• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.439-442
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• 2006

To evaluate the postmortem changes in activities of oxygen free radical metabolizing enzymes, the rats were sacrificed with cervical dislocation and were kept in an incubator at $25^{\circ}C$, 70% of humidity for 12 hours. The activities of aniline hydroxylase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase and superoxlde dismutase were decreased with the time. On the other hand, the activity and type conversion ratio (type D ${\to}$type O) of hepatic xanthine oxidase (XO) were gradually increased. From these changes of XO, the estimation of death time (mathematical equation) could be determined with the least square method. To clarify the cause of increasing XO activity, enzyme kinetics were examined. The Km values of XO were decreased with the time. In conclusion, the determination of liver XO activity might be used for the estimation of death time in the early postmortem period.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.451-455
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• 2006

It is demonstrated that inorganic mercury has cytotoxic effect on glial cells. Recently, oxygen radicals is involved in methylmercuric chloride (MMC)-induced cytotoxicity. But, the toxic mechanism of MMC is left unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the cytotoxicity of MMC on $C_6$ glioma cells. The cytotoxicy was measured by cell viability using XTT assay in $C_6$ glioma cells. Colorimetric assay is regarded as a very sensitive screening method for the determination of the cell viability on various agents. In this study, MMC decreased cell viability according to the dose- and time dependent manners after $C_6$ glioma cells were grown with various concentrations of MMC for 48 hours. In the protective effect of allopurinol on MMC-induced cytotoxicity, allopurinol was effective in the prevention of MMC-induced cytotoxicity in these cultures. These results suggest that MMC has highly cytotoxic effect on $C_6$ glioma cells by the decrease of cell viavility, and free radical scavenger such as allopurinol was effective on organic mercury-induced cytotoxicity in these cultures.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.343-348
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• 2006

Drosophila Sog and vertebrate Noggin play important roles during development. They function as antagonists against BMP4 signaling and induce neural ectoderm during embryogenesis. They are also engaged in appendage formation by inhibiting BMP4 signaling during late development. To understand further functions of Sog, Supersog, which is a more potent form of Sog, and Noggin BMP4 antagonists during development, I performed the molecular genetic analysis using Drosophila embryogenesis and wing formation as assay systems. In cellular blastoderm embryos, Sog inhibited Dpp signaling, Drosophila BMP4 signaling, whereas Supersog or Noggin did not block Dpp signaling. During wing formation, Sog inhibited Sax type I receptor of Dpp signaling whereas Noggin inhibited Tkv type I receptor of Dpp signaling. However, Supersog inhibited both Sax and Tkv type I receptors. These results suggest that functions of BMP4 antagonists are developmental stage dependent and indicate that each BMP4 antagonist inhibits BMP4 signaling by blocking different BMP4 receptors.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.371-374
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• 2006

This study was carried out to investigate the relationship of the cadmium and lead levels in blood by age, gender and smoking status among 181 students in Gyeongnam province from June 2005 to July 2006. The cadmium and lead levels in blood was analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Subjects were classified for the investigation according to smoking status as smokers and nonsmokers, age and gender. Mean blood cadmium level in male and female was $1.65{\mu}g/dl,\;1.10{\mu}g/dl$ respectively. Male was significantly higher than that of female. Blood cadmium levels in heavy smokers ($11{\sim}20\;ea/day$) and light smokers ($1{\sim}10\;ea/day$) were $2.34{\mu}g/dl,\;1.10{\mu}g/dl$ respectively. Heavy smokers were significantly higher than those of light smokers. In the comparison of age, gender and smoking status in blood Lead levels were no significant differences. In conclusion, heavy smoking was the most significant risk factor to increase blood cadmium levels. The further study will need analysis of the other factors related to the elevation of the cadmium and lead levels.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.71-73
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• 2007

For the rapid detection of objective pathogenic bacteria from colon biopsy specimens, multiplex PCR (polymerase chain reaction) method was developed. The major objective bacteria in this study were Shiga-like toxin producing E. coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Listeria monocytogenes, Shigella spp. Salmonella spp. and Yersinia spp.. To detect simultaneously 7 kinds of pathogenic bacteria in single reaction tube, multiplex PCR system was executed using 6 sets of primers used in single PCR system for the respective bacteria. The results in this research might be applied for the detection of pathogenic bacteria form colon biopsy samples.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.165-171
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• 2015

