• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.10
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• pp.647-652
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• 2011

The protein transduction domains have been reported to have potential to deliver the exogenous molecules, including proteins, to living cells. However, poor transduction of proteins limits therapeutic application. In this study, we examined whether imipramine could stimulate the transduction efficiency of PEP-1 fused proteins into astrocytes. PEP-1-catalase (PEP-1-CAT) was transduced into astrocytes in a time- and dose-dependent manner, reducing cellular toxicity induced by $H_2O_2$. Additionally, the group of PEP-1-CAT + imipramine showed enhancement of transduction efficiency and therefore increased cellular viability than that of PEP-1-CAT alone. In the gerbil ischemia models, PEP-1-CAT displayed significant neuroprotection in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. Interestingly, PEP-1-CAT + imipramine prevented neuronal cell death and lipid peroxidation more markedly than PEP-1-CAT alone. Therefore, our results suggest that imipramine can be used as a drug to enhance the transduction of PEP-1 fusion proteins to cells or animals and their efficacies against various disorders.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.161-167
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• 2015

These commensal intestinal bacteria can enhance the immune system and aid in nutrient absorption but can also act as opportunistic pathogens. Among these intestinal bacteria, the anaerobic Bacteroides fragilis are divided into enterotoxigenic B. fragilis (ETBF) which secrete the B. fragilis toxin (BFT) and non-enterotoxigenic B. fragilis (NTBF) which do not secrete BFT. ETBF can cause diarrhea and colitis in both humans and livestock but can also be found in asymptomatic individuals. ETBF is predominantly found in patients with inflammatory diarrheal diseases and traveller's diarrhea. Several clinical studies have also reported an increased prevalence of ETBF in human patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), colitis and colorectal cancer. In small animal models (C57BL/6 wild-type mice, germ-free mice, multiple intestinal neoplasia (Min) mice, rabbits and Mongolian gerbils), ETBF have been found to initiate and/or aggravate IBD, colitis and colorectal cancer. BFT induces E-cadherin cleavage in intestinal epithelial cells resulting in loss of epithelial cell integrity. Subsequent activation of the ${\beta}$-catenin pathway leads to increased cellular proliferation. In addition, ETBF causes acute and chronic colitis in wild-type mice as well as enhances tumorigenesis in Min mice via activation of the Stat3/Th17 pathway. Currently, ETBF can be detected using a BFT toxin bioassay and by PCR. Advances in molecular biological techniques such as real-time PCR have allowed both researchers as well as clinicians to rapidly detect ETBF in clinical samples. The emergence of more sensitive techniques will likely advance molecular insight into the role of ETBF in colitis and cancer.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.81-89
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• 2006

The ischemia-responsive 94 gene (irp94) encoding a 94 kDa endoplasmic reticulum resident protein was investigated its molecular properties associated with unfoled protein responses. First, the expression of irp94 mRNA was tested after the reperfusion of the transient forebrain ischemia induction at the central nervous system in three Mongolian gerbils. Second, irp94 expression in PC12 cells, which are derived from transplantable rat pheochromocytoma cultured in the DMEM media, was tested at transcriptional and translational levels. The half life of irp94 mRNA was also determined In PC12 cells. Last, the changes of irp94 mRNA expression were investigated by the addition of various ER stress inducible chemicals (A23187, BFA, tunicamycin, DTT and $H_2O_2$) and proteasome inhibitors, and heat shock. High level expression of irp94 mRNA was detected after 3 hours reperfusion in the both sites of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of the gerbil brain. The main regulation of irp94 mRNA expression in PC 12 cells was determined at the transcriptional level. The half life of irp94 mRNA in PC12 cells was approximately 5 hours after the initial translation. The remarkable expression of irp94 mRNA was detected by the treatment of tunicamycin, which blocks glycosylation of newly synthesized polypeptides, and $H_2O_2$, which induces apoptosis. When PC12 cells were treated with the cytosol proteasome inhibitors such as ALLN (N-acetyl-leucyl-norleucinal) and MG 132 (methylguanidine), irp94 mRNA expression was increased. These results indicate that expression of irp94 was induced by ER stress including oxidation condition and glycosylation blocking in proteins. Expression of irp94 was increased when the cells were chased after heat shock, suggesting that irp94 may be involved in recovery rather than protection against ER stresses. In addition, irp94 expression was remarkably increased when cytosol proteasomes were inhibited by ALLN and MG 132, suggesting that irp94 plays an important role for maintaining the ERAD (endoplasmic reticulum associated degradation) function.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.208-215
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• 2006

