• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.23-34
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• 2009

Objectives: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) comprise a promising tool for cellular therapy. It is known that long-term in vitro culture of human bone marrow and adipose tissue derived-MSCs lead to a reduction of life span and a change of stem-like characters. The aim of our study was to examine whether stem cell properties of human umbilical cord-derived stem cells (HUC) could be affected by in vitro expansion. Methods: HUC were isolated from human umbilical cord and cultured for 10 passages in vitro. Morphology and population doubling time (PDT) were investigated, and changes of stem cell properties were examined using RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry during serial subcultures. Results: Morphology and PDT of HUC began to change slightly from the 7th passage (p7). Expression level of nestin and vimentin mRNAs increased along with the culture period from p4 until p10. In contrast, expression level of SCF mRNA decreased during the same culture period. Expression level of Oct-4 and HNF-4${\alpha}$ mRNAs was not significantly changed throughout the culture period until p10. Expression level of BMP-4, FGF-5, NCAM and HLA-ABC mRNAs appeared to increase as the culture continued, however, the difference was not significant. Immunocytochemical studies showed that HUC at p3, p6 and p9 positively were stained with antibodies against SSEA-3 and SSEA-4 proteins. Interestingly, staining intensity of HUC for ICAM-1 and HLA-ABC gradually increased throughout the culture period. Intensity against thy-1 and fibronectin antibodies increased at p9 while that against TRA-1-60 and VCAM-1 antibodies began to decrease at p6 until p9. Conclusions: These results suggest that HUC change some of their stem cell characteristics during in vitro culture. Development of culture system might be needed for the maintenance of characteristics.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.208-218
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• 1999

Background: Lung cancer-associated hypercalcemia is one of the most disabling and life-threatening paraneoplastic disorders. Humoral hypercalcemia is responsible for most lung cancer-associated hypercalcemia. Patients with hypercalcemia are usually in the advanced stage with obvious bulky tumor and carry a poor prognosis. Materials and Methods: Total 29 patients satisfied the following criteria: histologically proven primary lung cancer, corrected calcium level ${\geq}$ 10.5 mg/dL, and symptoms which could possibly be attributed to hypercalcemia. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the various clinical aspects of hypercalcemia, in relation to cancer stage, histologic cell type, mass size, bone metastasis, performance status, and other possible characteristics. Results: Total 29 lung cancer patients with hypercalcemia were studied, and most of them had squamous cell carcinoma in their histologic finding. The incidence of hypercalcemia was significantly higher between 50 and 69 years of age, and in the advancement of cancer stage. Although serum calcium level showed positive correlation with mass size, performance status, and bone metastasis, it was not significant statistically. Altered consciousness was significantly more frequent in the patients with higher serum calcium level. There were no differences in effectiveness among therapeutic regimens. Hypercalcemia was more frequently in the later stage of disease than during the initial diagnosis of lung cancer. Most of the patients died within 1 month after development of hypercalcemia. Conclusion: We concluded that hypercalcemia in lung cancer is related to extremely poor prognosis, and may be one of the causes of death and should be treated aggressively to prevent sudden deterioration or death.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.113-121
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• 2020

