• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2007

Background: Oxidative stress may play an important role in the pathogenesis of endotoxin-induced acute lung injury (ALI). This study evaluated the therapeutic effect of ${\alpha}$-lipoic acid, a nonenzymatic antioxidant, in a rat model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced ALI. Materials and Methods: ALI was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by instilling LPS (E.coli, 3mg/Kg) into the trachea. The rats were classified into the control, control+${\alpha}$-lipoic acid, LPS, and LPS+${\alpha}$-lipoic acid groups.The lung lavage neutrophil count, cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC), lung myeloperoxidase (MPO), and cytokine concentrations (TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6 and IL-10) were measured at 2 h and 6 h after LPS administration. Results: The total cell and neutrophil counts of the LPS+${\alpha}$-lipoic acid groups were significantly lower than the LPS groups. The protein concentration in the BAL fluid was similar in the LPS groups and LPS+${\alpha}$-lipoic acid groups. The TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$, and IL-6 concentrations in the BAL fluid were not decreased by the ${\alpha}$-lipoic acid treatment in the LPS treated rats. Conclusions: Although ${\alpha}$-lipoic acid decreased the level of LPS-induced neutrophil infiltration into the lung, it could not attenuate the LPS-induced ALI at the dose administered in this study.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.494-502
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Reducing the number of adipocytes by inducing apoptosis of mature adipocytes as well as suppressing differentiation of preadipocytes plays an important role in preventing obesity. This study examines the anti-adipogenic and pro-apoptotic effect of red pepper seed water extract (RPS) prepared at $4^{\circ}C$ (RPS4) in 3T3-L1 cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: Effect of RPS4 or its fractions on lipid accumulation was determined in 3T3-L1 cells using oil red O (ORO) staining. The expressions of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and adipogenic associated proteins [peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-${\gamma}$ ($PPAR-{\gamma}$), CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins ${\alpha}$ (C/EBP ${\alpha}$), sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC)] were measured in 3T3-L1 cells treated with RPS4. Apoptosis and the expression of Akt and Bcl-2 family proteins [B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated death promoter (Bad), Bcl-2 like protein 4 (Bax), Bal-2 homologous antagonist/killer (Bak)] were measured in mature 3T3-L1 cells treated with RPS4. RESULTS: Treatment of RPS4 ($0-75{\mu}g/mL$) or its fractions ($0-50{\mu}g/mL$) for 24 h did not have an apparent cytotoxicity on pre and mature 3T3-L1 cells. RPS4 significantly suppressed differentiation and cellular lipid accumulation by increasing the phosphorylation of AMPK and reducing the expression of $PPAR-{\gamma}$, C/EBP ${\alpha}$, SREBP-1c, FAS, and ACC. In addition, all fractions except ethyl acetate fraction significantly suppressed cellular lipid accumulation. RPS4 induced the apoptosis of mature adipocytes by hypophosphorylating Akt, increasing the expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins, Bak, Bax, and Bad, and reducing the expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins, Bcl-2 and p-Bad. CONCLUSIONS: These finding suggest that RPS4 can reduce the numbers as well as the size of adipocytes and might useful for preventing and treating obesity.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.574-583
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• 2022

Ficus vasculosa Wall. ex Miq. (FV) has been used as a herbal medicine in Southeast Asia and its antioxidant activity has been shown in previous studies. However, it has not yet been elucidated whether FV exerts anti-inflammatory effects on activated-macrophages. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the ameliorative property of FV methanol extract (FM) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses and the underlying molecular mechanisms in RAW264.7 macrophages. The experimental results indicated that FM decreased the production of inflammatory mediators (NO/PGE2) and the mRNA/protein expression of iNOS and COX-2 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. FM also reduced the secretion of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Results also demonstrated that FM improved inflammatory response in LPS-stimulated A549 airway epithelial cells by inhibiting the production of cytokines, such as IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. In addition, FM suppressed MAPK activation and NF-κB nuclear translocation induced by LPS. FM also upregulated the mRNA/protein expression levels of heme oxygenase-1 and the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 in RAW264.7 cells. In an experimental animal model of LPS-induced acute lung injury, the increased levels of molecules in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were suppressed by FM administration. Collectively, it was founded that FM has anti-inflammatory properties on activated-macrophages by suppressing inflammatory molecules and regulating the activation of MAPK/NF-κB signaling.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.301-307
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• 2008

