• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제48권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2010

Objective : Notochordal cells in the intervertebral disc interact with nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and support the maintenance of disc homeostasis by regulation of matrix production. However, the influence of notochordal cells has not been evaluated in the annulus fibrosus (AF), which is the primary pain generator in the disc. We hypothesized that the notochordal cell has the capacity to modulate inflammatory mediators secreted by AF cells secondary to stimulation. Methods : Notochordal and AF cells were isolated from adult New Zealand white rabbits. AF pellets were cultured with notochordal cell clusters or in notochordal cell-conditioned media (NCCM) for 24 or 48 hours with proinflammatory cytokines at varying concentrations. Gene expression in AF pellets were assayed for nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2, and interleukin (IL)-6 by real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results : AF pellet in NCCM significantly decreased the iNOS and COX-2 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels compared to AF pellets alone and AF pellets with notochordal cells (p < 0.05). AF pellet resulted in dose-dependent iNOS and COX-2 expression in response to IL-$1{\beta}$, stimulation, demonstrating that 1 ng/ml for 24 hours yielded a maximal response. AF pellet in NCCM significantly decreased the expression of iNOS and COX-2 in response to 1ng/ml IL-$1{\beta}$, stimulation at 24 hours (p < 0.05). There was no difference in IL-6 expression compared to AF pellets alone or AF pellets with notochordal cell clusters. Conclusion : We conclude that soluble factors from notochordal cells mitigate the gene expression of inflammatory mediators in stimulated AF, as expected after annular injury, suggesting that notochordal cells could serve as a novel therapeutic approach in symptomatic disc development.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권7호
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• pp.2701-2705
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• 2015

Chondrosarcoma, the second most common type of bone malignancy, is characterized by distant metastasis and local invasion. Previous studies have shown that treatment by pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) has beneficial effects on various cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of PEMF applied for 3 and 7 days on the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) levels in chondrosarcoma SW1353 cells stimulated with two different doses of $IL-1{\beta}$. SW1353 cells were treated with (0.5 and 5 ng/ml) $IL-1{\beta}$ and PEMF exposure was applied either 3 or 7 days. MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels were measured in conditioned media by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results were relative to protein levels. Statistical analyses were performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). P<0.05 was considered significant. PEMF treatment significantly decreased MMP-9 protein levels in human chondrosarcoma cells stimulated with 0.5 ng/ml $IL-1{\beta}$ at day 7, whereas it did not show any effect on cells stimulated with 5 ng/ml $IL-1{\beta}$. There was no significant change in TIMP-1 protein levels either by $IL-1{\beta}$ stimulation or by PEMF treatment. The results of this study showed that PEMF treatment suppressed $IL-1{\beta}$-mediated upregulation of MMP-9 protein levels in a dual effect manner. This finding may offer new perspectives in the therapy of bone cancer.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.175-182
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• 2007

The lysozyme II gene of cabbage butterfly Artogeia rapae was cloned from fat body of the larvae injected with E. coli and its nucleotide sequence was determined by the RACE-PCR. It has an open reading frame of 414 bp nucleotides corresponding to 138 amino acids including a signal sequence of 18 amino acids. The estimated molecular weight and the isoelectric point of the lysozyme II without the signal peptide were 13,649.38 Da and 9.11, respectively. The A. rapae lysozyme II (ARL II) showed the highest identity (81%) in the amino acid sequence to Manduca sexta lysozyme among other lepidopteran species. The two catalytic residues ($Glu^{32}$ and $Asp^{50}$) and the eight Cys residue motifs, which are highly conserved among other c-type lysozymes in invertebrates and vertebrates, are also completely conserved. A phylogenetic analysis based on amino acid sequences indicated that the ARL II was more closely related to M. sexta, Hyphantria cunea, Heliothis virescens, and Trichoplusia ni lysozymes. The ARL II gene was expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda 21 insect cells and the recombinant ARL II (rARL II) was purified from cell-conditioned media by cation exchange column chromatography and reverse phase FPLC. The purified rARL II was able to form a clear zone in lysoplate assay against Micrococcus luteus. The lytic activity was estimated to be 511.41 U/mg, 1.53 times higher than that of the chicken lysozyme. The optimum temperature for the lytic activity of the rARL II was $50^{\circ}C$, the temperature dependency of the absolute lytic activity of rARL II was higher than that of the chicken lysozyme at low temperatures under $65^{\circ}C$.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
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• 제48권2호
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• pp.102-108
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• 2016

