• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.48-53
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• 2019

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are widely generated in biological processes such as normal metabolism and response to xenobiotic exposure. While ROS can be beneficial or harmful to cells and tissues, generation of ROS by diverse anti-cancer drugs or phytochemicals plays an important role in the induction of apoptosis. We recently identified a derivative of naphthalene, MS-5, that induces apoptosis of an ovarian cell, CAOV-3. Interestingly, MS-5 induced apoptosis by down-regulating the ROS. Cell viability was evaluated by water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-1) assay. Apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry analysis. Intracellular ROS ($H_2O_2$), mitochondrial superoxide, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and effect on cycle were determined by flow cytometry. Protein expression was assessed by western blotting. The level of ATP was measured using ATP Colorimetric/Fluorometric Assay kit. MS-5 inhibited growth of ovarian cancer cell lines, CAOV-3, in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. MS-5 also induced G1 cell cycle arrest in CAOV-3 cells, while MS-5 decreased intracellular ROS generation. In addition, cells treated with MS-5 showed the decrease in MMP and ATP production. In this study, we found that treatment with MS-5 in CAOV-3 cells induced apoptosis but decreased ROS level. We suspect that MS-5 might interfere with the minimum requirements of ROS for survival. These perturbations appear to be concentration-dependent, suggesting that MS-5 may induce apoptosis by interfering with ROS generation. We propose that MS-5 may be a potent therapeutic agent for inducing apoptosis in ovarian cancer cell through regulation of ROS.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.156-166
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• 2023

Objective: In this study, we investigated the effects of Rubus coreanus-derived lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermented feed (RC-LAB fermented feed) and three types of LAB (Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium animalis) on the expression of transcription factors and cytokines in Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cells in the intestinal lymph nodes and spleens of rats. In addition, the effect on intestinal microbiota composition and body weight was investigated. Methods: Five-week-old male rats were assigned to five treatments and eight replicates. The expression of transcription factors and cytokines of Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cells in the intestinal lymph nodes and spleens was analyzed using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assays. Intestinal tract microbiota compositions were analyzed by next-generation sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays. Results: RC-LAB fermented feed and three types of LAB increased the expression of transcription factors and cytokines in Th1, Treg cells and Galectin-9, but decreased in Th2 and Th17 cells. In addition, the intestinal microbiota composition changed, the body weight and Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio decreased, and the relative abundance of LAB increased. Conclusion: LAB fermented feed and three types of LAB showed an immune modulation effect by inducing T cell polarization and increased LAB in the intestinal microbiota.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.399-406
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• 2024

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DSR330 (DSR330) has been examined for its antimicrobials production and probiotics. In this study, the hepatoprotective effects of DSR330 were examined against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a high-fat diet (HFD)-fed C57BL/6 mouse model. To induce the development of fatty liver, a HFD was administered for five weeks, and then silymarin (positive control) or DSR330 (10⁸ or 10⁹ CFU/day) was administered along with the HFD for seven weeks. DSR330 significantly decreased body weight and altered serum and hepatic lipid profiles, including a reduction in triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels compared to those in the HFD group. DSR330 significantly alleviated HFD-related hepatic injury by inducing morphological changes and reducing the levels of biomarkers, including AST, ALT, and ALP. Additionally, DSR330 alleviated the expression of SREBP-1c, ACC1, FAS, ACO, PPARα, and CPT-1 in liver cells. Insulin and leptin levels were decreased by DSR330 compared to those observed in the HFD group. However, adiponectin levels were increased, similar to those observed in the ND group. These results demonstrate that L. plantarum DSR330 inhibited HFD-induced hepatic steatosis in mice with NAFLD by modulating various signaling pathways. Hence, the use of probiotics can lead to hepatoprotective effects.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.292-301
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• 2010

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a pituitary glycoprotein hormone that is encoded by separate alpha- and betasubunit genes. It plays a key role in stimulating and regulating ovarian follicular development and egg production in chicken. FSH signal transduction is mediated by the FSH receptor (FSHR) that exclusively interacts with the beta-subunit of FSH, but characterization of prokaryotic expression of the FSHb gene and its effect on the expression of the FSHR gene in local chickens have received very little attention. In the current study, the cDNA fragment of the FSHb gene from Dagu chicken was amplified using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and inserted into the pET-28a (+) vector to construct the pET-28a-FSHb plasmid. After expression of the plasmid in E. coli BL21 (DE3) under inducing conditions, the recombination protein, $FSH{\beta}$ subunit, was purified and injected into the experimental hens and the effect on the mRNA expression levels of the FSHR gene was investigated. Sequence comparison showed that the coding region of the FSHb gene in the local chicken shared 99%-100% homology to published nucleotides in chickens; only one synonymous nucleotide substitution was detected in the region. The encoded amino acids were completely identical with the reported sequence, which confirmed that the sequences of the chicken FSHb gene and the peptides of the $FSH{\beta}$ subunit are highly conserved. This may be due to the critical role of the normal function of the FSHb gene in hormonal specificity and regulation of reproduction. The results of gene expression revealed that a recombinant protein with a molecular weight of about 19 kDa was efficiently expressed and it was identified by Western blotting analysis. After administration of the purified $FSH{\beta}$ protein, significantly higher expression levels were demonstrated in uterus, ovary and oviduct samples (p<0.05). These observations suggested that the expressed $FSH{\beta}$ protein possesses biological activity, and has a potential role in regulation of reproductive physiology in chickens.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.10-21
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• 2021

