• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.942-946
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• 2015

The Korean rhinoceros beetle (Allomyrina dichotoma) is popular as a pet and as a food ingredient, and it is commercially distributed in Korea. It is also traditionally regarded as a medicine for liver-related diseases. Recently, the Oryctes rhinoceros nudivirus was introduced from Southeast Asia. This virus is reported as a disease factor for A. dichotoma in mass-rearing facilities, and economic losses due to this viral infection have been increasing in Korea since the 2010s. In this study, we observed serious structural changes in the fat body and the intestine of virus-infected beetles. We report five genes that are up-regulated by the viral infection in the intestine: BTF3H4-like (transcription factor BTF3 homolog 4-like), SPS-like (serine proteinase stubble-like), COPB1 (coatomer protein complex, subunit beta 1), T-CP (T-complex 1 subunit gamma), and HSP70 HSP70 (heat shock protein 70). The results may provide a clue for the early diagnosis and disease-treatment that occurs in mass-rearing facilities. The improvement of stable productivity will increase the farmers’ income, and quality control of beetle-breeding will help industries to utilize this beetle as a promising food ingredient.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.253-262
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• 2006

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Although many studies showed that the aggregation of $\alpha$-synuclein might be involved in the pathogenesis of PD, its protective properties against oxidative stress remain to be elucidated. In this study, human wild type and mutant $\alpha$-synuclein genes were fused with a gene fragment encoding the nine amino acid trans activator of transcription (Tat) protein transduction domain of HIV-l in a bacterial expression vector to produce a genetic in-frame WT Tat-$\alpha$-synuclein (wild type) and mutant Tat-a-synucleins (mutants; A30P and A53T), respectively, and we investigated the protective effects of wild type and mutant Tat-$\alpha$-synucleins in vitro and in vivo. WT Tat-$\alpha$-synuclein rapidly transduced into an astrocyte cells and protected the cells against paraquat induced cell death. However, mutant Tat-$\alpha$-synucleins did not protect at all. In the mice models exposed to the herbicide paraquat, the WT Tat-$\alpha$-synuclein completely protected against dopaminergic neuronal cell death, whereas mutants failed in protecting against oxidative stress. We found that these protective effects were characterized by increasing the expression level of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in the neuronal cells and this expression level was dependent on the concentration of transduced WT Tat-$\alpha$-synuclein. These results suggest that transduced Tat-$\alpha$-synuclein might protect cell death from oxidative stress by increasing the expression level of HSP70 in vitro and in vivo and this may be of potential therapeutic benefit in the pathogenesis of PD.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.733-739
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• 2020

Olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus (total weight 216.4±14.6 g, total length 28.4±1.7 cm) were exposed to different pH levels (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) for 96 h. At pH 4, hemoglobin decreased significantly, while plasma calcium, glucose, cholesterol, and ALP increased significantly. Exposure to pH 4 also induced stress responses, as evidenced by a significant decrease in heat shock protein 70 (HSP 70) and a significant increase in cortisol. The results of this study indicate that acute exposure to acidic or alkaline pH (pH 3 or 9) induced significant mortality, while exposure to pH 4significantly affected hematological parameters and stress responses in P. olivaceus.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2020

This study was performed to investigate the effect of mixed rearing of male and female chickens on the stress response in Korean native chickens. To identify the degree of the stress response, heterophil-lymphocyte ratio (H/L ratio), heat shock protein genes (HSPs) expression, and intracellular nuclear DNA damage rate were analyzed before and after the mixed rearing of male and female chickens. The results showed that the H/L ratio of chickens after mixing males and females was more than thrice as higher than before mixing (P<0.001), but the differences between males and females were not significant. HSP-70, HSP90-α, and HSP90-β expression levels were 2.5 to 3.4 times higher after mixing male and female chickens, compared to before mixing (P<0.01). In the mixed rearing of male and female chickens, the increase in HSPs expression in females was higher than in males. Comet indicators in intracellular DNA damage rate analysis showed a significant increase after mixing male and female chickens compared to before mixing (P<0.001). However, there was no significant difference between males and females with respect to DNA damage rate. Taken together, these results suggest that male and female mixed rearing acts as a strong external stressor in both male and female chickens.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.89-98
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• 2022

