• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.529-536
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• 2013

This study was carried out to investigate the characteristics of white soybean Chungkookjang fermented by Bacillus subtilis D7. The highest germination rate was obtained under $25^{\circ}C$ when water was supplied for 4 days at intervals of 2 hr. The total isoflavone content was 971.3 ${\mu}g/g$ before germination and 1023.8 ${\mu}g/g$ after germination. The amino type- and ammonia type-nitrogen contents of Chungkookjang were proportional to the fermentation time. The pH values of all Chungkookjang soybeans increased up to pH 7.8-8.0 during fermentation. The number of viable cells in all Chungkookjang soybeans increased significantly up to 24 hr. The protease activity of all Chungkookjang soybeans increased up to 30-36 hr. The ${\alpha}$- and ${\beta}$-amylase activities of Chungkookjang fermented by B. subtilis D7 were enhanced with increasing fermentation time. Analysis of the effect of Chungkookjang intake on the liver function of mouse showed that the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the Chungkookjang diet group were markedly higher than those in the control group. The asparatate aminotransferase (AST) activity in the germinated soybean Chungkookjang diet group was higher than that in the nongerminated soybean Chungkookjang diet group. Therefore, Chungkookjang soybeans fermented with B. subtilis D7 can be expected to have an increased content of functional components and improved quality characteristics.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.917-923
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• 1999

To confirm therapeutic functionality of Urechis unicinctus which have been favored as a special seafood in Korea, the antitumor and immunological effect of those glycoprotein were studied. 4mg/kg dose of glycoprotein from Urechis unicinctus was most effective in solid tumor growth inhibition (43.63%) of sarcoma 180 cells. However, in case of mice injected with more than dose of 20mg/kg, tumor growth was not inhibited. The higher prolongation ratios were achieved at levels of 2mg/kg with 31.2% and 4mg/kg with 28.9%. The cytotoxic effect of glycoprotein on sarcoma 180 cells was increased slightly as administering level was increased. Number of total peritoneal exudate cells in all the glycoprotein administered groups increased remarkably meaning that Urechis unicinctus gly coprotein could help to improve immunity. Notable body weight change was not resulted in the glycoprotein treated mice compared with control group, but the ratios of both liver or spleen to body weight were increased in mice injected with 20mg/kg and 40mg/kg. These results suggest that the glycoprotein from Urechis unicinctus could stimulate immunity of the mouse bearing tumor cells. Furthermore, the number of leucocytes was also increased by 38.78% at the dose of 20mg/kg and by 46.30% of control at 40mg/kg, while the lower level of 2mg/kg or 4mg/kg showed no effect in increasing leucocyte number. The biochemical values such as GOT and GPT in serum were not changed in mice injected with glycoprotein in comparision with control group.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.181-188
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• 2002

We investigated the effect of Paeonia japonica (PJ) on radiation-induced oxidative damage to macromolecules in vitro and in vivo. The PJ reduced the tail moment (TM) which was a marker of DNA strand break in single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE; comet assay) in the human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Lipid peroxidation in the liver of the ICR mouse, measured as malondialdehyde (MDA), was also reduced by PJ administration. Ethanol fraction of PJ was more effective than polysaccharide fraction of that on reduction of TM in SCGE and lipid peroxidation. Also, Their activities to scavenge DPPH radicals and hydroxyl radicals were observed in vitro, and the activities were due to its ethanol fraction. It is plausible that scavenging of flee radicals by PJ extract may have played an important role in providing the protection against the radiation-induced damage. These results indicated that Paeonia japonica might be a useful radioprotector, especially since it is a relatively nontoxic natural product.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.255-264
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• 1989

The results of toxicity test using mice and rats for ethanol extract of Bracken Fern collected in Kwang Ju area were shown as follows ; Up to the dose of 10g per kg of mice administered intraperitoneally there was no lethal toxicity so that it was impossible to calculate the median lethal dose $(LD_{50})$. For the first 7 days experiment all rats administered frond extract grouping in 40mg, 400mg, and 1200mg per kg of rat as the daily oral doses did not show any characterized sign in the weight gain rate, anatomical findings, and biochemical studies. For 3 weeks following the first week the weight gain rates of all test group were reduced to $4.2{\sim}7%$ below the weight gain rate of control. In this period serum GPT, GOT, and Alkaline phosphatase value were increased significantly indicating the symptoms of Bracken Fern poisonings. The pathological findings of all test groups for 28 days showed acute and chronic intestinal lesion and liver damage with steatosis especially in 1200g/kg rat groups. In this experiment the Bracken poisonings appeared slowly in rats of 400mg/kg and 1200mg/kg for two weeks and in rats of 40mg/kg for 3 weeks, showing the symptoms of lowering of weight gain rate, subacute hepatitis, hepatic steatosis and enteritis in 28 days experiment.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.9-23
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• 2015

