• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.357-366
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• 2016

Pro-inflammatory cytokine and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are modulated in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study investigated the effects of ibuprofen (IBU) on enhanced anxiety in a rat model of PTSD induced by a single prolonged stress (SPS) procedure. The effects of IBU on inflammation and BDNF modulation in the hippocampus and the mechanisms underlying for anxiolytic action of IBU were also investigated. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given IBU (20 or 40 mg/kg, i.p., once daily) for 14 days. Daily IBU (40 mg/kg) administration significantly increased the number and duration of open arm visits in the elevated plus maze (EPM) test, reduced the anxiety index in the EPM test, and increased the time spent in the center of an open field after SPS. IBU administration significantly decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$, $interleukin-1{\beta}$, and BDNF, in the hippocampus, as assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis and immunohistochemistry. These findings suggest that IBU exerts a therapeutic effect on PTSD that might be at least partially mediated by alleviation of anxiety symptoms due to its anti-inflammatory activity and BDNF expression in the rat brain.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1855-1866
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• 2017

The synergistic activation mediator (SAM) system can robustly activate endogenous gene expression by a single-guide RNA. This transcriptional modulation has been shown to enhance gene promoter activity and leads to epigenetic changes. Human $interferon-{\gamma}$ is a common natural glycoprotein involved in antiviral effects and inhibition of cancer cell growth. Large quantities of high-purity $interferon-{\gamma}$ are important for medical research and clinical therapy. To investigate the possibility of employing the SAM system to enhance endogenous human $interferon-{\gamma}$ with normal function in innate immunity, we designed 10 single-guide RNAs that target 200 bp upstream of the transcription start sites of the $interferon-{\gamma}$ genome, which could significantly activate the $interferon-{\gamma}$ promoter reporter. We confirmed that the system can effectively and highly activate $interferon-{\gamma}$ expression in several humanized cell lines. Moreover, we found that the $interferon-{\gamma}$ induced by the SAM system could inhibit tumorigenesis. Taken together, our results reveal that the SAM system can modulate epigenetic traits of non-immune cells through activating $interferon-{\gamma}$ expression and triggering JAK-STAT signaling pathways. Thus, this strategy could offer a novel approach to inhibit tumorigenesis without using exogenous $interferon-{\gamma}$.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.67-79
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• 2014

In order to investigate the efficacy of BJBB on atopic dermatitis, various immune related factors were studied. The results and conclusions are as follows. Atopic dermatitis symptoms were improved in BJBB treated group and significant decrease in dermatitis index were observed in 13 weeks. ALT, AST and BUN, Cr levels were all with in the normal ranges in BJBB treated group, indicating no induced toxicity. BJBB treated group showed significant decrease in CD4+, CD11b+/Gr-1+ immune cell ratio in dorsal skin by 33% and 62% respectively. BJBB treated group showed significant decrease in the expression of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and histamine by 83%, 62%, 53% and 61% respectively. Also the group showed decrease in the transcription of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 mRNA in spleen by 41%, 52% and 50% respectively. BJBB treated group showed decrease in the expression of IgE by 57% respectively. The results above indicated that treatment of BJBB improved atopic dermatitis symptoms by immune modulation activity a clinical evidence. thus, BJBB has a potential use as a composition of medicinal plants for treatment against inflammation related disease.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.81-86
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• 2010

Laser irradiation is known to affect various tissues such as skin, bone, nerve, and skeletal muscle. Laser irradiation promotes ATP synthesis, facilitates wound healing, and stimulates cell proliferation and angiogenesis. In skeletal muscle, laser irradiation is related to the proliferation of skeletal muscle satellite cells. Normal skeletal muscle contains remodeling capacity from myogenic cells that are derived from mononuclear satellite cells. Their processes are activated by the expression of genes related with myogenesis such as muscle-specific transcription factors (MyoD and Myf5) and VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor). In this study, we hypothesized that laser irradiation would enhance and regulate muscle cell proliferation and regeneration through modulation of the gene expressions related with the differentiation of skeletal muscle satellite cells. $C_2C_{12}$ myoblastic cells were exposed to continuous/non-continuous laser irradiation (660nm/808nm) for 10 minutes daily for either 1 day or 5 days. After laser irradiation, cell proliferation and gene expression (MyoD, Myf5, VEGF) were quantified. Continuous 660nm laser irradiation significantly increased cell proliferation and gene expression compared to control, continuous 808nm laser irradiation, and non-continuous 660nm laser irradiation groups. These results indicate that continuous 660nm laser irradiation can be applied to the treatment and regeneration of skeletal muscle tissue.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2019

Mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs) are glycolipids and have several pharmacological efficacies. MELs also show skin-moisturizing efficacy through a yet-unknown underlying mechanism. Aquaporin-3 (AQP3) is a membrane protein that contributes to the water homeostasis of the epidermis, and decreased AQP3 expression following ultraviolet (UV)-irradiation of the skin is associated with reduced skin moisture. No previous study has examined whether the skin-moisturizing effect of MELs might act through the modulation of AQP3 expression. Here, we report for the first time that MELs ameliorate the UVA-induced downregulation of AQP3 in cultured human epidermal keratinocytes (HaCaT keratinocytes). Our results revealed that UVA irradiation decreases AQP3 expression at the protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) levels, but that MEL treatment significantly ameliorated these effects. Our mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor analysis revealed that phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), but not extracellular signal-regulated kinase or p38, mediates UVA-induced AQP3 downregulation, and that MEL treatment significantly suppressed the UVA-induced phosphorylation of JNK. To explore a possible mechanism, we tested whether MELs could regulate the expression of peroxidase proliferator-activated receptor gamma ($PPAR-{\gamma}$), which acts as a potent transcription factor for AQP3 expression. Interestingly, UVA irradiation significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of $PPAR-{\gamma}$ in HaCaT keratinocytes, whereas a JNK inhibitor and MELs significantly rescued this effect. Taken together, these findings suggest that MELs ameliorate UVA-induced AQP3 downregulation in HaCaT keratinocytes by suppressing JNK activation to block the decrease of $PPAR-{\gamma}$. Collectively, our findings suggest that MELs can be used as a potential ingredient that modulates AQP3 expression to improve skin moisturization following UVA irradiation-induced damage.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1357-1363
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• 2008

The $P_{entC}$ promoter of the entCERA operon encoding enzymes for enterobactin biosynthesis in Escherichia coli is tightly regulated by the availability of iron in the culture medium. In iron-rich conditions, the $P_{entC}$ promoter activity is strongly repressed by the global transcription regulator Fur (ferric uptake regulator), which complexes with ferrous ions and binds to the Fur box 19-bp inverted repeat. In this study, we have constructed the expression vector pOS2 containing the $P_{entC}$ promoter and characterized its repression, induction, and modulation by quantifying the expression of the lacZ reporter gene encoding $\beta$-galactosidase. $\beta$-Galactosidase activities of E. coli transformants harboring pOS2-lacZ were highly induced in the presence of divalent metal ion chelators such as 2,2'-dipyridyl and EDTA, and were strongly repressed in the presence of excess iron. It was also shown that the basal level $\beta$-galactosidase expression by the $P_{entC}$ promoter was drastically decreased by incorporating the fur gene into the expression vector. Since the newly developed iron chelator-inducible expression system is efficient and cost-effective, it has wide applications in recombinant protein production.

• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.6.1-6.12
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• 2012

