• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2007

Background: A red seaweed, Callophyllis japonica has been traditionally eaten in the oriental area. In a recent study, it has been demonstrated that the ethanol extract of C. japonica have antioxidant activity. However, there are few studies about the effects of C. japonica on the function of immune cells. We investigated the immunomodulatory effects of C. japonica on the function of dendritic cells, the potent antigen-presenting cells. Methods: Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs) were used and the viability was measured by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and trypan blue exclusion test. Cytokine and nitric oxide (NO) levels were determined by using ELISA and Griess reagent, respectively. The expression levels of DC surface markers were measured by flow cytometric analysis. Results: C. japonica ethanol extract did not significantly affect the DCs viability and the IL-12 production from DCs, irrespective of the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In addition, it did not significantly change the expression of DC surface markers. However, C. japonica ethanol extract significantly inhibited the LPS-induced NO production and also increased the proliferation of allogeneic lymphocytes activated by DCs. Conclusion: Our data suggests that C. japonica ethanol extract enhances the proliferation of allogeneic lymphocytes activated by DCs which is associated with inhibition of NO production from DCs induced by LPS.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.311-320
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• 2007

The present study was designed to estimate the protective effect of (-) epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on ethanol-induced liver injury in rats. Chronic ethanol administration (6 g/kg/day ${\times}$ 60 days) caused liver damage that was manifested by the elevation of markers of liver dysfunction - aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, bilirubin and ${\gamma}$-glutamyl transferase in plasma and reduction in liver glycogen. The activities of alcohol metabolizing enzymes such as alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase were found to be altered in alcohol-treated group. Ethanol administration resulted in the induction of cytochrome p450 and cytochrome-$b_{5}$ activities and reduction of cytochrome-c reductase and glutathione-S-transferase, a phase II drug metabolizing enzyme. Further, ethanol reduced the viability of isolated hepatocytes (ex vivo) as assessed by trypan blue exclusion test and induced hepatocyte apoptosis as assessed by propidium iodide staining. Treatment of alcoholic rats with EGCG restored the levels of markers of liver injury and mitigated the alterations in alcohol metabolizing and drug metabolizing enzymes and cyt-c-reductase. Increased hepatocyte viability and reduced apoptotic nuclei were observed in alcohol + EGCG-treated rats. These findings suggest that EGCG acts as a hepatoprotective agent against alcoholic liver injury.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.182-189
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• 1994

The highest antitumor activity was observed in water soluble AS fraction of the Ganoderma lucidum IY 009. AS fraction did not show any cytotoxicity on sarcoma 180 cell but stimulated antibody production, opsonization of macrophage in ICR mouse and superoxide ion production from isolated macrophage. AS fraction activated complement C3 in human serum, and their antitumor activity was inhibited by EDTA, a chelator of cation related complementary activation. AS fraction exerted om prolong of life span and ingibition of tumor growth in the leukemia P388 or L1210 transplanted inbreed mouse,k BDF1 but krestin did not. AS fraction did not show any serious and lethal effects through oral administration on ICR mouse, and LD$_{50}$ of those was above 2,230 mg/kg.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.164-170
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• 2001

Glutamate receptors-mediated excitoxicity is believed to play a role in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. The present study was performed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of fanschinoline, a bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, which has a characteristic as a $Ca^{2+}$channel blockers on excitatory amino acids (EAAS)-induced neurotoxicity in cultured rat cerebellar granule neuron. Fangchinoline (1 and 5$\mu\textrm{m}$) inhibited glutamate (1 ${m}M$), N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA; 1 ${m}M$) and kainate (100$\mu\textrm{m}$)-induced neuronal cell death which was measured by trypan blue exclusion test. Fangchinoline (1 and 5$\mu\textrm{m}$) inhibited glutamate release into medium induced by NMDA (1 ${m}M$) and kainate (100$\mu\textrm{m}$), which was measured by HPLC. And fangchinoline (5$\mu\textrm{m}$) inhibited glutamate (1 ${m}M$)-induced elevation of intracellular calcium concentration. These results suggest that inhibition of $Ca^{2+}$influx by fangchinoline may contribute to the beneficial effects on neurodegenerative effect of glutamate in pathophysiological conditions.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.566-572
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• 2005

The aim of this study was to determine if the isoflavones from Sophorae fructus (SISO) have potential clinical benefit in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for the treat ment of menopausal signs, such as the levels of total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). An additional aim was to present the potential antioxidant effect of SISO in a microglial cell line. For the animal model, the ovaries were removed from adult rats and the indicators of menopause were measured at the pre- and post-administration time points. Although no statistically significant correlation was found, SISO tended to decrease the TC level (p=0.15) and the FSH level (p=0.36), but to increase the HDL level (p=0.303).SISO (< 5${\mu}g$/mL) also exerted antioxidant activity on BV-2 microglial cells by inhibiting lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide. This cytoprotective effect was confirmed by trypan blue staining, which was used to test for cellular damage from H$_2O_2$. In conclusion, this study highlights the anti-menopausal and antioxidant effect of SISO in an ovariectomized rat model, as well as in microglial cells, and provides new clinical targets for the screening of phytoestrogens as potential candidates for HRT in menopausal women.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.293-297
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• 2000

