• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.37 no.6
• /
• pp.931-939
• /
• 2017

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a complex multifaceted disease that involves oxidative stress and inflammation as the key mediators. Despite decades of intensive research, there are no FDA-approved therapies, and/or no effective cure is yet available. Probiotics have received increasing attention in the past few years due to their well-documented gastrointestinal health-promoting effects. Interestingly, emerging studies have suggested that certain probiotics may offer benefits beyond the gut. Lactobacillus fermentum LA12 has been previously demonstrated to play a role in inflammatory-related disease. However, the possible protective effect of L. fermentum LA12 on ALD still remain to be explored. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the possible protective effect of L. fermentum LA12 on alcohol-induced gut barrier dysfunction and liver damage in a rat model of alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH). Daily oral administration of L. fermentum LA12 in rat model of ASH for four weeks was shown to significantly reduced intestinal nitric oxide production and hyperpermeability. Moreover, small intestinal histological- and qRT-PCR analysis further revealed that L. fermentum LA12 treatment was capable of up-regulating the mRNA expression levels of tight junction proteins, thereby stimulating the restitution of barrier structure and function. Serum and hepatic analyses also revealed that the restoration of epithelial barrier function may prevent the leakage of endotoxin into the blood, subsequently improve liver function and hepatic steatosis in the L. fermentum LA12-treated rats. Altogether, results in this study suggest that L. fermentum LA12 may be used as a dietary adjunct for the prevention and treatment of ASH.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.69-76
• /
• 2018

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common type of oral malignancy. Numerous therapies have been proposed for its cure. Research is continually being conducted to develop new forms of treatment as current therapies are associated with numerous side-effects. Luteolin, a common dietary flavonoid, has been demonstrated to possess strong anti-cancer activity against various human cancer cell lines. Nevertheless, research into luteolin-based anticancer activity against oral cancer remains scarce. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the effect of luteolin as an anti-cancer agent. After treatment with luteolin, Ca9-22 and CAL-27 oral cancer cells showed condensed nuclei and enhanced apoptotic rate with evidence of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. Epithelialmesenchymal transition (EMT) is closely related to tumor migration and invasion. Luteolin suppressed cancer cell invasion and migration in the current study. Elevated expression of E-cadherin, an adherens junction protein, was evident in both cell lines after luteolin treatment. Luteolin also significantly inhibited transcription factors (i.e., N-cadherin, Slug, Snail, Twist, and ZEB-1) that regulated expression of tumor suppressors such as E-cadherin based on Western blot analysis and quantitative PCR. Thus, luteolin could induce mitochondrial apoptosis and inhibit cancer cell invasion and migration by suppressing EMT-induced transcription factors.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.247-252
• /
• 2008

Purpose: Passive eruption is characterized by the apical shift of the dentogingival junction. As this occurs, the length of the clinical crown increases as the epithelial attachment migrates apically. Altered passive eruption occurs when the margin of gingiva is malpositioned incisally on the anatomic crown in adulthood and results in excessive gingiva. The purpose of this article is to evaluate esthetic results of crown lengthening procedure in altered passive eruption.s. Materials and Methods: Three patients who complained "My front teeth look too short" were included. Bone sounding with periodontal probe revealed that alveolar bone crest was close to CEJ. Based on the diagnostic information, a diagnosis of altered passive eruption was made. They were performed apically positioned flap procedure with osseous resection. Results: Six months later, all patients achieved favorable esthetic results and gingival margins were healthy and stable. Conclusion: When the diagnostic procedures reveal alveolar bone crest levels approximating the CEJ, apically positioned flap procedure with osseous resection is indicated.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.32 no.12
• /
• pp.1583-1588
• /
• 2022

In this study, we investigated the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains used as starters for kimchi fermentation, namely Lactococcus lactis WiKim0124, Companilactobacillus allii WiKim39, Leuconostoc mesenteroides WiKim0121Leuconostoc mesenteroides WiKim33, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides WiKim32, on the intestinal epithelial tight junctions (TJs). These LAB strains were not cytotoxic to Caco-2 cells at 500 ㎍/ml concentration. In addition, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) decreased Caco-2 viability, but the LAB strains protected the cells against H₂O₂-induced cytotoxicity. We also found that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) promoted Caco-2 proliferation; however, no specific changes were observed upon treatment with LAB strains and LPS. Our evaluation of the permeability in the Caco-2 monolayer model confirmed its increase by both LPS and H₂O₂. The LAB strains inhibited the increase in permeability by protecting TJs, which we evaluated by measuring TJ proteins such as zonula occludens-1 and occludin, and analyzing them by western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. Our findings show that LAB strains used for kimchi fermentation can suppress the increase in intestinal permeability due to LPS and H₂O₂ by protecting TJs. Therefore, these results suggest the possibility of enhancing the functionality of kimchi through its fermentation using functional LAB strains.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.236-249
• /
• 1993

