• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• 제6권3호
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• pp.53-58
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• 2015

Recombinant erythropoietins (EPOs) are an important class of biotherapeutics that stimulate red blood cell production. The quality, safety, and potency of EPO variants are determined largely by their glycosylation, which makes up nearly half their mass. Thus, detailed glycomic analyses are important to assess biotherapeutic quality and establish the equivalency of biosimilar EPOs now coming to market. High-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) has recently emerged as the premier tool for glycan analysis in EPOs. Using the accurate mass measurements provided by high-resolution MS, the compositions of even large, complex glycans can easily be determined. When combined with a nano-LC separation, differentiation of structural isomers also becomes a possibility. These components, together, provide a comprehensive picture of biotherapeutic glycosylation. In this review, we provide an overview of MS-based analytical platform for glycomic characterization of EPO biotherapeutics and biosimilars.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.184-190
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• 2010

Clinical cases of pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) have been reported during the recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) therapy for the anemia patients. PRCA is a rare hematological disorder leading to a severe anemia due to an almost complete stop of red blood cell production. Antibody (Ab)-associated PRCA is caused by the EPO-neutralizing Abs that eliminate the biological activity of EPO. In order to detect anti-EPO Abs in human sera, we performed conventional ELISA, directly coated bridging ELISA, and streptavidin coated bridging ELISA, and compared their sensitivity and specificity. Some false positive results were obtained in the conventional ELISA. One positive sample was detected successfully by streptavidin coated bridging ELISA, which was not appeared in the directly coated bridging ELISA. In conclusion, streptavidin coated bridging ELISA was substantially sensitive and specific format and one out of sixty-eight serum samples was proved to be anti-EPO positive.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.17-22
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• 2007

We have expressed human erythropoietin (EPO) in transgenic mice using a recombinant EPO cDNA combined with a partial TPO construct. The gene was microinjected using standard techniques and five mice were detected as transgenic by PCR and further used as founders. The life span of the transgenic founders was much shorter than that of their normal littermates. Most of the tissues of the transgenic founders contained human EPO transcripts as judged by RT-PCR. Especially high expression levels were seen in the liver and lung. EPO protein levels in serum were examined by ELISA and ranged from 266-414 mIU/ml. The number of red blood cell, white blood cell and hemoglobin in the hEPO transgenic mice was higher than in normal mice. These results indicate that overexpression of hEPO is deleterious and can provoke lung failure and erythrocytosis.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.152-162
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• 2020

Cerebral ischemia exhibits a multiplicity of pathophysiological mechanisms. During ischemic stroke, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration rises to a peak during reperfusion, possibly underlying neuronal death. Recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) supplementation is one method of treating neurodegenerative disease by reducing the generation of ROS. We investigated the therapeutic effect of PEGylated EPO (P-EPO) on ischemic stroke. Mice were administered P-EPO (5,000 U/kg) via intravenous injection, and middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by reperfusion was performed to induce in vivo ischemic stroke. P-EPO ameliorated MCAO-induced neurological deficit and reduced behavioral disorder and the infarct area. Moreover, lipid peroxidation, expression of inflammatory proteins (cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase), and cytokine levels in blood were reduced by the P-EPO treatment. In addition, higher activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) was found in the brain after MCAO, but NF-κB activation was reduced in the P-EPO-injected group. Treatment with the NF-κB inhibitor PS-1145 (5 mg/kg) abolished the P-EPO-induced reduction of infarct volume, neuronal death, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress. Moreover, P-EPO was more effective than EPO (5,000 U/kg) and similar to a tissue plasminogen activator (10 mg/kg). An in vitro study revealed that P-EPO (25, 50, and 100 U/mL) treatment protected against rotenone (100 nM)-induced neuronal loss, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and NF-κB activity. These results indicate that the administration of P-EPO exerted neuroprotective effects on cerebral ischemia damage through anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties by inhibiting NF-κB activation.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제60권6호
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• pp.181-188
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• 2017

Purpose: Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is a significant cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Erythropoietin (EPO) is emerging as a therapeutic candidate for neuroprotection. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the neuroprotective role of recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO) and the possible mechanisms by which mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway including extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), JNK, and p38 MAPK is modulated in cultured cortical neuronal cells and astrocytes. Methods: Primary neuronal cells and astrocytes were prepared from cortices of ICR mouse embryos and divided into the normoxic, hypoxia (H), and hypoxia-pretreated with EPO (H+EPO) groups. The phosphorylation of MAPK pathway was quantified using western blot, and the apoptosis was assessed by caspase-3 measurement and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Results: All MAPK pathway signals were activated by hypoxia in the neuronal cells and astrocytes (P<0.05). In the neuronal cells, phosphorylation of ERK-1/-2 and apoptosis were significantly decreased in the H+EPO group at 15 hours after hypoxia (P<0.05). In the astrocytes, phosphorylation of ERK-1/-2, p38 MAPK, and apoptosis was reduced in the H+EPO group at 15 hours after hypoxia (P<0.05). Conclusion: Pretreatment with rHuEPO exerts neuroprotective effects against hypoxic injury reducing apoptosis by caspase-dependent mechanisms. Pathologic, persistent ERK activation after hypoxic injury may be attenuateed by pretreatment with EPO supporting that EPO may regulate apoptosis by affecting ERK pathways.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제34권4호
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• pp.289-297
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• 2010