Macrophages are initiators for regulating a host's defenses to eliminate pathogens and trigger tissue repair. Macrophages are classified into two types: classically (M1) activated macrophages and alternatively (M2) activated macrophages. M1-phenotype macrophages directly or indirectly kill infectious organisms and tumor cells via pro-inflammatory responses, whereas M2-phenotype macrophages remodel wounded tissue through anti-inflammatory responses. In this paper, we investigated how Phellinus linteus hot water extract passed from Diaion HP-20 resin (PLEP) regulates polarization of M1-like or M2-like macrophages in human THP-1 cells. PLEP did not have cytotoxicity at a high concentration of 300 ㎍/ml. We observed morphological alteration of the THP-1 cells, which are stimulated by PLEP, LPS/INF-γ (M1 stimulators) or IL-4/IL13 (M2 stimulators). PLEP exposure induced morphology contiguous with LPS/INF-γ. qPCR was also performed to determine whether PLEP influences M1 or M2 polarization-related genes. M1-phenotype macrophage-specific genes, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, CXCL10 and CCR7, were enhanced by PLEP in a dose-dependent manner similar to LPS/INF-γ. Conversely, M2-phenotype-specific genes, such as MRC-1, DC-SIGN, CCL17 and CCL22, were suppressed by PLEP. PLEP also significantly up-regulated secretory inflammation cytokines related to M1 polarization of macrophages, including TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6, which was similar to the gene expression. Further, MAPK and NF-κB signaling were increased by treatment with PLEP, resulting in enhancement of cytokine secretion. PLEP might therefore be used as a promising booster of pro-inflammatory responses through M1 polarization of human THP-1 cells.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 2010

Liver regeneration is a result of highly coordinated proliferation of hepatocytes and nonparenchymal liver cells. Partial hepatectomy (PH) is the most often used stimulus to study liver regeneration because, compared with other methods that use hepatic toxins, it is not associated with the tissue injury and inflammation, and the initiation of the regenerative stimulus is precisely defined. Granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), which is a cytokine able to regulate the proliferation and differentiation of epithelial cells, was first identified as the most potent mitogen for bone marrow. Particularly, rrhGM-CSF, which is highly glycosylated and sustained longer than any other types of GM-CSF in the blood circulation, was specifically produced from rice cell culture. In this experiment, effects of rrhGM-CSF administration were evaluated in the regenerating liver after 78% PH of rats. Morphological changes induced by PH were characterized by destroyed hepatocyte plate around the central vein and enlarged nuclear cytoplasmic ratio and increased hepatocytes with two nuclei. And then, proliferation of liver cells (parenchymal and nonparenchymal) and rearrangement of plates and lobules seemed to be carried out during liver regeneration. These alterations in the experimental group preceded those of the control. Since proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is known to be a nuclear protein maximally elevated in the S phase of proliferating cells, the protein was used as a marker of liver regeneration after PH in rats. PCNA levels by western blot analysis and immunohistology were compared between the two groups. PCNA protein expression of two groups at 12 hr and 24 hr after injury showed similar pattern. The protein expression showed the peak at 3 days in both groups, however, the protein level of the experimental group was higher than that of the control. On immunohistochemical observations, the reaction product of PCNA was localized at the nuclei of proliferating cells and the positive reaction in experimental group at 3 days was clearly stronger than that in control group. The results by Western blotting and immunohistology for PCNA showed similar pattern in terms of the protein levels. In conclusion, rrhGM-CSF administration during liver regeneration after 78% PH accelerated breakdown and restoration of the hepatic plate and expression of PCNA. These results suggest that rrhGM-CSF might play an important role during liver regeneration in rats.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.904-910
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• 2006

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the only antigen presenting cells (APCs) capable of initiating immune responses, which is crucial for priming the specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response and tumor immunity. Upon activation by DCs, CD4+ helper T cells can cross-prime CD8+ CTLs via IL-12. However, recently activated DCs were described to prime in vitro strong T helper cell type 1 $(Th_1)$ responses, whereas at later time points, they preferentially prime $Th_2$ cells. Therfore, we examined in this study the optimum kinetic state of DCs activation impacted on in vivo priming of tumor-specific CTLs by using ovalbumin (OVA) tumor antigen model. Bone-marrow-derived DCs showed an appropriate expression of surface MHC and costimulatory molecules after 6 or 7-day differentiation. The 6-day differentiated DCs pulsed with OVA antigen for 8 h (8-h DC) and followed by restimulation with LPS for 24 h maintained high interleukin (IL)-12 production potential, accompanying the decreased level in their secretion by delayed re-exposure time to LPS. Furthermore, immunization with 8-h DC induced higher intracellular $interferon(IFN)-{\gamma}+/CD8+T$ cells and elicited more powerful cytotoxicity of splenocytes to EG7 cells, a clone of EL4 cells transfected with an OVA cDNA, than immunization with 24-h DC. In the animal study for the evaluation of therapeutic or protective antitumor immunity, immunization with 8-h DC induced an effective antitumor immunity against tumor of EG7 cells and completely protected mice from tumor formation and prolonged survival, respectively. The most commonly used and clinically applied DC-based vaccine is based on in vitro antigen loading for 24 h. However, our data indicated that antigen stimulation over 8 h decreased antitumor immunity with functional exhaustion of DCs, and that the 8-h DC would be an optimum activation state impacted on in vivo priming of tumor-specific CTLs and subsequently lead to induction of strong antitumor immunity.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.60-71
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• 2010

