• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.69-78
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• 2001

Cyclooxygenase (COX) is an enzyme, which catalyzes the production of prostaglandins from arachi-donic acid and exists in two isoforms (COX-1 and COX-2). COX-1 is involved in the maintenance of physiological functions such as platelet aggregation, cytoprotection in the stomach and maintenance of normal kidney function. COX-2 is induced significantly in vivo under inflammatory conditions. COX-1 and COX-2 serve different physiological and pathological functions. All commercially available nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are inhibitors of both COX-1 and COX-2. Therefore, selective inhibitors of COX-2 may be effective antiinflammatory agents without the ulcerogenic effects associated with current NSAms. Since the mid 1990s, a number of reports have been appeared on the preparation and biological activity of selective COX-2 inhibitors. Recently celecoxib, and rofecoxib, the representative COX-2 inhibitors, are introduced in the drug market. In this paper the relationship of structure-activity for selective COX-2 inhibitors is reviewed.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.225-236
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• 1989

1) At the isolated perfused guinea-pig and rat heart heterometric autoregulation of the myocardium and myogenic autoregulation of the coronary vessels were induced by means of stepwise increases of perfusion pressure. 2) According to this loading test Frank-Starling function curves of the left ventricle and pressure-flow curves of the coronary vessels can be drawn. This graphic evaluation gives more information about the condition of the heart and the coronary vessels than simple evaluation under hemodynamic equilibrium. 3) There are significant differences in both curves between animal species and between different perfusate Mg concentration. 4) Myogenic autoregulation is not affected by the cyclooxygenase inhibitors indometacin and me- clofenamate. Thus it appears unlikely that prostanoides are involved in myogenic autoregulation. 5) Ca antagonists (Gallopamil, prenylamine) depress myogenic autoregulation dose-dependently. Enhanced myogenic autoregulation, induced by low extracellular magnesium, can be reduced effectively by Gallopamil. 6) Ginsenosides from Panax ginseng as well as the ginsenoside 'Rg' are effective inhibitors of myogenic autoregulation without major negative inotropic effects.

• Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2007

Distributions of physiological inhibitors of a tau-type pumpkin glutathione S-transferase(CmGSTU3) have been investigated in different organs of pumpkin plants, including the onion bulb and water hyacinth root. Inhibitory effects were observed in alcoholic extracts of all plant parts, but the extracts prepared from the roots of either water hyacinth or pumpkin plant showed the highest effect on CmGSTU3 toward 1-chloro-2,4- dinitrobenzene(CDNB). Results of various chromatographies indicated that a number of inhibitory substances were present in the alcoholic extract of each plant organ. Some macromolecules in the plant extracts exhibited inhibitory effects; however, the extracts might contain a large number of unknown low-molecular-weight inhibitory substances. Some of the low-molecular-weight inhibitors in water hyacinth root extract showed characteristics fluoresce under UV light.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.9
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• pp.559-565
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• 2011

Protein kinase C (PKC) is a central enzyme that modulates numerous biological functions. For this reason, specific PKC inhibitors/activators are required to study PKC-related signaling mechanisms. To date, although many PKC inhibitors have been developed, they are limited by poor selectivity and nonspecificity. In this review, we focus on the nonspecific actions of PKC inhibitors on cardiovascular ion channels in addition to their PKC-inhibiting functions. The aim of this paper is to urge caution when using PKC inhibitors to block PKC function. This information may help to better understand PKC-related physiological/biochemical studies.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.207-214
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• 2010

The tremendous changes of uterine endometrium are observed during early pregnancy and protease and their inhibitors are involved in regulation of cell proliferation and remodeling of the tissues through remodeling the extracellular matrix (ECM). Some of the proteases and protease inhibitors have been suspected to a factor in endometrial changes but many parts of their expression profiles and the physiological roles are not uncovered. To evaluate the functional roles of them, in this study the expression profiles of proteases and protease inhibitors were analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR analysis. Mmp9 (matrix metalloproteinase 9) mRNA levels peaked on day 4 at the time of implantation. On the other hand, Ela2 (neutrophil elastase, NE) mRNA levels were peaked on day 2 of pregnancy. Its expression were decreased until day 4 of pregnancy but increased rapidly until day 7 of pregnancy and decreased again. NE inhibitor Slpi (secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor, SLPI) mRNA levels were related with the implantation stage and with the levels of Ela2. At the time of implantation the expression levels of Slpi mRNA were about 5 times higher than the Ela2 mRNA in the uterus. In the implantation stage embryos, Mmp9 specific mRNA was only detected at the blastocyst. On the other hand, the expression level of SLPI was higher than that of the Ela2 mRNA at blastocyst and 4.5 day p.c. embryos. Based on these results it is suggested that MMP9, SLPI, and NE have important physiological role in embryo implantation both in uterus and embryos.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.829-833
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• 2002

