• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.471-477
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• 2008

The porcine PRKAG3 (RN) gene encodes the regulatory gamma subunit of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which is a good candidate gene affecting meat quality. In this study, the effects of two missense mutations A595G (Ile199Val) and G154A (Gly52Ser) in porcine PRKAG3 gene on meat quality traits were studied in M. Longissimus dorsi (LD), M. Semispinalis capitis (SC) and M. Biceps femoris (BF) from different populations of 326 pigs. The PRKAG3 alleles 199I, 199IV, 52S and 52G were identified with PCR-RFLPs and all genotypes - 199I/199I, 199I/199V, 199V/199V, 52S/52S, 52S/52G and 52G/52G - were found. The frequency of V allele was larger than that of I allele in all populations. I allele frequency was zero in Chinese Meishan pigs (population D) especially. G allele frequency was larger than that of S allele in all populations except Large White (population A). Both variations at the PRKAG3 locus significantly affected these meat quality traits. The pork meat quality has not previously been established in Meishan or crosses thereof. The results suggested that generally pH of LD, SC and BF was higher in Meishan pigs than that in other populations. Moreover, Meishan pigs showed higher water-holding capacity and intramuscular fat (IMF), lower water content and water loss percentage compared to other populations in terms of the two variations. The results present here supply new evidence that alleles V199I and G52S at the PRKAG3 locus affect pork meat quality and provide useful information on pork production.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.8
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• pp.910-918
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• 2017

Hyperlipidemia is known as a glucose and lipid metabolism-related disorder that is increasing in incidence in modern society. Red ginseng (RG) is a natural herb candidate with a positive effect on regulation of cholesterol and lipids. To observe the effects of RG on regulation of lipids, cholesterol, glucose, and oxidative stress, we examined the in vitro and in vivo effects of Chamdahan RG on differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes and high-fat diet-fed mice. RG ($50{\mu}g/mL$) significantly inhibited lipid synthesis in 3T3-L1 cells. In addition, a low concentration of RG (880 mg/kg/d) resulted in the lowest total blood cholesterol level. Moreover, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol quantity increased in RG-treated groups, consequently lowering the cardiovascular risk factor and atherosclerosis index. Moreover, RG increased activity of AMP-activated protein kinase, as a regulator of lipid and cholesterol synthesis, in adipose and liver tissues. Cumulatively, this paper suggests that RG has a positive effect on reducing the amounts of cholesterol and lipids and may be a good candidate for treating hyperlipidemia.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.203-211
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• 2001

배경: AT$_1$수용체의 길항제가 세포 수준에서 심근을 재관류 손사으로부터 보호할수 있다는 것으로 알려져 있지만, 생체내에서의 효과나 그 기전은 아직 명확히 밝혀지지 않았다. 본 연구에서는 백서 심근 허혈 모델을 이용하여, AT$_1$ 수용체의 길항제들 중 하나인 irbesartan이 심근이 재관휴 손상에 미치는 효과를 알아보고, 재관류 손상을 매개하는 한 각지 기전으로서 세포자멸의 기여에 대하여 연구하고자 하였다. 대상 및 방법: Sprague-Dawley 백서에서 무작용 부형약(10% gum arabic: 1군, 개체수=14관) irbesartan(50mg/kg/day :II 군, 개체수=12)을 각각 3일 동안 24시간마다 경구로 투여하였다. 실험동물의 좌 관상 동맥을 45분간 결찰하였다가, 그 후 2시간 동안 재관류시킨 다음 심장을 적출 하였다. TTC(triphenyltetrazolium chloride) 염색법을 이용하여, 허혈 노출 부위에 대한 심근 경색 부위의 비율을 측정하였다. Agarose gel 전기영동상의 DNa 분절 양상과 TUNEL(TdT-mediated dUCP nick end labeling) 염색을 관찰하여 세포자멸이 일어난 정도를 평가하였다. 세포자멸을 조절하는데 관여하는 것으로 알려진 Bcl-2(B-cell lymphoma 2 gene), Bad 등의 단백과 ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase), p-38 등 신호전달체계에 작용하는 MAPKs(mitogen-activated protein kinases)의 발현을 측정하기 위하여 Western blot을 시행하였다. 결과: 허혈 노출부위에 대한 심근 경색부위의 비율은 II군(42$\pm$2.7%)이 I군( 64.1$\pm$4.65)에 비해 유의하게 작았다.(p< 0.05), Agarose gel 전기영동상의 DNA laddering 양상은 I군에서 보다 높게 발현되었다. Bad와 ERK2의 발현은 두 군간에 유의한 차이가 없었다. 결론: AT$_1$수용체 길항제인 irbesartan은 생체에서 심근의 재관류 손상을 줄이는 효과가 있었다. 이 효과는 적어도 부분적으로 나만 심근세포의 세포자멸이 감소한 것에 기인한 것으로 설명할 수 있으며, 이 항-세포 자멸 효과는 Bcl-2의 발현증가와 관련이 있는 것으로 추정되었다.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.267-272
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• 2017

