• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.516-520
• /
• 2011

Osteoporosis is social problem around the world, because fracture of old age may lead to critical medical condition. Osteoclast is a main target for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis due to their responsibility for bone resorption. Saussureae Radix has been known that has gastro-protective, bronchodilatory effect and has a anti-biotic effect. Saussureae Radix has been widely used in Oriental medicine. However, the effect of extract of Saussureae Radix in osteoclast differentiation remains unknown. Thus, we examined the effect of Saussureae Radix in receptor activator of nuclear factor-${\kappa}$B ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation. From the results of our study, Here we found that Saussureae Radix significantly inhibited osteoclast differentiation induced by RANKL. Saussureae Radix suppressed the activation of NF${\kappa}$B in bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) treated with RANKL. Also, Saussureae Radix significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of c-Fos, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), osteoclast-associated receptor (OSCAR), nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)c1 and cathepsin K in BMMs treated with RANKL. Particularly, Saussureae Radix greatly inhibited the protein expression of c-fos and NFATc1. especially in the case of NFATc1 expression, a master transcription factor of the differentiation of osteoclasts is very important step for osteoclastogenesis. These results demonstrate that Saussureae Radix may be useful treatment option of bone-related disease such as osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.29-34
• /
• 2014

Bone homeostasis is maintained by balance between bone resorbing-osteoclasts and bone forming-osteoblasts. Excessive osteoclastic bone resorption plays a critical role in bone destruction in pathological bone diseases such as osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and periodontal disease. Many compounds derived from natural products have pharmacological applications and have therapeutic value for treating or preventing several bone diseases characterized by excessive bone resorption. To discover new compounds that can act as anti-resorptive agents, we screened for natural compounds that regulate osteclast differentiation, and found that water extract of Ziziphus Jujuba Mill (WEZJ) has inhibitory effects on osteoclast differentiation. In this study, WEZJ clearly inhibits the osteoclast differentiation in the presence of receptor activator of nuclear factor kB (RANKL), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) without cytoxicity by blocking activation of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)c1, and c-Fos. In signaling pathway, the phosphorylation of Akt, p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) and the expression of osteoclast-associated receptor (OSCAR), tartrate-resistant acid phosphates (TRAP), Integrin av, Integrin b3, Cathepsin K are suppressed, too. These result suggest that WEZJ may have therapeutic value for treating or preventing several bone diseases characterized by excessive bone destruction.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2011

Molecular techniques such as genetic transformation are powerful tools that can be used for the genetic modification of warm-season grasses. The P. meyerianum with high regeneration ability was used for establishing an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system. We investigated various factors affecting Agrobacterium infection by examining GUS gene expression of pCAMBIA1304 vector. Among various concentration of acetosyringone and betaine tested for inoculation and co-cultivation, 10 mg/L acetosyringone and 60 mg/L betaine resulted in the highest transformation frequency in terms of GUS expression. The calli of 4 species of Panicum spp. with excellent tissue culture response were inoculated with Agrobacterium under the optimal infection conditions. The high activity of GUS gene was observed in all species and hygromycin-resistant calli expressing GFP were obtained in P. meyerianum, P. longijubatum, P. stapfianum and guineagrass Noh-PL1. Co-cultivated calli were transferred onto the selection medium containing hygromycin, and the hygromycin resistant calli were selected after 3 months. Hygromycin-resistant plantlets were then successfully regenerated from the calli and grown in a greenhouse. We confirmed stable insertion of hpt gene among the hygromycin-resistant plantlets of P. meyerianum by PCR analysis.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.559-565
• /
• 2008

Members of the TGA family of basic domain/leucine zipper transcription factors regulate defense genes through physical interaction with NON-EXPRESSOR OF PR1 (NPR1). Of the seven TGA family members, TGA4/octopine synthase (ocs)-element-binding factor 4 (OBF4) is the least understood. Here we present evidence for a novel function of OBF4 as a regulator of flowering. We identified CONSTANS (CO), a positive regulator of floral induction, as an OBF4-interacting protein, in a yeast two-hybrid library screen. OBF4 interacts with the B-box region of CO. The abundance of OBF4 mRNA cycles with a 24 h rhythm under both long-day (LD) and short-day (SD) conditions, with significantly higher levels during the night than during the day. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that OBF4 binds to the promoter of the FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) gene, a direct target of CO. We also found that, like CO and FT, an OBF4:GUS construct was prominently expressed in the vascular tissues of leaf, indicating that OBF4 can regulate FT expression through the formation of a protein complex with CO. Taken together, our results suggest that OBF4 may act as a link between defense responses and flowering.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.47 no.1
• /
• pp.7-11
• /
• 2016

The aerial part of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. (Cucurbitaceae), has long been used in traditional Korean and Chinese medicines for the treatment of heatstroke. We isolated and identified three flavones, luteolin-7-O-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranoside(1), luteolin-4'-O-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranoside(2), luteolin(3) from its methanolic extract. In the present study, we found that luteolin attenuates the lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced inflammation in BV2 microglial cells. Luteolin significantly inhibited LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide(NO) and prostaglandin $E_2(PGE_2)$ in BV2 microglia in a concentration-dependent manner without cytotoxic effect. Luteolin dose-dependently suppressed the protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2). In addition, luteolin also showed significant induction of heme oxygenase(HO)-1. These results suggest that both the aerial part of T. kirilowii and luteolin may be good candidates to regulate LPS-induced inflammatory response.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.669-673
• /
• 2011

