• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1983-1990
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• 2007

Antidiabetic effects of a novel microbial biopolymer (PGB) 1 excreted from new Enterobacter sp. BL-2 were tested in the db/db mice. The animals were divided into normal control, rosiglitazone (0.005%, wt/wt), low PGB1 (0.1%, wt/wt), and high PGB1 (0.25%, wt/wt) groups. After 5 weeks, the blood glucose levels of high PGB1 and rosiglitazone supplemented groups were significantly lower than those of the control group. In hepatic glucose metabolic enzyme activities, the glucokinase activities of PGB1 supplemented groups were significantly higher than the control group, whereas the PEPCK activities were significantly lower. The plasma insulin and hepatic glycogen levels of the low and high PGB1 supplemented groups were significantly higher compared with the control group. Specifically, the insulin and glycogen increases were dose-responsive to PGB1 supplement. PGB1 supplement did not affect the IPGTT and IPITT compared with the control group; however, rosiglitazone significantly improved IPITT. High PGB1 and rosiglitazone supplementation preserved the appearance of islets and insulin-positive cells in immunohistochemical photographs of the pancreas compared with the control group. These results demonstrated that high PGB1 (0.25% in the diet) supplementation seemingly contributes to preventing the onset and progression of type 2 diabetes by stimulating insulin secretion and enhancing the hepatic glucose metabolic enzyme activities.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.185-192
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• 2021

Background: It is known that some analgesics as well as pain can affect the immune system. The aim of this study was to investigate the analgesic effect and immunomodulation of pregabalin (PGB) in a mouse incisional pain model. Methods: A postoperative pain model was induced by hind paw plantar incision in male BALB/c mice. Mice were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8): a saline-treated incision (incision), PGB-treated incision (PGB-incision), sham controls without incision or drug treatment (control), and a PGB-treated control (PGB-control). In the PGB treated groups, PGB was administered intraperitoneally (IP) 30 minutes before and 1 hour after the plantar incision. Changes of the mechanical nociceptive thresholds following incision were investigated. Mice were euthanized for spleen harvesting 12 hours after the plantar incision, and natural killer (NK) cytotoxicity to YAC 1 cells and lymphocyte proliferation responses to phytohemagglutinin were compared among these four groups. Results: Mechanical nociceptive thresholds were decreased after plantar incision and IP PGB administration recovered these decreased mechanical nociceptive thresholds (P < 0.001). NK activity was increased by foot incision, but NK activity in the PGB-incision group was significantly lower than that in the Incision group (P < 0.001). Incisional pain increased splenic lymphocyte proliferation, but PGB did not alter this response. Conclusions: Incisional pain alters cell immunity of the spleen in BALB/c mice. PGB showed antinocieptive effect on mouse incisional pain and attenuates the activation of NK cells in this painful condition. These results suggest that PGB treatment prevents increases in pain induced NK cell activity.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.183-190
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• 2019

Here, we introduce porous graphene balls (PGB) showing superior electrochemical properties as supercapacitor electrode materials. PGB was fabricated via activation of graphene oxides (GO) by H₂O₂ and aerosol spray drying in series. Effect of activation on the morphology, specific surface area, pore volume, and electrochemical properties were investigated. As-prepared PGB showed spherical morphology containing pores, which lead to the effective prevention of restacking in graphene sheets. It also exhibited a large surface area, unique porous structures, and high electrical conductivity. The electrochemical properties of the PGB as electrode materials of supercapacitor are investigated by using aqueous KOH under symmetric two-electrode system. The highest specific capacitance of PGB was 279 F/g at 0.1 A/g. In addition, the high rate capability (93.8% retention) and long-term cycling stability (92.2%) of the PGB were found due to the facilitated ion mobility between the porous graphene layers.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2007

This study was conducted to obtain information of the oral dose acute toxicity of PGB-2, a novel polyglucosamine polymer produced from Citrobacter sp. BL-4 (a new strain) in male and female mice. Mortality, body weight changes, clinical signs were monitored during 14 days after single oral dose of test article at dose levels of 2000, 1000, 500, 250 and 125 ml/kg. Gross lesions, organ weight and histopathology of principal organs were examined after necropsy. As the results, we could not find any mortalities, clinical signs, changes in the body weight and gross findings except for white foci in the liver. In addition, no PGB-2-treatment related abnormal changes on the organ weight and histopathology of principle organs were detected except for atypical signs of liver. White liver foci were confirmed as focal infiltration of inflammatory cells. The results suggest that the PGB-2 is relatively safe in mice but the possibility of hepatotoxicity could not be excluded. The $LD_{50}$ and approximate LD in mice after single oral dose of PGB-2 were considered over 2000 mg/kg, respectively. In future, the potential hepatotoxicity of PGB-2 should be evaluated through the repeat dose toxicity test prior to develop as a new agent.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.373-382
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• 2007

