• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Postharvest Science and Technology of Agricultural Products Conference
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• 2002.08a
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• pp.64-71
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• 2002

Rice(Oryza stiva L.) is a major cereal food providing nourishment to over half of the world's populations and was considered only as a source of energy. However, The recent many researches have been made to suggest that rice may relate to prevention chronic disease and health-promoting properties such as postprandial glucose response, hypocholesterolemic effect and blood pressure-lowering effect. There has been numerous observation supporting that rice has hypocholesterolemic effect. Rice, rice bran, rice bran oil and unsaponifiable matter of rice bran oil reduced plasma cholesterol in rat, hamster as well as human. Components of rice showing hypocholesterolemic effect include dietary fiber(hemicellulose, phytic acid). protein, ${\gamma}$-oryzanol, $\beta$-sitosterol, and tocotrienols. Crapo et al has been studied that the effect of various of starchy foods on the postprandial blood glucose and insulin responses in healthy and diabetic humans. The results showed that rice had lower blood glucose and insulin responses compared to potato, bread and dextrose. The different physical forms in the same starch also produce the different postprandial glucose and insulin responses. In recent years, several studies have shown that some components of rice have potent antioxidant activity against Fe$^{2+}$ -ascorbate induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomal membranes. Cell culture and animal studies have shown that some components of rice have inhibitory effect on the growth and proliferation of several types of human cancer cell. It was also reported that the methanol extract of brown rice has antimutagenic activity against various mutagens. In addition, the pepsine hydrolysate from rice protein is reported to inhibit angiotensin converting enzyme activity. GABA (${\gamma}$ - aminobutyric acid) and GABA enriched rice germ is also effective for lowering blood pressure and triglyceride levels.s.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.235-240
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• 2005

Pollen has been used for prevention or treatment of certain diseases such as diabetes arthritis or cancer in traditional medicine. Among various pollens, pine tree pollen is known to relieve hypertension, suppress fatty liver progression, and facilitate the digestion, but its immunological activities are less known. To evaluate immunological reactivities and immunotoxicities of pine tree pollen, BALB/c mice were administered to the poller through oral route. Pine tree pollen suspended in distilled water or extracted with methanol has been administered at the concentration of 0, 10, or 100 mg/kg five days per week for four weeks. Polyclonal activation of splenic T cells with phytohemagglutinins did not induce a significant difference in IL-4 and $IFN_{\gamma}$ production between the pollen-administered mice groups and the control mice. Furthermore, polyclonal activation of splenic B cells with lipopolysaccharides did not result a significant difference in IgG1 and IgG2a production among the groups. These findings imply that the intake of pine tree pollen does not bring any humoral and cellular immune-dysrequlation. Whereas, viability of Listeria monocytogenes was suppressed in the mice administered with 100 mg/kg bw methanol extract, indicating the potential ability of pine tree pollen to enhance cell-mediated immunity mediated by type-1 helper T cells. In addition, aberrant upregulation of plasma IgG1 level was observed in the pollen-administered mice, which suggests a possibility of allergic response induction through the pine tree pollen uptake. Overall, pine tree pollen-mediated modulation of humoral or cellular immunity is worthy of further systematic investigation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1447-1451
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• 2007

Through the screening of marine natural compounds that inhibit cancer cell proliferation, we previously reported that pectenotoxin-2 (PTX-2) isolated from marine sponges exhibits selective cytotoxicity against several cell lines in p53-deficient tumor cells compared to those with functional p53. However, the molecular mechanisms of its anti-proliferative action on malignant cell growth are not completely known. To further explore the mechanisms of its anti-cancer activity and to test whether the status of p53 in liver cancer cells correlates with their chemo-sensitivities to PTX-2, we used two well-known hepatocarcinoma cell lines, p53-deficient Hep3B and p53-wild type HepG2. We have demonstrated that PTX-2 markedly inhibits Hep3B cell growth and induces apoptosis whereas HepG2 cells are much more resistant to PTX-2 suggesting that PTX-2 seems to act by p53-independent cytotoxic mechanism. The apoptosis induced by PTX-2 in Hep3B cells was associated with the modulation of DNA fragmentation factor (DFF) family proteins, up-regulation of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members such as Bax and Bcl-xS and activation of caspases (caspase-3, -8 and -9). Blockade of the caspase-3 activity by caspase-3 inhibitor, z-DEVD-fmk, prevented the PTX-2-induced growth inhibition in Hep3B cells. Moreover, treatment with PTX-2 also induced phosphorylation of AKT and extracellular-signal regulating kinase (ERK), but not c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MARK). Specific inhibitors of PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) and ERK1/2 inhibitor (PD98059) significantly blocks PTX-2-induced-anti-proliferative effects, whereas a JNK inhibitor (SP600125) and a p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB203580) have no significant effects demonstrating that the pro-apoptotic effect of PTX-2 mediated through activation of AKT and ERK signal pathway in Hep3B cells.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.257-265
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• 2017

