• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제42권6호
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• pp.1269-1284
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• 2021

Objectives: Phragmitis Rhizoma is the fresh or dried rhizome of Phragmites communis Trin., which has been prescribed in traditional Korean medicine to relieve fever and vomiting and to nourish the body fluids. Recently, the protective effect of Phragmitis Rhizoma extract or its components on myelotoxicity and inflammatory responses have been reported, but no study has yet been conducted on oxidative stress. Methods: The present study investigated whether an ethanol extract of Phragmitis Rhizoma (PR) could protect against cellular damage induced by oxidative stress in Chang liver cells. Results: Pretreatment with PR significantly suppressed the hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced reduction of Chang cell viability and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby deferring apoptosis. PR also markedly inhibited H₂O₂-induced comet tail formation and phospho-γH2AX expression, suggesting that PR protected against oxidative stress-mediated DNA damage. PR also effectively prevented the inhibition of ATP synthesis in H₂O₂-treated Chang cells by inhibiting the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, indicating that PR maintains energy metabolism through preservation of mitochondrial function while eliminating ROS generated by H₂O₂. Immunoblotting results indicated that PR attenuated the H₂O₂-induced downregulation of Bcl-2 and upregulation of Bax expression. Conclusions: PR protects against oxidative injury in Chang liver cells by regulating energy homeostasis via ROS generation blockade, which is at least partly mediated through inactivation of the mitochondria-mediated apoptosis pathway.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.133-143
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• 2023

Background: Past studies suggested that ginseng extracts and ginseng-derived molecules exerted significant regulatory effects on skin. However, no reports have described the effects of ginseng-derived nanoparticles (GDNPs) on skin cell proliferation and wound healing. In this study, we investigated whether GDNPs regulate the proliferation of skin cells and promote wound healing in a mouse model. Methods: GDNPs were separated and purified via differential centrifugation and sucrose/D2O gradient ultracentrifugation. GDNP uptake, cell proliferation and cell cycle progression were measured by confocal microscopy, CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Cell migration and angiogenic effects were assessed by the wound scratch assay and tube formation assay, respectively. ELISA was used to detect extracellular matrix secretion. The relevant signaling pathway was confirmed by western blotting. The effects of GDNPs on skin wound healing were assessed by wound observation, HE staining, and western blotting. Results: GDNPs possessed the essential features of exosomes, and they were accumulated by skin cells. Treatment with GDNPs notably enhanced the proliferation of HaCaT, BJ and HUVECs. GDNPs also enhanced the migration in HaCaT cells and HUVECs and angiogenesis in HUVECs. GDNPs increased the secretion of MMP-1, fibronectin-1, elastin-1, and COL1A1 in all three cell lines. GDNPs regulated cell proliferation through the ERK and AKT/ mTOR pathways. Furthermore, GDNPs facilitated skin wound healing and decreased inflammation in a mouse skin wound model. Conclusion: GDNPs can promote skin wound healing through the ERK and AKT/mTOR pathways. GDNPs thus represent an alternative treatment for chronic skin wounds.

• 한국식품과학회지
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• 제50권3호
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• pp.349-355
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• 2018

본 연구에서는 상처치유(wound healing)와 같은 허혈성 심뇌혈관 질환의 잠재적 치료제로서 산양삼 추출물과 진세노사이드 Rg5의 가능성을 인간 제대정맥 내피세포인 HUVEC에서 확인하고자 하였다. 그 결과, 산양삼 추출물과 Rg5는 10-100 nM의 저농도에서 혈관신생 과정에서 발생하는 세포의 증식이나 이동, 관 형성과정을 유의적으로 증진시켰으며, 그 증가현상은 산양삼 추출물과 Rg5가 유사한 수준으로 발생하였다. 따라서 Rg5를 이용하여 혈관신생 과정에 관여하는 신호전달 메커니즘을 확인한 결과, Akt/eNOS와 ERK1/2의 인산화는 양성대조군으로 사용한 VEGF와 유사한 수준으로 증가되는 것을 확인하였다. 마지막으로 혈관 신생 유도인자이며 양성대조군인 VEGF의 혈관염증 관련 부작용이 Rg5의 혈관신생 효과에도 작용하는지 확인하기 위하여 혈관염증 관련 단백질인 ICAM-1과 VCAM-1의 발현량을 확인한 결과, ICAM-1과VCAM-1의 발현이 양성대조군인 VEGF에서는 유의적으로 증가하였으나 Rg5를 처리한 경우에는 일반 대조군과 유사한 수준으로 낮게 나타났다. 따라서 본 연구는 산양삼 추출물과 Rg5가 혈관신생 유도효과가 있으며, 이러한 현상은 Akt/eNOS와 ERK 관련 신호전달 메커니즘을 통해 진행되고 이러한 효과가 혈관염증은 유도하지 않는다는 것을 입증하였으며, 잠재적 치료제로서의 가능성을 확인하는 계기가 되었다.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.35-39
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• 1992

