• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.28-36
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• 2018

Background: This study investigated the effects of acupuncture at Sobu (HT8) and Haenggan (LR2) on scopolamine-induced, cognitively impaired rats. Methods: Scopolamine-treated Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 6 groups; normal, control, HT8, LR2, HT8 + LR2 and sham group. Cognitive impairment was induced by scopolamine, in control, and then in HT8, LR2, HT8 + LR2 and sham groups. Acupuncture treatment was performed at HT8, LR2, HT8 + LR2, and a random acupoint, respectively, every other day for 2 weeks. After each treatment, behavior change was observed and the rats were sacrificed. The change in brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activity was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction. Results: Latency time to target in Morris Water-Maze test for the HT8 + LR2 group showed a significant decrease compared with control (p<0.05). Target crossing times and time zone ratios in Morris Water-Maze test for HT8 + LR2 group showed a significant increase compared with control (p<0.01). In the Y-Maze test the HT8 + LR2 group showed a significant increase compared with control (p<0.05). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase, in the HT8 + LR2 group, showed a significantly increased level compared with control (p<0.05). Neural activity of acetylcholine esterase in HT8 + LR2 group showed a significant decrease compared with the control group (p<0.01), choline acetyltransferase activity in the HT8 + LR2 group showed a significant increase compared with control (p<0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture at HT8 + LR2 restored scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment, suggesting acupuncture could be an alternative to improve cognitive function.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.333-344
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• 2019

In vertebrate reproductive system, estrogen receptor (ER) plays a pivotal role in mediation of estrogenic signaling pathways. In the present study, we report the cDNA cloning, expression analysis, and transcriptional activity of ERβ1 subtype from medaka Oryzias dancena. The deduced O. dancena ERβ1 (odERβ1; 519 amino acids) contained six characteristic A/B to E/F domains with very short activation function 2 region (called AF2). A phylogenetic analysis indicated that odERβ1 was highly conserved among teleost ERβ1 subgroup. A conventional RT-PCR revealed that the odERβ1 transcripts were widely distributed in the multiple tissues, the ovary, brain, gill, intestine, kidney, and muscle. Further, the relatively higher odERβ1 expressions in the ovary and brain were clearly reproduced in RT-qPCR assay. When HA-fused odERβ1 expression vector was transfected into HEK293 cells, an immunoreactivity for odERβ1 was mainly detected in the nucleus part. Finally, an estrogen responsive element driven luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that the transcriptional activity of odERβ1 significantly increased by estradiol-17β (E2) in a dose dependent manner (p<0.05). However, fold-activation of odERβ1 in the presence of E2 was markedly weak, when it compared with those of O. latipes ERβ1. Taken together, these data suggest that odERβ1 represents a functional variant of teleost ERβ subtype and provides a basic tool allowing future studies examining the function of F domain of ERβ1 subtype and expanding our knowledge of ERβ evolution.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.21-43
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• 2006

This study was designed to assess Effects of jingansikpungtanggagam-bang on Central Nerve System. Method : jingansikpungtanggagam-bang, a Korean traditional prescription, was evaluated for its anticonvulsant effect, hypnotic activity, analgesic action, anxiolytic effect, memory enhancement, and MAO inhibitory activity and detennined the content of neurotransmitter in brain by HPLC method. Result : 1. The extract increased potently anticonvulsant effect at 1g/kg by 5.6-fold extention of onset time against control group. 2. The extract increased hvrmsis at 500mg/kg by over twofold length of sleeping time compared to control. 3. The extract showed a significant analgesic effect with 86.0% inhibition on writhing frequency at 500mg/kg by phenylquinone-induced writhing test. 4. The extract inhibited dose-dependently the activity of monoamine oxidase in vitro. 5. This prescription increased the brain levels of serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid by 3.3% and 1.4%, respectively. 6. the extract exhibited the anxiolytic effect with 21.3% decrease of the immobility duration against control group. 7. the extract enhanced memory recovery on scopolamine-induced impairment of passive avoidance performance at 1g/kg pretreatment with 20.2% increase of latency time. Conclusion : The result sugguest that jiugansikpungtanggagam-bang can be used effectively as a sedative prescription in Korean traditional medicine.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.364-369
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• 2006

