• BMB Reports
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• v.54 no.10
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• pp.528-533
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• 2021

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disorder that can result in the loss of articular cartilage. No effective treatment against OA is currently available. Thus, interest in natural health products to relieve OA symptoms is increasing. However, their qualities such as efficacy, toxicity, and mechanism are poorly understood. In this study, we determined the efficacy of avenanthramide (Avn)-C extracted from oats as a promising candidate to prevent OA progression and its mechanism of action to prevent the expression of matrix-metalloproteinases (MMPs) in OA pathogenesis. Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), a proinflammatory cytokine as a main causing factor of cartilage destruction, was used to induce OA-like condition of chondrocytes in vitro. Avn-C restrained IL-1β-mediated expression and activity of MMPs, such as MMP-3, -12, and -13 in mouse articular chondrocytes. Moreover, Avn-C alleviated cartilage destruction in experimental OA mouse model induced by destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) surgery. However, Avn-C did not affect the expression of inflammatory mediators (Ptgs2 and Nos) or anabolic factors (Col2a1, Aggrecan, and Sox9), although expression levels of these genes were upregulated or downregulated by IL-1β, respectively. The inhibition of MMP expression by Avn-C in articular chondrocytes was mediated by p38 kinase and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling, but not by ERK or NF-κB. Interestingly, Avn-C added with SB203580 and SP600125 as specific inhibitors of p38 kinase and JNK, respectively, enhanced its inhibitory effect on the expression of MMPs in IL-1β treated chondrocytes. Taken together, these results suggest that Avn-C is an effective candidate to prevent OA progression and a natural health product to relieve OA pathogenesis.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.7.1-7.13
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• 2021

Background: Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is caused by the mutation of NPC genes, which leads to the abnormal accumulation of unesterified cholesterol and glycolipids in lysosomes. This autosomal recessive disease is characterized by liver dysfunction, hepatosplenomegaly, and progressive neurodegeneration. Recently, the application of induced neural stem cells (iNSCs), converted from fibroblasts using specific transcription factors, to repair degenerated lesions has been considered a novel therapy. Objectives: The therapeutic effects on NPC by human iNSCs generated by our research group have not yet been studied in vivo; in this study, we investigate those effects. Methods: We used an NPC mouse model to efficiently evaluate the therapeutic effect of iNSCs, because neurodegeneration progress is rapid in NPC. In addition, application of human iNSCs from NPC patient-derived fibroblasts in an NPC model in vivo can give insight into the clinical usefulness of iNSC treatment. The iNSCs, generated from NPC patientderived fibroblasts using the SOX2 and HMGA2 reprogramming factors, were transplanted by intracerebral injection into NPC mice. Results: Transplantation of iNSCs showed positive results in survival and body weight change in vivo. Additionally, iNSC-treated mice showed improved learning and memory in behavior test results. Furthermore, through magnetic resonance imaging and histopathological assessments, we observed delayed neurodegeneration in NPC mouse brains. Conclusions: iNSCs converted from patient-derived fibroblasts can become another choice of treatment for neurodegenerative diseases such as NPC.

• Plant Journal
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.38-44
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• 2019

This research is an experimental investigation to find the desirable pH of slurry in the desulfurization absorber for a 1000 ㎿ coal fired power plant, operating in compliance with the Air Environmental Conservation Act and the plant's internal regulations. In case the average sulfur dioxide concentration in inflow flue gas, ${\bar{C\;in}}$ [ppm] changed to 500 ppm, 550 ppm, 600 ppm and 635 ppm after fixing inflow flue gas flow rate, generator output, pressure drop in the absorber, and oxidation air flow rate, the desirable pH of the slurry in the absorber, was 5.0, 5.2, 5.3 and 5.4. Thus, it is recommended that the desirable pH of slurry is calculated using the correlation equation, $RpH=0.0018{\times}{\bar{C\;in}}+4,2031$ when the average sulfur dioxide concentration in the inflow flue gas is in the range of 500 ppm to 635 ppm.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.510-518
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• 2021

