• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2022

The present study was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive potential of the ethyl acetate fraction of Lindera glauca (ELG). We found that ELG significantly suppressed NO production through decreased enzyme activity and expression of iNOS in the IFN-γ/LPS-activated murine peritoneal macrophages. The treatment of ELG also down-regulated the expression of COX-2. Our western blot data revealed that inhibitory effects of ELG on these pro-inflammatory mediators were attributed to inactivation of NF-κB. In addition, ELG-fed mice showed a marked decrease in paw edema induced by subplantar injection of trypsin, suggesting in vivo anti-inflammatory potential of ELG. We further investigated the anti-nociceptive properties of ELG using thermal and chemical nociception model. We found that ELG has a strong anti-nociceptive activities in both central and peripheral mechanism. An additional combination test with naloxone revealed that opioid receptor was not involved in the ELG-mediated anti-nociception. In conclusion, ELG may possibly be used as valuable anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive agent for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and pains.

• Journal of Korea Society of Digital Industry and Information Management
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.135-145
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• 2023

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence-based conversation agent developed by OpenAI using natural language processing technology. In this study, an empirical study was conducted on incumbent teachers on the intention to use the newly emerged Chat GPT. First, we studied how accuracy, entertainment, system accessibility, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use affect ChatGPT's acceptance intention. In addition, we analyzed whether perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use differ in the intention to accept depending on the digital technology of teachers. As a result of the study, the suitability of the structural equation model was generally good. Accuracy and entertainment were found to have a significant effect on perceived usefulness, and system accessibility was found to have a significant effect on perceived ease of use. In the analysis of teachers' digital technology control effects, it was found that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use had a control effect between acceptance intentions. It was found that the group with high digital skills of teachers was strongly intended to accept the service regardless of perceived usefulness and ease of use. In the group with low digital skills of teachers, it is thought that ChatGPT's service shows the acceptance intention only when the perceived usefulness and ease of use are high. Therefore, in the group with low digital technology, it is necessary to seek teaching activities such as the development of instructional models using ChatGPT.

• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 2019

Background and Objectives: The antioxidant ebselen will be able to limit or prevent the ototoxicity arising from 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD). Niemann-Pick Type C (NPC) disease is a disorder of lysosomal storage manifested in sphingolipidosis. Recently, it was noted that experimental use of HPβCD could partially resolve the symptoms in both animals and human patients. Despite its desirable effect, HPβCD can induce hearing loss, which is the only major side effect noted to date. Understanding of the pathophysiology of hearing impairment after administration of HPβCD and further development of preventive methods are essential to reduce the ototoxic side effect. The mechanisms of HPβCD-induced ototoxicity remain unknown, but the resulting pathology bears some resemblance to other ototoxic agents, which involves oxidative stress pathways. To indirectly determine the involvement of oxidative stress in HPβCD-induced ototoxicity, we tested the efficacy of an antioxidant reagent, ebselen, on the extent of inner ear side effects caused by HPβCD. Materials and Methods: Ebselen was applied prior to administration of HPβCD in mice. Auditory brainstem response thresholds and otopathology were assessed one week later. Bilateral effects of the drug treatments also were examined. Results: HPβCD-alone resulted in bilateral, severe, and selective loss of outer hair cells from base to apex with an abrupt transition between lesions and intact areas. Ebselen co-treatment did not ameliorate HPβCD-induced hearing loss or alter the resulting histopathology. Conclusions: The results indirectly suggest that cochlear damage by HPβCD is unrelated to reactive oxygen species formation. However, further research into the mechanism(s) of HPβCD otopathology is necessary.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.411-416
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• 2023

Methamphetamine (METH) is a powerful neurotoxic psychostimulant affecting dopamine transporter (DAT) activity and leading to continuous excess extracellular dopamine levels. Despite recent advances in the knowledge on neurobiological mechanisms underlying METH abuse, there are few effective pharmacotherapies to prevent METH abuse leading to brain damage and neuropsychiatric deficits. α-Pinene (APN) is one of the major monoterpenes derived from pine essential oils and has diverse biological properties including anti-nociceptive, anti-anxiolytic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory actions. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of APN in a METH abuse mice model. METH (1 mg/kg/day, i.p.) was injected into C57BL/6 mice for four alternative days, and a conditioned place preference (CPP) test was performed. The METH-administered group exhibited increased sensitivity to place preference and significantly decreased levels of dopamine-related markers such as dopamine 2 receptor (D2R) and tyrosine hydroxylase in the striatum of the mice. Moreover, METH caused apoptotic cell death by induction of inflammation and oxidative stress. Conversely, APN treatment (3 and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced METH-mediated place preference and restored the levels of D2R and tyrosine hydroxylase in the striatum. APN increased the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 to pro-apoptotic Bax ratio and decreased the expression of inflammatory protein Iba-1. METH-induced lipid peroxidation was effectively mitigated by APN by up-regulation of antioxidant enzymes such as manganese-superoxide dismutase and glutamylcysteine synthase via activation of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2. These results suggest that APN may have protective potential and be considered as a promising therapeutic agent for METH-induced drug addiction and neuronal damage.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.45.1-45.8
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• 2020