Piceatannol (PIC) is a natural hydroxylated analog of resveratrol (RSV), which is a polyphenol known to extend lifespan by stimulating sirtuins. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PIC and RSV on the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-nuclear factor kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$) pathway in mouse hepatocytes and an obese/diabetic KK/HlJ mouse model. AML12 mouse hepatocytes in the absence or presence of palmitic acids (PA) were treated with PIC ($50{\mu}M$) or RSV ($50{\mu}M$). Male KK/HlJ mice at 20 weeks of age were divided into three subgroups as follows: 1) obese and diabetic control (KK), 2) KK_PIC, and 3) KK_RSV. PIC and RSV were administered orally at a dose of 10 mg/kg/d for 4 weeks. Four weeks of PIC and RSV treatment did not affect body weight or food intake in KK mice. Serum fasting blood glucose was significantly reduced in KK_PIC, and 2 h oral glucose tolerance test area under the curve was significantly reduced by PIC and RSV treatment in KK mice. PIC tended to improve homeostasis model assessment of the insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) and HOMA beta-cells in diabetic KK mice. TLR4 and $NF-{\kappa}B$ were down-regulated by PIC and RSV treatments in hepatocytes in the absence or presence of PA. Insulin receptor, AMP-activated protein kinase, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, nucleotide oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3, interleukin-1, and $NF-{\kappa}B$ were altered in PIC-treated livers. Collectively, PIC and RSV inhibited the $TLR4-NF-{\kappa}B$ pathway, and PIC seems to be more effective than RSV in the regulation of analyzed targets, which are involved in insulin signaling and inflammation in vivo.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.187-194
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• 2011

Atherosclerosis and post-angiography restenosis are associated with intimal thickening and concomitant vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. Obovatol, a major biphenolic component isolated from the Magnolia obovata leaf, is known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activities. The goal of the present study was to enhance the inhibitory effects of obovatol to improve its potential as a preventive or therapeutic agent in atherosclerosis and restenosis. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-induced proliferation of rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs) was examined in the presence or absence of a newly synthesized obovatol derivative, OD78. The observed anti-proliferative effect of OD78 was further investigated by cell counting and [$^3H$]-thymidine incorporation assays. Treatment with 1-4 ${\mu}M$ OD78 dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation and DNA synthesis of 25 ng/ml PDGF-BB-stimulated RASMCs. Accordingly, OD78 blocked PDGF-BB-induced progression from the $G_0/G_1$ to S phase of the cell cycle in synchronized cells. OD78 decreased the expression levels of CDK4, cyclin E, and cyclin D1 proteins, as well as the phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein and proliferating cell nuclear antigen; however, it did not change the CDK2 expression level. In addition, OD78 inhibited downregulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (CKI) $p27^{kip1}$. However, OD78 did not affect the CKI $p21^{cip1}$ or phosphorylation of early PDGF signaling pathway. These results suggest that OD78 may inhibit PDGF-BB-induced RASMC proliferation by perturbing cell cycle progression, potentially through $p27^{kip1}$ pathway activation. Consequently, OD78 may be developed as a potential anti-proliferative agent for the treatment of atherosclerosis and angioplasty restenosis.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.203-214
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• 2000