To prevent and treat the osteoporotic fracture, more attention should be paid in old age patients. Osteoclast which has ability to bone resorption is originated from hematopoietic cell line and plays a key role osteoporotic bone loss. Rubi Fructus has been widely used in Oriental medicine. Extracts of the leaves and fruit of Rubus species have been used in various countries as natural remedies to treat diabetes, infections, colic, and burns. However, the effect of extract of Rubi Fructus (fruit of Rubus coreanus Miq.) in osteoclast differentiation remains unknown. Thus, we evaluated the effect of Rubi Fructus on receptor activator of nuclear factor-kB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation. Here we found that Rubi Fructus significantly inhibited osteoclast differentiation induced by RANKL. Rubi Fructus suppressed the activation of p38 pathway and NFkB in bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) treated with RANKL. Also, Rubi Fructus significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of c-Fos, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), osteoclast-associated receptor (OSCAR), nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)c1 and cathepsin K in BMMs treated with RANKL. Particularly, Rubi Fructus greatly inhibited the protein expression of c-fos and NFATc1. especially in the case of NFATc1 expression, a master transcription factor of the differentiation of osteoclasts is very important step for osteoclastogenesis. Taken together, our results demonstrated that Rubi Fructus may be useful treatment option of bone-related disease such as osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.175-184
• /
• 2012

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to isolate and identify algicidal bacterium that tends to kill the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella, and to determine the algicidal activity. METHODS AND RESULTS: Among of four algicidal bacteria isolated in this study, NH-12 isolate was the strongest algicidal activity against A. catenella. NH-12 isolate was identified on the basis of biochemical characteristics and analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences. The isolate showed 97.67% homology with Pseudoalteromonas prydzensis ACAM $620^T$ (U85855), and was designated Pseudoalteromonas sp. NH-12. The optimal culture conditions of this isolate were $25^{\circ}C$, initial pH 8.0, and 3.0% (w/v) NaCl concentration. The algicidal activity of NH-12 was significantly increased to maximum value in the late of logarithmic phase of bacterial culture. As a result of 'cell culture insert' experiment, NH-12 is assumed to produce secondary metabolites, as an indirect attacker. When 10% culture filtrate of NH-12 was applied to A. catenella, over 99% of algal cells were destroyed within 24 h. In addition, the killing effects were increased in dose and time dependent manners. CONCLUSION(S): Taken together, our results suggest that Pseudoalteromonas sp. NH-12 could be a candidate for controlling of toxic algal blooms.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.8 no.6
• /
• pp.954-959
• /
• 1997

The solid solutions of the $Sr_{1-X}M_XFeO_{3-y}$ (x=0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, M=Ca) system having perovskite structures were prepared in air by heat treatment at 1473 K for 18hr. X-ray diffraction assigns cubic system for all the samples and shows that the lattice volume of each system decreases with increasing x value until x=0.3, but increases abruptly from x=0.4. The mole fractions of $Fe^{4+}$ ion($\tau$ value), the amounts of oxygen vacancy (y value) and finally nonstoichiometric chemical formulas for each composition were determined from Mohr salt analysis. TG/DTA thermal analysis (temperature range: 300~1173K) exhibits that 3-y values of the samples having x=0.1 and 0.2, decrease with temperature and increase almost reversibly with decreasing temperature. The samples of $x{\geq}0.3$, however, didn't show the reversible weight change and the 3-y values of them were nearly 2.5 in cooling process. Conductivities of each sample were varied within the semiconductivity range at relatively low temperature. And the conductivity at constant temperature decreases steadily with x value. The conduction mechanism of this ferrite system may be proposed as a hopping model of conducting electrons between the mixed valence states. At high temperature semiconductivity of each sample changed into metallic property.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.41 no.spc
• /
• pp.21-26
• /
• 2008

The in situ incubation experiment was carried out using $^{13}C$ tracer to determine primary productivity and fatty acid production rate in the shallow, eutrophic Shingu reservoir on 4th July. Particulate organic matter (POM) accounted for 76% in suspended particulate matter (SPM), and average concentration of chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ was $89{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ in the euphotic layer. Total amount of chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ (Chl-${alpha}$), primary productivity and Chl-${alpha}$ specific productivity in euphotic layer were 112 mg Chl-${alpha}m^{-2}$, 3.53 g C $m^{-2}\;d^{-1}$, 32mg C mg Chl-${\alpha}^{-1}\;d^{-1}$, respectively. The fatty acid composition in newly produced organic matter and suspended organic matter didn't show any significant difference, demonstrating that autochthonous organic matter should be a major source of POM pool. In addition, the fatty acids of bacterial origin were increased through extracellular release of newly photosynthesized DOC, and closely coupled with bacterial assimilation. This result suggests that organic carbon should be actively cycled through the microbial loop in Shingu reservoir in summer.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.468-473
• /
• 2001

Castleman's disease or angiofollicular lymph node hyperplasia, is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder. It may be appear as a local or generalized tumor-like condition, usually in chest or abdomen and may involve both lymph nodes and non-nodal tissues. Castleman's disease is an unusal entity which may at times mimic malignancy but is entirely benign in nature. It is topical as it has been noted to occur with AIDS and Kaposi's sarcoma. Careful interpretation of radiogram may help to distinguish Castleman's disease from other tumor condition, such as lymphoma, neurogenic tumor, or even angiofibroma, etc. But exact diagnosis must be made on the basis of histologic confirmation. In addition to histologic features, clinical distinction between the localized and multicentric form is important in selecting appropriate management. Surgical excision of an localized mass is the first choice of treatment. Partial resection, radiotherapy or observation alone may avoid the need for exessively aggressive therapy. Patients with multicentric disease don't benefit by surgical management because of systemic manifestation and rapid deterioration. Thus, antineoplastic agents and steroids may offer an alternative form of therapy. We report a case of female patient with Castleman's disease in oral and maxillofacial region, treated by surgical excision with good results.