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a glycoprotein hormone secreted from primarily cells of the peritubular capillary endothelium of the kidney, and is responsible for the regulation of red blood cell production. We constructed and expressed dimeric cDNAs in Chinease hamster ovary (CHO) cells encoding a fusion protein consisting of 2 complete human EPO domains linked by a 2-amino acid linker (Ile-Asp). We described the activity of dimeric hyperglycosylated EPO (dHGEPO) mutants containing additional oligosaccharide chains and characterized the function of glycosylation. No dimeric proteins with mutation at the $105^{th}$ amino acid were found in the cell medium. Growth and differentiation of the human EPO-dependent leukemiae cell line (F36E) were used to measure cytokine dependency and in vitro bioactivity of dHGEPO proteins. MIT assay at 24 h increased due to the survival of F36E cells. The dHGEPO protein migrated as a broad band with an average molecular mass of 75 kDa. The mutant, dHGEPO, was slightly higher than the wild-type (WT) dimeri-EPO band. Enzymatic N-deglycosylation resulted in the formation of a narrow band with a molecular mass twice of that of of monomeric EPO digested with an N-glycosylation enzyme. Hematocrit values were remarkably increased in all treatment groups. Pharmacokinetic analysis was also affected when 2.5 IU of dHGEPO were intravenously injected into the tails of the mice. The biological activity and half-life of dHGEPO mutants were enhanced as compared to the corresponding items associated the WT dimeric EPO. These results suggest that recombinant dHGEPO may be attractive biological and therapeutic targets.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제2권4호
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• pp.336-342
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• 1994

The general pharmacological properties of EPO were investigated in various animals administering intravenously and in vitro system. The results were as follows. 1. Central nervous system: EPO at doses of 70, 700, 7000 U/kg showed no effect In mice on general behavior, on strychnine- and pentetrazol-induced convulsion and on acetic acid-induced writhing syndrome. The hexobarbital-induced sleeping time in mice was slightly reduced by EPO at a dose of 7000 U/kg but did not change at doses of 70, 700 U/kg. The body temperature in rats was slightly decreased by EPO at doses of 700, 7,000 U/kg but the change was in normal physiological range. 2. Respiratory and cardiovascular system: EPO showed no effect on respiratory rate, blood pressure, heart rate, femoral blood flow, and electrocardiogram in anesthetized dogs at doses of 70, 700, 7000 U/kg. 3. Smooth muscle: EPO at concentrations of 70, 700 U/ml had no effect on the contractile response of isolated guinea pig ileum to histamine and acetylcholine. 4. Water and electrolytes excretion: EPO at dose above 700 U/kg increased urine volume in rats but did not affect the concentrations of $Na^{+},\;K^{+},\;Cl^{-}$ in urine. 5. Gastrointestinal system: EPO(70, 700, 7000 U/kg) had no effect on the intestinal charcoal meal propulsion 6. Blood coagulation system: The administration of EPO(70, 700, 7000 U/kg) had no effect on the plasma prothrombin time(PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT) in mice. Platelet aggregation induced by ADP and collagen was not influenced by EPO(70 U/ml, 700 U/ml). The overall results obtained indicated that EPO exerts almost no serious pharmacological effect even at a 100-fold clinical dose(7000 U/kg).

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제53권10호
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• pp.898-908
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• 2010

Purpose: The neuroprotective effects of erythropoietin (EPO) have been recently shown in many animal models of brain injury, including hypoxic-ischemic (HI) encephalopathy, trauma, and excitotoxicity; however, limited data are available for such effects during the neonatal periods. Therefore, we investigated whether recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO) can protect against perinatal HI brain injury via an antiapoptotic mechanism. Methods: The left carotid artery was ligated in 7-day-old Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat pups ($in$ $vivo$ model). The animals were divided into 6 groups: normoxia control (NC), normoxia sham-operated (NS), hypoxia only (H), hypoxia+vehicle (HV), hypoxia+rHuEPO before a hypoxic insult (HE-B), and hypoxia+rHuEPO after a hypoxic insult (HE-A). Embryonic cortical neuronal cell culture of SD rats at 18 days gestation ($in$ $vitro$ model) was performed. The cultured cells were divided into 5 groups: normoxia (N), hypoxia (H), and 1, 10, and 100 IU/mL rHuEPO-treated groups. Results: In the $in$ $vivo$ model, Bcl-2 expressions in the H and HV groups were lower than those in the NC and NS groups, whereas those in the HE-A and HE-B groups were greater than those of the H and HV groups. The expressions of Bax and caspase-3 and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 were in contrast to those of Bcl-2. In the $in$ $vitro$ model, the patterns of Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 expression and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio were similar to the results obtained in the in vivo model. Conclusion: rHuEPO exerts neuroprotective effect against perinatal HI brain injury via an antiapoptotic mechanism.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제27권5호
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• pp.577-582
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• 2009

The development of a high-throughput functional genomic screening provides a novel and expeditious approach in identifying critical genes involved in specific biological processes. Here we describe a cell-based cDNA screening system to identify the transcription activators of BiP, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone protein. BiP promoter contains the ER stress element which is commonly present in the genes involved in unfolded protein response (UPR) that regulates protein secretion in cells. Therefore, the positive regulators of BiP may also be utilized to improve the recombinant protein production through modulation of UPR. Four BiP activators, including human UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase 1 (HUGT1), are identified by the cDNA screening. Overexpression of HUGT1 leads to a significant increase in the production of recombinant erythropoietin, interferon ${\gamma}$, and monoclonal antibody in HEK293 cells. Our results demonstrate that the cDNA screening for BiP activators may be effective to identify the novel BiP regulators and HUGT1 may serve as an ideal target gene for improving the recombinant protein production in mammalian cells.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.221-233
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• 2009

목 적 : 신장에서 분비되어 적혈구를 생산하는 빈혈제로 알려진 에리스로포이에틴(Erythropoietin, EPO)은 단순히 피를 만드는 조혈기능 뿐 아니라 최근 신경계 보호 및 신경강화 효과가 있다고 발표되고 있지만 주산기 가사로 인한 저산소성 허혈성 뇌병증의 치료제로서 그 기전이 명확하게 밝혀지지 않았다. 저자들은 유전자 재조합 인 에리스로포이에틴(recombinant Human EPO, rHuEPO)을 이용하여 주산기 저산소성 허혈성 뇌병증의 치료제로서 N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) 수용체와 관련된 흥분성 독성작용을 통한 조절 등 그 기전을 알아보고자 하였다. 방 법 : 재태기간 19일된 태아 백서의 대뇌피질 세포를 배양하여 정상산소군은 5% $CO_2$ 배양기(95% air, 5% $CO_2$)에 두었고, 저산소군과 농도별 뇌손상 전 rHuEPO 투여군(1, 10, 100 IU/mL)은 1% $O_2$ 배양기(94% $N_2$, 5% $CO_2$)에서 6시간 동안 뇌세포손상을 유도하였다. 세포성장과 생존력을 평가하기 위해 MTT 실험을 시행하였다. 동물 모델에서는 생후 7일된 신생백서의 좌측 총 경동맥을 결찰한 후 6개 군; 정상산소군, sham-operated군, 저산소-허헐성군, 저산소-허헐성+vehicle군, 저산소-허헐성 손상 전 rHuEPO 투여군, 저산소-허헐성 손상 후 rHuEPO 투여군으로 나누었고, 저산소-허헐성 손상은 특별히 제작한 통속에서 2시간 동안 8% $O_2$ (8% $O_2$, 92% $N_2$)에 노출시켰다. rHuEPO은 뇌손상 전후 30분에 체중 kg당 1000 IU를 투여하였고, 저산소-허헐성 손상 후 7일째 조직을 실험하였다. 적출한 조직으로 H&E 염색을 하여 뇌손상을 형태학적으로 관찰하였다. 세포배양 및 동물실험에서 NMDA 수용체의 아단위인 NR1, NR2A, NR2B, NR2C, NR2D를 이용하여 실시간 중합효소연쇄반응을 실시하였다. 결 과 : 저산소군에서 세포 생존률은 정상산소군보다 60% 감소하였으며, rHuEPO 투여군(1, 10 IU/mL)은 80% 증가하였다. rHuEPO 투여군(100 IU/mL)은 회복되지 않았다. 우측 반구 대비 좌측 반구의 범위는 정상산소군 98.9%, sham-operated군 99.1%, 저산소-허헐성군 57.1%, 저산소-허헐성+vehicle군 57.0%, 저산소-허헐성 손상 전 rHuEPO 투여군 87.6%, 저산소-허헐성 손상 후 rHuEPO 투여군 91.6%으로 나타났다. NMDA 수용체의 아단위 생체외 실험에서 실시간 중합효소연쇄반응의 결과 NMDA 수용체 아단위 mRNA의 발현은 rHuEPO 투여군에서 저산소군보다 모두 증가하였다. 결 론 : 본 연구에서 rHuEPO은 흥분성 독성작용과 관련되어 NMDA 수용체를 조절하면서 저산소성 허헐성 뇌손상을 보호하는 것을 알 수 있었다.