• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.478-483
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• 2004

In a model reaction using lysyl oxidase purified partilally from bovine aorta, effect of L-ascorbic acid AsA on the oxidative reaction of lysine in collagen was investigated. Addition of Ash to the reaction mixture under aerobic conditions resulted in the decrease of enzymatic activity. In order to examine the specificity of AsA in the oxidative reaction of lysine, other reductants including A derivatives instead of AsA were added to the reaction mixture. Thiol such as glutathione had no effect on the activities of lysyl oxidase. on the other hand, it was observed that erythorbic acid, which was a stereoisomer of AsA, had the same inhibitory effect on this oxidative reaction as AsA. Moreover, by the addition of 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate, which was structural analog of AsA, the activities decreased in a similar manner to that of AsA. These results indicate that the regulatory effect of AsA on lysyl oxidase is attributed to characteristics of the structure. From the determination of Ash remained in the reaction mixture, it is shown that AsA concentration remarkably decreased by lysyl oxidase of the reaction mixture. It is hypothesized that endiol groups reduces the enzyme-bound $Cu^{+2}$ required for further progress of the reaction, and suggests that AsA regulates specifically the reduction of $Cu^{+2}$ required to oxidize lysyl oxidase. This findings support that AsA has an important regulatory role on the oxidative reaction of lysine and on changes of collagen cross-links with aging.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.237-243
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• 2003

Erdosteine, the thiol derivatives chemically related to cysteine, is a mucolytic and mucoregulator agent which modulates mucus production and viscosity and increases mucociliary transport. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the bioequivalence of two erdosteine capsules, Erdos (Dae Woong Pharmaceutical Co., Korea) and Erblon (Kuhn Il Pharmaceutical Co., Korea), according to the guidelines of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). The erdosteine release from the two erdosteine capsules in vitro was tested using KP VII Apparatus II method with various different kinds of dissolution media (pH 1.2, 4.0, 6.8 buffer solution and water). Twenty four healthy male subjects, $23.33{\pm}2.06$ years in age and $66.18{\pm}8.19\;kg$ in body weight, were divided into two groups and a randomized $2{\times}2$ cross-over study was employed. After three capsules containing 300 mg as erdosteine were orally administered, blood was taken at predetermined time intervals and the concentations of erdosteine in serum were determined using HPLC method with UV detector. The dissolution profiles of two formulations were similar at all dissolution media. Besides, the pharmacokinetic parameters such as $AUC_t,\;C_{max}\;and\;T_{max}$ were calculated and ANOVA test was utilized for the statistical analysis of the parameters using logarithmically transformed $AUC_t\;and\;C_{max}$ and untransformed $T_{max}$. The results showed that the differences between two formulations based on the Erdos were 0.20%, 1.10% and -9.44% for $AUC_t,\;C_{max}\;and\;T_{max}$, respectively. There were no sequence effects between two formulations in these parameters. The 90% confidence intervals using logarithmically transformed data were within the acceptance range of log(0.8) to log(1.25) $(e.g.,\;log(0.94){\sim}log(1.22)\;and\;log(0.92){\sim}log(1.20)\;for\;AUC_t\;and\;C_{max},\;respectively$. Thus, the criteria of the KFDA guidelines for the bioequivalence was satisfied, indicating Erblon capsule and Erdos capsule are bioequivalent.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.3-14
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• 1993

Oxidants in environment or cigarette smoke are known to be implicated in the oxidative damages of pulmonary system. Such cellular damages are prevented by the presence of adequate levels of antioxidants in the tissue. In the present study, we investigated the influences of smoking duration and concentration of smoke on lung antioxidant defense in rats. Subchronic exposure of rats to smoke generated from 6 cigarettes per day for 90 days caused the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) to increase. However, glutathione peroxidase (GP-Xase) was not significantly changed. Total sulfhydryl compounds (Total-SH) in the lung homogenates from the rats inhaled with cigarette smoke for 15 days was decreased by 44% , thereafter it was returned to the level of normal rats. On the contrary, when rats were daily exposed to a different concentration of smoke generated from 1 to 20 cigarettes per day for 15 days, the activity of catalase was increased gradually with dose, but total SOD activity was increased only in the rats of low dose groups less than 5 cigarettes. Three types of SOD (one Cu, Zn-SOD with pI 4.9, and two Zn-SOD with pI 4.7 and 7.9)were detected in the lung homogenates and Zn-SOD with pI 4.7 was the major and cigarette-smoke inducible form. These results indicate that the protection of lung against oxidants from cigarette smoke seems to be accomplished by the induction of catalase and SOD, especially a cyanide resistant Zn-SOD with pI 4.f, following the consumption of antioxidants such as GSH in the beginning of inhalation period.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.123-133
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• 2017

