• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1999.10b
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• pp.191.1-191
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• 1999

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.152-154
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• 2005

This paper proposes the new subfield method to erase reverse gray levels and low gray level contour in AC plasma display panel(PDP). In the conventional method, it is supposed that output luminance levels of a PDP increase regularly. But actual output luminance levels of a PDP increase irregularly. Therefore, conventional methods are unable to effectively reduce low gray-level contours and reverse gray levels. Accordingly, a new subfield method is applied to improve the low gray-level expression in PDP. Conclusively this paper clear proof that a new subfield method can suppress low gray-level contours and reverse gray levels more effectively than conventional methods.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.80-87
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• 2006

Leukemias are common worldwide. Wilms'tumor1 (WT1) protein is highly expressed in leukemic blast cells of myeloid and lymphoid origin. Thus, WT1 mRNA serves as a tumor marker for leukemias detection and monitoring disease progression. Curcumin is well known for its anticancer property. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of curcumin on WT1 gene expression in patient leukemic cells. The leukemic cells were collected from 70 childhood leukemia patients admitted at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand, in the period July 2003 to February 2005. There were 58 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 10 cases of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), and 2 cases of chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML). There were 41 males and 29 females ranging from 1 to 15 years old. Leukemic cells were cultured in the presence or absence of 10 mM curcumin for 48 h. WT1 mRNA levels were determined by RT-PCR. The result showed that curcumin reduced WT1 gene expression in the cells from 35 patients (50%). It affected the WT1 gene expression in 4 of 8 relapsed cases (50%), 12 of 24 cases of drug maintenance (50%), 7 of 16 cases of completed treatment (44%), and 12 of 22 cases of new patients (54%). The basal expression levels of WT1 gene in leukemic patient cells as compared to that of K562 cells were classified as low level (1-20%) in 6 of 20 cases (30%), medium level (21-60%) in 12 of 21 cases (57%), and high level (61-100%) in 17 of 23 cases (74%). In summary, curcumin decreased WT1 mRNA in patient leukemic cells. Thus, curcumin treatment may provide a lead for clinical treatment in leukemic patients in the future.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.179-184
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• 2010

Water temperature influences on various key biological events in fish, but the internal pathway of the temperature effects are not well understood. Heat shock proteins (HSPs), known to respond in the level of cells to many environmental factors including temperature, could improve our understanding on the pathway. Some biological processes such as gonadal development and sex differentiation in the Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus is particularly sensitive to water temperature. In this study, we have investigated the expressions of HSP70 and HSP90 genes in young tilapia at an ordinary temperature ($28^{\circ}C$) and elevated water temperature ($36^{\circ}C$). The distribution of the expressions of HSP70 and HSP90 mRNA in this species were found to be almost ubiquitous, being detected in all tissues studied here (brain, gonad, liver and muscle), suggesting the house keeping functions of these genes. Heat shock by elevating temperature from $28^{\circ}C$ to $36^{\circ}C$ significantly increased the expression of HSP70 mRNA in the gonad, liver and muscle for several hours (P<0.05) (brain tissue was not examined for this). The increased level of HSP70 gene expression recovered to the level at control temperature ($28^{\circ}C$) when fish were kept continuously at high temperature ($36^{\circ}C$) for 24 hours. Contrary to this, expression of HSP90 mRNA did not show significant increase in the gonad and muscle by the same heat shock (P>0.05), except in the liver where the expression of HSP90 mRNA increased continuously for 24 hours at $36^{\circ}C$. The results obtained in this study suggest that response to temperature change in different tissue or organ may utilize different heat shock proteins, and that HSP70 may have some importance in temperature-sensitive gonadal event in the Nile tilapia.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.210-215
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• 2008

