• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.376-382
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• 2011

Background: Carbon monoxide (CO) is a cytoprotective and homeostatic molecule with important signaling capabilities in physiological and pathophysiological situations. CO protects cells/tissues from damage by free radicals or oxidative stress. NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) is a highly inducible enzyme that is regulated by the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway, which is central to efficient detoxification of reactive metabolites and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Methods: We generated NQO1 promoter construct. HepG2 cells were treated with CO Releasing Molecules-2 (CORM-2) or CO gas and the gene expressions were measured by RT-PCR, immunoblot, and luciferase assays. Results: CO induced expression of NQO1 in human hepatocarcinoma cell lines by activation of Nrf2. Exposure of HepG2 cells to CO resulted in significant induction of NQO1 in dose- and time-dependent manners. Analysis of the NQO1 promoter indicated that an antioxidant responsible element (ARE)-containing region was critical for the CO-induced Nrf2-dependent increase of NQO1 gene expression in HepG2 cells. Conclusion: Our results suggest that CO-induced Nrf2 increases the expression of NQO1 which is well known to detoxify reactive metabolites and ROS.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.577-582
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• 2012

In this work, vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) technique was applied for the determination of %EE of chiral compounds. It may provide an easy way to determine the %EE with a proper accuracy within 2% error ranges as well as the absolute configuration of enantiomers. We demonstrated herein a flow cell VCD (FT-VCD) technique for time-dependent %EE measurements. The simultaneous monitoring of the mole fraction and %EE for two chiral species (epichlorohydrin and glycidol mixture) in the mixture was shown to be successful without any further separation steps. Thus, we demonstrate that FT-VCD is an appropriate analytical tool to monitor the kinetics of reactions involving chiral molecules. FT-VCD also provides a convenient nondestructive approach for the time dependent determination of the optical purity of individual components in a reaction mixture containing chiral molecules.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.142-147
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• 2021

BACKGROUND: Agricultural use and pest control purposes of pesticides may lead to livestock products contamination. Thiodicarb and its degraded product, methomyl, are carbamate insecticides that protect soya bean, maize, fruit, and vegetables and control flies in animal and poultry farms. For maximum residue limit enforcement and monitoring, the JMPR residue definition of thiodicarb in animal products is the sum of thiodicarb and methomyl, expressed as methomyl. This residue definition was set to consider the fact that thiodicarb was readily degraded to methomyl in animal commodities. And therefore the simultaneous analytical method of thiodicarb and methomyl is required for monitoring in livestock products. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study was conducted using a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method and HPLC-MS/MS to determine the thiodicarb and methomyl in livestock products. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 0.01 mg/kg for livestock products, including beef, pork, chicken, milk, and egg. The coefficient of determinations (r²) for the calibration curve were > 0.99, which was acceptable values for linearity. Average recoveries at spiked levels (LOQ, 10LOQ, and 50LOQ, n=5) in triplicate ranged from 73.2% to 102.1% and relative standard deviations (RSDs) were less than 10% in all matrices. CONCLUSION: The analytical method was validated for the performance parameters (specificity, linearity, accuracy, and precision) in livestock products to be acceptable by the CODEX guidelines.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.99-107
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• 2021

BACKGROUND: Pesticide uptake by a rotational crop after being used for the primary crop is a potential cause of violation against the pesticide law if the pesticide is not registered in the secondary crop. This study was conducted to investigate the plant back interval (PBI) of fluopyram for the rotational cultivation of radish. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two experimental approaches were performed the evaluation of residues in radish cultivated successively in soil 16 days after treated with fluopyram onto pepper plant (T1) and in radish cultivated in bare soil treated with fluopyram at PBI 30 and PBI 60 days (T2). A modified QuEChERS method coupled with LC/MS/MS analysis showed good linearity of matrix-matched standard calibration of fluopyram with the coefficient values of determination greater than 0.995. Recovery values at levels of 0.01, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.25 mg/kg ranged from average 84.9 to 117.6% with RSD less than 10%. Fluopyram residues in radish harvested from T1 and T2 were found as levels less than maximum residue limit. CONCLUSION: This study suggests 20~30 days as the PBI of fluopyram for the rotational cultivation of radish in the greenhouse soil treated with fluopyram used for pepper as the primary crop.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.341-354
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• 2021

