• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.95-102
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• 2012

To examine the new practical utilization of mucilages in Opuntia humifusa, the Korean pear cactus, the polysaccharides were isolated from O. humifusa, and immuno-stimulating activities were assayed. The main polysaccharide, CNC-E, was prepared by a commercial enzyme treatment, water extraction, and ethanol precipitation. The molecular mass of CNC-E was estimated to be about 700 kDa, and it consisted mainly of arabinose, galactose and xylose in addition to two minor sugars such as rhamnose and fucose. On the other hand, CNC-E showed considerably high splenocyte proliferation activity in a dose-dependent manner. Peritoneal macrophages stimulated with CNC-E produced cytokines such as IL-6, IL-12, IL-10, and TNF-${\alpha}$. The intravenous administration of CNC-E significantly augmented the cytotoxicity of natural killer (NK) cells against Yac-1 tumor cells. Especially, NK cells obtained from the mice treated with $100{\mu}g$ of CNC-E showed threefold higher cytolytic activity than those of untreated mice. CNC-E also showed potent anti-complementary activity in a dose-dependent fashion. Identification of C3 activation products by the crossed immunoelectrophoresis using anti-human C3 and the anti-complementary activity of CNC-E in a $Ca^{2+}$-free condition suggested complement activations by CNC-E that occur via both alternative and classical pathways. These results indicate that Korean pear cactus contains selected polysaccharides that provide immuno-stimulating activities beneficial to human health.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.465-471
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• 2018

Bee pollen is one of many types of alternative remedies, and it has been used for a long time throughout the world. It has numerous health effects, including antifungal, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties, immune modulation, enhanced cell proliferation, and even anti-carcinogenic effects. This study was designed to elucidate the effects of bee pollen on benign prostatic hyperplasia in rodents. For this experiment, we used nano-sized bee pollen produced through wet-grinding technology, thereby the extraction efficiency of the active ingredients in the bee pollen was significantly enhanced. First, We found that nano-sized bee pollen significantly reduced the size of prostates enlarged by chronic testosterone administration. In addition, nano-sized bee pollen significantly reduced the plasma concentration of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Interestingly, nano-sized bee pollen did not reduce the testosterone-induced increase in the plasma concentration of prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$). The beneficial effects of nano-sized bee pollen in reducing both the size of the prostate and the plasma concentration of PSA was comparable to that of dutasteride. Finally, nano-sized bee pollen did not cause damage in LNCaP cells which are androgen-sensitive human prostate adenocarcinoma cells. Together, these data indicate that nano-sized bee pollen may be able to be used as a good alternative remedy for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.116-129
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• 2018

Living creatures possess long-conserved mechanisms to maintain homeostasis in response to various stresses. However, chronic and continuous exposure to stress can result in the excessive production of stress hormones, including catecholamines, which have harmful effects on health. Studies on the relationship between the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and cancer have been conducted based on the traditional hypothesis that stress can promote cancer progression. Many preclinical and epidemiological studies have suggested that the regulation of ${\beta}$-adrenergic signaling, which mediates SNS activity, can suppress the progression of solid tumors. SNS activation has highly pleiotropic effects on tumor biology, as it stimulates oncogenes, survival pathways, the epithelial - mesenchymal transition, and invasion. Moreover, it inhibits DNA repair and programmed cell death and regulates the tumor microenvironment, including immune cells, endothelial cells, the extracellular matrix, mesenchymal cells, and adipocytes. Although targeted therapies on the molecular basis of tumor proliferation are currently receiving increased attention, they have clinical limitations, such as the compensatory activation of other signaling pathways, emergence of drug resistance, and various side effects, which raise the need for pleiotropic cancer regulation. This review summarizes the effects of the SNS on the development and progression of cancer and discusses the clinical perspectives of ${\beta}$-blockade as a novel therapeutic strategy for this disease.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.74-75
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• 2005

