• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제23권5호
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• pp.986-992
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• 2009

Type I interferons (IFNs) are critical mediators of the innate immune system to defend viral infection. Interferon regulatory factor (IRF) and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) play critical roles in type I IFN production in response to viral infection. Luteolin is natural polyphenolic compounds that have anti-inflammatory, cytoprotective and anti-carcinogenic effects. However, the mechanism of action and impact of luteolin on innate immunity is still unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of luteolin on the lipopolysacchride (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses. Luteolin inhibited Type I IFNs expression of mRNA and increased interleukin(IL)-10 expression of mRNA. Next, we examined the protective effects of IL-10 using IL-10 neutralizing antibody (IL-10NA). Blockade of IL-10 action didn't cause a significant reduction of Type I IFNs than LPS-induced luteolin pretreatment. Pretreatment of luteolin inhibited the level of IRF-1, and IRF-7 mRNA and the nuclear translocation of IRF-3. Also, luteolin reduced the activation of STAT - 1, 3. Theses results suggest that luteolin inhibits LPS-induced the production of Type I IFNS by both IRFs and STATs not IL-10 and may be a beneficial drug for the treatment of inflammatory disease.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제24권9호
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• pp.995-1000
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• 2014

바이러스 분리 및 검출 측면에서의 해양바이러스 연구는 높은 빈도의 돌연변이와 유전적 다양성 때문에 한계가 있어 왔다. 현재 해양바이러스를 검출하기 위해 사용되고 있는 방법 중 ELISA를 기반으로 하는 혈청학적 방법이 가장 보편적이다. 혈청학적 방법은 항체의 질과 고도로 정제된 정확한 항원을 요구한다. 최근에 바이러스 외피단백질을 항원으로 이용하고자하는 새로운 실험시스템이 yeast surface display (YSD)를 사용하여 개발되었다. 이 연구에서는 붉바리 신경괴사 바이러스(RGNNV)의 외피단백질 유전자를 YSD와 HA-tagging 시스템을 이용하여 발현시키고 정제하였다. 2개의 RGNNV 외피단백질 유전자 조각(RGNNV1 및 RGNNV2)을 염기서열 데이터베이스에 기초하여 합성하였고, 효모 발현 벡터인 pCTCON로 클로닝하였다. 효모 strain EBY100에서의 RGNNV 외피단백질의 발현은 발현벡터에 의해 코드되는 C-말단의 c-myc tags를 인지하는 형광표지된 항체를 이용하여 flow cytometry로 검출되었다. 발현된 RGNNV 외피단백질은 ${\beta}$-mercaptoethanol 처리 후 Aga1과 Aga2 사이의 이황화결합 절단에 의해 효모표면으로부터 분리되었다. Anti-HA 항체를 사용한 Western blots을 수행하였을 때 각 RGNNV 외피단백질이 정해진 크기에서 검출되는 것이 확인되었다. 이러한 결과는 YSD와 HA-tagging 시스템이 재조합 RGNNV 외피단백질의 발현과 정제에 적용가능함을 나타낸다.

• 대한후두음성언어의학회지
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.107-111
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• 2019

Background and Objectives Idiopathic unilateral vocal fold paralysis (IVFP) is believed to be due to inflammation and edema of the recurrent laryngeal nerve caused by viral diseases such as upper respiratory tract infections. Corticosteroid has a potent anti-inflammatory action which should minimize nerve damage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of oral steroid therapy on IVFP. Materials and Method Study was performed for the IVFP patient from January 2012 to August 2017. Patient's dermography, direction and location of paralyzed vocal cords, history of hypertension, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, and other underlying disease, smoking history, alcohol consumption and upper respiratory tract infection, and symptoms were investigated. Treatment was divided into three groups: the observation group, low-dose group, and high-dose group, and the recovery rate and time of vocal cord paralysis were analyzed in each group. Results Thirty-seven patients were enrolled in this study. There was no relationship between oral steroid use, dosage and recovery of vocal cord paralysis. Oral steroids showed a rapid recovery of vocal cord paralysis, but there was no statistically significant difference in the time of recovery of vocal palsy with or without steroids (p=0.673). In addition, there was no statistically significant difference in recovery rate between the period to start of treatment, presence of diabetes mellitus, and treatment modality, but the recovery rate was high in the group with upper respiratory tract infection history (p=0.041). Conclusion In IVFP, oral steroid therapy has no significant difference in time and extent of recovery compared to the case of spontaneous recovery.

