• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권11호
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• pp.4475-4482
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• 2014

Background: Cisplatin, a DNA damaging agent, induces apoptosis through increasing DNA fragmentation. However, identification of intrinsic resistance molecules against Cisplatin is vital to estimate the success of therapy. Bag-1 (Bcl-2-associated anthanogene) is one anti-apoptotic protein involved in drug resistance impacting on therapeutic efficiency. Elevated levels of this protein are related with increase cell proliferation rates, motility and also cancer development. For this reason, we aimed to understand the role of Bag-1 expression in Cisplatin-induced apoptosis in HeLa cervix cancer cells. Cisplatin decreased cell viability in time- and dose-dependent manner in wt and Bag-1L+HeLa cells. Although, $10{\mu}M$ Cisplatin treatment induced cell death within 24h by activating caspases in wt cells, Bag-1L stable transfection protected cells against Cisplatin treatment. To assess the potential protective role of Bag-1, we first checked the expression profile of interacting anti-apoptotic partners of Bag-1. We found that forced Bag-1L expression prevented Cisplatin-induced apoptosis through acting on Mcl-1 expression, which was reduced after Cisplatin treatment in wt HeLa cells. This mechanism was also supported by the regulation of heat shock protein (Hsp) family members, Hsp90 and Hsp40, which were involved in the regulation Bag-1 interactome including several anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members and c-Raf.

• KSBB Journal
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• 제19권5호
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• pp.341-347
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• 2004

Several gene delivery therapies are being developed for treatment of serum protein deficiency. EPO is one of the most promising therapeutic agent for this treatment which is currently being investigated in depth. This study has the ultimate purpose of improving the gene delivery system for an increase of red blood cell production. A plasmid DNA was constructed smaller than other plasmids for an increase in penetration into animal cells, and two genes were cloned into each vector as a co-delivery system to express erythropoietin, and interluekin-3 or thrombopoietin, which can act on erythroid cell, thus activating hematopoiesis synergically. This co-delivery system has an advantage of decreasing the labour required for industrial production of DNA vaccine. A new plasmid vector, pVAC, in size 2.9 kb, was constructed with the essential parts from PUC 19 and pSectagB, which is much smaller than other plasmid vector and is the size of 2.9 kb. Co-delivery system was constituted by cloning human erythropoietin with each of human interluekin-3 gene or human thrombopoietin gene into both pVAC and pSectagB. As a result, the transfection efficiency of pVAC was higer than that of pSectagB in vitro, and hematocrit level of the mice injected with pVAC is higher than that of other mice. And co-delivery system, made of several plasmid DNAs, was expressed in vitro.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제18권6호
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• pp.1869-1880
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• 2004

In the oriental medicine, a mixture of herbs has been commonly used as important components to control allergic and inflammatory diseases. In the present study, we prepared a mixture of Dictamni Radicis Cortex(Baiksunpee), Houttuyniae Herba(Uhsungcho), and Aurantii Immaturus Fructus(Jisil) to examine its anti-allergic effects in activated mouse splenic cells and found that Mix-1 is involved in regulating levels of B cell activating factors (CD23 and CD11a), IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and 1gE as well as HRF expression. It was observed that Mix-1 did not have cytotoxic effects on mLFC. Mix-1 showed inhibition of CD23 and CD11 alpaha expression in mouse B cells, and also decreased the production of IL-6, TNF-α, and 1gE. Both RT-PCR and ELISA analyses indicated that IL-6 and TNF alpha production were regulated at the gene expression level. In contrast, IL-10 mRNA and protein levels were increased in activated B cells by Mix-1 treatment. We also found that Mix-1 inhibited B cell proliferation and inhibited histamine releasing factor(HRF) expression, suggesting its inhibitory effect on histamine secretion. These data indicated that Mix-1 has an anti-allergic effect in activated macrophages and further suggest the possible application of Mix-1 as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of allergy-related diseases.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.371-376
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Chronic ultraviolet (UV) exposure-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) are commonly involved in the pathogenesis of skin damage by activating the metalloproteinases (MMP) that break down type I collagen. Adenophora remotiflora (AR) is a perennial wild plant that inhabits Korea, China, and Japan. The present study investigated the protective effects of AR against UVB-induced photo-damage in keratinocytes. MATERIALS/METHODS: An in vitro cell-free system was used to examine the scavenging activity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical and nitric oxide (NO). The effect of AR on ROS formation, antioxidant enzymes, elastase, MMP-1 level, and mRNA expression of MMP-1 were determined in UVB-irradiated human keratinocyte HaCaT cells. RESULTS: AR demonstrated strong DPPH free radical and NO scavenging activity in a cell-free system exhibiting $IC_{50}$ values of 1.88 mg/mL and 6.77 mg/mL, respectively. AR pretreatment dose-dependently attenuated the production of UVB-induced intracellular ROS, and antioxidant enzymes (catalase and superoxide dismutase) were enhanced in HaCaT cells. Furthermore, pretreatment of AR prevented UVB-induced elastase and collagen degradation by inhibiting the MMP-1 protein level and mRNA expression. Accordingly, AR treatment elevated collagen content in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells. CONCLUSION: The present study provides the first evidence of AR inhibiting UVB-induced ROS production and induction of MMP-1 as a result of augmentation of antioxidative activity in HaCaT human keratinocytes. These results suggest that AR might act as an effective inhibitor of UVB-modulated signaling pathways and might serve as a photo-protective agent.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제23권9호
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• pp.1339-1346
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• 2013

