• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.196-203
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• 2013

Recent accumulating studies have reported that hypoxic preconditioning during ex vivo expansion enhanced the self-renewal or differentiation of various stem cells and provide an important strategy for the adequate modulation of oxygen in culture conditions, which might increase the functional bioactivity of these cells for cardiac regeneration. In this study, we proposed a novel priming protocol to increase the functional bioactivity of cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) for the treatment of cardiac regeneration. Firstly, patient-derived c-$kit^+$ CPCs isolated from the atrium of human hearts by enzymatic digestion and secondly, pivotal target molecules identified their differentiation into specific cell lineages. We observed that hCPCs, in response to hypoxia, strongly activated ERK phosphorylation in ex vivo culture conditioning. Interestingly, pre-treatment with an ERK inhibitor, U0126, significantly enhanced cellular proliferation and tubular formation capacities of CPCs. Furthermore, we observed that hCPCs efficiently maintained the expression of the c-kit, a typical stem cell marker of CPCs, under both hypoxic conditioning and ERK inhibition. We also show that hCPCs, after preconditioning of both hypoxic and ERK inhibition, are capable of differentiating into smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and cardiomyocytes (CMs), but not endothelial cells (ECs), as demonstrated by the strong expression of ${\alpha}$-SMA, Nkx2.5, and cTnT, respectively. From our results, we conclude that the functional bioactivity of patient-derived hCPCs and their ability to differentiate into SMCs and CMs can be efficiently increased under specifically defined culture conditions such as short-term hypoxic preconditioning and ERK inhibition.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.10
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• pp.699-704
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• 2008

Embryonic stem (ES) cell-derived cardiomyocytes (ESCMs) must be specifically purified in order to prevent teratoma formation, and this confusing issue has hampered their clinical application. We therefore investigated a technique to generate pure labeled ESCMs for possible use in cardiac repair. We generated transgenic ES cell lines expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under the transcriptional control of the $\alpha$-cardiac myosin heavy chain ($\alpha$-MHC) promoter. Differentiated EGFP-positive ES cells displayed characteristics of CMs. Furthermore, neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) upregulated the expression of the cardiac-restricted transcription factors Nkx2.5 and GATA-4, as well as differentiated CM factors ($\alpha$-MHC, $\beta$-MHC). Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that NRG-1 increased expression of cardiac-specific troponin T in the beating foci of the embryoid bodies. This work revealed a potential method for specifically labeling and enriching ESCMs by combining genetically-engineered ES cell clones and exogenous growth factor treatment.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1185-1191
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• 1992

Cell mediated immunity is depressed following surgical procedure and the degree of immunosuppression is directly related to the magintude of the procedure, blood transfusion, and length of operation. So we would expect cardiac operations to be highly immunosuppressive, although little is konwn about their immunosuppressive effect. The nearly complete consumption of complement factors and decreased levels of IgM and IgG resulting in an impaired opsonizing capacity. Additionally, peripheral blood mononuclear cell counts including T-and B-lymphocytes and T-cell subsets are reduced. Depression of cell-mediated immunity following open-heart surgery is potentially detrimental because it could increase the susceptability of patients to viral and bacterial infection. We reviewed 20 patients after cardiac operation to search for changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets. Lymphocyte subsets were measured by flow cytometer and the preoperative values of lymphocyte subsets were compared with those from the first, fourth, and seventh days after operation. After cardiac operation, total mumbers of T lymphocyte was severely depressed on the first postoperative day and returned to the preoperative level by the seventh day after operation. CD3, CD4, and CD8 lymphocytes were decreased on the first postoperative day and returned to the preoperative level by the seventh day also. There was four cases of wound infection and these patients had increased CD4 lympocyte and more decreased CD19 lymphocyte compared with the non-infected group. It is concluded from these data that cell-mediated immunity is significantly depressed for at least one week following open-heart surgery and this result was closely related to the postoperative infection.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.407-412
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• 1994

This paper describes the construction of an anisotropic three dimensional ventricular model based on the bidomain model. The cardiac activation process in the normal cardiac cell and the myocardial ischemic cell are simulated by the Huygen's principle. The depolarization process in the myocardial ischemia displays the delayed activation compared to the normal state. The repolarization process is simulated by the myocardial potential at the arbitrary ellapsed time after activation process. Using the potential data, the equivalent cardiac source at the arbitrary time can be computed. In conclusion, this simulation suggests the possibilities of the depolarization and the repolarization process in the normal and abnormal myocardiac cells.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.376-379
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• 2019

Concomitant Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) and hematologic malignancies are exceptionally rare. This is the first report of a patient operated on for aortic root dilation who had been previously diagnosed with LDS and B-cell-lymphoma. After completion of chemotherapy and complete remission, an elective valve-sparing aortic root replacement (using the David-V method) was performed. Due to the positive family history, preoperative genetic counseling was conducted, and revealed LDS with a TGFBR1 (transforming growth factor beta receptor type I) mutation in 6 probands of the family, albeit in 1 of them posthumously. This missense mutation has been previously described in relation to aortic dissection, but a causative relationship to malignancy has so far neither been proposed nor proven.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.371-380
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• 2013

