• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.9 s.89
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• pp.1204-1210
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• 2007

The topoisomerase II inhibitor etoposide causes an accumulation of DNA double strand breaks within the nuclei of cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of etoposide on the cell growth and apoptosis of human RPE cells. Etoposide evoked a significant inhibition of cell growth, and also induced DNA fragmentation in ARPE-19 cells. In addition, etoposide significantly up-regulated the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), which is a stress-responsive protein and is known to play a protective role against the oxidative injury. And, etoposide-induced HO-1 expression was affected by the ROS scavenger N-acetyl cysteine. We also used oligonucleotides interfering with HO-1 mRNA (siRNA) for the inhibition of HO-1 expression. Interestingly, knock-down of the HO-1 gene significantly increased the level of DNA fragmentation in etoposide-treated ARPE-19 cells. In conclusion, these results suggest that up-regulated HO-1 plays as an anti-apoptotic factor in the process of apoptosis of ARPE-19 cells stimulated by etoposide.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.218-223
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• 2017

Using both light and scanning electron microscopies, it was investigated on the visual cells as well as the eyes of Macropodus ocellatus (Pisces, Osphronemidae). This species had a circular lens and yellowish cornea. The eyes had $3.5{\pm}0.2mm$ which is $31.1{\pm}3.0%$ in a percentage of eye diameter relative to head length. The retina ($158.2{\pm}10.6{\mu}m$) was built of several layers, including the visual cell layer which consists of three types of cells: single cons ($27.8{\pm}1.6{\mu}m$) and equal double cone ($33.9{\pm}3.7{\mu}m$), and large rods ($57.3{\pm}1.3{\mu}m$). The visual cell layer then was classified into the correct pattern. All visual cells were clearly distinguished from two parts (inner and outer segments). The elongated rod cells were extend to the bottom of the retinal pigment epithelium. In scanning electron microscopy, the outer segment links to inner segment by so-called calyceal piles. The M. ocellatus single and double cones appearance form a flower-petal arrangement, which is a regular mosaic pattern that contains quadrilateral units by four double cones surrounding a single cone.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.148-152
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• 2000

To provide basic information on the integumentary system of the blenny, Pholis nebulosa, ultrastructures of epidermal and dermal layer were examined by means of the light and transmission electron microscope. The skin of the blenny consisted of epidermal and dermal layer. Epidermal layer consisted of supporting cell and unicellular gland. The supporting cells were classified into superficial cell, intermediated cell and basal cell, and the gland cells were classified into mucous secretory cell and club cell. The cytoplasm of supporting cells was divided into cortex and medullar part. In the cortex and medullar part, microfilaments and cell organelles were well developed, respectively. Superficial cell of epidermal layer was cuboidal and contained nucleus of horseshoe shape. Intermediated cell had a nucleus of irregular form and the electron density was higher than the other supporting cells, Basal cell was columnar, but nucleus was situated in the upper cytoplasm. Cell organelles of the basal cell were poor than the other supporting cells, but membrane interdigitations were well developed. The cytoplasm of mucous secretory cell had a well-developed ovoid secretory granules, which reacted to red with AB-PAS reaction. The club cell had a we31-developed round secretory granules and endoplasmic reticulum. figment cells were classified into two type. The one contained pigment granules of electron dense, and the other contained reflecting platelets. The cytoplasm of fibrocyte had n well developed rough endoplasmic reticulum.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.33-42
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• 2011

Zinc plays a key role in genetic expression, cell division, and cell growth and is essential for the functions of more than 450 metalloenzyme. There are high concentrations of zinc in pigment epithelium in bullfrog eye. Zinc deficiency causes night blindness and abnormal dark adaptation. The purpose of this study was to identify ERG (electroretinogram) b-wave sensitivity during light and dark adaptation in bullfrog retina after zinc and zinc chelators treatment such as histidine and TSQ (N-(6-methoxy-8-qunolyl)-p-toluenesulfon amide). Especially, we focused whether histidine act as a zinc chelator in the Muller cell. The results of our study are summarized as follows: 1) Both zinc and histidine elevated ERG b-wave amplitude and threshold in Muller cells by accelerating rhodopsin regeneration time and increased a-peak absorbance during light adaptation. 2) TSQ reduced those by prolonging rhodopsin regeneration time and decrement of a-peak absorbance during light adaptation. 3) Zinc shortened rhodopsin regeneration time and prolonged a-peak absorbance. These results suggested that histidine may act as a zinc-mediated transporter in presynaptic Muller cell membrane rather than zinc chelator and acts as a GABA-receptor inhibitor which blocks $Cl^-$ influx to the postsynapse.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.263-268
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• 2005

Erythropoietic protoporphyria is a genetic disorder due to a deficiency of ferrochelatase resulting in excessive accumulation and excretion of protoporphyrin. The predominant clinical feature is photosensitivity. Severe hepatic failure occurs in a small percentage of patients, and neurological symptoms are very rare. We report a case of erythropoietic protoporphyria associated with severe hepatic dysfunction and neurological symptoms. A 9-year-old girl presented with severe abdominal pain, nausea, weakness and pain of extremities, and urinary retention. Ultrasonogram and abdominal CT scanning revealed a diffuse infiltrated and enlarged liver. Liver biopsy showed deposition of dense dark brown pigment within the bile, hepatocytes and Kupffer cells. Plus, dense dark brown deposits gave a red birefringent under polarize light. Porphyrin studies demonstrated markedly elevated serum free erythrocyte protoporphyrin. This girl was diagnosed as erythropoietic protoporphyria with severe liver dysfunction and neurological symptoms.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.73-79
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• 2016

