• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.467-475
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the vasodilatation effect of kirenol isolated from Sigesbeckia pubescens on the rabbit basilar artery. In this study, to determine the vasodilatation effect of kirenol on the rabbit basilar artery, arterial rings with intact or damaged endothelium were used for the experiment. And used an organ bath and force transducer were contracted by endothelin. Kirenol, major active constituents of S. pubescens, showed a moderate vasodilatation effect on the basilar arteries of rabbits. Therefore, treatment with kirenol may selectively accelerate cerebral blood flow through dilatation of the basilar artery. This result suggests a potential role of kirenol isolated from S. pubescens as a source of vasodilatation agent.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 1999

In order to study the effects of $\alpha$-tocopherol acetate in glomerular injury, the minimal change nephrosis disease was induced by puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) in spontaneously hypertensive rats, and we examined biochemical analysis in serum and morphological changes. The experimental animals were divided to control, PAN-treated (30 mg/kg, I.p.), vitamin E-treated (200 mg/kg, P.O.), and PAN+vitamin E-treated groups. After PAN injection, the rate of increase of body weight was lower than the other treatments. In addition, at 8 days after PAN injection, total protein content in serum was the lowest, whereas both blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine contents were the highest in all experimental groups, which their changes of serum parameters were statistically significant. In morphological changes, the glomerular tissue at 8 days after PAN injection clearly showed obstruction of urinary space and proliferation of mesangial cells, and that loss and fusion of pedicles, vacuolization and edema of endothelial cells, and thickness of basal lamina were ultrastructurally showed in the glomerulus. Glomerular injury was significantly prevented by administration of vitamin E having an antioxidant effect. It suggested that the glomerular injury induced by PAN was accelerated by hypertension, and renal dysfunction might be induced by oxidative injury.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.25-39
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• 2003

Cell differentiation and ultrastructural characteristics in the seminiferous epithelium of Myotis macrodactylus was investigated with the light and electron microscopes. Spermatogenesis has begun at April and finished at September. The nuclei of A spermatogonia (dark and pale type of spermatogonia) were oval, applied to the basal lamina, and surrounded by Sertoli cells. By comparison with other types of spermatogonia, the cell and nucleus of B type of spermatogonium is globular and larger than A types of spermatogonia. The nucleolus appears as a coarse and touches the nuclear membrane. The cell and nucleus of spermatocytes was globular and larger, but primary spematocyte is larger than secondary spermatocyte. Spermiogenesis was divided according to the level of fine structural difference, into Golgi, cap, acrosomal, maturation and spermiation phases; Golgi, cap, acrosomal and spermiation phases were further subdivided into steps of early and late phase respectively, and maturation phase has only one step. Hence, the spermiogenesis has been divided into a total of nine phases. In the change of karyoplasm, the chromatin granules are condensed at late Golgi phase and completed at spermiation phase. The sperm tail began to develop in early Golgi phase and completed in spermiation phase. The process of degeneration of spermatogenic cells in the seminiferous tubules was continually observed from October, before the beginning of hibernation, to hibernation phase (November, December, January, February, March). Immatured spermatogenic cells in the seminiferous tubules have been engulfed by phagocytosis of Sertoli cells during period of degeneration. It is deduced that the adaptative strategy serves as the mechanism to regulate the effective use of energy to prepare for long hibernation and regulation of breeding cycle.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2004

Purpose : Minimal Change Disease (MCD) is the most common primary nephrotic syndrome in children. Some suggested that tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) are involved in the pathogenesis of MCD. Methods : This study was done to see the changes of plasma and urinary $TNF-{\alpha}$, and its effect on the determination of permeability of the glomerular basement membrane (BM) contributed by heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG). Study patients consisted of 19 biopsy-proven MCD children aged 2-15 years old. Both plasma and urinary $TNF-{\alpha}$ were measured. Employing the Millicell system, $TNF-{\alpha}$ was screened for the permeability factors. We examined whether $TNF-{\alpha}$ regulated BM HSPG gene expression and HS synthesis in the glomerular epithelial cells (GECs). Results : Urinary $TNF-{\alpha}$ during relapse was significantly increased when compared with that of during remission or controls ($364.4{\pm}51.2$ vs $155.3{\pm}20.8,\;36.0{\pm}4.5$ ng/mg cr) (P<0.05). However, negative results were obtained in the permeability assay using the Millicell system. No difference was seen in the BM HSPG gene expression and HS synthesis in the GECs. Conclusion : It seems that $TNF-{\alpha}$ may not play a disease-specific role in the pathogenesis of MCD.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2003

Purpose : Minimal Change Disease(MCD) is the most common primary nephrotic syndrome in children. Some suggested that tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) are involved in the pathogenesis of MCD. This study was done to see the changes of plasma and urinary $TNF-{\alpha}$, and their effects on the permeability of glomerular basement membrane. Methods : Study patients consisted of 19 biopsy-proven MCD children aged 2-15 years old. Both plasma and urinary $TNF-{\alpha}$ were measured. Employing the Millicell system, $TNF-{\alpha}$ were screened for the permeability factors. Results : Urinary $TNF-{\alpha}$ during relapse was significantly increased(P<0.01). No significant change was seen in the plasma $TNF-{\alpha}$ during relapse when compared to those in remission and the healthy controls. Furthermore, in the in vitro Millicell system, $TNF-{\alpha}$ did not produce a significant change in albumin permeability. Conclusion : Therefore, it seems that $TNF-{\alpha}$ may not play a disease-specific role in the pathogenesis of MCD.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.13-22
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• 1998

