• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.75-81
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• 2018

Objective: Recapitulation of the spermatogenesis process in vitro is a tool for studying the biology of germ cells, and may lead to promising therapeutic strategies in the future. In this study, we attempted to transdifferentiate Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) into male germ cells using all-trans retinoic acid and Sertoli cell-conditioned medium. Methods: Human WJ-MSCs were propagated by the explant culture method, and cells at the second passage were induced with differentiation medium containing all-trans retinoic acid for 2 weeks. Putative germ cells were cultured with Sertoli cell-conditioned medium at $36^{\circ}C$ for 3 more weeks. Results: The gene expression profile was consistent with the stage-specific development of germ cells. The expression of Oct4 and Plzf (early germ cell markers) was diminished, while Stra8 (a premeiotic marker), Scp3 (a meiotic marker), and Acr and Prm1 (postmeiotic markers) were upregulated during the induction period. In morphological studies, approximately 5% of the cells were secondary spermatocytes that had completed two stages of acrosome formation (the Golgi phase and the cap phase). A few spermatid-like cells that had undergone the initial stage of tail formation were also noted. Conclusion: Human WJ-MSCs can be transdifferentiated into more advanced stages of germ cells by a simple two-step induction protocol using retinoic acid and Sertoli cell-conditioned medium.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.766-771
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• 2004

Julong 601, a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium strain capable of cleaving the C-ring of isoflavones daidzein and genistein, was isolated from human feces. BLAST search revealed that its complete 16S rDNA gene sequence has 99% similarity to Eubacterium ramulus. Metabolites of daidzein and genistein were determined as O-desmethylangolensin (O-Dma) and 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propionic acid (2-HPPA), respectively, based on UV, EI-MS, and $^1H$ and ^{13}C$ NMR spectral analyses. Enantiomers of O-Dma and 2-HPPA were isolated by chiral stationary-phase HPLC (CSP HPLC). Cleavage of the C-ring of daidzein and genistein by strain Julong 601 was highly enantioselective. Specific rotation ([$\alpha]_D$) and circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the enantiomers are reported here for the first time. Biotransformation kinetics of daidzein and genistein indicated that the C-ring of genistein has a higher susceptibility to bacterial degradation than that of daidzein.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.87-90
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• 1996

The third human case of natural infection by Heterophvopsis continuo in Korea was found in Chinju, Kyongsangnam-do. The case was a 53-year-old mn. He used to eat raw brackish and fresh water fish. After praziquantel treatment and purgation, H. continua were collected from the diarrheal stool together with Metononimw vokognwai, Heterophves nocens and Echinostona hokense. His clinical complaints were indigestion, epigastric discomport, poor appetite and fatigue. The complaints were considered rather due to heavy M. Wokoscwci infection.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 2022

Hizikia fusiforme, a type of brown algae, is widely used in Asian cuisine. It has been reported to have various pharmacological effects. In this study, the effects of the ethanol extract from H. fusiforme (EAHF) on the proliferation of human colon carcinoma cells were investigated. The effect on the survival of human hepatocarcinoma and colon carcinoma cells was examined, and results revealed that the anti-proliferative effects of EAHF were higher in colon carcinoma cells than in hepatocarcinoma cells. The inhibition of proliferation of HT29 colon carcinoma cells by EAHF treatment was closely related to the induction of apoptosis. EAHF treatment also increased caspase activity and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase degradation, induced mitochondrial dysfunction, altered Bcl-2 family protein expression, and increased the rate of cytochrome c released from the mitochondria into the cytoplasm. Furthermore, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was markedly stimulated by EAHF treatment, and when ROS production was blocked, EAHF-induced cytotoxicity was significantly attenuated. These results indicate that the anticancer activity of EAHF in HT29 colon carcinoma cells was induced by ROS-dependent mitochondrial impairment. While EAHF exhibited potent anticancer activity in colon carcinoma cells in this study, further studies on the active components of EAHF and their efficacy should be performed.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.715-724
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• 1996

