• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.406-410
• /
• 2017

Curcumin is known as a natural antioxidant, decreasing oxidative stress in animal cells. Generally, oxidative stress induces reactive oxygen species in sperm and leads to decreased sperm characteristics in pigs. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of curcumin on sperm motility, viability, mitochondrial activity and plasma membrane integrity in pigs. Curcumin (0, 5 and $10{\mu}M$) was treated in boar semen, which were incubated for 9 hours in $37^{\circ}C$. Then, motility, viability, mitochondrial activity, plasma membrane integrity of sperm was analyzed every 3 hours. In the results, sperm motility was significantly increased by $5{\mu}M$ curcumin after 3 and 9 hours after incubation, and viability was significantly higher in $5{\mu}M$ curcumin treatment at 3 hours (P<0.05). Similarly, sperm mitochondrial activity and plasma membrane integrity were significantly increased by $5{\mu}M$ curcumin at 3, 6 and 9 hours after incubation (P<0.05). There results suggest that curcumin improve sperm characteristics such as motility, viability, mitochondrial activity, and plasma membrane integrity, and may exert a positive effect on sperm fertility in pigs.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2001.11a
• /
• pp.83-86
• /
• 2001

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.136-143
• /
• 1995

Using a PEG- dextran two phase partition method, plasma and intracellular membrane separated from microsomal membrane of canola (Brassica napus) leaves have been fractionated by centrifugation. $K^{+}$- ATPase specific activity in the plasma membrane (U$_2$ phase) of plants grown at $25^{\circ}C$ and 1$0^{\circ}C$ were 6.6 and 4.6 times, respectively that of the microsomal membrane. Plasma membrane had a lower cytochrome- c- oxidase specific activity than the microsomal membrane or intracellular membrane, while intracellular membrane (L$_2$ phase) had a high cytochrome-c- oxidase but little $K^{+}$- ATPase specific activity. The plasma membrane of canola grown at 1$0^{\circ}C$ had higher 18:3 to 18:2 (linolenic to linoleic acid) ratio (29.2% ) and higher degree of unsaturation than that grown at $25^{\circ}C$ The double bond index of plasma membrane from canola grown at 1$0^{\circ}C$ increased by 8.9% relative to canola grown at $25^{\circ}C$. Similar, intracellular membrane increased by 19.7% at 1$0^{\circ}C$. Canola grown at 1$0^{\circ}C$ was lower in chlorophyll contents (17.3%) than that grown at $25^{\circ}C$. These changes in fatty acid unsaturation were attributable largely to change in Cl8 fatty acid, with major changes occurring in linolenic acid (18 :3) which might have a physiological role of membrane to adaptation on low temperature.ure.

• ETRI Journal
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.226-234
• /
• 2012

The novelty of this study resides in the fabrication of stoichiometric and stress-reduced $Si_3N_4/SiO_2/Si_3N_4$ triple-layer membrane sieves. The membrane sieves were designed to be very flat and thin, mechanically stress-reduced, and stable in their electrical and chemical properties. All insulating materials are deposited stoichiometrically by a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition system. The membranes with a thickness of 0.4 ${\mu}m$ have pores with a diameter of about 1 ${\mu}m$. The device is fabricated on a 6" silicon wafer with the semiconductor processes. We utilized the membrane sieves for plasma separations from human whole blood. To enhance the separation ability of blood plasma, an agarose gel matrix was attached to the membrane sieves. We could separate about 1 ${\mu}L$ of blood plasma from 5 ${\mu}L$ of human whole blood. Our device can be used in the cell-based biosensors or analysis systems in analytical chemistry.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
• /
• 1999.07d
• /
• pp.1702-1703
• /
• 1999

We have prepared the plasma-polymerized membrane for pervaporation of organic-liquid mixtures by the plasma polymerization technique. Plasma polymerization techniques were utilized in the development of hydrophilic composite membranes having high hydrogen ion permeability and excellent dimensional stability. To develop an organic liquid permselective membrane. suppressing membrane swelling as well as enhancing the solubility difference is important, the objectives of the present study are to design a suitable membrane for an organic-mixture system by the control of the plasma-polymer solubility.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.553-558
• /
• 2004

An ultrafiltration membrane (polyethersulfone, PM 10) was surface-modified by treating it with low-tem­perature plasmas of oxygen, acrylic acid (AA), acetylene, diaminocyolohexane (DACH), and hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO). The effects that these modifications have on the filtration efficiency of a membrane in waste water treat­ment were investigated. The oxygen, AA, and DACH plasma-treated membranes became more hydrophilic. The water contact angles ranged from < $10^{\circ}\;to\;55^{\circ}$ depending on the type of plasma and the treatment conditions. The oxygen plasma-treated membranes displayed a higher initial flux $(312-429\%),$ but lower rejection $(6-91\%),$ than did an untreated membrane. The AA plasma-treated membranes displayed lower or higher initial flux $(42-156\%),$ depending upon the treatment conditions, but higher rejection $(224-295\%)$ in all cases. The DACH plasma-treated membranes displayed lower initial flux. All of them, especially the AA plasma-treated membrane, displayed improved fouling resistance with either a slower or no flux decline. Acetylene and HMDSO plasma-treated membranes became more hydrophobic and displayed both lower initial flux and lower fouling resistance.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.56-61
• /
• 1998

