• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.346-352
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• 2010

Introduction: Heat shock protein70 (HSP70) is a highly conserved family of proteins produced after a variety of stresses. Many studies reported that the overexpression of HSP70 can improve the prognosis of the patients with sepsis through a reduction of the nitric oxide concentration. However, these results only revealed the effect of HSP70 and nitric oxide. No studies have examined the relationship between HSP70 and nitric oxide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the overexpression of HSP70 on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and the nitric oxide concentration. In addition, the mechanism of the relationship of HSP70 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in sepsis was examined. Materials and Methods: The experiments were performed on male sprague-dawley rats. Sepsis was induced by a cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Glutamine (GLN) or saline was administered 1 hour after the initiation of sepsis. Serum and lung tissues were acquired from the rats 12 hours or 24 hours after the initiation of sepsis. The nitric oxide concentration, the expression of HSP70 in lung, and the gene expression of iNOS in lung were analyzed. The three groups, sham operation, CLP and CLP+GLN, were compared. Results: Compared to the other groups, in CLP+GLN, GLN administered after the initiation of sepsis enhanced the expression of HSP70 in the lung at 12 hours ($47.19{\pm}10.04$ vs. $33.22{\pm}8.28$, P=0.025) and 24 hours ($47.06{\pm}10.60$ vs. $31.90{\pm}4.83$, P=0.004). In CLP+GLN, GLN attenuated the expression of iNOS messenger RNA (mRNA) in the lung at 12 hours ($5,513.73{\pm}1,051.60$ vs. $4,167.17{\pm}951.59$, P=0.025) and 24 hours ($18,740.27{\pm}8,241.20$ vs. $9,437.65{\pm}2,521.07$, P=0.016), and reduced the concentration of nitric oxide in the serum at 12 hours ($0.86{\pm}0.48$ vs. $3.82{\pm}2.53$, P=0.016) and 24 hours ($0.39{\pm}0.25$ vs. $1.85{\pm}1.70$, P=0.025). Conclusion: The overexpression of HSP70 induced by the administration of GLN in sepsis attenuates the expression of the iNOS gene but reduces the nitric oxide concentration.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.35-63
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• 1991

Currently, Korea's banking industry holds a sizable amount of non-performing loans which stem from the government-led bailout of many troubled firms in the 1980s. Although this burden was somewhat relieved with the aid of banks' recapitalization in the booming securities market between 1986-88, the insolvent credits still resulted in low profitability in the banking sector and have been detrimental to the progress of financial liberalization and internationalization. This paper surveys the corporate bailout experiences of major advanced countries and Korea in the past and derives a rationale for readjustment measures against non-performing loans, in which rescue plans depend on the nature of the financial system. Considering the features of Korea's financial system and the banking sector's recent performance, it discusses possible means of liquidation in keeping with the rationale. The conflict of interests among parties involved in non-performing loans is widely known as one of the major constraints in writing off the loans. Specifically, in the case of Korea, the government's excessive intervention in allocating credits has preempted the legitimate role of the banking sector, which now only passively manages its past loans, and has implicitly confused private with public risk. This paper argues that to minimize the incidence of insolvent loan readjustment, the government's role should be reduced and that the correspondent banks should be more active in the liquidation process, through the market mechanism, reflecting their access to detailed information on the troubled firms. One solution is that banks, after classifying the insolvent loans by the lateness or possibility of repayment, would swap the relatively sound loans for preferred stock and gradually write off the bad ones by expanding the banks' retained earnings and revaluing the banks' assets. Specifically, the debt-equity swap can benefit both creditors and debtors in the sense that it raises the liquidity and profitability of bank assets and strengthens the debtor's financial structure by easing the debt service burden. Such a creditor-led or market-led solution improves the financial strength and autonomy of the banking sector, thereby fostering more efficient resource allocation and risk sharing.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.445-456
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• 2001

