• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제44권3호
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• pp.496-505
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• 2020

Background: Panax ginseng is a marvelous herbal remedy for all ailments of body. That may be why it is called Panax, which means "cure for all". Melanin is a pigment that gives color to our skin; however, increased melanin production can lead to tumor formation. Human exposure to ultraviolet B radiation has increased extensively owing to the increased sunlight due to global warming. Consequently, a phenomenon called photoaging has been observed for all skin colors and types. As a result of this phenomenon, a set of enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases, which serve as degradation enzymes for extracellular matrix proteins, mainly collagen, is increased, causing depletion of collagen and resulting in early wrinkle formation. Methods: Therefore, in our study, we used the murine melanoma cell line B16/F10 to study the inhibition of melanogenesis by Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) extract in vitro and HRM-2 hairless mice exposed to artificial ultraviolet B to examine the efficacy of KRG in vivo. We prepared a 3% red ginseng extract cream and evaluated its effects on human skin. Results: Our results demonstrated that KRG induced potent suppression of tyrosinase activity and melanin production in B16/F10 cells; moreover, it reduced the transcription and translation of components involved in the melanin production pathway. In the in vivo experiments, KRG potently suppressed the expression of matrix metalloproteinases, reduced wrinkle formation, and inhibited collagen degradation. On human skin, ginseng cream increased skin resilience and skin moisture and enhanced skin tone. Conclusion: Therefore, we conclude that KRG is an excellent skin whitening and antiaging product.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제29권10호
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• pp.890-897
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• 2006

In inflammatory responses, induction of cytokines and other immune regulator genes in macrophages by pathogen-associated signal such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plays a crucial role. In this study, the gene expression profile changes by LPS treatment in the macrophage/monocyte lineage cell line RAW264.7 was investigated. A 60-mer oligonucleotide microarray of which probes target 32381 mouse genes was used. A reverse transcription-in vitro translation labeling protocol and a chemileuminescence detection system were employed. The mRNA expression levels in RAW264.7 cells treated for 6 h with LPS and the control vehicle were compared. 747 genes were up-regulated and 523 genes were down-regulated by more than 2 folds. 320 genes showing more than 4-fold change by LPS treatment were further classified for the biological process, molecular function, and signaling pathway. The biological process categories that showed high number of increased genes include the immunity and defense, the nucleic acid metabolism, the protein metabolism and modification, and the signal transduction process. The chemokine-cytokine signaling, interleukin signaling, Toll receptor signaling, and apoptosis signaling pathways involved high number of genes differentially expressed in response to LPS. These expression profile data provide more comprehensive information on LPS-target genes in RAW264.7 cells, which will be useful in comparing gene expression changes induced by extracts and compounds from anti-inflammatory medicinal herbs.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제79권4호
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• pp.257-266
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• 2016

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a common interstitial lung disease; it is a chronic, progressive, and fatal lung disease of unknown etiology. Over the last two decades, knowledge about the underlying mechanisms of pulmonary fibrosis has improved markedly and facilitated the identification of potential targets for novel therapies. However, despite the large number of antifibrotic drugs being described in experimental pre-clinical studies, the translation of these findings into clinical practices has not been accomplished yet. NADH:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) is a homodimeric enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of NADH to $NAD^+$ by various quinones and thereby elevates the intracellular $NAD^+$ levels. In this study, we examined the effect of increase in cellular $NAD^+$ levels on bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in mice. Methods: C57BL/6 mice were treated with intratracheal instillation of bleomycin. The mice were orally administered with ${\beta}$-lapachone from 3 days before exposure to bleomycin to 1-3 weeks after exposure to bleomycin. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected for analyzing the infiltration of immune cells. In vitro, A549 cells were treated with transforming growth factor ${\beta}1$ (TGF-${\beta}1$) and ${\beta}$-lapachone to analyze the extracellular matrix (ECM) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Results: ${\beta}$-Lapachone strongly attenuated bleomycin-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis, characterized by histological staining, infiltrated immune cells in BALF, inflammatory cytokines, fibrotic score, and TGF-${\beta}1$, ${\alpha}$-smooth muscle actin accumulation. In addition, ${\beta}$-lapachone showed a protective role in TGF-${\beta}1$-induced ECM expression and EMT in A549 cells. Conclusion: Our results suggest that ${\beta}$-lapachone can protect against bleomycin-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis in mice and TGF-${\beta}1$-induced EMT in vitro, by elevating the $NAD^+$/NADH ratio through NQO1 activation.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.67-75
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• 1995