This study compared the production and physiological characteristics of male and female Korean native commercial chickens. We investigated the growth performance, vitality, and stress response of 479 male and 608 female chickens from 1 d to 12 weeks of age. The body weight, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio were measured as growth performance. The survival rate, amount of telomeric DNA, DNA damage rate, heterophil-lymphocyte ratio (H/L ratio), and heat shock protein (HSP)-70, HSP-90α, and HSP-90β gene expression levels were analyzed as indicators of vitality and stress response. Body weight was significantly higher in male chickens than in female chickens after 2 weeks of age (P<0.01). Feed intake was higher in male chickens than in female chickens, whereas the feed conversion ratio showed the opposite trend. The survival rate was significantly higher in female chickens than in male chickens (82.8% vs. 73.8%, P<0.05). Stress response analysis revealed no differences between male and female chickens in terms of telomeric DNA content, DNA damage rate, H/L ratio, and HSP gene expression levels. Taken together, it was concluded that there was a significant difference in the growth performance and survival rate between male and female Korean native commercial chickens, whereas there was no difference in the degree of stress response between them. Therefore, in terms of the productivity of Korean native commercial chickens, it is judged that separate-sex rearing is much more advantageous than mixed rearing, regardless of the physiological characteristics of males and females.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.644-651
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• 2009

The objective of this study was to identify EXE (1 hr a day at 21 m/min for 5 day/wk, at 0 % grade for 6 wk) on myocardium glucose metabolic phenotypic proteins (AMPK-PGC-1${\alpha}$-GLUT-4) and HSP-60 protein expression after ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) in STZ-induced rats. EXE was performed using STZ-induced diabetic rats on a rodent treadmill (28 m/min, 1 hr/day, 5 day/wk for 6 wk). The results of this study suggest that i) serum insulin level was not changed among groups (p>l0.05). ii) the LVDP level increased significantly in the STZ-EXE-IRI group compared to the STZ-IRI group at 60 min (p<0.01), 70 min (p<0.05) and 80 min (p<0.05) after reperfusion, respectively, and iii) AMPK phosphorylation (p<0.01), PGC-1${\alpha}$ protein (p<0.001), GLUT-4 protein (p<0.001) and HSP-60 protein expressions (p<0.05) increased significantly in the STZ-EXE-IRI group compared to the STZ-IRI group. In conclusion, the findings of the present study reveal that EXE may provide therapeutic value to insulin dependent diabetic patients with peripheral insulin resistance and myocardium injury by improving glucose metabolic proteins (AMPK-PGC-1${\alpha}$-GLUT-4) and heat shock protein-60 (HSP-60), along with increasing LVDP levels and decreasing glucose levels. Therefore, EXE protects the STZ-induced diabetic myocardium injury against ischemia/ reperfusion injury.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.10
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• pp.512-517
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• 2022

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is brain damage which is caused by the impact of external mechanical forces. TBI can lead to the temporary or permanent impairment of physical and cognitive abilities, resulting in abnormal behavior. We recently observed that a single session of early exercise in animals with TBI improved their behavioral performance in the absence of other cognitive abnormalities. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of continuous exercise during the early stages of TBI in rats. We found that continuous low-intensity exercise in early-stage improves the locomotion recovery in the TBI of animal models; however, it does not significantly enhance short-term memory capabilities. Moreover, continuous early exercise not only reduces the protein expression of cerebral damage-related markers, such as Glial Fibrillary Acid Protein (GFAP), Neuron-Specific Enolase (NSE), S100β, Protein Gene Products 9.5 (PGP9.5), and Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70), but it also decreases the expression of apoptosis-related protein BAX and cleaved caspase 3. Furthermore, exercise training in animals with TBI decreases the microglia activation and the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the serum, such as CCL20, IL-13, IL-1α, and IL-1β. These findings thus demonstrate that early exercise therapy for TBI may be an effective strategy in improving physiological function, and that serum protein levels are useful biomarkers for the predicition of the effectiveness of early exercise therapy.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.351-364
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• 2024

