• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.63-75
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• 2006

Objectives : We investigated the effects of Liriopis Tuber on the nervous protection. Methods : We measured the reaction behavior with EPM(Elevated Plus Maxe) and MWM(Morris Water Maze) after applying restraint stress to rats. Also, the degrees of AchE generation were measured with immunohistochemical method in the regions of hippocampus, and the degree of TH generation in the regions of VTA and LC, respectively. Results : 1. As the results of measuring how long EPM which reflects anxiety reaction stayed in the open arm, there was the trend which can suppress anxiety reaction in the MMD+stress group(Liriopis Tuber+stress) but no statistical significance. The counting results how many EPM passed between opened and closed arm showed suppression trend against a physical activity in the saline+stress group but there was no statistical significance. 2. According to the result of MWM, the saline+stress group showed the learning retardation which means increased time arriving at goal compared to ti1e normal group at the second and third day of measurement. On the contrary, a learning retardation was significantly decreased in the MMD+stress group. Among the probe trial test a memory loss occurred in the saline+stress group, meanwhile memory ability was notably increased in the saline-stress group. 3. The degree of TH generation was investigated at the VTA and LC respectively after test animals treated with drug. In the saline+stress group, TH-immunoreactive cells were significantly increased, and these stress-induced TH increases were suppressed in the saline+stress group at the VTA region. However, the saline+stress group did not show any significant difference. 4. the degree of AchE generation was investigated at the CA3 of hippocampus. The saline+stress group showed that AchE-immunoreactive cells were significantly decreased. Those stress-induced reductions of AchE cells were meaningfully recovered in the saline+stress group. Although the cells showed recovery trend in the region of CA1 of hippocampus, statistical significance was not observed. Conclusion : The results of our study indicate that Liriopis Tuber can improve spatial memory ability of rats applied a restraint stress. This improvement of the spatial memory ability is considered to have an efficacy of nervous protection that Liriopis Tuber suppresses the generation of AchE in the hippocampus region and enhances the generation of TH in the VTA.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.510-519
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of regular exercise during dexamethasone injection on the body weight, weight of hindlimb muscles and adrenal gland in Young rats. 80-100g Wistar rats were divided into control, exercise, dexamethasone injection(dexa), and exercise during dexamethasone injection(D+E) group. The dexa group received daily subcutaneous injection of dexamethasone at a dose of 5mg/kg body weight for 10 days. The exercise group ran on a treadmill for 60min /day(20 minutes every 4 hour) at l0m/min and a 10$^{\circ}$ grade. The control group received daily subcutaneous injection of normal saline at a dose of 5mg /kg body weight for 10 days. The D+E group ran on a treadmill for 60min /day (20 minutes every 4 hour) at 10m/min and a 10$^{\circ}$ grade. Body weight of both control and exercise group increased significantly until 10 days, that of both dexa and D+E group decreased significantly, resulting in 79.47 and 78.75% decrease respectively compared to the first day of experiment. Body weight and muscle weight of the soleus, plantaris and gastrocnemius decreased significantly with dexamethasone injection. Relative weight of the plantaris and gastrocnemius of the dexa group decreased significantly compared to that of the control group. Body weight and muscle weight of the gastrocnemius of the exercise group increased significantly, and the muscle weight of the soleus and plantaris tended to increase. The Relative weight of the plantaris was comparable to the control group and that of the soleus and gastrocnemius tended to increase in the exercise group. Body weight and muscle weight of the soleus and plantaris of the D+E group showed a tendency to increase, and muscle weight of the gastrocnemius increased significantly compared to the dexa group. The Relative weight of the soleus and gastrocnemius tended to increase, and that of the plantaris of the D+E group increased significantly compared to the dexa group. Body weight, muscle weight and relative weight of the soleus, plantaris and gastrocnemius of the D+E group did not recover to that of the control group. Adrenal gland weight of the dexa and D+E group tended to increase, and that of the exercise group increased significantly. From these results, it can be suggested that regular exercise during dexamethasone injection might attenuate the decrease of body weight and hindlimb muscle weight induced by the dexamethasone injection.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.112-120
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• 2020

