• Proceedings of the SCSK Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.13-34
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• 2003

Fructose-1, 6-diphosphate (FOP), a glycolytic metabolite is reported to ameliorate inflammation and inhibit the nitric oxide production in murine macrophages stimulated with endotoxin. It is also reported that FOP has cytoprotective effects against hypoxia or ischemia/reperfusion injury in brain and heart. In this study, we examined whether FDP has protective effects on UV-induced oxidative damage in skin cell culture system and human skin in vivo. FDP had a protective role in UVB-induced LDH release and ROS accumulation in HaCaT although it did not show direct radical scavenging effect in the experiment using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). FDP also preserved cellular GSH content after UV irradiation in HaCaT and normal human fibroblast culture system. Cellular oxidative stress induces multiple downstream signaling pathways that regulate expression of multiple gene including MMP-1 and collagen, we examined the effects of FDP on UV-induced alteration of these protein expression in fibroblast culture and human skin in vivo. The increased MMP-1 expression in fibroblast and human skin by UV irradiation was significantly decreased by FDP. FDP also prevented the UV-induced decrease of collagen expression in fibroblast and human skin. Moreover, the decreasing the intracellular levels of reducing equivalents in human fibroblast by glutathione (GSH) depletion lowered the UVA dose threshold for reduction of procollagen expression, indicating that the differences of glutathione contents define the susceptibility of fibroblasts towards UV-induced reduction of procollagen expression. FDP also preserved cellular GSH content after UV irradiation, indicating that FDP has protective effects on UV-induced reduction of procollagen expression, which are possibly through maintaining intracellular reducing equivalent. Based on these premises, we examined the effect of daily use of a moisturizer containing FDP on facial wrinkle in comparison with vehicle moisturizer lacking FDP. In the clinical study, FDP significantly decreased facial wrinkle compared with vehicle alone after 6 months of use. Our results suggest that FDP has anti-aging effects in skin by increasing cellular antioxidant system and preventing oxidative signal and inflammatory reaction. Therefore FDP may be useful anti-aging agent for cosmetic purpose.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.847-854
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• 2016

Cordycepin, a derivative of the nucleoside adenosine, is one of the active components extracted from fungi of genus Cordyceps, and has been shown to have many pharmacological activities. In this study, we investigated the effects of cordycepin on proliferation and apoptosis of human gastric cancer AGS cells, and its possible mechanism of action. Treatment of cordycepin resulted in significant decrease in cell viability of AGS cells in a concentration-dependent manner. A concentration-dependent apoptotic cell death was also measured by agarose gel electrophoresis and flow cytometery analysis. Molecular mechanistic studies of apoptosis unraveled cordycepin treatment resulted in an enhanced expression of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, death receptor 5 and Fas ligand. Furthermore, up-regulation of pro-apoptotic Bax, and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression were also observed in cordycepin-treated AGS cells. These were followed by activation of caspases (caspase-9, -8 and -3), subsequently leading to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Taken together, these findings indicate that cordycepin induces apoptosis in AGS cells through regulation of multiple apoptotic pathways, including death receptor and mitochondria. Although further mechanical studies are needed, our results revealed that cordycepin can be regarded as a new effective and chemopreventive compound for human gastric cancer treatment.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.443-451
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating effects of depression, academic helplessness, and smartphone addiction tendency in the relationship between self-esteem and grit of adolescents. Data from the 2018 (first-year) Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey were used in this study. The subjects of this study were 1,375 male and 1,166 female students in seventh grade school. The multiple mediation model analysis was conducted using the SPSS and PROCESS macro program. The results of this study are as follows. First, there was a positive correlation between self-esteem and grit, while self-esteem and grit had negative correlations with depression, academic helplessness, smartphone addiction. Second, it was found that the relationship between self-esteem and grit was mediated by depression, academic helplessness, and smartphone addiction tendency, respectively, and furthermore, it was found that all pathways mediated sequentially were also significant. These results suggest that education and intervention considering self-esteem, depression, academic helplessness, and smartphone addiction to be useful as a way to help adolescents develop interest in specific goals and continue their efforts in these days when smartphone use is common.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.418-425
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• 2024

