• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.20 no.4 s.51
• /
• pp.327-332
• /
• 2005

장기간 노출 시 발암 등 인체 유해성을 갖는 환경유래 내분비장애물질(endocrine disrupting chemicals, EDCs)에 대한 선택적이고 민감한 노출지표를 개발하기 위하여 본 연구에서는 DNA microarray를 이용하였다. 피험자는 아직 특별한 질환을 갖지 않는 18세 이상 연령, 성을 맞춘 EDCs고농도 노출군(N = 16)과 저농도군(N = 16)으로 구성되었다. 노출정도 구분은 10년 이상 거주지가 K산업폐기물 소각장과 2.5 km 반경 내, 외 인지에 따라 고노출군,저노출군으로 구분하였다. 피험자의 말초혈에서 total RNA를 분리, 각 군당 B인씩 pool로 cDNA를 합성하여 oligonucleotide DNA 칩에 적용하였다. 유전자발현의 차이를 GenePixPro 4.0 software를 이용하여 분석하였다. 총 3장의 칩을 이용하여 공통적으로 저노출군보다 고노출군에서 2배 이상 발현의 증가를 보인 유전자는 plasminogen activator(PLAT)등 12종이 관찰되었고, l/2이하로 발현의 감소를 보인 유전자는 kallikrein 3 (KLK3)등 29종이었다. 이 들 유전자는 PLAT등 면역계 반응에 관여하는 유전자 및 apoptosis, transport, G protein, chromatin, 암화, 발생 (development), 대사 등에 관여하는 유전자들이었다. 그러므로 KLK3등 본 연구에서 발굴한 유전자는 향후 확대된 인구에서 본 연구 결과의 확인을 통하여 EDCs특이적 노출지표로써, 나아가 암 등 EDCs관련 질병의 기전 및 병인학을 구명하는데 이용가치가 높다고 사료된다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.5
• /
• pp.840-846
• /
• 2007

Human prostate-specific antigen(PSA), a 33 kDa serine protease with comprehensive homology to glandular kallikrein, is secreted from prostatic tissue into the seminal fluid and enters into the circulation. The level of PSA increases in the serum of patients with prostatic cancer and hence is widely employed as a marker of the disease status. In particular, an enzymatically active PSA that is a form cleaved at the N-terminal seven-amino-acids prosequence, APLILSR, of proPSA may play an important roll in the progression of prostate cancer. Thus, the presence of the active form would selectively discriminate the cancer from benign prostatic hyperplasia. In this study, we developed a convenient purification method for the acquisition of active PSA and proPSA. Recombinant proPSA and active PSA were expressed directly in Escherichia coli, easily and efficiently isolated from inclusion bodies, refolded, and purified. Moreover, the enzymatic activity of the recombinant active PSA was confirmed as serine protease using chromogenic chymotrypsin substrate. This purified active PSA could be further applied to scrutinize the biological or conformational characteristics of the protein and to develop specific diagnostic and/or therapeutic agents against prostate cancer.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.43 no.5
• /
• pp.859-876
• /
• 2023

It is known that animal-origin medicine could be one of effective treatment to remedy atopic dermatitis (AD) by controlling the cytokines. Cicadidae Periostracum (CP), the slough of Cryptotympana pustulata, has been frequently used for treating AD and skin affliction in traditional Korean Medicine. This study is aimed at investigating the ameliorating effects of CP on AD and its potential mechanism. The dinitrochlorobenzene sensitized mice were treated with CP for 2 weeks. The various biomarkers and the dermatitis scores presented that CP treatment can induce the visual and biological improvements of AD model. Pruritus, the most serious symptom of AD, which can cause repeated scratching behaviors and finally lead to lichenification, was reduced with CP treatment by regulating the inflammatory reactions. In addition, CP treatment diminished the number of mast cells that are known for causing inflammatory reactions. Moreover, it is proven that CP can decline secretion of interleukin-22, which means CP treatment has anti-inflammatory effects. CP treatment can correct the imbalance of helper T (Th)1 and Th2, downregulating thymic stromal lymphopoietin that leads to decrease of mRNA level of inflammatory cytokines. The crucial role of CP treatment is controlling of the Janus kinase 1/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 pathway. In addition, CP treatment has the inhibitory effects on kallikrein related peptidase (KLK) 5 and KLK7. Taken together, CP treatment can ameliorate most symptoms and problems caused by AD disease, improving the AD patients' life quality.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.44 no.6
• /
• pp.799-807
• /
• 2020

Background: The skin acts as a barrier to protect organisms against harmful exogenous agents. Compound K (CK) is an active metabolite of ginsenoside Rb1, Rb2 and Rc, and researchers have focused on its skin protective efficacy. In this study, we hypothesized that increased expression of the serine protease inhibitor Kazal type-5 (SPINK5) may improve skin barrier function. Methods: We screened several ginsenosides to increase SPINK5 gene promoter activity using a transactivation assay and found that CK can increase SPINK5 expression. To investigate the protective effect of CK on the skin barrier, RT-PCR and Western blotting were performed to investigate the expression levels of SPINK5, kallikrein 5 (KLK5), KLK7 and PAR2 in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells. Measurement of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and histological changes associated with the skin barrier were performed in a UVB-irradiated mouse model and a 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis-like model. Results: CK treatment increased the expression of SPINK5 and decreased the expression of its downstream genes, such as KLKs and PAR2. In the UVB-irradiated mouse model and the DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis model, CK restored increased TEWL and decreased hydration and epidermal hyperplasia. In addition, CK normalized the reduced SPINK5 expression caused by UVB or DNCB, thereby restoring the expression of the proteins involved in desquamation to a level similar to normal. Conclusions: Our data showed that CK contributes to improving skin-barrier function in UVB-irradiated and DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis-like models through SPINK5. These results suggest that therapeutic attempts with CK might be useful in treating barrier-disrupted diseases.