• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.269-275
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• 2007

In this experiment, the effects of Asterina pectinifera extracts on the activation of immune cells were studied. An immune cell activating factor was partially purified from starfish, Asterina pectinifera, by means of physiological saline extraction, acetone precipitation and heating inactivation. Starfish extracts increased the proliferation of spleen cells and induced the production of IL-6 and $IFN-{\gamma}$ by spleen cells. Also, it increased the proliferation of purified B cells and production of IgM and IgG in the presence of Asterina pectinifera extracts. Starfish extract self-induced NO synthesis in mouse macrophage cell line (RAW264.7). When cell lines was treated with extracts, the mRNA expression of inducible NO synthetase (iNOS), $TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-6, and GM-CSF were markedly increased in RT-PCR analysis. Therefore starfish extract can self-activate spleen cells, B cells and macrophages. These results might be useful in further studies into a possible immune activating agent from the starfish, Asterina pectinifera, for the development of functional foods and drugs.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 2008

Dental caries is an infectious disease caused by mutans streptococci, and is a primary etiologic agent of dental caries in humans. The molecular pathogenesis of mutans streptococcal-associated dental caries occurs in three phases. Firstly, S. mutans attaches to tooth surface via a cell surface adhesion termed antigen I/II. In the second phase, the glucosyltransferase(GTFs) synthesize polymers like glucans in the presence of sucrose. In the third phase, the multivalent glucans interacts with glucan binding proteins (GBPs) and they make dental plaque and accumulation of microorganisms. Many studies and clinical trials have indicated that a mucosal immune response to these antigens(Ag I/II, GTFs, GBPs) of S. mutans can influence the pathogenesis of dental caries. So these antigens can be important vaccine candidates for immunologic intervention against dental caries. In this study, we cloned the genes for GTFb, GTFc, GTFd from S. mutans GS-5 and did the nucleotide sequence analysis. And the recombinant proteins of GTFd and N-terminus of GTFd were expressed. Intact GTF which we get from this experiment can be used for antibody production specific for any GTF activity domain through animal experiment.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.7
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• pp.547-553
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• 2014

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most common brain malignancies and has a very poor prognosis. Recent evidence suggests that the presence of cancer stem cells (CSC) in GBM and the rare CSC subpopulation that is resistant to chemotherapy may be responsible for the treatment failure and unfavorable prognosis of GBM. A garlic-derived compound, Z-ajoene, has shown a range of biological activities, including anti-proliferative effects on several cancers. Here, we demonstrated for the first time that Z-ajoene specifically inhibits the growth of the GBM CSC population. CSC sphere-forming inhibition was achieved at a concentration that did not exhibit a cytotoxic effect in regular cell culture conditions. The specificity of this inhibitory effect on the CSC population was confirmed by detecting CSC cell surface marker CD133 expression and biochemical marker ALDH activity. In addition, stem cell-related mRNA profiling and real-time PCR revealed the differential expression of CSC-specific genes, including Notch, Wnt, and Hedgehog, upon treatment with Z-ajoene. A proteomic approach, i.e., reverse-phase protein array (RPPA) and Western blot analysis, showed decreased SMAD4, p-AKT, 14.3.3 and FOXO3A expression. The protein interaction map (http://string-db.org/) of the identified molecules suggested that the AKT, ERK/p38 and $TGF{\beta}$ signaling pathways are key mediators of Z-ajoene's action, which affects the transcriptional network that includes FOXO3A. These biological and bioinformatic analyses collectively demonstrate that Z-ajoene is a potential candidate for the treatment of GBM by specifically targeting GBM CSCs. We also show how this systemic approach strengthens the identification of new therapeutic agents that target CSCs.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.53-63
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• 2001

This study was carried out to investigate the physiological activityof the water extract from EA. The present study was done to investigate the effects of EA on cultured hepatocyte cell system and lipid peroxidation in $A{\beta}$ treatment conditions. Pretreatment of EA attenuated in cell cytotoxicity enhanced by increasing concentrations of $A{\beta}$. MDA level induced by $A{\beta}$ treatment was significantly increased and the level was slightly reduced by pretreatment of EA. The ability of EA to reduce cell death and MDA level induced by $A{\beta}$ suggest that EA may be a protective agent against free radical generating compounds such as $A{\beta}$. EA exhibited anti oxidative activity at all concentration tested.The extract was as good as antioxidative activity of the synthetic antioxidants, butylated hydroxy toluene and ascorbic acid. Furthermore, this was superior to that of natural antioxidant, a-tocopherol. In the presence of heavy metal ions ($Fe^{2+},{\;}Zn^{2+}$), EA showed strong antioxidative activity. The extracts showed about 3075% in the nitrite scavenging effect under pH 1.2 and $37^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr. There was significant difference among concentration of extracts.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.166-172
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• 2007

