• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5219-5223
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• 2012

Osteopontin (OPN) is an integrin-binding protein, believed to be involved in a variety of physiological cellular functions. The physiology of OPN is best documented in the bone where this secreted adhesive glycoprotein appears to be involved in osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. In our study, we used semi-quantitative RT-PCR of osteopontin in calcification tissue of breast to detect breast cancer metastasis. The obtained data indicate that the expression of osteopontin is related to calcification tissue of breast, and possibly with the incidence of breast cancer. The expression strength of OPN by RT-PCR detection was related to the degree of malignancy of breast lesions, suggesting a close relationship between OPN and breast calcification tissue. The results revealed that expression of OPN mRNA is related to calcification of breast cancer tissue and to the development of breast cancer. Determination of OPN mRNA expression can be expected to be a guide to clinical therapy and prediction of the prognosis of breast cancer patients.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.137-141
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• 2011

A previous data was provided information for tissuespecific expression genes by means of whole-genome oligonucleotide microarray in the silkworm. We analyzed the tissue-specific expression patterns in the hemocyte tissue on 5 days of 5th instar larvae during the development of $B.$ $mori$. Total 5 candidates pick out from the $Bombyx$ $mori$ Microarray Database (BmMDB; http://silkworm.swu.edu.cn/microarray). To verify the hemocyte-specific expression, we analyzed by semi-quantitative and real-time quantitative RT-PCR using the highly expressed endogenous $Actin$ RNA as an intrinsic reference. In this study, we confirmed that one gene-sw17255- out of 5 candidates expressed in the hemocyte tissue, which was consistent with the previous data. Circulating hemocytes in the body fluid of the $B.$ $mori$ are most powerful target organ for producing biomaterials. We need further studies to find hemocyte-specific promoter region from sw17255 gene. Finally, this result can be applied in creating transgenic silkworms as a biomedical insect.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.30 no.3 s.47
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• pp.389-392
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• 2004

We screened several materials to stimulate IGF-1 promoter activity using luciferase reporter assay and found that Amomi Semen extract (ASE) among them is the most powerful stimulator We also studied about the anti-wrinkle effect of ethanolic extract of Amoni Semen in vitro and in vivo. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that the extract elevated the presence level of IGF-1 mRNA. And $[^3H]$ proline incorporation and semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that the extract increased the expression of type-I collagen compared with vehicle in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Significant inhibition of MMP-1 expression was determined by ELISA and Western blot. Finally, topical treatment of the extract on hairless mouse's dorsal skin expanded the volume of collagen and dermal thickness. These results suggest that Amomi Semen may be a good candidate for improving extracellular matrix through the increase of collagen expression and inhibition of MMP-1 expression. Moreover, this study enables us to guess that IGF-1 stimulated by the extract may be involved in the mechanism of anti-wrinkle effect of it.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.717-725
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• 2021

Background: Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is a traditional herb that has several beneficial properties including anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and autophagy regulatory effects. However, the mechanisms of these effects are not well understood. In this report, the underlying mechanisms of anti-inflammatory and autophagy-promoting effects were investigated in aged mice treated with KRG-water extract (WE) over a long period. Methods: The mechanisms of anti-inflammatory and autophagy-promoting activities of KRG-WE were evaluated in kidney, lung, liver, stomach, and colon of aged mice using semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), and western blot analysis. Results: KRG-WE significantly suppressed the mRNA expression levels of inflammation-related genes such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- α, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and IL-6 in kidney, lung, liver, stomach, and colon of the aged mice. Furthermore, KRG-WE downregulated the expression of transcription factors and their protein levels associated with inflammation in lung and kidney of aged mice. KRG-WE also increased the expression of autophagy-related genes and their protein levels in colon, liver, and stomach. Conclusion: The results suggest that KRG can suppress inflammatory responses and recover autophagy activity in aged mice.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.71-77
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• 2011

Pigs have anatomically and physiologically very similar to human and because of this, pigs are the possible xenotransplantation donors for human organs. PERVs (Porcine Endogenous Retroviruses) are known to be one of the possible obstacles for using porcine organs regardless of the immunological barriers. In order to understand the expression patterns of PERVs in Korean native pigs, we investigated PERV expressions in porcine liver, heart, spleen, and lung samples. After RNA extraction, two types of specific PERV envelope genes (ENV-A and ENV-B) were amplified using specific primers by RT-PCR. The results indicated that the variable PERV expressions were observed in inconsistent patterns among animals and tissues. The PERV expressions were verified with semi-quantitative real-time PCR with three replicates. Even though, these results confirm the previous findings that the PERVs were differentially expressed between animals and tissues. These results also give some valuable information for xenotransplantation when using the Korean native pigs as the organ donor.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.371-376
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• 2012

Background: Caveolin-1 (CAV-1), encoding the structural component of cellular caveolae, is a suggested tumor suppressor gene involved in cell signalling. Aberrant promoter methylation of CAV-1 is associated with inactivation of expression. We previously observed CAV-1 mutations in breast cancers and therefore devised this study to examine the hypermethylation status of the promoter region of CAV-1 with reference to breast cancer progression and development. Methods: Hypermethylation status of CAV-1 was analyzed by methylation specific PCR. Loss of expression of the CAV-1 gene was further evaluated by semi-quantitative rt-PCR. Results: 28/130 (21.5%) breast cancer cases showed promoter hypermethylation with reduced CAV-1 expression levels when compared with adjacent normal breast tissue. CAV-1 gene hypermethylation was significantly related to menopausal status, histopathological grade and age. Conclusion: The rationale of our study is that CAV-1 gene is transcriptionally repressed in breast cancer cells due to hypermethylation. Our results reveal that promoter hypermethylation and loss of expression of the CAV-1 gene is an important alternative mechanism for inactivation of CAV-1 leading to complete gene silencing.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1975-1979
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• 2013

