• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.300-305
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• 2011

The present study was investigated the neuroprotective effects of acupuncture at ST36 on learning and memory deficits after transient cerebral ischemia in a gerbil model. The animals were randomly divided into three groups (n=7 in each group): the sham operation group (SHAM), ischemia-induced and ST36 acupuncture group (ISC + ST36), and the ischemia-induced and Tail-acupuncture group (ISC + TAIL). For the acupuncture stimulation, stainless steel needles, 0.3 mm in diameter, were inserted bilaterally into the ST36 locus or the tail and stimulated for 1 min/day for 14 days. Using the Morris water maze test, the animals were tested on spatial learning and memory. In addition, the effects of acupuncture on memory storage and the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity, in the hippocampal CA1 area, were investigated by ChAT immunohistochemistry. Transient cerebral ischemia produced impaired performance on the MWM test (DAY 5: p<0.01 and retention test: p<0.05) and severely decreased ChAT immunoreactivity in the CA1 hippocampal area compared to the SHAM group (p<0.05). However, improved learning and memory were observed (DAY 5: p<0.05 and retention test: p<0.01) as well as a significantly reduced loss of ChAT immunoactivity in the hippocampal CA1 region (p<0.001) after acupuncture stimulation at ST36 were observed. These results show that acupuncture at ST36 ameliorated the learning and memory deficits at least in part through the cholinergic system. The findings of this study provide potential data that acupuncture is useful for the treatment of some of the behavioral impairs of transient cerebral ischemia.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.499-511
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• 2005

This study was performed to determine the effects of genetic polymorphisms, such as glutathione S-transferase ${\mu}1(GSTM1)$, glutathione S-transferase ${\Theta}1\;(GSTM1)$, glutathione S-transferase ${\pi}l (GSTP1)$, aryl hydrocarbon N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2), cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) on the concentrations of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) and 2-naphthol in general population with no occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Study subjects were 257 men who visited a health promotion center in Susan. A questionnaire was used to obtain detailed data about age, smoking, drinking, body fat mass, intake of fat etc. Urinary l-OHP and 2-naphthol concentration were analyzed by HPLC system with a fluorescence detector. A multiplex PCR method was used to identify the genotypes for GSTM1 and GSTT1. The polymorphisms of GSTP1, NAT2, CYP1A1 and CYP2E1 were determined by the polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Urinary 1-OHP concentration was higher in deleted genotype of GSTM1, increased as smoking and alcohol drinking increased. Urinary 2-naphthol concentration was also rely on the age and smoking. Neither genetic polymorphism nor drinking-related factors were significantly related to urinary 2-naphthol concentration. No significant relation was found between physical characteristics and concentrations of urinary PAHs metabolites in the subjects, but the geometric mean of urinary 1-OHP and 2-naphthol was higher in the group with higher value compared to median value. These data suggest that in general population occupationally not exposed to PAHs, urinary concentration of PAHs metabolites is influenced by smoking, alcohol drinking and deleted genotype of GSTM1 in 1-OHP and smoking in 2-naphthol.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.125-140
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• 2007

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the effects of acupuncture therapy(AT, AT-9), electro-acupuncture therapy(EAT) and low level laser acupuncture therapy(LAT) at LRJ on the focal ischemia-induced by intraluminal filament insertion in rats. Methods : In the present syudy, the focal ischemia was induced by Intraluminal filament insertion into left middle cerebral artery. The subjects were divided into five groups after focal brain ischemia. (n=15, in each group) : Control with no treatment, AT with acupuncture at $LR_3$, AT-9 with acupuncture at $LR_3$ and rotating 9 times in a clockwise direction, EAT with electro-acupuncture at $LR_3$ and LAT with invasive laser acupuncture at $LR_3$. Anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective effects of acupuncture were observed by mGluR5 mRNA, Bax mRNA, Bcl-2 mRNA, Cytochrome C protein, Cresyl violet-stain and Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-stain in the hippocampus. Results: 1. In LAT, mGluR5, Cresyl violet-stain and ChAT-stain were increased. 2. In LAT, Cytochrome C protein was decreased. 3. In AT-9, Bax, Cytochrome C protein and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio were decreased. 4. In AT-9, Bcl-2, Cresyl violet-stain and ChAT-stain were increased. 5. In EAT, Bcl-2 and Cresyl violet-stain were increased. Conclusions: These results suggests that LAT and AT-9 show anti-apoptotic and neuro-protective effects and that LAT and AT-9 may be useful for managing stroke by focal brain ischemia.

