• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.8
• /
• pp.1367-1375
• /
• 2018

Silver nanoparticles have been widely applied for biomedical areas owing to their potent antiviral and antibacterial activities. Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using biomacromolecules is more efficient, environment-friendly, and cost-saving compared with the traditional approach. In this paper, a novel approach was developed to establish a reaction system with $Ag^+-BH4^--sericin$ to synthesize silver nanoparticles conjugated to sericin (AgNPs-Sericin). Sericin could be as a good dispersant and stabilizing agent, which is able to modify nanoscaled AgNPs, the average diameter of which was only $3.78{\pm}1.14nm$ prepared in a 0.3 mg/ml sericin solution. The characterizations of the AgNPs-Sericin were determined by FTIR, thermogravimetry, and XRD analyses. The results showed that the synthesized AgNPs conjugated with sericin as organic phase. Via SAED and XRD analysis, we showed that these AgNPs formed polycrystalline powder with a face-centered cubic structure of bulk metals. Moreover, we investigated the antiviral and antibacterial activities of AgNPs-Sericin, and the results showed that AgNPs-Sericin exhibited potent anti-HIV-1 activity against CCR5-tropic and CXCR4-tropic strains, but no significant cytotoxicity was found toward human genital epithelial cells compared with free silver ions, which are accepted as a commonly used potent antimicrobial agent. Moreover, its antibacterial activity was determined via flow cytometry. The results showed that AgNPs-Sericin could suppress gram-negative (E. coli) and gram-positive (S. aureus) bacteria, but more was potent for the gram-negative one. We concluded that our AgNPs-Sericin could be a potential candidate as a microbicide or antimicrobial agent to prevent sexually transmitted infections.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.12-30
• /
• 2004

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of SMG on the in vitro and in vivo inflammatory reactions. In experiment I, in vitro tests, ethanol extract of SMG showed potent radical scavenging activity tested by DPPH(I,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hyrazyl) method and inhibited the lipopolysaccharide-induced gene expressions of interleukin-1${\beta}$, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (above 50$\%$ at a concentration of 50㎍／㎖) by the macrophage RAW 246.7 cells. Among the herbal ingredients of SMG, ethanol extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis, Paeonia lactiflora, Glycyrrhiza glabra showed potent radical scavenging activity. And Glycyrrhiza glabra and Scutellaria baicalensis showed potent inhibitory activity of nitric oxide production. Especially, ethanol extract of Scutellaria baicalensis inhibited the gene expression of IL-1${\beta}$, IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$. In cyclooxygenase-2 assay, Scutellaria baicalensis and Glycyrrhiza glabra showed the potent inhibition of prostaglandin E2 generation. In experiment 2, in vivo tests, SMG showed inhibitory effects on vascular permeability (28.7$\%$) and leukocyte migration (11.5$\%$). These results mean that SMG has a anti-inflammatory effects by it's inhibitory effects of leukocyte migration and vascular permeability as well as it's inhibitory effects of lipopolysaccharide-induced gene expression of IL-1${\beta}$, IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$, and radical scavenging activity. Therefore, I expect that SMG may be used as a effective drug for treatment on inflammation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.211-216
• /
• 2009

To understand the relationship between the metabolism of wogonoside from the rhizome of Scutellaria baicalensis, and its anti-pruritic effect, we anaerobically incubated it with human fecal microflora, identified its metabolite identified, and investigated its anti-pruritic effect in compound 48/80 or histamineinduced pruritic mice. Wogonoside was metabolized to wogonin, with metabolic activity of $6.9{\pm}5.1\;nmol/h/mg$ wet weight of fecal microflora. Orally administered wogonoside had more potent anti-scratching behavioral effect in compound 48/80 or histamine-treated mice than intraperitoneally treated one, apart from orally administered its metabolite, wogonin, which was more potent than the orally administered one. Wogonoside showed more potent anti-pruritic effects when administered at 5 h prior to the pruritic agent treatment than when administered at 1 h before. However, wogonin orally administered 1 h before the treatment with pruritic agents showed a more potent anti-pruritic effect than when treated at 5 h before. Orally administered wogonoside may be metabolized to wogonin in the intestine and its anti-scratching behavioral effect may be dependent on its metabolism by intestinal microflora.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.162-171
• /
• 2024