Sulfamethazine(SMZ)은 수의임상에서 감염증 치료 및 예방목적으로 많이 사용되고 있을 뿐 아니라 가축의 생산성 향상을 위해 남용되고 있는 주요한 항균제의 하나이다. SMZ의 생체내 대사 및 약물동태학적 특성은 동물의 종차에 따라 상이함이 잘 알려져 있으나 주요 실험동물 및 경제동물인 토끼에서 조사된 바는 매우 드물다. 한편 성차에 따른 약물대사의 차이는 rat를 비롯한 여러 동물에서 인정되고 있는데 대체로 숫컷이 암컷에 비해 대사능이 활발한 것으로 알려져 있다. 그러나 산양에서의 SMZ의 대사는 오히려 암컷이 더 활발하다는 보고도 있어, 여러 동물종에서 일률적으로 성차에 따른 약물대사를 설명할 수가 없다. 초식성의 습성을 가지고 있는 토끼에 있어 성차에 따른 SMZ의 대사 및 약물동태학적 특성이 다른 초식성 동물인 산양의 경우와 동일한 경향을 보이는지는 매우 흥미 있다할 것이다. New Zealand White 토끼에 SMZ을 이정맥에 35mg/kg를 주사한 후 미리 정해진 시간에 수거된 혈장 및 뇨(24시간)를 HPLC를 이용하여 분석하여 아래와 같은 약물동태학 및 대사적 특성을 얻었다. 1. 토끼에서의 SMZ의 주요 대사경로는 아세틸화$(N_4AcSMZ)$이었다. 두개의 수산화 대사산물(50HSMZ, $6CH_2OHSMZ$)도 생성되어 수산화 경로가 있음을 확인하였으나 양적인 관심에서 주요하지 않았다. 2. 토끼에서의 SMZ의 각 대사산물의 생성은 암수간의 성차에 따른 차이가 인정되지 않았다. 3. SMZ을 토끼의 이정맥에 투여(35mg/kg)하였을 때의 약물동태학적 특성은 1구1차 지수형 배설형태로 설명이 가능하였으며 암수에 따른 성차가 인정되지 않았다. 4. SMZ는 신속하게 $N_4AcSMZ$로 대사되었으며, $N_4AcSMZ$의 체외배설은 SMZ에 비해 매우 느렸으며 성차에 따른 배설속도의 차이를 인정할 수 없었다.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.113-118
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• 2010

The sensory system is developed and optimized by experiences given in the early phase of life in association with other regions of the nervous system. To date, many studies have revealed that deprivation of specific sensory experiences can modify the structure and function of the central nervous system; however, the effects of sensory overload remains unclear. Here we studied the effect of overloading the taste sense in the early period of life on the synaptic plasticity of rat hippocampus and somatosensory cortex. We prepared male and female Sprague Dawley rats with ad libitum access to a 0.1% saccharin solution for 2 hrs per day for three weeks after weaning on postnatal day 22. Saccharin consumption was slightly increased in males compared with females; however, saccharin intake did not affect chow intake or weight gain either in male or in female rats. We examined the effect of saccharin-intake on long term potentiation (LTP) formation in hippocampal Schaffer collateral pathway and somatosensory cortex layer IV - II/III pathways in the 6-week old saccharin-fed rats. There was no significant difference in LTP formation in the hippocampus between the control group and saccharin-treated group in both male and female rats. Also in the somatosensory cortex, we did not see a significant difference in LTP among the groups. Therefore, we conclude that saccharin-intake during 3~6 weeks may not affect the development of physiological function of the cortical and hippocampal synapses in rats.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.37-42
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• 2011

