• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2018

Caspases, a family of cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteases plays a central role in the regulation and the execution of apoptotic cell death. Caspase-3 has been proven to be an effective target for reducing the amount of cellular and tissue damage because the activation of caspases-3 stimulates a signalling pathway that ultimately leads to the death of the cell. In this study, Hologram based Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (HQSAR) models was generated on a series of Caspase-3 inhibitors named 3, 4-dihydropyrimidoindolones derivatives. The best HQSAR model was obtained using atoms, bonds, and hydrogen atoms (A/B/H) as fragment distinction parameter using hologram length 61 and 3 components with fragment size of minimum 5 and maximum 8. Significant cross-validated correlation coefficient ($q^2=0.684$) and non cross-validated correlation coefficients ($r^2=0.754$) were obtained. The model was then used to evaluate the eight external test compounds and its $r^2_{pred}$ was found to be 0.559. Contribution map show that presence of pyrrolidine sulfonamide ring and its bulkier substituent's makes big contributions for improving the biological activities of the compounds.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2013

Polyamines, putrescine, spermidine and spermine, are ubiquitous in living cells and are essential for eukaryotic cell growth. These polycations interact with negatively charged molecules such as DNA, RNA, acidic proteins and phospholipids and modulate various cellular functions including macromolecular synthesis. Dysregulation of the polyamine pathway leads to pathological conditions including cancer, inflammation, stroke, renal failure and diabetes. Increase in polyamines and polyamine synthesis enzymes is often associated with tumor growth, and urinary and plasma contents of polyamines and their metabolites have been investigated as diagnostic markers for cancers. Of these, diacetylated derivatives of spermidine and spermine are elevated in the urine of cancer patients and present potential markers for early detection. Enhanced catabolism of cellular polyamines by polyamine oxidases (PAO), spermine oxidase (SMO) or acetylpolyamine oxidase (AcPAO), increases cellular oxidative stress and generates hydrogen peroxide and a reactive toxic metabolite, acrolein, which covalently incorporates into lysine residues of cellular proteins. Levels of protein-conjuagated acrolein (PC-Acro) and polyamine oxidizing enzymes were increased in the locus of brain infarction and in plasma in a mouse model of stroke and also in the plasma of stroke patients. When the combined measurements of PC-Acro, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were evaluated, even silent brain infarction (SBI) was detected with high sensitivity and specificity. Considering that there are no reliable biochemical markers for early stage of stroke, PC-Acro and PAOs present promising markers. Thus the polyamine metabolites in plasma or urine provide useful tools in early diagnosis of cancer and stroke.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.4074-4078
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• 2012

The first step in the common pathway for the biosynthesis of branched chain amino acids is catalyzed by acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS). The AHAS is found in plants, fungi and bacteria. With an aim to identify new anti-tuberculosis drugs that inhibit branched chain amino acid biosynthesis, we screened a chemical library against Mycobacterium tuberculosis AHAS. The screening identified four compounds, AVS 2087, AVS 2093, AVS 2236, and AVS 2387 with $IC_{50}$ values of 0.28, 0.21, 3.88, and $0.25{\mu}M$, respectively. Moreover, these four compounds also showed strong inhibition against reconstituted AHAS with $IC_{50}$ values of 0.37, 0.26, 1.0, and $1.18{\mu}M$, respectively. The basic scaffold of the AVS group consists of 1-pyrimidin-2-yl-1H-[1,2,4]-triazole-3-sulfonamide. The most active compound, AVS 2387, showed the lowest total interaction energy -8.75 Kcal/mol and illustrates its binding mode by hydrogen bonding with $H_{\varepsilon}$ of Gln517 with the distance of $2.24{\AA}$.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.63-67
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• 2001

The photophysical properties and the singlet oxygen generation efficiency of tetrathiarubyrin have been investigated to elucidate the possibility of its use as a photodynamic therapy (PDT) photosensitizer by steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic methods. The observed photophysical properties were affected by various molecular aspects, such as extended ${\pi}conjugation$, structural distortion, and internal heavy atom. The steady-state electronic absorption spectrum was red-shifted due to the extended $\pi-conjugation$, and the spin orbital coupling was enhanced by the structural distortion and the internal heavy atom effect. As a result of the enhanced spin orbital coupling, the triplet quantum yield increased to 0.90 $\pm$ 0.10 and the triplet state lifetime was shortened to 7.0 $\pm$ 1.2 ${\mu}s$. Since the triplet state decays at a relatively faster rate, the efficiency of the oxygen quenching of the triplet state decreases. The singlet oxygen quantum yield was estimated to be 0.52 $\pm$ 0.02, which is somewhat lower than expected. On the other hand, the efficiency of singlet oxygen generation during the oxygen quenching of triplet state, $f{\Delta}^T$, is near unity. Such high efficiency of singlet oxygen generation can be explained by the following two possible factors: The hydrogen bonding of ethanol which impedes the deactivation pathway of the charge transfer complex with oxygen to the ground state, the less probability of the aggregation formation.

• Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry
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• v.68
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• pp.406-415
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• 2018

Here, as-synthesized $Fe_3O_4$ nanoparticles were incorporated into the zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) lattice to activate sodium percarbonate (SPC) for degradation of methylene blue (MB). The reaction rate constant of $Fe_3O_4@ZIF-8/SPC$ process ($0.0632min^{-1}$) at acidic conditions (pH = 3) was more than six times that of the $Fe_3O_4/SPC$ system ($0.009min^{-1}$). Decreasing the solute concentration, along with increasing SPC concentration and $Fe_3O_4@ZIF-8$ nanocomposite (NC) dosage, favored the catalytic degradation of MB. The $Fe_3O_4@ZIF-8$ NC after fifteen consecutive treatment processes showed the excellent stability with a negligible drop in the efficiency of the system (<10%). The reaction pathway was obtained via GC-MS analysis.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.166-172
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• 1992

Studies have been conducted to explore single electron transfer (SET) induced photocyclization reactions of N-(trimethylsilylmethoxyalkyl)phthalimides(alkyl=E thyl, n-propyl, n-butyl, n-pentyl, and n-octyl). Photocyclizations occur in methanol in high yields to produce cyclized products in which phthalimide carbonyl carbon is bonded to the carbon of side chain in place of the trimethylsilyl group. Mechanism for these photocyclizations involving intramolecular SET from oxygen in the $\alpha-silylmethoxy$ groups to the singlet excited state phthalimide moieties followed by desilylation of the intermediate $\alpha-silylmethoxy$ cation radicals and cyclization by radical coupling are proposed. In contrast, photoreaction of N-(trimethylsilylmethoxyethyl) phthalimide in acetone follows different reaction routes to produce two cyclized products in which carbon-carbon bond formation takes place between the phthalimide carbonyl carbon and the carbon $\alpha$ to silicon and oxygen atoms via triplet carbonyl hydrogen abstraction triplet carbonyl silyl group abstraction pathways. The normal singlet SET pathway dominates these triplet processes for photoreaction of this substance in methanol. The efficient and regioselective cyclization reactions observed for photolysis in methanol represent synthetically useful processes for construction of medium and large ring heterocyclic compounds.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2022.09a
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• pp.31-31
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• 2022

Plant-derived antioxidants are used as a healthy diet and are known to inhibit various human diseases. In this study, we investigated free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity of extracts from three plants (Ammannia multiflora, Ammannia coccinea and Salix gracilistyla) with the most DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity from 196 plant extracts inhabiting along Nakdong River in Republic of Korea. The three extracts also have strong total antioxidant activity. Moreover, the extracts inhibited hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced reactive oxygen species production and depolarized mitochondrial membrane potential in RAW264.7 macrophages. In zebrafish larvae, 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) fluorescent intensity, induced by H₂O₂, was markedly reduced by the extracts of A. multiflora, A. coccinea and S. gracilistyla. Meanwhile, the extracts were upregulated Nrf2 and HO-1 expression, and an HO-1 inhibitor reversed the extract-induced oxidative responses both in vivo and in vitro. The data suggest that the extracts of A. multiflora, A. coccinea, and S. gracilistyla exert potential free radical scavenging and antioxidant capacities both in vivo and in vitro by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Oxidative stress plays a key role in neuronal cell damage, which is associated with neurodegenerative disease. The aim of present study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of perilla oil (PO) and its active component, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), against hydrogen peroxide $(H_2O_2)$-induced oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y neuronal cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: The SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells exposed to $250{\mu}M$ $H_2O_2$ for 24 h were treated with different concentrations of PO (25, 125, 250 and $500{\mu}g/mL$) and its major fatty acid, ALA (1, 2.5, 5 and $25{\mu}g/mL$). We examined the effects of PO and ALA on $H_2O_2$-induced cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and nuclear condensation. Moreover, we determined whether PO and ALA regulated the apoptosis-related protein expressions, such as cleaved-poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP), cleaved caspase-9 and -3, BCL-2 and BAX. RESULTS: Treatment of $H_2O_2$ resulted in decreased cell viability, increased LDH release, and increase in the nuclei condensation as indicated by Hoechst 33342 staining. However, PO and ALA treatment significantly attenuated the neuronal cell death, indicating that PO and ALA potently blocked the $H_2O_2$-induced neuronal apoptosis. Furthermore, cleaved-PARP, cleaved caspase-9 and -3 activations were significantly decreased in the presence of PO and ALA, and the $H_2O_2$-induced up-regulated BAX/BCL-2 ratio was blocked after treatment with PO and ALA. CONCLUSIONS: PO and its main fatty acid, ALA, exerted the protective activity from neuronal oxidative stress induced by $H_2O_2$. They regulated apoptotic pathway in neuronal cell death by alleviation of BAX/BCL-2 ratio, and down-regulation of cleaved-PARP and cleaved caspase-9 and -3. Although further studies are required to verify the protective mechanisms of PO and ALA from neuronal damage, PO and ALA are the promising agent against oxidative stress-induced apoptotic neuronal cell death.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.415-425
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• 2017

