• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 1981

Phospholipids were examined for their capacity to protect human erythrocytes against hemolysis induced by hypotonic solution, p-hydroxymercuribenzoate or hematin. The following results were obtained. 1. Phosphatidyl choline, lysophosphatidyl choline and phophatidyl ethanoleamine as well as chlorpromazine prevented the osmotic hemolysis of human erythrocytes which occurred due to water influx into erythrocytes from medium, but showed no effect on hematin-induced hemolysis which occurred without the volume change of erythrocytes. 2. Human erythrocytes were found to be most sensitive to the antihemolytic action of phospholipids among mammalian erythrocytes from sheep, rabbit, rat and mouse. 3. Phospholipids at the concentrations showing their strong antihemolytic effect on human erythrocytes against osmotic hemolysis had no influence on methylene blue uptake and volume change of erythrocytes in hypotonic solution. 4. Phospholipids increased erythrocyte deformability 2 to 3 times over control group and there was aclose relationship between their antihemolytic action and increase of deformability as a function of their concentrations. 5. The phospholipids increased the resistance to osmotic hemolysis of human erythrocytes by increasing membrane elasticity through their incorporation into lipid bilayer without altering glucose metabolism and water influx to erythrocytes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.185-197
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• 2004

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, features of insulin resistance. In vivo treatment of ob/ob mice with hydrolyzed fibroin reverses these pathological attributes (6). To explore the mechanism underlying this effect, we have used the 3T3-Ll adipocytes as a cell type which would represent the periphery, in vivo. Exposure of 3T3-Ll adipocytes to chronic insulin leads to the a 50% loss of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. Chronic exposure to fibroin blocked, in part, the response to chronic insulin but also increased the sensitivity of control cells to the acute action of insulin. The later effect was most robust at physiological concentrations of insulin. Fibroin did not prevent the insulin-induced down-regulation of the insulin receptor or the tyrosine kinase activity associated with the receptor. Further, fibroin had no affect on the loss in activity of the insulin-sensitive down-stream kinase, Akt. Interestingly, fibroin accelerated glucose metabolism and glycogen turnover independent of insulin action. In addition, fibroin up-regulated GLUT1 which increased its expression at the cell surface and caused the redistribution of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane. Together, these later effects would lead to an improvement in hyperglycemia in vivo which would in turn reduce the need for insulin.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.16-24
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• 2016

A new strain of Pseudomonas sp. was isolated from mercury (Hg)-contaminated sites in Taiwan. This bacterium removed more than 80% of Hg present in the culture medium at 12 h incubation and was chosen for further analysis of the molecular mechanisms of Hg tolerance/removal abilities in this Pseudomonas sp. We used RNA-seq, one of the next-generation sequencing methods, to investigate the transcriptomic responses of the Pseudomonas sp. exposed to 60 mg/L of Hg²⁺. We de novo assembled 4,963 contigs, of which 10,533 up-regulated genes and 5,451 down-regulated genes were found to be regulated by Hg. The 40 genes most altered in expression levels were associated with tolerance to Hg stress and metabolism. Functional analysis showed that some Hg-tolerant genes were related to the mer operon, sulfate uptake and assimilation, the enzymatic antioxidant system, the HSP gene family, chaperones, and metal transporters. The transcriptome were analyzed further with Gene Ontology (GO) and Cluster of Orthologous Groups (COGs) of proteins and showed diverse biological functions and metabolic pathways under Hg stress.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.91-97
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• 1997

In order to elucidate the mechanism of red-colored phenomena(RCP) in ginseng(Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer), distribution of inorganic elements of ginseng root and its surrounding soil, and microflora in the soil were investigated. Red brown colored-substances were accumulated in the cell wall of epidermis at early stage of red-colored ginseng (RCG). Cell wall of the late stage of RCG was disordered and microorganisms were shown in the disordered cell wall. Al, Si and Fe contents among inorpanic elements in the epidermis of RCG were higher at two or three times than that of healthy ginseng. On the other hand, K content was higher at three times in healthy ginseng than that of RCG. Especially, Fe content was higher at three times in lateral roots of RCG than that of healthy ginseng. Total 21 strains of microorganisms were isolated on the 523 medium from surface soil, surrounding soil of both healthy and RCG, and RCG. Six strains of microorganisms among them were resistant to 2 mM Fe. Two species in Bacillus app. and Lactobacillus app. , and one species in Micrococcus sp. and Npisseria sp. respectively were identified. It seemed that RCP was closely related with the distribution and uptake of inorganic elements, was also correlated Fe-independent metabolism of microorganisms.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.3-11
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• 1973

The biochemical characteristics of Astradix -P, isolated from Astragalus membranaceus Bunge as yeaststatic substance, were reported on a previous paper. And on this report, some relation to the nitrogen metabolism of yeast was studied. Inorganic or organic source of nitrogen easily uptaking yeast did not show any antagonistic action to the inhibitory action of Astradix -P on the yeast growth. Especially an organic nitrogen source, arginine, histidine and lysine, classified to basic amino acid, was reacted as an antagonistic substance to the sample. But, ornithine, a basic amino acid, did not show any antagonistic action to the sample. In the mixed media containing neutral and acidic amino acids as a nitrogen source, yeast growth was inhibited strongly. If the basic amino acid was added to the same mixed media, the yeast growth was not inhibited by Astradix-P therefore, the antagonistic action of basic amino acid to the Astradix-p was readily observed. The yeast static action of Astradix-P was partially related to the isoelectric point of amino acid as a nitrogen source. Yeast cells which propagated under the media containing growth inhibitor, Astradix -p, did not bring any remarkable denaturation of cell structure by electro-microscopic observation.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.263-269
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• 2006

