• BMB Reports
• /
• 제48권6호
• /
• pp.313-318
• /
• 2015

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc-dependent endopeptidases that degrade the extracellular matrix (ECM) and regulate the extracellular microenvironment. Despite the significant role that MMP activity plays in cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions, migration, and differentiation, analyses of MMPs in vitro and in vivo have relied upon their abundance using conventional immunoassays, rather than their enzymatic activities. To resolve this issue, diverse nanoprobes have emerged and proven useful as effective activity-based detection tools. Here, we review the recent advances in luminescent nanoprobes and their applications in in vitro diagnosis and in vivo imaging of MMP activity. Nanoprobes with the purpose of sensing MMP activity consist of recognition and detection units, which include MMP-specific substrates and luminescent (fluorescent or bioluminescent) nanoparticles, respectively. With further research into improvement of the optical performance, it is anticipated that luminescent nanoprobes will have great potential for the study of the functional roles of proteases in cancer biology and nanomedicine. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(6): 313-318]

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• 제2권4호
• /
• pp.195-199
• /
• 2008

Alcoholism has been associated with folate deficiency in humans and laboratory animals. Previous study showed that ethanol feeding reduces the dehydrogenase and hydrolase activity of 10-formyltetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (FDH) in rat liver. Hepatic ethanol metabolism generates acetaldehyde and acetate. The mechanisms by which ethanol and its metabolites produce toxicity within the liver cells are unknown. We purified FDH from rat liver and investigated the effect of ethanol, acetaldehyde and acetate on the enzyme in vitro. Hepatic FDH activity was not reduced by ethanol or acetate directly. However, acetaldehyde was observed to reduce the dehydrogenase activity of FDH in a dose- and time-dependent manner with an apparent $IC_{50}$ of 4 mM, while the hydrolase activity of FDH was not affected by acetaldehyde in vitro. These results suggest that the inhibition of hepatic FDH dehydrogenase activity induced by acetadehyde may play a role in ethanol toxicity.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
• /
• 제9권3호
• /
• pp.245-251
• /
• 2009

Aldose reductase (AR) has been reported to play an important role in sugar-induced cataract. In the present study, the AR inhibitory activity of Enicostemma hyssopifolium (EH), Gymnema sylvestre, Eclipta alba, and Tinospora cordifolia (TC) were studied along with their effect on sugar-induced cataractogenic changes in sheep lenses in vitro. AR inhibitory activity of the aqueous extracts of plants and their anticataract potentials were evaluated in vitro in sheep lenses, considering the activity of normal sheep lenses as 100%. The concentration of the plant extract that showed maximum activity was selected to further study its effect on galactose-induced polyol accumulation in vitro. The $IC_50$ values of EH and TC were calculated to be 102 and 85 ${\mu}g$/ml, respectively. EH showed a significant inhibition (61.3%) in polyol accumulation followed by TC (53.1%). EH and TC possesses a significant anticataract activity in vitro and its anticataract potential could be related with its AR inhibitory effect.

• 약학회지
• /
• 제50권4호
• /
• pp.278-286
• /
• 2006

Classical dihydropyrrole[3,4-f]quinazoline antifolates 7,8 and 9, in which the tricyclic ring is structurally similar to the pteridine ring of $CH_2-THF(1)$, the cofactor of thymidylate synthase (TS), were synthesized, and their in vitro antitumor activity was evaluated by measuring the cell growth inhibitory activity against cancer cell lines. The target compounds were cytotoxic against CCRF-CEM, human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, with the cell growth inhibitory activity $(IC_{50})$ of $0.8{\sim}8.3\;{\mu}M$. Among the three compounds, 3-amino analog 7 was 10- and 3.5-fold more cytotoxic compared to the 3-methyl analogs 8 and 9, and its cytotoxicity was similar to that of the reference compound with the $IC_{50}$ value of $0.83\;{\mu}M$. This result was supposed as the consequence of the fact that dihydropyrroloquinazolinone ring with amino group was able to bind well in the active site of TS. In the case of 3-methyl analogs, analog 9, which has two-carbon bridge between the dihydropyrroloquinazolinone ring and benzoyl-L-glutamic acid, was 3-times more potent in cytotoxicity than analog 8 which has one-carbon bridge, and this result indicates that the distance and conformational orientation of the benzoyl-L-glutamic acid moiety with respect to the tricyclic ring may also be a crucial determinant of cell growth inhibitory activity.

