• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.225-230
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• 2008

Diabetes mellitus is the fifth leading cause of death among Koreans. Control of hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia is strongly correlated with decrease in risks for cardiovascular diseases, the most common and fatal diabetic complication. The effects of chronic feeding of a mixture of Chinese herbs on blood lipid profile were measured in an animal model of type 2 diabetes mellitus, db/db mice (C57BL/Ks). The Chinese herb mixture was composed of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer,Astragalus membranaceus, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Lycium chinense, Morus, Pueraria thunbergiana, Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina, Acanthopanax sessiliflorus, Schizandra chinensis, Scutellaria baicalensis, Dioscorea batatas, Polygonatum doratumvar. pluriflorum, Paeonia lactiflora, and Rehmannia glutinosa in a ratio of 1 : 0.7 : 0.4 : 0.7 :0.4 : 0.7 : 1.1 : 0.9 : 0.4 : 0.4 : 0.7 :0.7 : 0.9 : 0.9. Methanol extract of the Chinese herb mixture was tested for the inhibitory activity against yeast ${\alpha}$-glucosidase in vitro. The Chinese herb mixture extract inhibited ${\alpha}$-glucosidase by 25.2% at the concentration of 0.5mg/mL. Four weekold male db/db mice (n = 14) were fed AIN-93G semipurified diet or diet containing 10% powder of the Chinese herb mixture for 6 weeks after 1 week of adaptation period. Body weight (39.5 ${\pm}$ 1.6 g) and food intake (4.3 ${\pm}$ 0.6 g/day) of the Chinese herb group were not significantly different from those of the control group (40.4 ${\pm}$ 2.6 g and 4.5 ${\pm}$ 0.6 g/day). Consumption of Chinese herb mixture significantly decreased plasma glucose level (442.5 ${\pm}$ 36.0mg/dL) compared with the control group (489.8 ${\pm}$ 34.6 mg/dL, p < 0.05). Plasma cholesterol level (159.2 ${\pm}$ 18.4 mg/dL) of the Chinese herb group was significantly lower than that of the control group (185.4 ${\pm}$ 13.7 mg/dL, p < 0.05). Blood glycated hemoglobin (6.3 ${\pm}$ 0.8%) and plasma triglyceride levels (99.4 ${\pm}$ 15.0mg/dL) of the Chinese herb group were not significantly different from those of the control group (6.7 ${\pm}$ 0.7% and 108.8 ${\pm}$ 11.0mg/dL). Thus, the Chinese herb mixture could be useful in the treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular complications of diabetes.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.163-167
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• 2014

This study aimed to investigate the anti-obesity effects of Enterococcus faecalis MD366, isolated from raw milk, in diet-induced obese mice. To examine the effect, male C57BL/6J mice were fed for six weeks on three different diets, i.e., a normal diet and orally administrated saline solution (ND), a high-fat diet and orally administrated saline solution (HFD), and a high-fat diet and orally administrated E. faecalis MD366 ($10^9CFU/day$) in saline solution (HFD+MD366). After six weeks, the rate of increase in body weight was 18.1% lower in the HFD+MD366 group compared to that in the HFD group. In addition, the weight of epididymal fat pad in the HFD+MD366 group was lower than that in the HFD group. The average levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were slightly reduced in the HFD+MD366 group compared to those in the HFD group. However, there were no significant differences between the groups. Measuring the adipocytes revealed that the percentage of adipocytes with a size of $2,000{\mu}m^2$ was higher than the percentages of other size classes in ND and HFD+MD366 groups, while the percentage of adipocytes larger than $5,000{\mu}m^2$ was highest in the HFD group. The mean adipocyte size in the HFD+MD366 group was smaller than that in the HFD group.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.974-979
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• 2008

