• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.255-261
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate the probiotic properties and antioxidant capacity of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Vietnamese feces and the Korean traditional food kimchi. Six isolated strains were identified as Lactobacillus sp. by 16S rRNA sequencing. All strains showed good resistance to low pH (1.5, 2.0, and 3.0) and 0.3% oxgall bile acids. Culture filtrates from the six strains showed various antioxidant effects, including DPPH, ABTS, reducing power, and metal chelating ($Fe^{2+}$) activities. Two of the six Lactobacillus strains showed potential probiotic activity. Heat resistance and adhesion assays were conducted by mixing the selected strains, Lactobacillus acidophilus V4, Lactobacillus plantarum V7, and Lactobacillus paracasei DK121 isolated from kimchi. The results showed that the heat resistance of these strains was similar to that of a commercial strain, L. plantarum LP. In addition, a mucin attachment assay using the mixture of selected strains (V4, V7, and DK121) showed high binding activity to the mucous layer. In conclusion, a mixture of V4, V7, and DK121 shows promising probiotic activity and may be useful for the development of health-related products.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.289-295
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• 2011

Biomaterials for retinal tissue engineering must demonstrate several critical features for potential utility, including mechanical integrity, biocompatibility, and slow biodegradation. Silk film biomaterials were designed and characterized to meet these functional requirements. We prepared natural/synthetic hybrid silk/PLGA films using 0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 wt% of silk by a solvent evaporation method. MIT assay was used to confirm the number of cells attached on film at 1, 2, and 3 days, respectively. The morphology of cellular adhesion on films was also confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). RT-PCR was conducted to confrrm mRNA expression of retinal pigment epithelitun (RPE) using RPE65 as a RPEs marker and the expression of cytokeratin were determined by immunofluorescence staining. We confirmed that the silk/PLGA film of 20~40 wt% silk was superior for the adhesion and proliferation of RPEs.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.189-195
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• 2011

The design of new bioactive scaffolds offering physiologic environment for tissue formation is an important frontier in biomaterials research. In this study, we performed compressive strength, water-uptake ability, and SEM analysis for physical property assessment of 3-D silk/PLGA scaffold, and investigated the adhesion, proliferation, phenotype maintenance, and inflammatory responses of RAW 264.7 and NIH/3T3 for cell compatibility. Scaffolds were prepared by the solvent casting/salt leaching method and their compressive strength and water-uptake ability were excellent at 20 wt% silk content. Result of cell compatibility assay showed that inflammatory responses distinctly decreased, and initial adhesion and proliferation were maximized at 20 wt% silk content. In conclusion, we suggest that silk/PLGA scaffolds may be useful to tissue engineering applications.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 2014

Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) plays an important role in maintaining the visual function and the degeneration of the RPE causes several retinal degeneration disease. In order to fabricate the suitable carrier for RPE transplantation, the hybrid poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) film with hesperidin was prepared. Hesperidin has an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics. ARPE-19 was seeded on hesperidin/PLGA film and then, cell proliferation was determined by the MTT assay, and cell adhesion and cell morphology were confirmed by SEM. Also, RT-PCR was performed to confirm the expression of the specific genes, and AEC immunohistochemical staining was performed to determine the expression of RPE65. As a result, we confirmed that attachment, proliferation and phenotype maintenance of RPE cells were more excellent on hesperidin/PLGA film than PLGA film, thereby we were able to confirm the potential applications of hesperidin/PLGA film as tissue engineering carrier for regeneration of retina.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.465-472
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• 2019

