• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.157-167
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• 2021

Lead (Pb) is one of the key trace elements, exhibiting a peculiar partitioning behavior into silicate melts in contact with minerals. Partitioning behaviors of Pb between silicate mineral and melt have been known to depend on melt composition and thus, the atomic structures of corresponding silicate liquids. Despite the importance, detailed structural studies of Pb-bearing silicate melts are still lacking due to experimental difficulties. Here, we explored the effect of lead content on the atomic structures, particularly the evolution of silicate networks in Pb-bearing sodium metasilicate ([(PbO)_x(Na₂O)_1-x]·SiO₂) glasses as a model system for trace metal bearing natural silicate melts, using ²⁹Si solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. As the PbO content increases, the ²⁹Si peak widths increase, and the maximum peak positions shift from -76.2, -77.8, -80.3, -81.5, -84.6, to -87.7 ppm with increasing PbO contents of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.67, 0.86, and 1, respectively. The ²⁹Si MAS NMR spectra for the glasses were simulated with Gaussian functions for Qⁿ species (SiO₄ tetrahedra with n BOs) for providing quantitative resolution. The simulation results reveal the evolution of each Qⁿ species with varying PbO content. Na-endmember Na₂SiO₃ glass consists of predominant Q² species together with equal proportions of Q¹ and Q³. As Pb replaces Na, the fraction of Q² species tends to decrease, while those for Q¹ and Q³ species increase indicating an increase in disproportionation among Qⁿ species. Simulation results on the ²⁹Si NMR spectrum showed increases in structural disorder and chemical disorder as evidenced by an increase in disproportionation factor with an increase in average cation field strengths of the network modifying cations. Changes in the topological and configurational disorder of the model silicate melt by Pb imply an intrinsic origin of macroscopic properties such as element partitioning behavior.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2014

Recently with CT developed, various studies for reduction of exposure dose is underway. Study of bismuth shields in these studies is actively underway, and has already been applied in the clinical. However, the application of the PET/CT examination was not activated. Therefore, through this study, depending on the application of bismuth shields in the PET/CT examination, we identify the quality of the image and the impact on the Standard Uptake Value (SUV). In this study, to apply to the shielding of the breast, by using the bismuth shields that contains 0.06 mm Pb ingredients, was applied to the PET/CT GEMINI TF 64 (Philips Healthcare, Cleveland, USA). Phantom experiments using the NEMA IEC Body Phantom, images were acquired according to the presence or absence of bismuth shields apply. Also, When applying, images were obtained by varying the spacing 0, 1, 2 cm each image set to the interest range in the depth of the phantom by using EBW-NM ver.1.0. When image of the PET Emission acquires, the SUV was in increased depending on the use of bismuth shields, difference in the depth to the surface from deep in the phantom increasingly SUV increased (P<0.005). Also, when using shields, as the more gab decreased, SUV is more increased (P<0.005). Through this study, PET/CT examination by using of bismuth shields which is used as purpose of reduction dose. When using shields, the difference of SUV resulting from the application of bismuth shields exist and that difference when gab is decrease and surface is wider. Therefore, setting spacing of shield should be considered, if considering the reduction of the variation of SUV and image quality, disease of deep organs should be a priority rather than superficial organ disease. Use of bismuth shielding factor considering the standard clinical examination, decrease unnecessary exposure can be expected to be considered.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.509-516
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• 2017

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. sprouts (PFS) is a plant of the labiatae family. The purpose of this work was to assess the preventive effects of PFS ethanolic extracts (PFSEs) on cytokine-induced ${\beta}$-cell damage. Cytokines, which are released by the infiltration of inflammatory cells around the pancreatic islets, are involved in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus. The combination of interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-1), interferon-${\gamma}$ (IFN-${\gamma}$), and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) induced formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Accumulation of intracellular ROS led to ${\beta}$-cell dysfunction and apoptosis. PFSEs possess antioxidant activity and thus lead to downregulation of ROS generation. Cytokines decrease cell viability, stimulate the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and induce the production of nitric oxide (NO). PFSEs prevented cytokine-induced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Incubation with PFSE resulted in significant reduction in cytokine-induced NO production that correlated with reduced levels of the iNOS and COX-2 protein expression. Furthermore, PFSE significantly decreased the activation of nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) by inhibition of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ phosphorylation in RINm5F cells. In summary, our results suggest that the protective effects of PFSE might serve to counteract cytokine-induced ${\beta}$-cell destruction. Findings indicate that consumption of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. sprouts alleviates hyperglycemia-mediated oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokine-induced ${\beta}$-cell damage and thus has beneficial anti-diabetic effects.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.333-341
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• 2018

