• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.33-52
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• 2012

To evaluate the efficacy of Keonkangbujatang (KKBT) in osteoarthritis treatments, C57BL/10 mice were treated with papain to induce osteoarthritis, and anti-arthritic effects were measured. To ensure safety of the KKBT sample, ALT, AST, BUN, and creatinine levels were measured, and they were all within the normal range. Based on the fact that suppression of inflammatory cytokines leads to the improvement of arthritis, IL-1b, IL-6, TNF-a, and MCP-1 production levels were measured. The cytokines were significantly decreased in serum. Also, mRNA levels of IL-1b, IL-6, and iNOS-II were significantly decreased in joint tissues. PGE2, a usual inflammation vector, and LTB4, TXB2, that are involved in the onset and deterioration of inflammation, were all significantly decreased. The levels of white blood cells, neutrophiles, and mononucleophiles also decreased, although the numbers were not significantly large. I*mmune-modulation of KKBT in the pathological mechanism of cartilage deterioration by inflammatory cells and their vectors was proved. This study should provide basis for the development of effective therapeutics as well as use in clinical practice.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.89-93
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• 2013

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) aminotransferase (gabT) and succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (gabD) genes from Pseudomonas fluorescens KCCM 12537 were cloned into a single pETDuet-1 vector and co-expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) simultaneously. The mixture of both enzymes, called GABase, is the key enzyme for the enzymatic analysis of GABA. The molecular mass of the GABA aminotransferase and succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase were determined to be 52.8 and 46.7 kDa following computations performed with the pI/Mw program, respectively. The GABase activity between pH 6.0 and 9.0 for 24 h at $4^{\circ}C$ remained over 75%, but under pH 6.0 decreased rapidly. The GABase activity between 25 and $35^{\circ}C$ by the treatment at pH 8.6 for 30 min remained over 80%, but over $35^{\circ}C$ decreased rapidly. When the activity against GABA was defined as 100%, the purified GABase activity against 5-aminovaleric acid having a similar structure to GABA showed 47.7% and GABase activity against ${\beta}$-alanine, ${\varepsilon}$-amino-n-caproic acid, $_L$-ornithine, $_L$-lysine, and $_L$-aspartic acid showed between 0.3 to 2.3%. The GABA content was analyzed with this co-expressed GABase, compared with the other GABase which was available commercially. As a result, the content of GABA extracted from brown rice, dark brown rice, and black rice were $26.4{\pm}3.5$, $40.5{\pm}4.7$ and $94.7{\pm}9.3{\mu}g/g$, which were similar data of other GABase in the error ranges.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.199-207
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• 2003

The present study examined that in vivo/vitro test is investigated in normotensive sham-operated rats(NSR) and aldosterone-analogue deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats(ADHR) and that the antiliypertensive effect was induced by silver spike point(SSP) electrical stimulation at meridian points(CV-3, -4, Ki-12, SP-6, LR-3, BL-25, -28, -32, -52), specifically, such as aldosterone in 24 hour urine analysis from normal volunteer. The heart weight, the tickness of vascular wall, collagen fiber and the systolic blood pressure were significantly increased in ADHR than that in NSR. The required time of PSS-induced resting tone and the phosphorylation of stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase(SAPK/JNK) were significantly increased in ADHR than that in NSR. However, the Kv currents were significantly decreased in ADHR than that in NSR. The current of 1 Hz continue type of SSP electrical stimulation significantly decreased in excretion of urine aldosterone from normal volunteer. These results suggest that the development of aldosterone analogue-induced hypertension is associated with changed heart weight, content of collagen fiber, tickness of vascular wall, blood pressure, resting tone, voltage-dependent K+ current(Kv) and phosphorylation of SAPK/JNK, which directly affects blood pressure. Therefore the hypertension is a risk factor on cerebrovascular disease. Moreover, These results suggest that the SSP electrical stimulation, especially current of 1 Hz continue type, significantly regulates excretion of urine aldosterone from volunteer.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.2043-2048
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• 2015

Bacillus thuringiensis microbial insecticide products have been applied worldwide. Although a few cases of B. thuringiensis foodborne illness have been reported, little is known about the toxigenic properties of B. thuringiensis isolates. The aims of this study were to estimate the pathogenic potential of B. thuringiensis selected from microbial insecticide products, based on its possession of toxin genes and production of enterotoxins. Fifty-two B. thuringiensis strains selected from four kinds of microbial insecticide products were analyzed. PCR assay for detection of toxin genes and immunoassay for detection of enterotoxins were performed. The hemolysin BL complex as a major enterotoxin was produced by 17 (32.7%), whereas the non-hemolytic enterotoxin complex was detected in 1 (1.9%) of 52 B. thuringiensis strains. However, cytK, entFM, and ces genes were not detected in any of the tested B. thuringiensis strains. The potential risk of food poisoning by B. thuringiensis along with concerns over B. thuringiensis microbial insecticide products has gained attention recently. Thus, microbial insecticide products based on B. thuringiensis should be carefully controlled.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.109-116
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• 2009

