• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.1010-1016
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• 2007

Sagunjatang (Sagunja), containing Radix Astragali, Radix Ginseng, Fructus Schizandrae, Radix Ophiopogonis and Radix Glycyrrhizae, has been used as a prescription for ischemic heart and brain diseases in Korean traditional medicine. This study was designed to investigate the protective mechanisms of Sagunja on $H_2O_2$-induced cytotoxicity of H9c2 cardiomyocytes. Treatment with $H_2O_2$ resulted in death of H9c2 cells, characterized by apparent apoptotic features, including the fragmentation of nucleus and increase in sub-GO/G1fraction of cell cycle. However, Sagunja markedly suppressed the apoptotic characteristics of H9c2 cells induced by $H_2O_2$ with decrease of intracellular peroxide level. In addition, Sagunja suppressed the features of mitochondrial dysfunction, including change of mitochondrial membrane potential, in $H_2O_2$- treated cells. Additionally, Sagunja induced the expression of HO-1 protein in both time-and dose-dependent manner. The role of HO-1 in ROS-scavenging activity of Sagunja is proposed.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2001.03a
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• pp.60-60
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• 2001

Human thrombopoietin (hTPO) is a cytokine that plays a central role in megakaryopoiesis by influencing on the development and maturation of megakaryocyte and platelet production. To induce hTPO production in the mammary gland, expression vector was constructed by combining the promoter of bovine beta-casein gene, cDNA of hTPO and neomycine resistance gene for transfection into fibroblasts. Bovine fibroblast cells derived from female ear skin were transfercted with the expression vector using Lipofectamine (Life Technology, NY). Transected cells resistant to G4l8 treatment (600 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$) were recovered and colony formation was initiated at 13 days. The colonies with about 1 cm diameter were picked and analysed by PCR. Single transfected cells were individually transferred to enucleated oocytes. After electrofusion, the reconstructed embryos were exposed to calcium ionophore (5uM) for 5 min followed by treatment with 6-DMAP (2.5 mM) for 4h. The nuclear transfer embryos were cultured in CRlaa medium at 38.5C, 5% $CO_2$ for 7 days. Twenty three of 29 (79.3%) colonies were proved to be hTPO transfectants by PCR. The colonies were further passaged and used to produce transgenic embryos using nuclear transfer. Cleavage and developmental rates of reconstructed embryos to the blastocyst stage were 65.1% and 39.4%, respectively Of 22 blastocysts that developed from reconstructed embryos with the transfected cell, 20 embryos (90.9%) were positive for hTPO by using PCR analysis. The results suggest that somatic cell nuclear transfer is efficient for production of transgenic embryos.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.71-78
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• 1987

In order to determine the virulence properties of eleven strains of Sh. flexneri isolated from diarrheal patients the congo red test, the $Ser{\acute{e}}ny$ test, the HeLa cell invasion test and electrophoresis of plasmids were carried out. The results were summarized as follows. 1. Virulent strains were not determined by the result of Congo red absorption test. 2. Virulent strains showed positive reaction by the Sereny test and the HeLa cells invasion, but avirulent strains revealed negative reaction at those tests. 3. The temperature condition of bacterial growth was a factor of virulent expression. 4. Virulent strains were mostly possessed of a 130.3 Mdal plasmid, but avirulent strains were not.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.505-509
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• 2007

An obligately aerobic bacterium, strain KOPRI $20902^T$, was isolated from a marine sediment in Ny-${\AA}$lesund, Spitsbergen Islands, Norway. Cells were irregular rods and motile with polar monotrichous flagellum. The optimum growth temperature was $17-22^{\circ}C$. Cells grew best in pH 7.0-10.0 and 3-4% sea salts (corresponding to 2.3-3.1% NaCl). The novel strain required $Ca^{2+}$ or $Mg^{2+}$ in addition to NaCl for growth. Sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene revealed that the Arctic isolate is distantly related with established species (<92.4% sequence similarity) and formed a monophyletic group with Cellvibrio, which formed a distinct phylogenetic lineage in the order Pseudomonadales. Predominant cellular fatty acids [$C_{16:1}\;{\omega}7c/15:0$ iso 2OH (45.3%), $C_{16:0}$ (18.4%), ECL 11.799 (11.2%), $C_{10:0}$ 3OH (10.4%)]; DNA G+C content (37.0 mol%); nitrate reduction to nitrogen; absence of aesculin hydrolysis, N-acetyl-${\beta}$-glucosaminidase and esterase; no assimilation of arabinose, galactose, glucose, lactose, maltose, and trehalose differentiated the strain from the genus Cellvibrio. Based on the phylogenetic and phenotypic characteristics, Dasania marina gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed in the order Pseudomonadales. Strain KOPRI $20902^T$ (=KCTC $12566^T$=JCM $13441^T$) is the type strain of Dasania marina.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.2599-2605
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• 2013

