• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.217-227
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• 2020

Trichomonas vaginalis causes inflammation of the prostate and has been detected in tissues of prostate cancers (PCa), prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Obesity is a risk factor for PCa and causes a chronic subclinical inflammation. This chronic inflammation further exacerbates adipose tissue inflammation as results of migration and activation of macrophages. Macrophages are the most abundant immune cells in the PCa microenvironment. M2 macrophages, known as Tumor-Associated Macrophages, are involved in increasing cancer malignancy. In this study, conditioned medium (TCM) of PCa cells infected with live trichomonads contained chemokines that stimulated migration of the mouse preadipocytes (3T3-L1 cells). Conditioned medium of adipocytes incubated with TCM (ATCM) contained Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13). Macrophage migration was stimulated by ATCM. In macrophages treated with ATCM, expression of M2 markers increased, while M1 markers decreased. Therefore, it is suggested that ATCM induces polarization of M0 to M2 macrophages. In addition, conditioned medium from the macrophages incubated with ATCM stimulates the proliferation and invasiveness of PCa. Our findings suggest that interaction between inflamed PCa treated with T. vaginalis and adipocytes causes M2 macrophage polarization, so contributing to the progression of PCa.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.302-308
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• 2019

The abscopal effect is a term that has been used to describe the phenomenon in which localized radiation therapy treatment of a tumor lesion triggers a spontaneous regression of metastatic lesion(s) at a non-irradiated distant site(s). Radiation therapy induced abscopal effects are believed to be mediated by activation and stimulation of the immune system. However, due to the brain's distinctive immune microenvironment, extracranial abscopal responses following cranial radiation therapy have rarely been reported. In this report, we describe the case of 42-year-old female patient with metastatic melanoma who experienced an abscopal response following her cranial radiation therapy for her brain metastasis. The patient initially presented with a stage III melanoma of the right upper skin of her back. Approximately 5 years after her diagnosis, the patient developed a large metastatic lesion in her upper right pectoral region of her chest wall and axilla. Since the patient's tumor was positive for BRAF and MEK, targeted therapy with dabrafenib and trametinib was initiated. However, the patient experienced central nervous system (CNS) symptoms of headache and disequilibrium and developed brain metastases prior to the start of targeted therapy. The patient received radiation therapy to a dose of 30 Gy delivered in 15 fractions to her brain lesions while the patient was on dabrafenib and trametinib therapy. The patient's CNS metastases improved significantly within weeks of her therapy. The patient's non-irradiated large extracranial chest mass and axilla mass also shrank substantially demonstrating the abscopal effect during her CNS radiation therapy. Following radiation therapy of her residual chest lesions, the patient was disease free clinically and her CNS lesions had regressed. However, when the radiation therapy ended and the patient continued her targeted therapy alone, recurrence outside of her previously treated fields was noted. The disease recurrence could be due to the possibility of developing BRAF resistance clones to the BRAF targeted therapy. The patient died eventually due to wide spread systemic disease recurrence despite targeted therapy.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.564-571
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• 2018

Background Chronic wounds occur due to failure of the normal healing process, associated with a lack of deposition of cellular components and a suitable microenvironment such as the extracellular matrix (ECM). Acellular dermal matrix (ADM) is viewed as an ECM substitute, and a paste-type ADM has recently been introduced. We hypothesized that CGPaste, an injectable paste-type ADM, could serve as a scaffold and promote wound healing. Methods We retrospectively studied seven patients in whom CGPaste was applied between 2017 and 2018, who had pressure ulcers, necrotizing fasciitis, diabetic foot ulcers, traumatic defects, and osteomyelitis. The goal of applying CGPaste was to achieve complete wound healing with re-epithelialization or growth of granulation tissue, depending upon the wound bed status. CGPaste was injected based on the wound size along with the application of a dressing. Results Four of the seven patients showed granulation tissue on their wound bed, while the other three patients had a bony wound bed. The mean wound area was $453.57mm^2$ and the depth was 10.71 mm. Wound healing occurred in five of the seven patients (71.43%). The mean duration of complete healing was 2.4 weeks. Two patients showed failure due to paste absorption (29.57%); these patients had wound beds comprising bone with relatively large and deep wounds ($40{\times}30$ and $30{\times}20mm^2$ in area and 15 and 10 mm in depth). Conclusions CGPaste is an effective option for coverage of small and deep chronic wounds for which a flap operation or skin grafting is unfeasible.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.7
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• pp.344-349
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• 2018

