• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 2006

Background : Several studies have suggested that alterations of cytokine level could be related to the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder. In this study, we measured plasma level of Interleukin-12(IL-12), a pro-inflammatory cytokine and transforming growth factor-${\beta}$1(TGF-${\beta}$1), an anti-inflammatory cytokine before and after treatment in acute manic patients. Methods : The plasma concentrations of IL-12 and TGF-${\beta}$1 were measured using quantitative ELISA in 18 bipolar disorder patients and 25 normal controls at admission and 6 weeks later. The psychopathology was measured by Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale(BPRS) and Young Mania Rating Scale(YMRS). Results : IL-12 levels were significantly higher in bipolar manic patients than in controls before treatment. Following the 6-week treatment, the IL-12 level was decreased than before treatment, but sustained still higher level than normal control. TGF-${\beta}$1 level was not significant different between manic patients and normal controls before treatment, but was increased after treatment comparing with before treatment in bipolar patients. The ratio of IL-12 and TGF-${\beta}$1 was significantly decreased after treatment. Conclusion : Cytokine abnormalities in bipolar disorder might be involved in the pathophysiology of the illness. It is possible that TGF-${\beta}$1 plays an important role in the regulation of immunological imbalance in bipolar disorder.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.156-163
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• 2014

Interleukin (IL) 17 is produced by T-helper (Th) 17 with a vigorous effect on cells of the immune system playing important roles in pathogenesis of immune-mediated diseases, including autoimmune disorders and cancers. Therefore, the aim of current study was to determine the serum levels of IL-6, IL-17, and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-${\beta}$) in Iranian bladder cancer patients, and to correlate them with disease status. Blood samples were collected from 40 bladder cancer patients and 38 healthy individuals with no history of malignancies or autoimmune disorders. The serum levels of IL-6, IL-17, and TGF-${\beta}$ were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that the levels of IL-17 (p<0.0001) and TGF-${\beta}$ (p<0.0001) were significantly lower in the patients compared to the controls. No significant differences in the level of serum IL-6 (p=0.16) was observed between the patients and controls. In addition, demographic characteristics between control and patients groups were not significantly different. As most of the cases studied in this investigation were in stage I and II, it is concluded that reduced Th17-related cytokines can be used as indicators for following the course and clinical stages of bladder carcinoma progress and immune response to cancer.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 1999

The stimulatory effect of recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on wound healing was evaluated in healing-impaired animal models. Full-thickness wounds were made in prednisolone-treated mice, streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats and mitomycin C (MMC)-treated rats. Saline or bFGF at a dose of 1, 5, or $25\mu\textrm{g}$ per wound was applied to the open wound once a day for three to five days. The degree of wound healing was assessed using wound size and histological parameters such as degree of epidermal and dermal regeneration. Local application of bFGF accelerated wound closure significantly in a dose-dependent manner in all healing-impaired wounds (p<0.05). The wound healing effect of bFGF was further confirmed by histological examination in MMC-treated rats. Epidermal and dermal regeneration were enhanced in bFGF-treated wounds with a dose-related response. Dermal regeneration parameters such as collagen matrix formation and angiogenesis were significantly increased in $5\mu\textrm{g}$, or $\25mu\textrm{g}$ of bFGF-treated wounds when compared to saline-treated wounds (p<0.05). pectin immunostaining on day 8 for vascular endothelium showed an increased number of neovessels in bFGF-treated wounds. These results suggest that topical application of bFGF has beneficial effects on wound healing by angiogenesis and granulation tissue formation in healing-impaired wounds.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.98-103
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• 2020

Marfan syndrome (MFS), a connective tissue disorder caused by mutations in the fibrillin-1 (Fbn1) gene, has vascular manifestations including aortic aneurysm, dissection, and rupture. Its vascular pathogenesis is assumed to be attributed to increased transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling and blockade of excessive TGFβ signaling has been thought to prevent dissection and aneurysm formation. Here, we investigated whether galunisertib, a potent small-molecule inhibitor of TGFβ receptor I (TβRI), attenuates aneurysmal disease in a murine model of MFS (Fbn1^C1039G/+) and compared the impact of galuninsertib on the MFS-related vascular pathogenesis with that of losartan, a prophylactic agent routinely used for patients with MFS. Fbn1^C1039G/+ mice were administered galunisertib or losartan for 8 weeks, and their ascending aortas were assessed for histopathological changes and phosphorylation of Smad2 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2). Mice treated with galunisertib or losartan barely exhibited phosphorylated Smad2, suggesting that both drugs effectively blocked overactivated canonical TGFβ signaling in Fbn1^C1039G/+ mice. However, galunisertib treatment did not attenuate disrupted medial wall architecture and only partially decreased Erk1/2 phosphorylation, whereas losartan significantly inhibited MFS-associated aortopathy and markedly decreased Erk1/2 phosphorylation in Fbn1^C1039G/+ mice. These data unexpectedly revealed that galunisertib, a TβRI inhibitor, showed no benefits in aneurysmal disease in MFS mice although it completely blocked Smad2 phosphorylation. The significant losartan-induced inhibition of both aortic vascular pathogenesis and Smad2 phosphorylation implied that canonical TGFβ signaling might not prominently drive aneurysmal diseases in MFS mice.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1311-1316
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• 2013

