• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.265-271
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• 2013

Cryopreservation and in vitro fertilization (IVF) protocols are important in genetic studies and applications to transgenic animals. Various studies about boar sperm cryopreservation have been studied for a long time. Those were about the use of extenders, the choice of sugars, the cooling and warming rates. The factors that influence the boar sperm are the dramatic changes in temperatures, osmotic and toxic stresses, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Among these factors, ROS generation is the main damage to DNA which is a principal genetic material and the most important for the practical applications. So we wondered whether ROS generation could be reduced. In previous study, monothioglycerol (MTG) was essential for the culture of embryo stem cells. Therefore we added MTG in the freezing extender based on lactose-egg yolk (LEY) with trehalose. For the assessment of the frozen-thawed sperm, we focused onmotility, membrane integrity and DNA damage. First, we used a computer-aided sperm analysis system for overall conditions of sperm such as motility and viability. Then we performed the sperm chromatin structure assay for DNA integrity and hypo-osmotic swelling test for membrane integrity. And our result showed the existence of MTG in the freezing extender caused less damage to DNA and higher motility in frozen-thawed boar sperm. Also we checked a relative antioxidant activity of MTG in modified Modena B extender. We concluded that this reagent can activate sperm mitochondria at MTG $0.2{\mu}M$, contribute to sperm motility and DNA integrity but there was no significant difference on membrane integrity. Also antioxidant activity of MTG in modified Modena B extender was proved.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.933-942
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• 2003

CoenzymeQ is a quinone derivative with a long isoprenoid side chain. It transports electrons in the respiratory chain located in the inner mitochondrial membrane of eukaryotes and the plasma membrane of prokaryotes. It also functions as an antioxidant. Saccharomyces cerevisine coq mutants, that are deficient coenzyme Q biosynthesis fail to aerobically grow. They are not able to grow on non-fermentable carbon sources, such as glycerol, either The putative $coq^{-7}$ gene involved in coenzyme Q biosynthesis of Neurospora crassa was cloned and used for complementation of S. cerevisiae coq7 mutant. The predicted amino acid sequence of N. crassa COQ7 showed about 58% homology with Coq7p of S. cerevisiae. The growth rate of S. cerevisiae $coq^7$ mutant transformed with the N. crassa $coq^{-7}$ gene was restored to the wild-type level. The complemented 5. cerevisiae strain was able to grow with glycerol as a sole carbon source and showed less sensitivities to linolenic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.395-403
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• 2019

Purpurogallin, a natural phenol obtained from oak nutgalls, has been shown to possess antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory effects. Recently, in addition to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation that induces cell apoptosis via oxidative stress, particulate matter 2.5 ($PM_{2.5}$) was shown to trigger excessive production of reactive oxygen species. In this study, we observed that UVB radiation and $PM_{2.5}$ severely damaged human HaCaT keratinocytes, disrupting cellular DNA, lipids, and proteins and causing mitochondrial depolarization. Purpurogallin protected HaCaT cells from apoptosis induced by UVB radiation and/or $PM_{2.5}$. Furthermore, purpurogallin effectively modulates the pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins under UVB irradiation via caspase signaling pathways. Additionally, purpurogallin reduced apoptosis via MAPK signaling pathways, as demonstrated using MAPK-p38, ERK, and JNK inhibitors. These results indicate that purpurogallin possesses antioxidant effects and protects cells from damage and apoptosis induced by UVB radiation and $PM_{2.5}$.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2021

Male infertility has a complex etiopathology, which mostly remains elusive. Although research has claimed that oxidative stress (OS) is the most likely underlying mechanism of idiopathic male infertility, the specific treatment of OS-mediated male infertility requires further investigation. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a vitamin-like substance, has been found in measurable levels in human semen. It exhibits essential metabolic and antioxidant functions, as well as playing a vital role in mitochondrial bioenergetics. Thus, CoQ10 may be a key player in the maintenance of biological redox balance. CoQ10 concentrations in seminal plasma directly correlate with semen parameters, especially sperm count and sperm motility. Seminal CoQ10 concentrations have been shown to be altered in various male infertility states, such as varicocele, asthenozoospermia, and medical or surgical regimens used to treat male infertility. These observations imply that CoQ10 plays an important physiological role in the maintenance and amelioration of semen quality. The present article thereby aimed to review the possible mechanisms through which CoQ10 plays a role in the regulation of male reproductive function, and to concisely discuss its efficacy as an ameliorative agent in restoring semen parameters in male infertility, as well as its impact on OS markers, sperm DNA fragmentation, pregnancy, and assisted reproductive technology outcomes.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.640-654
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• 2024

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of sodium salicylate (SS) on semen preservation and metabolic regulation in goats. Methods: Under the condition of low temperature, SS was added to goat semen diluent to detect goat sperm motility, plasma membrane, acrosome, antioxidant capacity, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and metabonomics. Results: The results show that at the 8th day of low-temperature storage, the sperm motility of the 20 μM SS group was 66.64%, and the integrity rates of the plasma membrane and acrosome were both above 60%, significantly higher than those of the other groups. The activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase in the sperm of the 20 μM SS group were significantly higher than those of the control group, the contents of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde were significantly lower than those in the control group, the MMP was significantly higher than that in the control group, and the contents of Ca²⁺ and total cholesterol were significantly higher than those in the control group. Through metabonomics analysis, there were significant metabolic differences between the control group and the 20 μM SS group. Twenty of the most significant metabolic markers were screened, mainly involving five metabolic pathways, of which nicotinic acid and nicotinamide metabolic pathways were the most significant. Conclusion: The results indicate that SS can effectively improve the low-temperature preservation quality of goat sperm.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.189-198
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• 2023

