• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제56권4호
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• pp.359-364
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• 2018

The taxonomy of Spirometra species has been controversial despite the medical and veterinary importance. Currently, only a few Spirometra species are considered valid species in the genus Spirometra. In the present study, the distribution of Spirometra species obtained from animals in Korea were identified by molecular analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (cox1) gene. A total of 28 Spirometra species specimens were analyzed. These were all collected between 1973 and 2008 in the Republic of Korea. Mitochondrial cox1 sequences were examined for a total of 28 specimens comprising 14 S. decipiens and 14 S. ranarum. The difference in partial cox1 sequences (316 bp) between S. erinaceieuropaei (KJ599680) and S. ranarum (this study) was 9.3%, while that between S. decipiens (KJ599679) and S. ranarum (this study) was 2.2%. Genetic analyses identified 2 Spirometra species in animals such as cat, leopard cat, dog, duck and snake in Korea as S. decipiens and S. ranarum. S. decipiens and S. ranarum were present in Gyeongnam Province (P), Jeonnam P, Gangwon P, Chungbuk P, and Seoul. S. decipiens was found in tadpoles, snakes, ducks, cats, leopard cats and dogs, while S. ranarum was found in cats and dogs. The ratio of S. decipiens:S. ranarum calculated from the molecular data was 14:14 (or 1:1). These results indicate that S. decipiens and S. ranarum are sympatrically distributed in Korea.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제38권12호
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• pp.1054-1063
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• 2015

Mitochondria play a crucial role in eukaryotic cells; the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) generates adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which serves as an energy source for numerous critical cellular activities. However, the ETC also generates deleterious reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a natural byproduct of oxidative phosphorylation. ROS are considered the major cause of aging because they damage proteins, lipids, and DNA by oxidation. We analyzed the chronological life span, growth phenotype, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and intracellular ATP and mitochondrial superoxide levels of 33 single ETC component-deleted strains during the chronological aging process. Among the ETC mutant strains, 14 ($sdh1{\Delta}$, $sdh2{\Delta}$, $sdh4{\Delta}$, $cor1{\Delta}$, $cyt1{\Delta}$, $qcr7{\Delta}$, $qcr8{\Delta}$, $rip1{\Delta}$, $cox6{\Delta}$, $cox7{\Delta}$, $cox9{\Delta}$, $atp4{\Delta}$, $atp7{\Delta}$, and $atp17{\Delta}$) showed a significantly shorter life span. The deleted genes encode important elements of the ETC components succinate dehydrogenase (complex II) and cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV), and some of the deletions lead to structural instability of the membrane-$F_1F_0$-ATP synthase due to mutations in the stator stalk (complex V). These short-lived strains generated higher superoxide levels and produced lower ATP levels without alteration of MMP. In summary, ETC mutations decreased the life span of yeast due to impaired mitochondrial efficiency.

• 한방안이비인후피부과학회지
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.154-171
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• 2005

Herbal mixture water extract of (Rheum coreanum Scutellaria baikalensis, Phellodendron amurese), which exhibit several beneficial effects including acne and skin diseases, was tested for anti-microbial activity and anti-inflammation effects. The herbal mixture extract showed antimicrobial activity against Stapylococcus epidermis and Propionbacterium acne. The growth of Stapylococcus epidermis and Propionibacterium acne was inhibited completely by addition of 1.0% of the extract. Also in the present study we examined the mixture extract on compound 48/80 induced allergy and LPS induced cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) gene expression in RAW264.7 macrophage. The results indicated the ear swelling and histamine release induced by compound 48/80 were dose-dependently reduced, ranging 18-36% and 10-61%, respectively. Furthermore the extract inhibited the expression of LPS-induced COX-2 proteins and mRNAs without an appreciable cytotoxic effects on RAW264.1 cells. The cytotoxicity of the extract using MTT assay showed the cytotoxicity of 6% and 13% against L929 cell line. Based on these results, it is concluded that the herbal mixture water extract can be applied to this acne and skin diseases therapy.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제58권5호
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• pp.577-581
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• 2020