The study aimed to evaluate immune-stimulating effects of a well-known Thai folkloric remedy when used for adjuvant therapy with conventional chemotherapeutics for treatment of breast cancer. Immunostimulating influence of the remedy (215 mg/kg body weight per day) on NK cell activity and TNF-${\alpha}$ release from the monocytes/macrophages were investigated in a total of 15 healthy women and 13 female patients with breast cancer (Group 1). The effect of breast tumor surgery on NK cell activity was further investigated in 18 female patients with breast cancer (Group 2). NK cell cytotoxic activity was determined by chromium release cytotoxic assay using K562, an erythroleukemic cell line. TNF-${\alpha}$ release from monocytes/macrophages separated from blood samples was determined through a biological assay using actinomycin D-treated L929 mouse fibroblast cells in the presence and absence of LPS. Baseline NK cell activity of the monocytes/macrophages separated from Group 2 patients expressed as %cytotoxicity was significantly lower than in the healthy subjects at E:T ratios of 100:1 and 25:1. In healthy subjects, there was no change in NK cell cytotoxic activity (%cytotoxicity or LU) following 1 and 2 weeks of treatment with the remedy compared with the baseline at various E:T ratios but the binding activity (%binding) was significantly increased after 2 weeks of treatment. The addition of one or two conventional chemotherapeutic regimens did not significantly reduce the NK cytotoxic activity but did affect release of TNF-${\alpha}$ in both unstimulated and LPS-stimulated samples. Surgery produced a significant suppressive effect on NK cell activity. The use of the remedy as an adjunct therapy may improve therapeutic efficacy and safety profiles of conventional chemotherapeutic regimens through stimulation of the immune system in cancer patients.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.107-117
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• 2006

Freshwater algal studies in North polar environments are relatively few. This study presented the algal-flora, -biomass and genetic features of dominant cells collected from temporary ponds around the Polar Research Station (PRS), Norway. Water samples were collected from 4 stations around PRS, and analyzed for their environmental and biological variables. Water temperature, salinity and conductivity ranged from 5 to $10^{\circ}C$, 0.1 to $0.3%_{\circ}$ and 0.21 to $0.36{\mu}S/cm$, respectively. Chlorophyll a concentration ranged from 1.8 to $11.1{\mu}g/l$, and that of the size-fractionated cells was recorded from 0.7 to $1.1{\mu}g/l$ in picoplankton 0.3 to $6.5{\mu}g/l$ in nanoplankton, and 0.4 to $3.9{\mu}g/l$ in microplankton respectively. Algal flora in the present study was recorded as 10 genera, in which Chlamydomonas, particularly, was dominant in all studied sites. By comparison of Chlamydomonas 18S rDNA sequences, including two isolates from PRS, they formed a distinct clade against others: sequence similarity was significantly low (<97.2%) with C. noctigama, being the highest score by BLAST search in GenBank. This study was valuable for basic knowledge regarding the freshwater algae around PRS and their genetic information.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.542-549
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• 2008

Cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II : CDDP) is the most widely used anticancer drug against a variety of human neoplasms. However, its clinical use is limited by the onset of severe side effects, including ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Even though a number of evidences in cytotoxic mechanism of cisplatin have been suggested, the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines in cisplatin cytotoxicity of auditory cells has not yet been demonstrated. Herein our data clearly demonstrated that cisplatin decreased the viability of HEI-OC1 auditory cells, which was inhibited by the addition of neutralizing $anti-TNF-{\alpha}$, $anti-IL-1{\beta}$ and anti-IL-6 antibodies. Consistently, Neutralization with antibodies against pro-inflammatory cytokines ameliorated the cell death and disarrangement of cochlea hair cell layers in the rat primary cochlear explants which were treated with cisplatin. Furthermore, exogeneous supplementation with free radical scavengers, including GSH and NAC, significantly prevented the cytotoxicity of cisplatin in the rat primary cochlea explants. We also observed that $TNF-{\alpha}$ was predominantly expressed in Deiters and Hensen's cells located in hair cell zone of cisplatin-treated cochlear explants. These findings suggest that pro-inflammatory cytokines, including $TNF-{\alpha}$, $IL-1{\beta}$ and IL-6, may play a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of hair cell damages caused by ototoxic drug cisplatin.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1163-1174
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• 2021

Casein-derived antioxidant peptides by using microbial proteases have gained increasing attention. Combination of two microbial proteases, Protin SD-NY10 and Protease A "Amano" 2SD, was employed to hydrolyze casein to obtain potential antioxidant peptides that were identified by LC-MS/MS, chemically synthesized and characterized in a oxidatively damaged HepG2 cell model. Four peptides, YQLD, FSDIPNPIGSEN, FSDIPNPIGSE, YFYP were found to possess high 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging ability. Evaluation with HepG2 cells showed that the 4 peptides at low concentrations (< 1.0 mg/ml) protected the cells against oxidative damage. The 4 peptides exhibited different levels of antioxidant activity by stimulating mRNA and protein expression of the antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), as well as nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), but decreasing the mRNA expression of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1). Furthermore, these peptides decreased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), but increased glutathione (GSH) production in HepG2 cells. Therefore, the 4 casein-derived peptides obtained by using microbial proteases exhibited different antioxidant activity by activating the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway, and they could serve as potential antioxidant agents in functional foods or pharmaceutic preparation.

• Journal of KIISE:Software and Applications
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.9-18
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• 2010

This paper proposes a deformable registration method using a demon algorithm for aligning the lungs between end-exhale and end-inhale CT scans. The lungs are globally aligned by affine transformation and locally deformed by a demon algorithm. The use of floating gradient force allows a fast convergence in the lung regions with a weak gradient of the reference image. The active-cell-based demon algorithm helps to accelerate the registration process and reduce the probability of deformation folding because it avoids unnecessary computation of the displacement for well-matched lung regions. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated through comparisons of methods that use a reference gradient force or a combined gradient force as well as methods with and without active cells. The results show that the proposed method can accurately register lungs with large deformations and can reduce the processing time considerably.

• ALGAE
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.61-72
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• 2016

Arctic microalgae thrive and support primary production in extremely cold environment. Three Arctic green microalgal strains collected from freshwater near Dasan Station in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Arctic, were analyzed to evaluate the optimal growth conditions and contents of fatty acids. The optimal growth temperature for KNF0022, KNF0024, and KNF0032 was between 4 and 8℃. Among the three microalgal strains, KNF0032 showed the maximal cell number of 1.6 × 107 cells mL^-1 at 4℃. The contents of fatty acids in microalgae biomass of KNF0022, KNF0024, and KNF0032 cultured for 75 days were 37.34, 73.25, and 144.35 mg g^-1 dry cell weight, respectively. The common fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) analyzed from Arctic green microalgae consisted of palmitic acid methyl ester (C16:0), 5,8,11-heptadecatrienoic acid methyl ester (C17:3), oleic acid methyl ester (C18:1), linoleic acid methyl ester (C18:2), and α-linolenic acid methyl ester (C18:3). KNF0022 had high levels of heptadecanoic acid methyl ester (26.58%) and heptadecatrienoic acid methyl ester (22.17% of the total FAMEs). In KNF0024 and KNF0032, more than 72.09% of the total FAMEs consisted of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Oleic acid methyl ester from KNF0032 was detected at a high level of 20.13% of the FAMEs. Arctic freshwater microalgae are able to increase the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids under a wide range of growth temperatures and can also be used to produce valuable industrial materials.