The gut microbiome plays an essential role in host immune responses, including allergic reactions. However, commensal gut microbiota is extremely sensitive to antibiotics and excessive usage can cause microbial dysbiosis. Herein, we investigated how changes in the gut microbiome induced by ampicillin affected the production of IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies in mice subsequently exposed to Anisakis pegreffii antigens. Ampicillin treatment caused a notable change in the gut microbiome as shown by changes in both alpha and beta diversity indexes. In a 1-dimensional immunoblot using Anisakis-specific anti-mouse IgG1, a 56-kDa band corresponding to an unnamed Anisakis protein was detected using mass spectrometry analysis only in ampicillin-treated mice. In the Anisakis-specific anti-mouse IgG2a-probed immunoblot, a 70-kDa band corresponding to heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) was only detected in ampicillin-treated and Anisakis-immunized mice. A 2-dimensional immunoblot against Anisakis extract with immunized mouse sera demonstrated altered spot patterns in both groups. Our results showed that ampicillin treatment altered the gut microbiome composition in mice, changing the immunization response to antigens from A. pegreffii. This research could serve as a basis for developing vaccines or allergy immunotherapies against parasitic infections.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.191-212
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• 2000

Objective: This study was perfomled to examine the therapeutic effect of aqua-acupuncture solution of Hominis Placenta(HP) on kidney and liver intoxicated by $HgCI_2$ in rats. Methods: $10\%$ and $25\%$ HP aqua-acupuncture were carried out everyday for 8 days on corresponding bilateral loci of Shinsu(BL23) and Kansu(BL18), respectively, after mercuric chloride intoxication in rats. Thereafter BUN, creatinine, GOT, GPT, ALP, ${\gamma}$-GT, albumin and total bilirubin were measured before intoxication, and at the 4th and the 8th experimental day. Histopathological and immunochemical observation were also carried out. Results: 1. It showed significant decreases of BUN in the group of $10\%$ HP aqua-acupuncture into Shinsu on the 4th experimental day as compared with the control group. 2. It showed significant decreases of creatinine in the group of $10\%$ HP aqua-acupuncture into Shinsu on the 4th and the 8th experimental days as compared with the control group. 3. There were not any significant changes of GOT, GPT, ALP,${\gamma}$-GT, albumin and total bilirubin in the HP aqua-acupuncture groups compared with the control group. 4. By the histopathological observations on kidney under a light microscope, alt the $10\%$ and $25\%$ HP aqua-acupuncture into Shinsu showed the preventive effect on tubulo-interstitial necrosis and muItifocal calcification in tubular lumen respectively compared with the control group. 5. By the histopathological observations on liver under a light mIcroscope, the groups $10\%$ and $25\%$ HP aqua--acupuncture into Kansu did not show any significant changes in the liver compared with the control group. 6. By the immunochemical analysis of heat shock protein(hsp) and glucose-regulated protein(grp) in rat renal cortex, the expressions of hsp70 and grp78 were decreased in the $10\%$ and $25\%$ HP aqua-acupuncture into Shinsu respectively compared with the control group. Conclusion: These results suggest that Hominis Placenta aqua-acupuncture have an effect on prevention and protection of renal intoxication by $HgCI_2$ in rats.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.355-366
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• 2002

Background : The heat shock protein (HSP) 70 families are known to protect cells against the irreversible tissue injury induced by stress and to induce the recovery of cell function during stress. Heat pretreatment was reported to decrease the acute lung injury (ALI) of rats induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). However, the role of heat shock with LPS co-treatmenton ALI is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of heat treatment, which was given immediately after the beginning of ALI induced by LPS intratracheally administered in rats. Methods : Either saline (saline group) or LPS was intratracheally instilled without heat treatment (LPS group). In addition, heat was conducted 18 hours prior to the instillation of LPS (pre-treatment group) and conducted immediately after instillation of LPS (co-treatment group). Six hours after the LPS or saline treatment, blood, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and lung tissue samples were obtained. The myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and the heat shock protein expression in the lung tissue, the differential counts of the polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) in the BAL fluids, and the LDH, protein, $IL-1{\beta}$, $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-10 levels in BAL fluid and serum were measured. Results : 1) The MPO activity, the differential PMN counts in the BAL fluid, BAL fluid and serum cytokines were higher in the LPS, the heat pre-treatment and co-treatment group than those of the saline group (p value <0.05). 2) The MPO activity and the protein level in the BAL fluid from the heat co-treatment group were similar to those of the LPS group. 3) The serum $TNF-{\alpha}$ level of the heat co-treatment group was significantly higher than that of the LPS group (p=0.01). Conclusion : Heat shock response administered immediately after a LPS instillation did not attenuate the ALI in this model.