• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.591-597
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• 2004

In this study, sixty chemicals including 47 pesticides were screened for estrogenic activity using E-screen assay. MCF-7 cell, used in E-screen assay, is known to be proliferated by addition of estrogenic chemicals. Eight of the measured pesticides showed estrogenic activity at the concentration range of 100-10,000nM. Their relative proliferative effect (RPE) and the relative proliferative potency (RPP) were 20-65% and 0.01-1.0%, respectively, when compared with 1.0nM of $\beta-Estradiol-17-acetate(E_{2}).$ DDVP and diazinone showed most strong estrogenic potency(RPP; 1.0%) and effect(RPE; 65%) of the eight pesticides. These results are in agreement with estrogenic activity of bisphenol A is known as a positive endocrine disrupter. Also, in this study, paraquat, DDVP, 4-chloro-3-methylphenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and diazinon of the measured pesticides are estimated to estrogenic chemical.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2006

As the antioxidant and free radical scavenger, glutathione (GSH) participates in the preservation of cellular redox status and defense against reactive oxygen species and xenobiotics. Glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL; also known as ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine synthetase, EC 6.3.2.2) is the rate limiting enzyme in GSH synthesis. In the present study, the accurate method for determination of GCL activity in crude liver extracts was developed by measuring both ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine and GSH from cysteine in the presence of glutamate, glycine and an ATP-generating system. We added glycine to promote the conversion of ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine to GSH, and to minimize the possibility of ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine metabolism to cysteine and oxoproline by ${\gamma}$-glutamylcyclotransferase. We established optimal conditions and substrate concentrations for the enzyme assay, and verified that inhibition of GCL by GSH did not interfere with this assay. Therefore, this assay of hepatic GCL under optimal conditions could provide a more accurate measurement of this enzyme activity in the crude liver extracts.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.625-630
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• 1993

Among the six antihistamine agents tested in this study, homochlorcyclizine showed the highest bradykinin antagonistic activity in the receptor binding assay as well as the isolated rat ileum assay. Schild plot analysis of bradykinin-induced ileal contraction in the presence of three different concentrations of homochlorcyclizine revealed a pA$_{2}$=6.26, and a correlation coefficient of 0.984. Homochlorcyclizine of (100 $\mu{M}$ final concentration) also showed 25% antagonistic activity in the receptor binding assay.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.161-175
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• 1996

There were many reports that elevations in the levels of active and latent collagenase in gingival crevicular fluid(GCF) have been correlated positively with periodontal disease activity. To provide a simple diagnostic approach for testing GCF collagenolytic activity, the detection limit of enzyme activity was compared using radiofibril assay(Sodek et.al.1981) and spectrophotometric collagenolytic assay(Nethery et al. 1986). The detection limits of both assay for standard bacterial enzyme were similar and the radiofibril assay showed a little (1/2) lower detection limit for tad pole collagenase. To evaluate the relationship between periodontal tissue destruction and the collagenolytic activity, GCF was collected, and latent and active enzyme activities were measured by a spectrophotometric collagenolytic assay. Twelve subjects showing progressive lesions were selected according to the presence of immediate tissue destruction, frequent abscess formation, and increasing need for tooth extraction, and the absence of underlying systemic disease and previous antibiotic medication history within 6 months. Comparisons were made between sites with either: 1) inflammation with a previous history of progressive loss of periodontal tissue and bone support(2l progressive sites): 2) previous history of bone loss and periodontal destruction but now clinically stable(12 comparably stable sites); or 3) no loss of periodontal tissue and bone support(11 control sites including 5 gingivitis sites and 6 healthy sites). Active collagenase activity was the highest in the progressive sites and decreased in the order of the gingivitis sites, the stable sites, and the healthy sites. The total enzyme activity was $2{\sim}3$ fold higher in the progressive sites and the gingivitis sites, compared to the stable and the healthy sites. The ratio of active to total collagenolytic activity was twice in the progressive sites. Analysis of active collagenase level(5mU) and the ratio of active to total collagenolytic activity(0.8) as a diagnositic test indicates that these measurements have the sensitivity of 0.81 and 0.86, the specificity of 0.70 and 0.65, and the overall agreement of 0.75 and 0.73, respectively. Thus, this method has significant merits as a diagnostic tool to determine wherher the site is in a state of remission or progression.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.106-113
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• 2006

Phthalate analogues are a plasticizer and solvent used in industry. Phthalates were classified in the category of "suspected" endocrine disruptors. The purpose of our study was to screen and elucidate the endocrine disrupting activity of seven phthalate analogues. E-screen assay was performed in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells with seven phthalate analogues. In this cell proliferation assay, benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) showed high estrogenic activity. Their relative proliferation efficiencies (RPE) were 109 and 106%, respectively. In vitro estrogen receptor (ER) binding assay, BBP, di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP) and dinonyl phthalate (DNP) showed weak relative binding affinity (RBA: 0.02%) compared to $17{\beta}-estradiol\;(E2)$ (RBA: 100%). In uterotrophic assay, E2 produced a significant increase, whereas four tested phthalate analogues had potential estrogenic effects in vitro did not increased in uterus weight in immature rats. From these results, we demonstrated that phthalate analogues exhibit weak estrogenic activity in vitro assays at high concentrations. Although phthalates induced an increase in MCF-7 cell proliferation by an estrogenic effect, they could not induce a uterus weight increase in vivo. From these, we may suggest that these phthalate analogues are easily metabolized to inactive forms in vivo. Further investigation in other in vitro and in vivo experimental systems might be required.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.264-270
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• 1997

