• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.47-64
• /
• 2016

Objective : This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Hwangryeonhaedoktang pharmacopuncture solution (HRHDT) and microneedle therapy system (MTS) on hair growth in an alopecia model of C57BL/6N mice.Methods : Six-week old mice were depilated and separated in 4 groups ; CON (saline), MXD (3% Minoxidil), MTS and HRHDT+MTS. The treatments were applied twice a week for 17 days. The hair growth was determined photographically. The hair density, thickness and length were identified by Folliscope and the weights of body and organs were measured. In dorsal skin tissue, the expression of hair growth-related gene and protein was analyzed by RT-PCR. In addition, the hair follicles in the dermis were observed by H&E staining.Results : The promotion of hair growth was observed in HRHDT+MTS and MTS compared to CON. The hair density, thickness and length were also improved in HRHDT+MTS and MTS compared to CON. The mRNA expression of IGF-1, PRL and PL and the protein expression of VEGF and IGF-1 were increased in HRHDT+MTS and MTS compared to CON. The hair follicles and hair root growth were improved in HRHDT+MTS and MTS compared to CON. In the above results, HRHDT+MTS were more effective than MTS.Conclusions : These results suggest that HRHDT and MTS have a hair growth activity and can be useful for the treatment of alopecia.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.935-941
• /
• 2010

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains is one of the most critical problems of modern medicine. Bacteriophages have been suggested as an alternative therapeutic agent for such bacterial infections. In the present study, we examined the therapeutic potential of phage Kpn5 in the treatment of Klebsiella pneumoniae B5055-induced burn wound infection in a mouse model. An experimental model of contact burn wound infection was established in mice employing K. pneumoniae B5055 to assess the efficacy of phage Kpn5 in vivo. Survival and stability of phage Kpn5 were evaluated in mice and the maximum phage count in various organs was obtained at 6 h and persisted until 36 h. The Kpn5 phage was found to be effective in the treatment of Klebsiella-induced burn wound infection in mice when phage was administered immediately after bacterial challange. Even when treatment was delayed up to 18 h post infection, when all animals were moribund, approximately 26.66% of the mice could be rescued by a single injection of this phage preparation. The ability of this phage to protect bacteremic mice was demonstrated to be due to the functional capabilities of the phage and not due to a nonspecific immune effect. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-$1{\beta}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) were significantly lower in sera and lungs of phage-treated mice than phage untreated control mice. The results of the present study bring out the potential of bacteriophage therapy as an alternate preventive approach to treat K. pneumoniae B5055-induced burn wound infections. This approach not only helps in the clearance of bacteria from the host but also protects against the ensuing inflammatory damage due to the exaggerated response seen in any infectious process.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.41 no.7
• /
• pp.695-702
• /
• 2018

The inner ear is a complex sensory organ responsible for hearing and balance. Formation of the inner ear is dependent on tight regulation of spatial and temporal expression of genes that direct a series of developmental processes. Recently, epigenetic regulation has emerged as a crucial regulator of the development of various organs. However, what roles higher-order chromatin organization and its regulator molecules play in inner ear development are unclear. CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is a highly conserved 11-zinc finger protein that regulates the three-dimensional architecture of chromatin, and is involved in various gene regulation processes. To delineate the role of CTCF in inner ear development, the present study investigated inner ear-specific Ctcf knockout mouse embryos (Pax2-Cre; $Ctcf^{fl/fl}$). The loss of Ctcf resulted in multiple defects of inner ear development and severely compromised otic neurogenesis, which was partly due to a loss of Neurog1 expression. Furthermore, reduced Neurog1 gene expression by CTCF knockdown was found to be associated with changes in histone modification at the gene's promoter, as well as its upstream enhancer. The results of the present study demonstrate that CTCF plays an essential role in otic neurogenesis by modulating histone modification in the Neurog1 locus.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.291-296
• /
• 1985

Leptospira isolated from patients and natural paddy water were further studied to confirm their serologic specificity with the bacteria in infected animal tissue and autopsied tissue of patients died with leptospirosis. And pathologic patterns of the inoculated antimal and the virulence of the bacteria in the animals were also studied. The findings are summarized as follows; $LD_{50}$ dose of the bacteria in guinea-pig were $1-2{\times}10^9$ cells and mice were found to be susceptible to them even though the degree of susceptibilities were much inferior to guinea pig. The bacteria were recovered from various organs; demonstrated massive hemorrages due to diapedesis and monocyte infiltration were observed, in some cases, intramedullary hemorrages of the infected kidnies and hematuria were recognized. All of the hyperimmune sera were strongly reacted with the tissues from autopsied human case who died of EPHF(Epidemic Pulmonary Hemorrhagic Fever) in immunofluorescent antibody tests.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.267-276
• /
• 2014

