• Development and Reproduction
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.195-204
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• 2012

Recently, we reported growth arrest-specific gene 6 (Gas6) as a new maternal effect gene (MEG), that expressed in the oocytes but functioned principally during embryogenesis. Gas6 RNAi-treated oocytes developed to metaphase II (MII) stage but they have affected M-phase promoting factor (MPF) activity and incurred abnormal pronuclear (PN) formation during fertilization. Gas6 is a ligand of TAM family members (Tyro3, Axl and Mertk) of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK). Purpose of the present study was to evaluate the expression of Tyro3, Axl and Mertk transcripts in oocytes and early embryos. Expression of Gas6 and Mertk mRNA was detectable in oocytes and follicular cells, while Tyro3 and Axl mRNA was expressed only in follicular cells. Expression of Mertk mRNA was relatively constant during oocytes maturation and embryogenesis, but the other receptors, Tyro3 and Axl, were not expressed in oocytes and PN stage of embryos at all. Knockdown of Mertk mRNA and protein by using sequence-specific Mertk double strand RNA (dsRNA) did not affect oocytes maturation. In this case, however, contrary to the ligand Gas6 RNA interference (RNAi), MPF activity had not been changed by Mertk RNAi. Therefore, we concluded that the Gas6-Mertk signaling is not directly related to the oocyte maturation. It is still required to study further regarding the function of Mertk as the receptor of Gas6 during preimplantational early embryogenesis.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 2014

Lung cancer is still the number one cause of death from cancer worldwide. The clinical effect of platinum-based chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer is constrained by the resistance to drug. To overcome chemo-resistance, various modified treatment including combination therapy has been used, but overall survival has not been improved yet. In this study, chemo-resistant lung cancer cells, A549/Cis and H460/Cis, were developed by long-term exposure of cells to cisplatin and the proliferative capability of these resistant cells was verified to be reduced. We found cytotoxic effect of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a major catechin derived from green tea, on both the parental lung cancer cells, A549 and H460, and their cisplatin resistant cells, A549/Cis and H460/Cis. ELISA and Western blot analysis revealed that EGCG was able to increase interlukine-6 (IL-6) production per cell, whereas its downstream effector Signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation was not changed by EGCG, indicating that IL-6/STAT3 axis is not the critical signaling to be inhibited by EGCG. We next found that EGCG suppresses the expression of both Axl and Tyro 3 receptor tyrosine kinases at mRNA and protein level, explaining the cytotoxic effect of EGCG on lung cancer cells, especially, regardless of cisplatin resistance. Taken together, these data suggest that EGCG impedes proliferation of lung cancer cells including their chemo-resistant variants through downregulation of Axl and Tyro 3 expression.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.269-275
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• 2001

The inhibitory effect of extract of Atractylodis Rhizoma alba on melanin biogenesis was studied by using B16/F10 melanoma in culture. Atractylodis Rhizoma alba significantly inhibited tyrosinase activity, and melanin contents with or without $\alpha$-MSH and forskolin in vitro. Melanin contents and tyro-sinase activity have decreased in a dose-dependent manner. These results show that extract of Atractylodis Rhizoma alba could be developed as skin whitening components of cosmetics.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.273-277
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• 2002

Physiological properties of root and stolen of Gamcho (Licorice, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer) were compared following irradiation at 20 kGy. The root and stolen of Gamcho were extracted with 70 % ethanol, irradiated and stoved in a 4"C refrigerator. Irradiation induced color changes, electron donating ability (EDA), and tyro-sinase inhibition effect (TIE) were investigated. The color of the non-irradiated stolen extract was darker than the non-irradiated root extract (p<0.05), but irradiation eliminated color differences between stolen and root extracts. Generally, irradiation did not affect EDA and TIE of either of the extracts. However, EDA and TIE were higher in stolen extract than in root extract, when the higher dilution factor was considered. These results indicate that the stolen of Gamcho, which is mostly wasted, is a valuable source of phytochemicals with greater EDA and TIE activities than Gamcho root.root.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2019

