• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.167-175
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• 2021

Far-infrared rays (FIR) are known to have various effects on atoms and molecular structures within cells owing to their radiation and vibration frequencies. The present study examined the effects of FIR on gene expression related to glucose transport through microarray analysis in rat skeletal muscle cells, as well as on mitochondrial biogenesis, at high and low glucose conditions. FIR were emitted from a bio-active material coated fabric (BMCF). L6 cells were treated with 30% BMCF for 24 h in medium containing 25 or 5.5 mM glucose, and changes in the expression of glucose transporter genes were determined. The expression of GLUT3 (Slc2a3) increased 2.0-fold (p < 0.05) under 5.5 mM glucose and 30% BMCF. In addition, mitochondrial oxygen consumption and membrane potential (ΔΨm) increased 1.5- and 3.4-fold (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001), respectively, but no significant change in expression of Pgc-1a, a regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, was observed in 24 h. To analyze the relationship between GLUT3 expression and mitochondrial biogenesis under FIR, GLUT3 was down-modulated by siRNA for 72 h. As a result, the ΔΨm of the GLUT3 siRNA-treated cells increased 3.0-fold (p < 0.001), whereas that of the control group increased 4.6-fold (p < 0.001). Moreover, Pgc-1a expression increased upon 30% BMCF treatment for 72 h; an effect that was more pronounced in the presence of GLUT3. These results suggest that FIR may hold therapeutic potential for improving glucose metabolism and mitochondrial function in metabolic diseases associated with insufficient glucose supply, such as type 2 diabetes.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.349-360
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• 2020

Bio-conversion manufacturing technology has been developed to produce ginsenoside Rd which is increasingly in demand as a cosmetic material due to various possibilities related to improving skin function. In order to convert ginsenoside Rb1 which is contained in red ginseng saponin (RGS) into Rd, several commercial enzymes were tested. Viscoflow MG was found to be the most efficient. In order to optimize the conversion of RGS to ginsenoside Rd by enzymatic transition was carried out using response surface methodology (RSM) based on Box-Behnken design (BBD). The main independent variables were RGS concentration, enzyme concentration, and reaction time. Conversion of ginsenoside Rd was performed under 17 conditions selected according to BBD model and optimization conditions were analyzed. The concentration of the converted ginsenoside Rd ranged from 0.3113 g/L to 0.5277 g/L, and the highest production volume was obtained under condition of reacting 2% RGS and 1.25% enzyme for 13.5 hours. Consequently, RGS concentration, enzyme concentration which is 0.05 less than p-value and among the interactions between the independent variables, the interaction between enzyme concentration and reaction time was confirmed to be the most influential.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.362-367
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• 2022

Hempseed, a dehulled Cannabis fructus, has high nutraceutical potential. It has plenty of essential amino acids, vitamins, and essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, including α- and γ-linolenic acid. Increased exercise capacity, cognitive function, and ameliorative effects against hypercholesterolemia, neuro-inflammation, thrombus formation, and learning and memory impairment were reported in hemp-seed oil-administered models. Therefore, the market prices of hempseed oil are 45~140-fold higher than the other plant-derived oils, such as soy, corn, olive, canola, or linseed oil. In this study, instead of FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) or FTIR-Raman spectroscopy, a simple UV-Vis spectrophotometry method was developed to authenticate the hempseed oil. Measurements of absorbance at 245, 305, and 415 nm of oils and calculations of 245/415 and 315/415 nm provided that the ratios of 245/415 and 315/415 nm of authentic hempseed oils were 12.9 and 9.6, respectively. The 245/415 and 315/415 nm of soy oil, corn oil, canola oil, and linseed oil were 35.4~61.8 and 29.7~50.8, respectively. This simple UV-Vis spectrophotometry method could also be applied to differentiate hempseed oil from blended oil products in markets.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.265-271
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• 2021

Intertidal mud crab (Macrophthalmus japonicus) is an organism with a hard chitinous exoskeleton and has function for an osmotic control in response to the salinity gradient of seawater. Crustacean exoskeletons change in their natural state in response to environmental factors, such as changes in the pH and water temperature, and the presence of pollutant substances and pathogen infection. In this study, the ecotoxicological effects of irgarol exposure and heavy metal distribution were presented by analyzing the surface roughness of the crab exoskeleton. The exoskeleton surface roughness and variation reduced in M. japonicus exposed to irgarol. In addition, it was confirmed that the surface roughness and variation were changed in the field M. japonicus crab according to the distribution of toxic heavy metals(Cd, Pb, Hg) in marine sediments. This change in the surface roughness of the exoskeleton represents a new end-point of the biological response of the crab according to external environmental stressors. This suggests that it may affect the functional aspects of exoskeleton protection, support, and transport. This approach can be utilized as a useful method for monitoring the aquatic environment as an integrated technology of mechanical engineering and biology.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.178-182
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• 2022

