• Title/Summary/Keyword: Animal testing

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NDP Kinases Suppressed Bax-Dependent Apoptosis in Yeast System

  • K. C. Hwang;D. W. Ok;D. N. Kwon;H. K. Shin;Kim, J. H.
    • Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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    • 2001.03a
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    • pp.52-52
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    • 2001
  • Many nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinases are ubiquitous enzymes responsible for the exchange of ${\gamma}$-phosphates between tri- and diphosphonucleosides. The catalytic Many nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinases are ubiquitous enzymes responsible for the exchange of ${\gamma}$-phosphates between tri- and diphosphonucleosides. The catalytic reaction follows a ping-pong mechanism in which the enzyme is transiently phosphorylated on a histidine residue conserved in all nucleoside diphosphate kinases. Beside their role in nucleotide synthesis, these enzymes present additional functions, possibly independent of catalysis, in processes such as differentiation, cell growth, tumor progression, metastasis and development. To clone murine nm23-M5, several expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of the GenBank data base, selected according to their homology to nm23-H5 cDNA, reconstituted a complete open reading frame (GenBank AF222750). To test whether murine NDPKs (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) can inhibit Bax-mediated toxicity in yeast, co-transformation was performed respectively. The yeast S.cerevisiae was transformed with a copy expression plasmid containing the histidine selection marker and expressing murine Bax under the control of a galactose-inducible promoter. Several clones were selected and found to be growth inhibited when Bax expression was induced with galactose. A representative clone was transformed again with a copy expression plasmid containing the tryptophane selection marker and expressing either murine Bcl-xL or NDPK under the control of a galactose-inducible promoter. Several subclones of the double-transformants were selected and characterized. The ability of Bcl-xL and NDPKs to suppress Bax-mediated toxicity was determined by growing yeast cells overnight in galactose media and spot-testing on galactose plates starting with an equal number of yeast cells as determined by taking the OD$_{600}$. Ten-fold serial dilutions were used in the spot-test. Plates were grown at 3$0^{\circ}C$ for 2-3 days. All murine NDPKs suppressed Bax dependent apoptosis. Futher study will be peformed whether Bax-toxicity inhibition was caused by NDP kinase activity or additional function.n.

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LymphanaxTM Enhances Lymphangiogenesis in an Artificial Human Skin Model, Skin-lymph-on-a-chip (스킨-림프-칩 상에서 LymphanaxTM 의 림프 형성 촉진능)

  • Phil June Park;Minseop Kim;Sieun Choi;Hyun Soo Kim;Seok Chung
    • Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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    • v.50 no.2
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    • pp.119-129
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    • 2024
  • The cutaneous lymphatic system in humans plays a crucial role in draining interstitial fluid and activating the immune system. Environmental factors, such as ultraviolet light and natural aging, often affect structural changes of such lymphatic vessels, causing skin dysfunction. However, some limitations still exist because of no alternatives to animal testing. To better understand the skin lymphatic system, a biomimetic microfluidic platform, skin-lymph-on-a-chip, was fabricated to develop a novel in vitro skin lymphatic model of humans and to investigate the molecular and physiological changes involved in lymphangiogenesis, the formation of lymphatic vessels. Briefly, the platform involved co-culturing differentiated primary normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) and dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (HDLECs) in vitro. Based on our system, LymphanaxTM, which is a condensed Panax ginseng root extract obtained through thermal conversion for 21 days, was applied to evaluate the lymphangiogenic effect, and the changes in molecular factors were analyzed using a deep-learning-based algorithm. LymphanaxTM promoted healthy lymphangiogenesis in skin-lymphon-a-chip and indirectly affected HDELCs as its components rarely penetrated differentiated NHEKs in the chip. Overall, this study provides a new perspective on LymphanaxTM and its effects using an innovative in vitro system.

