• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.204-210
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• 2014

The brown alga Saccharina japonica is consumed as a foodstuff in many countries. Carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$) is a potent hepatotoxin that is used to assess hepatotoxicity in animal models. This study assessed the protective effect of S. japonica extract (SJE) on $CCl_4$-induced acute liver injury in rats. Experimental rats were divided into the following three groups: control, $CCl_4$, and $CCl_4$+SJE; the latter two groups were given 150 or 300 mg SJE/kg orally for 10 days. Three hours after the final treatment, all rats-except for those in the control group-were administered intraperitoneal injections of $CCl_4$. One day later, blood and liver samples were collected for evaluation biomarker of levels. Aspartate transaminase (APT; GPT) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT; GOT) levels were markedly lower in the $CCl_4$+SJE group than the $CCl_4$ group. The hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of the $CCl_4$+SJE group was significantly lower than that of the $CCl_4$ group. In comparison, glutathione S-transferase (GSH) and catalase (CAT) levels were significantly higher in the $CCl_4$+SJE group. Western blotting revealed that SJE attenuated the $CCl_4$-induced EGFR and MAPK activity in the liver. Thus, we conclude that SJE protects against $CCl_4$-induced hepatotoxicity.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.171-180
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• 1990

In 19 cats anesthetized with ${\alpha}-chloralose$ effects of taurine and ${\beta}-alanine$ on the responses of wide dynamic range (WDR) cells to mechanical, chemical and thermal stimuli were investigated in the lumbar spinal cord of the cat. Also studied was an interaction of strychnine with taurine in affecting the activities of WDR cells. Following intravenous administration of taurine, the responses of WDR cells to all types of mechanical stimuli were markedly enhanced, demonstrating that the response to pressure was most sensitive to taurine action. When the receptive field was exposed to thermal stimuli ($50^{\circ}C$) for 20 sec. taurine increased activity of WDR cell to 169.5% of the control value. The $K^{+}$-induced activation of WDR cells was invariably suppressed after taurine administration. Intravenously administered strychnine remarkably reduced the enhanced response of WDR cell to natural stimuli resulting from intravenous administration of taurine. Also ${\beta}-alanine$ markedly activated the response of spinal dorsal horn cell to natural mechanical stimuli. These findings suggest that neutral amino acid and its derivative such as ${\beta}-alanine$ and taurine can enhance the response of WDR cells to different stimuli in cats.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.990-996
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• 2003

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Forsythia viridissima Lindl. (FVL) on antioxidative defense system and lipid peroxidation of liver in rats fed high-cholesterol diet. Sprague-Dawley male rats weighing 100 $\pm$ 10 g were randomly assigned into five experimental groups fed 0.5％ cholesterol ; HC group which was not supplemented FVL extract, 0.05％ methanol extract diet group (MSI group), 0.1％ methanol extract diet group (MS2 group), 0.025％ ethylacetate-souble fraction diet group (ES1 group) and 0.05％ ethylacetate-souble fraction diet group (ES2 group). Experimental diets were fed ad libitum to the rats for 3 weeks. The hepatic xanthine oxidase (XOD) activity in the MS2 group was decreased to 20％ as compared to HC group. The activities of hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were not significantly different among all the high cholesterol diet groups. The hepatic glutathione peroxidase (GSHpx) activity in MS2, ES2 groups were significantly increased as compared to HC group. The hepatic glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity in the MS2 group was increased to 20％ as compared to HC group. The levels of hepatic TBARS in the MS1, MS2, ES1 and ES2 groups were reduced by 13％, 21％, 13％ and 21％, respectively, as compared with HC group. The contents of lipofuscin in liver tissue was not significantly different among all the experimental groups. The results indicate that FVL extract may reduce oxidative damage by activating antioxidative defense system of liver in rats fed high-cholesterol diets.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.691-694
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to conduct a survey of Dirofilaria immitis infection among stray cats in Korea using nested PCR. We included 235 stray cats (121 females and 114 males) and evaluated each for the presence of feline heartworm infection. Blood samples were collected from 135 cats in Daejeon, 50 cats in Seoul, and 50 cats from Gyeonggi-do (Province). Of the 235 DNA samples, 14 (6.0%) were positive for D. immitis. The prevalence of infection in male cats (8/114, 7.0%) tended to be higher than that in female cats (6/121, 5.0%), but the difference was not statistically significant. In each location, 8, 2, and 4 cats were positive for infection, respectively, based on DNA testing. No significant differences in the prevalence were observed among the geographic regions, although the rate of infection was higher in Gyeonggi-do (8.0%) than Daejeon (5.9%) and Seoul (4.0%). We submitted 7 of the 14 D. immitis DNA-positive samples for sequencing analysis. All samples corresponded to partial D. immitis cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene sequences with 99% homology to the D. immitis sequence deposited in GenBank (accession no. FN391553). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first survey using nested PCR to analyze the prevalence of D. immitis in stray cats in Korea.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.201-207
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• 2012