Purpose: $17\beta$-estradiol is the most active endogenous estrogen, which is related to favorable changes in the plasma lipid profile, to relaxation of the coronary vessels, and to a decrease in platelet aggregation and vascular smooth muscle cell migration. However, although the beneficial effect of estrogens on plasma lipoproteins (ie, lowering low-density lipoprotein and increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) contributes to cardiovascular protection, it does not fully account for the protective effect, particularly in the application of physical therapy, including low frequency electrical stimulation. Methods: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the inhibition of stressors, such as endothelin-1 (ET-1), serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), prostaglandin $F2\alpha$ ($PGF2\alpha$), and a protein kinase C (PKC) activator 12-deoxyphorbol 13-isobutyrate (DPB), induced isometric tension by $17\beta$-estradiol in vascular smooth muscle strips, respectively. In addition, the effects of low frequency electrical stimulation at the meridian points (CV-3, -4, Ki-12, SP-6, LR-3, BL-25, -28, -32, -52) on the indirect antihypertensive effect were examined by monitoring the changes in the serum $17\beta$-estradiol concentration in healthy volunteers. Results: Isometric tension analysis showed that the responses of inhibited tension by $17\beta$-estradiol were similar to the same stressors in rat aortic smooth muscle strips. Furthermore, although the continued amplitude modulation (AM) type of electrical stimulation was not increased significantly by electrical stimulation, the current of the frequency modulation (FM) type of low frequency electrical stimulation increased the serum $17\beta$-estradiol concentration in normal volunteers. Conclusion: These results, in part, suggest that $17\beta$-estradiol has the capacity to supress stressor-induced muscle tension, and electrical stimulation, particularly current of the FM type, has a modulatory effect on the sex steroid hormones, particularly $17\beta$-estradiol, in healthy volunteers.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.158-169
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• 2003

The present study examined that in vivo test is investigated in sham-operated(control group) and aldosterone-analogue deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive animals(experimental group) and that the antihypertensive effect was induced by silver spike point(SSP) low frequency electrical stimulation at meridian points(CV-3, -4, Ki-12, SP-6, LR-3, BL-25, -28, -32, -52), specifically, such as diuretic action in 24 hour urine analysis from normal volunteer. The $Na^+$ and $Ca^{2+}$ ions were significantly increased in aldosterone-analogue DOCA-salt hypertensive rats than that in sham-operated rats. However, the $K^+$ ions were significantly decreased in aldosterone-analogue DOCA-salt hypertensive rats than that in sham-operated rats. The current of 1 Hz continue type of SSP low frequency electrical stimulation significantly increased in excretion of urine $Na^+$ and $K^+$ ions from normal volunteer. However, the excretion of $Ca^{2+}$ ion were significantly decreased by SSP electrical stimulation in volunteer. These results suggest that the development of aldosterone analogue-DOCA-salt hypertension is associated with changed $Na^+$, $K^+$ and $Ca^{2+}$ ions of urine. which directly affects blood pressure. Therefore, the hypertension is a risk factor on cardiovascular disease. Moreover, These results demonstrate that the SSP low frequency electrical stimulation, especially current of 1 Hz continue type, significantly regulates $Na^+$, $Ca^{2+}$ and $K^+$ ions from volunteer. Therefore, the SSP low frequency electrical stimulation is a good regulator through a diuretic action of aldosterone-induced hypertension.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.231-238
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• 2011

