• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 1986

It has been reported that oral kallikrein therapy exerts a favourable effect on sperm motility in asthenozoospermic patients. In order to evaluate the efficacy of kallikrein on asthenozoospermia, a total of 20 subfertile male patients with varicocele, whose sperm counts were less than $40{\times}10^6/ml$ and sperm motility was less than 30%, was subjected to this clinical study (Table 1). They were divided into 2 study groups: 1) Varicocelectomy group consisted of 10 patients with varicocele (grade II-III) who underwent varicocelectomy. 2) Kallikrein group was composed of 10 patients with varicocele (grade I) who were given kallikrein orally 600 KU (kallikrein unit) daily divided 3 times after meal for 3 to 9 months. Semen analyses were repeated twice before the study, once a month during the study and twice after the study. Effective results designate that sperm parameters improved more than 30% from the basical levels after varicocelectomy or kallikrein exposure. Sperm counts increased from $32.5{\times}10^5/ml$ to $45.5{\times}10^6/ml$ after varicocelectomy in 3 patients and sperm motility increased from 25% to 38.5% after varicocelectomy in 3 patients. Pregnancy occurred in 2 patients of 3 responders and 1 patient of 7 non-responders 3 to 6 months after varicocelectomy in Varicocelectomy group. Sperm motility increased from 28% to 40.2% after kallikrein treatment in 3 patients. Pregnancy occurred in 2 patients of the 3 responders in Kallikrein group (Tables 2-3). There were no significant changes in volume and morphology in Varicocelectomy group before after varicocelectomy and no significant changes in volume, counts, and morphology before and after kallikrein exposure. No remarkable side effects were noted with kallikrein treatment.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.95-101
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• 2019

Purpose: Increased apoptosis was recently found in the hypertrophied left ventricle of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Although the available evidence suggests that apoptosis can be induced in cardiac cells by various insults including pressure overload, cardiac apoptosis appears to result from an exaggerated local production of angiotensin in adult SHRs. Altered expressions of Bcl associated X (Bax), Bcl-2, chemokine receptor (CCR)-2, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, transforming growth factor $(TGF)-{\beta}1$, phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases (PERK), and connexin 43 proteins, and kallikrein mRNA were investigated to explore the effects of losartan on the SHR model. Methods: Twelve-week-old male rats were grouped as follows: control (C), SHR (hypertension: H), and losartan (L; SHRs were treated with losartan [10 mg/kg/day] for 5 weeks). Western blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays were performed. Results: Expression of Bax, CCR-2, MCP-1, $TGF-{\beta}1$, PERK, and connexin 43 proteins, and kallikrein mRNA was significantly increased in the H group compared to that in the C group at weeks 3 and 5. Expression of Bax, CCR-2, MCP-1, $TGF-{\beta}1$, and connexin 43 proteins and kallikrein mRNA was significantly decreased after losartan treatment at week 5. PERK protein expression was significantly decreased after losartan treatment at weeks 3 and 5. Bcl-2 protein expression was significantly decreased in the H group compared to that in the C group at weeks 3 and 5. Conclusion: Losartan treatment reduced expression of Bax, CCR-2, MCP-1, $TGF-{\beta}1$, PERK, and connexin 43 proteins, and kallikrein mRNA in SHRs, along with decreased inflammation and apoptosis.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2019

The diagnosis of atopic dermatitis (AD) includes a test that checks allergen-mediated skin reactions and a method of measuring the total IgE and allergen-specific IgE in blood. However, these test methods are performed directly on the patient, which cause some pain or discomfort. In addition, the skin response test or IgE may result in false negative in about 20% of patients. In the present study, to identify specific biomarkers, HaCaT cells were used as a human keratinocyte that make up the skin, were treated IL-4 and IL-13 for 24 hours to induce a situation similar to keratinocytes in AD patients. In the HaCaT cells, pro-inflammatory cytokine such as IL-5, IL-6, and MCP-1 were increased by IL-4 and IL-13 and skin barrier proteins was reduced by IL-4 and L-13. This results showed that a situation similar to the stratum corneum of an actual patient is induced in HaCaT cells. And then the secretions of Kallikrein (KLK) 5 and KLK7 protease were checked by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). It was specifically increased by IL-4 and IL-13. This showed that AD-related protease can be detected at the protein level using keratinocytes that can be taken in a non-invasive manner and suggested the possibility of applying it to AD diagnosis.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.356-361
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• 1997

