• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
• /
• 2005.11b
• /
• pp.39-50
• /
• 2005

Electrolytic reduction of uranium oxide to uranium metal was studied in a $LiCl-Li_{2}O$ molten salt system. The reduction mechanism of the uranium oxide to a uranium metal has been studied by means of a cyclic voltammetry. Effects of the layer thickness of the uranium oxide and the thickness of the MgO on the overpotential of the cathode and the anode were investigated by means of a chronopotentiometry. From the cyclic voltamograms, the decomposition potentials of the metal oxides are the determining factors for the mechanism of the reduction of the uranium oxide in a $LiCl-3\;wt{\%} Li_{2}O$ molten salt and the two mechanisms of the electrolytic reduction were considered with regards to the applied cathode potential. In the chronopotentiograms, the exchange current and the transfer coefficient based on the Tafel behavior were obtained with regard to the layer thickness of the uranium oxide which is loaded into the porous MgO membrane and the thickness of the porous MgO membrane. The maximum allowable currents for the changes of the layer thickness of the uranium oxide and the thickness of the MgO membrane were also obtained from the limiting potential which is the decomposition potential of LiCl.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.1-13
• /
• 2006

Purpose : Polygonum cuspidatum extract is an oriental herb which has been used for uterine diseases. In this study, the effects of Polygonum cuspidatum extract were investigated on inducing growth inhibition and apoptosis of human uterine cervical carcinoma cells. Methods : Viability of Polygonum cuspidatum extract-induced ME-180 cells was measured by MTT assay. Apoptotic cells were visualized by EtBr/AcOr staining under fluorescent microscope. Nucleosomal DNA fragmentation was assayed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Cell cycle distribution and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were observed by flow cytometry. Results : Polygonum cuspidatum extract induced ME-180 cell death in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In the cells treated with Pc, the population of cells at sub-G1 phase significantly increased, and the condensed nuclei, apoptotic bodies and nucleosome-sized DNA were detected. Moreover, reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential was detected. Conclusion : Polygonum cuspidatum extract inhibits the growth and proliferation of ME-180 cells by apoptotic induction and facilitates its activity initiated by depolarization of mitochondria.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.135-140
• /
• 2014

The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are derived from the mesoderm, are considered as a readily available source for tissue engineering. They have multipotent differentiation capacity and can be differentiated into various cell types. Many studies have demonstrated that the MSCs identified from amniotic membrane (AM-MSCs) and amniotic fluid (AF-MSCs) are shows advantages for many reasons, including the possibility of noninvasive isolation, multipotency, self-renewal, low immunogenicity, anti-inflammatory and nontumorigenicity properties, and minimal ethical problem. The AF-MSCs and AM-MSCs may be appropriate sources of mesenchymal stem cells for regenerative medicine, as an alternative to embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Recently, regenerative treatments such as tissue engineering and cell transplantation have shown potential in clinical applications for degenerative diseases. Therefore, amnion and MSCs derived from amnion can be applied to cell therapy in neuro-degeneration diseases. In this review, we will describe the potential of AM-MSCs and AF-MSCs, with particular focus on cures for neuronal degenerative diseases.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.336-343
• /
• 2020

The present study was carried out to investigate the possibility that bispidinone derivative makes anticancer drug availability to human cervical carcinoma cell. The B8 has the lowest IC50 value among B8, B9 and B10 which are bispidinone analogue with bromide. According to cytotoxic test through WST-8 assay, B8 shows the most magnificent cytotoxicity effectiveness with 76 μM of IC50 value. In human cervical carcinoma cell treated with B8, it noticeably controlled cellular multiplication by increase of concentration and time. Furthermore, morphological changes like cellular shrink, disruption and nuclear condensation, feature of apoptosis, are observed. Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining assay test proved that B8 can cause apoptosis. Moreover, after treatment with 76 μM of B8, flow cytometry analysis shows that increase of active oxygen species are induced and membrane potential in mitochondria is decreased. Manifestation of Bcl-2 family and caspase cascades protein provides evidence that B8 induces apoptosis through mitochondria and caspase-related pathway. Taken together, we suggested that B8 reduced membrane potential in mitochondria and induce apoptosis through the pathway depended on mitochondria and caspase.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.50 no.3
• /
• pp.387-394
• /
• 2022

Verotoxin-1 (VT-1) or Shiga-like toxin 1 (Stx-1) is produced by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) and is an AB5 holotoxin with a strong inhibitor of protein synthesis. VT-1 is a type 2 ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) that has been shown to have cytotoxic and anticancer potential by inducing necrosis, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest, making it a promising antitumor candidate. Here, we tested the cytotoxicity of VT-1 on CaCo2 and NCM425 cell lines and the results showed that VT-1 was more potent on CaCo2. Morphological changes were also evaluated on the cellular level and the results showed that VT-1 caused a decrease in viable cell count, altered cell membrane permeability, and an increase in total nuclear intensity. On the other hand, VT-1 displayed a lesser impact on mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and cytochrome c release. On the expression of caspases 3 and 9, VT-1 exhibited an insignificant effect on both which alongside the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and cytochrome c results, might indicate that CaCo2 suffered from the necrosis process as a mechanism of cell death after exposure to VT-1.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.147-158
• /
• 1991

