• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.125-131
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• 2017

Status epilepticus is the most common serious neurological condition triggered by abnormal electrical activity, leading to severe and widespread cell loss in the brain. Lithium has been one of the main drugs used for the treatment of bipolar disorder for decades, and its anticonvulsant and neuroprotective properties have been described in several neurological disease models. However, the therapeutic mechanisms underlying lithium's actions remain poorly understood. The muscarinic receptor agonist pilocarpine is used to induce status epilepticus, which is followed by hippocampal damage. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of lithium post-treatment on seizure susceptibility and hippocampal neuropathological changes following pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus. Status epilepticus was induced by administration of pilocarpine hydrochloride (320 mg/kg, i.p.) in C57BL/6 mice at 8 weeks of age. Lithium (80 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered 15 minutes after the pilocarpine injection. After the lithium injection, status epilepticus onset time and mortality were recorded. Lithium significantly delayed the onset time of status epilepticus and reduced mortality compared to the vehicle-treated group. Moreover, lithium effectively blocked pilocarpine-induced neuronal death in the hippocampus as estimated by cresyl violet and Fluoro-Jade B staining. However, lithium did not reduce glial activation following pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus. These results suggest that lithium has a neuroprotective effect and would be useful in the treatment of neurological disorders, in particular status epilepticus.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제51권3호
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• pp.289-295
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• 2013

Different functions have been attributed to $CD4^+CD25^+Foxp3^+$ regulatory T-cells (Tregs) during malaria infection. Herein, we describe the disparity in Treg response and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines during infection with Plasmodium berghei ANKA between young (3-week-old) and middle-aged (8-month-old) C57BL/6 mice. Young mice were susceptible to cerebral malaria (CM), while the middle-aged mice were resistant to CM and succumbed to hyperparasitemia and severe anemia. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-${\alpha}$, in young CM-susceptible mice were markedly higher than in middle-aged CM-resistant mice. An increased absolute number of Tregs 3-5 days post-inoculation, co-occurring with elevated IL-10 levels, was observed in middle-aged CM-resistant mice but not in young CM-susceptible mice. Our findings suggest that Treg proliferation might be associated with the suppression of excessive pro-inflammatory Th1 response during early malaria infection, leading to resistance to CM in the middle-aged mice, possibly in an IL-10-dependent manner.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.31-41
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• 2001

The intestinal histopathology and in situ postures of Gymnophalloides seoi (Digenea: Gymnophallidae) were studied using C3H/HeN and C57BL/6 mice as experimental hosts; the effects of immunosuppression were also observed. The metacercariae isolated from naturally infected oysters, 300 or 1,000 in number, were infected orally to each mouse, and the mice were killed at days 3-21 post-infection (PI). In immunocompetent (IC) mice, only a small number of flukes were found in the mucosa of the duodenum and jejunum during days 3-7 PI, with their large oral suckers pinching and sucking the root of villi. The intestinal mucosa showed mild villous atrophy crypt hyperplasia, and inflammations in the villous stroma and crypt, with remarkable goblet cell hyperplasia. These mucosal changes were almost restored after days 14-21 PI. In immunosuppressed (IS) mice. displacement as well as complete loss of villi adjacent to the flukes was frequently encountered, otherwise the histopathology was generally mild, with minimal goblet cell hyperplasia. In these mice, numerous flukes were found, and it seemed that they were actively moving and rotating in situ. Several flukes were found to have invaded into the submucosa, almost facing the serosa. These results indicate that in IC mice the intestinal histopathology caused by G. seoi is generally mild, and the flukes do not penetrate beyond the mucosa, however, in IS mice. the flukes can cause severe destruction of neighboring villi. and some of them invade into the submucosa.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제46권3호
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• pp.185-196
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• 2006