Angiogenesis is an essential event in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. Therefore, effective inhibition of this event is a promising strategy for treating angiogenesis-related diseases, including cancer. The current study investigated two unique bafilomycin-type macrolide inhibitors of angiogenesls, PC-766B' (1) and PC-766B (2). The strain RK97-56 which produced the inhibitors was identified as Nocardia sp. by chemotaxonomic analyses, and the purification of the inhibitors was guided by their anti-angiogenic activities. PC-766B' (1) and PC-766B (2) exhibited potent inhibitory activities towards endothelial cell migration stimulated by the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8047-8052
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• 2016

Proteases are important molecules that are involved in many key physiological processes. Protease signaling pathways are strictly controlled, and disorders in protease activity can result in pathological changes such as cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, cancer and neurological disorders. Many proteases have been associated with increasing tumor metastasis in various human cancers, suggesting important functional roles in the metastatic process because of their ability to degrade the extracellular matrix barrier. Proteases are also capable of cleaving non-extracellular matrix molecules. Inhibitors of proteases to some extent can reduce invasion and metastasis of cancer cells, and slow down cancer progression. In this review, we focus on the role of a few proteases and their inhibitors in tumors as a basis for cancer prognostication and therapy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.132-132
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• 1998

It has been known that MAO (monoamine oxidase) catalyses the oxidation of endogenous neurotransmitter amines. From its key role in the regulation of some physiological amines, it has been the target of inhibitors used as antidepressive agents. In our continuing search for MAO inhibitors from Basidiomycete. sp., strain 8082 was selected. Two metabolites (8082-1 and 8082-2) were isolated by adsorption chromatography and HPLC from the culture broth of strain 8082. The structure of 8082-1 and 8082-2 were elucidated by $^1$H-, $\^$13/C-NMR and HMBC spectral data, and these products were identified as 5-methylmellein and nectriapyrone, respectively, which have significant inhibitory effect against mouse brain MAO.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.184-190
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• 2022

Targeting the cystine/glutamate exchange transporter, system x_c^-, is a promising anticancer strategy that induces ferroptosis, which is a distinct form of cell death mediated by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. The concentration of ⳑ-cystine in culture medium is higher than the physiological level. This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of ⳑ-cystine concentration on the efficacy of ferroptosis inducers in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. This study showed that treatment with sulfasalazine or erastin, a system x_c^- inhibitor, decreased the viability of Huh6 and Huh7 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and the degree of growth inhibition was greater in medium containing a physiological ⳑ-cystine concentration of 83 µM than in commercial medium with a concentration of 200 µM ⳑ-cystine. However, RSL3, a glutathione peroxidase 4 inhibitor, decreased cell viability to a similar extent in media containing both ⳑ-cystine concentrations. Sulfasalazine and erastin significantly increased the percentages of propidium iodide-positive cells in media with 83 µM ⳑ-cystine, but not in media with 200 µM ⳑ-cystine. Sulfasalazine- or erastin-induced accumulation of lipid peroxidation as monitored by C11-BODIPY probe was higher in media with 83 µM ⳑ-cystine than in media with 200 µM ⳑ-cystine. In contrast, the changes in the percentages of propidium iodide-positive cells and lipid peroxidation by RSL3 were similar in both media. These results showed that sulfasalazine and erastin, but not RSL3, were efficacious under conditions of physiological ⳑ-cystine concentration, suggesting that medium conditions would be crucial for the design of a bioassay for system x_c^- inhibitors.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.334-342
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• 2013

Proteases and protease inhibitors play key roles in most physiological processes, including cell migration, cell signaling, and cell surface and tissue remodeling. Among these, the matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) pathway is one of the most efficient biosynthetic pathways for controlling the activation of enzymes responsible for protein degradation. This also indicates the association of MMPs with the maturation of spermatozoa. In an attempt to investigate the effect of MMP activation and inhibitors in cultures with various hormones during sperm capacitation, we examined and monitored the localization and expression of MMPs (MMP-2 and MMP-9), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP-2 and TIMP-3), as well as their expression profiles. Matured spermatozoa were collected from cultures with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and Lutalyse at 1 h, 6 h, 18 h, and 24 h. ELISA detected the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-2, and TIMP-3 in all culture media, regardless of medium type (FSH-supplemented fertilization Brackett-Oliphant medium (FFBO), LH-supplemented FBO (LFBO), or Lutalyse-supplemented FBO (LuFBO)). TIMP-2 and TIMP-3 expression patterns decreased in LFBO and LuFBO. MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity in FBO and FFBO progressively increased from 1 h to 24 h but was not detected in LFBO and LuFBO. The localization and expression of TIMP-2 and TIMP-3 in sperm heads was also measured by immunofluorescence analysis. However, MMPs were not detected in the sperm heads. MMP and TIMP expression patterns differed according to the effect of various hormones. These findings suggest that MMPs have a role in sperm viability during capacitation. In conjunction with hormones, MMPs play a role in maintaining capacitation and fertilization by controlling extracellular matrix inhibitors of sperm.