Candida albicans is an opportunistic human pathogen that causes infections. Candidiasis is often related to antifungal resistance because the pathogen has the ability to form biofilms. In a previous study, we found that the Salvia miltiorriza ethanol extract demonstrated anticandidal activity by altering membrane permeability and inhibiting the cell wall synthesis in C. albicans. Our results here demonstrate that $78{\mu}g/ml$ of the S. miltiorriza extract significantly diminished the early stage biofilms formed by 10 clinical C. albicans isolates by 51.3%; this was analyzed by 2,3-Bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide salt (XTT) reduction assay. The effect of the S. miltiorrhiza extract on the adhesion of C. albicans cells to polystyrene plates and germ tube formation was examined via microscopic investigation. Although the density of the adhered cells was remarkably reduced up on incubation with $39{\mu}g/ml$ S. miltiorrhiza extract, germ tube formation by C. albicans was rarely affected. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the S. miltiorrhiza extract downregulated the expression of C. albicans hypha-specific genes, EAP1 by 34.7% (p < 0.001), ALS1 by 45.0% (p < 0.001), ALS3 by 48.1% (p < 0.001), and ECE1 by 21.3% (p = 0.006), respectively. Our data suggest that the S. miltiorrhiza ethanol extract significantly inhibited the early stage of biofilm formation by C. albicans by interfering with cell adhesion, by downregulating EAP1, ALS1 and ALS3, and presumably by modifying the cell wall and membrane structure.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.127-131
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• 2017

Objectives: Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) constitute the first line of defense against invading microbial pathogens. Early events in inflammation involve the recruitment of neutrophils to the site of injury or damage where changes in intracellular calcium can cause the activation of pro-inflammatory mediators from neutrophils including superoxide generation, degranulation and release of myeloperoxidase (MPO), productions of interleukin (IL)-8 and tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$), and adhesion to the vascular endothelium. To address the anti-inflammatory role of flavonoids, in the present study, we investigated the effects of the flavonoids quercetin and vitexin on the stimulus-induced nitric oxide (NO), $TNF-{\alpha}$, and MPO productions in human neutrophils. Methods: Human peripheral blood neutrophils were isolated, and their viabilities were determined by using the Trypan Blue exclusion test. The polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) preparations contained more than 98% neutrophils as determined by morphological examination with Giemsa staining. The viabilities of cultured neutrophils with various concentrations of quercetin and vitexin ($1-100{\mu}M$) were studied using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays. Neutrophils were cultured in complete Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) medium, pre-incubated with or without quercetin and vitexin ($25{\mu}M$) for 45 min, and stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) ($10^{-7}M$). NO production was carried out through nitrite determination by using the Griess method. Also, the $TNF-{\alpha}$ and the MPO productions were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits and MPO assay kits. Results: Neutrophil viability was not affected up to a concentration of $100{\mu}M$ of quercetin or vitexin. Both quercetin and vitexin significantly inhibited $TNF-{\alpha}$, NO, and MPO productions in human neutrophils (P < 0.001). Conclusion:The present study showed that both quercetin and vitexin had significant anti-inflammatory effects. Thus, treatment with either quercetin or vitexin may be considered as a therapeutic strategy for treating patients with neutrophil-mediated inflammatory diseases.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.8-27
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• 2000

Components of extracellular matrix and the matrix-degrading enzymes are some of the key regulators of tumor metastasis and angiogenesis. Hyaluronic acid (HA), a matrix glycosaminoglycan, is known to promote tumor adhesion and migration, and its small fragments are angiogenic. Until now, we have compared levels of hyaluronidase, an enzyme that degrade HA, in normal adult prostate, benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer tissues and in conditioned media from epithelial explant cultures, using a substrate (HA)-gel assay and ELISA-like assay (Kim et al., unpublished results). The present review described an overall characterization of hyaluronidases and its application to human diseases. The hyaluronidases are a family of enzymes that have, until recently, deed thorough explication. The substrate for these enzymes, hyaluronan, is becoming increasingly important, recognized now as a major participant in basic processes such as cell motility, wound healing, embryogenesis, and implicated in cancer progression. And in those lower life forms that torment human beings, hyaluronidase is associated with mechanisms of entry and spread, e.g. as a virulence factor for bacteria, for tissue dissection in gas gangrene, as a means of treponema spread in syphilis, and for penetration of skin and gut by nematode parasites. Hyaluronidase also comprises a component of the venom of a wide variety of organisms, including bees, wasps, hornets, spiders, scorpions, sh, snakes and lizards. Of particular interest is the homology between some of these venom hyaluronidases and the enzyme found in the plasma membrane of mammalian spermatozoa, attesting to the ancient nature of the conserved sequence, a 36% identity in a 300 amino acid stretch of the enzyme protein. Clearly, hyaluronidase is of biological interest, being involved in the pathophysiology of so many important' human disorders. Greater effort should be made in studying this family of enzymes that have, until recently, been overlooked. Also, oriental medical application of the hyaluronidase will be discussed with respect to inhibition and suppression of inflammation and malignacy.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.323-328
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• 2017