Ferulate is a phenolic compound abundant in wheat germ and bran and has been investigated for its beneficial activities. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of ferulate against the oxidative stress-induced imbalance of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs), protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs), and serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), in connection with our previous finding that oxidative stress-induced imbalance of PTKs and PTPs is linked with proinflammatory nuclear factor-kappa B $(NF-{\kappa}B)$ activation. To test the effects of ferulate on this process, we utilized two oxidative stress-induced inflammatory models. First, YPEN-1 cells were pretreated with ferulate for 1 hr prior to the administration of 2,2'-Azobis(2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride (AAPH). Second, 20-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were fed ferulate for 10 days. After ferulate treatment, the activities of PTKs, PTPs, and PP2A were measured because these proteins either directly or indirectly promote $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation. Our results revealed that in YPEN-1 cells, ferulate effectively suppressed AAPH-induced increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and $NF-{\kappa}B$ activity, as well as AAPH-induced PTK activation. Furthermore, ferulate also inhibited AAPH-induced PTP and PP2A inactivation. In the aged kidney model, ferulate suppressed aging-induced activation of PTKs and ameliorated aging-induced inactivation of PTPs and PP2A. Thus, herein we demonstrated that ferulate could modulate PTK/PTP balance against oxidative stress-induced inactivation of PTPs and PP2A, which is closely linked with $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation. Based on these results, the ability of ferulate to modulate oxidative stress-related inflammatory processes is established, which suggests that this compound could act as a novel therapeutic agent.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.194-204
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• 2011

This study was carried out to compare the histopathological differences of liver lesions in carbon tetrachloride ($CCI_4$), dimethylnitrosamine (DMN), thioacetamide (TAA) and bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced rats. $CCl_4$, DMN and TAA were administered intraperitoneally and conducted bile duct ligation for 4 weeks to induce hepatic fibrosis. Indices of liver cell injury (steatosis, hydropic degeneration, bile duct hyperplasia, hemorrhage & hemosiderin deposition), the extent of liver fibrosis (fibrotic area) and the rate of regeneration (number of PCNA-positive cells) were investigated in each group. Liver tissues were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE), sirius red, prussian blue and immunostained with ${\alpha}$-smooth muscle actin (${\alpha}$-SMA), transforming growth factor-${\beta}1$ (TGF-${\beta}1$), proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and quantified using a computerized image analysis system. Liver cell steatosis was significantly increased in $CCl_4$ and TAA groups, and hydropic degeneration and bile duct hyperplasia were significantly increased in TAA and BDL groups when compared with that in normal control, respectively. Fibrosis area was significantly increased in all four groups, especially in $CCl_4$ group. Correlation between ${\alpha}$-SMA and TGF-${\beta}1$ expressions in four groups was good. Hemorrhage area in liver parenchyma was significantly increased in DMN group only when compared with that in normal control, while hemosiderin deposition area was significantly increased in TAA and BDL groups as well as DMN group. The Number of PCNA-positive cells was significantly increased in all four groups, especially in TAA group. These results indicate that the duration and methods of hepatotoxic drug treatment are very important factors to make plans for animal experimentation on the induction of hepatic fibrogenesis in rats.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.94-103
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• 2016

This study was conducted to investigate the association of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) with all-cause mortality among populations. The data used were from a Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) based on health examinations and questionnaires. The subjects consisted of 10,110 persons aged 40 and over. Hazard ratio was analyzed using Cox's proportional hazard model. The hazard ratio of AST (${\geq}50.0\;IU/L$) was 2.198 (95% CI: 1.217-3.971) after being adjusted for age, sex, education, regular exercise, smoking, drinking, WHR, and TG. In conclusion, AST was an independent significant risk factor of all-cause mortality, and ALT showed a tendency to increase. Overall, these findings indicate that AST and ALT may be useful tools for predicting mortality.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.267-272
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• 2017

Piceatannol (PIC) is a natural hydroxylated analog of resveratrol (RSV), which is a polyphenol known to extend lifespan by stimulating sirtuins. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PIC and RSV on the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-nuclear factor kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$) pathway in mouse hepatocytes and an obese/diabetic KK/HlJ mouse model. AML12 mouse hepatocytes in the absence or presence of palmitic acids (PA) were treated with PIC ($50{\mu}M$) or RSV ($50{\mu}M$). Male KK/HlJ mice at 20 weeks of age were divided into three subgroups as follows: 1) obese and diabetic control (KK), 2) KK_PIC, and 3) KK_RSV. PIC and RSV were administered orally at a dose of 10 mg/kg/d for 4 weeks. Four weeks of PIC and RSV treatment did not affect body weight or food intake in KK mice. Serum fasting blood glucose was significantly reduced in KK_PIC, and 2 h oral glucose tolerance test area under the curve was significantly reduced by PIC and RSV treatment in KK mice. PIC tended to improve homeostasis model assessment of the insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) and HOMA beta-cells in diabetic KK mice. TLR4 and $NF-{\kappa}B$ were down-regulated by PIC and RSV treatments in hepatocytes in the absence or presence of PA. Insulin receptor, AMP-activated protein kinase, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, nucleotide oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3, interleukin-1, and $NF-{\kappa}B$ were altered in PIC-treated livers. Collectively, PIC and RSV inhibited the $TLR4-NF-{\kappa}B$ pathway, and PIC seems to be more effective than RSV in the regulation of analyzed targets, which are involved in insulin signaling and inflammation in vivo.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.1 s.65
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• pp.184-195
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• 2006

