• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 1991

There studies were carried for evaluation of the efficiency of freezing of hamster oocytes for use in a human sperm penetration assay. The hamster oocytes fully equilibrated in various cryoprotectant agents and inseminated with human sperm. After insemination with hamster oocytes, there was no difference in penetrated rates. Cumulus free oocytes equilibrated in 1.5M various cryoprotective agents and slowely cooled to temperature $-30^{\circ}C$ before rapid cooling and storage in nitrozen tank. After rapid thawing, survival rates of frozen oocytes according to cryo-protective agents were examined and the human sperm penetration assay with zona free hamster oocytes was conducted. 1. Survival rates of oocytes after cryoprotectants exposure have no significant difference (range 88-91%) and peneration rate was 51.1%. 2. Recovery and survival rate of frozen-thawed oocytes were 85.1 and 66.8%. There was no significant difference on cryoprotective agents. 3. Penetration rates of the frozen-thawed and intact oocytes were 69.0 and 77.0%, respectively. 4. Hamster oocytes cryopreservation provides a convenient way of supplying and trans-porting hamster oocytes for the assessment of the fertilizing potential of human spermatozoa.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.96-102
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• 2020

Recently, it was reported that chitosan or APTMS(3-aminopropyltrimethoxysila ne) treatment to cotton using the simple pad-dry-cure method has potential to prepare textile materials for military chemical warfare protective clothing. However, it is not confirmed which method is more efficient. Therefore, this study aims to quantitatively compare detoxification properties of chitosan treated cotton fabric with those of APTMS treated cotton fabric. Detoxification properties were evaluated using the well-known organic phosphorous nerve agent stimulant, diisopropylfluorophosphate(DF P). With the same amount of chitosan and APTMS on the surface of the cotton fabrics, APTMS treated cotton fabric exhibited 10% higher detoxification properties than chitosan treated cotton fabric based on the rate of DFP hydrolysis and half-live of DFP calculated from the DFP decontamination ratios of the treated cotton fabrics through time. Therefore, APTMS treatment can be more efficient method to prepare the textile materials for military protective clothing than chitosan treatment.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.173-183
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• 2004

Objectives : Oxidative stress can induce negative responses such as growth inhibition or cell death by necrosis or apoptosis due to the intensity of the oxidative stress, as well as positive responses such as cellular proliferation or activation. We examined the effect of Jihwangeumja on this process. Methods and Results : We analyzed the influence of oxidative stress and agents that modify its effect in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC). Oxidative stress was induced by $B_2O_2$. With induced oxidative stress the results obtained indicate that it has a harmful effect over cell function and viability, and that this effect is dose and time dependent. When oxidative stress increased, Jihwangeumja reduced cell damage and had protective functions. $B_2O_2$, induced the apoptosis of HUVEC through the activation of intrinsic caspases pathway as well as mitochondrial dysfunction. A significant increase in cell survival was observed in culture cells with oxidative stress when they were treated with Jihwangeumja. Conclusions : These results suggest that Jihwangeumja may be potentially useful to treat HUVEC against oxidative damages mediated by modulation of caspase protease and mitochondrial dysfunction.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.52-59
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• 2012

In our continuous efforts to procure the active materials from natural products in the protective effects of oxidative stress or UV damage to skin cells we found the Prunus persica flesh extract (PPFE) is considerable to meet the demand to protect the skin damage. PPFE attenuated cell damage induced by hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase in cultured human keratinocytes, indicating that PPFE has the potential of the scavenging effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human skin cell. Moreover, PPFE significantly suppressed UVA-induced ROS production determined by the oxidation of 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH) using FACS analysis. Additional study revealed that UVA irradiation of HaCaT human keratinocytes increased the gelatinolytic activities of matrix metalloproteinase-2, and -9 (MMP-2, -9) and mRNA expression of MMP-9 analyzing by a real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and these events were significantly suppressed by the treatment with PPFE. These results suggest that PPFE might be applicable as natural ingredients for skin antiaging agents via UV-induced ROS scavenging activity and suppression of MMP expression in the skin cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6441-6446
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• 2012

Background: Radiation therapy plays an important role in lung carcinoma treatment. However, the incidence of symptomatic radiation-induced lung injury is high. This study aimed to evaluate radioprotective effects of flavonoids extracted from Astragalus complanatus and mechanisms of action against radiation damage. Methods: Alteration in antioxidant status and levles of several cytokines were investigated in BABL/C mice treated with 4 mg/kg b.wt. flavonoids after exposure to 10Gy thoracic radiation. Results: Serum levels of SOD in the flavonoids+radiation group were significantly higher compared to the radiation control group, while TGF-${\beta}1$ and IL-6 were lower. Mice in the radiation control group displayed more severe lung damage compared with the flavonoids+radiation group. The expression of TGF-${\beta}1$ and TNF-${\alpha}$ in the radiation control group was markedly increased in alveolar epithelial cells and macrophages of the alveolar septum. Conclusions: From the results of the present study, flavonoids could be excellent candidates as protective agents against radiation-induced lung injury.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.529-533
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• 2005

