• 약학회지
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• 제45권1호
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• pp.108-115
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• 2001

We have recently reported the development of a high efficiency expression vector, pCK, which can drive a high level of gene expression in mouse skeletal muscle. In this study, we tested the therapeutic potential of pCK expressing human VEGF165, pCK-VEGF in the rabbit ischemic hind limb model. To determine the optimal dose of plasmid DNA, various concentrations of pCK-CAT were injected into the muscle of a rabbit hind limb and the levels of CAT activity were determined. It was found that the expression level of the exogenously added gene became stable between 250 and 1,000 $\mu$g. Based on this result, we tested whether intramuscular transfer of 500$\mu$g of pCK-VEGF could actually modulate collateral vessel development in a rabbit ischemic hind limb model. It was found that relative to the control group injected with the pCK lacking the VEGF sequence, single intramuscular doses (500$\mu$g) of pCK-VEGF produced statistically significant augmentation of collateral vessels as determined by the angiographic vessel count, maximal blood flow by Doppler flowmeter and the number of capillaries by histology. These results suggest that a single 500$\mu$g-delivery of pCK-VEGF is potent enough to induce sufficient angiogenic activity and achieve therapeutic benefit on this rabbit model.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.796-804
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• 2004

We found previously that dietary high fat caused obesity, and levan supplementation to the regular diet reduced adiposity and serum lipids. In the present study, we examined the effects of levan [high-molecular-mass $\beta$-(2,6)-linked fructose polymer] supplement on the development of obesity and lipid metabolism in rats fed with high-fat diet. Thus, to determine whether the dietary levan may have the anti-obesity and hypolipidemic effects, 4-wk-old Sprague Dawley male rats were fed with high-fat diet for 6 wk to induce obesity, and subsequently fed with 0, 1, 5, or 10% levan supplemented high-fat diets (w/w) for another 4 wk. For the comparison, a normal control group was fed with AIN-76A diet. Supplementation with levan resulted in a significant reduction of high-fat-induced body weight gain, white fat (i.e., epididymal, visceral, and peritoneal fat) development, adipocyte hypertrophy, and the development of hyperinsulinemia and hyperlipidemia in a dose-dependent manner. Serum triglyceride and free fatty acid levels were greatly reduced by levan supplementation. Serum total cholesterol level was reduced, whereas the HDL cholesterol level was increased by dietary levan. The expression of uncoupling protein (UCP) was increased by dietary high fat, and was further induced by levan supplementation. The mRNA level of UCP1, 2, and 3 in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and UCP3 in skeletal muscle was upregulated in rats fed with dietary levan. In conclusion, upregulated UCP mRNA expression may contribute to suppression of development of obesity through increased energy expenditure. The present results suggest that levan supplementation to the diet is beneficial in suppressing diet-induced obesity and hyperlipidemia.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.136-137
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• 2011

Methylation of cytosine is a post-synthesis modification that does not affect the primary DNA sequence but greatly influences gene expression level and phenotypes of an organism. As high-throughput sequencing of bisulfite-treated DNA is the most efficient method to identify methylated sites, several tools to map sequencing reads on a reference are available. But tools to visualize and to interpret the methylation level of methylation sites are currently insufficient. Herein, we present a novel tool to visualize the methylation level of CpG sites.

• 한국응용과학기술학회지
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.572-583
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• 2014

This study was carried out to determine the action mechanism of sulfur-grain larvae extract (SGE) on anti-obesity and the reduction of blood lipid level in high-fat diet induced obese model animals. Animals were classified into a normal diet group (NC, normal control), HFD (high-fat diet without SGE), HFD 15 (high-fat diet + oral administration of 15 mg of SGE extract per 100 g body weight) and HFD 30 (high-fat diet + oral administration of 30 mg of SGE extract per 100 g body weight). The body weight gain declined in HFD 15 and HFD 30 groups compared with the HFD group, even though the diet intake increased significantly. The weight of liver and adipose tissue increased significantly in HFD group compared with in the HFD 15 and HFD 30 groups. Triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL-C and AI decreased in HFD 15 and HFD 30 groups compared with in the HFD group, but the contents of HDL-C increased significantly. Expression of SREPB-$1{\alpha}$, SREPB-2 mRNA in the liver was lower in the high-fat diet group compared with the HFD group, but the expression of LPL mRNA in adipose tissue and $PPAR{\alpha}$ increased significantly. Fat accumulation in the liver tissues and liver damage were greatly reduced in HFD 15 and HFD 30 groups compared with in the HFD group. The size of adipocytes became smaller in the HFD 15 and HFD 30 groups compared with HFD group. In conclusion, this research discovered for the first time that grain maggot has anti-obesity effects, by reducing the abdominal fat of obese model animals and lowering blood lipid level through the down-regulation of PPAR-$1{\alpha}$ and SREPB-2 mRNA and the up-regulation of PPAR-${\alpha}$ mRNA.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.253-259
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• 2015