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious disease of poultry that can cause severe economic losses throughout the world. Vaccination has been used for a long time and proved as one of the most effective method to reduce the economic loss due to ND virus infection, The measurement of antibody titer such as hamagglutination-inhibition (Hl) test with sera has been used as a useful method to evaluate the immunity leve of host. However, Hl test is gradually being replaced by the enzyme linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA), To evaluate the efficacy of ELISA in the chickens vaccinated with different procedure, present study has been performed. After SPF chicks and commercial broilers were vaccinated with different kinds of live vaccines such as V4, VG/GA and/or Bl at various time, the antibody level has been measured using both HI test and ELISA. Challenge test with velogenic viscerotropic NDV was also performed to measure the protective level of antibody. In the SPF chickens, the mean ELISA titer after vaccination and survival rate after challenge was increased and correlated with days post inoculation. More than 80% of chickens with higher than 1,000 ELISA titer after vaccination were survived after challenge with velogenic ND virus and had good correlation between survival rate and antibody titier. In commercial broiler chickens, most of them at market age had low level of ELISA titer regardless of the number of vaccination, and had a low correlation between survival rate and ELISA titer. However, the ELISA titer of remaining birds after challenge was increased. This result indicated that ELISA titer had good response against velogenic NOV infection compared to Hl titer.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제42권4호
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• pp.177-188
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• 2017

Background: Radiation-induced pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis are common dose-limiting complications in patients receiving radiotherapy for lung, breast, and lymphoid cancers. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of effective immune cells related to pneumonitis and fibrosis after irradiation. Materials and Methods: After anesthesia, the whole thorax of C57BL/6 mice was irradiated at 14 Gy. The lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were collected at defined time points post-irradiation for the determination of histological and immunohistochemical analysis and inflammatory cell population infiltrated into the lung. Results and Discussion: Whole thoracic irradiation increased the deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM), lung weight, and pleural effusions, which started to die from 4 months later. At 4 months after irradiation, the numbers of macrophages and lymphocytes as well as neutrophils were increased dramatically in the lung. Interestingly, the macrophages that were recruited into the lung after irradiation had an enlarged foamy morphology. In addition, the expressions of chemokines (CCL-2, CCL-3, CXCL-10) for the attraction of macrophages and T cells were higher in the lung of irradiated mice. The high expressions of these chemokines were sustained up to 6 months following irradiation. In thoracic irradiated mice, infiltrated macrophages into the lung had the high levels of Mac-3 antigens on their surface and upregulated the hallmarks of alternatively activated macrophages such as arginase-1 and CD206. Furthermore, the levels of IL-4 and IL-13 were higher in a BAL fluid of irradiated mice. Conclusion: All results show that thoracic irradiation induces to infiltrate various inflammation-related immune cells, especially alternatively activated macrophages, through enhancing the expression of chemokines, suggesting that alternatively activated macrophages are most likely important for leading to pulmonary fibrosis.

• 패션비즈니스
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• 제11권3호
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• pp.15-34
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• 2007

This study was designed to collect a precise information concerning to the preference and evaluations after usage of pregnant Korean woman for the maternity wear bysurvey and wear tests. Through the survey, 212 respondents were asked to answer what type of maternity wear they prefer and what requirements for maternity wear design are important. According to the results of survey, the mostly preferred maternity wear items were pants and one-piece dress. Korean customers for maternity wear usually pay more for the one-piece dress than other items and they also usually put on medium price pants and low-price blouse. Concerning to the purchase criteria, it may be said that design and movability, fit factors are the buying decision criteria of great weight for Korean pregnant women. Special function most desired was thermal insulation, followed by buffer action, electromagnetic shield and quickly water-absorbent and dry property. Preferred maternity wear design details were flat collar, slightly fitted waist and empire style, gather skirt, rubber band waist. Wear test was performed for two kinds of blouse (BL) and one-piece dress (OP), and threekinds of pants (PT), which have different design details respectively. According to the wear test for ready-to-wear maternity garments, the garment which considers well the characteristics of Korean pregnant women body shape earned much higher score no matter of brands or prices. Generally, high-priced national brands received an excellent evaluation in design aspect, but not satisfied with comfort to move.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제27권6호
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• pp.541-553
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• 2023

