• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.46.1-46.18
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• 2020

Background: High concentrations of particulate matter less than 2.5 ㎛ in diameter (PM2.5) in poultry houses is an important cause of respiratory disease in animals and humans. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that can induce severe respiratory disease in animals under stress or with abnormal immune functions. When excessively high concentrations of PM2.5 in poultry houses damage the respiratory system and impair host immunity, secondary infections with P. aeruginosa can occur and produce a more intense inflammatory response, resulting in more severe lung injury. Objectives: In this study, we focused on the synergistic induction of inflammatory injury in the respiratory system and the related molecular mechanisms induced by PM2.5 and P. aeruginosa in poultry houses. Methods: High-throughput 16S rDNA sequence analysis was used for characterizing the bacterial diversity and relative abundance of the PM2.5 samples, and the effects of PM2.5 and P. aeruginosa stimulation on inflammation were detected by in vitro and in vivo. Results: Sequencing results indicated that the PM2.5 in poultry houses contained a high abundance of potentially pathogenic genera, such as Pseudomonas (2.94%). The lung tissues of mice had more significant pathological damage when co-stimulated by PM2.5 and P. aeruginosa, and it can increase the expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α through nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway in vivo and in vitro. Conclusions: The results confirmed that poultry house PM2.5 in combination with P. aeruginosa could aggravate the inflammatory response and cause more severe respiratory system injuries through a process closely related to the activation of the NF-κB pathway.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.62-70
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• 2022

Background: Maternal Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection during pregnancy has been associated with various mental illnesses in the offspring. Ginsenoside Rh2 (GRh2) is a major bioactive compound obtained from ginseng that has an anti-T. gondii effect and attenuates microglial activation through toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. GRh2 also alleviated tumor-associated or lipopolysaccharide-induced depression. However, the effects and potential mechanisms of GRh2 on depression-like behavior in mouse offspring caused by maternal T. gondii infection during pregnancy have not been investigated. Methods: We examined GRh2 effects on the depression-like behavior in mouse offspring, caused by maternal T. gondii infection during pregnancy, by measuring depression-like behaviors and assaying parameters at the neuronal and molecular level. Results: We showed that GRh2 significantly improved behavioral measures: sucrose consumption, forced swim time and tail suspended immobility time of their offspring. These corresponded with increased tissue concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine and dopamine, and attenuated indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase or enhanced tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the prefrontal cortex. GRh2 ameliorated neuronal damage in the prefrontal cortex. Molecular docking results revealed that GRh2 binds strongly to both TLR4 and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that GRh2 ameliorated the depression-like behavior in mouse offspring of maternal T. gondii infection during pregnancy by attenuating the excessive activation of microglia and neuroinflammation through the HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. It suggests that GRh2 could be considered a potential therapy in preventing and treating psychiatric disorders in the offspring mice of mothers with prenatal exposure to T. gondii infection.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.245-256
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• 2021

Background and objective: The vitalization of urban agriculture has increased various forms of experience-based education using school gardens, which raised the importance of school gardens in terms of value as well as the need to develop an implementation system for education-based agricultural experience service using school gardens. Thus, we reset the evaluation indicators from the previous study to establish objective evaluation indicators that enable quantitative comparison of school garden education services. Methods: Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and direct question (DQ) surveys were conducted on 20 experts from October 12 to 19, 2020 after establishing the purpose and subjects of evaluation, and then the weights were calculated using the Expert Choice 2010 program. Results: First, we analyzed the problems of the previous indicators by categorizing the performance indicators and comparing and verifying them with six requirements of valuation. Then, we added 'welfare values' and established sub-indicators accordingly. The importance of value indicator in AHP was in the order of education values (0.544), health values (0.182), welfare values (0.164), environmental values (0.062), and economic values (0.049). The importance of environmental and economic values was relatively low, less than 0.1. The importance of sub-indicators was highest in cultivating character (0.144), followed by enhancing ecological sensitivity (0.141) > promoting mental health (0.134) > cultivating agricultural literacy (0.120) > improving social skills (0.104). And mitigating climate change in environmental values was lowest (0.009). Increase in income was the lowest (0.036). This can be regarded as the expression of change to increase the educational effect based on collective life and the connotative meaning of 'school'. In the case of DQ, the AHP weight and order were the same, but the environmental and economic values were relatively low, and the result was different from AHP weight. For sub-indicators, the importance in DQ was highest in promoting mental health (0.136), followed by promoting physical health (0.085), ]cultivating character (0.082), social integration (0.072), and enhancing ecological sensitivity (0.071). After reviewing related experts, we came up with 5 evaluation indicators and 16 sub-indicators for school garden education service, which are objective evaluation indicators that enable quantitative comparison. Conclusion: In the future, we will validate the socioeconomic values of school garden education services and contribute to revitalizing school gardens by establishing policy alternatives for effective operation and management of school gardens.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.666-674
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• 2022

