• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.47 no.1
• /
• pp.53-65
• /
• 2020

Here, we describe an efficient and rapid protocol for the micropropagation of Thymus pallidus Cosson ex Batt., a very rare medicinal and aromatic plant in Morocco. After seed germination, we tested the effect of different macronutrients, cytokinins alone or in combination with gibberellic acid (GA₃) or auxins, on T. pallidus plantlet growth. We found that Margara macronutrients (N₃₀K) had the best effect on the in vitro development of the plantlets. The addition of 0.93 μM/L 1,3-diphenylurea (DPU), 0.46 μM/L adenine (Ad), and 0.46 and 0.93 μM/L kinetin (Kin) resulted in the best shoot multiplication and elongation. In addition, the combination of 0.46 μM/L Kin, DPU, or Ad with gibberellic acid, in particular, 0.46 μM/L Ad + 0.58 μM/L GA₃ and 0.46 μM/L Kin + 1.15 μM/L GA₃, led to better bud and shoot multiplication. Moreover, the integration of the combinations of 0.46 μM/L Kin and auxins, namely 0.46 μM/L Kin + 2.85 μM/L indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 0.46 μM/L Kin + 2.85 or 5.71 μM/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), and 0.46 μM/L Kin + 0.3 or 0.57 μM/L 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), in the culture medium led to better root development and optimized aerial growth. Finally, the in vitro plants from the medium containing N₃₀K + 0.46 μM/L Kin + 2.85 μM/L IAA were successfully acclimatized; these plants served as a source for repeating in vitro culture.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.203-209
• /
• 2006

The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of ex vivo MR diffusion tensor imaging technique in order to observe the diffusion-contrast characteristics of human gastric tissues. On normal and pathologic gastric tissues, which have been fixed in a polycarbonate plastic tube filled with 10% formalin solution, laboratory made 3D diffusion tensor Turbo FLASH pulse sequence was used to obtain high resolution MR images with voxel size of $0.5{\times}0.5{\times}0.5mm^3\;using\;64{\times}32{\times}32mm^3$ field of view in conjunction with an acquisition matrix of $128{\times}64{\times}64$. Diffusion weighted- gradient pulses were employed with b values of 0 and $600s/mm^2$ in 6 orientations. The sequence was implemented on a clinical 3.0-T MRI scanner(Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) with a home-made quadrature-typed birdcage Tx/Rx rf coil for small specimen. Diffusion tensor values in each pixel were calculated using linear algebra and singular value decomposition(SVD) algorithm. Apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC) and fractional anisotropy(FA) map were also obtained from diffusion tensor data to compare pixel intensities between normal and abnormal gastric tissues. The processing software was developed by authors using Visual C++(Microsoft, WA, U.S.A.) and mathematical/statistical library of GNUwin32(Free Software Foundation). This study shows that 3D diffusion tensor Turbo FLASH sequence is useful to resolve fine micro-structures of gastric tissue and both ADC and FA values in normal gastric tissue are higher than those in abnormal tissue. Authors expect that this study also represents another possibility of gastric carcinoma detection by visualizing diffusion characteristics of proton spins in the gastric tissues.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.245-257
• /
• 2021

Ulleungdo, a volcanic island, has different climate, soil, and topography characteristics from inland of the Korean Peninsula. Its agriculture also exhibits distinctive features. This study focused on floristic compositions and characteristics of crop lands in Ulleungdo. Flora surveys were conducted for 37 areas three times, one in May of 2016, one in July of 2020, and one in August of 2020. Results showed that vascular plants of crop lands in Ulleungdo included 186 taxa of 53 families, 132 genera, 160 species, 14 varieties, five subspecies, and five hybrids. Asteraceae had the most diverse species (33 taxa), followed by Poaceae (25 taxa), Fabaceae (12 taxa), Polygonaceae (11 taxa), and Liliaceae (nine taxa). The biological type of crop lands in Ulleungdo island was determined to be Th-R₅-D₄-e type. Rare plants were found for nine taxa: Athyrium acutipinnulum Kodama ex Nakai, Sedum takasimense Nakai, Rubus takesimensis Nakai, Dystaenia takesimana (Nakai) Kitag., Ligustrum foliosum Nakai, Aster pseudoglehni Y.Lim, Cirsium nipponicum (Maxim.) Makino, Lilium hansonii Leichtlin ex D.D.T.Moore, and Polygonatum robustum (Korsh.) Nakai. In addition, 45 taxa contained naturalized plants of 13 families, 33 genera, 44 species, and one variety. Urbanization and naturalization indices were 13.9%, and 24.2%, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.42-54
• /
• 2018