Angiogenesis is a process including members of the angiogenic factors. In particular, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is considered the most potent angiogenic factor because it promotes cell proliferation and tube formation. A recent study reported that fucoidan derived from marine plant potentiated FGF-2 induced tube formation in human endothelial cells. On the other hand, the molecular mechanisms involved in the angiogenic activity of fucoidan and FGF2 are unknown. In this study, a fucoidan treatment promoted angiogenesis induced by FGF2. The effects of fucoidan on FGF2-induced angiogenesis were confirmed by a proliferation assay using a CellTiter96 Aqueous One solution after a treatment with fucoidan and FGF2. The tube formation and wound healing assay for the angiogenic activity were also confirmed. Reverse transcription PCR showed a change in the mRNA of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), matrix metallopeptidase9 (MMP9), and the signal transducer and activator of transcription3 (STAT3). In summary, the Fucoidan/FGF2 treatment induced an increase in cell proliferation, improved the tube formation and wound healing activity, and altered the STAT3, VEGF-A, ICAM-1, and MMP9 mRNA expression levels. Further research will be needed to provide a scientific explanation in terms of cell-signaling and confirm the present findings.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.1001-1005
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• 2014

Ginsenoside Rg3 is one of the active ingredients extracted from red ginseng, and it is an effective chemical component of the human body and well known in herbal medicine as a restorative agent. Several studies have shown that Rg3 has a potent anti-tumor effect on various cancer cell lines. However, Rg3-induced apoptosis in B16F10 melanoma cancer cells is not well understood. In the present study, we tested whether ginsenoside Rg3 could induce apoptosis in B16F10 melanoma cells. We found that Rg3 could inhibit B16F10 melanoma cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, but not normal cells, such as EA.hy.926 and NIH3T3 cells. We also found that Rg3 could induce apoptosis in B16F10 melanoma cells using tunnel-staining assay in a dose-dependent manner. Rg3 treatment induces the phosphorylation of p38 and the expression of Bax, but it inhibits the expressions of the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase Bcl2 and pro-caspase3. Taken together, our data suggest that Rg3 could be useful as an anti-cancer agent in B16F10 melanoma cells.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.6.1-6.14
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• 2023

Objectives: This study evaluated the effects of high-plasticity mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA-HP) on the activity of M1 and M2 macrophages, compared to white MTA (Angelus). Materials and Methods: Peritoneal inflammatory M1 (from C57BL/6 mice) and M2 (from BALB/c mice) macrophages were cultured in the presence of the tested materials. Cell viability (MTT and trypan blue assays), adhesion, phagocytosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β production were evaluated. Parametric analysis of variance and the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test were used. Results were considered significant when p < 0.05. Results: The MTT assay revealed a significant decrease in M1 metabolism with MTA-HP at 24 hours, and with MTA and MTA-HP later. The trypan blue assay showed significantly fewer live M1 at 48 hours and live M2 at 48 and 72 hours with MTA-HP, compared to MTA. M1 and M2 adherence and phagocytosis showed no significant differences compared to control for both materials. Zymosan A stimulated ROS production by macrophages. In the absence of interferon-γ, TNF-α production by M1 did not significantly differ between groups. For M2, both materials showed higher TNF-α production in the presence of the stimulus, but without significant between-group differences. Likewise, TGF-β production by M1 and M2 macrophages was not significantly different between the groups. Conclusions: M1 and M2 macrophages presented different viability in response to MTA and MTA-HP at different time points. Introducing a plasticizer into the MTA vehicle did not interfere with the activity of M1 and M2 macrophages.