• 대한수의학회지
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• 제61권2호
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• pp.14.1-14.7
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• 2021

Biosilica is a silica-based substance derived from the cell walls (frustules) of diatoms. Recently, research into biosilica's biological functions is underway, but little has been reported on the effects of biosilica on immune cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of ionized biosilica water (iBW) on dendritic cells (DCs), which play crucial roles as antigen (Ag)-presenting cells. Treatment with iBW increased the expression of immune response-related markers, closely connected to the maturation of DCs, and the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha. In addition, iBW-treated DCs (iBW-DCs) had a lower uptake of fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran than that of control DCs. Mixed leukocyte response analysis used for measuring the Ag-presenting capability of DCs, showed iBW-DCs had a higher capability than that of control DCs. Interestingly, DCs treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and iBW had a lower level of Ag-presenting capability than that of LPS-treated DCs. Taken together, the results indicate that iBW alone can mature DCs, but it decreases the Ag-presenting capability of DCs in the presence of LPS, a representative agent of inflammation. This study may provide valuable information regarding the effect of iBW on immune cells. Further research is needed to investigate how iBW induces the observed biphasic immunomodulatory activity.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제48권2호
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• pp.97-104
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• 2021

Male infertility has a complex etiopathology, which mostly remains elusive. Although research has claimed that oxidative stress (OS) is the most likely underlying mechanism of idiopathic male infertility, the specific treatment of OS-mediated male infertility requires further investigation. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a vitamin-like substance, has been found in measurable levels in human semen. It exhibits essential metabolic and antioxidant functions, as well as playing a vital role in mitochondrial bioenergetics. Thus, CoQ10 may be a key player in the maintenance of biological redox balance. CoQ10 concentrations in seminal plasma directly correlate with semen parameters, especially sperm count and sperm motility. Seminal CoQ10 concentrations have been shown to be altered in various male infertility states, such as varicocele, asthenozoospermia, and medical or surgical regimens used to treat male infertility. These observations imply that CoQ10 plays an important physiological role in the maintenance and amelioration of semen quality. The present article thereby aimed to review the possible mechanisms through which CoQ10 plays a role in the regulation of male reproductive function, and to concisely discuss its efficacy as an ameliorative agent in restoring semen parameters in male infertility, as well as its impact on OS markers, sperm DNA fragmentation, pregnancy, and assisted reproductive technology outcomes.

• 한국가금학회지
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• 제47권4호
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• pp.219-227
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• 2020

기후변화는 현대 축산업이 직면한 가장 큰 위협 중의 하나이고, 특히 열 스트레스는 가금의 생산성 저하뿐만 아니라, 가축의 불편함과 고통을 증가시켜 동물의 복지에도 치명적 영향을 미칠 수 있다. 열 스트레스를 완화시키기 위한 다양한 전략들이 요구되는데, 가축의 열 스트레스에 대한 정확한 평가와 생물학적 평가지표의 개발은 기후변화에 대한 적응과 열 저항성 가금의 육종, 지속 가능한 가금 산업과 동물복지를 위해서 매우 중요하다. 스트레스호르몬, hetero- phils lymphocytes의 비율, 텔로미어 마모 정도 등 열 스트레스에 대한 다양한 바이오마커 중에 열충격단백질(HSPs)은 세포내 온도계로 여겨지며, HSPs 중에서도 HSP70은 가장 풍부한 단백질이면서 열 충격에 민감하게 반응하는 바이오 마커로 알려져 있다. HSP는 또한 열 충격으로부터 세포를 보호해주는 샤페론 활성을 지니고 있다. 따라서 HSP70 바이오마커는 가축의 열 스트레스에 대한 체계적 평가방법으로 주목받고 있으며, HSP70의 발현 변화의 이해는 기후변화에 대처하면서 지속가능한 가금 산업을 위해 매우 중요하고 판단된다. 이에 본 논문에서는 닭의 열 스트레스와 관련하여 HSP70을 중심으로 HSP의 작용기전과 역할, 열 스트레스와 HSP, 내열성 가축 선발을 위한 HSP70의 잠재성, 그리고 열 스트레스 바이오마커로서의 HSP70 등에 대한 최근까지의 연구들을 소개한다.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.27.1-27.13
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• 2022