The investigation of the Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in tissues (brain, eye, muscle and serum) of crucian carp (Carassius auratus) exposed to the waterborne parathion was carried out for application as biomarker of organophosphate pesticides. The AChE activities were significantly inhibited in the experimental organs of C. auratus treated ${\geq}63{\mu}g/L$ of concentrations of parathion. The AChE activity of C. auratus was significantly reduced in response to brain (79.1~92.4%), eye (76.0~91.5%), muscle (89.7~97.6%) and serum (68.9~78.0%) after 30 days exposure. No significant mortality occurred during the experiment duration but behavioral changes occurred in the carp after exposure to the parathion were erratic swimming and convulsions. The anomaly in the carp exposed to parathion were observed in the form of scoliosis. The use of AChE activity and other adverse responses of the carp might be use as a reliable monitoring tool to detect parathion in aquatic ecosystem which might produce significant population changes.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.363-369
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• 2008

The aim of this study was to establish an experiment animal model for easy diagnosis and monitoring effect of treatment of cholelithiasis by cholesterol and mixed gall stone. In 12 adult beagle dogs, five dogs there were in the control group and seven dogs in the experiment group with ligated cystic duct. General clinical signs were recorded, CBC and blood chemistry were examined. Control group and experiment group were evaluated every 2 weeks for a period of 20 weeks. The results were (1) Total blirubin, cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity were significantly higher in the experiment group with ligated cystic duct than control group during 2-8 weeks. (2) Total alkaline phosphatase (TALP) activity was significantly higher when compare with control group during 2-8 weeks. Bone alkaline phosphatase(BALP) activity was increased slightly between 2 and 8 weeks but was decreased between 10 and 20 weeks. (3) Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was decreased between 2 and 8 weeks. After 10 weeks, this was in normal range. (4) On complate blood count (CBC), $Ca^{2+}$ and P were not changed until 20 weeks. (5) On clinical signs in experimental group, they observed a depression, yellow color of mucus membrane and conjunctiva, xanthinuria and xanthochromic. The present study showed that the experimental animal model with ligated cystic duct was a useful model to study biliary tract disease.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1293-1298
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• 2018

Phosphomannomutase (ManB) converts mannose-6-phosphate (M-6-P) to mannose-1-phosphate (M-1-P), which is a key metabolic precursor for the production of GDP-D-mannose used for production of glycoconjugates and post-translational modification of proteins. The aim of this study was to express the manB gene from Escherichia coli in Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris NZ9000 and to characterize the encoded enzyme. The manB gene from E. coli K12, of 1,371 bp and encoding 457 amino acids (52 kDa), was cloned and overexpressed in L. lactis NZ9000 using the nisin-controlled expression system. The enzyme was purified by Ni-NTA column chromatography and exhibited a specific activity of 5.34 units/mg, significantly higher than that of other previously reported ManB enzymes. The pH and temperature optima were 8.0 and $50^{\circ}C$, respectively. Interestingly, the ManB used in this study had two substrate specificity for both mannose-1-phosphate and glucose-1-phosphate, and the specific activity for glucose-1-phosphate was 3.76 units/mg showing 70% relative activity to that of mannose-1-phosphate. This is the first study on heterologous expression and characterization of ManB in lactic acid bacteria. The ManB expression system constructed in this study canbe used to synthesize rare sugars or glycoconjugates.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 1988

Two new nitro analogs of tranylcypromine, (E)-2-(p-nitrophenyl)cyclopropylamine ((E)-p-NTCP) and (E)-2-(m-nitrophenyl)cyclopropylamine ((E)-m-NTCP) were synthesized in order to examine the effect of aromatic nitro substitution on the MAO-inhibitory activity of 2-phenylcyclopropylamines. The compounds were obtained by treating t-butyl (E)-2-(p-nitrophenyl) cyclopropanecarbamate and t-butyl (E)-2-(m-nitrophenyl)cyclopropanecarbamate with p-toluenesulfonic acid in $CH_3$CN. Inhibitions of rat brain mitochondrial MAO-A and B by the compounds were examined using serotonin and benzylamine as the substrate at both in vitro and ex vivo levels. It was found from in vitro measurements that (E)-p-NTCP at $6.0{\times}10^{-5}M$ elicited merely 22.5% inhibition against MAO-B without any effect on MAO-A. In contrast, (E)-m-NTCP showed fair degrees of inhibitions of MAO-A and B with $IC_{50}$ values, $2.5{\times}10^{-7}M\;and\;1.4{\times}10^{-6}M$, respectively. It was also noted from (E)-m-NTCP that m-nitro substitution caused a shift of selectivity of the inhibition toward MAO-A. According to ex vivo measurements at 1.5, 3, 6, and 12 hr following the administration of a dose of 0.015 mmol/kg, i.p. to the rats, the inhibition percents of MAO-A by (E)-m-NTCP were 58.6, 63.7 63.6, and 46.6%, slightly lower than those observed by tranylcypromine. Whereas, (E)-m-NTCP at the same dose level did not show significant inhibitions against both MAO-A and MAO-B. Possible reasons for the difference in potencies between (E)-m-NTCP and (E)-p-NTCP were sought in relation to differing electron withdrawing effects of m- and p-substituents which will influence electron density of the side chain amino functions and the partitions.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.213-220
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• 2010

