• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.43-51
• /
• 2017

Background: BIOGF1K, a compound K-rich fraction prepared from the root of Panax ginseng, is widely used for cosmetic purposes in Korea. We investigated the functional mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities of BIOGF1K by discovering target enzymes through various molecular studies. Methods: We explored the inhibitory mechanisms of BIOGF1K using lipopolysaccharide-mediated inflammatory responses, reporter gene assays involving overexpression of toll-like receptor adaptor molecules, and immunoblotting analysis. We used the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay to measure the antioxidative activity. We cotransfected adaptor molecules, including the myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) and Toll/interleukin-receptor domain containing adaptor molecule-inducing interferon-${\beta}$ (TRIF), to measure the activation of nuclear factor (NF)-${\kappa}B$ and interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). Results: BIOGF1K suppressed lipopolysaccharide-triggered NO release in macrophages as well as DPPH-induced electron-donating activity. It also blocked lipopolysaccharide-induced mRNA levels of interferon-${\beta}$ and inducible nitric oxide synthase. Moreover, BIOGF1K diminished the translocation and activation of IRF3 and NF-${\kappa}B$ (p50 and p65). This extract inhibited the upregulation of NF-${\kappa}B$-linked luciferase activity provoked by phorbal-12-myristate-13 acetate as well as MyD88, TRIF, and inhibitor of ${\kappa}B$ ($I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$) kinase ($IKK{\beta}$), and IRF3-mediated luciferase activity induced by TRIF and TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1). Finally, BIOGF1K downregulated the NF-${\kappa}B$ pathway by blocking $IKK{\beta}$ and the IRF3 pathway by inhibiting TBK1, according to reporter gene assays, immunoblotting analysis, and an AKT/$IKK{\beta}$/TBK1 overexpression strategy. Conclusion: Overall, our data suggest that the suppression of $IKK{\beta}$ and TBK1, which mediate transcriptional regulation of NF-${\kappa}B$ and IRF3, respectively, may contribute to the broad-spectrum inhibitory activity of BIOGF1K.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.22 no.9
• /
• pp.1173-1179
• /
• 2012

The importance of genetic stability and bio-safety in the environment has recently been recognized for many (genetically modified) GM plants. This study evaluated the GM safety of transgenic rice and its environmental variance. Data on agronomic characters and principal component were collected for vitamin A-enriched GM rice and four check cultivars in a large GM field trial during 2009-2011. The cultivation environment was a large GM field and a greenhouse. In this experiment, there was no significant difference between the agronomic characters of the GM rice and those of a donor plant, 'Nagdong'. In terms of grain characteristics, the appearance and physicochemical characteristics of the GM rice and those of the donor plant were similar. However, the grain of the GM rice developed a white core and a white belly when planted in the greenhouse. The type and distribution of dominant weed species were not different in the GM rice and the 'Nagdong'. In addition, gene flow was not detected in the dominant weed species based on PCR analysis.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.22 no.10
• /
• pp.1399-1406
• /
• 2012

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of various extracts of Hizikia fusiforme on the anti-obesity effects in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. We used H. fusiforme extracts from ethanol (EEHF), dichloromethane (CFHF), ethyl acetate (EAFHF), butanol (BFHF), and water (WFHF). Treatment with these extracts significantly suppressed terminal differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner as confirmed by a decrease in lipid droplet content through Oil Red O staining; this effect was higher in WFHF than in other extracts. The concentrations of cellular triglyceride were also reduced in 3T3-L1 cells by exposure with these extracts, especially when compared with the controls. Treatment with 200 ${\mu}g/ml$ of WFHF and CFHF caused approximately 42.6% and 23.7% reduction, respectively. In addition, the extracts of H. fusiforme significantly reduced the expression levels of key pro-adipogenic transcription factors, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ ($PPAR{\gamma}$) and CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins ${\alpha}$ (C/$EBP{\alpha}$) and C/$EBP{\beta}$ as compared with controls. Accordingly, our data indicated that WFHF has a preeminent effect on inhibition of adipocyte differentiation among various extracts, and H. fusiforme extracts may be an ideal candidate for obesity relief.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.760-767
• /
• 2010

