• Toxicological Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.73-82
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• 2001

The incidence and distribution of necrotic and apoptotic neural cells, and activated astrocytes in the brain of rats intoxicated intra peritoneally with diisopropylfluorophosphate were investigated. Pyridostigmine bromide (0.1 mg/kg) and atropine methylnitrate (20 mg/kg) were pretreated intramuscularly 30 min and 10 min, respectively, prior to diisopropylfluorophosphate (4-10 mg/kg) administration. Diisopropylfluorophosphate induced severe limbic seizures, early necrotic and delayed apoptotic brain injuries, and rapid astrocytic responses. The necrosis, which was closely related to seizure intensity, was observed as early as 1 hr after intoxication predominently in hippocampal pyramidal cells, cerebellar Purkinje cells and neurons in pyriform/entorhinal cortices, showing malacia of neurophils. In contrast, apoptosis started to appear 12 hr after intoxication in neurons in thalamus, amygdala and neocortex, and ephendymal cells surrounding the 4th ventricle. Since marked apoptosis was induced in rats exhibiting relatively-low seizure intensity, the degree of necrosis and apoptosis was shifted to each type of injury according to the seizure intensity. Activated astrocytes, observed within 1 hr along the limbic system, were suggested to affect the neural injury patterns by producing high level of nitric oxide. However, the distribution of activated astrocytes was not in parallel with those of necrotic or apoptotic injuries, implying that the astrocytic responses resulted from seizure activity rather than neural injuries. Furthermore, astrocytes in malacic tissues disappeared during the severe limbic seizures. Therefore, it would be one of the cautionary notes on the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein in astrocytes as a biochemical marker of brain injuries following acute exposure to organophosphates.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2016

The current study investigated the anti-obesity effect of Cissus quadrangularsis extracts (CQR-300) and its molecular action mechanism on obese mice induced high-fat diet (HFD). To induce the obesity, mice were fed a HFD for 6 weeks and then fed HFD only or HFD with CQR-300 at 50 and 200 mg/kg. Then, body weight gain and white adipose tissue weights were measured. We investigated the reduction in body fat and the regulation of fatty acid synthesis was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and real-time PCR with Western blot, respectively. In vitro study, CQR-300 inhibited pancreatic lipase activity. The CQR-300 treatment was significantly decreased the body weight gain and adipocytes size as well as white adipose tissues weights in HFD-induced obese mice. Furthermore, CQR-300 reduced the body fat and fat mass with regulating of adipose tissue hormones as leptin. Treatment with 50 mg/kg CQR-300 showed effectively lower expression levels of adipogenesis/lipogenesis related genes and proteins such as CCAAT/enhancer binding protein ${\alpha}$ ($C/EBP{\alpha}$), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ ($PPAR{\gamma}$), Sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), and fatty acid synthase (FAS) in white adipose tissue (WAT) as compared with the HFD fed only mice. These results suggest that the CQR-300 has an anti-obesity effect via inhibition of lipase activity, decrease the body fat mass by regulating the adipogenesis and lipogenesis related genes and proteins in epididymal adipose tissue with evaluate body fat reduce in the HFD-induced obese mice.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.190-198
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• 2018

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease caused by microbial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), destroying gingival tissues and alveolar bone in the periodontium. In the present study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory and anti-osteoclastic effects of panduratin A, a chalcone compound isolated from Boesenbergia pandurata, in human gingival fibroblast-1 (HGF-1) and RAW 264.7 cells. Treatment of panduratin A to LPS-stimulated HGF-1 significantly reduced the expression of interleukin-$1{\beta}$ and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$), subsequently leading to the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-8 compared with that in the LPS control ($^{**}p$ < 0.01). These anti-inflammatory responses were mediated by suppressing the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and activator protein-1 complex formation pathways. Moreover, receptor activator of NF-${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells treated with panduratin A showed significant inhibition of osteoclastic transcription factors such as nuclear factor of activated T-cells c1 and c-Fos as well as osteoclastic enzymes such as tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and cathepsin K compared with those in the RANKL control ($^{**}p$ < 0.01). Similar to HGF-1, panduratin A suppressed osteoclastogenesis by controlling MAPK signaling pathways. Taken together, these results suggest that panduratin A could be a potential candidate for development as a natural anti-periodontitis agent.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1255-1261
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• 2005