The purpose of this paper is to provide a unified examination of apparently quite different gardens in terms of Carl Jung's psychological concepts such as Archetypes, Individualization, and a natural tendency towards balance or wholeness. In Jung's psychological framework, Archetypes are innate, universal prototypes for ideas and function as the first original models upon which all other similar persons, objects or concepts are derived, copied or patterned. Jung proposes that Individualization be achieved through a natural tendency towards balance, especially the balance between the conscious and the unconscious. This paper deals with three gardens, each of which represents a distinct cultural region: Bu-Yong Ji(芙蓉池) at the Changdeok Palace(Oriental), the Patio of the Lions at the Alhambra(Islamic), and the Fountain of Apollo at the Versailles Palace(Western). It is argued that all of three have in common a natural tendency towards balance and symbolize mandala, the archetype of wholeness. Bu-Yong Ji is in the form of quadrangle which embodies Yin and Yang. In the Patio of the Lions, the basin at the center and the four channels, which symbolize the waterway of the Garden of Eden and the four rivers in Paradise respectively, are constructed in the form of a quadripartite composition. The overlapped circle and rectangular shaped pond of the Fountain of Apollo also represents mandala. Symbols representing the same archetype can vary from culture to culture. This explains the differences among the three gardens with respect to specific aspects of external forms. In other words, an archetypal image can give rise to various forms in different cultures, and thus quite different mediums of design or design details may be developed. In conclusion, the three gardens give us a good example as to how an archetypal image can be expressed in different ways from culture to culture and how seemingly different design details can be analyzed in a unified way.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.289-296
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• 2008

BPES (Blepharophimosis/Ptosis/Epicanthus inversus Syndrome) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in FOXL2. Affected individuals have premature ovarian failure (POF) in addition to small palpebral fissures, drooping eyelids, and broad nasal bridge. FOXL2 is a member of the forkhead family transcription factors. In FOXL2-deficient ovaries, granulosa cell differentiation dose not progress, leading to arrest of folliculogenesis and oocytes atresia. Using yeast two-hybrid screening of rat ovarian cDNA library with FOXL2 as bait, we found that small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO)-conjugating E2 enzyme UBE2I protein interacted with FOXL2 protein. UBE2I also known as UBC9 is an essential protein for processing SUMO modification. Sumoylation is a form of post-translational modification involved in diverse signaling pathways including the regulation of transcriptional activities of many transcriptional factors. In the present study, we confirmed the protein-protein interaction between FOXL2 and UBE2I in human cells, 293T, by in vivo immunoprecipitation. In addition, we generated truncated FOXL2 mutants and identified the region of FOXL2 required for its association with UBE2I using yeast-two hybrid system. Therefore, the identification of UBE2I as an interacting protein of FOXL2 further suggests a presence of novel regulatory mechanism of FOXL2 by sumoylation.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 1972