Ferulic Acid (FA) is a metabolite of phenylalanine and tyrosine, a phenolic compound commonly found in fruits and vegetables. Several studies have shown that FA has various functions such as antioxidant effect, prevention of cell damage from irradiation, protection from cell damage caused by oxygen deficiency, anti-inflammatory action, anti-aging action, liver protective effect and anti-cancer action. In this study, we investigated the maturation rate, intracellular glutathione (GSH) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) of porcine oocytes by adding FA to the in vitro maturation (IVM) medium and examined subsequent embryonic developmental competence at 5% oxygen through parthenogenesis. There is no significant difference between the control group ($0{\mu}M$) and treatment groups ($5{\mu}M$, $10{\mu}M$, $20{\mu}M$) on maturation rates. Intracellular GSH levels in oocyte treated with $5{\mu}M$ of FA significantly increased (P < 0.05), and $20{\mu}M$ of FA revealed significant decrease (P < 0.05) in intracellular ROS levels compared with the control group. Oocytes treated with FA exhibited significantly higher cleavage rates (79.01% vs 89.19%, 92.20%, 90.89%, respectively) than the control group. Oocytes treated with $10{\mu}M$ showed significantly higher blastocyst formation rates (28.3% vs 40.3%, respectively) after PA than the control group. Total cell numbers in blastocyst of $10{\mu}M$ FA displayed significantly higher (39.4 vs 51.9, respectively) than the control group. In conclusion, these results suggested that treatment with FA during IVM improved the developmental potential of porcine embryos by increasing intracellular GSH synthesis and reducing ROS levels. Also, there was an improvement of cleavage rate, blastocyst formation and total cell numbers in blastocysts. It might be associated with Keap1-Nrf2 pathway as an antioxidant regulate pathway that plays a crucial role in determining the sensitivity of cells to oxidative damages by regulating the basal and inducible expression of enzymes which is related to detoxification and anti-oxidative effects, stress response enzymes and/or proteins and ABC transporters.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.460-467
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• 2020

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the word. Although radiation and chemotherapy are generally effective, there are various side effects that greatly limit the effectiveness of these treatments. Therefore, traditional herbs may have potential as important resources for the discovery of liver cancer therapeutics. In this study, we selected three Korean herbal medicine formulas from the Donguibogam, namely Bigihwan (BGH), Daechilgithang (DCGT), and Mokwhyangbinranghwan (MHBRH), and evaluated their anti-cancer effects on HCC cells. According to our results of three ethanol extracts, BGH was more effective at suppressing HCC growth than DCGT or MHBRH. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis showed that inhibition of HCC proliferation by the three extracts was associated with the induction of apoptosis and autophagy. In particular, BGH significantly increased mitochondrial impairment and showed the possibility of inducing mitophagy in comparison with the other two extracts. BGH prominently upregulated the levels of microtubule-associated protein light chain-3 which was accompanied by a decrease in the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 without altering the expression of pro-apoptotic Bax. In addition, the levels of PTEN-induced kinase 1 were also markedly increased in BGH-treated HCC cells. Moreover, autophagy blocking improved cell viability and reduced apoptosis after the three treatments, indicating that autophagy by these extracts enhances HCC cells against cytotoxicity. In conclusion, our findings show that BGH demonstrates the highest anti-cancer activity among the three formulas and inhibits the proliferation of HCC cells through autophagy induction.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.211-226
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• 1986

To understand the pathogenesis of anicteric leptospirosis with severe pulmonary hemorrhage occured in Korea, the microbiological and pathological features were observed in the experimentally induced leptospirosis in guinea pigs infected with a virulent strain of Leptospira interrogans isolated from the patient at Wonju, Korea, and the results are summarized as follows. 1. The main pathological features were widespread hemorrhages, especially affecting lung, skeletal muscles, retroperitoneal and perirenal adipose tissues. The hemorrhages accompanied inflammatory process especially of vasculitic pattern as well as occasional coagulation necrosis in the liver, skeletal muscle, and myocardium. The main inflammatory cells were of plasma cell even in the fairly early stage of the infection. 2. Those pathologic changes were more exaggerated in the inoculation site. 3. Within 144 hours of infection, the longer the infection time, the more antigens were observed in the tissues, and the severer the pathologic changes. 4. Leptospiral antigens were detected at first by indirect immunofluorescent and immunoperoxidase technics. As the infection time extended, the antigens were observed in all of the tissues examined except in the skeletal muscle. The shape of the antigens was spiral or thread-like within 72 hours of infection. As the infection progressed, they became fragmented and granular. 5. Leptospires were detected in the blood within 144 hours of infection by darkfield microscopic examination. Thereafter, none was observed. 6. Antibody to leptospires were detected as early as 72 hours of infection. In summary, the virulent strain of L. interrogans used in this experiment induced widespread hemorrhages with inflammatory reaction especially in lung, skeletal muscles, and retroperitoneal adipose tissue. With these findings, it is suggested that the direct toxic effect of leptospires might playa great role in the pathogenesis of this infection.