This study was conducted to verify the physiological activity of heat-killed Enterococcus faecalis EF-2001 probiotics in fermented milk. The anti-inflammatory effects of fermented milk supplemented with different concentrations (0, 100, and 500 ㎍/mL) of E. faecalis EF-2001 were determined using MTT assay and nitric oxide inhibition assay. The MTT assay was performed using RAW 264.7 cells. Results revealed that the rates of cytotoxicity and cell survival decreased significantly with increase in the concentration of heat-killed probiotics (p<0.05). Moreover, fermented milk supplemented with 100 ㎍/mL EF-2001 (EFM1) and the fermented milk supplemented with 500 ㎍/mL EF-2001 (EFM2) exhibited higher nitric oxide inhibition than normal fermented milk (NFM). Additionally, EFM2 significantly reduced the ratio of prostaglandin E₂ compared to NFM (p<0.05). In conclusion, the treatment sample showed higher anti-inflammatory activity than NFM. The findings of this study could be used as a basic guideline for manufacturing of NFM supplemented with heat-killed probiotics.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.181-190
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the operational efficiency of Chinese e-commerce companies and to present measures to improve efficiency. This paper selected 16 enterprises as the research objects, from the e-commerce demonstration enterprises of the Ministry of Commerce of China in 2017-2018, to conduct an empirical study on the operating efficiency of e-commerce enterprises. By using DEA method, we selected 3 input and 2 output indicators to measure the input-output efficiency of enterprises from input-oriented. Using different model in DEA, we calculated the technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency, also efficiency based on the sample of 2018 and horizontal analysis from 2016 to 2018. The analysis showed that the overall efficiency of Chinese e-commerce companies was continuously improving, and that their business capabilities and business scale were also gradually improving. Through the calculation of efficiency, we evaluated the competitiveness of the e-commerce demonstration enterprises, and explored measures to improve their management efficiency. At the same time, it put forward some reasonable suggestions to adjust the scale, and enhance the competitive advantage.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 1998

In order to understand the action mechanism of polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) to the cyst of Accnthcnloebc on the morphological basis, the cysts of four corneal isolates of Acanthanoebc were treated with minimal cysticidal concentration (MCC) of PHMB and their ultrastructural changes were examined by transmission electron microscopy. The most striking change of cysts treated with PHMB compared with normal cysts was the shrinkage of intracystic amoebae, which resulted in the separation of the plasma membrane of intracystic amoeba from endocystic wall. Subplasmalemmal lipid droplets became irregularly shaped . In severely damaged cysts, cytoplasm was aggregated and organelles were severely deformed. Cytoplasmic materials were leaked out through the damaged plasma membrane. Most cysts showed aggregation of nuclear chromatin material. Number of mitochondrial cristae was also reduced. Ecto- and endo-cystic walls were relatively well tolerated. Findings in the present study revealed that PHMB affected mainly on plasma membrane, but lesser on organellar membrane of intracystic amoeba. It seemed likely that PHMB might kill cystic forms of Accnthamoebc by similar mechanism in which this environmental biocide can damage the cell wall of Escherichia coli by binding with acidic phospholipids.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.38 no.8
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• pp.637-648
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• 2005

This study was performed to investigate the effect of feeding garcinia cambogia extract (HCA) and/or L-carnitine and exercise (swimming) on body weight in rats. Forty-eight male rats (Charles River CD (SD) IGS) of eight weeks old and weighing $323.5\pm2.4g$ were raised for two months with high fat diet ($40\%$ fat as calorie) to induce obesity. After induction of obesity, rats weighing $552.8\pm5.8g$ were blocked into eight groups according to body weight and raised for six weeks with diet containing HCA and/or L-carnitine. Plasma aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total protein and albumin levels were in normal ranges. Food and calorie intakes of H + C and H + C/H groups were highest among non-exercise (m) groups and exercise (I) groups. Food and calorie intakes of m groups were higher than those of I groups. E groups showed significantly lower body weight gain and calorie efficiency ratio than m groups and H/E group was the lowest among all groups. Perirenal fat pad weights of E groups were lower than m groups, and epididymal fat pad weights of H and H + C groups were lower than CO and C groups among m groups regardless of exercise treatment. Brown adipose tissue weights of I groups were higher than fn groups and highest in H/E group among all groups. Liver citrate lyase activities of H and C groups were lower than CO and H + C groups regardless of exercise treatment. The differences between NE groups and E groups were not found to be significantly. Liver carnitine acyltranferase activity was not significantly different among all groups. Fecal total lipid, triglyceride and total cholesterol excretions were found to be higher in H and H + C uoups compared to CO and C groups both in NE and E animals, those of lipid excretions of NE groups were higher than E groups. In conclusion, HCA was more effective in reduction of body weight and body fat than L-carnitine or HCA + L-carnitine. HCA ingestion with exercise was far more effective than without exercise treatment in reducing body weight and body fat.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.44 no.9
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• pp.658-669
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• 2021