The objective of this study was to evaluate the net flux response of nitrogen compounds (alpha-amino N, ammonia N, urea N, essential amino acids) across the portal-drained viscera (PDV), liver and total splanchnic tissues of mature wethers to increasing level of dietary fishmeal (FM) supplementation. Four wethers (average body weight, 64 kg) with chronic indwelling catheters into the portal, hepatic and mesenteric veins and the abdominal aorta were used in a 4${\times}$4 Latin square design. A basal diet consisting of 0.7 hay and 0.3 concentrate was fed twice daily with a fixed amount at 1.4 times maintenance energy (1.3 kg/day on a dry matter basis). The supplementation proportion of FM as treatment was 0, 0.03, 0.06 and 0.09 to the amount of the basal diet to contain 119, 137, 154 and 170 g crude protein per kg dietary dry matter, respectively. Blood flows through PDV and liver did not differ (p>0.05) among the treatments. Both net PDV release and hepatic uptake of alpha amino acid N increased linearly (p<0.05) in response to increased dietary FM, which resulted in similar total splanchnic release of alpha-amino N among the treatments. Similarly, increased dietary FM increased net PDV absorption and hepatic removal of ammonia N linearly (p<0.05). Hepatic synthesis and total splanchnic release of urea N increased linearly (p<0.01) with increased dietary FM, but PDV uptake of urea N did not respond to increased dietary FM. Linear regression equations between the increases in FM N intake and PDV net flux indicated that 0.34 and 0.30 of FM N was absorbed in the form of alpha-amino N and ammonia N, respectively. The results demonstrated that FM supplementation provides more alpha-amino N than ammonia N to the liver, but the alpha-amino acid N absorption is less than the expected metabolizable protein N from FM supplementation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.45-48
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• 2014

Aims: Early diagnosis is important for cervical cancer treatment. This study aimed to characteriz the microRNA profile and target gene protein levels of cervical cancers in Uygur women for application in early diagnosis. Methods: The profiles of miRNA in cervical cancer and chronic cervicitis were analyzed with miRNAmicroarray V4.0. The expression of miR-101 was detected by real-time PCR and locked nucleotide acid in situ hybridization (LNA-ISH). Cox-2 protein levels were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results: The microarray identified a set of 12 miRNAs significantly decreased in cervical cancer in comparison to the control group. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed miR-101 to be significantly downregulated in cancer tissues (p<0.05) while LNA-ISH showed miR-101 positive rates of 80% (20/25) and 8% (5/25) (p<0.05) in the control and cervical cancer groups. Cox-2 positive rates of cervical cancer and control groups were 84% (21/25) and 8% (2/25) (p<0.05). Conclusions: Use of down-regulation of miR-101 and up-regulation of Cox-2 as markers may play a role in early diagnosis of cervical cancer in Uygur women.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.333-337
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• 2012

Gene expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) changes in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) depending on feeding conditions, which is decreased during food deprivation and restored by refeeding, and phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein (pCREB) was suggested to play a role in its regulation. This study was conducted to examine if the fasting-induced down-regulation of the PVN-nNOS expression is restored by activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (cAMP/PKA) pathway. Freely moving rats received intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of cAMP/PKA activator Sp-cAMP (40 nmol) or vehicle (sterilized saline) following 48 h of food deprivation. One hour after drug injections, rats were transcardially perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde, and the PVN tissues were processed for nNOS or pCREB immunohistochemistry. Sp-cAMP significantly increased not only nNOS but also pCREB immunoreactivities in the PVN of food deprived rats. Fastinginduced down-regulation of the PVN-nNOS was restored by 1 h after the icv Sp-cAMP. Results suggest that cAMP/PKA pathway may mediate the regulation of the PVN-nNOS expression depending on different feeding conditions.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.127-135
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• 2006

