• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.45-55
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• 2003

Backgrounds : It has been investigated about ageing theory. However, ageing mechanism still remains to be unknown. Since Harman proposes that ageing and ageing related diseases might be due to oxidative damage and these are modifiable by genetic and environmental factors. For designing an optimal nutritional countermeasure against ageing and ageing related disease, it is necessary to understand the ageing mechanism and other reactive species. Objectives : Schizandra Chinesis has been clinically used to treat brain disease, respiratory or inflammatory disease etc. in Oriental medicine. The purpose of this study is to investigate the scavenging effect of Schizandrae Fructus herbal-acupuncture solution(SFHA) on NO, DPPH and IL-4. Results : The results are summarized as follows; (1) There is a significant scavenging effect of SFHA on NO in 0.1, 1, 10mg/ml group after 24hrs. (2) There is a significant scavenging effect of SFHA on DPPH in 1, $10{\mu}g/ml$ group. (3) There is a significant inhibitory effect of SFHA on IL-4 in 1, 10, $100{\mu}g/ml$ group. Conclusions : These findings indicate that SFHA can be used as antioxidant or antiimflammatory drug. But further study is needed about the effect of SFHA.

• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.103-112
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• 2009

Objectives : This study was to evaluate the pharmacological effect of Korea Red Ginseng aqueous extract (KRGE) on serum-deprived apoptosis of neuronal-like pheochromocytoma PC12 cells and to investigate its underlying action mechanism. Methods : KRGE was prepared by extracting Korea Red Ginseng with hot water and concentrating using a vacuum evaporator. Cell viability was determined after incubation of cells with KRGE or chemical inhibitor in serum-deprived medium for 60 h by counting intact nuclei following lysing of the cell membrane. Caspase activities were measured using chromogenic substrates and signal-associated protein phosphorylation and cytochrome c release were determined by Western blot analyses using their specific antibodies. Results : Serum deprivation induced PC12 cell death, which was accompanied by typical morphological features of apoptotic cell, such as nuclear fragmentation, caspase-3 activation, and cytochrome c release. This apoptotic cell death was significantly inhibited by KRGE and caspase-3 inhibitor, but not by the addition of NMA, ODQ, and PD98059. KRGE promoted phosphorylation of Akt and Bad, and this phosphorylation was inhibited by the PI3K inhibitor LY92004. In addition, this inhibitor also reversed KRGE-mediated protection of PC 12 cells from serum deprivation. These results suggested that KRGE protects PC12 cells from serum deprivation-induced apoptosis through the activation of PI3K/Akt-dependent Bad phosphorylation and cytochrome c release, resulting in caspase-3 activation. Conclusions : KRGE should be considered as a potential therapeutic drug for brain diseases including stroke induced by apoptosis of neuronal cells.

• 한국시뮬레이션학회논문지
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.167-174
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• 2008

공초점 현미경(confocal microscopy) 기술의 적용은 살아있는 세포를 고배율로 관찰하는 것을 가능하게 하였다. 알츠하이머나 파킨슨 질환 같은 퇴행성 뇌질환의 경우 뇌세포의 수상돌기의 형태학적 변화가 연관되어 있음이 알려져 있다. 따라서 공초점 현미경 영상으로부터 이러한 정보를 추출하는 방법에 대한 연구가 필요하다. 그러나 공초점 현미경 영상은 명암도 분포가 고르지 않고, 구조의 경계 부분의 번짐 현상 등으로 인해 구조 추출에 어려움을 겪고 있는 실정이다. 따라서 이러한 문제를 극복하고 관심 구조에 대한 특성을 추출할 수 있는 영상처리 기법이 필요하다. 본 논문에서는 뇌세포의 수상돌기 공초점 현미경 사진으로부터 구조정보를 추출하는 새로운 방법을 제안한다. 첫째, 미세 분기 구조의 경계를 향상시키는 비선형 확산 필터링을 적용한다. 둘째, 관심구조를 반복적 역치 선택 방법을 이용해 분할한다. 셋째, 분할된 구조의 분석을 위해 구조의 중심축과 경계선을 추출하기 위한 패스트 마칭 방법(Fast Marching Method)에 기반을 둔 골격화를 수행한다. 본 논문에서 제안된 방법은 기존의 방법들과는 달리 주변 잡음에 덜 민감하였으며 거친 경계선에 영향을 훨씬 적게 받음으로써 보다 정확하고 사실적인 중심축 추출 결과를 보였다.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제44권4호
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• pp.603-610
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• 2020

