• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.831-836
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• 2010

In addition to spice, black pepper (Piper nigrum Linne : PnL) has been used as herbal medicine because of its function in anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, and anti-carcinogenesis. Recently, it has been reported that piperine, a component of PnL, inhibits adipocyte differentiation by repressing various adipogenic gene expressions. In this study, we determined whether piperine is a major constituent of PnL that confers the anti-adipogenic activity at whole genome level. Differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes was induced in presence of PnL extract or piperine. To compare genes that are regulated by PnL extract or piperine, we performed expression profiling using microarrays (Agilent Mouse 44k 4plex). RNA samples were labeled with Cy3 and Cy5, respectively. Labeled samples were hybridized to the microarrays. Results were filtered and cut off set p<0.05. Genes exhibiting significant differences in expression level were classified into Gene Ontology (GO)-based functional categories (http://www.geneontology.org) and KEGG (http://www.genome.jp/kegg/). Extract of PnL and its component piperine reduced lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells during adipogenesis. Such anti-adipogenic activity appears to result from down-regulation of transcription factor genes involved in adipogenesis, and other genes involved in fatty acid synthesis, transport, triglyceride synthesis, and carbohydrate metabolism. These genome-wide studies lead to conclude that piperine, as a critical component of PnL, plays common role with PnL in anti-adipogenesis.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2008

Cell death of trophoblast, particularly by abnormal release of physiological nitric oxide (NO) has been known to be a causative factor of pre-eclampsia. In the present study, effects of intracellular calcium increase enhancing the activity of NO synthases (neuronal NO synthase, nNOS in this trophoblast cells) on the cell death were examined in a human placental full-term cell line (HT-1). Furthermore, we analyzed the possible mechanisms underlying the augmentation of $Ca^{++}$-mediated NOS activity mediated by protein kinases like PKC, PKA, or CaM-KII. In experiments for cell toxicity, a calcium ionophore (ionomycin $10{\mu}M$) enhanced cell death confirmed by MTT assay, and increased significantly nNOS activity determined with a hemoglobin oxidation assay. This cell death was partially protected by pre-treatment of 7-nitroindazole (7-NI, $10{\mu}M$ and $100{\mu}M$), a nNOS-specific inhibitor. Additionally, $Ca^{++}$-ionophore -induced increase of nNOS activity also was partially normalized by pre-treatment of specific inhibitors of protein kinases, PKC, PKA or CaM-KII. Therefore, we suggest that an increase of calcium influx, leading to the activation of nNOS activity, which in turn may result in the death of trophoblast cells by involvement of signaling mechanisms of protein kinases.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.352-360
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• 1993

A nitride layer was df'posited on the thermal oxide layer by LPCVD process. ONO(oxidenitricle oxide) capacitors with various thickness of component layer wore fabricated by wet reoxidation of the nitride with and without anrwalmg treatment and their properties were investigated. As a result of observation on the refrative index and etching behavior of the ONO fIlms, the nitride layer OF 40 A thick ness was not so dense that the bottom oxide during the reoxidation process and the capability of securing the capacitance decreased. The conduction current in the ONO multl-Iayer dielctric film was reduced as the bottom(or top) oxide layer became thicker. However, in the case of oxide with thickness more than 50A, it merely plays a factor of reduction in capacitance, and the effect of barrier for hole injection was not so much increased. Annealing of the nitride laypr bpfore reoxidation did not show a grpat effects on the refractive index and capacitance of the film, however, the annealing process increased the breakdown voltage by 2${\cdot}$V.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.907-917
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• 2011

