• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.444-453
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• 2022

Background: Compound K (CK) is among the protopanaxadiol (PPD)-type ginsenoside group, which produces multiple pharmacological effects. Herein, we examined the effects of CK on muscle atrophy under hyperlipidemic conditions along with its pro-myogenic effects. Further, the molecular pathways underlying the effects of CK on skeletal muscle have been justified. Methods: C2C12 myotubes were treated with palmitate and CK. C2C12 myoblasts were differentiated using CK for 4-5 days. For the in vivo experiments, CK was administered to mice fed on a high-fat diet for 8 weeks. The protein expression levels were analyzed using western blotting analysis. Target protein suppression was performed using small interfering (si) RNA transfection. Histological examination was performed using Jenner-Giemsa and H&E staining techniques. Results: CK treatment attenuated ER stress markers, such as eIF2a phosphorylation and CHOP expression and impaired myotube formation in palmitate-treated C2C12 myotubes and skeletal muscle of mice fed on HFD. CK treatment augmented AMPK along with autophagy markers in skeletal muscle cells in vitro and in vivo experiments. AMPK siRNA or 3-MA, an autophagy inhibitor, abrogated the impacts of CK in C2C12 myotubes. CK treatment augmented p38 and Akt phosphorylation, leading to an enhancement of C2C12 myogenesis. However, AMPK siRNA abolished the effects of CK in C2C12 myoblasts. Conclusion: These findings denote that CK prevents lipid-induced skeletal muscle apoptosis via AMPK/autophagy-mediated attenuation of ER stress and induction of myoblast differentiation. Therefore, we may suggest the use of CK as a potential therapeutic approach for treating muscle-wasting conditions associated with obesity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.1195-1208
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• 2022

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have potential applications in medicine, photocatalysis, agriculture, and cosmetic fields due to their unique physicochemical properties and strong antimicrobial activity. Here, AgNPs were synthesized using actinobacterial SL19 strain, isolated from acidic forest soil in Poland, and confirmed by UV-vis and FTIR spectroscopy, TEM, and zeta potential analysis. The AgNPs were polydispersed, stable, spherical, and small, with an average size of 23 nm. The FTIR study revealed the presence of bonds characteristic of proteins that cover nanoparticles. These proteins were then studied by using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and identified with the highest similarity to hypothetical protein and porin with molecular masses equal to 41 and 38 kDa, respectively. Our AgNPs exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The combined, synergistic action of these synthesized AgNPs with commercial antibiotics (ampicillin, kanamycin, streptomycin, and tetracycline) enabled dose reductions in both components and increased their antimicrobial efficacy, especially in the case of streptomycin and tetracycline. Furthermore, the in vitro activity of the AgNPs on human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, A375, A549, and HepG2) showed cancer-specific sensitivity, while the genotoxic activity was evaluated by Ames assay, which revealed a lack of mutagenicity on the part of nanoparticles in Salmonella Typhimurium TA98 strain. We also studied the impact of the AgNPs on the catalytic and photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO). The decomposition of MO was observed by a decrease in intensity of absorbance within time. The results of our study proved the easy, fast, and efficient synthesis of AgNPs using acidophilic actinomycete SL19 strain and demonstrated the remarkable potential of these AgNPs as anticancer and antibacterial agents. However, the properties and activity of such particles can vary by biosynthesized batch.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.302-310
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• 2022

Recently, in human medicine and veterinary medicine, interest in synthetic bone graft is increasing. Among them, bone morphogenic protein (BMP) is currently being actively researched and applied to clinical trials. However, BMP has the disadvantage of being expensive and easily absorbed into surrounding tissues. Therefore, BMP requires the use of small amounts and rhBMP (recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein)-2 carriers that can be released slowly. Hydrogel has the property of swelling a large amount of water inside when it is aqueous solution, and when it is, it consists of more than 90 percent water. Using these properties, hydrogels are often used as rhBMP-2 carrier. The scaffold used in this study is a hydrogel made from which keratin is extracted using human hair and based on it. In this study, we wanted to see the effect of bone formation in the calvarial defect model by using keratin-based hydrogel made with human hair as a scaffold. The experiment was conducted by dividing 3 groups a total of 12 mice. Calvarial bone defect is set to all 4 mm diameters. Bone formation was evaluated by using gross evaluation, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), immunohistochemistry. Groups using keratin-based hydrogel were significantly observed compared to Group 1s, and the most bone formations were found when rhBMP-2 and hydrogel were used. This represents the superiority of the functions of the rhBMP-2 carrier by a new material, keratin-based hydrogel. Through gross evaluation, micro-CT, and immunohistochemistry, we can confirm that keratin-based hydrogel is a useful rhBMP-2 carrier.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.66 no.4
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• pp.400-408
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• 2023