Retinal prostheses have shown some clinical success in restoring vision in patients with retinitis pigmentosa. However, the post-implantation visual acuity does not exceed that of legal blindness. The reason for the poor visual acuity might be that (1) degenerate retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are less responsive to electrical stimulation than normal RGCs, and (2) electrically-evoked RGC spikes show a more widespread not focal response. The single-biphasic pulse electrical stimulation, commonly used in artificial vision, has limitations in addressing these issues. In this study, we propose the benefit of multiple consecutive-biphasic pulse stimulation. We used C57BL/6J mice and C3H/HeJ (rd1) mice for the normal retina and retinal degeneration model. An 8 × 8 multi-electrode array was used to record electrically-evoked RGC spikes. We compared RGC responses when increasing the amplitude of a single biphasic pulse versus increasing the number of consecutive biphasic pulses at the same stimulus charge. Increasing the amplitude of a single biphasic pulse induced more RGC spike firing while the spatial resolution of RGC populations decreased. For multiple consecutive-biphasic pulse stimulation, RGC firing increased as the number of pulses increased, and the spatial resolution of RGC populations was well preserved even up to 5 pulses. Multiple consecutive-biphasic pulse stimulation using two or three pulses in degenerate retinas induced as much RGC spike firing as in normal retinas. These findings suggest that the newly proposed multiple consecutive-biphasic pulse stimulation can improve the visual acuity in prosthesis-implanted patients.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.93-98
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• 2011

C57BL/6 마우스에서 자외선 B(UV-B) 조사에 의한 표피 멜라닌세포의 변화에 대한 헤모힘의 효과를 관찰하였다. 마우스에 UV-B를 매일 $80\;mJ{\cdot}cm^{-2}$ ($0.5\;mW{\cdot}sec^{-1}$)씩 7일간 조사하고 헤모힘을 UV 조사 전 또는 조사 후에 복강내주사, 경구투여 또는 피부에 도포하여 멜라닌세포 형성 억제효과 및 형성된 멜라닌세포에 대한 미백효과를 dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) 염색으로 관찰하였다. 마우스의 귀등쪽 표피를 분리하여 관찰한바, 정상대조군에서는 $mm^2$당 13~15개의 멜라닌세포가 관찰되었다. 멜라닌세포 형성 억제 실험에서는 평균치를 기준으로 복강내주사군에서 44.9%, 경구투여군에서는 35.6%의 억제효과를 보였고, 피부도포군에서는 30% 이상의 유의성 있는 억제 효과가 관찰되었다. 형성된 멜라닌세포의 감소 효과 실험에서는 평균치를 기준으로 복강내주사군의 경우 3주 및 6주에 각각 18.3%, 12.5%의 감소 효과가 관찰되었고, 경구투여군에서는 3주 및 6주에 각각 16.9%, 20.4%의 감소 효과가 관찰되었으며, 피부도포군의 경우 3주에 32.0%, 6주에 31.2%의 감소 효과를 보였다. 이상의 결과는 헤모힘이 UV에 의한 멜라닌세포 형성 억제제 및 미백제로서의 적용 가능성을 제시하였다. 구성 단미생약, 유효성분, 멜라닌세포 형성 억제 및 형성된 세포의 감소 촉진에 관여하는 작용 기전에 대한 추가 연구가 필요하다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.265-274
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• 2009

