• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1002-1009
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• 2007

A rapid, convenient homogeneous competitive enzyme immunoassay for estimating the amount of fenthion is described. The assay utilizes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase-hapten conjugates that are inhibited in solution by antibodies obtained from bovine serum albumin-hapten conjugates. In order to investigate the effects of bridging group recognition on the sensitivity of dose response characteristics, the bridging groups of varying alkyl chain length were attached at the phosphate position of fenthion. Among the antibodies used, the one obtained from the use of hapten (fenthion analog) with the same bridging group structure that was used in preparing the enzyme-fenthion conjugates showed maximum inhibition (up to 51.8%) in the absence of fenthion. In the presence of fenthion, the activity of the enzyme-hapten conjugate is regained in an amount proportional to the fenthion concentration. Under the optimized condition, the $ED_{50}$ value for fenthion was $0.809{\mu}g/ml$. The assay developed in this study is a rapid effective screening method for fenthion prior to precise analysis.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.507-516
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• 2014

The present study was conducted to determine the effect of electron beam irradiation on control of Botrytis cinerea and postharvest quality of cut roses. Electron beam doses of 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1, 2, 10, and 20 kGy were applied with a 10-MeV linear electron beam accelerator (EB Tech, Korea). Electron beams inhibited spore germination and mycelial growth of B. cinerea with increasing irradiation doses. Conidia of B. cinerea were more tolerant to irradiation than were mycelia: the effective irradiation doses for 50% inhibition ($ED_{50}$) of spore germination and mycelial growth were 2.02 kGy and 0.89 kGy, respectively. In addition, electron beam irradiation was more effective in reducing mycelial growth of B. cinerea at $10^{\circ}C$ than at $20^{\circ}C$. Analysis of in vivo antifungal activity revealed that elevated irradiation doses exhibited increased control efficacy for tomato gray mold. Flower longevity and fresh weight of cut roses decreased when the irradiation dose was increased. In addition, flower bud opening tended to be inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. Although 'Decoration', 'Il se Bronze', 'Queen Bee', and 'Revue' roses tolerated and maintained overall postharvest quality up to 0.4 kGy, 'Vivian' did not, demonstrating that the irradiation sensitivity of cut roses varies according to cultivar.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2007

Recently, we have shown that some endocrine disruptors, heavy metals, organotins and azoles suppressed steroidogenic enzymes such as P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc) and aromatase in bullfrog ovarian follicles. In the present study, by using an amphibian ovarian follicle culture system, we examined the effects of these endocrine disruptors on maturation and ovulation of oocytes from Rana dybowskii in vitro. Ovarian fragments or isolated follicles were cultured for 24 h in a medium containing frog pituitary homogenate (FPH) or progesterone ($P_{4}$) with or without endocrine disruptors, and oocyte maturation (germinal vesicle breakdown, GVBD) and ovulation were examined. Among the organotins, tributyltin (TBT) strongly inhibited both FPH-and $P_{4}-induced$ oocyte maturation ($ED_{50}$:0.6 and 0.7 ${\mu}M$, respectively); however, tetrabutyltin (TTBT) and dibutyltin (DBT) showed only partial suppression, while monobutyltin (MBT) showed no inhibitory effect. All of the organotins suppressed $P_{4}-induced$ oocyte ovulation very effectively at a low concentration, and TBT and DBT exerted an inhibitory effect on FPH-induced ovulation. Among the heavy metals, mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd) and cobalt (Co) were very effective in inhibiting FPH-induced oocyte maturation and ovulation, while lead (Pb), arsenite (As) and zinc (Zn) were less effective. However, all of the heavy metals suppressed FPH-induced oocyte ovulation at a high dose ($100{\mu}M$). Among the azoles, itraconazole (ICZ), ketoconazole (KCZ) and clotrimazole (CTZ) effectively inhibited FPH-induced oocyte maturation and ovulation, while econazole (ECZ), miconazole (MCZ) and fluconazole (FCZ) were considerably less effective. These results demonstrated that the abovementioned endocrine disruptors exhibited differential effects on oocyte maturation and ovulation in amphibian follicles and that the frog ovarian culture system could be used as an effective experimental tool to screen and evaluate the toxicity of various endocrine disruptors in vitro.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 2005

