• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제13권11호
• /
• pp.5605-5611
• /
• 2012

Background: In the last two decades, pioneering research on anti-tumour activity of saffron has shed light on the role of crocetin, picrocrocin and safranal, as broad spectrum anti-neoplastic agents. However, the exact mechanisms have yet to be elucidated. Identification and characterization of the targets of bioactive constituents will play an imperative role in demystifying the complex anti-neoplastic machinery. Methods: In the quest of potential target identification, a dual virtual screening approach utilizing two inverse screening systems, one predicated on idTarget and the other on PharmMapper was here employed. A set of target proteins associated with multiple forms of cancer and ranked by Fit Score and Binding energy were obtained from the two independent inverse screening platforms. The validity of the results was checked by meticulously analyzing the post-docking binding pose of the picrocrocin with Hsp90 alpha in AutoDock. Results: The docking pose reveals that electrostatic and hydrogen bonds play the key role in inter-molecular interactions in ligand binding. Picrocrocin binds to the Hsp90 alpha with a definite orientation appropriate for nucleophilic attacks by several electrical residues inside the Hsp90-alpha ATPase catalytic site. Conclusion: This study reveals functional information about the anti-tumor mechanism of saffron bioactive constituents. Also, a tractable set of anti-neoplastic targets for saffron has been generated in this study which can be further authenticated by in vivo and in vitro experiments.

• 디지털융복합연구
• /
• 제16권8호
• /
• pp.269-278
• /
• 2018

본 연구는 이용자의 선택에 영향을 미치는 휴리스틱 유형이 구전속성에 미치는 영향과 구전속성이 이용자의 행동의도에 미치는 영향 및 구전속성이 휴리스틱 유형과 행동의도 간에 매개 역할을 할 것인지를 알아보고자, 모바일 게임을 이용하는 102명의 결과를 분석 하였다. 첫째, 휴리스틱(대표성, 조정) 유형은 구전속성(호의성, 신뢰성, 설득성)에 정(+)의 영향력을 갖는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 신뢰성 구전속성은 행동의도에 유의한 영향력을 갖는 것으로 나타났으나, 호의성과 설득성 구전속성은 행동의도에 유의한 영향력을 갖지 않는 것으로 나타났다. 셋째, 휴리스틱(대표성, 조정) 유형은 행동의도에 유의한 영향력을 갖는 것으로 나타났다. 넷째, 신뢰성 구전속성만이 조정 휴리스틱 유형과 행동의도 관계에서 매개역할을 하는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구 결과는 모바일 게임 시장에서 이용자들이 게임을 선택하는 행동의도를 이해하는데 도움을 제공해 줄 수 있을 것이다.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
• /
• 제2권2호
• /
• pp.197-203
• /
• 1998

포유류 배아발생 중 DNA 메틸화는 세포분화와 유전자발현에서 중요한 역할을 하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 그러나, 생쥐 착상전 초기배아 발생 중 메틸화효소에 의해 유지되는 DNA 메틸화의 중요성과 자세한 기작은 잘 이해되고 있지 않다. 이 연구에서 DNA 메틸화의 역할에 관하여 알아보기 위하여, 성숙난자와 착상전 초기배아에서 DNA 메틸전이효소의 발현양상을 조사하였다. 이를 위해, DNA 메틸전이효소를 암호화하고 있는 cDNA에서 primer를 고안하였다. Primer의 정확도와 PCR조건의 적합화를 통하여, DNA MTase 전사물이 성숙난자와 착상전 초기배아에서 검출되었다. DNA MTase의 mRNA량은 성숙난자에서 가장 높으며, 전핵시기까지 비슷한 정도로 유지되었다. 이후 8-세포기까지 지속적으로 감소하다 상실기 배아에서 다시 검출되어 포배기까지 증가하는 양상을 보였다. 그리고, RNA polymerase II 억제제를 전핵시기 배아에 처리하여, 난자와 전핵시기 배아에 다량 존재하는 전사물이 모계유래인 것을 확인하였다. 결국, 난자와 전핵시기 배아에 상대적으로 다량 존재하는 DNA 메틸전이효소의 전사물은 아마도 착상전 초기배아에서 DHA 메틸화의 유지에 필요하며, 착상전 초기배아 발생에 있어서 유전자발현과 세포분화에 영향을 줄 것임을 시사하고 있다.

