• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.779-790
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• 2007

Objective : Although chronic non-bacterial prostatitis is a common disease, it is very difficult to treat effectively. GLS (Gleditsiae Spina) has traditionally been used in treatment of urinary tract inflammation and voiding disturbance. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects and action mechanism of GLS in the rat model of non-bacterial prostatitis induced by castration and testosterone treatment. Method : We observed four experimental objects of normal group, control group, testosterone group, and GLS group. Rats were treated with 17$\beta$-estradiol after castration for induction of experimental non-bacteral prostatitis, which is similar to human chronic prostatitis in histophatological profiles. GLS and testosterone were administered as an experimental specimen and a positive control, respectively. The prostates were evaluated by histopahological parameters including the epithelial score and epithelio-stromal ratio for glandular damage. Also, the prostates were observed by hematological alterations of WBC, RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit and platelet. Results : While prostates of control rats revealed severe acinar gland atrophy and stromal proliferation, the rats treated with GLS showed a diminished range of tissue damage. Epithelial score was improved in GLS over that of the control. The epithelial-stromal ratio was lower in GLS when compared to that of the control. Conclusion : These findings suggest that GLS may protect the glandular epithelial cells. We concluded that GLS could be a useful remedy agent for treating chronic non-bacterial prostatitis.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.149-156
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• 1995

Physiological activities of E. compressa were examined after oral and intraperitoneal(i.p.) adminstration in young(8g) Israeli and colored carp. Hematological parameters were evaluated to test physiological respose. Anti-bacterial activity was examined by counting the number of bacterial cells in the kidney, and also by measuring the change of agglutinin titers following A. sobriae infection. There was a tendency of increase in E. compressa-fed groups in total protein, albumin and glucose levels. The most marked increase was noted in the group fed with 5% E. compressa. GPT and GOT levels were reduced with the increase of E. compressa concentration. Feeding of E. compressa did not alter haematocrit(Ht) and hemoglobin (Hb) values. The number of A. sobriae was reduced in all groups intraperitoneally treated with variable concentration of E. compressa-extract. The lowest bacterial cells were found at the group intraperitoneally treated with $30{\mu}g$ of E. compressa-extract per g of colored carp($30{\mu}g/g$), indicating that the anti-bacterial activity is maximized at this concentration. The agglutinin titers were elevated in E. compressa extract-treated groups($30{\mu}g/g$) with the maximum value of $6.0{\pm}1.1$. These results indicate that E. compressa adminstration activated physiological response, and triggered a cascade for anti-bacterial reaction.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.2066-2070
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• 2007

It was found that Shinorhizobium meliloti hemoprotein (SM) was more effective than Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (Vhb) in promoting secondary metabolites production when overexpressed in Streptomyces lividans TK24. The transformant with sm (sm-transformant) produced 2.7-times and 3-times larger amounts of actinorhodin than the vhb-transformant in solid culture and flask culture, respectively. In both solid and flask cultures, a larger amount of undecylprodigiocin was produced by the sm-transformant. It is considered that the overexpression of SM especially has activated the pentose phosphate pathway through oxidative stress, as evidenced by an increased NADPH production observed, and that it has promoted secondary metabolites biosynthesis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 1978

After the advent of the effective antimicrobial drugs, empyema of the pleural cavity came to be considered an infrequent disease. However, in recent years the problem of empyema is increasing, probably due to bacterial changes associated with the use and misuse of antimicrobials as well as alterations in the host associated with increased longevity and chronic disease. During the 10 years period from 1957, Sop. to 1977, Aug., we experienced 152 cases of empyema, of which 37 were scheduled on open thoracotomy drainge for chronic empyema. 1. The ratio of male to female was 3.6:1 with male predominance and 64% of total was above 40 years old in age distribution. 2. The cardinal symptoms were fever[70%], dyspnea[40.5%], and sputum[40.5%]. The leucocytosis were observed in 75.7% of all cases. The hemoglobin level showed subnormal in 21.6% of all cases. 3- The underlying pathology predisposing to empyema were postoperative empyema [35.1%] and tuberculosis[32.4%] in order. 4. The pathologic organisms by bacterial culture in 37 patients were Pseudomonas [24.3%], Staphylococccus [21.6%], Streptococcus [21.6%]., no growth [8. 1%] and the remainders. 5. The late results were as follow; a. Spontaneous closure was seen in 10 patients and all of them belongs to non-tuberculous group. Their mean duration was 14 months. b. Still opened are eight; 6 in tuberculous group, remainders in non-tuberculous group. c. Secondary closure was performed in 6 patients, of which 5 cases showed successful secondary closure but one failed. The mean duration from OTD to secondary closure was 46.3 days. d. Eleven patients were not followed. e. Two patients were expired; one was due to progressive cachexia and pulmonary insufficiency, the other due to gastrointestinal bleeding unrelated to empyema.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.310-312
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• 2012

