• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.438-444
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• 2005

Purpose: Anhedonia has been proposed to be the result of a basic neurophysiologic dysfunction and a vulnerability marker that precede and contribute to the liability of developing schizophrenia. We hypothesized that anhedonia, as a construct reflecting the decreased capacity to experience pleasure, should be associated with decreased positive hedonic affect trait. This study examined the relationship between anhedonia and positive hedonic affect trait and searched for the brain legions which correlate with anhedonia in normal subjects. Materials and Methods: Using $^{18}F$-FDG PET scan, we investigated the brain activity of twenty one subjects during resting state. Questionnaires were administrated after the scan in order to assess the self-rated individual differences in physical/social anhedonia and positive/negative affect traits. Results: Negative correlation between physical anhedonia score and positive affect trait score was significant (Pearson coefficient =-0.440, p<0.05). The subjects physical and social anhedonia scores showed positive correlation with metabolic rates in the cerebellum and negative correlation with metabolic rates in the inferior temporal gyrus and middie frontal gyrus. In addition, the positive affect trait score positively correlated with various areas, most prominent with the inferior temporal gyrus. Conclusion: These results suggest that neural substrates, such as the inferior temporal gyrus and prefrontal-cerebellar circuit, which dysfunction has been proposed to be involved with the cognitive deficits of schizophrenia, may also play a significant role in the liability of affective deficits like anhedonia.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2010

Xenotransplantation of pig organs is complicated by the existence of polytropic replication-competent porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERV) capable of infecting human cells. Two classes of infectious human-tropic replication-competent PERVs (PERV-A and PERV-B) and one class of ecotropic PERV-C are known. The potential for recombination between ecotropic PERV-C and human-tropic PERVs adds another level of infectious risk. A recombinant PERV-A/C (PERV-A14/220) virus is 500-fold more infectious than PERV-A. Two determinants of this high infectivity was identified; one was isoleucine-to-valine substitution at position 140 in RBD (receptor binding domain), and the other lies within the PRR (proline rich region) of the envelope protein. To examine whether the effects of the cytoplasmic tail of the PERV-C Env on fusogenesity also influences infectivity, we constructed a pseudotype retroviral vectors containing MoMLV core protein and PERV envelopes. Pseudotyping experiments with the PERV envelope glycoproteins indicated that recombinant PERV-A/C virus is 10-fold more infectious than PERV-A by lacZ staining. This result supports the suggestion that viral transduction of PERV-A/C is enhanced by a membrane-proximal cytoplasmic amphiphilic ${\alpha}$-helix in PERV-C Env tail.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.261-270
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• 1992

Many herbicides that are applied at the soil before weed emergence inhibit plant growth soon after weed germination occurs. Plant growth has been known as an irreversible increase in size as a result of the processes of cell divison and cell enlargement. Herbicides can influence primary growth in which most new plant tissues emerges from meristmatic region by affecting either or both of these processes. Herbicides which have sites of action during interphase($G_1$, S, $G_2$) of cell cycle and cause a subsequent reduction in the observed frequency of mitotic figures can be classified as an inhibitor of mitotic entry. Those herbicides that affect the mitotic sequence(mitosis) by influencing the development of the spindle apparatus or by influencing new cell plate formation should be classified as causing disruption of the mitotic sequence. Sulfonylureas, imidazolinones, chloroacetamides and some others inhibit plant growth by inhibiting the entry of cell into mitosis. The carbamate herbicides asulam, carbetamide, chlorpropham and propham etc. reported to disrupt the mitotic sequence, especially affecting on spindle function, and the dinitroaniline herbicides trifluralin, nitralin, pendimethalin, dinitramine and oryzalin etc. reported to disrupt the mitotic sequence, particularly causing disappearence of microtubles from treated cells due to inhibition of polymerization process. An inhibition of cell enlargement can be made by membrane demage, metabolic changes within cells, or changes in processes necessary for cell yielding. Several herbicides such as diallate, triallate, alachlor, metolachlor and EPTC etc. reported to inhibit cell enlargement, while 2, 4-D has been known to disrupt cell enlargement. One potential danger inherent in the use of soil acting herbicides is that build-up of residues could occur from year to year. In practice, the sort of build-up that would be disastrous is unikely to occur for substances applied at the correct soil concentration. Crop injury caused by soil applied herbicides can be minimized by (1) following the guidance of safe use of herbicides, particularly correct dose at correct time in right crop, (2) by use of safeners which protect crops against injury without protecting any weed ; interactions between herbicides and safeners(antagonists) at target sites do occur probably from the following mechanisms (1) competition for binding site, (2) circumvention of the target site, and (3) compensation of target site, and another mechanism of safener action can be explained by enhancement of glutathione and glutathione related enzyme activity as shown in the protection of rice from pretilachlor injury by safener fenclorim, (3) development of herbicide resistant crops ; development of herbicide-resistant weed biotypes can be explained by either gene pool theory or selection theory which are two most accepted explanations, and on this basis it is likely to develop herbicide-resistant crops of commercial use. Carry-over problems do occur following repeated use of the same herbicide in an extended period of monocropping, and by errors in initial application which lead to accidental and irregular overdosing, and by climatic influence on rates of loss. These problems are usually related to the marked sensitivity of the particular crops to the specific herbicide residues, e.g. wheat/pronamide, barley/napropamid, sugarbeet/ chlorsulfuron, quinclorac/tomato. Relatively-short-residual product, succeeding culture of insensitive crop to specific herbicide, and greater reliance on postemergence herbicide treatments should be alternatives for farmer practices to prevent these problems.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.175-182
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• 2008

