• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.599-607
• /
• 2009

Prunellae Spica is the spike or whole plant of Prunella vulgaris Linne, which has been used for clearing heat from the liver, brightening the eyes and treating headache in traditional oriental medicines. This study was conducted to evaluate the inhibitory effects of the aqueous extract of Prunellae Spica (PSE; PS extract) on the production of NO and PGE2 in LPS-activated Raw 264.7 cells. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay, and all three doses of PS extract (0.03, 0.1 and 0.3 mg/ml) had no significant cytotoxicity during the entire experimental period. The cells were treated with 1 ${\mu}g/ml$ of LPS 1 h before adding PS extract, and increased NO and PGE2 production were detected in LPS-activated cells compared to control. However, these increases were dose-dependently attenuated by treatment with PS extract. The inhibition of NO by PS extract was due to the suppression of iNOS expression via inhibition of $NF{\kappa}B$ nuclear translocation and proteolytic degradation of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$. The decreased level of PGE2 was derived from inhibition of COX-2 activity, but expression of COX-2 protein was not affected by PS extract. Moreover, PS extract reduced the elevated production of IL-${\beta}$ and IL-6 by LPS. These results demonstrate that PS extract has inhibitory effects on the production of NO and PGE2 as a consequence of the reduction of proinflammatory cytokines, especially IL-${\beta}$ and IL-6 in LPS-activated Raw 264.7 cells.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.283-287
• /
• 2011

In order to produce centellosides from whole plant cultures of Centella asiatica (L.) Urban, we evaluated the synergistic effects of thidiazuron (TDZ) and methyl jasmonate (MJ) on whole plant growth and centelloside production. After 4 weeks of treatment with 0.025 mg/L of TDZ coupled with 0.1 mM MJ, the production of made-cassoside and asiaticoside from whole plant cultures was estimated to be 2.40- and 2.44-fold, respectively, above that of MJ elicitation alone. When whole plants were treated with a growth regulator and an elicitor, the growth of whole plants, as compared to the controls, did not differ. Additionally, total phytosyterol content in the leaves of whole plants co-treated with MJ and TDZ was 1.08-fold greater than those of MJ alone. These results demonstrate that combined treatments not only stimulate the accumulation of centellosides in the leaves but also inhibit the reduction of phytosterol levels caused by MJ elicitation.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.255-260
• /
• 1999

In the previous report, E-kong-san, which is usually used for recovering health in traditional medicine, has been shown to decrease cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity in vivo and in vitro. The significant reduction of E-kong-san on the cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity led us to investigate whether the effect of this water extract was a result of triggering antioxidation. In monkey kidney Vero cells, E-kong-san at $5{\sim}10\;mg/ml$ was able to attenuate 2mM cisplatin-stimulated cell death by 46.8% and 31.8%, respectively. E-kong-san showed strong free radical scavengering activities on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) radical and xanthine/xanthine oxidase (XOD) generated superoxide anion radical $(O_2^{-.})$. We further studied the effects of E-kong-san on lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomes induced by enzymatic and nonenzymatic methods. Moreover, E-kong-san exhibited significant inhibition on both ascorbic $acid/Fe^{2+}$ and $ADP/NADPH/Fe^{3+}$ induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomes. Based on these results, we suggest that E-kong-san protects the cisplatin induced cytotoxicity by its antioxidative mechanism.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.20 no.6
• /
• pp.670-675
• /
• 2004

Humic acids are macromolecules originated from natural water, soil, and sediment. The characteristics of humic acid enable it to change the distribution of metals as well as many kinds of organic contaminants and to determine the sorption of them from soil solution. To see the effect of humic acid on the removal rate of organic contaminants and heavy metals, batch-scale experiments were performed. As a natural geosorbent, black shale was used as a sorbent media, which showed hight sorption capacity of trichloroethylene (TCE), lead, cadmium and chromium. The effect of sorption-desorption, pH, ionic strength and the concentration of humic acid was taken into consideration. TCE sorption capacity by black shale was compared to natural bentonite and hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) modified bentonite. The removal rate was good and humic acid also sorbed onto black shale very well. The organic part of humic acid could effectively enhance the partition of TCE and it act as an electron donor to reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III). Cationic metal of Pb(II) and Cd(II) also removed from the water by black shale. With 3 mg/L of humic acid, both Pb(II) and Cd(II) were removed more than without humic acid. That could be explained by sorption and complexation with humic acid and that was possible when humic acid could change the hydrophobicity and solubility of heavy metals. Humic acid exhibited desorption-resistivity with black shale, which implied that black shale could be an alternative sorbent or material for remediation of organic contaminants and heavy metals.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.51 no.1
• /
• pp.135-147
• /
• 2018