Background: Ginsenosides and their metabolites have antidepressant-like effects, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We previously identified 14-3-3 ζ as one of the target proteins of 20 (S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD), a fully deglycosylated ginsenoside metabolite. Methods: Corticosterone (CORT) was administered repeatedly to induce the depression model, and PPD was given concurrently. The tail suspension test (TST) and the forced swimming test (FST) were used for behavioral evaluation. All mice were sacrificed. Golgi-cox staining, GSK 3β activity assay, and Western blot analysis were performed. In vitro, the kinetic binding analysis with the Biolayer Interferometry (BLI) was used to determine the molecular interactions. Results: TST and FST both revealed that PPD reversed CORT-induced behavioral deficits. PPD also ameliorated the CORT-induced expression alterations of hippocampal Ser9 phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase 3β (p-Ser9 GSK 3β), Ser133 phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (p-Ser133 CREB), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Moreover, PPD attenuated the CORT-induced increase in GSK 3β activity and decrease in dendritic spine density in the hippocampus. In vitro, 14-3-3 ζ protein specifically bound to p-Ser9 GSK 3β polypeptide. PPD promoted the binding and subsequently decreased GSK 3β activity. Conclusion: These findings demonstrated the antidepressant-like effects of PPD on the CORT-induced mouse depression model and indicated a possible target-based mechanism. The combination of PPD with the 14-3-3 ζ protein may promote the binding of 14-3-3 ζ to p-GSK 3β (Ser9) and enhance the inhibition of Ser9 phosphorylation on GSK 3β kinase activity, thereby activating the plasticity-related CREBeBDNF signaling pathway.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.97-105
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• 2023

Background: Hyperactivated airway mucosa cells overproduce mucin and cause severe breathing complications. Here, we aimed to identify the effects of saponins derived from Panax ginseng on inflammation and mucin overproduction. Methods: NCI-H292 cells were pre-incubated with 16 saponins derived from P. ginseng, and mucin overproduction was induced by treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Mucin protein MUC5AC was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and mRNA levels were analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Moreover, we performed a transcriptome analysis of PMA-treated NCI-H292 cells in the absence or presence of Rg5, and differential gene expression was confirmed using qPCR. Phosphorylation levels of signaling molecules, and the abundance of lipid droplets, were measured by western blotting, flow cytometry, and confocal microscopy. Results: Ginsenoside Rg5 effectively reduced MUC5AC secretion and decreased MUC5AC mRNA levels. A systematic functional network analysis revealed that Rg5 upregulated cholesterol and glycerolipid metabolism, resulting in the production of lipid droplets to clear reactive oxygen species (ROS), and modulated the mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor (NF)-kB signaling pathways to regulate inflammatory responses. Rg5 induced the accumulation of lipid droplets and decreased cellular ROS levels, and N-acetyl-ⳑ-cysteine, a ROS inhibitor, reduced MUC5AC secretion via Rg5. Furthermore, Rg5 hampered the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and p38 proteins, affecting the NF-kB signaling pathway and pro-inflammatory responses. Conclusion: Rg5 alleviated inflammatory responses by reducing mucin secretion and promoting lipid droplet-mediated ROS clearance. Therefore, Rg5 may have potential as a therapeutic agent to alleviate respiratory disorders caused by hyperactivation of mucosa cells.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.199-209
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• 2023