Solid tumors are heterogeneous populations of multiple cell types. While the majority of the cells that comprise cancer are unable to divide, cancer stem cells have self-renewal and differentiation properties. Normal stem cell pathways that control self-renewal are overactivated in cancer stem cells, making cancer stem cells important for cancer cell expansion and progression. Dick first proposed the definition of cancer stem cells in acute myeloid leukemia, according to which cancer stem cells can be classified based on the expression of cell surface markers. Cancer stem cells maintain their potential in the tumor microenvironment. Multiple cell types in the tumor microenvironment maintain quiescent cancer stem cells and serve as regulators of cancer growth. Since current cancer treatments target proliferative cells, quiescent state cancer stem cells that are resistant to treatment increase the risk of recurrence or metastasis. Various signals of the tumor microenvironment induce changes to become a tumor-supportive environment by remodeling the vasculature and extracellular matrix. To effectively treat cancer, cancer stem cells and the tumor microenvironment must be targeted. Therefore, it is important to understand how the tumor microenvironment induces reprogramming of the immune response to promote cancer growth, immune resistance, and metastasis. In this review, we discuss the cellular and molecular mechanisms that can enhance immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.77-90
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• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this review Is to provide an update on novel radiation treatments for head and neck cancer Recent Findings: Despite the remarkable advances In chemotherapy and radiotherapy techniques, the management of advanced head and neck cancer remains challenging. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) Is an appealing target for novel therapies In head and neck cancer because not only EGFR activation stimulates many important signaling pathways associated with cancer development and progression, and importantly, resistance to radiation. Furthermore, EGFR overexpression Is known to be portended for a worse outcome in patients with advanced head and neck cancer. Two categories of compounds designed to abrogate EGFR signaling, such as monoclonal antibodies (Cetuxlmab) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ZD1839 and 051-774) have been assessed and have been most extensively studied In preclinical models and clinical trials. Additional TKIs In clinical trials include a reversible agent, Cl-1033, which blocks activation of all erbB receptors. Encouraging preclinical data for head and neck cancers resulted In rapid translation Into the clinic. Results from Initial clinical trials show rather surprisingly that only minority of patients benefited from EGFR inhibition as monotherapy or In combination with chemotherapy. In this review, we begin with a brief summary of erbB- mediated signal transduction. Subsequently, we present data on prognostic-predictive value of erbB receptor expression in HNC followed by preclinlcal and clinical data on the role of EGFR antagonists alone or in combination with radiation In the treatment of HNC. Finally, we discuss the emerging thoughts on resistance to EGFR biockade and efforts In the development of multiple-targeted therapy for combination with chemotherapy or radiation. Current challenges for investigators are to determine (1 ) who will benefit from targeted agents and which agents are most appropriate to combine with radiation and/or chemotherapy, (2) how to sequence these agents with radiation and/or cytotoxlc compounds, (3) reliable markers for patient selection and verification of effective blockade of signaling in vivo, and (4) mechanisms behind intrinsic or acquired resistance to targeted agents to facilitate rational development of multi-targeted therapy, Other molecuiar-targeted approaches In head and neck cancer were briefly described, Including angloenesis Inhibitors, farnesyl transferase inhibitors, cell cycle regulators, and gene therapy Summary: Novel targeted theraples are highly appealing in advanced head and neck cancer, and the most premising strategy to use them Is a matter of intense Investigation.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.279-286
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• 2020

Purple loosestrife-Lythrum anceps (Koehne) Makino is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Lythraceae family. It has been used for centuries in Korea and other Asian traditional medicine. It has been showed pharmacological effects, including anti-oxidant and anti-microbial effects. However, the mechanisms underlying its anti-cancer effect are not yet understood. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of apoptosis signaling pathways by ethanol extract of Lythrum anceps (Koehne) Makino (ELM) in human leukemia U937 cells. Treatment with ELM significantly inhibited cell growth in a dose-dependent manner by inducing apoptosis, as evidenced by the formation of apoptotic bodies (ApoBDs), DNA fragmentation and increased populations of sub-G1 ratio. Induction of apoptosis by ELM was connected with up-regulation of death receptor (DR) 4 and DR5, pro-apoptotic Bax protein expression and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein, and inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family proteins, depending on dosage. This induction was associated with Bid truncation, mitochondrial dysfunction, proteolytic activation of caspases (-3, -8 and -9) and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase protein. Therefore, our data indicate that ELM suppresses U937 cell growth by activating the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways, and thus may have applications as a potential source for an anti-leukemic chemotherapeutic agent.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.347-358
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• 2016

