• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.213-222
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• 2002

The alkaline comet assay has been used with increasing popularity to investigate the level of DNA damage in biomonitoring studies within the last decade in Western countries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the alkaline comet assay as a biomarker of oxidative DNA damage for monitoring in the Korean population, and also to evaluate the effect of nutritional status and lifestyle factors on H2O2 induced oxidative DNA damage measured by the alkaline comet assay in human lymphocytes. The study population consisted of 61 healthy Korean male volunteers, aged 20-28. Epidemiological background data including dietary habits, smoking habits and anthropometrical measurements were collected through personal interviews. After blood collection, the comet assay in peripheral lymphocytes and plasma lipids analysis was carried out and the results analyzed. Tail moment (TM) and tail length (TL) of the comet assay were use\ulcorner to measure DNA damage in the lymphocytes of the subjects. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) positive correlations were observed between DNA damage (TM or TL) and smoking habits expressed as cigarettes smoked per day and pack years (r = 0.311 and 0.382 for TM, r = 0.294 and 0.350 for TL, respectively). There were also significant positive correlations between DNA damage parameter and waist-hip ratio. Higher plasma triglyceride levels were associated with increased damage to DNA. There were no correlations between the consumption frequencies of vegetables and DNA damage to the subjects. However, consumption frequencies of fruit and fruit juice intake were inversely associated with the TM and TL. The results indicate that die comet assay is a simple, rapid and sensitive method for detecting lymphocyte DNA damage induced by cigarette smoking. Consumption of fruit or fruit juices could potentiall modify the damaged DNA in the human peripheral lymphocytes of young Korean men.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.832-838
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• 2007

A novel inhibitory protein against blood coagulation factor Va (FVa) was purified from muscle protein of granulated ark (Tegillarca granosa, order Arcoida, marine bivalvia) by consecutive FPLC method using anion exchange and gel permeation chromatography. In the results of ESI-QTOF tandem mass analysis and database research, it was revealed that the purified T. granosa anticoagulant protein (TGAP) has 7.7 kDa of molecular mass and its partial sequence, HTHLQRAPHPNALGYHGK, has a high identity (64%) with serine/threonine kinase derived from Rhodopirellula baltica (order Planctomycetales, marine bacteria). TGAP could potently prolong thrombin time (TT), corresponding to inhibition of thrombin (FIIa) formation. Specific factor inhibitory assay showed that TGAP inhibits FVa among the major components of prothrombinase complex. In vitro assay for direct-binding affinity using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectrometer indicated that TGAP could be directly bound with FVa. In addition, the binding affinity of FVa to FII was decreased by addition of TGAP in dose-dependant manner ($IC_{50}$ value = 77.9 nM). These results illustrated that TGAP might interact with a heavy chain of FVa ($FVa_H$) bound to FII in prothrombin complex. The present study elucidated that non-cytotoxic T. granosa anticoagulant protein (TGAP) bound to FVa can prolong blood coagulation time by inhibiting conversion of FII to FIIa in blood coagulation cascade. In addition, TGAP did not significantly (P < 0.05) show fibrinolytic activity and cytotoxicity on venous endothelial cell line (ECV 304).

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.483-492
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• 2014

DNA damage such as genotoxicity was identified with comet assay, which blood cell of a marine parrot fish (Oplegnathus fasciatus) was exposed to an acidified seawater, lowered pH gradient making of $CO_2$ gas. The gradient of pH were 8.22, 8.03, 7.81, 7.55 with control as HBSS solution with pH 7.4. DNA tail moment of fish blood cell was $0.548{\pm}0.071$ exposed seawater of pH 8.22 condition, on the other hand, DNA tail moment $1.601{\pm}0.197$ exposed acidified seawater of pH 7.55 lowest condition. The approximate difference with level of DNA damage was 2.9 times between highest and lowest of pH. DNA damage with decreasing pH was significantly increased with DNA tail moment on blood cell of marine fish (ANOVA, p < 0.001). Ocean acidification, especially inducing the leakage of sequestered $CO_2$ in geological structure is a consequence from the burning of fossil fuels, and long term effects on marine habitats and organisms are not fully investigated. The physiological effects on adult fish species are even less known. This result shown that the potential of dissolved $CO_2$ in seawater was revealed to induce the toxic effect on genotoxicity such as DNA breakage.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.177-183
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• 2001