Purpose: Many studies have suggested that neuronal cells protect against oxidative stress-induced apoptotic cell death by polyphenolic compounds. We investigated the neuroprotective effects and the mechanism of action of Momordica charantia ethanol extract (MCE) against $H_2O_2-induced$ cell death of human neuroblastoma SK-N-MC cells. Methods: The antioxidant activity of MCE was measured by the quantity of total phenolic acid compounds (TPC), quantity of total flavonoid compounds (TFC), and 2,2-Diphenyl-1-pycrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. Cytotoxicity and cell viability were determined by CCK-8 assay. The formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured using 2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) assay. Antioxidant enzyme (SOD-1,2 and GPx-1) expression was determined by real-time PCR. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway and apoptosis signal expression was measured by Western blotting. Results: The TPC and TFC quantities of MCE were 28.51 mg gallic acid equivalents/extract g and 3.95 mg catechin equivalents/extract g, respectively. The $IC_{50}$ value for DPPH radical scavenging activity was $506.95{\mu}g/ml$ for MCE. Pre-treatment with MCE showed protective effects against $H_2O_2-induced$ cell death and inhibited ROS generation by oxidative stress. SOD-1,2 and GPx-1 mRNA expression was recovered by pre-treatment with MCE compared with the presence of $H_2O_2$. Pre-treatment with MCE inhibited phosphorylation of p38 and the JNK pathway and down-regulated cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP by $H_2O_2$. Conclusion: The neuroprotective effects of MCE in terms of recovery of antioxidant enzyme gene expression, down-regulation of MAPK pathways, and inhibition apoptosis is associated with reduced oxidative stress in SK-N-MC cells.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.71-77
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• 2002

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is the inducible from of the rate-limiting enzyme of heme degradation; it regulates the cellular contents of heme. HO-1 is up-regulated by various stimuli including oxidative stress so that it is thought to participate in general cellular defense mechanisms against oxidative stress in mammalian cells. To investigate the role of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway on nitrogen oxidative stress-induced HO-1 gene expression, RAW 264.7 cell cultures were treated with sodium nitroprusside (SNP). SNP increased the expression of HO-1 mRNA and protein, time- and concentration-dependently. Treatment with H89, PKA inhibitor, but not LY83583, guanylate cyclase inhibitor, significantly diminished the HO-1 expression by SNP, indicating that cAMP plays a crucial role in the induction of HO-1. Incubation with cAMP-elevating agents, such as forskolin or isoproterenol resulted in up-regulation of the expression of HO-1. Forskolin-induced expression of HO-1 was inhibited by H89. Furthermore, propranolol, $\beta$-adrenoceptor blocker, inhibited the isoproterenol-induced HO-1 expression, supporting the importance of cAMP in the induction of HO-1 expression. Higenamine-S, but not higenamineR, enhanced the HO-1 expression induced by SNP. Furthermore, cellular toxicity induced by hydrogen peroxide was attenuated by the presence of SNP, which was further increased by the presence of ZnPPIX, HO-1 inhibitor. Collectively, these results strongly suggest that up-regulation of HO-1 expression in RAW 264.7 cells involves PKA signal pathway.