• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1529-1537
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• 2012

In order to determine the effective concentration, 2, 7, and 14 brix black garlic extracts (BGE) were fed to restraint stressed rats and the lipid metabolism was analyzed. The dietary intake of the 14 brix BGE-fed group was $547.64{\pm}13.99$ g/4 weeks and it was significantly higher than that of the control group. The weight of all organs from the all BGE-fed groups showed no significant differences. While BGE concentration increased, BGE-fed groups tend to have low content of blood glucose. It was the lowest in the 14 brix BGE-fed group ($121.32{\pm}3.50$ mg/dl). Total cholesterol content was $54.54{\pm}1.63{\sim}65.84{\pm}2.61$ mg/dl. Total cholesterol content of the 14 brix BGE-fed group was the lowest and, in addition, lower than the normal group. Triglyceride content of serum showed the same tendency. HDL-cholesterol concentrations of the restraint stressed control (RSC) group were significantly higher than those of 7 and 14 brix BGE-fed groups. LDL and VLDL-cholesterol contents showed contrary results. GOT, GTP, and ALP activity of serum were lower when BGE concentration was higher. It is expected that BGE has a liver protective activity. In the liver, total lipids and triglyceride contents were significantly lower in BGE-fed groups than in the ISC group. However, total cholesterol content showed no significant difference between groups. TBARS content in liver of the 2 brix BGE-fed group was not significantly different than control, while 7 and 14 brix BGE-fed groups were lower than control. Glycogen content in the liver was only significantly lower in the 14 brix BGE-fed group than in the RSC group. Findings indicate that feed of BGE over 7 brix contributes to resolving the restraint-stressed rats by improving the lipid metabolism and liver protective activity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.648-655
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• 2018

Enhancement mechanistic actions of testosterone (TS) productions in mouse Leydig TM3 cells by the eritadenine (EA) and/or the Agaricus blazei mycelial liquid culture extract (ABMLCE). Productions of TS in TM3 cells were investigated in normal and oxidative-stressed culture conditions. In the normal culture condition, TM3 cells grown in a Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) were treated with EA (0~100 ppm) and ABMLCE (10 ppm) + EA (0~50 ppm) for 24 hr, and in the oxidative-stressed culture condition, the cells grown in DMEM containing $50{\mu}M$ $H_2O_2$ to induce oxidative stress for 4 h were treated with the same as those in the normal culture condition. TS content, $3{\beta}$-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (HSD3B2) enzyme activity, $5{\alpha}$-reductase 2 ($5{\alpha}-R2$) enzyme activity, and free-radical nitric oxide (NO) content in the culture media were measured using their corresponding assay kits. EA, ABMLCE, and ABMLCE + EA significantly, p<0.05, enhanced TS productions in both cultural conditions, relative to control treatment. The activity of the HSD3B2 enzyme, which is involved in the production of precursors for TS production, was elevated by EA, ABMLCE, and ABMLCE + EA treatments in both culture conditions. The activity of the $5{\alpha}-R2$ enzyme, which converts TS to dihydroxytestosterone (DHT), was not significantly affected in either culture condition by EA, ABMLCE, or ABMLCE + EA treatments. The treatments included reduced NO content. These results indicate that EA, ABMLCE, and EA + ABMLCE treatments elevated TS in TM3 cells via the enhancements of HSD3B2 activity and the reduction of NO production, and also imply that EA and ABMLCE or EA + ABMLCE could be useful materials for the production of TS in humans.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.444-452
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of treadmill exercise on $A{\beta}$-42, cytochrome c, SOD-1, 2 and Sirt-3 protein expressions in brain cytosol and mitochondria in mutant (N141I) presenilin-2 transgenic mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The mice were divided into four groups (Non-Tg-sedentary, n=5; Non-Tg treadmill exercise, n=5; Tg-sedentary, n=5; Tg treadmill exercise, n=5). To evaluate the neuroprotective effect of treadmill exercise, Non-Tg and Tg mice were subjected to exercise training on a treadmill for 12 wk, after which their brain cytosol and mitochondria were evaluated to determine whether any changes in the cognitive performance, $A{\beta}$-42 protein, cytochrome c protein, anti-oxidant enzymes (SOD-1, SOD-2) and Sirt-3 protein had occurred. The results indicated that treadmill exercise resulted in amelioration in cognitive deficits of Tg mice. In addition, the expressions of mitochondrial $A{\beta}$-42 and cytosolic cytochrome c protein were decreased in the brains of Tg mice after treadmill exercise, whereas antioxidant enzymes, SOD-l and SOD-2 were significantly increased in response to treadmill exercise. Furthermore, treadmill exercise significantly increased the expression of Sirt-3 protein in Non-Tg and Tg mice. Taken together, these results suggest that treadmill exercise is a simple behavioral intervention which can sufficiently improve cognitive performance and inhibit $A{\beta}$-induced oxidative stress in AD.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.983-993
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• 2009

