• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.228-235
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• 2010

This study was performed to investigate the memory enhancing effect of Poria cocos Wolf (Hoelen cum radix) against scopolamine-induced amnesia in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. To induce amnesia, scopolamine (0.75 mg/kg) was intraperitonically injected into SD rats 30 min before starting behavior tests. We have conducted Morris water-maze and Y-maze tests to monitor learning and memory functions. Poria cocos effectively reversed scopolamine-induced memory impairment in SD rats which was represented by an improvement of mean escape latency in water-maze test and spontaneous alterations in Y-maze test. To elucidate possible molecule mechanism, we have measured mRNA as well as protein expression of acetylcholine esterase (AchE), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAchR), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) using RT-PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. Poria cocos increased mRNA levels of ChAT and mAchR in rat hippocampus compared with those in the scopolamine-injected amnesic group. In addition, protein expression of ChAT and BDNF was also elevated by Poria cocos intake. Furthermore, as an upstrem regulator, the activation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) was assessed by immunohistochemistry. In this immunohistochemical analysis, the phosphorylation of CREB (p-CREB) was reduced by scopolamine injection, which was restored back to control levels by administration of Poria cocos. These results suggest that Poria cocos may improve memory and cognitive deficit in amnesia and have therapeutic potentials through up-regulation of ChAT, mAchR, and BDNF, which seemed to be mediated by activation of CREB.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.7
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• pp.801-808
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• 2017

The present study investigated the protective effects of Bifidobacterium bifidum culture supernatants (BbSC) and intracellular cell-free extracts (BbICFE) on human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) against ultraviolet-B (UV-B) irradiation. HDFs were treated with UV-B, UV-B+BbCS, and UV-B+BbICFE. Treatment of UV-B-irradiated HDFs with BbCS and BbICFE significantly increased cell viability compared to UV-B-irradiated HDFs. BbCS treatment reduced senescence in HDFs by approximately 40.0%. Moreover, sub-G1 phase was significantly reduced in BbCS- and BbICFE-treated HDFs (3.3% and 4.5%, respectively). The effect of UV-B on oxidative damage of HDFs was measured by dichlorofluorescin diacetate. Fluorescence intensity significantly increased in UV-B-irradiated HDFs. Inhibition of cellular reactive oxygen species in HDFs treated with 0.01% BbCS was the highest at 34.1%. Levels of p21 and p53 protein expression induced by UV-B irradiation were reduced by treatment with BbCS and BbICFE (47.0% and 35.6%, respectively). These results show that BbCS and BbICFE reduce UV-B-induced cellular senescence and apoptosis in HDFs. Thus, BbCS and BbICFE can be used as potential agents for protection of UV-B-induced skin cell damage.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.52-59
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• 2011

L-PLA or D-PLA was synthesized in bulk at $140^{\circ}C$ by ring opening polymerization(ROP) of L-lactide or D-lactide as a monomer using tin(II) octoate and lauryl alcohol as a catalyst and an initiator with changing the amounts of catalyst(0.25~1.0 wt%) and initiator(0.l~0.5 wt%). And stereocomplex-PLA was prepared by L-PLA/D-PLA having a wide range of molecular weight(30000~90000 g/mol) and L-PLA/D-PLA blends having different mixing ratio ($X_D$). The melting temperature. thermal degradation temperature and thermal stability of stereocomplex-PLA were higher than those of homopolymers(L-PLA, D-PLA). We supposed that these improvements arose from a strong interaction between L-PLA and D-PLA. The improved mechanical properties and changes in morphology of LPLA/D-PLA blends were compared to those of homopolymers(L-PLA, D-PLA).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.103-108
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• 2008

An agar-degrading marine bacterium, strain AS-1 was isolated from the seawater. The strain AS-1 was identified as Sphingomonas paucimobilis (90% probability) by VITEK. The optimum medium for agarase activity of the isolated strain was determined to be marine medium, marine broth 2216 containing 0.1% agar as carbon source. An extracellular agarase was purified 104-fold from the culture supernatant by ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration methods. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 80 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The optimum pH and temperature for activity were 7.0 and $40^{\circ}C$, respectively. Antioxidative activity of the strain AS- was 72% in the supernatant cultured for 12 h. The culture supernatant of the strain AS-1 showed antibacterial activity against bacteria causing putrefaction and food poisoning such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus vulgaris. However, the cell growth of the lactic aicd forming strain, Lactobacillus plantarium was promoted by the treatment of 10% culture supernatant of an agar-degrading strain.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.378-384
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• 2012