In order to investigate the runoff characteristics of nonpoint source pollutants in the Lake Doam watershed, water quality and flow rate were monitored for 38-rainfall events from 2009 to 2016. The EMC values of SS, COD, TN and TP were in the range of 33~2,169, 3.5~56.9, 0.09~7.65 and $0.06{\sim}2.21mg\;L^{-1}$, respectively. As a result of analyzing the effect of rainfall factor on the nonpoint source pollutant load, EMCs of SS, COD and TP showed a statistically significant correlation with rainfall (RA) (p<0.01) and SS showed highly significant correlation with maximum rainfall intensity (MRI, R=0.48). The load ranges of SS, COD, TN and TP were 10.4~11,984.6, 1.1~724.4, 0.6~51.6 and $0.03{\sim}22.85ton\;event^{-1}$, respectively, showing large variation depending on the characteristics of rainfall events. The effect of rainfall on the load was analyzed. SS, COD and TP showed a positive correlation, but TN did not show any significant correlation. The annual load of SS was the highest with $88,645tons\;year^{-1}$ in 2011 when rainfall was the highest with 1,669 mm. The result of impact analysis of nonpoint source pollution reduction project and land-use change on runoff load showed that pollutant load significantly reduced from 2009 to 2014 but SS and TP loads were increased from 2014 to 2016 due to increase in construction area. Therefore, we suggested that nonpoint source pollution abatement plan should be continued to reduce the soil loss and pollutants during rainfall, and countermeasures to reduce nonpoint source pollution due to construction need to be established.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.271-275
• /
• 2013

Cobalt (Co) compounds have been used for centuries to impart rich blue color to glass, glazes and ceramics. Cobalt monoxide (CoO), an oxide of Co, is an inorganic compound that has long been used as a coloring agent in the ceramic industry. Unlike other coloring agents, CoO can be used to develop colors other than blue, and several factors such as its concentration in the glaze and firing condition have been suggested as possible mechanisms. For example, CoO produces a typical blue color called "cobalt blue" at very low concentrations such as 1 wt% in both oxidation and reduction firing conditions; a higher concentration of CoO (5 wt%) develops a darker blue color under the same firing conditions. Interestingly, CoO also develops a purple color at high concentrations above 10 wt%. In this study, we examined the applicability and mechanism of a novel purple glaze containing cobalt(II, III) oxide, one of the well characterized cobalt oxides. Experimental results show that an Augite crystal isoform (Augite-Fe/Co) in which Fe was replaced with Co is the main component contributing to the formation of the purple color. Based on these results, we developed a glaze using chemically synthesized Augite-Fe/Co crystal as a color pigment. Purple color glaze was successfully developed by the addition of 6~15 wt% of $Co_3O_4$ to magnesia lime.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.236-242
• /
• 2004

Cerebral ischemia resulting from transient or permanent occlusion of cerebral arteries leads to neuronal cell death and eventually causes neurological impairments. Bee venom has been used for the treatment inflammatory disease. In the present study, the effects of bee venom on apoptosis and cell proliferation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus following transient global ischemia in gerbils were investigated using immunohistochemistry for cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), caspase-3, and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU). It was shown that apoptotic cell death and cell proliferation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus were significantly increased following transient global ischemia in gerbils and that treatment of bee venom suppressed the ischemia-induced increase in apoptosis and cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus. The present results also showed that 1 mg/kg bee-venom treatment suppressed the ischemia-induced increasing apoptosis, cell proliferation, and COX-2 expression in the dentate gyrus. It is possible that the suppression of cell proliferation is due to the reduction of apoptotic cell death by treatment of bee venom. In the present study, bee venom was shown to prosses anti-apoptotic effect in ischemic brain disease, and this protective effect of bee venom against ischemia-induced neuronal cell death is closely associated with suppression on caspase-3 expression.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.471-479
• /
• 2009

A Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron(NZVI) was modified to build a reactor system to treat nitrate. Shell layer of the NZVI was modified by slow exposure of the iron surface to air flow, which produced NZVI particles that are resistant to aerial oxidation. A XANES (X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure) analysis revealed that the shell consists of magnetite ($Fe_3O_4$) dominantly. The shell-modified NZVI(0.5 g NZVI/ 120 mL) was able to degrade more than 95% of 30 mg/L of nitrate within $30 hr^{-1}$ ( pseudo first-order rate constant($k_{SA}$) normalzed to NZVI surface area ($17.96m^2/g$) : $0.0050L{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}hr^{-1}$). Ammonia occupied about 90% of degradation products of nitrate. Nitrate degradation efficiencies increased with the increase of NZVI dose generally. Initial pH values of the reactor systems at 4, 7, and 10 did not affect nitrate removal rate and final pH values of all experiments were near 12. Nitrate removal experiments by using the shell-modified NZVI immobilized on a cellulose acetate (CA) membrane were also conducted. The nitrate removal efficiency of the CA membrane supported NZVI ($k_{SA}=0.0036L{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}hr^{-1}$) was less than that of the NZVI slurries($k_{SA}=0.0050L{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}hr^{-1}$), which is probably due to less surface area available for reduction and to kinetic retardation by nitrate transport through the CA membrane. The detachment of the NZVI from the CA membrane was minimal and impregnation of up to 1 g of NZVI onto 1 g of the CA membrane was found feasible.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.169-181
• /
• 2005

Background & Objective : Idiopathic Lung Fibrosis(IPF) is chronic fibrotic interstitial pneumonia. The pathogenesis is unclear. Fritillariae Rhizoma is the most commonly used antitussive and expectorant Oriental medicinal herb. The effects of Fritillariae Rhizoma on bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis is here evaluated. Material and Methods : Fritillariae Rhizoma extract was daily given to the normal rats, control(bleomycin) rats and treated(bleomycin and Fritillariae Rhizoma) rats at 9.0 mg per body weight 10g for 14 days. 14 days later, the change in Leukocyte count and percentages were observed, as well as IFN-gamma and 1L-4 in BALF, and the change in Semiqualitative histological index(SHI). Results : Compared to control rats, Fritillariae Rhizoma treated rats showed a lower leukocyte count(P<0.05) lymphocyte, neutrophil percentage, SHI(p<0.05), IFN-gamma and IL-4(p<0.05) in treated rats. Conversely, macrophage percentages went higher(p<0.05) in treated rats. Conclusion : This study supports a role for Fritillariae Rhizoma in reducing the maintaining inflammatory cells and cytokines in rats with bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis and in the reduction of fibrosis tissues. Further research is needed in order to develop an effective treatment for lung fibrosis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
• /
• 1996.11a
• /
• pp.6-6
• /
• 1996

Ceramic based nanocomposite, in which nano-sized ceramics and metals were dispersed within matrix grains and/or at grain boundaries, were successfully fabricated in the ceramic/cerarnic and ceramic/metal composite systems such as $Al_2O_3$/SiC, $Al_2O_3$/$Si_3N_4$, MgO/SiC, mullite/SiC, $Si_3N_4/SiC, $Si_3N_4$/B, $Al_2O_3$/W, $Al_2O_3$/Mo, $Al_2O_3$/Ni and $ZrO_2$/Mo systems. In these systems, the ceramiclceramic composites were fabricated from homogeneously mixed powders, powders with thin coatings of the second phases and amorphous precursor composite powders by usual powder metallurgical methods. The ceramiclmetal nanocomposites were prepared by combination of H2 reduction of metal oxides in the early stage of sinterings and usual powder metallurgical processes. The transmission electron microscopic observation for the $Al_2O_3$/SiC nanocomposite indicated that the second phases less than 70nm were mainly located within matrix grains and the larger particles were dispersed at the grain boundaries. The similar observation was also identified for other cerarnic/ceramic and ceramiclmetal nanocornposites. The striking findings in these nanocomposites were that mechanical properties were significantly improved by the nano-sized dispersion from 5 to 10 vol% even at high temperatures. For example, the improvement in hcture strength by 2 to 5 times and in creep resistance by 2 to 4 orders was observed not only for the ceramidceramic nanocomposites but also for the ceramiclmetal nanocomposites with only 5~01%se cond phase. The newly developed silicon nitride/boron nitride nanocomposites, in which nano-sized hexagonal BN particulates with low Young's modulus and fracture strength were dispersed mainly within matrix grains, gave also the strong improvement in fracture strength and thermal shock fracture resistance. In presentation, the process-rnicro/nanostructure-properties relationship will be presented in detail. The special emphasis will be placed on the understanding of the roles of nano-sized dispersions on mechanical properties.