• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.87-92
• /
• 2001

Carbon monoxide (CO) binds to soluble guanylate cyclase to lead its activation and elicits smooth muscle relaxation. The vascular tissues have a high capacity to produce CO, since heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2) is constitutively expressed in endothelial and smooth muscle cells, and HO-1 can be greatly up-regulated by oxidative stress. Moreover, the substrate of HO, heme, is readily available for catalysis in vascular tissue. Although the activation of heme oxygenase pathway under various stress conditions may provide a defence mechanism in compromised tissues, the specific role of HO-1-derived CO in the control of aortic contractility still remains to be elucidated. The present study was done to determine the effect of HO-1 induction on the aortic contractility. Thus, the effects of incubation of aortic tissue with S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) for 1 hr on the aortic contractile response to phenylephrine were studied. The preincubation with SNAP resulted in depression of the vasoconstrictor response to phenylephrine. This effect was restored by HO inhibitor or methylene blue but not by NOS inhibitor. The attenuation of vascular reactivity by preincubation with SNAP was also revealed in endothelium-free rings. $AlF4^--evoked$ contraction in control did not differ from that in SNP-treated group. These results suggest that increased production of CO was responsible for the reduction of the contractile response to phenylephrine in aortic ring preincubated with SNAP and this effect of SNAP was independent on endothelium.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.447-451
• /
• 1999

Silver has the highest electrical conductivity of all metals and consequently this property is an attractive feature which makes it a leading candidate for use in electronic devices. The research conducted was focused primarily on the development of a process for obtaining a deposited silver-coating onto alumina, for applications related to electrical-conducting devices and, ancillarily, catalysts. Alumina balls and plane substrates were utilized for the investigation. The coating process employed an aqueous ammoniacal silver-nitrate electrolytes with a formaldehyde solution as the reductant. Modifying additives-an activator which would be expected to promote good deposition-characteristics onto the (dielectric) substrate and an inhibitor which would obviate homogeneous reduction (precipitation) of silver was observed when the activator-containing silver-electrolyte reductant constituents were combined. However, the silver-electrolyte/reductant system with inhibitor could be employed (at 8$0^{\circ}C$) to achieve a viable (subject to future research optimization) coating on alumina. The influence of the processing temperature on the deposition process was delineated during the course of the research. The morphology of the deposited-silver on the alumina balls was assessed by SEM imaging. A tape-peel test was employed, with the plane substrates, to semi-quantitatively characterize the adhesion to the alumina.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.31 no.11
• /
• pp.1576-1582
• /
• 2021

Bacterial β-glucuronidase in the intestine is involved in the conversion of 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptochecin glucuronide (derived from irinotecan) to 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin, which causes intestinal bleeding and diarrhea (side effects of anti-cancer drugs). Twelve compounds (1-12) from Polygala tenuifolia were evaluated in terms of β-glucuronidase inhibition in vitro. 4-O-Benzoyl-3'-O-(O-methylsinapoyl) sucrose (C3) was highly inhibitory at low concentrations. C3 (an uncompetitive inhibitor) exhibited a k_i value of 13.4 μM; inhibitory activity increased as the substrate concentration rose. Molecular simulation revealed that C3 bound principally to the Gln158-Tyr160 enzyme loop. Thus, C3 will serve as a lead compound for development of new β-glucuronidase inhibitors.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.56 no.8
• /
• pp.451-456
• /
• 2023

Deubiquitinases (DUBs) are an essential component of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). They trim ubiquitin from substrate proteins, thereby preventing them from degradation, and modulate different cellular processes. Ubiquitin-specific protease 14 (USP14) is a DUB that has mainly been studied for its role in tumorigenesis in several cancers. In the present study, we found that the protein levels of USP14 were remarkably higher in gastric cancer tissues than in the adjacent normal tissues. We also demonstrated that the inhibition of USP14 activity using IU1 (an USP14 inhibitor) or the inhibition of USP14 expression using USP14-specific siRNA markedly reduced the viability of gastric cancer cells and suppressed their migratory and invasive abilities. The reduction in gastric cancer cell proliferation due to the inhibition of USP14 activity was a result of the increase in the degree of apoptosis, as evidenced by the increased expression levels of cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP. Furthermore, an experiment using the USP14 inhibitor IU1 revealed that the inhibition of USP14 activity suppressed 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance in GC cells. Collectively, these findings indicate that USP14 plays critical roles in gastric cancer progression and suggest its potential to serve as a novel therapeutic target for gastric cancer treatment.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.44-52
• /
• 2023

