• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.86-91
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• 2011

Ginsenoside (G)-F1 is an enzymatic metabolite generated from G-Rg1. Although this metabolite has been reported to suppress platelet aggregation and to reduce gap junction-mediated intercellular communication, the modulatory activity of G-F1 on the functional role of skin-derived cells has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the regulatory role of G-F1 on the cellular responses of B16 melanoma cells. G-F1 strongly suppressed the proliferation of B16 cells up to 60% at 200 ${\mu}g/mL$, while only diminishing the viability of HEK293 cells up to 30%. Furthermore, G-F1 remarkably induced morphological change and clustering of B16 melanoma cells. The melanin production of B16 cells was also significantly blocked by G-F1 up to 70%. Interestingly, intracellular signaling events involved in cell proliferation, migration, and morphological change were up-regulated at 1 h incubation but down-regulated at 12 h. Therefore, our results suggest that G-F1 can be applied as a novel anti-skin cancer drug with anti-proliferative and anti-migration features.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.522-528
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• 2003

The growth responses of Phellodendron amurense root-derived materials against seven intestinal bacteria were examined, using an impregnated paper disk agar diffusion method and spectrometric method under $O_2$-free condition. The biologically active constituent of the P. amurense root extract was characterized as berberine chloride ($C_{20}H_{18}NO_{41}Cl$) using various spectroscopic analyses. The growth responses varied depending on the bacterial strain, chemicals, and dose tested. At 1 mg/disk, berberine chloride strongly inhibited the growth of Clostridium perfringens, and moderately inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli and Streptococcus mutans without any adverse effects on the growth of three lactic acid-bacteria (Bifidobacterium bifidum, B. longum, and Lactobacillus acidophilus). The structure-activity relationship revealed that berberine chloride exhibited more growth-inhibiting activity against C. perfringens, E. coli, and S. mutans than berberine iodide and berberine sulfate. These results, therefore, indicate that the growth-inhibiting activity of the three berberines was much more pronounced as chloridated analogue than iodided and sulphated analogues. As for the morphological effect caused by 1 mg/disk of berberine chloride, most strains of C. perfringens were damaged and killed, indicating that berberine chloride showed a strong inhibition against C. perfringens. As naturally occurring growth-inhibiting agents, the P. amurense root-derived materials described could be useful as a preventive agent against diseases caused by harmful intestinal bacteria such as clostridia.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.295-300
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• 2014

The actin cytoskeleton plays an important role in macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses by modulating the activation of Src and subsequently inducing nuclear factor (NF)-${\kappa}B$ translocation. In spite of its critical functions, few papers have examined how the actin cytoskeleton can be regulated by the activation of toll-like receptor (TLR). Therefore, in this study, we further characterized the biological value of the actin cytoskeleton in the functional activation of macrophages using an actin cytoskeleton disruptor, cytochalasin B (Cyto B), and explored the actin cytoskeleton's involvement in morphological changes, cellular attachment, and signaling events. Cyto B strongly suppressed the TLR4-mediated mRNA expression of inflammatory genes such as cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, and inducible nitric oxide (iNOS), without altering cell viability. This compound also strongly suppressed the morphological changes induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a TLR4 ligand. Cyto B also remarkably suppressed NO production under non-adherent conditions but not in an adherent environment. Cyto B did not block the co-localization between surface glycoprotein myeloid differentiation protein-2 (MD2), a LPS signaling glycoprotein, and the actin cytoskeleton under LPS conditions. Interestingly, Cyto B and PP2, a Src inhibitor, enhanced the phagocytic uptake of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran. Finally, it was found that Cyto B blocked the phosphorylation of vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) at 1 min and the phosphorylation of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) at 5 min. Therefore, our data suggest that the actin cytoskeleton may be one of the key components involved in the control of TLR4-mediated inflammatory responses in macrophages.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1787-1795
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• 2015

The transition from primary to secondary metabolism in antibiotic-producing Streptomyces correlates with expression of genes involved in stress responses. Consequently, regulatory pathways that regulate specific stress responses are potential targets to manipulate to increase antibiotic titers. In this study, genes encoding key proteins involved in regulation of the osmotic stress response in Streptomyces avermitilis, the industrial producer of avermectins, are investigated as targets. Disruption of either osaB_Sa, encoding a response regulator protein, or osaC_Sa, encoding a multidomain regulator of the alternative sigma factor SigB, led to increased production of both oligomycin, by up to 200%, and avermectin, by up to 37%. The mutations also conditionally affected morphological development; under osmotic stress, the mutants were unable to erect an aerial mycelium. In addition, we demonstrate the delivery of DNA into a streptomycete using biolistics. The data reveal that information on stress regulatory responses can be integrated in rational strain improvement to improve yields of bioactive secondary metabolites.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2013

