• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.423-433
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• 2024

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are a type of adult stem cell present in the dental pulp tissue. They possess a higher proliferative capacity than bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Their ease of collection from patients makes them well-suited for tissue engineering applications, such as tooth and nerve regeneration. Chios gum mastic (CGM), a resin extracted from the stems and leaves of Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia, has garnered attention for its potential in tissue regeneration. This study aims to confirm alterations in cell proliferation rates and induce differentiation in human DPSCs (hDPSCs) through CGM treatment, a substance known for effectively promoting odontogenic differentiation. Administration of CGM to hDPSC cells was followed by an assessment of cell survival, proliferation, and odontogenic differentiation through protein and gene analysis. The study revealed that hDPSCs exhibited low sensitivity to CGM toxicity. CGM treatment induced cell proliferation by activating cell-cycle proteins through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Additionally, the study demonstrated that CGM enhances alkaline phosphatase activation by upregulating the expression of collagen type I, a representative matrix protein of dentin. This activation of markers associated with odontogenic and bone differentiation ultimately facilitated the mineralization of hDPSCs. This study concludes that CGM, as a natural substance, fosters the cell cycle and cell proliferation in hDPSCs. Furthermore, it triggers the transcription of odontogenic and osteogenic markers, thereby facilitating odontogenic differentiation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.671-680
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• 2017

This study was conducted to examine the effects and potential mechanisms of action of black soybean extracts and fermented black soybean extracts by Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and Bifidobacterium animals subsp. lactis BB-12 (BB-12) on proliferation of human follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPC). We examined changes in pH, total polyphenol, sugar, and reducing sugar contents according to fermentation period of black soybean extracts. Assay using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide was performed to determine cell toxicity levels of the four black soybean extracts [black soybean water extract (BWE), black soybean ethanol extract (BEE), fermented BWE (F-BEW), and fermented BEE (F-BEE)]. Changes in mRNA expression levels of hair growth promoting factors and hair growth inhibiting factors by the four black soybean extracts were measured by real-time PCR. In addition, phosphorylation levels of mitogen-activated protein kinase family proteins were measured by western blot analysis. As a result, fermentation of black soybeans significantly reduced pH, total polyphenols, and sugar/reducing sugar contents. All four black soybean extracts showed no cellular toxicity in HFDPC. In fact, BEE significantly enhanced cell viability of HFDPC at $100{\mu}g/mL$ compared to control. BWE, BEE, and BWE-F significantly increased mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, and all four extracts increased mRNA expression of fibroblast growth factor. However, mRNA expression levels of apoptosis-related genes were not affected by black soybean extracts in HFDPC. Furthermore, BWE, BEE, and BWE-F significantly increased phosphorylation levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinase compared to control. Taken together, we demonstrated that black soybean extracts enhanced proliferation of human follicle dermal papilla cells partially via activation of hair growth promoting factors, although no particular significant effects on proliferation were observed by fermentation of black soybeans.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1708-1714
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• 2013

Polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG) polymers used as an active ingredient in an antibacterial humidifier disinfectant were reported to cause harm to the human health when inhaled, although physical contact with this material was known to present low toxicity to humans. It is therefore necessary to develop an optimal analysis method which enables detection and analysis of PHMG polymers. MALDI-TOF investigations of PHMG are performed with a variety of matrices, and it is found that CHCA and 2,5-DHB are excellent matrices which well reflects the polymer population even at high mass. For the provided PHMG sample, the number-average ($M_n$) and weight-average ($M_w$) molecular masses were determined to be 744.8 and 810.7, respectively, when the CHCA was used as a matrix. The rank of the matrices in terms of averaged molecular weight was CHCA ~2,5-DHB > 5-NSA > DHAP, THAP > ATT > IAA ~ super-DHB ~ HABA. In addition, PSD of the PHMG oligomer ions exhibited a few unique fragmenation characteristics. The formation of a- and c-type fragments was the major fragmentation pathway, and the 25-Da loss peaks generally accompanied a- and c-type fragments.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.284-289
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• 2020

Tamoxifen, a nonsteroidal estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist, is used routinely as a chemotherapeutic agent for ER-positive breast cancer. However, it is also causes side effects, including retinotoxicity. The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) has been recognized as the primary target of tamoxifen-induced retinotoxicity. The RPE plays an essential physiological role in the normal functioning of the retina. Nonetheless, potential therapeutic agents to prevent tamoxifen-induced retinotoxicity in breast cancer patients have not been investigated. Here, we evaluated the action mechanisms of sulfasalazine against tamoxifen-induced RPE cell death. Tamoxifen induced reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated autophagic cell death and caspase-1-mediated pyroptosis in RPE cells. However, sulfasalazine reduced tamoxifen-induced total ROS and ROS-mediated autophagic RPE cell death. Also, mRNA levels of tamoxifen-induced pyroptosis-related genes, IL-1β, NLRP3, and procaspase-1, also decreased in the presence of sulfasalazine in RPE cells. Additionally, the mRNA levels of tamoxifen-induced AMD-related genes, such as complement factor I (CFI), complement factor H (CFH), apolipoprotein E (APOE), apolipoprotein J (APOJ), toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), were downregulated in RPE cells. Together, these data provide novel insight into the therapeutic effects of sulfasalazine against tamoxifen-induced RPE cell death.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.149-156
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• 2002

