• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.21-25
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• 2007

The root of Rosa rugosa has been used in folkloric medicine as a treatment agent for diabetes. In the present study, we investigated whether (+)-catechin isolated from this plant can change the activities of hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes in rats treated with bromobenzene. Pretreatment with (+)-catechin gave no effects on the activities of aminopyrine N-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase, enzymes forming toxic bromobenzene epoxide intermediates and glutathione Stransferase, an enzyme removing toxic epoxides. However, the activity of epoxide hydrolase, an enzyme detoxifying the bromobenzene toxic intermediates was mildly recovered by (+)-catechin treatment.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.14-19
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• 2011

A cyclic undecapeptide-family natural product, cyclosporin A (CyA), which is one of the most valuable immunosuppressive drugs, is produced nonribosomally by a multifunctional cyclosporin synthetase enzyme complex in a filamentous fungal strain named Tolypocladium niveum. Previously, structural modifications of cyclosporins such as a regionspecific hydroxylation at the $4^{th}$ N-methyl leucine in a rare actinomycetes called Sebekia benihana were reported to lead to dramatic changes in their bioactive spectra. However, the reason behind this change could not be determined since a system to genetically manipulate S. benihana has not yet been developed. To address this limitation, in this study, we utilized the most commonly practiced gene manipulation techniques including conjugation-based foreign gene transfer-and-expression as well as targeted gene disruption to genetically manipulate S. benihana. Using these optimized genetic manipulation systems, a putative cytochrome P450 hydroxylase (CYP) gene named CYP506, which is involved in CyA hydroxylation in S. benihana, was specifically disrupted and genetically complemented. The S. benihana${\Delta}$CYP506 exhibited a significantly reduced CyA hydroxylation yield as well as considerable yield restoration by functional complementation of the S. benihana CYP506 gene, suggesting that the genetically manipulated S. benihana CYP mutant strains may serve as a more efficient bioconversion host for various valuable metabolites including CyA.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.225-232
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• 2019

Traceability establishment in chemical measurements is a like a linkage established through an unbroken chain from the measured results to the international system (SI) of units. The primary process for traceability establishment is the purity assignment of a target material to be measured. In this study, we studied the purity assignment of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP). The presence of 17-OHP is indicative of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and it builds up due to the deficiency of 21-hydroxylase and 11β-hydroxylase enzyme in the human blood. The purity assignment of 17-OHP was performed by the mass balance method, in which the impurities are categorized into four classes: total related structural impurities, water, residual organic solvents, and nonvolatiles/inorganics. The total related structural impurities were characterized by HPLC-UV; water content was determined by Karl-Fisher coulometer; and the total residual solvents and nonvolatiles/inorganics were determined by TGA. The purity of 17-OHP from a commercial manufacturer was calculated as 993.30 mg/g, and the expanded uncertainty was 0.58 mg/g. The proposed method was validated by uncertainty evaluation and comparing with the actual value of purity.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.1179-1185
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• 2000

Fermented anchovy was used to investigate its effects on the formation of lipid peroxide and the activities of epoxide or free radical generating enzyme in vitro in bromobenzene-treated rats. All solvent fractions from fermented anchovy not only showed the strong antioxidative activities on linoleic acid autooxidation, but also reduced bromobenzene-induced hepatic lipid peroxidation. The activities of aniline hydroxylase and aminopyrine N-demethylase elevated by bromobenzene were recovered to the level of normal rats by adding the solvent fractions of fermented anchovy. But, xanthine oxidase and aldehyde oxidase activities were not affected by fermented anchovy. These results suggest that reduction of the bromobenzene-induced hepatic lipid peroxidation is caused by inhibition on the epoxide formation, not on free radical generation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.313-322
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• 2013

Previous studies have demonstrated that repeated administration of the exogenous stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) induces dysregulation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and results in depression and anxiety. The current study sought to verify the impact of catechin (CTN) administration on chronic CORT-induced behavioral alterations using the forced swimming test (FST) and the elevated plus maze (EPM) test. Additionally, the effects of CTN on central noradrenergic systems were examined by observing changes in neuronal tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity in rat brains. Male rats received 10, 20, or 40 mg/kg CTN (i.p.) 1 h prior to a daily injection of CORT for 21 consecutive days. The activation of the HPA axis in response to the repeated CORT injections was confirmed by measuring serum levels of CORT and the expression of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) in the hypothalamus. Daily CTN administration significantly decreased immobility in the FST, increased open-arm exploration in the EPM test, and significantly blocked increases of TH expression in the locus coeruleus (LC). It also significantly enhanced the total number of line crossing in the open-field test (OFT), while individual differences in locomotor activities between experimental groups were not observed in the OFT. Taken together, these findings indicate that the administration of CTN prior to high-dose exogenous CORT significantly improves helpless behaviors, possibly by modulating the central noradrenergic system in rats. Therefore, CTN may be a useful agent for the treatment or alleviation of the complex symptoms associated with depression and anxiety disorders.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.67-74
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• 2004

