• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.431-436
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• 2012

Dioscorea species continue to be used in traditional Chinese medicine, and represent a major source of steroid precursors for conventional medicine. In the previous study, We isolated glycoprotein (GDB) from Dioscorea batatas, characterized, and demonstrated immunostimulating activity in C57BL/6 mice. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism whereby GDB activates macrophages. Macrophages activation by GDB was investigated by analyzing the effects of GDB on nitric oxide (NO) production, iNOS expression, mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation, and transcription factor activation. In the presence of IFN-${\gamma}$, GDB strongly stimulated macrophages to express iNOS and produce NO. Furthermore, the activation of p38 was synergistically induced by GDB plus IFN-${\gamma}$, but SB203580 (a p38 inhibitor) inhibited GDB plus IFN-${\gamma}$-induced p38 activation. This study indicates that GDB is an important activator of macrophages. Furthermore, due to the critical role that macrophage activation plays in innate immune response, the activation effects of GDB on macrophages suggest that GDB may be a useful immunopotentiating agent.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.259-266
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• 2011

The aim of this study was to evaluate the preventive role of epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG, a derivative of green tea) in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury of isolated rat hearts. It has been suggested that EGCG has beneficial health effects, including prevention of cancer and heart disease, and it is also a potent antioxidant. Rat hearts were subjected to 20 min of normoxia, 20 min of zero-flow ischemia and then 50 min of reperfusion. EGCG was perfused 10 min before ischemia and during the whole reperfusion period. EGCG significantly increased left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and increased maximum positive and negative dP/dt (+/-dP/dtmax). EGCG also significantly increased the coronary flow (CF) at baseline before ischemia and at the onset of the reperfusion period. Moreover, EGCG decreased left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP). This study showed that lipid peroxydation was inhibited and Mn-SOD and catalase expressions were increased in the presence of EGCG. In addition, EGCG increased levels of Bcl-2, Mn-superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase expression and decreased levels of Bax and increased the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax in isolated rat hearts. Cleaved caspase-3 was decreased after EGCG treatment. EGCG markedly decreased the infarct size while attenuating the increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in the effluent. In summary, we suggest that EGCG has a protective effect on I/R-associated hemodynamic alteration and injury by acting as an antioxidant and anti-apoptotic agent in one.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2020

We investigated the genotypes of Leptospira spp. detected in symptomatic dogs in Thailand. During April to December 2012, 6 out of 41 client-owned dogs were diagnosed with leptospirosis based on polymerase chain reaction tests. All of the infected dogs showed clinical symptoms related to leptospirosis. Direct genotyping of the causative agent of the canine leptospirosis was conducted from the archival DNA samples extracted from urine or blood of those 6 infected dogs. Sequencing of the partial 16S rRNA and lipL32 genes from all samples identified Leptospira (L.) interrogans as the infecting species. Multilocus sequence typing tests were successful for 2 out of 6 samples. The sequence type (ST) was identified as ST50 for both samples where the profile corresponded to L. interrogans species and Bataviae serogroup. The presence of this genotype of Leptospira has never been reported in Thailand. Thus, our findings showed the existence of ST50 L. interrogans serogroup Bataviae and the ability to cause leptospirosis in dogs in Thailand.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.167-173
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• 2010

In this study, we used activated carbon (AC) and titanium oxysulfate as a titanium precursor to prepare carbon/titania composites. We then mixed it with bentonite in different ratios to make a carbon/titania/bentonite monolith for use in architecture bricks by using Phenolic rosin (PR) as a bonding agent. The physicochemical properties of the prepared composites were analyzed by BET surface area, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), self-cleaning effect and bactericidal tests. The BET surface areas increased as the ratio of carbon/titania composites increased. The SEM microscopy showed that the $TiO_2$ and bentonite were coated on the surface of the AC. The XRD patterns showed a mixture structure of anatase and rutile of $TiO_2$ with a clear $SiO_2$ structure. The EDX spectra of the carbon/titania/bentonite monolith confirmed the presence of various elements, namely C, O, Ti and Si, as well as other, impure elements. Moreover, to determine the self-cleaning effect of the carbon/titania/bentonite monolith, we used methylene blue (MB, $C_{16}H_{18}N_3S{\cdot}Cl{\cdot}3H_2O$) in an aqueous solution under the irradiation of visible light. Accordingly, all of the samples had excellent degradation of the MB solution. Furthermore, it was observed that the composites with sunlight irradiation had a greater effect on E. coli than any other experimental conditions.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.647-651
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• 2007