Despite the long history of mushroom use, studies examining the genetic function of mushrooms and the development of new varieties via bio-molecular methods are significantly lacking compared to those examining other organisms. However, owing to recent developments, attempts have been made to use a novel gene-editing technique involving CRISPR/Cas9 technology and genetic scissors in mushroom studies. In particular, research is actively being conducted to utilize ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs) that can be genetically edited with high efficiency without foreign gene insertion for ease of selection. However, RNPs are too large for Cas9 protein to pass through the cell membrane of the protoplasmic reticulum. Furthermore, guide RNA is unstable and can be easily decomposed, which remarkably affects gene editing efficiency. In this study, nanoparticles were used to mitigate the shortcomings of RNP-based gene editing techniques and to obtain transformants stably. We used Lentinula edodes (shiitake mushroom) Sanjo705-13 monokaryon strain, which has been successfully used in previous genome editing experiments. To identify a suitable osmotic buffer for the isolation of protoplast, 0.6 M and 1.2 M sucrose, mannitol, sorbitol, and KCl were treated, respectively. In addition, with various nanoparticle-forming materials, experiments were conducted to confirm genome editing efficiency via the formation of nanoparticles with calcium phosphate (CaP), which can be bound to Cas9 protein without any additional amino acid modification. RNPs/NP complex was successfully formed and protected nuclease activity with nucleotide sequence specificity.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.484-493
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• 2022

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the supplementation of diets of broiler chickens with hot-melt extruded CuSO₄ (HME-Cu) on their growth performance, nutrient digestibility, gut microbiota, small intestinal morphology, meat quality, and copper (Cu) bioavailability. Methods: A total of 225 broilers (Ross 308), one-day old and initial weight 39.14 g, were weighed and distributed between 15 cages (15 birds per cage) in a completely randomized experimental design with 3 treatments (diets) and 5 replicates per treatment. Cages were allotted to three treatments including control (without supplemental Cu), IN-Cu (16 mg/kg of CuSO₄), and HME-Cu (16 mg/kg of HME processed CuSO₄). Results: The HME-Cu treatment tended to increase the overall body weight gain (p<0.10). The apparent digestibility of Cu was increased by supplementation of HME-Cu at phase 2 (p<0.05). The Escherichia coli count in cecum tended to decrease with the supplementation with Cu (p<0.10). In addition, the HME-Cu treatment had a higher pH of breast meat than the control and IN-Cu treatments (p<0.05). Significant increases in the cooking loss, water-holding capacity, and lightness in the breast were observed in the HME-Cu treatment compared to the control (p<0.05). The Cu content of excreta increased with the Cu supplementation (p<0.05). The concentration of excreta Cu in broilers was decreased in the HME-Cu compared to the IN-Cu in phase 2 (p<0.05). The Cu concentration in the liver was increased with the HME-Cu supplementation, compared with the control diets (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that HME-Cu supplementation at the requirement level (16 mg/kg diets) in broiler diets did not affect the growth performance and the physiological function of Cu in broilers. However, supplementation of Cu in HME form improved the meat quality and the bioavailability of Cu.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.64-72
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• 2023

Despite several advances in identification of cardiac transcription factors, there are still needs to find new bioactive molecules that promote cardiomyogenesis from stem cells to highly efficient myocardial differentiation. We analyzed Illumina expression microarray data of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs)-derived cardiomyocytes. 276 genes were upregulated (≥ 4fold) in mESCs-derived cardiomyocytes compared undifferentiated ESCs. Secreted phosphoprotein 2 (Spp2) is one of candidates and is known to inhibit bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) signal transduction as a pseudoreceptor for BMP2. However, its function in cardiomyogenesis is unknown. We confirmed that Spp2 expression increased during the differentiation into functional cardiomyocytes using mESCs, TC-1/Kh2 and E14. Interestingly, Spp2 secretion transiently increased 3 days after formation of embryoid bodies (EBs), indicating that the extracellular secretion of Spp2 is involved in the differentiation of ESCs into cardiomyocytes. To characterize Spp2, we performed experiments using the C2C12 mouse myoblast cell line, which has the property of shifting the differentiation pathway from myoblastic to osteoblastic by treatment with BMP2. Similar to the differentiation of ESCs, transcription of Spp2 increased as C2C12 myoblasts differentiated into myotubes. In particular, Spp2 secretion increased dramatically in the early stage of differentiation. Furthermore, treatment with Spp2-Flag recombinant protein promoted the differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts into myotubes. Taken together, we suggest a novel bioactive protein Spp2 that differentiates ESCs into cardiomyocytes. This may be useful for understanding the molecular pathways of cardiomyogenesis and for experimental or clinical promotion of stem cell therapy for ischemic heart diseases.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.215-233
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: MYC, also known as an oncogenic reprogramming factor, is a multifunctional transcription factor that maintains induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Although MYC is frequently upregulated in various cancers and is correlated with a poor prognosis, MYC is downregulated and correlated with a good prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma. MYC and two other MYC family genes, MYCN and MYCL, have similar structures and could contribute to tumorigenic conversion both in vitro and in vivo. Methods and Results: We systematically investigated whether MYC family genes act as prognostic factors in various human cancers. We first evaluated alterations in the expression of MYC family genes in various cancers using the Oncomine and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and their mutation and copy number alterations using the TCGA database with cBioPortal. Then, we investigated the association between the expression of MYC family genes and the prognosis of cancer patients using various prognosis databases. Multivariate analysis also confirmed that co-expression of MYC/MYCL/MYCN was significantly associated with the prognosis of lung, gastric, liver, and breast cancers. Conclusions: Taken together, our results demonstrate that the MYC family can function not only as an oncogene but also as a tumor suppressor gene in various cancers, which could be used to develop a novel approach to cancer treatment.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.399-407
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• 2023

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) occurs in more than 15% of the dogs over 10 years of age and causes irreversible renal function deterioration. Therefore, it is important to diagnose CKD early and treat the disease properly. The purpose of this study aimed to to evaluate the clinical utility of urine albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) using POC (point-of-care) device as an early detection urinary biomarker in CKD dogs and to confirm the correlation between ACR and other known CKD biomarkers. Urine and serum samples were obtained from 50 healthy dogs and 50 dogs with CKD. Serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) concentrations, and urine protein creatinine ratio (UPC) were measured. Urine specific gravity (USG) was evaluated using refractometer, and ACR was measured using an i-SENS A1Care analyzer. The ACR values of dogs with CKD were significantly different from those of healthy dogs (p < 0.001), as with other renal biomarkers. ACR showed significant differences between healthy dogs and dogs with CKD at every IRIS stage (p < 0.005), whereas no significant differences were observed between dogs with CKD IRIS stage I and healthy dogs with UPC. There are significant positive correlation between ACR and BUN (r = 0.611, p < 0.001), creatinine (r = 0.788, p < 0.001), SDMA (r = 0.747, p < 0.001), and UPC (r = 0.784, p < 0.001), and significant negative correlation between ACR and USG (r = -0.700, p < 0.001). In receiver operator characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.982 (95% CI 0.963-1.000, p < 0.001), with an optimal cut-off value of 64.20 mg/g (94% sensitivity and 94% specificity). Thus, ACR is a useful urinary biomarker for the early diagnosis of proteinuria in CKD and combined use of ACR and other renal biomarkers may be helpful for early diagnosis and prevention of CKD in dogs.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.527-536
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• 2016

This study aims to generate baseline data for vitalizing the sales of functional cosmetics through an Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) of the selection attributes of functional cosmetics. From the analysis of consumers' selection criteria, the study will assist functional cosmetics companies in reflecting consumer demands and therefore securing competitiveness. For this, general consumers aged over 20 years were surveyed for 5 weeks from Feb 23 through Mar 30, 2015, and 447 empirical data (response rate 88.9%) were processed through SPSS WIN 21.0 program for analysis. To conduct gender difference analysis on the IPA of the selection attributes of functional cosmetics, 17 selection attributes were categorized into 4 factors: functionality, labeling, popularity, and product. Cronbach's alpha for all factors was 0.5, proving the internal consistency and reliability of the survey. The survey results showed that while the entire average came out significantly higher for females (5.89/7points) than for males (5.66/7points) (p<0.001), the selection attributes 'anti-wrinkling', 'whitening function', 'functionality', 'expiration date', 'full ingredient labeling system' and 'various promotional events' showed significant gender differences. IPA results pertaining to gender showed 'price', 'functionality', 'spreadability' and 'full ingredient labeling system' as 2nd quadrant attributes, whereas female consumers selected 'price', 'whitening function', 'anti-wrinkling', 'functionality' and 'full ingredient labeling system' as attributes. Results show that businesses in the field of cosmetics and related areas need to prioritize improving the following factors that received low satisfaction from all consumers: 'price', 'functionality', and 'total labeling.' In particular, the 'price' aspects are considered to require reasonable and affordable pricing.