• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.107-113
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• 2012

Trichomes are specialized epidermal structure having the functions of physical and chemical block against biotic and abiotic stresses. Several studies on $Capsicum$ species revealed that virus and herbivore resistance is associated with trichome-formation. However, there is no research on the structural characterization of trichomes developed on the epidermis of $Capsicum$ spp. Thus, this study attempts to charaterize the trichome morphologies in 5 species of $Capsicum$ using a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). Six main trichome types were identified by their morphology under FESEM. Both glandular and non-glandular types of trichomes were developed on the epidermal tissues of $Capsicum$ spp. The glandular trichome were further classified into type I, IV and VII according to their base, stalk length, and stalk. Non-glandular trichomes were also classified into type II, III, and V based on stalk cell number and norphology. Almost all the species in $C.$ $chinense$ and $C.$ $pubescens$ had glandular trichomes. To our knowledge, this is the first study on classification of trichomes in the genus $Capsicum$ and, our results could provide basic informations for understanding the structure and function of trichomes on the epidermal differentiation and association with biotic stress tolerance.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5017-5021
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• 2013

Objective: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a small class of non-coding, single-stranded RNAs with a critical role in genesis and maintenance of renal cancer mainly through binding to 3'-untranslated regions (3'UTR) of target mRNAs, which causes a block of translation and/or mRNA degradation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential effects of miR-122 in human renal cell carcinomas. Methods: The expression level of miR-122 was quantified by qRT-PCR. MTT, colony formation, invasion and migration assays were used to explore the potential functions of miR-122 in human renal cell carcinoma cells. Results: Cellular growth, invasion and migration in two A498 and 786-O cells were significantly increased after miR-122 transfection. Further experiments demonstrated that overexpression of miR-122 resulted in the increase of phospho-Akt (Ser473) and phospho-mTOR (Ser2448), then activation of mTOR targets, p70S6K and 4E-BP1. Conclusions: The up-regulation of miR-122 may play an important role in the progress of renal cancer through activating PI3K/Akt signal pathway and could be a potential molecular target for anti-cancer therapeutics.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2011

Introduction: Dental implants are used routinely with high success rates in generally healthy individuals. By contrast, their use in patients with diabetes mellitus is controversial because altered bone healing around implants has been reported. This study examined the bone healing response around titanium implants placed immediately in rats with controlled and uncontrolled diabetes. Materials and Methods: Twenty rats were divided into the control, insulin-treated and diabetic groups. The rats received streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) to induce diabetes; animals in the insulin-treated group also received three units of subcutaneous slow-release insulin. A titanium implant ($1.2{\times}3\;mm$) was placed in the extraction socket of the maxillary first molar and bone block was harvested at 1, 2 and 4 weeks. Results: Bone formation around the implants was consistently (from 1 to 4 week post-implantation) slower for the diabetic group than the control and insulin-treated group. Bone morphogenesis in the diabetic rats was characterized by fragmented bone tissues and extensive soft tissue intervention. Conclusion: The immediate placement of titanium implants in the maxilla of diabetic rats led to an unwanted bone healing response. These results suggest that immediate implant insertion in patients with poorly controlled diabetes might be contraindicated.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.119-130
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• 2008

Absorbable atelo-collagen sponge $TERUPLUG^{(R)}$, Termo Co. Tokyo, Japan) is inserted in the extraction wound where alveolar bone is exposed. It protects wounds and promotes the formation of granulation. This is made of atelo-collagen, to minimize antigenicity, which is cross-linked by heat treatment for biocompatibility. $TERUPLUG^{(R)}$ consists of between 85 and 95 % of collagen type I and between 5 to 15 % of collagen type III. The raw material for the collagen is derived from bovine skin. It features a sponge block design and is shaped for easy insertion in the extraction wound. This study was designed to find out the bone healing capacity of $TERUPLUG^{(R)}$. We implanted $TERUPLUG^{(R)}$ (experimental group I) and $TERUPLUG^{(R)}$ with rhBMP-2 (experimental group II) in the rabbit cranium defect and then histologically analysed the specimen. The results were as follows. 1. In the 4 weeks, a lot of the newly formed collagen fibers around material of the experimental group I implanted $TERUPLUG^{(R)}$ were observed. But, in the experimental group II implanted $TERUPLUG^{(R)}$ with rhBMP-2, a little of newly formed collagen fibers around material were observed. The cell proliferating activity and apoptosis of the experimental group I, II was positive in and around the implanted material. 2. In the 8 weeks, the amount of newly formed and matured bone in the experimental group II was more observed than the experimental group I and control group. The results of this study indicate that absorbable atelo-collagen sponge ($TERUPLUG^{(R)}$) is relatively favorable bone void filler with biocompatibility and has the better bone healing capacity in case of application with rhBMP-2.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.491-494
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• 2012

