• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
• /
• 2005.09a
• /
• pp.421-426
• /
• 2005

In this paper, we investigate the nonlinear dynamic behavior of TPP (thiamine pyrophosphate) riboswitches in E. coli (Escherichia coli). TPP riboswitches are highly conserved RNA regulatory elements, embedded within the 5’'untranslated region of three TPP biosynthesis operons. The three operons thiCEFSGH, thiMD, and thiBPQ are involved in the biosynthesis, salvage, and transport of TPP, respectively. TPP riboswitches modulate their expressions in response to changing TPP concentration, without involving protein cofactors. Interestingly, the expression of thiMD is regulated at the translational level, while that of thiCEFSGH at both levels of transcription and translation. We develop a mathematical model of the TPP riboswitch’s regulatory system possessed by thiCEFSGH and thiMD, so as to simulate the time-course experiments of TPP biosynthesis in E. coli. The simulation results are validated against three sets of reported experimental data in order to gain insight into the nature of steady states and the stability of TPP riboswitches, and to explain the biological significance of regulating at level of transcription or translation, or even both. Our findings suggest that in the TPP biosynthesis pathway of E. coli, the biological effect of down-regulating thiCEFSGH operon at the translational level by TPP riboswitch is less prominent than that at the transcriptional level.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.2835-2839
• /
• 2014

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent malignant cancers in men. The isoflavone formononetin is a main active component of red clover plants. In the present study, we assessed the effect of formononetin on human prostate cancer DU-145 cells in vitro, and elucidated posssible mechanisms. DU-145 cells were treated with different concentrations of formononetin and cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay, cell apoptosis by Hoechst 33258 and flow cytometry, and protein levels of RASD1, Bcl-2 and Bax by Western blotting. The results showed that formononetin inhibited the proliferation of DU-145 cells in a dose-dependent manner. DU-145 cells treated with different concentrations of formononetin displayed obvious morphological changes of apoptosis under fluorescence microscopy. In addition, formononetin increased the proportion of early apoptotic DU-145 cells, down-regulated the protein levels of Bcl-2 and up-regulated those of RASD1 and Bax. The level of RASD1 reached its maximum at 48h post-treatment, and rapidly decreased thereafter. Together, we present evidence that formononetin triggered cell apoptosis through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway by up-regulating RASD1.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.18
• /
• pp.8119-8126
• /
• 2016

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Due to the toxic side effects of the commonly used chemotherapeutic drug cyclophosphamide (CTX), the use of herbal medicines with fewer side effects but having potential use as inducing anti-cancer outcomes in situ has become increasingly popular. The present study sought to investigate the effects of a methanolic extract of Bauhinia tomentosa against Dalton's ascites lymphoma (DAL) induced ascites as well as solid tumors in BALB/c mice. Specifically, B. tomentosa extract was administered intraperitonealy (IP) at 10 mg/kg. BW body weight starting just after tumor cell implantation and thereafter for 10 consecutive days. In the ascites tumor model hosts, administration of extract resulted in a 52% increase in the life span. In solid tumor models, co-administration of extract and CTX significantly reduced tumor volume (relative to in untreated hosts) by 73% compared to just by 52% when the extract alone was provided. Co-administration of the extract also mitigated CTX-induced toxicity, including decreases in WBC count, and in bone marrow cellularity and ${\alpha}$-esterase activity. Extract treatment also attenuated any increases in serum levels of $TNF{\alpha}$, iNOS, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, GM-CSF, and VEGF seen in tumor-bearing hosts. This study confirmed that, the potent antitumor activity of B.tomentosa extract may be associated with immune modulatory effects by regulating anti-oxidants and cytokine levels.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.197-199
• /
• 1991

The role of estrogen in calcium metabolism has not been well documented. To further investigate the effects of endogenous estrogen on the calcium regulating hormones in women, we correlated the changes of estrogen level with those of calcium regulating hormones during ovulation induction in 12 hypogonadal and 8 normally menstruating women. During ovulation induction, the serum leveles of estradiol rose from 40.0 to 831.0pg/ml. There were no significant changes in the serum leveles of total calcium, inorganic phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, calcitonin. However, 1, $25-(OH)_2D_3$ rose significantly from 31.0 to 47.2pg.ml as the endogenous $E_2$ increaed (p<0.005).

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.111-132
• /
• 2014

Recently, there have been discussions about the necessity of consumer arbitration such as ADR. The debate has progressed, because this area of arbitration has expanded into the press and medical fields. However, there is not an act for regulating consumer arbitration in South Korea. Thus, this issue has been deliberated at UNCITRAL Working Group III. The core issue of this deliberation is the validity of consumer arbitration. Especially if a pre-dispute arbitration agreement is contracted online, it progresses by using standardized terms; therefore it is possible that the Standardized Terms Regulating Act judges the relevant terms. This thesis consists of the following: First, concepts and categories of arbitration agreements. These include arbitration agreement, pre-dispute arbitration agreement, and arbitration agreement through standardized terms. Second, the validity of the above agreements will be discussed. There are three positions concerning their validity: affirmative as de lege ferenda, negative, and restrictively negative. Similar discussions concerning German law and cases would be helpful to specify and compare the issue. When a consumer arbitration agreement is contracted through standardized terms, it is necessary that the required formality of the agreement has been satisfied, before the effect of the agreement may be regulated by the German Civil Code.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.529-534
• /
• 2017

