• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.422-430
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• 2012

Previous studies have demonstrated that repeated restraint stress in rodents produces increases in depression and anxiety-like behaviors and alters the expression of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) in the hypothalamus. The current study focused on the impact of Bupleurum falcatum (BF) extract administration on repeated restraint stress-induced behavioral responses using the forced swimming test (FST) and elevated plus maze (EPM) test. Immunohistochemical examinations of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression in rat brain were also conducted. Male rats received daily doses of 20, 50, or 100 mg/kg (i.p.) BF extract for 15 days, 30 min prior to restraint stress (4 h/day). Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation in response to repeated restraint stress was confirmed base on serum corticosterone levels and CRF expression in the hypothalamus. Animals that were pre-treated with BF extract displayed significantly reduced immobility in the FST and increased open-arm exploration in the EPM test in comparison with controls. BF also blocked the increase in TH expression in the locus coeruleus of treated rats that experienced restraint stress. Together, these results demonstrate that BF extract administration prior to restraint stress significantly reduces depression and anxiety-like behaviors, possibly through central adrenergic mechanisms, and they suggest a role for BF extract in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders.

• 한국지능시스템학회논문지
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• 제24권6호
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• pp.609-614
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• 2014

소뇌 운동실조는 점차 진행되는 신경퇴행질병이며 운동 조절을 위한 기능의 상실을 동반하기에 환자의 삶을 심각하게 저하시킨다. 소뇌 운동실조 환자는 운동제어 과정에서 부적절한 폐회로 소뇌 반응으로 인해 운동 명령이 제한된다. 본 논문에서는 최근 뇌-컴퓨터 인터페이스 기술을 이용하여 소뇌의 이상으로 인한 운동실조 환자들이 외부기기를 제어할 수 있도록 운동상상 기반의 뇌파의 특성을 분석하고 이를 이용한 뇌-컴퓨터 인터페이스 기법을 제안한다. 뇌파 기반의 뇌-컴퓨터 인터페이스의 효용성을 검증하기 위하여 소뇌 운동실조 환자와 정상인 그룹에서 운동상상에 따른 뮤밴드 파워를 조절하는 능력을 비교하였다. 이를 통하여 소뇌 운동실조 환자에의 뇌-컴퓨터 인터페이스의 가능성을 보여준다.

• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• 제4권3호
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• pp.6.1-6.12
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• 2012

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complicated neurodegenerative disorder although it is oftentimes defined by clinical motor symptoms originated from age dependent and progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain. The pathogenesis of PD involves dopaminergic and nondopaminergic neurons in many brain regions and the molecular mechanisms underlying the death of different cell types still remain to be elucidated. There are indications that PD causing disease processes occur in a global scale ranging from DNA to RNA, and proteins. Several PD-associated genes have been reported to play diverse roles in controlling cellular functions in different levels, such as chromatin structure, transcription, processing of mRNA, translational modulation, and posttranslational modification of proteins. The advent of quantitative high throughput screening (HTS) tools makes it possible to monitor systemic changes in DNA, RNA and proteins in PD models. Combined with dopamine neuron isolation or derivation of dopamine neurons from PD patient specific induced pluripotent stem cells (PD iPSCs), HTS techonologies will provide opportunities to draw PD causing sequences of molecular events in pathologically relevant PD samples. Here I discuss previous studies that identified molecular functions in which PD genes are involved, especially those signaling pathways that can be efficiently studied using HTS methodologies. Brief descriptions of quantitative and systemic tools looking at DNA, RNA and proteins will be followed. Finally, I will emphasize the use and potential benefits of PD iPSCs-derived dopaminergic neurons to screen signaling pathways that are initiated by PD linked gene mutations and thus causative for dopaminergic neurodegneration in PD.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제27권5호
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• pp.13-24
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• 2010