Enhancers have been conventionally perceived as cis-acting elements that provide binding sites for trans-acting factors. However, recent studies have shown that enhancers are transcribed and that these transcripts, called enhancer RNAs (eRNAs), have a regulatory function. Here, we identified putative eRNAs by profiling and determining the overlap between noncoding RNA expression loci and eRNA-associated histone marks such as H3K27ac and H3K4me1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines. Of the 132 HCC-derived noncoding RNAs, 74 overlapped with the eRNA loci defined by the FANTOM consortium, and 65 were located in the proximal regions of genes differentially expressed between normal and tumor tissues in TCGA dataset. Interestingly, knockdown of two selected putative eRNAs, THUMPD3-AS1 and LINC01572, led to downregulation of their target mRNAs and to a reduction in the proliferation and migration of HCC cells. Additionally, the expression of these two noncoding RNAs and target mRNAs was elevated in tumor samples in the TCGA dataset, and high expression was associated with poor survival of patients. Collectively, our study suggests that noncoding RNAs such as THUMPD3-AS1 and LINC01572 (i.e., putative eRNAs) can promote the transcription of genes involved in cell proliferation and differentiation and that the dysregulation of these noncoding RNAs can cause cancers such as HCC.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.35.1-35.16
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• 2022

Tobacco smoking (TS) has been known as one of the most potent risk factors for airway inflammatory diseases. However, there has been a paucity of information regarding the immunologic alteration mediated by TS in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). To identify the effect of TS, we harvested human tissue samples (never smoker: n=41, current smoker: n=22, quitter: n=23) and analyzed the expression of epithelial-derived cytokines (EDCs) such as IL-25, IL-33, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin. The expressions of Th2 cytokines and total serum IgE showed a type-2 inflammatory alteration by TS. In addition, the epithelial marker E-cadherin and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated markers (N-cadherin, α-SMA, and vimentin) were evaluated. Histological analysis showed that EDC expressions were upregulated in the current smoker group and downregulated in the quitter group. These expression patterns were consistent with mRNA and protein expression levels. We also found that the local Th2 cytokine expression and IgE class switching, as well as serum IgE levels, were elevated in the current smoker group and showed normal levels in the quitter group. Furthermore, the expressions of E-cadherin decreased while those of N-cadherin, α-SMA, and vimentin increased in the current smoker group compared those in the never smoker group. Taken together, these results indicate that TS contributes to the deterioration of pathogenesis by releasing local EDCs and Th2 cytokines, resulting in EMT in patients with CRSwNP. We verified that alterations of immunological response by TS in sinonasal epithelium can play a vital role in leading to CRSwNP.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.161-171
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• 1999