Remote sensing and measurement are of paramount importance of providing information on the state of water quality in water bodies. The formation and growth of cyanobacteria is of serious concern to in land aquatic life forms and human life. The main cause of water quality deterioration stems from anthropogenic induced eutrophication. The goal of this research to quantify and determine the spatial distribution of cyanobacteria concentration in the water using remote sensing technique. The standard approach to measure water quality based on the direct measurement of the fluorescence of the chlorophyll a in the living algal cells and the same approach used to detect the phycobilin pigments found in blue-green algae (a.k.a. cyanobacteria), phycocyanin and phycoerythrin. This paper propose the emerging sensor design to measure the water quality based on the optical analysis by fluorescence of the phycocyanin pigment. In this research, we developed an method to sense and quantify to derive phycocyanin intensity index for estimating cyanobacteria concentrations. The development of the index was based on the reflectance difference between visible light band 620nm and 665nm. As a result of research this paper presents, an optical biological sensor design information to measure the Phycocyanin parameters in water content.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.36 no.4 s.143
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• pp.273-277
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• 2005

In mammalian melanocytes, melanin synthesis is controlled by tyrosinase, the key enzyme in the pigment synthesis. In this study, to develop a new whitening agent, we have investigated the antioxidant and the inhibitory effect of Artemisia anomala extract on tyrosinase activity and melanigenesis in the B16/F1 melanoma cells. The inhibition ratio of tyrosinase activity of butanol fraction from A. anomala was higher than that of arbutin ($97.5{\pm}0.5%$ at the concentration of 2 mg/ml). The butanol fraction was shown scavenging activities of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and superoxide anion radicals in a dose dependent manner. The highest inhibitory activity of melanogenesis was also butanol fraction ($25.0{\pm}3%$ at the concentration of $200\;{\mu}g/ml$). From these results, we suggest that the A. anomala extract might be used to be a potential agent for skin whitening.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.10
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• pp.750-755
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• 2016

Although innate color preference of motile organisms may provide clues to behavioral biases, it has remained a longstanding question. In this study, we investigated innate color preference of zebrafish larvae. A cross maze with different color sleeves around each arm was used for the color preference test (R; red, G; green, B; blue, Y; yellow). The findings showed that 5 dpf zebrafish larvae preferred blue over other colors (B > R > G > Y). To study innate color recognition further, tyrosinase mutants were generated using CRISPR/Cas9 system. As a model for oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) and color vision impairment, tyrosinase mutants demonstrated diminished color sensation, indicated mainly by hypopigmentation of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Due to its relative simplicity and ease, color preference screening using zebrafish larvae is suitable for high-throughput screening applications. This system may potentially be applied to the analysis of drug effects on larval behavior or the detection of sensory deficits in neurological disorder models, such as autism-related disorders, using mutant larvae generated by the CRISPR/Cas9 technique.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.175-192
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• 2006

Screening for the cytotoxicity from plant origin is the first stage for anti-cancer drug development. A variety of terpenoids with exomethylene, epoxide, allyl, $\alpha,\beta-unsaturated$ carbonyl, acetylenes, and $\alpha-methylene-\gamma-lactone$ induces apoptosis and/or differentiation as well as cytotoxicity through the ROS signal transduction pathways. These are found among monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, triterpenes, flavonoids, coumarins, diarylheptanoids, and even organosulfuric compounds. The most essential characteristics of natural cytotoxic substances is to possess the strong electrophilicity that is susceptible to nucleophilic biomolecules in the cell. Thiol-reductants and superoxide dismutase can block or delay apoptosis. Thus, ROS and the resulting cellular redox-potential changes can be parts of the signal transduction pathway during apoptosis. Disturbance of the balance of oxireduction by the pigment of natural quinones also caused the induction of the differentiation and apoptosis. Saponins with the cytotoxicity are restricted to their monodesmosides, rather than to bisdesmosides. Those saponins exhibited calcium ion-mediated apoptosis in addition to cytotoxicity whereas they showed also differentiation without extracellular calcium ion. The properties on cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and differentiation were assumed to depend on resultant oxidative stress to the cells. In this review, we describe a spectrum of cytotoxic compounds with various action mechanisms.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.451-457
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• 1999

Ultrastructure of adult Drosophila ocellus was compared with conventional electron microscopic method and osmium impregnation. When osmium impregnation was applied, some organelles of cells were strongly stained. Especially, subrhabdomeric cisternae (SRC) were strongly stained and showed network-iike structure as in compound eye. Other organelles including SSC, ER, nuclear envelope, pigment granules and mitochondria were also strongly stained. These organelles are known as a general calcium ion reservoir. In conclusion, the strong effect of light and shade by osmium impregnation was regarded as a result of strong binding between calcium ion and osmium tetroxide. Thus, we agree to the opinion that osmium impregnation is very useful methods to the comparative morphology of cell organelles.