In order to evaluate dietary brown seaweed and vancomycin on the performance, layers(Isa brown) were fed on basal diet and diets containing 2.0% of brown seaweed or 10ppm vancomycin. Brown seaweed diet significantly increased(p<0.01) nitrogen balance in layer, while excretion of uric acid nitrogen and metabolizable energy utilization were not different among diets. Layer consumed more the brown seaweed diet(p<0.05). Egg production were significantly different by diets but reduced(p<0.0001) with the experimental period passed. Layer fed brown seaweed diet gave thicker shell eggs, higher Haugh unit and higher egg white CuZnSOD activity compared with those in basal diet. Also, Brown seaweed diet increased MnSOD activity in erythrocyte cytosol and peroxidase in plasma, but decreased peroxide level in plasma, and increased proliferation of PBMC stimulated with PHA-P The result indicated that brown seaweed 2.0% diet in layer improved egg quality and performance due to increased protein synthesis which were related to regulation of antioxidant system and immune cell function in blood.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 1992

Paragonimus westermani is a common fluke in Uorea. The present study aimed to observe the cell mediated immune response in experimental paragonimiasis of mice. The mouse (BALB/c) was orally inoculated with 40 metacercariae of P. westermani from Cambaroides similis. During the infection (1, 2, 4, 6 weeks) of mouse, blastogenic response of splenic Iymphocytes to P. westermani adult antigen, metacercaria antigen, and PHA were observed. Sera from infected and noninfected mice added to normal mouse splenic Lymphocytes with or without PHA. The blastogenic response of splenic Lymphocytes to PHA was reduced after 1 week of infection. However after 6 weeks of infection, the response was restored to the control level. The blastogenic response of splenic Iymphocytes to P. westermani adult or metacercaria antigen increased significantly on 1 week after infection, and maintained up to 6 weeks after infection. The response of non-infected mice was suppressed by addition of the infected mouse serum. The present results suggested that cellular immunity was involved in P. westermani infected mice and that P. westermani anti.serum inhibited proliferation of T Iymphocytes.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.85-91
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• 2005

Much of the interest on the chemopreventive properties of herbs and plants has been raised, whereas little is regarding to anti-tumor effect of farming and aquatic products. In the present study, the anti-tumor effect of hot-water extract of a seaweed, BLC (Sargassum fulvellum) and BLC/HEN egg was investigated using MCF-7 cells in vitro and in vivo systems. We found that the BLC extract and BLC/HEN egg inhibited cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, which might be mediated through up-regulation of p53. Furthermore, this test compound can directly induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, which might be mediated through up-regulation of a pro-apoptotic Bax protein and down-regulation of a anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein, not by immune system. Nude mice bearing established breast tumors (with exogenous estradiol) were treated with BLC extract and BLC/HEN egg. Treatment BLC extract and BLC/HEN egg caused a 42% and 71% inhibition of tumor growth, respectively. Both agents caused a significant inhibition of volume and weight growth of estrogen independent human breast tumors established from MCF-7 cells. Our results suggested that BLC extract and BLC/HEN egg have the efficacious effect of human breast cancer not only in vitro but also in vivo.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2016

Xenotransplantation involves multiple steps of immune rejection. The present study was designed to produce nuclear transfer embryos, prior to the production of transgenic pigs, using fibroblasts carrying transgenes human complement regulatory protein hCD59 and interleukin-18 binding protein (hIL-18BP) to reduce hyperacute rejection (HAR) and cellular rejection in pig-to-human xenotransplantation. In addition to the hCD59-mediated reduction of HAR, hIL-18BP may prevent cellular rejection by inhibiting the activation of natural killer cells, activated T-cell proliferation, and induction of $IFN-{\gamma}$. Transgene construct including hCD59 and ILI-18BP was introduced into miniature pig fetal fibroblasts. After antibiotic selection of double transgenic fibroblasts, integration of the transgene was screened by PCR, and the transgene expression was confirmed by RT-PCR. Treatment of human serum did not affect the survival of double-transgenic fibroblasts, whereas the treatment significantly reduced the survival of non-transgenic fibroblasts (p<0.01), suggesting alleviation of HAR. Among 337 reconstituted oocytes produced by nuclear transfer using the double transgenic fibroblasts, 28 (15.3%) developed to the blastocyst stage. Analysis of individual embryos indicated that 53.6% (15/28) of embryos contained the transgene. The result of the present study demonstrates the resistance of hCD59 and IL-18BP double-transgenic fibroblasts against HAR, and the usefulness of the transgenic approach may be predicted by RT-PCR and cytolytic assessment prior to actual production of transgenic pigs. Further study on the transfer of these embryos to surrogates may produce transgenic clone miniature pigs expressing hCD59 and hIL-18BP for xenotransplantation.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.501-507
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• 2005