This study investigated the application of experimental design methodology to optimization of conditions of air-plasma and oxygen-plasma oxidation of N, N-Dimethyl-4-nitrosoaniline (RNO). The reactions of RNO degradation were described as a function of the parameters of voltage ($X_1$), gas flow rate ($X_2$) and initial RNO concentration ($X_3$) and modeled by the use of the central composite design. In pre-test, RNO degradation of the oxygen-plasma was higher than that of the air-plasma though low voltage and gas flow rate. The application of response surface methodology (RSM) yielded the following regression equation, which is an empirical relationship between the RNO removal efficiency and test variables in a coded unit: RNO removal efficiency (%) = $86.06\;+\;5.00X_1\;+\;14.19X_2\;-\;8.08X_3\;+\;3.63X_1X_2\;-\;7.66X_2^2$ (air-plasma); RNO removal efficiency (%) = $88.06\;+\;4.18X_1\;+\;2.25X_2\;-\;4.91X_3\;+\;2.35X_1X_3\;+\;2.66X_1^2\;+\;1.72X_3^2$ (oxygen-plasma). In analysis of the main effect, air flow rate and initial RNO concentration were most important factor on RNO degradation in air-plasma and oxygen-plasma, respectively. Optimized conditions under specified range were obtained for the highest desirability at voltage 152.37 V, 135.49 V voltage and 5.79 L/min, 2.82 L/min gas flow rate and 25.65 mg/L, 34.94 mg/L initial RNO concentration for air-plasma and oxygen-plasma, respectively.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.391-407
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• 2013

Micropollutants emerge in surface water through untreated discharge from sewage and wastewater treatment plants (STPs and WWTPs). Most micropollutants resist the conventional systems in place at water treatment plants (WTPs) and survive the production of tap water. In particular, pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors (ECDs) are micropollutants frequently detected in drinking water. In this review, we summarized the distribution of micropollutants at WTPs and also scrutinized the effectiveness and mechanisms for their removal at each stage of drinking water production. Micropollutants demonstrated clear concentrations in the final effluents of WTPs. Although chronic exposure to micropollutants in drinking water has unclear adverse effects on humans, peer reviews have argued that continuous accumulation in water environments and inappropriate removal at WTPs has the potential to eventually affect human health. Among the available removal mechanisms for micropollutants at WTPs, coagulation alone is unlikely to eliminate the pollutants, but ionized compounds can be adsorbed to natural particles (e.g. clay and colloidal particles) and metal salts in coagulants. Hydrophobicities of micropollutants are a critical factor in adsorption removal using activated carbon. Disinfection can reduce contaminants through oxidation by disinfectants (e.g. ozone, chlorine and ultraviolet light), but unidentified toxic byproducts may result from such treatments. Overall, the persistence of micropollutants in a treatment system is based on the physico-chemical properties of chemicals and the operating conditions of the processes involved. Therefore, monitoring of WTPs and effective elimination process studies for pharmaceuticals and ECDs are required to control micropollutant contamination of drinking water.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.31-38
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• 2005

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Morindae officinalis Radix (巴戟) on the spermatogenesis and antioxidant activities in the Sprague Dawley (SD) rat. Materials and Methods: We choose the 2-month-old SD rats, and administered the extract powder of Morindae officinalis Radix once in a day for 28 days. The control rats were administered normal water in the same way and duration. We observed changes of body weight, surgically isolated testis, epididymis, vascular gland and prostate gland before and after administration of Morindae officinalis Radix extracts in SD Rats. Also we compared the testicular tissue, especially seminiferous tubules between the control and treated groups by histochemical methods. In addition, we examined the total, normal, morphologic and motile sperm in the cauda epididymis, and the activity of catalase and peroxidase in the isolated testis tissue. Results: There was no significant difference between control and treatment groups in the body weight, testis, vascular and prostate gland, but the weight of epididymis showed significant difference in the control group. The concentration of total sperm, the motility and normality of spermatozoa was significantly different when compared with the control group, respectively. In the histological examination of testicular tissues, the tendency of increasement of angiogenesis between seminiferous tubules was observed. And the concentration of spermatogonia, primary and secondary spermatocyte and sperm were higher than that of control testicular tissues. Finally, the activity of catalase and peroxidase related inhibitory molecules of oxidation were slightly increased in the treatment group than those of control group. Conclusions: This study shows that Morindae officinalis Radix has the beneficial effect on the concentration, morphology and motility of sperm, the important factor in male fertility. We can suggest that Morindae officinalis Radix has an effect on the spermatogenesis in the SD rat.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.288-295
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• 2014

