• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.279-284
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• 2006

This paper describes the fabrication methods of a carbon nanotube (CNT) filter and a microdialysis chip. A CNT filter can help perform dialysis on a microfluidic chip. In this study, a membrane type of a CNT filter is fabricated and located in a microfluidic chip. The filter plays a role of a dialysis membrane in a microfluidic chip. In the fabrication process of a CNT filter, individual CNTs are entangled each other by amide bonding that is catalyzed by 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). The chemically treated CNTs are shaped to form a CNT filter using a PDMS film-mold and vacuum filtering. Then, the CNT filter is sandwiched between PDMS substrates, and they are bonded together using a thin layer of PDMS prepolymer as adhesive. The PDMS substrates are fabricated to have a microchannel by standard photo-lithography technique.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.223-228
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• 2006

Several plant-derived cannabinoids and endogenous ligands for cannabinoid receptors such as 2-arachidonyl-glycerol have been known to inhibit interleukin-2 (IL-2) expression. In the present study, we utilized arachidonylethanolamide (AEA), a putative endogenous ligand for cannabinoid receptors, to determine whether AEA modulated the expression of IL-2. AEA inhibited phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) plus ionomycin (Io)-induced IL-2 protein secretion and mRNA expression in EL-4 mouse T-cells as determined by ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. To further characterize the inhibitory mechanism of AEA at the transcriptional level, we performed promoter study for IL-2 gene in PMA/Io-stimulated EL-4 cells. AEA decreased the transcriptional activity of the nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NF-AT) as well as the IL-2 promoter activity. These results suggest that AEA suppresses IL-2 expression and that the inhibition is mediated, at least in part, through the down-regulation of NF-AT.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.147-152
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• 2009

This study was conducted to evaluate the inflammatory mechanisms of LPS-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells. The inflammation mechanism was evaluated in BV-2 cells with or without LPS treated using the Affymetrix microarray analysis system. The microarray analysis revealed that B cell receptor signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, Jak-STAT signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, Neuro-active ligand-receptor interaction, TLR signaling path-way, and T cell receptor signaling pathway-related genes were up-regulated in LPS stimulated BV-2 cells. Selected genes were validated using real time RTPCR. These results can help an effective therapeutic approach to alleviating the progression of neuro-in-flammatory diseases.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.304-309
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• 2009

The effects of an extract of Benincasae hispida on allergic inflammation were examined in terms of histamine and $\beta$-hexosaminidase release, serum IgE level and inflammatory cytokine level. The B. hispida extract inhibited the release of histamine and $\beta$-hexosaminidase, a degranulation marker, from rat basophilic leukemia cells (RBL-2H3). When mice were first ovalbumin-challenged and then treated with B. hispida extract, there was a significant decrease in the IgE level in the mouse serum. The extract treatment reduced the serum IgE level prominently, compared with the ovalbumin-challenged mice. The extract also significantly reduced the TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-4 levels in the BAL fluid when challenged with antigen. Taken together, the Benincasae hispida extract may be efficacious against allergic inflammation.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.19-22
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• 2007

Optic tweezer is powerful tool to investigate biologic cells. Of eukaryotic cells, it was poorly documented regarding to optic trapping to manipulate yeasts. In preliminary experiment to explore yeast biology, interferometric optical tweezers was exploited to trap and manipulate budding yeasts. Successfully, several budding yeasts are trapped simultaneously. We found that the budding direction of the daughter cell was almost outward and the daughter cell surrounded by other yeasts grows slowly or fail to grow. Thus it was assumed that neighboring cells around budding yeast may be critical in budding and the growth of daughter cells. This is first report pertaining to the pattern of yeast budding under the optical trap when multiple yeasts were trapped.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.46-52
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• 2007

In the course of novel TLR (Toll like receptor) 9 ligand, we found novel CpG ODN (Oligodeoxynucleotide) was active in augmenting antibody in mice. However, immune mechanism of new CpG ODNs is unclear. To clarify this, we examined immunoadjuvanticity by employing in vitro and in vivo immune profiles. In brief, in vitro treatment of novel CpG ODN upregulated the expression of TNF-$\alpha$, IL-6, and IL-12 mRNA in macrophages as well as that of IFN-$gamma$ mPNA in mouse splenocytes. In parallel, in vivo injection of novel CpG ODN directly activates macrophages and splenocytess, consequently upregulating MHC class II and CD86. Finally, we demonstrated anti-HBs antibody augmentation of novel CpG ODN. Collectively, this data indicates that novel CpG ODN is immunoadjuvant armed with Th1 typed immune machinery.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.198-206
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• 2009

Microarray and proteomic expression patterns in response to cadmium exposure were analyzed in human lung epithelial cells. Among 35,000 genes analyzed by cDNA microarray, 228 genes were up-regulated and 99 genes were down-regulated, based on a fold change cut-off value of ${\geq}2$. Combining two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF-MS), 25 of 629 protein spots showed fold changes in expression ${\geq}2$ (17 up-regulated, 8 down-regulated). After comparing the cDNA microarray and proteomic analyses, only transglutaminase 2, translation elongation factor 1 alpha 1, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase showed overlapping signals in the cDNA microarray and proteomic analyses, whereas the remaining differentially expressed proteins showed large discrepancies with respect to mRNA expression.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.237-242
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• 2009

The potential antioxidant activities of different fractions from methanolic extract of Curcuma longa L. were assayed in vitro. All of the fractions exception of n-hexane and $H_2O$ showed a strong antioxidant activity, especially the ethylacetate (EtOAc) fraction, which showed the highest 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity ($IC_{50}=9.86\;{\mu}g/mL$). The results of 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay showed concentration dependency, the EtOAc fraction demonstrating a better result than the other fractions at the same concentration in this studies. Additionally, when the total phenolic contents of fractions were measured, the EtOAc fraction contained the highest level. Meanwhile, correlation analysis indicated a high correlation between the antiradical activity and the total phenolic contents, suggesting that fractions obtained from the methanolic extract of Curcuma longa L. have wide potential for use as sources of antioxidant material.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.243-249
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• 2009

Melamine, which is used to produce melamine resin for various industrial applications, has a high nitrogen content by mass. For this reason, it has been illegally added to foods to increase their apparent protein content. In the present investigation, melamine-induced oxidative damage of human lymphocyte DNA was evaluated by Comet assay. The in vitro oxidative DNA damage caused by melamine increased in a dose-dependent manner. This DNA damage was significantly inhibited by treatment with ascorbate. Moreover, the traditional Korean medicinal herb, named Acanthopanax, red ginseng and green tea markedly reduced the DNA damage. Various edible plant extracts also inhibited melamine-induced oxidative DNA damage in vitro. Melamine enhanced intracellular ROS generation, and this effect was suppressed by treatment with various antioxidants.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.172-176
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• 2007

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is widely used antioxidant food additives. It has been extensively studied for potential toxicities. BHT appears adverse effects in liver and thyroid. In this study, we evaluated the genetic toxicity of BHT with more advanced methods, in vitro mouse lymphoma assay $tk^{+/-}$ gene assay (MLA) and in vivo mouse supravital micronucleus (MN) assay. BHT did not appear the significantly results in the absence and presence of metabolic activation system with MLA. Also, in vivo testing of BHT yielded negative results with supravital MN assay. These results suggest that BHT itself was not generally considered genotoxic.