Chronic low-grade inflammation is associated with obesity. This study investigated effect of high hydrostatic pressure extract of red ginseng (HRG) on inflammation in rats with high-fat (HF) diet induced obesity. Male, Sprague-Dawley rats (80~110 g) were randomly divided into two groups, and fed a 45% HF diet (HF) and a 45% HF diet containing 1.5% HRG (HF+HRG) for 14 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the serum leptin level was reduced by the HRG supplementation. The mRNA expression of genes related to adipogenesis including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma and adipocyte protein 2 was down-regulated in the white adipose tissue (WAT). The mRNA levels of major inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and interleukin-6 were remarkably down-regulated by the HRG in WAT. These results suggest that HRG might be beneficial in ameliorating the inflammation-associated health complications by suppressing adipogenic and pro-inflammatory gene expression.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제22권10호
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• pp.1420-1428
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• 2009

In this study we cloned and characterized a novel lipid-accumulating gene, the oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (OLR1), which is associated with lipogenesis. We analyzed the gene structure and detected the mRNA transcriptional expression levels in pig adipose tissues at different months of age (MA) and in different economic types (lean type and obese type) using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. OLR1 expression profile in different tissues of pig was analyzed. Finally, we studied the correlation between OLR1 and lipid metabolism related genes including peroxisome proliferator-activated $receptor{\gamma}2$ ($PPAR{\gamma}2$), fatty acid synthetase (FAS), triacylglycerol hydrolase (TGH), CAAT/enhancer binding protein $\alpha$ ($C/EBP{\alpha}$) and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c). Results indicated that the OLR1 gene of the pig exhibited the highest homology with the cattle (84%), and the lowest with the mouse (27%). The signal peptide located from amino acid 38 to 60 and the domain from amino acid 144 to 256 were shared by the C-type lectin family. The expression level of OLR1 in pig lung was exceedingly higher than other tested tissues (p<0.01). In pig adipose tissue, the expression level of OLR1 mRNA increased significantly with growth (p<0.01). The expression level of OLR1 mRNA in obese-type pigs was significantly higher than that of lean-type pigs of the same monthly age (p<0.05). In adipose tissue, the expression of OLR1 correlated with $PPAR{\gamma}2$, FAS and SREBP-1c, but not TGH or C/EBP${\alpha}$. In conclusion, OLR1 was highly associated with fat deposition and its transcription, as suggested by high correlations, was possibly regulated by $PPAR{\gamma}2$ and SREBP-1c.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.552-558
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• 2012

A $2{\times}2$ factorial experiment was conducted to study the effect of dietary calcium and non-phytate phosphorus (nPP) imbalance on calbindin and NaPi-IIb mRNA levels in the small intestine and tibia parameters of broiler chicks. One hundred and forty four 1-d-old Arbor Acres male broiler chicks were divided into four treatments consisted of six replicates with six chicks each. The two dietary calcium levels were 1.10% and 0.60%, and two dietary nPP levels were 0.50% and 0.27%. Results showed that a high Ca/nPP ratio diet (4.07:1) significantly depressed feed intake and weight gain of broilers (p<0.05), but a lower Ca:nPP ratio (1.2:1) had no influence (p>0.05). Low-Ca with low-P diet resulted in low tibia minerals and tibia breaking strength of broilers, and all the tibia parameters were further decreased when the dietary ratio of Ca to P was relative higher. Low dietary Ca or P up-regulated the calbindin and NaPi-IIb mRNA expression levels. Low Ca with normal P diet up-regulated duodenal calbindin mRNA expression level to the greatest extent. Low P with a normal Ca diet significantly enhanced NaPi-IIb mRNA expression level to the highest extent. These results suggest that the calbindin and NaPi-IIb mRNA expression were enhanced by the imbalance between dietary Ca and nPP, and their expression were not only influenced by Ca or nPP level, but also the ratio of Ca:nPP.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제13권6호
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• pp.892-896
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• 2003

