• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.358-363
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• 2011

Background: Traditionally, interferon-${\gamma}$ (IFN-${\gamma}$) was regarded as a pro-inflammatory cytokine, however, recent reports suggested role of IFN-${\gamma}$ in immune tolerance. In our previous report, we could induce tolerance to male antigen (HY) just by male islet transplantation in wild type C57BL/6 mice without any immunological intervention. We tried to investigate the influence of IFN-${\gamma}$ deficiency on tolerance induction by male islet transplantation. Methods: To examine the immunogenicity of male tissue in the absence of IFN-${\gamma}$, we transplanted male IFN-${\gamma}$ knock-out (KO) skin to female IFN-${\gamma}$ KO mice. Next, we analyzed male IFN-${\gamma}$ KO islet to streptozotocin-induced diabetic female IFN-${\gamma}$ KO mice. And, we checked the functionality of grafted islet by graft removal and insulin staining. Results: As our previous results in wild type C57BL/6 mice, female IFN-${\gamma}$ KO mice rejected male IFN-${\gamma}$ KO skin within 29 days, and did not reject male IFN-${\gamma}$ KO islet. The maintenance of normal blood glucose level was dependent on the presence of grafted male islet. And the male islet recipient did not reject 2nd challenge of male islet graft also. Conclusion: Deficiency of IFN-${\gamma}$ does not have influence on the result of male skin graft and male islet transplantation. Conclusively, male islet transplantation induced T cell tolerance is not dependent on the presence of IFN-${\gamma}$.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.133-143
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• 2021

Background Extensive research has been conducted on islet transplantation as a possible cure for diabetes. Islet transplantation in the liver via the portal vein has shown remarkable results, but numerous other recipient sites are currently being investigated. We aimed to show the effectiveness of using a muscle flap as a recipient site for islet transplantation. Methods Islet cells were harvested from 12 isogenic Lewis rats, and then diabetes was induced in another 12 isogenic Lewis rats by streptozotocin injection. In six rats, 3,000 islets were transplanted into gastrocnemius muscle flaps, and in the other six rats, the same number of islets were transplanted into the gastrocnemius muscle. The transplanted islet cell function between the two groups was compared by means of blood glucose tests, glucose tolerance tests, immunohistochemistry, and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results In the muscle flap group, blood glucose levels significantly decreased after islet transplantation. Blood glucose levels were significantly different between the two groups at 3 weeks after transplantation. The muscle flap group showed nearly normoglycemic results upon the glucose tolerance test, whereas the muscle group was hyperglycemic. Immunohistochemical evaluation showed positive results against insulin and glucagon in biopsies of both groups, and the islet cell density was higher in the muscle flap group. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction results. Conclusions Our results suggest that muscle flaps are promising candidates for islet cell transplantation.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.304-312
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• 2018

Regulatory T cells (Treg), known as immune-suppressors, may help modulate the immune response. In this study, we investigated the effect of Treg-derived $TGF-{\beta}1$ on pancreatic islet cell function in vitro and in vivo. One hundred eighty IEQ (islet equivalents) of pancreatic islets, the marginal amount to regulate blood glucose level after syngeneic islet transplantation in mouse type 1 diabetes (T1D) model, were co-cultured with $4{\times}10^6$ Treg cells for 48 hours. The changes in $TGF-{\beta}1$, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and insulin secretion levels were measured and analyzed among the Treg-only group, the islet-only group, and the Treg/islet co-cultured group. In the Treg/islet co-cultured group, IL-6 and insulin secretion levels were increased (P<0.0005, P<0.005) and islet viability was improved (P<0.005) compared with the islet-only group. Furthermore, after transplantation, the co-cultured islets regulated blood glucose levels efficiently in the T1D mouse model. These data suggest that Treg could improve islet functions and viability via the $TGF-{\beta}1$ secretion pathway (P<0.05~0.005), thus the use of Treg in islet transplantation should be explored further.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.221-230
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• 2004

Flora of the Dokdo Islet, where located south-east from Ulnung Island, off the east coast of the Korean peninsula, recorded as 59 taxa; 29 families, 50 genus, 48 species, 1 sub-species, 9 varieties and 1 form. Dong-do (East islet) of Dokdo Islet, naturalized plants such as Brassica campestris subsp. napus var. nipp-oleitera and Rumex crispus are widely ranged over the islet. The naturalizedplants affects the native species and their habitats of Artemisia japonica var. macrocephala, Echinochloa crus-galli, Sedum oryzifolium, Arabis stelleri var. japonica and Sedum kamtschaticum var takesimense in the islet. The trail in Seo-do (West islet) is heavily threatened by over-all weathering processes on the rock. The native woody species in the islet are Euonymous japonicus and Lonicera insularis, and the species such as Pinus thunbergii and Hibiscus syriacus are planted in the recent past under the IRP (Islet Restoration Program) by NGO. The Specific Plants, which is designated and categorized by the Ministry of Environment, Korea, such as Lilium lancifolium, Lysimachia mauritiana and Reynoutria sachalinensis are ranged. The ecosystem of Dokdo islet is seriously threatened by invadedplant species and building works for garrison and relevant facilities. The over-all long- and short-term strategies, based on interdisciplinary and integrated approaches for habitat restoration is needed.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.695-698
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• 2000