Deficiencies in the early ADMET(absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination and toxicity) information on drug candidate extract a significant economic penalty on pharmaceutical firms. Microscale cell culture analogue-microscale gastrointestinal(${\mu}CCA-{\mu}GI$) device using Caco 2, L2 and HEp G2/C3A cells, which mimic metabolic process after absorption occurring in humans was used to investigate the toxicity of the model chemical, acetaminophen(AAP). The toxicity of acetaminophen determined after induction of CYP 1A1/2 in Caco 2 cells was not significant. In a coculture system, although no significant reduction in viability of HEp G2/C3A and L2 cells was found, approximately 5 fold increase in the CYP 1A1/2 activity was observed. These results appear to be related to organ-organ interaction. The oral administration of a drug requires addition of the absorption process through small intestine to the current ${\mu}CCA$ device. Therefore, a perfusion coculture system was employed for the evaluation of the absolution across the small intestine and resulting toxicity in the liver and lung. This system give comprehensive and physiologic information on oral uptake and resulting toxicity as in the body. The current ${\mu}CCA$ device can be used to demonstrate the toxic effect due to organ to organ interaction after oral administration,

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.31-34
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• 1967

An experiment was performed in order to investigate the effects of daily oral administration of propylthiouracil per kg body weight on the metabolic rate and the thyroidal activity in ten, Korean native goats by using the Benedict-Roth Metabolism apparatus and the radioactive iodine-131 in the average environmental temperature at $5.7^{\circ}C$. The results obtained were as follows: 1) The mean metabolic rates of the treated group and the control group were $34.5Kcal./m^2/hr.$ and $33.8Kcal./m^2/hr.$ 2) The peak of thyroidal uptake $I^{131}$ rate in the treated group was 20.12% in 48 hrs., following administration of $I^{131}$ and it was 22.62% in the control group in 96 hrs., Highly significant difference was observed(P<0.01).

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.27-39
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• 2012

Panax ginseng exhibits pleiotropic beneficial effects on cardiovascular system, central nervous system, and immune system. In the last decade, numerous preclinical findings suggest ginseng as a promising therapeutic agent for diabetes prevention and treatment. The mechanism of ginseng and its active components is complex and is demonstrated to either modulate insulin production/secretion, glucose metabolism and uptake, or inflammatory pathway in both insulin-dependent and insulin-independent manners. However, human studies are remained obscure because of contradictory results. While more studies are warranted to further understand these contradictions, ginseng holds promise as a therapeutic agent for diabetes prevention and treatment. This review summarizes the evidences for the therapeutic potential of ginseng and ginsenosides from in vitro studies, animal studies and human clinical trials with a focus on diverse molecular targets including an AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 1997

Ginseng, the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, is well-known oriental herbal medicine. The number of paper reporting the effects on its physiological, pharmacological, and behavioral effects has been increased every year, since ginsenosides isolated from ginseng are known to be biologically active components. This brief review summarizes some of new findings from recently published papers on ginsenosides or ginseng saponins. Therefore, this paper includes the various effects of ginsenosides on neuronal cell growths, on behavior of experimental animals, on enzyme activities, on the release and uptake of neurotransmitters, on neuronal cell excitability, on the motility of intestine, on antitumor activity, on cardiovascular system and metabolism. In spite of various effects of ginsenosides on various cells or organs, it is still to date impossible for one to clearly explain the exact mechanism on the action of ginsenosides. However, in this article I will discuss several papers providing possible explanations on the physiological and pharmacological actions including signal transudation pathway of ginsenosides. The elucidation of the exact mechanism of ginsenosides on cellular or molecular level will not only give us a chance to explain why people have used ginseng as an elixir of life for several thousands of year but also give us a crucial chance to apply ginseng to modern medicine.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.309-315
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• 2011

Rice grown in anaerobic waterlogged soil accumulates ammonium as a major source of nitrogen (N). We have compared the physiological symptoms of rice seedlings subjected to N-starvation stress with those receiving sufficient N, based on measurements of shoot/root length and weight and an analysis of protein expression patterns. N starvation marginally increased root growth but notably decreased shoot biomass. N uptake was reduced by >50% in the roots and shoots of N-starved seedlings. To better understand the mechanism of N starvation in rice, we performed a comparative proteome analysis of proteins isolated from rice leaves. Twenty-five differentially expressed proteins were analyzed by matrixassisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry and electron spray ionization quadrupole TOF. Functional analysis of the N-starvation response proteins suggested their involvement in protein synthesis and fate, metabolism, and defense. These results indicate that these proteins may play important roles in regulating the plant's complex adaptation responses for N use during N starvation. The proteins may be useful for further characterization of protein function in plant N nutrition.