Objectives : This study was designed to investigate the effects of bee venom acupuncture at Shinsu($BL_{23}$) and Daejangsu($BL_{25}$) on neuropathic pain induced by tibial and sural nerve injury in rats. Methods : Neuropathic pain model was made by partial resection of tibial and sural nerve. Three weeks after the neuropathic surgery, bee venom acupuncture was firstly injected at $BL_{23}$ and $BL_{25}$, then we measured withdrawal responses induced by von Frey filament and acetone stimulation. Bee venom acupunctures were injected 6times on every 2days. Measurement of withdrawal responses were conducted on the same days. After bee venom acupuncture injection, expression levels of c-Fos, nocieptin and KOR-3 were observed through using immunohistochemistry. Results : In this experiment, bee venom acupunctures at $BL_{23}$ and $BL_{25}$ decreased levels of withdrawal responses induced by von Frey filament and acetone stimulation respectively. In addtion, expression levels of c-Fos, nociceptin and KOR-3 in central gray part of brain in rats were decreased by bee venom acupuncture. Conclusions : These results imply that bee venom acupuncture was useful to treat patients with neuropathic pain, and related mechanisms were involved in opioid and their receptors such as nociceptin and KOR-3.

• 약학회지
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• 제49권2호
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• pp.168-173
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• 2005

Alzheimers disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of neurodegenerations associated with aging in the human population. This disease is characterized by the extracellular deposition of beta-amyloid (A ${\beta}$) peptide in cerebral plaques. The A ${\beta}$ peptide is derived from the ${\beta}$-amyloid precursor protein ( ${\beta}$APP). Photolytic processing of ${\beta}$APP by ${\beta}$-secretase(beta-site APP-cleaving enzyme, BASE) and ${\gamma}$-secretase generates the A ${\beta}$ peptide. Several lines of evidence support that A ${\beta}$-induced neuronal cell death is major mechanisms of development of AD. Accordingly, the ${\beta}$-and ${\gamma}$-secretase have been implicated to be excellent targets for the treatment of AD. We previously found that sesaminol glucosides have improving effect on memory functions through anti-oxidative mechanism. In this study, to elucidate possible other mechanism (inhibition of ${\beta}$-and ${\gamma}$-secretase) of sesaminol glucosides, we examined the improving effect of sesaminol glucosides in the scopolamine (1 mg/kg/mouse)-induced memory dysfunction using water maze test in the mice. Sesaminol glucosides (3.75, 7.5 mg/kg/6ml/day p.o., for 3 weeks) reversed the latency time, distance and velocity by scopolamine in dose dependent manner. Next, ${\beta}$-and ${\gamma}$-secretase activities were determined in different regions of brain. Sesaminol glucosides dose-dependently attenuated scopolamine-induced ${\beta}$-secretase activities in cortex and hippocampous and ${\gamma}$-secretase in cortex. This study therefore suggests that sesaminol glucosides may be a useful agent for prevention of the development or progression of AD, and its inhibitory effect on secretase may play a role in the improving action of sesaminol glucosides on memory function.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.1292-1298
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• 2009

Sipjeon-Daebo-Tang (SDT) is indicated for deficiency syndrome of both gi and blood, marked by pale or sallow complexion, dizziness, lassitude, shortness of breath, dislike for talking, poor appetite, pale tongue with thin whitish fur, thready and weak pulse. Gami-Sipjeon-Daebo-Tang(GSDT) is composed of 10 herbs within SDT and Cervi Pantotrichum Cornu (CPC). CPC can noursh kidney-yang, promote the production of the essence and blood, strengthen tendons and bones. Recently SDT is known as anti-cancer drug. Especially CPC is reported to have anti-oxidative action. For these reasons, we investigated the protective effects on cell death induced by chemicals such as paraquat, hydrogen peroxide and anti-oxidative effects in C6 glioma cells. In our results, GSDT accelerated proliferation rates of C6 cells in vitro. In addition, protective effects on cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide and rotenone. In addition, SOD activities were increased by treatment with both SDT and GSDT. In conclusion, these results suggest the possibility of GSDT to protect brain cell or neuronal cell from damage induced by oxidative stress. And also suggest that related mechanisms are involved in SOD activities.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.1368-1378
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• 2009

