• Mycobiology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.118-120
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• 2011

The ability of Ganoderma to produce extracellular enzymes, including ${\beta}$-glucosidase, cellulase, avicelase, pectinase, xylanase, protease, amylase, and ligninase was tested in chromogenic media. ${\beta}$-glucosidase showed the highest activity, among the eight tested enzymes. In particular, Ganoderma neo-japonicum showed significantly stronger activity for ${\beta}$-glucosidase than that of the other enzymes. Two Ganoderma lucidum isolates showed moderate activity for avicelase; however, Ganoderma neojaponicum showed the strongest activity. Moderate ligninase activity was only observed in Ganoderma neo-japonicum. In contrast, pectinase, amylase, protease, and cellulase were not present in Ganoderma. The results show that the degree of activity of the tested enzymes varied depending on the Ganoderma species tested.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.725-734
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• 2021

Objective: To intraindividually compare hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) washout between MRIs using hepatobiliary agent (HBA) and extracellular agent (ECA). Materials and Methods: This study included 114 prospectively enrolled patients with chronic liver disease (mean age, 55 ± 9 years; 94 men) who underwent both HBA-MRI and ECA-MRI before surgical resection for HCC between November 2016 and May 2019. For 114 HCCs, the lesion-to-liver visual signal intensity ratio (SIR) using a 5-point scale (-2 to +2) was evaluated in each phase. Washout was defined as negative visual SIR with temporal reduction of visual SIR from the arterial phase. Illusional washout (IW) was defined as a visual SIR of 0 with an enhancing capsule. The frequency of washout and MRI sensitivity for HCC using LR-5 or its modifications were compared between HBA-MRI and ECA-MRI. Subgroup analysis was performed according to lesion size (< 20 mm or ≥ 20 mm). Results: The frequency of portal venous phase (PP) washout with HBA-MRI was comparable to that of delayed phase (DP) washout with ECA-MRI (77.2% [88/114] vs. 68.4% [78/114]; p = 0.134). The frequencies were also comparable when IW was allowed (79.8% [91/114] for HBA-MRI vs. 81.6% [93/114] for ECA-MRI; p = 0.845). The sensitivities for HCC of LR-5 (using PP or DP washout) were comparable between HBA-MRI and ECA-MRI (78.1% [89/114] vs. 73.7% [84/114]; p = 0.458). In HCCs < 20 mm, the sensitivity of LR-5 was higher on HBA-MRI than on ECA-MRI (70.8% [34/48] vs. 50.0% [24/48]; p = 0.034). The sensitivity was similar to each other if IW was added to LR-5 (72.9% [35/48] for HBA-MRI vs. 70.8% [34/48] for ECA-MRI; p > 0.999). Conclusion: Extracellular phase washout for HCC diagnosis was comparable between MRIs with both contrast agents, except for tumors < 20 mm. Adding IW could improve the sensitivity for HCC on ECA-MRI in tumors < 20 mm.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.93-102
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• 2005

Purpose: To develop an advanced non-linear curve fitting (NLCF) algorithm for dynamic susceptibility contrast study of brain. Materials and Methods: The first pass effects give rise to spuriously high estimates of $K^{trans}$ in voxels with large vascular components. An explicit threshold value has been used to reject voxels. Results: By using this non-linear curve fitting algorithm, the blood perfusion and the volume estimation were accurately evaluated in T2*-weighted dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE)-MR images. From the recalculated each parameters, perfusion weighted image were outlined by using modified non-linear curve fitting algorithm. This results were improved estimation of T2*-weighted dynamic series. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated an improvement of an estimation of kinetic parameters from dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data, using contrast agents. The advanced kinetic models include the relation of volume transfer constant $K^{trans}\;(min^{-1})$ and the volume of extravascular extracellular space (EES) per unit volume of tissue $\nu_e$.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.157-175
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• 1996

The development of flexor digital tendon of the hand was studied by electron microscopy in human fetuses ranging from 9 mm to 260 mm crown rump length. The primordium of tendons was first identified as discrete collection of mesenchymal cells at 25 mm fetus. Synovial sheath formation had commenced by 40 mm fetus and was complete by 70 mm fetus. Cell junction or adhesion sites at all ages were noted between the tendon cells. When dilatation of the synovial cavity occurred, two types of synovial cells were observed. A-type cells had numerous vesicles and large vacuoles. In contrast, B-type cells were characterized by abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum and well-developed Golgi complex. By $150mm{\sim}260mm$ fetuses, a mojority of the synovial cells were type B. The most remarkable difference between the synovial cells of full-term fetus and adult was the larger amount of collagen fibers in the latter. The vascular buds were first observed between the individual fibril bundles in the interfascicular space at 150 mm fetus. At 25 mm fetus, collagen fibrils were first noted within narrow cytoplasmic recesses which were continued with the extracellular space. Collagen fibrils were filled in almost entire extracellular space at 150 mm fetus. Besides collagen fibrils in the extracellular space small elastic fibers were also identified and followed in their development.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.83-86
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• 2006

Effect of iron on the extracellular proteolytic activity of live Uronema marium was determined by fluorescence polarization (FP) method. Supplementation of 0.5 and 5.0 μM iron significantly increased caseinolytic activity of live U. marinum. In contrast, supplementation of 50 μM iron showed no significant differences in FP values compared to the control. The present result suggests that iron in cultured water or skin tissue of olive flounder may influence on the penetration and establishment of U. marinum, correlating with modulation of extracellular protease activity of the ciliates.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.301-305
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• 2005

