• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.263-268
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• 1992

Involvement of the facial nerve(herpes zoster oticus, Ramsay Hunt Syndrome) is a rather common clinical syndrome. It begins with unilateral ear pain, followed shortly by a peripheral facial palsy. Paresis or paralysis may affect the muscles of facial expression, which also close the eyelids. The levator palpebrae which is innervated by the 5th cranial nerve is spared, so the eye may remain open. The rash is usually confined to the tympanic membrane and the external auditory canal. It may spread to involve the outer surface of the lobe of the ear, anterior pillar or the fauces and mastoid. There also may be a loss of taste in the anterior two thirds of tongue. At time, the auditory nerve involvement produces tinnitus, deafness and vertigo. The 5th, 8th and 10th nerves and even the upper cervical spinal nerve can be involved presumedly on the base of spread of the infective process along anastomotic connections between the facial nerve. The facial paralysis is identical to that of Bells palsy. Frequently the recovery of facial nerve function is incomplete, leaving the patient with some residual facial weak ness. We experienced 2 cases of Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. The first patients, 55 year old male, visited our pain clinic on the day when his left facial nerve start to paralyze. We injected 6 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine into his left stellate ganglion 15 times. TENS was also applicated simultaneously. His facial paralysis was recovered completely 3 weeks after treatment without any complications. Another one, 53 year old male, visited us 7 weeks after onset of facial paralysis. He has been treated conventional oriental method(acupuncture, massage, warm application, etc). But the degree of his left facial paralysis didn't improve at all He has been treating with SGB 50 times and TENS for 2 months. Temporal and zygomatic branch of his left facial nerve recovered nearly completely but buccal and mandibular branch did not recover completely. We are willing to insist on the early treatment is the best choice in managing of Ramsay Hunt Syndrome.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.283-291
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• 2006

The survival and growth of epithelial cells depends on adhesion to the extracellular matrix. An adhesion signal may regulate the initiation of differentiation, since epidermal keratinocytes differentiate as they leave the basement membrane. A metabolically dead cornified cell envelope is the end point of epidermal differentiation so that this process may be viewed as a specialized form of programmed cell death. In order to investigate the precise cellular signaling events loading to terminal differentiation of keratinocytes, we have utilized HaCaT cells to monitor the biological consequences of $Ca^{2+}$ stimulation and numerous downstream signaling pathways, including activation of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase(ERK) pathway and activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K). The results presented in this study show that $Ca^{2+}$ function as potent agents for the differentiation of HaCaT keratinocytes, and this differentiation depends or the activation of ERK, Protein kinase B(PKB) and p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase(p70S6K). Finally, the results show that the expression of Activator protein 1(AP-1; c-Jun and c-Fos) increased following $Ca^{2+}$-mediated differentiation of HaCaT cells, suggesting that ERK-mediated AP-1 expression is critical for initiating the terminal differentiation of keratinocytes.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.288-298
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• 1992