Der p 2는 알레르기 질환과 관련이 있는 집먼지 진드기의 주요 알러젠이다. 알레르기 질환의 병인기전은 림프구의 사이토카인 분비와 호중구의 세포고사와 관련이 있다. 본 연구에서는 Der p 2가 림프구의 사이토카인 분비를 유도하고, 유도된 사이토카인이 호중구의 세포고사 조절에 효과가 있는 지를 확인하였다. Der p 2는 정상인과 알레르기 질환의 림프구에서 IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, GM-CSF의 분비를 증가시켰다. Der p 2는 호중구의 세포고사에 어떠한 효과도 없었지만, Der p 2로 림프구를 자극한 뒤 모은 상층액이 호중구의 자발적 세포고사를 억제시켰다. Der p 2는 정상인의 림프구와 호중구를 공동배양에서 자극한 것 보다 알레르기 질환의 림프구와 호중구의 공동배양에서 자극했을 때 호중구의 세포고사를 더 크게 억제시켰다. Der p 2의 림프구와 호중구의 조절기전 규명은 알레르기 질환의 병인기전을 규명하는데 유용한 결과가 될 것이다.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.9-18
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• 2016

Bone matrix is properly maintained by osteoclasts and osteoblasts. In the tumor microenvironment, osteoclasts are increasingly differentiated by the various ligands and cytokines secreted from the metastasized cancer cells at the bone metastasis niche. The activated osteoclasts generate osteolytic lesions. For this reason, studies focusing on the differentiation of osteoclasts are important to reduce bone destruction by tumor metastasis. The N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) has been known to contribute to the suppression of tumor growth and metastasis, but the precise role of NDRG2 in osteoclast differentiation induced by cancer cells has not been elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that NDRG2 expression in breast cancer cells has an inhibitory effect on osteoclast differentiation. RAW 264.7 cells, which are monocytic preosteoclast cells, treated with the conditioned media (CM) of murine breast cancer cells (4T1) expressing NDRG2 are less differentiated into the multinucleated osteoclast-like cells than those treated with the CM of 4T1-WT or 4T1-mock cells. Interestingly, 4T1 cells stably expressing NDRG2 showed a decreased mRNA and protein level of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1), which is known to enhance osteoclast maturation. Osteoclast differentiation was also reduced by ICAM1 knockdown in 4T1 cells. In addition, blocking the interaction between soluble ICAM1 and ICAM1 receptors significantly decreased osteoclastogenesis of RAW 264.7 cells in the tumor environment. Collectively, these results suggest that the reduction of ICAM1 expression by NDRG2 in breast cancer cells decreases osteoclast differentiation, and demonstrate that excessive bone resorption could be inhibited via ICAM1 down-regulation by NDRG2 expression.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.155-161
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• 2016

Dental pulp is a highly vascularized tissue with high regenerative potential. Revascularization of severed vasculature in the tooth is required for pulp healing during avulsed tooth treatment. In this study, the relative expression of angiogenesis-related proteins was determined in human dental pulp cells using a human angiogenesis proteome profiler array. The proteome profiler array detected differentially expressed angiogenesis-related factors under conditions of hypoxia, which enhances the angiogenic potential of dental pulp cells. We confirmed that hypoxia regulates the mRNA expression of angiogenesis-related factors, including CXCL16 in dental pulp cells. Furthermore, conditioned media of hypoxic pulp cells induced tube-like structures of vascular endothelial cells, which were reduced by the neutralization of CXCL16 function. In conclusion, our data show that angiogenesis-related factors are differentially expressed by hypoxia in dental pulp cells and suggest that CXCL16 may involve in the revascularization of hypoxic dental pulp.

