• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.977-985
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• 2019

Aster yomena (Kitam.) Honda is an edible vegetable and perennial herb belonging to the Asteraceae family, and has been used for a long time for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. Although leaf extracts of A. yomena are known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, accurate efficacy assessments are still inadequate. In this study, we investigated whether the antioxidant efficacy of ethanol extract of A. yomena leaf (EEAY) is correlated with the anti-inflammatory effect in RAW 264.7 macrophages. The results showed that EEAY significantly inhibited the hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$)-induced growth inhibition in RAW 264.7 cells, which was associated with increased expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). EEAY pretreatment also effectively prevented $H_2O_2$-induced reactive oxygen species generation and apoptosis through inhibition of caspase-3 activation and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase degradation. Additionally, EEAY significantly increased the expression and production of interleukin-10, a representative anti-inflammatory cytokine, which was associated with increased expression of toll-like receptor 4 and myeloid differentiation factor 88 at transcriptional and translational levels. Furthermore, the increased production of nitric oxide (NO) by lipopolysaccharide was markedly abolished under the condition of EEAY pretreatment, and the inhibitory effect of NO production by EEAY was further increased by hemin, an HO-1 inducer. Overall, our results suggest that EEAY is able to activate the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway to protect RAW 264.7 macrophages from oxidative and inflammatory stress.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.333-359
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• 2021

Gases such as hydrogen and radon can be generated around the canister in high-level radioactive waste disposal systems due to several reasons including the corrosion of metal materials. When the gas generation rate exceeds the gas diffusion rate in the low-permeability bentonite buffer, the gas phase will form and accumulate in the engineered barrier system. If the gas pressure exceeds the gas entry pressure, gas can migrate into the bentonite buffer, resulting in pathway dilation flow and advective flow. Because a sudden occurrence of dilation flow can cause radionuclide leakage out of the engineered barrier of the radioactive waste disposal system, it is necessary to understand the gas migration behavior in the bentonite buffer to quantitatively evaluate the long-term safety of the engineered barrier. Experimental research investigating the characteristics of gas migration in saturated bentonite and research developing numerical models capable of simulating such behaviors are being actively conducted worldwide. In this technical note, previous gas injection experiments and the numerical models proposed to verify such behaviors are introduced, and the future challenges necessary for the investigation of gas migration are summarized.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 2007

Background: Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is known to modulates the cellular functions, including cell proliferation and apoptosis. It is known that a high level of HO-1 expression is found in many tumors, and HO-1 plays an important role in rapid tumor growth on account of its antioxidant and antiapoptotic effects. Cisplatin is a widely used anti-cancer agent for the treatment of lung cancer. However, the development of resistance to cisplatin is a major obstacle to its use in clinical treatment. We previously demonstrated that inhibiting HO-1 expression through the transcriptional activation of Nrf2 induces apoptosis in A549 cells. The aim of this study was to determine of the inhibiting HO-1 enhance the chemosensitivity of A549 cells to cisplatin. Materials and Methods: The human lung cancer cell line, A549, was treated cisplatin, and the cell viability was measured by a MTT assay. The change in HO-1, Nrf2, and MAPK expression after the cisplatin treatment was examined by Western blotting. HO-1 inhibition was suppressed by ZnPP, which is a specific pharmacologic inhibitor of HO activity, and small interfering RNA (siRNA). Flow cytometry analysis and Western blot were performed in to determine the level of apoptosis. The level of hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) generation was monitored fluoimetrically using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate. Results: The A549 cells showed more resistance to the cisplatin treatment than the other cell lines examined, whereas cisplatin increased the expression of HO-1 and Nrf2, as well as the phosphorylation of MAPK in a time-dependent fashion. Inhibitors of the MAPK pathway blocked the induction of HO-1 and Nrf2 by the cisplatin treatment in A549 cells. In addition, the cisplatin-treated A549 cells transfected with dither the HO-1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) or ZnPP, specific HO-1 inhibitor, showed in a more significantly decrease in viability than the cisplatin-only-treated group. The combination treatment of ZnPP and cisplatin caused in a marked increase in the ROS generation and a decrease in the HO-1 expression. Conclusion: Cisplatin increases the expression of HO-1, probably through the MAPK-Nrf2 pathway, and the inhibition of HO-1 enhances the chemosensitivity of A549 cells to cisplatin.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.783-794
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• 1996