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent head and neck malignancy, with frequent cervical lymph-node metastasis, leading to a poor prognosis in OSCC patients. The present study aimed to identify potential markers, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and genes, significantly involved in the etiology of early-stage OSCC. Additionally, the main OSCC's dysregulated Gene Ontology annotations and significant signaling pathways were identified. The dataset GSE45238 underwent multivariate statistical analysis in order to distinguish primary OSCC tissues from healthy oral epithelium. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) with the criteria of p-value < 0.001 and |Log2 fold change| > 1.585 were identified in the two groups, and subsequently, validated targets of DEMs were identified. A protein interaction map was constructed, hub genes were identified, significant modules within the network were illustrated, and significant pathways and biological processes associated with the clusters were demonstrated. Using the GEPI2 database, the hub genes' predictive function was assessed. Compared to the healthy controls, main OSCC had a total of 23 DEMs. In patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), upregulation of CALM1, CYCS, THBS1, MYC, GATA6, and SPRED3 was strongly associated with a poor prognosis. In HNSCC patients, overexpression of PIK3R3, GIGYF1, and BCL2L11 was substantially correlated with a good prognosis. Besides, "proteoglycans in cancer" was the most significant pathway enriched in the primary OSCC. The present study results revealed more possible mechanisms mediating primary OSCC and may be useful in the prognosis of the patients with early-stage OSCC.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제44권1호
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• pp.92-98
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• 2023

Purpose: To propose a new infusion rate monitoring technique based on the 2D image marker tacking to improve patient safety by preventing syringe pump-related medication accidents due to decreased infusion rate control accuracy. Materials and Methods: The infusion rate of the syringe pump and drug residue in the pump-equipped syringe were monitored in real time by tracking the movement of the 2D image markers attached to the syringe pump. Results: The error rate between the set and the estimated infusion rates was 1.03, 0.66, 1.95, 0.23, and 1.05% when the infusion rate setting was 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mL/H, respectively. In addition, the error rate between the actual and the estimated drug residues was 1.04, 0.47, 0.60, 3.66, and 0.00% when the infusion rate setting was 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mL/H, respectively. Conclusion: Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed technique can increase the efficiency of the safety management system for seriously ill inpatients by decreasing a possibility of syringe pump-related medication accidents in hospitals.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.116-126
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• 2023

Mainly due to the slanted focus on the mechanism and regulation of neuronal aging, research on astrocyte aging and its modulation during brain aging is scarce. In this study, we established aged astrocyte culture model by long-term culturing. Cellular senescence was confirmed through SA-β-gal staining as well as through the examination of morphological, molecular, and functional markers. RNA sequencing and functional analysis of astrocytes were performed to further investigate the detailed characteristics of the aged astrocyte model. Along with aged phenotypes, decreased astrocytic proliferation, migration, mitochondrial energetic function and support for neuronal survival and differentiation has been observed in aged astrocytes. In addition, increased expression of cytokines and chemokine-related factors including plasminogen activator inhibitor -1 (PAI-1) was observed in aged astrocytes. Using the RNA sequencing results, we searched potential drugs that can normalize the dysregulated gene expression pattern observed in long-term cultured aged astrocytes. Among several candidates, minoxidil, a pyrimidine-derived anti-hypertensive and anti-pattern hair loss drug, normalized the increased number of SA-β-gal positive cells and nuclear size in aged astrocytes. In addition, minoxidil restored up-regulated activity of PAI-1 and increased mitochondrial superoxide production in aged astrocytes. We concluded that long term culture of astrocytes can be used as a reliable model for the study of astrocyte senescence and minoxidil can be a plausible candidate for the regulation of brain aging.

• BMB Reports
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• 제56권8호
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• pp.445-450
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• 2023

The development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is associated with the phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) from a contractile to a synthetic state, leading to cell migration and proliferation. Platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) modulates this de-differentiation by initiating a number of biological processes. In this study, we show that gene expression of hyaluronic acid (HA) and proteoglycan link protein 1 (HAPLN1) was upregulated during differentiation of human aortic SMCs (HASMCs) into a contractile state, but downregulated upon during PDGF-BB-induced dedifferentiation. This is the first study showing that the treatment of HASMCs with full-length recombinant human HAPLN1 (rhHAPLN1) significantly reversed PDGF-BB-induced decrease in the protein levels of contractile markers (SM22α, α-SMA, calponin, and SM-MHC), and inhibited the proliferation and migration of HASMCs induced by PDGF-BB. Furthermore, our results show that rhHAPLN1 significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of FAK, AKT, STAT3, p38 MAPK and Raf mediated by the binding of PDGF-BB to PDGFRβ. Together, these results indicated that rhHAPLN1 can suppress the PDGF-BB-stimulated phenotypic switching and subsequent de-differentiation of HASMCs, highlighting its potential as a novel therapeutic target for atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.411-416
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• 2023