Background: Allergic diseases like such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, and rhinitis have recently increased both domestically and globally. The present study was undertaken to select candidates with anti-allergic activity from plant resources. Methods and Results: Fifty-six plant extracts at $20{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ were screened against ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase production and interleukin (IL)-4 release in degranulated rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-2H3 cells. The anti-allergy activity of three plant extracts selected from the preliminary screening experiment, Polygonatum sibiricum F. Delaroche (root), Pyrus pytifolia var. culta (Makino) Nakai (leaf), and Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) Libosch. ex Steud (root) were measured at concentrations of $2-250{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ in three cell lines as RBL-2H3, HaCaT and Jurkcat T cells. The assay showed the root extract of R. glutinosa to have an inhibitory activity of 4.2% - 28.6% on ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase production from IgE-sensitized RBL-2H3 cells. Each extract of P. sibiricum and R. glutinosa reduced IL-4 release in IgE-sensitized RBL-2H3 cells, respectively. The leaf extract of P. pyrifolia var. culta showed a significantly potent suppressive effect of 10.2% - 74.7% on the mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ in HaCaT cells sensitized with TNF-a and INF-g, and showed inhibitory effect of -8.6% - 90.9% on the mRNA expression of IL-2 in Jurkat T cells sensitized with PMA and A23187. Conclusions: The results showed that the root of R. glutinosa and leaf of P. pyrifolia var. culta could be useful candidates as antiallergy materials.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.8
• /
• pp.4037-4043
• /
• 2012

Despite progress in elucidating mechanisms associated with colorectal cancer and improvement of treatment methods, it remains a frequent cause of death worldwide. New and more effective therapies are therefore urgently needed. Recent studies have shown that immunogenicity of whole ovarian tumor cells and subsequent T cell response were potentiated by oxidation modification with hypochlorous acid (HOCl) in vitro and ex vivo. These results prompted us to investigate the protective antitumor response with an HOCl treated CT26 colorectal cancer cell vaccine in an in vivo mouse model. Administration of HOCl modified vaccine triggered robust antitumor immunity to autologous tumor cells in mice and prolonged survival period significantly. In addition, increased necrosis and apoptosis were found in tumor tissue from the oxidation group. Interestingly, ELISPOT assays showed that specific T cell responses were not elicited in response to the immunizing cellular antigen, in contrast to raising sera antibody titer and antibody binding activity shown by ELISA assay and flow cytometry. Further evaluation of the mechanisms underlying HOCl modified vaccine mediated humoral immunity highlighted the role of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. These results combined with previous studies suggest that HOCl oxidation modified whole cell vaccine has wide applicability as a cancer vaccine because it can target both T cell- and B cell-specific responses. It may thus represent a promising approach for the immunotherapy of colorectal cancer.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2022

Objectives: Bee venom (BV) is a widely used therapy in Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM). We previously reported that BV was clinically effective for treating Parkinson's disease, that phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂) was the main component of BV, and that it induced regulatory T cells (Tregs) by binding CD206 on dendritic cells (DCs). Therefore, we aimed to reconfirm our findings in human blood samples and investigate the relationship between CD206⁺ DCs and clinical syndrome differentiation in TEAM. Methods: We surveyed 100 subjects with questionnaires on cold-heat patternization and obtained their blood samples. The obtained human peripheral blood monocytes (hPBMCs) were washed with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). After resuspension with ex vivo media, numbers of cells were counted. Tregs were counted after culturing the samples in a 37℃ CO₂ incubator for 72 h. Results: We divided the subjects into a relatively high CD206⁺ group or a relatively low CD206⁺ group. The heat factor scores of high CD206⁺ group were significantly higher than that of low CD206⁺ group (high vs low: 239.2 ± 54.1 vs 208.4 ± 55.1, p=0.023). After culturing with PLA₂, Tregs increased in the high CD206⁺ group but decreased in the low CD206⁺ group. Conclusion: In this study, we reconfirm that CD206⁺ DCs induced Treg differentiation by incubating human blood samples with PLA₂ and that they showed an association with syndrome differentiation, especially with heat patterns, in TEAM. A heat pattern in TEAM might be one indication for PLA₂ therapy because its score was elevated in the high CD206⁺ group.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.111 no.3
• /
• pp.418-427
• /
• 2022

