• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.421-426
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• 2010

Benzene is one of volatile environmental pollutants to induce asthma and allergy in respiratory system. The airway epithelium is a physical barrier to inhaled toxicants and particulates. However, the effect of benzene in lung epithelial cell viability has not been elucidated. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of benzene on apoptosis in A549 cells, lung epithelial cell line. In this study, benzene decreased cell viability of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner (> $10{\mu}M$). Benzene-induced decrease of cell viability was blocked by the treatment of antioxidants (vitamin C and NAC). Indeed, benzene induced lipid peroxide formation in A549 cells. Benzene decreased Bcl-2 expression but increased Bax expression in A549 cells. In addition, benzene also increased the cleaved form of caspase-3. In conclusion, benzene induced apoptosis via oxidative stress in cultured epithelial cells.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1991

The present investigation was focussed on histochemical and electron microscopical observations of utero-vaginal(U-V) glands in U-V junctions of domestic hens. In histochemical observations, fine granules by PAS technique for mucopolysaccharides and nile blue stain for acidic lipids were slightly stained on the cytoplasm of U-V glandular epithelium. Larger granules by Sudan black B stain for neutral fat and phospholipids and Sudan III stain for neutral fat were heavily stained on the perinuclear region of the U-V gland epithelial cells. These positive materials were heavily stained on the U-V glandular epithelium of lowfecundity hens and non-laying hens. In scanning electron microscopic findings of the U-V junction surface, the orifices of U-V glands are seen as the crater-like invagination. The neck of the U-V gland and the epithelium of U-V iunction were covered by ciliated epithelial cells. Aggregates of spermatozoa are observed often to be on the necks of the U-V gland. These spermatozoa heads are embedded in the glandular tubules and many spermatozoa tails are free on the epithelium of uterine surface. In transmission electron microscopic findings, the epithelial cells of the U-V glandular orifices were ciliated, columnar cells. The apical regions of these cells contained numerous electrondense, round secretory granules of uniformly size. The epithelial cells of the U-V glandular tubule were columnar or pyramid shape with round or oval nuclei. These epithelial cells have numerous microvilli and also contained electron-dense, round secretary granules of uniformly size and electron-lucent vesicles of various size. Spermatozoa are seen as the cross-sections of various regions of heads and tails in glandular tubules. Also spermatozoa arranged longitudinally parallel within the glandular tubules.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.343-351
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• 2019

Background: Preterm labor and miscarriage may occur in stressful situations, such as a surgical operation or infection during pregnancy. Pharyngeal and buccal abscess and facial bone fractures are inevitable dental surgeries in pregnant patients. Remifentanil is an opioid analgesic that is commonly used for general anesthesia and sedation. Nonetheless, no study has investigated the effects of remifentanil on amniotic epithelial cells. This study evaluated the effects of remifentanil on the factors related to uterine contraction and its mechanism of action on amniotic epithelial cells. Methods: Amniotic epithelial cells were preconditioned at various concentrations of remifentanil for 1 h, followed by 24-h lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure. MTT assays were performed to assess the cell viability in each group. The effects of remifentanil on factors related to uterine contractions in amniotic epithelial cells were assessed using a nitric oxide (NO) assay, western blot examinations of the expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE₂), and RT-PCR examinations of the expression of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Results: Remifentanil did not affect viability and nitric oxide production of amniotic epithelial cells. Western blot analysis revealed that remifentanil preconditioning resulted in decreased expressions of NF-κB and PGE2 in the cells in LPS-induced inflammation, and a tendency of decreased COX2 expression. The results were statistically significant only at high concentration. RT-PCR revealed reduced expressions of IL-1β and TNF-α. Conclusions: Preconditioning with remifentanil does not affect the viability of amniotic epithelial cells but reduces the expression of factors related to uterine contractions in situations where cell inflammation is induced by LPS, which is an important inducer of preterm labor. These findings provide evidence that remifentanil may inhibit preterm labor in clinical settings.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.531-536
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• 2016

We previously showed that NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) knockout (KO) mice exhibited spontaneous inflammation with markedly increased mucosal permeability in the gut, and that NQO1 is functionally associated with regulating tight junctions in the mucosal epithelial cells that govern the mucosal barrier. Here, we confirm the role of NQO1 in the formation of tight junctions by human colonic epithelial cells (HT29). We treated HT29 cells with a chemical inhibitor of NQO1 (dicumarol; 10 μM), and examined the effect on the transepithelial resistance of epithelial cells and the protein expression levels of ZO1 and occludin (two known regulators of tight junctions between gut epithelial cells). The dicumarol-induced inhibition of NQO1 markedly reduced transepithelial resistance (a measure of tight junctions) and decreased the levels of the tested tight junction proteins. In vivo, luminal injection of dicumarol significantly increased mucosal permeability and decreased ZO1 and occludin protein expression levels in mouse guts. However, in contrast to the previous report that the epithelial cells of NQO1 KO mice showed marked down-regulations of the transcripts encoding ZO1 and occludin, these transcript levels were not affected in dicumarol-treated HT29 cells. This result suggests that the NQO1-depedent regulation of tight junction molecules may involve multiple processes, including both transcriptional regulation and protein degradation processes such as those governed by the ubiquitination/proteasomal, and/or lysosomal systems.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.795-803
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• 2013

Various endometrial genes in ruminant ungulates are regulated by conceptus interferon tau (IFNT). However, the effect of each IFNT isoform has not been carefully evaluated. In this study, the effects of 2 IFNT isoforms, paralogs found in utero, and interferon alpha (IFNA) on uterine epithelial and Mardin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells were evaluated. Expression vectors of the bovine interferon (bIFNT) genes bIFNT1, bIFNTc1, and bIFNA were constructed, and recombinant bIFNs (rbIFNs) were produced by 293 cells. Bovine uterine epithelial or MDBK cells were cultured in the presence or absence of increasing concentrations of each rbIFN for 24, 48, or 72 h. Transcript levels of the IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) ISG12, ISG15, MX1, and MX2 were analyzed using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. These messenger RNAs were up-regulated by rbIFN in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. In the epithelial cells, the ISG12 transcript level increased at 48 h after rbIFN treatment but slightly decreased at 72 h, whereas the transcript level of ISG15 increased at 24 h and was maintained through 72 h. Expressions of MX1 and MX2 increased at 72 h after rbIFN treatment. MX1 expression increased in all treatment groups, but MX2 increased only by bIFNTc1. In MDBK cells, the expression of ISG12 was increased by bIFNT1 and bIFNTc1 after 24 and 72 h; however, it was unchanged by rbIFNA. ISG15 increased following the same pattern as that seen in uterine epithelial cells, and MX1 showed a similar expression pattern. MX2 expression was increased by bIFNTc1 treatment in uterine epithelial cells, and its expression was increased by both bIFNT1 and bIFNTc1 in MDBK cells. These results show that epithelial and MDBK cell responses to IFNs differ, suggesting that IFNs possess common functions, but may have acquired different functions following gene duplication.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.292-300
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• 1987

The ultrastructure of the tentacular pigment cells and the origin of the pigment granules in the Chinese mystery snail, Cipangopaludina chinensis malleata Reeve, are studied with electron microscope. Tentacular pigment cells of the Enail are the melanophores which contain electron dense melanosomes(melanin pigment granules) . Melanophores are distributed among the connective tissues but otter kind of dermal chromatephores are not observed. The epidermal melanin units are observed in the epithelial tissues of the tentacles. Among the several kinds of epithelial cells, only the epithelial supporting cells contain these pigment granules. Synthesis of the pigment materials is from the rough ER and pigment granules are finally being packaged and released by the Golgi complexes but limiting membrane of these granules are presumed to be originated from the smooth ER.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.334-340
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• 2010

We investigated whether poly-L-histidine (PLH) significantly affect mucin release from cultured airway epithelial cells. Confluent primary hamster tracheal surface epithelial (HTSE) cells were metabolically radiolabeled with $^$^3H$$glucosamine for 24 hr and chased for 30 min in the presence of PLH to assess the effect on $^3H$-mucin release. PLH 9,850 and PLH 6,700 specifically inhibit mucin release from airway goblet cells without significant cytotoxicity. This finding suggests that poly-L-histidine might function as an airway mucoregulative agent.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 1991

A case of malignant epithelial mesothelioma of the peritoneum diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology is described. The smear showed many Individually scattered or clustered large round malignant epithelial cells intermingled with relatively small nonneoplastic mesothelial and mesenchymal cells. Papillary configurations with thick fibrous core were also seen. The malignant cells were virtually reminiscent of reactive mesothelial cells but they were larger in size and had more prominent nucleoli and more frequent binucleated or multinucleated cell formations than reactive mesothelial cells. The characteristic features of malignant cell of mesothelioma compared with the metastatic adenocarcinoma were relatively uniform cellular size, prominent round nucleoli, large round vesicular nuclei with finely granular chromatin pattern, smooth nuclear membrane, abundant glassy cytoplasm rather than bubbly mucin-containing cytoplasm and fuzzy cell border.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.11.1-11.5
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• 2023

Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, and advanced breast cancer with metastases is incurable mainly with currently available therapies. Therefore, it is essential to understand molecular characteristics during the progression of breast carcinogenesis. Here, we report a dataset of whole genomes from the human mammary epithelial cell system derived from a reduction mammoplasty specimen. This system comprises pre-stasis 184D cells, considered normal, and seven cell lines along cancer progression series that are immortalized or additionally acquired anchorage-independent growth. Our analysis of the whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data indicates that those seven cancer progression series cells have somatic mutations whose number ranges from 8,393 to 39,564 (with an average of 30,591) compared to 184D cells. These WGS data and our mutation analysis will provide helpful information to identify driver mutations and elucidate molecular mechanisms for breast carcinogenesis.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.91-95
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• 1993

The studies on the carried out to investigate the effects of co-culture with uterine fluids and uterine epithelial cells on the in-vitro fertilization and developmental rate of porcine follicular oocytes. The ovaries were obtained from slaughtered swine. The follicular oocytes surrounded with cumulus cells were recovered by aspirating follicular fluids from the visible follicles of diameter 3~5 mm. The follicular oocytes were cultured in TCM-199 medium containing hormones and 10% ECS for 46~48 hrs in a incubator with 5% $CO_2$ in air at 38.5$^{\circ}C$ and then matured oocytes were again cultured for 12~18 hrs with motile capacitated sperm by preincubation of heparin. The results obtained in these experiments were summarized as follows ; 1.The in-vitro maturation and fertilization rate of porcine oocytes co-cultured with uterine fluids in TCM-199 medium were 68.0% arid 55.7%, the rates were higher than of control, 56.5% arid 38.7%. 2. When the in-vitro fertilized oocytes were co-cultured with porcine uterine epithelial cells, the fertilization rate was 60.3%, the rates were higher than that of control, 35.7%. 3. When the in-vitro fertilized oocytes were co-cultured with porcine uterine epithelial cells, the development rate to be blastocyst was 12.4%, the rates were higher than that of control, 9.2%(p<0.05).