This study was conducted to obtain acute information of the oral dose toxicity of PGB-1, a novel polyglucosamine polymer produced from a new strain Enterobacter sp. BL-2 in male and female mice. In order to calculated 50% lethal dose ($LD_{50}$) and approximate lethal dose (LD), test material was once orally administered to male and female ICR mice at dose levels of 2000, 1000, 500, 250, 125 and 0 (vehicle control) ml/kg (body wt.). The mortality and changes on body weight, clinical signs, gross observation and organ weight and histopathology of principle organs were monitored 14 days after dosing with PGB-1. We could not find any mortalities, clinical signs, body weight changes and gross findings. In addition, significant changes in the organ weight and histopathology of principal organs were not observed except for some sporadic findings. The results obtained in this study suggest that PGB-1 may not be toxic in mice and may be therefore safe for clinical use. The $LD_{50}$ and approximate LD in mice after single oral dose of PGB-1 were considered over 2000 mg/kg in both female and male mice.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.104-106
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• 2008

Enterobacter sp. BL-2 excretively produced a unique cationic polyglucosamine biopolymer PGB-1 comprised of more than 95% D-glucosamine in an acetate-mediated culture condition. The excretion of the biopolymer PGB-1 was closely associated with the cellular morphology of Enterobacter sp. BL-2, a feature highly dependable on the pH of the medium. The initially formed uneven and irregular surface cells were aggregated into the cell-biopolymer network structure connected by the adhesion modules of the cell-bound biopolymer. The excretive production of the biopolymer PGB-1 coincided with the disruption of the cell-biopolymer network, most actively at the medium pH of 8.0.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.131-136
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• 2011

Background: Pregabalin is an anticonvulsant and analgesic agent that interacts selectively with the voltage-sensitive-$Ca^{2+}$-channel alpha-2-delta subunit. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the analgesic action of intrathecal (IT) pregabalin is associated with KATP channels in the rat formalin test. Methods: IT PE-10 catheters were implanted in male Sprague-Dawley rats (250.300 g) under inhalation anesthesia using enflurane. Nociceptive behavior was defined as the number of hind paw flinches during 60 min after formalin injection. Ten min before formalin injection, IT drug treatments were divided into 3 groups: normal saline (NS) $20\;{\mu}l$ (CON group); pregabalin 0.3, 1, 3 and $10\;{\mu}g$ in NS $10\;{\mu}l$ (PGB group); glibenclamide $100\;{\mu}g$ in DMSO $5\;{\mu}l$ with pregabalin 0.3, 1, 3 and $10\;{\mu}g$ in NS $5\;{\mu}l$ (GBC group). All the drugs were flushed with NS $10\;{\mu}l$. Immunohistochemistry for the $K_{ATP}$ channel was done with a different set of rats divided into naive, NS and PGB groups. Results: IT pregabalin dose-dependently decreased the flinching number only in phase 2 of formalin test. The log dose response curve of the GBC group shifted to the right with respect to that of the PGB group. Immunohistochemistry for the $K_{ATP}$ channel expression on the spinal cord dorsal horn showed no difference among the groups 1 hr after the formalin test. Conclusions: The antinociceptive effect of pregabalin in the rat formalin test was associated with the activation of the $K_{ATP}$ channel. However, pregabalin did not induce $K_{ATP}$ channel expression in the spinal cord dorsal horn.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.6
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• pp.779-786
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• 1998

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatogrphy (RP-HPLC) has been developed to analyze the metabolites of arachidonic acid based on the specificities of ultraviolet absorption of these various metabolites and is sensitive to the nanogram level. This procedure makes it possible to extract complex mixtures of eicosanoids efficiently with a single step and to analyze them simultaneously by RP-HPLC from biological samples using octadesylsilyl silica extraction column and $PGB_2$ as an internal standard. The cyclooxygenase products {prostaglandin $(PG)D_2,\;PGE_1,\;PGE_2,\;PGF_{1{\alpha}},\;PGF{2{\alpha}},\;6-keto-PGF_{1{\alpha}},$ and thromboxane $B_2(TXB_2)}$ and lipid peroxidation product, isoprostanes, of arachidonic acid were monitored by one isocratic HPLC system at 195 nm wavelength. The lipoxygenase products ${leukotriene(LT)B_4,\;LTC_4,\;LTD_4,$ and 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE), 12-HETE, 15-HETE} were measured by another isocratic HPLC system at 280 nm for LTs and 235 nm for HETEs. This method provides a simple and reliable way to extract and assess quantitatively the final arachidonic acid metabolites.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.626-632
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• 2005

A new bacterium BL-2 excreting a novel cationic polyglucosamine biopolymer was isolated from the spoiled leaves of Chinese cabbage and identified as Enterobacter sp. BL-2. The isolated Enterobacter sp. BL-2 was cultivated in pH-stat fed-batch culture using acetic acid as the feeding stock at pH 8.0, resulting in 17.11 g/l of cells and 1.53 g/l of an extracellular biopolymer after 72 h. The excreted biopolymer was purified by a three-step procedure, involving ethanol precipitation and deproteinizations, to a nearly homogeneous state, and its molecular weight was found to be 106 kDa. It was composed of glucosamine, rhamnose, and galactose at a molar ratio of 86.4:1.6:1.0, respectively, indicating a rarely found novel high-glucosamine-containing biopolymer. The FT-IR and $^{13}C-NMR$ spectra of the novel cationic polyglucosamine biopolymer PGB-l revealed a close identity with chitosan from crab shell. It can effectively flocculate various suspended solids, including kaolin clay, $Ca(OH)_2,\;Al_{2}O_3$, active carbon, microbial cells, and acidic dyes.