• 한국동물학회지
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.514-522
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• 1995

생쥐 정자의 수정능력 획득과정 및 첨체반응을 전후로 정자표면과 albumin의 상호작용을 조사하였다. 부정소 정자를 체외에서 배양하는 과정에서 정자표면에서 이탈된 단백질의 분석과 함께 FITC-bovine serum albumin으로 정자를 형광염색하여 정자표면에 대한 albumin의 결합양상의 변화를 조사하였다. 90분간 정자를 배양한 수 정자를 제거한 후 농축한 배양액내에 정자 또는 부정소액에서 기원한 여러종의 단백질가 함께 albumin이 다량으로 발견되었다 정자의 체외배양 과정에서 일어나는 albumin의 이탈은 배양액내의 $Ca^2$+과 무관하게 일어났다. BSA-FITC는 정소내 정자의 두부표면에 미약하게 결합한 반면 미부부정소 정자의 첨체표면에는 다량 결합하였다. $Ca^2$+-ionophore인 A23187으로 첨체반응을 유발한 정자의 두부 표면에서는 후첨체부위만이 강하게 염색되었다. 이러한 결과는 정소 및 웅성 생식수관니에서 정자표면에 부착된 albumin이 자성 생식수관을 거치는 동안 이탈됨을 시사하며 이러한 현상은 정자의 수정능력획득과 밀접한 관련이 있는 것으로 사료된다.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.110-118
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to induce the production of isthmic organizer (IsO)-like cells capable of secreting fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 8 and WNT1 from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The precise modulation of canonical Wnt signaling was achieved in the presence of the small molecule CHIR99021 ($0.6{\mu}M$) during the neural induction of human ESCs, resulting in the differentiation of these cells into IsO-like cells having a midbrain-hindbrain border (MHB) fate in a manner that recapitulated their developmental course in vivo. Resultant cells showed upregulated expression levels of FGF8 and WNT1. The addition of exogenous FGF8 further increased WNT1 expression by 2.6 fold. Gene ontology following microarray analysis confirmed that IsO-like cells enriched the expression of MHB-related genes by 40 fold compared to control cells. Lysates and conditioned media of IsO-like cells contained functional FGF8 and WNT1 proteins that could induce MHB-related genes in differentiating ESCs. The method for generating functional IsO-like cells described in this study could be used to study human central nervous system development and congenital malformations of the midbrain and hindbrain.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제21권11호
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• pp.1174-1178
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• 2011

Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are microbial polysaccharides that are released outside of the bacterial cell wall. There have been few studies on EPS-producing lactic acid bacteria that can enhance macrophage activity and the underlying signaling mechanism for cytokine expression. In the current study, EPS-overproducing Lactobacillus (L.) paracasei KB28 was isolated from kimchi and cultivated in conditioned media containing glucose, sucrose, and lactose. The whole bacterial cells were obtained with their EPS being attached, and the cytokine-inducing activities of these cells were investigated. Gas chromatography analysis showed the presence of glucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, arabinose, and rhamnose in EPS composition. EPS-producing L. paracasei KB28 induced the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-12 in mouse macrophages. This strain also caused the degradation of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ and phosphorylation of the major MAPKs: Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2. The use of pharmacological inhibitors showed that different signaling pathways were involved in the induction of TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-6 and IL-12 by L. paracasei KB28. Our results provide information for a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the immunomodulatory effect of food-derived EPS-producing lactic acid bacteria.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제6권5호
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• pp.269-274
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• 2002

A large number of factors such as osteotropic hormones, cytokines, or growth factors are related to the bone remodeling which is characterized by the coupling of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and osteoblast-mediated bone formation. Recent investigations have indicated that cytokines such as $interleukin-1{\beta}\;(IL-1{\beta})$ and tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}\;(TNF-{\alpha})$ play a potential role in the bone resorption associated with a variety of pathological conditions such as inflammatory osteolytic disease. Collagen is the most abundant protein of the extracellular matrix of bone, and the participation of collagenase in bone resorption has been widely investigated. In this study, effects of $IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ on the release of collagenase from osteoblastic cells were measured. The gelatinase activity was also measured by gel substrate analysis (zymography) after electrophoresis of conditioned media of osteoblastic cell culture. $IL-1{\beta}$ increased the collagenase activity in ROS17/2.8 and HOS cell culture. $TNF-{\alpha}$ also increased the collagenase activity of osteoblastic cells. When two kinds of cytokines were treated simultaneously in the culture of osteoblastic cells, synergistic increase of collagenase activity was seen in ROS17/2.8 cells. $IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ significantly increased the collagenase activity after 6 hour treatment in the osteoblastic cell culture, and there was no additional increase according to the culture period. Osteoblastic cells released the gelatinase and molecular weight of this enzyme was measured about 70 KDa as assessed by zymogram. $IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ showed increase of the gelatinase activity produced by ROS17/2.8 and HOS cells. Taken together, this study suggested that $IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ can modulate bone metabolism, at least in part, by increased release of collagenase and gelatinase from osteoblasts.