• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.167-171
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• 2004

This study investigated a HSP70 expression of Puerariae Radix in cerebral ischemia. The global cerebral ischemia was induced by bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion under hypotension (40 mmHg) in Sprague-Dawley rats. After the treatment of Puerariae Radix extract, the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expressions were measured immunohistochemically. The upregulation of HSP70 expression in hippocampal regions resulted by cerebral ischemia. Then Puerariae Radix treatment demonstrated significant decrease of HSP70 expressions in CA1 region and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus as compared with control group. These results suggested that Puerariae Radix reveals the neuroprotective effect through the control of noxious stress stimulations to neurons.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.369-376
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• 2005

The purpose of the study was for investigating the effect of therapeutic ultrasound irradiation on HSP70 expression in knee of degraded rat articular cartilage. Knee of ten Sprague-Dawley male rats were immobilized for 4 weeks and divided at random into the control and continuous ultrasound applicated group. The continuous ultrasound applicated group was irradiated with frequency 1MHz, intensity $1W/cm^2$ for 5 minutes. The control group was sham sonication. The immunoreactivity of HSP70 was increased in degraded articular cartilage after untrasound irradiation. These results suggest that therapeutic ultrasound can enhance HSP70 expression in degraded articular cartilage.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.45-56
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• 2000

This study investigated the effects of writing activity integrated with verbal sharing on the diversity of vocabulary and complexity of expression in 33 five-year-old children attending a private kindergarten in Seoul. Subjects were divided into a control group of 16 children and an experimental group of 17 children. The experimental group participated in a 7 week program of writing activities integrated with verbal sharing time. The instrument used for the pre-and post-tests was the writing ability test(Nam Mi Jung, 1996) and the complexity of sentences test(Young Hee No, 1994). Data were analyzed by ANCOVA. The results revealed significant differences between the experimental and control groups in children's diversity of vocabulary and complexity of expression.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.311-316
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• 2003

The kinetics of photoinitiated polymerization of dimethacrylate macromonomers have been studied to determine the diffusion-controlled reaction parameters using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). A predicted kinetic rate expression with a diffusion control factor was employed to estimate an effective rate constant and to define the reaction-controlled and diffusion-controlled regimes in the photopolymerization. An effective rate constant, k$_{e}$, can be obtained from the predicted kinetic rate expression. At the earlier stages of polymerization, the average values of kinetic rate constants do not vary during the reaction time. As the reaction conversion, $\alpha$, reaches the critical conversion, $\alpha$$_{c}$, in the predicted kinetic expression, the reaction becomes to be controlled by diffusion due to the restricted mobility of dimethacrylate macromonomers. A drop in value of effective rate constant causes a drastic decrease of reaction rate at the later stages of polymerization. By determining the effective rate constants, the reaction-controlled and diffusion-controlled regimes were properly defined even in the photopolymerization reaction system.m.m.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.155-159
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• 2011

Doublecortin (DCX) is microtubule-associated protein and is required for neuronal migration, differentiation and plasticity. In the retina, it is highly expressed between embryonic day 18 (E18) and E20, and is poorly expressed postnatally. In this study, we investigated the expression and cellular localization of DCX in the rat retina following ischemia induced by transiently increasing the intraocular pressure. While DCX immunoreactivity in control retinas was restricted to the outer border of the inner nuclear layer, it appeared in horizontal cell somata and processes in affected retinas. Quantitative evaluation by immunoblotting confirmed that DCX expression continuously increased after ischemia-reperfusion and showed 370% of control protein levels at 4 weeks after ischemic insult. These results suggest that the DCX in horizontal cells might play a role in neurite remodeling or modulating other neurons in ischemic rat retinas.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2014.10a
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• pp.977-980
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• 2014

A baculovirus vector systems including genes of polyhedron promoter, vesicular stomatitis virus G (VSVG), polyA, cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), and protein transduction domain (PTD) were constructed. These recombinant baculovirus vector systems were transfected into human foreskin fibroblast cells and various tissues and investigated gene transfer and expression of these vector systems with control vectors. From the study, these recombinant baculovirus vector systems were more effective and safe than control vector in view of gene transfer and expression.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2012

The aim of the study is to characterize the phenotypes of $CD4^+$ $CD25^+$ T regulatory cells within the liver granulomas and association with both Foxp-3 gene expression and splenic cytokines. Naive C57BL/6 mice were intravenously injected with multiple doses of the soluble egg antigen (SEA) 7 days before cercarial infection. The immunized and infected control groups were sacrificed 8 and 16 weeks post-infection (PI). Histopathology, parasitological parameters, splenic phenotypes for T regulatory cells, the FOXP-3 expression in hepatic granuloma using real-time PCR, and the associated splenic cytokines were studied. Histopathological examination of the liver revealed remarkable increase in degenerated ova within hepatic granuloma which decreased in diameter at weeks 8 and 16 PI ($P$<0.01). The percentage of T regulatory cells ($CD4^+$ $CD25^+$) increased significantly ($P$<0.01) in the immunized group compared to the infected control at weeks 8 and 16 PI. The FOXP-3 expression in hepatic granulomas increased from 10 at week 8 to 30 fold at week 16 PI in the infected control group. However, its expression in the immunized group showed an increase from 30 at week 8 to 70 fold at week 16 PI. The splenic cytokine levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IFN-${\gamma}$, IL-4, and TNF-${\alpha}$, showed significant decreases ($P$<0.05) compared to the infected control group. In conclusion, the magnitude and phenotype of the egg-induced effects on T helper responses were found to be controlled by a parallel response within the T regulatory population which provides protection in worm parasite-induced immunopathology.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 2017

We evaluated the antioxidant activity and anti-melanogenic effects of Oenothera laciniata methanol extract (OLME) in vitro by using melan-a cells. The total polyphenol and flavonoid content of OLME was 66.3 and 19.0 mg/g, respectively. The electron-donating ability, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical-scavenging activity, and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity of OLME ($500{\mu}g/mL$) were 94.5%, 95.6%, and 63.6%, respectively. OLME and arbutin treatment at $50{\mu}g/mL$ significantly decreased melanin content by 35.5% and 14.2%, respectively, compared to control (p < 0.05). OLME and arbutin treatment at $50{\mu}g/mL$ significantly inhibited intra-cellular tyrosinase activity by 22.6% and 12.6%, respectively, compared to control (p < 0.05). OLME ($50{\mu}g/mL$) significantly decreased tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), TRP-2, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor-M (MITF-M) mRNA expression by 57.1%, 67.3%, 99.0%, and 77.0%, respectively, compared to control (p < 0.05). Arbutin ($50{\mu}g/mL$) significantly decreased tyrosinase, TRP-1, and TRP-2 mRNA expression by 24.2%, 42.9%, and 48.5%, respectively, compared to control (p < 0.05). However, arbutin ($50{\mu}g/mL$) did not affect MITF-M mRNA expression. Taken together, OLME showed a good antioxidant activity and anti-melanogenic effect in melan-a cells that was superior to that of arbutin, a well-known skin-whitening agent. The potential mechanism underlying the anti-melanogenic effect of OLME was inhibition of tyrosinase activity and down-regulation of tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2, and MITF-M mRNA expression.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.71-80
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• 2008

Objective: There is increasing evidence that chronic non-bacterial prostatitis is recognized to be a local inflammatory disease, and there is substantiating evidence to support the role of the inflammatory responses in its pathogenesis, and clinical value in the evaluation of therapeutic efficacy. Prunella vulgaris has been traditionally used in treatment of inflammatory diseases, including of scrofula, goiter, and allergy diseases. In this study, we investigated the effects of Prunella vulgaris on inflammatory cytokines and cytopathological alternation in the rat model of non-bacterial prostatitis induced by castration and $17{\beta}-estradiol$ treatment. Methods: Two-month-old rats were treated with $17{\beta}-estradiol$ after castration for induction of experimental non-bacterial prostatitis, which is similar to human chronic prostatitis in histopathological profiles. Prunella vulgaris as an experimental specimen, and testosterone as a positive control, were administered orally. The prostates were evaluated by histopathological parameters including the epithelial score and epithelial-stromal ratio for glandular damage, and the expression of inflammatory cytokine genes including the interleukin $(IL)-1{\beta}$, IL-5, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$. Results: While prostates of control rats revealed severe acinar gland atrophy and stromal proliferation, the rats treated with Prunella vulgaris showed a diminished range of tissue damage. Epithelial score was improved in Prunella vulgaris over that of the control (P<0.05). The epithelial-stromal ratio was lower with Prunella vulgaris when compared to that of the control (P<0.05). In the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of inflammatory cytokine genes, Prunella vulgaris inhibited the expression of $IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ genes, while it modulated the expression of IL-5, which is an anti-inflammatory cytokine. Conclusions: These findings suggest that Prunella vulgaris may protect the glandular epithelial cells and also inhibit stromal proliferation in association with the immune modulation including the suppression of inflammatory cytokines and promotion of anti-inflammatory cytokine. From theses results, we suggest that Prunella vulgaris could be a useful remedy agent for treating chronic non-bacterial prostatitis.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 1999

Cell proliferation and c-Jun expression pattern in liver exposed by nongenotoxic carcinogens phenobarbital (PB) and clofibrate, and genotoxic carcinogen 2-amino-3-methylimidazo [4,5-f] quinoline (IQ) were investigated to see whether differential effects of genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogens on the development of neoplastic foci may be related to differential effect on cell proliferation. Male F344 rats were initially given a single intraperitioneal injection of diethylnitrosamine (200 mg/kg body weight), and 2 weeks later, animals were fed diets containing 0.03% IQ or 0.5% CE or 0.05% PB or basal diet as a control for 6 weeks. All rats were subjected to the two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PH) at week 3. Sequential sacrifice of rats was performed until 8 weeks. Cell proliferation was examined by immunohistochemical staining of bromodeoxyuridine and c-Jun expression was determined by northern blotting. The increase of cell proliferation rate after PH was significant in the rats fed 0.05% IQ and continued until 8 weeks, while the increase was not significant in the rats fed phenobarbital and clofibrate compared to that in the rats fed control diet. mRNA level of c-Jun in the liver treated with IQ was about 7 fold higher than that of control and peak at 5 hours after rH. In the liver treated with CE, mRNA level of c-Jun was 3-4 fold higher than that of control and the highest level of mRNA of c-Jun was seen at 24 hours after PH. These results show that differential effects of genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogens on the development of neoplastic foci may be related to differential effect on cell proliferation pattern.