The oxidative damage of lipids, protein, and DNA is known to be involved in not only chronic inflammations such as arthritis, hepatitis, nephritis, gastritis, colitis, and periodontitis but also metastasis. It has given impetus to searching for natural compounds without toxicity, which prevent the development of these diseases. The direct scavenging effects of aged black garlic extract (ABGE) were evaluated in vitro on DPPH radical, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide, and genomic DNA damage related to oxidative stress. Furthermore, its antioxidant effect on lipid peroxidation was investigated in human fibrosarcoma cells (HT1080), which were exposed to the hydroxyl radical generated by the Fenton reaction. It was observed that ABGE exhibited a greater inhibitory effect on hydrogen peroxide than other reactive oxygen species, and also blocked DNA oxidation and lipid peroxidation induced by the hydroxyl radical. The oxidative stress in live cells was also inhibited in the presence of ABGE. In addition, its inhibitory effects on the activity and expression of MMP-2 and -9 related to metastasis were determined using gelatin zymography and western blot. The data showed that it inhibited MMP-2 and -9 in PMA-stimulated HT1080 cells. Therefore, these results suggest that ABGE show potential as an excellent agent for prevention of metastasis related to oxidative stress.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.21-29
• /
• 2017

Surface soils on Barton Peninsula, King George Island, West Antarctica were investigated to acquire the mineralogical and geochemical data of soil in Antarctica. Multiline of techniques for example, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM)-electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), and wet chemistry analysis were performed to measure the composition of clay minerals, Fe-oxidation states, cation exchange capacity, and total cation concentration. Various minerals in sediments such as smectite, illite, chlorite, kaolinite, quartz and plagioclase were identified by XRD. Fe-oxidation states of bulk soils showed 20-40% of Fe(II) which would be ascribed to the reduction of Fe in clays as well as Fe-bearing minerals. Moreover, redox states of Fe in smectite structure was a ~57% of Fe(III) consistent to the values for the bulk soils. The cation exchange capacity of bulk soils ranged from 100 to 300 meq/kg and differences were not significantly measured for the sampling locations. Total cations (Mg, K, Na, Al, Fe) of bulk soils varies, contrast to the heavy metals (Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mn). These results suggested that composition of bed rocks influenced the distribution of elements in soil environments and soils containing clay compositions may went through the bio/geochemical alteration.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the main cause of visibility impairment by analyzing the contributions of the light extinction coefficient of major air pollution components and the change of the light extinction coefficient by relative humidity. Methods: The characteristics of the light extinction coefficient calculated by the photochemical method using fine particle component data measured in 2015 in the Gwangju area were examined. Results: The extinction efficiency per unit mass of $PM_{2.5}$ particles was $4.5m^2/g$ and that of $PM_{10-2.5}$ particles was $0.6m^2/g$. This difference indicates that most of the visibility impairment in Gwangju was caused by $PM_{2.5}$ particles. When visibility was poor, the contribution of ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate was significantly increased. Relative humidity was also a major cause of visibility decay. The influx of air currents in Gwangju was mostly caused by the long distance movement of pollutants emitted from the eastern part of China. Ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate, which are hygroscopic secondary contaminants, were the main causative agents of visibility impairment. Conclusions: Ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate were the main causative agents of visibility impairment in Gwangju. The influx of air currents in Gwangju was mostly caused by the long distance movement of pollutants emitted from the eastern part of China.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.114-119
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this study was to determine effects of the Ga-As (Gallium-Arsenide) Dens-Bio laser on mechanically injured sciatic nerves of rats. The improvement of the injured rat sciatic nerve was evaluated by measuring of nerve conduction velocity and amplitude of compound muscle action potential. The sciatic nerves of forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were compressed with hemostatic forceps for 30 seconds. The experimental group was divided into 4 subgroups according to the duration of treatment. Lower power infrared laser irradiation was done transcutaneously to the injured sciatic nerve area, 3 minutes daily to each of four treatment groups for 1, 3, 5, and 7 weeks, respectively. Compound muscle action potential and nerve conduction velocity of sciatic nerve were obtained before nerve injury and at 1, 3, 5, and 7 weeks after injury. There were significant difference of the nerve conduction velocity and amplitudes of compound muscle action potential between the treatment group and non-treatment group at 1, 3, and 5 weeks after laser treatment. However, there were no differences found between the electrophysiologic parameters that were measured after 7 weeks in two groups. There was significant correlation between the increment of compound muscle action potential and nerve conduction velocity after time course according to laser treatment. In conclusion, the low power laser treatment had improved the sciatic nerve function, and therefore these results may provide the basic data to clarify the neurological recovery and treatment after incomplete peripheral nerve injury.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.255-260
• /
• 2003

