• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.147-154
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• 2010

Purpose: To investigate the radiosensitizing effect of the selective epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor nimotuzumab in human colorectal cancer cell lines. Materials and Methods: Four human colorectal cancer cell lines, HCT-8, LoVo, WiDr, and HCT-116 were treated with nimotuzumab and/or radiation. The effects on cell proliferation, viability, and cell cycle progression were measured by MTT, clonogenic survival assay, flow cytometry, and Western blot. Results: An immunoblot analysis revealed that EGFR phosphorylation was inhibited by nimotuzumab in colorectal cancer cell lines. Under these experimental conditions, pre-treatment with nimotuzumab increased radiosensitivity of colorectal cancer cell lines, except for cell line HCT-116. However, cell proliferation or cell cycle progression was not affected by the addition of nimotuzumab, irrespective of irradiation. Conclusion: Nimotuzumab enhanced the radiosensitivity of colorectal cancer cells in vitro by inhibiting EGFR-mediated cell survival signaling. This study provided a rationale for the clinical application of the selective EGFR inhibitor, nimotuzumab in combination with radiation in colorectal cancer cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.114-114
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• 2003

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) induces well-documented mitogenic and differentiating effects on murine and bovine preimplantation embryos. However, the effects of EGF on apoptosis and implantation-related gene expression in bovine embryos developing in vitro have not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of exogenous EGF in the presence and absence of BSA on the preimplantation development of bovine embryos. In addition, we measured cell number, apoptosis, and expression of apoptosis and implantation-related genes of the blastocysts that developed in these culture conditions. In vitro produced bovine embryos were randomly cultured in the same medium containing 0 or 10 ng/ml EGF in the presence and absence of 0.8% BSA. More 2-cell embryos developed into blastocysts at day 7 when BSA was present than when BSA was absent. The addition of 10 ng/$m\ell$ EGF into the medium did not significantly increase the developmental rate and the cell numbers per blastocyst. However, addition of EGF in the presence of 0.8% BSA significantly reduced the degree of apoptosis in the blastocysts (P<0.01). To investigate whether EGF modulates mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes, mRNA was prepared from single blastocysts and each preparation was subjected to RT-PCR for Bcl-2 and Bax transcripts. EGF did not alter the relative abundance of Bax gene expression in the presence of BSA, but increase Bcl-2 (P<0.01) The relative abundance of Interferon tau expression was increased by EGF treatment in the presence of BSA. These results suggest that EGF and BSA synergistically enhance Bcl-2 and interferone tau gene expression, which may result in a net increase in viability in bovine embryos.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.99-99
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• 2003

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) induces well-documented mitegenic and differentiating effects on murine and bovine preimplantation embryos. However, the effects of EGF on apoptosis and implantation-related gene expression in bovine embryos developing in vitro have not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of exogenous EGF in the presence and absence of BSA on the preimplantation development of bovine embryos. In addition, we measured cell number, apoptosis, and expression of apoptosis and implantation-related genes of the blastocysts that developed in these culture conditions. In vitro produced bovine embryos were randomly cultured in the same medium containing 0 or 10 ng/$m\ell$ EGF in the presence and absence of 0.8% BSA. More 2-cell embryos developed into blastocysts at day 7 when BSA was present than when BSA was absent. The addition of 10 ng/$m\ell$ EGF into the medium did not significantly increase the developmental rate and the cell numbers per blastocyst. However, addition of EGF in the presence of 0.8% BSA significantly reduced the degree of apoptosis in the blastocysts (P< 0.01). To investigate whether EGF modulates mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes, mRNA was prepared from single blastocysts and each preparation was subjected to RT-PCR for Bcl-2 and Bax transcripts. EGF did not alter the relative abundance of Bax gene expression in the presence of BSA, but increase Bcl-2 (P < 0.01). The relative abundance of Interferon tau expression was increased by EGF treatment in the presence of BSA. These results suggest that EGF and BSA synergistically enhance Bcl-2 and interferone tau gene expression, which may result in a net increase in viability in bovine embryos.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.147-155
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• 2016