Genetic Studies on the Sea Urchin Embryogenesis and Skeletogenesis (성게의 발생과 뼈대형성의 유전학적 연구)

  • Lee, Youn-Ho
    • The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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    • v.6 no.4
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    • pp.265-273
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    • 2001
  • The sea urchin has been used as sea food in many countries. This species has also been an important organism of embryological studies for more than a century. In recent years, sea urchin embryos are being used as testing materials for toxicity of pollutants and toxins. Usefulness of sea urchin embryos as experimental models comes from the easiness in obtaining sea urchin samples and a lot of gametes, in rearing embryos in the laboratory, in observing the cellular movement and organ formation during the embryogenesis and in manipulating blastomeres and genetic maferials. The sea urchin in itself is a key organism for the understanding of deuterostome evolution from the protostomes and of indirect development of marine invertebrates which undergo the planktotrophic larval stage. A fertilized sea urchin egg goes through rapid cleavage and becomes a 60 cell embryo 7hr after fertilization. It then develops into a morula, a blastula, a gastrula and finally a pluteus larva approximately 70 hr after fertilization. At the 60 cell stage, the embryo comprises of five territories that express territory-speciflc genes and later form different organs. Micromeres at the vegetal pole ingress into the blastoceol and become the primary mesenchyme cells(PMCs). PMCs express genes involved in skeletogenesis such as SM30, SM37, SM50, PM27, msp130. Among the genes, SM37 and SM50 are considered to be members of a gene family which is characterized by early blastula expression, Glycine-Proline-Glutamine rich repeat structures and spicule matrix forming basic proteins. Genetic studies on the sea urchin embryos help understand the molecular basis of indirect development of marine invertebrates and also of the biomineralization common to the animal kingdom.

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Establishment of a Radiation-Induced Fibrosis Model in BALB/c Mice (BALB/c 마우스를 이용한 방사선섬유증 모델 확립)

  • Ryu, Seung-Hee;Lee, Sang-Wook;Moon, Soo-Young;Oh, Jeong-Yoon;Yang, Youn-Joo;Park, Jin-Hong
    • Radiation Oncology Journal
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    • v.28 no.1
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    • pp.32-38
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    • 2010
  • Purpose: Although radiation-induced fibrosis is one of the common sequelae occurring after irradiation of skin and soft tissues, the treatment methods are not well standardized. This study aimed to establish the skin fibrosis mouse model by fractionated radiation for the further mechanism studies or testing the efficacy of therapeutic candidates. Materials and Methods: The right hind limbs of BALB/c mice received two fractions of 20 Gy using a therapeutic linear accelerator. Early skin damages were scored and tissue fibrosis was assessed by the measurement of a leg extension. Morphological changes were assessed by H&E staining and by Masson's Trichrome staining. TGF-${\beta}1$ expression from soft tissues was also detected by immunohistochemistry and PCR. Results: Two fractions of 20 Gy irradiation were demonstrated as being enough to induce early skin damage effects such as erythema, mild skin dryness, dry and wet desquamation within several weeks of radiation. After 13 weeks of irradiation, the average radiation-induced leg contraction was $11.1{\pm}6.2mm$. Morphologic changes in irradiated skin biopsies exhibited disorganized collagen and extracellular matrix fibers, as well as the accumulation of myofibroblasts compared to the non-irradiated skin. Moreover, TGF-${\beta}1$ expression in tissue was increased by radiation. Conclusion: These results show that two fractions of 20 Gy irradiation can induce skin fibrosis in BALB/c mice accompanied by other common characteristics of skin damages. This animal model can be a useful tool for studying skin fibrosis induced by radiation.

Effect of Crop Yield and Soil Physical Properties to Application of Organic Resources in Upland (밭 토양에서 유기물 자원의 시용이 작물 수량 및 토양 물리성에 미치는 영향)

  • Han, Kyunghwa;Jung, Kangho;Cho, Heerae;Lee, Hyubsung;Ok, Junghun;Zhang, Yongseon;Kim, Gisun;Seo, Youngho
    • Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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    • v.25 no.4
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    • pp.15-22
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    • 2017
  • Application of organic resources to agricultural land can increase crop yield by improving soil characteristics. The objective of this study was to evaluate effect of crop yield and soil physical properties including aggregate stability to application of organic resources in upland. The soybean was cultivated in a sandy loam field and a clay loam field located at Suwon and a sandy loam field located at Pyeongchang. The organic resources used in this study were rice straw compost (RSC), composted pig manure with sawdust (CPIG), composted poultry manure with sawdust (CPM), and cocopeat applied before sowing crop. Application rate of organic resources was determined based on carbon content and water content. The inorganic fertilizers were applied based on soil testing. In addition, the decomposition of RSC, CPIG, and cocopeat was characterized by isothermal incubation with sandy loam soil. The decomposition rate was highest for RSC followed by CPIG and cocopeat. Organic resource application increased yield of soybean, which effect was greater in clay loam than in sandy loam. In addition, increase in gas phase proportion by organic resource application was distinct in clay loam soil compared with sandy loam soil. In terms of aggregate stability, increasing effect was more obvious in sandy loam soils than in a clay loam soil. The highest yield was observed in RSC treatment plots for all the fields. Improvement of soybean yield and soil physical characteristics by cocopeat was not as much as that of the other organic resources. The results implied that RSC could be recommended for promoting aggregate stability and crop yield in upland cultivation.