• 한방안이비인후피부과학회지
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.1-22
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• 1998

During the last few years, nitric oxide(NO) as a potent macrophage-derived effector molecule against a variety of bacteria, parasites, and tumors has received increasing attention. More recent studies suggest that NO also has antiviral effects in both murine and human cells. The objective of the current study was to determine the effect of Yongdamsagantang(YST) on the production of NO. Stimulation of mouse peritoneal macrophages with YST after the treatment of recombinant $interferon-{\gammer}(rlFN-{\gammer})$ resulted in the increased NO synthesis. YST had no effect on NO synthesis by itself. When YST was used in combination with $rIFN-{\gammer}$, there was a marked cooperative induction of NO synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. The optimal effect of YST on NO synthesis was shown 6 hour after treatment with $rIFN-{\gammer}$. This increase in NO synthesis was reflected as increased amount of inducible NO synthase(iNOS) protein. NO production was inhibited by $N^G-monomethyl-L-arginine$. The increased production of NO from $rIFN-{\gammer}$ plus YST-stimulated cells was decreased by the treatment with staurosporin. In addition, synergy between $rIFN-{\gammer}$ and YST was mainly dependent on YST-induced tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}(TNF-{\alpha})$ secretion. These results suggest that the capacity of YST to increase NO production from $rIFN-{\alpha}-primed$ mouse peritoneal macrophages is the result of YST-induced $TNF-{\alpha}$ secretion.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제84권4호
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• pp.299-316
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• 2021

Background: The lack of effective medications for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to a trend of drug repurposing such as the case of azithromycin which shows immunomodulatory and anti-viral effect. Several clinical trials have shown conflicting results. It is currently unclear whether the available evidence is in favor or against the use of azithromycin in COVID-19 patients. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of azithromycin in COVID-19 patients. Methods: Four independent reviewers selected relevant studies from PubMed, ScienceDirect, EBSCO, and ProQuest published prior to March 2021. The protocol used in this study has been registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020224967). Results: We included 17 studies and found that the mortality rate (odds ratio [OR], 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76-1.19), need of respiratory support (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.98-1.73), hospitalization rate (standardized mean difference, 0.12; 95% CI, -0.02 to 0.27), and intensive care unit transfer (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.79-1.86) of azithromycin-treated group did not differ significantly (p>0.05) from those of the control group. Azithromycin treatment did not significantly increase the risk of getting secondary infection (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 0.83-1.82), hypoglycemia (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.38-1.40), gastrointestinal problems (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.73-1.45) or electrocardiogram abnormalities (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.94-1.42). The overall quality of evidence ranged from low to very low. Conclusion: Azithromycin did not result in a superior clinical improvement in COVID-19 patients, although it was well-tolerated and safe to use.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제62권6호
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• pp.235-239
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• 2019

Purpose: In Kawasaki disease (KD) patients, coronary artery complications, incomplete and refractory types occur more frequently in patients with streptococcal or other bacterial/viral infections. Recently, we observed a higher incidence of coronary lesions in KD patients with high anti-streptolysin O (ASO) titer. Therefore, we hypothesized that KD patients diagnosed with concurrent streptococcal infection have poor prognosis, with respect to treatment response and development of coronary artery lesions. Methods: A retrospective review was performed in 723 patients with KD who were admitted to 2 major hospitals between June 2010 and September 2017. Results: Among 723 patients with KD, 11 initially showed an elevated ASO titer (>320 IU/mL) or elevated follow-up ASO titer after treatment. Of these patients, 5 showed no response to the first intravenous immunoglobulin treatment, 3 had abnormalities of the coronary arteries. This is a significantly higher proportion of patients with a high ASO titer (n=3,27.3%) than those with a normal ASO titer (n=53 [7.4%], P=0.047). A severe clinical course was seen in 81.8% of patients in the high ASO group versus 14.5% of patients in the normal ASO group. Conclusion: It is not certain whether acute streptococcal infection may cause KD, but this study revealed that KD with high ASO titers showed higher rates of severe clinical course. It may be helpful to analyze concurrent streptococcal infection in patients with a severe clinical course.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제32권5호
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• pp.375-390
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• 2022

인수공통 호흡기바이러스인 인플루엔자바이러스 감염으로 인해 공중보건과 가축산업에 심각한 피해가 지속적으로 발생하고 있다. 인플루엔자 백신 접종을 통해 항원형이 일치하는 바이러스 감염에 대해 우수한 방어면역을 제공하고 있으나, 효과적인 바이러스 감염 제어에는 여전히 큰 공백이 존재하고 있다. 다양한 항원형을 갖는 바이러스에 동시방어가 가능한 범용인플루엔자백신 개발과 함께 바이러스 치료효과를 제공하는 항바이러스제의 개발도 중요한 접근법으로 고려되고 있다. 현재 널리 사용되고 있는 인플루엔자 항바이러스제의 불완전한 치료효과와 내성바이러스의 출현 등의 문제들로 인해 식물 유래 천연물의 항바이러스 활성에 대한 관심이 증가하고 있다. 특히, 현재 진행 중인 코로나-19 팬데믹은 범용적인 항바이러스 활성을 갖는 안전하고 효과적인 항바이러스제 개발의 필요성을 뚜렷이 보여준다. 본 리뷰는 현재까지 보고된 천연물의 항인플루엔자바이러스 활성을 요약하였다. 또한, 항바이러스 활성을 갖는 천연물의 바이러스 사멸활성과 면역증강활성을 이용하는 신규 백신개발과 면역증강제 개발 가능성에 대해서도 분석하였다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.803-808
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• 2010