Bojungchiseub-tang (BJCST) has been used in symptoms and signs of edema, dampness-phlegm, kidney failure, and so on. BJCST is also expected to have strong anti-obesity activities. However, little is known about the mechanisms of its inhibitory effects on adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis. In the present study, we examined the effects and mechanism of BJCST on transcription factors and adipogenic genes of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes to understand its inhibitory effects on adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis. Our results showed that BJCST significantly inhibited differentiation and adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner. To elucidate the mechanism of the effects of BJCST on lowering lipid content in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, we examined whether BJCST modulate the expressions of transcription factors to induce adipogenesis and adipogenic genes related to regulate accumulation of lipids. As a result, the expression of steroid regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)1, cytidine-cytidine-adenosine-adenosine-thymidine (CCAAT)/enhancer binding proteins ${\alpha}$ ($C/EBP{\alpha}$), $C/EBP{\beta}$, $C/EBP{\delta}$, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ ($PPAR{\gamma}$) genes, which induce the adipose differentiation, liver X receptor $(LXR){\alpha}$ and fatty acid synthase (FAS) genes, which induce lipogenesis and adipose-specific aP2, Adipsin, lipoprotein lipase (LPL), CD36, TGF-${\beta}$, leptin and adiponectin genes, which compose fat formation were decreased. BJCST also reduced the expression of acyl CoA oxidase (ACO) and uncoupling protein (UCP) genes related to lipid oxidation. In conclusion, BJCST could regulate transcript factor related to induction of adipose differentiation and inhibited the accumulation of lipids and expression of adipogenic genes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.157-158
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• 2013

Organic solar cell was fabricated using one-pot deposition of a mixture of NiO nanoparticles, P3HT and PCBM. In the presence of NiO, the photovoltaic performance was slightly increased comparing to that of the device without NiO. When $TiO_2$ thin films with a thickness of 2~3 nm was prepared on NiO nanoparticles using atomic layer deposition, the power conversion efficiency was increased by a factor 2.5 with respect to that with bare NiO. Moreover, breakdown voltage of the film consisting of NiO, P3HT, and PCBM on indium tin oxide was increased by more than 1 V in the presence of $TiO_2$-shell on NiO nanoparticles. It is evidenced that S atoms of P3HT can be oxidized on NiO surfaces, and $TiO_2$-shell on NiO nanoparticles. It is evidenced that S atoms of P3HT can be oxidzed on NiO surfaces, and $TiO_2$ shell heavily reduced oxidation of S at oxide/P3HT interfaces. Oxidized S atoms can most likely act as carrier generation sites and recombination centers within the depletion region, decreasing breakdown voltage and performance of organic solar cells. Our result shows that fabrication of various core-shell nanostruecutres of oxides by atomic layer deposition with controlled film thickness can be of potential importance for fabricating highly efficient organic solar cells.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2001.03a
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• pp.16-16
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• 2001

