• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.383-398
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• 2023

Dihydroaustrasulfone alcohol (DA), the synthetic precursor of a natural compound (austrasulfone) isolated from the coral species Cladiella australis, has shown cytotoxic effects against cancer cells. However, it is unknown whether DA has antitumor effects on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In this study, we determined the antitumor effects of DA and investigated its mechanism of action on human NPC cells. The MTT assay was used to determine the cytotoxic effect of DA. Subsequently, apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) analyses were performed by using flow cytometry. Apoptotic and PI3K/AKT pathway-related protein expression was determined using Western blotting. We found that DA significantly reduced the viability of NPC-39 cells and determined that apoptosis was involved in DA-induced cell death. The activity of caspase-9, caspase-8, caspase-3, and PARP induced by DA suggested caspase-mediated apoptosis in DA-treated NPC-39 cells. Apoptosis-associated proteins (DR4, DR5, FAS) in extrinsic pathways were also elevated by DA. The enhanced expression of proapoptotic Bax and decreased expression of antiapoptotic BCL-2 suggested that DA mediated mitochondrial apoptosis. DA reduced the expression of pPI3K and p-AKT in NPC-39 cells. DA also reduced apoptosis after introducing an active AKT cDNA, indicating that DA could block the PI3K/AKT pathway from being activated. DA increased intracellular ROS, but N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger, reduced DA-induced cytotoxicity. NAC also reversed the chances in pPI3K/AKT expression and reduced DA-induced apoptosis. These findings suggest that ROS-mediates DA-induced apoptosis and PI3K/AKT signaling inactivation in human NPC cells.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.1058-1064
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• 1994

Mn/In$_2O_3$ systems with a variety of Mn mol${\%}$ were prepared to investigate the effect of Mn-addition on the catalytic activity of Mn/In$_2O_3$ in the oxidative coupling of methane. The oxidative coupling of methane was examined on pure In$_2O_3$ and Mn/In$_2O_3$ catalysts by cofeeding gaseous methane and oxygen under atmospheric pressure between 650 and 830 $^{\circ}C$. Although pure In$_2O_3$ showed no C$_2$ selectivity, both the C$_2$ yield and the C$_2$ selectivity were increased by Mn-doping. The 5.1 mol${\%}$ Mn-doped In$_2O_3$ catalyst showed the best C$_2$ yield of 2.6${\%}$ with a selectivity of 19.1${\%}$. The electrical conductivities of pure and Mn-doped In$_2O_3$ systems were measured in the temperature range of 25 to 100 $^{\circ}C$ at PO$_2$'S of 1 ${\times}$ 10$^{-7}$ to 1 ${\times}$ 10 $^{-1}$ atm. The electrical conductivities were decreased with increasing Mn mol${\%}$ and PO$_2$, indicating the specimens to be n-type semiconductors. Electrons serve as the carriers and manganese can act as an electron acceptor in the specimens. Manganese ions doped in In$_2O_3$ inhibit the ionization of neutral interstitial indium or the transfer of lattice indium to interstitial sites and increase the formation of oxygen vacancy, giving rise to the increase of the concentration of active oxygen ion on the surface. It is suggested that the active oxygen species adsorbed on oxygen vacancies are responsible for the activation of methane.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.861-867
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• 2001

In this paper, in order to investigate the catalytic effect of the sludge exhausted from waterworks on NO$_{x}$ removal, we measure NO removal characteristics with and without sludge pellets in BaTiO$_3$-sludge packed-bed reactor of plate-plate geometry. NO initial concentration is 50 ppm balanced with air and a gas flow rate is 5ι/min. Gas temperature is changed from 25 to 10$0^{\circ}C$ to investigate the role of sludge pellet on removing active oxygen species and NO$_2$. BaTiO$_3$pellets is filled for coronal discharge at upstream of reactor and sludge pellets is filled for catalytic effect at downstream of reactor. The volume percent of sludge pellets to BaTiO$_3$pellets is changed from 0% to 100% and AC voltage is supplied to the reactor for discharging simulated gases. In the results, when sludge pellets is put at the downstream of plasma reactor, NO removal rate is slightly increased. However, NO$_2$and $O_3$ as by-products during NO removal is significantly decreased from 51ppm without sludge pellets to 5 ppm with sludge pellets and from 50 ppm without sludge pellets to 0.004ppm with sludge pellets, respectively. Therefore, NO$_{x}$(NO+NO$_2$) removal rate is increased up to 93%. It is thought that sludge pellet maybe react with active oxygen species and NO$_2$ generated by corona discharge in surface of BaTiO$_3$pellets, the then NO$_2$O$_3$as by-products are considerably decreased. When we increase gas temperature from room temperature to 10$0^{\circ}C$, NO removal rate is decreased, while NO$_2$ concentration is independent on gas temperature. These result suggest that the removal mechanism of active oxygen species and NO$_2$in sludge pellet is not absorption, but chemical reaction. Therefore we expect that sludge pellets exhausted for waterworks could be used as catalyst for NO$_{x}$ removal with high removal rate and low by-product.oduct.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.165-171
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• 1999