This study was to examine growth, carbon and nitrogen responses in foliage following forest fertilization in a red pine stand. Two types of fertilizer (N:P:K=113:150:37 kg $ha^{-1}$; P:K=150:37 kg $ha^{-1}$) were applied on late April 2011. Growth, carbon and nitrogen responses of foliage were monitored 3 times (July, September, November) after fertilization. Morphological growth responses (dry mass, leaf area, specific leaf area) with foliage age were not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by fertilizer application, while needle dry mass and leaf area of July were significantly lower in current-year-old than in one-year-old or two-year-old needles of September or November. Carbon concentration and content in foliage was little affected by fertilizer application compared with sampling month or needle age, while the NPK fertilizer produced high nitrogen concentration and content of foliage. The results indicate that nitrogen concentration and content in foliage may serve as an indicator of the nitrogen status by fertilization in a red pine stand.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.217-225
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• 2021

Neuropathic pain (NP) that contributes to the comorbidity between pain and depression is a clinical dilemma. Neuroinflammatory responses are known to have potentially important roles in the initiation of NP and depressive mood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of paeoniflorin (PF) on NP-induced depression-like behaviors by targeting the hippocampal neuroinflammation through the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. We used a murine model of NP caused by unilateral sciatic nerve cuffing (Cuff). PF was injected intraperitoneally once a day for a total of 14 days. Pain and depression-like behavior changes were evaluated via behavioral tests. Pathological changes in the hippocampus of mice were observed by H&E staining. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus were detected using ELISA. Activated microglia were measured by immunohistochemical staining. The TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway-associated protein expression in the hippocampus was detected by western blotting. We found that the PF could significantly alleviate Cuff-induced hyperalgesia and depressive behaviors, lessen the pathological damage to the hippocampal cell, reduce proinflammatory cytokines levels, and inhibit microglial over-activation. Furthermore, PF downregulated the expression levels of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway-related proteins in the hippocampus. These results indicate that PF is an effective drug for improving the comorbidity between NP and depression.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.108-117
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• 1999

Hepatic tumorigenesis was induced by ad libitum feeding of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) only. We could also observe hepatic tumor induction in 100% of DEN treated rats without any other cocarcinogen. The liver specific enzyme activities (AST, ALT, ALP, ${\gamma}$-GTP) were significantly increased (P<0.05) in all treated groups compared to control and induced apoptosis groups. In histopathological analysis, the altered foci, hyperplastic nodules, neoplastic nodules, adenomas and carcinomas were observed in liver tumors induced by administration of DEN in rats. Lipopolysaccharide-induced apoptosis in D-galactosamine sensitized mice was investigated in hepatocytes in vivo. Typical morphological changes of apoptosis were detectable in liver 12 hr and 24 hr after the injection of Lipopolysaccharide (5 $\mu\textrm{g}$) and D-galactosamine (20 mg) to mice. It was suggested that organ specific enzyme activities and morphological findings might be very useful for understanding the role of hepatic tumorigenesis including the apoptotic cell death.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.300-307
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• 2013

20S-dihydroprotopanaxatriol (2H-PPT) is a derivative of protopanaxatrol from ginseng. Unlike other components from Panax ginseng, the pharmacological activity of this compound has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the modulatory activity of 2H-PPT on the cellular responses of monocytes and macrophages to understand its immunoregulatory actions. 2H-PPT strongly upregulated the release of radicals in sodium nitroprusside-treated RAW264.7 cells and the surface levels of costimulatory molecule CD86. More importantly, this compound remarkably suppressed nitric oxide production, morphological changes, phagocytic uptake, cell-cell aggregation, and cell-matrix adhesion in RAW264.7 and U937 cells in the presence or absence of lipopolysaccharide, anti-CD43 antibody, fibronectin, and phorbal 12-myristate 13-acetate. Therefore, our results suggest that 2H-PPT can be applied as a novel functional immunoregulator of macrophages and monocytes.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.1-5
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• 2002

Drosophila Kc cells are ecdysone-responsive : hormone treatment leads rapidly to increased synthesis of several ecdysone-inducible polypeptides (EIPs) and to commitment to eventual proloferative arrest. Later the treated cells undergo morphological transformation, cease to proliferate and to grow. These responses have proven useful as models for studying ecdysone action and environmental endocrine disrupting actions. In this study, we used 20-HE to check out the Kc cells properties to the ecdysone and this properties will be applied to the environmental chemicals to find out the endocrine disrupting action in ecosystem. The cell counts of cultures harvested after 3 days' growth in the presence of 20-hydroxyecdysone. In Kc cell cultures, there were statistically significant different from control cells at 20HE 10/sup 7/-10/sup 5/. The morphological effects of all the hormones were similar, differing only in the dose level at which they were initiated.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.119-128
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• 2007

Grain-size trend analysis is the methodology to obtain the net sediment transport pattern from the spatial trends of grain size parameters. It has the potentials to be an effective tool to address the morphological changes of the deltaic barrier islands in the Nakdoog River once we make sure net transport patterns inferred from grain size trend analysis represent the morphological evolution patterns. This research aims to investigate the applicability of the net transport patterns obtained by 'transport vector', proposed by Gao and Collins(1992), to understanding the morphological changes of the Nakdong River deltaic barrier islands. The results indicate that the net transport directions are overall in concordance with the morphological evolution patterns; however, the level of concordance is low in the island with fast growing rate. The reasons may be match or mismatch of temporal scales involved between processes represented by net transport patterns and morphological change analyzed or the rate of morphological change. Consequently, the application of grain size trend analysis in analyzing the morphological changes of deltaic barrier islands requires the careful consideration of temporal scales involved.