Gene-expression analysis is increasingly important in biological research, with real-time reverse PCR (RTPCR) becoming the method of choice for high-throughput and accurate expression profiling of selected genes. However, this technique requires important preliminary work for standardizing and optimizing the many parameters involved in the analysis. Plant stress studies are more and more based on gene expression. The analysis of gene expression requires sensitive and reproducible measurements for specific mRNA sequence. Several genes are regulated in response to abitoic stresses, such as salinity, and their gene products function in stress response and tolerance. The design of the primers and TaqMan probes for real-time PCR assays were carried out using the Primer $Express^{TM}$ software 3.0. The PCR efficiency was estimated through the linear regression of the dilution curve. To understand the expression pattern of various genes under salt stressed condition, we have developed a unique public resource of 9 stress-related genes in poplar. In this study, real-time RT-PCR was used to quantify the transcript level of 10 genes (9 stress-related genes and 1 house keeping gene) that could play a role in adaptation of Populus davidiana. Real-time RT-PCR analyses exhibited different expression ratios of related genes. The data obtained showed that determination of mRNA levels could constitute a new approach to study the stress response of P. davidiana after adaptation during growth in salinity condition.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.206-213
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• 2017

BACKGROUN/OBJECTIVES: Although studies have revealed that black garlic is a potent antioxidant, its antioxidant mechanism remains unclear. The objective of this study was to determine black garlic's antioxidant activities and possible antioxidant mechanisms related to nuclear factor erythroid 2-like factor 2 (Nrf2)-Keap1 complex. METHODS/MATERIALS: After four weeks of feeding rats with a normal fat diet (NF), a high-fat diet (HF), a high-fat diet with 0.5% black garlic extract (HF+BGE 0.5), a high-fat diet with 1.0% black garlic extract (HF+BGE 1.0), or a high-fat diet with 1.5% black garlic extract (HF+BGE 1.5), plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin,homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were determined. As oxidative stress indices, plasma concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and 8-isoprostaglandin $F2{\alpha}$ (8-iso-PGF) were determined. To measure antioxidant capacities, plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and activities of antioxidant enzymes in plasma and liver were determined. The mRNA expression levels of antioxidant related proteins such as Nrf2, NAD(P)H: quinone-oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione S-transferase alpha 2 (GSTA2) were examined. RESULTS: Plasma glucose level, plasma insulin level, and HOMA-IR in black garlic supplemented groups were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those in the HF group without dose-dependent effect. Plasma TBARS concentration and TAC in the HF+BGE 1.5 group were significantly decreased compared to those of the HF group. The activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the HF+BGE 1.0 and HF+BGE 1.5 groups compared to those of the HF group. The mRNA expression levels of hepatic Nrf2, NQO1, HO-1, and GSTA2 were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the HF with BGE groups compared to those in the HF group. CONCLUSIONS: The improvements of blood glucose homeostasis and antioxidant systems in rats fed with black garlic extract were related to mRNA expression levels of Nrf2 related genes.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.193-202
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• 2004

Distraction osteogenesis(DO) is defined as a gradual mechanical process of mechanical stretching two vascularized bone surface apart with a critical rate and rhythm such that new bone forms within the expanding gap, reliably bridges the gap, and ultimately remodels to normal structure. DO has become a mainstay in bone tissue engineering and has significantly improved our armamentarium for reconstructive craniomaxillofacial procedures. But the molecular and biological mechanisms that regulate the formation of new bone during distraction osteogenesis are not completely understood. BMPs are potent osteoinductive agents. Our hypothesis was that BMPs, especially BMP-2 and BMP-4, might play an importent role in the signaling pathways that link the mechanical forces created by distraction to biological responses and in promting new bone formation. Using a rabbit's mandible, we investigated the expression of BMP-2, -4 at different time points during distraction osteogenesis. The purpose of this study is to research the pattern of expression of BMP-2, -4 in new bone formation during distraction osteogenesis of the rabbit mandible. The experimental group was applied gradual distraction (0.7mm a day by twice a day, 4.9mm in total, for 7 days) and the control group was carried out osteotomy alone. They were examined clinically, histologically, and by RT-PCR analysis. On 3 days after osteotomy, the high level of expression of BMP-2, -4 was detected. But, the expression of BMP-4 was decreased during latency period. As distraction was started, its expression was increased and maintained till postoperative 28days. In control group, the expression of BMP-4was remarkably decreased till postoperative 14 days. On the other hand, the expression of BMP-2 was no difference between experimental group and control group. The expression of BMP-4 was maintanined at high level during the entire experimental period in both group. These findings suggested that excellent bone formation during distraction osteogenesis is associated with enhanced expression of BMP-4 genes by mechanical tension stress.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.53-60
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• 2001