This study investigated the hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant effects of dietary quercetin in an animal model of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Four-week-old C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice (n = 18) were offered an AIN-93G diet or a diet containing quercetin at 0.04% (low quercetin, LQE) or 0.08% of the diet (high quercetin, HQE) for 6 weeks after 1 week of adaptation. Plasma glucose, insulin, adiponectin, and lipid profiles, and lipid peroxidation of the liver were determined. Plasma glucose levels were significantly lower in the LQE group than in the control group, and those in the HQE group were even further reduced compared with the LQE group. The homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) showed lower values for LQE and HQE than for the control group without significant influence on insulin levels. High quercetin increased plasma adiponectin compared with the control group. Plasma triglycerides in the LQE and HQE groups were lower than those in the control group. Supplementation with high quercetin decreased plasma total cholesterol and increased HDL-cholesterol compared with the control group. Consumption of low and high quercetin reduced thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels and elevated activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the liver. Thus, quercetin could be effective in improving hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and antioxidant status in type 2 diabetes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.89-97
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• 2015

Bacillus subtilis HK176 with high fibrinolytic activity was isolated from cheonggukjang, a Korean fermented soyfood. A gene, aprE176, encoding the major fibrinolytic enzyme was cloned from B. subtilis HK176 and overexpressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) using plasmid pET26b(+). The specific activity of purified AprE176 was 216.8 ± 5.4 plasmin unit/mg protein and the optimum pH and temperature were pH 8.0 and 40℃, respectively. Error-prone PCR was performed for aprE176, and the PCR products were introduced into E. coli BL21(DE3) after ligation with pET26b(+). Mutants showing enhanced fibrinolytic activities were screened first using skim-milk plates and then fibrin plates. Among the mutants, M179 showed the highest activity on a fibrin plate and it had one amino acid substitution (A176T). The specific activity of M179 was 2.2-fold higher than that of the wild-type enzyme, but the catalytic efficiency (k_cat/K_m) of M179 was not different from the wild-type enzyme owing to reduced substrate affinity. Interestingly, M179 showed increased thermostability. M179 retained 36% of activity after 5 h at 45℃, whereas AprE176 retained only 11%. Molecular modeling analysis suggested that the 176^th residue of M179, threonine, was located near the cation-binding site compared with the wild type. This probably caused tight binding of M179 with Ca²⁺, whichincreased the thermostability of M179.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.247-253
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• 2006

The antitumor activity of crude saponin mixture obtained from Luffa tuberosa (Roxb.) (Fam; Cucurbitaceae) hairy roots (CSLT) in mice transplanted with Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) was investigated. The EAC-bearing mice receiving 150 and $300{\mu}g/kg$ body weight, (i.p) of CSLT have shown a dose dependent elevation in tumor-tree survival and a highest number of survivors were observed after administration of CSLT $(300{\mu}g/kg)$, which was considered as an optimum dose for its antineoplastic action. The mean survival time (MST) for this dose was approximately $47.1{\pm}0.74d$, when compared with $19.0{\pm}0.36d$ of untreated control. Administration of $300{\mu}g/kg$ CSLT resulted in 130% long-term increased survival time. The measurement of body weight, tumor volume, packed cell volume, viable and non-viable count indicated the efficacy of CSLT in tumor-bearing mice, there was a significant recovery in hematological profiles, and there was depletion in lipid peroxidation levels, and the antioxidant enzyme activities such as GSH, SOD and CAT were restored to near the normal levels. The CSLT was found to be devoid of conspicuous short-term toxicity in the mice when animals were intraperitoneally injected with 250, 500, 750 and $1000{\mu}g/kg$ bodyweight. The treated mice showed conspicuous toxic symptoms only at a dose of $1500{\mu}g/kg$. Mortality of the animals was monitored up to 14 d post drug treatment, $1/7^{th}$ of the $LD_{50}$ dose has been considered for the optimal antineoplastic activity.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.177-184
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• 2018