The development of a new manufacturing process, a two-step temperature treatment, to modulate the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles including the size is critical. This is because its physicochemical properties can be key factors affecting the cellular uptake and the bioavailability of bioactive compounds encapsulated in nanoparticles. The aims of this study were to produce (beta-lactoglobulin) ${\beta}-lg$ nanoparticles and to understand how two-step temperature treatment could affect the formation and physicochemical properties of ${\beta}-lg$ nanoparticles. The morphological and physicochemical properties of ${\beta}-lg$ nanoparticles were determined using atomic force microscopy and a particle size analyzer, respectively. Circular dichroism spectroscopy was used to investigate the secondary structure of ${\beta}-lg$. The surface hydrophobicity and free thiol groups of ${\beta}-lg$ were increased with a decrease in sub-ambient temperature and an increase in mild heat temperature. As sub-ambient temperature was decreased, a decrease in ${\alpha}-helical$ content and an increase in ${\beta}-sheet$ content were observed. The two-step temperature treatment firstly involved a sub-ambient temperature treatment from 5 to $20^{\circ}C$ for 30 min, followed secondly by a mild heat temperature treatment from 55 to $75^{\circ}C$ for 10 min. This resulted in the production of spherically-shaped particles with a size ranging from 61 to 214 nm. Two-way ANOVA exhibited the finding that both sub-ambient and mild heat temperature significantly (p<0.0001) affected the size of nanoparticles. Zeta-potential values of ${\beta}-lg$ nanoparticles were reduced with increasing mild heat temperature. In conclusion, two-step temperature treatment was shown to play an important role in the manufacturing process - both due to its inducement of the conformational changes of ${\beta}-lg$ during nanoparticle formation, and due to its modulation of the physicochemical properties of ${\beta}-lg$ nanoparticles.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 1977

Asparagine biosynthesis by soybean sprouts grown under the dark conditions has been demonstrated. The amount of free asparagine synthesized in ten day-old soybean sprouts increases to 22.7% on the dry weight base. The effects of nitrogen compounds such as $NH_4Cl,\;(NH_4)_2SO_4$ and urea on asparagine synthesis during the sprouting were examined and the results showed that urea was more effective than other two compounds. Glutamine-dependent asparagine synthetase was partially purified (8.6 folds) through ammonium sulfate fractionation, followed by Sephadex G-150 gel filtration. The enzyme was very labile and required protection by thiol groups or high level of glycerol. The mixture of ATP and $Mg^{++}$ ion also stabilized the enzyme activity. The enzyme utilized glutamine more effectively than ${NH_4}^+$ as an amide donor for the formation of asparagine. The enzyme required L-aspartate (Km=3.1 mM), L-glutamine, ATP and $Mg^{++}$. It showed pH optimum of 7.5 and catalyzed the formation of ${\beta}-aspartyl$ hydroxamate in the presence of L-aspartate, ATP, $Mg^{++}$ and $NH_2OH$ in the reaction mixture.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.327-335
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• 2015

Piperlongumine, a natural alkaloid isolated from the long pepper, selectively increases reactive oxygen species production and apoptotic cell death in cancer cells but not in normal cells. However, the molecular mechanism underlying piperlongumine-induced selective killing of cancer cells remains unclear. In the present study, we observed that human breast cancer MCF-7 cells are sensitive to piperlongumine-induced apoptosis relative to human MCF-10A breast epithelial cells. Interestingly, this opposing effect of piperlongumine appears to be mediated by heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Piperlongumine upregulated HO-1 expression through the activation of nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) signaling in both MCF-7 and MCF-10A cells. However, knockdown of HO-1 expression and pharmacological inhibition of its activity abolished the ability of piperlongumine to induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, whereas those promoted apoptosis in MCF-10A cells, indicating that HO-1 has anti-tumor functions in cancer cells but cytoprotective functions in normal cells. Moreover, it was found that piperlongumine-induced Nrf2 activation, HO-1 expression and cancer cell apoptosis are not dependent on the generation of reactive oxygen species. Instead, piperlongumine, which bears electrophilic ${\alpha},{\beta}$-unsaturated carbonyl groups, appears to inactivate Kelch-like ECH-associated protein-1 (Keap1) through thiol modification, thereby activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and subsequently upregulating HO-1 expression, which accounts for piperlongumine-induced apoptosis in cancer cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that direct interaction of piperlongumine with Keap1 leads to the upregulation of Nrf2-mediated HO-1 expression, and HO-1 determines the differential response of breast normal cells and cancer cells to piperlongumine.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.201-207
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• 2017

