• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 1993

We investigated the effects of CP-2 extracted from the mixture of Copis and Croton tiglium L, which showed very high cytotoxic effect to the various tumor cells, on the growth and steroidenesis of primary and transformed cell lines PA-GS6 and PO-GRS1 by cotransfectionwith SV40 and Ha ras oncogenes. CP-2 inhibited the growth of PA-GS6 and PO-GRS1 in a dose dependent manner when the growth of them was measured by cell number and by protein content, while CP-2 did not affect the growth of primary granulose cells. Productions of progesterone ofprimary and transformed granulosa cells were stimulated by forskolin, but this stimulatory effect was blocked by treatment of CP-2. Clinical application of CP-2 asa new anti-cancer drug and utilization of transformed granulosa cells as a model system for the screening of anti-cancer drug were also discussed.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.113-117
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• 2004

The effect of ultrasonification on immuno-stimulatory activities of the extracts from Ephedra sinica Stapf and Rubus coreanus Miq. was observed by the growth of human immune cells. The extraction yields from water extracts and water extract with ultrasonification at 40$^{\circ}C$, 60$^{\circ}C$ and 100$^{\circ}C$ were compared. The highest yield was observed enhancement ratio 2.34% in the extract at 40$^{\circ}C$ with ultrasonification. The growth of human T-cell was increased up to 13.8${\times}$10$^4$ viable cells/$m\ell$ in adding 1.0 g/L of the ultrasonification extracts. The treated extracts increased the specific secretion of TNF-${\alpha}$ up to 10.5${\times}$10$\^$-4/ pg/cell. It was suggested that of the extracts on water the extraction yield with ultrasonification compared improved the extraction with ultrasonification of low than.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.479-484
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• 2008

There have been contradictory reports concerning the role of garlic on kimchi fermentation; therefore, in this study, the stimulatory effect of garlic on the fermentation of kimchi was reappraised. In this study, fermentation of kimchi prepared using spring Chinese cabbage was stimulated by the addition of garlic, but kimchi prepared using autumn Chinese cabbage was not. In addition, the results of this study revealed that the fermentation of kimchi prepared using spring Chinese cabbage was found to be stimulated by glucose, yeast extract, peptone, and secondary ingredients of kimchi, but the fermentation of kimchi prepared using autumn Chinese cabbage was not stimulated by these ingredients. Taken together, these results indicate that general nutrients in garlic stimulate the fermentation of kimchi by compensating for nutrients that are not found in spring Chinese cabbages. However, these findings do not indicate that certain specific substance(s) in garlic stimulate kimchi fermentation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2014

In this study, we propose that diprophylline exerts bidirectional modulation (BM) on the isolated rat jejunal segment depending on its contractile state. The results supported the hypothesis. Diprophylline ($20{\mu}M$) exerted stimulatory effects on the contractility of jejunal segment in six low contractile states while inhibitory effects in six high contractile states, showing the characteristics of BM. Diprophylline-induced stimulatory effect was significantly blocked by atropine, indicating the correlation with cholinergic activation. Diprophylline-induced inhibitory effect was partially blocked by phentolamine, propranolol, and L-N-Nitro-Arginine respectively, indicating their correlation with sympathetic activation and nitric oxide-mediated relaxing mechanisms. Diprophylline-induced BM was abolished by tetrodotoxin or in a $Ca^{2+}$ free condition or pretreated with tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib, suggesting that diprophylline-induced BM is $Ca^{2+}$ dependent, and that it requires the presence of enteric nervous system as well as pacemaker activity of interstitial cells of Cajal. Diprophylline significantly increased the reduced MLCK expression and myosin extent in constipation-prominent rats and significantly decreased the increased MLCK expression and myosin extent in diarrhea-prominent rats, suggesting that the change of MLCK expression may also be involved in diprophylline-induced BM on rat jejunal contractility. In summary, diprophylline-exerted BM depends on the contractile states of the jejunal segments, requires the presence of $Ca^{2+}$, enteric nervous system, pacemaker activity of interstitial cells of Cajal, and MLCK-correlated myosin phosphorylation. The results suggest the potential implication of diprophylline in relieving alternative hypo/hyper intestinal motility.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.292-296
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to assess the potential of St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) to prevent obesity and abnormalities in lipid metabolism induced by ovariectomy in a rat model without stimulatory activity on uterus. MATERIALS/METHODS: Ovariectomized (OVX) rats were treated for 6 weeks with 70% ethanol extracts of Hypericum perforatum [HPEs: whole plant (WHPE) and flower and leaves (FLHPE)], ${\beta}$-estradiol-3-benzoate at a dose of $50{\mu}g/kg/day$ (E2) or vehicle (distilled water). RESULTS: As expected, OVX increased body weight gain and adiposity and showed higher food efficacy ratio. OVX also increased the serum cholesterol as well as insulin resistance, while reducing uterus weight and uterine epithelial proliferation rate. HPEs (WHPE and FLHPE) showed estrogen-like effect on body weight gain, adipose tissue weight and food efficacy ratio in OVX rats. HPEs prevented hypercholesterolemia induced by OVX more effectively than E2. E2 increased uterus weight and epithelial proliferation rate in OVX rats, while HPEs maintained them at the level of the sham-operated animals. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding demonstrates that HPEs can be considered as an effective agent to prevent OVX-induced obesity without stimulatory activity on uterus.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.83-88
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• 1998

