• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.420-428
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• 2023

Background: Ginsenoside F2 (GF2), a minor component of Panax ginseng, has been reported to possess a wide variety of pharmacological activities. However, its effects on glucose metabolism have not yet been reported. Here, we investigated the underlying signaling pathways involved in its effects on hepatic glucose. Methods: HepG2 cells were used to establish insulin-resistant (IR) model and treated with GF2. Cell viability and glucose uptake-related genes were also examined by real-time PCR and immunoblots. Results: Cell viability assays showed that GF2 up to 50 μM did not affect normal and IR-HepG2 cell viability. GF2 reduced oxidative stress by inhibiting phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling components such as c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), and p38 MAPK, and reducing the nuclear translocation of NF-κB. Furthermore, GF2 activated PI3K/AKT signaling, upregulated the levels of glucose transporter 2 (GLUT-2) and GLUT-4 in IR-HepG2 cells, and promoted glucose absorption. At the same time, GF2 reduced phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose-6-phosphatase expression as well as inhibiting gluconeogenesis. Conclusion: Overall, GF2 improved glucose metabolism disorders by reducing cellular oxidative stress in IR-HepG2 cells via MAPK signaling, participating in the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway, promoting glycogen synthesis, and inhibiting gluconeogenesis.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.8.1-8.20
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• 2022

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a representative autoimmune disease that is primarily characterized by persistent inflammation and progressive destruction of synovial joints. RA has a complex and heterogeneous pathophysiology, involving interactions among various immune and joint stromal cells and a diverse network of cytokines and intracellular signaling pathways. With improved understanding of RA, over the past decades, therapeutic strategies have become considerably advanced and now included targeted molecular therapies, such as tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, IL-6 blockers, B-cell depletion agents, as well as inhibitors of T-cell co-stimulation and Janus kinases. However, a considerable proportion of RA patients experience refractory disease and interrupted treatment owing to the associated risk of developing serious infections and cancers. In contrast, although IL-1β, IL-17A, and p38α play significant roles in RA pathogenesis, several drugs targeting these factors have not been approved because of their low efficacy and severe adverse effects. In this review, we provide an overview of the working mechanism, advantages, and limitations of the currently available targeted drugs for RA. Additionally, we suggest potential mechanistic causes for clinically approved and failed drugs. Thus, this review provides perspectives on approaches for basic and translational studies that hold promise for identifying future next-generation therapeutics for RA.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.293-303
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: The physiological oxygen tension in fetal brains (~3%, physioxia) is beneficial for the maintenance of neural stem cells (NSCs). Sensitivity to oxygen varies between NSCs from different fetal brain regions, with midbrain NSCs showing selective susceptibility. Data on Hif-1𝛼/Notch regulatory interactions as well as our observations that Hif-1𝛼 and oxygen affect midbrain NSCs survival and proliferation prompted our investigations on involvement of Notch signalling in physioxia-dependent midbrain NSCs performance. Methods and Results: Here we found that physioxia (3% O₂) compared to normoxia (21% O₂) increased proliferation, maintained stemness by suppression of spontaneous differentiation and supported cell cycle progression. Microarray and qRT-PCR analyses identified significant changes of Notch related genes in midbrain NSCs after long-term (13 days), but not after short-term physioxia (48 hours). Consistently, inhibition of Notch signalling with DAPT increased, but its stimulation with Dll4 decreased spontaneous differentiation into neurons solely under normoxic but not under physioxic conditions. Conclusions: Notch signalling does not influence the fate decision of midbrain NSCs cultured in vitro in physioxia, where other factors like Hif-1𝛼 might be involved. Our findings on how physioxia effects in midbrain NSCs are transduced by alternative signalling might, at least in part, explain their selective susceptibility to oxygen.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.52-58
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• 2020

Histidine phosphorylation (pHis) is increasingly recognized as an important post translational modification (PTM) in regulating cellular functions in eukaryotes. In order to clarify the role of pHis in mammalian cell signaling system, a global phosphorylation study was performed in human prostate cancer cells, PC-3M, using a TiO₂ affinity chromatography. A total number of 307 pHis sites were identified on the 268 proteins among total identified 9,924 phosphorylation sites on 3,316 proteins. In addition, 22 pHis proteins were classified in enzyme category. This report provides the first database for the study of pHis in prostate cancer cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1995.04a
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• pp.63-63
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• 1995

Farnesyl Protein Transferase (FPTase) catalyses a post-translational modification of Ras that is obligatory for the cell transforming activity of this oncogene protein. The screening of natural products to identify inhibitors of this enzyme as a potential anticancer agents, has led to the isolation of a novel lactone, from the hydroid Solanderia secunda. Solandelactone G has been isolated from the hydroid Solanderia secunda collected along the offshore of Jaejudo and Keomunde. The structure of the compound has been determined as cyclopropane containing C$\_$22/ fatty acid lactone on the basis of the combined spectral and chemical methods

