• Toxicological Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.233-238
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• 2017

Xylene is a cyclic hydrocarbon and an environmental pollutant. It is also used in medical technology, paints, dyes, polishes and in many industries as a solvent; therefore, an understanding of the interaction between xylene and human lymphocytes is of significant interest. Biochemical assessment was used to demonstrate that exposure of lymphocytes to xylene induces cytotoxicity (at 6 hr), generates intracellular reactive oxygen species, collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential, lysosomal injury, lipid peroxidation and depletion of glutathione (at 3 hr). The findings show that xylene triggers oxidative stress and organelle damage in lymphocytes. The results of our study suggest that the use of antioxidant, mitochondrial and lysosomal protective agents can be helpful for individuals subject to chronic exposure to xylene.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.160-164
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• 1998

The NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase (NCBR), a mitochondrial external electron carrier, was purified from bovine heart and turnip and their properties were examined. The mitochondrial outer membranes separated were subjected to NCBR isolation through DEAE-Cellulose ion exchange, DEAE-Sephadex gel chromatography, and hydroxyapatite adsorption chromatography. These processes yielded the purification folds of 88 and 42 and the recovery percentages of 0.2%, 5.67% for turnip and bovine heart, respectively. The molecular weight of the NCBR from the two sources was estimated to be 35,000 using SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The Michaelis constant Km and maximum velocity Vmax were determined by measuring the NADH-ferricyanide redox system as well as the NADPH-ferricyanide redox system. The kinetics showed that both NCBRs had higher affinities for NADH than artificial electron-acceptor substrate ferricyanide. Although NADPH had a lower affinity for the enzymes than NADH, this study showed the 2'-phosphate dinucleotide could be used as a substrate.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.291-298
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• 2005

To characterize cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ fluctuations under metabolic inhibition, rat ventricular myocytes were exposed to $200{\mu}M$ 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), and mitochondrial $Ca^{2+}$, mitochondrial membrane potential (${\Delta}{\Psi}m$), and cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ were measured, using Rhod-2 AM, TMRE, and Fluo-4 AM fluorescent dyes, respectively, by Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy (LSCM). Furthermore, the role of sarcolemmal $Na^+$/$Ca^{2+}$ exchange (NCX) in cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ efflux was studied in KB-R7943 and $Na^+$-free normal Tyrode's solution (143 mM LiCl ). When DNP was applied to cells loaded with Fluo-4 AM, Fluo-4 AM fluorescence intensity initially increased by $70{\pm}10$% within $70{\pm}10$ s, and later by $400{\pm}200$% at $850{\pm}45$ s. Fluorescence intensity of both Rhod-2 AM and TMRE were initially decreased by DNP, coincident with the initial increase of Fluo-4 AM fluorescence intensity. When sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) $Ca^{2+}$ was depleted by $1{\mu}M thapsigargin plus $10{\mu}M ryanodine, the initial increase of Fluo-4 AM fluorescence intensity was unaffected, however, the subsequent progressive increase was abolished. KB-R7943 delayed both the first and the second phases of cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ overload, while $Na^+$-free solution accelerated the second. The above results suggest that: 1) the initial rise in cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ under DNP results from mitochondrial depolarization; 2) the secondary increase is caused by progressive $Ca^{2+}$ release from SR; 3) NCX plays an important role in transient cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ shifts under metabolic inhibition with DNP.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.177-183
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• 1995

The activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) in the cerebrum, cerebellum, striatum, and medulla oblongata was examined and mitochondrial matrix ALDH was purified prior to immunohistochemical study on the localization of ALDH isozymes in pig brain. Relatively high enzyme activity was found in the striatum and medulla oblongata when using indole-3-acetaldehyde as substrate, and in the striatum when using 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL). The main part of mitochondrial ALDH activities with both acetaldehyde and DOPAL existed in the matrix fraction. The ratio of activity of the matrix to the membrane fraction in the cerebrum was higher than in the cerebellum, suggesting that the distribution pattern of ALDH isozymes was different according to the brain regions. The 276-fold purified mitochondrial matrix ALDH from pig brain was identified to be homologous tetramers with 53 KD subunits. The enzyme showed maximal activity at pH 9.0 and was stable in the temperature range from $25^{\circ}C$ to $37^{\circ}C$. The mitochondrial matrix ALDH activity was considerably inhibited by acetaldehyde in vitro. The $K_m$ values of the enzyme for acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde were 5.8 mM and 4.9 mM, respectively, whereas $K_m$ values for indole-3-acetaldehyde and DOPAL were 44 ${\mu}M$ and 1.6 ${\mu}M$, respectively. The $V_{max}/K_{m}$ ratio was the highest with DOPAL as compared with other substrates. These results suggested that mitochondrial matrix ALDH in the present work might be a low Km isozyme involved in biogenic aldehyde oxidation in pig brain.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.213-220
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• 2016

Mast cells are primary mediators of allergic inflammation. Beta-1,3-glucan (BG) protects against infection and shock by activating immune cells. Activation of the BG receptor induces an increase in intracellular $Ca^{2+}$, which may induce exocytosis. However, little is known about the precise mechanisms underlying BG activation of immune cells and the possible role of mitochondria in this process. The present study examined whether BG induced mast cell degranulation, and evaluated the role of calcium transients during mast cell activation. Our investigation focused on the role of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) in BG-induced degranulation. Black mouse (C57) bone marrow-derived mast cells were stimulated with $0.5{\mu}g/ml$ BG, $100{\mu}g/ml$ peptidoglycan (PGN), or $10{\mu}M$ A23187 (calcium ionophore), and dynamic changes in cytosolic and mitochondrial calcium and membrane potential were monitored. BG-induced mast cell degranulation occurred in a time-dependent manner, and was significantly reduced under calcium-free conditions. Ruthenium red, a mitochondrial $Ca^{2+}$ uniporter blocker, significantly reduced mast cell degranulation induced by BG, PGN, and A23187. These results suggest that the mitochondrial $Ca^{2+}$ uniporter has an important regulatory role in BG-induced mast cell degranulation.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.149-155
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• 1986

The fatty acid compositions of phospholipids extracted from leaves and leaf mitochondria, which were sampled from several horicultural plants grown under blue color-deficient sunlight (BCDS), were determined and compared with those from plants grown under natural white colored sunlight(WCS). It was found that the mitochondria isolated from plants grown under BCDS contained phospholipid whose degree of unsaturation in unit of number of double bonds per lipid molecule was remarkably higher than that from plants grown under WCS, the relative increment being $8{\sim}49%$. This was significantly larger than the relative increment, $4{\sim}8%$ for total phospholipid extracted from whole leaves grown under BCDS campared to WCS. This observation demonstrated that the blue light effect of sunlight on the chemical property of cellular membranes, as long as it was concerned with fatty acid composition, arose mainly at the mitochondrial membrane. Also observing that the degree of unsaturation of mitochondrial phospholipid was much lower than that of total phospholipid, it was interpreted that this was the consequence of rather active oxidative destruction of lipid-fatty acid components occuring in mitochondrial membrane by the reactive oxygen species, especially superoxide($O_2-$), which was known to be produced in mitochondrial inner membrane through the side reactions of the respiratory electron transport chain and also probably through the photosensitized reaction involving oxygen induced by blue colored light. Thus, it may be tentatively concluded that the extent of photosensitization in mitochondrial membrane could be considerably reduced under BCDS resulting in lowering of the $O_2-$ level in the respirating organelle The possible involvement of photodynamic action in membrane oxidation was also indicated by the fact that the typical fat-soluble antioxidant, ${\alpha}-tocopherol$, was found to be contained on a higher level in leaves under BCDS than those under WCS.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.307-313
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• 2017