The effects of Monascus-fermented Korean red ginseng (MFRG) on the contents of serum lipids and tissues lipid peroxidation was investigated in alcohol feeding rats (AC group). Serum contents of total lipid and free fatty acid in alcohol feeding rats were significantly increased, but these increases tended to decrease in the AMFRG group. Serum triglyceride content was also significantly decreased in the AMFRG group compared to other groups. Serum content of total-cholesterol was significantly increased in AC group compared to normal control (NC) group, whereas there was no significant difference between the AC and AMFRG groups. Content of HDL-cholesterol in serum was slightly increased in the AC group compared to the NC group, but this increase in the AC group was more significantly increased in the AMFRG group. At the same time, atherogenic index (AI) was also significantly decreased in the AMFRG group compared to the AC group. Contents of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the liver, heart, spleen and testes were significantly increased in the AC group compared to the NC group, but these increases were significantly less in the AMFRG group. Contents of liver nonheme ion was increased in the AC group and was significantly decreased in the AMFRG group, which suggested that lipid peroxidation contents are inversely correlated with liver nonheme ion content. Hepatic glutathione concentration was significantly decreased in the AC group, but this content was significantly increased in the AMFRG group and it showed the antioxidant abilities of glutathione. These results suggested that Monascus-fermented Korea red ginseng has anti-atherogenic index (AI) effects as well as antioxidative activities through reduced tissue oxidative stress in alcohol feeding rats.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.137-146
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• 2020

Calcium is one of the important secondary signaling molecules in plant cells. Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPK)-the sensor proteins of Ca²⁺ and phosphorylating enzymes-are the most abundant serine/threonine kinases in plant cells. They convert and transmit signals in response to various stimuli, resulting in specific responses in plants. In rice, 31 CDPK gene families have been identified, which are mainly involved in plant growth and development and are known to play roles in response to various stress conditions. However, little is known about the biochemical characteristics of CDPK proteins. In this study, OsCPK11-a CDPK in rice-was partially purified, and its biochemical characteristics were found. Partially purified OsCPK11 from rice seedlings was obtained by three-step column chromatography that involved anion exchange chromatography consisting of DEAE, hydrophobic interaction chromatography consisting of phenyl-Sepharose, and gel filtration chromatography consisting of Sephacryl-200HR. An in vitro kinase assay using partially purified OsCPK11 was also performed. This partially purified OsCPK11 had a molecular weight of 54 kDa and showed a strong hydrophobic interaction with the hydrophobic resin. In vitro kinase assay showed that the OsCPK11 also had Ca²⁺-dependent autophosphorylation activity. The OsCPK11 phosphorylated histone III-S, and the optimum pH for its kinase activity was found to be 7.5~8.0. The native OsCPK11 shared several biochemical characteristics with recombinant OsCPK11 studied previously, and both had Ca²⁺-dependent autophosphorylation activity and favored histone III-S as a substrate for kinase activity, which also had a Ca²⁺-dependence.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.73-79
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• 2001

Recently many studies have reported that total and bioavailable androgens reduced in male and female athletes and that physical exercise reduces the body weight and increases the reproductive abnormalities such as oligomenorrhea, anovulation, inadequate luteal phase, and delayed puberty in women by the inhibition of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis . In addition, high mileage endurance 겨nning, psychological stress, and military endurance training in men also reduce the secretion of reproductive hormones. To investigate the efffcts of physical endurance exercise on the secretion of reproductive hormones in men, androgenic hormones from adrenal glands and testis were measured in serum by the conventional radioimmunoassays after long-term (more than3 months), short-term (1 week), and acute (1${sim}$2 hours) physical exercises. Androgenic hormones from adrenal glands and testis such as total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (fT), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and androstenedione (A) decreased after thesestrenuous endurance trainings, whereas ACTH, cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfetes (DHEAS) increased. Conadotropins (LH and FSH) were not idluenced by the physical exercises. Based upon the present results, we assume that the decrease in adrenal and testicular androgens by physical endurance exercises might be associated with the reproductive abnormalities in athletes by unknown factor(s) in addition to the HPG axis disturbance.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.399-407
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Allium hookeri (AH) root on hepatic antioxidative enzyme contents in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced rats. Diabetes mellitus was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats through injection of STZ dissolved in citrate buffer into tail veins at a dose of 45 mg/kg body weight. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed an AIN-93 recommended diet, and the experimental groups were fed a modified diet containing 5% and 10% of AH root powder for 4 weeks. The experimental groups were divided into four groups: a normal control (N-control), STZ-control, STZ-AH 5%, and STZ-AH 10% supplemented groups. The STZ-AH 5% group showed a significant increase in liver glycogen compared to the STZ-control group. Muscle glycogen and liver protein contents significantly increased in the AH-supplemented groups compared to the STZ-control group. The liver malondialdehyde content of the AH-supplemented group was significantly lower than that of the STZ-control group. Xanthine oxidase content was significantly reduced in all experimental groups. Glutathione-S-transferase content was significantly elevated in the AH-treated groups compared to the STZ-control group. Superoxide dismutase content was not significantly different among the experimental groups. Catalase content was significantly higher in the STZ-AH 10% group compared to the STZ-control group. These results show that supplementation with AH root may be useful for diabetic therapy and damage from oxidative stress.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.307-313
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• 2018