Porphyromonas gingivalis has been implicated in periodontal diseases. Accumulating evidence suggests that cardiovascular disease is the most prevalent medical problem in patients with periodontal diseases. In order to check the possibility that P. gingivalis is involved in coronary heart disease, the present study was performed to observe P. gingivalis adherence and invasion of human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) and production of cytokines and growth factors by HCAEC upon P. gingivalis infection. $^3H$-labeled P. gingivalis 381 was incubated with HCAEC for 90 min. The radioactivity of the washed HCAEC was a measure of the absorbed (adhering and invading) P. gingivalis. The absorption radioactivity of the HCAEC infected by P. gingivalis was determined to be 59.58% of the input bacterial cells. In contrast, the absorption radioactivity of the cells infected by S. gordonii Challis which was employed as a control was negligible (0.59%). DPG3, a P. gingivalis mutant defective of fimbriae, appeared to be impaired to some extent in capability of adherence/invasion as compared to that of the parental strain 381, showing 43.04% of the absorption radioactivity. The absorption radioactivity of the HCAEC infected by P. gingivalis 381 in the presence of excessive fimbriae at the concentrations of $50\;{\mu}g$ and $100\;{\mu}g/ml$ was 57.27 and 45.44%, respectively. Invasion of HCAEC by P. gingivalis 381 was observed by an antibiotic (metronidazole) protection assay and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In the antibiotic protection assay, invasion by the bacterium was measured to be 0.73, 1.09, and 1.51% of the input bacterial cells after incubation for 30, 60, and 90 min, respectively. Invasion by DPG3 was shown to be 0.16% after 90-min incubation. In comparison of invasion efficiency at 90 min of the incubation, the invasion efficiency of DPG3 was 0.37% while that of its parental strain 381 was 2.54%. The immunoblot analysis revealed fimbriae of P. gingivalis did not interact with the surface of HCAEC. These results suggest that fimbriae are not the major contribution to the adherence of P. gingivalis to HCAEC but may be important in the invasion of HCAEC by the bacterium. The presence of cytochalasin D ($1\;{\mu}g/ml$) and staurosporine ($1\;{\mu}M$) reduced the invasion of HCAEC by P. gingivalis 381 by 78.86 and 53.76%, respectively, indicating that cytoskeletal rearrangement and protein kinase of HCAEC are essential for the invasion. Infection of P. gingivalis induced HCAEC to increase the production of TNF-${\alpha}$. by 60.6%. At 90 min of the incubation, the HCAEC infected with P. gingivalis cells was apparently atypical in the shape, showing loss of the nuclear membrane and subcellular organelles. The overall results suggest that P. gingivalis may cause coronary heart disease by adhering to and invading endothelial cells, and subsequently damaging the cells.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.595-606
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• 2018

Objective: The Fusarium mycotoxins of deoxynivalenol (DON) and zerolenone (ZEN) cause health hazards for both humans and farm animals. Therefore, the main intention of this study was to reveal DON and ZEN effects on the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and other immune related genes in the liver of piglets. Methods: In the present study, 15 six-week-old piglets were randomly assigned to the following three different dietary treatments for 4 weeks: control diet, diet containing 8 mg DON/kg feed, and diet containing 0.8 mg ZEN/kg feed. After 4 weeks, liver samples were collected and sequenced using RNA-Seq to investigate the effects of the mycotoxins on genes and gene networks associated with the immune systems of the piglets. Results: Our analysis identified a total of 249 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which included 99 upregulated and 150 downregulated genes in both the DON and ZEN dietary treatment groups. After biological pathway analysis, the DEGs were determined to be significantly enriched in gene ontology terms associated with many biological pathways, including immune response and cellular and metabolic processes. Consistent with inflammatory stimulation due to the mycotoxin-contaminated diet, the following Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathways, which were related to disease and immune responses, were found to be enriched in the DEGs: allograft rejection pathway, cell adhesion molecules, graft-versus-host disease, autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), type I diabetes mellitus, human T-cell leukemia lymphoma virus infection, and viral carcinogenesis. Genome-wide expression analysis revealed that DON and ZEN treatments downregulated the expression of the majority of the DEGs that were associated with inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 10 receptor, beta, chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 9), proliferation (insulin-like growth factor 1, major facilitator superfamily domain containing 2A, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2, lipase G, and salt inducible kinase 1), and other immune response networks (paired immunoglobulin-like type 2 receptor beta, Src-like-adaptor-1 [SLA1], SLA3, SLA5, SLA7, claudin 4, nicotinamide N-methyltransferase, thyrotropin-releasing hormone degrading enzyme, ubiquitin D, histone $H_2B$ type 1, and serum amyloid A). Conclusion: In summary, our results demonstrated that high concentrations DON and ZEN disrupt immune-related processes in the liver.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.203-208
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• 2013