Objectives: The extent of bone formation that occurs at the interface of metallic implants and bone is determined by the number and activity of osteoblastic cells. Stress proteins may be contributing determinants of cell viability in altered environments. Hsp27 is a small Mr hsp which is known as a molecular chaperone. Methods: To better understand how heat shock protein 27 contributes to endosseous implant - associated metal ions affects on osteoblastic cell viability, the effect of chromium and titanium ions were compared to effects of cadmium ions in the ROS17/2.8 osteoblastic cell line. Results: ROS17/2.8 osteoblastic cell line demonstrated ion - specific reductions in growth; reductions were significantly greater for cadmium than for chromium or titanium. Chromium impaired growth of cultures without altering cell viability measured using the MTT assay. A stable transformed cell line expressing additional hsp27(clone "A7") was resistant to the toxic effects of titanium and partially protected from cadmium toxicity. Conclusions: A role for hsp27 in protection of osteoblastic cells from metal ion toxicity is supported by the chromium - induced elevations in hsp27 abundance and the behavior of the A7 cell line in response to metal ions in culture. Similar biochemical responses to altered cellular environments may contribute to the fate of tissues adjacent to select metallic implants.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.2909-2914
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• 2015

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of quercetin on radiation induced lung injury (RILI) and related mechanisms. Materials and Methods: Mice treated with radiation and/or quercetin were sacrificed at 1-8 weeks after irradiation under anesthesia. Lung tissues were collected for histological examination. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blotting were performed to detect the protein expression of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ ($NF-{\kappa}B$) and Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway. Results: Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining showed that radiation controls displayed more severe lung damage than quercetin groups, either high or low dose. Results of IHC and Western blotting demonstrated the expression level of $NF-{\kappa}B$ to be decreased and that of an inhibitor of $NF-{\kappa}B$ ($I{\kappa}b-{\alpha}$) to be increased by the quercetin intervention compared with the radiation control group. Numbers of JNK/SAPK, p38 and p44/p42 positive inflammatory cells were decreased in the radiation+quercetin injection group (P<0.05). Conclusions: Quercetin may play a radio-protective role in mice lung via suppression of $NF-{\kappa}B$ and MAPK pathways.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.149-159
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• 1998

In order to observe the anticellulolytic localization in the epithelia of the digestive tract such as esophagus, crop, and intestine of a Korean land snail N. samarangae, a cytochemical method and a immunogold labelling method were applied. For the cytochemical study on the cellulase activity, Benedict reaction method applied. And for the immunocytochemical study, the rabbit serum immunoglobuins (IgG) was obtained from the rabbits injected with cellulase which was extracted from body fluid of the snail. The digestive tract tissues of N. samarangae were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and 2% OsO4 and embedded in Lowicryl K4M at -40$^{\circ}C$ under UV light (360 nm). The thin sections were loaded on the nickel grids and stained with the serum IgG and protein A-gold complex (particle size: 10 nm). Observations were undertaken with transmission electron microscope (Jeol, JEM-1010). The epithelium of the digestive tract was consisted of five types of cells. In the cytochemical study, the reaction products were found along the periphery of the vacuoles derived from the Bebedict reaction. In the immunocytochemical study, the protein-A gold particles were selectively labelled in Type 1, Type 3 and Type 4 cells in intestinal tissue. membranes of rER, in the surrounding cytoplasm of the rER and secretory granules, and in the apical cytoplasm of the cells. On the material being secreted from the apical cytoplasm was also labelled with the immunogold particles. The all results obtained throughtout present study suggest that the intestinal epithelium of the snail N. samarangae seretes cellulase as one of digestive enzymes.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.161-166
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• 2012

The deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) protein mediates attractant responses to netrin during axonogenesis. In the rat trigeminal ganglia (TG), axons must extend toward and grow into the trigeminal nerve to innervate target tissues such as dental pulp. Our present study aimed to investigate the expression of DCC in the TG. Four developmental timepoints were assessed in the experiments: postnatal days 0, 7 and 10 and adulthood. RT-PCR and western blotting revealed that the expression of DCC mRNA and protein does not significantly change throughout development. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that DCC expression in the TG was detectable in the perikarya region of the ganglion cells during development. Nerve injury at 3 and 5 days after the mandibular nerve had been cut did not induce altered expression of DCC mRNA in the TG. Moreover, DCC-positive cell bodies also showed similar immunoreactive patterns after a nerve cut injury. The results of this study suggest that DCC constitutively participates in an axonogenesis attractant in ways other than expression regulation.