• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.321-330
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• 2021

Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the development of neuronal disorders including brain ischemic injury. Thioredoxin 1 (Trx1), a 12 kDa oxidoreductase, has anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic functions in various cells. It has been highly implicated in brain ischemic injury. However, the protective mechanism of Trx1 against hippocampal neuronal cell death is not identified yet. Using a cell permeable Tat-Trx1 protein, protective mechanism of Trx1 against hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death was examined using HT-22 cells and an ischemic animal model. Transduced Tat-Trx1 markedly inhibited intracellular ROS levels, DNA fragmentation, and cell death in H2O2-treatment HT-22 cells. Tat-Trx1 also significantly inhibited phosphorylation of ASK1 and MAPKs in signaling pathways of HT-22 cells. In addition, Tat-Trx1 regulated expression levels of Akt, NF-κB, and apoptosis related proteins. In an ischemia animal model, Tat-Trx1 markedly protected hippocampal neuronal cell death and reduced astrocytes and microglia activation. These findings indicate that transduced Tat-Trx1 might be a potential therapeutic agent for treating ischemic injury.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2014.05a
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• pp.299-302
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• 2014

Due to the convergence between digital devices and the development of wireless communication technology, bit-signal sensor miniaturization, building an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) which is a digital version of a paper chart that contains all of a patient's medical history and the information of Electronic Health Record (EHR), Ubiquitous healthcare (u-Healthcare) that can monitor their health status and provide personal healthcare service anytime and anywhere. Also, the appearance of cloud computing technology is one of the factors that accelerate the development of u-healthcare service. However, if the individual information to be used maliciously during the u-healthcare service utilization, leads to serious problems directly related to the individual's life because if it goes beyond the level of simple health screening and treatment, it may not provide accurate and reliable healthcare services. For this reason, we analyzed a variety of security issues related to u-healthcare service in cloud computing environment and described about directions of secure health information sharing system construction. In addition, we suggest the future developmental direction for th activation of u-healthcare industry.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.505-512
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• 2019

This study is a basic study to prepare safety measures for the tram that is being introduced into Korea by reviewing accident analysis and accident compensation system of the tram. Analysis of accident characteristics of the tram was analyzed based on overseas data. Five years after the inauguration of the tram, accidents were halved and stabilized. Deaths accounted for 0.5 % of all casualties, most accidents were minor. Accidents with other mean transportation were high 84.1 %, among them accidents with passenger cars was found to be highest. The frequent points of accidents were analyzed as intersections and tram stop, and measures for pedestrian accidents were found to be important. Those are proposed safety measures through analyzing tram accident characteristics: Monitoring accidents which occur within five years of its inauguration, developing accident database input system, installation of fences for preventing people from jaywalking, operating traffic signal for preventing people from jaywalking through connection of pedestrian signals and tram signals, clamping down on illegal U-turn cars and jaywalking pedestrian, Also, those are proposed accident treatment measures based on general driver receptively and overseas data: property damage liability coverage (PI) of car insurance, comparative negligence when the accident occurs between car and tram.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.191-197
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• 2019

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that mainly affects motor system with clinical features such as bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor and abnormal posture. PD is characterized by the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, which is associated with accumulation of oxidative stress and dysregulation of intracellular signaling pathway. Quercetin-3-O-glucuronide (Q3GA), a major metabolite of quercetin, has been reported to have neuroprotective effects. In this study, we examined the neuroprotective effect of Q3GA against 1-methyl-4-phenyl pyridinium ($MPP^+$)-induced neurotoxicity of PD and the underlying molecular mechanisms in SH-SY5Y cells. MTT and LDH assay showed that Q3GA significantly decreased $MPP^+$-induced cell death, which is accompanied by a reduction in poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Furthermore, it attenuated $MPP^+$-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) with the reduction of Bax/ Bcl-2 ratio. Moreover, Q3GA significantly increased the phosphorylation of Akt and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), but it has no effects on the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Taken together, these results demonstrate that Q3GA significantly attenuates $MPP^+$-induced neurotoxicity through ROS reduction and Akt/CREB signaling pathway in SH-SY5Y cells. Our findings suggest that Q3GA might be one of the potential candidates for the prevention and/or treatment of PD.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.129-134
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• 2019

