• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.26-32
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• 1997

To evaluate the cytogenetic toxicity, of cadmium and the reducing effect of selenium or zinc on cadmium toxicity, the induction of SCEs in cultured human lymphocytes by the concentraion of 0.5 $\mu$M to 16.0 $\mu$M of cadmium chloride and those of cadmium chloride combined with sodium selenite or zinc chloride 1.2 $\mu$M, respectively was investigated. The induction of SCEs by cadmium chloride in the range of 0.5 $\mu$M to 16.0 $\mu$M increased in a dose-dependent manner. A notable increase in SCEs by sodium selenite as well as zinc chloride was also observed. However, the frequency of SCEs by cadmium chloride was inhibited by the simultaneous addition of sodium selenite and zinc chloride 1.2 $\mu$M, respectively. The mitotic index significantly decreased in higher concentration of cadmium chloride but not was significantly different in any concentration of cadmium chloride with the simultaneous addition of sodium selenite or zinc chloride. The results showed that the decreased additive SCE effect was observed when induced by the combined treatment which could suggest that sodium selenite and zinc chloride have a protective effect on cadmium chloride.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.1110-1117
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• 1993

The purpose of this was to analyse zinc intakes and effect of Zn(30mgZnSO4/day) supplementation on plasma zinc level, serum HDL-cholesterol and serum Alkaline Phosphatase (AP) activity of Korean adults. The men consumed 8.52($\pm$2.08)mg of zinc, and the women consumed 6.4($\pm$2.62)mg of zinc. Although protein intakes of subjects were lower than normal values. The first source of zinc was cereal and grain group, the second was meat, fish, egg and soybean group. Two food groups supplied about 80% of zinc. After two weeks of zinc supplementation, the zinc concentration in plasma was significantly increased. The highest plasma zinc level was 78.80ug/dl(men), 76.04ug/dl(women) at 2 weeks after zinc supplementation(p<0.05). Serum DHL-cholesterol was significantly decreased by zinc supplementation. The lowest serum HDL-cholesterol level was 39.29mg/dl(men), 44.84mg/dl(women) at 4 weeks after zinc supplementation(p<0.01). Serum AP activity was significantly increased by zinc supplementation. The highest AP activity was 86.40units/L(man), 67.93units/L(women) at 2 weeks after zinc supplementation(p<0.05). It seems that the supplementation of 30mg ZnSO4/day can be beneficial for improving zinc nutriture. However it can be negative factor on coronary heart disease because serum HDL-cholesterol was significantly decreased(p<0.01)

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.376-380
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• 2006

Gene expression is regulated in large part at the level of transcription under the control of sequence-specific transcriptional regulatory proteins. Therefore, the ability to affect gene expression at will using sequencespecific artificial transcription factors would provide researchers with a powerful tool for biotechnology research and drug discovery. Previously, we isolated 56 novel sequence-specific DNA-binding domains from the human genome by in vivo selection. We hypothesized that these domains might be more useful for regulating gene expression in higher eukaryotic cells than those selected in vitro using phage display. However, an unpredictable factor, termed the "context effect", is associated with the construction of novel zinc finger transcription factors--- DNA-binding proteins that bind specifically to 9-base pair target sequences. In this study, we directly selected active artificial zinc finger proteins from a zinc finger protein library. Direct in vivo selection of constituents of a zinc finger protein library may be an efficient method for isolating multi-finger DNA binding proteins while avoiding the context effect.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.40-43
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• 2000

Pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC) and N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) are metal and nonmetal-chelating antioxidant which can induce rat and human smooth muscle cell death. When the smooth muscle cells from mouse aorta (MASMC) that we successfully cultured recently was exposed to PDTC and NAC in a normal serum state, the cells were induced to death by these compounds. However, PDTC did not induce the cell death in a serum depleted medium. This data suggests that certain factors in the serum may mediate the cytotoxic effect of PDTC. The metal chelator, Ca-EDTA blocked PDTC-induced cell death, but Cu-, Fe-, and Zn-EDTA did not block the PDTC-induced cell death. This data indicated that copper, iron, and zinc in the serum may lead to the cytotoxic effect of PDTC. Investigation of the intracellular zinc level in PDTC-induced smooth muscle cell death using the zinc probe dye N-(6-methoxy-8-quinolyl)-p-toluenesulfonamide shows that only the muscle-containing layers of the arteries have higher level of zinc. As expected, PDTC increased the intracellular fluorescence level of the zinc. In agreement with these results, the addition of an exogenous metal, zinc, induced the vascular aortic smooth muscle cell death which led to an increased intracellular zinc level. We concluded that PDTC induced mouse aortic smooth muscle cell death required not only zinc level but also intracellular copper and iron level. The mechanism of this antioxidant to induce vascular smooth muscle cell death may provide a new strategy to prevent their proliferation in arteriosclerotic lesions.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.777-785
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• 2010