Exposures to lead (Pb) are associated with neurological problems including psychiatric disorders and impaired learning and memory. Pb can be absorbed by iron transporters, which are up-regulated in hereditary hemochromatosis, an iron overload disorder in which increased iron deposition in various parenchymal organs promote metal-induced oxidative damage. While dysfunction in HFE (High Fe) gene is the major cause of hemochromatosis, the transport and toxicity of Pb in Hfe-related hemochromatosis are largely unknown. To elucidate the relationship between HFE gene dysfunction and Pb absorption, H67D knock-in Hfe-mutant and wild-type mice were given drinking water containing Pb 1.6 mg/ml ad libitum for 6 weeks and examined for behavioral phenotypes using the nestlet-shredding and marble-burying tests. Latency to nestlet-shredding in Pb-treated wild-type mice was prolonged compared with non-exposed wild-types (p < 0.001), whereas Pb exposure did not alter shredding latency in Hfe-mutant mice. In the marble-burying test, Hfe-mutant mice showed an increased number of marbles buried compared with wild-type mice (p = 0.002), indicating more repetitive behavior upon Hfe mutation. Importantly, Pb-exposed wild-type mice buried more marbles than non-exposed wild-types, whereas the number of marbles buried by Hfe-mutant mice did not change whether or not exposed to Pb. These results suggest that Hfe mutation could normalize Pb-induced behavioral alteration. To explore the mechanism of repetitive behavior caused by Pb, western blot analysis was conducted for proteins involved in brain dopamine metabolism. The levels of tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine transporter increased upon Pb exposure in both genotypes, whereas Hfe-mutant mice displayed down-regulation of the dopamine transporter and dopamine D1 receptor with D2 receptor elevated. Taken together, our data support the idea that both Pb exposure and Hfe mutation increase repetitive behavior in mice and further suggest that these behavioral changes could be associated with altered dopaminergic neurotransmission, providing a therapeutic basis for psychiatric disorders caused by Pb toxicity.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.58 no.4
• /
• pp.461-466
• /
• 2020

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that can invade various organs in the host body, including the central nervous system. Chronic intracranial T. gondii is known to be associated with neuroprotection against neurodegenerative diseases through interaction with host brain cells in various ways. The present study investigated the neuroprotective effects of chronic T. gondii infection in mice with cerebral ischemia experimentally produced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery. The neurobehavioral effects of cerebral ischemia were assessed by measurement of Garcia score and Rotarod behavior tests. The volume of brain ischemia was measured by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. The expression levels of related genes and proteins were determined. After cerebral ischemia, corrected infarction volume was significantly reduced in T. gondii infected mice, and their neurobehavioral function was significantly better than that of the uninfection control group. Chronic T. gondii infection induced the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) in the brain before MCAO. T. gondii infection also increased the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor after the cerebral ischemia. It is suggested that chronic intracerebral infection of T. gondii may be a potential preconditioning strategy to reduce neural deficits associated with cerebral ischemia and induce brain ischemic tolerance through the regulation of HIF-1α expression.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.9.1-9.15
• /
• 2020