Macrophage is an important innate immune cell that not only initiates inflammatory responses, but also functions in tissue repair and anti-inflammatory responses. Regulating macrophage activity is thus critical to maintain immune homeostasis. Tyro3, Axl, and Mer are integral membrane proteins that constitute TAM family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Growing evidence indicates that TAM family receptors play an important role in anti-inflammatory responses through modulating the function of macrophages. First, macrophages can recognize apoptotic bodies through interaction between TAM family receptors expressed on macrophages and their ligands attached to apoptotic bodies. Without TAM signaling, macrophages cannot clear up apoptotic cells, leading to broad inflammation due to over-activation of immune cells. Second, TAM signaling can prevent chronic activation of macrophages by attenuating inflammatory pathways through particular pattern recognition receptors and cytokine receptors. Third, TAM signaling can induce autophagy which is an important mechanism to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages. Fourth, TAM signaling can inhibit polarization of M1 macrophages. In this review, we will focus on mechanisms involved in how TAM family of RTKs can modulate function of macrophage associated with anti-inflammatory responses described above. We will also discuss several human diseases related to TAM signaling and potential therapeutic strategies of targeting TAM signaling.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.1325-1329
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• 2005

To estimate the inhibitory effect of Lithospemum erythrorhizon root extract on melanin biosynthesis, we tested its inhibitory effects on tyrosinase promoter in B16 mouse melanoma cells. Lithospermum erthrorhizon root extract had inhibitory effect above $33\%$ on tyrosinase promoter at $10{\mu}g/mL$ and exhibited no cytotoxicity under $100{\mu}g/mL$. Also, melanin biosynthesis decreased approximately $11\%$ and $24\%$ at $10{\mu}g/mL$ and $100{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Therefore, Lithospermum erythrorhizon root extract would be considered very effective regulator of tyrosinase promoter and melanin biosynthesis.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.209-215
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• 1993

The aim of the present study was to derive regression equations for $\dot{V}o_{2max}\;vs.\;\dot{V}o_{2peak},\;and\;\dot{V}o_2\;vs.$ heart rate, exercise time, and other variables from maximal exercise tests on a treadmill using the Bruce and inclined protocols. Twelve male and 10 female Korean college students aged between 19 and 23 years voIunteered for this study. After the resting measurements, the subjects performed a maximal exercise on a treadmill according to the Bruce protocol. When the resting conditions were restored, the subjects performed another maximal exercise according to an inclined protocol where the speed was fixed at 8.05 $km{\cdot}h^{-1}$ and the grade was incremented starting from 09t by 2.5% for every 2 min. Peak $\dot{V}o_2$ observed during the Bruce exercise $(\dot{V}o_{2peak})$ was $37.7{\pm}2.4\;and\;31.7{\pm}1.8\;ml\;kg^{-1}\;min^{-1}$ in the male and female groups, respectively. Peak $\dot{V}o_2$ observed during the inclined exercise was higher than $\dot{V}o_{2peak}$ during the Bruce exercise. Maximum $\dot{V}o_2$ value observed during the tyro exercises $(\dot{V}o_{2max})$ was $43.0{\pm}2.8\;and\;36.2{\pm}1.4\;ml\;kg^{-1}\;min^{-1}$ in the male and female groups, respectively. Thus, $\dot{V}o_{2peak}$ by the Bruce protocol was about 12% (male) or 13% (female) lower than $\dot{V}o_{2max}$, and a linear relationship was found between $\dot{V}o_{2peak}$ and $\dot{V}o_{2max}$. The peak values of % $\dot{V}o_{max}$ with the Bruce protocol were $89.2{\pm}3.3\;and\;87.5{\pm}3.6%$ and those with the inclined protocol $97.7{\pm}1.8\;and\;96.9{\pm}2.0%$ in the male and female groups, respectively. In the female group, $%\dot{V}o_{2max}$ at a given workload was higher than in the male group, while $\dot{V}o_{2}$ per kg body weight was the same. Maximum HR observed during the two exercises was $204{\pm}2\;and\;195{\pm}3\;beat\;min^{-1}$ in the male and female groups, respectively. Linear relationships were found, excluding the last points, between 1) $\dot{V}o_{2}$ and exercise time, 2) $\dot{V}o_{2}$ and $%\dot{V}o_{2max}\;and\;%HR_{max}$.