Objective : Nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyl transferase 2 (NMNAT2) is a crucial factor for the survival of neuron. The role of NMNAT2 in damage following traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains unknown. This study was designed to investigate the role of NMNAT2 in TBI-induced neuronal degeneration and neurological deficits in rats. Methods : The TBI model was established in Sprague-Dawley rats by a weight-dropping method. Real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot, immunofluorescence, Fluoro-Jade C staining, and neurological score analyses were carried out. Results : NMNAT2 mRNA and protein levels were increased in the injured-side cortex at 6 hours and peaked 12 hours after TBI. Knocking down NMNAT2 with an injection of small interfering RNA in lateral ventricle significantly exacerbated neuronal degeneration and neurological deficits after TBI, which were accompanied by increased expression of BCL-2-associated X protein (Bax). Conclusion : NMNAT2 expression is increased and NMNAT2 exhibits neuroprotective activity in the early stages after TBI, and Bax signaling pathway may be involved in the process. Thus, NMNAT2 is likely to be an important target to prevent secondary damage following TBI.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.34-38
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• 2017

FK506BP (FK506 binding protein 12) is a small peptide with a single FK506BP domain. It is involved in suppression of immune response, oxidative stress and inflammation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the gene expression of FK506BP in red seabream (Pagrus major) exposure to low water temperature (8℃, 33 psu) and low salinity (20℃, 10 psu). Results showed that, the expression of FK506BP was significantly increased in the experiment groups, such as low water temperature (8℃, 33 psu), and low salinity (20℃, 10 psu). These results suggest that FK506BP was played roles in biomarker gene on the environmental stress such as water temperature and salinity.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.30.1-30.13
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• 2023

Ephs belong to the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinase and are highly conserved both sequentially and structurally. The structural organization of Eph is similar to other receptor tyrosine kinases; constituting the extracellular ligand binding domain, a fibronectin domain followed by intracellular juxtamembrane kinase, and SAM domain. Eph binds to respective ephrin ligand, through the ligand binding domain and forms a tetrameric complex to activate the kinase domain. Eph-ephrin regulates many downstream pathways that lead to physiological events such as cell migration, proliferation, and growth. Therefore, considering the importance of Eph-ephrin class of protein in tumorigenesis, 7,620 clinically reported missense mutations belonging to the class of variables of unknown significance were retrieved from cBioPortal and evaluated for pathogenicity. Thirty-two mutations predicted to be pathogenic using SIFT, Polyphen-2, PROVEAN, SNPs&GO, PMut, iSTABLE, and PremPS in-silico tools were found located either in critical functional regions or encompassing interactions at the binding interface of Eph-ephrin. However, seven were reported in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Considering the relevance of receptor tyrosine kinases and Eph in NSCLC, these seven mutations were assessed for change in the folding pattern using molecular dynamic simulation. Structural alterations, stability, flexibility, compactness, and solvent-exposed area was observed in EphA3 Trp790Cys, EphA7 Leu749Phe, EphB1 Gly685Cys, EphB4 Val748Ala, and Ephrin A2 Trp112Cys. Hence, it can be concluded that the evaluated mutations have potential to alter the folding pattern and thus can be further validated by in-vitro, structural and in-vivo studies for clinical management.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2024

Radiographic left atrial dimension (RLAD) is a valuable metric for assessing left atrial enlargement in dogs. While there have been studies on the use of RLAD and the increase in C-reactive protein (CRP) levels based on heart disease stages, there has been no prior research on the correlation between RLAD and CRP. In this study, the objective was to investigate the relationship between the rise in RLAD as myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) stages advance and the increase in CRP levels with MMVD stage progression. In this study, a total of 30 small-breed dogs were included as subjects. These dogs were diagnosed with MMVD at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) stage B1 or B2, or stage C, based on a comprehensive assessment including physical examination, thoracic radiography, and echocardiography. Measurements of VHS and RLAD were compared to assess any significant differences. There were significant differences in RLAD between dogs with MMVD ACVIM stage B1 and those with stage C. The monocytes and CRP levels showed significant differences between ACVIM stage B1, B2 and ACVIM C. Additionally, a significant correlation was observed between the RLAD and VHS measurements. This underscores the notable association between MMVD stage advancement and elevated monocyte and CRP levels. The RLAD scores exhibited a significant difference among dogs with ACVIM stages B1, B2, and C, and significant variations were also observed in monocyte and CRP levels. These results suggest that monocyte and CRP levels may be a valuable diagnostic indicator for heart disease in dogs during the diagnostic evaluation.