It has been well established that S. mutans is the major etiological agent in dental caries, one of the most common oral diseases worldwide. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of Saururus chinensis (S. chinensis) ethanol extracts on the growth, acid production, biofilm formation, adhesion, and insoluble glucan synthesis of S. mutans. The ethanol extracts of S. chinensis showed concentration dependent inhibitory activity against the growth and acid production of S. mutans, and produced significant inhibition at the concentration of 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg/ml compared to the control group. The extracts markedly inhibited S. mutans adherence to HA treated with saliva, and cell adherence was repressed by more than 80% at the concentration of 0.05 mg/ml and complete inhibition was observed at the concentration of 0.4 mg/ml. On the activity of glucosyltransferase which synthesizes water insoluble glucan form sucrose, ethanol extract of S. chinensis showed more than 10% inhibition over the concentration of 0.025 mg/ml. The synthesis of insoluble glucan was decreased in the presence of 0.025 ${\sim}$ 0.4 mg/ml of the ethanol extract of S. chinensis. Our research strongly suggested S. chinensis was a promising natural product for the prevention of dental caries.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.195-201
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• 1996

Endotoxic shock causes death in humans and animals via extreme hypoperfusion of peripheral organs. A massive production of nitric oxide (NO) both from the endothelical cells and smooth muscle cells has been proposed as a possible mechanism in this process. Since NO attenuated the contractility to vasoconstricting agents such as norepinephrine (NE) by directly acting on the smooth muscle cells, this mechanism was considered mainly as a postsynaptic mechanism. In this research it was investigated whether NO, thus released, also participates in the presynaptic events for the regulation of vascular tone in endotoxic shock. The role of NO was studied by adding NO donors or NO synthase inhibitor $N^\omega $methyl-L-arginine (NMA) in stimulated sympathetic nerves of the mesenteric vascular bed and the Langendorff heart of rats. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), an NO donor, reduced the pressor responses of isolated mesenteric artery either to electrical stimulation or exogenously administered phenylephrine (PE). In this mesentery, although neither agent influenced NE release, in the presence of the adrenergic $\alpha_2$-receptor antagonist yohimbine, elecrical stimulation-evoked NE release was augumented by SNP. In the heart SNP facilitated the NE release induced by electrical stimulation, while NMA had no effect. From these results it is proposed that there exists a local reflex phenomenon in the junction between the sympathetic nerve terminals and the smooth muscle of resistance blood vessels; by which sympathetic responses are reduced by NO at the postjunctional level while NO facilitates NE release contributing to augumentation of sympathetic tone. All these facts suggest that NO produced during endotoxic shock has dual effects: whereas NO blunts the vasoconstrictive activity of NE at the postsynaptic level, NO presynaptically facilitates the release of NE from sympathetic nerve terminals.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.202-206
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• 2006

Angelicae Dahiricae Radix has been used for controlling inflammatory respiratory diseases in oriental medicine and their components, phellopterin, isoimperatorin and byakangelicol were reported to have various biological effects. In this study, we investigated whether phellopterin, isoimperatorin and byakangelicol affect adenosine triphosphate(ATP)-induced mucin secretion from cultured airway epithelial cells. Confluent primary hamster tracheal surface epithelial(HTSE) cells were metabolically radiolabeled using $^3H$-glucosamine for 24 h and chased for 30 min in the presence of varying concentrations of each agent to assess the effects on $^3H$-mucin secretion. The results were as follows: 1) phellopterin significantly inhibited ATP-induced mucin secretion; 2) However, isoimperatorin and byakangelicol did not affect ATP-induced mucin secretion, significantly. This result suggests that phellopterin can regulate 'mucin secretion induced by ATP'-a phenomenon simulating mucus overproduction from inflamed airway epithelial cells-by directly acting on airway mucin-secreting cells. Therefore, phellopterin should further be investigated for the possible use as mucoregulators in the treatment of inflammatory airway diseases.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.235-239
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• 2006

