• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.441-448
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• 2014

Inflammasomes are specialized signaling platforms critical for the regulation of innate immune and inflammatory responses. Various NLR family members (i.e., NLRP1, NLRP3, and IPAF) as well as the PYHIN family member AIM2 can form inflammasome complexes. These multiprotein complexes activate inflammatory caspases (i.e., caspase-1) which in turn catalyze the maturation of select pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ and IL-18. Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome typically requires two initiating signals. Toll-like receptor (TLR) and NOD-like receptor (NLR) agonists activate the transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes through an NF-${\kappa}B$-dependent priming signal. Following exposure to extracellular ATP, stimulation of the P2X purinoreceptor-7 ($P2X_7R$), which results in $K^+$ efflux, is required as a second signal for NLRP3 inflammasome formation. Alternative models for NLRP3 activation involve lysosomal destabilization and phagocytic NADPH oxidase and /or mitochondria-dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In this review we examine regulatory mechanisms that activate the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Furthermore, we discuss the potential roles of NLRP3 in metabolic and cognitive diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer's disease, and major depressive disorder. Novel therapeutics involving inflammasome activation may result in possible clinical applications in the near future.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.236-241
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• 2004

In Escherichia coli, L-lysine biosynthetic pathway is composed of nine enzymatic reactions. It has been well established that most of the lysine biosynthetic genes are regulated by the lysine availability, even though they are all scattered around the chromosome without forming any multigenic operon structure. However, no transcriptional regulatory mechanism has been identified except for the activation of lysA gene by the LysR. In this study, changes in transcriptome profiles of wild type cells and lysR deletion mutant cells grown in the absence or presence of lysine were investigated by using DNA microarray technique. Microarray data analysis revealed three groups of genes whose expression varies depending on the availability of lysine or LysR or both. To further examine the regulatory patterns of lysine biosynthetic genes, lacZ operon fusions were constructed and their expression was measured under various conditions. Obtained results strongly suggest that there is an additional regulatory mechanism which senses the lysine availability and coordinates gene expression.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.286-291
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• 1994

The mutagenicity of DA-3030(rhG-CSF)was studied by reverse mutation test, chromosome aberration test and micronucleus test. The reverse mutatuon test in bacteria was performed using salmonella typhimurium strain TA100, TA98, TA1535 and TA1537 with rhG-CSF in any of the concentrations(150, 75, 37.5, 18.75, 9.375 and 4,6875 $\mu\textrm{g}$/plate), no increase in the number of revertant colonies in each strain was observed, irrespective of treatment with the metabolic activation system(S-9 mix) The chromosome aberration test was carried out using CHL cells, cell line from chinese hamster lung. With 4 doses(75, 37.5, 18.75 and 9.375 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml) of rhG-/CSF the cells were treated for 24 or 48 hours in the direct method or for 6 hours followed by 18 hour-expression time in the metabolic activation method. Results of the study showed, by the direct method or metabolic activation method, no trend toward increase in the number of aberrant metaphase. The micronucleus test was carried out using ICR mice at the age of 8 weeks. Three doses(862.5, 1725 and 3450 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg) of DA-3030 were admintstered intraperitoneally with single shot and bone marrow cells were sampled at 24 hours after administration. Neither the number of polychromatic erythrocytes with micronuclei nor the ratio of normochromatic erythrocytes to polychromatic erythrocytes increased singinficantly in each dose, compared with a vehicle control. These results indicate that rhG-CSF has not mutagenic potential under the condiions.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.185-185
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• 2003

To develope the novel anti-allergic drug, many sophoricoside derivatives were synthesized. Among these derivatives, JSH-II-3, JSH-Ⅵ-3, JSH-Ⅶ-3, and JSH-Ⅷ-3 were selected and subjected to high throughput toxicity screening (HTTS) because they revealed strong IL-5 inhibitory activity and limitation of quantity. Mouse lymphoma thymidine kinase (tk$\^$+/-/) gene assay (MOLY) and single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) assay in mammalian cells were used as HTTS tool in our laboratory. In MOLY assay, JSH-Ⅶ-3 at 50 ∼ 6 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml concentrations was not shown significant mutagenic effect in the absence and presence of S-9 metabolic activation system. However, the concentration of ISH-II-3, 38 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml, induced increased mutation frequency (MF) in the presence of S-9 metabolic activation system. Also in comet assay, DNA damage was not observed in JSH-Ⅵ-3 and JSH-Ⅶ-3, wherase concentration of 32.8 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml in JSH-II-3 and 13.9 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml in JSH-Ⅶ-3 were induced DNA damage in the absence of S-9 metabolic activation system. Therefore, we suggest that JSH-Ⅵ-3 and JSH-Ⅶ-3 have no genotoxic effects but JSH-II-3 and JSH-Ⅷ-3 induce some mutagenicity and DNA strand breaks in mouse lymphoma cell line used this study.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.194-199
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• 2002