• Korean Journal of Korean Medical Institute of Dermatology and Aesthetics
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.127-144
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• 2005

This study compared the activity of the aerial part of P. japonicum with its root in order to examine the possibility of the medicinal use of the aerial part, which has not been used as medicine, in substitute for the root that has traditionally been used as medicine. For this purpose, the author measured the proliferation of Human $CD4^-$ T cells, which are related to immunity, the differentiation of HL-60 cells, and the contents of IL-6, IgE and $TNF-{\alpha}$ and compared their anti-cancer effect on Hep3B and A549 cells. The results of this study are as follows: 1. As for Human $CD4^-$ T cells, $1.0\;g/{\ell}$ methanol extract from the aerial part promoted the proliferation of the cells 1.8 times higher while $1.0\;g/{\ell}$ methanol extract from the root did by 1.76 times higher compared to the control group. 2. As for HL-60 cells, methanol extract and water extract from the aerial part showed differentiation 1.14 times higher and 1.12 times higher respectively while methanol extract and water extract from the root did 1.14 times higher and 1.07 times higher compared to tile control group. 3. Cell density was highest on Day 4 of culture in all samples, Methanol extracts from the aerial part and the root showed activities of $7.9{\times}10^3\;cells/m{\ell}$ and $7.5{\times}10^3\;cells/m{\ell}$ respectively, and water extracts from the aerial part and the root did activities of $5.3{\times}10^3\;cells/m{\ell}$ and $6.1{\times}10^3\;cells/m{\ell}$. 4. The secretion of IL-6 was highest on Day 4 of culture. Methanol extracts from the aerial part and the root showed secretions of $6.7{\times}10^{-3}\;pg/cells/m{\ell}$ and $7.2{\times}10^{-3}\;pg/cells/m{\ell}$ respectively, and water extracts from the aerial part and the root did secretions of as high as $7.0{\times}10^{-3}\;pg/cells/m{\ell}$ and $6.0{\times}10^{-3}\;pg/cells/m{\ell}$. 5. As for the production of IgE, water extract from the root effectively inhibited the product at $1,000\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, methanol extract from the root at $10\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ and $100\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, water extract from the aerial at $1,000\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, and methanol extract from the aerial part at $1,000\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$. 6. According to the result of measuring the content of $TNF-{\alpha}$, methanol extracts from the root and the aerial part showed inhibition effect at $10\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, $100\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ and $1,000\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$. 7. As for liver cancer cell Hep3B, $1.0\;g/{\ell}$ methanol extracts from the root and the aerial part showed inhibition effects of 78% and 70% respectively, and $1.0\;g/{\ell}$ water extracts from the root and the aerial part did inhibition effects of 56% and 59%. 8. As for lung cancer cell A549, $1.0\;g/{\ell}$ methanol extracts from the root and the aerial part showed inhibition effects of 75% and 70% respectively, and $1.0\;g/{\ell}$ water extracts from the root and the aerial part did inhibition effects of 48% and 45%. The results of this study presented above show that the aerial part of P. japonicum has immunizing and anti-cancer effects as high as its root, which has commonly been used as medicine. There should be more in-depth research on the aerial part of P. japonicum in the future.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.104-111
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• 2005

Several solvents were used to fractionate an extract obtained from the chapped root bark of Ulmus davidiana Planchon. The each fractionary part was condensed under reduced pressure and then examined to investigate the inhibitory effect on MMPs by modified gelatin zymography, where EA fraction showed the inhibition effect on the activity of MMPs. A compound showing inhibition effect on the MMPs was isolated and purified from EA fraction. Under IR, $^1H$- and $^{13}C$- NMR analyses it is very close to a catethin. This substance showed 48% inhibition effect on measurement of MMP-9 activity at 5 mM and 43% at 10 mM. To verify the effect of this substance on cells, human hepatoma, SK-Hep-1 cells as a cancer model, and Chang liver cells as a normal model were selected. MTT assay was performed to examine the cell viability by treatment of $1{\mu}L/mL$ of the purified substance on cells. The purified substance showed negligible toxicity on human liver cell line.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.1062-1068
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• 1996

