• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.579-589
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• 2017

Anesthetics are used extensively in surgeries and related procedures to prevent pain. However, there is some concern regarding neuronal degeneration and cognitive deficits arising from regular anesthetic exposure. Recent studies have indicated that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) are involved in learning and memory processes. Genistein, a plant-derived isoflavone, has been shown to exhibit neuroprotective effects. The present study was performed to examine the protective effect of genistein against isoflurane-induced neurotoxicity in rats. Neonatal rats were exposed to isoflurane (0.75%, 6 hours) on postnatal day 7 (P7). Separate groups of rat pups were orally administered genistein at doses of 20, 40, or 80 mg/kg body weight from P3 to P15 and then exposed to isoflurane anesthesia on P7. Neuronal apoptosis was detected by TUNEL assay and FluoroJade B staining following isoflurane exposure. Genistein significantly reduced apoptosis in the hippocampus, reduced the expression of proapoptotic factors (Bad, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3), and increased the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. RT-PCR analysis revealed enhanced BDNF and TrkB mRNA levels. Genistein effectively upregulated cAMP levels and phosphorylation of CREB and TrkB, leading to activation of cAMP/CREB-BDNF-TrkB signaling. PI3K/Akt signaling was also significantly activated. Genistein administration improved general behavior and enhanced learning and memory in the rats. These observations suggest that genistein exerts neuroprotective effects by suppressing isoflurane-induced neuronal apoptosis and by activating cAMP/CREB-BDNF-TrkB-PI3/Akt signaling.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.407-416
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• 2005

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) for cardiac surgery induces the production and release of numerous chemotactic substances and cytokines, ensuing systemic inflammatory response that causes postoperative major organ dysfunctions. We performed a randomized, prospective study to investigate clinical effects of preoperative treated-methylprednisolone for preventing inflammation in pediatric cardiac surgery with CPB. Thirty pediatric patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery were randomized to either control(n=15) or steroid group (n=15, 10 mg/kg of methylprednisolone). Arterial blood samples were taken before and after the operations for measuring total leukocyte (T-WBC) and differential counts, platelet counts, interleukin-6 (IL-6), myeloperoxidase (MPO), neuron specific enolase (NSE), troponin-I (TNI), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine levels. Postoperative parameters such as pulmonary index (PI, $PaO_2/FiO_2$), 24 hrs and total bleeding volumes, mechanical ventilating (MVP) and intensive care unit (ICU)-staying periods, and hospitalization were assessed. T-WBC, neutrophil fraction, IL-6, MPO, NSE, TNI, AST and creatinine levels, bleeding volumes, PI, and MVP at the postoperative periods were lower or shorter in steroid group than in control group (P<0.05). These findings indicated that preoperative administration of methylprednisolone attenuated CPB-induced inflammatory reactions, contributing to postoperative recovery of patients underwent cardiac surgery.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.491-495
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• 1999

In order to examine the effects of N-substituted alkyl group on the anticonvulsant activities of N-Cbz-$\alpha$-aminoglutarimides as novel anticonvulsants with broad spectrum, a series of (R) or (S) N-Cbz-$\alpha$-amino-N-alkylglutarimides (1 and 2) were prepared from the corresponding (R) or (S) N-Cbz-glutamic acid and evaluated for the anticonvulsant activities in the maximal electroshock seizure (MES) test and pentylenetetrazol induced seizure(PTZ) test, including the neurotoxicity. The most potent compound in the MES test was (S) N-Cbz-$\alpha$-amino-N-methylglutarimide($ED_{50}$=36.3 mg/kg, PI=1.7). This compound was also most potent in the PTZ test ($ED_{50}$=12.5 mg/kg, PI=5.0). The order of anticonvulsant activities against the MES test as evaluated form $ED_{50}$ values for (R) series was N-methyl > N-H > N-ethyl > N-allyl ; for the (S) series N-methyl > N-H > N-ethyl > N-alkyl > N-isobutyl compound. Against the PTZ tests, the order of anticonvulsant activities showed similar pattern ; for the (R) series, N-methyl > N-H > N-ethyl > N-allyl ; for the (S) series N-methyl > N-H > N-ethyl > N-allyl > N-isobutyl compound. From the above results, N-substituted alkyl groups were though to play an important role for the anticonvulsant activities of N-Cbz-$\alpha$-amino-N-alkylgutarimides.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.147-157
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• 2021