Since reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in carcinogenesis and other several human diseases, antioxidants present in consumable fruits, vegetables, and beverages have received considerable attention as cancer chemopreventive agents. Thus, in order to identify antioxidants in plant extracts, potential activity was assessed by determining with inhibition of a xanthine/xanthine oxidase assay system. Approximately 170 plant extracts of Korean herbal medicines were primarily evaluated for the potential of antioxidant activity. As a result, 13 plant extracts were found to be active $(IC_{50}$<$100\;{\mu}g/ml)$. Especially, Juncus effusus, Selaginella tamariscina, Pueraria thunbergiana and Sedum albroseum showed strong inhibitory activity in this process. Further studies for the identification of active principles from these active lead plant extracts might be warranted.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.301-307
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• 2014

Fucodiphlorethol G (6'-[2,4-dihydroxy-6-(2,4,6-trihydroxyphenoxy)phenoxy]biphenyl-2,2',4,4',6-pentol) is a compound purified from Ecklonia cava, a brown alga that is widely distributed offshore of Jeju Island. This study investigated the protective effects of fucodiphlorethol G against oxidative damage-mediated apoptosis induced by ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation. Fucodiphlorethol G attenuated the generation of 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals and intracellular reactive oxygen species in response to UVB irradiation. Fucodiphlorethol G suppressed the inhibition of human keratinocyte growth by UVB irradiation. Additionally, the wavelength of light absorbed by fucodiphlorethol G was close to the UVB spectrum. Fucodiphlorethol G reduced UVB radiation-induced 8-isoprostane generation and DNA fragmentation in human keratinocytes. Moreover, fucodiphlorethol G reduced UVB radiation-induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, generation of apoptotic cells, and active caspase-9 expression. Taken together, fucodiphlorethol G protected human keratinocytes against UVB radiation-induced cell damage and apoptosis by absorbing UVB radiation and scavenging reactive oxygen species.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.321-329
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• 2009

Rapid production of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been implicated in the regulation of innate immunity in plants. A potato calcium-dependent protein kinase (StCDPK5) activates an NADPH oxidase StRBOHA to D by direct phosphorylation of N-terminal regions, and heterologous expression of StCDPK5 and StRBOHs in Nicotiana benthamiana results in oxidative burst. The transgenic potato plants that carry a constitutively active StCDPK5 driven by a pathogen-inducible promoter of the potato showed high resistance to late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans accompanied by HR-like cell death and $H_2O_2$ accumulation in the attacked cells. In contrast, these plants showed high susceptibility to early blight necrotrophic pathogen Alternaria solani, suggesting that oxidative burst confers high resistance to biotrophic pathogen, but high susceptibility to necrotrophic pathogen. NO and ROS synergistically function in defense responses. Two MAPK cascades, MEK2-SIPK and cytokinesis-related MEK1-NTF6, are involved in the induction of NbRBOHB gene in N. benthamiana. On the other hand, NO burst is regulated by the MEK2-SIPK cascade. Conditional activation of SIPK in potato plants induces oxidative and NO bursts, and confers resistance to both biotrophic and necrotrophic pathogens, indicating the plants may have obtained during evolution the signaling pathway which regulates both NO and ROS production to adapt to wide-spectrum pathogens.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.137-145
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• 2021