Regenerative therapy holds great promise in the development of cures of some untreatable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, and pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) including induced PSCs (iPSCs) are the most important regenerative seed cells. Recently, differentiation of human PSCs into functional tissues and cells in vitro has been widely reported. However, although porcine reports are rare they are quite essential, as the pig is an important animal model for the in vitro generation of human organs. In this study, we reprogramed porcine embryonic fibroblasts into porcine iPSCs (piPSCs), and differentiated them into cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31)-positive endothelial cells (ECs) (piPSC-derived ECs, piPS-ECs) using an optimized single-layer culture method. During differentiation, we observed that a combination of GSK3β inhibitor (CHIR99021) and bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) promoted mesodermal differentiation, resulting in higher proportions of CD31-positive cells than those from separate CHIR99021 or BMP4 treatment. Importantly, the piPS-ECs showed comparable morphological and functional properties to immortalized porcine aortic ECs, which are capable of taking up low-density lipoprotein and forming network structures on Matrigel. Our study, which is the first trial on a species other than human and mouse, has provided an optimized single-layer culture method for obtaining ECs from porcine PSCs. Our approach can be beneficial when evaluating autologous EC transplantation in pig models.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.1-13
• /
• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Bitter taste receptors are taste signaling pathway mediators, and are also expressed and function in extra-gustatory organs. Skin aging affects the quality of life and may lead to medical issues. The purpose of this study was to better understand the anti-skin aging effects of bitter taste receptors in D-galactose (D-gal)-induced aged human keratinocytes, HaCaT cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: Expressions of bitter taste receptors in HaCaT cells and mouse skin tissues were examined by polymerase chain reaction assay. Bitter taste receptor was overexpressed in HaCaT cells, and D-gal was treated to induce aging. We examined the effects of bitter taste receptors on aging by using β-galactosidase assay, wound healing assay, and Western blot assay. RESULTS: TAS2R16 and TAS2R10 were expressed in HaCaT cells and were upregulated by D-gal treatment. TAS2R16 exerted protective effects against skin aging by regulating p53 and p21, antioxidant enzymes, the SIRT1/mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway, cell migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers. TAS2R10 was further examined to confirm a role of TAS2R16 in cellular senescence and wound healing in D-gal-induced aged HaCaT cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a novel potential preventive role of these receptors on skin aging by regulating cellular senescence and wound healing in human keratinocyte, HaCaT.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
• /
• 2001.11a
• /
• pp.84-84
• /
• 2001

The heartwood of Rhus verniciflua has been known to be effective for lingering intoxication and diabetes mellitus and rheumatoidal arthritis in traditional folk medicine in Korea. We have previously reported that antimutagenic effect of flavonoids derived from the heartwood extract of R. verniciflua, and sulfuretin was the active component. Recently, we have demonstrated that sulfuretin could be an anti-inflammatory principle of the R. verniciflua heartwood partially dependent on cyclooxigenase-inhibitory activity. The present study was undertaken to demonstrate the anti-rheumatoidal arthritis effect of the R. verniciflua heartwood extract, its EtOAc fraction and the main flavonoids, sulfuretin and fustin. All the test samples showed variably significant inhibitory effects on hind paw edema induced by Freund's complete adjuvant reagent (FCA reagent). Sulfuretin treatment with 10 mg/kg (i.p.) for seven days showed the inhibitory effect of 54.2${\pm}$3.0%, Similar trends in RA- and CRP tests, vascular permeability test and trypsin inhibitor test were also found. In addition, no dead mouse was found even when the dose was increased up to 5,000 mg/kg (i.p.). Treatment with 250-1,500 mg/kg on normal rats did not show any marked toxicological significances in the tests of body weight gain, wet weight of organs and hepatic functions. These results suggested that the heartwood of R. verniciflua could be an adequate crude drug for rheumatoidal arthritis with an active component of sulfuretin. The toxicological safety of the heartwood of R, verniciflua is contrasted to known severe allergenic action of the stem bark or its exudate.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.21 no.11
• /
• pp.1518-1525
• /
• 2011

Sorafenib is the only approved systemic, therapeutic agent for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The use of Ginseng Extract (GE) in cancer patients is growing worldwide; however, drug interaction between sorafenib and GE has not been illuminated. Four different human cancer cell lines including HepG2 were used and immunocompetent mice were implanted subcutaneously with a mouse HCC cell line. Treatment with low dose GE stimulated cell growth, while a high dose inhibited growth. pERK (phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase) was concomitantly increased and decreased respective of different doses of GE. Antitumoral effect of sorafenib decreased in non-proliferating phase cells but was sensitized after low dose GE (LDG) treatment. PD98059 (ERK phosphorylation inhibitor) efficiently blocked ERK phosphorylation, resulting in loss of sorafenib sensitization even after LDG treatment. In the HCC mouse model, LDG alone slightly increased tumor size while sorafenib alone significantly decreased it. However, a combination of LDG and sorafenib significantly decreased tumor size compared with sorafenib alone. Increase of pERK was observed in some normal mice organs and mild inflammatory change was observed in some of these organs, suggesting pERK activation by LDG may cause unexpected toxicity in normal cells. GE, dose-dependently, induced stimulation or inhibition in some human cancer cell lines. Combinational use of GE and sorafenib possibly potentiated an antitumoral response to sorafenib. pERK level has been provided as a potential predictive marker for sorafenib. Our result may suggest GE's dual effects in relation to pERK level in HCC cancer cell lines, and that certain doses of GE can sensitize sorafenib.