Many oxidative metabolites of tetrahydrocannabinols (THCs), active components of marijuana, were pharmacologically active, and 11-hydroxy-THCs, 11-oxo-${\Delta}^8$-THC, 7-oxo-${\Delta}^8$-THC, 8$\beta$, 9$\beta$-epoxyhexahydrocannabinol (EHHC), 9$\alpha$, l0$\alpha$-EHHC and 3'-hydroxy-${\Delta}^9$-THC were more active than THC in pharmacological effects such as catalepsy, hypothermia and barbiturate synergism in mice. Cannabidiol (CBD), another major component, was biotransfomred to two novel metabolites, 6-hydroxymethyl-${\Delta}^9$-THC and 3-pentyl-6, 7, 7a, 8, 9, lla-hexahydro-I, 7-dihydroxy-7, 1O-dimethyldibenzo[b, d]oxepin (PHDO) through 8R, 9-epoxy-CBD and 85, 9-epoxy-CBD, respectively. Both metabolites exhibited some pharmacological effects comparable to d9 - THe. Cannabinol (CBN), the other major component, was mainly metabolized to ll-hydroxy-CBN by hepatic microsomes of animals including humans. The pharmacological effects of the metabolite were higher than those of CBN demonstrating that II-hydroxylation of CBN is metabolic activation pathway of the cannabinoid as is the case in THCs. Tolerance and reciprocal cross-tolerance developed to pharmacological effects d8 - THC and ll-hydroxy-d8-THC , and the magnitude of tolerance development produced by the metabolite was significantly higher than that by d8-THC. The results indicate that ll-hydroxy-d8-THC has an important role not only in the pharmacological effects but also its tolerance development of d8 - THe. THCs and their metabolites competed to the specific binding of CP-55, 940, an agonist of cannabinoid receptor, to synaptic membrane from bovine cerebral cortex. The Ki value of THCs and their metabolites were closely paralleled to their pharmacological effects in mice. A novel cytochrome P450 (cyp2c29) was purified and identified as a major enzyme responsible for the metabolic activation of d8-THC at the II-position in the mouse liver. cDNA of CYP2C29 was cloned from a mouse cDNA library and its sequence was determined. The oxidation mechanism of THC by cyp2c29 was proposed.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2005

Perchloroethylene (tetrachloroethylene, PCE), a dry cleaning and degreasing solvent, can enter ground-water through accidental leak or spills. PCE can be degraded to trichloroethylene (TCE), 1, 1-dichloroethylene (DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC) as potential bio-product. These compounds have been reported that they can cause clinical diseases and cytotoxicity. However, only a little genotoxic information of these compounds has been known. In this study, we investigated DNA single strand breaks of PCE, TCE, DCE and VC by single cell gel electrophoresis assay, (comet assay) which is a sensitive, reliable and rapid method for DNA single strand breaks with mouse lymphoma L5178Y cells. From these results, $37.5\;{\mu}g/ml$ of PCE, $189\;{\mu}g/ml$ of TCE and $56.4\;{\mu}g/ml$ of DCE were revealed significant DNA damages in the absence of S-9 metabolic activation system meaning direct-acting mutagen. And in the presence of S-9 metabolic activation system, $41.5\;{\mu}g/ml$ of PCE, $328.7\;{\mu}g/ml$ of TCE and $949\;{\mu}g/ml$ of DCE were induced significant DNA damage. In the case of VC, it was revealed a significant DNA damage in the presence of S-9 metabolic activation system. Therefore, we suggest that chloroethylene compounds (PCE, TCE, DCE and VC) may be induced the DNA damage in a mammalian cell.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.43-47
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• 2004

In order to investigate the safety of a water extract (ADP) of 1 : 1 mixture of Anemarrhena rhizoma and Phellodendron cortex for alleviating benign prostate hyperplasia, genotoxicity studies in bacterial and mammalian cell assay systems, namely, the Ames bacterial reverse mutation and chromosomal aberration assays were performed. As shown by the results of the Ames bacterial reversion assay, ADP in the range of 625-5000 $\mu\textrm{g}$/plate did not induce mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium TA 98, TA 100, TA 1535 and TA 1537 strains in the absence or in the presence of S9 (the microsomal fraction of rat liver homogenate) metabolic activation. The $IC_{50}$ (50% cell growth inhibition concentration) values of ADP for the chromosomal aberration assay were determined; these were 2425 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml in the absence and 8126 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml in the presence of S9 metabolic activation in Chinese hamster lung (CHL) fibroblast cell culture. No chromosomal aberration was observed in CHL cells treated with ADP at 2425, 1212.5 and 606.25 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml in the absence, or at 8126, 4063 and 2031.5 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml in the presence of S9 metabolic activation. These results show that under the conditions used, ADP does not harmfully affect the bacterial or mammalian cell system at the gene level.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.606-613
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• 1998