Cytochrome $b_5$ is involved in the reduction of methemoglobin back to hemoglobin, thereby maintaining normal function of the blood to carry oxygen around. Congenital abnormal condition of this enzyme causes a rare disease called methemoglobinemia. At least 4 different retropseudogenes are reported so far for cytochrome $b_5$. However, type III pseudogene has attracted most attention because it contains open reading frame in its structure. Although there is no evidence yet if this pseudogene is actually expressed in the cell or the blood the possibility of its expression needs to be elucidated. We have isolated type III pseudogene by polymerase chain reaction and cloned into pGEX-4T-1 expression vector followed by SDS-PAGE. Protein was expressed and the size of the expressed protein was 28 kDa as expected in its genetic code. This result also shows that the protein is not harmful for the viability of the microorganism. This study may contribute to the genetic diagnosis of cardiac diseases, possibly caused by cytochrome $b_5$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.869-872
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• 2009

The cyclic undecapeptide cyclosporin A (CyA), one of the most valuable immunosuppressive drugs, is produced nonribosomally by a multifunctional cyclosporin synthetase enzyme complex by the filamentous fungus Tolypocladium niveum. To increase CyA productivity by wild-type T. niveum (ATCC 34921), random mutagenesis was first performed using an antifungal agar-plug colony assay (APCA) selection approach. This generated a mutant strain producing more than 9-fold greater CyA than the wild-type strain. Additionally, a foreign bacterial gene, Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene (VHb), was transformed via protoplast regeneration and its transcription was confirmed by RT-PCR in the UV-irradiated mutant cell. This led to an additional 33.5% increase of CyA production. Although most protoplast-regenerated T. niveum transformants tend to lose CyA productivity, the optimized combination of random mutagenesis and protoplast transformation described here should be an efficient strategy to generate a commercially valuable, yet metabolite low-producing, fungal species, such as CyA-producing T. niveum.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.495-503
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• 1998

The present study investigated the effects of Bisroot, that contains live bacteria (Bacillus polyfermenticus, Bacillus mesentericus, Streptococcus faecalis, & Bifidobacterium breve) and digestive enzymes (protease, lipase), on the growth, body composition and immune response of Nile tilapia fingerlings. One percent of the Bisroot was added to the experimenta feed. All exprimental fish were fed for 60 days. The weigh gains among the experimental fish were not significntly different (P>0.05). Hematocrit value, hemoglobin, total protein, glucose, GOT, and GPT were unaffected by Bisroot treatment. However, it was observed that glucose, GOT, and GPT value in the fish that were fed Bisroot, were lower than the control. The complement activity ($CH_50$) tended to be significantly increased by Bisroot treatment, but not lysozyme activity. Phagocytosis and respiratory burst activities of macrophages in the head kidney were enhanced by Bisroot. Therefore, the Bisroot diet enhances the cellular immune activities were enhanced by Bisroot. Therefore, the Bisroot diet enhances the cellular immune activities of non-specific immune responses. When fish were challenged with a virulent strain of Edwardsiella tarda, the Bisroot treated fish were more resistant than the control. The present results suggest that the introduction of Bisroot into the diet of Nile tilapia could increase their resistance against bacterial infection, reduce fish mortality, and offers economic benefits.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.460-465
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• 1996