This study describes the cell type, ultrastructure and histochemical characteristics as a preliminary study for the research on integument of the smooth lumpsucker, Aptocyclus ventricosus in accordance with the physiological and environmental changes using light and electron microscopes. The SEM revealed the presence of well-developed finger printing structure in the skin surface. The skin surface of the smooth lumpsucker showed an irregular folds in cross section of light microscope. Integument is composed of outer epidermal and inner dermal layer. The epidermal layer is a stratified layer composed of epithelial cells, mucous cells, vacuolar cells, and granular cells. Epithelial cells are classified into superficial, intermediated, and basal cell. The superficial cells were the squamous with well-developed microridges on the free surface, and the microridges were covered with glycocalyx. The mucous cells of unicellular gland were mainly distributed in the apical layer of epidermis and contained mucosal materials of neutral glycoprotein. The vacuolar cells of unicellular gland were mainly distributed in the mid and basal layer of epidermis. The proportion of mucous cells and vacuolar cells were $7.0({\pm}1.07)%$ and $40.6({\pm}3.31)%$ of epidermal area, respectively. The granular cells contained membrane bounded secretory granules with high electron density and developed cell organelles in the cytoplasm. The dermal layer was loose connective tissue layer and composed of mainly collagen fibers. It also contained blood vessels and chromatophores of melanophores and reflecting platelets.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.120-127
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• 2007

To investigate the skin of the flat-headed goby, Luciogobius guttatus, it was used 8 body regions such as the head, the upper and lower jaw, the chin, the back, lateral region, abdomen, and the operculum. The epidermis consisted of three layers: the outermost layer, middle layer and stratum germinativum (basal layer). The outermost layer consisted of rather flattened cells arranged in 1 to 4 layers and mucous cells. The middle layer consisted of large epidermal cells occupying the height of the epidermis with 1 to 10 layers, causing a web-shaped structure. Due to the large epidermal cells of the middle layer, L. guttaus had a thick epidermis. The large epidermal cell contains tonofilaments, lucent contents, and desmosome. The basal layer was comprised of a single layer having cuboidal cells. A large number of fine blood capillaries were found just under the basal layer. The dermis consisted mostly of stratum compactum with numerous blood capillaries but had no scale.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.164-184
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• 2003

Objectives : This study was designed to establish a characteristic discrimination of internal and external morphological standard of original plants and herbal states in Pogostemonis and Agastachis Herba. Methods : In this studies, the external-internal morphological standards were determined by using stereoscope and butanol series. Results : 1. The external characteristics: Pogostemon cablin has hairs and brown-like in stem, elliptical fruit. On the other hand, Agastache rugosa has no hairs and red-like in stem, obovatic trigone fruit. 2. The physical characteristics: Pogostemon cablin is gray in whole, has hairs in stem and numerous hairs of ash in leaf. On the other hand, Agastache rugosa is yellow-green in whole, has no hairs in stem. Specially the latter has deep-green colour and numerous hairs presenting mostly at lower epidermis in leaf. 3. The physical characteristics in currents: Pogostemon cablin is brown, has hairs and round-like stem. On the other hand, Agastache rugosa is green or yellow-green, has no hairs and tetragon in stem. 4. The internal characteristics: Pogostemon cablin has progressed spongy tissue in epidermal cell of leaf and many rank of epidermal cell in stem. On other hand, Agastache rugosa has I rank palisade tissue in leaf and few rank of epidermal cell in stem. In the external shape, it was possible that herbs were distinguished according to artificial cIassification and that same genus-degree of relatedness among herbs could be distinguished by more precise and active observation. In the shape of real herbs, I compared current herbs in market with original herbs which were just collected or were on the course of drying. In addition, it was possible that the internal shape could be identified by using microscope after butanol series. Conclusion : Though it was impossible to make distinction of herbs which are not current in my search contents, this search contents will be a standard for applying herbs in the future. An Additional standard establishment including physiochemical reaction and gene research is required in order to supplement the fault of this search.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.149-154
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• 2005

Secretion of the expressed heterologous proteins can reduce the stress to the host cells and is beneficial to their recovery and purification. In this study, fed-batch cultures of Escherichia coli YK537 (pAET-8) were conducted in a 5-L fermentor for the secretory production of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) whose expression was under the control of alkaline phosphatase promoter. The effects of feeding of glucose and complex nitrogen sources on hEGF production were investigated. When the fed-batch culture was conducted in a chemically de-fined medium, the cell density was 9.68 g/L and the secreted hEGF was 44.7 mg/L in a period of 60 h. When a complex medium was used and glucose was added in pH-stat mode, the secreted hEGF was improved to 345 mg/L. When the culture was fed with glucose at a constant specific rate of $0.25\;gg^{-1}h^{-1}$, hEGF reached 514 mg/L. The effects of adding a solution containing yeast extract and tryptone were further studied. Different rate of the nitrogen source feeding resulted in different levels of phosphate and acetic acid formation, thus affected hEGF expression. At the optimal feeding rate, hEGF production achieved 686 mg/L.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.93-98
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• 2009