The working mechanism of bisphosphonate on bone cells is unclear despite its powerful inhibitory activity on bone resorption. The differentiation and activation of osteoclasts are essential for bone resorption and are controlled by the stimulatory RANKL and inhibitory OPG molecules. Teeth exhibit a range of movement patterns during their eruption to establish their form and function, which inevitably accompanies peripheral bone resorption. Hence, the mandible, which contains the teeth during their eruption processes, is a good model for revealing the inhibitory mechanism of bisphosphonate upon bone resorption. In the present study, RANKL and OPG expression were examined immunohistochemically in the mandible of rats with developing teeth after alendronate administration (2.5 mg/kg). The preeruptive mandibular first molars at postnatal days 3 to 10 showed the developing stages from bell to crown. No morphological changes in tooth formation were observed after alendronate administration. The number of osteoclasts in the alveolar bone around the developing teeth decreased markedly at postnatal days 3, 7 and 10 compared with the control group. RANKL induced strong positive immunohistochemical reactions in the dental follicles and stromal cells around the mandibular first molar. In particular, many osteoclasts with strongly positive reactions to RANKL appeared above the developing mandibular first molars at postnatal days 3 and 10. Immunohistochemical reactions with RANKL after alendronate administration were weaker than the control groups. However, the immunohistochemical reactivity to OPG was stronger after alendronate administration, at postnatal days 3 and 10. These results suggest that alendronate may decrease bone resorption by regulating the RANKL/OPG pathway in the process of osteoclast formation, resulting in a delay in tooth eruption.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.585-597
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• 2003

Porphyromonas gingivalis has been implicated as an important periodontophathic bacterium in the etiology and progression of periodontal diseases. It has been reported that P.gingivalis may mediate periodontal destruction not only directly through its virulence factors, but also indirectly by including complex host mediated inflammatory reponses. The purpose of this study was t o evaluate the effects of P.gingivalis on the bone formation and resorption by osteoblasts. For this purpose, after determining the concentration below which sonicated P.gingivalis extracts (SPEs) have no cytotoxicity on mouse calvarial primary osteoblastic (POB) cells, we investigated the effects of SPEs on the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression (MMP-2, -9, 13), and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) release in POB cells by treatment with SPEs below that concentration. The results were as follows; 1. SPEs showed no cytotoxic effect on POB cells up to a concentration of 1 ${\mu}m$/ml. 2. The treatment with SPEs reduced ALP activity in a dose-dependent manner in POB cells, In addition, when we investigated the effect of SPEs (1 ${\mu}m$/ml) on ALP activity for different exposure periods, statistically significant inhibition of ALP activity was shown at 2 days of exposure, and further significant inhibition occurred by extending the periods of exposure. 3. The treatment with SPEs stimulated the gene expression of MMP-9 in POB cells. 4. The pre-treatment with SPEs increased the amount of $PGE_2$ released in POB cells. In summary, the present study shows that P.gingivalis could inhibit osteogenesis and stimulate bone resorption not only by reducing ALP activity but also by increasing MMP-9 mRNA expression in osteoblasts, possibly through an endogenous $PGE_2$ pathway. In addition, our results suggest that if P.gingivalis affects osteoblasts in early differentiation stage, such effects by P. gingivalis could be irreversible.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.129-134
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• 2001

Since NNK is one of the most abundant tobacco-specific alkaloids and a strong carcinogenic nitrosamine, it has been used for evaluating a potential of carcinogenicity in the animal models. The present study has attempted to examine the potential of carcinogenicity of NNK in human epithelial cells, from which the cell type the most of cancers including oral cancer and nasal cavity cancer are originated. The cellular model used for the study is a human keratinocyte cell system immortalized by Ad12-SV40 hybrid virus. The cellular system has successfully been used for the carcinogenicity studies because of its limitless life span, epithelial morphology and nontumorigenicity. When cells were treated with a variety of NNK concentrations, levels of saturation density and soft agar colony formation were increased in a dose-dependent fashion. Colonies of large cell aggregates were above 5 at the higher doses. The results indicate that exposure of human cells with NNK induced loss of contact inhibition and increases of anchorage independence and cellular adhesion, which are typical characteristics of the neoplatically transformed cells. When cells were exposed with 100uM NNK for 2hr, mRNA levels of IL-1 and PAI-2 were increased in a dose-dependent manner, but expression of TGF- 1 was not affected. While expression of growth regulatory factors were altered with a short-term exposure, there was no alteration of these factors in the NNK-transformed cells. However, mRNA levels of fibronectin were increased both in the short-term treatment and in the transformation. The results suggest that altered expression of extracellular matrix such as fibronectin following short-term exposure might be fixed in the genome and these altered properties be continuously transfered throughout the cell division. Western blot analysis showed a translocation of PKC- from cytosolic fraction to the particulate fraction, indicating a possible role of NNK in the signal transduction pathway. The present study provided an evidence that NNK in the smoking may be associated with epithelial origin cancer such as oral and nasal cavity cancers. In addition, this study suggested that altered expression of extracellular matrix and PKC may play an important role in the carcinogenic mechanism of NNK.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.114-123
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• 2005