The effect of two doses of different sources of zinc, inorganic (zinc oxide) or chelated (zinc glutamate chelate), on morphology and turn-over of the small intestine was assessed in early-weaned pigs orally challenged with enterotoxigenic E. coli K88 (ETEC). Sixty pigs weaned at 21 days were assigned to one of the following 5 diets: control (C); C+Zinc oxide (ZnO), either a 200 or a 2,500 mg Zn/kg dose; or C+zinc chelate with glutamic acid (Glu-Zn), either a 200 or a 2,500 mg Zn/kg dose. On d 2, the pigs were orally inoculated with 1.5 ml of a $10^{10}$ CFU/ml E. coli K88ac O148 suspension. Zinc supplements did not improve the performance of the pigs, but on d 5 faecal excretion of ETEC was reduced, and this was mainly due to high zinc doses (p<0.05). The villous height in the duodenum was improved by the zinc supplements (p<0.01) whatever the source and the level, whereas no effect was seen in the other two tracts of small intestine. The diet did not affect apoptosis and mitosis counts, while ETEC-susceptible pigs had more mitotic cells in the villi than non-susceptible pigs, particularly in the jejunum (p<0.01). The duodenum had fewer mitotic cells in the villi (p<0.05) and in the crypts (p<0.01) and more apoptotic cells in the villi. High dietary doses of ZnO or Zn-Glutamate improve villous height of the duodenum, but not of the jejunum and the ileum, and do not affect the epithelial proliferative activity and apoptotic index of intestinal mucosa of early-weaned pigs orally challenged with ETEC.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.23-33
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• 2007

It has been reported high concentrations of zinc and taurine in ocular tissue, especially the retina-choroid, and the presence of physiological levels of zinc and taurine in these tissues seem essential for their normal function. In addition, several studies have reported temperature as another effector to the visual sensitivity. But, in spite of many studies, there are still remained many questions about their function and correlation in visual adaptation system. The purpose of present study was to clarify these points using electroretinogram(ERG) recording and absorption spectra scanning, before and after zinc and taurine treatments and hypothermic-effect in bullfrog(Rana catesbeiana) which is one of the poikilothermal animal. The optimal zinc concentration used in this study was determined $10^{-4}M$ while the optimal taurine concentration was 10-5 M, and temperature change for hypothermic-effect went through '$25^{\circ}C {\rightarrow}0^{\circ}C{\rightarrow}25^{\circ}C$'. In ERG recording, it is obtained that dark-adapted threshold became elevated and b-wave amplitudes was increased with zinc and taurine treatment and hypothermic-effect. In absorption spectra scanning, there is distinct absorbance increment over the whole spectral range(400~750 nm) after zinc and taurine treatment and hypothermic-effect. Furthermore there are some synergism effects between zinc and taurine as well as between zinc and hypothermic-effect as a result of co-treatment, respectively.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.91-103
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• 1972

Zinc is one of the essential trace elements in the living organism for growth and health. The first identified metalloenzyme, carbonic anhydrase, is a zinc compound and several others have been described since. Among zinc deficiency syndromes in animals porcine parakeratosis has been successfully treated with zinc supplements, and in man a syndrome of anemia, hypogonadism, hepatosplenomegaly, and dwarfism, prevalent in parts of Iran and Egypt, has been ascribed to lack of zinc in the diet. Dietary zinc excess in the rat is manifested by a hypochromic, microcytic anemia, poor growth, reduction in liver catalase and cytochrome oxidase. The present study is an attempt to delineate the changes of tissue contents of trace elements, especially of iron, copper and zinc in liver and kidneys of the rats. Weanling albino rats, weighing 60 to 80gm. were used in this experiments. The rats were housed in cages with aluminum floors and received feed and distilled water ad libitum. Animals were divided into three groups, control, low zinc diet and high zinc diet groups. The high zinc diet group was subdivided into 0.5% Zn and 0.7%Zn groups. The supplementary copper or iron was added to the high dietary zinc groups. The animals were sacrificed and the tissues were washed several times with deionized water. The wet digested samples were analyzed by Hitachi Model 207 atomic absorption spectro-photometer for the determination of iron, copper and zinc in the liver and kidney. Hemoglobin level in the blood was measured by cyanmethemoglobin method. The results of this study are as follows: 1) All rats fed high zinc diets and low zinc diets gained less weight than control. Weight gain was not improved by the supplementary copper or iron and both. 2) Hemoglobin concentration was decreased significantly in the rats fed high zinc diets and less in the low zinc diet. Supplementary copper and iron to the higher zinc diet appeared to give some improvement of anemia. 3) The iron contents of the liver and kidneys were significantly decreased in the high zinc groups and the reduction was more significantly in the rats receiving higher zinc diet (0.7%). The supplementary copper caused a further depression of liver iron. On the other hand, the iron, added to the high zinc diet lessoned the severity of the decrease in liver iron and caused kidney iron to be maintained almost at the level found in the rats fed by zinc and supplementary copper diet. 4) High zinc diets did not change copper content of the liver and kidney. Supplementary copper elevated the concentration in the liver and kidney and added iron had no effect on the accumulation of copper in the liver and kidneys. 5) The high zinc diets caused marked increases of zinc content in the liver and kidney. Supplementary iron to the high zinc diet caused increases of zinc contents of liver and kidneys.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.276-279
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• 2001