Caloric restriction (CR) has been shown to extend lifespan and prevent cellular senescence in various species ranging from yeast to humans. Many effects of CR may contribute to extend lifespan. Specifically, CR prevents oxidative damage from reactive oxygen species (ROS) by enhancing mitochondrial function. In this study, we characterized 33 single electron transport chain (ETC) gene-deletion strains to identify CR-induced chronological lifespan (CLS) extension mechanisms. Interestingly, defects in 17 of these 33 ETC gene-deleted strains showed loss of both respiratory function and CR-induced CLS extension. On the contrary, the other 16 respiration-capable mutants showed increased CLS upon CR along with increased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, with decreased mitochondrial superoxide generation. We measured the same parameters in the 17 non-respiratory mutants upon CR. CR simultaneously increased MMP and mitochondrial superoxide generation without altering intracellular ATP levels. In conclusion, respiration is essential for CLS extension by CR and is important for balancing MMP, ROS, and ATP levels.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.11
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• pp.719-724
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• 2009

Recent studies have revealed that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) disturbance is involved in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders, contributing to the activation of the ER stress-mediated apoptotic pathway. Therefore, we investigated here the molecular mechanisms underlying the ER-mitochondria axis, focusing on calcium as a potential mediator of cell death signals. Using NT2 cells treated with brefeldin A or tunicamycin, we observed that ER stress induces changes in the mitochondrial function, impairing mitochondrial membrane potential and distressing mitochondrial respiratory chain complex Moreover, stress stimuli at ER level evoked calcium fluxes between ER and mitochondria. Under these conditions, ER stress activated the unfolded protein response by an overexpression of GRP78, and also caspase-4 and-2, both involved upstream of caspase-9. Our findings show that ER and mitochondria interconnection plays a prominent role in the induction of neuronal cell death under particular stress circumstances.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.125-137
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• 2013

Promising evidence suggests that amyloid beta peptide ($A{\beta}$), a key mediator in age-dependent neuronal and cerebrovascular degeneration, activates death signalling processes leading to neuronal as well as non-neuronal cell death in the central nervous system. A major cellular event in $A{\beta}$-induced apoptosis of non-neuronal cells, including cerebral endothelial cells, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, is mitochondrial dysfunction. The apoptosis signalling cascade upstream of mitochondria entails $A{\beta}$ activation of neutral sphingomyelinase, resulting in the release of ceramide from membrane sphingomyelin. Ceramide then activates protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), a member in the ceramide-activated protein phosphatase (CAPP) family. PP2A dephosphorylation of Akt and FKHRL1 plays a pivotal role in $A{\beta}$-induced Bad translocation to mitochondria and transactivation of Bim. Bad and Bim are pro-apoptotic proteins that cause mitochondrial dysfunction characterized by excessive ROS formation, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage, and release of mitochondrial apoptotic proteins including cytochrome c, apoptosis inducing factor (AIF), endonuclease G and Smac. The cellular events activated by $A{\beta}$ to induce death of non-neuronal cells are complex. Understanding these apoptosis signalling processes will aid in the development of more effective strategies to slow down age-dependent cerebrovascular degeneration caused by progressive cerebrovascular $A{\beta}$ deposition.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.43-53
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• 2019

The anticancer activity of guava (Psidium guajava L.) leaf extract (GLE) occurs via the induction of apoptosis in cancer cells. However, the mechanism behind GLE-induced apoptosis in the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the apoptotic effects and mechanism of action of GLE in cultured HepG2 cells. The results showed that GLE induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) synthesis and disrupted the mitochondrial membrane potential (${\Delta}{\Psi}m$). Moreover, GLE increased the expression of apoptotic pathway proteins, such as the cleaved forms of caspase-3, -8, and -9; the translocation of Bax and cytochrome c (cyt-c) from the mitochondria to the cytosol; and the downregulation of Bcl-2. In addition, p53 protein expression was increased upon GLE treatment. These observations indicate that the GLE-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells is mediated by mitochondrial ROS generation, followed by caspase activation and cyt-c release, suggesting that GLE may be a promising candidate for the development of novel drugs for the treatment of liver cancers.