A 22-year-old Thai man from the Northeast region presented with acute eye swelling, itching, and discharge on his left eye. He was suspected of having gnathostomiasis and treated with albendazole and prednisolone for 3 weeks. Nine months later, he was treated with high-dose oral prednisolone for the preliminary and differential diagnoses with thyroid-associated orbitopathy and lymphoma. He had been administered prednisolone intermittently over a few years. Then he developed a painless movable mass at the left upper eyelid and recurrent pseudotumor oculi was suspected. The surgical removal of the mass was performed. A white pseudosegmented worm revealed a definite diagnosis of ocular sparganosis by a plerocercoid larva. Molecular diagnosis of the causative species was made based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. Proper technique of extraction and amplification of short fragments DNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue successfully identified parasite species. The result from the sequencing of the PCR-amplified cox1 fragments in this study showed 99.0% sequence homology to Spirometra ranarum. This is the first report of S. ranarum in Thailand.

• ALGAE
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.265-274
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• 2015

Thorea indica sp. nov. is described from the Sai River, Uttar Pradesh, India (26°39′00.7″ N, 80°47′38.3″ E). Its classification is based on molecular sequences of the plastid-encoded RuBisCO large-subunit gene, rbcL and the barcode region of the mitochondrial encoded cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1, cox1, and morphological data. The sequence analyses confirm a new species of Thorea. The cox1 barcode sequence had 90.4-90.8% identity with Thorea sp. from Australia and Thorea hispida from Hawaii and China. Based on rbcL sequences the Indian specimen was positioned in a major clade with high support (>95 bootstrap and 0.95 posterior probability) containing two other species: T. okadae from Japan and T. hispida from the continental USA, Hawaii, the UK, and China. The divergences among these sequences were T. indica vs. T. okadae (2.8%) and T. indica vs. T. hispida (2.9-3.4%). The comparison of morphological characters of Thorea from India was not conclusive due to the inadequate descriptions in previous reports: most specimens reported as T. hispida fit within the circumscription of T. indica as described here. The previous report of T. siamensis from the Sai River is incorrect and the specimens fit within our description of T. indica. Thorea indica and T. okadae can be distinguished by minor morphometric characters and sexuality (dioecious vs. monoecious).

• 대한예방한의학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.135-144
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• 2015

Objective : Saengmaek-san (SM) has been commonly used in Korea to treat various diseases that involve the respiratory and cardiovascular system. However, to date, the mechanism underlying the effects of osteoclasts differentiation of SM has not been clearly understood. Method : To evaluate the effect of SM on osteoclast differentiation, we induced RAW 264.7 cells to be differentiated to osteoclasts by RANKL, and we performed RT-PCR to measure gene expression. Results : SM decreased the number of TRAP(+) MNCs in RANKL-induced osteoclast. SM decreased the expression of MMP-9, cathepsin K1, TRAP, NFATc1, MITF, and COX-2 in the osteoclast. But SM increased the expression of iNOS, $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-6 in osteoclast. Conclusion : It is concluded that SM might decrease the bone resorption resulted from decrease of osteoclast differentiation and it's related gene expression.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제13권3호
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• pp.86-89
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• 2015

Because there are clear molecular differences entailing different treatment effectiveness between Korean and non-Korean cancer patients, identifying distinct molecular characteristics of Korean cancers is profoundly important. Here, we report a web-based data repository, namely Korean Cancer Genome Database (KCGD), for searching gene signatures associated with Korean cancer patients. Currently, a total of 1,403 cancer genomics data were collected, processed and stored in our repository, an ever-growing database. We incorporated most widely used statistical survival analysis methods including the Cox proportional hazard model, log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier plot to provide instant significance estimation for searched molecules. As an initial repository with the aim of Korean-specific marker detection, KCGD would be a promising web application for users without bioinformatics expertise to identify significant factors associated with cancer in Korean.