Cadmium is one of the well-known environmental toxicants and induces cancer in rodents and human, but its carcinogenic mechanism has not been well demonstrated until now. Genotoxic effects of cadmium in Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA100 and TA1535/pSK1002 or in WB-F344 rat liver epithelial cells were investigated to elucidate the tumor initiating effects of cadmium. TA98, TA100 and TA1535/pSK1002 tester strains were used to detect frameshift mutation, base-pair mutation and SOS repair response, respectively, in Salmonella mutation test. Reverse mutations from histidine to $histidin^+$ of Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 by $CdCl_2$ were not significantly different from control up to the maximum doses ($100{\mu}M$ and $200{\mu}M$ in TA98 and TA100, respectively) at which non-cytotoxicity was observed. DNA SOS repair responses(${\beta}$-galactosidase activity) generally did not show significant increases compared to control in both of the conditions with or without metabolic activation in Salmonella typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002 by $CdCl_2$. But the activities of ${\beta}$-galactosidase by $400{\mu}M$ of $CdCl_2$ in metabolic activation condition and by 130 and $400{\mu}M$ of $CdCl_2$ in non-metabolic activation condition were more decreased than those of control. DNA single strand breaks for 4hrs were observed only in WB-F344 rat liver epithelial cells treated with $200{\mu}M$ of $CdCl_2$. As a conclusion, $CdCl_2$ did not induce gene mutation in microbials but induce DNA single strand breaks in rat liver epithelial cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1993.04a
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• pp.71-71
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• 1993

Carboxylesterase is widely distributed in the tissues of vertebrates, insects, plants and mycobacteria. Among various tissues of animals and humans, the highest esterase activity with various substrates is found in the liver. Kidney has moderate carboxylesterase activity in the proximal tubules. Considerable esterase activity is also found in the small intestine epithet elial cells and serum of mammals. Besides these tissues, carboxylesterase has been found in the lung, testis, adipose tissue, nasal mucosa and even in the central nervous system. Hepatic microsomal carboxylesterase catalyzes the hydrolysis of a wide variety of endogenous and exogenous compounds such as carboxylester, thioester and aromatic amide. Since carboxylesterases are important for metabolic activation of prodrugs and detoxification of xenobiotics, differences in substrate specificity and immunological properties of this enzyme are important in connection with choosing a suitable laboratory animal for the evaluation of biotransformation and toxicity of drugs. On the other hand, liver, kidney, intestine and serum were found to contain multiple forms of carboxylesterases in animal species and humans. In fact, we have purified more than fifteen isoforms of carboxylesterases from microsomes of liver, kidney and intestinal mucosa of nine animal species and humans. and characteristics of these isoforms were compared each other in terms of their physical and immunochemical properties. On the other hand, we have reported that hepatic microsomal carboxylesterases are induced by many exogenous compounds such as phenobarbital, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Aroclor 1254, aminopyrine and clofibrate. Later, we showed that some isoforms of hepatic carboxylesterase were induced by glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone and 16 ${\alpha}$-carbonitrile, but other isoforms were rather inhibited by these compounds. These findings indicate that involvement of carboxylesterases in the metabolism and toxicity of drugs should be explained by the isoforms involved. Since 1991, we have carried out detailed research investigating the types of carboxylesterases involved in the metabolic activation of CPT-11, a derivative of camptothecin, to the active metabolite, SN-38. The results obtained strongly suggest that some isoforms of carboxylesterase of liver microsomes and intestinal mucosal membrane are exclusively involved in CPT-11 metabolism. In this symposium, the properties of carboxylesterase isoforms purified from liver, kidney and intestine of animal species and humans are outlined. In addition, metabolism of CPT-11, a novel antitumor agent, by carboxylesterases in relation to the effectiveness will also be discussed.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.121-129
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• 2003

The genotoxicity of pendimethalin [N-(l-ethylpropyl)-2, 6-dinitro-3, 4-xylidine, C$\_$13/H$\_$19/N$_3$O$_4$, M.W.=281.3, CAS No. 40487-42-1], one of selective herbicide, was evaluated in bacterial gene mutation system, chromosome aberration in mammalian cell system and in vivo micronucleus assay with rodent. In bacterial gene mutation assay, pendimethalin revealed dose-dependent mutagenic potential in 313 ∼ 5,000 ${\mu}$g/plate of Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA 1537 both in the absence and presence of S-9 metabolic activation system, and TA 100 only in the absence of S-9 mixture. In the TA 1535, slight increase of revertant was also observed in the presence of S-9 metabolic activation system. No mutagenic potential was observed in the TA 1535 without metabolic activation system and TA l00 in the presence of S-9 mixture. In mammalian cell system using Chinese hamster lung (CHL) fibroblast, no clastogenicity of pendimethalin was observed both in the absence and presence of S-9 metabolic activation system in the concentration range of 2.32∼9.28 ${\mu}$g/ml. And also, in vivo bone marrow micronucleus assay, pendimethalin revealed no clastogenic potential in the dose range of 203∼810 mg/kg body weight after oral administration in mice. Consequently, in vitro chromosome aberration with mammalian cells and in vivo bone marrow micronucleus assay revealed no clastogenic potential of pendimethalin. However, pendimethalin revealed mutagenic potential in bacterial gene mutation assay.