Objectives: This study was investigated the improvement effects of Pakistani Ephedra herba-containing Gangji-hwan-1, 2, 3 (Di-fatty; DF-1, 2, 3), Chinese Ephedra herba-containing Gangjihwan-4 (DF-4) and combination of DF-1 and Gamisoche-hwan (GSH) on obesity in a high fat diet-fed obese mouse model. Methods: Eight-week-old C57BL/6N mice were divided into seven groups: a normal lean group given a standard diet, an obese control group given a high fat diet, and DF-1, 2, 3, 4, and DF-1+GSH groups given a high fat diet with DF-1, 2, 3, 4 (40, 80, 160, 80 mg/kg), and DF-1+ GSH (80 mg/kg), respectively. After 8 weeks of treatment, body weight gain, feeding efficiency ratio (FER), blood lipid markers, liver histology, and fat weight and histology were examined. Results: Body weight gain was significantly decreased in DF and DF-1+GSH groups compared with control. The extent of decreases was eminent in DF-1+GSH group. FER and circulating concentration of leptin were decreased in DF and DF-1+GSH groups compared with control. Circulating concentrations of triglyceride, glucose and insulin were decreased in DF and DF-1+GSH groups compared with control. The size of adipocytes were decreased by DF and DF-1+GSH groups compared with control, whereas the adipocyte number per unit area was increased by them, suggesting that DF and DF-1+GSH groups decreased the number of large adipocytes. Conclusions: In conclusion, these results suggest that DF and DF-1+GSH groups decrease FER, plasma leptin concentration, blood anti-obesity biomarkers and fat mass, improves body weight gain. In addition, these effects were more effective in DF-1+GSH combination group than in DF-1, 2, 3, 4 groups.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.69-76
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• 1980

Mice were dosed with $HgCl_2$ (5, 10 and 20 mg per kilogram body weight) and $CdCl_2$ (10, 15 and 20 mg per kilogram body weight) by the abdominal injection. Acid phosphatase activites of the liver at 24, 48 and 72 hours following the injection were measured by the Mundry colorimetric method using disodium p-nitrophenyl phosphate as the substrate, and the following results were obtained. The enzyme activities measured were 3.47 mg Pi/ml/0.5 hr at 24 hr and 5.00mg/ml/0.5 hr at 72hr respectively following the injection of 5 mg/kg body weight of $HgCl_2$ and 6.79 mg Pi/ml0.5 hr at 24 hr and 3.47 mg Pi/ml/0.5 hr respectively following the injection of 20 mg/kg body weight of the mercury compound, as compared with the activity of 8.3 mg Pi/ml/0.5 hr for the control. With the cadmium treatment, about 50% of the animals injected with 10mg/kg body weight, and none of the animals injected with 15 and 20mg/kg body weight, survived. Of the surviving animals, the sublethal concentration of cadmium was shown to activate the enzyme: the activities at 24, 48 and 72hr following the injection were around 11.2 mg Pi/ml/0.5 hr as compared with 8.63 mg Pi/ml/0.5 hr for the control.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.1593-1595
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• 2007

In the study of investigate the expression and effects of adrenomedullin (AM) in the tissue injured by ethanol in our laboratory, there were lymphosarcomas involving mesenteric lymph node and intestine discovered in experimental mice. Lymphosarcoma is probably the second most common spontaneous neoplastic disease, the incidence of which is dependent on the strain of mouse. The diagnosis of lymphosarcoma was based on gross and light microscopic studies. Crossly, the excised intestine and mesentery showed soft-to-firm, cream-colored, displayed protuberance into the lumen. The neoplastic cells had mainly infiltrated into the mucosal and mesenteric lymph node, and have round hyperchromatic nuclei and a small amount of cytoplasm. The origin of these tumor cells was determined by immunohistochemistry positive of CD20, CD3 and Vimentin.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.1428-1433
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• 2012

Longevity is an exciting but difficult subject to study because it is determined by complex processes that require the coordinated action of several genetic factors as well as physiological and environmental influences. Genetic approaches have been applied to animal models to identify the molecular mechanism responsible for longevity. Several experimental model organisms obtained over the last decades suggest that the complete deletion of a single gene by gene targeting has proven to be an invaluable tool for the discovery of the mechanisms underlying longevity. The first discovery of long-lived mutants came from Caenorhabditis elegans research, which identified the insulin/IGF-1 pathway as responsible for longevity in this worm. IGF-1 is a multifunctional polypeptide that has sequence similarity to insulin and is involved in normal growth and development of cells. Several factors in the IGF-1 system have since been studied by gene targeting in the control of longevity in lower species, including nematode and fruit fly. In addition, significant progress has been made using mice models to extend the lifespan by targeted mutations that interfere with growth hormone/IGF-1 and IGF-1 signaling cascades. A recent finding that IGF-1 is involved in aging in mice was achieved by using liver-specific knockout mutant mice, and this clearly demonstrated that the IGF-1 signal pathway can extend the lifespan in both invertebrates and vertebrate models. Although the underlying molecular mechanisms for the control of longevity are not fully understood, it is widely accepted that reduced IGF-1 signaling plays an important role in the control of aging and longevity. Several genes involved in the IGF-1 signaling system are reviewed in relation to longevity in genetically modified mice models.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.53-77
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• 1993

