• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.89-95
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• 2014

This study was conducted to determine the optimal dose of gamma-ray on the growth and nucleus DNA damage for mutation breeding in licorice. Gamma-rays irradiated to dry seeds with various doses (0 to 1000 Gy). Significant decreases in germination rate (%), survival rate (%) and growth characteristics (plant height, number of leaves, root length and fresh weight) were observed by dose of increased. $LD_{50}$ (lethal dose) was approximately 400 Gy to 500 Gy. Also, reduction doses ($RD_{50}$) of plant height, number of leaves, root length and flash weight were 428 Gy, 760 Gy, 363 Gy and 334 Gy, respectively. It is supplest that the optimal dose of gamma irradiation for licorice mutation induction might be about 400 Gy in this study. We also conducted comet assay to observe nucleus DNA damage due to gamma irradiation. In comet assay, a clear difference was identified over 300 Gy treatments. With increasing doses of gamma-ray in the range of 100 to 1000 Gy, the rate of head DNA was decreased significantly from 92.88% to 73.09%. Tail length(${\mu}m$) was increased as the dose of increased over 300 Gy. Growth characteristics (Germination rate, Survival rate, plant height, number of leaves, root length and fresh weight) were highly negatively ($P{\leq}0.01$) correlated with dose. While the tail length was highly positively ($P{\leq}0.01$) correlated with dose.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 2009

The effect of diet supplemented with red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) leaf on antioxidant status of plasma and tissue was investigated in C57BL/6J mice. The mice were randomly divided into two groups after one-week acclimation, and fed a high fat (20%) and high cholesterol (1%) diet without (control group) or with 8% freeze-dried red beet leaf (RBL group) for 4 weeks. In RBL mice, lipid peroxidation determined as 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS value) was significantly reduced in the plasma and selected organs (liver, heart, and kidney). Levels of antioxidants (glutathione and $\beta$-carotene) and the activities of antioxidant enzyme (glutathione peroxidase) in plasma and liver were considerably increased, suggesting that antioxidant defenses were improved by RBL diet. Comet parameters such as tail DNA (%), tail extent moment, olive tail moment and tail length were significantly reduced by 25.1%, 49.4%, 35.4%, and 23.7%, respectively, in plasma lymphocyte DNA of RBL mice compared with control mice, and indicated the increased resistance of lymphocyte DNA to oxidative damage. In addition, the RBL diet controlled body weight together with a significant reduction of fat pad (retroperitoneal, epididymal, inguinal fat, and total fat). Therefore, the present study suggested that the supplementation of 8% red beet leaf in high fat high cholesterol diet could prevent lipid peroxidation and improve antioxidant defense system in the plasma and tissue of C57BL/6J mice.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.40 no.8
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• pp.708-718
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• 2007

The purpose of this project was to evaluate whether vitamin E supplementation could improve the antioxidant status and lymphocyte DNA damage in Korean postmenopausal women. This was double blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Thirty-five subject were randomized to receive either placebo 400 mg/capsule or natural $\alpha$-tocopherol 400 IU/capsule, 2 times a day for 6 weeks. We measured plasma vitamin C, $\alpha$-tocopherol, $\gamma$-tocopherol, $\alpha$-carotenoid, $\beta$-carotenoid, lycopene concentration and tail length, %DNA in tail, tail moment in lymphocyte DNA damage index. Vitamin E supplementation group had significantly increased plasma vitamin C(p<0.05), $\alpha$-tocopherol(p<0.000), whereas $\gamma$-tocopherol(p<0.000) and tail length(p<0.05) were significantly decreased. However, placebo supplementation group also had significantly increased plasma vitamin C(p<0.05). In conclusion, our study shows that vitamin E supplementation to Korean postmenopausal women may partially improve antioxidant status and lymphocyte DNA damage.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.540-547
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• 2011