• BMB Reports
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.623-628
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• 2002

The Th1 vs. Th2 balance is critical for the maintenance of immune homeostasis. Therefore, the genes that are selectively-regulated by the Th1 and Th2 cytokines are likely to play an important role in the Th1 and Th2 immune responses. In order to search for and identify the novel target genes that are differentially regulated by the Th1/Th2 cytokines, the human PBMC mRNAs differentially expressed upon the stimulation with IL-4 or IL-12, were screened by employing the differential display-polymerase chain reaction. Among a number of clones selected, DC21 was identified as a novel target gene that is regulated by IL-4 and IL-12. The DC21 gene expression was up-regulated either by IL-4 or IL-12, yet counter-regulated by co-treatment with IL-4 and IL-12. DC21 is a dendritic cell protein with an unknown function. The sequence analysis and conserved-domain search revealed that it has two AU-rich motifs in the 3'UTR, which is a target site for the regulation of mRNA stability by cytokines, and that it belongs to the N-acetyltransferase family. The induction of DC21 by IL-12 peaked around 8-12 h, and lasted until 24 h. LY294002 and SB203580 significantly suppressed the IL-12-induced DC21 gene expression, which implies that PI3K and p38/JNK are involved in the IL-12 signal transduction pathway that leads to the DC21 expression. Furthermore, tissue blot data indicated that DC21 is highly expressed in tissues with specialized-resident macrophages, such as the lung, liver, kidney, and placenta. Together, these data suggest a possible role for DC21 in the differentiation and maturation of dendritic cells regulated by IL-4 and IL-12.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2024

Light is a major external environmental factor that influences the circadian rhythm of photosynthetic organisms and various physiological phenomena, such as growth, maturation, and behavior. The number of light-reaching organisms changes depending on the season and atmospheric conditions, and the intensity and wavelength of light differ depending on the organisms inhabiting the environment. Altered light changes the circadian rhythm of fish, which is controlled by clock genes, such as period 2 (Per2), cryptochrome 1 (Cry1), and melatonin. In this study, we set the zeitgeber time (ZT; 14 light-10 dark, LD) based on the actual sunrise and sunset times and examined Per2 and Cry1 activities, levels of aralkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT), and melatonin in Pholis nebulosa, a drifting seaweed species exposed to irregular light. Per2 and Cry1 levels increased during the daytime and decreased after sunset. The AANAT levels decreased during the daytime and increased during the night. Melatonin concentration was highest around midnight (ZT21, 23:30), but exhibited similar concentrations during the daytime. While the activity of Per2, Cry1, and AANAT levels exhibited a typical circadian rhythm observed in most vertebrates, melatonin concentrations did not show a significant difference between the daytime and nighttime. These findings provide insights into the circadian rhythm patterns of organisms exposed to irregular light environments, such as P. nebulosa, which differ from those of typical fish species.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.281-287
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• 1999

Codonopsis lanceolata ("Deoduck" in Korea) is a perennial herb, and belongs to family, Campanulaceae. Its taproot is used a good source of a wild vegetable as well as an herbaceous medicine. In this study, to develop a bialaphos-resistant transgenic Codonopsis, seed germination mechanism and somatic embryogenesis of the plant were investigated, and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation with bar gene encoding phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) was performed. Attempt were made to regenerate plant from cells via somatic embryogenesis. When the cotyledons, nodes and leaf disks were cultured on MS medium containing 2,4-D and zeatin, embryogenic calli were induced. Upon transferring the somatic embryos to N6 solid medium without plant growth regulators, they developed into plantlets under continuous illumination. All plants were dead on MS basal medium containing 10 mg/L phosphinothricin (PPT) and Basta, respectively. The explants did not produce calli in the medium containing 200 mg/L kanamycin. The explants were cocultured with Agrobacterium tumefaciens for 2 days, and transformants were selected in MS basal medium containing 1.0 mg/L 2,4-D, 100 mg/L kanamycin and 500 mg/L carbenicillin. After the selection, embryogenic calli were induced and then somatic embryos were produced by subsequent subculturing. The somatic embryos were germiated on N6 basal medium containing 200 mg/L kanamycin and 500 mg/L carbenicillin. PCR analysis showed that nptII and bar genes were introduced in the Deoduck transformants. After the confirmation of bar gene expression in RNA and protein level, the transgenic Deoduck will be used to study the genetics of filial generation with the herbicide control gene, bar.gene, bar.

• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.2.1-2.7
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• 2012

Introduction: Histone deacetylases (HDAC) are a class of enzymes that remove acetyl groups from ${\varepsilon}$-N-acetyl lysine amino acids of histone proteins. Their action is opposite to that of histone acetyltransferase that adds acetyl groups to these lysines. Only few HDAC inhibitors are approved and used as anti-cancer therapeutics. Thus, discovery of new and potential HDAC inhibitors are necessary in the effective treatment of cancer. Materials and Methods: This study proposed a method using support vector machine (SVM) to classify HDAC8 inhibitors and non-inhibitors in early-phase virtual compound filtering and screening. The 100 experimentally known HDAC8 inhibitors including 52 inhibitors and 48 non-inhibitors were used in this study. A set of molecular descriptors was calculated for all compounds in the dataset using ADRIANA. Code of Molecular Networks. Different kernel functions available from SVM Tools of free support vector machine software and training and test sets of varying size were used in model generation and validation. Results and Conclusion: The best model obtained using kernel functions has shown 75% of accuracy on test set prediction. The other models have also displayed good prediction over the test set compounds. The results of this study can be used as simple and effective filters in the drug discovery process.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.564-569
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• 2000