Objectives: Electroacupuncture (EA) has been demonstrated to aid stroke recovery. However, few investigations have focused on identifying the potent molecular targets of EA by comparing EA stimulation between naïve and disease models. Therefore, this study was undertaken to identify the potent molecular therapeutic mechanisms underlying EA stimulation in ischemic stroke through a comparison of mRNA sequencing data obtained from EA-treated naïve control and ischemic stroke mouse models. Methods: Using both naïve control and middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mouse models, EA stimulation was administered at two acupoints, Baihui (GV20) and Dazhui (GV14), at a frequency of 2 Hz. Comprehensive assessments were conducted, including behavioral evaluations, RNA sequencing to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), functional enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, and quantitative real-time PCR. Results: EA stimulation ameliorated the ischemic insult-induced motor dysfunction in mice with ischemic stroke. Comparative analysis between control vs. MCAO, control vs. control + EA, and MCAO vs. MCAO + EA revealed 4,407, 101, and 82 DEGs, respectively. Of these, 30, 7, and 1 were common across the respective groups. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses revealed upregulated DEGs associated with the regulation of inflammatory immune response in the MCAO vs. MCAO + EA comparison. Conversely, downregulated DEGs in the control vs. control + EA comparison were linked to neuronal development. PPI analysis revealed major clustering related to the regulation of cytokines, such as Cxcl9, Pcp2, Ccl11, and Cxcl13, in the common DEGs of MCAO vs. MCAO + EA, with Esp8l1 identified as the only common downregulated DEG in both EA-treated naïve and ischemic models. Conclusion: These findings underscore the diverse potent mechanisms of EA stimulation between naïve and ischemic stroke mice, albeit with few overlaps. However, the potent mechanisms underlying EA treatment in ischemic stroke models were associated with the regulation of inflammatory processes involving cytokines.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.1650-1656
• /
• 2011

A series of potent tricyclic derivatives with a non-aromatic amide as potent PARP-1 inhibitors were successfully synthesized and their PARP-1 inhibitory activity was evaluated. Among the derivatives, 2-(1-propylpiperidin-4-yloxy)-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrophenanthridin-6(5H)-one 23c displayed potent activity in a PARP-1 enzymatic assay and cell-based assay ($IC_{50}$ = 0.142 ${\mu}M$, $ED_{50}$ = 0.90 ${\mu}M$) with good water solubility. Further, molecular modeling studies confirmed the obtained biological results.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.71-76
• /
• 2007

Previous studies have shown that BMI-1026 is a potent inhibitor of the cyclin-dependent kinases (cdk). In cell culture, the compound also arrests G2/M strongly and G1/S and S weakly. Two key kinases, cdk1 (p34cdc2 kinase) and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (erk1 and 2), perform crucial roles during oocyte maturation and, later, metaphase II (MII) arrest. In mammalian oocytes, both kinases are activated gradually around the time of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and maintain high activity in eggs arrested at metaphase II. In this study, we examined the effects of BMI-1026 on GVBD and MII arrest in mouse oocytes. BMI-1026 inhibited GVBD of immature oocytes and activated MII-arrested oocytes in a concentration-dependent manner, with more than 90% of oocytes exhibiting GVBD inhibition and MII activation at 100 nM This is approximately 500$\sim$1,000 times more potent than the activity reported for the cdk inhibitors roscovitine (${\sim}50{\mu}M$) and butyrolactone (${\sim}100{\mu}M$). Based on the results of previous in vitro kinase assays, we expected BMI-1026 to inhibit only cdk1 activation in oocytes and eggs, not MAP kinase. However, in our cell-based system, it inhibited the activity of both kinases. We also found that the effect of BMI-1026 is reversible. Our results suggest that BMI-1026 inhibits GVBD and activates MII-arrested oocytes efficiently and reversibly and that it also inhibits both cdk1/histone HI kinase and MAP kinase in mouse oocytes.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.457-462
• /
• 2007