Therapeutic applications of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are limited due to their early death within the first few days of transplantation. Therefore, to improve the efficacy of cell-based therapies, it is necessary to manipulate MSCs so that they can resist various stresses imposed by the microenvironment. Moreover, the role of superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3) in regulating such survival under different stress conditions remain elusive. In this study, we overexpressed SOD3 in MSCs (SOD3-MSCs) and evaluated its effect under serum starvation conditions. Nutritional limitation can decrease the survival rate of transplanted MSCs and thus can reduce their efficacy during therapy. Interestingly, we found that SOD3-MSCs exhibited reduced reactive oxygen species levels and greater survival rates than normal MSCs under serum-deprived conditions. In addition, overexpression of SOD3 attenuated starvation-induced apoptosis with increased autophagy in MSCs. Moreover, we have demonstrated that SOD3 protects MSCs against the negative effects of serum deprivation via modulation of AMP-activated protein kinase/sirtulin 1, extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation, and promoted Forkhead box O3a trafficking to the nucleus. Taken together, these results demonstrate that SOD3 promotes MSCs survival and add further evidence to the concept that SOD3-MSCs may be a potential therapeutic agent with better outcomes than normal MSCs for various diseases involving oxidative stress and compromised MSCs survival during therapy.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.38 no.10
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• pp.817-829
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• 2014

One of the main issues in tissue engineering has been the development of a three-dimensional (3D) structure, which is a temporary template that provides the structural support and microenvironment necessary for cell growth and differentiation into the target tissue. In tissue engineering, various biomaterials and their processing techniques have been applied for the fabrication of 3D structures. In particular, 3D printing technology enables the fabrication of a complex inner/outer architecture using a computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system, and it has been widely applied to the fabrication of 3D structures for tissue engineering. Novel cell/organ printing techniques based on 3D printing have also been developed for the fabrication of a biomimetic structure with various cells and biomaterials. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the functional scaffold and cell-printed structures based on 3D printing technology and the application of this technology to various kinds of tissues regeneration.

• Rapid Communication in Photoscience
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.81-84
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• 2014

To examine the microenvironmental effect of DNA on the photosensitized reaction, the electron-donor-connecting porphyrin, meso-(9-phenanthryl)-tris(N-methyl-p-pyridinio) porphyrin (Phen-TMPyP), was synthesized. Phen-TMPyP can bind to oligonucleotides with two binding modes, depending on the DNA concentration. The fluorescence lifetime measurement of Phen-TMPyP shows a shorter component than that of the reference porphyrin without the phenanthryl moiety. However, the observed value is much longer than those of previously reported similar types of electron-donor-connecting porphyrins, suggesting that electron-transfer quenching by the phenanthryl moiety is not sufficient. The fluorescence quantum yield of Phen-TMPyP ($5{\mu}M$) decreased with an increase in DNA concentration of up to $5{\mu}M$ base pair (bp), possibly due to self-quenching through an aggregation along the DNA strand, increased with an increase in DNA concentration of more than $5{\mu}M$ bp and reached a plateau. The fluorescence quantum yield of Phen-TMPyP with a sufficient concentration of DNA was larger than that of the reference porphyrin. The singlet oxygen ($^1O_2$) generating activity of Phen-TMPyP was confirmed by the near-infrared emission spectrum measurement. The quantum yield of $^1O_2$ generation was decreased by a relatively small concentration of DNA, possibly due to the aggregation of Phen-TMPyP, and recovered with a sufficient concentration of DNA. The recovered quantum yield was rather smaller than that without DNA, indicating the quenching of $^1O_2$ by DNA. These results show that a DNA strand can stabilize the photoexcited state of a photosensitizer and, in a certain case, suppresses the $^1O_2$ generation.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.180-185
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• 2009