Among the non-precious metal catalysts, iron-nitrogen doped carbon (Fe-N/C) catalysts have been recognized as the most promising candidates for an alternative to Pt-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) under alkaline and acidic conditions. In this study, the nano replication method using mesoporous silica, which features tunable primary particle sizes and shape, is employed to prepare the mesoporous Fe-N/C catalysts with different shapes. Platelet SBA-15, irregular KIT-6, and spherical silica particle (SSP) were selected as a template to generate three different kinds of shapes of the mesoporous Fe-N/C catalyst. Physicochemical properties of mesoporous Fe-N/C catalysts are characterized by using small-angle X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, and scanning electron microscopy images. According to the electrochemical evaluation, there is no morphological preference of mesoporous Fe-N/C catalysts toward the ORR activity with half-cell configuration under alkaline electrolyte. By implementing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of Fe and N atoms in the mesoporous Fe-N/C catalysts, it is possible to verify that the activity towards ORR highly depends on the portions of "Fe-N" species in the catalysts regardless of the shape of catalysts. It was suggested that active site distribution in the Fe-N/C is one important factor towards ORR activity.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.865-872
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• 2002

In the course of the investigations of natural antioxidants, we examined the antioxidant activities of the methanol (MeOH) extracts of some selected Prunus species, including P. buergeriana, P. davidiana, P padus, P. pendula for. ascendens, P. sargentii, P. serrulata var. spontanea and P. yedoensis by three methods as represented by the 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, total ROS (reactive oxygen species) and the peroxynitrite ($ONOO^-$) scavenging activity tests. We also evaluated the activities of the organic solvent-soluble fractions, including the dichloromethane ($CH_2Cl_2$), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol (n-BuOH) fractions and the water ($H_2O$) layer of P. serrulata var. spontanea leaves. By means of bioassay-directed fractionation, we isolated eleven known flavonoids (1-11) from the EtOAc soluble fraction of the MeOH extract of the Prunus serrulata var. spontanea leaves, exhibiting strong antioxidant activity and characterized as prunetin (1), genistein (2), quercetin (3), prunetin $4'-O-{\beta}-glucopyranoside$ (4), kaempferol $3-O-{\alpha}-arabinofuranoside$ (5), prunetin $5-O-{\beta}-glucopyranoside$ (6), kaempferol $3-O-{\beta}-xylopyranoside$ (7), genistin (8), kaempferol $3-O-{\beta}-glucopyranoside$ (9), quercetin $3-O-{\beta}-glucopyranoside$ (10) and kaempferol $3-O-{\beta}-xylopyranosyl-(1{\rightarrow}2)-{\beta}-glucopyranoside$ (11). Compounds 3 and 10 showed good activities in all tested model systems. Compounds 2 and 8 showed scavenging activities in the DPPH and $ONOO^-$ tests, while compounds 5, 7, 9 and 11 were active in the $ONOO^-$ and ROS tests. On the other hand, compounds 1, 4 and 6 did not show any activities in the tested model systems.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.484-490
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• 2017

We investigated the rewritable operation of a non-volatile memory device composed of Al (top)/$TiO_2$/indium-zinc-oxide (IZO)/Al (bottom). The oxygen-deficient IZO layer of the device was spin-coated with 0.1 M indium nitrate hydrate and 0.1 M zinc acetate dehydrate as precursor solutions, and the $TiO_2$ layer was fabricated by atomic layer deposition. The oxygen vacancies IZO layer of an active component annealed at $400^{\circ}C$ using thermal annealing and it was proven to be in oxygen vacancies and oxygen binding environments with OH species and heavy metal ions investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The device, which operates at low voltages (less than 3.5 V), exhibits non-volatile memory behavior consistent with resistive-switching properties and an ON/OFF ratio of approximately $3.6{\times}10^3$ at 2.5 V.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.293-299
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• 2013

20S-dihydroprotopanaxadiol (2H-PPD) is a derivative of protopanaxadiol, a glycone of ginsenosides prepared from Panax ginseng. Although ginsenosides and acidic polysaccharides are known to be major active ingredients in ginseng, the immunopharmacological activities of their metabolites and derivatives have not been fully explored. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the regulatory action of 2H-PPD on the function of monocytes and macrophages in innate immune responses. 2H-PPD was able to boost the phagocytic uptake of fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran in macrophages and enhance the generation of radicals (reactive oxygen species) in sodium nitroprusside-treated RAW264.7 cells. The surface levels of the costimulatory molecules such as CD80 and CD86 were also increased during 2H-PPD treatment. In addition, this compound boosted U937 cell-cell aggregation induced by CD29 and CD43 antibodies, but not by cell-extracellular matrix (fibronectin) adhesion. Similarly, the surface levels of CD29 and CD43 were increased by 2H-PPD exposure. Therefore, our results strongly suggest that 2H-PPD has the pharmacological capability to upregulate the functional role of macrophages/monocytes in innate immunity.