• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.51-64
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• 2002

We have compared(using the same series of experimental tissue samples) the levels of proteolytic enzyme activities and free radical-induced protein damage in synovial fluid from RA and CPH cases. Many protease types showed significantly increased (typically by a factor of approximately 2-3-fold) activity in RA, compared to normal rats. However, CPH significantly reduced the cytoplasmic enzyme activities of arginyl aminopeptidase, leucyl aminopeptidase, pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase, tripeptidyl aminopeptidase, and proline endopeptidase to almost about 1/10 each. For the Iysosomal proteases, synovial fluid samples from RA rats, CPH significantly reduced the enzyme activities of cathepsin B, dipeptidyl aminopeptidase I and dipeptidyl aminopeptidase II. In extracellular matrix degrading(collagenase, tissue elastase) and leukocyte as sociated proteases (leukocyte elastase, cathepsin G), CPH decreased these enzyme activities of collagenase, tissue elastase and leukocyte associated elastase in RA. In cytoplasmic and lysosomal protease activities in plasma from RA. CPH and normal plasma samples were not significantly different, suggesting that altered activity of plasma proteases (particularly those enzymes putatively involved in the immune response) is not a contributory factor in the pathogenesis of RA. In addition, the level of free radical induced damage to synovial fluid proteins was approximately twice that in RA, compared with CPH. CPH significantly decreased the level of ROS induced oxidative damage to synovial fluid proteins (quantified as protein carbonyl derivative). Therefore we conclude that both proteolytic enzymes and free radicals are likely to be of equal potential importance as damaging agents in the pathogenesis of inflammatory joint disease, and that the design of novel therapeutic strategies for patients with the latter disorder should include both protease inhibitory and free radical scavenging elements. In addition, the protease inhibitory element should be designed to inhibit the action of a broad range of protease mechanistic types (i.e. cysteine-, metallo- and serine- proteinases and peptidases). However, increased protein damage induced by ROS could not be rationalised in terms of compromised antioxidant total capacity, since the latter was not significantly altered in RA synovial fluid or plasma compared with CPH.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.10
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• pp.977-982
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• 2003

Purpose : This study aimed to examine the excretion of various urinary proteins in children with a history of urinary tract infection(UTI), with or without vesicoureteral reflux(VUR) or reflux nephropathy, and to identify means of predicting the severity of VUR or the presence of reflux nephropathy as indicated by these markers, and to know how these markers are changed after resolution of VUR. Methods : We studied 30 children with previous UTI, without VUR and renal scarring(group I), 12 children with VUR, without evidence of renal scarring(group II), and 34 children with VUR and renal scarring(group III). 24-hour or 12-hour urine ${\beta}_2$ microglobulin(${\beta}_2$ MG), microalbumin and N-acetyl-${\beta}$-D-glucosaminidase(NAG) were measured in each child. Urinary protein excretions were analyzed according to the degree of VUR(mild VUR : a grade reflux I-III, severe VUR : a grade reflux IV-V). Cases of bilateral VUR were graded by the higher grade of reflux detected. A total of 46 children with primary VUR were followed. Among these patients, VUR was completely resolved in 16 children. Voiding cystourethrography(VCUG) and DMSA scan were performed every year. Values for urinary markers were estimated every year. Results : 24 or 12 hour urine microalbumin and NAG excretions were significantly increased in group III compared to group I(microalbumin : $27.7{\pm}26.0mg/gCr$ vs $15.0{\pm}10.7mg/gCr$, P<0.05, NAG : $15.2{\pm}18.7U/gCr$ vs $3.4{\pm}2.2U/gCr$, P<0.05). Urinary ${\beta}_2$ MG excretions were not significantly different between groups. Urinary NAG excretions were elevated in the group of children with severe VUR compared to mild VUR($26.8{\pm}27.1U/gCr$ vs $7.6{\pm}3.8U/gCr$, P<0.05). After resolution of VUR, urinary microalbumin and NAG excretions were decreased(P<0.05). Conclusion : Urinary microalbumin and NAG may be useful clinical indicators to predict the presence of reflux nephropathy and the resolution of VUR. Especially, urinary NAG excretions may be used as a possible method to predict the severity of VUR.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.60-66
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• 1986

The muscles of wild and cultured eel, Anguilla japonica, were analyzed for the protein composition and amino acid profile. The differences of the subunit distribution for the sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins were discussed with sodium dodecylsulfate(SDS) polyacryamide gel electrophoresis. The muscle protein in wild eel was composed of $30.78\%$ of sarcoplasmic, $59.02\%$ of myofibrillar, $9.73\%$ of residual intracellular and $2.47\%$ of stroma fraction. That in cultured eel was composed of $31.81\%,\;58.37\%,\;8.16\%\;and\;1.80%$, respectively, The sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins were composed of 16 and 14 subunits in wild eel, and 22 and 15 subunts in cured eel. The sarcoplasmic protein between wild and cultured muscles showed a similar trend in the subunits, except a few subunits such as 36,500, 46,000, 58,500, 75,000, 170,000 and 235,000 daltons in cultured eel. Only the existence of 45,000 dalton subunit was the difference between wild and cultured eel in myofibrillar protein. The distribution patterns of total amino acid in muscles of wild and cultured eel were found to be very similar trend, although glycine content in wild eel was slightly higher than that in cultured one.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.171-181
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• 2012