Background: The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) is an activating receptor that is expressed on the surface of neutrophils and mature monocytes when stimulated with several microbial components, which can amplify the inflammatory response. This study analyzed the prognostic value of the sTREM-1 levels in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Methods: The bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and blood was collected prospectively from 32 patients with ARDS, 15 survivors and 17 nonsurvivors. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to measure the sTREM-1. The following data was obtained: APACHE II score, Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (CPIS), BAL fluid analysis, C-reative protein. Mortality in the ICU was defined as the end point. Results: The serum sTREM-1 level was significantly higher in the nonsurvivors than survivors ($54.3{\pm}10.3pg/ml$ vs. $22.7{\pm}2.3pg/ml$, p<0.05). The sTREM-1 level in the serum, but not in the BAL fluid, was an independent predictor of the ICU mortality (OR: 22.051, 95% CI: 1.780~273.148, p<0.016), and a cut-off value of ${\geq}33pg/ml$ yielded a diagnostic sensitivity of 71% and specificity of 93%. Conclusion: The serum sTREM-1 level may be a useful predictor of the outcome of ARDS patients.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.173-179
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• 2014

Asian sand dust is known to promote various respiratory symptoms or disorders. For the prevention of harmful health effects by Asian sand dust, the best strategy is known to avoid or reduce exposure to the Asian sand dust. Several studies have shown that Korean red ginseng (RG) has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects. The study aimed to clarify the effect of Korean red ginseng intake on lung inflammation responses to artificial sand dust (ASD) similar to Asian sand dust. BALB/c mice were divided into five groups (n=12) of control (saline), ovalbumin (OVA), OVA with ASD, OVA plus RG with ASD, and OVA plus dexamethasone (DEXA) with ASD. Histopathologic evaluation of lung was conducted. Interleukin (IL)-5, IL-12, interferon (IFN)-${\gamma}$, IL-13, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, and eotaxin within bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were measured by ELISA. OVA+ASD group significantly increased concentrations of IL-5, IL-13, MCP-1, and eotaxin (P<0.01) compared to the control. OVA+ASD+RG group showed significant decreased levels of IL-2, IL-13, MCP-1 and eotaxin (P<0.01) compared with OVA+ASD. Between RG and DEXA treatment groups, there was no significant difference in all cytokines and chemokines. The inflammatory cells were significantly decreased in treatment groups with RG or DEXA compared to OVA+ASD group. This study suggests a beneficial effect of Korean RG administration in preventing inflammation of lung resulting from Asian sand dust.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2008

The aim of this study was to determine whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the beef cattle adipocyte fatty-acid binding protein 3 and 4 (FABP3 and FABP4) genes are associated with carcass weight (CW) and back fat thickness (BF) of beef cattle. By direct DNA sequencing in 24 unrelated Korean native cattle, we identified 20 SNPs in FABP3 and FABP4. Among them, 10 polymorphic sites were selected for genotyping in our beef cattle. We performed SNP, haplotype and linkage disequilibrium studies on 419 Korean native cattle with the 10 SNPs in the FABP genes. Statistical analysis revealed that 220A>G (I74V) and 348+303T>C polymorphisms in FABP4 showed putative associations with BF traits (P=0.02 and 0.01, respectively). Our findings suggest that the polymorphisms in FABP4 may play a role in determining one of the important genetic factors that influence BF in beef cattle.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.84-90
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• 2005

Neutrophils that influx into the alveolar spaces from circulatory bloods play a important role in pathogenesis of acute lung injury. During the acute inflammatory phase, in order to investigate the acceleration of macrophage phagocytosis to the neutrophils is able to reduce the neutrophil-derived acute lung injury, endotoxemia was induced by insufflation of lipopolysaccharide intratracheally and organic germanium was injected intraperitoneally after endotoxin treatment. At 5 h after endotoxin treatment, lung weight and BAL protein concentration are significantly increased (p<0.001) compared to sham, and that was remarkedly decreased (p<0.001, p<0.01) by injection of germanium. In addition germanium treatment resulted to decreased the number of alveolar PMNs and to increase the percentage of engulfed neutrophils by alveolar macrophages. These observations indicate that organic germanium may have a role of reduction to neutrophil-derived acute lung injury in endotoxemia.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.95-99
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• 2007