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate the influence of voxel size and the accuracy of 2 cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) systems in the detection of vertical root fracture (VRF) in the presence of intracanal metallic posts. Materials and Methods: Thirty uniradicular extracted human teeth were selected and randomly divided into 2 groups(VRF group, n=15; and control group, n=15). The VRFs were induced by an Instron machine, and metallic posts were placed in both groups. The scans were acquired by CBCT with 4 different voxel sizes: 0.1 mm and 0.16 mm (for the Eagle 3D V-Beam system) and 0.125 mm and 0.2 mm (for the i-CAT system) (protocols 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively). Interobserver and intraobserver agreement was assessed using the Cohen kappa test. Sensitivity and specificity were evaluated and receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed. Results: The intraobserver coefficients indicated good (0.71) to very good (0.83) agreement, and the interobserver coefficients indicated moderate (0.57) to very good (0.80) agreement. In respect to the relationship between sensitivity and specificity, a statistically significant difference was found between protocols 1 (positive predictive value: 0.710, negative predictive value: 0.724) and 3 (positive predictive value: 0.727, negative predictive value: 0.632) (P<.05). The least interference due to artifact formation was observed using protocol 2. Conclusion: Protocols with a smaller voxel size and field of view seemed to favor the detection of VRF in teeth with intracanal metallic posts.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.38.1-38.17
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• 2021

Background: The feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia (FVRCP) vaccine, prepared from viruses grown in the Crandell-Rees feline kidney cell line, can induce antibodies to cross-react with feline kidney tissues. Objectives: This study surveyed the prevalence of autoantibodies to feline kidney tissues and their association with the frequency of FVRCP vaccination. Methods: Serum samples and kidneys were collected from 156 live and 26 cadaveric cats. Antibodies that bind to kidney tissues and antibodies to the FVRCP antigen were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and kidney-bound antibody patterns were investigated by examining immunofluorescence. Proteins recognized by antibodies were identified by Western blot analysis. Results: The prevalences of autoantibodies that bind to kidney tissues in cats were 41% and 13% by ELISA and immunofluorescence, respectively. Kidney-bound antibodies were observed at interstitial cells, apical border, and cytoplasm of proximal and distal tubules; the antibodies were bound to proteins with molecular weights of 40, 47, 38, and 20 kDa. There was no direct link between vaccination and anti-kidney antibodies, but positive antibodies to kidney tissues were significantly associated with the anti-FVRCP antibody. The odds ratio or association in finding the autoantibody in cats with the antibody to FVRCP was 2.8 times higher than that in cats without the antibody to FVRCP. Conclusions: These preliminary results demonstrate an association between anti-FVRCP and anti-cat kidney tissues. However, an increase in the risk of inducing kidney-bound antibodies by repeat vaccinations could not be shown directly. It will be interesting to expand the sample size and follow-up on whether these autoantibodies can lead to kidney function impairment.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.313-327
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• 2017

Korea has introduced Korea Emissions In 2015, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21) was held in Paris. The Paris Agreement indicates that all nations are in charge of mitigating climate change. Prior to COP21, 197 Parties submitted the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are greenhouse gas reduction targets. On June 30, 2015, Korea also submitted an NDC target of 37% reduction compared to BAU in 2030. However, Korea's NDC was evaluated as "Inadequate" by the Climate Action Tracker (CAT). In addition, the domestic environmental group expressed a negative opinion as well. In view of this situation, it is necessary to conduct an objective assessment of quantitative analysis of NDC goals in Korea. The goal of this study is to evaluate NDC of Korea by comparing with those of OECD member countries. For comparative analysis, data such as population, GDP, primary energy supply affecting GHG emissions were obtained from the OECD homepage. The results indicate that emission reduction goal of 37% of Korea was $4^{th}$ highest goal among OECD member countries. If Korea achieves the emission reduction goal, the greenhouse gas emissions per capita in 2030 are $10^{th}$among OECD member countries. The greenhouse gas emissions per GDP are $13^{th}$, and emissions per TOE are $9^{th}$ among OECD member countries. The results show that greenhouse gas intensity of Korea is relatively high among OECD member countries. Therefore, it is needed to continuously endeavor to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the global climate change. This study can be further used as a fundamental document to establish the future greenhouse reduction policy in Korea.