• 한국가축번식학회지
• /
• 제22권3호
• /
• pp.253-264
• /
• 1998

Porcine follicular oocyte, collected from antral follicles (2~5 mm in diameter) of gilt ovaries were matured in vitro porcine follicular fluid (pFF) with PMSG (pFF-PMSG) buffer with at 37$^{\circ}C$ under 5% CO2 in air their ability of maturation promoting factor (MPF), of GV and GVBD formation was examined followed during time after in vitro culture. Formation of second metaphase was observed in 57.6% and 71.2% of matured in with pFF-PMSG buffer to 45 and 50 hours after invitro. Porcine oocytes cultured in pFF-PMSG for various periods of up to 30 hours were stained with Hoechst-33342 and classified according to maturation before assaying. Histone H1 kinase (H1K) activity was assayed during meiotic maturation in porcine oocytes matured in pFF-PMSG buffer in vitro. In oocytes matured in pFF-PMSG, H1K activity was at the 30 hours after culture and increased about 15 fold than at the germinal vesicle stage with before at the cultured in vitro. This pattern is similar to those reported in non-mammalian species and su, pp.rts the concepts that H1K is ubiquitous in eukaryotes and controls the meiotic cell cycle in mammals. These results suggest that the maturation pFF-PMSG buffer used influences the fluctuation pattern of H1K activity and biological characteristics of porcine oocytes cultured in vitro.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• 제7권1호
• /
• pp.44-53
• /
• 1999

The resistant strains due to the extended-spectrum $\beta$-lactamase (ESBL) were susceptible to cefatrizine combined with clavulanic acid. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activities of cefatrizine/clavulanic acid (CTRZ/CV) combination at a ratio of 2 : 1 in comparison with cefaclor (CCLO), cefuroxime (CRXM), cefuroxime axetil (CRXMA) and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (AMXCCV). CTRZ/CV showed good activity against laboratory strains of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against $\beta$-lactamase-producing strains. The bactericidal activity of CTRZ/CV was superior to that of CCLO and CRXM, and almost equal to that of AMXCCV against the $\beta$-lactamase-producing strains. The in vitro results were substantiated. by in vivo mouse experimental infection studies with $\beta$-lactamase-producing and non-producing strains. In mixed experimental infection due to $\beta$-lactamase-producing and non-producing strains, the therapeutic efficacy of CTRZ/CV was superior to that of CTRZ, CCLO, CRXMA and AMXCCV. In respiratory tract infection in mice due to Klebsiella pneumoniae EB4O, CTRZ/CV was more erective than CCLO, CRXMA and AMXCCV and also more efficacious than CCLO, CRXMA and AMXCCV in urinary tract infection in mice due to Escherichia coli EB13. These results indicate that CTRZ/CV is a useful drug for the treatment of infection caused by $\beta$-1actamase-producing strains including ESBL-producing strains.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• 제1권2호
• /
• pp.196-203
• /
• 1993

We compared in vitro antibacterial activity of DWC-751, a new parenteral cephalosporin antibiotic, with those of cefpirome (CPR), cefotaxime (CTX) and ceftazidime (CAZ). DWC-751 showed a broad antimicrobial spectrum against Gram-positive and negative bacteria. The antibacterial activity of DWC-751 against Stapylococcus aureus was equal to that of CPR and superior to those of CTX and CAZ. The activity of it against Excherichia coli was more potent than those of CPR, CTX and CAZ. Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, DWC-751 was slightly inferior to that of CAZ and superior to those of CPR and CTX. The antibacterial activity of DWC-751 was superior to those of CPR, CTX and CAZ against clinical isolates and ofloxacin resistant strains. DWC-751 showed bactericidal action against Escherichia coli at concentrations close to the MIC and induced the formation of filament and burge and lysis of Escherichia coli in a microscopic examination.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
• /
• 제2권2호
• /
• pp.106-113
• /
• 2006