Brassinosteroid (BR), a plant steroid hormone, plays key roles in numerous growth and developmental processes as well as tolerance to both abiotic and biotic stress. To understand the biological networks involved in BR-mediated signaling pathways and stress tolerance, we performed comparative genome-wide transcriptome analysis of a constitutively activated BR bes1-D mutant with an Agilent Arabidopsis $4{\times}44K$ oligo chip. As a result, we newly identified 1,091 (562 up-regulated and 529 down-regulated) significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The combination of GO enrichment and protein network analysis revealed that stress-related processes, such as metabolism, development, abiotic/biotic stress, immunity, and defense, were critically linked to BR signaling pathways. Among the identified gene sets, we confirmed more than a 6-fold up-regulation of NB-ARC and FLS2 in bes1-D plants. However, some genes, including TIR1, TSA1 and OCP3, were down-regulated. Consistently, BR-activated plants showed higher tolerance to drought stress and pathogen infection compared to wild-type controls. In this study, we newly developed a useful, comprehensive method for large-scale identification of critical network and gene sets with global transcriptome analysis using a microarray. This study also showed that gain of function in the bes1-D gene can regulate the adaptive response of plants to various stressful conditions.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.787-795
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• 2021

Eupatorium chinensis var. simplicifolium (EUC) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Young sprouts of EUC have been used as food for a long time, and the whole EUC plant has been used as an herbal remedy in oriental medicine. Arteriosclerosis, or chronic inflammation in arterial vessels, is a cardiovascular disease and is involved in various disorders. Cardiovascular diseases such as restenosis and neuropathic hyperplasia are mainly caused by abnormal growth and movement due to multiple growth factors in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a mitogen released from damaged vessel walls and is involved in the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. To determine the effects of EUC on the abnormal proliferation and migration of VSMCs, the present study investigated intracellular signaling pathways in PDGF-BB-induced VSMCs treated with and without EUC. Pretreating PDGF-BB-induced VSMCs with EUC tended to effectively decrease cell proliferation and migration. Subsequently, the intracellular growth-related signaling pathways of AKT, phospholipase C gamma (PLC-γ), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) were investigated using western blotting to confirm inhibited phosphorylation. Furthermore, flow cytometry data showed that EUC blocked the cell cycle of VSMCs. These results suggest that EUC can inhibit the proliferation and migration of VSMCs by controlling the cell cycle and growth factor receptors. Furthermore, this indicates that EUC can be used as a preventative against cardiovascular disease resulting from abnormal proliferation and migration of VSMCs.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.436-445
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• 2023

Methane (CH₄) emissions from rice paddies are mainly observed using the closed chamber method or the eddy covariance method. In this study, a new observation technique combining a portable gas analyzer (Model LI-7810, LI-COR, Inc., USA) and an automatic opening/closing chamber (Model Smart Chamber, LI-COR, Inc., USA) was introduced based on the strengths and weaknesses of the existing measurement methods. A cylindrical collar was manufactured according to the maximum growth height of rice and used as an auxiliary measurement tool. All types of measured data can be monitored in real time, and CH₄ flux is also calculated simultaneously during the measurement. After the measurement is completed, all the related data can be checked using the software called 'SoilFluxPro'. The biggest advantage of the new observation technique is that time-series changes in greenhouse gas concentrations can be immediately confirmed in the field. It can also be applied to small areas with various treatment conditions, and it is simpler to use and requires less effort for installation and maintenance than the eddy covariance system. However, there are also disadvantages in that the observation system is still expensive, requires specialized knowledge to operate, and requires a lot of manpower to install multiple collars in various observation areas and travel around them to take measurements. It is expected that the new observation technique can make a significant contribution to understanding the CH₄ emission pathways from rice paddies and quantifying the emissions from those pathways.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2008

UV irradiation causes skin-aging involving coarse wrinkles, thickening, dyspigmentation, and rough skin surface. These phenomena in complex skin tissue is controlled with receptor of cell surface growth factor and cytokine receptors. The activation of receptors induces multiple downstream signaling pathways including expression of MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases). This study was aimed to elucidate the mechanism for anti-wrinkle activity of Korean red ginseng, Torilis fructus and Corni fructus mixture (KTNG0345). In this animal study, we have investigated decreasing effects of Korean red ginseng mixture on MMP-3 synthesis through diminishing $TNF-{\alpha}$ signaling that express MMP-1, -3, and -9. c-Jun and c-fos as a component of transcription factor AP-1 (activator protein-1) were analyzed the expression level using real time PCR and western blotting. c-Jun was decreased dose dependent manner both gene and protein level where as cfos was not changed. In upstream, JNK and PAK was not changed, but p38 was decreased in down stream. MMP-3, final product in this pathway was significantly decreased in dose dependent manner. These results suggest that Korean red ginseng mixture have a anti-wrinkle activity through $TNF-{\alpha}$ mediated MMPs expression pathway.