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein L (hnRNP L) is a major pre-mRNA binding protein and it is an abundant nuclear protein that shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. hnRNP L is known to be related to many cellular processes, including chromatin modification, pre-mRNA splicing, mRNA export of intronless genes, internal ribosomal entry site (IRES)-mediated translation, mRNA stability, and spermatogenesis. In order to identify the cellular proteins interacting with hnRNP L, this study performed a yeast two-hybrid screening, using a human liver cDNA library. The study identified insulin-like growth factor binding protein-4 (IGFBP-4) as a novel interaction partner of hnRNP L in the human liver. It then discovered, for the first time, that hnRNP L interacts specifically with IGFBP-4 in a yeast two-hybrid system. The authenticity of this two-hybrid interaction of hnRNP L and IGFBP-4 was confirmed by an in vitro pull-down assay.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.1003-1013
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• 2021

Thioredoxin (TRX) protein is an antioxidant responsible for reducing other proteins by exchanging cysteine thiol-disulfide and is also known for its anti-allergic and anti-aging properties. On the other hand, epidermal growth factor (EGF) is an important material used in the cosmetics industry and an essential protein necessary for dermal wound healing facilitated by the proliferation and migration of keratinocytes. EGF also assists in the formation of granulation tissues and stimulates the motility of fibroblasts. Hence, genetically modified soybeans were developed to overexpress these industrially important proteins for mass production. A single-dose oral-toxicity-based study was conducted to evaluate the potential toxic effects of TRX and EGF proteins, as safety assessments are necessary for the commercial use of seed-specific protein-expressing transgenic soybeans. To achieve this rationale, TRX and EGF proteins were mass purified from recombinant E. coli. The single-dose oral-toxicity tests of the TRX and EGF proteins were carried out in six-week old male and female Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice. The initial evaluation of the single-dose TRF and EGF treatments was based on monitoring the toxicity signatures and mortality rates among the mice, and the resultant mortality rates did not show any specific clinical symptoms related to the proteins. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in the weights between the treatment and control groups of male and female ICR mice. After 14 days of treatment, no differences were observed in the autopsy reports between the various treatment and control groups. These results suggest that the minimum lethal dose of TRX and EGF proteins is higher than the allowed 2,000 mg·kg^-1 limit.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.44.1-44.10
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• 2023

Tumor hypoxia, oxygen deprivation state, occurs in most cancers and promotes angiogenesis, enhancing the potential for metastasis. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family genes play crucial roles in tumorigenesis by promoting angiogenesis. To investigate the malignant processes triggered by hypoxia-induced angiogenesis across pan-cancers, we comprehensively analyzed the relationships between the expression of VEGF family genes and hypoxic microenvironment based on integrated bioinformatics methods. Our results suggest that the expression of VEGF family genes differs significantly among various cancers, highlighting their heterogeneity effect on human cancers. Across the 33 cancers, VEGFB and VEGFD showed the highest and lowest expression levels, respectively. The survival analysis showed that VEGFA and placental growth factor (PGF) were correlated with poor prognosis in many cancers, including kidney renal cell and liver hepatocellular carcinoma. VEGFC expression was positively correlated with glioma and stomach cancer. VEGFA and PGF showed distinct positive correlations with hypoxia scores in most cancers, indicating a potential correlation with tumor aggressiveness. The expression of miRNAs targeting VEGF family genes, including hsa-miR-130b-5p and hsa-miR-940, was positively correlated with hypoxia. In immune subtypes analysis, VEGFC was highly expressed in C3 (inflammatory) and C6 (transforming growth factor β dominant) across various cancers, indicating its potential role as a tumor promotor. VEGFC expression exhibited positive correlations with immune infiltration scores, suggesting low tumor purity. High expression of VEGFA and VEGFC showed favorable responses to various drugs, including BLU-667, which abrogates RET signaling, an oncogenic driver in liver and thyroid cancers. Our findings suggest potential roles of VEGF family genes in malignant processes related with hypoxia-induced angiogenesis.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.521-527
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• 2010

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) plays roles in angiogenesis, wound healing, and embryonic development via the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. It is well known that ectopic expression of FGFR1 is associated with cancer development. To characterize the function of FGFR1 in the normal and cancer cell lines DF-1 and DT40, respectively, we performed FGFR1 knockdown by RNA interference. In the DT40 cells, FGFR1 knockdown induced upregulation of FGFR2 and FGFR3 expression, downregulation of pro-apoptosis-related genes, and upregulation of anti-apoptosis-related genes. However, in DF-1 cells, FGFR1 knockdown induced upregulation of pro-apoptosis-related genes and downregulation of anti-apoptosis-related genes. Our data suggest that repression of FGFR1 induced upregulation of other FGF receptors and anti-apoptosis-related genes in cancer cells and pro-apoptosis-related genes in normal cells.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.12a
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• pp.140.1-140.1
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• 2003

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.73.1-73.1
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• 2007

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