• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.462-471
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• 2021

Background: The number of synthesized chemicals has rapidly increased over the past decade. For many chemicals, there is a lack of information on toxicity. With the current movement toward reducing animal testing, the use of toxicity big data and deep learning could be a promising tool to screen potential toxicants. Objectives: This study identified potential chemicals related to reproductive and estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated toxicities for 1135 cleaning products and 886 laundry products. Methods: We listed chemicals contained in cleaning and laundry products from a publicly available database. Then, chemicals that potentially exhibited reproductive and ER-mediated toxicities were identified using the European Union Classification, Labeling and Packaging classification and ToxCast database, respectively. For chemicals absent from the ToxCast database, ER activity was predicted using deep learning models. Results: Among the 783 listed chemicals, there were 53 with potential reproductive toxicity and 310 with potential ER-mediated toxicity. Among the 473 chemicals not tested with ToxCast assays, deep learning models indicated that 42 chemicals exhibited ER-mediated toxicity. A total of 13 chemicals were identified as causing reproductive toxicity by reacting with the ER. Conclusions: We demonstrated a screening method to identify potential chemicals related to reproductive and ER-mediated toxicities utilizing chemical toxicity big data and deep learning. Integrating toxicity data from in vivo, in vitro, and deep learning models may contribute to screening chemicals in consumer products.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.307-318
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• 2018

Objectives : Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress designates cellular responses to the accumulation of misfolded and unfolded proteins in ER, which is related to a variety of liver diseases. Present study investigated the inhibitory effects of Litsea japonica flesh water extract (LJE) aganist ER stress. Methods : After HepG2 cells were pretreated with LJE and subsequently exposed to tunicamycin (Tm) or thapsigargin (Tg), expression of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), glucose regulated protein 78 kDa (GRP78), asparagine synthetase (ASNS), and endoplasmic reticulum DnaJ homologue 4 (ERDJ4) were determined by immunoblot and real-time PCR analysis. Three canonical signaling pathways in response to ER stress were examined to explore molecular mechanisms involved. Results : Pretreatment of 1 mg/mL LJE inhibited Tm- or Tg-induced CHOP expression, while L. japonica fruit water extract did not. In addition, LJE decreased the levels of GRP78, ASNS, and ERDJ4 mRNA by Tm. Moreover, phosphorylations of eukaryotic translation initiation factor $2{\alpha}$ and inositol-requiring enzyme 1, expression of nuclear form of activating transcription factor $6{\alpha}$, and transactivation of ER stress response element- and unfolded protein response element-harboring luciferase activities were inhibited by LJE pretreatment. Conclusions : Present results suggest that LJE would be a candidate to prevent or treat ER stress-mediated liver injuries.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2019

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is mediated by disturbance of $Ca^{2+}$ homeostasis. The store-operated calcium (SOC) channel is the primary $Ca^{2+}$ channel in non-excitable cells, but its participation in agent-induced ER stress is not clear. In this study, the effects of tunicamycin on $Ca^{2+}$ influx in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were observed with the fluorescent probe Fluo-4 AM. The effect of tunicamycin on the expression of the unfolded protein response (UPR)-related proteins BiP and CHOP was assayed by western blotting with or without inhibition of Orai1. Tunicamycin induced endothelial dysfunction by activating ER stress. Orai1 expression and the influx of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ in HUVECs were both upregulated during ER stress. The SOC channel inhibitor SKF96365 reversed tunicamycin-induced endothelial cell dysfunction by inhibiting ER stress. Regulation of tunicamycin-induced ER stress by Orai1 indicates that modification of Orai1 activity may have therapeutic value for conditions with ER stress-induced endothelial dysfunction.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.43-53
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• 2021