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of vitamin A on the membrane property and ultrastructure in ethanol-administered rat livers. Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing of 130 ~150g were fed with experimental diets for 7 weeks. The diets contained different types of vitamin A which were $\beta$-carotene, retinyl acetate and retinoic acid. After feeding theexperimental diets for 7 weeks, a dose of 3.0g ethanol (30%, W/V)/kg B.W was injected to rats intraperitoneally. Control rats received 0.9% saline containing isocaloric sucrose instead of ethanol. Plasma membrane fluidity of liver decreased in rats fed with vitamin a -Deficient diet with ethanol as compared to that of control rats. Fluidity change of liver plasma membrane that ethanol had induced was influenced by dietary supplementation of vitamin A, but not influenced by the type of supplemented vitamin. A . The ultrastructural changed of hepatic mitrochondria were observed in some rats such as vitamin A-deficient rats with ethanol. Inadequate consumptionof vitamin A contributed to ultrastructural changes such as swelled mitochondria occurred by ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. Although accurate mechanism involved in the plasma membrane-stabilizing effect of vitamin A is still unclear, dietary supplementation of vitamin A such as retinyl acetate is neede to modulate this change. The direct involvement of membrane property on the cell damage caused by ethanol treatment remains to be established.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.241-253
• /
• 1999

Fertilization pattern of north temperate bats is known to be unique for their sperm storage in the female reproductive tract during hibernation (e.g. Korean greater horseshoe bats). They copulate in fall but their ejaculated spermatozoa survive until the next spring. In another words they can persist to survive during long hibernation under the cold condition $(8\sim13^{\circ}C)$ and are to be fertilized with the ovum ovulated in the next spring, so called delayed fertilization. The present study was designed to observe morphological and functional changes of spermatozoa plasma membrane of the bats, hamsters which are hibernators, and mice which are non-hibernators in the room and the cold (bat-hibernation) temperatures and to confirm influence of the temperature on spermatozoa; survival rate, acrosome reaction rate, protein distribution, $Na^+-K^+-ATPase$ activities and scanning electron microscopic histochemistry. Based on the experimental results obtained in the present study, there were no significant morphological and functional differences in the spermatozoa plasma membrane in both the room and cold (bat-hibernation) temperatures and such an absence of difference suggests that the spermatozoa plasma membrane might play a pertinent role as a protector for consistent fertilization during and after hibernation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.7
• /
• pp.2693-2696
• /
• 2015

The diagnostic value of membrane glycolipid biochemistry index, the lipid-bound sialic acid (LSA) and total sialic acid (TSA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was evaluated in 30 intracranial and 65 gastrointestinal tumors. The plasma LSA, TSA and red cell membrane sialic acid (R-SA) in were determined according to the method of Sevenmerhulm. Our results showed that the levels of LSA and TSA in CSF of intracranial tumor patients was higher than that of normal group(p<0.01). The concentration of TSA and LSA in patients with malignant glioma was higher than that of benign meningioma patients(P<0.01). No significance was found between intracranial halmatoma patients and normal control group for levels of membrane glycolipids (p>0.05). Results also found that the plasma LSA, TSA and R-SA of gastric carcinoma were significantly higher than those of control group (p<0.05); while no significant difference was found in the plasma LSA, TSA and R-SA levels between chronic gastritis, gastrohelcoma and normal control group (p>0.05). Plasma LSA, TSA and R-SA levels of gastric carcinoma patient were significantly higher than those of chronic gastritis patients and gastrohelcoma patients(p<0.05). It was also found that plasma LSA, TSA and R-SA contents were significantly higher in large intestine carcinoma patients than in benign in stestine tumor patients (p<0.05) while no significant difference was found between intestine benign tumor and normal control group (p>0.05). The levels of LSA, TSA and R-SA were obviously higher in the patients with metastasis than in the ones without (p<0.05.) The membrane glycolipid biochemistry index LSA and TSA in CSF are sensive markers for diagnosing intracranial tumors. For gastrointestinal malignant tumors the plasma LSA TSA and red blood cell membrane SA may be considered as auxiliary indicators for diagnosis. They can be used for distinguishing benign from malignant tumors.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.27-32
• /
• 1997

Most lipids in milk are dispetsed as the form of fat globules. Apical portion of plasma membrane is coated with fat globules, which are synthesized from mammary epithelial cells and then secreted into the lumen. The unique phenomenon in separation of the plasma membrane from the cell is observed only in mammary system. It has been suggested that milk fat globule membrane(MFGM) is formed from endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, secretory granule to plasma membrane. For this reason MFGM is important for nuderstanding the structure and function of biological membrane. Because MFGM also plays an important role in inhibition of lipase action, stimulation of nutrient digestion and absorption, emulsion or function as natural liposome, study of the major components in MFGM will provide the opportunity for more broad industrial uses of MFGM in the future.