Background: Due to the interrupted blood supply in cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS), ischemic and hypoxia results in neuronal depolarization, insufficient NAD+, excessive levels of ROS, mitochondrial damages, and energy metabolism disorders, which triggers the ischemic cascades. Currently, improvement of mitochondrial functions and energy metabolism is as a vital therapeutic target and clinical strategy. Hence, it is greatly crucial to look for neuroprotective natural agents with mitochondria protection actions and explore the mediated targets for treating CIS. In the previous study, notoginseng leaf triterpenes (PNGL) from Panax notoginseng stems and leaves was demonstrated to have neuroprotective effects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, the potential mechanisms have been not completely elaborate. Methods: The model of middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion (MCAO/R) was adopted to verify the neuroprotective effects and potential pharmacology mechanisms of PNGL in vivo. Antioxidant markers were evaluated by kit detection. Mitochondrial function was evaluated by ATP content measurement, ATPase, NAD and NADH kits. And the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and pathological staining (H&E and Nissl) were used to detect cerebral morphological changes and mitochondrial structural damages. Western blotting, ELISA and immunofluorescence assay were utilized to explore the mitochondrial protection effects and its related mechanisms in vivo. Results: In vivo, treatment with PNGL markedly reduced excessive oxidative stress, inhibited mitochondrial injury, alleviated energy metabolism dysfunction, decreased neuronal loss and apoptosis, and thus notedly raised neuronal survival under ischemia and hypoxia. Meanwhile, PNGL significantly increased the expression of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) in the ischemic regions, and regulated its related downstream SIRT1/2/3-MnSOD/PGC-1α pathways. Conclusion: The study finds that the mitochondrial protective effects of PNGL are associated with the NAMPT-SIRT1/2/3-MnSOD/PGC-1α signal pathways. PNGL, as a novel candidate drug, has great application prospects for preventing and treating ischemic stroke.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.123-132
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• 2023

Background: Pseudotyped virus systems that incorporate viral proteins have been widely employed for the rapid determination of the effectiveness and neutralizing activity of drug and vaccine candidates in biosafety level 2 facilities. We report an efficient method for producing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pseudovirus with dual luciferase and fluorescent protein reporters. Moreover, using the established method, we also aimed to investigate whether Korean Red Ginseng (KRG), a valuable Korean herbal medicine, can attenuate infectivity of the pseudotyped virus. Methods: A pseudovirus of SARS-CoV-2 (SARS-2pv) was constructed and efficiently produced using lentivirus vector systems available in the public domain by the introduction of critical mutations in the cytoplasmic tail of the spike protein. KRG extract was dose-dependently treated to Calu-3 cells during SARS2-pv treatment to evaluate the protective activity against SARS-CoV-2. Results: The use of Calu-3 cells or the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in HEK293T cells enabled SARS-2pv infection of host cells. Coexpression of transmembrane protease serine subtype 2 (TMPRSS2), which is the activator of spike protein, with ACE2 dramatically elevated luciferase activity, confirming the importance of the TMPRSS2-mediated pathway during SARS-CoV-2 entry. Our pseudovirus assay also revealed that KRG elicited resistance to SARS-CoV-2 infection in lung cells, suggesting its beneficial health effect. Conclusion: The method demonstrated the production of SARS-2pv for the analysis of vaccine or drug candidates. When KRG was assessed by the method, it protected host cells from coronavirus infection. Further studies will be followed for demonstrating this potential benefit.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.105-111
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• 2021