Since the major important factors limiting plant growth and crop productivity are environmental stresses, of which low temperature is the most serious. It has been well known that many physiological processes are alterant in response to the environmental stress. With regard to the relationship between plant hormones and the regulation of chilling tolerance in rice seedlings, the major physiological roles of plant hormones: abscisic acid, ethylene and polyamines are evaluated and discussed in this paper. Rice seedlings were grown in culture solution to examine the effect of such plant hormones on physiological characters related to chilling tolerance and also to compare the different responses among tested cultivars. Intact seedlings about 14 day-old were chilled at conditions of 5$^{\circ}C$ and 80% relative humidity for various period. Cis-(＋)-ABA content was measured by the indirect ELISA technique. Polyamine content and ethylene production in leaves were determined by means of HPLC and GC respectively. Chilling damage of seedlings was evaluated by electrolyte leakage, TTC viability assay or servival test. Our experiment results described here demonstrated the physiological functions of ABA, ethylene, and polyamines related to the regulation of chilling tolerance in rice seedlings. Levels of cis-(＋)-ABA in leaves or xylem sap of rice seedlings increased rapidly in response to 5$^{\circ}C$ treatment. The tolerant cultivars had significant higher level of endogenous ABA than the sensitive ones. The ($\pm$)-ABA pretreatment for 48 h increased the chilling tolerance of the sensitive indica cultivar. One possible function of abscisic acid is the adjustment of plants to avoid chilling-induced water stress. Accumulation of proline and other compatible solutes is assumed to be another factor in the prevention of chilling injuies by abscisic acid. In addition, the expression of ABA-responsive gene is reported in some plants and may be involving in the acclimation to low temperature. Ethylene and its immediate precusor, 1-amincyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid(ACC) increased significantly after 5$^{\circ}C$ treatment. The activity of ACC synthase which converts S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to ACC enhanced earlier than the increase of ethylene and ACC. Low temperature increased ACC synthase activity, whereas prolonged chilling treatment damaged the conversion of ACC to ethylene. It was shown that application of Ethphon was beneficial to recovering from chilling injury in rice seedlings. However, the physiological functions of chilling-induced ethylene are still unclear. Polyamines are thought to be a potential plant hormone and may be involving in the regulation of chilling response. Results indicated that chilling treatment induced a remarkable increase of polyamines, especially putrescine content in rice seedlings. The relative higher putrescine content was found in chilling-tolerant cultivar and the maximal level of enhanced putrescine in shoot of chilling cultivar(TNG. 67) was about 8 folds of controls at two days after chilling. The accumulation of polyamines may protect membrane structure or buffer ionic imbalance from chilling damage. Stress physiology is a rapidly expanding field. Plant growth regulators that improve tolerance to low temperature may affect stress protein production. The molecular or gene approaches will help us to elucidate the functions of plant hormones related to the regulation of chilling tolerance in plants in the near future.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.141-148
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• 2014

Quercetin and genistein, plentifully present in fruits and vegetables, are flavonoid family members that have antioxidative function and plant-derived phytoestrogen activity. The antioxidative effects of quercetin and genistein on boar sperm characteristics and in vitro development of IVF embryo were investigated. The sperm motility was increased by addition of genistein $50{\mu}M$ for 6 hr incubation compared to control (p<0.05). The sperm viability was increased by addition of quercetin 1 and $50{\mu}M$ and genestein 1 and $50{\mu}M$ for 3 hr incubation. In addition, the sperm viability seemed to be increased dose-dependantly by addition of quercetin or genistein 1 and $50{\mu}M$, respectively (p<0.05). The membrane integrities were not increased by quercetin or genistein treatments for 3 hr or 6 hr incubation period except for quercetin $1{\mu}M$ for 3 hr incubation. In mitochondrial activities, addition of quercetin $50{\mu}M$ for 6 hr incubation increased mitochondrial activity but decreased at $100{\mu}M$ concentration compared with control (p<0.05). When porcine IVF embryos were cultured in PZM-3 medium supplemented with low concentrations of quercetin ($1{\sim}10{\mu}M$), the developmental rates to morula and blastocyst increased but significantly decreased at high concentrations of quercetin ($25{\sim}50{\mu}M$). The highest developmental rate to blastocysts among all concentrations of quercetin was shown at quercetin $10{\mu}M$ (p<0.05). The developmental rates to morula or blastocysts at low ($0.01{\sim}1{\mu}M$) and high ($5{\sim}10{\mu}M$) concentrations of genistein were not significantly different among all treatment group and genistein did not affect on IVF embryo development. These results suggest that quercetin and genistein seem to have positive effects at certain concentrations on sperm characteristics such as motility, viability and mitochondrial activity. In addition, low concentrations of quercetin (1, 5 and $10{\mu}M$) in this experiment, seem to have beneficial effect on porcine IVF embryo development but genistein did not affect on it at all given concentrations ($0.01{\sim}10{\mu}M$).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.288-298
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• 2016