In a previous study, we isolated 11 different kinds of compounds from ethyl acetate fractions of lees (jubak) which is a by-product of Korean traditional wine production. These compounds were identified as caffeic acid, coumaric acid, D-mannitol, ferulic acid, hesperetin, hesperidin, naringenin, naringin, sinapic acid, syringic acid, and vanilic acid. To evaluate their anti-inflammatory activities in an in vitro model, nitric oxide (NO) production was measured in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells after the treatment of these cells with each compound. Among the various chemicals, hesperetin and naringenin showed the highest inhibition of NO production in the LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells. Hesperetin was chosen for further study because of its strong anti-inflammatory activity and because the mechanisms underlying its anti-inflammatory properties still remain unclear. Our results showed that hesperetin dramatically inhibited NO production in a dose-dependent manner as compared with in an LPS-only treated group, without affecting cell viability. In addition, hesperetin reduced the protein expression of the pro-inflammatory gene inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in a dose-dependent manner, whereas it did not affect cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression. Furthermore, hesperetin inhibited phosphorylation of p38 mitogen- activated protein kinase (MAPK) and extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2, whereas it did not affect phosphorylation of c-jun N- terminal kinase (JNK). The results indicated that hesperetin regulated the LPS-induced inflammatory response by suppressing p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 signaling. Overall, our results may help to understand the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory activity mediated by hesperetin.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.326-333
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• 2020

Nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide (NO) pathway is a major alternative source of NO and is essential for NO - dependent physiological functions in body. Food supplements having nitrate/nitrite can improve metabolic syndromes including hypertension through antioxidant activity or vasodilation. The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of fermented garlic (F. garlic) having high concentration of NO2- on changes in blood flow and nitric oxide synthesis in the cerebral cortex of rodents. The generation of nitric oxide detected by a chemi-luminescence detector was higher in F. Garlic compared with NaNO2 solution under artificial gastric juice with pH 2.0. Ether F. garlic or NaNO2 diluted with artificial cerebrospinal fluid was directly applied into around the needle probe of laser Doppler flow meter that was located on epidural surface of the cortex. Direct application of F. garlic resulted in increase of cerebral blood flow detected by a laser Doppler flow meter with a dose-dependent manner. Compared with NaNO2 solution, F. garlic produced changes in cerebral blood flow at lower concentration of NO2-. Pretreatment of methylene blue, a guanylyl cyclase inhibitor prevented upregulation of cerebral blood flow by the treatment of F. garlic. In addition, the application of F. garlic with 250, 500ppm of NO2- caused significantly the production of NO in the cortical tissue but NaNO2 solution with 500ppm of NO2- did not. In summary, these results suggested that F. garlic with high content of NO2- induce increase in cerebral blood flow through nitric oxide-dependent signal pathway.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.211-219
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• 2021

Alopecia is a distressing condition caused by the dysregulation of anagen, catagen, and telogen in the hair cycle. Dermal papilla cells (DPCs) regulate the hair cycle and play important roles in hair growth and regeneration. Myristoleic acid (MA) increases Wnt reporter activity in DPCs. However, the action mechanisms of MA on the stimulation of anagen signaling in DPCs is not known. In this study, we evaluated the effects of MA on anagen-activating signaling pathways in DPCs. MA significantly increased DPC proliferation and stimulated the G2/M phase, accompanied by increasing cyclin A, Cdc2, and cyclin B1. To elucidate the mechanism by which MA promotes DPC proliferation, we evaluated the effect of MA on autophagy and intracellular pathways. MA induced autophagosome formation by decreasing the levels of the phospho-mammalian target of rapamycin (phospho-mTOR) and increasing autophagy-related 7 (Atg7) and microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3II (LC3II). MA also increased the phosphorylation levels of Wnt/β-catenin proteins, such as GSK3β (Ser9) and β-catenin (Ser552 and Ser675). Treatment with XAV939, an inhibitor of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, attenuated the MA-induced increase in β-catenin nuclear translocation. Moreover, XAV939 reduced MA-induced effects on cell cycle progression, autophagy, and DPC proliferation. On the other hand, MA increased the levels of phospho (Thr202/Tyr204)-extracellular signal regulated kinases (ERK). MA-induced ERK phosphorylation led to changes in the expression levels of Cdc2, Atg7 and LC3II, as well as DPC proliferation. Our results suggest that MA promotes anagen signaling via autophagy and cell cycle progression by activating the Wnt/β-catenin and ERK pathways in DPCs.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.65 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2022

