• BMB Reports
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• 제37권6호
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• pp.741-748
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• 2004

The hepatitis C virus is associated with the development of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinomas. Among the 10 polyproteins produced by the virus, no function has been clearly assigned to the non-structural 5A (NS5A) protein. This study was designed to identify the hepatocellular proteins that interact with NS5A of the HCV. Yeast two-hybrid experiments were performed with a human liver cDNA prey-library, using five different NS5A derivatives as baits, the full-length NS5A (NS5A-F, amino acid (aa) 1~447) and its four different derivatives, denoted as NS5A-A (aa 1~150), -B (aa 1~300), -C (aa 300~447) and D (aa 150~447). NS5A-F, NS5A-B and NS5A-C gave two, two and 10 candidate clones, respectively, including an AHNAK-related protein, the secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (SFRP4), the N-myc downstream regulated gene 1 (NDRG1), the cellular retinoic acid binding protein 1 (CRABP-1), ferritin heavy chain (FTH1), translokin, tumor-associated calcium signal transducer 2 (TACSTD2), phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PI4K) and $centaurin{\delta}$ 2 ($CENT{\delta}2$). However, NS5A-A produced no candidates and NS5A-D was not suitable as bait due to transcriptional activity. Based on an in vitro binding assay, CRABP-1, PI4K, $CENT{\delta}2$ and two unknown fusion proteins with maltose binding protein (MBP), were confirmed to interact with the glutathione S-transferase (GST)/NS5A fusion protein. Furthermore, the interactions of CRABP-1, PI4K and $CENT{\delta}2$ were not related to the PXXP motif (class II), as judged by a domain analysis. While their biological relevance is under investigation, the results contribute to a better understanding of the possible role of NS5A in hepatocellular signaling pathways.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.75-80
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• 2017

Purpose: To investigate the frequency, presentation, management, and outcome of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in pediatric patients who underwent renal transplantation. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 70 patients under the age of 18, who underwent renal transplantation between January 1990 and November 2014. A diagnosis of CMV infection was based on serology, molecular assays, antigenemia assays, and culture. CMV infection was defined as detection of virus and CMV disease was diagnosed when clinical signs and symptoms were present. Results: The number of patients with CMV infection was 18 (25.7% of renal transplant recipients). Twelve were male (66.7%), and the $mean{\pm}standard$ deviation (SD) age at infection was $13.3{\pm}3.9$ years. Median time of infection after renal transplantation was 4 months (range 1.0-31.0 months). Pretransplantation CMV status in the infected group was as follows: donor (D)+/recipient (R)+, 11 (61.1%); D+/R-, 7 (38.9%); D-/R+, 0; and D-/R- 0. Nine patients had CMV disease with fever, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, or organ involvement such as enteritis, hepatitis, and pneumonitis. The age of disease occurrence was $13.1{\pm}3.9$ years and the median time to disease onset after renal transplantation was 8 months (range 1.0-31.0). Immunosuppressive agents were reduced or discontinued in 14 patients (77.8%), antiviral agents were used in 11 patients (61.1%), and all patients with CMV infection were controlled. Conclusions: A quarter of the patients had CMV infection about 4 months after renal transplantation. CMV infection was successfully treated with reduction of immunosuppressants or with antiviral agents.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.257-274
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• 2013

Ecological and ethnomedicinal survey of plants was conducted in one hundred and twenty homesteads in Mbala, Amuda, Umuaku, and Nneato communities of Nneochi Local Governement Area, Abia State-Nigeria. A total of ninety-one medicinal plant species belonging to seventy-eight genera and forty-eight families, used in the treatment of malaria, yellow fever, fibroid, hepatitis, convulsion, hypertension, diabetes, insomnia, ulcer, rashes, low sperm count, snake bite, among others, were documented. Plant remedies were prepared mostly as infusions or decoctions from different plant parts with mainly water, and palm wine/gin sometimes. The highest number of medicinal plant species (73) was recorded in Mbala, followed by Amuda (71), Umuaku (68) and Nneato (61). Medicinal plant species diversity was highest in Amuda (Simpson 1-D=0.9621;H=3.663), followed by Umuaku (Simpson 1-D=0.9481; H=3.471), Mbala (Simpson 1-D=0.9345; H=3.341), and Nneato (Simpson 1-D=0.9307; H=3.277), respectively. Similarity in medicinal plant species was highest between Umuaku and Nneato (76.71%), followed by Amuda and Umuaku (75.95%), Mbala and Amuda (71.43%), while Mbala and Nneato had the lowest similarity (59.52%). The results of the study showed that traditional medicine is pivotal in the treatment of ailments in the study area, and that the indigenous people of Nneochi have recognized the need to conserve medicinal plants of importance ex situ within homesteads due to threats from unsustainable exploitation and deforestation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권11호
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• pp.5759-5762
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• 2012

