• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.622-631
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• 2006

In this study we purified a fibrinolytic enzyme from Cordyceps militaris using a combination of ion-exchange chromatography on a DEAE Sephadex A-50 column, gel filtration chromatography on a Sephadex G-75 column, and FPLC on a HiLoad 16/60 Superdex 75 column. This purification protocol resulted in a 191.8-fold purification of the enzyme and a final yield of 12.9 %. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 52 kDa by SDS-PAGE, fibrin-zymography, and gel filtration chromatography. The first 19 amino acid residues of the N-terminal sequence were ALTTQSNV THGLATISLRQ, which is similar to the subtilisin-like serine protease PR1J from Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliase. This enzyme is a neutral protease with an optimal reaction pH and temperature of 7.4 and $37^{\circ}C$, respectively. Results for the fibrinolysis pattern showed that the enzyme rapidly hydrolyzed the fibrin $\alpha$-chain followed by the $\gamma$-$\gamma$ chains. It also hydrolyzed the $\beta$-chain, but more slowly. The A$\alpha$, B$\beta$, and $\gamma$ chains of fibrinogen were also cleaved very rapidly. We found that enzyme activity was inhibited by $Cu^{2+}$ and $Co^{2+}$, but enhanced by the additions of $Ca^{2+}$ and $Mg^{2+}$ ions. Furthermore, fibrinolytic enzyme activity was potently inhibited by PMSF and APMSF. This enzyme exhibited a high specificity for the chymotrypsin substrate S-2586 indicating it's a chymotrypsin-like serine protease. The data we present suggest that the fibrinolytic enzyme derived from the edible and medicinal mushroom Cordyceps militaris has fibrin binding activity, which allows for the local activation of the fibrin degradation pathway.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.1422-1427
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• 2011

This study was performed to develop effective antithrombotic agents from traditional herb extracts. Prunella vulgaris L. has been used traditionally as a medical resource in cancer therapy, as well as treatment of hypertension and inflammation, and as a diuretic. However, the effects of Prunella vulgaris on thrombosis and platelet activation have not been clearly understood. Antithrombotic and antiplatelet activities of oriental medicinal herbs were investigated by evaluating the effect of the aqueous extract from Prunella vulgaris on the blood coagulation, platelet aggregation and fibrinolysis. Prunella vulgaris extracts showed effective anticoagulant activity in coagulation times such as activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and prothrombin time (PT). Prunella vulgaris also inhibited adenosine diphosphate (ADP)- and collagen-induced platelet aggregation. In addition, evaluation of fibrinolytic activity showed that the Prunella vulgaris extracts have high solubility. From these results, it is suggested that Prunella vulgaris can be a potential candidate for anticoagulants and antiplatelets, as well as fibrinolytic agents.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.550-556
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• 2014

Recently, the peptide(or protein)-polymer hybrid materials (PPs) were sought in many research areas as potential building blocks for assembling nanostructures in selective solvents. In PPs, the facile routes of preparing well-defined peptide-polymer bio-conjugates and their specific activities in various applications are important issues. Our strategy to prepare the peptide-polymer hybrid materials was to combine atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method with solid phase peptide synthesis. The standard solid phase peptide synthesis method was employed to prepare the PYGK (proline-tyrosine-glycine-lysine) peptide. PYGK is an analogue peptide, PFGK (proline-phenylalanine-glycine-lysine), which interacted with plasminogen in fibrinolysis. The peptide and the peptide-initiator were characterized with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and $^1H$ NMR spectrometer. The peptide-polymer, pSt-PYGK was characterized by GPC, IR, $^1H$ NMR spectrometer and TLC. Spherical micellar aggregates were determined by TEM and SEM. Current synthesis methodology suggested opportunities to create the well-defined peptide-polymer hybrid materials with specific binding activity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1424-1431
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• 2009

