosynthesis of COMT was increased during the regeneration of rat liver.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.37-43
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• 2005

The possible mechanisms of increased aryl sulfotransferase (AST) isozymes activities in cholestatic rat liver were studied. Hepatic AST-I, II and -III, IV activities were determined from the experimental rats with common bile duct ligation (CBDL). The Michaelis-Menten constants in these hepatic enzymes were also measured. The activities of mitochondrial AST-I, II and -III, IV, and microsomal AST-III, IV as well as their Vmax values were found to be increased significantly in CBDL plus taurocholic acid (TCA) injected group than in the control group, such as CBDL alone groups. However, their Km values in the experimental groups did not vary. The results suggest that TCA stimulates biosynthesis of the AST in the liver.