Microbial pathogens are responsible for most of the rapidly-spreading deadly infectious diseases against humans. Thus, there is an urgent need for efficient and rapid detection methods for infectious microorganisms. The detection methods should not only be targeted and specific, but they have to be encompassing of potential changes of the pathogen as it evolves and mutates quickly during an epidemic or pandemic. The existing diagnostics such as the antibody-based ELISA immunoassay and PCR methods are too selective and narrowly focused; they are insufficient to capture newly evolved mutant strains of the pathogen. Here, we introduce a fresh perspective on some new technologies, including aptamers and next generation sequencing for pathogen detection. These technologies are not in their infancy; they are reasonably mature and ready, and they hold great promise for unparalleled applications in pathogen detection.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.241-247
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• 2015

Lactate and ketone bodies are considered biological markers for ketosis and several inherited metabolic disorders. In the current study, the specific ratios of lactate and ketone bodies as analytical tools for differential diagnosis of various lactic acidosis were devised. The study included a protein precipitation step following tert-butyldimethylsilyl derivatisation. Total run time was approximately 30 min including sample preparation and GS/MS analysis. The limits of detection were below 0.1 pg/mL over the targeted 4 analytes. The calibration curve was linear over the concentration range of $0.001{\sim}250{\mu}g/mL$ for pyruvate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and acetoacetate ($R^2$ > 0.99). Inter-day accuracy and precision were 87.7~94.8% with RSD of 2.5~5.7% at 2 levels. Absolute recoveries (%) of target analytes were 87.0~98.4%. The method was validated for the quantification of lactate and ketone bodies for differentiation of lactic acidosis.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.218-226
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• 2015

The present study investigated the mechanisms of licochalcone B (LicB)-mediated inhibition of the inflammatory response in murine macrophages. RAW264.7 murine macrophages were cultured in the absence or presence of lipopolysacharide (LPS) with LicB. LicB suppressed the generation of nitric oxide and the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$. LicB also inhibited the expression of mRNA for inducible nitric oxide synthase and pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by LPS. Moreover, LicB inhibited nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) and activator protein-1 translocation into the nucleus in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, LicB mainly exerts its anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the LPS-induced NF-${\kappa}B$ and activator protein-1 signaling pathways in macrophages, which subsequently diminishes the expression and release of various inflammatory mediators. LicB shows promise as a therapeutic agent in inflammatory diseases.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.355-362
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• 2009

I evaluated the protective effect of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)/glycine receptor antagonist, 7-chlorokinurenic acid (CKA) on cultured mouse astrocytes damaged by ischemia-like condition (ILC). The protective effect of CKA was assessed by cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity and lipid peroxidation. To examine the effect of CKA on the cell apoptosis, the expression and the activity of caspase 3 were assessed by Western blotting. CKA increased the cell viability decreased by ILC. CKA also decreased the LDH activity and antioxidative effects such as SOD-like activity and inhibitory activity of lipid peroxidation. In addition, CKA suppressed the expression of caspase 3 associated with apoptosis, and increased the cell viability by the decrease of caspase 3 activity as like the caspase 3 inhibitor, Av-DVED-MED. From these results, these results suggest that ILS induces cell cytotoxicity in cultured astrocytes and CKA, NMDA/glycine receptor antagonist, is effective on the prevention of the cytotoxicity due to ILS by the antioxidative effect and the inhibition of apoptosis.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.327-333
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• 2009

Heterotrimeric GTP binding proteins, G-proteins, mediate signal transduction generated by neurotransmitters and hormones. Among G-proteins, Go proteins are the most abundant in brain and classified as a member of Gi family. Ras-like protein in all tissues (Rit), one of the small GTPases, is a member of a Ras superfamily and identified as an important regulator of neuronal differentiation and cell transformation. Recently, we have reported that Rit functioned as a candidate downstream effector for alpha subunit of Go proteins ($Go{\alpha}$) and regulated neurite outgrowth triggered by $Go{\alpha}$ activation. In this study, we showed that the GTPase domain of $Go{\alpha}$ contributed to the direct interaction with Rit. We also demonstrated that $Go{\alpha}$ could lead to an increase of Rit activity suggesting that Rit play a role as a downstream effector of $Go{\alpha}$.