In vivo bioassays for biological medicines have been considered final resort to unequivocally assess the biological activities for them because there are some cases in which the biological activities obtained from in vivo bioassay and in vitro bioassay quite differ each other. The in vivo biological activity of EPO depends on its sialic acid contents which confer microheterogeneity-isoforms to this protein. We have devise a method which consists of a in vitro bioassay using BaF3 cell line and a capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) for the measurement of the EPO isoform distribution. The biological activity of EPO obtained using in vitro bioassay with BaF3 cell line showed good correlation (C.V.(％) 7.34, 5.85, 8,16, 8.08, 8.8) to EPO content measured either spectrophotometric assay (A280 0.1 ％ ＝0.743) or radio immunoassay. The assay validation results of in vitro bioassay with 3 lot of in house EPO showed good results to EPO content measured either in vivo assay or radio immunoassay. and also showed good results the robustness of our method in terms of precision, accuracy, repeatability. The isoform distribution for EPO-BRP (1 : 1 mixture of epoetin-${\alpha}$ and epoetin-${\beta}$, European Pharmacopoeia) by CZE method resulted in isoform 2 through isoform 8. The major peaks in electrophoregram were composed of isoform 3 through 7. Our recombinant EPO (epoetin-${\alpha}$) having equivalent in vivo biological activity showed the isoform distribution of isoform 3 through 9. The major peaks consisted of isoform 4 through 8. The peak area of isoform 4 was always smaller than that of isoform 5. The preparations of recombinant epoetin-${\alpha}$ with lower in vivo biological activity than EPO-BRP showed the isoform 2 through 8 in their electrophoregrams whose major peaks consisted of the isoform 3 through 7. The peak area of isoform 4 was larger than that of isoform 5.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.49-60
• /
• 2014

Fish assemblages play an integral role in stream ecosystem and are influenced by stream environmental conditions and habitat disturbances. Fish community structures and habitat parameters of U.S. EPA rapid bio-assessment protocol were surveyed to investigate the effect of stream environment and habitat disturbance on fish communities at 13 study sites in the Gapyeong Stream, a typical gravel-bed stream. Principal component analysis (PCA) based on data from habitat assessment at each study site indicated that the study sites were differentiated by habitat parameters such as embeddedness, velocity/depth regime and sediment deposition, which were related with bed slope. A total of 46 species belonging to 12 families were collected in the Gapyeong Stream. A dominant species was Zacco koreanus, subdominant species was Z. platypus. Hierarchical cluster analysis based on species abundance classified fish communities into the three main groups along the stream longitudinal change. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) portrayed that fish community structures were related to major habitat parameters, i.e., epifaunal substrate/available cover, embeddedness, velocity/depth regime, sediment deposition, channel alternation and frequency of riffles. These results suggested that fish community structures were primary affected by the longitudinal environmental changes, and those were modified by habitat disturbance in the Gapyeong Stream, a gravel-bed stream.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.533-546
• /
• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine the oral health knowledge, attitude, behavior among 918 secondary students and their needs for oral health education in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Choongbuk Province. Methods : The collected data were analyzed by the statistical package SPSS 18.0, and frequency analysis, correlation analysis, crosstabs, t-test and ANOVA were utilized. Results : The girls proceeded the boys in oral health knowledge, and the high school students were ahead of the middle schoolers in oral health knowledge, attitude and behavior. Those who ever received oral health education surpassed the others who didn't in oral health knowledge and behavior(p<0.01). The students hoped to be provided with oral health education by dental hygienists during regular classroom hours once per semester, 30 minutes to one hour at a once, and their favorite ways of oral health education were videotape watching and practice. As for needs for oral health education, the middle school students had higher needs for that than the high schoolers, and the former's needs scores were above the average(p<0.05). Conclusions : There were differences among the students in oral health knowledge, attitude and behavior according to their school system, gender and oral health education experiences, but oral health education was provided without taking their differences into account. It was recommended, efficient oral health education programs should be developed by focusing on how to take care of and prevent oral diseases, and videotape watching and practice that were preferred by the secondary students should be included in the programs.