Shrimp Jeot-Gal is a popular traditional Korean fermented seafood and has been used for seasoning. We isolated a bacterium showing strong extra-cellular fibrinolysis and chitinase activity from shrimp Jeot-Gal and the strain was designated SC082. SC082 was identified as Bacillus licheniformis by 16S rRNA sequence homology search. B. licheniformis SC082 exhibited optimum temperature, pH, and salt concentration at $37^{\circ}C$, pH 7.0, and 6%, respectively. Substrate specificity of the culture supernatant from B. licheniformis SC082 was detected in fibrin, skim milk, and chitin plate. The fibrinolytic activity was highly maintained up to $50^{\circ}C$ at a pH of 7.0 for 3 hr and was stable up to pH 9.0 at $37^{\circ}C$ for 3 hr. The chitinase activity was remarkably induced by addition of 1.0% colloidal chitin and the pH and temperature optima of the enzyme were 5.0 and $45^{\circ}C$, respectively. In sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and zymogram analysis, this strain produced three fibrinolytic isozymes and two chitinase isozymes. The approximate molecular weights of the putative fibrinolytic enzymes were 23.0, 62.0, and 72.0 kDa and those of the chitinases were 62.0 and 55.0 kDa, respectively. The antioxidant activity of SC082 was also measured by using 2,2-diphenyl-l-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical. The DPPH radical scavenging was slightly increased in a dose-dependent manner.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.691-698
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate how herb extracts may improve blood circulation. Twenty-six extracts from nine different herbs (marjoram, lavender, dill, rosemary, hyssop, rose, lemon balm, pineapple sage, and echinacea) were evaluated for their anti-hypertensive effects via angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition. Their cholesterol-lowering effects via hydroxy-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibition and their fibrinolytic activity via fibrin-plate method were also evaluated. Both water extraction of rose flowers and 70% EtOH extraction of pineapple sage leaves effectively reduced the ACE activity with inhibition rates of 133.8% and 91.2%, respectively. Similarly, both water and 70% EtOH extracts of rose flowers strongly inhibited the enzymatic activity of HMG-CoA reductase by 48.9% and 80.5%, respectively. Water and 70% EtOH extracts of rose flowers also showed relatively high fibrinolytic activity. Based on these observations, rose flower extracts can be developed as a functional tool for use in the improvement of blood circulation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1525-1531
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• 2013

Baegilju is a famous traditional Korean wine made over the course of 100 days. The physiological functionalities of Baegilju were evaluated using different tests. The spectrophotometric method was used to determine the total concentration of polyphenolics and flavonoids and DPPH and ABTS radicals. A nitrite scavenging assay was used to evaluate antioxidant activity. The fibrin plate method was used for fibrinolysis and to evaluate angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity; finally, the colorimetric determination method was used to evaluate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity. The total polyphenolic content of non-sterilized Baegilju and sterilized Baegilju were 391.59 ${\mu}g$ and 401.33 ${\mu}g$ tannic acid equivalents/ml, respectively; and the flavonoids contents were 284.75 ${\mu}g$ and 308.35 ${\mu}g$ quercetin equivalents/ml, respectively. Baegilju exhibited more excellent antioxidant activities (DPPH and ABTS radicals, nitrite scavenging activity) than did Cheongju. In addition, the fibrinolytic activity and AChE inhibitory activity were found to be higher in Baegilju than they were in Cheongju. The ACE inhibitory activity of non-sterilized Baegilju, sterilized Baegilju, and Cheongju were 23.62%, 19.99%, and 38.91%, respectively. Therefore, these results suggest that Baegilju has potential as an antioxidant agent and anti-thrombosis agent.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.84 no.2
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• pp.134-139
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• 2021