To know the features of Amyloodinium sp. parasitized in Black seabream, Acanthopagrus schlegeli, morphology and reproduction type of the parasite were investigated. Infection mode and histopathology of the parasites were also studied. In the developmental and morphological observation, the parasite passed through parasitic and non-parasitic phases with three developmental stages termed trophont, tomont, and dinospore. The trophont, 30-$80{\mu}m$ ovoidal or pyriform, for the vegetative stage had a spherical nucleus with $1.5{\mu}m$ in diameter, many food vacuoles and starch grains in cytoplasm. The tomont, 80-$90{\mu}m$ spherical, for the reproductive stage resorbed a stalk, secreted a cyst wall and reproduced within it. A dinospore, small 10-$15{\mu}m$ biflagellated, for the infestation stage had a stigma. The parasite was propagated for 15 days by serial passage in Korean rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) at $25{\pm}1^{\circ}C$. Trophonts began to detach from the fish about 3 days after infection and was completed within 5 days at $25{\pm}1^{\circ}C$. It took from 3 to 5 days to reproduce at the same temperature. Reinfected fish showed that parasites penetrated under the epithelia of gill filament and gill lamellae causing hyperplasia and degeneration at infected area.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.331-341
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• 1999

Examination of the morphology of red blood cells in the urine has been shown to be a promising adjunct in determining whether hematuria represents glomerular or nonglomerular bleeding. This is due to distortion of RBCs as they Pass across the basement membrane of the glomerular capillaries. It is concluded that is method can greatly help the clinician in distinguishing between glomerular and nonglomerular bleeding in patients with hematuria and channeling such patients toward the most appropriate investigations. We have experimented dysmorphic red blood cells that 5 patients of the hematuria are distorted with irregular outlines and often have small blobs extruding from the red cell membrane. Tried urinary sediments were seen with phase contrast microscope and confirmed scanning electron microscope. There are seen acanthocytes, anulocytes, ghost cells and sphero-echinocytes in dysmorphic erythrocytes. Clinical diagnosis was referred from the result of the biopsy-proven. Scanning electron microscopic findings of the hematuria are good diagnostic tool that disclose in distorted red blood cells from patients with glomerular disorders.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.964-971
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• 2006

The cancer cells, characterized by local invasion and distant metastasis, are very dependant on extracellular matrix. The expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) has been implicated in the invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. Among the human MMPs, matirx metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinse-9 (MMP-9) are key enzymes that degrade type IV collagen of the matrix. Here, we studied the effect of disulfiram, an anti-tumor compound, on the suppression of the tumor invasion and the activity of MMP-2, MMP-9 in human osteosarcoma cells (U2OS). Disulfiram had the type IV collagenase inhibitory activity, the effect of inhibition of gene and protein expression, and these inhibitions were responsible for blocking invasion through cell mediated and non-cell mediated pathways. In conclusion, disulfiram inhibited expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9, and regulated the invasion of U2OS, Caki-1 and Caski. These observations raise the possibility of clinical therapeutic applications for disulfiram used as a potential inhibitor of cancer invasion.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.101-112
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• 2002

Background : Toluene diisocyanate(TDI) is a leading cause of occupational asthma. However, the pathogenesis of TDI-induced asthma is largely unknown because there is no suitable animal model. Materials and Methods : We developed a murine model of TDI-induced asthma by performing two sensitization with 3% TDI and one challenge with 1% TDI using ultrasonic nebulization. Results : Similar to occupational asthma in humans, murine TDI-induced asthma includes findings 1) increased inflammatory cells, including neutrophils and eosinophils, 2) histologic changes, including infiltration of inflammatory cells around bronchioles, thickened airway epithelium, contraction of bronchioles, and accumulation of mucus and debris in the bronchioles, 3) increased MMP-9 activity in inflammatory cells in the airway lumen, 4) airway hyperrespnosiveness. Administraion of an MMP inhibitor, MMPI-I, remarkably reduced all these pathophysiological findings. Conclusion : Therefore, we conclude that TDI-induced occupational asthma is associated with the induction of MMP-9 in inflammatory cells, and the inhibition of MMP-9 may be a good therapeutic strategy.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.185-198
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• 2007

Spermiogenesis in Japanese white-toothed shrew. Crocidura dsinezumi was investigated by transmission electron microscope. Spermiogenesis was divided into 12 phases 14 steps, based on the morphological features of the nucleus and change of organelles in cytoplasm. The nucleus of spermatids in Golgi (step $1{\sim}2$) phase were spherical; however, they were changed into oval in the cap (step $3{\sim}6$) phase. Flagellum appeared in the middle of acrosomal phase; on the other hand, slender and long spermatid head was formed in maturation phase. The head of spermatids faced the lumen in step 1 to step 6 (from Golgi to cap phase), but, in step 7 to step 14 (from acrosomal to spermiation phase), it turned its head to the basal lamina of the seminiferous epithelium. The nucleus and acrosome were elongated maximally in step 10. The condensation of chromatin started in late acrosomal (step 10) phase, and it was completely finished and homogenized in the middle of maturation (step 12) phase. Multivesicular body appeared near the acrosomal vacuole during the middle cap (step 5) phase, and a large number of them were observed near the Golgi apparatus in the late cap (step 6) phase. Considering all the results, the spermiogenesis might be useful information to analyse the differentiation of spermatogenic fells.