Poly-${\gamma}$-glutamic acid (${\gamma}$-PGA) is a natural edible polypeptide in which glutamate is polymerized via ${\gamma}$-amide linkages. First, we assessed the eye irritancy potential of ${\gamma}$-PGA in rabbits. Additionally, we studied the effects of ${\gamma}$-PGA on corneal wound healing, due to the anti-inflammatory properties and water retaining abilities of ${\gamma}$-PGA. In this study, the effects of ${\gamma}$-PGA on corneal wound healing after an alkali burn were evaluated. Thirty eyes wounded by alkali burning in 30 white rabbits were divided into three groups: group A was treated with 0.1% 5,000 kDa ${\gamma}$-PGA for 2 days; group B was treated with 0.1% hyaluronic acid; and group C was not treated, as a control. The area of corneal epithelial defect was examined at 12, 24, 30, 36, 42, and 48 h after corneal alkali wounding to determine initial wound healing. We found that ${\gamma}$-PGA promoted corneal wound healing, compared with controls, and showed similar effects to hyaluronic acid. These results indicate that ${\gamma}$-PGA stimulates corneal wound healing by an anti-inflammatory effect and enhancing cell migration and cell proliferation. ${\gamma}$-PGA is a promising biomaterial that may be a substitute for hyaluronic acid in corneal wound healing treatment.

• 식품저장과 가공산업
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.9-18
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• 2008

The health benefits of garlic (Allium sativum L.) are derived from a wide variety of components and from the different ways it is administered. The known health benefits of garlic include cardiovascular protective effects, stimulation of immune function, reduction of blood glucose level, protection against microbial, viral and fungal infections, as well as anticancer effects. In the present study, it was examined the effects of water extract of A. sativum (WEAS) on the growth of cultured human tumor cells in order to investigate its anti-proliferative mechanism. Treatment of WEAS to tumor cells resulted in the growth inhibition, especially in leukemia cells, which was associated with induction of G2/M arrest of the cell cycle and apoptosis. In order to further explore the critical events leading to apoptosis in WEAS-treated U937 human leukemia cells, the following effects of WEAS on components of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway were examined: generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), alteration of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and the expression changes of Bcl-2 and IAP family proteins. The cytotoxic effect of WEAS was mediated by its induction of apoptosis as characterized by the occurrence of DNA ladders, apoptotic bodies and chromosome condensation in U937 cells. The WEAS-induced apoptosis in U937 cells was correlated with the generation of intracellular ROS, collapse of MMP, activation of caspase-3 and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic proteins. The quenching of ROS generation with antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine conferred significant protection against WEAS-elicited ROS generation, caspase-3 activation, G2/M arrest and apoptosis. In conclusion, the present study reveals that the cellular ROS generation plays a pivotal role in the initiation of WEAS-triggered apoptotic death in U937 cells.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.340-344
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• 2003

The group I intron from Tetrahymena thermophila has been demonstrated to employ splicing reactions with its substrate RNA in the trans configuration. Moreover, we have recently shown that the transsplicing group I ribozyme can replace HCV-specific transcripts with a new RNA that exerts anti-viral activity. In this study, we explored the potential use of RNA replacement for cancer treatment by developing trans-splicing group I ribozymes, which could replace tumor-associated RNAs with the RNA sequence attached to the 3' end of the ribozymes. Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) RNA was chosen as a target RNA because it is known as a valid cancer prognostic factor. By performing an RNA mapping strategy that is based on a trans-splicing ribozyme library, we first determined which regions of the TP RNA are accessible to ribozymes, and found that the leader sequences upstream of the AUG start codon appeared to be particularly accessible. Next, we assessed the ribozyme activities by comparing trans-splicing activities of several ribozymes that targeted different regions of the TP RNA. This assessment was performed to verify if the target site predicted to be accessible is truly the most accessible. The ribozyme that could target the most accessible site, identified by mapping studies, was the most active with high fidelity in vitro. Moreover, the specific trans-splicing ribozyme reacted with and altered the TP transcripts by transferring an intended 3' exon tag sequence onto the targeted TP RNA in mammalian cells with high fidelity. These results suggest that the Tetrahymena ribozyme can be utilized to replace TP RNAs in tumors with a new RNA harboring anti-cancer activity, which would revert the malignant phenotype.