Angelicae Koreanae Radix has been used for controlling inflammatory respiratory diseases in folk medicine and their components, imperatorin, marmesinin and oxypeucedanin were reported to have diverse biological effects. In this study, we investigated whether imperatorin, marmesinin and oxypeucedanin affect adenosine triphosphate(ATP)-induced mucin secretion from cultured airway epithelial cells. Confluent primary hamster tracheal surface epithelial(HTSE) cells were metabolically radiolabeled using $^3H$-glucosamine for 24 h and chased for 30 min in the presence of varying concentrations of each agent to assess the effects on $^3H$-mucin secretion. The results were as follows: 1) imperatorin significantly inhibited ATP-induced mucin secretion; 2) However, marmesinin and oxypeucedanin did not affect ATP-induced mucin secretion, significantly. We conclude that imperatorin might inhibit ATP-induced mucin secretion by directly acting on airway mucin-secreting cells. Therefore, imperatorin should further be investigated for the possible use as mucoregulators in the treatment of inflammatory airway diseases.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.162-167
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• 2009

Adipocytes undergo adipocyte stress in the excessive presence of lipid. Adipocyte stress accompanies the typical signs of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress: unfolded protein response and overexpression of molecular chaperones. Apoptotic induction in adipocytes is known as a good strategy for treating obesity. The drug "tunicamycin" was tested for its therapeutic potential in inducing apoptosis on differentiating adipocytes of 3T3-L1. When the 3T3-L1 cells, stimulated for adipogenesis, were treated with tunicamycin, they showed typical ER stress symptoms. Despite progression in ER stress, however, the differentiated 3T3-L1 hardly proceeded to apoptosis based on the CHOP protein expression and FACS analysis. This is very different from C2C12, the myogenic counterpart of 3T3-L1, which showed significant apoptosis along with ER stress. This study also characterizes a potential mechanism whereby adipocyte may avoid apoptosis to sustain the pathological state of obesity. The level of GRP94 expression significantly upholds in 3T3-L1 under tunicamycin treatment compared to preadipocytes and C2C-12. When GRP94 expression was inhibited by siRNA, 3T3-L1 showed a higher level of CHOP expression compared to C2C12 cells. In conclusion, adipocytes exert an anti-apoptotic mechanism under ER stress caused by tunicamycin; thus, apoptotic induction in adipocyte is not a viable anti-obesity option. The unusual level of GRP94 may serve as a key role whereby adipocytes reach to the obesity level circumventing the apoptosis.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.313-322
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• 2010

Edible tunicate Halocynthia roretzi, one of the most commercially important aquatic organisms in Korea, has been killed by tunic softness syndrome since last decade. The intracellular protistan parasite observed by the transmission electron microscope in hemocytes of the tunicate was considered to be the causative agent of the mass mortality. The goal of the present work is to examine the characteristic features of the parasite by identifying the 18S rDNA sequences of the parasite. The experiments conducted include amplification of presumptive 18S rDNA from diseased tunicate tissues with UNonMet-PCR and sequencing the product. A preliminary phylogenetic analysis was performed on the presumptive parasite rDNA. A digoxigenin labeled DNA probe was designed on the basis of the sequences of rDNA. Dig-ISH assay was conducted to diagnose the protistan parasite. A PCR using UNonMet-PCR primer generated 595 bp SSU rDNA fragment. Subsequently, PCRs with primer pair expended this sequence to 1542 bp. This is the first partial sequences of SSU rDNA gene to be published on the protistan parasite that has presumed causing the mass mortality of tunicate. Since the Dig-ISH technique demonstrated the presence of infection in hemocytes on the all host tissues, the fragment was confirmed to be the intracellular protistan parasite SSU rDNA. A phylogenetic analysis suggested that the protistan parasite may be a unique eukaryote that is closely related to Apicomplexa.