This study was Performed to determine the effects of antimutagenicity and anticancer of Taxus cuspidata produced in Korea. Extracts of Taxus cuspidata were obtained from leaves, barks and roots. All the samples tested had no effects on the mutagenicity by Ames test using Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 or rec-assay using Bacillus subtilis Hl7 and M45 strains. However the treatment of 50$\mu\textrm{g}$/plate of Taxus cuspidata extracts showed strong antimutagenicity with 98% inhibition against TA100 induced by MNNG and with 98% inhibition against TA98 and TA100 induced by 4NQO whereas 73~89% and 16~60% antimutagenic effect were shown against both strain induced by Trp-P-1 and $Benzo(\alpha)pyrene,$ respectively. The treatment of $0.5$\mu\textrm{g}$/{\mu}\ell$ root extracts had the highest cytotoxicity with 90% against liver cancer cell, Hep 3B, followed by bark extracts(87%) and leave extracts(72%), whereas $0.5$\mu\textrm{g}$/{\mu}\ell$ treatment of Taxus cuspidata extract had only 22~36% cytotoxicity on human normal liver cell WRL 68.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 1968

Tissue homogenates of 12 kinds of human cancer tissues were incubated separately in medium containing $C^{14}-1-glucose$ and $C^{14}-6-glucose$ as a substrate in order to observe the oxidative pathway of glucose in the tumor tissues. At the end of 3 hours incubation in the Dubnuff metabolic shaking incubator, respiratory $CO_2$ samples trapped by alkaling which was placed in the center well of incubation flask were analysed for total $CO_2$ production rates and their radioactivities. The tissue homogenate samples after incubation were analyzed for their concentrations of glucose, lactate and pyruvate. Calculations were made on the glucose consumption rate and accumulation rates of lactate and pyruvate. Fractionation of oxidative pathway of glucose was carried out by calculating $C^{14}O_2 yields from C-1 and C-6 carbon of glucose. The following results were obtained. 1. In 12 kinds of human cancer, total $CO_2$ production rates were less than $8{\mu}M/gm$ except 2 cases. These lower values impressed that oxidative metabolism in the tumor tissues generally inhibited as compared with that in normal tissues. On the other hand, fractions of $CO_2$ derived from glucose to total $CO_2$ production rates (RSA) were less than 10% in every case. These facts showed that oxidation of glucose into $CO_2$ was remarkably inhibited in the tumor tissues. 2. Factions of glucose disappeared into $CO_2\;(RGD_{CO_2})$, lactate $(RGD_L)$, pyruvate $(RGD_P)$ to glucose consumption rates were as follows. $RGD_{CO_2}$ were less than 2% in cases of in this experiment and $RGD_L$ showed more than 5% except in 2 cases. These facts showed that anaerobic degradation of glucose into 3 carbon compounds was easily proceeded but further degradation into $CO_2$ via the TCA cycle was greatly inhibited resulting in accumulation of lactate. There are large variation in values of $RGD_P$ in different kinds of tumor tissue but relatively higher values in $RGD_{CO_2}$ were obtained in the tumor tissues as compared with those of normal tissues. 3. The oxidative pathway of glucose in tumor tissues were analyzed from the values of RSA which were obtained in $C^{14}-1\;and\;C^{14}-6-glucose$ incubation experiments. It was found that 3% of $CO_2$ derived from glucose were oxidized via the principal EMP-TCA cycle and the remainder were via alternate pathway such as HMP in the liver cancer and values in other cancer tissues were as follows; 4% in the tongue cancer, 6% in the colon cancer, 6% in the lung cancer, 9% in the stomach cancer, 11% in the ovarian cancer, 12% in the neck tumor, 22% in the uterine cancer, 22% in the bladder tumor, 32% in the spindle cell sarcoma and 65% in the brain tumor. These values except later 2 cases showed less than 30% which is the lowest value among the normal tissues. Even in the brain tumor in which showed highest value in the tumor group. It is reasonable to suppose that this fraction was remarkably decreased because values in normal brain tissue was more than 90%. From the above data, it was concluded that in tumor tissues, oxidation of glucose via TCA cycle was greatly inhibited but correlation between degree of inhibited oxidation of glucose via TCA cycle and malignancy of tumor were not clarified in this experiments.