Background: Interleukin-12 (IL-12) can induce antitumor effects in vivo. This antitumor effect is associated with T cell infiltration but the effect of IL-12 on the steps of T cell migration into the tumor tissue has not been fully elucidated. This study focused on the effect of IL-12 on the tumor growth and the metastasis and on the expression of E-selectin, an adhesion molecule which is activated endothelial specific in its expression. In addition, we studied whether the expression of E-selectin is associated with the TNF-$\alpha$, a cytokine that its production is increased by IL-12 and has functions inducing a variety of adhesion molecules. Methods: Mice of C57BL/6 strain were injected with Lewis lung cancer cells followed by either IL-12, TNF-$\alpha$, or normal saline by intraperitoneal route. Twenty eight days after tumor cell inoculation, metastatic nodules of lung were enumerated and immunohistochemical staining of the subcutaneous tumors were performed with monoclonal antibodies to CD4, CD8, CD16, and E-selectin. In IL-12 treated mice, the subcutaneously implanted Lewis lung tumors were decreased in size and the metastases were also decreased in number compared to control mice. On tumor tissues, increased infiltration of CD4+, CD8+, and CD16+ cells were oberved in IL-12 treated mice compared to control mice. In control mice, E-selectin was absent on tumor vessels, but the expression of E-selectin was increased on tumor vessels of IL-12 treated mice. Administration of TNF-$\alpha$ increased not only the expression of E-selectin but also infiltrations of CD4+, CD8+, and CD16+ cells on tumor tissues. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that IL-12 inhibits tumor growth and metastases through infiltrations of inflammatory cells in mouse model of Lewis lung carcinoma and E-selectin may playa role in inflammatory cell recruitment on tumor tissue following IL-12 administration. Also, TNF-$\alpha$ may have a role as a mediator responsible for the IL-12 induced expression of E-selectin.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7633-7640
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• 2015

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide and it is responsible for most cases of cervical uterine cancer. Although HPV infections of the cervix do not always progress to cancer, 90% of cervical cancer cases have been found to be associated with high risk HPV (HR-HPV) infection. HPV DNA testing is widely used, along with Papanicolaou (Pap) testing, to screen for cervical abnormalities. However, there are no data on the prevalence of genotype-specific HPV infections assessed by measuring HPV E6/E7 mRNA in women representative of the Chinese population across a broad age range. Materials and Methods: In the present study, we compared the results with the CervicGen HPV RT-qDx assay, which detects 16 HR-HPV genotypes (Alpha-9: HPV 16, 31, 33, 35, 52, and 58; Alpha-7: HPV 18, 39, 45, 51, 59, and 68; and Alpha-5, 6: HPV 53, 56, 66, and 69), and the REBA HPV-ID assay, which detects 32 HPV genotypes based on the reverse blot hybridization assay (REBA) for the detection of oncogenic HPV infection according to cytological diagnosis. We also investigated the prevalence and genotype distribution of HPV infection with a total of 324 liquid-based cytology samples collected in western Shandong province, East China. Results: The overall HPV prevalences determined by HPV DNA and HPV E6/E7 mRNA assays in this study were 79.9% (259/324) and 55.6% (180/324), respectively. Although the positivity of HPV E6/E7 mRNA expression was significantly lower than HPV DNA positivity, the HPV E6/E7 mRNA assay showed greater specificity than the HPV DNA assay (88.6% vs. 48.1%) in normal cytology samples. The prevalence of Alpha-9 (HPV 16, 31, 33, 35, 52, and 58) HPV infection among these women accounted for up to 80.3% and 76.1% of the high-grade lesions detected in the HPV mRNA and DNA tests, respectively. The HR-HPV genotype distribution, based on HPV DNA and E6/E7 mRNA expression by age group in patients with cytologically confirmed lesions, was highest in women aged 40 to 49 years (35.9% for cytologically confirmed cases, Pearson correlation r value=0.993, p<0.001) for high-grade lesions. Among the oncogenic HR-HPV genotypes for all age groups, there was little difference in the distribution of HPV genotypes between the HPV DNA (HPV -16, 53, 18, 58, and 33) and HPV E6/E7 mRNA (HPV -16, 53, 33, 58, and 18) assays. HPV 16 was the most common HPV genotype among women with high-grade lesions. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the HPV E6/E7 mRNA assay can be a sensitive and specific tool for the screening and investigation of cervical cancer. Furthermore, it may provide useful information regarding the necessity for early cervical cancer screenings and the development of additional effective HPV vaccines, such as one for HPV 53 and 58. Additionally, gaining knowledge of HPV distribution may also inform us about ecological changes in HPV after the vaccination.