The objectives of the present study were to (1) determine the susceptibility of Anopheles sinensis to Korean isolates of Plasmodium vivax, (2) establish a method to collect large quantities of P. vivax sporozoites for use as antigen in seroepidemiological studies, and (3) investigate the characteristics of Korean isolates of P. vivax sporozoites. Females of Anopheles sinensis were collected at non-epidemic area, Seokwha-ri, Cheongwon-gun and Chungcheongbuk-do using tent-trap methods coupled with dry ice. The females were artificially infected with gameiocytes of P. vivax using blood obtained from P vivax malaria patients. Individual mosquitoes were infected using either a parafilm-covered glass feeding apparatus or were allowed to feed on naturally infected volunteers. Mosquitoes were sacrificed between 16 and 18 days post-feeding and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect sporozoites. Four (33.4%) of 12 mosquitoes, which were fed on naturally infected volunteers directly, were positive for sporozoites. In cases, the mosquitoes allowed to feed on whole blood which were extract from three different patients with heparin treated vacuutainers using a parafilm-covered glass apparatus. Two of 55 (3.6%) were positive which blood sample was maintained at room temperature for 8 hours, 1 of 68 (1.5%) was positive which blood was maintained at $4^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours and 1 of 47 (2.3%) was positive at 4$^{\circ}C$ for 48 hours. The mean number of sporozoites was estimated about 818 (n=8; range of 648-1,056) based on optical density values of ELISA.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1791-1795
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• 2013

Aims and Background: Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the male reproductive system, which causes the second most cancer deaths of males, and control of angiogenesis in prostate lesions is of obvious importance. This study assessed the effect of apogossypolone (ApoG2) on proliferation and apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Subjects and Methods: HUVECs were treated with different concentrations of ApoG2. The survival rate of HUVECs were determined by MTT assay. Utrastructural changes of HUVECs were assessed with transmission electron microscopy. Apoptosis in HUVECs was analyzed by flow cytometry and cell migration by Boyden chamber assay. Matrigel assays were used to quantify the development of tube-like networks. Results: ApoG2 significantly inhibited HUVEC growth even at 24 h (P<0.05). The inhibitory effect of ApoG2 is more obvious as the concentration and the culture time increased (P<0.05). These results indicate that ApoG2 inhibits the proliferation of HUVECs in a time- and concentration-dependent manner with increase of the apoptosis rate. Besides, ApoG2 reduced the formation of total pseudotubule length and network branches of HUVECs. Conclusions: The results suggest that ApoG2 inhibits angiogenesis of HUVECs by growth inhibition and apoptosis induction.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to apply a nested-polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) assay to detect and differentiate PCV 2a and PCV 2b. The compared with nPCR and one-step PCR and nPCR showed more sensitive in the detection of PCV-2 from tissue and blood samples. The total of 52 tissue samples was collected from postweanning pigs from 2006 to 2010. All tissue samples showed positive for PCV-2 in one-step PCR and nPCR, followed by the nPCR in order to identify the genotypes of PCV-2. 2 samples (3.8%) showed positive for PCV 2a, and 35 samples were positive for PCV 2b (67.3%), 15 samples (28.9%) were positive the dual genotypes. In addition, 42 blood samples which were collected from the 5 different swine farms were compared figure out the detection rates of nPCR and one-step PCR. The PCV 2 was positive by one-step PCR in 21 samples (50.0%) and nPCR was positive in 37 samples (88.1%). The PCV 2 genotypes in blood samples and 32 samples (76.2%) were positive for PCV 2b and none were positive for PCV 2a, 5 samples (11.9%) were positive for dual genotypes. These results suggest that the nPCR is very efficient for genotyping blood samples and differentiating the genotypes of PCV-2 from field samples.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.139-147
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• 2011