Our aim was to evaluate the quality of pine seeds after long-term storage and to analyze the correlation between germination and physiological characteristics. Therefore, we investigated the germination and physiological characteristics of seeds stored for different periods and storage temperatures. Pine seeds lost little viability and vigor after 12 years of storage at 4℃; it is even possible to prolong the storage period at -18℃. The deterioration process operating through long-term storage was characterized by a loss of seed vigor before a loss in seed viability. Electrical conductivity of the seed leachate was significantly higher in seeds that completely lost their viability, and was also found to be significantly correlated with the germination percentage, T50, mean germination time, and germination speed. Among the minerals leaked to the leachate, K had the highest concentration, followed by Na, Ca, Cu, Mg, and Fe, while Mn and Zn were not detected. Concentrations of K, Ca, Cu, Mg, and Fe in the leachate differed significantly by treatment, and in the cases of K, Ca, Cu, Na, and Mg, we observed large differences in the leachate between the seeds that were collected in 2003 and those collected in other years.. Germination percentage was significantly negatively correlated to the concentrations of Ca, Cu, K, Mg, and Na. The coefficient of uniformity of germination was significantly negatively correlated to Cu concentration. The other germination characteristics were not significantly correlated with the mineral concentration. Therefore, the mineral concentrations of pine seed leachate were not reliable indicators of seed deterioration when the differences in quality between seed lots were small. However, electrical conductivity could be an indicator of seed viability and vigor of pine seeds under long-term storage.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.113 no.2
• /
• pp.198-209
• /
• 2024

This study aimed to investigate the impact of light intensity, manipulated through different shading levels, on the growth and physiological responses of Thermopsis lupinoides. To assess the effects of shading treatments, we examined leaf mass per area, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence response, and photosynthetic characteristics. T. lupinoidesexhibited adaptive responses under low light conditions (50% shading), showing increased leaf area and decreased leaf mass per area as shading levels increased. These changes indicate morpho-physiological adaptations to reduced light availability. At 50% shading, the physiological and ecological responses were favorable, with optimal photosynthetic functions including chlorophyll content, photosynthesis saturation point, photosynthetic rate, carbon fixation efficiency, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and water use efficiency. However, at 95% shading, the essential light conditions for growth were not met, significantly impairing photosynthetic functions. Consequently, 50% shading was determined to be the most optimal condition for T. lupinoides growth. These findings provide valuable insights for effective ex-situconservation practices and site selection for T. lupinoides, serving as foundational data for habitat restoration efforts.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.44-50
• /
• 2005

Natural products are increasingly appreciated as a lead for drug discovery and development. A number of investigators have studied various activities of natural products and have found that they have not only nutritional effects but also beneficial properties to cure various diseases and to maintain good health. Job's Tear(Yul-Moo) is a grass crop that have long been used in traditional medicine and a nourishing food. Job's Tear has been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory, stomachic, antiallergic activity, and antispastic effects and has been used in China for the treatment of warts, rheumatism, and neuralgia although its mechanism remains unclear. Previous results in our laboratory demonstrated that the ethanol extract and water extract of Job's Tear exerted an immune regulatory function on mice cells in vitro. The present study was performed to investigate the ex vivo effect of Job's Tear on immune function. Seven to eight weeks old mices(Balb/c) were fed ad libitum on chow diet and water extract of Job's Tear were orally administrated every other day for two or four weeks at two different concentrations (50 and 500mg/kg B.W.). Proliferation of mice spenocytes and antibody production to sheep red blood cells(SRBC) using hemolytic plague forming cell assay were used to indicate the immune activity. Splenocytes proliferation of Job's Tear with mitogen stimulation such as Con A and LPS was enhanced at 50 mg/kg B.W. concentrations compared to those of control group. In case of antibody production to sheep red blood cells, the number of antibody- secreting cells was increased by administration of 50mg/kg B.W. concentration in mice immunized as a T-dependent antigen. From the present study, Job's Tear water extracts may be suggested to stimulate the mice immune response by enhancing the splenocytes proliferation and the number of plague forming cells.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.17-22
• /
• 2009

Objectives : A higher level of aggression has been reported for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than for non-ADHD children. Aggression was shown to have a negative effect on the social functioning of children with ADHD. The ability to recognize facial emotion expression has also been related to aggression. In this study, we examined whether impulsivity and dysfunctional recognition of facial emotion expression could explain the aggressiveness of children with ADHD. Methods : 67 children with ADHD participated in this study. We measured the ability to recognize facial emotion expression by using the Emotion Recognition Test (ERT) and we measured aggression by the T score of the aggression subscale of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Impulsivity was measured by the ADHD diagnostic system (ADS). Results : The teacher rated level of aggression was related to the score of recognizing negative affect. After controlling for the effect of impulsivity, this relationship is not significant. Only the score of the visual commission errors ex plained the level of aggression of children with ADHD. Conclusion : Impulsivity seems to have a major role in explaining the aggression of children with ADHD. The clinical implication of this study is that effective intervention for controlling impulsivity may be expected to reduce the aggression of children with ADHD.