A plant-specific gene was cloned from melon fruit. This gene was named downward leaf curling (CmDLC) based on the phenotype of transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing the gene. This expression level of this gene was especially upregulated during melon fruit enlargement. Overexpression of CmDLC in Arabidopsis resulted in dwarfism and narrow, epinastically curled leaves. These phenotypes were found to be caused by a reduction in cell number and cell size on the adaxial and abaxial sides of the epidermis, with a greater reduction on the abaxial side of the leaves. These phenotypic characteristics, combined with the more wavy morphology of epidermal cells in overexpression lines, indicate that CmDLC overexpression affects cell elongation and cell morphology. To investigate intracellular protein localization, a CmDLC-GFP fusion protein was made and expressed in onion epidermal cells. This protein was observed to be preferentially localized close to the cell membrane. Thus, we report here a new plant-specific gene that is localized to the cell membrane and that controls leaf cell number, size and morphology.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.121-125
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• 2004

In plants, nitrogen is the major component for growth and development. Leaf growth is based on the division, elongation and maturation of cells, which are used for making of epidermis, mesophyll, bundle sheath, xylem, phloem and so on. Dynamics of these tissues with respect to nitrogen are required for better understanding. This experiment was conducted to evaluate effect of nitrogen on the elongation of epidermal and guard cell of two rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties, Seoanbyeo and Dasanbyeo on May 2000 at Chungbuk national university in Cheongju. After transplaning the 20-day-old seedlings into a/5000 pots, the main characteristics related with cell elongation were investigated and evaluated. A maximum. leaf length reached at 7 or 8 days after emerging from the collar, and also the leaf elongation rates were greatly affected by the increase of N application rate. The initial and final cell length were about $17\mu\textrm{m}$ and $130\mu\textrm{m}$, respectively. Cell divisions occurred within 1.0mm from leaf base. With die higher nitrogen application rate of 22 kg-N $10\textrm{a}^{-1}$, cell division per hour was greater 1.5 to 1.9 and 1.2 to 1.3 fold as compared to the N application rate of 0 and 11 kg-N $10\textrm{a}^{-1}$, respectively. Cell enlargement of epidermal and guard cell under higher N application rate (22kg-N $10\textrm{a}^{-1}$) was finished within about 20 (Seoanbyeo) and 15 hours (Dasanbyeo), while it took much time, about 30 hours.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.75 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2013

Background: In cancer cells, autophagy is generally induced as a pro-survival mechanism in response to treatment-associated genotoxic and metabolic stress. Thus, concurrent autophagy inhibition can be expected to have a synergistic effect with chemotherapy on cancer cell death. Monensin, a polyether antibiotic, is known as an autophagy inhibitor, which interferes with the fusion of autophagosome and lysosome. There have been a few reports of its effect in combination with anticancer drugs. We performed this study to investigate whether erlotinib, an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor, or rapamycin, an mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, is effective in combination therapy with monensin in non-small cell lung cancer cells. Methods: NCI-H1299 cells were treated with rapamycin or erlotinib, with or without monensin pretreatment, and then subjected to growth inhibition assay, apoptosis analysis by flow cytometry, and cell cycle analysis on the basis of the DNA contents histogram. Finally, a Western blot analysis was done to examine the changes of proteins related to apoptosis and cell cycle control. Results: Monensin synergistically increases growth inhibition and apoptosis induced by rapamycin or erlotinib. The number of cells in the sub-$G_1$ phase increases noticeably after the combination treatment. Increase of proapoptotic proteins, including bax, cleaved caspase 3, and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and decrease of anti-apoptotic proteins, bcl-2 and bcl-xL, are augmented by the combination treatment with monensin. The promoters of cell cycle progression, notch3 and skp2, decrease and p21, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, accumulates within the cell during this process. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that concurrent autophagy inhibition could have a role in lung cancer treatment.