The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of a health check-up program among Thai people at the National Cancer Institute in the years 2008-2009. The program included history taking, physical examination, chest X-ray, EKG, and laboratory tests. A total of 28,240 women and 9,665 men were included in the study, with mean ages of 44.5 and 46.9 years, respectively. The study showed that obesity, as assessed by a BMI over 25.0 kg/m2, in men and women was present in 41.4% and 30%, respectively. Biochemical study revealed that anemia was prevalent in 21.6% of men and 20.1% of women. High plasma glucose level (>115 mg/dL), cholesterol level (>200 mg/dL), triglyceride level (>190 mg/dL) in men was 13.8%, 63.8%, 22.6% and 7.7%, 61.1%, 8.9% in women. Hepatitis B virus infection was found 7.5% in men and 4.1% in women. In this study, 177 new cancer cases were detected, of which 35 were breast, 19 were cervical and 26 were colorectal, most of these cancers being detected at early stage. In addition, precancerous states was also found including 718 cases of benign and 99 cases of adenoma in situ. In conclusion, an annual check up may detect abnormalities that have no obvious clinical symptoms of disease. Early detection of asymptomatic neoplasms and precursor lesions should contribute to a prompt provision of treatment and further decline of death from cancer.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.301-307
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• 2011

The medicinal herb Oldenlandia diffusa is known as a folk medicine for the treatment of hepatitis, sore throat, appendicitis, malignant tumors and urethral infection in Southern China and Korea. Another species O. corymbosa, is also used for the therapy of the similar conditions, however, only O. diffusa is referred to the medicinal herb by Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Due to their similar morphology, O. diffusa and O. corymbosa are often misidentified. To easily identify O. diffusa from O. corymbosa, the phylogenetic utility of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) internal transcribed spacers (ITS) were investigated among different O. diffusa and O. corymbosa populations in Korea. The nrDNA ITS sequence of O. diffusa contained 791 bp, with GenBank accession number of JF837601-JF837602. The nrDNA ITS sequence of O. corymbosa was 785-786 bp, with GenBank accession number of JF837603-JF837611. The results showed that there are some certain divergences in the ITS region sequence between both species, even among different populations of the same species. Particularly, O. corymbosa ST-4 population showed the highest dissimilarity of the ITS region sequence with other nine populations of O. corymbosa and two populations of O. diffusa. This consequence makes us further understand the molecular diversification between O. corymbosa and O. diffusa, and help to promote the correct use and safety.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.39-46
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• 2012

In Korea, the leaves of Sonchus brachyotus (Compositae), an edible mountainous vegetable, are traditionally used to treat hepatitis and hemorrhage and are known to have diuretic action. The aqueous ethanolic extract of this plant was selected in our screening experiment using the peroxynitrite ($ONO_2^-$)-scavenging assay, and the present study was performed to qualitatively and quantitatively identify the active compounds from S. brachyotus and validate the present high-permormance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with ultraviolet absorption detection method based on accuracy, precision and repeatability. Five phenolic substances including the main compound, luteolin $7-O-{\beta}-D$-glucuronopyranoside, as well as chlorogenic acid, luteolin 7-O-rutinoside, luteolin $7-O-{\beta}-D$-glucopyranoside, and luteolin, were found in the aqueous ethanolic extract of S. brachyotus. In the HPLC validation experiment, the linearity of the four compounds was established by $R^2$ values of more than 0.999 within the test ranges, and the recovery rate ranged from 98.2 - 105.3%. Luteolin 7-O-glucuronide was a predominant compound (143 mg/g of extract and 18.3 mg/g of the dry weight of plant material) with a potent peroxynitrite-scavenging effect ($IC_{50}$, $1.02{\pm}0.08{\mu}M$). Luteolin and its three glycosides together with chlorogenic acid were qualitatively and quantitatively determined using an HPLC method validated in the present study.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.194-201
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• 1997