In this study, an attempt was made to investigate the probable organelles participating in the secretion of biligrafin. The animals (ICR male mice, 25-30gm) were divided into normal control and 6 biligrafin injected groups to which 30% biligrafin (0.006ml/gm b.w.) were injected at 10, 20, 40, 80, 160 and 320 min prior to the sampling. The mice of each group were perfused through the heart with ice-cold 2.5% glutaraldehyde buffered with 0.1M Na-cacodylate (pH. 7.4) under the Na-pentobarbital (Nembtal 0.0015mg/gm b.w.) anesthesia and liver tissues were taken from each group. Some specimens were immersed 1 hr in the same solution used in the perfusion. After an overnight rinse in 0.1M Na-cacodylate buffer containing 10% DMSO and 7.6% sucrose, $75{\mu}m$ fronzen sections were made for cytochemical study. The sections were incubated in thiamin pyrophosphatase (TPPase) and inosine diphosphatase (ID Pase) media for 70 min at $37^{\circ}C$ respectively and acid phosphatase (AcPase) medium for 40 min at $37^{\circ}C$. They were postfixed in 1 % $OsO_4$ for 1 hr. The other specimens were immersed for 8 hrs in the fixative consisting of 2.5% glutaraldehyde and 3.0% paraformaldehyde buffered with Na-cacodylate (pH. 7.4). All of the osmificated specimens were processed for electron microscopy. In both normal and biligrafin injected groups, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), vacuoles, Golgi apparatus and lysosomes were seen in the vicinity of bile canaliculus. In the biligrafin injected groups, however, the Golgi apparatus appeared to be decreased and ER and vacuoles were dilated and increased. The rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) having a few attached ribosomes appeared to be the round saccule, especially at 20 min after biligrafin injection. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) seemed to be formed by the detachment of ribosomes at the cisternal end of RER. The cistern of SER showed saccules which probably budded off to form the vacuole. The vacuoles were devoid of visible centents. This finding seemed to be in agreement with the biochemical property of the bile constituents. The fusion between the vacuoles and bile canaliculus were frequently seen in the groups injected with biligrafin. The lysosome did not show any changes in the biligrafin injected groups. Accumulation of some material and lipid droplets were seen at the 40 and 80 min after biligrafin injection, especially at the latter. At 160 and 320 min after biligrafin injections, however, they were decreased successively while the RER stack, free ribosomes and polysomes were increased. Although the reactive products of TPPase and IDPase were observed in the ER saccules and vesicles of the normal control and biligrafin injected groups, the fusion between the bile canaliculus and saccules or vesicles could easily be seen in the latter. The AcPase activity, however, was observed in the cistern at the maturing face of Golgi apparatus and lysosomes in both normal and biligrafin groups. The results suggest that the biligrafin is excreted via the vesicles, vacuoles or sacoules probably derived from the SER without the participation of Golgi apparatus and lysosomes, and the excess amount of material is stored as inclusions during the repairing of the organelles being overactive.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.231-239
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• 2020

Many benefits of silk protein fibroin (SPF) have been suggested in biomedical applications; and notably, significant SPF effects have been observed for metabolic syndromes that are directly linked to insulin resistance, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Based on our previous findings, we believe that SPF from spiders exhibits outstanding glucose-lowering effects in diabetic BKS.Cg-m+/+Lepr^db mice. In order to evaluate the dietary effects of SPF in diabetic animals, we generated several lines of transgenic rice (TR) that expresses SPF, and the feeding of TR-SPF to diabetic animals decreased blood glucose levels, but did not change insulin levels. Western blot analyses of hepatic proteins showed that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) expression and phosphorylation both decreased in TR-SPF-fed groups, compared with controls. This finding suggests that the glucose-lowering effects in this diabetic animal model might be AMPK-independent. In contrast, six-transmembrane protein of prostate 2 (STAMP2) was upregulated after TR-SPF exposure. Together with STAMP2, the Akt protein phosphorylation increased after TR-SPF exposure, which indicates that STAMP2 leads to Akt phosphorylation and thus increases insulin sensitivity in hepatocytes. Importantly, the hepatic steatosis that was seen in the liver of diabetic mice was remarkably alleviated in TR-SPF-fed mice. Hepatocytes that were immunopositive for STAMP2 were overwhelmingly observed in hepatic tissues from TR-SPF-fed mice compared to the control. Taken together, these results suggest that feeding diabetic mice with TR-SPF upregulates STAMP2 expression and increases Akt phosphorylation in hepatic tissues and thus potentially alleviates insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis.