• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.33 no.2 s.95
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• pp.123-131
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• 2007

Many environmental contaminants including several metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and pharmaceuticals, have been identified to be phototoxic in the water environment. Concerns regarding photo-enhancement of toxicity of several environmental contaminants have been increasing because of the increased level of ultraviolet irradiation on the earth surface. However, there exist arguments that there might be certain defense mechanisms taking place in the aquatic ecosystem, which may include behavioral characteristics or genetic acclimation. This study was conducted to understand the potential responses of aquatic receptors to several phototoxic metals in the real environment, where long-term acclimation of such organisms to low dose UV-B may take place. For this purpose, water flea Daphnia magna was acclimated to environmentally relevant dose of UV-B (12 to $18uW/cm^2$) for >11 generations. The differences in developmental and life history characteristics, and toxicity responses were evaluated. Acclimation did not affect the daphnids' growth, longevity, and reproduction characteristics such as time to first brood, and brood size: After 21 d, survival of D. magna was not influenced by UV-B acclimation. When the number of young per female was compared. the daphnids acclimated for 11 generations tend to produce less number of neonates than the un-acclimated individuals but with no statistical significance (p>0.05). Four metals that were reported to be phototoxic elsewhere were employed in this evaluation, that include As, Cd. Cu, and Ni. UV-B level being applied in acclimation did increase the toxicity of Cd and Cu, significantly (p<0.05). However, the toxicities of As and Ni were not affected by irradiation of UV-B. Phototoxic responses were evaluated between the acclimated and the un-acclimated daphnids. For Cu, UV-B acclimation led to reduction of the photo-induced toxicity $(p\approx0.1)$ in daphnids. Non-acclimated Daphnia were affected by 50% at 4.18 ug/l Cu. but UV-B acclimated individuals exhibited $EC_{50}$ of 5.89 ug/l. With Cd, UV-B acclimation appeared to increase phototoxicity (p>0.05). With As and Ni, UV-B acclimation did not influence photo-induced toxicity. This observation may be in part explained by the type of reactive oxygen species that were generated by each metal. Similar to UV-B light, Cu is known to generate superoxide anion by acting as redox cycling toxicant. This is one of the first studies that employed_laboratory based UV-B acclimated test species for photoenhanced toxicity evaluation.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.128-137
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• 2006

Purpose: We investigated whether a relationship exists between tumor control dose 50 ($TCD_{50}$) or tumor growth delay (TGD) and radiation induced apoptosis (RIA) in syngeneic murine tumors. Also we investigated the biological markers that can predict radiosensitivity in murine tumor system through analysis of relationship between $TCD_{50}$, TGD, RIA and constitutive expression levels of the genetic products regulating RIA. Materials and Methods: Syngeneic murine tumors such as ovarian adenocarcinoma, mammary carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, fibrosarcoma, hepatocarcinoma were used In this study. C3H/HeJ mice were bred and maintained in our specific pathogen free mouse colony and were $8{\sim}12$ weeks old when used for the experiments. The tumors, growing in the right hind legs of mice, were analyzed for $TCD_{50}$, TGD, and RIA at 8 mm in diameter. The tumors were also analyzed for the constitutive expression levels of $p53,\;p21^{WAF1/CIP1},\;BAX,\;Bcl-2,\;Bcl-X_L,\;Bcl-X_S$, and p34. Correlation analysis was peformed whether the level of RIA were correlated with $TCD_{50}$ or TGD, and the constitutive expression levels of genetic products regulating RIA were correlated with $TCD_{50}$, TGD, RIA. Results: The level of RIA showed a significant positive correlation (R=0.922, p=0.026) with TGD, and showed a trend to correlation (R=-0.848), marginally significant correlation with $TCD_{50}$ (p=0.070). It indicates that tumors that respond to radiation with high percentage of apoptosis were more radiosensitive. The constitutive expression levels of $p21^{WAF1/CIP1}$ and 34 showed a significant correlation either with $TCD_{50}$ (R=0.893, p=0.041 and R=0.904, p=0.035) or with TGD (R=-0.922, p=0.026 and R=-0.890 p=0.043). The tumors with high constitutive expression levels of $p21^{WAF1/CIP1}$ or p34 were less radiosensitive than those with low expression. Conclusion: Radiosensitivity may be predicted with the level of RIA in murine tumors. The constitutive expression levels of $p21^{WAF1/CIP1}$ or p34 can be used as biological markers which predict the radiosensitivity.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.97-104
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• 2004

