• The Journal of Korean Society of Virology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.129-136
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• 1999

Transient transfection assay has been done to evaluate whether the c-jun activation would be prerequisite to the induction of permissiveness against human cytomegalovirus using in vitro cell model in which U937 has been induced to express CD11b and CD14 to become potential monocyte/macrophage cells by TPA treatment. U937 cells were treated with $10\;{\mu}M$, $50\;{\mu}M$ or $100\;{\mu}M$ of TPA. The cell morphology change was observed and the expression of the CD11b and CD14 was confirmed by FACS. Differentiated cells were transfected with pJLuc reporter vector which contained the wild type murine c-jun promoter spanning the SP1, CTF, ATF/CREB and MEF-2 binding sites upstream of the firefly luciferase gene. After 48 hrs of transfection, the cells were infected with HCMV Towne strain and the luciferase activity was assessed at 1 hand 4 h pi. The transfection assay showed no activation of the c-jun promoter at 1 h pi, instead, it showed 2 times increase of the its activity at 4 h pi. There was no difference of the c-jun promoter activation between TPA treated and untreated U937 cells, implying that c-jun activation might not be prerequisite for allowing cells to be premissive to HCMV, although HCMV infection itself could activate c-jun promoter.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.65-73
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• 2014

Chios Gum Mastic (CGM) is a natural resin extracted from the leaves of Pistacia lentiscus, a plant endemic to the Greek island of Chios. It has been used by traditional healers, and it has antibacterial, antifungal properties, and therapeutic benefits for the skin. The CGM reduces the formation of dental plaque and bacterial growth in oral saliva, and recent studies have demonstrated the role of antioxidant activity of CGM. Although CGM has been widely investigated, its protective effect against oxidative-damage to keratinocytes, as well as the relationship between CGM and autophagy, has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to assess the protective effect of CGM against $H_2O_2$-induced oxidative stress and to evaluate the autophagic features induced by CGM in human keratinocytes. The pretreatment with CGM significantly reduced apoptosis in $H_2O_2$-exposed HaCaT cells. It promoted the degradation of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9; and it induced the formation of the processed PARP. The treatment with CGM caused an increase in vesicle formation compared to control group. The level of p62 was reduced and the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II was increased in CGM treated HaCaT cells. Also, the treatment with CGM increased cleavage of ATG5-ATG12 complex. In summary, CGM helps the cells to survive under stressful conditions by preventing apoptosis and enhancing autophagy. Besides, the present investigation provides evidence to support the antioxidant potential of CGM in vitro and opens up a new horizon for future experiments.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.713-721
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• 2020

Adipogenesis as a model system is needed to understand the molecular mechanisms of human adipocyte biology and the pathogenesis of obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic syndromes. Many relevant studies have been conducted with a focus on gene expression regulation and intracellular signaling relating to Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), which are master adipogenic transcription factors. However, epigenome regulation of adipogenesis by epigenomic modifiers or histone mutations is not fully understood. Histone methylation is one of the major epigenetic modifications on gene expression in mammals, and histone H3 lysine methylation (H3Kme) in particular implicates cell differentiation during various tissue and organ development. During adipogenesis, cell type-specific enhancers are marked by histone H3K4me1 with the active enhancer mark H3K27ac. Mixed-lineage leukemia 4 (MLL4) is a major H3K4 mono-methyltransferase on the adipogenic enhancers of PPARγ and C/EBPα loci. Thus, MLL4 is an important epigenomic modifier for adipogenesis. The repressive mark H3K27me3 is mediated by the enzymatic subunit Enhancer zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) of the polycomb repressive complex 2. EZH2-mediated H3K27 tri-methylation on the Wnt gene increases adipogenesis because WNT signaling is a negative regulator of adipogenesis. This review summarizes current knowledge about the epigenomic regulation of adipogenesis by histone H3 lysine methylation which fundamentally regulates gene expression.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.181-190
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• 2001

This study was designed to investigate the effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on DNA stability in human spermatozoa. To verify human spermatozoa were incubated with xanthine-xanthine oxidase (X 100$\mu$M-XO 50 mlU ~ 400 mIU), $H_2O_2$ (125 $\mu$M ~ 1 mM), sodium nitroprusside (SNP 0.1 $\mu$M ~ 100 $\mu$M) or lymphocyte. Otherwise, spermatozoa were incubated under low $O_2$ (5%) condition. Damage of sperm DNA was analyzed by single cell electrophoresis (Comet assay) and flow cytometry after acridine orange staining. In the presence of ROS, there was increase in DNA damage. The rate of DNA single strand breakage (9.0$\pm$1.0% ~ 46.0$\pm$4.6%) and DNA fragmentation (7.51$\pm$1.0% ~ 29.5$\pm$4.6%) were similar regardless of the kinds of ROS and exposure time. DNA damage in the lower $O_2$ condition (5%) was lower than ambient $O_2$ condition (20%). Taken together, it suggested that sperm DNA might be damaged by ROS. In the presence of ROS, increase in DNA damage and chromatin instability was obvious in spite of short exposure. Although present study reconfirmed that sperm incubation in the low concentration of ROS have the benefit m the induction of capacitation and Ah, the increase in DNA damage by ROS and possible genetic problem should be considered before the human trials.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.46-49
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• 2005