Objectives : Betula Platyphylla(BP) is a traditional analgesic, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory herb used in Chinese 1medicine. However, no information is available to explain its action. In this study. we investigated the anti-inflammatory 1effects of BP to elutidate the molecular pharmacological activity in the ethanol extract of BP(BPE). Methods : We performed WTS assay in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages with BPE. Nitrite was measured by Griess assay, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in LPS induced RAW264.7 macrophages with BPE. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX-2) were determined by Western blot. Activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kB) was measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Results : BPE significantly suppressed production of nitric oxide (NO) and PGE2 in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. The maximal inhibition rate of NO and PGE2 production by BPE was ca. 88.8% and 93% at the concentration of $100{\mu}g/ml$ (non-cytotoxic concentration), respectively. BPE also decreased iNOS protein and COX-2 protein in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages. EMSA demonstrated that BPE inhibited the DNA binding activity of the NF-kB. Conclusions : These results suggest that BPE inhibits NF-${\kappa}B$-mediated gene expression and downregulates inflammatory mediator production in RAW264.7 macrophages.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2002.05b
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• pp.88.2-98
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• 2002

A wide arry of naturally occurring substances particularly those present in dietary and medicinal plants, have been reported to possess substantial cancer chemopreventive properties. Certain phytochemicals retain strong antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties which appear to contribute to their chemopreventive or chemoprotective activities. Inducible cyclooxygenase(COX-2) and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) are important enzymes that mediate inflammatory processes. There is some evidence that expression of both COX-2 and iNOS is co-regulated by the eukaryotic transcription factor NF-$textsc{k}$B. Increased expression of COX-2 and/or iNOS has been associated with pathophysiology of certain types of human cancers as well as inflammatory diseases. Since inflammation is closely linked to tumor promotion, substances with potent anti-inflammatory activies are anticipated to exert chemopreventive effects on carcinogenesis, particularly in the promotion stage. An example is curcumin, a yellow pigment of turmeric (Curcuma longa L., Zingiberaceae), that strongly occurring diaryl heptanoids structurally related to curcumin have substantial anti-tumor promotional activities in two-stage mouse skin carcinogenesis. Thus, yakuchinone A [1-(4'-hydroxy-3'-methoxyphenyl)-7-phenyl-3heptanone] and yakuchinone B [1-(4'-hydroxy-3'methoxyphenyl)-7-phenylhept-1-en-3-one] present in Alpinia oxyphylla Miquel (Zingiberacease) attenuate phorbol ester-induced inflammation and papilloma formation in female ICR mice. These diarylheptanoids also suppressed phorbol ester-induced activation of epdermal ornithine decarboxylase and its mRNA expression when applied onto shaven backs of mice. Yakuchinone A and B as well as curcumin inhibited phorbol ester-induced expression of COX-2 and iNOS and their mRNA in mouse skin via inactivation of NF-$textsc{k}$B. Capsaicin, a major pungent ingredient of red pepper also attenuated phorbol ester-induced NF-$textsc{k}$B activation. Similar suppression of COX-2 and iNOS and down-regulation of NF-$textsc{k}$B activation for its DNA binding were observed with the ginsenosied Rg3 and the ethanol extract of Artemisia asiatica. We have also found that certain anti-inflammatory phytochemicals exert inhibitory effects on phorbol ester-induced COX-2 expression and NF-$textsc{k}$B activation in immortalized human breast epithelial (MCF-10A) cells in culture. One of the plausible mechanisms undelying inhibition by aforementioned phytochemicals of phorbol ester-induced NF-$textsc{k}$B activation involves interference with degragation of the inhibitory unit, I$textsc{k}$Ba, which blocks subsequent nuclear translocation of the functionally active p65 subunit of NF-$textsc{k}$B. the activation of epidermal NF-$textsc{k}$B by phorbol ester and subsequent induction of COX-2 hence appear to play an important role in intracellular signaling pathwasy leading to tumor promotion and targeted inhibition of NF-$textsc{k}$B may provide a new promising cancer chemopreventive strategy.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.169-176
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• 2011

Phytophthora katsurae is the fungus responsible for chestnut ink disease. The objectives of this study were to determine if a single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of rDNA-ITS region, elongation factor 1 alpha gene and ${\beta}$-tubulin gene could be used for rapid identification and genetic diversity of P. katsurae, and to assess the potential use of the SSCP technique as a diagnostic tool for P. katsurae. Each regions amplified by PCR using primers designed to overlap the genus Phytophthora were characterized for the Phytophthora species. PCR products were denatured and electrophoresed for SSCP analysis. P. katsurae isolates showed an unique pattern in SSCP analysis and were easily distinguished from other Phytophthora species used as the control. This indicates that SSCP analysis is an useful technique for distinguishing Phytophthora species from genetically close relatives, and show that the SSCP analysis of each region is an efficient detection tool for P. katsurae. But PCR-SSCP analysis of single-gene may have difficulty in distinguishing P. katsurae from other Phytophthora species. Therefore, PCR-SSCP analysis of multi-genes can be useful for rapid and effective identification of P. katsurae.