This protocol clarifies a simple and precise method for measuring the activity of xanthine oxidase (XO) enzyme inhibitor. XO enzyme, which accelerates oxidative stress-related disorders through its capacity to generate hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion radicals (O₂^•-), has been found to be inhibited by several plant extracts. Enzyme samples were incubated with a suitable buffer containing adequate amounts of xanthine as a substrate to determine XO activity. The method depends on direct measurements of uric acid and hydrogen peroxide production to test XO with and without interference. The CUPRAC reagent (Cu(Nc)₂²⁺) was used to inhibit enzyme reaction after incubation was complete. The generated urate and peroxide reduced the Cu(II)-neocuproine complex (Cu(Nc)₂²⁺) to a brightly colored Cu(I)-neocuproine complex (Cu(Nc)₂⁺), which was assessed with a spectrophotometer at 450 nm. XO activity was found to be directly related to the increased absorbance of the colored Cu(I)-neocuproine complex (Cu(Nc)₂⁺). To eliminate catalase enzyme interference, the proposed method used sodium azide and was validated against XO activity using the UV method in matched samples with t-test analysis. The proposed assay can determine XO activity with high precision, as indicated by the correlation coefficient (R² = 0.9935) from comparison with the reference protocol.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.8-17
• /
• 2011

To identify and examine the distribution of proteolytic inhibitory activity in crude extracts from fish eggs, and to determine the applicability of these protease inhibitors as anti-degradation agents in surimi-based products and fish meat, we compared the inhibitory activities of various extracts from fish eggs to those of commercial proteases, such as trypsin and papain. We used the optimal conditions for the screening of trypsin activity: 30 ug/uL of 0.1% trypsin and 0.6 mM Na-benzoyl-L-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA) with a pH of 8.0 at $40^{\circ}C$ for 60 min. The activities of papain and four commercial proteases were investigated after mixing with 100 ug/uL enzymes and 0.3% casein with a pH of 8.0 at $40^{\circ}C$ for 60 min. We performed a screening assay to detect the inhibitory activity (%) of crude extracts from eight species of fish eggs against the target proteases trypsin and papain. The assay revealed a wide distribution of trypsin and papain inhibitors in fish eggs. The specific inhibitory activities (11.6.28.6 U/mg) of crude extracts from fish eggs against trypsin and BAPNA substrate were higher than that (0.64 U/mg) of egg whites, used as a commercial inhibitor. The inhibitory activities of crude extracts from fish eggs against trypsin, and of egg whites against casein substrate (1.94.4.51 U/mg), were higher than those of papain (0.24.1.57 U/mg) and commercial protease (0.04.0.32 U/mg). The extracts from fish eggs were rich in protease inhibitors that exhibited strong inhibitory activity against trypsin, a serine protease, and papain, a cysteine protease.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.385-390
• /
• 2010

Excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation is the main feature of chronic renal disease including diabetic nephropathy. Plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 is known to play an important role in renal ECM accumulation in part through suppression of plasmin generation and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activation. The present study examined the effect of PAI-1 antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) on fibronectin upregulation and plasmin/MMP suppression in primary mesangial cells cultured under high glucose (HG) or transforming growth factor (TGF)-${\beta}1$, major mediators of diabetic renal ECM accumulation. Growth arrested and synchronized rat primary mesangial cells were transfected with $1\;{\mu}M$ phosphorothioate-modified antisense or control mis-match ODN for 24 hours with cationic liposome and then stimulated with 30 mM D-glucose or 2 ng/ml TGF-${\beta}1$. PAl-1 or fibronectin protein was measured by Western blot analysis. Plasmin activity was determined using a synthetic fluorometric plasmin substrate and MMP-2 activity analyzed using zymography. HG and TGF-${\beta}1$ significantly increased PAI-1 and fibronectin protein expression as well as decreased plasmin and MMP-2 activity. Transient transfection of mesangial cells with PAI-1 antisense ODN, but not mis-match ODN, effectively reversed basal as well as HG- and TGF-${\beta}1$-induced suppression of plasmin and MMP-2 activity. Both basal and upregulated fibronectin secretion were also inhibited by PAI-1 antisense ODN. These data confirm that PAI-1 plays an important role in ECM accumulation in diabetic mesangium through suppression of protease activity and suggest that PAI-1 antisense ODN would be an effective therapeutic strategy for prevention of renal fibrosis including diabetic nephropathy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.14
• /
• pp.5747-5751
• /
• 2014