Introduction of wave model, take into account the effect of tide, wind and wave induced currents at the coastal waters of complex bathymetry, is a very important factor for most coastal engineering design and disaster protection problems. As the steady state spectral wave model could simulate depth induced wave shoaling and refraction, current induced refraction effect, steepness induced wave breaking, diffraction, wind wave growth, wave-wave interaction, and wave-current interaction that redistribute energy, this would support and compensate the gap in the real field of design where other wave models could not deal and cause wrong estimation. In this study, for better understanding and analysis of wave transformation process, we applied the spectral wave model to the large coastal waters near Gaduck Island where the Busan new port construction project is going on. We also compared the simulation results with the calculatea from the existing model. From such a trial of this study, we hope that broader and safer use of the spectral model in the area of port design and disaster prevention system come through in near future.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1042-1048
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• 2008

Prostate cancer is the most predominant cancer in men and related death rate increases every year. Till date, there is no effective therapy for androgen independent prostate cancer. To investigate the mechanism for cell growth inhibition or apoptosis in human androgen independent prostate cancer PC-3 cells after gamma irradiation. The aim of this study was to examine the potential of gamma irradiation to induce apoptosis in PC-3 cells and to assess the mechanism of gamma irradiation-induced apoptosis. Five different assays were employed in this study: cell proliferation assay, morphological assessments of apoptotic cells, DNA fragmentation analysis, quantification of apoptosis by annexin V (AV) and propidium iodide (PI) staning, and western blot analysis. Cell viability was inversely related to radiation dose. DAPI-positive cells were detected 48 hr after 40 Gy radiation exposure. And nuclear morphological changes of cells were observed by gamma irradiation. DNA ladder patterns in the cells exposed to gamma-radiation were appeared at 24 hr. Also, gamma irradiation induces apoptosis of PC-3 cells via Caspase3, Bax and PARP-dependent fashion.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.161-168
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• 2005

Purpose: The changed expressions of $TGF-{\beta}1$, as a key cytokine in the fibrotic process, due to melatonin with potent antioxidative effects, were investigated in the irradiated lung using fibrosis-sensitive C57BL/6 mice. Materials and Methods: Female C57BL/6 mice were divided into control irradiation-only, and melatonin (300 mg/kg i.p. 1 hr before irradiation) pretreatment groups. The thoraces of the mice were irradiated with a single dose of 12 Gy. The mRNA expressions of $TGF-{\beta}1$ in the lung tissue 2 and 4 weeks after irradiation were quantified using semiquantitive RT-PCR, and the cellular origin and expression levels of $TGF-{\beta}1$ protein were identified using immunohistochemical staining. Results: The relative mRNA expression levels in the irradiation-only and melatonin pretreatment groups 2 and 4 weeks after irradiation were 1.92- and 1.80-fold (p=0.064) and 2.38- and 1.94-fold (p=0.004) Increased, respectively compared to those in the control group. increased expressions of $TGF-{\beta}1$ protein were prominently detected in regions of histopathologicai radiation injury, with alveolar macrophages and septal epithelial cells serving as important sources of $TGF-{\beta}1$ expression. At 2 and 4 weeks after irradiation, the expression levels of protein were $15.8\%\;vs.\;16.9\%$ (p=0.565) and $36.1\%\;vs.\;25.7\%$ (p=0.009), respectively. Conclusion: The mRNA and protein expressions of $TGF-{\beta}1$ in the lung tissue following thoracic irradiation with 12 Gy were significantly decreased by melatonin pretreatment at 4 weeks. These results indicate that melatonin may have a possible application as an antifibrotic agent in radiation-induced lung injury.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.159-169
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• 2012

Hormesis is a dose-response phenomenon that is characterized by low-dose stimulation and high-dose inhibition. This biphasic dose-responses have had a long and extensive history in the fields of chemical toxicology, radiation biology and pharmacology. Hormesis has been found from bacteria, fungi, plants and animals, but hormesis in plants has received relatively little attention. Thus principles, occurrence, factors affecting the expression of hormetic responses, and their mechanisms in plants induced by herbicides are reviewed to provide the potentials for crop enhancement. Bromacil, bromoxynil, chloramben, propachlor, terbacil, EPTC, MSMA, and glyphosate at low doses showed stimulatory response in growth. Subtoxic dose of glyphosate increased sucrose content in sugarcane that is used worldwide in sugarcane production. Low dose of protoporphyrinogen-inhibiting herbicides induced increased pathogen defence, and low dose of triazine herbicides improved nitrogen metabolism and increased protein content in some crops. Further researches on potential benefits and risks of hormesis and its mechanism are needed for application of crop enhancement in agriculture.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.29-30
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• 2002

The goal of this research was to develop the effectiveness of in vitro culture method for A. formosanus and study the environment in vitro conditions affecting on growth. The first series of experiments were examined to investigate the response of three different basal media, MS (Murashige and Skoog, 1962), Knudson (KC; Knudson, 1946) and modified hyponex on growth and multiplication during in vitro culture. Multiple shoot proliferation was induced in shoot tip explants on Hyponex (H3) media supplemented with BA (1 mg1$\^$-1/) or TDZ (1-2 mg1$\^$-1/). Addition of activated charcoal (1%) to the TDZ containing medium promoted rapid shoot tip proliferation (11.1 shoots per explant) but the same medium had an opposite effect resulting in poor proliferation in the nodal explants. However, the regenerated shoots had slow growth rate and failed to elongate. This problem was overcome by transferring the shoot clumps to a hormone free H3 media supplemented with 2% sucrose and 0.5% activated charcoal. Using bioreactor culture for scaling up was also shown the best way for multiple shoot induction and growth of this plant. The second series of experiments was studied to investigate the effect of physical environment factors on growth of in vitro plantlets. The Anoectochilus formosanus plantlets were cultured under different air exchange rate (0.1, 0.9, 1.2h$\^$-1/), without sucrose or supplement 20g.1$\^$-1/ (photoautotrophic or photomixotrophic, respectively), and different photosynthesis photon flux (40, 80, 120 ,${\mu}$mol.m$^2$.s$\^$-1/- PPF). Under non-enrichment CO$_2$ treatment, slow growth was observed in photoautotrophical condition as compared with photomixotrophical condition on shoot height, fresh weigh and dry weight parameters; High air exchange (1.2.h-l) was found to be inadequate for plant growth in photomixotrophical condition. On the contrary, under CO$_2$, enrichment treatment, the plant growth parameters were sharply (visibly) improved on photoautotrophic treatments, especially on the treatment with air exchange rate of 0.9.h-1. The growth of plant in photoautotrophic condition was not inferior compared with photomixotrophic, and the best growth of plantlet was observed in treatment with low air exchange rate (0.9.h-1). Raising the PPF level from 80 to 120${\mu}$mol.m$\^$-2/.s$\^$-1/ decreased the plant height, particularly at 120${\mu}$mol.m$\^$-2/.s$\^$-1/ in photoautotrophic condition, fresh weight and dry weight declined noticeably. At the PPF of 120${\mu}$mol.m$\^$-2/,s$\^$-1/, chlorophyll contents lowed compared to those grown under low PPF but time courses of net photosynthesis rate was decreased noticeably. Light quality mainly affected morphological variables, changes of light quality also positively affected biomass production via changes in leaf area, stem elongation, chlorophyll content. Plant biomass was reduced when A. formosanus were grown under red LEDs in the absence of blue wavelengths compare to plants grown under supplemental blue light or under fluorescent light. Stem elongation was observed under red and blue light in the present experiment. Smaller leaf area has found under blue light than with other lighting treatments. Chlorophyll degradation was more pronounced in red and blue light compared with white light or red plus blue light which consequent affected the photosynthetic capacity of the plant. The third series of experiment were studied to investigate the effect of physical environment factors on growth of ex vitro plants including photosynthesis photon flux (PPF), light quality, growing substrates, electrical conductivity (EC) and humidity conditions. In the present experiments, response of plant on PPF and light quality was similar in vitro plants under photosynthesis photon flux 40${\mu}$mol.m,$\^$-2/.s$\^$-1/ and white light or blue plus red lights were the best growth. Substrates testing results were indicated cocopeat or peat moss were good substrates for A. formosanus growth under the greenhouse conditions. In case of A. formosanus plants, EC is generally maintained in the range 0.7 to 1.5 dS.m-1 was shown best results in growth of this plant. Keeping high humidity over 70% under low radiation enhanced growth rate and mass production.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.474-481
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• 2004