Lysine is the first limiting essential amino acid in cereals for humans and monogastric animals, although its content is generally low. A chemically induced high-lysine barley mutant, M98, has an agronomically undesirable shrunken endosperm trait. In order to obtain detailed insight into the atypical traits of M98 grains, we characterized amino acid composition and protein profiles of M98 and its parent cultivar Chalssalbori. Among a total of 16 amino acids, the percentage of each of the 7 amino acids, including lysine, was 1.2~1.8 times higher in M98, comparing to Chalssalbori. The percentage of proline and its precursor, glutamic acid, in M98 was about the half of that of the amino acids in Chalssalbori, but arginine synthesized from glutamic acid was 1.8 times higher in M98, compared that in the parent cultivar. Theses results indicated that the mutation in M98 grains might alter the proportion of amino acids linked to each other in a biosynthetic pathway. A comparison of grain proteome profiles between Chalssalbori and M98 revealed 70 differentially expressed protein spots, where 45 protein spots were up-regulated and 25 protein spots down-regulated in M98 compared to those in Chalssalbori. Of these changed protein spots, 53 were identified using nano-electrospray ionization liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Most of these identified proteins were involved in various biological processes. In particular, 28 protein spots such as ${\beta}$-amylase, serpins and B3-hordein were identified as proteins associated with the atypical traits of M98. It was thought that a genetic study on the unique protein profile of M98 would be needed to develop an agronomically feasible barley cultivar with high-lysine trait.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.333-340
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• 2005

In this study, the radioprotective effects of Grifola umbellata hot water extracts (Gu-extract) on mice were investigated. Single pre-administration of Gu-extract increased the 40-day survival ratio of irradiated mice from 65.5％ to 78.6％. The growth of 3 week old male mice in the irradiated group was slightly retarded as compared to those of the control and Gu-extract treated mice. The average spleen and thymus weights of the irradiated mice were lower than those of the control and Gu-extract treated mice. The weight reduction of testis in the irradiated mice was significant. While it was relatively slight in the Gu-extract treated mice as compared to that of control mice. No significant difference in the weight was observed in heart, kidney or liver among three groups. The leukocytes of the Gu-extract treated mice did not decrease dramatically as in the irradiated group, but recovery patterns were similar in both groups. Reduction of erythrocytes were similar in both groups but its recovery occurred more rapidly in the extract treated group. The glucose level of the Gu-extract treated group did not change during the period examined, while it was still higher in the irradiated group than the level in the control group in two weeks. The cholesterol levels in the irradiated and the Gu-extract treated groups were higher than that of control group on day 7, but decreased to the level of the control group on day 14. No difference was observed in total protein amount of the serum among the three groups. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the soluble proteins extracted from various organs did not reveal differences to any extent in all groups except in the livers of the irradiated and extract treated groups, in which some proteins were missing or less present.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.328-337
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• 1990

The incividual and combined effects of the chloroacetanilide herbicide pretilachlor and of the safener fenclorim on the growth and selected physiological processes of rice (Oryza sativa L., var 'Lemont')were evaluated under greenhouse and laboratory conditions. Fenclorim applied at rates ranging from 50 to 300 g a.i./ha antagonized the injurious effects caused by 150 to 900 g a.i./ha of pretilachlor on 15-day old wet-sown rice grown under greenhouse conditions. When used rates of 150 g/ha or higher, fenclorim reversed completely the effects of all doses of pretilachlor on rice. When the two compounds were given simultaneously, fenclorim enhanced the uptake of $^{14}C$pretilachlor into rice leaf mesophyll protoplasts measured for 1 hr, indicating that competition for uptake at the protoplast level is not involved in the protective action of this safener. The safener-induced stimulation of pretilachlor uptake was particularly evident when fenclorim was used at concentrations of 10, 20 and $40{\mu}M$. Following 4 hr of incubation, individual treatments with pretilachlor inhibited the in vitro incorporation of radiolabeled precursors into proteins, DNA, and lipids of rice leaf protoplasts only when used at the high concentration of $100{\mu}M$M. Individual treatments with high concentrations (10 or $100{\mu}M$) of the safener fenclorim inhibited the incorporation of radiolabeled precursors into proteins and lipids of rice protoplasts, but had no DNA synthesis. The combined effects of pretilachlor and fenclorim on the incorporation of radiolabeled precursors into these macromolecules of isolated rice mesophyll protoplasts appeared to be additive or slightly synergistic rather than antagonistic. Fenclorim at $1{\mu}M$ antagonized the effects of pretilachlor on total lipids of rice leaf protoplasts. In addition, individual and combined treat-menu with pretilachlor and fenclorim influenced the incoroporation of$^{14}C$acetate into polar lipids, triglycerides and steryl esters of rice leaf protoplas causing a redistribution of carbon in these lipid fractions. However, these effects were not large enough to explain the herbicidal activity of pretilachlor or to account for the protective action of the safener fenclorim. Overall, the uesults of the present study idnicate that the safener fenclorim does not seem to protect rice against pretilachlor injury by antagonizing its effects on protein, DNA, or lipid syntheses.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.177-183
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• 2004