Conventional chemotherapeutic regimens often accompany severe side effects and fail to induce complete regression of chemoresistant or relapsing metastatic cancers. The need for establishing more efficacious anticancer strategies led to the development of a combined modality treatment of chemotherapy in conjunction with immunotherapy or radiotherapy. It has been reported that poly-gamma-glutamate (${\gamma}$-PGA), a natural polymer composed of glutamic acids, increases antitumor activity by activating antigen-presenting cells and natural killer (NK) cells. Here, we investigated the antitumor effect of ${\gamma}$-PGA in combination with cyclophosphamide in a murine melanoma model. Whereas cyclophosphamide alone directly triggered apoptosis of tumor cells in vitro, ${\gamma}$-PGA did not show cytotoxicity in tumor cells. Instead, it activated macrophages, as reflected by the upregulation of surface activation markers and the secretion of proinflammatory factors, such as nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}$. When the antitumor effects were examined in a mouse model, combined treatment with cyclophosphamide and ${\gamma}$-PGA markedly suppressed tumor growth and metastasis. Notably, ${\gamma}$-PGA treatment dramatically increased the NK cell population in lung tissues, coinciding with decreased metastasis and increased survival. These data collectively suggest that ${\gamma}$-PGA can act as an immunotherapeutic agent that exhibits a synergistic antitumor effect in combination with conventional chemotherapy.

• 한국조경학회지
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• 제33권5호통권112호
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• pp.15-30
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• 2005

A deserted town once vibrant with active commercial activities around a railroad station now tries to find a way to escape from depression and revive its life with a renewed civic pride. An open space adjacent to the Main Street, the commercial district of Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, is waiting to be transformed and reconfigured to be a new ecological park to boost the economy of the community. Bridge Park is 26-acre land abutting the Cape Cod Canal with a railroad bridge as a backdrop. The existing condition of the site with a small salt marsh, woodland, lawn, and the vestige of old railroad easement along with the proximity to the commercial district poses an interesting question of how to make a medium scaled ecological park within an urban context. This paper examines the winning design proposals for the Bridge Park submitted to the International Design Competition held in April, 2005. Six winning proposals were introduced and discussed in terms of categories related to the trend of contemporary landscape design such as; 1) ecological ordinariness and geometric figures, 2) topography and spatial imagination, 3) minimal programs and open put 4) time and process oriented design, 5) park and economic effects and 6) diagrammatic plan and photo montage. Bridge Park Design Competition confirms the complex characteristics representing the contemporary landscape design overcoming the dichotomy between nature and culture and the 'pastoral ecological design' and 'landscape as an art'. The Park becomes the activating agent for the community rejecting the conventional and passive role as a romantic picturesque landscape. Bridge Park International Design Competition is a meaningful event to test the idea of new ecological urban park, and to fine-tune the trend of the contemporary urban park design.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제29권11호
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• pp.1830-1840
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• 2019

Loliolide is one of the most ubiquitous monoterpenoid compounds found in algae, and its potential therapeutic effect on various dermatological conditions via agent-induced biological functions, including anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic properties, was demonstrated. Here, we investigated the effects of loliolide on hair growth in dermal papilla (DP) cells, the main components regulating hair growth and loss conditions. For this purpose, we used a three-dimensional (3D) DP spheroid model that mimics the in vivo hair follicle system. Biochemical assays showed that low doses of loliolide increased the viability and size of 3D DP spheroids in a dose-dependent manner. This result correlated with increases in expression levels of hair growth-related autocrine factors including VEGF, IGF-1, and KGF. Immunoblotting and luciferase-reporter assays further revealed that loliolide induced AKT phosphorylation, and this effect led to stabilization of β-catenin, which plays a crucial role in the hair-inductive properties of DP cells. Further experiments showed that loliolide increased the expression levels of the DP signature genes, ALP, BMP2, VCAN, and HEY1. Furthermore, conditioned media from loliolide-treated DP spheroids significantly enhanced proliferation and the expression of hair growth regulatory genes in keratinocytes. These results suggested that loliolide could function in the hair growth inductivity of DP cells via the AKT/β-catenin signaling pathway.