Objective: The aim of this study was to introduce a gelatin/bovine serum albumin (BSA) tissue standard, which provides dissolution properties identical to those of biological tissues. Further, the study evaluated whether the utilization of endodontic activating devices led to enhanced phantom dissolution rates. Materials and Methods: Bovine pulp tissue was obtained to determine a benchmark of tissue dissolution. The surface area and mass of samples were held constant while the ratio of gelatin and BSA were varied, ranging from 7.5% to 10% gelatin and 5% BSA. Each sample was placed in an individual test tube that was filled with an appropriate sodium hypochlorite solution for 1, 3, and 5 minutes, and then removed from the solution, blotted dry, and weighed again. The remaining tissue was calculated as the percent of initial tissue to determine the tissue dissolution rate. A radiopaque agent (sodium diatrizoate) and a fluorescent dye (methylene blue) were added to the phantom to allow easy quantification of phantom dissolution in a canal block model when activated using ultrasonic (EndoUltra) or sonic (EndoActivator) energy. Results: The 9% gelatin + 5% BSA phantom showed statistically equivalent dissolution to bovine pulp tissue at all time intervals. Furthermore, the EndoUltra yielded significantly more phantom dissolution in the canal block than the EndoActivator or syringe irrigation. Conclusions: Our phantom is comparable to biological tissue in terms of tissue dissolution and could be utilized for in vitro tests due to its injectability and detectability.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.661-673
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• 2023

Treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) has always been challenged by the development of resistance. We investigated the antiproliferative activity of licochalcone H (LCH), a regioisomer of licochalcone C derived from the root of Glycyrrhiza inflata, in oxaliplatin (Ox)-sensitive and -resistant CRC cells. LCH significantly inhibited cell viability and colony growth in both Ox-sensitive and Ox-resistant CRC cells. We found that LCH decreased epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and AKT kinase activities and related activating signaling proteins including pEGFR and pAKT. A computational docking model indicated that LCH may interact with EGFR, AKT1, and AKT2 at the ATP-binding sites. LCH induced ROS generation and increased the expression of the ER stress markers. LCH treatment of CRC cells induced depolarization of MMP. Multi-caspase activity was induced by LCH treatment and confirmed by Z-VAD-FMK treatment. LCH increased the number of sub-G1 cells and arrested the cell cycle at the G1 phase. Taken together LCH inhibits the growth of Ox-sensitive and Ox-resistant CRC cells by targeting EGFR and AKT, and inducing ROS generation and ER stress-mediated apoptosis. Therefore, LCH could be a potential therapeutic agent for improving not only Ox-sensitive but also Ox-resistant CRC treatment.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2020.08a
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• pp.76-76
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• 2020

Stachys sieboldii Miq. (chinese artichoke), which has been extensively used in oriental traditional medicine to treat of ischemic stroke; however, the role of Stachys sieboldii Miq. (SSM) in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is not yet fully understood. In the current study, the neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) were subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) to simulate I/R injury in vitro model. The results showed that SSM improved OGD/R-induced inhibitory effect on cell viability of SH-SY5Y Cells. SSM displayed anti-oxidative activity as proved by the decreased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and increased activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in OGD/R-induced SH-SY5Y Cells. In addition, cell apoptosis was markedly decreased after SSM treatment in OGD/R-induced SH-SY5Y Cells. The up-regulation of Bcl-2 and down-regulation of Bax, thus reducing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio that in turn protected the activation of caspase-9 and -3, and inhibition of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, which was associated with the blocking of cytochrome c release to the cytoplasm. Collectively, SSM protected human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells from OGD/R-induced injury via preventing mitochondrial-dependent pathway through scavenging excessive ROS, suggesting that SSM might be a potential agent for the ischemic stroke therapy.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.908-917
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• 2024