In aquatic invertebrates, particularly marine gastropods, organotin compounds induce irreversible sexual abnormality in females, which is termed imposex, at very low concentrations. Organotin compounds are agonists for nuclear receptors such as RXRs and $PPAR{\gamma}$. However, the imposex phenomenon has not been reported to act as an antagonist on estrogen receptors in other species, including vertebrates and invertebrates. In order to gain insights into the antagonistic activity of organotin compounds on estrogen receptors (ERs), we examined the inhibitive effect of these compounds on estradiol-dependent ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity using the yeast two-hybrid detection system consisting of a combination of the human estrogen receptor ($hER{\beta}$) ligand-binding domain and the co-activator steroid receptor co-activator-1 (SRC1). Tributyltin-hydroxide (TBT-OH) and triphenyltin-chlorine (TPT-Cl) exhibited an inhibitive effect on $E_2$-dependent transcriptional activity, similar to antagonistic chemicals such as 4-hydroxytamoxifen (OHT) or ICI 182,780, at a very low concentration of $10^{-14}$ M TBT or $10^{-10}$ M TPT, respectively. The yeast growth and transcriptional activity with transcriptional factor GAL4 did not exhibit any effect at the tested concentration of TBT or TPT. Moreover, the yeast two-hybrid system using the interaction between p53 and the T antigen of SV40 large did not describe any effect at the tested concentration of OHT or ICI 182,780. However, the interaction between p53 and T antigen was inhibited at a TBT or TPT concentration of $10^{-9}$ M, respectively. These results indicate that TBT and TPT act as inhibitors of ER-dependent reporter gene transcriptional activation and of the interaction between $hER{\beta}$ LBD and the co-activator SRC1 in the yeast two-hybrid system. Consequently, our data could partly explain the occurrence of organotin compound-induced imposex on the endocrine system of mammals, including humans.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.306-311
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• 2005

Despite advances in surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, the survival of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma has not significantly improved over the past several decades. Gene therapy is currently under investigation and shows us new possibility of cancer curing method. This experiment was undergone to find out the cell growth inhibition effect and evidence of apoptosis by HCCS-1(human cervical cancer suppressor-1), one of the candidates of tumor suppressor gene, transducted to human oral cancer cell line. To determine the efficiency of the adenovirus as a gene delivery vector cell line was transducted with LacZ gene and analysed with X-gal staining. Northern blot was performed to confirm the transfection with HSCC-1 gene and cell viability was assessed by cell cytotoxicity assay using cell count kit(CCK). To show the evidence of apoptosis, DNA fragmentation assay and flow cytometry(FACS) were performed. We had successfully construct the recombinant HSCC-1 adenovirus(Ad5CMV-HCCS-1), and importation efficiency was 20% at 2 MOI(multiplicity of infection), 80% at 20 MOI. Northern blot analysis showed that a single 0.6kb mRNA transcript was expressed in Ad5CMV-HCCS-1 transducted cell lines. As a result of CCK, when comparing to control subjects, transducted group showed 50% growth inhibition. In DNA fragmentation assay, according to increasing of MOI, DNA volume was diminished. In FACS analysis, DNA distribution showed fragmentation. This results imply that HCCS-1gene has growth inhibition effect in human oral cancer cell lines through apoptosis induction.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.4 s.71
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• pp.513-521
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• 2005