Resveratrol acts as a free radical scavenger and a potent antioxidant in the inhibition of numerous reactive oxygen species (ROS). The function of resveratrol and resveratrol-loaded nanoparticles in protecting human lung cancer cells (A549) against hydrogen peroxide was investigated in this study. The 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) assay was performed to evaluate the antioxidant properties. Resveratrol had substantially high antioxidant capacity (trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity value) compared to trolox and vitamin E since the concentration of resveratrol was more than $50{\mu}M$. Nanoparticles prepared from ${\beta}$-lactoglobulin (${\beta}$-lg) were successfully developed. The ${\beta}$-lg nanoparticle showed 60 to 146 nm diameter in size with negatively charged surface. Non-cytotoxicity was observed in Caco-2 cells treated with ${\beta}$-lg nanoparticles. Fluorescein isothiocynate-conjugated ${\beta}$-lg nanoparticles were identified into the cell membrane of Caco-2 cells, indicating that nanoparticles can be used as a delivery system. Hydrogen peroxide caused accumulation of ROS in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Resveratrol-loaded nanoparticles restored $H_2O_2$-induced ROS levels by induction of cellular uptake of resveratrol in A549 cells. Furthermore, resveratrol activated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2-Kelch ECH associating protein 1 (Nrf2-Keap1) signaling in A549 cells, thereby accumulation of Nrf2 abundance, as demonstrated by western blotting approach. Overall, these results may have implications for improvement of oxidative stress in treatment with nanoparticles as a biodegradable and non-toxic delivery carrier of bioactive compounds.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.151-160
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• 2001

The purpose of this study is to investigate the interaction of progesterone with various cyclodextrins (CDs) in the aqueous solution and in solid state, and finally to formulate a parenteral aqueous formulation. CDs used were ${\alpha}-$, ${\beta}-$, and ${\gamma}-CD$, $2-hydroxypropyl-{\beta}-CD$ (HPCD), sulfobutyl $ether-{\beta}-CD$ (SBCD), $dimethyl-{\beta}-CD$ (DMCD) and $trimethyl-{\beta}-CD$ (TMCD). The solubility studies of progesterone were performed in the presence of various CDs as a function of concentration or temperature. The solubility of progesterone increased in the rank order of ${\alpha}-CD$ < ${\beta}-CD$ < ${\gamma}-CD$ < TMCD$ < HPCD < DMCD < SBCD. Addition of SBCD (200 mg/ml) in water increased the aqueous solubility $(9.36\;{\mu}g/ml)$ about 3,200 times, and lowering the temperature facilitated the solubilization of progesterone. However, the addition of HPCD and SBCD in 20:80 (v/v) polyethylene glycol 300-water and propylene glycol-water cosolvents markedly decreased the solubility of progesterone, compared with solubilizing effects in water. Physical mixtures and solid dispersions of progesterone with HPCD or SBCD were prepared, and evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), near IR spectroscopy and dissolution studies. By DSC and IR studies, it was found that progesterone was dispersed in HPCD in monotectic state and dissolved rapidly from both solid dispersions. Based on solubility studies, new aqueous progesterone fonnulations (5 mg/ml) containing SBCD (200 mg/ml) could be prepared and did not form precipitates even after 2 months at $4^{\circ}C$. The solution was transparent when mixed with normal saline and 5% dextrose injection at 1: 1, 1:10 and 1:20 (v/v) even after 7 days. Permeation rates of progesterone through a cellulose membrane from 20% PEG 300 solution $(50\;{\mu}g/ml)$ containing HPCD or SBCD were compared with oily formulation. Permeation of progesterone from oily formulation did not occur up to 8 hr, but aqueous formulations showed fast permeation rates from early stage of permeation study. The addition of HPCD or SBCD retarded the permeation rates of progesterone with the increase of CD concentrations, suggesting the possibility of a controlled absorption from the site administered intramuscularly. These results demonstrate that it is feasible to develop a new progesterone parenteral aqueous injection (5 mg/ml) using SBCD.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 2005

To study the direct effect of somatostatin (SS) on calcium channel current ($I_{Ba}$) in guinea-pig gastric myocytes, $I_{Ba}$ was recorded by using whole-cell patch clamp technique in single smooth muscle cells. Nicardipine ($1{\mu}M$), a L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker, inhibited $I_{Ba}$ by $98{\pm}1.9$% (n=5), however $I_{Ba}$ was decreased in a reversible manner by application of SS. The peak $I_{Ba}$ at 0 mV were decreased to $95{\pm}1.5$, $92{\pm}1.9$, $82{\pm}4.0$, $66{\pm}5.8$, $10{\pm}2.9$% at $10^{-10}$, $10^{-9}$, $10^{-8}$, $10^{-7}$, $10^{-5}$ M of SS, respectively (n=3∼6; $mean{\pm}SEM$). The steady-state activation and inactivation curves of $I_{Ba}$ as a function of membrane potentials were well fitted by a Boltzmann equation. Voltage of half-activation ($V_{0.5}$) was $-12{\pm}0.5$ mV in control and $-11{\pm}1.9$ mV in SS treated groups (respectively, n=5). The same values of half-inactivation were $-35{\pm}1.4$ mV and $-35{\pm}1.9$ mV (respectively, n=5). There was no significant difference in activation and inactivation kinetics of $I_{Ba}$ by SS. Inhibitory effect of SS on $I_{Ba}$ was significantly reduced by either dialysis of intracellular solution with $GDP_{\beta}S$, a non-hydrolysable G protein inhibitor, or pretreatment with pertussis toxin (PTX). SS also decreased contraction of guinea-pig gastric antral smooth muscle. In conclusion, SS decreases voltage-dependent L-type calcium channel current ($VDCC_L$) via PTXsensitive signaling pathways in guinea-pig antral circular myocytes.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.428-438
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• 2008