Objective: This study was to examine in vitro neural cell differentiation pattern of the genetically modified human embryonic stem cells expressing tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Materials and Methods: Human embryonic stem (hES, MB03) cell was transfected with cDNAs cording for TH. Successful transfection was confirmed by western immunoblotting. Newly transfected cell line (TH#2/MB03) was induced to differentiate by two neurogenic factors retinoic acid (RA) and b-FGF. Exp. I) Upon differentiation using RA, embryoid bodies (EB, for 4 days) derived from TH#2/MB03 cells were exposed to RA ($10^{-6}M$)/AA ($5{\times}10^{-2}mM$) for 4 days, and were allowed to differentiate in N2 medium for 7, 14 or 21 days. Exp. II) When b-FGF was used, neuronal precursor cells were expanded at the presence of b-FGF (10 ng/ml) for 6 days followed by a final differentiation in N2 medium for 7, 14 or 21 days. Neuron differentiation was examined by indirect immunocytochemistry using neuron markers (NF160 & NF200). Results: After 7 days in N2 medium, approximately 80% and 20% of the RA or b-FGF induced Th#2/MB03 cells were immunoreactive to anti-NF160 and anti-NF200 antibodies, respectively. As differentiation continued, NF200 in RA treated cells significantly increased to 73.0% on 14 days compared to that in b-FGF treated cells (53.0%, p<0.05), while the proportion of cells expressing NF160 was similarly decreased between two groups. However, throughout the differentiation, expression of TH was maintained ($\sim$90%). HPLC analyses indicated the increased levels of L-DOPA in RA treated genetically modified hES cells with longer differentiation time. Conclusion: These results suggested that a genetically modified hES cells (TH#2/MB03) could be efficiently differentiated in vitro into mature neurons by RA induction method.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.302-305
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• 2007

As a result of the widespread use and enhanced quality of high-resolution radiological techniques, a recent report has revealed a relatively high prevalence of small adrenal tumors in patients with untreated congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. However, there are scarcely any pediatric cases of adrenocortical tumor following long-term treatment in patients suffering with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. We report here on a pediatric female case of adrenocortical adenoma despite adequate long-term treatment for the salt-losing type of congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.191-200
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• 2014

We investigated the anxiolytic-like activity of ${\alpha}$-asarone (AAS) from Acorus gramineus in an experimental rat model of anxiety induced by repeated administration of the exogenous stress hormone corticosterone (CORT). The putative anxiolytic effect of AAS was studied in behavioral tests of anxiety, such as the elevated plus maze (EPM) test and the hole-board test (HBT) in rats. For 21 consecutive days, male rats received 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg AAS (i.p.) 30 min prior to a daily injection of CORT. Dysregulation of the HPA axis in response to the repeated CORT injections was confirmed by measuring serum levels of CORT and the expression of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) in the hypothalamus. Daily AAS (200 mg/kg) administration increased open-arm exploration significantly in the EPM test, and it increased the duration of head dipping activity in the HBT. It also blocked the increase in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression in the locus coeruleus (LC) and decreased mRNA expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor, TrkB, in the hippocampus. These results indicated that the administration of AAS prior to high-dose exogenous CORT significantly improved anxiety-like behaviors, which are associated with modification of the central noradrenergic system and with BDNF function in rats. The current finding may improve understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms responsible for changes in emotions induced by repeated administration of high doses of CORT or by elevated levels of hormones associated with chronic stress. Thus, AAS did exhibit an anxiolytic-like effects in animal models of anxiety.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.187-192
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• 2016

The goal of this study was to determine whether gypenosides (GPS) exert protective effects against dopaminergic neuronal cell death in a 6-hydroxydopamine (OHDA)-lesioned rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD) with or without long-term 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) treatment. Rats were injected with 6-OHDA in the substantia nigra to induce PD-like symptoms; 14 days after injection, groups of 6-OHDA-lesioned animals were treated for 21 days with GPS (25 or 50 mg/kg) and/or L-DOPA (20 mg/kg). Dopaminergic neuronal cell death was assessed by counting tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunopositive cells in the substantia nigra and measuring levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and homovanillic acid (HVA) in the striatum. Dopaminergic neuronal cell death induced by 6-OHDA lesions was ameliorated by GPS treatment (50 mg/kg). L-DOPA treatment exacerbated 6-OHDA-induced dopaminergic neuronal cell death; however, these effects were partially reversed by GPS treatment (25 and 50 mg/kg). These results suggest that GPS treatment is protective against dopaminergic neuronal cell death in a 6-OHDA-lesioned rat model of PD with long-term L-DOPA treatment. Therefore, GPS may be useful as a phytotherapeutic agent for the treatment of PD.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.234-240
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• 2013

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) have been widely used as antidepressants. Recently, there has been renewed interest in MAO inhibitors. The activity-guided fractionation of extracts from Angelica keiskei Koidzumi (A. keiskei K.) led to the isolation of two prenylated chalcones, xanthoangelol and 4-hydroxyderricin and a flavonoid, cynaroside. These three isolated compounds are the major active ingredients of A. keiskei K. to inhibit the MAOs and DBH activities. Xanthoangelol is a nonselective MAO inhibitor, and a potent dopamine ${\beta}$-hydroxylase (DBH) inhibitor. $IC_{50}$ values of xanthoangelol to MAO-A and MAO-B were calculated to be 43.4 ${\mu}M$, and 43.9 ${\mu}M$. These values were very similar to iproniazid, which is a nonselective MAO inhibitor used as a drug against depression. The $IC_{50}$ values of iproniazid were 37 ${\mu}M$, and 42.5 ${\mu}M$ in our parallel examination. Moreover, $IC_{50}$ value of xanthoangelol to DBH was calculated 0.52 ${\mu}M$. 4-Hydroxyderricin is a potent selective MAO-B inhibitor and also mildly inhibits DBH activity. The $IC_{50}$ value of 4-hydroxyderricin to MAO-B was calculated to be 3.43 ${\mu}M$ and this value was higher than that of deprenyl (0.046 ${\mu}M$) used as a positive control for selective MAO-B inhibitor in our test. Cynaroside is a most potent DBH inhibitor. The $IC_{50}$ value of cynaroside to DBH was calculated at 0.0410 ${\mu}M$. Results of this study suggest that the two prenylated chalcones, xanthoangelol and 4-hydroxyderricin isolated from A. keiskei K., are expected for potent candidates for development of combined antidepressant drug. A. keiskei K. will be an excellent new bio-functional food material that has the combined antidepressant effect.