Unfolded protein response (UPR) is an important genomic response to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. The ER response is characterized by changes in specific proteins, induction of ER chaperones and degradation of misfolded proteins. Also, the pathogenesis of several diseases like Alzheimer's disease, neuronal degenerative diseases, and diabetes reveal the role of ER stress as one of the causative mechanisms. Borneolum has been used for neuronal disease in oriental medicine. In the present study, the protective effect of borneolum on thapsigargin-induced apoptosis in rat C6 glial cells. Treatment with C6 glial cells with 5 uM thapsigargin caused the loss of cell viability, and morphological change, which was associated with the elevation of intracellular $Ca^{++}$ level, the increase in Grp78 and CHOP and cleavage of pro-caspase 12 Furthermore, thapsigargin induced Grp98, XBP1, and ATF4 protein expression in C6 glial cells. Borneolum reduced thapsigargin-induced apoptosis through ER pathways. In the ER pathway, borneolum attenuated thapsigargin-induced elevations in Grp78, CHOP, ATF4, and XBP1 as well as reductions in pro-caspase 12 levels. Also, our data showed that borneolum protected thapsigargin-induced cytotoxicity in astrocytes from rat (P3) brain. Taken together, our data suggest that borneolum is neuroprotective against thapsigargin-induced ER stress in C6 glial cells and astrocytes. Accordingly, borneolum may be therapeutically useful for the treatment of thapsigargin-induced apoptosis in central nervous system.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.1010-1016
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• 2007

Sagunjatang (Sagunja), containing Radix Astragali, Radix Ginseng, Fructus Schizandrae, Radix Ophiopogonis and Radix Glycyrrhizae, has been used as a prescription for ischemic heart and brain diseases in Korean traditional medicine. This study was designed to investigate the protective mechanisms of Sagunja on $H_2O_2$-induced cytotoxicity of H9c2 cardiomyocytes. Treatment with $H_2O_2$ resulted in death of H9c2 cells, characterized by apparent apoptotic features, including the fragmentation of nucleus and increase in sub-GO/G1fraction of cell cycle. However, Sagunja markedly suppressed the apoptotic characteristics of H9c2 cells induced by $H_2O_2$ with decrease of intracellular peroxide level. In addition, Sagunja suppressed the features of mitochondrial dysfunction, including change of mitochondrial membrane potential, in $H_2O_2$- treated cells. Additionally, Sagunja induced the expression of HO-1 protein in both time-and dose-dependent manner. The role of HO-1 in ROS-scavenging activity of Sagunja is proposed.

• 한국정보통신학회논문지
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• 제10권11호
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• pp.2039-2044
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• 2006

생물정보는 사람의 능력을 넘어 섰으며 데이터 마이닝과 같은 인공지능기법이 필수적으로 요구된다. 한번에 수천 개의 유전자 발현 정보를 획득할 수 있는 DNA마이크로어레이 기술은 대량의 생물정보를 가진 대표적인 신기술로 질병의 진단 및 예측에 있어 새로운 분석방법들과 연계하여 많은 연구가 진행 중이다. 이러한 새로운 기술들을 이용하여 유전자의 메 커니즘을 규명하는 것은 질병의 치료 및 신약의 개발에 많은 도움을 줄 것으로 기대 된다. 본 논문에서는 마이크로어레이 실험에서 다양한 원인에 의해 발생하는 잡음(noise)을 줄이 거나 제거하는 과정인 표준화과정을 거쳐 표준화 방법들의 성능 비교를 위해 특징 추출방법 인 베이지안(Bayesian) 방법을 이용하여 마이크로어레이 데이터의 분류 정확도를 비교 평가하여 Lowess 표준화 후 95.89%로 분류성능을 향상시킬 수 있음을 보였다.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제20권6호
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• pp.1459-1466
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• 2006

The water extract of Hwansodan has been traditionally used for treatment of ischemic brain damage in oriental medicine. However, little is known about the mechanism by which the water extract of Hwansodan rescues cells from neurodegenerative disease. PC12 pheochromocytoma cells have been used extensively as a model for studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neuronal cell damages. Under deprivation of growth factor and ischemic injury, PC12 cells spontaneously undergoes apoptotic cell death. Serum and glucose deprivation markedly decreased the viability of PC12 cells, which was characterized with apparent apoptotic features such as membrane blebbing as well as fragmentation of genomic DNA and nuclei. However, the aqueous extract of Hwansodan significantly reduced serum and glucose deprivation-induced cell death and apoptotic characteristics through reduction of intracellular peroxide generation. Pretreatment of Hwansodan also ingibited the activation of caspase-3, in turn, degradation of ICAD/DFF45 was completely abolished in serum and glucose deprivated cells. Furthermore, pretreatment of Hwansodan obviously increased heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) expression in PC12 cells. Taken together, the data suggest that the protective effects of Hwansodan against serum and glucose deprivation induced oxidative injuries may be achieved through the scavenging of reactive oxygene species accompanying with HO-1 induction.