The production of bacterial protease and its characteristics were investigated with Bacillus subtilis globigii CCKS-118 which was isolated from Korean traditional soy sauce. The optimum culture condition of the strain for the production of alkaline protease was as follow : 2% soluble starch, 0.2% yeast extract, 0.1% $(NH_4)_2SO_4$, 0.2% $MgSO_4$, pH 7.5, $35^{\circ}C$ and 20h rs. The optimum pH and temperature for the enzyme action of alkaline protease producing Bacillus subtilis globigii CCKS-118 were pH 9.0 and $50^{\circ}C$, respectively. The enzyme was relatively stable at $pH\;6.0{\sim}9.0$ and at temperature below $40^{\circ}C$. The activity of the enzyme was inhibited by $Hg^{2+}$ whereas $Cu^{2+}$ gave rather activating effects on the enzyme activity. The enzyme was inhibited by phenylmethane-sulfonyl fluoride indicating serine pretense metal ion group are required for the enzyme activity. Km value was $1.242{\times}10^{-4}M$, $V_{max}$ value was $25.99\;{\mu}g/min$. This enzyme hydrolyzed casein more rapidly than the hemoglobin.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.383-388
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• 1998

The present study was aimed to investigate the preventive effects of rebamipide on the multiple organ dysfunction in a rat model of circulatory shock induced by bacterial endotoxin (E. coli lipopolysaccharide; LPS) in comparison with that of methotrexate. Endotoxemia for 6 hours resulted in little change in the levels of hemoglobin and neutrophils. However, treatment with methotrexate decreased significantly the numbers of circulating neutrophils. Significant increases in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT,958 $\pm$ 250 lU/L, p<0.001) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST, 1350 $\pm$ 295 lU/L, p<0.001) levels induced by endotoxemia were significantly decreased by rebamipide and methotrexate. The increased level of lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) by LPS (2850 $\pm$ 467 lU/L, p<0.05) was significantly inhibited by rebamipide, but not by methot.elate. The elevated serum creatinine (1.2$\pm$0.1, p.0.05) and urea levels (55.3$\pm$6.5 mg/dL, p.0.01) by LPS were also decreased by rebamipide, but not by methotrexate. In line with these results, the plasma concentration of tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$ (TNF-7,167 $\pm$ 20 pg/mL) was significantly increased upon injection of endotoxin at 1 hour by 1570$\pm$100 pg/mL, and declined to 312$\pm$35 pg/mL at 6 hours. The TNF-$\alpha$ level at 6 hours was significantly decreased by rebamipide to 207$\pm$8 pg/mL (P<0.05). Taken together, it is summarized that rebamipide inhibits the development of multiple ogran dysfunction by inhibition of neutrophil activation in association with inhibition of TNF-$\alpha$ formation in a murine model of endotoxemia.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.516-522
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• 1978

In spite of recent improvement of the medical and surgical treatments, there are many significant problems in the management of thoracic empyema. This is a clinical analysis of 49 cases of thoracic empyema who underwent lung decortication for a period of 6 years and 5 months extending from May, 1972 to Aug. 1975. The following results were obtained: Male to female ratio was 2. S to 1. The age ranged between Sand 69, bnt was mostly 2r.d and 5th decade. The underlying diseases were pulmonary tuberculosis (30 cases, 61. 1 SO, , ), posttraumatic hemothorax (7 cases, 14.396). pneumonia (6 cases, 12.2%), lung abscess (2 cases, 4.2%), paragonimiasis (2 cases, 4.2%). spontaneous pneumothorax (1 case, 2.1%), and unknown origin (1 case, 2.1%). In 13 cases (26.5%), positive bacterial growth on culture was reported. There were single infection in 11 cases and mixed infection in 2 cases. The organisms grown were Staphylococcus, alpha-hemolytIc Streptococcus, Alkaligenes fecalis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas, SerratIa, Enterobacter agglomerans, and Enterococcus in order of frequency. Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Serratia were sensitive to several different kinds of antibiotics. But Pseudomonas, Escherichia co:i, and Enterococcus were sensitive to only one or two antibiotics. Leukocytosis was observed In acute empyema, but not in chronic empyema. Hemoglobin and hematocrit were all within normal limits. Preoperative liver function tests were within normal limits in most of the cases. In 49 cases, lung decortication alone was performed in 40 cases (S1. 696), and for the remaining 9 cases (1S. 4%), additional surgical procedures were necessary, i. e., lobectomy (6cases). partial thoracoplasty (2 cases), and lobectomy & partial thoracoplasty (1 cases). The results of lung decortication in thoracic empyema were goed. 38 cases (77.5%) healed with no complication, and 10 cases (20.4%) were complicated by bleeding, wownd infection, pleural infection, chondritis, and psychosis. These complications resolved ultimately leaving no sequelae. One death was recorded (2.1%), and the causes of death were postoperative pleural infection, sepsis and hepatic insufficiency.