Purpose: It has recently been reported that de novo HBV infection following liver transplantation is caused by grafts from HBcAb positive donors, and this phenomenon has been observed in one third of the liver transplant patients in our center. Therefore, we investigated the presence of HBV virus DNA in liver tissues obtained from HBcAb positive donors to determine the mechanism by which de novo HBV infection occurs. Methods: This study was conducted on 6 patients that were HBsAg negative, HBsAb positive, and HBcAb positive who were donors for liver transplantation between November 1997 and November 1998 at Asan Medical Center. We isolated DNA from a portion of liver biopsy tissues that were obtained during the operation, and then identified the surface and core region of HBV DNA using nested PCR. In addition, four children who received liver grafts from these donors were monitored to determine if they became afflicted with non-HBV related diseases while receiving prophylaxis consisting of short-term HBIG treatment and long-term treatment with an antiviral agent. Results: The surface antigen region was identified in all 6 donors and the core antigen region was observed in 4 of the 6 donors. However, no episodes of de novo HBV infection with prophylaxis were observed. Conclusion: The results of this study support the results of previous studies, which indicated that HBV infection may be the main cause of de novo HBV infection in patients that receive HBsAb positive and HBcAb positive donor grafts.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.148-154
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• 2007

This study was performed to evaluate the application of $TiO_2$ on the photocatalytic treatment of swine wastewater. $TiO_2$ sol was prepared by hydrothermal method with the agent ratio($(C_2H_5)_2NH_2\;mol/Ti(OC_3H_7)_4\;mol)=1$ and R ratio ($H_2O\;mol/Ti(OC_3H_7)_4\;mol)=42$. The effect of parameter on the removal efficiency of swine wastewater in a batch type immobilized photocatalyst system such as initial pH, intensity of UV, dosage of $TiO_2$, air flow rate, and concentration of $H_2O_2$ was examined. Wastewater was effectively eliminated in the presence of both UV light illumination and $TiO_2$. Photocatalytic activity was higher in acidic condition compared to neutral and alkaline conditions. In addition, photocatalytic activity increased with increasing UV light intensity, dosage of $TiO_2$, the flow rate of air and the amount of $H_2O_2$ added as an oxidant, but the excess amount of $H_2O_2$ dosage decreased the removal efficiency.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.727-733
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• 1996

2-(Allylthio)pyrazine is effective in selectively suppressing constitutive and inducible expression of cytochrome P450 2E1. The effect of 2-(allylthio)pyrazine against potentiat ed chemical injury was studied in rats. Vitamin-A pretreatment of rats substantially increased carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity, as supported by an ~4-fold increase in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity. Concomitant pretreatment of rats with 2-(allylthio)pyrazine at the daily dose of 200mg/kg resulted in a 76% decrease in vitamin-A-potentiated hepatotoxicity, which supported the possibility that 2-(allylthio)pyrazine protects the liver against chemical-induced hepatic injury by the mechanism associated with Kupffer cell inactivation. Pyridine pretreatment caused substantial enhancement in carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity. 2-(Allylthio)pyrazine treatment of rats reduced the pyridine-potentiated toxicity in a dose-dependent manner. Animals treated with both pyridine and 2-(allylthio)pyrazine prior to intoxicating dose of CCl$_4$ resulted in 85% and 47% decreases in pyridine-increased triglycerides and cholesterol levels in the liver. The protective effect of 2-(allylthio)pyrazine on the DNA strand breakage induced by benzenetriol was assessed by measuring the conversion of supercoiled ${\Phi}x$-174 DNA to the open relaxed form. 2-(Allylthio)pyrazine blocked the benzenetriol-induced conversion of supercoiled DNA to open circular form in a dose-dependent manner. The presence of 2-(allylthio)pyrazine at the doses from I to 10mM in the incubation mixture containing 5 ${\mu}$M benzenetriol completely protected benzenetriol-induced DNA strand breakage with the EC50 for the 2-(allylthio)pyrazine blocking being noted as ~220 ${\mu}$M, whereas allyl disulfide exerted protecting effect at relatively high concentrations (i.e. ~850 ${\mu}$M), suggesting that 2-(allylthio)pyrazine effectively scavenges the reactive oxygen species. These results provide evidence that 2-(allylthio)pyrazine blocks vitamin A- or pyridine-potentiated CCl$_4$ hepatotoxicity and that the agent is active in protecting DNA by scavenging the reactive oxygen species.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.89-99
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• 1976