To examine the potential of Terminalia chebula as a whitening agent, we measured antioxidant activity using DPPH$\cdot$, ABTS${\cdot}^+$ assays and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, and depigmenting activity using B16F10 melanoma cells. The intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was monitored by $H_2DCFDA$ fluorescence labeling, and melanin contents in B16F10 melanoma cells by 960 $J/m^2$ dose of UVA-induced oxidative stress. The radical-scavenging activities of T. chebula extract (TCE) were measured in terms of $EC_{50}$ values using DPPH$\cdot$, ABTS${\cdot}^+$ assays and FRAP value were 280.0 ${\mu}g/mL$, 42.2 ${\mu}g/mL$ and 113.1 ${\mu}mol$ $FeSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O/g$, respectively. We found that ROS and melanin concentrations were reduced by TCE treatments of 25 ${\mu}g/mL$ under UVA-induced oxidative stress. Tyrosinase activity and melanin contents in $\alpha$-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH)-induced melanoma cells both decreased dose-dependently in the treatment groups. TCE similarly reduced melanogenesis in B16F10 melanoma cells stimulated by $\alpha$-MSH as compared to arbutin as a positive control. T. chebula may prove to be a useful therapeutic agent for hyperpigmentation and an effective component in skin whitening and.or lightening cosmetics.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.66-78
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• 2019

Purpose: Thallium (TI+) autometallography is often used for the imaging of neuronal metabolic activity in the rodent brain under various pathophysiologic conditions. The purpose of this study was to apply a thallium autometallographic technique to observe changes in neuronal activity in the forebrain of rats following acute carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication. Methods: In order to induce acute CO intoxication, adult Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 1100 ppm of CO for 40 minutes, followed by 3000 ppm of CO for 20 minutes. Animals were sacrificed at 30 minutes and 5 days after induction of acute CO intoxication for thallium autometallography. Immunohistochemical staining and toluidine blue staining were performed to observe cellular damage in the forebrain following intoxication. Results: Acute CO intoxication resulted in significant reduction of TI+ uptake in major forebrain structures, including the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, and striatum. In the cortex and hippocampal CA1 area, marked reduction of TI+ uptake was observed in the cell bodies and dendrites of pyramidal neurons at 30 minutes following acute CO intoxication. There was also strong uptake of TI+ in astrocytes in the hippocampal CA3 area following acute CO intoxication. However, there were no significant histological findings of cell death and no reduction of NeuN (+) neuronal populations in the cortex and hippocampus at 5 days after acute CO intoxication. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that thallium autometallography can be a new and useful technique for imaging functional changes in neural activity of the forebrain structure following mild to moderate CO intoxication.

• Research in Vestibular Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.142-151
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• 2018

Objectives: Excitability o medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) in the brainstem can be affected by changes in the arterial blood pressure. Several animal studies have demonstrated that acute hypotension results in the alteration of multiunit activities and expression of cFos protein in the MVN. In the field of extracellular electrophysiological recording, tetrode technology and spike sorting algorithms can easily identify single unit activity from multiunit activities in the brain. However, detailed properties of electrophysiological changes in single unit of the MVN during acute hypotension have been unknown. Methods: Therefore, we applied tetrode techniques and electrophysiological characterization methods to know the effect of acute hypotension on single unit activities of the MVN of rats. Results: Two or 3 types of unit could be classified according to the morphology of spikes and firing properties of neurons. Acute hypotension elicited 4 types of changes in spontaneous firing of single unit in the MVN. Most of these neurons showed excitatory responses for about within 1 minute after the induction of acute hypotension and then returned to the baseline activity 10 minutes after the injection of sodium nitroprusside. There was also gradual increase in spontaneous firing in some units. In contrast small proportion of units showed rapid reduction of firing rate just after acute hypotension. Conclusions: Therefore, application of tetrode technology and spike sorting algorithms is another method for the monitoring of electrical activity of vestibular nuclear during acute hypotension.