High consumption of fruits and vegetables has been suggested to provide some protection to smokers who are exposed to an increased risk of numerous cancers and other degenerative diseases. Carrot is the most important source of dietary ${\beta}$-carotene. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate whether carrot juice supplementation to smokers can protect against lymphocyte DNA damage and to compare the effect of supplementationof capsules containing purified ${\beta}$-carotene or a placebo (simple lactose). The study was conducted in a randomized and placebo-controlled design. After a depletion period of 14 days, 48 smokers were supplemented with either carrot juice (n = 18), purified ${\beta}$-carotene (n = 16) or placebo (n = 14). Each group was supplemented for 8 weeks with approximately 20.49 mg of ${\beta}$-carotene/day and 1.2 mg of vitamin C/day, as carrot juice (300 ml/day) or purified ${\beta}$-carotene (20.49 mg of ${\beta}$-carotene, 1 capsule/day). Lymphocyte DNA damage was determined using the COMET assay under alkaline conditions and damage was quantified by measuring tail moment (TM), tail length (TL), and% DNA in the tail. Lymphocyte DNA damage was significantly decreased in the carrot juice group in all three measurements. The group that received purified ${\beta}$-carotene also showed a significant decrease in lymphocyte DNA damage in all three measurements. However, no significant changes in DNA damage was observed for the placebo group except TM (P = 0.016). Erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme was not significantly changed after supplementation. Similarly plasma lipid profiles were not different after carrot juice, ${\beta}$-carotene and placebo supplementation. These results suggest that while the placebo group failed to show any protective effect, carrot juice containing beta-carotene or purified ${\beta}$-carotene itself had great antioxidative potential in preventing damage to lymphocyte DNA in smokers.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.63.3-63.3
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• 2019

Active asteroids are celestial bodies that distinctively have asteroid-like orbital elements but show comet-like activity. They exhibit the activities due to the sublimation of volatile ices, impacts with small objects or break-up by rapid rotations. As of 2019 February, 30 active asteroids are detected in the outer main belt (i.e., the semimajor axes a>2.5 au) while only 3 of them in the inner main belt (a<2.5 au), suggesting that sublimation of remaining icy volatiles can be one of the most fundamental mechanisms for the activities. A sudden activity of (6478) Gault was reported in early 2019. The asteroid was discovered in 1988 and has exhibited its inactive appearance until the end of last year. Soon after the report, we have conducted imaging observations using the Seoul National University Observatory 1.0-m telescope and the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) to monitor the activity. The observed images showed a primary dust tail that consists of dust grains ejected early November in 2018. Later, another tail developed, indicating further dust ejection occurred around late December 2018. Our model simulation to reproduce the morphology of the dust cloud suggests that the slightly-curved primary dust tail results from a continuous dust ejection over weeks. The total mass of ejecta was estimated to XX kg (XX% of the asteroid mass). Such continuous dust ejection for the inner active asteroids was unexpected because ice might have already sublimated from subsurfaces of inner main belt. Based on our observational evidence, we will discuss how inner asteroids are activated and eject dust continuously.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.7
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• pp.599-609
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• 2006

In this study, we investigated the in vivo effect by intake of the irradiated foods such as mackerel and sesame seed which are high in unsaturated fatty acid through TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive subtance) and the tissue pathological and genotoxicological test. Thirty two ICR mice are divided into four groups, one non-irradiated (control) group and three irradiated (5, 10, 20 kGy, respectively) groups. Sesame seed and pulverized mackerel in modified AIN93M diet were mixed together then divided into four identical parts. Three parts of them were irradiated by doses of 5, 10, and 20 kGy. These experimental diet were fed to each group for 4, 8 and] 6 weeks. The results of the study were as follows: No significant differences in weight gain were found in each group. Peroxide value of the irradiated diet was higher than that of the non-radiated one and also increased according to the storage period. TBA values in plasma, liver, kidney and Peyer's patch were not significantly different among 4 groups. DNA% in tail, tail length (TL) and tail moment (TM) values of the blood lymphocyte in 4, 8 and 16 week groups and the liver in 16 week group were much measured over the control DNA % in tail of kidney of 8 week group was significantly than the control and TL and TM of 8 week and TM of 16 week groups showed a tendency of higher values. By Peyer's DNA % in tail of 8 week group, DNA % in tail and TM of 16 week groups increased significantly over the control, Ultrastructural examination shows myeline figures and swollen mitochondria in parietal cells and intestinal epithelial cells of 8 and 16 weeks groups. After this study, we need further investigations on the safety of highly consumed foods which contain high contents of unsaturated fatty acid, largely imported and which are possible to be irradiated.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.899-904
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• 2002

For determination of the genotoxicity of VOCs(Volatile Organic Compounds) in water, in vitro Comet assay was performed using 3T3 cells. The selected 5 VOCs; Trichloroethylene(TCE), Tetrachloroethylene(PCE), Carbontetrachloride (CteC), Dichloromethane(DCM) and Chlorofrom(Chl) and mixed solvent(Mix), are the test items for drinking water quality. Author analyzed the genotoxicity of these solvents through their tail length (TL) values. Mix, PCE, Chl, TCE in order had cytotoxicity at the highest concentration, and CCl₄ and DCM had no cytotoxic effect. TCE, CCl₄, Chl, PCE, Mix, DCM had genotoxicity, Chl, PCE, Mix had both cytotoxicity and genotoxicity simultaneously, Cytotoxic effect of mixed organic solvents, compared with that of single component, at each concentration, was influenced by the synergistic effect of the interaction of each organic component.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.50-56
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• 2013