Only limited information is available as regards to the exposure levels of naphthalene (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs) and monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(MAHs) in the interiors of diesel-fueled passenger cars, while many studies investigated the exposure levels of various volatile organic compounds(VOCs) in the interiors of gasoline-fueled passenger cars or public buses. Present study was performed to supplement this deficiency by measuring naphthalene (as a representative of PAHs) and MAHs levels inside five diesel-fueled and five gasoline-fueled passenger cars while morning and evening commuting on real roadways. Each car was surveyed five times on different sampling days. The in-vehicle naphthalene levels were higher for the diesel-fueled cars as compared to gasoline-fueled cars, whereas the results were reversed for the in-vehicle MAH levels. The median cabin levels of diesel-fueled cars were 1.3, 7, 13, 4, and 6 ${\mu}g/m^3$ for naphthalene, benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and m,pxylene, respectively. With respect to gasoline-fueled cars, their respective levels were 0.7, 11, 21, 7, and 9 ${\mu}g/m^3$ . The median MAHs concentration ratios of gasoline-fueled cars to diesel-fueled cars ranged from 1.50 to 1.75, while the median naphthalene concentration ratio was estimated to be 0.54. In addition, there was no significant difference of both naphthalene and MAHs between the diesel-fueled cars, but the in-vehicle levels were significantly different between gasoline-fueled cars. The concentration levels of both naphthalene and MAHs were higher in the passenger cars than other non-industrial microenvironments. Consequently, it was confirmed that the cabins of both diesel-fueled and gasoline-fueled passenger cars are an important microenvironment associated with the exposure to naphthalene and MAHs.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.45-56
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• 2008

In the present study, real-time PCR was performed to evaluated expression of several isoforms of monocarboxylate transporters(MCTs) and two known MCT regulatory proteins, basigin (Bsg) and embigin, in the epididymis of the male reproductive tract during postnatal development. In addition, ERα�-mediated regulation of MCT1 expression in the epididymis was determined with estrogen receptor(ER) α� knockout(α�ERKO) mice by immunohistochemistry. Results from the current study demonstrated differential expression of MCT isoform(MCT 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8), Bsg, and embigin mRNAs in rat epididymis according to postnatal age and epididymal region. In addition, immunohistochemical study of MCT1 revealed the limited localization of MCT1 at apical area of corpus and caudal epididymis. The present study also showed that expression of MCT1 was not directly regulated by ERα�. The findings from the current study suggest that MCTs would involve in establishing adequate microenvironment for sperm maturation and storage in the epididymis, eventually leading to maintenance of male fertility.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.3 no.6
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• pp.539-546
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• 1999

Bone is a complex tissue in which resorption and formation continue throughout life. The bone tissue contains various types of cells, of which the bone forming osteoblasts and bone resorbing osteoclasts are mainly responsible for bone remodeling. Periodontal disease represents example of abnormal bone remodeling. Osteoclasts are multinucleated cells present only in bone. It is believed that osteoclast progenitors are hematopoietic origin, and they are recruited from hematopoietic tissues such as bone marrow and circulating blood to bone. Cells present in the osteoclast microenvironment include marrow stromal cells, osteoblasts, macrophages, T-lymphocytes, and marrow cells. These cells produce cytokines that can affect osteoclast formation. In vitro model systems using bone marrow cultures have demonstrated that $IL-l{\beta},\;IL-3,\;TNF-{\alpha},$ bFGF can stimulate the formation of osteoclasts. In contrast, IL-4 inhibits osteoclast formation. Knowledge of cytokines and bFGF that affect osteoclast formation and their capacity to modulate the bone-resorbing process should provide critical insights into normal calcium homeostasis and disorders of bone turnover such as periodontal disease, osteoporosis and Paget's disease.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2009

The epididymis in the male reproductive tract is the site where spermatozoa produced from the testis become mature. The epididymis is divided into 4 different segments, initial segment and caput, corpus, and caudal epididymis, depending upon functional and morphological features. Aquaporins (Aqps) are water channel molecules, which are present in the epididymis and play a major role in removal of epididymal water, resulting in creation of microenvironment for sperm maturation and concentration of sperms. Nandrolone decanoate (ND) is a synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroid, which is used to treat clinical diseases and improve physical ability and appearance. Even though it is well determined that the ND causes the male infertility by affecting the testis, little is known the effect of the ND on the epididymis. The present study was focused to examine the effect of ND at different treatment doses and periods on expression of Aqp1 and Aqp9 genes in the epididymis of pubertal rats. Results showed that mRNA expression of Aqp1 and Aqp9 genes among the parts of the epididymis was differentially regulated by ND treatment doses. In addition, treatment periods of ND caused differential expression of Aqp1 and Aqp9 mRNAs among segments of the epididymis. Therefore, it is believed that male infertility induced by ND could be resulted not only from malfunction of the testis but also from aberrant gene expression of Aqp1 and Aqp9 in the epididymis.