We report a rare complication of iatrogenic spinal intradural following minimally invasive extradural endoscopic procedues in the lumbo-sacral spines. To our knowledge, intradural cyst following epiduroscopy has not been reported in the literature. A 65-year-old woman with back pain related with previous lumbar disc surgery underwent endoscopic epidural neuroplasty and nerve block, but her back pain much aggravated after this procedure. Postoperative magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large intradural cyst from S1-2 to L2-3 displacing the nerve roots anteriorly. On T1 and T2-weighted image, the signal within the cyst had the same intensity as cerebrospinal fluid. The patient underwent partial laminectomy of L5 and intradural exploration, and fenestration of the cystic wall was accomplished. During operation, the communication between the cyst and subarachnoid space was not identified, and the content of the cyst was the same as that of cerebrospinal fluid. Postoperatively, the pain attenuated immediately. Incidental durotomy which occurred during advancing the endoscope through epidural space may be the cause of formation of the intradural cyst. Intrdural cyst should be considered, if a patient complains of new symptoms such as aggravation of back pain after epiduroscopy. Surgical treatment, simple fenestration of the cyst may lead to improved outcome. All the procedures using epiduroscopy should be performed with caution.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.203-203
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• 2002

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a beta-herpesvirus with worldwide distribution, exhibits host persistence, a distinguishing characteristic of all herpesviruses. This persistence is dependent upon restricted gene expression in infected cells as well as the ability of productively infected cells to escape from normal cell-mediated anti-viral immunosurveillance. Type I (IFN-α/β) and type II (IFN-γ) interferons are major components of the innate defense system against viral infection. They are potent inducers of MHC class I and II antigens and of antigen processing proteins. Additionally, IFNS mediate direct antiviral effects through induction effector molecules that block viral infection and replications such as 2′, 5-oligoadenylate synthetase (2, 5-OAS). IFNS function through activation of well-defined signal transduction pathways that involve phosphorylation of constituent proteins and ultimate formation of active transcription factors. Recent studies have shown that a number of diverse viruses, including CMV, EBV, HPV mumps and Ebola, are capable of inhibiting IFN-mediated signal transduction through a variety of mechanisms. As an example, CMV infection inhibits the ability of infected cells Is transcribe HLA class I and II antigens as well as the antiviral effector molecules 2, 5-OAS and MxA I. EMSA studies have shown that IFN-α and IFN-γ are unable to induce complete signal transduction in the presence of CMV infection, phenomena that are associated with specific decreases in JAKl and p48. Viral inhibition of IFN signal transduction represents a new mechanistic paradigm for increased viral survival, a paradigm predicting widespread consequences in the case of signal transduction factors common to multiple cytokine pathways.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.288-291
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• 2006

Epidural analgesia using an epidural catheter is an effective method to relieve the pain during the rehabilitating procedure for postoperative orthopedic patients. Total spinal anesthesia is one of the possible complications of epidural catheterization which can lead to a life-threatening condition. Achondroplasia is the most common form of short-limbed dwarfism resulting from a failure of endochondral bone formation. In patients suffering with short stature syndrome like achondroplasia, the incidence and risk of total spinal anesthesia during epidural anesthesia may increase because of the technical difficulty and structural anomaly of the spine. We report here on a 35-year old female patient with a height of a 115 cm. She was diagnosed as achondroplasia and she had a previous Ilizarov operation; both tibial lengthening and correction of valgus were done. No specific event occurred during epidural catheterization. Immediately after the injection of a test dose via epidural catheter, the patient became hypotensive, drowsy and showed weakness of both her upper and lower extremities. The symptoms were disappeared after 40 minutes. The catheter was removed on the next day. We concluded that the total spinal anesthesia was caused by intrathecal injection of local anesthetics through the epidural catheter, and the anesthesia then migrated into the subarachonoid space.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.63-72
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• 2013

