• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.77-82
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• 1998

Aerenchyma development in rice (Oryza sativa L.) roots is quite important for adaptation to waterlogged or reduced soil conditions. Anatomical observations were carried out to clarify the development of schizogenous and lysigenous aerenchyma in elongating crown roots of rice. The crown roots of 3rd and 4th phytomer were taken from rice plants of the 8th leaf stage grown by hydroponic culture. The schizogenous intercellular spaces in the cortex of crown root tip were observed using a light microscope with semi ultra-thin sections and the lysigenous aerenchyma in mature tissue of crown root were observed using a cryo scanning electron microscope (cryo-SEM) with freezing fracture method. The schizogenous intercellular spaces in the root tip exist obviously in the middle portion of cortical cell layers close to the root-root cap junction, but not in root cap, stele and outer cell layers of cortex. The air spaces were formed at the junction of four neighbouring cells of inner cortex in the transverse sections, and between longitudinal cell layer connected along the root axis. Although many of those spaces were filled with liquid, some spaces seem to exist as air spaces. The lysigenous aerenchyma in the cortex, which hardly filled with liquid, emerged at 3-4 cm segment from the root tip and increased toward the basal region of root axis. The developing process of lysigenous aerenchyma was primarily separation of a radial row of cells caused by the shrinking and collapsing of cortical cells and then formation of septa along the radial cell rows by the fusion of cell wall with each other. These results suggest that the schizogenous and lysigenous aerenchyma playa role as a passage for the movement of oxygen into the root tip region where oxygen is required for respiration.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.202-211
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to investigate the apoptotic effect of Phellodendri Cortex water extract (PCWE) on pancreatic cancer cells and to find out the regulating mechanisms. Human-derived pancreatic cancer cell line, MIA PaCa-2 cells were treated by PCWE with various concentrations and the cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay. The activation of Annexin V, DNA fragmentation, cell cycle arrest and caspase activation were observed to investigate the role of PCWE in pancreatic cancer cells. Also, to find out the regulating mechanisms, we examined the ROS production. The treatment of PCWE induced the cell death in both concentration and time dependent manner. The treatment of PCWE also increased the expression of Annexin V, DNA fragmentation, cell cycle arrest, and cleavage of caspase, which means cell-death PCWE induced was apoptosis but not necrosis. The ROS production was increased by PCWE treatment and the blockade of ROS inhibited the PCWE-induced cell death. These results could suggest that PCWE induced apoptosis via ROS release in pancreatic cancer cell.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.12-30
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• 2022

Many studies on plant extracts have been reported for the treatment of candidiasis caused by Candida albicans, a representative fungal infection. This study demonstrates the synergistic antifungal activity of the combination of Phellodendri Cortex and Magnoliae Cortex, previously reported to have antifungal efficacy. Considering the antifungal efficacy and the separation of the active constituents, berberine and magnolol, hot water extraction and carbon dioxide supercritical extraction were selected for Phellodendri Cortex and Magnoliae Cortex, respectively. A combination of 0.55 g/L hot water extract of Phellodendri Cortex and 0.59 g/L carbon dioxide supercritical extract of Magnoliae Cortex showed synergistic antifungal activity. The synergistic antifungal activity of 160 μM berberine and 100 μM magnolol, which are representative antifungal compounds of Phellodendri Cortex and Magnoliae Cortex, respectively, contributes to the synergistic antifungal effect of their extracts. The additive decrease in cellular ergosterol level and the increased antifungal efficacy by extracellular ergosterol suggest that disruption of the biological function of ergosterol in the cell membrane is not responsible for the synergistic antifungal activity of berberine and magnolol. Synergistic cellular release of chromosomal DNA upon mixing berberine and magnolol indicates that disruption of the cellular structure is responsible for the synergistic antifungal effect of berberine and magnolol.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.409-415
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• 2008

