• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.665-673
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• 2022

Background/Aims: In patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), calcineurin activates zymogen, which results in pancreatitis. In this study, we aimed to determine the efficacy of tacrolimus, a calcineurin inhibitor, in preventing post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP). Methods: This was a prospective pilot study in which patients who underwent ERCP received tacrolimus (4 mg in two divided doses); this was the Tac group. A contemporaneous cohort of patients was included as a control group. All patients were followed-up for PEP. PEP was characterized by worsening abdominal pain with an acute onset, elevated pancreatic enzymes, and a duration of hospital stay of more than 48 hours. Serum tacrolimus levels were measured immediately before the procedure in the Tac group. Results: There were no differences in the baseline characteristics between the Tac group (n=48) and the control group (n=51). Only four out of 48 patients (8.3%) had PEP in the Tac group compared to eight out of 51 patients (15.7%) who had PEP in the control group. The mean trough tacrolimus level in patients who developed PEP was significantly lower (p<0.05). Conclusions: Oral tacrolimus at a cumulative dose of 4 mg safely prevents PEP. Further randomized controlled studies are warranted to establish the role of tacrolimus in this context.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.10
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• pp.647-652
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• 2011

The protein transduction domains have been reported to have potential to deliver the exogenous molecules, including proteins, to living cells. However, poor transduction of proteins limits therapeutic application. In this study, we examined whether imipramine could stimulate the transduction efficiency of PEP-1 fused proteins into astrocytes. PEP-1-catalase (PEP-1-CAT) was transduced into astrocytes in a time- and dose-dependent manner, reducing cellular toxicity induced by $H_2O_2$. Additionally, the group of PEP-1-CAT + imipramine showed enhancement of transduction efficiency and therefore increased cellular viability than that of PEP-1-CAT alone. In the gerbil ischemia models, PEP-1-CAT displayed significant neuroprotection in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. Interestingly, PEP-1-CAT + imipramine prevented neuronal cell death and lipid peroxidation more markedly than PEP-1-CAT alone. Therefore, our results suggest that imipramine can be used as a drug to enhance the transduction of PEP-1 fusion proteins to cells or animals and their efficacies against various disorders.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 2006

A strain of Pepper mottle virus (PepMov) was isolated from chili pepper plants in Korea. In host range study, this virus, designated PepMoV-SNU1, shared most characteristics with PepMoV isolates reported previously. Thermal inactivation point ($45^{\circ}C\;to\;75^{\circ}C$) and dilution end point ($10^{-1}\;to\;10^{-4}$) of PepMoV-SNU1 showed differences depending on the propagation hosts. Cylindrical and pinwheel-shaped inclusions were always observed in pepper leaf tissues infected with the virus alone. Unexpectedly, a special structure of pinwheel shaped inclusion surrounded with unknown small spots was also observed in the leaf section when co-infected with a strain of pepper mild mottle virus. The partial sequence of coat protein gene and 3' untranslated region of PepMoV-SNU1 showed 98% identity with those of other PepMoV isolates. A primer pair derived from 3' end of the coat protein gene and poly A tail regions were designed. Optimal detection condition of PepMoV-SNU1 by RT-PCR was tested to determine appropriate annealing temperature and additional volumes of oligo-dT (18-mer), dNTP, and Taq polymerase. Under the optimized condition, an expected 500 Up PCR-product was detected in pepper leaves infected with PepMoV-SNU1 but not in healthy plants.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1487-1496
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• 2020