Background: Among the injurious agents to which the lung airspaces are constantly exposed are reactive species of oxygen. It has been widely believed that reactive oxygen species may be implicated in the etiology of lung injuries. In order to elucidated how this oxidant causes lung cell injury, we investigated the effects of exogenous $H_2O_2$ on alveolar epithelial barrier characteristics. Methods: Rat type II alveolar epithelial cells were plated onto tissue culture-treated polycarbonate membrane filters. The resulting confluent monolayers on days 3 and 4 were mounted in a modified Ussing chamber and bathed on both sides with HEPES-buffered Ringer solution. The changes in short-circuit current (Isc) and monolayer resistance (R) in response to the exogenous hydroperoxide were measured. To determine the degree of cellular catalase participation in protection against $H_2O_2$ injury to the barrier, experiments were repeated in the presence of 20 mM aminotriazole (ATAZ, an inhibitor of catalase) in the same bathing fluid as the hydroperoxide. Results: These monolayers have a high transepithelial resistance (>2000 ohm-$cm^2$) and actively transport $Na^+$ from apical fluid. $H_2O_2$(0-100 mM) was then delivered to either apical or basolateral fluid. Resulting indicated that $H_2O_2$ decreased Isc and R gradually in dose-dependent manner. The effective concentration of apical $H_2O_2$ at which Isc (or R) was decreased by 50% at one hour ($ED_{50}$) was about 4 mM. However, basolateral $H_2O_2$ exposure led to $ED_{50}$ for Isc (and R) of about 0.04 mM. Inhibition of cellular catalase yielded $ED_{50}$ for Isc (and R) of about 0.4 mM when $H_2O_2$ was given apically, while $ED_{50}$ for basolateral exposure to $H_2O_2$ did not change in the presence of ATAZ. The rate of $H_2O_2$ consumption in apical and basolateral bathing fluids was the same, while cellualr catalase activity rose gradually with time in culture. Conclusion: Our data suggest that basolateral $H_2O_2$ may affect directly membrane component (e.g., $Na^+,\;K^+$-ATPase) located on the basolateral cell surface. Apical $H_2O_2$, on the other hand, may be largely degraded by catalase as it passes through the cells before reaching these membrane components. We conclude that alveolar epithelial barrier integrity as measured by Isc and R are compromised by $H_2O_2$ being relatively sensitive to basolateral (and insensitive to apical) $H_2O_2$.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.116-131
• /
• 2017

Purpose: The entry of bacteria or harmful substances through the epithelial seal of human gingival keratinocytes (HGKs) in the junctional epithelium (JE) is blocked by specialized intercellular junctions such as E-cadherin junctions (ECJs). However, the influence of roughened substrates, which may occur due to apical migration of the JE, root planing, or peri-implantitis, on the development of the ECJs of HGKs remains largely unknown. Methods: HGKs were cultured on substrates with varying levels of roughness, which were prepared by rubbing hydrophobic polystyrene dishes with silicon carbide papers. The activity of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) was inhibited with SP600125 or by transfection with JNK short hairpin RNA. The development of intercellular junctions was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy or confocal laser scanning microscopy after immunohistochemical staining of the cells for E-cadherin. The expression level of phospho-JNK was assessed by immunoblotting. Results: HGKs developed tight intercellular junctions devoid of wide intercellular gaps on smooth substrates and on rough substrates with low-nanometer dimensions (average roughness $[Ra]=121.3{\pm}13.4nm$), although the ECJs of HGKs on rough substrates with low-nanometer dimensions developed later than those of HGKs on smooth substrates. In contrast, HGKs developed short intercellular junctions with wide intercellular gaps on rough substrates with mid- or high-nanometer dimensions ($Ra=505.3{\pm}115.3nm$, $867.0{\pm}168.6nm$). Notably, the stability of the ECJs was low on the rough substrates, as demonstrated by the rapid destruction of the cell junction following calcium depletion. Inhibition of JNK activity promoted ECJ development in HGKs. JNK was closely associated with cortical actin in the regulation of ECJs in HGKs. Conclusions: These results indicate that on rough substrates with nanometer dimensions, the ECJs of HGKs develop slowly or defectively, and that this effect can be reversed by inhibiting JNK.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.141-150
• /
• 1994