This Study was carried out develop antitumor effect of the n-butanol soluble of fraction of Perilla frutescens on human skin melanoma cells. The antitumor activity of various fractions obtained form n-butanol soluble fraction of Perilla frutescens was evaluated in human skin melanoma cells. The antitumor activity of the n-butanol soluble fraction in human skin melanoma cells was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, neutral red (NR) assay and sulforhordamine B protein (SRB) assay of colorimetic assay methods. The light microscopic study was carried out to observe morphological changes of cultured human skin melanoma cells. These results were obtained follows; The fractions 5 and 6 of the n-butanol soluble fraction of P frutescens were shown significant antitumor activities. The number of human skin melanoma cells were decreased and tend to form cell cluster by treatment with actions 5 and 7 of the n-butanol soluble fraction of P. frutescens. The fraction 6 of the the n-butanol soluble fraction showed the highest antitumor activity on P. frutescens. These results suggest that the fraction 6 of the n-butanol soluble fraction of P. frutescens may be a valuable choice for the studies on the treatment of human skin tumors.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.293-299
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• 2000

Many methods have been developed for screening chemicals with hormonal activity. Using recombinant yeasts expressing either human estrogen receptor [Saccharomyces cerevisiae ER + LYS 8127 (YER)] or androgen receptor [S. cerevisiae AR + 8320 (YAR)], we evaluated the hormonal activities of several chemicals by induction of ${\beta}-galactosidase$ activity. The chemicals were $17{\beta}-estradiol$ (E2), testosterone (T), ${\rho}-nonylphenol$ (NP), bisphenol A (BPA), genistein (GEN), 2-bromopropane (2-BP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), and butylparaben (BP). To assess the estrogenicity of NP, the result of the in vitro recombinant yeast assay was compared with an E-screen assay using MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and an uterotrophid assay using ovariectomized mice. In the YER yeast cells, E2, NP, BPA, GEN, and BP exhibited estrogenicity in a doseresponse manner, while TCDD did not. All the chemicals tested, except T, did not show androgenicity in the YAR yeast cell. The sensitivity of the yeast (YER) assay system to the estrogenic effect of NP was similar to that of the E-screen assay. NP was also estrogenic in the uterotrophic assay. However, in terms of convenience and costs, the yeast assay was superior to the E-screen assay or uterotrophic assay. These results suggest that the recombinant yeast assay can be used as a rapid tool for detecting chemicals with hormonal activities.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.141-146
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• 1997

The role of cAMP in the differentiation process of F9 cells induced by ginsenosides was examined by performing transient transfixion assay with CRE-luciferase reporter plasmid, GR thansactivation assay with GRE-luciferase activity with or without treatment of CAMP and forskolin, an activator of adenylate cyclase, and protein klnase A assay in the presence of ginsenosides. Ginsenosides had no effect on CRE-transactivation activity, whereas retinoic acid induced the activity. When cAMP or forskolin was treated with ginsenosides, GRE-luciferase activity was further augumented by them. In addition, ginsenosides induced protein kinase A activity in the presence of cAMP. These results suggest that ginsenosides activate cAMP-dependent protein kinase A which, in turn, increase GR activity in F9 cells.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.111-117
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• 2011

Objectives : The present study was designed to investigate effects of mixed extract from korean medicinal herbs (MIX) on oxidation/reduction reaction-related and aging-related enzyme in vitro. Methods : We performed MTT assay, collagenase inhibition assay, elastase inhibition assay, tyrosinase inhibition assay, DPPH free radical scavenging assay, SOD-like activity and xanthine oxidase inhibition assay. Results : Recently, many studies have reported that elastin is also involved in inhibiting or repairing wrinkle formation, although collagen is a major factor in the skin wrinkle formation. The MIX showed 97% inhibition of collagenase activity, and 64% inhibition of elastase activity at 1 mg/ml concentration of MIX, next only to positive control, which indicate good efficacy for anti-wrinkle ingredient. Also it's treatment showed 34% inhibition of tyrosinase activity, to relate whitening effect, at the same dose of MIX. Antioxidant activities were determined by DPPH radical scavenging, xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibiting activity and SOD-like activity. Also these scavenging, XO-inhibiting and SOD-like activities were measured in 91%, 80%, and 63% inhibition, respectively, at a treated dose of 1 mg/ml, compare to control. Conclusions : These results suggest that possibility of mixed korean medicinal herbs as a functional ingredient for anti-wrinkle and whitening, anti-oxidation and anti-aging cosmetic formula.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.133-138
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• 1995

In vitro antimutagenic activity of methanol extract from brrwn rice and its physico-chemical characteristics were investigated using Salmonella typhimurium reversion assay and SOS chromotest. Methanol extracts of brown rice were not mutagenic compared with direct and indirect, mutagenicities of 4NQO (4-nitroquinoline oxide), 2NF(2-nitrofluorene), Trp-p-1(3-Amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido-[4,3-b]indole), and Trp-p-2(3-Amino-1-methy-5H-pyrido-[4,3-b]indole). Antimutagenic activity against the indirect mutagenicties induced by Trp-p-1, Trp-p-2 and AFB1 (aflatoxin B1) was found in methanol extract. Even though antimutagenic activity showed dose-dependent, it remained constant at inhibition rate ranging 60~90% when the concentration was abov 3mg/plate in the S. typhimurium reversion assay and 0.2~0.6 mg/assay in the SOS chromotest. The antimutagenic activity of the methanol extracts was stable at various pH (2, 7 and 10), temperatures (60, 80 and 10$0^{\circ}C$)and heation times (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 min at 10$0^{\circ}C$).