The present investigation was performed to elucidate the effect of pretreatment with low dose ultraviolet radiation (UV) and ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) on cell survival by trypan blue dye exclusion method and plasma membrane glycoconjugates by lectin-cytochemistry in sarcoma 180 (S180) cells. Pretreatment with 2 J/$m^2$ UV or 2 mM EMS increased the percentage of survival of cells subsequently treated with high dose UV (10 or 20 J/$m^2$) or EMS (10 or 20 mM), respectively. Staining intensity of concanavalin A (Con A) of the cells pretreated with 2J/$m^2$ UV or 2 mM EMS and subsequently treated with 10 or 20 mM EMS was stronger than that of the cellstreated with 10 or 20 mM EMS. These results suggest that there is an adaptive response on cell survival to EMS or UV in S180 cells. And the results show a change in mannose-containing glycoconjugates of plasma membrane in S180 cells pretreated with EMS or UV and subsequently treated with EMS.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.518-521
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• 1999

Bacillus sp. 79-23 spores were irradiated with $^{60}Co$ gamma-rays at doses ranging from 0.5 to 5 kGy. Following gamma-irradiation, seven mutant strains were isolated by scoring the halo sizes formed around the colonies grown on LB agar plates containing 4% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and trypan blue. The mutant strains showed a 1.5 to 2-fold increase in carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) activity over the parent strain. Wheat bran acted as an effective inducer for CMCase production in the parent and mutant strains. Mutant strains 68 and 70 were identified as exhibiting higher CMCase activities than those of other mutants in LB media both with and without 3% wheat bran. In addition, these strains seem to produce substantially lower amounts of capsular materials, whereas the parent strain produced large amounts of them in both liquid and solid LB media. In flask cultures, the CMCase production by mutants 68 and 70 reached maximum levels of 17.5 unit/ml and 15.7 unit/ml, respectively, in an LB medium containing 3% wheat bran.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.315-324
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• 1997

This study was undertaken in an effort to develop a cryopreservation system of immature and mature porcine oocytes. For this aim, the experiments were designed to examine the effect of cryoprotectants and equdibration time on the viability of frozen-thawed oocytes by using trypan blue(TB) and fluorescene diacetate(FDA) test. The viability of frozen immature oocytes evaluated by TB test was slightly higher than that of frozen mature oocytes. The viability(25.O%) after IVM of frozen-thawed immature oocytes greatly decreased that(42.9%) of oocytes just after thawing, but it was higher than frozen-thawed mature oocytes(15.8%). When immature oocytes were equilibrated for 10, 20 and 30 minutes before freezing the oocyte viability was 20.0, 31.3 and 42.9%, respectively. There was a tendency for long equilibration before oocyte freezing to be more effective for the immature oocytes and a short equilibration time for mature oocytes. Although there was no difference in viability index of frozen oocytes hetween the viability test methods, the index of TB test was slightly higher than that of FDA test. The viability(FDA test) of frozen-immature oocytes with 3 different crtoprotectants was 22.2% for propylene glycol(PG), 9.3% for polyehtylene glycol(PEG) and 65.6% for PG+PEG, in which PG+PEG was more protective against freezing effect.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.395-401
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• 2005

The dlm (disease lesion mimic) mutant of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr) shows the similar lesion of a soybean disease caused by a fungus, Corynespora cassilcola. The lesion was examined at cellular and molecular level. Trypan blue staining result indicated that cell death was detectable in the entire region of leaves excluding veins when the lesions had already been developed. We found that the mesophyll cells of palisade layer in the dim mutant appeared to be wider apart from each other. The chloroplasts of the dim mutant cells contained bigger starch granules than those in normal plants. We also found that the lesion development of dlm plant was light-dependent and the starch degradation during the dark period of diurnal cycle was impaired in the mutant. Three soybean pathogenesis-related genes, PR-1a, PR-4, and PR-10, were examined for their expression patterns during the development of disease lesion mimic. The expression of all three genes was up-regulated to some extent upon the appearance of the disease lesion mimic. Although the exact function of DLM protein remains elusive, our data would provide some insight into mechanism underling the cell death associated with the dim mutation.

• The Korean Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2017

Lycorine, a natural alkaloid extracted from the Amaryllidaceae plant family, was reported to various physiological and pharmacological effects including anti-cancer activity. Nevertheless, there is no report of the anticancer effect of lycorine in oral cancer cells. The effects of lycorine on cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined through trypan blue exclusion assay, 4'-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) stain, Live/Dead assay, Western blot analysis and RT-PCR. Lycorine suppressed cell viability and induced apoptosis in MC3 and HSC-3 cell lines. Lycorine decreased survivin protein but did not affect its mRNA. It regulated survivin through accelerating protein degradation in a time-dependent manner although neither proteasome nor lysosome was not associated with lycorine-mediated protein degradation. Collectively, our results suggest that lycorine may be a potential therapeutic anti-cancer drug candidate for the treatment of human oral cancer.