DNA-dependent protein kinase(DNA-PK) is involved in joining DNA double-strand breaks induced by ionizing radiation or V(D)J recombination and is activated by DNA ends and composed of a DNA binding subunit, Ku, and a catalytic subunit, DNA-PKcs. It has been suggested that DNA-PK might be $2^{nd}$ upstream kinase for protein kinase B(PKB). In this report, we showed that Ser473 phosphorylation in the hydrophobic-motif of PKB is blocked in DNA-PK knockout mouse embryonic fibroblast cells(MEFs) following insulin stimulation, while there is no effect on Ser473 phosphorylation in DNA-PK wild type MEF cells. The observation is further confirmed in human glioblastoma cells expressing a mutant form of DNA-PK(M059J) and a wild-type of DNA-PK(M059K), indicating that DNA-PK is indeed important for PKB activation. Furthermore, the treatment of cells with doxorubicin, DNA-damage inducing agent, leads to PKB phosphorylation on Ser473 in control MEF cells while there is no response in DNA-PK knockout MEF cells. Together, these results proposed that DNA-PK has a potential role in insulin signaling as well as DNA-repair signaling pathway.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.3403-3408
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• 2012

The molecular mechanisms involved in the progression of clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs) are still unclear. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationships between expression of RALYL and clinical characteristics. In 41 paired samples of ccRCCs and adjacent normal tissues, we used real-time qPCR to evaluate the expression of RALYL mRNA. RALYL protein levels were determined in 146 samples of ccRCC and 37 adjacent normal tissues by immunohistochemistry. Statistical analysis was used to explore the relationships between expression of RALYL and the clinical characteristics (gender, age, tumor size, T stage, N stage, M stage, survival times and survival outcome) in ccRCC. In addition, these patients were follow-up period 64 months (range: 4~116months) to investigate the influence on prognosis. We found significantly differences between ccRCC tissues and normal tissues (p<0.001, paired-sample t test) in mRNA levels of RALYL. Immunohistochemistry analyses in 146 ccRCC samples and 37 adjacent normal tissues showed significantly lower RALYL protein levels in ccRCC samples (${\chi}^2$-test, p<0.001), inversely correlating with tumour size (p=0.024), T stage (0.005), N stage (p<0.001) as well as M stage (p=0.019), but not age (p=0.357) and gender (p=0.348). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that people with lower level of RALYL expression had a poorer survival rate than those with a higher level of RALYL expression, significantly different by the log-rank test (p=0.011). Cox regression analysis indicated that RALYL expression (p=0.039), N stage (p=0.008) and distant metastasis (p<0.001) were independent prognosis factors for the overall survival of ccRCC patients. We demonstrated that the expression of RALYL was significantly low in ccRCC and correlated with a poor prognosis in a large number of clinical samples. Our findings showed that RALYL may be a potential therapeutic target as well as a poor prognostic factor.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.315-320
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• 2006

For the purpose of developing natural antioxidant, the antioxidative and antimicrobial activities of phenolics isolated from spices were determined. The total phenolics contents of spices were more than 20 mg/g in water and 60% ethanol extracts of all spice, oregano and sage. Electron donating ability assay showed high inhibition rate in water extracts of all spice, nutmeg, white pepper, oregano and sage and 60% ethanol extracts of oregano and nutmeg. Antioxidant protection factor (PF) was higher than 1.2 in 60% ethanol extracts of sage, all spice and oregano and water extracts of sage. The 2,2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical decolorization (ABTS) was inhibited by more than 90% by water and 60% ethanol extracts of all spice and oregano. TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) were $0.7{\mu}M$ in the control and $0.2{\mu}M$ in water and 60% ethanol extracts the each spices. The water extracts of each spices did not have antimicrobial activity against H. pylori; however, the 60% ethanol extracts from oregano revealed the high antimicrobial activity as clear zone of 10 mm and inhibition rate of 77.2% with $200{\mu}g/mL$ of phenolics content. The result suggests that spices extract may be useful as potential sources of anti-Helicobacter pylori, antioxidant.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.678-685
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• 2007

Purpose : Recent reports pointed out that gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa) therapy alone is not so promising for improving adult height in precocious puberty. So, that we studied the growth promoting effect of combined therapy with GnRHa and growth hormone (GH) in early pubertal girls. Methods : Twenty three early pubertal girls ($9.73{\pm}1.59yr$) with predicted adult heights (PAH) below-2 standard deviation score (SDS) were included. They were divided into two groups as follows; Group I before menarche (n=19) and Group II after menarche (n=4). After combined therapy, various growth parameters were compared between two groups and between the before and after therapy. Results : Between the two groups before therapy, chronologic age (CA), growth velocity (GV), body mass index (BMI), target height (TH), PAH and serum insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 were not different, but BA, height and difference between bone age (BA) and CA were significantly higher and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) was marginally higher in group II. After therapy, BA still remained higher in group II, but other parameters were not different. In both groups, after therapy, the difference between BA and CA, the ratio of BA over CA, and GV were significantly decreased, but PAH, height SDS and BMI were significantly increased. Regarding IGF-1 level, a significant increase was noted in group I, but not in group II. Conclusion : With combined therapy of GnRHa and GH, PAH in early pubertal girls might be improved significantly and even approach TH. Among them, those who were before menarche might have greater potential for the height gain than those after menarche in view of IGF-1 changes during therapy.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.62-67
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• 2015

Myelophycus simplex Papenfuss is distributed over the northern Pacific and southern coast of Korea, and is a member of the brown algae family. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of M. simplex methanol extract on adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Treatment with M. simplex methanol extract significantly suppressed terminal differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner, as confirmed by a decrease in lipid droplet content observed by Oil Red O staining. Also, the M. simplex methanol extract significantly suppressed the triglyceride content of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with 300 and $500{\mu}g/ml$ of M. simplex methanol extract caused a 42% and 76% reduction in lipid droplet content, respectively. In order to understand the anti-adipogenic effects of M. simplex methanol extract, the changes in the expression of several adipogenic transcription factors, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) ${\gamma}$-cytidine-cytidine-adenosine-adenosine-thymidine (CCAAT)/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) ${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$, were investigated using immunoblotting. M. simplex suppressed the expression of $PPAR{\gamma}$, $C/EBP{\alpha}$, and $C/EBP{\beta}$ proteins compared with control. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that M. simplex methanol extract inhibits adipocyte differentiation and thus may have applications as a potential source for an anti-obesity functional food agent.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.69-78
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• 2013

Vitis amurensis Rupreche, a sort of grape, grows naturally in Asian countries. It is known for important biological effects such as antioxidation, anti-inflammation, neuroprotection, and angiogenesis inhibition. Although its root is used as a traditional folk medicine in Korea, the root's biological activities are poorly studied. In the present study, the effects of V. amurensis root methanol extract (VARM) and its solvent fractions on adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were investigated. The VARM significantly suppressed adipocyte differentiation, lipid accumulation, and the triglyceride (TG) content of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner, without cytotoxicity. To identify active molecules, the VARM was fractionated with a series of organic solvents including dichloromethane ($CH_2Cl_2$), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and n-butanol (n-BuOH). All the fractions also showed inhibition of lipid accumulation in the 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. The $CH_2Cl_2$ fraction showed the most powerful anti-obesity effect through the modulation of cytidine-cytidine-adenosine-adenosinethymidine (CCAAT)/enhancer binding protein ${\alpha}$ ($C/EBP{\alpha}$), $C/EBP{\beta}$, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ ($PPAR{\gamma}$) gene and protein expression. Oleanolic acid was one of the main active compounds involved in the anti-obesity activity of the V. amurensis root. These results provide important new insight into the potential potent anti-adipogenic effect of the V. amurensis root and illustrate that one of the main compounds involved in this effect is oleanolic acid.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.7
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• pp.790-800
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• 2017

As men get older, total testosterone levels decline gradually, and concentrations of free and bioavailable testosterone decline sharply with each decade beyond their 30s. Andropause or testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) is defined as a decrease in sexual satisfaction or decline in general well-being accompanied by low levels of testosterone in older men. This male climacteric is characterized by nervousness, reduced potency, decreased libido, irritability, fatigue, depression, memory problems, sleep disturbances, and hot flushes. Cirsium japonicum (CJ) is used as a traditional medicine for hemorrhage, blood congestion, and inflammation in Korea. However, there is no report on the efficacy of CJ treatment for TDS. In this study, we observed the mitigating effect of CJ extract (CE) and fermented CJ extract (FCE) on symptoms of TDS. In elderly male rats, total and testosterone levels, hind limbs muscles, forced swimming time, and total and motile sperm counts significantly increased after daily intake of CE and FCE for 6 weeks. In contrast, sex hormone binding globulin, retroperitoneal fat, total serum cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were significantly reduced in CE and FCE groups. However, there was no difference in prostate specific antigen, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase levels among all groups, which means CE and FCE did not have putative adverse effects. In a cell experiment, we also observed that CE and FCE enhanced expression of genes related to testosterone biosynthesis but reduced genes involved in testosterone conversion. On the whole, these positive effects on TDS were greater in FCE compared to CE. Thus, these results suggest the potential of FCE as a promising natural product for recovering testosterone levels and alleviating TDS.