Alopecia cause psychological stress due to their effect on appearance. Thus, the global market size of the alopecia treatment products are growing quickly. Timosaponin A III is the well known active ingredient of Anemarrhenae Rhizoma. In this study, we investigated and compared the binding affinity of timosaponin A III with finasteride (5-beta reductase antagonist) and minoxidil (androgen receptor antagonist) on the target protein active site by in silico computational docking studies. The three dimensional crystallographic structure of 5-beta reductase (PDB ID : 3G1R) and androgen receptor (PDB ID: 4K7A) was obtained from PDB database. In silico computational autodocking analysis was performed using PyRx, Autodock Vina, Discovery Studio Version 4.5, and NX-QuickPharm option based on scoring functions. The timosaponin A III showed optimum binding affinity (docking energy) with 5-beta reductase as -12.20 kcal/mol as compared to the finasteride (-11.70 kcal/mol) and with androgen receptor as -9.00 kcal/mol as compared to the minoxidil (-7.40 kcal/mol). The centroid X, Y, Z grid position of the timosaponin A III on the 5-beta reductase was similar (overlap) to the finasteride, but the X, Y, Z centroid grid of the timosaponin A III on the androgen receptor was significantly far from the minoxidil centroid position. These results significantly indicated that timosaponin A III could be more potent antagonist to the 5-beta reductase and androgen receptor. Therefore, the extract of Anemarrhenae Rhizoma or timosaponin A III containing biomaterials can substitute the finasteride and minoxidil and can be applied to the alopecia protecting product and related industrial fields.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.759-767
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• 2014

This study examined the effect of Momordica charantia L. (bitter melon: BM) on lipid and hepatic antioxidative enzyme levels in diabetic rats. Diabetes mellitus was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by injection of streptozotocin (STZ), and rats were fed for 4 weeks with experimental groups divided into four groups: a normal control group, STZ-control and STZ-BM 5% & STZ-BM 10% treated groups. Levels of free fatty acids (FFA), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-chol), triglycerides (TG) in plasma and malondialdehyde (MDA) & protein in liver, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and xanthine oxidase (XOD) were measured in liver cytosol. Level of HDL-chol significantly increased in the STZ-BM 5% diabetic group. TG & FFA levels were significantly higher in all diabetic groups compared to the control group. MDA and protein levels were significantly higher in the STZ-BM 5% group compared to all other experimental group. CAT level was higher in the supplementary group with BM compared to the STZ-control group, although the difference was not significantly different. SOD level was not significant in any experimental groups. GST level was significantly higher in the BM-treated groups compared to the STZ-control group. XOD level was significantly lower in the BM 5% group and significantly decreased in all experimental groups. These results show that supplementation of BM fruit powder may have beneficial effects on diabetic complications and damage caused by oxidative stress.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.581-586
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• 2009

Bell pepper plants (Capsicum annuum cv. Plenty) were grown under low night temperatures (LNT: day/night temperature of $28/13^{\circ}C$) and optimum night temperatures (ONT: day/night temperature of $28/20^{\circ}C$) in growth chambers. Pollen grains were collected from plants in the growth chamber and incubated at 10, 15, 20, 25, and $30^{\circ}C$. After 24 hr incubation, in both ONT and LNT, the highest percent pollen germinations were observed at $25^{\circ}C$ followed by germinations at $30^{\circ}C$. Percent pollen germination at $25^{\circ}C$ was 42% in ONT - two times higher than in LNT at 21%. Pollen tube length was much longer at ONT than at LNT, regardless of incubation temperature. Compared with other treatments, earlier and quicker pollen tube elongation was observed in ONT pollen grains incubated at $25^{\circ}C$. To find pollen viability in plant growing conditions, pollen grains were incubated in LNT ($28/13^{\circ}C$) and ONT ($28/20^{\circ}C$) growth chambers for 24 hr. Petri-dishes with pollen grains were put in the growth chambers at the beginning of the night condition. Pollen grains in the LNT growth chamber did not germinate at night ($13^{\circ}C$), but began to germinate when the day condition ($28^{\circ}C$) started. Pollen grains in the ONT condition, however, started germinating from the early night ($20^{\circ}C$) and germination continued during the day ($28^{\circ}C$). Plants in LNT showed increased flower stalk length, ovary diameter, stamen length, flower weight, and fruit length. LNT conditions did not impair seed set. There were no differences in seed sets between fruits at LNT and ONT. Normal seed sets in LNT show that fertilization may be completed during daytime. However, further investigation is needed to find what extent of temperature stress causes malformed and/or parthenocarpic fruits in this bell pepper.