Histone acetyltransferase (HAT) is a family of enzymes that regulate histone acetylation. Dysfunction of HAT plays a critical role in the development of cancer. Here we have screened the various plant extracts to find out the potent HAT inhibitors. The bellflower (Platycodon grandiflorum) root have exhibited approximately 30% of the inhibitory effects on HAT activity, especially p300 and CBP (CREB-binding protein) at the concentration of $100\;{\mu}g/mL$. The cell viability was decreased approximately 52% in LNCaP cell for 48 hr incubation. Furthermore, mRNA level of 3 androgen receptor target genes, PSA, NKX3.1, and TSC22 were decreased with bellflower root extract treatment ($100\;{\mu}g/mL$) in the presence of androgen. In ChIP assay, the acetylation of histone H3 and H4 in PSA promoter region was dramatically repressed by bellflower root treatment, but not TR target gene, Dl. Therefore, the potent HAT inhibitory effect of bellflower root led to the decreased transcription of AR target genes and prostate cancer cell growth with the repression of histone hyperacetylation.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.246-250
• /
• 1998

The cytotoxic activity of methanol extracts of 25 leguminous seeds in vitro was evaluated by sulforhodamine B assay, using the five human solid A549 lung, SK-OV-2 ovarian, SK-MEL-2 melanoma, XF-498 CNS and HCT-15 colon tumor cell lines. The responses varied with both cell line arid leguminous seed used. Extracts of Canavalia lineata and Glycine soja revealed potent cytotoxic activity against A549 arid SK-MEL-2 cell lines. Moderate activity was observed in the extracts of Cassia obtusifolia and Glyeine max var. chungtae, and C. lineata and Vigna angulasis against SK-MEL-2 and HCT-15 cell lines, respectively. The other seed extracts were ineffective against model tumor cell lines. Because of their potent cytotoxic activities, the activity of each solvent fraction from C. lineata and G. soja was determined and the potent activity was produced from their chloroform fractions. As a naturally occurring therapeutic agent, leguminous seeds described could be useful for developing new types of anti-tumor agents.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.441-447
• /
• 2010

B13, a ceramide analogue, is a ceramidase inhibitor and induces apoptosis to give potent anticancer activity. A series of thiourea B13 analogues was evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic activities against human renal cancer Caki-2 and leukemic cancer HL-60 in the MTT assay. Some compounds (12, 15, and 16) showed stronger cytotoxicity than B13 and C6-ceramide against both tumor cell lines, and compound (12) gave the most potent activity with $IC_{50}$ values of 36 and $9\;{\mu}M$, respectively. Molecular modeling of thiourea B13 analogues was carried out by comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA). We obtained highly reliable and predictive CoMSIA models with cross-validated $q^2$ values of 0.707 and 0.753 and CoMSIA contour maps to show the structural requirements for potent activity. These data suggest that the amide group of B13 could be replaced by thiourea, that the stereochemistry of 1,3-propandiol may not be essential for activity and that long alkyl chains increase cytotoxicity.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.147-159
• /
• 1991

Effects of twenty-one different flavonoids and their related compounds on the phagocytosis of colloidal carbon by macrophages in liver and spleen humoral immune responses against bacterial $\alpha$-amylase and cellular immune responses against oxazolone and dinitrofluorobenzene were studied in vivo and in vitro. It was shown that most of the flavonoids accelerated significantly the phagocytosis, and they suppressed significantly not only humoral and cellular immune responses but also the development of immunological memory after the antigenic stimulation. Especially, malvin was the most active in phagocysis, and disodium cromoglycate and morin were the most active in humoral and cellular immunosuppression, respectively. Daidzuin had the most potent inhibitory activity in the development of memory cells. The structure-activity relationships of the flavonoids in immunosuppression became apparant from these results: 1. The presence of $C_{2-3}$ double bond and $C_4$ Ketone group in C-ring was important for their immunosuppressive activity. 2. Flavonoids with benzene ring at 2 or 3 position in C-ring showed the almost same activities. 3. The opening of C-ring did not affect their immunosuppressive activity. 4. The glycosylated flavonoids at 3 position in C-ring were less less potent than their aglycones. 5. Di-or tri-hydroxylated flavonoids in B-ring were more potent than mono-hydroxylated. 6. Chromanochromanone also had the immunosuppressive activity.