In the course of searching for hepatoprotective agents from natural products, six compounds were isolated from the MeOH extract of the leaves of Juglans sinensis, as guid ed by their DPPH free radical scavenging activity. The structures were determined as juglanoside B (1), quercetin 3-O-${\alpha}$-L-arabinofuranoside (avicularin, 2), quercetin 3-O-${\alpha}$-L-arabinopyranoside (guaijaverin,3), quercetin 3-O-${\alpha}$-L-rhamnopyranoside (quercitrin,4), (+)-catechin (5) and quercetin 3-O-${\beta}$- D-galactopyranoside (hyperin,6). Compounds 2-6 showed significant DPPH free radical scavenging effects. An evaluation for the hepatoprotective activity of the isolated compounds on drug-induced cytotoxicity was conducted, and compounds 1, 2, and 5 showed protective effects against nitrofurantoin-induced cytotoxicity, and compound 5 also exhibited a moderate protective effect on amiodarone-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.77-84
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• 2005

EGCG[(-)-epigallocatechin gallate], is a major component of green tea has been considered as a major antioxidant constituent. It has been considered as potential chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents. However, very little is known about the cellular actions by which EGCG mediates its therapeutic effects. Various aspects of antioxidant activity of EGCG were evaluated in this study. EGCG itself did not show significant cytotoxicity. Significant 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity was observed in all ranges of concentration ($0.8-100{\mu}g/ml$) used in this study. Protective effect of EGCG against hydrogen peroxide induced cell death was observed. Relatively high lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity were detected ($IC_{50}$ was about $20{\mu}g/ml$). EGCG also dose-dependently enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in V79-4 cells. In concentrations of $100{\mu}g/ml$ of EGCG, activities of SOD, CAT and GPX were measured as 36.9 U/mg of protein, 22.9 U/mg of protein and 17.8 U/mg of protein, respectively. When these values were compared with those of the control groups (24.9 U/mg of protein, 14.9 U/mg of protein and 11.7 U/mg of protein), the relative increases were calculated as 48, 54 and 52%, respectively. Taken together, our findings suggest that EGCG can act as an antioxidant by scavenging radicals and enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2020

This study aims to pursue the multi-functional textile finishing method to detoxify chemical warfare agent by simply treating the well-known antimicrobial agent, chitosan, to cotton fabric. For this purpose, DFP(diisopropylfluorophosphate) was sele cted as a chemical warfare agent simulant and cotton fabric was treated with 0.5, 1.0, and 2wt% chitosan solution in 1wt% acetic acid. DFP decontamination properties of the chitosan treated cotton fabrics were evaluated and compared with the untreated cotton fabric. The chitosan treated cotton fabrics showed better DFP decontamination than the untreated cotton. Decontamination properties of the chitosan treated cotton fabrics improved with the increased chitosan solution used. Especially, the cotton fabrics treated with 2wt% chitosan solution showed 5 times more DFP decontamina tion than the untreated cotton fabrics. This suggested that the chitosan treated fabric has potential to be used as a material for protective clothing with chemical warfare agent detoxifying and antimicrobial properties.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.69-74
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• 2013

Leishmania tropica is one of the causative agents of leishmaniasis in humans. Routes of infection have been reported to be an important variable for some species of Leishmania parasites. The role of this variable is not clear for L. tropica infection. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of route of L. tropica infection on the disease outcome and immunologic parameters in BALB/c mice. Two routes were used; subcutaneous in the footpad and intradermal in the ear. Mice were challenged by Leishmani major, after establishment of the L. tropica infection, to evaluate the level of protective immunity. Immune responses were assayed at week 1 and week 4 after challenge. The subcutaneous route in the footpad in comparison to the intradermal route in the ear induced significantly more protective immunity against L. major challenge, including higher delayed-type hypersensitivity responses, more rapid lesion resolution, lower parasite loads, and lower levels of IL-10. Our data showed that the route of infection in BALB/c model of L. tropica infection is an important variable and should be considered in developing an appropriate experimental model for L. tropica infections.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.408-415
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• 2023

Alzheimer's disease constitutes a large proportion of all neurodegenerative diseases and is mainly caused by excess aggregation of amyloid beta (Aβ), which results in oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in the neurons. Populus tomentiglandulosa belongs to the Salicaceae family and is widely distributed in Korea; the antioxidant activities of the extract and fractions from P. tomentiglandulosa have been demonstrated in previous studies. Specifically, the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction of P. tomentiglandulosa (EtOAc-PT) shows the most powerful antioxidative activity. Therefore, the present study investigates the protective effects of EtOAc-PT against neuronal damage in Aβ_25-35-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells. EtOAc-PT restored cell viability significantly as well as inhibited the levels of reactive oxygen species and lactate dehydrogenase release compared to the Aβ_25-35-induced control group. Furthermore, the inflammation- and apoptosis-related protein expressions were investigated to demonstrate its neuroprotective mechanism. EtOAc-PT downmodulated the expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, B-cell lymphoma 2 associated X, and B-cell lymphoma 2. Thus, the findings show that EtOAc-PT has protective effects against Aβ_25-35 by suppressing oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis.