• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 2001

Since NNK is one of the most abundant tobacco-specific alkaloids and a strong carcinogenic nitrosamine, it has been used for evaluating a potential of carcinogenicity in the animal models. The present study has attempted to examine the potential of carcinogenicity of NNK in human epithelial cells, from which the cell type the most of cancers including oral cancer and nasal cavity cancer are originated. The cellular model used for the study is a human keratinocyte cell system immortalized by Ad12-SV40 hybrid virus. The cellular system has successfully been used for the carcinogenicity studies because of its limitless life span, epithelial morphology and nontumorigenicity. When cells were treated with a variety of NNK concentrations, levels of saturation density and soft agar colony formation were increased in a dose-dependent fashion. Colonies of large cell aggregates were above 5 at the higher doses. The results indicate that exposure of human cells with NNK induced loss of contact inhibition and increases of anchorage independence and cellular adhesion, which are typical characteristics of the neoplatically transformed cells. When cells were exposed with 100uM NNK for 2hr, mRNA levels of IL-1 and PAI-2 were increased in a dose-dependent manner, but expression of TGF- 1 was not affected. While expression of growth regulatory factors were altered with a short-term exposure, there was no alteration of these factors in the NNK-transformed cells. However, mRNA levels of fibronectin were increased both in the short-term treatment and in the transformation. The results suggest that altered expression of extracellular matrix such as fibronectin following short-term exposure might be fixed in the genome and these altered properties be continuously transfered throughout the cell division. Western blot analysis showed a translocation of PKC- from cytosolic fraction to the particulate fraction, indicating a possible role of NNK in the signal transduction pathway. The present study provided an evidence that NNK in the smoking may be associated with epithelial origin cancer such as oral and nasal cavity cancers. In addition, this study suggested that altered expression of extracellular matrix and PKC may play an important role in the carcinogenic mechanism of NNK.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.319-325
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• 2015

Gangliosides exist in glycosphingolipid-enriched domains on the cell membrane and regulate various functions such as adhesion, differentiation, and receptor signaling. Ganglioside GM3 by ST3GAL5 enzyme provides an essential function in the biosynthesis of more complex ganglio-series gangliosides. However, the role of gangliosides GM3 in porcine oocytes during in vitro maturation and early embryo development stage has not yet understood clear. Therefore, we examined ganglioside GM3 expression patterns under apoptosis stress during maturation and preimplantation development of porcine oocytes and embryos. First, porcine oocytes cultured in the NCSU-23 medium for 44 h after $H_2O_2$ treated groups (0.01, 0.1, 1 mM). After completion of meiotic maturation, the proportion MII (44 h) was significantly different among control and the H2O2 treated groups ($76.8{\pm}0.3$ vs $69.1{\pm}0.4$; 0.01 mM, $55.7{\pm}1.0$; 0.1 mM, $38.2{\pm}1.6%$; 1 mM, P<0.05). The expressions of ST3GAL5 in $H_2O_2$ treated groups were gradually decreased compared with control group. Next, changes of ST3GAL5 expression patterns were detected by using immunofluorescene (IF) staining during preimplantation development until blastocyst. As a result, we confirmed that the expressions of ST3GAL5 in cleaving embryos were gradually decreased (P<0.05) according to the early embryo development progress. Based on these results, we suggest that the ganglioside GM3 was used to the marker as pro-apoptotic factor in porcine oocyte of maturation and early embryo production in vitro, respectively. Furthermore, our findings will be helpful for better understanding the basic mechanism of gangliosides GM3 regulating in oocyte maturation and early embryonic development of porcine in vitro.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.431-436
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• 2013

Bone homeostasis is maintained by co-ordination of bone-resorbing osteoclasts and bone-forming osteoblasts. Imbalance between osteoclasts and osteoblasts leads to many bone diseases such as osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis. Taxillus chinensis is a herb that has been widely used to improve bone health. However, the effect and mechanism of Taxillus chinensis extract on osteoclast differentiation and bone resportion has been unknown. Thus, We investigated the effect of Taxillus chinensis on expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. Also, the action of Taxillus chinensis on mechanisms relating to osteoclast differentiation was studied. In this results, we identified that Taxillus chinensis significantly inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation and bone resportion. Moreover, Taxillus chinensis was suppressed the activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ in bone marrow macrophage treated RANKL and M-CSF. Taxillus chinensis was down-regulated the mRNA expression of c-Fos, nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT)c1, osteoclast-associated receptor (OSCAR), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP). The cell adhesion-related molecules such as integrin ${\alpha}v$ and integrin ${\beta}3$, and the filamentous actin (F-actin) rings of mature osteoclasts-related molecules such as dendritic cell-specific transmembrane preotein (DC-STAMP) and cathepsin K are also suppressed. Taken together, these results indicated that Taxillus chinensis will be a good candidate to treat osteoclast-mediated bone diseases.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.880-884
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• 2001

Rumen microbiology research has undergone several evolutionary steps: the isolation and nutritional characterization of readily cultivated microbes; followed by the cloning and sequence analysis of individual genes relevant to key digestive processes; through to the use of small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) sequences for a cultivation-independent examination of microbial diversity. Our knowledge of rumen microbiology has expanded as a result, but the translation of this information into productive alterations of ruminal function has been rather limited. For instance, the cloning and characterization of cellulase genes in Escherichia coli has yielded some valuable information about this complex enzyme system in ruminal bacteria. SSU rRNA analyses have also confirmed that a considerable amount of the microbial diversity in the rumen is not represented in existing culture collections. However, we still have little idea of whether the key, and potentially rate-limiting, gene products and (or) microbial interactions have been identified. Technologies allowing high throughput nucleotide and protein sequence analysis have led to the emergence of two new fields of investigation, genomics and proteomics. Both disciplines can be further subdivided into functional and comparative lines of investigation. The massive accumulation of microbial DNA and protein sequence data, including complete genome sequences, is revolutionizing the way we examine microbial physiology and diversity. We describe here some examples of our use of genomics- and proteomics-based methods, to analyze the cellulase system of Ruminococcus flavefaciens FD-1 and explore the genome of Ruminococcus albus 8. At Illinois, we are using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) vectors to create libraries containing large (>75 kbases), contiguous segments of DNA from R. flavefaciens FD-1. Considering that every bacterium is not a candidate for whole genome sequencing, BAC libraries offer an attractive, alternative method to perform physical and functional analyses of a bacterium's genome. Our first plan is to use these BAC clones to determine whether or not cellulases and accessory genes in R. flavefaciens exist in clusters of orthologous genes (COGs). Proteomics is also being used to complement the BAC library/DNA sequencing approach. Proteins differentially expressed in response to carbon source are being identified by 2-D SDS-PAGE, followed by in-gel-digests and peptide mass mapping by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry, as well as peptide sequencing by Edman degradation. At Ohio State, we have used a combination of functional proteomics, mutational analysis and differential display RT-PCR to obtain evidence suggesting that in addition to a cellulosome-like mechanism, R. albus 8 possesses other mechanisms for adhesion to plant surfaces. Genome walking on either side of these differentially expressed transcripts has also resulted in two interesting observations: i) a relatively large number of genes with no matches in the current databases and; ii) the identification of genes with a high level of sequence identity to those identified, until now, in the archaebacteria. Genomics and proteomics will also accelerate our understanding of microbial interactions, and allow a greater degree of in situ analyses in the future. The challenge is to utilize genomics and proteomics to improve our fundamental understanding of microbial physiology, diversity and ecology, and overcome constraints to ruminal function.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.117-127
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• 2012

The beneficial effects of adipose-derived stem cell conditioned media (ADSC-CM) for skin regeneration have previously been reported, despite the precise mechanism of how ADSC-CM promotes skin regeneration remaining unclear. ADSC-CM contains various secretomes and this may be a factor in it being a good resource for the treatment of skin conditions. It is also known that ADSC-CM produced in hypoxia conditions, in other words Advanced Adipose-Derived Stem cell Protein Extract (AAPE), has excellent skin regenerative properties. In this study, a human primary skin cell was devised to examine how AAPE affects human dermal fibroblast (HDF) and human keratinocyte (HK), which both play fundamental roles in skin regeneration. The promotion of collagen formation by HDFs was observed at 0.32 mg/ml of AAPE. AAPE treatment significantly stimulated stress fiber formation. DNA gene chips demonstrated that AAPE in HKs (p<0.05) affected the expression of 133 identifiable transcripts, which were associated with cell proliferation, migration, cell adhesion, and response to wounding. Twenty five identified proteins, including MMP, growth factor and cytokines such as CD54, FGF-2, GM-CSF, IL-4, IL-6, VEGF, TGF-${\beta}2$, TGF-${\beta}3$, MMP-1, MMP-10, and MMP-19, were contained in AAPE via antibody arrays. Thus, AAPE might activate the HK biological function and induce the collagen synthesis of HDF. These results demonstrate that AAPE has the potential to be used for clinic applications aimed at skin regeneration.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.25-55
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• 2008

Objectives : The aim of the present study was to observe the effect of Astragali Radix Herbal-Acupuncture Solution(AR-HAS) at $ST_{36}$(jok-samni, $Z\acute{u}s\bar{a}n$ Li) on collagen- II -induced arthritis(CIA) in mice. Methods : DBA/1J mice were immunized with bovine type II collagen(CII) on days 0 and 21 to induce arthritis. The mice were divided into 5 groups : normal group(no CIA), control group(CIA+no treatment), needle prick group(CIA+single prick with an injection needle), saline group(CIA+saline injection) and ARHA group(CIA+ R-HA treatment). The needle prick, saline injection, and AR-HA groups were injected on the right $ST_{36}$(jok-samni) of mice for 9 weeks, 3 times a week, beginning 4 weeks after the booster immunization. Results : 1. The incidence of arthritis, AI(arthritis index), and joint edema decreased in the AR-HA group. 2. Weight gain, hypertrophy of the spleen, adhesion of the tissues, and transformation of the joint were restrained in the AR-HA group. 3. The concentrations of $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, $TNF-{\alpha}$, $IFN-{\gamma}$ in CIA mouse serum and $IFN-{\gamma}$, IL-10 in the CIA mouse spleen cell culture decreased significantly at $ST_{36}$ in the AR-HA group. 4. Total cell counts increased significantly, and the ratio of $CD3e^+$ to $CD45R^+$, $CD4^+$ to $CD8^+$, and $CD4^+$ to $CD25^+$ cells decreased significantly at $ST_{36}$ in the CIA mouse spleen cell culture of the AR-HA group. 5. Total cell counts decreased significantly, and $CD4^+/CD25^+$ and $CD45R^+/CD69^+$ decreased significantly at $ST_{36}$ in the CIA mouse lymph nodes of the AR-HA group. 6. $CD3e^+/CD69^+$ and $CD11b^+/Gr-1^+$ cells decreased significantly at $ST_{36}$ in the CIA mouse joints of the AR-HA group. 7. The histological examination showed that cartilage destruction and synoviocyte proliferation decreased in the CIA mouse joints of the AR-HA group, and collagen fiber was expressed similar to that seen in the normal group. Conclusions : Our experiments show that at $ST_{36}$, an anti-inflammatory mechanism of AR-HA controls synovial cell proliferation and protects against cartilage destruction in rheumatoid arthritis.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.32-43
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• 2009

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is known to cause severe hepatotoxicity mainly through the depletion of glutathione. In this study, we compared the cytotoxic effects of APAP on both a normal murine hepatic cell line, BNL CL.2, and its SV40-transformed cell line, BNL SV A.8. Gene expression profiles for APAP-treated cells were also obtained using microarray and analyzed to identify differences in genes or profiles that may explain the differences of susceptibility to APAP in these cell lines. These two cell lines exhibited different susceptibilities to APAP (0-$5,000{\mu}M$); BNL SV A.8 cells were more susceptible to APAP treatment compared to BNL CL.2 cells. A dose of $625{\mu}M$ APAP, which produced significant differences in cytotoxicity in these cell lines, was tested. Microarray analysis was performed to identify significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) irrespective of APAP treatment. Genes up-regulated in BNL SV A.8 cells were associated with immune response, defense response, and apoptosis, while down-regulated genes were associated with catalytic activity, cell adhesion and the cytochrome P450 family. Consistent with the cytotoxicity data, no significant DEGs were found in BNL CL.2 cells after treatment with $625{\mu}M$ APAP, while cell cycle arrest and apoptosis-related genes were up-regulated in BNL SV A.8 cells. Based on the significant fold-changes in their expression, a genes were selected and their expressions were confirmed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR; there was a high correlation between them. These results suggest that gene expression profiles may provide a useful method for evaluating drug sensitivity of cell lines and eliciting the underlying molecular mechanism. We further compared the genes identified from our current in vitro studies to the genes previously identified in our lab as regulated by APAP in both C57BL/6 and ICR mice in vivo. We found that a few genes are regulated in a similar pattern both in vivo and in vitro. These genes might be useful to develop as in vitro biomarkers for predicting in vivo hepatotoxicity. Based on our results, we suggest that gene expression profiles may provide useful information for elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms of drug susceptibility and for evaluating drug sensitivity in vitro for extrapolation to in vivo.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3437-3445
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• 2016

Background: There is an increasing concern in the role of microRNA (miRNA) in the pathogenesis of bone metastasis (BM) secondary to prostate cancer (CaP). In this exploratory study, we hypothesized that the expression of vinculin (VCL) and chemokine X3C ligand 1 (CX3CL1) might be down-regulated in clinical samples, most likely due to the post-transcriptional modification by microRNAs. Targeted genes would be up-regulated upon transfection of the bone metastatic prostate cancer cell line, PC3, with specific microRNA inhibitors. Materials and Methods: MicroRNA software predicted that miR-21 targets VCL while miR-29a targets CX3CL1. Twenty benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 16 high grade CaP formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) specimens were analysed. From the bone scan results, high grade CaP samples were further classified into CaP with no BM and CaP with BM. Transient transfection with respective microRNA inhibitors was done in both RWPE-1 (normal) and PC3 cell lines. QPCR was performed in all FFPE samples and transfected cell lines to measure VCL and CX3CL1 levels. Results: QPCR confirmed that VCL messenger RNA (mRNA) was significantly down-regulated while CX3CL1 was up-regulated in all FFPE specimens. Transient transfection with microRNA inhibitors in PC3 cells followed by qPCR of the targeted genes showed that VCL mRNA was significantly upregulated while CX3CL1 mRNA was significantly down-regulated compared to the RWPE-1 case. Conclusions: The down-regulation of VCL in FFPE specimens is most likely regulated by miR-21 based on the in vitro evidence but the exact mechanism of how miR-21 can regulate VCL is unclear. Up-regulated in CaP, CX3CL1 was found not regulated by miR-29a. More microRNA screening is required to understand the regulation of this chemokine in CaP with bone metastasis. Understanding miRNA-mRNA interactions may provide additional knowledge for individualized study of cancers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1459-1465
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• 2013

Two in vitro experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of methylcellulose (MC) on i) bacterial detachment from rice straw as well as ii) inhibition of bacterial attachment and fiber digestibility. To evaluate the effect of MC on fibrolytic bacterial detachment (Exp 1), in vitro bacterial cultures with 0.1% (w/v) MC solution were compared with cultures without MC after 8 h incubation. The effect of MC on inhibition of bacterial attachment was determined by comparing with real-time PCR the populations of F. succinogenes, R. flavefaciens and R. albus established on rice straw pre-treated with 0.1% MC with those on untreated straw after incubation for 0, 6 and 12 h (Exp 2). The major fibrolytic bacterial attachment on rice straw showed significantly lower populations with either the addition of MC to the culture or pre-treated rice straw compared to controls (p<0.05). Also, the digestibility of rice straw with MC was significantly lower compared with control (p<0.05). The F. succinogenes population did not show detachment from rice straw, but showed an inhibition of attachment and proliferation on rice straw in accordance with a decrease of fiber digestion. The detachments of Ruminococcus species co-existed preventing the proliferations with subsequent reduction of fiber degradation by MC during the incubation. Their detachments were induced from stable colonization as well as the initial adhesion on rice straw by MC in in vitro ruminal fermentation. Furthermore, the detachment of R. albus was more sensitive to MC than was R. flavefaciens. These results showed the certain evidence that attachment of major fibrolytic bacteria had an effect on fiber digestion in the rumen, and each of fibrolytic bacteria, F. succinogenes, R. flavefaciens and R. albus had a specific mechanism of attachment and detachment to fiber.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.482-488
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• 2000

The deposition characteristics of Cu film by MOCVD using (hfac)Cu(1,5-COD)(1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluro-2,4-pentadionato Cu(I) 1,5-cryclooctadiene) as a precursor have been investigated in terms of substrate conditions. Two different substrates such as air-exposed TiN and non-contaminated TiN were used for the MOCVD of Cu. MOCVD of Cu on the air-exposed TiN affected the nucleation rate of Cu as well as its growth, resulting in the Cu films having poor interconnection between particles with relatively small grains. On the other hand, in-situ MOCVD of Cu led to the Cu films having a significantly improved interconnection between particles with larger grains, indicating the resistivity as low as $2.0{\mu}{\Omega}-cm$ for the films having more than 1900$\AA$ thickness. Moreover, better adhesion of Cu films to the TiN by using in-situ MOCVD has been obtained. Finally, initial coalescence mechanism of Cu was suggested in this paper in terms of different substrate conditions by observing the surface morphology of the Cu films deposited by MOCVD.