We examine the effect of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress inhibitor treatment time on the in vitro development of porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos. Porcine SCNT embryos were classified by four groups following treatment time of ER stress inhibitor, tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA; 100 µM); 1) non-treatment group (control), 2) treatment during micromanipulation process and for 3 h after fusion (NT+3 h group), 3) treatment only during in vitro culture after fusion (IVC group), and 4) treatment during micromanipulation process and in vitro culture (NT+IVC group). SCNT embryos were cultured for six days to examine the X-box binding protein 1 (Xbp1) splicing levels, the expression levels of ER stress-associated genes, oxidative stress-related genes, and apoptosis-related genes in blastocysts, and in vitro development. There was no significant difference in Xbp1 splicing level among all groups. Reduced expression of some ER stress-associated genes was observed in the treatment groups. The oxidative stress and apoptosis-related genes were significantly lower in all treatment groups than control (p<0.05). Although blastocyst development rates were not different among all groups (17.5% to 21.7%), the average cell number in blastocysts increased significantly in NT+3 h (48.5±2.3) and NT+IVC (47.7±2.4) groups compared to those of control and IVC groups (p<0.05). The result of this study suggests that the treatment of ER stress inhibitor on SCNT embryos from the micromanipulation process can improve the reprogramming efficiency of SCNT embryos by inhibiting the ER and oxidative stresses that may occur early in the SCNT process.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.100004.1-100004.11
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• 2024

Insulin is essential for maintaining normoglycemia and is predominantly secreted in response to glucose stimulation by β-cells. Incretin hormones, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, also stimulate insulin secretion. However, as obesity and type 2 diabetes worsen, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide loses its insulinotropic efficacy, whereas GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists continue to be effective owing to its signaling switch from Gs to Gq. Herein, we demonstrated that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induced a transition from Gs to Gq in GLP-1R signaling in mouse islets. Intriguingly, chemical chaperones known to alleviate ER stress, such as 4-PBA and TUDCA, enforced GLP-1R's Gq utilization rather than reversing GLP-1R's signaling switch induced by ER stress or obese and diabetic conditions. In addition, the activation of X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) or activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), 2 key ER stress-associated signaling (unfolded protein response) factors, promoted Gs utilization in GLP-1R signaling, whereas Gq employment by ER stress was unaffected by XBP1 or ATF6 activation. Our study revealed that ER stress and its associated signaling events alter GLP-1R's signaling, which can be used in type 2 diabetes treatment.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.255-261
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• 2006

Although some phytoes rogens might have beneficiary rather than adverse effects, most endocrine disrupting compounds(EDCs) are considered to be harmful to human and wildlife health through interfering the endocrine system. Previously we found that prepubertal exposure to genistein(GS), a well-known isoflavone phytoestrogen, could activate the reproductive system of immature female rats resulting precocious puberty. Interestingly, di(2-ethyl hexyl) phthalate(DEHP) exposure brought inverse result, a delayed puberty, in the same experimental regimen. In this study, we examined whether prepubertal exposure to GS or DEHP affect the gene expressions of estrogen receptors($ER\;{\alpha}$ and $ER\;{\beta}$) and LH receptor(LHR) which represent the maturational status of ovary and uterus in immature rats. GS (100 mg/kg/day) was administered daily from postnatal day 25 to the day when the first vaginal opening(VO) was observed, and the animals were sacrificed on the next day(day 32). Similarly, DEHP(l00 mg/kg/day) was administered daily from postnatal day 25 through the day when the first V.O. in control group was observed, and the animals were sacrificed on the next day(day 36). To determine the transcriptional changes in the hormone receptors, total RNAs were extracted from ovary and uterus and were applied to semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). In the GS group, the transcriptional activities of $ER\;{\alpha}$, $ER\;{\beta}$ and LHR in uterus and LHR in ovary were significantly increased when compared to those of control group. In the DEHP group, the transcriptional activities of all the hormone receptors measured were significantly lowered when compared to those of control group. These alteration of the reproductive hormone receptor expressions in ovary and uterus might be represent the phenotypic aspects(secondary sexual characteristics) such as tissue weights and reproductive hormone levels during perinatal period in immature female rats.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Rheology Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.73-77
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• 2000

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.465-477
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• 1996