Bovine coding region single nucleotide polymorphisms located proximal to quantitative trait loci were identified to facilitate bovine QTL fine mapping research. A total of 692,763 bovine SNPs was extracted from 39,432 UniGene clusters, and 53,446 candidate SNPs were found to be a depth >3. In order to validate the in silico SNPs experimentally, 186 animals representing 14 breeds and 100 mixed breeds were analyzed. Genotyping of 40 randomly selected candidate SNPs revealed that 43% of these SNPs ranged in frequency from 0.009 to 0.498. To identify non-synonymous SNPs and to correct for possible frameshift errors in the ESTs at the predicted SNP positions, we designed a program that determines coding regions by protein-sequence referencing, and identified 17,735 nsSNPs. The SNPs and bovine quantitative traits loci informations were integrated into a bovine SNP data: BcSNPdb (http://snugenome.snu.ac.kr/BtcSNP/). Currently there are 43 different kinds of quantitative traits available. Thus, these SNPs would serve as valuable resources for exploiting genomic variation that influence economically and agriculturally important traits in cows.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.487-499
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• 2000

Background : Acute lung injury is an hypoxic respiratory failure resulting from damage to the alveolar-capillary membrane, which can be developed by a variety of systemic inflammatory diseases. In this study the therapeutic effects of intra-tracheal pulmonary surfactant instillation was evaluated in the intratracheal endotoxin induced acute lung injury model of a rat. Methods : Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups, and normal saline (2 ml/kg, for group 1) or LPS (5 mg/kg, for group 2, 3, and 4) was instilled into the trachea respectively. Either normal saline (2 ml/kg, for group 1 & 2, 30 min later) or bovine surfactant (15 mg/kg, 30 min later for group 3, 5 hr later for group 5) was instilled into the trachea. The therapeutic effect of intratracheal surfactant therapy was evaluated with one chamber body plethysmography (respiratory frequency, tidal volume and enhanced pause), ABGA, BAL fluid analysis (cell count with differential, protein concentration) and pathologic examination of the lung. Results : Intratracheal endotoxin instillation increased the respiration rate decreased the tidal volume and int creased the Penh in all group of rats. Intratracheal instillation of surfactant decreased Penh, increased arterial oxygen tension, decreased protein concentration of BAL fluid and decreased lung inflammation at both times of administration (30 minute and 5 hour after endotoxin instillation). Conclusion : Intratracheal instillation of surfactant can be a beneficial therapeutic modality as discovered in the acute lung injury model of rats induced by intratracheal LPS intillation. It deserves to be evaluated for treatment of human acute lung injury.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to determine the acute pulmonary toxicity of metallic silver nanoparticles (MSNPs, 20.30 nm in diameter). Acute pulmonary toxicity and body distribution of inhaled MSNPs in mice were evaluated using a nose-only exposure chamber (NOEC) system. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid analysis, Western blotting, histopathological changes, and silver burdens in various organs were determined in mice. Mice were exposed to MSNPs for 6 hrs. The mean concentration, total surface area, volume and mass concentrations in the NOEC were maintained at $1.93{\times}10^7$ particles/$cm^3$, $1.09{\times}10^{10}\;nm^2/cm^3$, $2.72{\times}10^{11}\;nm^3/cm^3$, and 2854.62 ${\mu}g/m^3$, respectively. Inhalation of MSPNs caused mild pulmonary toxicity with distribution of silver in various organs but the silver burdens decreased rapidly at 24-hrs post-exposure in the lung. Furthermore, inhaled MSNPs induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling in the lung. In summary, single inhaled MSNPs caused mild pulmonary toxicity, which was associated with activated MAPK signaling. Taken together, our results suggest that the inhalation toxicity of MSNPs should be carefully considered at the molecular level.