Background: The human mic2 gene is a pseudoautosomal gene that encodes a cell surface antigen, CD99. High levels of CD99 constitute a tumor marker in Ewing s sarcoma (ES). We have recently demonstrated that CD99-induced apoptosis occurs only in undifferentiated ES cells, not in differentiated ES cells, raising the possibility of the involvement of CD99 in neural ontogeny. Methods: To elucidate the relations between the expression of CD99 and the differentiation of neural cells and the mechanism by which the expression of CD99 is regulated, we analyzed the differential patterns of CD99 expression in SH-SY5Y by treatment of 12-O-tetradecanoyl-13-phorbol acetate (TPA) and retinoic acid. In addition, to explore the transcriptional activity of CD 99 during neural cell differentiation, SH-SY5Y cells were transiently transfected with a CD99 promoter-driven luciferase construct, and treated with the inducers. Results: In immunoblotting and flow cytometry, the expression level of CD99 was increased on differentiated SH-SY5Y cells induced by TPA and retinoic acid. The luciferase activity was elevated by the treatment with TPA, known to mature SH-SY5Y cells toward a sympathetic neuronal lineage, whereas retinoic acid inducing a sympathetic chromaffin lineage displayed little effect. Conclusion: The result indicates that CD99 might be expressed only on cells maturing toward a neuronal lineage among differentiating primitive neuronal cells. In addition, the expression of CD99 seems to be regulated at the transcriptional level during the differentiation.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.162-167
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• 2014

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the major global health problems and it has been estimated that in 5~10% of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)-infected individuals, the infection progresses to an active disease. Numerous cytokines and chemokines regulate immunological responses at cellular level including stimulation and recruitment of wide range of cells in immunity and inflammation. In the present study, the mRNA expression levels of eight host immune markers containing of IFN-${\gamma}$, TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-2R, IL-4, IL-10, CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 in whole blood cells from active pulmonary TB patients were measured after T-cell mitogen (PHA) and MTB specific antigens (ESAT-6, CFP-10, and TB7.7). Among the TH1-type factors, IFN-${\gamma}$ mRNA expression was peaked at 4 h, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-2R mRNA expression was significantly high at the late time points (24 h) in active TB patients, TH2-type cytokine (IL4 and IL10) mRNA expression levels in both active TB and healthy controls samples did not changed significantly, and the mRNA expression of the three IFN-${\gamma}$-induced chemokines (CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11) were peaked at the late time points (24 h) in active TB patients after MTB specific antigen stimulation. In conclusion, the mRNA expression patterns of the TB-related immune markers in response to the T-cell mitogen (PHA) differed from those in response to MTB specific antigens and these findings may helpful for understanding the relationship between MTB infection and host immune markers in a transcripts level.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2009

Angiogenesis is essential for solid tumor growth and progression. Among the pro-angiogenetic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), also known as vascular permeability factor, is the most important as a mitogen for vascular endothelium. The VEGF family of molecules currently consists of six growth factors, VEGF-A, VEGF-B, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, VEGF-E, and placenta growth factor(PlGF). Over-expression of PlGF is associated with angiogenesis under pathological conditions such as ischemia, inflammation, and cancer. Hence, the goal of this study is to identify the correlation of clinicopathlogical factors and the up-regulation of PlGF expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma. We studied the immunohistochemical staining of PlGF, PlGF gene expression and a real time quantitative RT-PCR in 20 specimens of 20 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. The results were as follows. 1. In the immunohistochemical study of poorly differentiated and invasive oral squamous cell carcinoma, the high level staining of PlGF was observed. And the correlation between immunohistopathological PlGF expression and histological differentiation of specimens was significant (Pearson correlation analysis, significance [r] >0.6, P < .05). 2. In the PlGF gene RT-PCR analysis, PlGF expression was more in tumor tissue than in adjacent normal tissue. Paired-samples analysis determined the difference of PlGF mRNA expression level between the cancer tissue and the normal tissue (Student's t - test, P < .05) These findings suggest that up-regulation of the PlGF gene may play a role in progression and local metastasis in invasive oral squamous cell carcinoma.