The effect of helminthiasis on zinc metabolism was monitored using endogenous $^{65}Zn$ after intraperitoneal injection of 1 g of $^{65}Zn$ as zinc chloride. In the first experiment zinc turnover was investigated in 18 male weanling rats, which were randomly divided into 3 groups. One group was infected with 73 third stage larvae of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis per gram body weight ; the other groups were the pair-fed and ad lib-fed controls. The route of loss of zinc was investigated in the second experiment with the same design using 18 animals with a lower dose of infection (33 larvae per gram body weight). The biological half life of endogenous $^{65}Zn$ was lower (p<0.05) in the infected group as compared to the controls. In the later phase of infection (9th to 16th day) there was reduced retention of $^{65}Zn$ and increased loss (p<0.05) of $^{65}Zn$ from the body though urine and faeces. It was concluded that infection of N. brasiliensis was accompanied by increased loss of endogenous Zn through faeces and urine.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.248-254
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• 2022

Background: Zinc homeostasis is essential for human health and is regulated by several zinc transporters including ZIP and ZnT. ZIP4 is expressed in the small intestine and is important for zinc absorption from the diet. We investigated in the present study the effects of Panax ginseng (P. ginseng) extract on modulating Zip4 expression and cellular zinc levels in mouse Hepa cells. Methods: Hepa cells were transfected with a luciferase reporter plasmid that contains metal-responsive elements, incubated with P. ginseng extract, and luciferase activity was measured. Using ⁶⁵ZnCl₂, zinc uptake in P. ginseng-treated cells was measured. The expression of Zip4 mRNA and protein in Hepa cells was also investigated. Finally, using a luciferase reporter assay system, the effects of several ginsenosides were monitored. Results: The luciferase activity in cells incubated with P. ginseng extract was significantly higher than that of control cells cultured in normal medium. Hepa cells treated with P. ginseng extract exhibited higher zinc uptake. P. ginseng extract induced Zip4 mRNA expression, which resulted in an enhancement of Zip4 protein expression. Furthermore, some ginsenosides, such as ginsenoside Rc and Re, enhanced luciferase activity driven by intracellular zinc levels. Conclusion: P. ginseng extract induced Zip4 expression at the mRNA and protein level and resulted in higher zinc uptake in Hepa cells. Some ginsenosides facilitated zinc influx. On the basis of these results, we suggest a novel effect of P. ginseng on Zip4-mediated zinc influx, which may provide a new strategy for preventing zinc deficiency.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.687-692
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• 2020

A zinc-air battery consists of a zinc anode, an air cathode, an electrolyte, and a separator. The active material of the positive electrode is oxygen contained in the ambient air. Therefore, zinc-air batteries have an open cell configuration. The external condition is one of the main factors for zinc-air batteries. One of the most important external conditions is temperature. To confirm the effect of temperature on the electrochemical properties of zinc-air batteries, we perform various analyses under different temperatures. Under 60 ℃ condition, the zinc-air cell shows an 84.98 % self-discharge rate. In addition, high corrosion rate and electrolyte evaporation rate are achieved at 60 ℃. Among the cells stored at various temperature conditions, the cell stored at 50 ℃ delivers the highest discharge capacity; it also shows the highest self-discharge rate (65.33 %). On the other hand, the cell stored at 30 ℃ shows only 2.28 % self-discharge rate.