Objectives: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a progressive pathological condition characterized by excessive proliferation of the prostate. In this study, we evaluated the effect of Corni Fructus water extract (CF) on the promotion of prostate cell proliferation by dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Methods: The effect of CF on the proliferation of LNCaP prostate cells was evaluated, and DHT was treated to induce an in vitro BPH model. To study the mechanism of inhibition of cell proliferation and BPH by CF, changes in the expression of key factors related to cell cycle and BPH were investigated. We further investigated the effect on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory efficacy of CF. Results: Inhibition of LNCaP cell proliferation by CF was associated with decreased expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin A and increased expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21. CF also suppressed expression of BPH inducing factors such as 5α-reductase type 2 and androgen receptor (AR) as well as prostate specific antigen (PSA). Furthermore, CF significantly blocked DHT-induced LNCaP cell proliferation and effectively attenuated DHT-induced expression of BPH mediators and cyclins. In addition, CF inhibited DHT-induced oxidative and inflammatory reactions by inhibiting production of ROS and NO. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that CF probably acted as 5α-reductase type 2 inhibitor, preventing the 5α-reductase type 2-AR signaling pathway, thereby reducing the conversion of testosterone to DHT and the expression of PSA, which is at least correlated with the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of CF.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.1012-1018
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• 2014

Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai (Korean name, Jeju-Joritdae) is one of the most abundant plants on Mt. Halla, Jeju Island, and it has long been used in traditional medicines. Recent studies have reported it as possessing various beneficial functions, including anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertension, anti-gastritis, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer effects. However, the molecular mechanisms of its anti-cancer activity have not been clearly elucidated. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer effects and mechanism of S. quelpaertensis on human colon cancer HT-29 cells. Cell growth inhibition by S. quelpaertensis was determined by MTT assay. Apoptosis was performed by DNA fragmentation, flow cytometry with propidium iodide staining (PI), and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to confirm the anti-apoptotic factors, such as inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family members. $NO^{\bullet}$ production was determined by Griess assay. S. quelpaertensis treatment resulted in the time- and dose-dependent inhibition of the cell viability of HT-29 cells by inducing apoptosis, as evidenced by the accumulation of the sub-G1 cell population stained by PI, as well as the ladder-like DNA fragmentation in a dose-dependent manner. S. quelpaertensis-inducing apoptosis was accompanied by the induction of S cell cycle arrests, increasing $NO^{\bullet}$ concentrations, and the down-regulation of IAPs, including X-chromosome-linked IAP (XIAP), cellular IAP-1 (cIAP-1), cIAP-2, and survivin. Taken together, these findings have important implications for future clinical developments of S. quelpaertensis in colon cancer treatment.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.68-72
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• 2014

The effect of cordycepin purified from Cordyceps militaris on macrophage activation was investigated in peritoneal macrophages isolated from C57BL6 mice. Lipopolysaccharide-induced mouse peritoneal cells showed that cordycepin treatment increased the expression of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), leading to early inflammation-mediated reactions, the activation of immunological responses, and T lymphocyte activation. T lymphocytes, activated by a greater production of IL-6, resulted in antibody-generating immune reactions, suggesting that cordycepin was effective at inducing immunological responses. Consistent with the increase in the inflammation-mediating factors including nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$), the toxic response of macrophages was activated and effectively induced inflammation. These findings demonstrate that cordycepin is involved in reducing cell injury provoked by inflammatory reactions. Therefore, these results suggest that cordycepin treatment of mouse peritoneal cells induces inflammation-mediated immunological responses and immunostimulation.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.307-314
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• 2013