A New Early-Heading, High-Yielding Triticale Cultivar for Forage, 'Shinseong' (숙기가 빠르고 종실 수량이 많은 트리티케일 신품종 '신성')

  • Han, Ouk-Kyu;Park, Hyung-Ho;Park, Tae-Il;Oh, Young-Jin;Song, Tae-Hwa;Kim, Dea-Wook;Chae, Hyun-Seok;Hong, Ki-Heung;Bae, Jeong-Suk;Kim, Ki-Soo;Yun, Geon-Sig;Lee, Seong-Tae;Ku, Ja-Hwan;Kweon, Soon-Jong;Ahn, Jong-Woong;Kim, Byung-Joo
    • Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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    • v.36 no.2
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    • pp.142-149
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    • 2016
  • 'Shinseong', a winter forage triticale cultivar (X Triticosecale Wittmack), was developed at the Department of Rice and Winter Cereal Crop, NICS, RDA in 2015. The cultivar 'Shinseong' was selected from the cross RONDO/2$^*$ERIZO_11//KISSA_4/3/ASNO/ARDI_3//ERIZO_7 by CIMMYT (Mexico) in 1998. Subsequent generations were handled in pedigree selection programs at Mexico from 1999 to 2004, and a line 'CTSS98Y00019S-0MXI-B-3-3-5' was selected for earliness and good agronomic characteristics. After preliminary and advance yield testing in Korea for 3 years, the line was designated 'Iksan47'. The line was subsequently evaluated for earliness and forage yield in seven locations, Jeju, Iksan, Cheongwon, Yesan, Gangjin, Daegu, and Jinju from 2013 to 2015 and was finally named 'Shinseong'. Cultivar 'Shinseong' has the characteristics of light green leaves, yellow culm and spike, and a medium grain of brown color. The heading date of cultivar 'Shinseong' was April 24 which was 3 days earlier than that of check cultivar 'Shinyoung'. The tolerance or resistance to lodging, wet injury, powdery mildew, and leaf rust of 'Shinseong' were similar to those of the check cultivar. The average forage dry matter yield of cultivar 'Shinseong' at milk-ripe stages was $15MT\;ha^{-1}$, which was 3% lower than that ($15.5MT\;ha^{-1}$) of the check cultivar 'Shinyoung'. The silage quality of 'Shinseong' (6.7%) was higher than that of the check cultivar 'Shinyoung' (5.9%) in crude protein content, while was similar to the check cultivar 'Shinyoung' in acid detergent fiber (34.6%), neutral detergent fiber (58.6%), and total digestible nutrients (61.6%). It showed grain yield of $7.2MT\;ha^{-1}$ which was 25% higher than that of the check cultivar 'Shinyoung' ($5.8MT\;ha^{-1}$). This cultivar is recommended for fall sowing forage crops in areas in which average daily minimum mean temperatures in January are higher than $-10^{\circ}C$.

Estimation of Breed and Environmental Effects on Economic Traits of Performance-Tested Pigs (검정소 검정돈의 품종 및 환경요인의 효과 추정)