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.482-489
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• 2017

Individual differences in drug responses are associated with genetic and epigenetic variability of pharmacogene expression. We aimed to identify the relevant miRNAs which regulate pharmacogenes associated with drug responses. The miRNA and mRNA expression profiles derived from data for normal and solid tumor tissues in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network. Predicted miRNAs targeted to pharmacogenes were identified using publicly available databases. A total of 95 pharmacogenes were selected from cholangiocarcinoma and colon adenocarcinoma, as well as kidney renal clear cell, liver hepatocellular, and lung squamous cell carcinomas. Through the integration analyses of miRNA and mRNA, 35 miRNAs were found to negatively correlate with mRNA expression levels of 16 pharmacogenes in normal bile duct, liver, colon, and lung tissues (p<0.05). Additionally, 36 miRNAs were related to differential expression of 32 pharmacogene mRNAs in those normal and tumorigenic tissues (p<0.05). These results indicate that changes in expression levels of miRNAs targeted to pharmacogenes in normal and tumor tissues may play a role in determining individual variations in drug response.

• Journal of Pathology and Translational Medicine
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.411-415
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• 2018

Pleomorphic adenoma (PA) is the most common benign salivary gland tumor. Histologically, squamous metaplasia has been reported in PA, but has rarely been documented as being extensive enough to cause significant misdiagnosis. Here, we present an unusual case of PA in a 50-year-old female patient presenting with swelling on the postero-lateral aspect of the palate for a week. Histopathologically, the tumor exhibited the features of conventional PA with extensive squamous metaplasia and giant keratotic lamellae in cyst-like areas. Such exuberant squamous metaplasia and keratin can be a diagnostic and prognostic pitfall and lead to overtreatment of the patient.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.845-850
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• 2014

The rapid development of shotgun proteomics is paving the way for extensive proteome profiling, while providing extensive information on various post translational modifications (PTMs) that occur to a proteome of interest. For example, the current phosphoproteomic methods can yield more than 10,000 phosphopeptides identified from a proteome sample. Despite these developments, it remains a challenging issue to pinpoint the true phosphorylation sites, especially when multiple sites are possible for phosphorylation in the peptides. We developed the Phospho-UMC filter, which is a simple method of localizing the site of phosphorylation using unique mass classes (UMCs) information to differentiate phosphopeptides with different phosphorylation sites and increase the confidence in phosphorylation site localization. The method was applied to large scale phosphopeptide profiling data and was demonstrated to be effective in the reducing ambiguity associated with the tandem mass spectrometric data analysis of phosphopeptides.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.154-159
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• 2022

Protein S-glutathionylation is a reversible post-translational modification on cysteine residues forming a mixed disulfide with glutathione. S-glutathionylation, not only protects proteins from oxidation but also regulates the functions of proteins involved in various cellular signaling pathways. In this study, we developed a method for the detection of S-glutathionylated proteins (ProSSG) using eosin-glutathione (E-GSH) and mouse glutaredoxin 1 (mGrx1). ProSSG was efficiently and specifically labeled with E-GSH to form ProSSG-E via thiol-disulfide exchange. ProSSG-E was readily luminescent allowing the detection of ProSSG with semi-quantitative determination. In addition, a deglutathionylation enzyme mGrx1 specifically released E-GSH from ProSSG-E, which increased fluorescence allowing a sensitive determination of ProSSG levels. Application of the method to the adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells showed specific detection of ProSSG and its increase upon differentiation induction, which was consistent with the result obtained by conventional immunoblot analysis, but with greater specificity and sensitivity.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2013

The aim of this study was to analysis of the pitch and yaw deviations with or without using an aid-pillow for the head and neck cancer on the TomoTherapy. A total of 14 head and neck patients were selected to without-group (n=7) and with-group (n=7). A total of 333 MVCT image sets used to evaluate the translational (lateral, longitudinal and vertical) and rotational adjustments (pitch, roll and yaw) with 153 and 180 MVCT image sets at without- and with-group, respectively. Deviations of without- and with-groups were $0.12^{\circ}$ and $0.09^{\circ}$, respectively at pitch. And, deviations without- and with-groups were $0.47^{\circ}$ and $0.17^{\circ}$, respectively at yaw. In generally, with-group had reduced than without-group for the pitch and yaw deviations. Therefore, using an aid-pillow, it will able to increase the reproducibility of treatment for the head and neck cancer patients on the TomoTherapy.