The human ribosomal protein S3 (rpS3) was expressed in E. coli using the pET-I5b vector and the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were produced and characterized. A total of five hybridoma cell lines were established and the antibodies recognized a single band of molecular weight of 33 kDa on immunoblot with purified rpS3. When the purified rpS3 was incubated with the mAbs, the UV endonuclease activity of rpS3 was inhibited up to a maximum of 49%. The binding affinity of mAbs to rpS3 determined by using a biosensor technology showed that they have similar binding affinities. Using the anti-rpS3 antibodies as probes, we investigated the cross-reactivities of various other mammalian brain tissues and cell lines, including human. The immunoreactive bands on Western blots appeared to be the same molecular mass of 33 kDa in all animal species tested. They also appear to be extensively cross-reactive among different organs in rat. These results demonstrated that only one type of immunologically similar rpS3 protein is present in all of the mammalian brain tissues including human. Furthermore, these antibodies were successfully applied in immunohistochemistry in order to detect rpS3 in the gerbil brain tissues. Among the various regions in the brain tissues, the rpS3 positive neurons were predominantly observed in the ependymal cells, hippocampus and substantia nigra pars compacta. The different distributions of rpS3 in brain tissues reply that rpS3 protein may play an important second function in the neuronal cells.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.327-335
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• 2006

A stable and reliable Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection animal model would be necessary for evaluating vaccine efficacy and helpful for understanding the pathological mechanism of the organism. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of ethanol treatment prior to H. pylori inoculation on associated gastric mucosal injury and to establish ethanol-pretreating animal model to study H. pylori infection. Male Mongolian gerbils were used for the study. H. pylori was orally inoculated after 12 h fasting. 3 h prior to H. pylori inoculation, a group of gerbils was orally treated with absolute ethanol, 60% and 40% ethanol respectively. Another group of animals was treated either with H. pylori culture media alone or with different concentrations of ethanol plus culture media. Gerbils were killed 4 or 8 weeks after H. pylori inoculation. The colonization of H. pylori was confirmed by both histological examination and rapid urease test. Mucosal damage was evaluated grossly and histologically according to the criteria. The colonization of H. pylori and pathological changes in gastric mucosa of the animals were also observed. Although no significant change to the gastric mucose was observed in the animals treated either with H. pylori culture media alone or with different concentrations of ethanol plus culture media, persistent H. pylori infection was seen in the mucosa and mucosal leucocyte infiltration and severe epithelial damage was observed in the Helicobacter and ethanol + Helicobacter groups after 4 weeks. The gross and histological scores were higher in the ethanol + Helicobacter than in the Helicobacter alone group. As the results, ethanol-pretreatment with 60% concentration induced severe pathogenic changes by H. pylori infection in 5 weeks-old Mongolian gerbils. These results suggested that ethanol-pretreatment before H. pylori inoculation could increase the severity of gastric mucosal inflammation and enhance the colonization of H. pylori. The established ethanol-pretreating animal model would contribute to screen new drugs against H. pylori and be used as an useful tool for various animal experiments with H. pylori strains.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.779-783
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• 2004

New food ingredient was developed to eradicate and protect against re-infection of Helicobacter pylori in fermentation broth of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) showing antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms such as H. pylori and Listeria monocytogenes. LAB strain CBT SL4 was identified as Pediococcus pentosaceus by 16S rDNA sequencing and its culture broth showed antimicrobial activity of 800 AU/mL against H. pylori in optimized fermentation process. Using thin layer concentration system and spray-typed fluid bed drier system, concentrated powder product showing activity of 12,800 AU/g was harvested. Product showed eradication and protection activities against H. pylori infection on feeding test (50 AU/day) using Mongolian gerbil infection model. After 4 weeks therapy of 8,000 AU/day, ${\Delta}13CO_2$ level (DOB30) decreased about 40% in urea breath test on patient with H. pylori infection. Result show concentrated culture product of P. pentosaceus CBT SL4 has eradicating and protecting activities against H. pylori infection and can be used as food-active ingredient for prevention of gastric and duodenum ulcer caused by H. pylori.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1-11
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• 2008