We cloned a cDNA (pPRC-1) which was comprised of 841 nucleotides from the cDNA library of a male ICR mouse submandibular gland ($SMG^+$). The nucleotide sequences of pPRC-1 were identical to those of exons 2 and 3 of the mGK-21 gene, a potentially functional glandular kallikrein identified in a Balb/c mouse, except for one nucleotide residue. Although this substitution changes Ile (ATT) in pPRC-1 to Val (GTT) in mGK-21, this difference has been explained by strain polymorphism. From the amino acid sequences predicted from its cDNA, we speculated that mGK-21 gene products/pGK21 consist of 261 amino acids including the $NH_2$-terminal signal peptide (residues 1~17), the short propeptide (residues 17~24), and the active peptide (residues 25~261). Although we did not demonstrate the enzyme activity of pGK21, it was assumed that pGK 21 was involved in the maturation of certain bioactive polypeptide(s) in mouse SMG for the following reasons : (a) mGK-21 gene was apparently expressed in a male ICR mouse SMG: (b) the proposed active site $His^{65}$, $Asp^{120}$, and $Ser^{213}$ residues were completely conserved in pGK21 just like other glandular kallikreins; (c) the cloned cDNA was translated to a predicted 27 kDa polypeptide chain in vitro: (d) the 27 kDa polypeptide chain produced by CHO cells was produced to a putative active form by trypsin.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.161-166
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• 1990

Infusion of bradykinin (BK) into the renal arteries increases sodium excretion. However, it is not clear whether natriuresis results from the renal hemodynamic effects or from the direct effect on renal tubular sodium transport. Therefore, we examined the effects of BK on the transport-dependent oxygen consumption in the distal tubule (DT) and cortical collecting tubule (CCT) of deoxycorticosterone-treated rats. BK inhibited oxygen consumption in a dose-dependent way with a maximal reduction at $0.1\;{\mu}M$ BK. The inhibitory effect of BK was not present in the absence of sodium or in the presence of ouabain (1 mM). These data imply that the inhibitory effect of BK is restricted to the sodium transport-dependent oxygen consumption. We also investigated the relationship between the effect of BK on oxygen consumption and arachidonic acid metabolism. Mepacrine $(10\;{\mu}M)$, an inhibitor of membrane phospholipases, prevented the inhibitory effect of BK, but indomethacin (0.5 mM) didn't. These results suggest that BK decreases the sodium transport-related oxygen consumption in the rat DT and/or CCT, and that it may be mediated by products of enzymes other than cyclooxygenase.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.505-510
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• 2002

An improved kinetic assay for prekallikrein activator (PKA), a potential vasodilator, has been developed to be used as an indicator for quality control during production of human albumin preparations. It consists of two reaction stages. In the first stage, PKA and prekallikrein are incubated at $37^{\circ}C$ for 45 min to allow the transformation into kallikrein. Kallikrein, a serine protease, catalyzes the splitting of p-nitroaniline (pNA) from its substrate H-D-Pro-Phe-Arg-pNA(S-2302). The rate at which pNA is released was measured spectrophotometrically at 405 nm. Prekallikrein, a substrate of PKA was purified by DEAE ion-exchange chromatography and the major potential variations in the assay were optimized; pH 8.0 and 150 mM sodium chloride were chosen to give a proper ionic strength. Reaction times in the range of 10 to 360 min provided linear dose-response curves. The concentration of prekallikrein was adjusted to fall between 1:1 and 1:3 dilutions to generate a linear standard calibration curve. Under the optimized conditions, reproducibility was checked. In a precision test, the coefficient of variation (CV) stayed within ${\pm}4%$ and the dose-response curve showed a good correlation (${r^2}=0.999$). An accuracy test with an international standard of PKA afforded a mean recovery of 97.5%.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.191-196
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• 1994