Phthalate analogues are a plasticizer and solvent used in industry. Phthalates were classified in the category of "suspected" endocrine disruptors. The purpose of our study was to screen and elucidate the endocrine disrupting activity of seven phthalate analogues. E-screen assay was performed in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells with seven phthalate analogues. In this cell proliferation assay, benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) showed high estrogenic activity. Their relative proliferation efficiencies (RPE) were 109 and 106%, respectively. In vitro estrogen receptor (ER) binding assay, BBP, di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP) and dinonyl phthalate (DNP) showed weak relative binding affinity (RBA: 0.02%) compared to $17{\beta}-estradiol\;(E2)$ (RBA: 100%). In uterotrophic assay, E2 produced a significant increase, whereas four tested phthalate analogues had potential estrogenic effects in vitro did not increased in uterus weight in immature rats. From these results, we demonstrated that phthalate analogues exhibit weak estrogenic activity in vitro assays at high concentrations. Although phthalates induced an increase in MCF-7 cell proliferation by an estrogenic effect, they could not induce a uterus weight increase in vivo. From these, we may suggest that these phthalate analogues are easily metabolized to inactive forms in vivo. Further investigation in other in vitro and in vivo experimental systems might be required.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• 제18권4호
• /
• pp.255-260
• /
• 2003

현재는 재조합 Erythropoietin의 생물학적 활성을 mouse를 이용한 in vivo bioassay로 실시하고 있으나, 이 방법의 여러가서 불편함으로 인하여, 이를 대체하기 위해 Ba/F3 세포주를 이용한 in vitro assay 방법을 확립하였으나, 위에 상술한 바와 같이 in vitro assay는 erythropoietin의 당분포에 의한 차이를 보이지 않게 때문에, 이를 보완하기 위해서는 in vivo bio-activity와 정량적인 상관관계가 있는 당단백질의 isoform 분석법인 Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) 와 sialic acid 함량 결과를 동시에 분석해야 했다. 위의 결과 sialic acid 함량은 erythropoietin 원액에서 10 mol/mol,EPO 이상의 sialic acid 함량을 가져야 되며, CZE 결과는 재조합 erythropoietin이 isoform 분포가 isoform 3의 경우 5.594～0.593％, isoform 4의 경우 31.598～11.704％, isoform 5의 경우 37.033～29.301％, isoform 6의 경우 27.837～18.807％, isoform 7의 경우 17.085～7.824％, isoform 8의 경우 7.642～1.964％을 보여줌과 동시에 isoform 4의 면적은 isoform 5의 면적보다 항상 작아야한다. 이상 두 가지 시험결과와 in vitro assay 결과를 combine해서 in vivo assay를 대체할 수 있다는 좋은 실험적 data를 얻었으므로 이상 위의 3가지 분석법을 활용한 combined in vitro bioassay 법의 기초를 확립하였다.

• 세라미스트
• /
• 제21권3호
• /
• pp.204-215
• /
• 2018

Proteases are one of the most abundant classes of enzymes in living organisms and have been considered major targets for drug development. However, despite the ability to specifically cleave their substrates, many attempts to assay protease activity have generally relied upon the use of gel zymography or fluorophore-labeled peptide substrates, which is limited in rapid and multiplex analysis. Here we review the recent advances in nanoparticle (NP)-utilized assays of protease activity focused on in vitro and cell imaging-based approaches. Owing to large surface area and unprecedented physical properties of NPs, these approaches are anticipated to facilitate many applications related to protease activity-based disease diagnosis and drug discovery.