A bacterium producing five fibrinolytic isozymes was isolated from black bean chung kuk. The bacterium was identified as Bacillus subtilis BB-1 by 16s rDNA sequence homology search. A gene out of five fibrinolytic genes in the Bacillus subtilis BB-1 was cloned by shot-gun method. A Cla I DNA fragment of B. subtilis BB-1 chromosome was cloned in to pBluescript II SK(-) and showed the fibrinolytic activity to bacterial cells. The Cla I DNA fragment was sequenced and the sequences did not show homology with gene for protease or fibrinolytic enzyme genes in other organisms. The Cla I DNA fragment was reduced to 2,142 bp by activity-guided PCR cloning method. The optimum pH and temperature of the enzyme were 5.0 and $35^{\circ}C$, respectively. Substrate specificity of the fibrinolytic enzyme was detected in skim milk, casein, gelatin and blood agar plates. The activity of the enzyme was not detected with these substrates. Taken together, this enzyme is a new fibrinolytic enzyme and may be used to prevent thrombosis and arteriosclerosis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.6 s.86
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• pp.822-824
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• 2007

The efficient system for plant regeneration from cotyledon and primary feat explants of lettuce was established. Plant regeneration efficiency was shown 91.3% from cotyledon and 85.9% from primary leaf explants of variety 'Jungtongpogi' in KN medium. Plant regeneration efficiency was also estimated with various plant regeneration media in variety' Chungchima', which was lowest plant regeneration efficient showing 35.4% from cotyledon and 30.3% from prima leaf explants in KN medium. Kl medium increased 77.9% and 80.7% of plant regeneration efficiencies from cotyledon and primary leaf explants of variety 'Jungtongpogi' were cultured on KN medium. In case of varie쇼 ‘Chungchima', efficient plant regeneration was shown when primary leaf explants were cultured on SH and KI media.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 2021

In today's society, functional whitening cosmetics are important to beauty. Fungi are known to produce a variety of whitening-related metabolites. In this study, we searched for tyrosinase inhibitors with metabolic products derived from Trichoderma atroviride supernatant in order to apply a material for whitening functional cosmetics. In addition, the inhibitory effect was compared to arbutin, which has already been approved as a whitening raw material by the Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (KMFDS). The metabolites from the T. atroviride supernatant showed higher tyrosinase inhibitory activity than that of arbutin. Some of the tyrosinase inhibitors were stable to heat, whereas some were unstable. The heat unstable material was exhibited in the case of samples treated with little amounts, such as 0.02~0.2%. They were very unstable in acidic and alkali pHs, especially under acidic conditions. However, it was found that a weakly-acidic to neutral pH range was the optimal working pH, especially neutral pH. Since the activity of the inhibitory substances in the T. atroviride supernatant was maintained regardless of proteinase K treatment, it was assumed that the metabolites, but not the bioactive peptides, were involved in the activity. In summary, we propose that the metabolites derived from T. atroviride supernatant have strong potential as whitening raw material.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1586-1591
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• 2011

This study was carried out to evaluate the antiobesity effects of Crataegus fructus in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and mice fed a high fat diet (high fat 45% cal). The inhibitory effect of methanol extract from Crataegus fructus on lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes was quantified using Oil red O staining. Compared with the control, lipid accumulation was significantly decreased by 10-25% with treatment with Crataegus fructus extract at a concentration of 600-2,000 ug/ml. Three-week old ICR mice (n=24) were randomly divided into four groups (T0: normal diet, T1: high fat diet, T2: high fat diet and 50 ug of Crataegus fructus extract, T3: high fat diet and 100 ug of Crataegus fructus extract) and were fed an experimental diet for 5 weeks. At the end of the experiment, body weight gain in the T1 group (3.9${\pm}$0.24 g) was higher than that in the T0 group (2.56${\pm}$0.14 g), while body weight gain in the T2 (3.02${\pm}$0.25 g) and T3 (2.58${\pm}$0.16 g) groups was significantly reduced as compared with that of the T1 group. Moreover, liver weight in the T1 (4.8${\pm}$0.17 g) and T2 (4.8${\pm}$0.16 g) groups was significantly higher than that of the T0 (4.05${\pm}$0.16 g) and T3 (4.57${\pm}$0.10 g) groups, while kidney weight was significantly lower than that of the T0 and T3 groups (p<0.05). The levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride in serum in the T2 and T3 groups were significantly decreased compared to the T1 group. These results suggest that Crataegus fructus can be used as functional materials in food and medicine.