Objective: Although pork loins is not a tough meat, they need to develop meat products with a soft texture for the elderly. This study focused on the physicochemical properties and tenderness characteristics of pork loin injected with green kiwifruit juice (GRJ) and gold kiwifruit juice (GOJ) during various incubation times. In addition, the antioxidant activities of hydrolysate derived from the hydrolysis of pork loin by kiwifruit juice protease were evaluated. Methods: The pork loin was injected with 10% and 20% GRJ and GOJ, under various incubation times (0, 4, 8, and 24 h). Then, the physicochemical properties and tenderness of pork loins were measured. 2,2- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and reducing power were conducted to determine hydrolysate's antioxidant activities derived from pork loin's hydrolysis by kiwifruit juice protease. Results: GRJ had greater tenderizing ability than GOJ, even at the 10% addition. When kiwifruit juice was injected into pork loin, the tenderness increased with increasing incubation time. This was confirmed by the decrease in intensity of the myosin heavy chain (MHC) band in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In particular, the MHC band decreased at 8 h for both 10% GRJ and 20% GOJ and at 4 h for 20% GRJ alone. The highest myofibril fragmentation index and peptide solubility were observed in pork loin treated with 20% GRJ compared to the other treatments during incubation. The 10% GRJ and 20% GOJ treatments showed similar levels of antioxidant activity of the protein hydrolysates in pork loin, and 20% GRJ showed the highest activity among the treatments. Conclusion: Kiwifruit juice had protease activity, and GRJ was more useful for tenderizing meat products than GOJ. Thus, GRJ at 10% could be a potential agent to tenderize and enrich the natural antioxidant activity through the proteolysis of pork loin.

• Journal of Convergence Korean Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2024

Objectives: Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by keratinocyte hyperproliferation and an excessive inflammatory response. Agents that can attenuate keratinocyte hyperproliferation and excessive inflammatory responses are considered potentially useful for the treatment of psoriasis. Daehwangmokdanpitang (DHMDPT) exhibits a broad range of bioactivities, including anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects. This study aims to evaluate the anti-psoriatic potential of DHMDPT in vitro. Methods: HaCaT keratinocytes were stimulated with a mixture of IL-17A, IL-22, oncostatin M, IL-1α, and TNF-α (M5) to establish an in vitro psoriatic keratinocyte model. Cell viability was measured using the MTT assay. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to measure the mRNA levels of the hyperproliferative marker gene keratin 6 (KRT6) and inflammatory factors such as IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-23A. Additionally, chemokines including CCL5, CCL2, CCL20, and CXCL1 were measured by qRT-PCR. Results: DHMDPT attenuated M5-induced hyperproliferation, as indicated by a reduction in KRT6 expression in HaCaT keratinocytes. M5 stimulation significantly upregulated the mRNA levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-23A. However, DHMDPT treatment attenuated the upregulation of IL-6 but not TNF-α or IL-23A. Additionally, DHMDPT inhibited the expression of CCL5, CCL2, and CXCL1, but not CCL20. Conclusion: DHMDPT effectively attenuated the M5-induced proliferation and inflammatory response in HaCaT keratinocytes. Therefore, DHMDPT could be an attractive candidate for future development as an anti-psoriatic agent.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.29.1-29.23
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• 2023

Cholesterol (CL) is required for various biomolecular production processes, including those of cell membrane components. Therefore, to meet these needs, CL is converted into various derivatives. Among these derivatives is cholesterol sulfate (CS), a naturally produced CL derivative by the sulfotransferase family 2B1 (SULT2B1), which is widely present in human plasma. CS is involved in cell membrane stabilization, blood clotting, keratinocyte differentiation, and TCR nanocluster deformation. This study shows that treatment of T cells with CS resulted in the decreased surface expression of some surface T-cell proteins and reduced IL-2 release. Furthermore, T cells treated with CS significantly reduced lipid raft contents and membrane CLs. Surprisingly, using the electron microscope, we also observed that CS led to the disruption of T-cell microvilli, releasing small microvilli particles containing TCRs and other microvillar proteins. However, in vivo, T cells with CS showed aberrant migration to high endothelial venules and limited infiltrating splenic T-cell zones compared with the untreated T cells. Additionally, we observed significant alleviation of atopic dermatitis in mice injected with CS in the animal model. Based on these results, we conclude that CS is an immunosuppressive natural lipid that impairs TCR signaling by disrupting microvillar function in T cells, suggesting its usefulness as a therapeutic agent for alleviating T-cell-mediated hypersensitivity and a potential target for treating autoimmune diseases.