Background: Brassica oleracea var. italica (broccoli), a rich source of antioxidants, can prevent various diseases and improve human health. In this study, we investigated the antioxidative effects of broccoli sprout extract on oxidative stress induced by lipopolysaccharide and cisplatin in cell and organ tissue models. Methods: Antioxidative effect of BSE was evaluated using DPPH and ABTS in RAW 364.7 cells, and effects of BSE on testes were investigated using Cisplatin-induced testicular damage model with an in vitro organ culture system. Results: The DPPH assay showed that the antioxidant activity of the alcoholic broccoli sprout extract was higher than that of the water extract. Additionally, the expression levels of antioxidation-related genes, Nrf2, Gsr, HO-1, and catalase, were significantly increased in broccoli sprout extract-treated RAW 264.7 cells, and the extract suppressed lipopolysaccharide-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. Based on the results in the RAW 264.7 cell culture, the antioxidative effects of the extracts were investigated in a mouse testis fragment culture. The expression of Nrf2, HO-1, and Ddx4 was clearly decreased in cisplatin-treated mouse testis fragments and not in both broccoli sprout extract- and cisplatin-treated mouse testis fragments. In addition, the oxidative marker O-HdG was strongly detected in cisplatin-treated mouse testis fragments, and these signals were reduced by broccoli sprout extract treatment. Conclusions: The results of this study show that broccoli sprout extracts could serve as potential nutraceutical agents as they possess antioxidant effects in the testes.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.131-141
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• 2024

Objectives: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common disorders and it shows up to 20% prevalence in reproductive-aged women populations, but no cures are available to date. We aimed to investigate the protective effects of Changbudodam-tang (CBD) on cell death signaling pathways, inflammation, and oxidative stress observed in Bone-Marrow derived human mesenchymal stem cell (BM-hMSC) by means of PCOS therapeutics in the future. Methods: BM-hMSCs were applied with cell deaths and injuries. Apoptosis and pyroptosis signals were quenched with their related signaling pathways using quantitative PCR, Western blot, and fluorescence image analysis. Results: Our data clearly displayed hydrogen peroxide- and nigericin-treated cell death signaling pathways via regulations of mitochondrial integrity and interleukin (IL)-1β at the cellular levels (p < 0.01 or 0.001). We further observed that pre-treatment with CBD showed protective effects against oxidative stress by enhancement of antioxidant components at the cellular level, with respect to both protein and mRNA expression levels (p < 0.05, 0.01 or 0.001). The mechanisms of CBD were examined by Western blot analysis, and it showed anti-cell death, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects via normalizations of the Jun N-terminal kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7/c-Jun signaling pathways. Conclusion: This study confirmed the pharmacological properties of CBD by regulation of cellular oxidation and the inflammation-provoked cell death condition of BM-hMSCs, which is mediated by the MKK7/JNK/c-Jun signaling pathway.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.127-130
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• 2006

Coenzyme Q10(CoQ10) is a biological quinine compound that is widely found in living organisms including yeast, plants, and animals. CoQ10 has two major physiological activities:(a)mitochondrial electron-transport activity and (b )antioxidant activity. Various clinical applications are also available: Parkinson's disease, Heart disease, diabetes. Because of its various application filed, the market size of CoQ10 is continuously expanding all over the world. A Japanese company, Nisshin Pharma Inc. is the first industrial producer of CoQ10(1974). CoQ10 can be produced by fermentation and chemical synthesis. In several companies, these two methods are used for the production of CoQ10:chemical synthesis - Yungjin, Daewoong, Nishin Parma; fermentation - Kaneka, Kyowa, Yungjin, etc. Researchs in microbial production of CoQ10 have several steps: screening of producing microorganisms, strain development, fermentation process, purification process, scale-up process, plant production. Several strategies are available for the strain development : Random mutation and screening, directed metabolic engineering. For the optimization of fermentation process, various conditions (nutrient, aeration, temperature, culture type, etc.) are considered. Purification is one of the most important step because the quality of final products entirely depends on its purity. The production cost will be reduced and the quality of the CoQ10 will be impoved by continuous researches in strain development, fermentation process, purification process.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.97-103
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• 2020

Objectives : Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease, is caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. There is no clear treatment or remedy for Parkinson's disease; therefore, the development of novel therapies related to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects is required. This study was performed to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of water extracts from Cervi Cornu (CC) in dopaminergic cells. Methods : We studied effects of CC on apoptosis, cell death and inflammation in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells treated by methylpyridinium ion (MPP+). SH-SY5Y cell line was treated with CC for 24 hours and then 500 μM MPP+ for 18 hours. Results : Cervi Cornu treatment inhibited the decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression and decreased the activation of inflammatory factors mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase (COX2) and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) against MPP+ neurotoxicity. Apoptosis factors BCL2 associated X, apoptosis regulator (BAX) levels were decreased and B-Cell CLL/Lymphoma 2 (BCL2) levels were increased. Conclusions : These results suggest that CC treatment had neuroprotective effects in the SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells against toxicity induced by MPP+. The results suggest new possibilities of CC for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.165-173
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• 2015

Most skin damage caused by ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation is owing to the generation of reactive oxygen species. Phytochemicals can act as antioxidants against UVB-induced oxidative stress. This study investigated the protective effects of the flavone galangin against UVB-induced oxidative damage in human keratinocytes. Galangin efficiently scavenged free radicals and reduced UVB-induced damage to cellular macromolecules, such as DNA, lipids, and proteins. Furthermore, galangin rescued cells undergoing apoptosis induced by UVB radiation via recovering mitochondrial polarization and down-regulating apoptotic proteins. These results showed that galangin protects human keratinocytes against UVB radiation-induced cellular damage and apoptosis via its antioxidant effects.