Background: Depression is a common neuropsychiatric disease that shows astrocyte pathology. Ginsenoside Rf (G-Rf) is a saponin found in Panax ginseng which has been used to treat neuropsychiatric diseases. We aimed to investigate antidepressant properties of G-Rf when introduced into the L-alphaaminoadipic acid (L-AAA)-infused mice model which is representative of a major depressive disorder that features diminished astrocytes in the brain. Methods: L-AAA was infused into the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of mice to induce decrease of astrocytes. Mice were orally administered G-Rf (20 mg/kg) as well as vehicle only or imipramine (20 mg/kg) as controls. Depression-like behavior of mice was evaluated using forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). We observed recovery of astroglial impairment and increased proliferative cells in the PFC and its accompanied change in the hippocampus by Western blot and immunohistochemistry to assess the effect of G-Rf. Results: After injection of L-AAA into the PFC, mice showed increased immobility time in FST and TST and loss of astrocytes without significant neuronal change in the PFC. G-Rf-treated mice displayed significantly more decreased immobility time in FST and TST than did vehicle-treated mice, and their immobility time almost recovered to those of the sham mice and imipramine-treated mice. G-Rf upregulated glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression and Ki-67 expression in the PFC reduced by L-AAA and also alleviated astroglial change in the hippocampus. Conclusion: G-Rf markedly reversed depression-like behavioral changes and exhibited protective effect against the astrocyte ablation in the PFC induced by L-AAA. These protective properties suggest that G-Rf might be a therapeutic agent for major depressive disorders.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.151-158
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• 2013

본 연구는 개의 이첨판 폐쇄부전증(CMVI) 환자군에서 혈장 NT-proBNP농도를 평가한 연구이다. 본 연구를 위해 CMVI에 이환된 50마리와 건강한 대조군 7마리를 대상으로 일반적인 심초음파 검사와 혈중NT-proBNP농도를 측정하였다. 심부전의 심하기에 따라 분류된 환자군에서 측정된 NT-proBNP농도와 심초음파 인덱스의 상호관련성을 평가하였다. 혈중 NT-proBNP 농도는 심부전의 심하기에 따라 상승하였다. 또한 심초음파 인덱스중 left atrium/aorta (LA/AO), early diastolic transmitral flow (E) velocity, late diastolic transmitral flow (A) velocity, end diastolic volume index (EDVI) 등과 밀접한 관련성이 관찰되었다. 본 연구는 이첨판 폐쇄부전증 환자의 예후를 평가하는데 중요할 것으로 보인다.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.242-249
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• 2016

A balance between production and degradation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is critical for maintaining cellular homeostasis. Increased levels of ROS during oxidative stress are associated with disease conditions. Antioxidant enzymes, such as extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD), in the extracellular matrix (ECM) neutralize the toxicity of superoxide. Recent studies have emphasized the importance of EC-SOD in protecting the brain, lungs, and other tissues from oxidative stress. Therefore, EC-SOD would be an excellent therapeutic drug for treatment of diseases caused by oxidative stress. We cloned both the full length (residues 1-240) and truncated (residues 19-240) forms of human EC-SOD (hEC-SOD) into the donor plasmid pFastBacHTb. After transposition, the bacmid was transfected into the Sf9-baculovirus expression system and the expressed hEC-SOD purified using FLAG-tag. Western blot analysis revealed that hEC-SOD is present both as a monomer (33 kDa) and a dimer (66 kDa), as detected by the FLAG antibody. A water-soluble tetrazolium (WST-1) assay showed that both full length and truncated hEC-SOD proteins were enzymatically active. We showed that a potent superoxide dismutase inhibitor, diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC), inhibits hEC-SOD activity.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제37권6호
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• pp.467-472
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• 2014

Obesity is known to be strongly associated with cardiovascular disease and cancer, the leading causes of mortality worldwide, and develops owing to interactions between genes and the environment. DNA methylation can act as a downstream effector of environmental signals, and analysis of this process therefore holds substantial promise for identifying mechanisms through which genetic and environmental factors jointly contribute to disease risk. Global DNA methylation of peripheral blood cells has recently been proposed as a potential biomarker for disease risk. Repetitive element DNA methylation has been shown to be associated with prominent obesity-related chronic diseases, but little is known about its relationship with weight status. In this study, we quantified the methylation of Alu elements in the peripheral blood DNA of 244 healthy women with a range of body mass indexes (BMIs) using pyrosequencing technology. Among the study participants, certain clinical laboratory parameters, including hemoglobin, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, serum glutamic- pyruvic transaminase, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were found to be strongly associated with BMI. Moreover, a U-shaped association between BMI and Alu methylation was observed, with the lowest methylation levels occurring at BMIs of between 23 and $30kg/m^2$. However, there was no significant association between Alu methylation and age, smoking status, or alcohol consumption. Overall, we identified a differential influence of BMI on global DNA methylation in healthy Korean women, indicating that BMI-related changes in Alu methylation might play a complex role in the etiology and pathogenesis of obesity. Further studies are required to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this relationship.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제31권3호
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• pp.55-65
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• 2010

Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is a reactive free radical gas and a messenger molecule. NO has many physiological functions, but excessive NO production induces neurotoxicity. Objective: The present study investigated whether the aqueous extract of Polygala tenuifolia Willdenow possesses a protective effect on NO-induced apoptosis in human neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-MC. Method: For this study, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, DNA fragmentation assay, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot, and caspase-3 enzyme assay were performed. Result: Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) exposure significantly decreased the viability of cells. The cells treated with SNP exhibited several apoptotic features such as increasing of Bax expression, caspase-3 enzyme activity and inhibiting of Bcl-2 expression. On the other hand, the viability of cells pre-treated with the aqueous extract of Polygala tenuifolia Willdenow was increased dose-dependently. The cells pre-treated for 1 h with the aqueous extract of Polygala tenuifolia Willdenow followed by treatment with SNP showed a decreased occurrence of apoptotic features like decreasing Bax expressions, caspase-3 enzyme activity and increasing Bcl-2 expressions. The aqueous extract of Polygala tenuifolia Willdenow reduced apoptotic cell death in neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-MC through the inhibition of Bax-dependent caspase-3 activation and the increasing of Bcl-2 expression. Conclusion: Based on the present results, it is possible that Polygala tenuifolia Willdenow has therapeutic value for the treatment of a variety of NO-induced brain diseases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제20권12호
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• pp.1750-1755
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• 2010

The MLVA assay is known to have a high ability to identify and discriminate Brucella species, so that it can be used as an epidemiological tool to discriminate Brucella isolates originating from restricted geographic sources. In this study, the genetic profiles of 38 B. abortus isolates from humans were analyzed and compared with genotypes from animal isolates in South Korea. As a result, it was found that they did not show high genetic diversity and were compacted. They were clustered together with animal isolates, showing a significant correlation to regional distributions. With its ability to prove a significant genetic correlation among B. abortus isolates from animals and humans in South Korea, the MLVA assay could be utilized as part of a program to control and eradicate brucellosis, one of the major zoonoses. This study represents the first data of genetic correlation of B. abortus isolates from humans and animals in South Korea.

• 한국식품영양과학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국식품영양과학회 2001년도 International Symposium on Food,Nutrition and Health for 21st Century
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• pp.22-37
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• 2001

Melatonin is secreted during the hours of darkness and is thought to influence the circadian and seasonal timing of a variety of physiological processes. Serotonin N-acetyltransferase (AA-NAT) which is found to be expressed in pineal gland, retina, and various tissues, catalyses the conversion of serotonin to N-acetylserotonin and is known as the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of melatonin. The compounds that modulate the activity of AA-NAT can be used to treat serotonin-and melatonin-related diseases such as insomnia, depression and seasonal affective disorders (SAD). Several assay methods have been developed by which to measure AA-NAT activity. We have also developed a simple, rapid and sensitive AA-NAT assay method that takes advantage of differences in the organic solubilities between acetyl CoA and N-acetyltryptamine. We screened modulators of AA-NAT activity from the water extracts of the medicinal plants. We found MNP1005 which strongly inhibited the activity of AA-NAT ($IC_{50}$=2.2$\mu$M). Enzyme inhibitory kinetic studies revealed that MNP1005 exhibited a noncompetitive inhibition toward tryptamine. The antidepressant effect of MNP1005 was investigated on behavioral despair test so called forced swimming test (FST). MNP1005 significantly increased swimming behavior by reducing immobility with treatment of 10 mg/kg when compared to the vehicle-treated control group (P < 0.05). This suggests that MNP1005 possesses antidepressant activity. The influence of chronic MNP1005 treatment on the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was examined by in situ hybridization and Northern blot. Chronic treatment of MNP1005 blocked the downregulation of BDNF mRNA in the frontal cortex and other cortex regions in response to restraint stress.