Coronary microembolization (CME) is associated with cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction. Puerarin confers protection against multiple cardiovascular diseases, but its effects and specific mechanisms on CME are not fully known. Hence, our study investigated whether puerarin pretreatment could alleviate cardiomyocyte apoptosis and improve cardiac function following CME. The molecular mechanism associated was also explored. A total of 48 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into CME, CME + Puerarin (CME + Pue), sham, and sham + Puerarin (sham + Pue) groups (with 12 rats per group). A CME model was established in CME and CME + Pue groups by injecting 42 ㎛ microspheres into the left ventricle of rats. Rats in the CME + Pue and sham + Pue groups were intraperitoneally injected with puerarin at 120 mg/kg daily for 7 days before operation. Cardiac function, myocardial histopathology, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis index were determined via cardiac ultrasound, hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and hematoxylin-basic fuchsin-picric acid (HBFP) stainings, and TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, respectively. Western blotting was used to measure protein expression related to the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) pathway. We found that, puerarin significantly ameliorated cardiac dysfunction after CME, attenuated myocardial infarct size, and reduced myocardial apoptotic index. Besides, puerarin inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis, as revealed by decreased Bax and cleaved caspase-3, and up-regulated Bcl-2 and PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway related proteins. Collectively, puerarin can inhibit cardiomyocyte apoptosis and thus attenuate myocardial injury caused by CME. Mechanistically, these effects may be achieved through activation of the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.608-617
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• 2019

The adsorption of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) onto a NaOH-activated pine wood-derived biochar was investigated via batch experiments and models. Surprisingly, the maximum adsorption capacity of activated biochar for SMX (397.29 mg/g) was superior than those of pristine biochars from various feedstock, but comparable to those of commercially available activated carbons. Elovich kinetic and Freundlich isotherm models revealed the best fitted ones for the adsorption of SMX onto the activated biochar indicating chemisorptive interaction occurred on surface of the activated biochar. In addition, the intraparticle diffusion limitation was thought to be the major barrier for the adsorption of SMX on the activated biochar. The main mechanisms for the activated biochar would include hydrophobic, π-π interactions and hydrogen bonding. This was consistent with the changes in physicochemical properties of the activated biochar (e.g., increase in sp² and surface area, but decrease in the ratios of O/C and H/C).

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 1986

Fifty-one strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated from various clinical specimens. Among them, 26 (51%) strains were gentamicin-resistant (Gm') and 25 (49%) were susceptible to gentamicin (Gm'). The frequencies of resistant strains to piperacillin (Pi), cefotaxime, moxalactam, cefoperazone (Cz), and amikacin (Ak) ranged from 21.6 to 31.4%, and $MIC_{50}$ of these drugs were lower than the critical concentrations of susceptibility and resistance. Thirty (58.8%) strains were multiply resistant to 12 or more drugs. All Gm' strains were multiply resistant to 12 or more drugs and one was resistant to all 18 drugs tested, while only four Gm' strains were multiply resistant to 12 drugs and the multiplicity of resistance of the other Gm' strains were less than 10 drugs. Resistance to Gm appeared to have a significant correlation with the resistance to tobramycin (Tb), Ak, Pi, and Cz. All Gm' strains were resistant to Tb and about 38.4 to 46.1% of them were resistant to Ak, Pi, and Cz. The incorporation of $Ca^{++}$ and $Mg^{++}$ ions in Mueller-Hinton agar (MHA) did not influence the MICs of Gm, Tb, carbenicillin (Cb), Pi, and Cz as compared with the results obtained in MHA without these ions. Gm strains were studied on the combined effect of beta-lactam antibiotics and aminoglycosides by the methods of checkerboard and modified paper strip diffusion. Most Gm' strains showed significant synergistic effects by the FIC index between Ak and three beta-lactam antibiotics; Cb, Pi, and Cz, but these results did not in agreement the results obtained through the method of modified paper strip diffusion test. In order to know the nature of the drug resistance of P. aernginosa, the plasmid profile analysis was studied. Agarose gel electrophoresis of lysates processed by the method of Kado and Liu showed one or more plasmids in 22 (43.1%) strains. A group of 19 strains showed at least one band of plasmid and three strains two bands. The range of the molecular weight of plasmids was 3.8 to 243 Mdal. All strains carrying large plasmids larger than 200 Mdal were isolated from wound specimens. Three Gm' strains also harboured the plasm ids of 13 to 203 Mdal.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.475-485
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• 2017

The present study aimed to explore the neuroprotective effect and possible mechanisms of rhGLP-1 (7-36) against transient ischemia/reperfusion injuries induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in type 2 diabetic rats. First, diabetic rats were established by a combination of a high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) (30 mg/kg, intraperitoneally). Second, they were subjected to MCAO for 2 h, then treated with rhGLP-1 (7-36) (10, 20, $40{\mu}g/kg$ i.p.) at the same time of reperfusion. In the following 3 days, they were injected with rhGLP-1 (7-36) at the same dose and route for three times each day. After 72 h, hypoglycemic effects were assessed by blood glucose changes, and neuroprotective effects were evaluated by neurological deficits, infarct volume and histomorphology. Mechanisms were investigated by detecting the distribution and expression of the nuclear factor erythroid-derived factor 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) in ischemic brain tissue, the levels of phospho-PI3 kinase (PI3K)/PI3K ratio and heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-l), as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA). Our results showed that rhGLP-1 (7-36) significantly reduced blood glucose and infarction volume, alleviated neurological deficits, enhanced the density of surviving neurons and vascular proliferation. The nuclear positive cells ratio and expression of Nrf2, the levels of P-PI3K/PI3K ratio and HO-l increased, the activities of SOD increased and the contents of MDA decreased. The current results indicated the protective effect of rhGLP-1 (7-36) in diabetic rats following MCAO/R that may be concerned with reducing blood glucose, up-regulating expression of Nrf2/HO-1 and increasing the activities of SOD.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.401-412
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• 2013

Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is an oriental herbal preparation obtained from Panax ginseng Meyer (Araliaceae). To expand our understanding of the action of KRG on central nervous system (CNS) function, we examined the effects of KRG on tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)/plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expression in rat primary astrocytes. KRG extract was treated in cultured rat primary astrocytes and neuron in a concentration range of 0.1 to 1.0 mg/mL and the expression of functional tPA/PAI-1 was examined by casein zymography, Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. KRG extracts increased PAI-1 expression in rat primary astrocytes in a concentration dependent manner (0.1 to 1.0 mg/mL) without affecting the expression of tPA itself. Treatment of 1.0 mg/mL KRG increased PAI-1 protein expression in rat primary astrocytes to $319.3{\pm}65.9%$ as compared with control. The increased PAI-1 expression mediated the overall decrease in tPA activity in rat primary astrocytes. Due to the lack of PAI-1 expression in neuron, KRG did not affect tPA activity in neuron. KRG treatment induced a concentration dependent activation of PI3K, p38, ERK1/2, and JNK in rat primary astrocytes and treatment of PI3K or MAPK inhibitors such as LY294002, U0126, SB203580, and SP600125 (10 ${\mu}M$ each), significantly inhibited 1.0 mg/mL KRG-induced expression of PAI-1 and down-regulation of tPA activity in rat primary astrocytes. Furthermore, compound K but not other ginsenosides such as Rb1 and Rg1 induced PAI-1 expression. KRG-induced up-regulation of PAI-1 in astrocytes may play important role in the regulation of overall tPA activity in brain, which might underlie some of the beneficial effects of KRG on CNS such as neuroprotection in ischemia and brain damaging condition as well as prevention or recovery from addiction.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2015

The growth kinetics of phototrophic microorganisms can be controlled by the light irradiance, the concentration of an inorganic nutrient, or both. A multi-component kinetic model is proposed and tested in novel batch experiments that allow the kinetic parameters for each factor to be estimated independently. For the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, the estimated parameters are maximum specific growth rate $({\mu}_{max})=2.8/d$, half-maximum-rate light irradiance $(K_L)=11W/m^2$, half-inhibition-rate light irradiance $(K_{L,I})=39W/m^2$, and half-maximum-rate concentration for inorganic carbon $(K_{S,Ci})=0.5mgC/L$, half-maximum-rate concentration for inorganic nitrogen $(K_{S,Ni})=1.4mgN/L$, and half-maximum-rate concentration for inorganic phosphorus $(K_{S,Pi})=0.06mgP/L$. Compared to other phototrophs having ${\mu}max$ estimates, PCC6803 is a fast-growing r-strategist relying on reaction rate. Its half-maximum-rate and half-inhibition rate values identify the ranges of light irradiance and nutrient concentrations that PCC6803 needs to achieve a high specific growth rate to be a sustainable bioenergy source. To gain the advantages of its high maximum specific growth rate, PCC6803 needs to have moderate light illumination ($7-62W/m^2$ for ${\mu}_{syn}{\geq}1/d$) and relatively high nutrient concentrations: $N_i{\geq}2.3 mgN/L$, $P_i{\geq}0.1mgP/L$, and $C_i{\geq}1.0mgC/L$.

• BMB Reports
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.196-202
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• 1999

The existence of the Ras-independent signal transduction pathway of insulin leading to DNA synthesis was investigated in Rat-1 fibroblasts overexpressing human insulin receptor (HIRc-B) using the single-cell microinjection technique. Microinjection of a dominant-negative mutant $Ras^{N17}$ protein into quiescent HIRc-B cells inhibited the DNA synthesis stimulated by insulin. Microinjection of oncogenic H-$Ras^{V12}$ protein ($H-Ras^{V12}$) (0.1 mg/ml) induced DNA synthesis by 35%, whereas that of control-injected IgG was induced by 20%. When the marginal amount of oncogenic H-$Ras^{V12}$ protein was coinjected with a dominant-negative mutant of the H-Ras protein ($Ras^{N17}$), DNA synthesis was 35% and 74% in the absence and presence of insulin, respectively. This full recovery of DNA synthesis by insulin suggests the existence of the Ras-independent pathway. The same recovery was observed in the cells coinjected with either H-$Ras^{V12}$ plus H-$Ras^{N17}$ plus SH2 domain of the p85 subunit of PI3-kinase ($p85^{SH2-N}$) or H-$Ras^{V12}$ plus H-$Ras^{N17}$ plus interfering anti-Shc antibody. When co-injected with a dominant-negative H-$Ras^{N17}$, the DNA synthesis induced by the Ras-independent pathway was blocked. These results indicate that the Ras-independent pathway of insulin leading to DNA synthesis exists, bypassing the p85 of PI3-kinase and Shc protein, and requires Rac1 protein.