As the abnormal proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) plays a critical role in the development of atherosclerosis and vascular restenosis, a candidate drug with antiproliferative properties is needed. We investigated the antiproliferative action and underlying mechanism of a newly synthesized naphthoquinone derivative, 5,8-dimethoxy-2-nonylamino-naphthalene-1,4-dione (2-nonylamino-DMNQ), using VSMCs treated with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). 2-Nonylamino-DMNQ inhibited proliferation and cell number of VSMCs induced by PDGF, but not epidermal growth factor (EGF), in a concentration-dependent manner without any cytotoxicity. This derivative suppressed PDGF-induced $[^3H]$-thymidine incorporation, cell cycle progression from $G_0/G_1$ to S phase, and the phosphorylation of phosphor-retinoblastoma protein (pRb) as well as the expression of cyclin E/D, cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 2/4, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Importantly, 2-nonylamino-DMNQ inhibited the phosphorylation of PDGF receptor${\beta}$(PDGF-$R{\beta}$) enhanced by PDGF at $Tyr^{579}$, $Tyr^{716}$, $Tyr^{751}$, and $Tyr^{1021}$ residues. Subsequently, 2-nonylamino-DMNQ inhibited PDGF-induced phosphorylation of STAT3, ERK1/2, Akt, and $PLC{\gamma}1$. Therefore, our results indicate that 2-nonylamino-DMNQ inhibits PDGF-induced VSMC proliferation by blocking PDGF-$R{\beta}$ autophosphorylation, and subsequently PDGF-$R{\beta}$-mediated downstream signaling pathways.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.933-941
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• 2021

Ginsenoside Rg4 is a rare ginsenoside that is naturally found in ginseng, and exhibits a wide range of biological activities including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in several cell types. The purpose of this study was to use an in vivo model of hair follicle (HF)-mimic based on a human dermal papilla (DP) spheroid system prepared by three-dimensional (3D) culture and to investigate the effect of Rg4 on the hair-inductive properties of DP cells. Treatment of the DP spheroids with Rg4 (20 to 50 ㎍/ml) significantly increased the viability and size of the DP spheres in a dose-dependent manner. Rg4 also increased the mRNA and protein expression of DP signature genes that are related to hair growth including ALP, BMP2, and VCAN in the DP spheres. Analysis of the signaling molecules and luciferase reporter assays further revealed that Rg4 induces the activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT and the inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK3β, which activates the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway. These results correlated with not only the increased nuclear translocation of β-catenin following the treatment of the DP spheres with Rg4 but also the significant elevation of mRNA expression of the downstream target genes of the WNT/β-catenin pathway including WNT5A, β-catenin, and LEF1. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that ginsenoside Rg4 promotes the hair-inductive properties of DP cells by activating the AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling pathway in DP spheres, suggesting that Rg4 could be a potential natural therapy for hair growth.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.123-139
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• 2023

Purpose: This study was conducted to establish whether an ethanol extract of Lycium barbarum leaves (LLE) and an ethanol extract of Lycium barbarum leaves from which chlorophyll has been removed, denoted as LLE(Ch^-), have a protective effect against hepatic fat accumulation. Methods: The inhibitory effects of LLE and LLE(Ch^-) on liver fat accumulation were examined in C57BL/6 mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by an methionine and choline deficient diet and in HepG2 cells with palmitic acid-induced fat accumulation. Results: The plasma triglyceride, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase levels were lower in the LLE(Ch^-) group, whereas the plasma ALT activity decreased significantly in the LLE group. In both the LLE and the LLE(Ch^-) groups, the triglyceride and cholesterol contents in the hepatic tissue were significantly reduced. A greater inhibitory effect on tissue fat accumulation was observed in the LLE(Ch^-) group than in the LLE group. In HepG2 cells, LLE and LLE(Ch^-) were non-toxic up to a concentration of 1,000 ㎍/mL. Compared to the control group, intracellular fat accumulation in the LLE and LLE(Ch^-) groups were significantly reduced at concentrations of 200 ㎍/mL and 500 ㎍/mL, respectively. The expression of phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and phosphorylated acetyl-CoA carboxylase in both LLE groups increased at the concentrations of 100 ㎍/mL and 500 ㎍/mL. The fatty acid synthase expression was suppressed in a concentration-dependent manner at 10 ㎍/mL. Conclusion: The examined two ethanol extracts of LLE inhibit hepatic fat accumulation in NAFLD. This effect was more pronounced in the LLE(Ch^-) group. Therefore, these 2 extracts have an anti-steatosis effect and can be used for NAFLD treatment.