• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.91-104
• /
• 2000

Many synthetic bone materials have been studied for their potential of regenerative effects in periodontal tissue. Safflower seeds have been traditionally used as a drug for the treatment of fracture and blood stasis in oriental medicines. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the osseous responses in rat calvarial defects between bone substitutes such as calcium carbonate and bovine-derived hydroxyapatite and feeding of safflower seeds. The calvarial defects were made with 8 mm trephine bur in 24 Sprague-Dawley rats. Two graft materials were implanted in each experimental groups, whereas the control and safflower seed feeding groups were sutured without any other treatment. And then the rats of safflower seed feeding group were supplied with 3 g/day of safflower seeds. Each group was sacrificed at 4 weeks and 8 weeks. To study a histopathology related to bone healing and regeneration, Goldner's Masson Trichrome stain was done at each weeks. The tissue response was evaluated under light microscope. There were more osteoblastic activity, new bone formation, dense bony connective tissues in bovine-derived hydroxyapatite group compared to other groups at 8 weeks. The osseous defect area of safflower seed feeding group was filled with prominent fibrous tissues, where less inflammatory infiltration and new capillary proliferation. In the early phase of bone healing, safflower seed feeding reduces the inflammatory response and promotes the proliferation of connective tissue. These results suggest that natural bovine-derived HA and safflower seed feeding could enhance the regenerative potential in periodontal defects.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.1437-1449
• /
• 2007

In this study, the effect of extract of Corydalis yanhusuo (ECT) used in Oriental medicine therapy was investigated on the cell growth and apoptosis of HepG2 human hepatoma cells. It was found that ECT could inhibit the cell growth effectively in a dose-dependent manner, which was associated with morphological change and apoptotic cell death such as formation of apoptotic bodies, DNA fragmentation and increased populations of apoptotic-sub G1 phase. And we observed the effects of ECT on loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), using the JC-1 probe by DNA flow cytometric analysis. Apoptosis of HepG2 cells by ECT was associated with a down-regulation of anti apoptotic Bcl-2 expression, inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) expression and proteolytic activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9. However, ECT did not affect the pro-apoptotic Bax expression and activity of caspase-8. ECT treatment also concomitant degradation and /or inhibition of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), phospholipase C-1 ($PLC{\gamma}1$). Furthermore, ECT treatment caused a dose-dependent inhibition of iNOS and cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2). Additionally ECT have been implicated in the regulation of telomerase expression. ECT treatment induced the down-regulation of telomerase reverse transcriptase mRNA (hTERT) expression of HepG2 cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that ECT may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for the control of HepG2 human hepatoma cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.348-358
• /
• 2007

Metallothionein, a cysteine-rich stress response protein that is naturally induced by a variety of immunologic stressors, has been shown to suppress autoimmune disorders through mechanisms not yet fully defined. In the present study, we examined the underlying mechanisms by which metallothionein might mediate such regulation of autoimmunity. $Na\ddot{i}ve\;CD4^+$ T cells from metallothionein-deficient mice differentiated to produce significantly less IL-10, $TGF-{\gamma}$, and repressor of GATA, but more $IFN-{\gamma}$ and T-bet, when compared with those from wild-type mice. The levels of IL-4 and GATA-3 production were not different between the two groups of mice. Conversely, treatment with exogenous metallothionein during the priming phase drove $na\ddot{i}ve$ wild-type $CD4^+\;T$ cells to differentiate into cells producing more IL-10 and $TGF-{\beta}$, but less $IFN-{\gamma}$ than untreated cells. Metallothionein-primed cells were hyporesponsive to restimulation, and suppressive to T cell proliferation in an IL-10-dependent manner. Lymphocytes from metallothionein-deficient mice displayed significantly elevated levels of AP-1 and JNK activities in response to stimulation compared with those from wild-type controls. Importantly, transgenic mice overexpressing metallothionein exhibited significantly reduced susceptibility to collagen-induced arthritis and enhanced IL-10 level in the serum, relative to their nontransgenic littermates. Taken together, these data suggest that metallothionein is able to promote the generation of IL-10-and $TGF-{\beta}$-producing type 1 regulatory T-like cells by downregulating JNK-dependent AP-1 activity. Thus, metallothionein may play an important role in the regulation of Th1-dependent autoimmune arthritis, and may represent both a potential target for therapeutic manipulation and a critical element in the diagnostic assessment of disease potential.

• Journal of Power Electronics
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.70-80
• /
• 2018

A novel strategy based on a zero common mode voltage pulse-width modulation (ZCMV-PWM) technique and zero-sequence circulating current (ZSCC) feedback control is proposed in this study to eliminate ZSCCs between three-level neutral point clamped (NPC) voltage source inverters, with common AC and DC buses, that are operating in parallel. First, an equivalent model of ZSCC in a three-phase three-level NPC inverter paralleled system is developed. Second, on the basis of the analysis of the excitation source of ZSCCs, i.e., the difference in common mode voltages (CMVs) between paralleled inverters, the ZCMV-PWM method is presented to reduce CMVs, and a simple electric circuit is adopted to control ZSCCs and neutral point potential. Finally, simulation and experiment are conducted to illustrate effectiveness of the proposed strategy. Results show that ZSCCs between paralleled inverters can be eliminated effectively under steady and dynamic states. Moreover, the proposed strategy exhibits the advantage of not requiring carrier synchronization. It can be utilized in inverters with different types of filter.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.917-920
• /
• 2004

The migration potential of volatile organic solvents widely employed in the printing process of food packaging was investigated by using a closed experimental system, which contained a food sample and a paper sheet spiked with the contaminant solvents. The studied organic compounds included toluene and p,m,o-xylene which are relatively highly volatile. Typical food samples of caramel, beef jerky and butter were selected based on their chemical composition and were assigned to the migration system at 10, 25 and 4$0^{\circ}C$. The equilibrated migration level was very high with almost complete transfer in the butter with high fat, while caramel of high carbohydrate content and beef jerky of high protein showed migration degree of 37∼56% and 37∼77%, respectively. Temperature did significantly influence the migration on beef jerky with higher level at higher temperature. There was no difference in the migration level among the solvents.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.239-249
• /
• 2021

The present study explored the therapeutic potential of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in restoring aging-induced loss of cardioprotective effect of remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) along with the involvement of signaling pathways. The left hind limb was subjected to four short cycles of ischemia and reperfusion (IR) in young and aged male rats to induce RIPC. The hearts were subjected to IR injury on the Langendorff apparatus after 24 h of RIPC. The measurement of lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase and cardiac troponin served to assess the myocardial injury. The levels of H2S, cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α) were also measured. There was a decrease in cardioprotection in RIPC-subjected old rats in comparison to young rats along with a reduction in the myocardial levels of H2S, CBS, CSE, HIF-1α, and nuclear: cytoplasmic Nrf2 ratio. Supplementation with sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS, an H2S donor) and l-cysteine (H2S precursor) restored the cardioprotective actions of RIPC in old hearts. It increased the levels of H2S, HIF-1α, and Nrf2 ratio without affecting CBS and CSE. YC-1 (HIF-1α antagonist) abolished the effects of NaHS and l-cysteine in RIPC-subjected old rats by decreasing the Nrf2 ratio and HIF-1α levels, without altering H2S. The late phase of cardioprotection of RIPC involves an increase in the activity of H2S biosynthetic enzymes, which increases the levels of H2S to upregulate HIF-1α and Nrf2. H2S has the potential to restore aging-induced loss of cardioprotective effects of RIPC by upregulating HIF-1α/Nrf2 signaling.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.54-62
• /
• 2019

Cis-3-O-p-hydroxycinnamoyl ursolic acid (HCUA), a triterpenoid compound, was purified from Elaeagnus oldhamii Maxim. This traditional medicinal plant has been used for treating rheumatoid arthritis and lung disorders as well as for its anti-inflammation and anticancer activities. This study aimed to investigate the anti-proliferative and apoptotic-inducing activities of HCUA in oral cancer cells. HCUA exhibited anti-proliferative activity in oral cancer cell lines (Ca9-22 and SAS cells), but not in normal oral fibroblasts. The inhibitory concentration of HCUA that resulted in 50% viability was $24.0{\mu}M$ and $17.8{\mu}M$ for Ca9-22 and SAS cells, respectively. Moreover, HCUA increased the number of cells in the sub-G1 arrest phase and apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner in both oral cancer cell lines, but not in normal oral fibroblasts. Importantly, HCUA induced p53-mediated transcriptional regulation of pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax, Bak, Bim, Noxa, and PUMA), which are associated with mitochondrial apoptosis in oral cancer cells via the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. HCUA triggered the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) that was ascertained to be involved in HCUA-induced apoptosis by the ROS inhibitors YCG063 and N-acetyl-L-cysteine. As a result, HCUA had potential antitumor activity to oral cancer cells through eliciting ROS-dependent and p53-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis. Overall, HCUA could be applicable for the development of anticancer agents against human oral cancer.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.23-34
• /
• 2019

Fat reduction in the formulation of cheese emulsion causes problems in its flowability and functional characteristics during spray-dried cheese powder production. In order to eliminate these problems, the potential of using microparticulated whey protein (MWP) in cheese emulsions was examined in this study. Reduced-fat white-brined cheese emulsions (RF) with different dry-matters (DM) (15%, 20%, and 25% excluding emulsifying salt) were produced using various MWP concentrations (0%-20% based on cheese DM of emulsion). Their key characteristics were compared to full-fat cheese emulsion (FF). MWP addition had no influence on prevention of the phase separation observed in the instable group (RF 15). The most notable effect of using MWP was a reduction in apparent viscosity of RF which significantly increased by fat reduction. Moreover, increasing the amount of MWP led to a decrease in the values of consistency index and an increase in the values of flow behavior index. On the other hand, using high amounts of MWP made the emulsion more liquid-like compared to full-fat counterpart. MWP utilization also resulted in similar lightness and yellowness parameters in RF as their full-fat counterparts. MWP in RF increased glossiness and flowability scores, while decreased mouth coating scores in sensory analyses. Fat reduction caused a more compact network, while a porous structure similar to FF was observed with MWP addition to RF. In conclusion, MWP showed a good potential for formulation of reduced-fat cheese emulsions with rheological and sensorial characteristics suitable to be used as the feeding liquid in the spray drying process.

• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.34 no.3_spc
• /
• pp.354-362
• /
• 2021

Broiler chickens grow rapidly, and their nutrient requirements change daily. However, broilers are fed three to five diet phases, meaning nutrients are under or oversupplied throughout production. Increasing diet phases improves production efficiency as there is less time in the production cycle that nutrients are in under or over-supply. Nevertheless, the process of administering four or more diets is costly and often impractical. New technologies are now available to blend feed to match the daily nutrient requirements of broilers. Thus, the aim of this review is to evaluate previous studies measuring the impact of increasing feed phases on nutrient utilisation and growth performance, and review recent studies taking this concept to the extreme; precision nutrition - feeding a new diet for each day of the production cycle. This review will also discuss how modern precision feeding technologies have been utilised and the potential that new technologies may bring to the poultry industry. The development of a precision nutrition regime which targets daily requirements by blending dietary components on farm is anticipated to improve the efficiency of production, reduce production cost and therefore improve sustainability of the industry. There is also potential for precision feeding technology along with precision nutrition strategies to deliver a plethora of other management and economic benefits. These include increased fluidity to cope with sudden environmental or market changes, and the ability to alter diets on a farm by farm level in a large, integrated operation. Thus, the future possibilities and practical implications for such technologies to generate a paradigm shift in feed formulation within the poultry industry to meet the rising demand for animal protein is also discussed.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.273-286
• /
• 2021

Background: Prostate carcinoma is the second most common cancer among men worldwide. Developing new therapeutic approaches and diagnostic biomarkers for prostate cancer (PC) is a significant need. The Chinese herbal medicine Panax quinquefolius saponins (PQS) have been reported to show anti-tumor effects. We hypothesized that PQS exhibits anti-cancer activity in human PC cells and we aimed to search for novel biomarkers allowing early diagnosis of PC. Methods: We used the human PC cell line DU145 and the prostate epithelial cell line PNT2 to perform cell viability assays, flow cytometric analysis of the cell cycle, and FACS-based apoptosis assays. Microarray-based gene expression analysis was used to display specific gene expression patterns and to search for novel biomarkers. Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR were performed to demonstrate the expression levels of multiple cancer-related genes. Results: Our data showed that PQS inhibited the viability of DU145 cells and induced cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. A significant decrease in DU145 cell invasion and migration were observed after 24 h treatment by PQS. PQS up-regulated the expression levels of p21, p53, TMEM79, ACOXL, ETV5, and SPINT1 while it down-regulated the expression levels of bcl2, STAT3, FANCD2, DRD2, and TMPRSS2. Conclusion: PQS promoted cells apoptosis and inhibited the proliferation of DU145 cells, which suggests that PQS may be effective for treating PC. TMEM79 and ACOXL were expressed significantly higher in PNT2 than in DU145 cells and could be novel biomarker candidates for PC diagnosis.