Embryos formed in vivo were collected from 171 donors housed in Chung Cheong Buk-Do Institute of Livestock and Veterinary Research of the Chungbuk community during the years 2009~2012. We evaluated annual embryo collection, effect of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), controlled internal drug release (CIDR) and prostaglandin (PG) administration to the donor for superovulation and controlling the estrus cycle, seasonal effects of embryo collection and compared the number of embryos recovered as per the collection days and pregnancy rate. In all, 1,243 embryos were collected from 118 donors with an average of $7.31{\pm}5.35$ embryos per donor, out of which 69.4% were transferable. Dosages of FSH required for inducing superovulation in various donors were compared. Average number of embryos collected from donors administered with 30 AU of FSH ($7.13{\pm}5.74$ per donor) was not significantly different from that of donors who were given an injection of 24 AU of FSH ($7.53{\pm}4.91$ per donor). However, the percentage of transferable embryos in the 30AU FSH-administered group (63.2 %, 449 of 711) was higher than that in the 24AU FSH-administered group (77.8%, 414 of 532). In the group of donors under a natural estrus cycle, the FSH dose administered did not influence the number of transferable embryos produced ($7.49{\pm}6.25$ per donor for 30 AU of FSH vs $7.49{\pm}4.92$ per donor for 24 AU of FSH). However, in donors administered with CIDR and PG for controlling the estrus cycle, the FSH dose affected the average number of transferable embryos collected ($4.25{\pm}2.87$ per donor for 30 AU of FSH vs $8.50{\pm}6.36$ per donor for 24 AU of FSH). We collected embryos from donors 6, 7 or 8 days after artificial insemination (AI). Results showed that the percentage of transferable embryos among those collected 8 days after AI was significantly higher than that among embryos collected 6 or 7 days after AI. Seasonal variations did not affect number of recovered embryos and pregnancy rates in natural estrus cycle and CIDR treatment groups (48.28% and 42.55%) but higher than pregnancy rate of frozen embryos (19.63%). These results indicated that administration of FSH beyond a threshold dose (at least 24 AU) has no beneficial effect on the production embryos and that collection of embryos 7~8 days after AI is optimal for embryo recovery. CIDR treatment induced superovulation in short term and had no influence on the natural estrus cycle. Finally, although good-quality embryos were transferred, freezing significantly reduced the pregnancy rates after transfer.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.4
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• pp.644-650
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• 2022

Aralia elata (Miq.) SEEM is a deciduous shrub that has attracted attention as a high-income forest product. To improve the efficiency of cultivation and increase income, productivity according to the pruning period and annual pruning after harvesting Aralia elata shoots was analyzed. The optimal time was determined by pruning five times at 2-week intervals from 6 days after shoot harvesting. To investigate the pruning effect, pruning was performed at 30 cm from the ground in the first year after planting. From the second year after planting, branches grown for 1 year were pruned to 10 cm, and the annual shoots and branches were compared. Thenumber of first pruned branches after 6 days was 1.3-2.1 times higher after shoot harvesting than at other times, and the shoot characteristics were 1.2-1.7 times better than those at other periods. The faster the pruning, the better the quality of the harvested shoots. Annual pruning produced high-quality shoots (approximately 1.5 cm in diameter and 16 cm in length) from the second year after planting, and it was possible to increase productivity by inducing generation of branches capable of harvesting shoots. Annual pruning also made it possible to maintain easy shoot harvesting at approximately150 cm. These results showed that it was efficient to perform Aralia elatapruning as early as approximately 6 days after shoot harvesting. Pruning enabled production ofuniform-quality shoots every year and increasedthe yield of the trees.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.153-161
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• 2024

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is mainly produced in the skin by UV rays. Along with melatonin, it is a representative chronobiotic substance, and the skin plays an important role in distinguishing between day and night. However, vitamin D cannot be used directly in cosmetics because it is a vitamin that acts as a coenzyme and plays a hormonal role in regulating the expression of various types of genes. Therefore, it was to investigate the skin efficacy of provitamin D (7-dehydrocholesterol), a vitamin D precursor that can be used in cosmetics. Our findings reveal that pro vitamin D can effectively inhibit the expression of tyrosinase, the melanin-producing enzyme, thereby attenuating melanin synthesis. This skin tone regulatory effect has been corroborated in vitro using artificial skin models. Additionally, pro vitamin D demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties by suppressing the expression of TNFa and, upon conversion to vitamin D through UV exposure, it was observed to induce the production of the antimicrobial peptide CAMP (LL-37). The inhibitory effect of pro vitamin D on melanin production appears to be a result of it reducing the UV absorption capacity of melanin, thereby inducing the conversion of pro D to vitamin D. Utilizing pro vitamin D in cosmetic formulations could not only modulate skin tone and enhance skin immunity but also expect to contribute to other cutaneous benefits as anti-aging and barrier function improvement with everyday UV exposure. This multifaceted efficacy positions pro vitamin D as a promising ingredient in advancing the formulation of skin care products.