Objective: The objective of this study was to look for optimal preparation of hydrolysates of desalted duck egg white powder (DDEWP) by the three different proteases and to investigate their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Methods: DDEWP was hydrolyzed by three proteases, including pepsin (PEP), Bacillus spp. (BA) and natokinase (NAT) with three different enzyme concentrations (0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5%), individually. The important key hydrolysis parameters such as hydrolysis degree, yield, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity were evaluated in this experiment. Results: The results showed that the degree of hydrolysis (DH) of all treatments increased with increasing hydrolysis time and protease concentrations. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the hydrolysates were affected by type and concentration of protease as well as hydrolysis time. Hydrolysis of PEP significantly (p<0.05) obtained the highest yield of hydrolysates, however, both of BA and NAT showed substantially lower DH values and still did not exceed 5% by the end of hydrolysis. Among the different hydrolysates, PEP exhibited significantly higher 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity than BA and NAT. All DDEWP hydrolysates from PEP had low ferrous ion chelating activity (<37%) that was significantly lower than that of NAT (>37% to 92%) and BA (30% to 79%). Besides, DDEWP hydrolysates of PEP presented significantly higher reducing power than BA and NAT. In antimicrobial activities, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were not effectively inhibited by any DDEWP hydrolysates of PEP except for Staphylococcus aureus. Especially, the excellent antibacterial activity against S. aureus only was displayed in DDEWP hydrolysates of PEP 0.1%. Conclusion: DDEWP hydrolysates from PEP demonstrated significantly better DH, yield, DPPH radical scavenging activity and reducing power, furthermore, had excellent inhibitory on S. aureus due to large clear zone and moderated inhibitory in bactericidal inhibition.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.7
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• pp.407-412
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• 2015

The 12 kDa FK506-binding protein (FK506BP12), an immunosuppressor, modulates T cell activation via calcineurin inhibition. In this study, we investigated the ability of PEP-1-FK506BP12, consisting of FK506BP12 fused to the protein transduction domain PEP-1 peptide, to suppress catabolic responses in primary human chondrocytes and in a mouse carrageenan-induced paw arthritis model. Western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis showed that PEP-1-FK506BP12 efficiently penetrated chondrocytes and cartilage explants. In interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-treated chondrocytes, PEP-1-FK506BP12 significantly suppressed the expression of catabolic enzymes, including matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-1, -3, and -13 in addition to cyclooxygenase-2, at both the mRNA and protein levels, whereas FK506BP12 alone did not. In addition, PEP-1-FK506BP12 decreased IL-1β-induced phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) complex (p38, JNK, and ERK) and the inhibitor kappa B alpha. In the mouse model of carrageenan-induced paw arthritis, PEP-1-FK506BP12 suppressed both carrageenan-induced MMP-13 production and paw inflammation. PEP-1-FK506BP12 may have therapeutic potential in the alleviation of OA progression. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(7): 407-412]

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.137.2-138
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• 2003

The commercial cultivars of red pepper were screened against Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) and Pepper mottle virus (PepMoV) by seedling test. Tn single infection of TMV or PMMoV, mosaic symptom was produced on the cultivars of 'Cheongyang'and 'Wangshilgun'. However, in cultivars of 'Manilla'and 'Bugang', symptoms were not occurred. In single infection of PepMoV, symptoms of mottle and malformation were produced on the tested cultivars of 'Manilla', 'Bugang', 'Cheongyang'and 'Wangshilgun' In the cultivars of 'Cheongyang'and 'Wangshilgun', synergistic symptoms of stunt and lethal death were induced by mixed infections in the two combinations of TMV+PepMoV and PMMoV+PepMoV. However, in cultivars of 'Manilla'and 'Bugang', synergistic symptom was not occurred as mottle which was milder than that of single infection. Cells were single infected with TMV and PMMoV the cultivars of 'Cheongyang'and 'Wangshilgun', respectively, had typical ultrastructures of tobamovirus as the stacked-band structure and multiple spiral aggregate (SA). Ultrastructures of cell and tissues infected with PepMoV on the cultivars of 'Cheongyang', 'Wangshilgun', 'Manilla'and 'Bugang', the potyvirus inclusions of pinwhills, scrolls, lamminated aggregates and amorphous inclusion were observed. Infected cells with a combination of TMV+PepMoV and PMMoV+PepMoV, the virus particles and inclusions of the two different viruses were found only mixed infection in the same cytoplasm and the amounts of viruses in mixed infections were abundant than in single infection. The angled-layer aggregates (ALA) was observed in the cells infected mixedly with TMV and PepMoV

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.241-247
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• 2004