Small intestinal submucosa (SIS) had been widely used as a biomaterial without immune rejection responses. SIS sponges prepared by crosslinking with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC). SIS powders dissolved in $3\%(v/v)$ acetic acid aqueous solution for 48hrs and freeze-dried. EDC solution ($H_2O$ : ethanol = 5 : 95) as a crosslink agent was used in concentration of 100mM. In vitro, rat-BMSCs seeded in SIS sponges and induced the osteogenesis for 28 days. We have characterized the osteogenic potential of rat-BMSCs in SIS sponges by alkaline phosphatase activity(ALP), n assay, SEM and RT-PCR for osteogenic phenotype. In SEM, all morphology of SIS sponges was regular and showed interconnected pore structure. By RT-PCR analysis, we observed type I collagen expression. These results demonstrate osteogenic differentiation of rat-BMSCs. In conclusion, we confirmed that the morphology of surface, cross-section, and side of SIS sponges were highly porous with good interconnections between each pores, which can support the surface of cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation. This result indicates that SIS sponge is useful for osteogenesis of BMSCs.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.46-50
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• 2015

Both Portulaca oleracea (PO) and Glechoma hederacea (GH) have been used as traditional medicine due to the multiple pharmacological activities. However, the effects of PO and GH in the pathology of periodontitis is still elusive. In this study, we examined anti-microbial activity of PO ethanol extract (POEE) and GH ethanol extract (GHEE) in vitro, and physiological effects of POEE and GHEE on the cell inflammatory responses and the severity of periodontitis were determined using the rat periodontitis model. Our results indicate that POEE and GHEE had no effects on the proliferation of streptococcus mutans and on LPS-mediated inflammatory responses in gingival fibroblast cells. Notably, ingestion of POEE and GHEE resulted in attenuating the severity of periodontitis and population change of immune cells. These data suggests that PO and GH should be considered as candidates for relieving the severity of periondontitis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.978-986
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• 2023

Inflammation by the innate immune system is a protective mechanism of the organism against infection-mediated environmental factors. It is also responsible for the pathogenesis of various human diseases, including the progression of cancer. Lichens are receiving increasing attention as a source of bioactive molecules with therapeutic potential for a variety of diseases. Additionally, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer potential of lichen and its secondary metabolites have been widely reported. However, the underlying mechanism is still unknown. In the present study, to investigate molecular mechanisms of anti-inflammation and anti-cancer activity in the Antarctic lichen, Usnea aurantiaco-atra, methanol extract of Usnea aurantiaco-atra (MEUS) was used in vitro assays in RAW 264.7 macrophages cell and HCT116 colon cancer cells. Based on our data, MEUS had the anti-inflammatory activity through the modulation of main inflammatory indicators such as COX-2, IL-6, iNOS, TNF-α and NO production in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, we observed that MEUS had cytotoxic activity against HCT116 colon cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner, leading to a significantly reduced proliferation of the cancer cells through apoptotic induction by activating caspase-3. Taken together, this work firstly reported the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities of an Antarctic lichen, Usnea aurantiaco-atra, and MEUS may provide a new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying a link between inflammation and cancer.