Background: Intrapleural urokinase is one of the most widely used fibrinolytic agents in the treatment of complicated parapneumonic effusion (CPPE). However, little research has been performed on the optimal urokinase dosage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment efficacy of half dose urokinase compared with conventional dose urokinase. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 92 patients with CPPE or empyema who underwent intrapleural urokinase treatment at two tertiary hospitals. Patients received antibiotics, chest tube drainage, and other treatments as part of routine care. The primary outcome was the treatment success rate in the half dose urokinase group (50,000 IU daily for maximal 6 days) and the conventional dose urokinase group (100,000 IU daily). Treatment success was defined as clinical and radiological improvements without surgical treatment or re-admission within one month. Results: Forty-four patients received half dose urokinase, whereas 48 patients were treated with conventional dose urokinase. Both groups were relatively well matched at baseline, excluding higher serum white blood cell count and higher empyema prevalence in the half dose urokinase group. The treatment success rate was not different between the two groups (p=0.048). There were no differences in the rate of in-hospital death and surgical treatment, hospitalization duration, and indwelling catheter duration. In the multivariate analysis, urokinase dose was not a predictor of treatment success. Conclusion: Half dose intrapleural urokinase is equally effective conventional dose urokinase in treating patients with CPPE or empyema.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.237-243
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• 2012

This study was undertaken to know the effect of fat diet (for eight weeks) on changes of inflammatory markers [tumor necrosis factor (TNF-${\alpha}$) and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$)] and blood coagulation system [platelet aggregation function (PAF), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)] in rats. Serum TNF-${\alpha}$, $PGE_2$, biochemical markers, PAF, PT, aPTT, and body weight were measured and compared between the control (normal diet-rats) and the fat group (fat diet-rats). The weights in the fat group were higher than those of the control group. TNF-${\alpha}$, $PGE_2$, glucose, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and creatinine levels were greater in the fat group compared with the control group. The degree of platelet aggregation was lower, whereas PT and aPTT levels were longer in the fat group than in the control group. These findings have shown that fat diet may cause inflammatory response, diabetes, liver and renal dysfunction, and disturbances of fibrinolysis and coagulation system.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.5-14
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• 2011

Objectives: Fibrinolytic enzyme preparations were isolated from the snake venom of Macrovipera lebetica turanica in this study. Methods: The purity of the preparations was determined using SDS-PAGE and the enzymic characteristics of the purified fibrinolytic enzyme were determined. Results: 1. All of the two preparations with fibrinolytic activity obtained from the snake venom of M. l. turanicat contained the major polypeptide with the molecular weight of 27,500. One of the preparation showed purified fibrinolytic enzyme. 2. The purified fibrinolytic enzyme hydrolyzed ${\alpha}$-chain of fibrinogen faster than ${\beta}$-chain but not ${\gamma}$-chain. 3. The fibrinolytic activity was inhibited completely by EDTA, EGTA, 1,10-phenanthroline, and dithiothreitol. 4. The fibrinolytic activity was inhibited completely by calcium chloride, iron(III) chloride, mercuric chloride, and cobalt (II) chloride. 5. The fibrinolysis zone formed after addition of zinc sulfate was smaller but clearer than the control. Conclusions: These results suggested that the fibrinolytic enzyme purifed from the snake venom of M. l turanica was a metalloprotease containing dithiol group.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.77-81
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• 1993

Free tissue transplantation is commonly performed with the brilliant achievement in microsurgery and anticoagulants and antithrombotic agents have been prescribed in the procedures. However, there is no clean-cut indication as to which agents would be more effective in every steps and final consequences. Low molecular weight heparins inhibiting coagulation in plateletrich plasma and acting on the vascular endothelium have antithrombotic and fibrinolysis action. The experiment with rat groin free flap transplantation after 6-hour ischemia and injection of the low molecular weight heparin was performed and the results between the injection and non-injection group were analysed as follows, 1. Both of the 24-hour groups, vessel patency was not proportional to color change of the groin flap. 2. On the second day after anastomois, heparin-injection group showed intact intima, patent lumen without thrombus, and mild granulomatous inflammation around the suture material and control group with doubtful patency revealed intimal loss and thrombus formation. 3. On the 5th, 7th, and 9th postoperative day, heparin group was patent in anastomosis and showed acute inflammatory cells. 4. The 7th-week period, heparin-injection group showed intact flap color, patent lumen with intact intima and persistent foreign body granuloma.