Cardamonin (CARD) is a chalconoid with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and it is present in several plants. We sought to explore whether CARD exerts any positive effects against hyperglycemia-induced testicular dysfunction caused by type 2 diabetes and aimed to identify its possible intracellular pathways. Adult male rats were subdivided into six groups: control, CARD, diabetic (DM), DM + glibenclamide (GLIB), DM + CARD and DM + GLIB + CARD. Type 2 DM induced a significant increase in blood glucose and insulin resistance, along with diminished serum insulin, testosterone and gonadotropins levels, which were associated with the impairment of key testicular androgenic enzymes and cellular redox balance. Administration of CARD at a dose of 80 mg/kg for 4 weeks effectively normalized all of these alterations, and the improvement was confirmed by epididymal sperm analysis. After treatment with CARD, the pathological changes in spermatogenic tubules were markedly improved. Significantly, CARD upregulated testicular glucose transporter-8 (GLUT-8) expression and had inhibitory effects on elevated autophagy markers and caspase-3 immunoreactive cells. Furthermore, our results revealed that CARD was able to attenuate damage via activation of Nrf2 through the p62-dependent degradation of testicular anti-Kelch-like ECH-associated protein-1 (Keap-1). In conclusion, this study suggests that CARD provides protection against diabetic stress-mediated testicular damage. The use of CARD with conventional anti-diabetic therapy was associated with improved efficacy compared with conventional therapy alone.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.559-572
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• 2018

The aim of this study was to evaluate pretreatment methods for 27 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in various sewage samples using a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) and online solid-phase extraction with LC-MS/MS. Extraction efficiencies of PPCPs in the solid phase under different experimental conditions were evaluated, showing that the highest recoveries were obtained with the addition of sodium sulfate and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt dehydrate in acidified conditions. The recoveries of target compounds ranged from 91 to 117.2% for liquid samples and from 61.3 to 137.2% for solid samples, with a good precision. The methods under development were applied to sewage samples collected in two sewage treatment plants (STPs) to determine PPCPs in liquid and solid phases. Out of 27 PPCPs, more than 19 compounds were detected in liquid samples (i.e., influent and effluent) of two STPs, with concentration ranges of LOQ-33,152 ng/L in influents and LOQ-4,523 ng/L in effluents, respectively. In addition, some PPCPs such as acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, and ofloxacin were detected at high concentrations in activated sludge as well as in excess sludge. This methodology was successfully applied to sewage samples for the determination of the target compounds in STPs.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.24-36
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• 2021

Objectives : This study was conducted to confirm the anti-oxidative effect of Chungpyesagan-tang(CPSGT) extract. Methods : In this study, MTT assay was performed to confirm cell viability, and DPPH and ABTS were performed to confirm radical scavenging ability. The ROS scavenging ability and the protective effect against DNA damage were confirmed by 2,7-dichlorofluorescin diacetate(DCF-DA) and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole(DAPI) staining and comet assay. mRNA expression of Heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) was measured by real-time PCR, and expression of HO-1 and Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1(Keap1) proteins was measured by western blot. Results : CPSGT was not cytotoxic at 50-400㎍/㎖. The radical scavenging activity was increased, and the ROS scavenging activity and the protective effect against DNA damage were increased compared to the LPS-treated group. The mRNA expression and protein expression of HO-1 were increased in a concentration-dependent manner. The protein expression level of Keap1 was decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusion : This suggests that CPSGT has an antioxidant effect and can be used as a potential material for skin diseases.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-19
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• 2022

Objectives This study aims to evaluate the wound healing effects of oral administered hot water extracts of Korean black ginseng (KBG). Methods 40 C57BL/6 mice were divided into five groups; normal, control, vitamin E 200 mg/kg, KBG 100 mg/kg, KBG 200 mg/kg, each n=8. Skin wounds were made in the back of all mice except normal group using biopsy punches. Wounds were observed on days 7 and 14 after injury. The anti-oxidant and inflammatory protein levels were evaluated using western blotting. Skin tissue was analyzed by hematoxylin & eosin and Masson's trichrome staining method. Results KBG significantly accelerated reducing wound area. KBG significantly decreased myeloperoxidase activity. KBG significantly decreased oxidative stress factors such as NADPH oxidase-4 and p22^phox and increased antioxidant enzymes including nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor2, kelch-like ECH-associated protein-1, heme oxygenase-1, superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase-1/2. Moreover, KBG significantly decreased inflammation factors including nuclear factor-κB, phosphorylated inhibitor of κBα, cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin (IL)-6 and increased anti-inflammation cytokine such as IL-4 and IL-10. In addition, KBG significantly increased tight junction proteins including claudin-1, claudin-3, claudin-4. In histopathologic, KBG made the epithelium thin and uniform, and accelerated the remodeling of collagen. Conclusions The results suggest that KBG has healing effects on skin wound in mice by anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: This study was aimed to determine characteristics of residues of the soil-treated boscalid and pyraclostrobin within Hylomecon vernalis and to evaluate the risks from intake of the residual pesticides in the crop. METHODS AND RESULTS: The pesticides were treated to soils at two different concentrations, and the plant samples were collected 57 days after seeding. The samples were extracted using the QuEChERS extraction kit (MgSO₄ 4 g, NaCl 1 g). The quantitative methods for boscalid and pyraclostrobin were validated using linearity, recovery, and CV (coefficient of variation). Risk assessment of the pesticides was performed using Korea national nutrition statistics 2019. CONCLUSION(S): The residual levels of boscalid were 0.02-0.05 mg/kg (for the treatment at 6 Kg/10a) and 0.05-0.08 mg/kg (for the treatment at 12 Kg/10a), respectively. The residual concentrations of pyraclostrobin were below the LOQ. The amounts of pesticides were less than Maximum Residue Limits specified by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The maximum hazard indices of boscalid in chwinamul and amaranth for consumers were 0.0075% and 0.1525%, respectively, and it indicates that the risk of the pesticides from the crop is considered to be low.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.165-174
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• 2022

As the mechanism underlying glucose metabolism regulation by oxymatrine is unclear, this study investigated the effects of oxymatrine on pyroptosis in INS-1 cells. Flow cytometry was employed to examine cell pyroptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Cell pyroptosis was also investigated via transmission electron microscopy and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. Protein levels were detected using western blotting and interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 secretion by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The caspase-1 activity and DNA-binding activity of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 protein (Nrf2) were also assessed. In the high glucose and high fat-treated INS-1 cells (HG + PA), the caspase-1 activity and LDH content, as well as Nod-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3, Gsdmd-N, caspase-1, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD, IL-1β, and IL-18 levels were increased. Moreover, P65 protein levels increased in the nucleus but decreased in the cytoplasm. Oxymatrine attenuated these effects and suppressed high glucose and high fat-induced ROS production. The increased levels of nuclear Nrf2 and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the HG + PA cells were further elevated after oxymatrine treatment, whereas cytoplasmic Nrf2 and Keleh-like ECH-associated protein levels decreased. Additionally, the elevated transcriptional activity of p65 in HG + PA cells was reduced by oxymatrine, whereas that of Nrf2 increased. The results indicate that the inhibition of pyroptosis in INS-1 cells by oxymatrine, a key factor in its glucose metabolism regulation, involves the suppression of the NF-κB pathway and activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.