A specific inhibitor of RNA polymerase II, ${\alpha}$-amanitin is broadly used to block transcriptional activities in cells. Previous studies showed that ${\alpha}$-amanitin affects in vitro maturation of cumulus-oocyte-complex (COC). In this study, we evaluated the target of ${\alpha}$-amanitin, and whether it affects oocytes or cumulus cells (CCs), or both. We treated ${\alpha}$-amanitin with different time period during in vitro culture of denuded oocytes (DOs) or COCs in comparison, and observed the changes in morphology and maturation status. Although DOs did not show any change in morphology and maturation rates with ${\alpha}$-amanitin treatment, oocytes from COCs were arrested at metaphase I (MI) stage and CCs were more scattered than control groups. To discover causes of meiotic arrest and scattering of CCs, we focused on changes of cumulus expansion, gap junctions, and cellular metabolism which to be the important factors for the successful in vitro maturation of COCs. Expression of genes for cumulus expansion markers (Ptx3, Has2, and Tnfaip6) and gap junctional proteins (Gja1, Gja4, and Gjc1) decreased in ${\alpha}$-amanitin-treated CCs. However, these changes were not observed in oocytes. In addition, expression of genes related to metabolism (Prps1, Rpe, Rpia, Taldo1, and Tkt) decreased in ${\alpha}$-amanitin-treated CCs but not in oocytes. Therefore, we concluded that the transcriptional activities of CCs for supporting suitable transcripts, especially for its metabolic activities and formation of gap junctions among CCs as well as with oocytes, are important for oocytes maturation in COCs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.141-145
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• 2001

Isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) is the common, five-carbon building block in the biosynthesis of all carotenoids. IPP in Escherichia coli is synthesized through the non-mevalonate pathway. The first reaction of IPP biosynthesis in E. coli is the formation of l-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate (DXP), catalyzed by DXP synthase and encoded by dxs. The second reaction in the pathway is the reduction of DXP to 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate, catalyzed by DXP reductoisomerase and encoded by dxr. To determine if one or more of the reactions in the non-mevalonate pathway controlled flux to IPP, dxs and dxr were placed on several expression vectors under the control of three different promoters and transformed into three E. coli strains (DH5$\alpha$, XL1-Blue, and JMl0l) that had been engineered to produce lycopene. Lycopene production was improved significantly in strains transformed with the dxs expression vectors. When the dxs gene was expressed from the arabinose-inducible araBAD promoter ( $P_{BAD}$) on a medium-copy plasmid, lycopene production was 2-fold higher than when dxs was expressed from the IPTG-inducible trc and lac promoters ( $P_{trc}$ and $P_{lac}$, respectively) on medium-copy and high-copy plasmids. Given the low final densities of cells expressing dxs from IPTG-inducible promoters, the low lycopene production was probably due to the metabolic burden of plasmid maintenance and an excessive drain of central metabolic intermediates. At arabinose concentrations between 0 and 1.33 roM, cells expressing both dxs and dxr from $P_{BAD}$ on a medium-copy plasmid produced 1.4 - 2.0 times more lycopene than cells expressing dxs only. However, at higher arabinose concentrations lycopene . production in cells expressing both dxs and dxr was lower than in cells expressing dxs only. A comparison of the three E. coli strains transformed with the arabinose-inducible dxs on a medium-copy plasmid revealed that lycopene production was highest in XLI-Blue.LI-Blue.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.579-588
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• 2000

The effects of protective colloids on the colloid stability of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) latex was investigated. The stability of PVAc latex in reactive poly(vinyl alcohol) mono thiol (PVALT) (DP=1080) having 78.4% saponification value was better than poly (vinyl alcohol)(PVA) (DP=1100) having 81.6% saponification value. The colloidal stability of PVAc latex particles improved drastically with increase of the reactive PVALT. The particle surface morphology of PVAc latex was examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was shown that particle size of 1ha latexes decreased with increasing reactive PVALT concentration. Therefore, the stabilities of latex for reactive PVALT protective colloid was superior to that of PVA ones. This result is due to the introduction of many thiol groups that induce chemical bonds at PVAc latexes surface, so that the formation of PVALT-b-PVAc block copolymer via the reaction of PVAc with reactive PVALT. In addition, zeta potential of the PVAc latexes decreased with increasing sodium carbonate concentration.