It has been suggested that ion transport systems are intimately involved in mediating the effects of growth regulatory factors on the growth of a number of different types of animal cells in vivo. The functional importance of the apical membrane $Na^+/H^+$ antiporter in the renal proximal tubule is evidenced by estimates that this transporter mediates the reabsorption of approximately one third of the filtered load of sodium and the bulk of the secretion of hydrogen ions. This study was designed to investigate the pathway utilized by IGF-I in regulating sodium transport in primary cultured renal proximal tubule cells. Results were as follows : 1. $Na^+$ was observed to accumulate in the primary cells as a function of time. Raising the concentration of extracellular NaCl induced an decrease in $Na^+$ uptake compared with control cells in a dose dependent manner. The rate of $Na^+$ uptake into the primary cells was about two times higher in the absence of NaCl($40.11{\pm}1.76pmole\;Na^+/mg\;protein/min$) than in the presence of 140mM NaCl($17.82{\pm}0.94pmole\;Na^+/mg\;protein/min$) at the 30 minute uptake. 2. $Na^+$ uptake was inhibited by IAA($1{\times}10^{-4}M$) or valinomycin($5{\times}10^{-6}M$) treatment($50.51{\pm}4.04$ and $57.65{\pm}2.27$ of that of control, respectively). $Na^+$ uptake by the primary proximal tubule cells was significantly increased by ouabain($5{\times}10^{-5}M$) treatment($140.23{\pm}3.37%$ of that of control). When actinomycin D($1{\times}10^{-7}M$) or cycloheximide($4{\times}10^{-5}M$) was applied, $Na^+$ uptake was decreased to $90.21{\pm}2.39%$ or $89.64{\pm}3.69%$ of control in IGF-I($1{\times}10^{-5}M$) treated cells, respectively. 3. Extracellular cAMP decreased $Na^+$ uptake in a dose-dependent manner($10^{-8}-10^{-4}M$). IBMX($5{\times}10^{-5}M$) also inhibited $Na^+$ uptake. Treatment of cells with pertussis toxin(50pg/ml) or cholera toxin($1{\mu}g/ml$) inhibited $Na^+$ uptake. Extracellular PMA decreased $Na^+$ uptake in a dose-dependent manner(1-100ng/ml). 100 ng/ml PMA concentration significantly inhibited $Na^+$ uptake in IGF-I treated cells. However, staurosporine($1{\times}10^{-7}M$) had no effect on $Na^+$ uptake. When PMA and staurosporine were added together, the inhibition of $Na^+$ uptake was not observed. In conclusion, sodium uptake in primary cultured rabbit renal proximal tubule cells was dependent on membrane potentials and intracellular energy levels. IGF-I stimulates sodium uptake through mechanisms that involve some degree of de novo protein and/or RNA synthesis, and cAMP and/or PKC pathway mediating the action mechanisms of IGF-I.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1091-1097
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• 2015

We have isolated and characterized an ascorbate peroxidase (APx) gene, OsAPx1 from rice. Northern and Western blot analyses indicated that at young seedling stage, OsAPx1 mRNA was expressed highly in root, shoot apical meristem (SAM) and leaf sheath than leaf. In mature plant, OsAPx1 gene expressed highly in root, stem and flower but weakly in leaf. OsAPx1 gene and protein expression level was induced in leaves inoculated with Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae) and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). Phytohormones treatment showed that OsAPx1 was up-regulated by jasmonic acid (JA), but was down regulated by ABA and SA co-treatments with JA, resulting that they have antagonistic effect on pathogen responsive OsAPx1 expression. Phylogenetic analysis illustrated that Arabidopsis AtAPx1 has a close relationship with OsAPx1. In AtAPx1 knock out lines, the accumulation of O₂^- and H₂O₂ are all highly detected than wild type, revealing that the high concentration of exogenous H₂O₂ cause the intercellular superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide accumulation in AtAPx1 knockout plant. These results suggested that OsAPx1 gene may be associated with the pathogen defense cascades as the mediator for balancing redox state by acting ROS scavenger and is associated with response to the pathogen defense via Jasmonic acid signaling pathway.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.59-65
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• 1999

Both the groundwater changes due to different pumping rates and the geochemistry of thermal waters in the Suanbo area are considered in this study. The observation of groundwater level change since 1991 shows that the change is directly correlated with pumping rates of thermal waters and reveals the retardation of ca. 5 weeks after pumping. The hydrogeological aquifer in the area is under reducing condition. The thermal waters are of Na-HCO$_3$ type. and are alkaline (pH=8.5∼8.7) with low TDS values (274∼284 mg/l) and high concentrations of Na (68∼72 mg/l). F (6.4∼8.9 mg/l), and HCO$_3$(136∼146 mg/l). Oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios of thermal water indicate a meteoric water origin. The activities of Rn-222 and Ra-226 in both thermal water and local groundwater were determined to delineate possible geochemical controls on the Rn-222 and Ra-226. The Rn-222 concentrations are several orders of magnitude greater than the Ra-226 concentrations. The concentrations of Rn-222 range from 190 to 7.490 pCi/1 with an average of 2,522 pCil/l. and those of Ra-226 average 0.32 pCi/1 with the range from 0.25 to 0.42 pCi/1. The concentrations of Rn-222 and Ra-226 are inversely correlated with EC and alkalinity. The pH it positively correlated with Ra-226. The correlation between Rn-222 and Ra-226 is poor. Thermal waters in the study area are produced from highly fractured phyllite. The thermal water qualify. CSAMT (controled-source audiofrequency magnetotelluric) prospecting, and petrological evidences, however, indicate that the heat is possibly transmitted through deep normal faults reaching a deep granite batholith, and the phyllite acts only as a groundwater pathway.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.454-464
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• 2018