The grafting of acrylic acid in aqueous solution to polyvinyl chloride fibers tab been studied in the presence of ferrous, ferric, and cupric salts, The mutual irradiation technique was adopted using a Co-60 source or a Van do Graaff accelerator. The grafting and homopolymerization were suppressed by the cations. Particularly the grafting was suppressed by the cations in the following order of effectiveness : $Cu^{2+}$>$Fe^{2+}$>$Cu^{3+}$. The rate of grafting (in %/hr) was proportional to the 0.76th power of the dose rate over the range from 8.5f $10^3$ rad/hr to $1.4\times10^5$ rad/dr. The apparent activation energy for the grafting was determined to be 6.1 Kcal/mole between $25^{\circ}$ and $75^{\circ}C$ for the mixture of AA-HaO-$(CH_2Cl)_2$, containing Mohr's salt, $4\times10^{-3}$ mole/l. The increase of the grafting was observed when total dose and dose intensity were raised, or when ethylene dichloride as a swelling agent was saturated in the monomer mixture. The grafted polyvinyl chloride fibers showed considerable improvement in moisture regain, heat shrinkage, and melting properties, but tensile properties were not significantly affected by grafting.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.205-212
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• 2006

Agrobacterium vitis is a causal agent of crown-gall disease on grapevine. Bacterial strains were isolated from crown galls of different grapevine varieties in grapevine farms of Kyungbuk(Kimcheon), Chungbuk(Okcheon), Chungnam(Daejon, Choenan) and Kyeonggi(Suwon, Ansung) areas in Korea from 2002 to 2005. Primer sets, Phe A and VirA, which were derived from pectate lysase gene and virA gene of Ti-plasmid in A. vitis were used to detect A. vitis strains from crown galls. PheA and VirA primers amplified DNA fragments of 0.25 kb and 0.5 kb from fifty-one bacterialstrains. They formed crown galls on grapevine variety, Kyoho, or carrot disks with variable pathgenecity It was confirmed that the biochemical characteristics of 10 bacterial strains that was strong pathogene city on grapevine were mostly in agreement with type culture strains of A. vitis, showing growth in the presence of 2% NaCl, non-production of acid from melezitose and negative response in production of 3-Ketolactose.

• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.161-168
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• 1997

The present study was designed to estimate the seroprevalence of NLVs among diarrheagenic children and in healthy adults in Seoul and its vicinity with the use of an EIA and an Western blot (WB) based on recombinant Norwalk virus capsid protein (rNV) and crude virus preparations as antigen. Seroconversion was observed in 34 (83%) of 41 tested using the EIA and in 21 (54%) of 39 using the WB, suggesting that the NLVs with epitopes common to rNV are prevalent in Seoul area. Diarrheal children who were known to have been infected with several other strains of the NLVs showed no significant antibody response to the rNV. Infection with rNV occurred earlier in life: primary infections with rNV were common before the age of 6 months and over 91 % of children had evidence of infection by that age by the EIA. Since the amount of the NLV antigens available for seroepidemiologic surveys is limited, we tried to detect NLV antibody by using crude virus preparations as antigen. One crude virus preparation of a child whose stool yielded genetically distinct NLV revealed the presence of the plural number of bands upon SDS-PAGE, but precipitated only one band (62 kDa) after the WB with a serum (collected 10 days after the onset of symptoms) of another diarrheal child. The WB assay we present in this report revealed that the NLVs are prevalent among Korean population and that the sera contained antibody to a single major structural protein, with molecular sizes of 58 to 62 kDa, compatible with the sizes reported for the Norwalk virus and Snow Mountain agent proteins, respectively. When the results of the WB were compared with those obtained by the EIA, the EIA antibody assay was sensitive enough to detect an antibody rise of as much as 4096-fold but not as specific as the WB. The WB assay presented in this paper will provide a powerful tool to elucidate not only antigenic structures of the NL Vs but also seroepidemiology of the NLV infection. The availability of an unlimited source of antigen will enable a large scale serologic studies that will greatly increase our understanding of the role of NLVs in human enteric illness.