In the 1990s, Cochlodinium polykikoides red tide has been annually occurred in the southern coast of Korea and caused the mass damage to the fisheries with a huge amount of economic loss. The present study was done to establish the biological foundation for the elucidation of the mechanism of C. polykikoiaes red tide. The growth response of C. polykikoides to physico-chemical factors such as temperature, salinity, pH, and light intensity were examined using axenic cultures to evaluate the relative importance of these factors on the dynamics of natural populations, It was found that the highest growth conditions were $25^{\circ}C,\;40\%_{\circ}$, pH 7.5, and 7,500 lux, respectively. The tolerable salinity range of growth was relatively wide at an optimum temperature and was reduced to a much narrower range at a sub-optimum temperature. These findings indicate that C. polykikoides is an eurythermal and euryhaline organism. The organism demanded higher light intensity and oceanic pH narrow in its growth. C. polykikoides utilize inorganic nutrients, such as nitrate and ammonium as N, and phosphate as P. The nutritional requirements of C. polykikoides were $40{\mu}M$ for nitrate, $50{\mu}M$ for ammonium, and $5{\mu}M$ for phosphate. The half saturation constant (Ks) for growth was $2.10{\mu}M$ for nitrate, $1.03{\mu}M$ for ammonium, and $0.57{\mu}M$ for phosphate. These values were comparatively smaller than those of other dinoflagellates reported previously. We confirmed that the organism is characterized as an eutrophic species. However, ammonium Ks value is smaller than that of other eutrophic species, This result indicates that C. polykikoides red tide may outbreak in the waters which eutrophication is in progress rather than eutrophicated waters. C. polykikoides preferred ammonium better than nitrate as a nitrogen source when in a growth stage, Therefore, our results indicate that ammonium is more important nutrient on the growth of the organism in comparison with other inorganic nutrients and C. polykikoides red tide is related with the increased ammonium concentration in the coastal waters.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.12
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• pp.1337-1347
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• 2009

Purpose:Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is a simple sulfur-containing amino acid. It is abundantly present in tissues such as brain, retina, heart, and skeletal muscles. Current studies have demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of taurine, but limited data are available for such effects during neonatal period. The aim of this study was to determine whether taurine could reduce hypoxic-ischemic (HI) cerebral injury via anti-apoptosis mechanism. Methods:Embryonic cortical neurons isolated from Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at 18 days gestation were cultured in vitro. The cells were divided into hypoxia group, taurine-treated group before hypoxic insult, and taurine-treated group after HI insult. In the in vivo model, left carotid artery ligation was performed in 7-day-old SD rat pups. The pups were exposed to hypoxia, administered an injection of 30 mg/kg of taurine, and killed at 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after the hypoxic insult. We compared the expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 among the 3 groups by using real- time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blotting. Results:The cells in the taurine-treated group before hypoxic insult, although similar in appearance to those in the normoxia group, were lesser in number. In the taurine-treated group, Bcl-2 expression increased, whereas Bax and caspase-3 expressions reduced. Conclusion:Taurine exerts neuroprotective effects onperinatal HI brain injury due to its anti-apoptotic effect. The neuroprotective effect was maximal at 1-2 weeks after the hypoxic injury.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.92-105
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• 2014

Objectives : Cisplatin is a widely used cancer therapy drug. However, nephrotoxicity resulting in increased oxidative stress is a major side effect of cisplatin chemotherapy, thereby limiting its chemotherapeutic use. Lycium chinense Miller (LCM) has been used as a traditional herbal medicine in various febrile and inflammatory diseases such as night sweat, cough, nosebleed, bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, etc. In this study we investigated the protective and antioxidative potential of LCM against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Methods : Twenty-four 8-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: normal untreated; cisplatin treatment only; LCM 10 mg/kg plus cisplatin treatment; and LCM 30 mg/kg plus cisplatin treatment. Twenty-four hours after the last cisplatin injection, all the rats were sacrificed, and serological changes were evaluated. The levels of NF-${\kappa}B$ activity and NOX-4, $p47^{phox}$, $p22^{phox}$, COX-2, iNOS, SOD, catalase expressions were analyzed in Western blot analysis. Results : Cisplatin injection caused an increase in the BUN level, which is a reliable indicator of renal toxicity. The levels of BUN, renal ROS, and renal TBARS were significantly reduced in the LCM groups compared with the cisplatin-only groups. The levels of $p47^{phox}$ and $p22^{phox}$, which are NADPH oxidase subunits, were increased in the cisplatin-only groups, whereas they were decreased in the LCM groups. The levels of renal NF-${\kappa}B$ activity and COX-2, iNOS expressions were increased significantly in the cisplatin-only groups compared with the normal groups, whereas they were decreased in the LCM groups. Compared with the cisplatin-only groups, renal GSH and GSH/GSSG increased in the LCM groups. Also, the administration of LCM increased levels of SOD and catalase as compared with the cisplatin-only groups. Conclusions : These results suggest that LCM protects cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity via a mechanism that may involves the inhibition of oxidative stress by the activation of antioxidants.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.205-211
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• 2018