The hepatoprotective activity of six extracts (BE, EE, HH, PS-1, PS-2, KP) from Artimisia iwayomogi was investigated against experimentally produced hepatic damages. Silymarin, DDB and UDCA were used as reference compounds. Treatment with PS-1 extract reduced hepatic demages induced by $CCl_4$, acetaminophen and ANIT but it did not alter ethionine-induced hepatotoxicity In addition, PS-1 extract showed a protective effect against chronic $CCl_4$-induced hepatotoxicity as well as liver regeneration. PS-2 and KP extracts exhibited significant antihepatotoxic effects on D-galactosamine-induced hepatitis. Treatment with EE extract inhibited ethionine-induced fatty liver. These data indicate that the PS-1 extract is the roost hepato-protective constituent and rationalize the traditional use of this plant in hepatobiliary disorders.

• BMB Reports
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• 제44권9호
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• pp.607-612
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• 2011

Several investigators have shown that CpG-DNA has outstanding effects as a Th1-responsive adjuvant and that its potent adjuvant effects are enhanced by encapsulation with a liposome of proper composition. In this study, we showed that encapsulation with phosphatidyl-${\beta}$-oleoyl-${\gamma}$-palmitoyl ethanolamine (DOPE): cholesterol hemisuccinate (CHEMS) complex enhances the immunostimulatory activity of CpG DNA and the binding of CpG-DNA to TLR9. We also examined involvement of myeloid differentiation protein (MyD88) and NF-${\kappa}B$ activation in liposome-encapsulated CpG-DNA-induced IL-8 promoter activation. In this manuscript, the natural phosphodiester bond CpG-DNA encapsulated by DOPE : CHEMS complex is designated as Lipoplex(O). Importantly, we successfully screened B cell epitopes of envelope protein (E protein) of hepatitis C virus (HCV-E) and attachment glycoprotein G of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV-G) by immunization with complexes of several peptides and Lipoplex(O) without carriers. Therefore, Lipoplex(O) is potentially applicable as a universal adjuvant for peptide-based epitope screening and antibody production.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제45권4호
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• pp.326-332
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• 2007

In order to understand the functional role of CPRl in Saccharomyces cerevisiae KNU5377 with regard to its multi-tolerance characteristics against high temperatures, inorganic acids, and oxidative stress conditions, whole cellular proteins were analyzed via liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). This procedure was followed by two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis. Under menadione stress conditions, the 23 upregulated proteins were clearly identified only in the wild- type strain of KNU5377. Among the proteins, Sodl1p Tsa1p, Ahp1, Cpr1p, Cpr3, Ssb2p, and Hsp12p were identified as components of antioxidant systems or protein-folding related systems. The CPR1 protein could not be completely detected in the $cpr1{\Delta}$ mutant of KNU5377 and the other upregulated proteins in the wild-type strain evidenced a clear correlation with the results of immunoblot analysis. Moreover, a reduction in growth patterns (about 50%) could be observed in the $cpr1{\Delta}$ mutant, as compared with that of the wild-type strain under mild MD stress conditions. These results indicate that the upregulation of CPR1 may contribute to tolerance against MD as an inducer of oxidative stress.

• Clinical Pain
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.131-134
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• 2021

We report a rare case of anti-viral agent induced hypophosphatemic osteomalacia presented with localized and radicular pain. A 51-year-old man, who had been taking adefovir for chronic hepatitis, had experienced low back pain radiating to his right thigh for 2 years. With impression of lumbar disc herniation, he underwent magnetic resonance imaging and found multi-level disc herniation with facet joint synovial cysts. He received transforaminal epidural steroid injections, however, symptoms did not improve. To find other possible causes, additional tests were performed. Blood tests revealed hypophosphatemia and increased serum alkaline phosphatase, and osteoporosis was noted in dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry with multiple hot uptakes in bone scan. After replacement of adefovir to entecavir and supplement of phosphate and vitamin D, phosphate level and the clinical symptoms were improved. This is the first to report the presentation of osteomalacia due to anti-viral agent as radicular low back pain with facet synovial cysts.