• Carbon letters
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• 제28권
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• pp.116-120
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• 2018

Nitrogen-doped carbons have attracted much attention due to their novel application in relation to gas storage. In this study, nitrogen-doped porous carbons were synthesized using SBA-15 as a template, polypyrrole as the carbon and nitrogen precursor, and KOH as an activating agent. The effect of the activation temperature ($600-850^{\circ}C$) on the $CO_2$ adsorption capacity of the obtained porous carbons was studied. Characterization of the resulting carbons showed that they were micro-/meso-porous carbon materials with a well-developed pore structure that varied with the activation temperature. The highest surface area of $1488m^2g^{-1}$ was achieved at an activation temperature of $800^{\circ}C$ (AC-800). The nitrogen content of the activated carbon decreased from 4.74 to 1.39 wt% with an increase in the activation temperature from 600 to $850^{\circ}C$. This shows that nitrogen is oxidized and more easily removed than carbon during the activation process, which indicates that C-N bonds are more easily ruptured at higher temperatures. Furthermore, $CO_2$ adsorption isotherms showed that AC-800 exhibited the best $CO_2$ adsorption capacity of $110mg\;g^{-1}$ at 298 K and 1 bar.

• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제20권12호
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• pp.1509-1519
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• 2011

The protective effect of nitric oxide (NO) on the antioxidant system under paraquat(PQ) stress was investigated in leaves of 8-week-old lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) plants. PQ stress caused a decrease of leaf growth including leaf length, width and weight. Application of NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), significantly alleviated PQ stress induced growth suppression. SNP permitted the survival of more green leaf tissue preventing chlorophyll content reduction and of higher quantum yield for photosystem II than in non-treated controls under PQ exposure, suggesting that NO has protective effect on chloroplast membrane in lettuce leaves. Flavonoids and anthocyanin were significantly accumulated in the leaves upon PQ exposure. However, the rapid increase of these compounds was alleviated in the SNP treated leaves. PQ treatment resulted in lipid peroxidation and induced accumulation of hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) in the leaves, while SNP prevented PQ induced increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) and $H_2O_2$. These results demonstrate that SNP serves as an antioxidant agent able to scavenge $H_2O_2$ to protect plant cells from oxidative damage. The activities of two antioxidant enzymes that scavenge reactive oxygen species, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in lettuce leaves in the presence of NO donor under PQ stress were higher than those under PQ stress alone. Application of 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4, 4, 5, 5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO), a specific NO scavenger, to the lettuce leaves arrested SNP mediated protective effect on leaf growth, photosynthetic pigment and antioxidant systems. However, PTIO had little effect on lettuce leaves under PQ stress compared with that of PQ stress alone. The obtained data suggest that the damage caused by PQ stress is in part due to increased generation of active oxygen by maintaining increased antioxidant enzyme activities and SNP protects plants from oxidative stress. From these results it is suggested that NO might act as a signal in activating active oxygen scavenging system that protects plants from oxidative damage induced by PQ stress and thus confer PQ tolerance.

• 한국식품과학회지
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• 제52권1호
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• pp.81-88
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• 2020

PGSE의 혈당조절 효과를 평가하기 위하여 제2형 당뇨 동물모델을 이용하여 8주간의 동물실험을 진행한 결과, 고농도 PGSE(600 mg/kg)의 투여는 경구 포도당 내성 및 혈당 수준을 유의적으로 감소시켰으며(p<0.05), 당화혈색소도 유의적으로 낮은 수준을 유지시켰다(p<0.05). 또한, 혈청 인슐린과 렙틴 농도 역시 대조군과 비교하여 PGSE 고농도 처리군에서 유의적으로 감소하였다(p<0.05). PGSE 투여는 db/db 마우스의 골격근에서 인슐린 의존적 세포신호전달경로를 유의적으로 활성화시켰으며, AMPK 인산화를 촉진시키고, 골격근내 포도당 흡수를 위한 GLUT4의 세포막으로의 전이를 대조군 대비 약 1.7배 증가시켰다. 이러한 결과를 근거로 할 때 PGSE는 항 당뇨병 치료제로서의 잠재적 가능성을 가진 것으로 판단된다.