We examined the anti-inflammatory properties of Nostoc commune HCW0811 in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. The anti-inflammatory activity of HCW0811 on viability of treated cells was assessed by measuring the level of expression of NO, prostaglandin E₂ and pro-inflammatory cytokines, namely interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α in HCW0811 treated RAW 264.7 macrophages. HCW0811 was non-toxic to cells and inhibited the production of cytokines in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition its treatment suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in a dose-dependent manner, and concomitantly decreased the protein expressions of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. Moreover, the levels of the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase family proteins such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, p38, and nuclear factor kappa B were reduced by HCW0811. These findings suggest that the HCW0811 collected from Daejeon National Cemetery have anti-inflammatory effects, and demonstrated its efficacy in cell-based in vitro assays.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.75-87
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• 2021

Type I Interferons (IFNα) are known for their role as biological anticancer agents owing to their cell-apoptosis inducing properties. Development of an appropriate, cost-effective host expression system is crucial for meeting the increasing demand for proteins. Therefore, this study aims to develop codon-optimized IFNα-2b in L. lactis NZ3900. These cells express extracellular protein using the NICE system and Usp₄₅ signal peptide. To validate the mature form of the expressed protein, the recombinant IFNα-2b was screened in a human colorectal cancer cell line using the cytotoxicity assay. The IFNα-2b was successfully cloned into the pNZ8148 vector, thereby generating recombinant L. lactis pNZ8148-SP_Usp45-IFNα-2b. The computational analysis of codon-optimized IFNα-2b revealed no mutation and amino acid changes; additionally, the codon-optimized IFNα-2b showed 100% similarity with native human IFNα-2b, in the BLAST analysis. The partial size exclusion chromatography (SEC) of extracellular protein yielded a 19 kDa protein, which was further confirmed by its positive binding to anti-IFNα-2b in the western blot analysis. The crude protein and SEC-purified partial fraction showed IC₅₀ values of 33.22 ㎍/ml and 127.2 ㎍/ml, respectively, which indicated better activity than the metabolites of L. lactis NZ3900 (231.8 ㎍/ml). These values were also comparable with those of the regular anticancer drug tamoxifen (105.5 ㎍/ml). These results demonstrated L. lactis as a promising host system that functions by utilizing the pNZ8148 NICE system. Meanwhile, codon-optimized usage of the inserted gene increased the optimal protein expression levels, which could be beneficial for its large-scale production. Taken together, the recombinant L. lactis IFNα-2b is a potential alternative treatment for colorectal cancer. Furthermore, its activity was analyzed in the WiDr cell line, to assess its colorectal anticancer activities in vivo.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.47-53
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• 2021

Objectives : Currently, the alopecia is one of the most emotionally stressful syndromes in human life. Human hair dermal papilla cells (HDPCs) play an essential role in controlling hair growth and in regulating hair cycle. We performed MTT assay, cell cycle, and western blot to determine the effects of essential oil from Coicis Semen (ECS) on hair growth in HDPCs. Methods : We monitored cell proliferations by MTT assay in HDPCs. After setting up the safe and effective concentration range to be treated ECS, cell cycle analysis was performed using flow cytometry. Also, the protein expression of hair growth-related factors such as insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), Wnt, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), serine/threonine-specific protein kinase (Akt) in HDPCs was determined by western blot. Results : As results, cell proliferation was increased in ECS group compared to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) group and minoxidil (MNXD) group. Cell number of ECS group was more decrease in sub G1 phase than cell number of DMSO group. Also, cell number of ECS group increased compared to cell number of DMSO group in G1 phase. Protein expression of ECS group was higher than protein expression of DMSO group on related hair growth factors (IGF-1, Wnt, ERK, Akt). Conclusion : As mentioned above, ECS increased cell proliferation and the protein expression of IGF-1, Wnt, ERK, and Akt. These results suggest that ECS could be used as a potential material for the treatment of alopecia by increasing the proliferation of HDPCs.