A simple HPLC method was employed for the determination of pentoxifylline in human serum. After addition of internal standard (IS, 50 uL of 3 ug/mL chloramphenicol methanol solution) into the serum sample, the drug and IS were extracted by dichloromethane. Following a 1-min vortex-mixing and a 15-min centrifugation at 3500 게m, the organic phase was transferred and evaporated to dryness under a vacuum. The residue was reconstituted with 120 ${\mu}L$ of mobile phase and 50 ${\mu}L$ was injected into C18 column with a mobile phase composed of 0.034 M phosphoric acid adjusted to pH 4 with 10 M NaOH and acetonitrile (75:25, v/v). The samples were detected using an ultraviolet detector at 273 nm. The method was simple, specific and validated with a limit of 10 ng/mL. Intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy were acceptable for all quality control samples including the lower limit of quantification. The applicability of this method was evaluated by analysis of human serum after oral administration of a single 400 mg dose to 8 healthy subjects. The pharmacokinetic parameters for pentoxifylline in human subjects were calculated using WinNonlin program. As a result, $AUC_{t},\;C_{max},\;T_{max}$ and $t_{1/2}$ were $962.28{\pm}645.69\;ng{\cdot}/mL$, $132.82{\pm}42.05$ ng/mL, $2.06{\pm}2.68$ hr and $8.74{\pm}4.38$ hr, respectively. Based on the results, this validated method appears to be useful fur the pharmnacokinetic study of pentoxifylline in humans.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.393-399
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• 2013

Asian populations are thought to receive significant health benefits from traditional diets rich in soybeans due to high isoflavone contents. However, available epidemiologic data only weakly support this hypothesis. The present study was carried out to assess the pharmacokinetics of isoflavones in South Korean women after ingestion of soy-based foods. Twenty-six healthy female volunteers (20-30 y old) consumed three different soy products (i.e., isogen, soymilk, and fermented soybeans) with different aglycone/glucoside ratios. Plasma and urine isoflavone concentrations were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after ingestion of one of the soy products. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined using the WinNonlin program. The area under the curve (AUC) for plasma daidzein levels of the soymilk group ($2,101{\pm}352ng{\cdot}h/mL$) was significantly smaller than those of the isogen ($2,628{\pm}573ng{\cdot}h/mL$) and fermented soybean ($2,593{\pm}465ng{\cdot}h/mL$) groups. The maximum plasma concentration ($C_{max}$) of daidzein for the soymilk group ($231{\pm}44$ ng/mL) was significantly higher than those of the isogen ($160{\pm}32$ ng/mL) and fermented soybean ($195{\pm}35$ ng/mL) groups. The half-lives of daidzein and genistein in the soymilk group (5.9 and 5.6 h, respectively) were significantly shorter than those in the individuals given isogen (9.6 and 8.5 h, respectively) or fermented soybean (9.5 and 8.2 h, respectively). The urinary recovery rates of daidzein and genistein were 42% and 17% for the isogen group, 46% and 23% for the fermented soybean group, and 33% and 22% for the soymilk group. In conclusion, our data indicated that soy products containing high levels of isoflavone aglycone are more effective for maintaining plasma isoflavone concentrations. Additional dose-response, durational, and interventional studies are required to evaluate the ability of soy-based foods to increase the bioavailability of isoflavones that positively affect human health.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.1 s.34
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• pp.1-11
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• 1984

The present study was performed to determine oxygen metabolites involved in cell-free MPO/$H_2O_2/Cl^-$ system by observing the effects of their scavengers on NADH oxidation and ethylene production from methional by the action of MPO prepared from human leukocytes. It was clearly demonstrated that NADH was oxidized by the cell-free MPO/$H_2O_2/Cl^-$ system as evidenced by complete inhibition of the oxidation of the substrate in the presence of eiher azide or catalase, or by omitting $Cl^-$. The MPO-mediated oxidation of NADH was completely abolished by a $^1O_2$ quencher, DABCO but not by $OH{\cdot}$ scavengers, mannitol, benzoate, formate and methanol. In ethylene assay, no ethylene was detected from methional in the MPO/$H_2O_2/Cl^-$ system with evident production of the gas by xanthine-oxidase and $Cu^{++}-H_2O_2$ systems which are suggested to generate $OH{\cdot}$. From the results obtained, it is concluded that $^1O_2$ is a major mediator with exclusion of $OH{\cdot}$ involvement in the cell-free MPO-mediated oxidation.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.163-170
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• 1971