• 한국식물병리학회지
• /
• 제11권4호
• /
• pp.304-311
• /
• 1995

To determine whether chitinolytic enzymes from Chromobacterium violaceum C-61 play an important role in the suppression of Rhizoctonia damping-off, Tn5 insertion mutants deficient in chitinolytic activity (Chi a- mutants) were selected and their chitinolytic and disease suppression were compared with those of the parental strain. Four Chi a- mutants selected from about 2,000 transconjugants did not inhibit mycelial growth of Rhizoctonia solani on nutrient agar-potato dextrose agar (BA-PDA) and their abilities to suppress Rhizoctonia damping-off were much lower than the parental strain. However, population density in the eggplant rhizosphere did not differ significantly between the parental strain and four Chi a- mutants. The crude enzyme of the parental strain inhibited growth of R. solani on NA-PDA and its chitinase activity was much higher than that of Chi a- mutants. But the N,N' -diacetylchitobiase activity between these isolates were not significantly different. The chitinase of Chi a- mutants was defective in 2 isoforms of 52- and 37-kDa among four isoforms of 54-, 52-, 50- and 37-kDa. A Tn5 element was inserted into one site of 10 kb EcoRI fragment of chromosomal DNA in three Chi- mutants, C61-C1, -C2, and -C3. In C61-C4 mutant, a Tn5 element was inserted into two sites of 10 kb and 4.4 kb EcoRI fragments. These results suggest that the chitinase of C. violaceum C-61 play an important role in the suppression of Rhizoctonia damping-off of cucumber and eggplant.

• 한국식품과학회지
• /
• 제50권5호
• /
• pp.511-516
• /
• 2018

본 연구는 꾸지뽕 열매로부터 분리한 조다당류(CTPS)가 초기 면역반응에 중추적인 역할을 수행하는 큰포식세포에서 활성화를 유도하는지에 관한 여부를 알아보기 위하여 선천 및 적응면역에서 중추적인 역할을 수행하는 큰포식세포에 CTPS를 처리하여 세포 증식률, 산화질소 분비능 및 사이토카인($TNF-{\alpha}$ 및 IL-6) 분비능이 증가되는 것을 확인하였다. 또한 활성화된 큰포식세포의 세포 표면에서 발현되는 CD80과 CD86의 발현과 탐식세포의 항원 제시에 밀접한 관련이 있는 주조직적합성 복합체(MHC class I 및 II)의 발현이 CTPS 처리구에서 유의적으로 증가되는 것으로 관찰되었다. 이러한 산화질소 분비능과 사이토카인의 증가 원인에 관한 면역기전 분석 결과, MAPKs의 인산화와 $NF-{\kappa}B$의 핵 내 이동성을 증가시켜 면역활성을 증가시키는 것으로 관찰되었다.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• 제4권3호
• /
• pp.227-234
• /
• 2000

Many reports suggest that neurotensin (NT) in the gastrointestinal tract may play a possible role as a neurotransmitter, a circulating hormone, or a modulator of motor activity. NT exerts various actions in the intestine; it produces contractile and relaxant responses in intestinal smooth muscle. This study was designed to investigate the effect of NT on motility of antral circular muscle strips in guinea-pig stomach. To assess the role of $Ca^{2+}$ influx in underlying mechanism, slow waves were simultaneously recorded with spontaneous contractions using conventional intracellular microelectrode technique. At the concentration of $10^{-7}$ M, where NT showed maximum response, NT enhanced the magnitude $(863{\pm}198%,\;mean\;SEM,\;n=13)$ and the frequency $(154{\pm}10.3%,\;n=11)$ of spontaneous contractions. NT evoked a slight hyperpolarization of membrane potential, tall and steep slow waves with abortive spikes $(278{\pm}50%,\;n=4).$ These effects were not affected by atropine $(2\;{\mu}M),$ guanethidine $(2\;{\mu}M)$ and tetrodotoxin (0.2μM). NT-induced contractile responses were abolished in $Ca^{2+}-free$ solution and reduced greatly to near abolition by $10\;{\mu}M$ of verapamil or 0.2 mM of $CdCl_2.$ Verapamil attenuated the effects of NT on frequency and amplitude of the slow waves. Taken together, these results indicate that NT enhances contractility in guinea-pig gastric antral circular muscle and $Ca^{2+}$ influx through the voltage-operated $Ca^{2+}$ channel appears to play an important role in the NT-induced contractile mechanism.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
• /
• 제46권3호
• /
• pp.167-171
• /
• 2016

Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common medical disorder with serious complications if untreated. Dentists play a vital role in the early diagnosis of this condition, thereby improving patients' prognoses. The purpose of this study was to identify patients with a high risk of OSA using simple cephalometric measurements in patients receiving routine dental care. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted on 206 patients divided into a high-risk group and a control group after answering the Berlin questionnaire. Cephalometric analysis of a digital cephalogram was performed to measure the upper airway diameter (UAD) and mandibular-to-hyoid bone distance (MP-H) by 2 observers at 2 different times. Results: Among 206 patients, 93 (45%) were included in the high-risk group and 113 (55%) were in the control group. No significant difference was present between the groups with regard to gender, and the patients ranged in age from 18 to 65 years. The UAD measurements in the high-risk group were significantly lower than in the control group, and the MP-H measurements were significantly higher in the high-risk group than in the control group. The UAD was lower in middle-aged patients in both groups. Conclusion: Our study found that the UAD was lower in individuals with a high risk of OSA. Also, we found that middle-aged individuals of both genders were more likely to develop OSA. Dentists play a vital role in diagnosing patients at a high risk for OSA via thorough clinical examinations, risk factor analyses, and simple cephalometric analyses.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• 제32권2호
• /
• pp.59-65
• /
• 2007

It has been well known that excitatory amino acids, primarily glutamate, are involved in the transmission of nociception in pathological and physiological conditions in the spinal and brainstem level. Recently, peripheral glutamate also play a critical role in the peripheral nociceptive transmissions. The present study investigated the role of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) or non-NMDA ionotropic glutamate receptors in formalin-induced TMJ pain. Experiments were carried out on male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 220-280 g. Intra-articular injection was performed under halothane anesthesia. Under anesthesia, AP-7 (10, $100\;{\mu}M$, $1\;mM/20\;{\mu}L$), a NMDA receptor antagonist, or CNQX disodium salt (0.5, 5, 50, $500\;{\mu}M/20\;{\mu}L$), a non-NMDA receptor antagonist, were administered intra-articularly 10 min prior to the application of 5% formalin. For each animal, the number of behavioral responses, such as rubbing and/or scratching the TMJ region, was recorded for nine successive 5-min intervals. Intra-articular pretreatment with 1 mM of AP-7 or $50\;{\mu}M$ CNQX significantly decreased the formalin-induced scratching behavioral responses during the second phase. Intra-articular pretreatment with $500\;{\mu}M$ of CNQX significantly decreased the formalin-induced scratching behavior during both the first and the second phase. These results indicate that the intra-articular administration of NMDA or non-NMDA receptor antagonists inhibit formalin-induced TMJ nociception, and peripheral ionotropic glutamate receptors may play an important role in the TMJ nociception.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제46권11호
• /
• pp.527-532
• /
• 2013

Gangliosides are complex glycosphingolipids that are the major component of cytoplasmic cell membranes, and play a role in the control of biological processes. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have received considerable attention as alternative sources of adult stem cells because of their potential to differentiate into multiple cell lineages. In this study, we focus on various functional roles of gangliosides in the differentiation of hMSCs into osteoblasts or neuronal cells. A relationship between gangliosides and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation during osteoblastic differentiation of hMSCs was observed, and the gangliosides may play a major role in the regulation of the differentiation. The roles of gangliosides in osteoblast differentiation are dependent on the origin of hMSCs. The reduction of ganglioside biosynthesis inhibited the neuronal differentiation of hMSCs during an early stage of the differentiation process, and the ganglioside expression can be used as a marker for the identification of neuronal differentiation from hMSCs.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• 제32권3호
• /
• pp.347-356
• /
• 2005

The wound healing process in fetus is quite different form that of adult. Regeneration plays an important role and scarless wound healing is possible in early gestational fetal period. Recently, the various effects of the hypoxia and reoxygenation in the wound healing process have been investigated by many researchers. The hypoxic state is known to alter protein synthesis and gene expression of TGF-${\beta}$, VEGF. The authors hypothesize there may be differences between fetal and adult fibroblast and this difference may play a possible role in the mechanism of scarless fetal wound healing. In this study, we investigated the growth of fibroblast, the amount of collagen deposition, the amount of protein synthesis and gene expression in TGF-${\beta}$(transforming growth factor-${\beta}$), VEGF(vascular endothelial growth factor) under the various hypoxic and reoxygenation conditions. Through these processes, we tried to determine the relationships between scarless fetal wound healing and hypoxic condition. In control group, fetal and adult fibroblasts were cultured under normoxic condition. The experimental groups were allocated into four different groups. The differences in TGF-beta, VEGF under 24, 48, 72 hours were statistically investigated. Compared to adult fibroblast group, there was a statistically significant increase (p<0.01) in the rates of protein synthesis in TGF-beta and VEGF of fetal fibroblast. In this study, these results may reflect the possibility that fetal fibroblast are more susceptible to change in oxygen and has a superior rate of angiogenesis through increased VEGF expression. The possible superiority of angiogenesis in fetal fibroblast may play an important role in scarless wound healing.