Morphological features of the interaction between the hatching blastocyst and implantation in pig were studied by electron microscopy. The observations extended from late blastocyst stage to the completion of trophoblastic erosion of the epithelium and early decidual transformation of the epithelium and early decidual transformation of the stromal cells. Between day 7 and 17 of pregnancy, blastocysts from 0.3 to 12 mm in diameter were flushed from the uterine horns of Dutch Landrace pigs. On the 7th of development in the pig blastocyst, the blastocyst shedded of the zona pellucida established the tips of microvilli and with bleb-like cytoplasmic protrusions of the epithelial cells. From day 11 on in pig embryo, the bilayered trophoblast undergoes a dramatic phase of elongation so that the initially spherical expanded blastocyst becomes tubular. In pig, close apposition to the uterine wall beg-ins at about 12 $^1$/$_2$ days and then attachment occurred during the afternoon of the 16th or 18th day post coitum. At this stage, embryonic loss compared with corpus luteum number is up to 40% of ovulated oocytes. Therefore, the implantation failture of these embryos may be mainly caused by morphological abnormality and failture of zona shedding.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.65-76
• /
• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the inhibitory effects of Hwangheuk-san (HHS), a Korean multi-herb formula comprising four medicinal herbs, on cell migration and invasion, two critical cellular processes that are often deregulated during metastasis, using the human bladder cancer 5637 cell line.Methods: Cell viability, motility, and invasion were assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2 thiazolyl)-2,5-diphnyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), wound healing migration, and Transwell assays, respectively. Gene expression was detected by Western blot analysis. In addition, the activities of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and the values for transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) were analyzed using a Gelatinase Activity Assay Kit and an Epithelial Tissue Voltohmmeter, respectively.Results: Our data indicated that within the concentration range that was not cytotoxic, HHS effectively inhibited the cell motility and invasiveness of 5637 cells. HHS markedly decreased the expression and activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9, which was associated with unregulation of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2. Further investigation revealed that phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and AKT was decreased in HHS-treated 5637 cells, and a PI3K/AKT inhibitor synergistically reduced the inhibition of migration and invasion and also inactivated MMP-2 and MMP-9. Moreover, HHS increased the tightening of tight junctions (TJs), which was demonstrated by an increase in the TER, and reduced the expression the levels of claudin family members (claudin-3 and -4), which are major components involved in the tightening of TJs.Conclusions: The present findings demonstrated that HHS attenuated the migration and invasion of bladder cancer 5637 cells by modulating the activity of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and also through TJ tightening.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.452-457
• /
• 2002

Galla Rhois is a gallnut of Rhus javanica Linne used for treatment of diarrhea, hemorrhage, cough, leukorrhea and toxic tumor etc in oriental medicine. For the evaluation of antitumor effect of Galla Rhois, activity based fractionation was done. We isolated an effective compound and identified 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose(PGG) by photometric analysis such as NMR and MASS. Then, we studied the angiogenic activity of PGG. It showed a cytotoxicity against SK-OV-3, SK-OV-3, HT1080 with IC/sub 50/ of 50 ug/ml approximately. It also effectively inhibited proliferation of HUVEC cells treated by bFGF to 30% of control at 20 ug/ml and cell migration to 80% at 10 ug in a dose dependent fashion. Tube formation of HUVEC cells on matrigel was effectively suppressed from 2.5 ug/ml of concentration by PGG. Moreover, it effectively recovered the dysfunction of gap junctional intercellular communication in WB-F344 rat liver epithelial cells caused by hydrogen peroxide at 4 ug/ml suggesting it potently can inhibit tumor promotion. Taken together, it indicates 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl- β -D-glucose has antiangiogenic activity.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.27-37
• /
• 2006

Although the main purpose of periodontal treatment to regenerate is the complete regeneration of periodontal tissue due to periodontal disease, most of the treatment cannot meet such purpose because healing by long epithelial junction. Therefore, diverse materials of resorbable and non-resorbable have been used to regenerate the periodontal tissue. Due to high risk of exposure and necessity of secondary surgical procedure when using non-resorbable membrane, guided tissue regeneration using the resorbable membrane has gain popularity, recently. However, present resorbable membrane has the disadvantage of not having sufficient time to regenerate date to the difference of resorption rate according to surgical site. Meanwhile, other than the structure stability and facile manipulation, acellular dermal matrix has been reported to be a possible scaffold for cellular proliferation due to rapid revascularization and favorable physical properties for cellular attachment and proliferation. The purpose of this study is to estimate the influence of acellular dermal matrix on periodontal ligament, cementum and alveolar bone when acellular dermal matrix is implanted to 1-wall alveolar bone defect. 4 dogs of 12 to 16 month old irrelevant to sex , which below 15Kg of body weight, has been used in this study. ADM has been used for the material of guided tissue regeneration. The 3rd premolar of the lower jaw was extracted bilaterally and awaited for self-healing. subsequently buccal and lingual flap was elevated to form one wall intrabony defect with the depth and width of 4mm on the distal surface of 2nd premolar and the mesial surface of 4th premolar. After the removal of periodontal ligament by root planing. notch was formed on the basal position. Following the root surface treatment, while the control group had the flap sutured without any treatment on surgically induced intrabony defect. Following the root surface treatment, the flap of intrabony defect was sutured with the ADM inserted while the control group sutured without any insertion. The histologic specimen was observed after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment. The control group was partially regenerated by periodontal ligament, new cementum and new alveolar bone. the level of regeneration is not reached on the previous formed notch. but, experimental group was fully regenerated by functionally oriented periodontal ligament fiber. new cementum and new alveolar bone. In conclusion, we think that ADM seems to be used by scaffold for periodontal ligament cells and the matrix is expected to use on guided tissue regeneration.