• Oncology Letters
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.4858-4864
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• 2019

XAV939, a tankyrase inhibitor, exerts an anticancer effect in 3-dimensional (3D) cultured SW480 cells, however this is not exhibited in 2-dimensional (2D) cultured SW480 cells. In the current study, XAV939 induced a 3.7-fold increase in cellular apoptosis in 3D culture but not in the 2D culture. However, no significant changes were indicated in cell cycle distribution in the 2D or 3D culture. Based on the observation that protein expression, which was associated with the glycolytic pathway, was increased in the 3D culture, the effect of XAV939 on the patterns of glycolytic protein expression was assessed. XAV939 was revealed to decrease lactose dehydrogenase A (LDHA) expression in 3D cultured SW480 cells, but only exerted a small effect in the 2D culture. The coadministration of XAV939 with the LDHA inhibitor FX11 decreased proliferation in 3D cultured SW480 cells compared with the single administration of FX11, while there was no additive effect in the 2D culture. The lactate assay also indicated that XAV939 decreased lactate secretion in the 3D cell culture but not in the 2D culture. These results suggest that XAV939 exerts an anticancer effect through inhibition of LDHA in the 3D culture.

• International Journal of Oncology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.960-972
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• 2019

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that play pivotal roles in cancer physiology as important epigenetic regulators of gene expression. Several miRNAs have been previously discovered that regulate the proliferation of the colorectal cancer (CRC) cell line HCT116. In the present study, one of these miRNAs, miR-5191, was characterized as a tumor suppressor in CRC cells. Transfection with miR-5191 led to a significant decrease in cell proliferation, invasiveness, tumor sphere-forming ability and tumor organoid growth, as determined via trypan blue, Transwell, sphere culture and organoid culture assays, respectively. Flow cytometric analyses revealed that miR-5191 induced the cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of CRC cells. Additionally, the expression of miR-5191 was downregulated in CRC tumor tissues compared with in normal tissues, as measured by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis. Ribosomal protein S6 kinase β1 (RPS6KB1) was identified as a direct target of miR-5191. Ectopic expression of RPS6KB1 suppressed the function of miR-5191. Intratumoral injection of miR-5191 mimic suppressed tumor growth in HCT116 xenografts. These findings suggested a novel tumor-suppressive function for miR-5191 in CRC, and its potential applicability for the development of anticancer miRNA therapeutics.

• International Journal of Oncology
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.1875-1883
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• 2019

Reversine, a 2,6-diamino-substituted purine analogue, has been reported to be effective in tumor suppression via induction of cell growth arrest and apoptosis of cancer cells. However, it remains unclear whether reversine exerts anticancer effects on human colorectal cancer cells. In the present study, in vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the anticancer properties of reversine in human colorectal cancer cells. The effect of reversine on human colorectal cancer cell lines, SW480 and HCT-116, was examined using a WST-1 cell viability assay, fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, DNA fragmentation, small interfering RNA (siRNA) and western blotting. Reversine treatment demonstrated cytotoxic activity in human colorectal cancer cells. It also induced apoptosis by activating poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, caspase-3, -7 and -8, and increasing the levels of the pro-apoptotic protein second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase/direct inhibitor of apoptosis-binding protein with low pI. The pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK attenuated these reversine-induced apoptotic effects on human colorectal cancer cells. Additionally, reversine treatment induced cell cycle arrest in the subG1 and G2/M phases via increase in levels of p21, p27 and p57, and decrease in cyclin D1 levels. The expression of Fas and death receptor 5 (DR5) signaling proteins in SW480 and HCT116 cells was upregulated by reversine treatment. Reversine-induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were suppressed by inhibition of Fas and DR5 expression via siRNA. In conclusion, Reversine treatment suppressed tumor progression by the inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis via upregulation of the Fas and DR5 signaling pathways in human colorectal cancer cells. The present study indicated that reversine may be used as a novel anticancer agent in human colorectal cancer.