이 연구는 SKBR3 인간 유방암세포주에 대한 귀전우 메탄올추출물(CME)의 증식억제 효과, 세포사 유발 효과 및 항산화 활성을 확인하기 위해 이루어졌다. SKBR3 유방암세포주는 48시간동안 다양한 농도($0{\sim}20{\mu}g/m{\ell}$)의 CME가 제공된 곳에서 배양되었고, MMT 측정법을 이용하여 세포생존율을 평가하였다. CME의 50%에서 효과를 나타내게 하는 약물농도인 $ED_{50}$ (effective dose 50%)은 $6.5{\pm}0.3{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) 이며, 투여량이 증가함에 따라 농도에 의존하여 세포증식이 억제되는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 CME의 증식억제 효과는 유방암세포주의 세포사와 관련됨의 세포의 형태학적 변화와 올리고뉴클레오솜 DNA 파편의 확인을 통해 알 수 있었다. 또한 다양한 농도와 배양시간에서 CME가 ROS의 생산을 억제한다는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 이런 결과들은 귀전우의 메탄올추출물이 SKBR3 인간 유방암세포주에 대해 강력한 증식억제 효과와 강한 항산화 효과를 나타낼 뿐만 아니라 세포사를 유도하는 효능을 가지고 있음을 시사한다. 이러한 효능은 약물에 대한 노출시간과 투여량에 의존하였다. 따라서 귀전우는 다양한 기전에 의해 유방암 세포에 대한 억제효과를 가질 수 있을 것으로 인식할 수 있다.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.339-347
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• 1997

Disulfiram (DSF) and diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC), a reduced form of DSF, protect the liver against toxicant-induced injury through inhibition of cytochrome P450 2E1. The effect of DSF and DDC on the levels of major hepatic microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) expression was comparatively studied, given the view that these enzymes are involved in terminal detoxification events for high energy intermediates of xenobiotics. Treatment of rats with a single dose of DSF (20-200 mg/kg, po) resulted in 2- to 15-fold increases in the mEH mRNA level at 24 hr with the ED$_{50}$ value being noted as 60 mg/kg. The mEH mRNA level was elevated ~15-fold at 24 hr after treatment at the dose of 100 mg/kg, whereas the hepatic mRNA level was rather decreased from the maximum at the dose of 200 mg/kg, indicating that DSF might cause cytotoxicity at the dose. In contrast to the effect of DSF, DDC only minimally elevated the mEH mRNA level at the doses employed. DSF moderately increased the major GST mRNA levels in the liver as a function of dose, resulting in rGSTA2, rGSTA3/5 or rGSTM1 mRNA levels being elevated 3- to 4-fold at 24 hr post-treatment, whereas the rGSTM2 mRNA level was not altered. DDC, however, failed to stimulate the mRNA levels for major GST subunits, indicating that the reduced form of DSF was ineffective in stimulating the GST the expression. The effect of other organosulfides including aldrithiol, 2, 2'-dithiobis(benzothiazole) (DTB), tetramethylthiouram disulfide (TMTD) and allyl disulfide (ADS) on the hepatic mEH and GST mRNA expression was assessed in rats in order to further confirm the increase in the gene expression by other disulfides. Treatment of rats with aldrithiol (100 mg/kg, po) resulted in a 16-fold increase in the mEH mRNA level at 24 hr post-treatment. DTB, TMTD and ADS also caused 5-, 9- and 12-fold increases in the rnRNA level, respectively, as compared to control. Thus, all of the disulfides examined were active in stimulating the mEH gene in the liver. The organosulfides significantly increased the rGSTA2, rGSTA3, rGSTA5 and rGSTM1 mRNA levels at 24 hr after administration. In particular, aldrithiol was very efficient in stimulating the rGSTA and rGSTM genes among the disulfides examined. These results provide evidence that DSF and other sulfides effectively stimulate the mEH and major GST gene expression at early times in the liver and that DDC, a reduced form of DSF, was ineffective in stimulating the expression of the genes, supporting the conclusion that reduced form(s) of organosulfur compound(s) might be less effective in inducing the mEH and GST genes through the antioxidant responsive element(s).

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2010

Korean Sophora japonica has been found to posses an anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, Korean Sophora japonica extract, rutin, was used to know whether rutin inhibits to produce inflammatory mediators NO and TNF-$\alpha$ from the mouse peritoneal macrophages that were treated an inflammatory agent LPS. The rutin-1 hr pretreated macrophages were incubated with LPS for 0.5~5 hrs, and then collected the supernatant and the cell lysate for measurements of the level of iNOS, NO, TNF-$\alpha$ mRNA, TNF-$\alpha$, and p-NF-${\kappa}B$. Minimal and maximal effective doses of the rutin on them were 1 and $100{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. The maximal effective dose of rutin certainly inhibted the productions of iNOS, NO, TNF-$\alpha$ mRNA, TNF-$\alpha$and p-NF-${\kappa}B$ from the LPS-treated macrophages (p<0.0001). Its $ED_{50}$ for inhibition of TNF-$\alpha$ mRNA and p-NF-${\kappa}B$ was $5{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, and for iNOS, NO, and TNF-$\alpha$ was $10{\mu}g/m{\ell}$. The rutin did not have any cytotoxic effect. As the results, the Sophora japonica rutin could be a good candidate for an anti-inflammatory action.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.727-733
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• 1996