⁸⁹Zr is a positron-emitting radioisotope, which has known as well-suited radioisotope for use in a monoclonal antibody-based imaging agent for immuno-PET. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the diagnostic ability of general trastuzumab and thio-trastuzumab as HER2 positive receptors based on Df hexadentate iron chelator. Desferrioxamine-p-SCN (Df-Bz-NCS) and desferroixamine-maleimide (Df-Mal) were purchased from Macrocyclics (Dallas, TX, USA). The trastuzumab was purchased from Roche (Schweiz), and thio-trastuzumab was obtained from professor Hyo-Jeong Hong group (Kangwon National University). The radioisotope ⁸⁹Zr was produced by domestic purification system and KIRAMS using medical cyclotron (50 MeV, Scantronix). The conjugates of Df-trastuzumab and Df-thio-trastuzumab were prepared with Df-Bz-NCS and Df-Mal under basic aqueous solution (pH 8-9) at room temperature, respectively. The conjugates purified by PD-10 column were mixed with dried ⁸⁹Zr chloride. ⁸⁹Zr-labeled conjugates were purified and concentrated by Amicon ultra centrifugal filter. The preparation step and time of ⁸⁹Zr-labeled conjugates was shorted as 4 steps within 2 hours. ⁸⁹Zr-labeled conjugates showed the highly radiochemical purity of over 98%, and were very stable until 7 days by the analysis of radio-ITLC method. Each radio-labeled conjugates were also exhibited the highly stability in both PBS buffer and mouse serum. Immuno-PET imaging of ⁸⁹Zr-labeled conjugates in mice bearing gastric cancer xenograft tumors with HER2 expression showed high tumor uptake in the NCI-N87 HER2-expressing. However, ⁸⁹Zr-Df-Mal-thio-trastuzumab showed a relatively lower tumor-to-background ratio than ⁸⁹Zr-Df-Bz-trastuzumab, as well as whole-body distribution. In the results, ⁸⁹Zr-Df-Bz-trastuzumab was evaluated to have a relatively higher HER2 diagnostic ability than ⁸⁹Zr-Df-Mal-thio-trastuzumab.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.165-172
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• 2019

Signs of the street and scenes of the nature(tree) popping up like a still screen in a monotonously repeated routine, as if waiting for something by chance, characters appearing and disappearing without special meaning, advise you to get away from cliché meetings and breakups while repeating it. The images of people returning to their places without presenting any conclusions highlights the coincidences and unexpectedness of everyday life, but are so familiar that it is easy to be overlooked, it brings us to experience the potential of everyday unfamiliarity in such moments. The actor's performance, which deviates from the practice of well-organized characters, is improvised (unplanned and uncoordinated) emphasized on the scene and expresses the everyday nature of his differentiated character freely like the reality as if he were locked up in a film structure but not confined to it, and as if he got used to the everyday life. Also the repeated words and actions of characters, and unpredictable changes of emotions, centered by the encounters and conversations of this film of Hong Sang-soo, everything that is presented in the background of everyday life in its form, let's us pay attention to the meaning and what to be found in the film. In addition, director Hong Sang-soo, who creates a story after selecting actors to reproduce this daily process in a realistic manner, sets new relationships between the characters and the actors, presenting a new method of realistic expression, through the actor who repeatedly appears in the film. This study analyzes the everyday characters and acting of the film based on director Hong Sang-soo's directing style.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.458-468
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• 2023

Background: As a complication of Type II Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), the etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of cognitive dysfunction are still undefined. Recent studies demonstrated that Ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1) has promising neuroprotective properties, but the effect and mechanism in diabetes-associated cognitive dysfunction (DACD) deserve further investigation. Methods: After establishing the T2DM model with a high-fat diet and STZ intraperitoneal injection, Rg1 was given for 8 weeks. The behavior alterations and neuronal lesions were judged using the open field test (OFT) and Morris water maze (MWM), as well as HE and Nissl staining. The protein or mRNA changes of NOX2, p-PLC, TRPC6, CN, NFAT1, APP, BACE1, NCSTN, and Ab1-42 were investigated by immunoblot, immunofluorescence or qPCR. Commercial kits were used to evaluate the levels of IP3, DAG, and calcium ion (Ca²⁺) in brain tissues. Results: Rg1 therapy improved memory impairment and neuronal injury, decreased ROS, IP3, and DAG levels to revert Ca²⁺ overload, downregulated the expressions of p-PLC, TRPC6, CN, and NFAT1 nuclear translocation, and alleviated Aβ deposition in T2DM mice. In addition, Rg1 therapy elevated the expression of PSD95 and SYN in T2DM mice, which in turn improved synaptic dysfunction. Conclusions: Rg1 therapy may improve neuronal injury and DACD via mediating PLC-CN-NFAT1 signal pathway to reduce Aβ generation in T2DM mice.