The powdery mildew, a fungal plant disease found in varieties of plant cultures, is occurred by attack with Fusarium sp., Sphaerotheca sp., Leveilluna sp., and Eryshipe sp.. In this study we investigated the control of Fusarium graminearum, a barley powdery mildew fungus, by natural plant extracts. Among the 900 plant extracts tested, Zanthoxylum schinifolium, Ligusticum acutilobum, Bidens frondosa L., Dictamnus dasycarpus, Evodia officinalis, Disporum sessile, Scopolia japonica Max., Styrax japonica S. et Z., Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz., Sinomenium acutum Rehder et Wils., Eugenia aromaticum, Rubus parvifolius L., Reynoutria elliptica, Coptis chinensis, Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Rheum undalatum, Paeonia suffruticosa, Oenothera odorata Jacq., Euphorbia pekinensis Rupr., and Nepeta cataria were selected based on spore germination inhibition assay. Further mycelial growth inhibition assay with economical and safety considerations led us to finally select Z. schinifolium (sancho) for control of F. graminearum. To produce antifungal sancho extract, methanol was suitable for extraction and subsequent fractionations of the extract showed that the water residue mainly had antifungal activity. The sancho extract and its fractions showed minor antibacterial activity against different pathogenic or food spoilage bacteria, but they did not show any harmful effects against young tomato plant by treatment of $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ in green chamber test. These results suggested that the extract of sancho has high potentials on control of a powdery mildew fungus, F. graminearum.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.55-65
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• 2016

Objectives : Mibyeong is a korea medicine have original concept of the disease. However, no previous report has effect of mibyeong herbal medicine in fatigue types of mibyeong. This study investigated the question of whether Dang Gui Bo Hyul-tang(DGBHT) of effect on fatigue types of Mibyeong. Methods : C57BL/6 mice were randomaly divided into three group (n=10). The mice were then group (1) Nocontrol, (2) Restraunt stress(veh), (3) Dang Gui Bo Hyul-tang 200mg/kg. The administered Dang Gui Bo Hyul-tang 200mg/kg or distilled water (orally) 1 hr prior to daily exposure to repeated restraint stress (2 h) for 15 days. The performed behavior test (Mechanical hyperalgesia test,, Open-field test, Forced swimming test, Sucrose preference test and immunostaining and biochemical measured in serum. Results : Stress fatigue induced mices significantly increased lethargic, hyperalgesia through behavior test (Mechanical hyperalgesia test (decrease 43%), Open-field test ($4,809{\pm} 226.13cm$ vs. $3121{\pm}226.64cm$), Forced swimming test ($11.45{\pm}3.96$ vs. $79.10{\pm}8.12sec$), Sucrose preference test (decrease 58%)). In addition, chronic fatigue model evidently increased corticosterone level ($122.54{\pm}18.88$ vs. $186.94{\pm}18.26ng/ml$), AST level ($46.22{\pm}3.23$ vs. $31.40{\pm}3.86U/L$), ALT level ($38.78{\pm}5.72$ vs. $17.60{\pm}1.30$), liver necrosis, lateral ventricle size. These alterations were significantly ameliorated by DGBHT. DGBHT significantly attend the elevated serum concentrations of corticosterone ($155.90{\pm}6.29ng/ml$), AST ($31.40{\pm}3.86U/L$), ALT ($17.60{\pm}1.30U/L$). Moreover, DGBHT improved lethargic, hyperalgesia when compared the stress fatigue (Mechanical hyperalgesia test (improve 28%), Open-field test ($4,038{\pm}615.81cm$), Forced swimming test ($7.56{\pm}1.88sec$), Sucrose preference test (increase 21%) Conclusions : Theses result suggest that DGBHT have improved lethargic, hyperalgesia and fatigue-associated hormone and liver protective on stress fatigue model. It will be necessary to research to present evidences on benefits and effects of Korean medical treatment for Mibyeong through clinical researches based on benefits and effects of those animal models.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1386-1392
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• 2008

