• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.573-582
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• 2022

In order to develop samultang with reduced side effects, modified samultang using omija was oral administered to rats with ovarian resection, and changes in evaluation indicators of functional efficacy in women's menopause were measured. In weight gain, relative weight of uterus and vagina, blood lipid-related indicators, and changes in blood estradiol, there was no statistically significant improvement effect in modified Samultang compared to the control group. However, the expression of estrogen receptor alpha and beta in intrauterine tissue tended to increase, and the expression of phosphorylated ERK, which is known to be involved in estrogen receptor signaling, showed a significant increase in activation in ERK and AKT. The expression amount of phosphorylation AKT was not significant, but showed an increasing tendency. Even though the test substance was administered in a relatively small dose, it is judged that the test substance modified Samultang has the ability to activate estrogen receptor. In the future, it is expected that it can be used as a useful natural mixture to show the efficacy of samultang with fewer gastrointestinal disorders.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.11-24
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• 2022

It has been reported that the ethanolic extract of the root of Piper methysticum (P. methysticum) inhibits melanogenesis in melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH)-activated B16 melanoma cells. Flavokawain B (FKB) and Flavokawain C (FKC) isolated from this extract have been found to inhibit melanin production based on anti-melanogenesis activity. This study was designed to find out the inhibition and its process of FKB and FKC on melanin synthesis in melan-a melanocytes. FKB and FKC inhibited melanogenesis at 10 μM, 5 μM respectively in melan-a melanocytes. However, they did not inhibit extracellular tyrosinase activity from melan-a melanocytes. FKB reduced the protein level of tyrosinase (Tyr), tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP-1), tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TRP-2), microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and the mRNA level of Tyr and TRP-1. FKC reduced the protein level of TRP-2 and MITF and the mRNA level of TRP-1 and Tyr. The reduced expression of Tyr and TRP-1 might be resulted from the decreased MITF which regulates major melanogenic proteins. However, since the mRNA expression of MITF did not change by FKB and FKC treatment, the effects of FKB and FKC on extracellular signal regulating kinase (ERK)/AKT phosphorylation, known to regulate the degradation of MITF, were confirmed. FKB and FKC significantly increased the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, not in AKT. These results suggest that FKB and FKC may be helpful as a potential depigmenting agent for various hyper-pigmentary disorders.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1553-1556
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• 2013

Flavonoids are one of the major components found in the peels of citrus fruits. Present evidence has suggested that polymethoxyflavonoids, including nobiletin and tangeretin isolated from Citrus sunki, have many biological properties, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-obesity capabilities. Here, we investigated the effect of Citrus sunki peel extract and its possible mechanisms on oxidative stress-induced MMP-1 expression, a major marker of skin photoaging. $H_2O_2$ induced MMP-1 expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Extract of Citrus sunki peel (1-25 ${\mu}g/ml$) dose-dependently decreased MMP-1 mRNA levels. When $H_2O_2$ was combined with Citrus sunki peel extract, the phosphorylation of ERK was further decreased compared to a single treatment with $H_2O_2$ alone. Moreover, U0216, an MEK inhibitor, markedly prevented the production of MMP-1. These data suggest that Citrus sunki peel extract has demonstrated protective activity against oxidative damage on MMP-1 expression, and ERK MAP kinase may be involved.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.772-782
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• 2020

Skeletal muscle differentiation or myogenesis is important to maintain muscle mass and metabolic homeostasis. Muscle-specific microRNAs (miRNAs) are known to play a critical role in skeletal myogenic differentiation. In this study, we examined the expression profiling of miRNAs during myogenic differentiation in rat L6 myoblasts using rat miRNA microarrays. We identified the upregulated expression of miR-128 as well as several well-known myogenic miRNAs, including miR-1, miR-133b, and miR-206. We additionally confirmed the increased expression of miR-128 observed on microarray through quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), which showed similarly upregulated expression of both primary miR-128 and mature miR-128, consistent with the microarray findings. Furthermore, transfection of miR-128 into rat L6 myoblasts induced gene expression of myogenic markers such as muscle creatine kinase (MCK), myogenin, and myosin heavy chain (MHC). Protein expression of MHC was increased as well. Inhibition of miR-128 by inhibitory peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) blocked the expression of those myogenic markers. In addition, the transfection of miR-128 into rat L6 myoblasts enhanced the phosphorylation of Erk and Akt proteins stimulated by insulin, while simultaneously reversing the inhibited phosphorylation of Erk and Akt due to insulin resistance. These findings suggest that miR-128 may play important roles in myogenic differentiation and insulin signaling.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.267-273
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• 2020

To determine the biological effects of exercise on hippocampus in mice brain exposed to radiofrequency radiaton (RF), the expression of AMPKα, p-AMPKα, ERK1/2, p-ERK1/2, p38, and p-p38 protein in the mouse exposed to RF were investigated in the hippocampal tissues, Western blot method was used to compare the protein expression levels for each molecule. Significant increases in protein expression of individual and phosphorylated molecules were observed in the spontaneous exercise group, and the expression of these molecules was notably decreased in the RF exposure and spontaneous exercise group. This study shows that neuroplasticity can be increased by exercise in hippocampus that is responsible for memory, but memory and cognitive function may be affected by exposure to RF. We may expect clinically interesting results on dementia or Alzheimer disease if we proceed further investigation on the effect of RF.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.471-480
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• 2023