Objectives: The present study investigated cytotoxicity and DNA damage in human lung cells in vitro. Methods: Neodymium oxide and lanthanum oxide were dispersed by ultrasonic treatments. The assay was performed with MRC-5 (Human male fetus lung cell). Cytotoxicity and comet assay of lanthanum oxide and neodymium oxide were measured after 24 and 48 hours incubation. Results: After 24 hours of exposure to rare earth metals, the cytotoxicities of lanthanum oxide in more than $1{\mu}M$ concentration groups were significantly increased when compared to the control group, but the cytotoxicities of neodymiun oxide in more than $100{\mu}M$ concentration groups were statistically increased. After 48 hours exposure, cytotoxicities of both materials were statistically increased in $100,000{\mu}M$ concentration groups. Olive tail moments of the lanthanum oxide treated group were significantly increased when compared to the control group. Conclusions: The cytotoxicity of lanthanum oxide was higher than that of neodymium oxide. The DNA of MRC-5 cells treated with lanthanum oxide for 48 hours were significantly damaged.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.10
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• pp.742-749
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• 2016

The cancer chemo-preventive effects of equol have been demonstrated for a wide variety of experimental tumours. In a previous study, we found that equol inhibited proliferation and induced apoptotic death of human gastric cancer MGC-803 cells. However, the mechanisms underlying equol-mediated apoptosis have not been well understood. In the present study, the dual AO (acridine orange)/EB (ethidium bromide) fluorescent assay, the comet assay, MTS, western blotting and flow cytometric assays were performed to further investigate the pro-apoptotic effect of equol and its associated mechanisms in MGC-803 cells. The results demonstrated that equol induced an apoptotic nuclear morphology revealed by AO/EB staining, the presence of a comet tail, the cleavage of caspase-3 and PARP and the depletion of cIAP1, indicating its pro-apoptotic effect. In addition, equol-induced apoptosis involves the mitochondria-dependent cell-death pathway, evidenced by the depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential, the cleavage of caspase-9 and the depletion of Bcl-xL and full-length Bid. Moreover, treating MGC-803 cells with equol induced the sustained activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and inhibiting ERK by U0126, a MEK/ERK pathway inhibitor, significantly attenuated the equol-induced cell apoptosis. These results suggest that equol induces mitochondria-dependent apoptosis in human gastric cancer MGC-803 cells via the sustained activation of the ERK1/2 pathway. Therefore, equol may be a novel candidate for the chemoprevention and therapy of gastric cancer.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.336-344
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• 2014

Objectives: This study was performed to assay the effect of neodymium oxide on the generation of reactive oxygen species and DNA oxidative damage by intratracheal instillation. Methods: Two groups of rats were exposed to neodymium oxide($Nd_2O_3$) via intratracheal instillation with doses of 0.5 mg and 2.0 mg, respectively. At two days and at 12 weeks after exposure, the contents of neodymium oxide in the lung, liver, kidney, heart and brain, leukocyte, olive tail moment, ROS, RNS, lactate dehydrogenase, albumin, cytokine and MDA from BALF were measured. Results: Neodymium oxide contents in the liver, kidney, heart, and brain were detected at less than $1{\mu}g/g$ tissue concentration. However, in the lungs at four weeks the highest amount were detected and then found to be drastically reduced at 12 weeks. ROS and RNS in bronchoalveolar lavage increased in concentration dependently at two days, four weeks and 12 weeks after neodymium oxide instillation. However, ROS and RNS decreased with the passage of time. At two days the total number of WBC in BALF in the high concentration group was significantly increased, and at four weeks the total number of WBC were significantly increased in the low and high concentration groups(p<0.01). At two days after exposure, the LDH of the low and high concentration groups was significantly increased. At 12 weeks, only the LDH of the high concentration group was significantly increased compared to in the control group(p<0.01). As a result of Comet assay, after two days, damage to the DNA of the low and high concentration groups was observed. Conclusions: Intratracheal instillation of neodymium oxide induces the generation of ROS and DNA damage in rats.