Two-Cell mouse embryos were incubated in the anterior chamber of the rat eye, which has been known as the best place among other animals' for the mouse ovum maturation, in order to observe the capability of their early development. Within 120 hours after incubation, 71.0% of two-cell embryos have developed to the blastocysts in the male rat eye, while only 38.5% in the eye of the same mouse as donated two-cell embryos. Thus, the rat eye chamber provides more favourable environment to the embryos than the mouse itself. The results are consistent with those of the previous studies comparing the maturation of the mouse follicular oocytes in the mouse and the rat eye chamber. Although the aqueous humor which is filled in the anterior chamber of the eye is characterized by its specific properties, being of higher osmolarity, higher concentrations of ascorbic acid, pyruvate and lactate, but lower of proteins and lower temperature than those in blood or lymph serum, The embryos are able to under-take their cleavage as normal as in vivo or in vitro. Concerning with a number of studies in vitro on the development of the mouse embryos which are requiring a very limited condition, the fact that they are able to manage their further development under very different enviroment from our knowledges would provide us a moment to understand their behavior during the early development. The difference of the proportion of the developed blastocysts between in the mouse eye chamber and in the rat can possibly be resulted from the species specific difference in the physicochemical properties between their eye chambers. This assumption is based upon the findings by many investigators who chmpared the nature of the eye chamber of various animals. As a consequence, the rat eye chamber might consist of better properties for the embryonal growth than the mouse eye chamber. The mouse embryos cleaved with a delayed period. In normal development they complete almost the cleavage within 94 hours after fertilization. However, in the present studies, 81.1% of two-cell embryos developed to the blastocysts and the morula in 120 hours in the eye chamber, assumed to be about 154 hours after fertilization. Such delay in development would be caused mainly by the low temperature of the eye chamber. At present we can make two assumptions to explain the capability of the emtryonal development in the eye chambers. One is that the embryos would possess an ability to adapt themselves to the environment which provides unfavourable conditions. The other is that the embryos might remain for a certain duration in the eye chamber, which is filled with a new body fluid produced immediately after the loss of the aqueous humor and the fluid of which becomes similar to blood serum in component. The first assumption is highly reliable since the embryonal cells are mostly at the undifferentiated state and so they probably engage a simple metabolism during their early period. The second assumption is induced by the fact that the rabbit eye chamber produces a plasmoid humor which has mostly similar components to blood serum after loss of aqueous humor through cornea by puncturing. However, the plasmoid humor is substituted by the initial aqueous humor in eight hours. Even though this finding, production of the new fluid, could be applied to the rat eye, it is hardly reliabel that the plasmoid humor remains for such a long period as 120 hours. Consequently, the development of the embryos is more likely due to their adaptability to the new environment during their early developmental stages.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.14-22
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• 1983

To study ecological characteristics of Cyperus serotinus occuring in Korea its propagules were collected from 6 locations from the northern part to the southern part of Korea (Chuncheon, Suweon, Iri, Jeonju, Gwangju, Milyang) in 1981, cultured and replanted 4 times (May 20, June 5, June 20, July 5) in 1982. They flowered from August 10 to August 29 in the plants planted on May 20 and from August 22 to September 4 in the plants planted on July 5. Plant height, number of tillers and top fresh weight were 85-100cm, 375-1,500 tillers/$m^2$ and 500-1,750g/$m^2$, respectively, when they were planted on May 20, and 58-67cm, 300-625 tillers/ $m^2$ and 125-250g/$m^2$, respectively, when they were planted on July S. Weight of seeds and number of rhizomes per plant were 20-50g/$m^2$ and 20.75-61, respectively, whey, they were planted on May 20, and 5-17.5g/$m^2$ and 51.5-80.25 when they were planted on July 5. Local collections showed. the same morphological characteristics at the level of species identification, but there existed variations among the local collections. Cyperus serotinus from Chuncheon and Suweon were longer in the length of inflorescence, than those from Gwangju and Milyang and rhizomes from Chuncheon and Suweon were thicker than the others. Each of local collections may be regarded as different ecotype based on the above mentioned differences in morphology, growth and flowering response to the planting date. The results appear to imply that Cyperus serotinus weeds occuring in various locations of Korea are different one another in competitive ability with rice crop.