A gene (sll0158) putatively encoding a glycogen branching enzyme (GBE, E.C. 2.4.1.18) was cloned from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, and the recombinant protein expressed and characterized. The PCR-amplified putative GBE gene was ligated into a pET-21a plasmid vector harboring a T7 promoter, and the recombinant DNA transformed into a host cell, E. coli BL21(DE3). The IPTG-induced enzymes were then extracted and purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The putative GBE gene was found to be composed of 2,310 nucleotides and encoded 770 amino acids, corresponding to approx. 90.7 kDa, as confirmed by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF-MS analyses. The optimal conditions for GBE activity were investigated by measuring the absorbance change in iodine affinity, and shown to be pH 8.0 and $30^{\circ}C$ in a 50 mM glycine-NaOH buffer. The action pattern of the GBE on amylose, an $\alpha$-(1,4)-linked linear glucan, was analyzed using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) after isoamylolysis. As a result, the GBE displayed $\alpha$-glucosyl transferring activity by cleaving the $\alpha$-(1,4)-linkages and transferring the cleaved maltoglycosyl moiety to form new $\alpha$-(1,6)-branch linkages. A time-course study of the GBE reaction was carried out with biosynthetic amylose (BSAM; $M_p{\cong}$8,000), and the changes in the branch-chain length distribution were evaluated. When increasing the reaction time up to 48 h, the weight- and number-average DP ($DP_w$ and $DP_n$) decreased from 19.6 to 8.7 and from 17.6 to 7.8, respectively. The molecular size ($M_p$, peak $M_w{\cong}2.45-2.75{\times}10^5$) of the GBE-reacted product from BSAM reached the size of amylose (AM) in botanical starch, yet the product was highly soluble and stable in water, unlike AM molecules. Thus, GBE-generated products can provide new food and non-food applications, owing to their unique physical properties.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.163-171
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• 2005

Background: To perform the successful dendritic cell-based cancer immunotherapy one of the main issues to be solved is the source of antigen for DC pulsing. Limitations occur by using auto-tumor lysate due to the difficulties obtaining enough tumor tissue(s) quantitatively as well as qualitatively. In this study the possibility of allogeneic tumor cell lysate as a DC pulsing antigen has been tested in mouse melanoma pulmonary me tastasis model. Methods: B16F10 melanoma cells $(1{\timeS}10^5/mouse)$ were inoculated intra venously into the C57BL/6 mouse. Therapeutic DCs were cultured from the bone marrow myeloid lineage cells with GM-CSF and IL-4 (1,000 U/ml each) for 7 days and pulsed with lysate of either autologous B16F10 (B-DC), allogeneic K1735 (C3H/He origin; K-DC) or CloneM3 (DBA2 origin; C-DC) melanoma cells for 18 hrs. Pulsed-DCs $(1{\times}10^6/mouse)_{[CGP1]}$ were injected i.p. twice with one week interval starting from the day 1 after tumor cell inoculation. Results: Without observable toxicity, allogeneic tumor cell lysate pulsed-DC induced the significantly better anti-tumor response (tumor scale: $2.7{\pm}0.3,\;0.7{\pm}0.3\;and\;0.3{\pm}0.2$ for saline, B-DC and C-DC treated group, respectively). Along with increased tumor specific lymphocyte proliferations, induction of IFN-${\gamma}$ secretion against both auto- and allo-tumor cell lysates was observed from the DC treated mice. (w/B16F10-lysate: $44.97{\pm}10.31,\;1787.94{\pm}131.18,\;1257.15{\pm}48.27$, w/CloneM3 lysate: 0, $1591.13{\pm}1.83,\;1460.47{\pm}86.05pg/ml$ for saline, B-DC and C-DC treated group, respectively) Natural killer cell activity was also increased in the mice treated with tumor cell lysate pulsed-DC ($8.9{\pm}_{[CGP2]}0.1,\;11.6{\pm}0.8\;and\;12.6{\pm}0.7%$ specific NK activity for saline, B-DC and C-DC treated group, respectively). Conclusion: Conclusively, promising data were obtained that allogeneic-tumor cell lysate can be used as a tumor antigen for DC-based cancer immunotherapy.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 1988

Fifty patients with residual, unresectable or recurrent rectal cancer were treated with external irradiation using a 6-MV linear accelerator at the Division of Therapeutic Radiology, Department of Radiology, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College during the period of April 1983 to December 1987. This paper describes the results of a retrospective analysis of the results of external irradiation for the residual, unresectable and recurrent rectal cancer in 46 patients. Four patients were lost to follow-up. Of the 46 patients, $18 (39\%)$ presented with unresectable primary lesions and $28 (61\%)$ with residual or recurrent rectal cancer. In $93\%$, the pathologic diagnosis was adenocarcinoma. Resonse to irradiation was observed in $22 (73\%)$ out of 30 patients who were treated for pain, $12 (86\%)$ out of 14 patients who were treated for mass, and $17 (77\%)$ out of 22 patients who were treated for bloody discharge. The actuarial postoperative 2-year and 3-year survival rates in recurrent and unresectable patients were $43\%$ and $22\%$, respectively. However, the post-RT 2-year survival rate was $13\% (6/46)$.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1764-1770
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• 2008

