• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.55-66
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• 2008

Objective&Methods: The purpose of this study is to observe the effects of HK-1000 Herbal-acupuncture solution at GB34(Yangleungchean) on hyperlipidemia and arteriosclerosis in rats. The author performed several experimental items to analyze the levels of various components and enzymes in serum, urine and liver, as well as the histological change of liver and aorta. Results: 1. HK-1000 herbal-acupuncture infusion increased the cell viability rate, DPPH radical scavenging activity and HMG-CoA reductase inhibition rate in rat liver cells. 2. The levels of total cholesterol, free cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, phospholipid in serum and AI(atherogenic index) were decreased, and the ratio of HDL to TCL(HDL/TCL) and the level of TG in serum were increased as compared with those of the control group. 3. In the HK-1000 group, serum AST and ALT were significantly lower than those of the HG group and saline group. 4. Hepatic GSH and catalase activities were significantly increased as compared with those of the saline group. Conclusions: From the above results, it is suggested that HK-1000 herbal-acupuncture at GB34 has a therapeutic effect on hyperlipidemia and arteriosclerosis.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.57-61
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• 2011

The principal objective of this study was to determine the optimal conditions for the production of biosurfactant by the indigenous bacterium, Pseudoalteromonas sp. HK-3, originating from oil-spilled areas. The relationship between total biosurfactant production and the factors affecting biosurfactant production were evaluated by statistical analysis using SPSS software. The effects of various supplemental carbon sources (e.g., glucose, dextrose, mannitol, citrate, acetate) on the maximal production of biosurfactant by the test culture of Pseudoalteromonas sp. HK-3 was then evaluated. As a result, mannitol was found in this study to be the best supplemental carbon source for the production of biosurfactant. A spot inoculation of crude cultural liquid containing the HK-3 cells generated the largest clear zone, whereas only small clear zones appeared around the spots inoculated with either supernatant only or cell pellets following centrifugation. Our results demonstrated that the HK-3 test culture supplemented with 2% mannitol at an initial pH of 6 generated the maximal amount of biosurfactant within 72 h of incubation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.28-37
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• 2022

Treatment options for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are currently limited; therefore, there has been significant interest in applying mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC)-based therapy to treat CKD. However, MSCs harvested from CKD patients tend to show diminished viability and proliferation due to sustained exposure to uremic toxins in the CKD environment, which limits their utility for cell therapy. The application of melatonin has been demonstrated to improve the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs derived from and engrafted to tissues in patients suffering from CKD, although the underlying biological mechanism has not been elucidated. In this study, we observed overexpression of hexokinase-2 (HK2) in serum samples of CKD patients and MSCs harvested from an adenine-fed CKD mouse model (CKD-mMSCs). HK2 upregulation led to increased production levels of methylglyoxal (MG), a toxic metabolic intermediate of abnormal glycolytic processes. The overabundance of HK2 and MG was associated with impaired mitochondrial function and low cell proliferation in CKD-mMSCs. Melatonin treatment inhibited the increases in HK2 and MG levels, and further improved mitochondrial function, glycolytic metabolism, and cell proliferation. Our findings suggest that identifying and characterizing metabolic regulators such as HK2 in CKD may improve the efficacy of MSCs for treating CKD and other kidney disorders.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.79-95
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• 1988

To examine relations between stellar activity and rotation we estimated parameters of stellar activity such as $R'_{HK}$, $R'_{MgII}$, $R'_{CII}$, $R'_{CIV}$ and $R'_{X-ray}$ from the published data which measure the activity levels of stellar chromospheres, transition regions and coronae. In the present study we considered only the main sequence stars in an attempt to minimize the influence of other stellar parameters such as radius, age and stellar convection on stellar activity since they are also known to affect the magnetic field generation. In the present analysis we selected only those stars that satisfy the following conditions: (1) flux measurements are available together with Ca II fluxes and (2) rotation periods are determined by Ca II observations. We derived relations between the ${\bar{R}}ossby$ number $R_o$ and stellar activity $R'_{HK}$, $R'_{MgII}$, $R'_{CII}$, $R'_{CIV}$ and $R'_{X-ray}$ and assessed the relations by plotting $R'_{HK}$, $R'_{MgII}$ and $R'_{X-ray}$ against rotation period $P_{rot}$ for comparison with observations. From the comparison it is found that as far as the rotation-activity relation is concerned, (1) normalized surface flux $R'_{HK}$ is better than the surface flux $F'_{HK}$, in the sense that $R'_{HK}$ differentiates the color dependence better and (2) $R'_{HK}$ defined by Rutten (1984) describes the observations notably better than $R'_{HK}$ of Noyes et al. (1984).

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.127-133
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• 2010

The purpose of this work was to investigate the antibacterial activity derived from a lactic acid bacterium, Lactococcus lactis HK-9, isolated from the feces of a 2-day newborn infant. We characterized the physiological and biochemical properties of this strain. Both the BIOLOG system and phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA sequencing were utilized for identification, and the strain was assigned to the Lactococcus lactis species, designated as L. lactis HK-9, and registered in GenBank as [GU936712]. We monitored growth rate, production of lactic acid and acetic acid as metabolites, and pH during growth. The maximum concentrations of lactic acid and acetic acid reached 495.6 mM and 104.3 mM, respectively, and the initial pH of the cultures decreased from 7.0 to 4.1 after incubating for 60 h. HPLC was used to confirm the production of lactic acid and acetic acid. Significant antibacterial activity of the concentrated supernatant was demonstrated against Gram-positive (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Listeria monocytogenes, MRSA) and Gram-negative (e.g., Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Shigella sonnei) bacteria by the plate diffusion method. The antibacterial activity was sensitive to protease, and the molecular weight of the presumed bacteriocin molecule was estimated to be about 4 kDa by tricine-SDS-PAGE.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.926-929
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• 2020

This study aimed to determine the immune-stimulating effects of heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum Ln1 (HK-Ln1) through the production of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokine achieved by inducing NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-signaling pathways in macrophages. HK-Ln1 showed higher NO and cytokine production compared to control (nonstimulated lipopolysaccharide); in addition, the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was induced through HK-Ln1treatment. The phosphorylation of IκB-α and p65 increased following treatment by HK-Ln1, which implicates IκB-α degradation and the translocation of p65 to nucleus. In addition, the phosphorylation of MAPKs, ERK 1/2, JNK, and p38 was induced following HK-Ln1 treatment.

• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.113-119
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• 2006

Seventeen lactic acid bacterial strains (LAB) were isolated using MRS agar medium from Jeotgal, a Korean fermented food, purchased at the Jukdo market of Pohang. To identify the strains isolated, they were tested by examining their cell morphologies, gram-staining, catalase activity, arginine hydrolase activity, D-L lactate form and carbohydrate fermentation. According to the phenotypic characteristics, three strains were tentatively identified as Lactobacillus spp., ten were Enterococcus spp. (or Streptococcus spp., or Pediococcus spp.) and the rest were Leuconostoc spp. (or Weissella spp.). Five strains among 17 were chosen by preliminary bacteriocin activity test. Four bacterial strains which inhibited both indicator microorganisms were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. The results are as follows; Leuconostoc mesenteroides (HK 4), Leuconostoc mesenteroides (HK 5), Leuconostoc mesenteroides(HK 11), Streptococcus salivarius(HK 8). In order to check LAB which are showing a high survival rate in gut, we investigated three strains inhibiting both indicator microorganisms in artificial gastric acid and bile juice -all except HK8. The three strains mentioned above grew in extreme low acid conditions.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2024

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the major complications of sepsis. Aurantio-obtusin (AO) is an anthraquinone compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This study was developed to concentrate on the role and mechanism of AO in sepsis-induced AKI. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) and BALB/c mice receiving cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery were used to establish in vitro cell model and in vivo mouse model. HK-2 cell viability was measured using MTT assays. Histological alterations of mouse renal tissues were analyzed via hematoxylin and eosin staining. Renal function of mice was assessed by measuring the levels of serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). The concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines in HK-2 cells and serum samples of mice were detected using corresponding ELISA kits. Protein levels of factors associated with nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway were measured in HK-2 cells and renal tissues by Western blotting. AO exerted no cytotoxic effect on HK-2 cells and AO dose-dependently rescued LPS-induced decrease in HK-2 cell viability. The concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines were increased in response to LPS or CLP treatment, and the alterations were reversed by AO treatment. For in vivo experiments, AO markedly ameliorated renal injury and reduced high levels of SCr and BUN in mice underwent CLP operation. In addition, AO administration inhibited the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, AO alleviates septic AKI by suppressing inflammatory responses through inhibiting the NF-κB pathway.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.145-150
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• 2009

This study investigated the protective roles and mechanism of magnolol, from the stem bark of Magnolia officinalis against potential neurotoxin 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK)-induced neuronal cell death. For the evaluation of protective role of magnolol, we examined cell viability, apoptotic nuclei, change of mitochondrial membrane potential and caspase activity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. It was found that 3-HK induces neuronal cell death in the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line. The reduced cell viability produced characteristic features such as cell shrinkages, plasma membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation, and nuclear fragmentation. The cells treated with 3-HK showed an increase in the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as in caspase activity. In addition, both are involved in the 3-HK-induced apoptosis. Magnolol attenuated the cell viability reduction by 3-HK in both a dose- and time-dependent manner. Optical microscopy showed that magnolol inhibited the cell morphological features in the 3-HK-treated cells. Furthermore, the increase in the ROS concentration and the caspase activities by 3-HK were also attenuated by magnolol. These results showed that magnolol has a protective effect on the 3-HK induced cell death by inhibiting ROS production and caspase activity.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.67-73
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• 2002

The cellular responses of soil-borne bacterium, Pseudomonas sp. HK-6 to explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) were examined. Two stress shock proteins (SSPs), approximately 70-kDa DnaK and a 60-kDa GroEL were found in HK-6 cells in response to TNT. Analyses of SDS-PAGE and Western blot using anti-DnaK and GroEL revealed that SSPs were induced in HK-6 cells exposed to 0.5 M of TNT far 6-12 hrs. The maximum induction of proteins was achieved at 8-hr incubation point after HK-6 cells'exposure to TNT. Similar SSPs were found to be induced in HK-6 cells by heat shock (shift of temperature, from $30^{\circ}C$ to $42^{\circ}C$) or cold shock (shift of temperature,$30^{\circ}C$ to $4^{\circ}C$).2D-PAGE of soluble protein tractions from the culture of Pseudomonas sp. HX-6 exposed to TNT demonstrated that approximately 450 spots were observed on the silver stained gels ranging from pH 3 to pH 10. Among them, 12 spots significantly induced and expressed in response to TNT were selected and analyzed. Approximately 60-kDa protein, which was assumed highly expressed on the gel, was used for amino acid sequencing. N-terminal microsequencing with in-gel digestion showed that N-terminal sequence of the TNT-induced protein, <$^1XXAKDVKFGDSARKKML^17$, shared extensive similarity with $^1XXAKDVKFGDSARKKML^17$, N-terminal sequence of (P48216) GroEL of Pseudomonas putida.