MR spectroscopy of intracellularly located $^{133}Cs$ has been used to monitor the uptake of Gd-EOB-DTPA by the isolated rat liver. As shown by ${31}P$ spectroscopy, accumulation of $^{133}Cs$ ions in hepatocytes does not produce detectable effects on the metabolism. The hepatic internalization of Gd-EOB-DTPA was followed by the paramagnetic relaxation enhancement of the intracellular $^{133}Cs$ ions, and confirmed by parallel quantitations of Gd and Cs run by inductively coupled plasma analysis of liver samples and aliquots of perfusate. Two peaks are observed at -22.0 and -23.5 ppm, with respect to the line of the external reference arbitarily set to 0 ppm. Upon rinsing of the extracellular compartment with regular K-H free of CsCl, the high-field resonance disappears within 20min. The intracellular concentration was confirmed by ICP, which gives a $Cs^+$ content of $22.0\pm3.5mM$. The relaxation data significantly underestimate the Gd content, suggesting a potential compartmentation of $Cs^+$ and the contrast agent.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1762-1767
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• 2008

Image contrast of whole bacteria was compared in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli depending on pre-stain suspension liquids by energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy. The two bacterial strains were suspended in three most commonly used liquids for negative staining (triple distilled water [DW], phosphate-buffered saline [PBS], and nutrient broth [NB]) and directly observed without staining or stained with neutralized potassium phosphotungstate (PTA), respectively. Even though in low contrast, unstained bacteria were observed owing to their inherent electron density and cell shape in zero-loss (elastic scattering) images. After being suspended in PBS, unstained bacteria appeared to have higher contrast and more refined periphery than DW-suspended ones, and extracellular appendage structures such as fimbriae and flagella could be discerned. The unstained bacteria appeared to be invariably surrounded with electron-lucent precipitates, possibly from PBS. As far as delineation of the structures, the combination of DW or PBS suspension with subsequent staining provided the most satisfactory results, as evidenced by the high contrast of bacterial morphology and appendage structures. However, after being suspended in NB and stained with PTA, bacteria often had too high contrast or poor staining, with electron-dense aggregates around the bacteria. These results suggest that suspension with concentrated organic aliquots including broth media before PTA staining could deteriorate image contrast, and should be used only in dilute form for visualizing bacterial morphology and appendage structures. Moreover the contrast enhancement of unstained bacteria by salt granules would be advantageous in demonstrating bacterial sorption of environmental particles like heavy metals, maintaining minimal contrast for cell imaging.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.1229-1235
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• 2011

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a key factor affecting cell growth and adhesion to the culture surface, and it is also important for maintaining the innate characteristics of cells. Here, we describe the effects of the ECM on cardiomyocyte (HL-1 cell line) growth, viability, phenotype, and contractile ability. Five different ECM materials were investigated to analyze their effects on the cell growth. The physical morphology of the ECM-coated surfaces was scanned with an atomic force microscope (AFM), and the attachment, growth, proliferation, viability, and phenotype of the cells were analyzed using fluorescence immunostaining and an inverted phase contrast microscope.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.143-148
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• 2005

Chemotactic migration of bone forming cell, osteoblast, is an important event during bone formation, bone remodeling, and fracture healing. Migration of cells is mediated by adhesion receptors, such as integrins, that link the cell to extracellular matrix ligands, type I collagen, fibronectin, laminin and depend on interaction between integrin and extracellular ligand. Our study was designed to investigate the effect of extracellular matrix like fibronectin, laminin, type I collagen on migration of osteoblast. Migration distance and speed of MC3T3-E1 cell on extracellular matrix-coated glass were measured for 24 hours using 0.01% type I collagen, 0.01% fibronectin, 100 microliter/ml laminin. The migration distance and speed of MC3T3-E1 cell was compared using a video-microscopy system. To determine migration speed, cells were viewed with a 4 phase- contrast lens and video recorded. Images were captured using a color CCD camera and saved in 8-bit full-color mode. The migration distance on 0.01% type I collagen or 0.01% fibronectin was longer than that on $100{\mu}l/ml$ laminin-coated glass. The migration speed on fibronectin-coated glass was 68 micrometer/hour which was fastest. The migration speed on type I collagen-coated glass was similar with that on fibronectin-coated glass. The latter two migration speeds were faster than that on no-coated glass. On the other hand, the average migration speed on laminin-coated glass was 37micrometer/hour and not different from that of control group. In conclusion, the extracelluar matrix ligands such as type I collagen and fibronectin seem to play an important role in cell migration. The type I collagen or fibronectin coated scaffold is more effective for migration of osteoblast in tissue engineering process.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 1998

The present study was undertaken to characterize homocysteic acid (HCA)-and cysteic acid (CA)-mediated formation of inositol phosphates (InsP) in primary culture of rat cerebellar granule cells. HCA and CA stimulated InsP formation in a dose-dependent manner, which was prevented by the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist D,L-2-amino-5-phosphopentanoic acid (APV). CA-, but not HCA-, mediated InsP formation was in part prevented by the metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist ?${\alpha}$-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine ($({\pm})$-MCPG). Both HCA- and CA-mediated increases in intracellular calcium concentration were completely blocked by APV, but were not altered by $({\pm})$-MCPG. CA-mediated InsP formation was in part prevented by removal of endogenous glutamate. In contrast, the glutamate transport blocker L-aspartic acid-${\beta}$-hydroxamate synergistically increased CA responses. These data indicate that in cerebellar granule cells HCA mediates InsP formation wholly by activating NMDA receptor. In contrast, CA stimulates InsP formation by activating both NMDA receptor and metabotropic glutamate receptor, and in part by releasing endogenous glutamate into extracellular milieu.