This study was performed to identify the proliferation and to measure the alteration of alkaline phosphatase activity in human gingival fibroblasts cultured. For the present study, the authors cultured the human gingival fibroblasts oriented from the sound interdental gingiva, and used third passage. It was used methyl $[^3H]$ Thymidine to identify the proliferation in human gingival fibroblasts and used 410nm of the spectrophotometer to measure the alteration of the alkaline phosphatase activity in human gingival fibroblasts. The results were as follows: 1. There was a statistically significant increase in the proliferation of gingival fibroblasts following low level laser irradiation at 24 hour(p<0.05). 2. There was a statistically significant increase in activity of alkaline phosphatase compared to control group at 5-day laser irradiation after in laser irradiation groups(p<0.05). And there was a statistically significant increase in activity of alkaline phosphatase compared to control group at 7-day laser irradiation after in the I-minute laser irradiation group(p<0.05), but there was a statistically significant decrease in activity of alkaline phosphatase compared to 1minute laser irradiation group at 7-day laser irradiation in the 2-minute laser irradiation group after(p<0.05). The results, within the limits of the present experiments, suggest that, the low level laser irradiation accelerates the proliferation of gingival fibroblasts and alters the alkaline phosphatase activity until the restricted period.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.193-201
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• 2023

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is a type of active oxygen species (ROS) that causes oxidative stress in cells and affects cell growth, proliferation, senescence, and death. The purpose of this study is to find active peptides that attenuate cytotoxicity of H₂O₂. A positional scanning synthetic tetrapeptide combinatorial library was screened to predict the sequence of potentially active peptides. As a result of comparing the effect of peptide pools on H₂O₂-induced death of human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells), various active peptide sequences were predicted. Especially, peptides containing cysteine (C) residue were predicted to be active. In follow-up experiments, the cytotoxicity and activity of cysteine-containing peptides of different lengths, such as C-NH₂, CC-NH₂, CCC-NH₂, and CCCC-NH₂ were examined. C-NH₂ and CC-NH₂ showed no significant cytotoxicity up to 1.0 mM, but CCC-NH₂, and CCCC-NH₂ showed relatively strong cytotoxicity. C-NH₂ and CC-NH₂ alleviated H₂O₂-induced cytotoxicity. CC-NH₂ was more cytoprotective compared to C-NH₂, C, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), and glutathione (GSH). When intracellular ROS was measured by flow cytometry, H₂O₂ increased ROS production, and CC-NH₂ suppressed ROS production more effectively than C-NH₂, and it was as effective as C, NAC, and GSH. This study suggests that CC-NH₂ of the cysteine-containing peptides of different lengths has an antioxidant property that safely and effectively alleviates H₂O₂-induced cytotoxicity and ROS production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.1004-1008
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• 2004

An extracellular acid phytase from Pseudomonas fragi Y9451 was purified to homogeneity from the culture supernatant by salting-out, DEAE-Sepharose column chromatography, CM-Sepharose column chromatography, and Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 74 kDa on gel filtration and 54 kDa and 25 kDa on SDS-PAGE, suggesting that the native enzyme was a heterodimeric protein. The purified enzyme was most active at pH 4.5 and $70^{\circ}C$ and fairly stable from pH 4.0- 6.0. It was specific for phytate and exhibited a $K_{m}$ value of 27 mM (sodium phytate, pH 4.5, $50^{\circ}C$). The phytase activity was strongly inhibited (at maximum by 87%) by $Fe^{3+},\;Cu^{2+},\;Fe^{2+}$, and $Zn^{2+}$ at 5 mM concentration, and greatly inhibited by $Ca^{2+}$ at 10 mM concentration. However, EDTA notably stimulated the phytase activity at 10 mM concentration. With optimum pH and stability, Pseudomonas fragi phytase could be a potential candidate for animal feed applications.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 1985

Two cases of human Erhinostoma hortense infection and their probable infection source were identified by prasiqantel (Distocide) treatment of the patients and by examining two kinds of fresh water fish which were eaten raw by them. The result of the research can be summarized as follows: 1. The patients, each aged 31 and 30, were residing in the same house in Wonju City, Kangwon Province. The first case was hospitalized due to epidemic hemorrhagic fever (E.H. fever) and the second case was healthy but had slight degree of abdominal pain and diarrhea from time to time. In the stool examination, eggs of 5. hortense ($114.3{\times}71.0{\mu\textrm{m}}$) average from the first case and $119.1{\times}68.3{\mu\textrm{m}}$ average from the second) were found. By administering single dose of praziquantel (10~15mg/kg) and purgation with magnesium salt to them. sin adults of 5. hortense were collected from the diarrheal stools of the second case. 2. By examining 8:k Moroco oxycephalus and 20 Carassius carassius which were captured at the place where the two patients had captured and eaten the fresh water fish, the metacercariae of Echinostoma sp. were found from 3 (3.5%) M. oxycephalus. 3. After the experimental infection of 3 isolated metacercariae to one albino rat three adults of 5. hortense were recovered. By the present study, the two patients revealing the echinostomatid eggs in their stools were proven to be infected with 5. hortense and to be the second and third human cases of this luke infection in Korea. Mcroco oxycephalus harboured the metacercariae of E. hortense and appeared to be a new second intermediate host.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.56.1-56.13
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• 2020

Background: The live bird market (LBM) plays an important role in the dynamic evolution of the avian influenza H5N1 virus. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to monitor the genetic diversity of the H5N1 viruses in LBMs in Indonesia. Methods: Therefore, the disease surveillance was conducted in the area of Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, and Jakarta Province, Indonesia from 2014 to 2019. Subsequently, the genetic characterization of the H5N1 viruses was performed by sequencing all 8 segments of the viral genome. Results: As a result, the H5N1 viruses were detected in most of LBMs in both bird' cloacal and environmental samples, in which about 35% of all samples were positive for influenza A and, subsequently, about 52% of these samples were positive for H5 subtyping. Based on the genetic analyses of 14 viruses isolated from LBMs, genetic diversities of the H5N1 viruses were identified including clades 2.1.3 and 2.3.2 as typical predominant groups as well as reassortant viruses between these 2 clades. Conclusions: As a consequence, zoonotic transmission to humans in the market could be occurred from the exposure of infected birds and/or contaminated environments. Moreover, new virus variants could emerge from the LBM environment. Therefore, improving pandemic preparedness raised great concerns related to the zoonotic aspect of new influenza variants because of its high adaptivity and efficiency for human infection.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.24-36
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• 2002

Objectives: The chemotherapeutic potential of Gagamgilgyung-tang for the treatment of human lung cancer, the antitumorigenic effects of Gagamgilgyung-tang on the proliferation and apoptosis of human lung cancer cell line A427 were investigated using molecular biological approaches, Methods: To determine Gagamgilgyung-tang concentrations which do not evoke cytotoxic damage to the cell line, cell viability was examined by MTT assay. To prove Gagamgilgyung-tang's antitumorigenic potential to human lung cancer, [3H]thymidine incorporation assay, trypan blue exclusion and Cpp32 protease activity assays and quantitative RT-PCR analysis were examined. Results: While A427 cells treated with $0.1-2.0{\mu\textrm{g}}/ml$ of Gagamgilgyung-tang showed no recognizable effect, marked reductions of cell viability were detected at concentrations over $5.0{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml$. DNA replication of A427 cells was inhibited by Gagamgilgyung-tang in a dose-dependent manner and Gagamgilgyung-tang induced the G1 cell cycle arrest through inhibition of DNA replication. Gagamgilgyung-tang triggered apoptotic cell death of A427 and enhanced the apoptotic sensitivity of the cells that were injured by a DNA damage-inducing chemotherapeutic drug etoposide. Gagamgilgyung-tang induces expression of growth-inhibiting genes such as p53 and p21/Wafl whereas it inhibited expression of growth-promoting genes such as c-Myc and Cyclin D1. Expression of a representative apoptosis-inducing gene Bax was also found to be induced by Gagamgilgyung-tang while apoptosis-suppressing Bcl-2 expression was not changed. Conclusions: Gagamgilgyung-tang could suppress the abnormal growth of tumor cells by suppressing the survival of genetically altered cells via induction of apoptosis. This study suggests that Gagamgilgyung-tang might have an antitumorigenic potential to human lung cancer cells, which might be associated with its growth-inhibiting and apoptosis-inducing properties.