High-level expression of the lipase B26 gene from Bacillus pumilus was achieved using Bacillus subtilis Chungkookjang isolated from the Korean traditional fermented bean paste, Chungkookjang. For the secretory production of recombinant lipase B26 in a Bacillus host system, pLipB26 was constructed by ligating the lipase B26 gene into the recently designed Escherichia coli-Bacillus shuttle vector, pLipSM, and that was then transformed into B. subtilis Chungkookjang. Among the various vector, medium, and host combinations, B. subtilis Chungkookjang harboring the pLipB26 exhibited the highest lipase activity in PY medium, and B. subtilis Chungkookjang secreted two times more enzymes than B. subtilis DB 104 under the same condition. When B. subtilis Chungkookjang harboring the pLipB26 was cultured in a 5-1 jar-fermentor containing 21 of a PY medium, the maximum lipase activity (140 U/ml) and production yield (0.68 g/l) were obtained during the late exponential phase from a cell-free culture broth. Although B. subtilis Chungkookjang also secreted extracellular proteases at the late exponential phase, these results suggested the potential of B. subtilis Chungkookjang as a host for the secretory production of foreign proteins.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.25-30
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• 2003

The effects of soy-isoflavones, which are phytoestrogens derived from plants with a flavonoid structure, on cyclooxygenase -2 (COX-2) expression, PGE2 production, and mapkinases expression, were investigated in experimentally-induced atherogenic rats by feeding a high fat-high cholesterol diet. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were bilaterally ovariectomized; sham-operated animals were used as controls. Three weeks later, the animals were randomized to the following treatments for an eight-week experimental period: 17$\beta$-estradiol (200$\mu$ g/kg diet), low concentration of isoflavones (0.8g/kg diet), and high concentration of isoflavones (4.0g/kg diet). In the group supplemented with a high dose of isoflavones, COX-2 expression was down-regulated. This down-regulation was accompanied by a reduced expression of pERK1/2. In the second experiment using 48-week old female Sprague-Dawly rats, the effects of isoflavones and estrogen were compared in the basal estrogen-supplementation at the level of 600$\mu$ g/kg diet. Isoflavones induced the marked down-regulation of COX-2 protein and the decrease in $PGE_2$ production in estrogen supplemented states and this was followed by the down-regulation of p38 among mapkinases. The two different mapkinases are involved in the down-regulation of COX-2 depending on estrogen-deficient and estrogen supplemented states. This kind of COX-2 down-regulation by isoflavones was not observed in the different tissue, mammary glands. Further investigations on the relationship between COX-2 and biological activities such as vasodilation by isoflavonesin the absence or the presence of estrogen ave required in vivo system of female rats.

• 대한한의학방제학회지
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.1-11
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• 2012

Objectives : This experimental study was designed to investigate the inhibitory effects of combination with Korean red ginseng and Gastrodia rhizoma on vascular dysfunction in high-fat/cholesterol diet-induced hyperlipidemia. Methods : Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with 7.5% cocoa butter and 1.25% cholesterol for 10 weeks, with Panax ginseng (PG), and mixtures of Panax ginseng and Gastrodia rhizoma (PGM), respectively. Results : Chronic treatment with PG and PGM significantly decreased body weight. The aortic expression of cell adhesion molecules such as intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and E-selectin were markedly increased in hyperlipidemia rats. Interestingly, PGM significantly decreased cell adhesion molecules expression. However, there was no significant decrease in PG group. In addition, PG and PGM group inhibited high-fat/cholesterol diet-induced cytokine such as monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) mRNA expression. Furthermore, PG and PGM group significantly decreased c-reactive protein protein (CRP) level. Especially, PGM significantly accentuated the decrease of MCP-1 mRNA expression and CRP level. Conclusions : the present study provides an evidence that combination with Panax ginseng and Gastrodia rhizoma enhances anti-vascular protective effects through suppression of vascular inflammation in hyperlipidemic rats.