2-(Allylthio)pyrazine is effective in selectively suppressing constitutive and inducible expression of cytochrome P450 2E1. The effect of 2-(allylthio)pyrazine against potentiat ed chemical injury was studied in rats. Vitamin-A pretreatment of rats substantially increased carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity, as supported by an ~4-fold increase in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity. Concomitant pretreatment of rats with 2-(allylthio)pyrazine at the daily dose of 200mg/kg resulted in a 76% decrease in vitamin-A-potentiated hepatotoxicity, which supported the possibility that 2-(allylthio)pyrazine protects the liver against chemical-induced hepatic injury by the mechanism associated with Kupffer cell inactivation. Pyridine pretreatment caused substantial enhancement in carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity. 2-(Allylthio)pyrazine treatment of rats reduced the pyridine-potentiated toxicity in a dose-dependent manner. Animals treated with both pyridine and 2-(allylthio)pyrazine prior to intoxicating dose of CCl$_4$ resulted in 85% and 47% decreases in pyridine-increased triglycerides and cholesterol levels in the liver. The protective effect of 2-(allylthio)pyrazine on the DNA strand breakage induced by benzenetriol was assessed by measuring the conversion of supercoiled ${\Phi}x$-174 DNA to the open relaxed form. 2-(Allylthio)pyrazine blocked the benzenetriol-induced conversion of supercoiled DNA to open circular form in a dose-dependent manner. The presence of 2-(allylthio)pyrazine at the doses from I to 10mM in the incubation mixture containing 5 ${\mu}$M benzenetriol completely protected benzenetriol-induced DNA strand breakage with the EC50 for the 2-(allylthio)pyrazine blocking being noted as ~220 ${\mu}$M, whereas allyl disulfide exerted protecting effect at relatively high concentrations (i.e. ~850 ${\mu}$M), suggesting that 2-(allylthio)pyrazine effectively scavenges the reactive oxygen species. These results provide evidence that 2-(allylthio)pyrazine blocks vitamin A- or pyridine-potentiated CCl$_4$ hepatotoxicity and that the agent is active in protecting DNA by scavenging the reactive oxygen species.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.117-124
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• 1997

The analgesic effects of DA-5018, a new caosaucin derivative, were evaluated in various experimental pain models. Drugs were administered subcutaneously or topically. When drugs were administered subcutaneously, 1) the $ED_{50}$ of DA-5018, morphine . HCI, capsaicin and acetaminophen were 0.091-2.0, 0.3-4.3, 1.4-26.5 and 45.4-643 mg/kg, respectively in various pain or inflammatory models including acetic acid writhing, formalin, tail flick, Randall-Selitto, hot plate and crouton oil-induced ear edema test, 2) the AD2 values (the dose for doubling of pain threshold of vehicle control) of DA-5018, capsaicin and ketoprpgin were 1.07 $\pm$ 0. 18, 23.47$\pm$4.46 and 2.97$\pm$0.43 mg/kg in Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA)-induced arthritic pain model. And by topical application, 1) neither DA-5018 0.3% cream nor Zostrix-HP (capsaicin 0.075%) were effective in formalin test, 2) although DA-5018 0.3% cream significantly inhibited the croton oil-induced ear edema being better than Zostrix-HP and Kenofen (ketoprofen 3%). 3) In FCA model, DA-5018 0.3% cream reversed the decreased pain threshold of arthritic rat from 136.4 g (day 0) to 289.0 g (day 5) and 250.1 g (day 10), which was similar to Zostrix-HP. These results suggest that DA-5018 administered subcutaneously has a potent and broad analgesic spectrum than nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs against acute and chronic pain, and by topical application it exerts comparable analgesic and antiinglammaatory effects to capsaicin cream.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.398-405
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• 2015

Background: Ginseng has been used as a tonic for invigoration of the human body. In a previous report, we identified a novel candidate responsible for the tonic role of ginseng, designated gintonin. Gintonin induces $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ transient in animal cells via lysophosphatidic acid receptor activation. Gintonin-mediated $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ transient is linked to anti-Alzheimer's activity in transgenic Alzheimer's disease animal model. The previous method for gintonin preparation included multiple steps. The aim of this study is to develop a simple method of gintonin fraction with a high yield. Methods: We developed a brief method to obtain gintonin using ethanol and water. We extracted ginseng with fermentation ethanol and fractionated the extract with water to obtain water-soluble and water-insoluble fractions. The water-insoluble precipitate, rather than the water-soluble supernatant, induced a large $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ transient in primary astrocytes. We designated this fraction as gintonin-enriched fraction (GEF). Results: The yield of GEF was approximately 6-fold higher than that obtained in the previous gintonin preparation method. The apparent molecular weight of GEF, determined using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, was equivalent to that obtained in the previous gintonin preparation method. GEF induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ transient in cortical astrocytes. The effective dose (ED50) was $0.3{\pm}0.09{\mu}g/mL$. GEF used the same signal transduction pathway as gintonin during $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ transient induction in mouse cortical astrocytes. Conclusion: Because GEF can be prepared through water precipitation of ginseng ethanol extract and is easily reproducible with high yield, it could be commercially utilized for the development of gintoninderived functional health food and natural medicine.