Recently a B cell surface molecule, CD40, has emerged as a receptor mediating a co-stimulatory signal for B cell proliferation and differentiation. To investigate the mechanism of synergy between interleukin-4 (IL-4) and CD40 ligation in B cell activation, we have examined the effect of CE40 cross-linking on the IL-4 receptor expression in human B cells using anti-CE40 antibody. We observed that IL-4 and anti-CD40 both induce IL-4 receptor gene expression with a rapid kinetics resulting in a noticeable accumulation of IL-4 receptor mRNA within 4 h. While IL-4 caused a dose-dependent induction of surface IL-4 receptor expression, the inclusion of anti-CD40 in the IL-4-treated culture, further up-regulated the IL-4-induced IL-4 receptor expression as analyzed by flow cytometry. Pretreatment of B cells with inhibitors of protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) resulted in a significant inhibition of both the IL-4- and anti-CD40-induced IL-4 receptor mRNA levels, while protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors had no effects. These results suggest that IL-4 and CD40 ligation generate B cell signals, which via PTK-dependent pathways, lead to the synergistic induction of IL-4 receptor gene expression. The rapid induction of IL-4 receptor gene expression through the tyrosine kinase-mediated signal transduction by B cell activating stimuli, would provide cells capacity for an efficient response to IL-4 in the early phase of IL-4 action, and may in part constitute the molecular basis of the reported anti-CD40 co-stimulatory effect on the IL-4-induced response.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.148-150
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• 2011

Cordyceps militaris(CM) has been used as a traditional folk medicine to strengthen the immune system and regain energy for hundreds of years in Far East Asian countries. In the present studies, we determined that the stimulatory effect of Cordyceps militaris on testosterone production in male mouse rats. Results illustrated that changes of the body weight, food and water intake of the rats were not observed in this study but the concentration of testosterone in the serum of the rats was significantly increased by CM(p < 0.05). Therefore fruiting bodies of CM grown on the drone bee medium may be an integrative medicine for the treatment of reproductive problems caused by insufficient testosterone levels in human males.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 1990

In both resting and opsonized zymosan activated neutrophils, ATP stimulated superoxide generation, whereas adenosine inhibited it slightly. The superoxide generation in activated neutrophils to ATP was greater than that of resting neutrophils. In $Ca^{++}$ free medium, inhibitory effect of adenosine on superoxide generation was detectable, whereas ATP did not have any effect. The stimulatory effect of ATP on superoxide generation was inhibited by adenosine in a dose dependent manner. Neither ATP nor adenosine had any effect on NADPH oxidase acitivity. Effects of ATP or adenosine on superoxide generation were more prominent than that by other triphosphate nucleotides or nucleosides. ATP and ADP further stimulated $Ca^{++}$ uptake and increased cytosolic free $Ca^{++}$ level in neutrophils activated by opsonized zymosan, but adenosine inhibited a $Ca^{++}$ mobilization. Verapamil effectively and tetrodotoxin slightly inhibited an increase of cytosolic free $Ca^{++}$ level induced by ATP. Inhibitory effect of either verapamil or tetrodotoxin on superoxide generation in the ATP plus opsonized zymosan-activated neutrophils was greater than in the cells activated by opsonized zymosan alone. Tetraethylammonium chloride had no apparent effect on superoxide generation. CCCP, 2,4-dinitrophenol, diphenylhydantoin and procaine all inhibited superoxide generation in neutrophils activated by opsonized zymosan. Among these, CCCP only inhibited a stimulatory effect of ATP. ATP further stimulated a loss of sulfhydryl groups in activated neutrophils, whereas adenosine had no effect on it. These results suggest that functional responses of neutrophils may be regulated at least partly by purines. ATP and adenosine may further after functional responses of activated neutrophils through their effect on $Ca^{++}$ uptake, membrane phosphorylation and oxidation of soluble sulfhydryl groups.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.189-194
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• 1998

The effect of proline, glutamine, aspartic acid and their combinations on callus induction and embriogenic callus formation from 3 creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris) cv. Regent, Mariner, Cato and 1 colonial bentgrass (Agrostis tenuis) cv. Tiger was estimated in both light and dark condition. The addition of amino acids to the growth medium did not have a significant stimulatory effect on the induction of embryogenic callus, instead, they were inhibitory, particularly at higher concentration (40 mM). But supplement of amino acids at lower concentrations (5 or 10mM) to basal medium was beneficial in inhibiting the formation of hairy outgrowth on the surface of embryogenic callus.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.362-368
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• 2001

The effects of water soluble materials in paper mill sludge on cellulase and $\beta$-glucosidase activities were studied while the optimization of enzyme system for hydrolysis of the paper mill sludge for production of glucose was made. Water soluble materials in the paper mill sludge showed stimulatory effect on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) activity, inhibitory effect on filter paper (FP) activity, and no effect on avicelase and $\beta$-glucosidase activities. CMC and ${\beta}$-glucosidase activities at 5 and 10, 5 or 10 and 10, and 10 and 10 U/ml were optimal for hydrolysis of 5, 10, and 20% of the paper mill sludge, respectively.