Background: Gintonin is a newly derived glycolipoprotein from the roots of ginseng. The purpose of this study is to investigate the anti-arthritic efficacy of Gintonin on various proteases and inflammatory mediators that have an important role in arthritis. Methods: Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) were treated with Gintonin and stimulated with interleukin (IL)-1β 1 hour later. The antioxidant effect of Gintonin was measured using MitoSOX and H₂DCFDA experiments. The anti-arthritic efficacy of Gintonin was examined by analyzing the expression levels of inflammatory mediators using RT-PCR, western blot, and ELISA. The phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways and translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)/p65 into the nucleus were also analyzed using western blot, ELISA, and immunocytochemistry. Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice model was used. Mice were orally administered with Gintonin (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) every 2 days for 45 days. The body weight, arthritis score, squeaking score, and paw volume were measured as the behavioral parameters. After sacrifice, H&E and safranin-O staining were performed for histological analysis. Results: Gintonin significantly inhibited the expression of inflammatory intermediates. Gintonin prevented NF-κB/p65 from moving into the nucleus through the JNK and ERK MAPK phosphorylation in FLS cells. Moreover, Gintonin suppressed the symptoms of arthritis in the CIA mice model. Conclusion: As a result, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Gintonin were demonstrated, and ultimately the anti-arthritic effect was proved. Collectively, Gintonin has a great potential as a therapeutic agent for arthritis treatment.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.143-148
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• 2013

Spermatogenesis is initiated from spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) that has an ability of self-renewal and unipotency to generate differentiating germ cells. The objective of this study is to develop the simple method for derivation of SSCs using non-sorting of both spermatogonia and feeder cells. Simply uncapsulated mouse testes were treated with enzymes followed by surgical mincing, and single cells were cultured in stempro-$34^{TM}$ cell culture media at $37^{\circ}C$. After 5 days of culture, aciniform of SSC colony was observed, and showed a strong alkaline phosphatase activity. Molecular characterization of mouse SSCs showed that most of the mouse SSC markers such as integrin ${\alpha}6$ and ${\beta}1$, CD9 and Stra8. In addition, pluripotency embryonic stem cell (ESC) marker Oct4 were expressed, however Sox2 expression was lowered. Interestingly, expression of SSC markers such as Vasa, Dazl and PLZF were stronger than mouse ESC (mESC). This data suggest that generated mouse SSCs (mSSCs) in this study has at least similar biomarkers expression to mESC and mSSCs derived from other study. Immunocytochemistry using whole mSSC colony also confirmed that mSSCs generated from this study expressed SSC specific biomarkers such as c-kit, Thy1, Vasa and Dazl. In conclusion, mSSCs from 5 days old mouse testes were successfully established without sorting of spermatogonia, and this cells expressed both mESC and SSC specific biomarkers. This simple derivation method for mSSCs may facilitate the study of spermatogenesis.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.229-233
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• 2010

Pluripotency and self-renewal capacity of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are retained by hESCs related genes as OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG. These genes are shown high expression level in diverse cancer cells and have potential role in the carcinogenesis. On the contrary to this, several genes which are up-regulated in the differentiated hESCs are involved to suppress the carcinogenesis or proliferation of cells. We discovered several genes in immortalized lung fibroblast (WI-38 VA13) by suppression subtractive hybridization. Among them, we focused chromosome 6 open reading frame 62 (C6orf62) which is uncharacterized, mapped to 6p22.3 and generated to Hepatitis B virus X-transactivated proteins (HBVx-transactivated proteins, XTP). Aim of this study was to characterize C6orf62 through analyzing of expression pattern in various cell lines. Expression of C6orf62 was significantly upregulated in diverse normal cell lines than cancer cell lines. And C6orf62 was up-regulated in differentiated hESCs (endothelial cells, neural cells) compared to those of undifferentiated hESCs. Also, C6orf62 in WI-38 cells was highly up-regulated during G1/S transition of the cell cycle. Taken together, C6orf62 is shown expression pattern similar to differentiated hESCs-associated genes which down-regulated in cancer cells. Therefore, we assume that C6orf62 may participate to suppress the proliferation and to induce differentiation through regulating the cell cycle.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1565-1572
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• 2015