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complicated neurodegenerative disorder although it is oftentimes defined by clinical motor symptoms originated from age dependent and progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain. The pathogenesis of PD involves dopaminergic and nondopaminergic neurons in many brain regions and the molecular mechanisms underlying the death of different cell types still remain to be elucidated. There are indications that PD causing disease processes occur in a global scale ranging from DNA to RNA, and proteins. Several PD-associated genes have been reported to play diverse roles in controlling cellular functions in different levels, such as chromatin structure, transcription, processing of mRNA, translational modulation, and posttranslational modification of proteins. The advent of quantitative high throughput screening (HTS) tools makes it possible to monitor systemic changes in DNA, RNA and proteins in PD models. Combined with dopamine neuron isolation or derivation of dopamine neurons from PD patient specific induced pluripotent stem cells (PD iPSCs), HTS techonologies will provide opportunities to draw PD causing sequences of molecular events in pathologically relevant PD samples. Here I discuss previous studies that identified molecular functions in which PD genes are involved, especially those signaling pathways that can be efficiently studied using HTS methodologies. Brief descriptions of quantitative and systemic tools looking at DNA, RNA and proteins will be followed. Finally, I will emphasize the use and potential benefits of PD iPSCs-derived dopaminergic neurons to screen signaling pathways that are initiated by PD linked gene mutations and thus causative for dopaminergic neurodegneration in PD.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.516-521
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• 2014

The mechanisms underlying the refractory effects of flutamide, a first-line oral anti-androgen drug, have not been entirely elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism of flutamide-induced hormone-refractory prostate cancer cell growth and its modulation by resveratrol, a phytoalexin present in grapes. Resveratrol significantly attenuated interleukin 6 (IL-6)-induced signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) transcriptional activity and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or IL-6-induced prostate-specific antigen (PSA) transcriptional activity. Furthermore, compared to treatment with DHT or IL-6 alone, combination treatment of cells significantly increased PSA transcriptional activity, and resveratrol markedly diminished DHT plus IL-6-induced STAT3 and PSA transcriptional activities. Thus, the inhibitory effects of resveratrol on IL-6-, DHT-, and flutamide-induced hormone-refractory prostate cancer cell growth are partly mediated by the suppression of STAT3 reporter gene activity, suggesting that resveratrol represents a promising therapy for prostate cancer.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.963-975
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• 2022

Exogenous polyamines are able to induce life span and improve glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. However, the effects of exogenous polyamines on adipocyte differentiation and which polyamine transporters mediate them have not been elucidated yet. Here, we identified for the first time that exogenous polyamines can clearly stimulate adipocyte differentiation through polyamine transporters, solute carrier family 3 member A2 (SLC3A2) and SLC7A1. Exogenous polyamines markedly promote 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation by increasing the intracellular lipid accumulation and the expression of both adipogenic and lipogenic genes in a concentration-dependent manner. In particular, exogenous putrescine mainly regulates adipocyte differentiation in the early and intermediate stages. Moreover, we have assessed the expression of polyamine transporter genes in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and adipocytes. Interestingly, the putrescine-induced adipocyte differentiation was found to be significantly suppressed in response to a treatment with a polyamine transporter inhibitor (AMXT-1501). Furthermore, knockdown experiments using siRNA that specifically targeted SLC3A2 or SLC7A2, revealed that both SLC3A2 and SLC7A2 act as important transporters in the cellular importing of exogenous putrescine. Thus, the exogenous putrescine entering the adipocytes via cellular transporters is involved in adipogenesis through a modulation of both the mitotic clonal expansion and the expression of master transcription factors. Taken together, these results suggest that exogenous polyamines (such as putrescine) entering the adipocytes through polyamine transporters, can stimulate adipogenesis.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.577-582
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• 2009

The development of a high-throughput functional genomic screening provides a novel and expeditious approach in identifying critical genes involved in specific biological processes. Here we describe a cell-based cDNA screening system to identify the transcription activators of BiP, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone protein. BiP promoter contains the ER stress element which is commonly present in the genes involved in unfolded protein response (UPR) that regulates protein secretion in cells. Therefore, the positive regulators of BiP may also be utilized to improve the recombinant protein production through modulation of UPR. Four BiP activators, including human UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase 1 (HUGT1), are identified by the cDNA screening. Overexpression of HUGT1 leads to a significant increase in the production of recombinant erythropoietin, interferon ${\gamma}$, and monoclonal antibody in HEK293 cells. Our results demonstrate that the cDNA screening for BiP activators may be effective to identify the novel BiP regulators and HUGT1 may serve as an ideal target gene for improving the recombinant protein production in mammalian cells.