Moutan cortex, the root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews (Paeoniaceae), has pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, analgesic and antioxidant activities. We investigated a methanol extract of Moutan cortex for neuroprotective effects on neurotoxicity induced by amyloid ${\beta}$ protein ($A{\beta}$) (25-35) in cultured rat cortical neurons. Exposure of cultured cortical neurons to $10\;{\mu}M\;A{\beta}$ (25-35) for 24 h induced neuronal apoptotic death. Moutan cortex inhibited $10\;{\mu}M\;A{\beta}$ (25-35)-induced neuronal cell death at 30 and $50\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, which was measured by a 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and Hoechst 33342 staining. Moutan cortex inhibited $10\;{\mu}M\;A{\beta}$ (25-35)-induced elevation of intracellular calcium concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$), and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which were measured by fluorescent dyes. Moutan cortex also inhibited glutamate release into medium induced by $10\;{\mu}M\;A{\beta}$ (25-35), which was measured by HPLC. These results suggest that Moutan cortex prevents $A{\beta}$ (25-35)-induced neuronal cell damage by interfering with the increase of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, and then inhibiting glutamate release and ROS generation. Moutan cortex may have a therapeutic role in preventing the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

• Proceedings of the Korea Contents Association Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.351-355
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• 2003

Neurons in the mammalian visual cortex can be classified into the two main categories of simple cells and complex cells based on their response properties. Here, we find the complex features corresponding to the response of complex cells by applying the unsupervised independent component analysis network to input images. This result will be helpful to elucidate the information processing mechanism of neurons in primary visual cortex.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.65-69
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• 1998

The hippocampus and prefrontal cortex are regarded as the highest-order association cortices. The hippocampus has been proposed to store "cognitive maps" of external environments, and the prefrontal cortex is known to be involved in the planning of behavior, among other functions. Considering the prominent functional roles played by these structures, it is not surprising to find direct monosynaptic projections from the hippocampus to the prefrontal cortex. Rhythmic stimulation of this projection patterned after the hippocampal EEG theta rhythm induced stable long-term potentiation of field potentials in the prefrontal cortex. Comparison of behavioral correlates of hippocampal and prefrontal cortical neurons during an a-arm radial maze, working memory task shows a striking contrast. Hippocampal neurons exhibit clear place-specific firing patterns, whereas prefrontal cortical neurons do not show spatial selectivity, but are correlated to different stages of the behavioral task. These data lead to the hypothesis that the role of hippocampal projection to the prefrontal cortex is not to impose spatial representations upon prefrontal activity, but to provide a mechanism for learning the spatial context in which particular behaviors are appropriate.propriate.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.30-45
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• 2021

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the effects of pregnancy-related four herbal medicines (Samul-tang, Onkyung-tang, Chokyungjongok-tang and Moutan Radicis Cortex) on the endometrial and placental cells. Methods: In this study, we examined viability and decidualization of telomerase immortalized human endometrial stromal cell lines (T-HESCs) and viability and invasion ability of human first trimester trophoblast cell lines Sw.71 by four herbal medicines (Samul-tang, Onkyung-tang, Chokyungjongok-tang and Moutan Radicis Cortex) Results: In the study, we showed that Samul-tang, Onkyung-tang, Chokyungjongok-tang increased decidualization marker prolactin (PRL) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP1) in T-HESCs. Moutan Radicis Cortex decreased the mRNA level of PRL and IGFBP1, and the protein level of PRL and IGFBP1 had no significant effect. Moreover, four herbal medicines reduced invasion ability of Sw.71 cells. Conclusions: These results suggest that Samul-tang, Onkyung-tang, and Chokyungjongok-tang have beneficial effects on successful embryo implantation and pregnancy maintenance by increasing decidualization markers such as PRL and IGFBP1. Moutan Radicis Cortex reduces the mRNA levels of PRL and IGFBP1, which may adversely affect pregnancy. Further investigations are needed to elucidate the significance of the decreased invasive ability of Sw.71 cells induced by four herbal medications.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.1 s.31
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• pp.111-131
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• 1996