Squamous cell carcinoma is the most prevalent oral cancer, which is characterized by its low survival rate, high malignancy, mortality with facial defects, and poor prognosis. Exact cause and pathogenesis of the squamous cell carcinoma is still unknown. Various routes including smoking, radiation, and viral infections predispose its genesis, and recent studies revealed that genetic defects which fail to prevent cancer proliferation play a role. Generally, a cancer develops from the decreased rate of apoptosis which is an active and voluntary cell death, and from the altered cell cycles. Anticancer effect can be obtained by recovering the apoptotic process, and by suppressing the cell cycles. Among the apoptosis related factors, bcl-2, caspase-9, and VDAC (voltage-dependent anion channel)are produced in mitochondria of the cell. Cyclosporin-A is known to induce apoptosis through its activation with VDAC. This study was to reveal the anticancer effect of Cyclosporin A to the oral squamous cell carcinoma. The inverted microscope was used to find alterations in the tissue, and sensitivity test to the anticancer cells was performed with MTT (Tetrazolium-based colorimetric) assay. Following cell line culture of primary and metastastic oral squamous cell carcinoma, electrophoresis was performed with extracted total RNA. Finally, semi-quantitative study was carried out through RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction). The results of this study are as follows: 1. The inverted microscopic observation revealed a poorly defined cytoplasm at $2000ng{\sim}3000ng/ml$, indistinct nucleus, and apoptosis. 2. The Growth of cancer cells was decreased at 1000ng/ml of cyclosporin-A. No cancer cell growth was observed at over 2000ng/ml concentration of cyclosporin-A, and at one week, growth of cancer cells was ceased. 3. The MTT assays were decreased as cyclosporin-A concentration was increased. This means that the activation of succinyl dehydrogenase in mitochondria was decreased following administration of cyclosporin A. 4. A result of RT-PCR showed that amount of mRNA of VDAC-2 was decreased half times at a cyclosporine-A concentration of 2000ng/ml. In bcl-2, amount of mRNA was significantly decreased 1/5 times at 2000ng/ml. caspase-9, however, showed slight increase compared to the control group. From the results obtained in this study, administration of cyclosporin-A to the cell lines of oral squamous cell carcinoma induced alterations in morphology and growth of the cells as its concentration increased. Since apoptosis related factors such as VDAS-2, bcl-2, and caspase-9 also showed distinct alterations on their mRNAs, further research on cyclosporin A as an anti-cancer agent will be feasible.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.512-522
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• 2023

Cancer with unlimited cell growth is a leading cause of death globally. Various cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy, can be applied alone or in combination depending on the cancer type and stage. New treatments with fewer side effects than previous cancer treatments are continually under development and in demand. Undifferentiated stem cells with unlimited cell growth are gradually changed via cellular differentiation to arrest cell growth. In this study, we reviewed the possibility of treating cancer by using cellular differentiation into the adipocytes in cancer cells. In previous in vitro studies, oral antidiabetic drugs of the thiazolidinedione (TDZ) class, such as rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, were induced into the adipocytes in various cancer cell lines via increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR γ) expression and glucose uptake, which is the key regulator of adipogenesis and the energy metabolism pathway. The differentiated adipogenic cancer cells treated with TDZ inhibited cell growth and had a less cellulotoxic effect. This adipogenic differentiation treatment suggests a possible chemotherapy option in cancer cells with high and abnormal glucose metabolism levels. However, the effects of the in vivo adipogenic differentiation treatment need to be thoroughly investigated in different types of stem and normal cells with other side effects.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2007

To develop rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars to be planted on salt-affected sites, cell lines with enhanced proline content and resistance to growth inhibition by Azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (AZCA), a proline analogue, were screened out among calli irradiated with gamma ray of 50, 70, 90, and 120 Gy. The calli had been derived from embryo culture of the cultivar Donganbyeo. Selected AZCA resistant lines that had high proline accumulation were used as sources for selection of NaCl resistant lines. To determine an optimum concentration for selection of NaCl resistant lines, Donganbyeo seeds were initially cultured on the media containing various NaCl concentrations (0 to 2.5%) for 40 days, and 1.5% NaCl concentration was determined as the optimum concentration. One hundred sixteen salt-tolerant (ST) lines were selected from bulked 20,000 seeds of the AZCA resistant $M_{3}$ seeds in the medium containing 1.5% NaCl. The putative 33 lines ($M_{4}$ generation) considered with salt-tolerance were further analyzed for salt tolerance, amino acid and ion contents, and expression patterns of the salt tolerance-related genes. Out of the 33 lines, 7 lines were confirmed to have superior salt tolerance. Based on growth comparison of the entries, the selected mutant lines exhibited greater shoot length with average 1.5 times, root length with 1.3 times, root numbers with 1.1 times, and fresh weight with 1.5 times than control. Proline contents were increased maximum 20%, 100% and 20% in the leaf, seed and callus, respectively, of the selected lines. Compared to control, amino acid contents of the mutants were 24 to 29%, 49 to 143%, 32 to 60% higher in the leaf, seed and callus, respectively. The ratio of $Na^{+}/K^{+}$ for most of the ST-lines were lower than that of control, ranging from 1.0 to 3.8 for the leaf and 11.5 to 28.5 for the root, while the control had 3.5 and 32.9 in the leaf and root, respectively. The transcription patterns for the P5CS and NHXI genes observed by RT-PCR analysis indicated that these genes were actively expressed under salt stress. The selected mutants will be useful for the development of rice cultivar resistant to salt stress.