The influence of dehydrocholic acid, cholesterol and phosphstidylcholie to the fine structure of vacuolar apparatus was investigated to better understand the mechanism of intracellular transport of bile constituents in the hepatocytes of rats. The cis Golgi cisterns faced toward the bile canaliculi both in normal and experimental groups. In the hepatocytes from the rats of experimental groups, the primary organic solutes in bile influence the Gogi apparatus, ER and lysosome in the way of increase, cisternal dilation or budding to form the vacuoles. In the dehydrocholic acid group, the cis Golgi cisterns appeared to be sacculated and showed buds, which were probably separated to be vacuoles. Some of the vacuoles appeared to be fused to the bile canaliculi. In the cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine groups, the Golgi cisterns appeared to be dilated and lysosomes were increased in the vicinity of bile canaliculi. The cis Golgi cisterns showing linear saccular fashions were occasonally observed. The increase of lysosomes were more predominant in the cholesterol group. The evidence suggests that dehydrocholic acid is mainly transported through the ER and cis Golgi cisterns, and cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine are mainly transported through the ER and lysosomes via the trans Golgi cisterns, but the cholesterols are frequently transported via the lysosomes.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.201-207
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• 2006

Acetaminophen (paracetamol), a para-aminophenol derivative, has analgesic and antipyretic properties and weak anti-inflammatory activity. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the bioequivalence of two acetaminophen tablets, $Tylenol^{\circledR}$ ER (Janssen Korea Ltd.) and Tylicol ER (Hana Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.), according to the guidelines of the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). The release of acetaminophen from the two acetaminophen formulations in vitro was tested using KP VIll Apparatus II method with pH 1.2 buffer solution. Twenty six healthy male subjects, $22.8{\pm}1.99$ years in age and $65.6{\pm}8.03$ kg in body weight, were divided into two groups and a randomized $2{\times}2$ cross-over study was employed. After a single tablet containing 650 mg as acetaminophen was orally administered, blood samples were taken at predetermined time intervals and the concentrations of acetaminophen in serum were determined using HPLC with UV detector. The dissolution profiles of two formulations were similar in pH 1.2 buffer solution. The pharmacokinetic parameters such as $AUC_t$, $C_{max}$ and $T_{max}$ were calculated and ANOVA test was utilized for the statistical analysis of the parameters using logarithmically transformed $AUC_t$, $C_{max}$ and untransformed $T_{max}$. The results showed that the differences between two formulations based on the reference drug, $Tylenol^{\circledR}$ ER, were 2.84, 1.89 and -1.36% for $AUC_t$, $C_{max}$ and $T_{max}$, respectively. There were no sequence effects between two formulations in these parameters. The 90% confidence intervals using logarithmically transformed data were within the acceptance range of log 0.8 to log 1.25 (e.g., log $0.987{\sim}log$ 1.08 and log $0.944{\sim}log$ 1.17 for $AUC_t$ and $C_{max}$, respectively). Thus, the criteria of the KFDA bioequivalence guideline were satisfied, indicating Tylicol ER tablet was bioequivalent to $Tylenol^{\circledR}$ ER tablet.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.374-382
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to investigate the surface morphology and measure shear bond strength of Er : YAG lased enamel. To determine the most effective energy density of laser for improving bonding strength of human enamel, 24 specimen were lased from 30mJ to 150mJ at 1Hz used focused, defocused beam. After irradiation, the lased specimen were observed scanning electron microscope. To determine the resin shear bond strength of Er : YAG lased enamel, the 90 specimen were divided into 3 groups. The Control group was etched with 37% phosphoric acid for 15seconds and rinsed. Group 1 was only laser irradiaton(60mJ, 10Hz), Group 2 was irradiated as Group 1 regimen, followed 37% phosphoric acid etching. The following results were obtained: 1. In both focused and defocused Er : YAG lased enamel surface are similar to acid-etched enamel more than 60mJ in SEM evaluation. 2. The more increased laser energy, the more observed fissuring surface. 3. The highest mean shear bond strength value was observed in control group with the statistical significance(p<0.05) between all the other groups and the shear bond strength in group 1 was the lowest with significant difference among the other groups.