This study was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of Rumohra adiantiformis extracts fermented with Bovista plumbea mycelium (B-RAE) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The total polyphenol and total flavonoid content of B-RAE were 379.26±7.77 mg/g and 50.85±3.08 mg/g, respectively. The results of measuring the antioxidant activity of B-RAE showed that it scavenges 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2, 2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and superoxide anion radical in a dose-dependent manner. B-RAE inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production in a dose-dependent manner without affecting cell viability. The gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-lβ (IL-1β), and IL-6 was measured using real time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). We found that, compared to the LPS-treated group, B-RAE significantly reduced the mRNA levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines in a concentration-dependent manner. The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the phosphorylation of transcription factors such as nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway proteins were assessed using Western blot analysis. We found that B-RAE significantly suppressed the expression of iNOS and COX-2, but their expression was increased by LPS treatment. In addition, the phosphorylation of NF-κB and IκB, which was increased by LPS treatment, was reduced with B-RAE treatment. The effect of B-RAE on the phosphorylation of the MAPK signaling pathway proteins was measured, and the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and the p38 MAPK proteins decreased in a dose-dependent manner, while the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) increased. These anti-inflammatory effects of B-RAE may thus have been achieved through the high antioxidant activity, the inhibition of NO production through the suppression of iNOS and COX-2 expression, the inhibition of the NF-κB pathway, and the suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine expression.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.236-245
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• 2016

This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of wheat germ oil (WGO) on RAW 264.7 cells. It was shown that WGO had no cytotoxicity against the treated cells or negative effect on their proliferation. WGO suppressed nitric oxide (NO) secretion considerably and had inhibitory effects on the production of LPS-induced NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β). In particular, the IL-6 and TNF-α inhibition activities were over 90% at 100 μg/ml concentration of the oil. WGO also inhibited the LPS-induced expression of cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and reduced the expression of phosphorylated ERK and JNK. Moreover, the croton-oil-induced edema in mouse ears was reduced by WGO, and no mortalities occurred in mice administered 5,000 mg/kg body weight of WGO over a 2-week observation period. In conclusion, these results provide evidence for the anti-inflammatory effect of WGO that likely occurs via modulation of NF-κB and the JNK/ERK MAPK signaling pathway.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.349-355
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• 2018

Ginsenoside Rg5, one of the protopanaxadiol ginsenosides of wood-cultivated ginseng, has been implicated in various diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and hypertension; however, its angiogenic activity and molecular mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. Here, we found that wood-cultivated ginseng extract and ginsenoside Rg5 increase in vitro proliferation, migration, and tube-like structure formation, which are typical phenomena associated with angiogenesis, in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Moreover, Ginsenoside Rg5 stimulated the phosphorylation of Akt, endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS), and extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2, which are well-known signal mediators of the angiogenic pathway. Furthermore, Ginsenoside Rg5 did not accelerate the activation of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 which are inflammatory response mediators. These results suggest that wood-cultivated ginseng extract and ginsenoside Rg5 stimulated in vitro angiogenesis by activating the Akt/eNOS- and ERK1/2-dependent signal pathways without inducing vascular inflammation.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.205-211
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• 2018

Rebaudioside A is a natural sweetener isolated from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, one of the glycosides based on steviol. Recent studies have shown that rebaudioside A inhibits the inflammatory response by inhibiting cytokines secretion such as interleukin-$1{\alpha}/1{\beta}$ in activated RAW264.7 mouse macrophage cells by LPS. However, the inhibitory mechanism of inflammation by rebaudioside A in the presence of LPS has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, in this study, we tried to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of rebaudioside A at the protein level when RAW264.7 cells were stimulated by LPS. The inducible nitric oxide synthase protein expression level was reduced in the group treated with $250{\mu}M$ rebaudioside A compared to the LPS-treated group. In addition, the mRNA expression level of $NF-{\kappa}B$, which is a representative nuclear transcription factor by inflammatory signal, was also decreased as compared with that of LPS-treated group. In addition, $NF-{\kappa}B$ and inhibitor-${\kappa}B$ ($I-{\kappa}B$) complexes that are known to be dissociated by $I-{\kappa}B$ phosphorylation and ubiquitination were less phosphorylated than LPS treated group in the presence rebaudioside A. Finally, we could find that rebaudioside A was involved in the $NF-{\kappa}B$ pathway through reducing extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 phosphorylation in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that rebaudioside A might suppress inflammatory reaction through MAPK and $NF-{\kappa}B$ regulation in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.8 s.88
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• pp.1039-1045
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• 2007

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most frequently occurring brain cancer. Although the existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in GBM has been established, there is little evidence to explain the link between CSCs and chemoresistance. In this study, we investigated that only a few cells of A172 and established GBM2 survived after 1,3-bis(2chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BiCNU) exposures and these sur-vived cells resist the subsequent BiCNU treatment. In addition, these BiCNU-resistant small pop-ulations derived from GBM cells increased the phosphorylations of Erk and Akt and highly expressed CD133 stem cell surface marker. Furthermore, we observed that the BiCNU-resistant cancer cells de-rived from GBM have grown tumors when transplanted into severe combined immuno-deficient (SCID) mouse brain. These results demonstrate that BiCNU-resistant subpopulation cells derived from GBM have cancer stem-like cell properties. Therefore, it may provide provide further evidence that CSCs in GBM have chemotherapeutic drug resistance.