Porcine embryonic stem cells (pESCs) have become an advantageous experimental tool for developing therapeutic applications and producing transgenic animals. However, despite numerous reports of putative pESC lines, deriving validated pESC lines from embryos produced in vitro remains difficult. Here, we report that embryo aggregation was useful for deriving pESCs from in vitro-produced embryos. Blastocysts derived from embryo aggregation formed a larger number of colonies and maintained cell culture stability. Our derived cell lines demonstrated expression of pluripotent markers (alkaline phosphatase, Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog), an ability to form embryoid bodies, and the capacity to differentiate into the three germ layers. A cytogenetic analysis of these cells revealed that all lines derived from aggregated blastocysts had normal female and male karyotypes. These results demonstrate that embryo aggregation could be a useful technique to improve the efficiency of deriving ESCs from in vitro-fertilized pig embryos, studying early development, and deriving pluripotent ESCs in vitro in other mammals.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.157-162
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• 2018

Objective: The aim of this study is to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genes related to pig IMF and estimate the heritability of intramuscular fat content (IMF). Methods: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 704 inbred Berkshires was performed for IMF. To consider the inbreeding among samples, associations of the SNPs with IMF were tested as random effects in a mixed linear model using the genetic relationship matrix by GEMMA. Significant genes were compared with reported pig IMF quantitative trait loci (QTL) regions and functional classification of the identified genes were also performed. Heritability of IMF was estimated by GCTA tool. Results: Total 365 SNPs were found to be significant from a cutoff of p-value <0.01 and the 365 significant SNPs were annotated across 120 genes. Twenty five genes were on pig IMF QTL regions. Bone morphogenetic protein-binding endothelial cell precursor-derived regulator, forkhead box protein O1, ectodysplasin A receptor, ring finger protein 149, cluster of differentiation, tyrosine-protein phosphatase non-receptor type 1, SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 9 (SOX9), MYC proto-oncogene, and macrophage migration inhibitory factor were related to mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, which regulates the differentiation to adipocytes. These genes and the genes mapped on QTLs could be the candidate genes affecting IMF. Heritability of IMF was estimated as 0.52, which was relatively high, suggesting that a considerable portion of the total variance of IMF is explained by the SNP information. Conclusion: Our results can contribute to breeding pigs with better IMF and therefore, producing pork with better sensory qualities.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.2489-2493
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• 2015

Background: Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosomal regions is crucial in tumor progression and this study aimed to identify genome-wide LOH in pancreatic cancer. Materials and Methods: Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) profiling data GSE32682 of human pancreatic samples snap-frozen during surgery were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database. Genotype console software was used to perform data processing. Candidate genes with LOH were screened based on the genotype calls, SNP loci of LOH and dbSNP database. Gene annotation was performed to identify the functions of candidate genes using NCBI (the National Center for Biotechnology Information) database, followed by Gene Ontology, INTERPRO, PFAM and SMART annotation and UCSC Genome Browser track to the unannotated genes using DAVID (the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integration Discovery). Results: The candidate genes with LOH identified in this study were MCU, MICU1 and OIT3 on chromosome 10. MCU was found to encode a calcium transporter and MICU1 could encode an essential regulator of mitochondrial $Ca^{2+}$ uptake. OIT3 possibly correlated with calcium binding revealed by the annotation analyses and was regulated by a large number of transcription factors including STAT, SOX9, CREB, NF-kB, PPARG and p53. Conclusions: Global genomic analysis of SNPs identified MICU1, MCU and OIT3 with LOH on chromosome 10, implying involvement of these genes in progression of pancreatic cancer.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2000

High growth of economy and industrial development was produced every air pollutants, that is, SOx, NOx, dust, VOCs and malodorous gas was produced. Recently, volatile organic compounds(VOCs) was bring about very serious environmental problems. Ulsan petrochemical complex was densely a large scale of petrochemical plant. This study was carried out to select treatment equipment of VOCs produced from petrochemical plant, and has compared with Carbon filter, Regenerative thermal oxidation(RCO) and Flare stack for technical merit and demerit but also initial investment and operating cost.