Objectives : Cerebral ischemia resulting from transient or permanent occlusion of cerebral arteries leads to neuronal cell death and eventually causes neurological impairments. Scrophulariae radix is the roots of Scrophularia buergeria. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the aqueous extract of Scrophulariae radix on apoptotic cell death in the hippocampal dentate gyrus following transient global ischemia in gerbils. Methods : For this study, step-down avoidance task, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, and immunohistochemistry for caspase-3 were performed. Results : The present results showed that apoptotic cell death in the hippocampal dentate gyrus was significantly increased following transient global ischemia in gerbils. Treatment with the aqueous extract of Scrophulariae radix suppressed the ischemia-induced apoptosis in the dentate gyrus and thus facilitated the recovery of short-term memory impairment induced by ischemic cerebral injury. Conclusions : Here in this study, we have shown that Scrophulariae radix has a positive effect on-and possesses protective qualities against ischemia-induced apoptotic neuronal cell death, and it can be used for the treatment of ischemic brain diseases.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.300-305
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• 2011

The present study was investigated the neuroprotective effects of acupuncture at ST36 on learning and memory deficits after transient cerebral ischemia in a gerbil model. The animals were randomly divided into three groups (n=7 in each group): the sham operation group (SHAM), ischemia-induced and ST36 acupuncture group (ISC + ST36), and the ischemia-induced and Tail-acupuncture group (ISC + TAIL). For the acupuncture stimulation, stainless steel needles, 0.3 mm in diameter, were inserted bilaterally into the ST36 locus or the tail and stimulated for 1 min/day for 14 days. Using the Morris water maze test, the animals were tested on spatial learning and memory. In addition, the effects of acupuncture on memory storage and the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity, in the hippocampal CA1 area, were investigated by ChAT immunohistochemistry. Transient cerebral ischemia produced impaired performance on the MWM test (DAY 5: p<0.01 and retention test: p<0.05) and severely decreased ChAT immunoreactivity in the CA1 hippocampal area compared to the SHAM group (p<0.05). However, improved learning and memory were observed (DAY 5: p<0.05 and retention test: p<0.01) as well as a significantly reduced loss of ChAT immunoactivity in the hippocampal CA1 region (p<0.001) after acupuncture stimulation at ST36 were observed. These results show that acupuncture at ST36 ameliorated the learning and memory deficits at least in part through the cholinergic system. The findings of this study provide potential data that acupuncture is useful for the treatment of some of the behavioral impairs of transient cerebral ischemia.

• International Journal of Molecular Medicine
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.939-948
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• 2019

Chemokine C-X3-C motif ligand 1 (CX3CL1) and its sole receptor, CX3CR1, are known to be involved in neuronal damage/death following brain ischemia. In the present study, time-dependent expression changes of CX3CL1 and CX3CR1 proteins were investigated in the hippocampal CA1 field following 5 min of transient global cerebral ischemia (tgCI) in gerbils. To induce tgCI in gerbils, bilateral common carotid arteries were occluded for 5 min using aneurysm clips. Expression changes of CX3CL1 and CX3CR1 proteins were assessed at 1, 2 and 5 days after tgCI using western blotting and immunohistochemistry. CX3CL1 immunoreactivity was strong in the CA1 pyramidal cells of animals in the sham operation group. Weak CX3CL1 immunoreactivity was detected at 6 h after tgCI, recovered at 1 day after tgCI and disappeared from 5 days after tgCI. CX3CR1 immunoreactivity was very weak in CA1 pyramidal cells of the sham animals. CX3CR1 immunoreactivity in CA1 pyramidal cells was significantly increased at 1 days after tgCI and gradually decreased thereafter. On the other hand, CX3CR1 immunoreactivity was significantly increased in microglia from 5 days after tgCI. These results showed that CX3CL1 and CX3CR1 protein expression levels in pyramidal cells and microglia in the hippocampal CA1 field following tgCI were changed, indicating that tgCI-induced expression changes of CX3CL1 and CX3CR1 proteins might be closely associated with tgCI-induced delayed neuronal death and microglial activation.