We studied the viability and function of islet with monomethoxy polyethylene glycol (mPEG) grafted onto its membrane. Islets were isolated from rat and were repeatedly reacted with activated mPEG (mw 5000) in order to increase grafting density. The density of grafted PEG on the islet membrane was confirmed by Fluorescein-PEG-NHS. An assessment of islet viability using AO / PI staining method showed that multiple PEGylation did not reduce islet viability. The function of PEG grafted islets was evaluated by measuring released insulin from islets. Insulin secreted from the PEGylated islets for 1 h did not show any significant difference compared to control (non-PEGylated) islets. In addition, PEGylated islets responded in the same pattern as control islets in the perifusion test.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.224-229
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• 2001

The vascular plants in Chilsan islet were summarized as 84 taxi; 37 families, 74 genus, 71 species, 13 varieties. Evidence from the species distribution such as Cudrania tricuspidata and Mallotus japonicus, this islet belongs to the Southern province in phytogeographical point of view. The dominant species in the studied areas are in the follows; Both Carex boottiana and Artemisia carpillaris are in the Islet I, Carex boottiana for the Island II, Both Carex boottiuna and Mallotus japonicus fur the Island III. Clerodendron trichotomum for the Island IV. Both Miscanthus sinensis and Imperate cylindrie var. koenigii for the Island Ⅵ, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.113-125
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• 2011

Seabirds have adapted to life in marine environments. More than 25% of the bird species observed in South Korea are seabirds, using the coast area of Korean peninsula as a stop-over and wintering, and breeding site. The aims of this review are to provide information about migratory and resident Korean seabirds and to discuss the methods that are currently employed to monitor the marine environment. In Korea, it has been reported that more than 400,000 individuals of seabirds breed on Nando Islet, Chilbaldo Islet, Guguldo Islet, Sasudo Islet, Hongdo Islet and Dokdo Islet. In 2010, approximately 160,000 seabirds also visited South Korea during the winter. Two of the main treats were introduced wildlife and habitat destruction by humans. Seabirds are monitored mainly at the population and individual levels. The assessment of population sizes and biomagnifications of pollutants are performed preferably at the community and population levels. Behaviour, growth, morphological characteristics, and breeding success is analyzed at the individual level and employed to gauge the health of the marine environment. In addition, we could suggest that molecular technique of seabirds successfully adopted to investigate the effects of pollutants and toxins in the marine environment.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.150-156
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• 1999

The induction of proliferation of adult rat islets was investigated under various culture conditions. The islets were isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats and subsequently embedded in collagen gels, which mimic the in vivo three-dimensional surroundings. During the culture period, the effects of heterologous serum (fetal bovine serum, FBS), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and retinoic acid (RA) on islet growth were examined with respect to the morphological and total DNA content changes. To investigate these changes at the cellular level, whole mount immunocytochemistry using specific antibodies for insulin and glucagon was performed. The results showed that (i) collagen gels as an extracellular matrix can maintain islets in a similar way to that in vivo, (ii) heterologous serum (FBS) had stimulatory effects on islet proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, (iii) RA had inhibitory effects on islet proliferation induced by the serum in a dose-dependent manner, (iv) EGF had weak inhibitory effects on islet proliferation induced by the serum except at the concentration of 10 nM where its effect was not significant, and (v) whole mount immunocytochemistry revealed that newly proliferated islet cells were mainly $\beta$-and $\alpha$-cells.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.51-54
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• 2015

Flavonoids from Morus alba fruits were evaluated for recovery effect on the damage of alloxan-induced pancreatic islet in zebrafish. Alloxan treatment on the zebrafish embryo surely decreased the pancreatic islet size (p <0.001). Rutin, isoquercetin, and quercetin very significantly recovered the size (p <0.001) and the fluorescence intensity of pancreatic islet.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.86-90
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• 2000

We have earlier reported on the cloning and identification of bft-k from an enterotoxigenic strain of Bacteroides fragilis 419, which was isolated from the blood of a Korean patient who suffered from systemic infections [4,5]. The bft-k gene encodes a 397-amino-acids metalloprotease enterotoxin, and the protein has been identified as a new isoform of B. fragilis enterotoxins (BFTs), which are cytopathic to intestinal epithelial cells to induce fluid secretion and tissue damage in ligated intestinal loops [4, 6, 18, 20]. This report describes the cloning and sequencing of the enterotoxin pahogenicity islet of B. fragilis 419 which contains the bft-k gene. the cloned enterotoxin pathogenicity islet was found to have 6,045 bp in length and to contain 120bp direct repeats near its end. In the pathogenicity islet, in addition to the BFR-K, two putative open reading frames (ORFs) were identified; (1) the t-3 gene encoding a 396-amino-acids protein of a putative metalloprotease; (2) the third gene encoding an ORF of a 59-amino-acids protein, whose function has not yet beenn characterized. The expression of the t-3 gene in B. fragilis 419 was verified by western blot analysis.