Captopril, an inhibitor of angiotensin converting enzyme, is also known to inhibit the degradation of bradykinin. We examined the effects of intracerebroventricular (ICV) captopril on the central pressor response to bradykinin in normotensive, 2-kidney, 1 clip Goldblatt (GHR) and deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats. Captopril (1 mg) and bradykinin (5 nmol) were administered into the right lateral cerebral ventricle, and blood pressure and heart rate were continuously monitored throughout the experiment. ICV captopril alone did not affect the blood pressure within 10 minutes but it significantly augmented the central pressor response to bradykinin in GHR. On the contrary, captopril was without effect on the pressor response to bradykinin in normotensive and DOCA-salt rats. These findings indicate that endogenous kinins are not critical in regulating arterial pressure in normotensive and DOCA hypertensive rats. However, in GHR, an enhanced activity of the brain kallikrein-kinin system in maintaining the high blood pressure is suggested.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1994.04a
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• pp.279-279
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• 1994

Fibrinolytic proteases, piscivorase I (PI) and piscivorase II (PII), were isolated from Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus (eastern cotonmouth moccasin) venom using gel filtration on Bio-Gel P100 and ion-exchange chromatography on CM-Sepharose. The molecular welghts of two proteases were approximately 23400 and 29000. Their isoelectric points 6.6 and 8.5, respectively. The partial amino acid sequences of PI were characterized by tryptic digestion. PI readily cleaves the A${\alpha}$-and B${\beta}$-chaln of fibronogen, but PII rapidly cleaves A${\alpha}$-chain and more slowly the B${\beta}$-chain, They were activated by Ca$\^$2+/, Mg$\^$2+/ and Ba$\^$2+/, but inhibited by Zn$\^$2+/, Cu$\^$2+/ and Mn$\^$2+/. Two enzymes were also inhibited by cysten, ${\beta}$-mercapto -ethanol, and by metal chelators such as EDTA and EGTA, but not by benzamidine, PMSF, soybean trypsin inhibitor and aprotinin. They did not act like thrombin, plasmin and kallikrein, using specific chromogenllc substrates. Two protease did not induce platelet aggregation. PI showed low hemorrhagic activity at dosage of 50 $\mu\textrm{g}$.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.234-240
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• 2016

Bradykinin receptor B2, a GPCR protein, binds with the inflammatory mediator hormone bradkynin. It plays an important role in cross-talk between the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and the kinin-kallikrein system (KKS). Also, it is involved in many processes including vasodilation, edema, smooth muscle spasm and pain fiber stimulation. Hence, studuying the structural features of the receptor becomes important. But the unavailability of the three dimensional structure of the protein makes the analysis difficult. Hence we have performed the homology modelling of Bradykinin receptor B2 with 5 different templates. 25 different homology models were constructed. Two best models were selected based on the model validation. The developed models could be helpful in analysing the structural features of Bradykinin receptor B2 and in pathophysiology of various disorders related to them.

• Annals of dermatology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.653-661
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• 2018

Background: Citron is well known for an abundance of antioxidative and anti-inflammatory ingredients such as vitamin C, polyphenol compounds, flavonoids, and limonoids. Objective: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of citron essential oils on rosacea mediators in activated keratinocytes in vitro. Methods: Normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) were stimulated with $1{\alpha}$, 25-dihydroxyvitamin $D_3$ ($VD_3$) and interleukin 33 (IL-33) with LL-37 to induce rosacea mediators such as kallikrein 5 (KLK5), cathelicidin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1). These mediators were analyzed by performing reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative real-time PCR, immunocytofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay after NHEKs were treated with citron seed and unripe citron essential oils. Results: The messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels of KLK5 and LL-37 induced by $VD_3$ were suppressed by citron seed and unripe citron essential oils. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein levels of VEGF and TRPV1 induced by IL-33 with LL-37 were also suppressed by citron essential oils. Conclusion: These results show that citron essential oils have suppressive effects on rosacea mediators in activated epidermal keratinocytes, which indicates that the citron essential oils may be valuable adjuvant therapeutic agents for rosacea.