To increase the productivity of in vitro development, the antioxidants have been used for culture system of bovine oocytes and embryos. However, comparative studies on these molecules are rare and direct beneficial effects on blastocyst production cannot be discriminated for best results. The study was conducted to determine the influence of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), N-acetyl-L-cysteine amide (NACA), glutathione (GSH) and cysteamime (CYS) on maturation competence of COCs from GV to MII stage and productivity of blastocyst formation during in vitro fertilization and culture. There was no difference among maturation rates of oocytes to metaphase II with polar body with antioxidants for any of the treatment groups (p>0.05). However, the significant improvement on the rate of blastocysts ($32.3{\pm}5.0%$) was found in 0.1 mM CYS treatment than 0.3 mM NAC, 0.2 mM NACA or 0.5mM GSH (p<0.05). The addition of NAC ($18.8{\pm}3.7%$) or NACA ($21.2{\pm}3.9%$) did not improve development competence to morula and blastocysts than control ($24.4{\pm}4.1%$) and GSH ($26.5{\pm}5.0%$) (p>0.05). Our study showed that medium supplementation with CYS during IVM and IVC improved the rate of bovine embryo development but not with NAC, NACA and GSH addition.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.167-174
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• 2013

Peroxiredoxin 6 (Prx 6) is a member of the thiol-specific antioxidant protein family, which may play a role in protection against oxidative stress and in regulating phospholipid turnover. The aim of this study was to determine whether a human Prx 6/Luc vector was stably expressed and responded to antioxidants in a lung cell line (NCI-H460). To achieve this, the luciferase signal, hPrx 6 mRNA expression, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured in transfectants with a hPrx 6/Luc plasmid after treatment with four antioxidant extracts, including Korea white ginseng (KWG), Korea red ginseng (KRG), Liriope platyphylla (LP), and red Liriope platyphylla (RLP). First, the hPrx 6/Luc plasmid was successfully constructed with DNA fragments of human Prx 6 promoter, amplified by PCR using genomic DNA isolated from NCI-H460 cells, and cloned into the pTransLucent reporter vector. The orientation and sequencing of the hPrx 6/Luc plasmid were identified with restriction enzyme and automatic sequencing. A luciferase assay revealed significant enhancement of luciferase activity in the four treatment groups compared with a vehicle-treated group, although the ratio of the increase was different within each group. The KRG- and LP-treated groups showed higher activity than the KWG- and RLP-treated groups. Furthermore, the luciferase activity against RLP occurred roughly in a dose-dependent manner. However, the level of endogenous hPrx 6 mRNA did not change in any group treated with the four extracts. The SOD activity was in agreement with the luciferase activity. Therefore, these results indicate that the hPrx 6/Luc vector system may successfully express and respond to antioxidant compounds in NCI-H460 cells. The data also suggest that the Prx 6/Luc vector system may be effectively applied in screening the response of hPrx 6 to antioxidant compounds in transgenic mice.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2006

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are ubiquitously distributed and play important functions in diverse cellular signaling systems. The proteins are largely classified into three groups, such as typical 2-Cys Prx, atypical 2-Cys Prx, and 1-Cys Prx, that are distinguished by their catalytic mechanisms and number of Cys residues. From the three classes of Prxs, the typical 2-Cys Prx containing the two-conserved Cys residues at its N-terminus and C-terminus catalyzes $H_2O_2$ with the use of thioredoxin (Trx) as an electron donor. During the catalytic cycle, the N-terminal Cys residue undergoes a peroxide-dependent oxidation to sulfenic acid, which can be further oxidized to sulfinic acid at the presence of high concentrations of $H_2O_2$ and a Trx system containing Trx, Trx reductase, and NADPH. The sulfinic acid form of 2-Cys Prx is reduced by the action of sulfiredoxin which requires ATP as an energy source. Under the strong oxidative or heat shock stress conditions, 2-Cys Prx in eukaryotes rapidly switches its protein structure from low-molecular-weight species to high-molecular-weight protein structures. In accordance with its structural changes, the protein concomitantly triggers functional switching from a peroxidase to a molecular chaperone, which can protect its substrate denaturation from external stress. In addition to its N-terminal active site, the C-terminal domain including 'YF-motif' of 2-Cys Prx plays a critical role in the structural changes. Therefore, the C-terminal truncated 2-Cys Prxs are not able to regulate their protein structures and highly resistant to $H_2O_2$-dependent hyperoxidation, suggesting that the reaction is guided by the peroxidatic Cys residue. Based on the results, it may be concluded that the peroxidatic Cys of 2-Cys Prx acts as an '$H_2O_2$-sensor' in the cells. The oxidative stress-dependent regulation of 2-Cys Prx provides a means of defense systems in cells to adapt stress conditions by activating intracellular defense signaling pathways. Particularly, 2-Cys Prxs in plants are localized in chloroplasts with a dynamic protein structure. The protein undergoes conformational changes again oxidative stress. Depending on a redox-potential of the chloroplasts, the plant 2-Cys Prx forms super-molecular weight protein structures, which attach to the thylakoid membranes in a reversible manner.