Rebaudioside A is a natural sweetener isolated from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, one of the glycosides based on steviol. Recent studies have shown that rebaudioside A inhibits the inflammatory response by inhibiting cytokines secretion such as interleukin-$1{\alpha}/1{\beta}$ in activated RAW264.7 mouse macrophage cells by LPS. However, the inhibitory mechanism of inflammation by rebaudioside A in the presence of LPS has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, in this study, we tried to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of rebaudioside A at the protein level when RAW264.7 cells were stimulated by LPS. The inducible nitric oxide synthase protein expression level was reduced in the group treated with $250{\mu}M$ rebaudioside A compared to the LPS-treated group. In addition, the mRNA expression level of $NF-{\kappa}B$, which is a representative nuclear transcription factor by inflammatory signal, was also decreased as compared with that of LPS-treated group. In addition, $NF-{\kappa}B$ and inhibitor-${\kappa}B$ ($I-{\kappa}B$) complexes that are known to be dissociated by $I-{\kappa}B$ phosphorylation and ubiquitination were less phosphorylated than LPS treated group in the presence rebaudioside A. Finally, we could find that rebaudioside A was involved in the $NF-{\kappa}B$ pathway through reducing extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 phosphorylation in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that rebaudioside A might suppress inflammatory reaction through MAPK and $NF-{\kappa}B$ regulation in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.708-718
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• 2020

Offensive odor is recognized as a social environmental problem due to its olfactory effects. Ammonia(NH₃), hydrogen sulfide(H₂S) and benzene(C₆H₆) are produced from various petrochemical plants, public sewage treatment plants, public livestock wastes, and food waste disposal facilities in large quantities. Therefore efficient decomposition of offensive odor is needed. In this study, the removal efficiency of atmospheric-pressure plasma operating at an ambient condition was investigated by evaluating the concentrations at upflow and downflow between the plasma reactor. The decomposition of offensive odor using plasma is based on the mechanism of photochemical oxidation of offensive odor using free radical and ozone(O₃) generated when discharging plasma, which enables the decomposition of offensive odor at ordinary temperature and has the advantage of no secondary pollutants. As a result, all three odor substances were completely decontaminated within 1 minute as soon as discharging the plasma up to 500 W. This result confirms that high concentration odors or mixed odor materials can be reduced using atmospheric-pressure plasma.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.382-395
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• 1992

GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in central nervous system and produce sedative, antianxiety and muscle reaxing effects via $GABA_A$ receptor or $GABA_B$ receptor. Recently it is known that GABA is widely distributed throughout peripheral organs and may playa physiological role in certain organ. The vas deferens is innervated by species-difference. These study, therefore, was performed to investigate the mode and the mechanism of action of GABA on the norepiniphrine-, ATP- and electric stimulation-induced contraction of vas deferens of rat. Sprague-Dawley rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. The smooth muscle strips were isolated from the prostastic portion and were mounted in the isolated muscle bath. PSS in the bath was aerated with 95/5%-$O_2/CO_2$ at $33^{\circ}C$. Muscle tensions were measured by isometric tension transducer and were recorded by biological recording system. 1. GABA, muscimol, a $GAB_A$ agonist, and baclofen, a $GABA_B$ agonist inhibited the electric field stimulation(EFS, 0.2Hz, 1mSec, 80 V, monophasic square wave)-induced contraction with a rank order of potency of GABA greater than baclofen greater than muscimol. 2. The inhibitory effect of GABA was antagonized by delta aminovaleric acid(DAVA), a $GABA_B$ antagonist, but not by bicuculline, a $GABA_A$ mtagonist. 3. The inhibitory effect of baclofen was antagonized by DAVA, but the effect of muscimol was not antagonized by bicuculline. 4. Exogenous norepinephrine(NE) and ATP contracted muscle strip concentration dependently, but the effect of acetylcholine was negligible : and GABA did not affect the NE-and ATP-induced contractions. 5. GABA, baclofen and muscimol did not affect basal tone, and GABA did not affect the NE-and ATP-induced contractionsm 6. EFS-induced contraction was including 2 distinctable components. The first phasic component was inhibited by beta gamma-methylene ATP(mATP), a desensitizing agent of APT receptor and the second tonic component was reduced by pretreatment of reserpine(3 mg/Kg, IP). 7. GABA inhibited the EFS-induced contraction of reserpinized strips, but not the mATP-treated strips. These results suggest that in the prostatic portion of the rat vas deferens, adrenergic and purinergic neurotransmissions are exist, and GABA inhibits the release of ATP via presynaptic $GABA_B$ receptor on the excitatory neurons.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.4773-4780
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• 2014