  • Park, J.W.;Kim, B.W.;Kim, H.C.;Lee, K.W.;Choi, C.S.;Kang, W.G.;Hong, S.K.;Ha, J.K.;Jeon, J.T.;Lee, J.G.
    • Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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    • v.45 no.6
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    • pp.923-932
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    • 2003
  • This study was carried out to estimate the effects of breed and environment such as sex, test station, test year, test season, parity, initial and final weight on average daily gain, age at 90kg, backfat thickness, feed efficiency, lean percent and selection index on the basis of the performance data collected from 25,790 pigs of Duroc, Yorkshire and Landrace breeds which were performance-tested at the Korea Swine Testing Station from 1991 to 2002. The results obtained in the study are summarized as follows; 1. The means of the major economic traits were estimated as 959.95${\pm}$0.699g for average daily gain, 138.36${\pm}$0.072days for age at 90kg, 1.41${\pm}$0.001cm for backfat thickness, 2.33${\pm}$0.001 for feed efficiency, 56.71${\pm}$0.018% for lean percent and 221.65${\pm}$0.113 for selection index. 2. The effect of breed was statistically significant for all studied traits. Briefly, Duroc showed the best performance for the average daily gain and age at 90kg. Landrace had the best performances for the backfat thickness and lean meat percent. In feed efficiency and selection index, Yorkshire had a better score than other breeds. 3. The least-squares means of female and male for the traits studied were 923.05${\pm}$1.289g and 974.53${\pm}$0.856g for average daily gain, 139.74${\pm}$0.145days and 137.21${\pm}$0.097days for age at 90kg, 1.49${\pm}$0.002cm and 1.39${\pm}$0.002cm for backfat thickness, 2.43${\pm}$0.002 and 2.28${\pm}$0.002 for feed efficiency, 56.43${\pm}$0.034% and 56.81${\pm}$0.023% for lean percent and 211.37${\pm}$0.194 and 224.61${\pm}$0.129 for selection index. Therefore, males were superior to females for all traits examined. 4. The effect of test station was statistically significant for all traits except for selection index. Performances for age at 90kg, backfat thickness, feed efficiency and lean meat percent collected from Test station 2 were higher than those from Test station 1. However, Test station 1 showed better average daily gain. 5. The initial weight and final weight included as a covariate in this study had a significant influence on average daily gain, age at 90kg, backfat thickness, feed efficiency and selection index. From the absolute values of the estimated regression coefficients, it was inferred that the final weight had greater effect for the investigated traits than the initial weight.

Global Cosmetics Trends and Cosmceuticals for 21st Century Asia (화장품의 세계적인 개발동향과 21세기 아시아인을 위한 기능성 화장품)

  • T.Joseph Lin
    • Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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    • v.23 no.1
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    • pp.5-20
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    • 1997
  • War and poverty depress the consumption of cosmetics, while peace and prosperity encourage their proliferation. With the end of World War II, the US, Europe and Japan witnessed rapid growth of their cosmetic industries. The ending of the Cold War has stimulated the growth of the industry in Eastern Europe. Improved economies, and mass communication are also responsible for the fast growth of the cosmetic industries in many Asian nations. The rapid development of the cosmetic industry in mainland China over the past decade proves that changing economies and political climates can deeply affect the health of our business. In addition to war, economy, political climate and mass communication, factors such as lifestyle, religion, morality and value concepts, can also affect the growth of our industry. Cosmetics are the product of the society. As society and the needs of its people change, cosmetics also evolve with respect to their contents, packaging, distribution, marketing concepts, and emphasis. In many ways, cosmetics mirror our society, reflecting social changes. Until the early 70's, cosmetics in the US were primarily developed for white women. The civil rights movement of the 60's gave birth to ethnic cosmetics, and products designed for African-Americans became popular in the 70's and 80's. The consumerism of the 70's led the FDA to tighten cosmetic regulations, forcing manufacturers to disclose ingredients on their labels. The result was the spread of safety-oriented, "hypoallergenic" cosmetics and more selective use of ingredients. The new ingredient labeling law in Europe is also likely to affect the manner in which development chemists choose ingredients for new products. Environmental pollution, too, can affect cosmetics trends. For example, the concern over ozone depletion in the stratosphere has promoted the consumption of suncare products. Similarly, the popularity of natural cosmetic ingredients, the search of non-animal testing methods, and ecology-conscious cosmetic packaging seen in recent years all reflect the profound influences of our changing world. In the 1980's, a class of efficacy-oriented skin-care products, which the New York Times dubbed "serious" cosmetics, emerged in the US. "Cosmeceuticals" refer to hybrids of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals which have gained importance in the US in the 90's and are quickly spreading world-wide. In spite of regulatory problems, consumer demand and new technologies continue to encourage their development. New classes of cosmeceuticals are emerging to meet the demands of increasingly affluent Asian consumers as we enter the 21st century. as we enter the 21st century.

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