The effects of noradrenaline on the spontaneous contraction recorded from a strip of mucosa-free antral circular muscle were studied in the guinea-pig stomach, and the changes in slow waves and membrane resistance were analyzed in order to elucidate the mechanism for the excitatory response to noradrenaline. Electrical responses of circular muscle cells were recorded using glass microelectrodes filled with 3 M KCI. Electrotonic potentials were produced to estimate membrane resistance by the partition stimulating method. All experiments were performed in tris-buffered Tyrode solution which was aerated with 100% $O_2$ and kept at $35^{\circ}C$. The results obtained were as follows: 1) The spontaneous contractions were potentiated dose-dependently by the application of noradrenaline. 2) Through the experiments using adrenoceptor-blockers, the strong excitatory effect via $[\alpha}-adrenoceptors$ and the weak inhibitory efffect via ${\beta}-adrenoceptors$ were noted. 3) Noradrenaline produced hyperpolarization of membrane potential, and increases in the amplitude and the maximum rate of rise of slow waves. 4) In the presence of apamin, Ca-dependent K channel blocker, the characteristic hyperpolarization was not developed. However, the excitatory effect of noradrenaline on spontaneous contraction remained. 5) Membrane resistance was reduced during the hyperpolarized state by the application of noradrenaline, and the change of membrane resistance and the hyperpolarized state were completely abolished by apamin. From the above results, following conclusions could be made: Excitatory responses to noradrenaline result from the dominant ${\alpha}-excitatory$, and the weak ${\beta}-inhibitory$ action of noradrenaline. Hyperpolarization of membrane potential by noradrenaline is due to the activation of Ca-dependent K channel.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.28 no.10
• /
• pp.1756-1762
• /
• 2007

Envelope proteins of virus contain a segment of hydrophobic amino acids, called as fusion peptide, which triggers membrane fusion by insertion into membrane and perturbation of lipid bilayer structure. Potential fusion peptide sequences have been identified in the middle of L or M proteins or at the N-terminus of S protein in the envelope of human hepatitis B virus (HBV). Two 16-mer peptides representing the N-terminal fusion peptide of the S protein and the internal fusion peptide in L protein were synthesized, and their membrane disrupting activities were characterized. The internal fusion peptide in L protein showed higher activity of liposome leakage and hemolysis of human red blood cells than the N-terminal fusion peptide of S protein. Also, the membrane disrupting activity of the extracellular domain of L protein significantly increased when the internal fusion peptide region was exposed to N-terminus by the treatment of V8 protease. These results indicate that the internal fusion peptide region of L protein could activate membrane fusion when it is exposed by proteolysis.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
• /
• 2001.10a
• /
• pp.459-465
• /
• 2001

The work was initiated to investigate the electrokinetic properties of a MF membrane using streaming potential measurement when oil emulsion was separated. The original and the surface modified PP membrane were examined by using flux and streaming potentials for the characterization of fouling phenomena of the PP membrane. The membrane surface was modified by a radiation grafting technique. The streaming potentials of the PP membranes were varied the charge distribution modifying by changing the pH, ionic strength, and concentrations the surfactants in oil emulsion. The shiftness to the more positive values of isoelectric point of the PP membrane was significant especially in the presence of surfactants or the surface modification.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.89-92
• /
• 2004

The effects of different light quality on the change of membrane potential difference (PD) of the guard cell in the intact leaf have been investigated. The mombrane PD was about -5.5 mV by white light of 600 $\mu$moles $m^{-2}\; s^{-1}$. The mean PD of change caused by red light was about -5.2 mV at the light intensity of 80 $\mu$moles $m^{-2}\; s^{-1}$. Membrane PD of guard cells in response to blue light was saturated at low light intensity. However, red and green light enhanced the change of membrane PD of guard cells with increasing intensity. In green light the biggest change of memrane PD was around -4 mV, whereas, with blue light the change of of memrane PD was around -2 mV. Accordingly, the membrane PD of guard cell showed the different degree of hyper-polarization by each wavelength.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2004.05b
• /
• pp.57-60
• /
• 2004

Polymer electrolyte membranes have been studied widely in chloro-alkali electrolysis, cationic exchange resins, and fuel cell applications. Especially, sulfonated polyimide membranes have been suggested as a potential polymer electrolyte in PEMFC due to their excellent thermal stability and high proton conductivity.(omitted)