목 적: 미세리보핵산 (microRNA, miR)은 전사 후 (post-transcriptional) 단계에서 목표 유전자 (target gene)의 발현을 억제하여 세포의 발달과 성장에 중요한 역할을 하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 그러나 난포의 성장과정 중의 miR 발현 양상에 대해서는 잘 알려져 있지 않다. 따라서 존 연구는 생쥐 난포의 체외배양 후 생식샘자극호르몬 (gonadotropin)과 사람융모성생식샘자극호르몬 (hCG) 첨가에 따른 난자와 난구세포에서의 miR 발현 양상을 살펴보고자 수행되었다. 연구방법: 생후 12일된 생쥐 (C57BL6)의 난소 적출 후, 전동 난포 (preantral follicle)를 분리하여 무작위로 $20\;{\mu}L$ 점적의 배양액만 있는 군 (control group), 재조합 난포자극호르몬을 첨가한 군 (FSH group), 재조합 황체형성호르몬을 첨가한 군 (LH group), FSH와 LH를 같이 첨가한 군 (FSH+LH group)으로 나누어 배양하였다. 난포가 충분히 성장하였을 때, 다시 hCG를 첨가한 군 (hCG (+) group)과 첨가하지 않은 군 (hCG (-) group)으로 나누어 hCG (-) group에서 난자와 난구세포를 각각 분리하여 RNA를 추출하였다. 36시간 후, 배란된 난자 난구세포 복합체 (cumulus oocyte complex, COC)에서 난자와 난구세포를 각각 분리하여 RNA를 추출하고, mmu--miR-16, -miR-27a, -miR-126, -miR-721 등의 miR에 대한 primer를 이용하여 실시간 중합연쇄반응을 시행하였다. 결 과: 배란율과 MII 난자 생성율은 다른 군들에 비해 FSH+LH군에서 유의하게 높았다. 각 군내의 난자와 난구세포 사이에서도 miR 발현 양상의 차이가 관찰되었다. 또한, 난자와 난구세포에서의 miR 발현 양상은 각 군간 차이가 있었으며, hCG (+)군과 hCG (-)군간에도 차이를 나타냈다. 결 론: 생쥐 난포의 체외배양 중 난자 및 난구세포에서의 miR 발현 양상은 gonadotropin의 종류 및 난자의 성숙도에 따라 다르다. 이러한 결과는 표적 유전자의 발현에 대한 추후 연구를 통한 확인이 필요할 것으로 사료된다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제16권10호
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• pp.1529-1536
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• 2006

We cloned a gene of ompH(D:4) from pigs infected with P. multocida D:4 in Korea [16]. The gene is composed of 1,026 nucleotides coding 342 amino acids (aa) with a signal peptide of 20 aa (GenBank accession number AY603962). In this study, we analyzed the ability of the ompH(D:4) to induce protective immunity against a wild-type challenge in mice. To determine appropriate epitope(s) of the gene, one full and three different types of truncated genes of the ompH(D:4) were constructed by PCR using pET32a or pRSET B as vectors. They were named ompH(D:4)-F (1,026 bp [1-1026] encoding 342 aa), ompH(D:4)-t1 (693 bp [55-747] encoding 231 aa), ompH(D:4)-t2 (561 bp [187-747] encoding 187 aa), and ompH(D:4)-t3 (540 bp [487-1026] encoding 180 aa), respectively. The genes were successfully expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). Their gene products, polypeptides, OmpH(D:4)-F, -t1, -t2, and -t3, were purified individually using nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) affinity column chromatography. Their $M_rs$ were determined to be 54.6, 29, 24, and 23.2 kDa, respectively, using SDS-PAGE. Antisera against the four kinds of polypeptides were generated in mice for protective immunity analyses. Some $50{\mu}g$ of the four kinds of polypeptides were individually provided intraperitoneally with mice (n=20) as immunogens. The titer of post-immunized antiserum revealed that it grew remarkably compared with pre-antiserum. The lethal dose of the wild-type pathogen was determined at $10{\mu}l$ of live P. multocida D:4 through direct intraperitoneal (IP) injection, into post-immune mice (n=5, three times). Some thirty days later, the lethal dose ($10{\mu}l$) of live pathogen was challenged into the immunized mouse groups [OmpH(D:4)-F, -t1, -t2, and -t3; n=20 each, two times] as well as positive and negative control groups. As compared within samples, the OmpH(D:4)-F-immunized groups showed lower immune ability than the OmpH(D:4)-t1, -t2, and -t3. The results show that the truncated-OmpH(D:4)-t1, -t2, and -t3 can be used for an effective vaccine candidate against swine atrophic rhinitis caused by pathogenic P. multocida (D:4) isolated in Korea.