Objectives : The aim of this study is to research an anti-thrombus effect by Diospyros Kaki Calyx. Methods : The healthy human plasma were gained and used in vitro study such as factor X activity (FXa) inhibition, prothrombinase inhibition, prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time. Fifteen SD rats were divided into three groups ; intact control group (orally administrated with distilled water 5ml/kg) and two experimental group treated with extract of diospyros kaki calyx (EKC). Experimental rats were orally 600 mg/kg concentration of EKC and 200 mg/kg concentration of EKC. After an hour from administration, we anesthetized rats and made arteriovenous (AV) shunt rat models to study weight of thrombus, took whole blood to study content of thromboxane B2 and blood clotting time. Results : In vitro, EKC significantly increased inhibitory activity of FXa, prothrombinase compared with intact control group ($^*P$ <0.05). PT and aPTT were increased in EKC treated (600 mg/kg) group compared with intact control group ($^*P$ <0.05). In vivo, blood clotting time of experiment group treated with EKC 600 mg/kg were significantly increased compare with that of intact control group (p<0.05) and content of thromboxane B2 was significantly decreased in group treated with EKC 600 mg/kg in serum. The weight of thrombus were significantly reduced in group treated with EKC 600 mg/kg compared with intact control group (p<0.05). But in vivo experiment study, those parameters of group treated with EKC 200 mg/kg were relatively decreased compared with those of intact control group without statistical significance. Conclusions : EKC has an antithrombic activity because of inhibition internal course such as FXa and prothrombin. And EKC inhibited a hole blood clotting in vivo experiment by low content of thromboxane B2.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.272-274
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• 2017

A 1-year-old intact male Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was presented with a ruptured anal sac. On routine preanesthetic screening tests for surgical resection, the thrombocytopenia was observed by an impedance-type autoanalyzer. A peripheral blood smear was used as a follow-up test and giant platelets were seen on the smear. DNA assay of this patient confirmed that the cause of the platelet abnormalities in this patient was genetic mutation. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of macrothrombocytopenia confirmed based on the DNA assay results, in a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in Korea.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.31-34
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• 2014

The effectiveness of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) to protect blood cells against Mitomycin C (MMC) induced genotoxicity was investigated in human chronic myeloid leukemia cells (KCL22) using the alkaline comet assay. The comet assay was selected as sensitive and rapid method for analysis of DNA damage and repair in individual cells. NAC treatment alone did not produce any damage in KCL22 cell. But NAC was found to be effective in reducing genotoxic damage in KCL22 cells exposed to MMC. These results confirm the literature data that, given the safety and ability to reduce DNA damage. NAC may be useful to prevent drug-mediated genotoxicity.

• Mycobiology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.255-259
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• 2008

The effect of aflatoxin-contaminated corn on albino mice was investigated using the sperm morphology assay. Blood parameter levels including; total white blood cells (WBC), total red blood cells (RBC), packed cell volume (PCV), serum bilirubin (SB) and fasting blood sugar (FBS) were also determined in the tested mice. Test mice were exposed to aflatoxin-contaminated corn (contamination level of 100 ppb) for $1{\sim}4$ weeks while aflatoxin-free corn and cyclophosphamide were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. Sperm cells showed varieties of morphological abnormality when assessed after 5 weeks. The percentage frequencies of the negative and positive controls were 18.8% and 48.87%, respectively, while the percentage abnormalities for the 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks exposures were 41.38%, 48.17%, 57.13% and 61.67%, respectively. PCV, WBC, total bilirubin and glucose level values of mice in all concentrations were higher and statistically significant as compared to the negative control values using Dunnett's test. Therefore, abnormal sperm cell induction is concentrationdependent such that continuous consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated corn is capable of negatively affecting spermatogenesis by inducing or increasing the frequency of morphologically abnormal sperm cells produced.