Methamphetamine (METH) is a powerful neurotoxic psychostimulant affecting dopamine transporter (DAT) activity and leading to continuous excess extracellular dopamine levels. Despite recent advances in the knowledge on neurobiological mechanisms underlying METH abuse, there are few effective pharmacotherapies to prevent METH abuse leading to brain damage and neuropsychiatric deficits. α-Pinene (APN) is one of the major monoterpenes derived from pine essential oils and has diverse biological properties including anti-nociceptive, anti-anxiolytic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory actions. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of APN in a METH abuse mice model. METH (1 mg/kg/day, i.p.) was injected into C57BL/6 mice for four alternative days, and a conditioned place preference (CPP) test was performed. The METH-administered group exhibited increased sensitivity to place preference and significantly decreased levels of dopamine-related markers such as dopamine 2 receptor (D2R) and tyrosine hydroxylase in the striatum of the mice. Moreover, METH caused apoptotic cell death by induction of inflammation and oxidative stress. Conversely, APN treatment (3 and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced METH-mediated place preference and restored the levels of D2R and tyrosine hydroxylase in the striatum. APN increased the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 to pro-apoptotic Bax ratio and decreased the expression of inflammatory protein Iba-1. METH-induced lipid peroxidation was effectively mitigated by APN by up-regulation of antioxidant enzymes such as manganese-superoxide dismutase and glutamylcysteine synthase via activation of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2. These results suggest that APN may have protective potential and be considered as a promising therapeutic agent for METH-induced drug addiction and neuronal damage.

• 분석과학
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.22-31
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• 2023

As the use of e-liquid cigarettes is rapidly increasing worldwide, it multiplies the potential risk undisclosed to the health of non- and smokers. To reduce the hazard, each country has its own set of regulations for controlling e-liquids. In Korea, the narrow definition of tobacco makes it difficult and have been steadily occurring tax evasion exploiting the difference in natural and artificial nicotine. Therefore, it is very important to distinguish source of nicotine for their regulation. To find biochemical discriminant markers, this study established analysis methods based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple Quadrupole mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) for nicotine enantiomers and tobacco alkaloids targeted using the difference in pathways of nicotine biosynthesis and chemical synthesis. The method was validated by experimenting linearity (R² > 0.999), recovery (80.99-108.41 %), accuracy (94.11-109.73 %) and precision (0.04-8.27 %). Then, the results for discrimination of the nicotine obtained from analysis of 65 commercial e-liquid products available in Korean market was evaluated. The method successfully applied to the e-liquids and one sample labelled 'synthetic nicotine' for tax exemption was found to contain a natural nicotine product. This method can be used to determine whether an e-liquid product uses natural or artificial nicotine and monitor non-taxable e-liquid products. The method is more scientific than the existing one, which relies only on field evidence.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제31권6호
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• pp.661-673
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• 2023

Treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) has always been challenged by the development of resistance. We investigated the antiproliferative activity of licochalcone H (LCH), a regioisomer of licochalcone C derived from the root of Glycyrrhiza inflata, in oxaliplatin (Ox)-sensitive and -resistant CRC cells. LCH significantly inhibited cell viability and colony growth in both Ox-sensitive and Ox-resistant CRC cells. We found that LCH decreased epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and AKT kinase activities and related activating signaling proteins including pEGFR and pAKT. A computational docking model indicated that LCH may interact with EGFR, AKT1, and AKT2 at the ATP-binding sites. LCH induced ROS generation and increased the expression of the ER stress markers. LCH treatment of CRC cells induced depolarization of MMP. Multi-caspase activity was induced by LCH treatment and confirmed by Z-VAD-FMK treatment. LCH increased the number of sub-G1 cells and arrested the cell cycle at the G1 phase. Taken together LCH inhibits the growth of Ox-sensitive and Ox-resistant CRC cells by targeting EGFR and AKT, and inducing ROS generation and ER stress-mediated apoptosis. Therefore, LCH could be a potential therapeutic agent for improving not only Ox-sensitive but also Ox-resistant CRC treatment.