Attacin is an insect antibacterial protein that plays an important role in immune response to injury and infection. In this report, we have isolated and characterized of cDNA encoding for the attacin from the immunized larvae of swallowtail butterfly, $Papilio$ $xuthus$. A full length cDNA of $P.$ $xuthus$ attacin was obtained by employing annealing control primer (ACP)-based differential display PCR and 5' RACE. The complete $P.$ $xuthus$ attacin cDNA was comprised of 949 bp encoding a 250 amino acid precursor. It contains a putative 18 amino acid signal peptide sequence, a 42 amino acid propeptide sequence, and a 190 amino acid mature protein with a theoretical molecular mass of 19904.01 and a pI of 9.13. The putative mature protein of $P.$ $xuthus$ attacin showed 48-52% and 24-30% identity in amino acid sequences with that of lepidopteran and dipteran insects, respectively. Semiquantitive RT-PCR results revealed that the transcript of $P.$ $xuthus$ attacin gene was up-regulated at significant levels after injection with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We sub-cloned cDNA fragment encoding mature $P.$ $xuthus$ attacin into the expression vector, highly expressed in $E.$ $coli$ BL21 cells, and its antibacterial activity was analyzed. Recombinant $P.$ $xuthus$ attacin evidenced considerably antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria, $E.$ $coli$ ML 35 and $Klebsiella$ $pneumonia$.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.1601-1604
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• 2007

The gene for ${\beta}-agarase$ of an Agarivorans sp. JA-1 was expressed in Bacillus subtilis DB104, 168 and ISW1214 strains for mass-production. Among 3 host strains, B. subtilis ISW1214 secreted the highest amount of recombinant ${\beta}-agarase$ with a specific activity of 201 U/mg and 360 mg of protein into culture broth. This was approximately 130-fold higher than the production in E. coli as an expression host. Recombinant enzyme produced neoagarooligosaccharides such as neoagarohexaose, neoagarotetraose, and neoagarobiose from agar. Produced neoagarooligosaccharides showed antibacterial activities against gram-negative E. coli and gram-positive B. subtilis at a concentration of 1.5%. These data suggest that neoagarooligosaccharides could be an useful preservative for food industry.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.822-829
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• 2007

A gene coding for phosphoketolase, a key enzyme of carbohydrate catabolism in heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria(LAB), was cloned from a Lactobacillus paraplantarum C7 and expressed in Escherichia coli. The gene is 2,502 bp long and codes for a 788-amino-acids polypeptide with a molecular mass of 88.7 kDa. A Shine-Dalgarno sequence(aaggag) and an inverted-repeat terminator sequence are located upstream and downstream of the phosphoketolase gene, respectively. The gene exhibits an identity of >52% with phosphoketolases of other LAB. The phosphoketolase of Lb. paraplantarum C7(LBPK) contains several highly conserved phosphoketolase signature regions and typical thiamine pyrophosphate(TPP) binding sites, as reported for other TPP-dependent enzymes. The phosphoketolase gene was fused to a glutathione S-transferase(GST::LBPK) gene for purification. The GST::LBPK fusion protein was detected in the soluble fraction of a recombinant Escherichia coli BL21. The GST::LBPK fusion protein was purified with a yield of 4.32mg/400ml by GSTrap HP affinity column chromatography and analyzed by N-terminal sequencing. LBPK was obtained by factor Xa treatment of fusion protein and the final yield was 3.78mg/400ml. LBPK was examined for its N-terminal sequence and phosphoketolase activity. The $K_M\;and\;V_{max}$ values for fructose-6-phosphate were $5.08{\pm}0.057mM(mean{\pm}SD)$ and $499.21{\pm}4.33{\mu}mol/min/mg$, respectively, and the optimum temperature and pH for the production of acetyl phosphate were $45^{\circ}C$ and 7.0, respectively.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.241-246
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• 2001

The antigenic domain of the major surface protein (Nc-p43) of Neospora caninum was examined by polymerase chain reaction of its gene fragments and recombinant expression as GST fusion proteins. The fragments of Nc-p43 were as follow: a total open reading frame (OFR), T: OFR without signal sequence and C-terminal hydrophobic sequence, S: N-terminal 2/3 parts of S, A: C-terminal 2/3 parts, P; N-terminal 1/3 part, X: middle 1/3 part Y; and C-terminal 1/3 part, Z, respectively. The DNA fragments were cloned into pGEX-47 vector. Recombinant plasmids transformed into Escherichia coli of BL21 pLysS (DE3) strain were induced to express GST or GST fused fragments of Nc-p43 such as 69 kDa protein for T,66 kDa for S, 52 kDa for A,53 kDa for P, and 40 kDa proteins for X, Y, and Z, respectively in SDS-PAGE. The Nc-p43 fragments of T, S, and P reacted with a bovine serum of neosporosis while those of A, X, Y, and Z together with GST did not in the western blot. These findings suggest that the antigenic domain of Nc-p43 of N. caninum may be localized in the C-terminal 2/3 parts. Together with Al9 clone in SAGI of Toxoplasma gondii (Nam et at., 1996), the P fragment of Nc-p43 could be used as efficient antigens to diagnose and differentiate those infections with both species .