Apoptosis로 일컬어지는 예정된 세포사멸(programmed cell death)은 개별 세포의 입장에서는 곧바로 사멸을 의미하지만, 정상적인 고등 생물의 입장에서는 개체의 발생과 분화하는데 프로그램된 과정이다. 자발적 세포사멸은 다른 조직에 비해 생식 조직인 난소나 정소에서 복잡한 apoptosis 기작들을 가지리라 사료된다. 본 연구는 Bcl-2 family중 apoptotic protein인 Bax에 대해 suppression하는 유전자를 yeast system을 활용하여 돼지 정소와 난소로부터 각각 cDNA library를 구축한 후 탐색하였다. 탐색에 활용된 cDNA library는 돼지의 정소와 난소로부터 mRNA를 분리하여 yeast vector인 pAD-GAL4-2.1에 구축하였고, 마우스 bax 유전자는 gal 1 promoter의 조절 하에 glucose 배지에서는 유도되지 않고, galactose 배지에서만 선택적으로 Bax를 발현할 수 있는 효모 vector(pL19-bax)를 구축하였다. Bax에 의한 apoptosis suppressor를 탐색하기 위해 우선 효모 W303에 pL19-bax를 transform하여 glucose 배지에서 Bax의 발현을 억제하였다. pL19-bax를 가진 효모에 정소와 난소로부터 구축된 cDNA library를 transform 시키고, transform된 효모는 각각 Bax에 의한 toxicity를 저해하는 유전자를 찾기 위해 스크린되었다. 이러한 방법으로 정소 cDNA library 탐색에서는 5 $\times$ $10^{6}$ transformant중 39개, 난소cDNA library 탐색에서는 2 $\times$ $10^{6}$ transformant중 26개의 콜로니가 생존하였다. 이들 콜로니로부터 유전자를 분리하여 분석해 본 결과 여러 그룹으로 분류할 수 있었다. 각 그룹의 관련 유전자는 protein synthesis/degradation 12종, oxidation/reductation 5종, detoxin/ cell cycle promoter 3종, signal transduction/growth factor 5종, 그리고 알려지지 않은 유전자 9종이었다. 그 중, bax-toxicity inhibition에 강력한 survival phenotype을 가지는 유전자(pSEDL)를 동정하였다. 이것은 T3-4-1 콜로니로부터 분리하였는데 140개 아미노산으로 이루어진 인간 SEDL(GenBank, XM_013096) 유전자와 매우 유사한 homology를 가지며, bax와 관련된 기능은 밝혀져 있지 않다. 이외에도 분리된 유전자에는 NADH, thioreduction, 그리고 cytochrome oxidase와 같은 positive 유전자 군이 크로닝되어, Bax를 이용한 효모에서 apoptosis suppressor에 관련된 유전자를 손쉽게 스크린하는 것이 가능하고, 분리된 유전자의 기능을 예측할 수 있어 지금까지 보고된 유전자 크로닝법 보다는 강력한 수단으로 활용될 수 있다는 사실을 시사하였다. 그러나, ORF에 관계없이 Bax 발현에 저항하는 유전자군이 선발된다든지 하는 문제점은 금후 검토가 필요하리라 사료된다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.1056-1069
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• 2015

Osmotic pressure is a critical factor for erythritol production with osmophilic yeast. Protein expression patterns of an erythritol-producing yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica, were analyzed to identify differentially-expressed proteins in response to osmotic pressure. In order to analyze intracellular protein levels quantitatively, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was performed to separate and visualize the differential expression of the intracellular proteins extracted from Y. lipolytica cultured under low (3.17 osmol/kg) and high (4.21 osmol/kg) osmotic pressures. Proteomic analyses allowed identification of 54 differentially-expressed proteins among the proteins distributed in the range of pI 3-10 and 14.4-97.4 kDa molecular mass between the osmotic stress conditions. Remarkably, the main proteins were involved in the pathway of energy, metabolism, cell rescue, and stress response. The expression of such enzymes related to protein and nucleotide biosynthesis was inhibited drastically, reflecting the growth arrest of Y. lipolytica under hyperosmotic stress. The improvement of erythritol production under high osmotic stress was due to the significant induction of a range of crucial enzymes related to polyols biosynthesis, such as transketolase and triosephosphate isomerase, and the osmotic stress responsive proteins like pyridoxine-4-dehydrogenase and the AKRs family. The polyols biosynthesis was really related to an osmotic response and a protection mechanism against hyperosmotic stress in Y. lipolytica. Additionally, the high osmotic stress could also induce other cell stress responses as with heat shock and oxidation stress responses, and these responsive proteins, such as the HSPs family, catalase T, and superoxide dismutase, also had drastically increased expression levels under hyperosmotic pressure.