The goal of this study is to increase production of astaxanthin in recombinant Escherichia coli by engineered isoprenoid pathway. We have previously reported structural and functional analysis of the astaxanthin biosynthesis genes from a marine bacterium, Paracoccus haeundaensis. The carotenoid biosynthesis gene cluster involved in astaxanthin production contained six carotenogenic genes (crtW, crtZ, crtY, crtI, crtB, and crtE genes) and recombinant E. coli harboring six carotenogenic genes from P. haeundaensis produced 400 ${\mu}g$/g dry cell weight (DCW) of astaxanthin. In order to increase production of astaxanthin in recombinant E. coli, we have cloned 4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate reductase (lytB), farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthase (ispA), and isopentenyl (IPP) diphossphate isomerase (idi) in the isoprenoid pathway from E. coli and coexpressed these genes in recombinant E. coli harboring the astaxanthin biosynthesis genes. This engineered E. coli strain containing both isoprenoid pathway gene and astaxanthin biosynthesis gene cluster produced 1,200 ${\mu}g$/g DCW of astaxanthin, resulting 3-fold increased production of astaxanthin.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.104-109
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect of commercial Makgeolli on tumor growth in human gastric adenocarcinoma cells (AGS) in a xenograft cancer model, transplanted with AGS cells. Commercial Makgeolli was first dealcoholized by evaporation and used as the test sample. We detected a significant increase in the volume and weight of tumor in nude mice (induction) that were transplanted with AGS cells. Administration of $100mg/kg{\cdot}day$ group (ML), and $500mg/kg{\cdot}day$ group (MH) dealcoholized commercial Makgeolli significantly decreased tumor growth. In this study, 5-FU $18mg/kg{\cdot}day$ was used as a positive control for tumor growth inhibition. Additionally, determination of the body weight of both the groups revealed no side effects after the administration of dealcoholized commercial Makgeolli. Using the cell culture system, we also evaluated the effect of dealcoholized commercial Makgeolli on caspase-3/7 activity in the AGS cells. Treatment with dealcoholized commercial Makgeolli increased the activation of caspase-3/7 and the apoptotic markers in AGS cells in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, dealcoholized commercial Makgeolli can be used for cancer prevention.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.336-343
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• 2008

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) inhibitors have emerged as the accessory therapeutic agents for various human cancers, since they can block the activity of specific HDACs, restore the expression of some tumor suppressor genes and induce cell differentiation, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we investigated that the effect of trichostatin A (TSA), an HDAC inhibitor, on the cell growth and apoptosis, and its effect on the nuclear factor-kappaB $(NF-{\kappa}B)$ activity in 267B1 human prostate epithelial cells. Exposure of 267B1 cells to TSA resulted in growth inhibition and apoptosis induction in and dose-dependent manners as measured by fluorescence microscopy, agarose gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry analysis. TSA treatment inhibited the levels of IAP family members such as c-IAP-1 and c-IAP-2 and induced the proteolytic activation of caspase-3, -8 and -9, which were associated with concomitant degradation of poly (ADP-ribose)-polymerase, ${\beta}-catenin$ and laminin B proteins. The increase in apoptosis by TSA was connected with the translocation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ from cytosol to nucleus, increase of the DNA binding as well as promoter activity of $NF-{\kappa}B$, and degradation of cytosolic inhibitor of KappaB $(I{\kappa}B)-{\alpha}$ protein. We therefore concluded that TSA demonstrated anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects on 267B1 cells in vitro, and that the activation of caspases and $NF-{\kappa}B$ may play important roles in its mechanism of action. Although further studies are needed, these findings provided important insights into the possible molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity of TSA.