Black soybeans are used as food sources as well as for traditional medicines because they contain an abundance of natural phenolic compounds. In this study, total phenolic contents (TPCs) of Korean black seed coat soybean varieties Socheongja (SCJ), Socheong 2 (SC2) and Cheongja 2 (CJ2) as well as their antioxidant capacities were investigated. Among them, TPCs were abundantly present in the order of CJ2$H_2O_2$-stimulated HaCaT human keratinocytes. Our results revealed that treatment with SCJ and SC2 prior to $H_2O_2$ exposure significantly increases the viability of HaCaT cells, indicating that the exposure of HaCaT cells to SCJ and SC2 conferred a protective effect against oxidative stress. SCJ and SC2 also effectively inhibited $H_2O_2$-induced apoptotic cell death through the blocking of mitochondrial dysfunction. SCJ and SC2 also attenuated the phosphorylation of Histone H2AX. Furthermore, they effectively induced the levels of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) 1, a potent antioxidant enzyme, which is associated with the induction of nuclear transcription factor erythroid-2-like factor 2 (Nrf2); however, the protective effects of SCJ and SC2 were significantly reversed by Auranofin, a TrxR inhibitor. These results indicate that they have protective activity through the blocking of cellular damage related to oxidative stress via the Nrf2 signaling pathway. In conclusion, our study indicated that SCJ and SC2 might potentially serve as novel agents for the treatment and prevention of skin disorders caused by oxidative stress.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.66-72
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• 2009

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness among adults in the western countries. Hyperglycemia is a condition, that induces apoptotic cell death in a variety of cell types in diabetes, but the mechanism remains unclear. The aim of the study is to understand the effects of high Glucose on Human Retinal Endothelial Cells. Retinal endothelial cells were cultured in Iscove's Modified Dulbecco's Medium (IMDM) containing 5, 25 and 50 mM Glucose, incubated for 24, 36 and 48 hours in humidified 5 % CO$_2$ incubator at 37$^{\circ}C$. Human Retinal Endothelial Cell Line (HREC) were characterized for morphology with different treatment by phase contrast microscopic analysis. Number of dead and viable cells was counted by trypan blue exclusion and supported by MTT assay. The intracellular Hydrogen peroxide (H$_2$O$_2$), a Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) generation in high glucose conditions was assessed by FOX II assay and apoptosis by caspase-3 assay. The high glucose treated cells undergoing DNA fragmentation was witnessed by Agarose gel electrophoresis. We found that the cells incubated with 25 and 50 mM glucose containing medium for 48 hours altered the morphology of the cell, induced apoptosis and DNA fragmentation. The dead cell number were high in 25 and 50 mM when compared to the cells incubated with 5 mM glucose for 24, 36, and 48 hours. Also, the H$_2$O$_2$ levels and the activity of caspase-3 were increased in high glucose treated cells. Conclusions/interpretation: Our results demonstrated that elevated glucose induces apoptosis in cultured HREC. The hyperglycemia-induced increase in apoptosis may be dependent on caspase activation. The association between ROS generation and caspase-3 activation on high glucose treated cells is yet to be investigated.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.126-136
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• 2021

Oxidative stress causes injury to and degeneration of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. It is involved in several retinal disorders and leads to vision loss. In the present study, we investigated the effect of 14 kinds of natural compounds and two kinds of synthetic compounds on oxidative stress-induced cellular damage in human PRE cell lines (ARPE-19). From among them, we selected five kinds of compounds, including auranofin, FK-509, hemistepsin A, honokiol, and spermidine, which have inhibitory effects against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-mediated cytotoxicity. In addition, we found that four kinds of compounds (excluding auranofin) have protective effects on H2O2-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, the expression of phosphorylation of histone H2AX, a sensitive marker of DNA damage, was markedly up-regulated by H2O2, whereas it was notably down-regulated by FK-506, honokiol, and spermidine treatment. Meanwhile, five kinds of candidate compounds had no effect on H2O2-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, suggesting that the five candidate compounds have protective effects on oxidative stress-induced cellular damage through the ROS-independent pathway. Taken together, according to the results of H2O2-mediated cellular damage―such as cytotoxicity, apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and DNA damage―spermidine and FK-506 are the natural and synthetic compounds with the most protective effects against oxidative stress in RPE. Although further studies on the identification of the mechanism responsible are required, the results of the present study suggest the possibility of using spermidine and FK-506 to suppress the risk of retinal disorders.