Choline is important for normal membrane function, acetylcholine synthesis and methyl group metabolism. In this study, 185 food items customarily eaten by Koreans were selected from the data of the 2001 Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey and analyzed on the total choline content of the foods using enzymatic method of choline oxidase. Foods with high choline concentration (mg/100 g) were listed in sequence of quail egg (476.04 mg), dried squid (452.42 mg), beef liver (427.16 mg), pork liver (424.92 mg), tuna canned in oil (414.44 mg), boiled and dried anchovy (381.30 mg), dried Alaskan pollack (378.88 mg), chicken egg (309.88 mg), chicken liver (259.38 mg), soybean (238.62 mg), French bread with garlic (193.18 mg) and barley (183.73 mg). From this result, it is shown that dried fishes, prepared fishes, livers, eggs, pulses and cereals might be categorized as high choline food. Citron tea and green tea showed low choline content below 1 mg. Vegetables and fruits were also categorized into low choline food. No choline was detected in red pepper powder, beer, soju, soybean oil and corn oil out of foods analyzed in this study. Further study is required for analytic procedure of the foods of which results are inconsistent with USDA's data such as rice and wheat flour.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.15-28
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• 2016

Water-in-oil emulsions including water-in-ester oil and water-in-silicone oil (W/O+S) have various advantages such as blocking moisture evaporation and forming air permeable membrane. However, their applications have been limited due to the poor stability under low viscosity condition. In this study, we investigated the effect of synergistic interaction between nonionic surfactant, micro-size particles and cationic surfactant on the stability of W/O+S formulation. The stability of W/O+S emulsions was changed as a function of cationic surfactant concentration where it increased at lower concentration and then started to decrease above a critical point. Finally, emulsion phase inversion occurred at a high concentration. The results suggest that W/O+S emulsions of low viscosity ranging from 2000 to 5000 cps can be stabilized under the conditions where a nonionic surfactant, micro-size particles and a cationic surfactant are used in the range of 1.0 ~ 4.0 wt%, 2.5 wt% and 0.1 ~ 0.5 wt%, respectively.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2016

Objectives : Liver is one of the largest organs in the human, and has a function of detoxification and energy sensing to prevent severe disease. Paeoniae radix has been used to treat a variety of liver diseases such as hepatitis and chronic hepatic failure. Although P. radix has been used as an medicinal herb for a long time, the effects of P. radix on severe oxidative stress and its action mechanism on the liver was not clearly verified.Methods : This study investigated the protective effects of P. radix extract (PRE), and the underlying mechanism of its action in the liver. tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) and carbon tetrachlroride (CCl₄) were used to induce oxidative stress in the HepG2 hepatocyte cell line and Sprague-Dawley rats, respectively.Results : t-BHP significantly induced cell death and ROS production in HepG2 cell, as indicated by MTT and FACS analysis. However, pretreatment of PRE inhibited a decrease in cell viability and H₂O₂ production in the HepG2 cells. PRE also blocked the ability of t-BHP to damage in mitochondrial membrane transition. More importantly, PRE induced Nrf2 activation and antioxidant Phase II enzyme, which may have a role in the effects of PRE. In mice, PRE inhibited the liver damage induced by CCl₄.Conclusions : PRE inhibited oxidative stress and hepatic damages as mediated with Nrf2 activation. This study unveil, in part, the effect and mechanism of old medicinal herb, P. radix.