• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.183-193
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• 2022

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and are biomarkers for coronary atherosclerosis (AS). A novel miRNA-mRNA regulation network of coronary AS still needs to be disclosed. The aim of this study was to analyze potential mRNAs in coronary AS patients and the role of their upstream miR-491-5p in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). We first confirmed top ten mRNAs according to the analysis from Gene Expression Omnibus database (GSE132651) and examined the expression levels of them in the plaques and serum from AS patients. Five mRNAs (UBE2G2, SLC16A3, POLR2C, PNO1, and AMDHD2) presented significantly abnormal expression in both plaques and serum from AS patients, compared with that in the control groups. Subsequently, they were predicted to be targeted by 11 miRNAs by bioinformatics analysis. Among all the potential upstream miRNAs, only miR-491-5p was abnormally expressed in the plaques and serum from AS patients. Notably, miR-491-5p overexpression inhibited viability and migration, and significantly increased the expression of contractile markers (α-SMA, calponin, SM22α, and smoothelin) in VSMCs. While silencing miR-491-5p promoted viability and migration, and significantly suppressed the expression of α-SMA, calponin, SM22α, and smoothelin. Overall, miR-491-5p targeted UBE2G2, SLC16A3, and PNO1 and regulated the dysfunctions in VSMCs.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.103-112
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• 2024

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by an increase in hepatic triglyceride content and increased inflammatory macrophage infiltration through the C-C motif chemokine receptor (CCR) 5 pathway in the liver. DA-6034 (7-carboxymethyloxy-3',4',5-trimethoxy flavone), is a synthetic derivative of eupatilin that exhibits anti-inflammatory activity in inflammatory bowel disease. However, the effect of DA-6034 on the inflammatory response in NAFLD is not well elucidated. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effect of DA-6034 on hepatic steatosis and inflammation. Methods: Forty male C57BL/6J mice were divided into the following four groups: (1) regular diet (RD), (2) RD with DA-6034, (3) high fat diet (HFD), and (4) HFD with DA-6034. All mice were sacrificed 12 weeks after the start of the experiment. The effects of DA-6034 on macrophages were assessed using RAW 264.7 cells. Results: DA-6034 not only reduced hepatic triglyceride levels and lipid accumulation but also macrophage infiltration and proinflammatory cytokines in HFD-fed mice. According to fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis, DA-6034 reduced the CD8⁺ T cell fraction in the liver of HFD-fed mice. DA-6034 also reduced CCR5 expression and the migration of liver macrophages in HFD-fed mice and inhibited CCR2 ligand and CCR4 ligand, which stimulated the migration of macrophages. Conclusion: Overall, DA-6034 attenuates hepatic steatosis and inflammation in obesity by regulating CCR5 expression in macrophages.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.84-90
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• 2020

We investigated carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) of the slipmouth Leiognathus nuchalis to reveal the effects of body size, feeding strategy and spatial distribution on the food resource utilization during the migration in the Seomjin estuary and Gwangyang Bay. The δ¹³C values of L. nuchalis caught in the Seomjin estuary where the salinity is lower than 30 psu were much lower than those in the deep-bay area of Gwangyang Bay. Such a spatial heterogeneity in δ¹³C values of the L. nuchalis clearly indicates active feeding within the estuarine habitat. In contrast, the δ¹⁵N values of L. nuchalis showed a consistency among sites, indicating that this species occupies identical trophic level across the whole area. The slipmouth distributed throughout the bay area, reflecting its euryhaline characteristics. However, the distribution pattern appeared to be separated according to body size into smaller individuals in the low-saline estuary and larger ones in the deep bay. Overall results support the plastic feeding strategy of the slipmouth from zooplanktonic (estuarine habitat) to epibenthic (deep-bay habitat) feeder during the migration between estuarine to deep-bay habitats.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.58-65
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• 2009