Doxorubicin is still main drug in chemotherapy with limitation of use due to adverse drug reaction. Increased oxidative stress and alteration of nitric oxide control have been involved in cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin (DOX). A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase (ADAMs) are transmembrane ectoproteases to regulate cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, but role in cardiac disease is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether DOX activates peroxynitrite and ADAM 10 and thus ADAM and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) induce cardiac remodeling in DOX-induced cardiomyopathy. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to cardiomyopathy by DOX (6 times of 2.5 mg/kg DOX over 2-weeks), and were randomized as four groups. Then followed by 3, 5, 7, and 14 days after cessation of DOX injection. DOX-injected animals significantly decreased left ventricular fractional shortening compared with control by M-mode echocardiography. The expressions of cardiac nitrotyrosine by immunohistochemistry were significant increased, and persisted for 2 weeks following the last injection. The expression of eNOS was increased by 1.9 times (p<0.05), and iNOS was marked increased in DOX-heart compared with control (p<0.001). Compared to control rats, cardiac ADAM10- and MMP 9- protein expressions increased by 20 times, and active/total MMP 9 proteolytic activity showed increase tendency at day 14 after cessation of DOX injection (n=10, each group). DOX-treated $H_9C_2$ cell showed increased ADAM10 protein expression with dose-dependency (p<0.01) and morphometric changes showed the increase of ventricular interstitial, nonvascular collagen deposition. These data suggest that activation of cardiac peroxynitrite with increased iNOS expression and ADAM 10-dependent MMP 9 expression may be a molecular mechanism that contributes to left ventricular remodeling in DOXinduced cardiomyopathy.

• Clinical and Experimental Emergency Medicine
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.211-218
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• 2018

Objective This study aimed to determine whether simultaneous decreases in the serum levels of cell adhesion molecules (intracellular cell adhesion molecule-1 [ICAM-1], vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 [VCAM-1], and E-selectin) and S100 proteins within the first 24 hours after the return of spontaneous circulation were associated with good neurological outcomes in cardiac arrest survivors. Methods This retrospective observational study was based on prospectively collected data from a single emergency intensive care unit (ICU). Twenty-nine out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors who were admitted to the ICU for post-resuscitation care were enrolled. Blood samples were collected at 0 and 24 hours after ICU admission. According to the 6-month cerebral performance category (CPC) scale, the patients were divided into good (CPC 1 and 2, n=12) and poor (CPC 3 to 5, n=17) outcome groups. Results No difference was observed between the two groups in terms of the serum levels of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, E-selectin, and S100 at 0 and 24 hours. A simultaneous decrease in the serum levels of VCAM-1 and S100 as well as E-selectin and S100 was associated with good neurological outcomes. When other variables were adjusted, a simultaneous decrease in the serum levels of VCAM-1 and S100 was independently associated with good neurological outcomes (odds ratio, 9.285; 95% confidence interval, 1.073 to 80.318; P=0.043). Conclusion A simultaneous decrease in the serum levels of soluble VCAM-1 and S100 within the first 24 hours after the return of spontaneous circulation was associated with a good neurological outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.175-179
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• 2004

Molecular nuclear cardiac imaging has included Tc-99m Annexin imaging to visualize myocardial apoptosis, but is now usually associated with gene therapy and cell-based therapy. Cardiac gene therapy was not successful so far but cardiac reporter gene imaging was made possible using HSV-TK (herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase) and F-18 FHBG (fluoro-hydroxymethylbutyl guanine) or I-124 FIAU (fluoro-deoxyiodo-arabino-furanosyluracil). Gene delivery was performed by needic injection with or without catheter guidance. Tk expression did not last longer than 2 weeks in myocardium. Cell-based therapy of ischemic heart or failing heart looks promising, but biodistribution and differentiation of transplanted cells are not known. Reporter genes can be transfected to the stem/progenitor cells and cells containing these genes can be transplanted to the recipients using catheter-based purging or injection. Repeated imaging should be available and if promoter are varied to let express reporter transgenes, cellular (trans)differentiation can be studied. NIS (sodium iodide symporter) or D2R receptor genes are promising in this aspect.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.100-100
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• 2003

Pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells differentiate spontaneously into beating cardiomyocytes via embryo-like aggregates. We describe the use of mouse embryonic stem (mES03) cells as a reproducible differentiation system for cardiomyocyte. To induce cardiomyocytic differentiation, mES03 cells were dissociated and allowed to aggregate (EB formation) at the presence of 0 75% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) for 4 days and then another 4 days without DMSO (4+/4-). Thus treated EBs were plated onto gelatin-coated dish for differentiation. Spontaneously contracting colonies which appeared in approximately 4-5 days upon differentiation. Expression of cardiac-specific genes were determined by RT-PCR. Rebust expression of myosin light chain (MLC-2V), cardiac myosin heavy chain $\alpha$, cardiac muscle heavy polypeptide 7 $\beta(\beta$-MHC), cardiac transcription factor GATA4 and skeletal muscle-specific ${\alpha}_1$-subunit of the L-type calcium channel (${\alpha}_1 CaCh_{sm}$) were detected as early as 8 days after EB formation, but message of cardiac muscle-specific $\alpha$$_1$-subunit of the L-type calcium channel (${\alpha}_1$CaCh) were revealed at a low level. Strikingly, the expression of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) was not detected. When spontaneous contracting cell masses were examined their electrophysiological features by patch-clamp technique, it showed ventricle-like action potential 17 days after the EB formation. This study indicates that mES03 cell-derived cardiomyocytes displayed biochemical and electrophysiological properties of cardiomyocytes and DMSO enhanced development of cardiomyocytes in 4+/4- method.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.97-106
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• 1992

The cardiac activation process uslng three dimensional ventricular model is simulated. To study this theme, we constructed a cardiac ventricular model and simulated the cardiac activation process using the action potential duration and the activation time. The cardiac ventricular model is generated by the loglcal combination of the elliptic equations. The action potential duration could be obtained from the fact that It Is linearly distributed between model cells. The cardiac activation process was simulated by the law of "all-or-none". Based on the activation time and the action potential duration the cardiac potential at the arbitrary time after the activation of the model cell was computed. To test the validity of model, the comparison of the results of model simulation with the physiological data was performed. In conclusion, this model shows the simular results which is comparable to the 1 Pal conduction of the cardlac excitation.xcitation.