This study was designed to investigate the effect of silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) powder on lipofuscin, acetylcholine (ACh) and its related enzyme activities in brain of rats. Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats ($160{\pm}10g$) were fed basic diet (control group), and experimental diets (SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups) added 200 and 400 mg/kg BW/day for 6 weeks. In case of liver membranes, lipofuscin (LF) levels resulted in a slight decreases (4.6% and 11.5%, respectively) in SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups compared with control group. But in case of barin as the most sensitive organ, LF levels were remarkably inhibited about 16.7% and 20.0% in SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups compared with control group. There were no significant differences in acetylcholine (ACh) syntheses as a very important neurotransmitter, and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activities as a synthesis enzyme of ACh, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities as a hydrolysis enzyme, which were concerned in transmission of neuron through synapses in brain of SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups compared with control group. Monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) activities were significantly inhibited (about 10.2%) in brain of SWP-400 groups compared with control group. These results suggest that inhibiting effects of LF accumulation and MAO-B activity of silkworm powder (SWP) may play a pivotal role in attenuating a various age-related changes for improvement of brain function.

• Mycobiology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.49-59
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• 2023

Antrodia cinnamomea, an edible and medicinal fungus with significant economic value and application prospects, is rich in terpenoids, benzenoids, lignans, polysaccharides, and benzoquinone, succinic and maleic derivatives. In this study, the transcriptome of A. cinnamomea cultured on the wood substrates of Cinnamomum glanduliferum (YZM), C. camphora (XZM), and C. kanehirae (NZM) was sequenced using the high-throughput sequencing technology Illumina HiSeq 2000, and the data were assembled by de novo strategy to obtain 78,729 Unigenes with an N50 of 4,463 bp. Compared with public databases, about 11,435, 6,947, and 5,994 Unigenes were annotated to the Non-Redundant (NR), Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG), respectively. The comprehensive analysis of the mycelium terpene biosynthesis-related genes in A. cinnamomea revealed that the expression of acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase (AACT), acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD), 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA), mevalonate pyrophosphate decarboxylase (MVD), and isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IDI) was significantly higher on NZM compared to the other two wood substrates. Similarly, the expression of geranylgeranyltransferase (GGT) was significantly higher on YZM compared to NZM and XZM, and the expression of farnesyl transferase (FTase) was significantly higher on XZM. Furthermore, the expressions of 2,3-oxidized squalene cyclase (OCS), squalene synthase (SQS), and squalene epoxidase (SE) were significantly higher on NZM. Overall, this study provides a potential approach to explore the molecular regulation mechanism of terpenoid biosynthesis in A. cinnamomea.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.8.1-8.8
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• 2015

Background: The demand for healthy, lean and consistent meat products containing low saturated fatty acid content and high quality polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially long-chain (${\geq}C_{20}$) omega-3 PUFA, has increased in recent times. Fat deposition is altered by both the genetic background and dietary supplements, and this study aimed to assess the effect of dietary Spirulina supplementation levels on the mRNA expression patterns of genes controlling lipid metabolism in the subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and Longissimus dorsi (ld) muscle of Australian crossbred sheep. Methods: Twenty-four weaned lambs belonging to four breeds under the same management conditions were maintained on ryegrass pasture and fed three levels of Spirulina supplement (control, low and high). In terms of nutrient composition, Spirulina is a nutrient-rich supplement that contains all essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals. It also is a rich source of carotenoids and fatty acids, especially gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) that infer health benefits. After slaughter, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and ld samples were subjected to mRNA extraction and reverse transcription using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to assess the mRNA expression levels of the Aralkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT), Adrenergic beta-3 receptor (ADRB3), B-cell translocation gene 2 (BTG2) and Fatty acid synthase (FASN) genes, which are associated with lipid metabolism. Results: Both low and high Spirulina supplementation levels strongly up-regulated the transcription of all the selected genes in both SAT and ld tissues (mostly in the subcutaneous adipose), but sheep breed and sex did not influence the gene expression patterns in these tissues. Conclusions: The evidence indicates that high Spirulina supplementation level resulted in a decrease in intramuscular fat content in Australian purebred and crossbred sheep due to the enhanced production of melatonin in sheep muscle tissues and strong up-regulation of mRNA expression of BTG2 in SAT which negatively affected fat deposition. In contrast, low Spirulina supplementation level strongly up-regulated the ADRB3 and FASN genes responsible for fat production. These findings are consistent with the observed phenotypic data suggesting that low Spirulina supplementation level can increase lamb production, with higher long-chain PUFA content.