The chemopreventive effects of naringenin derived from citrus on tumor migration and the possible mechanisms involved in this protection were investigated in HT-1080 tumor cells. In this study, we found that naringenin reduced phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-enhanced matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-9 activation in a dose-dependant manner and further inhibited HT-1080 cell migration. In addition, naringenin suppressed PMA-enhanced expression of MMP-9 protein, mRNA and transcription activity levels through suppression of nuclear factor $\kappa$B (NF-$\kappa$B) activation and activator protein-1 (AP-1) translocation without changing tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 level. Therefore, our results suggested that the inhibitory effects of naringenin on MMP-9 activation, relation of tumor migration in vitro possibly involve mechanisms related to its ability to suppress PMA-enhanced MMP-9 gene and protein expression through NF-$\kappa$B activation and AP-1 translocation. Overall, naringenin may be a valuable anti-invasive drug candidate for cancer therapy.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.828-835
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• 2011

This study was conducted to understand the characteristics of bird community, migration, nesting guild, ordination analysis of observed frequency of birds at Jeju Experimental Forests (JEFs) from November 2006 to September 2007 with surveys of two areas by line transect methods and point-count methods at five areas for three consecutive days in each month. Among observed 58 species could be classified into the 24 residents, 9 summer visitors, 9 winter visitors and 16 passage migrants according to migration habit. In species composition, passage migrants are dominant birds at study areas whereas summer and winter visitors are most dominant birds at mainland's forests. We could divide two groups of bird community in the view of monthly species composition, one is November to February group, the other March to July group by ordination analysis. Number of species did not show seasonal fluctuation which is common pattern of bird community in mainland. This pattern reflects that species composition can change during breeding and non-breeding periods, but overall number of species did not change. This can be related with the high use of passage migrants at study area, also suggests that the JEFs can be highly utilized as stopover sites during migration. At mainland's forests, we can observe about five species of woodpeckers, however we just observed the only one species of White-backed Woodpeckers (Dendrocopos leucotos) at study areas. In the view of nesting guild, breeding birds can be grouped into the 9 bush-& ground nesters, 8 canopy nesters, 7 hole nesters and one house nesters. Among hole nesters, we can observe only one species of primary cavity nesters White-backed woodpecker, and the five secondary cavity nesters, that is three species of tits, tricolor flycatchers (Ficedula zanthopygia) and ruddy kingfishers (Halcyon coromanda). Therefore, White-backed woodpeckers can be regarded as a keystone species and forest practice should consider the careful conservation of this species.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.75-86
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• 2008

In order to understand geographic genetic variation and relationship among populations of the mason bee (Osmia cornifrons Radoszkowsky), which is used as pollinator for apple tree, we sequenced a portion of mitochondrial (mt) COI gene, which corresponds to "DNA Barcode" region (658 bp) from 81 O. cornifrons individuals collected over eight localities in Korea. The sequence data revealed overall moderate to low genetic diversity within species, with a maximum sequence divergence of 0.76%. Geographically, two haplotypes (BAROC01 and BAROC02) were widespread with a frequency of 82.7%, whereas several haplotypes were found in a locality as a single individual, suggesting that haplotype distribution can be summarized as coexistence of a few widespread haplotypes and several regionally restricted haplotypes. Overall, high rate of per generation female migration (Nm=$1.1{\sim}$infinite) and low level of geographic subdivision ($F_{ST}=0{\sim}0.315$) among localities were characteristic. Although two populations (p < 0.026) were genetically subdivided from the remaining localities, no clear polarity was observed. Taken together, the nature of genetic divergence of the mason bee populations is characterized as one that possessing moderate to low genetic diversity, high gene flow, and wide spread haplotypes with ahigh frequency, concordant with the capability of dispersal in connection with the lack of historical biogeographic barriers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.2851-2857
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• 2013