• 한국균학회지
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.40-47
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• 2010

Phytophthora 속의 핵(ypt 유전자, rDNA-IGS region) 및 미토콘드리아(Cox 유전자, $\beta$-tubline 유전자, EF1A 유전자) 내에 존재하는 5가지 유전자 영역을 이용하여 국내 Phytophthora 속 14종의 유전적 다양성을 분석하였다. 국내 Phytophthora 속은 외국의 Phytophthora 속과 동일한 clade를 형성하였으나, 외국의 Phytophthora 속과 마찬가지로 본 연구에서도 분자생물학적 분류와 형태학적 분류와는 연관성을 찾기 어려웠다. 기존에 보고된 국내 P. palmivora KACC 40167 균주의 그룹이 국내에서 보고된 분류체계와 일치하지 않아 추후 재검토가 필요하였다. P. cryptogea-P. drechsleri complex group 내 국내 P. cryptogea KACC 40161 균주와 P. drechsleri KACC 40195 균주는 서로 94% 이상의 유사도를 보여 재동정이 필요하였으며, P. parasitica와 P. nicotianae간의 유사도가 99% 이상으로 나타나 이 두 종간에 통일된 종명이 요구된다. 또한 현재 분자계통학상 5그룹으로 구분된 국내 Phytophthora 속을 외국균주들과 비교하여 10개의 그룹으로 새롭게 재분류하였다. 이러한 결과들은 국내 Phytophthora 속의 유전적 다양성 연구를 위해 유용한 자료가 될 것이다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권14호
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• pp.5807-5815
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• 2015

Background: Ovarian cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy and constitutes the fifth leading cause of female cancer death. Some biological parameters have prognostic roles in patients with advanced ovarian cancer and their expression may contribute to tumor progression. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential prognostic value of SKP2, genes P27Kip1, K-ras, c-Myc, COX2 and HER2 genes expression in ovarian cancer. Materials and Methods: This study was performed on two hundred formalin fixed paraffin embedded ovarian cancer and normal adjacent tissues (NAT). Gene expression levels were assessed using real time PCR and Western blotting. Results: Elevated expression levels of SKP2, K-ras, c-Myc, HER2 and COX2 genes were observed in 61.5% (123/200), 92.5% (185/200), 74% (148/200), 96 % (192/200), 90% (180/200) and 78.5% (157/200) of cancer tissues, respectively. High expression of SKP2 and down-regulation of P27 was associated with advanced stages of cancer. Conclusions: The association between high expression of c-Myc and SKP2 with low expression of P27 suggested that the Skp2-P27 pathway may play an important role in ovarian carcinogenesis. Reduced expression of P27 is associated with advanced stage of cancer and can be used as a biological marker in clinical routine assessment and management of women with advanced ovarian cancer.

• 혜화의학회지
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.141-160
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• 2006

The obtained results are summarized as follows 1. New findings are reporting year by year as for the study related to Anti-inflammatory mechanism of Bee Venom therapy. 2. The Anti-inflammatory effect of Bee Venom therapy is achieved through counterirritation, stimulations to adrenal cortex, immuno-regulation, antioxidation, removal of free radicals, modulation of AGP gene induction. 3. The chief components of Bee Venom related to Anti-inflammatory effect are Melittin, MCD peptide, Apamin, Adolapin etc. 4. Melittin binds to secretory phospholipase A2 and inhibits its enzymatic activity. 5. Melittin blocks neutophil O2-production. 6. MCD peptide(Peptide 401) stimulates the mast cell secrets histamine, Anti-inflammatory effect caused by this is 'conterirritation'. 7. Melittin & Apamin have an anti-inflammatory effect by inducing cortisone secretion. 8. MCD peptide & Apamin increase immunologic fuction by stimulating hypophysis & adrenal cortex and have an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting synthesis of prostaglandin from arachidonic acid. 9. Adolapin have an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting COX. 10. Bee Venom have an anti-inflammatory effect by suppressing AGP($\alpha$-acid glycoprotein). 11. Bee Venom have an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting NO, iNOS, PLA2, COX-2, TNF-$\alpha$, IL-1, NF-${\kappa}B$, MAP kinase.