Since the report in 1946 on the first isolation of Japanese encephalitis virus in Korea, the disease is known to occur every year and has occasionally spread in epidemic proportion among human populations. Because of its public health importance, it was deemed highly desirable to gain specific information as to natural history of the disease in Korea if we are to accomplish our ultimate objective of controling the disease in Korea. There still remain, however, unknown factors as to the ecology of Japanese encephalitis virus in Korea. This paper presents the results of serologic study on Korean cattle, hog and horse by means of hemagglutination inhibition (H.I.) test. The serum specimens were collected from Korean cattle, hog and horse their estimated ages being 3 to 9 years, 6 to 24 months and 2 to 14 years respectively, by jugular puncture; in Seoul and Kyung-Ki are a from the first part of May to November last, 1968. The strain used was designated by M 5/596. The methods of H.I. test employed in this study were essentially simillar to those employed by Clark and Fred. The results obtained summarized as follows; 1. Of samples of cattle sera tested, 183 (98%) was found to be positive, H.I. antibodies showing the highest proportion, on September. The lowest proportion showed 81 (68%) of 117 samples, on June. 2. One hundred and ninety-five and 114 swine serum samples tested were all of positive in both on September and October respectively. The lowest proportion showed 92 (29%) of 314 on June too. 3. Ninety (99%) of 91 equine serum samples tested contained demonstrable H.I. antibodies the highest proportion, on August. The lowest proportion was 19 (27%) of 70 samples on June. 4. Implications of these findings in the ecology of Japanese encephalitis Seoul and Kyung-Ki area were discussed.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.241-245
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• 1994

Despite increasing success rate of IVF, poor response to ovarian stimulation remains a problem. So, attempts to improve ovarian responses, for example, by using combined gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue(GnRH-a) and human menopausal gonadotropin(hMG) have shown limited success. It is reported that response of granulosa cells in vitro to FSH is stimulated by co-incubation with IGF-l, and IGF-l production can be increased by growth hormone. This suggest that combination regimen of G.H. and hMG may augment follicle recruitment. In fifteen patients who had previous history of poor ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation after pituitary suppression with mid -luteal GnRH-a, the effectiveness of cotreatment with G.H. in IVF program was evaluated using a combination regimen of G.R. and hMG at Korea University Hospital IVF Clinic. Ovarian responses to gonadotropin stimulation in control and GH-treated cycles assessed by total dose and duration of hMG treatment, follicular development and peak $E_2$ level, number of eggs retrieved, and fertilization rates were also assessed. In each group, serum and follicular fluid IGF-1 concentrations on day of egg collection were measured by RIA after acidification and extraction by reveresed phase chromatography. Patients receiving G.H. required fewer days and ampules of gonadotropins, developed more oocytes, and more embryos transferred. But, the differences were not statistically significant, except the duration of hMG treatment. Our data showed a significantly higher concentration of IGF-l in the serum, not in the follicular fluid, of patients treated with G.H. compared with control group. These data suggest that growth hormone treatment does not improve the ovarian response in women with limited ovarian reserve to gonadotropin stimulation for IVF.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.776-782
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• 2009

This study was conducted to develop functional soybean paste with krill (Euphausiacea) as compared to a conventional soybean paste (S1). Soybean containing 10%, 20% and 30% (w/w) krill (S2~S4, respectively) was prepared and quality characteristics (moisture, crude fat, crude protein, ash, reducing sugar, pH, titratable acidity, total acidity and buffering power) were assessed during fermentation for 150 days. As well, antioxidative activities of krill soybean paste were compared to those of control soybean paste based on total phenolic compound content and free radical scavenging activity, including the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH) scavenging activity and the thiobarbituric acid value (TBA value). The moisture content of all samples decreased to 41.91~53.47% during fermentation, while the crude fat increased to 1.98~5.21% with increasing addition of krill. Additionally, crude protein increased slightly to 8.24~14.08% with increasing addition of krill after 120 days of fermentation. Ash content was 15.96~18.92%. The reducing sugar content of S2, S3 and S4 was higher than those of S1 with increasing length of fermentation. S2, S3, and S4 displayed progressive decreases in pH and progressive increases in titratable acidity compared to S1. The total acidity of all samples was increased, while the buffering power was decreased with increasing fermentation. Especially, the buffering power of S1 was lower than that of S2, S3 and S4. DPPH radical scavenging activity of lipophilic extracts from S2, S3 and S4 was slightly higher than those of S1. However, the radical scavenging activity of hydrophilic extracts from all samples had similar tendencies, regardless of the krill content or fermentation period. Total phenolics increased with increasing fermentation time and TBA value increased with increasing fermentation time and krill content.