Background: Coptisine, an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from Coptidis rhizoma, has many biological activities such as antidiabetic, antimicrobial and antiviral actions. However, whether coptisine exerts anti-cancer metastasis effects remains unknown. Materials and Methods: Effects of coptisine on highly metastatic human breast cancer cell MDA-MB-231 proliferation were evaluated by trypan blue assay and on cell adhesion, migration and invasion by gelatin adhesion, wound-healing and matrigel invasion chamber assays, respectively. Expression of two matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), MMP-9, MMP-2 and their specific inhibitors tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2) were analyzed by RT-PCR. Results: Coptisine obviously inhibited adhesion to an ECM-coated substrate, wound healing migration, and invasion through the matrigel in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. RT-PCR revealed that coptisine reduced the expression of the ECM degradation-associated gene MMP-9 at the mRNA level, and the expression of TIMP-1 was upregulated in MDA-MB-231 cells, while the expression of MMP-2 and its specific inhibitor TIMP-2 was not affected. Conclusions: Taken together, our data showed that coptisine suppressed adhesion, migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in vitro, the down-regulation of MMP-9 in combination with the increase of TIMP-1 possibly contributing to the anti-metastatic function. Coptisine might be a potential drug candidate for breast cancer therapy.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.19 no.5
• /
• pp.25.1-25.8
• /
• 2016

The fractionation of serine protease inhibitor (SPI) from fish roe extracts was carried out using polyethylene glycol-4000 (PEG4000) precipitation. The protease inhibitory activity of extracts and PEG fractions from Alaska pollock (AP), bastard halibut (BH), skipjack tuna (ST), and yellowfin tuna (YT) roes were determined against target proteases. All of the roe extracts showed inhibitory activity toward bromelain (BR), chymotrypsin (CH), trypsin (TR), papain-EDTA (PED), and alcalase (AL) as target proteases. PEG fractions, which have positive inhibitory activity and high recovery (%), were the PEG1 fraction (0-5 %, w/v) against cysteine proteases (BR and PA) and the PEG4 fraction (20-40 %, w/v) against serine proteases (CH and TR). The strongest specific inhibitory activity toward CH and TR of PEG4 fractions was AP (9278 and 1170 U/mg) followed by ST (6687 and 2064 U/mg), YT (3951 and 1536 U/mg), and BH (538 and 98 U/mg). The inhibitory activity of serine protease in extracts and PEG fractions from fish roe was stronger than that of cysteine protease toward common casein substrate. Therefore, SPI is mainly distributed in fish roe and PEG fractionation effectively isolated the SPI from fish roes.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.668-674
• /
• 1990

Tempeh-type fermented products were prepared from soybean, sorghum or mixture of soybean and sorghum(1 : 1) with the traditional Indonesian inoculum(LARU : mixed cultures of Rhizopus oligosporus). Fermentation increased protein and fiber contents in the soybean tempeh(ST) and tempeh of soybean-sorghum mixture(SSM). Fat content was slightly higher in sorghum tempeh(SGT) and SSM than that of control. During the fermentation, pH, soluble solid and soluble nitrogen were increased, while no significant change was found in the total solids. The trypsin inhibitor activity(TIA) and phytic acid content decreased after 32 hrs fermentation. It is suggested that Rhizopus oligosporus is capable of hydrolyzing trypsin inhibitor and phytic acid of the substrate. Thiamine and niacin contents increased in all samples as compared with the unfermented control. In amino acid level, there were some decreased in total amino acids after 32 hrs fermentation in three types of tempeh. While the concentrations of lysine, valine. tyrosine and alanine in ST, SGT and SSM were increased those of serine and glutamic acid were decreased in compare to the unfermented control.