Green tea, a leaf of the plant Camellia sinensis, is one of the most consumed traditional oriental beverages. Green tea has been considered a medicine and a healthful beverage since ancient times, but recently it has received a great deal of attention because of its antioxidants like polyphenols. Moreover, green tea contains amino acids, carbohydrates, proteins, chlorophyll, volatile compounds, minerals, and phytochemical components that are essential or helpful to human health. Depending on the manufacturing process, green teas are classified into several types. Among these, powdered green tea can be effective in the absorption of ingredients compare with other types of green tea since we take the beverage with powder itself. In this paper, the contents of general ingredients (moisture, proteins, fat, carbohydrates, and ash), minerals (Fe, Mg, Ca, Na, K, and P), hunter color values, and alcohol insoluble substance were determined in total of six powdered green teas commercialized in Korea and Japan.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.255-263
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• 2019

Glycyrrhizae radix is one of the most frequently prescribed ingredients in Oriental medicine, and Glycyrrhizae radix extract has been shown to exert anti-cancer effects. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of programed cell death (apoptosis) by Glycyrrhizae radix are poorly defined. In the present study, it was examined the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis by water extracts of Glycyrrhizae radix (GRW) in human bladder T24 cancer cells. It was found that GRW could inhibit the cell growth of T24 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, which was associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death, as evidenced by the formation of apoptotic bodies, DNA fragmentation and increased populations of annexin-V positive cells. The induction of apoptotic cell death by GRW was connected with an up-regulation of pro-apoptotic Bax protein expression and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL), and inhibition of apoptosis family proteins (XIAP, cIAP-1 and cIAP-2). In addition, apoptosis-inducing concentrations of GRW induced the activation of caspase-9, an initiator caspase of the mitochondrial-mediated intrinsic pathway, and caspase-3, accompanied by proteolytic degradation of PARP. GRW also induced apoptosis via a death receptor-mediated extrinsic pathway by caspase-8 activation, resulting in the down-regulation of total Bid and suggesting the existence of cross-talk between the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. Taken together, the present results suggest that GRW may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for the control of human bladder cancer cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.532-541
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• 2022

Obesity induced by high-fat diet (HFD) is verified as a strong risk factor and negative prognostic factor for prostate cancer in several genetically engineered mice although it was not examined in the normal mice. To investigate whether HFD-induced obesity can affect the development and progression of cancer in the prostate of normal mice, alterations in the weight and histological structure of the prostate as well as the expression of cancer-related proteins were analyzed in obese C57BL/6N mice fed with 60% HFD for 16 weeks. First, HFD-induced obesity, including an increase in organ weight, body weight, fat accumulation, and serum lipid profile, was successfully induced in C57BL/6N mice after HFD treatment. The total weight of the prostate significantly increased HFD-induced obesity in the model mice compared with the control group. Among the four lobes of the prostate, the weight of the ventral prostate (VP) and anterior prostate (AP) were higher in HFD-induced obesity model mice than in the control group, although the weights of the lateral prostate (DLP) and seminal vesicle (SV) were constantly maintained. In addition, the incidences of hyperplasia and non-hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in the histological structure were remarkably increased in HFD-induced obesity model mice, while the epithelial thickness was higher in the same group. A significant increase in the phosphorylation levels of key proteins in the AKT (protein kinase B) signaling pathway was detected in HFD-induced obesity model mice. Therefore, these results suggest that HFD-induced obesity can promote hyperplasia and NHL in the prostates of C57BL/6N mice through the activation of the AKT signaling pathway.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1081-1090
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• 2015

Diabetes has been one of major health risks in industrialized countries. Allium hookeri is a wild herb distributed in India and Myanmar. The root of the plant has been used as food and medicine in Southeast Asia. We investigated Allium hookeri extract improves type 2 diabetes mellitus in C57BL/KSJ db/db obese mouse. C57BL/KSJ db/db obese mouse arise out of Type 2 diabetes and we treated Allium hookeri methanol extract 400 mg/kg (AH 400), 800 mg/kg (AH 800), positive control group (thiazolidinedine;TZDs) were administered orally for 8weeks. AH treated group normalized lipid enzyme system (triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol) and serum glucose, HbA1c and plasma insulin level. AH treated group recovered β-cell damage by hyperglycemia and fatty liver disease. AH treated group significantly up regulated expression of Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ), pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase4 (PDK4), Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP 1) and fork head box O1 (FOX 01) proteins in C57BL/KSJ db/db obese mouse liver. And we found that AH treated group decreased hepatic malondialdehyde formation in C57BL/KSJ db/db obese mouse liver. These results indicate that Allium hookeri methanol extract might be a potential anti-diabetic agent and could be useful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.