For the development of antimetastatic agent 41 kinds of crude drugs were used for the evaluation of inhibitory effect of several crude drugs on cell adhesion of pulmonary cancer cells and platelet aggregation. Results were obtained as follows: 1. Water extracts of crude drugs inhibited cell adhesion of A549 to complex extracelluar matrix over 40 % of contol were Houttuyniae Herba, Mylabris, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Meliae Cortex, Ferula Resina, Oldenlandiae diffusae Herba at the higher concentration of $10^{-3}g／ml$ while those inhibiting cell adhesion of Bl6-Fo over 40 % of control were $10^{-5}g／ml$ of Houttuyniae Herba, Aurantii Fructus, Lithospermi Radix, Zedoariae Rhizoma. Prunellae Spica, Foeniculi Fructus, Rbei Radix, Scutellariae Radix, Meliae Cortex, Ferula Resina and Oldenlandiae diffusae Herba. 2. MeOH extracts of crude drugs at the concentration of $4{\times}10^{-4}g／ml$ inhibiting cell adhesion of A549 specifically to single extracelluar matrix over 40 % of control were Lithospermi Radix, Agrimoniae Herba, Rhei Radix and Ferula Resina to collagen I, Houttuyniae Herba, Lithospermi Radix, Bupleuri Radix, Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix, Orostachys Herba, Sappan Lignum, Meliae cortex ferula Resina and Coicis Semen to collagen Ⅳ, Mylabris, Agrimoniae Herba to laminin, Houttuyniae Herba and Meliae Cortex to fibronectin. 3. NeOH extracts of crude drugs at the concentration of $4{\times}10^{-4}g／ml$ inhibiting cell adhesion of B16-Fo specifically to single extracelluar matrix over 60 % of control were Lithospermi Radix, Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix, Meliae Cortex and Ferula Resina to collagen I, Lithospermi Radix, Bupleun Radix, Saiviae miltiorrhizae Radix, Ferula Resina and Acanthopanacis Cortex to collagen Ⅳ, Bupleuri Radix, Orostachys Herba to laminin, Houttuyniae Herba to fibronectin. 4. MeOH extracts of crude drugs inhibiting platelet aggregation over 40% of ADP control were at the concentration of $50{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ of Houttuyniae Herba, Angilicae gigantis Radix, Zedoariae Rhizoma. Coicis Semen and $100{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ of Ferula Resina, Orostachys Herba, Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix, Curcumac Radix, Carthami Flos, Lithospermi Radix, Gleditsiae Spina, Sappan Lignum, Acanthopanacis Cortex. These results suggest that several crude drugs including Ferula Resina, Houttuyniae Herba, Lithospermi Radix and Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix chiefly have more possibility to exert antimetastatic activity and require in vivo antimetastatic study.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.403-409
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• 2008

In Oriental medicine daeseungki-tang is one of the prescription that is used clinically for constipation of paralytics. The objective of the study was to observe the effect of daeseungki-tang on apoptotic neuronal cell death. In the present study, middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) rats were treated with daeseungi-tang for 5 days and the edema percentage of cerebral hemisphere of MCAO rats were investigated primary. Secondary, appearances of Bax, Bcl-2,-factors that is related to apoptotic neuronal cell death - and HSP72 in the brain of MCAO rats were investigated via immunohistochemistry. Daeseungki-tang significantly decreased edema percentage of the cerebral hemisphere of MCAO rats. Daeseungki-tang significantly decreased Bax positive cells, but did not change the apperances of Bcl-2 positive cells in the penumbra of the cerebral cortex and the caudoputamen of MCAO rats. Daeseungki-tang significantly decreased HSP72 positive cells in the penumbra of the cerebral cortex, but not in the caudoputamen of MCAO rats. Based on the present results, it can be suggested that treatment with daeseungki-tang may decrease edema of the cerebral hemisphere and restrain apoptotic neuronal cell death in the penumbra of the cerebral cortex.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.265-271
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• 2019

The expansion and folding of the cerebral cortex occur during brain development and are critical factors that influence cognitive ability and sensorimotor skills. The disruption of cortical growth and folding may cause neurological disorders, resulting in severe intellectual disability and intractable epilepsy in humans. Therefore, understanding the mechanism that regulates cortical growth and folding will be crucial in deciphering the key steps of brain development and finding new therapeutic targets for the congenital anomalies of the cerebral cortex. This review will start with a brief introduction describing the anatomy of the brain cortex, followed by a description of our understanding of the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of neural progenitors and important genes and molecules that are involved in these processes. Finally, various types of disorders that develop due to malformation of the cerebral cortex will be discussed.