Probiotics have been known to reduce high-fat diet (HFD)-induced metabolic diseases, such as obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. We recently observed that Lactobacillus acidophilus NS1 (LNS1), distinctly suppresses increase of blood glucose levels and insulin resistance in HFD-fed mice. In the present study, we demonstrated that oral administration of LNS1 with HFD feeding to mice significantly reduces hepatic expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), a key enzyme in gluconeogenesis which is highly increased by HFD feeding. This suppressive effect of LNS1 on hepatic expression of PEPCK was further confirmed in HepG2 cells by treatment of LNS1 conditioned media (LNS1-CM). LNS1-CM strongly and specifically inhibited $HNF4{\alpha}-induced$ PEPCK promoter activity in HepG2 cells without change of $HNF4{\alpha}$ mRNA levels. Together, these data demonstrate that LNS1 suppresses PEPCK expression in the liver by regulating $HNF4{\alpha}$ transcriptional activity, implicating its role as a preventive or therapeutic approach for metabolic diseases.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.79-88
• /
• 2008

Hot water is used by having a wash, dishes, taking tub and drinking water in residential buildings, and the use objective is to raise comfort of human body sense, washing and sterilization effect and so on. Cold & hot water supply system is understanded simpler than HVAC systems relatively, so it is true that pace of performance improvement is slower than other systems for plan and technical development. In this study, the performance evaluations are conducted under the condition of composition ratio by 1:1 for cold & hot water supply manifold system using functionally complex valves such as constant flow regulating valve and 3-way mixing valve in the area of $105.6m^2$ apartment which consist of the largest part of the whole apartment. Also, flow rate related to simultaneous use of faucets and change of hot water temperature are compared with the existing method.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.66-71
• /
• 1984

In order to find out the effect of a plant growth regulating hormone, commonly called as 2, 4, 5-TP, for checking the resisting energy against falling of grain of Indica-Japonica species rice, an experiment was conducted with five levels of consistency (5,10, 15, 20, 25 ppm) and with four levels of spray timing (8, 17, 27, 34 DAH). Ten applications were made for measuring the resisting energy of rice heads sampled from every lot of treatments. Followings are the results; 1.The rice heads applied with 2, 4, 5-TP showed remarkably higher resisting energy against falling of grain comparing with those from the control plot. 2.The highest average value of the resisting energy was found as 83, 326 erg per grain on the plots of 8 DAH spray. 3.The general tendency was found that the more the timing of spraying was early, the more the consistency was lean. 4.A regression equation for expressing the peak resistance versus the timing was derived by means of least squares as follow; C=0. 00042D$^3$-0. 012D$^2$+0. 267D+8. 394 5.No significant differences were found among the values of weight per 1, 000 grains neither among moisture content.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.309-318
• /
• 2024

Compared to other organs, the brain has limited antioxidant defenses. In particular, the hippocampus is the central region for learning and memory and is highly susceptible to oxidative stress. Glial cells are the most abundant cells in the brain, and sustained glial cell activation is critical to the neuroinflammation that aggravates neuropathology and neurotoxicity. Therefore, regulating glial cell activation is a promising neurotherapeutic treatment. Quinic acid (QA) and its derivatives possess anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Although previous studies have evidenced QA's benefit on the brain, in vivo and in vitro analyses of its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in glial cells have yet to be established. This study investigated QA's rescue effect in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced behavior impairment. Orally administering QA restored social impairment and LPS-induced spatial and fear memory. In addition, QA inhibited proinflammatory mediator, oxidative stress marker, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation in the LPS-injected hippocampus. QA inhibited nitrite release and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in LPS-stimulated astrocytes. Collectively, QA restored impaired neuroinflammation-induced behavior by regulating proinflammatory mediator and ERK activation in astrocytes, demonstrating its potential as a therapeutic agent for neuroinflammation-induced brain disease treatments.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
• /
• v.57 no.2
• /
• pp.305-315
• /
• 2024

Vitronectin (VN) is an extracellular matrix protein with a crucial role in regulating bone remodeling. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of VN deficiency in a mouse model of osteoporosis induced by ovariectomy (OVX). The findings revealed that the absence of VN led to an increase in the activity of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), a marker for osteoclasts, in the plasma of OVX-operated mice. TRAP staining further demonstrated that VN deficiency resulted in a higher number of osteoclasts within the femurs of OVX-operated mice. X-ray micro-computed tomography analysis of the femurs in OVX-operated mice indicated that VN deficiency significantly suppressed the OVX-induced increase of marrow area and total volume of bone. Additionally, we assessed structural model index (SMI) and degree of anisotropy (DA) as indices of osteoporosis. The results showed that VN deficiency effectively attenuated the OVX-induced increase in SMI and DA among OVX-operated mice. In summary, our study demonstrates the vital role of VN in regulating osteoclastogenesis and bone remodeling in the mouse model of osteoporosis.