The progress of periodontal disease and the wound healing process after treatment result in alveolar bone bone change. So, detection of it is very important in the diagnosis and the radiograph of periodontal disease. Various effects have been made to assess the subtle alveolar bone change and digital subtraction radiography (DSR) has been reported to be the best method in evaluating it qualitatively and quantitatively. The present study was performed to estimate the detectable alveolar bone change qualitatively with digital subtraction radiography. For the in vitro study, 10 intraoral standard radiographs were taken from porcine dry mandible which a rectangular cortical bone chip of 0.1mm to 1.0mm thickness with 0.1mm increment was attached on the buccal surface. The radiographs without and with bone plates were reviewed at the same time by 10 observers and requested to detect the presence of cortical bone plates. Digital Subtraction radiograph was reviewed subsequently by using the DSR system(digital converter-256 grey-levels,DT 2851,Data Translation Co., U.S.A;IBM 386 ; CCD camera, FOTOVIX, Tamrom Co., Japan). The detectable thickness of cortical bone plate was O.4mm on the intraoral radiograph and 0.2mm on the subtaction images. For the human study, radiographs were taken from patients by using intraoral film holding device and aluminum reference wedge before and 3 month after bone graft and 1 week after osteoplasty. The grey level change was estimated in the subtraction images and calculated to aluminum equivalent thickness. The grey level of the grafted site was higher that that of healthy controls. Average grey levels of change on healthy controls were O.48mm aluminum equivalent. However, the amount of changes in grafted sites were 1.87mm aluminum thickness equivalent and in the site of osteoplasty were -1.49mm aluminum thickness equivalent. In conclusion, digital subtraction radiography was more effective in detecting as subtle change of alveolar bone than intraoral standard radiography. With the aid of quantitative analysis of digital subtraction radiography, alveolar bone resorption of apposition can be estimated during diagnosis and treatment of periodontally diseased patients.

• 한국응용약물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국응용약물학회 1994년도 제2회 추계심포지움
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• pp.69-80
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• 1994

Although ureases play important roles in microbial nitrogen metabolism and in the pathogenesis of several human diseases, little is known of the mechanism of metallocenter biosynthesis in this Ni-Containing enzyme. Klebsiella aerogenes urease apo-protein was purified from cells grown in the absence of Ni. The purified apo-enzyme showed the same native molecular weight, charge, and subunit stoichiometry as the holo-enzyme. Chemical modification studies were consistent with histidinyl ligation of Ni. Apo-enzyme could not be activated by simple addition of Ni ions suggesting a requirement for a cellular factor. Deletion analysis showed that four accessory genes (ureD, ureE, ureF, and ureG) are necessary for the functional incorporation of the urease metallocenter. Whereas the $\Delta$ureD, $\Delta$ureF, and $\Delta$ureG mutants are inactive and their ureases lack Ni, the $\Delta$ureE mutants retain partial activity and their ureases possess corresponding lower levels of Ni. UreE and UreG peptides were identified by SDS-polyacrylamide gel comparisons of mutant and wild type cells and by N-terminal sequencing. UreD and UreF peptides, which are synthesized at ve교 low levels, were identified by using in vitro transcription/translation methods. Cotransformation of E. coli cells with the complementing plasmids confirmed that ureD and ureF gene products act in trans. UreE was purified and characterized. immunogold electron microscopic studies were used to localize UreE to the cytoplasm. Equilibrium dialysis studies of purified UreE with $^{63}$ NiC1$_2$ showed that it binds ～6 Ni in a specific manner with a $K_{d}$ of 9.6 $\pm$1.3 $\mu$M. Results from spectroscopic studies demonstrated that Ni ions are ligated by 5 histidinyl residues and a sixth N or O atom, consistent with participation of the polyhistidine tail at the carboxyl termini of the dimeric UreE in Ni binding. With these results and other known features of the urease-related gene products, a model for urease metallocenter biosynthesis is proposed in which UreE binds Ni and acts as a Ni donor to the urease apo-protein while UreG binds ATP and couples its Hydrolysis to the Ni incorporation process.ouples its Hydrolysis to the Ni incorporation process.s.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제28권8호
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• pp.956-962
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• 2005

Leishmania virus (LRV)1-4 has been reported to produce a fusion of ORF2 and ORF3 via a programmed +1 frameshift in the region where ORF2 and ORF3 overlap (Lee et a/., 1996). However, the exact frameshift site has not been identified. In this study, we compared the frameshift efficiency of a 259bp (nt. 2565-2823), frameshift region of LRV1-4, and the 71 bp (nt. 2605-2678) sub-region where ORF2 and ORF3 overlap. We then predicted the frameshift site using a new computer program (Pseudoviewer), and finally identified the specific region associated with the mechanism of the LRV1-4's+1 frameshift by means of a mutational analysis based on the predicted structure of LRV1-4 RNA. The predicted structure was confirmed by biochemical analysis. In order to measure the frameshift efficiency, constructs that generate luciferase without a frameshift or with a+1 frameshift, were generated and in vitro transcription/translation analysis was performed. Measurements of the luciferase activity generated, showed that the frameshift efficiency was about $1\%$ for both the 259bp (LRV1-4 259FS) and 71 bp region (LRV1-4 71FS). Luciferase activity was strongly reduced in a mutant (LRV1-4 NH: nt. 2635-2670) with the entire hairpin deleted and in a mutant (LRV1-4 NUS: nt. 2644-2659) with the upper stem of the hairpin deleted. These results indicate that the frameshift site in LRV1-4's is in the 71 bp region where ORF2 and ORF3 overlap, and that nt. 2644-2659 (the upward hairpin stem) playa key role in generating the +1 frameshift.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.146-152
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• 2012

MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) are about 21-25 nucleotides in length and regulate mRNA translation by base pairing to partially complementary sites, predominantly in the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of the target mRNA. In this study, the expression profile of miRNAs was compared and analyzed for the establishment of miRNA-related odontoblast differentiation using MDPC-23 cells derived from mouse dental papilla cells. To determine the expression profile of miRNAs during the differentiation of MDPC-23 cells, we employed miRNA microarray analysis, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Alizaline red-S staining. In the miRNA microarray analysis, 11 miRNAs were found to be up- or down-regulated more than 3-fold between day 0 (control) and day 5 of MDPC-23 cell differentiation among the 1,769 miRNAs examined. In qRT-PCR analysis, the expression levels of two of these molecules, miR-194 and miR-126, were increased and decreased in the control MDPC-23 cells compared with the MDPC-23 cells at day 5 of differentiation, respectively. Importantly, the overexpression of miR-194 significantly accelerated mineralization compared with the control cultures during the differentiation of MDPC-23 cells. These results suggest that the miR-194 augments MDPC-23 cell differentiation, and potently accelerates the mineralization process. Moreover, these in vitro results show that different miRNAs are deregulated during the differentiation of MDPC-23 cells, suggesting the involvement of these genes in the differentiation and mineralization of odontoblasts.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.345-356
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• 2023

This study aimed to assess the effects of exogenous hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) on abdominal aorta coarctation (AAC) induced myocardial fibrosis (MF) and autophagy in rats. Forty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group, AAC group, AAC + H₂S group, and H₂S control group. After a model of rats with AAC was built surgically, AAC + H₂S group and H₂S group were injected intraperitoneally with H₂S (100 µmol/kg) daily. The rats in the control group and the AAC group were injected with the same amount of PBS. We observed that H₂S can improve left ventricular function and the deposition of myocardial collagen fibers, inhibit pyroptosis, down-regulate the expression of P-eif2α in myocardial tissue, and inhibit cell autophagy by activating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT1 signaling pathway (p < 0.05). In addition, angiotensin II (1 µM) H9c2 cardiomyocytes were injured in vitro experiments, and it was also observed that pyroptosis was inhibited after H₂S (400 µmol/kg) intervention, the expression of P-eif2α in cardiomyocytes was significantly down-regulated, and the PI3K/AKT1 signaling pathway was activated at the same time. Therefore, increasing the expression of P-eif2α reverses the activation of the PI3K/AKT1 signaling pathway by H₂S. In conclusion, these findings suggest that exogenous H₂S can ameliorate MF in rats with AAC by inhibiting pyroptosis, and the mechanism may be associated with inhibiting the phosphorylation of eif2α and activating the PI3K/AKT1 signaling pathway to inhibit excessive cell autophagy.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.140-144
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• 2003

신호펩디드 가수분해는 모든 생물에 필수적인 단백질로 N-말단에 신호서열을 가진 단백질들의 신호서열을 잘라내는 효소로 serine과 lysine을 활성부위로 하는 특이한 dyad serine 효소류로 알려져있다. 최근에 신호펩디드 가수분해효소의 특성으로 새로운 항생제 이용 가능성 때문에 그 활성 메카니즘의 연구가 중요시되고 있다. 본 연구는 E. coli 신호펩디드 효소가 serine/lysine/aspartic acid로 하는 전형적인 triad serine 효소류의 메카니즘을 갖는다는 가정하에 Type Ⅰ 신호펩디드류의 하나인 E. coli에서 aspartic acid 99을 alanine으로 치환하여 효소의 enzymatic activity를 조사하였다. 그 결과 D99잔기는 E. coli Type Ⅰ 신호펩디드 효소의 활성메카니즘에 직접적으로 관여한다기보다는 그 효소를 구조적으로 안정화하는데 중요한 역할을 할 가능성이 있는 것으로 암시되어진다.

• BMB Reports
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• 제44권8호
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• pp.529-534
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• 2011

Ribosomal protein S3 (rpS3) is a multifunctional protein involved in translation, DNA repair, and apoptosis. The relationship between rpS3 and cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) involved in cell cycle regulation is not yet known. Here, we show that rpS3 is phosphorylated by Cdk1 in G2/M phase. Co-immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down assays revealed that Cdk1 interacted with rpS3. An in vitro kinase assay showed that Cdk1 phosphorylated rpS3 protein. Phosphorylation of rpS3 increased in nocodazole-arrested mitotic cells; however, treatment with Cdk1 inhibitor or Cdk1 siRNA significantly attenuated this phosphorylation event. The phosphorylation of a mutant form of rpS3, T221A, was significantly reduced compared with wild-type rpS3. Decreased phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation of T221A was much more pronounced in G2/M phase. These results suggest that the phosphorylation of rpS3 by Cdk1 occurs at Thr221 during G2/M phase and, moreover, that this event is important for nuclear accumulation of rpS3.