Recently, we reported a satellite RNA (Paf-satRNA) which is encapsidated in a pepper isolate of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV-Paf) regulated symptom attenuation of the helper virus. To characterize mild symptom domain of Paf-satRNA, a series of chimeric cDNAs of satRNAs were created by using full-length cDNA clones of Paf-satRNA and a Pep-satRNA, chlorosis-inducing satRNA in pepper plants, and analyzed for determinants of symptom attenuation. When compared the nucleotide sequences, the 3' and 5' terminal sequences of the two wild-type (wt) satRNAs contained relatively conserved sequences which are the typical to CMV satRNA. Ten bases insertions were found in PepY-satRNA, and two variable regions, 81st to 113th and 183rd to 265th from the 5'-end, were located in the middle parts of the satRNAs. To delineate the attenuated symptom-related domain for the Paf-satRNA, in vitro transcripts RNAs transcribed from the wt cDNAs and constructed chimeric cDNAs were combined with genomic RNAs, RNA1, RNA2 and RNA3, of CMV-Fny and inoculated onto Nicotiana benthamiana plants. These transcripts were fully infectious onto the N. benthamiana and infectivity was confirmed by the RT-PCR. Chimeric Paf(H/N)-satRNA and PepY(N/A)-satRNA as well as Paf-satRNA induced very mild mosaic or symptomless infection on N. benthamiana. By contrast, typical mosaic symptom and stunting of infected plants were induced when PepY-satRNA, PepY(H/N)-satRNA and Paf(N/A)-satRNA were infected to N. benthamiana. Paf-satRNA coinfected with CMV-Fny RNAs induced very mild to sympomless on pepper plants whereas PepY-satRNA-infected pepper expressed typical chlorosis mosaic symptom. Two kinds of chimeric mutants, Paf(H/N)-satRNA and PepY(N/A)-satRNA, induced mild mosaic or symptomless infection onto pepper plants, while PepY(H/N)-satRNA and Paf(N/A)-satRNA showed typical chlorosis and mosaic symptom with stunting. This results suggest that mild symptom-related domain for the Paf-satRNA was located on HpaI-NarI region.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.207-212
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• 2005

Prolyl endopeptidase (PEP, EC 3.4.21.26), also referred to as prolyl oligopeptidase, has been suggested to participate in learning and memory processes by cleaving peptide bonds on carboxyl side of prolyl residue within neuropeptides of less than 30 amino acids, and is abundant in brains of amnestic patients. Therefore, compounds possessing PEP inhibitory activity can be good candidate of drug against memory loss. Upon examination for PEP inhibition from traditional medicinal plants having tonic, stimulating, and anti-amnestic effects, Corni Fructus (Cornus officinallis) showed significant PEP inhibition. Ursolic and oleanolic acids, components of Corni Fructus, inhibited PEP with $IC_{50}$ values of $17.2\;{\pm}\;0.5$ and $22.5\;{\pm}\;0.7\;{\mu}M$, respectively.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.562-569
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• 2004

Self-assembling nanospheres of hydrophobized pullulan have been developed. Pullulan acetate (PA), as hydrophobized pullulan, was synthesized by acetylation. Carboxymethylated poly(ethylene-glycol) (CMPEG) was introduced into pullulan acetate (PA) through a coupling reaction using N, N'-dicyclohexyl carbodiimide (DCC). A synthesized PA-PEG-PA (abbreviated as PEP) conjugate was confirmed by Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Since PEP conjugates have amphiphilic characteristics in aqueous solution, polymeric nanoparticles of PEP conjugates were prepared using a simple dialysis method in water. From the analysis of fluorescence excitation spectra primarily, the critical association concentration (CAC) of this conjugate was found to be 0.0063 g/L. Observations by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the spherical morphologies of the PEP nanoparticles. The particle size distribution of the PEP conjugates was determined using photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and the intensity-average particle size was 193.3 ${\pm}$ 13.53 nm with a unimodal distribution. Clonazepam (CNZ), as a model drug, was easy to entrap into polymeric nanoparticles of the PEP conjugates. The drug release behavior was mainly diffusion controlled from the core portion.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.38B no.9
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• pp.700-706
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• 2013

In this paper, we propose a method for applying random linear network coding in satellite communication to improve reliability. In the proposed protocol, network-coded redundancy (NC-R) packets are transmitted in the PEP (Performance Enhancement Proxy). Therefore, if data packets is lost by wireless channel error, they can be recovered by NC-R packets. We also develop the TCP performance model of the proposed protocol and evaluate the performance of the proposed protocol. In the simulation results, It is shown that the proposed protocol can improve the TCP throughput as compared with that of the conventional TCP because the NC-R packets is sent by the sender-side PEP and the receiver-side PEP use these packets to recover the lost packets, resulting in reducing the packet loss in TCP.