Background: To investigate the effects of small interference RNA (siRNA) targeting BCR/ABL mRNA on proliferation and apoptosis in the K562 human chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell line and to provide a theoretical rationale and experimental evidence for its potential clinical application for anti-CML treatment. Materials and Methods: The gene sequence for BCR/ABL mRNA was found from the GeneBank. The target gene site on the BCR/ABL mRNA were selected according to Max-Planck-Institute (MPI) and rational siRNA design rules, the secondary structure of the candidate targeted mRNA was predicted, the relevant thermodynamic parameters were analyzed, and the targeted gene sequences were compared with BLAST to eliminate any sequences with significant homology. Inhibition of proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay and colony-formation inhibiting test. Apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry (FCM) and the morphology of apoptotic cells was identified by Giemsa-Wright staining. Western blotting was used to analyze the expression of BCR/ABL fusion protein in K562 cells after siRNA treatment. Results: The mRNA local secondary structure calculated by RNA structure software, and the optimal design of specific siRNA were contributed by bioinformatics rules. Five sequences of BCR/ABL siRNAs were designed and synthesized in vitro. Three sequences, siRNA1384, siRNA1276 and siRNA1786, which showed the most effective inhibition of K562 cell growth, were identified among the five candidate siRNAs, with a cell proliferative inhibitory rate nearly 50% after exposure to 12.5nmol/L~50nmol/L siRNA1384 for 24,48 and 72 hours. The 50% inhibitory concentrations ($IC_{50}$) of siRNA1384, siRNA1276 and siRNA1786 for 24hours were 46.6 nmol/L, 59.3 nmol/L and 62.6 nmol/L, respectively, and 65.668 nmol/L, 76.6 nmol/L, 74.4 nmol/L for 72 hours. The colony-formation inhibiting test also indicated that, compared with control, cell growth of siRNA treated group was inhibited. FCM results showed that the rate of cell apoptosis increased 24 hours after transfecting siRNA. The results of annexinV/PI staining indicated that the rate of apoptosis imcreased (1.53%, 15.3%, 64.5%, 57.5% and 21.5%) following treamtne with siRNAs (siRNA34, siRNA372, siRNA1384, siRNA1276 and siRNA1786). Morphological analysis showed td typical morphologic changes of apoptosis such as shrunken, fragmentation nucleus as well as "apoptotic bodies" after K562 cell exposure to siRNA. Western blot analysis showed that BCR/ABL protein was reduced sharply after a single dose of 50nmol/L siRNA transfection. Conclusions: Proliferation of K562 cells was remarkbly inhibited by siRNAs (siRNA1384, siRNA1276 and siRNA1786) in a concentration-dependent manner in vitro, with effective induction of apoptosis at a concentration of 50 nmol/L. One anti-leukemia mechanism in K562 cells appeared that BCR/ABL targeted protein was highly down-regulated. The siRNAs (siRNA1384, siRNA1276 and siRNA1786) may prove valuable in the treatment of CML.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1987

The renal handling and tissue distribution of pyrazinamide were studied after administration of single dose intravenous injection for 15 min or constant infusion in New Zealand White rabbits. Peak pyrazinamide serum concentration ranged from 57.3 to $105.0{\mu}g/ml$ ($mean{\pm}SD;83.0{\pm}17.8$). The mean half-life of the a phase was $0.143{\pm}0.047$ hr while the ${\beta}$ phase ranged from 1.66 to 3.25 hr($mean{\pm}SD;2.38{\pm}0.57$). The mean steady-state volume of distribution in non-compartmental model was $0.935{\pm}0.362\;L/kg$ Excretion ratio of pyrazinamide was dramatically reduced from 1.02 to 0.30 when unbound serum pyrazinamide concentration was increased from 6.04 to $60.9\;{\mu}g/ml$. The urine flow dependency of renal clearance of pyrazinamide was demonstrated in steady-state serum concentration. The tissue/serum concentration ratio of pyrazinamide was highest in kidney and lowest in skeletal muscle among the tissues examined. The results suggested that a large fraction of pyrazinamide filtered by glomerulus and secreted by renal tubule was reabsorbed and this tubular reabsorption of pyrazinamide might be greatly influenced by urine flow.