Aim: To investigate the level of expression of proto-oncogene Wip1 and its physiological significance in colorectal cancer. Methods: Immunohistochemistry, semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and Western blotting were used to analyze Wip1 mRNA and protein expression in 120 cases of colorectal cancer and normal tissues to study relationships with clinical symptoms and disease prognosis. Results: The level of Wip1 protein expression was found to be significantly higher in colorectal cancer tissues (85% (102/120)) than in normal tissues (30% (36/120)) (P<0.05). The relative amount of Wip1 protein in colorectal cancer tissue was also found to be significantly higher (P<0.05) than in normal tissues ($1.060{\pm}0.02$ and $0.640{\pm}0.023$, respectively). Semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed average Wip1 mRNA expression levels to be $1.113{\pm}0.018$ and $0.658{\pm}0.036$ for colorectal cancer tissue and adjacent normal tissue (P<0.05). The level of Wip1 protein expression was not correlated with age, gender, or tumor site, but appeared linked with lymph node metastasis, Dukes stage, histological grade, and liver metastasis. Individuals with high and low levels of Wip1 expression showed statistically significant differences in the five-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates (P<0.05). Conclusion: Wip1 mRNA and protein are highly expressed in colorectal cancers and may be associated with colorectal cancer development and progression.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.407-412
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• 2001

Many drugs are primarily metabolized by the cytochrome P450s (CYPs). Drug metabolites would be important allergens for adverse drug reactions such as drug eruptions. Skin tests with a suspected drug have conducted to identify causative drugs of drug eruptions, with vehicles such as white petrolatum, DMSO, ethanol. This study will compare the expression of rat CYP isozyme mRNAs between the skin and the liver, with examining an effect of the vehicles on the cutaneous CYPs using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats between the ages of six and eight weeks were divided as four groups. One group was used to compare the constitutive mRNA expression between skin and liver, while the others were to examine the effects of three vehicles. The ratios of expression of CYP1A2, CYP2B1/2, CYP2E1, CYP3A1, and CYP4A1 were significantly higher in the liver than the skin. However, CYP1A1 and CYP2C11 were higher in the skin than liver. The effects of vehicles were quite different; white petrolatum significantly induced CYP1A1 (p=0.012) and CYP2C11 mRNAs, while ethanol inhibited CY P1A1 and CYP2B1/2. DMSO did not make any changes. The results suggest that rat skin can participate in drug metabolism with their own CYP isozymes. The effects of vehicles on the cutaneous CYP expression should not be ignored and may be applied for determination of an appropriate vehicle for certain drug(s).

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.325-331
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• 2009

To efficiently express a gene of interest in transgenic plants, the choice of promoter is a crucial factor as it directly affects the expression of the transgene that will yield the desired phenotype. The Arabidopsis ${\beta}-carotene$ hydroxylase 1 gene (AtBch1) shows constitutive and ubiquitous expression and was thus selected as one of best candidates for constitutive promoter analysis by both in silico northern blotting and semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis. To investigate AtBch1 promoter activity, the 1,981-bp 5'-upstream region of this gene was fused with ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ (GUS) and transformed into Arabidopsis. Through the molecular characterization of transgenic leaf tissues, the AtBch1 promoter generated strong activity that drives 1.8- and 2-fold higher GUS expression than the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S (35S) promoter at the transcriptional and translational levels, respectively. Furthermore, the GUS enzyme activity driven by the AtBch1 promoter was 2.8-fold higher than that produced by the 35S promoter. By histochemical GUS staining, the ubiquitous expression of the AtBch1 promoter was observed in all tissues of Arabidopsis. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis with different tissues further showed that this promoter serves as a strong constitutive driver of transgene expression in dicot plants.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.197-208
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• 2005

Although little information is available on the underlying mechanisms, various genetic factors have been associated with tissue-specific responses to radiation. In the present study, we explored the possibility whether organ specific gene expression is associated with radiosensitivity using samples from brain, lung and spleen. We examined intrinsic expression pattern of 23 genes in the organs by semi-quantitative RT-PCR method using both male and female C57BL/6 mice. Expression of p53 and p21, well known factors for governing sensitivity to radiation or chemotherapeutic agents, was not different among the organ types. Both higher expression of sialyltransferase, delta7-sterol reductase, leptin receptor splice variant form 12.1, and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lower expression of alphaB crystalline were specific for spleen tissue. Expression level of glutathione peroxidase and APO-1 cell surface antigen gene in lung tissue was high, while that of Na, K-ATPase alpha-subunit, Cu/ZnSOD, and cyclin G was low. Brain, radioresistant organ, showed higher expressions of Na, K-ATPase-subunit, cyclin G, and nucleolar protein hNop56 and lower expression of delta7-sterol reductase. The result revealed a potential correlation between gene expression patterns and organ sensitivity, and Identified genes which might be responsible for organ sensitivity.