Nitropyrene, the predominant nitropolycyclic hydrocarbon found in diesel exhaust, is a mutagenic and tumorigenic environmental pollutant that requires metabolic activation via nitroreduction and ring oxidation. In order to determine the role of ring oxidation in the mutagenicity of 1-nitropyrene, its oxidative metabolites, 1-nitropyrene 4,5-oxide and 1-nitropyrene 9,10-oxide, were synthesized and their mutation spectra were determined in the coding region of hprt gene of CHO cells by a PCR amplification of reverse-transcribed hprt mRNA, followed by a DNA sequence analysis. A comparison of the two metabolites for mutation frequencies showed that 1-nitropyrene 9,10-oxide was 2-times higher than 1-nitropyrene 4,5-oxide. The mutation spectrum for 1-nitropyrene 4,5-oxide was base substitutions (33/49), one base deletions (11/49) and exon deletions (5/49). In the case of 1-nitropyrene 9,10-oxide, base substitutions (27/50), one base deletions (15/50), and exon deletions (8/50) were observed. Base substitutions were distributed randomly throughout the hprt gene. The majority of the base substitutions in mutant from 1-nitropyrene 4,5-oxide treated cells were $A{\rightarrow}G$ transition (15/33) and $G{\rightarrow}A$ transition (8/33). The predominant base substitution, $A{\rightarrow}G$ transition (11/27) and $G{\rightarrow}A$ transition (8/27), were also observed in mutant from 1-nitropyrene 9,10-oxide treated cells. The mutation at the site of adenine and guanine was consistent with the previous results, where the sites of DNA adduct formed by these compounds were predominant at the sites of purines. A comparison of the mutational patterns between 1-nitropyrene 4,5-oxide and 1-nitropyrene 9,10-oxide showed that there were no significant differences in the overall mutational spectrum. These results indicate that each oxidative metabolite exhibits an equal contribution to the mutagenicity of 1-nitropyrene, and ring oxidation of 1-nitropyrene is an important metabolic pathway to the formation of significant lethal DNA lesions.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제27권5호
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• pp.474-483
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• 2019

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a pivotal role in pathologic ocular neovascularization and vascular leakage via activation of VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2). This study was undertaken to evaluate the therapeutic mechanisms and effects of the tetrapeptide Arg-Leu-Tyr-Glu (RLYE), a VEGFR2 inhibitor, in the development of vascular permeability and choroidal neovascularization (CNV). In cultured human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs), treatment with RLYE blocked VEGF-A-induced phosphorylation of VEGFR2, Akt, ERK, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), leading to suppression of VEGF-A-mediated hyper-production of NO. Treatment with RLYE also inhibited VEGF-A-stimulated angiogenic processes (migration, proliferation, and tube formation) and the hyperpermeability of HRMECs, in addition to attenuating VEGF-A-induced angiogenesis and vascular permeability in mice. The anti-vascular permeability activity of RLYE was correlated with enhanced stability and positioning of the junction proteins VE-cadherin, ${\beta}$-catenin, claudin-5, and ZO-1, critical components of the cortical actin ring structure and retinal endothelial barrier, at the boundary between HRMECs stimulated with VEGF-A. Furthermore, intravitreally injected RLYE bound to retinal microvascular endothelium and inhibited laser-induced CNV in mice. These findings suggest that RLYE has potential as a therapeutic drug for the treatment of CNV by preventing VEGFR2-mediated vascular leakage and angiogenesis.