Objective: REPS2 plays important roles in inhibiting cell proliferation, migration and in inducing apoptosis of cancer cells, now being identified as a useful biomarker for favorable prognosis in prostate and breast cancers. The purpose of this study was to assess REPS2 expression and to explore its role in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods: Protein expression of REPS2 in ESCCs and adjacent non-cancerous tissues from 120 patients was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and correlated with clinicopathological parameters and patient outcome. Additionally, thirty paired ESCC tissues and four ESCC cell lines and one normal human esophageal epithelial cell line were evaluated for REPS2 mRNA and protein expression levels by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. Results: REPS2 mRNA and protein expression levels were down-regulated in ESCC tissues and cell lines. Low protein levels were significantly associated with primary tumour, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis and recurrence (all, P < 0.05). Survival analysis demonstrated that decreased REPS2 expression was significantly associated with shorter overall survival and disease-free survival (both, P < 0.001), especially in early stage ESCC patients. When REPS2 expression and lymph node metastasis status were combined, patients with low REPS2 expression/lymph node (+) had both poorer overall and disease-free survival than others (both, P < 0.001). Cox multivariate regression analysis further revealed REPS2 to be an independent prognostic factor for ESCC patients. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that downregulation of REPS2 may contribute to malignant progression of ESCC and represent a novel prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for ESCC patients.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.212-219
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• 2017

Purpose: The aims of this study were to compare the 7th and 8th editions of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging manuals on tumor, node, and metastasis (TNM) staging systems and to evaluate whether the 8th edition represents a better refinement of the 7th staging system, when applied for the classification of gastric cancers. Materials and Methods: A total of 5,507 gastric cancer patients, who underwent treatment from January 1989 to December 2013 at a single institute, were included. We compared patient survival rates across the disease groups classified according to the 7th and 8th editions of the AJCC TNM staging systems. Results: Stage migration was observed in 6.4% (n=355) of the patients. Of these, 3.5% (n=192) and 2.9% (n=158) of patients showed a higher stage and lower stage, respectively. According to the 8th edition of the AJCC TNM staging criteria, the 5-year overall survival rates of the patients with stage IIIB and IIIC showed a significant difference (40.8% vs. 20.2%, P<0.001) whereas no significant differences in the 5-year overall survival rates were observed according to the 7th edition criteria (37.6% vs. 33.2%, P=0.381). Conclusions: Restaging stage III cancers according to the 8th edition of the AJCC TNM classification criteria improved survival rate discrimination, particularly, in institutes where the stage III patients were not distinctly categorized.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2001.09a
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• pp.27-30
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• 2001

Flow and transport at fracture intersections, and their effects on network scale transport, are investigated in three-dimensional random fracture networks. Fracture intersection mixing rules complete mixing and streamline routing are defined in terms of fluxes normal to the intersection line between two fractures. By analyzing flow statistics and particle transfer probabilities distributed along fracture intersections, it is shown that for various network structures with power law size distributions of fractures, the choice of intersection mixing rule makes comparatively little difference in the overall simulated solute migration patterns. The occurrence and effects of local flows around an intersection (local flow cells) are emphasized. Transport simulations at fracture intersections indicate that local flow circulations can arise from variability within the hydraulic head distribution along intersections, and from the internal no flow condition along fracture boundaries. These local flow cells act as an effective mechanism to enhance the nondiffusive breakthrough tailing often observed in discrete fracture networks. It is shown that such non-Fickian (anomalous) solute transport can be accounted for by considering only advective transport, in the framework of a continuous time random walk model. To clarify the effect of forest environmental changes (forest type difference and clearcut) on water storage capacity in soil and stream flow, watershed had been investigated.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2013

This study aims to improve the thermal comfort level of detached housing area by reducing the impact of thermal environment. The study focused on reducing surface temperature that is generated in buildings and adjacent spaces as a result of sensible heat load and presented a proposal on implementing planting method considering its outdoor condition and structure and composed materials. To perform the study, we utilized 3D-CAD to examine the outdoor condition and structure and composed materials that impact on surface temperature and conducted space design after reflecting climatic elements in simulations. The result is as follows. In reviewing temperature distribution of Heat Island Potential (HIP) of buildings and adjacent spaces, in case where green coverage ratio is increased, there was a $6^{\circ}C$ temperature difference and in regard to changes in the thermal environment in detached housing area, in case where rooftop planting, surface improvement, planting, and overall green coverage ratio is increased, there was a $10^{\circ}C$ temperature difference. In addition, there was difference in temperature in detached housing area following the changes in wind.