The detection of many synthetic chemicals used in industry that may pose a genetic hazard in our environment is of great concern at present. Since these substances are not limited to the original products, and enter the environment, they have become widespread environmental pollutants, thus leading to a variety of chemicals that possibly threaten the public health. In this respect, to regulate and to evaluate the chemical hazard will be important to environment and human health. The clastogenicity of 18 synthetic chemicals was evaluated in Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cells in vitro. 4-Chloro-3,5-dimethyl phenol (CAS No. 88-04-0) induced chromosomal aberrations with significance at the concentration of 15.7 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ both in the presence and absence of metabolic activation system. Phenoxybenzene (CAS No. 101-84-8) which is one of the most cytotoxic chemical among 18 chemicals tested revealed no clastogenicity in the range of 0.11-0.43 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ both in the presence and absence of metabolic activation system. From the results of chromosomal aberration assay with 18 synthetic chemicals in Chinese hamster lung cells in vitro, 4-chloro-3,5-dimethyl phenol (CAS No. 88-04-0) revealed weak positive clastogenic results in this study.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2004

To validate and to estimate the chemical hazard playa very important role to environment and human health. The detection of many synthetic chemicals used in industry that may pose a genetic hazard in our environment is of great concern at present. Since these substances are not limited to the original products, and enter the environment, they have become widespread environmental pollutants, thus leading to a variety of chemicals that possibly threaten the public health. In this resepct, the clastogenicity of 17 synthetic chemicals was evaluated with bone marrow micronucleus assay in mice. The positive control, mitomycin C (2 mg/kg, i.p.) revealed significant induction ratio of percentage of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes/1,000 polychromatic erythrocytes compared to solvent controls. The chemicals with relatively high $LD_{50}$ value such as allyl alcohol (CAS No. 107-18-6), 2,4-pentanedione (CAS No. 123-54-6) and 4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol (CAS No. 88-04-0) revealed no significant induction of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes in mice. From this results, 17 synthetic chemicals widely used in industry have revealed no significant micronucleus induction of clastogenicity in mice in this experiment.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.342-346
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• 1999

This study was performed to investigate the effect of cyclosporine (CsA) on glucose tolerance and peripheral insulin sensitivity in normal Sprague-Dawley rats. After daily treament of CsA (10 mg/kg, i.p.) for two weeks, glucose tolerance tests were carried out by the treatment of glucose (Glu, 2 g/kg, i.p.) alone or in conjunction with exogenous insulin (Ins; human regular insulin, 5 U/kg, s.c.) and measured the decrement of area under the time-plasma glucose concentration curve ($AUC_{o\longrightarrow120}$; g.min/ml) by the trapezoidal rule. The rats were divided into three groups (Glu- (Control), Ins+Glu- and CsA+Ins+Glu-, n=7 in each group). The $AUC_{o\longrightarrow120}$ of the CsA+Ins+Glu-group was significantly (p<0.01) lower than that of Glu-group (61.0% of control) and significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of Ins+Glu-group (197.4% of Ins+Glu-). The CsA+Ins+Glu- grou showed higher levels of maximal blood glucose concentration and higher $AUC_{o\longrightarrow120}$ than those of Ins+Glu-group in normal rats. Besides direct pancreatic toxicity of CsA previously reported (Hahn et al., 1972), these results suggest that CsA also make the possibility to induce peripheral insulin insensitivity and glucose intolerance in normal rats.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.62-69
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• 2008

The life cycle assessment method for environmental impact assessment was used, in this study, to assess the production process of wheat flour which is the most important material in the food industry. Environmental impact assessments were compared between that of the Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea (method I) with that of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (method II). Life cycle inventories (LCI) was performed using internal and external databases and the production statistics database of company S. The procedure of life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) was followed in terms of classification, characterization, normalization and weighting to identify the key issues. The impact categories of method I were divided into 8 categories with consideration of : abiotic resources depletion, global warming, ozone depletion, photochemical oxidant creation, acidification and eutrophication. The impact categories of method II were divided into 10 categories with consideration of: abiotic resources depletion, global warming, ozone depletion, photochemical oxidant creation, acidification, eutrophication, human toxicity, freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity, marine aquatic ecotoxicity and terrestrial ecotoxicity.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.388-394
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• 2012

Cyanobacterial toxins, microcystins which exist in Korean lakes show strong toxicity to fish, cattles and human. In this study, we tried to analyze cyanobacterial toxin, microcystin in the Microcystis cultivation solution using test strip, although the most common analytical methods for the detection of microcystin are HPLC and ELISA. This new anlytical method used the advantages of high specifisity and rapidness of test strip, high sensitivity of fluorescence reader. Therefore, we could analyze the trace amount of microcystin existed in various water samples without using the microcystin standards.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1997.11a
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• pp.35-39
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• 1997

Recent development of human genetics and techniques of gene transfer and expression have opened the way for investigating novel approaches based on the genetic modification of cells to treat both inherited and acquired diseases. This approach is referred to as gene therapy. Over the past few years, gene therapy has moved from the laboratory to phase I clinical trials. Although the clinical performance of gene transfer experiments is still in an early phase of development, the NIH of Health Recombinant DNA Advisory Comittee (RAC) has approved more than 150 protocols that involve gene transfer or putative gene therapy procedures in clinical settings. Many sectors of society in United States have participated in the design and formulation of these clinical trials through local Institutional Review Boards, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) RAC, the Chemotherapy Evaluation Program of the National Cancer institute, and the FDA. Currently, clinical trials involving gene modification are under way at many medical centers throughout the United Slates. The goals of these trials are as follows. (1) The design should be directed to short-term achievable goals. (2) Each clinical trial is best considered as an intermediate step in a multistep process. (3) The design should identify evaluable proximate endpoints for toxicity and for efficacy, (4) The potential benefits and possible risks for patients participating in these trial should be defined.