• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.55-65
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• 2019

The effects of stigma removal from floral organ and treatment of auxin on those regions were evaluated on the fruit growth and quality in strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.). The removal of stigma reduced the fruit weight, fruit length, and fruit width, while fruit growth declined as the number of removed stigma increased. The removal of stigma also resulted in reduced fruit firmness, sugar content, and total anthocyanin content, and decreased value of Hunter a for red color and increased value of Hunter b for yellow. The number of seeds deceased as the regions of removed stigma increased. The treatment of auxin on the region of removed stigma improved fruit size, while it reduced fruit firmness, sugar content, and anthocyanin content. The delay in fruit ripening was observed from both stigma removal and auxin treatment. The incidence of malformed fruits increased as the regions with removed stigma increased. The treatment of auxin also promoted fruit malformation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.358-363
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• 2008

The intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedure has recently been utilized to produce transgenic animals and may serve as an alternative to the conventional pronuclear microinjection in species such as pigs whose ooplasm is opaque and pronuclei are often invisible. In this study, the effects of sperm membrane disruption and electrical activation of oocytes on in vitro development and expression of transgene green fluorescent protein (GFP) in ICSI embryos were tested to refine this recently developed procedure. Prior to ICSI, sperm heads were treated with Triton X-100+NaCl or Triton X-100+NaCl+NaOH, to disrupt membrane to be permeable to exogenous DNA, and incubated with linearized pEGFP-N1 vector. To induce activation of oocytes, a single DC pulse of 1.3 kV/cm was applied to oocytes for $30{\mu}sec$. After ICSI was performed with the aid of a micromanipulator, in vitro development of embryos and GFP expression were monitored. The chemical treatment to disrupt sperm membrane did not affect the developmental competence of embryos. 40 to 60% of oocytes were cleaved after injection of sperm heads with disrupted membrane, whereas 48.6% (34/70) were cleaved without chemical treatment. Regardless of electrical stimulation to induce activation, oocytes were cleaved after ICSI, reflecting that, despite sperm membrane disruption, the perinuclear soluble sperm factor known to mediate oocyte activation remained intact. After development to the 4-cell stage, 11.8 (2/17, Triton X-100+NaCl+NaOH) to 58.8% (10/17, Triton X-100+NaCl) of embryos expressed GFP. The expression of GFP beyond the stage of embryonic genome activation (4-cell stage in the pig) indicates that the exogenous DNA might have been integrated into the porcine genome. When sperm heads were co-incubated with exogenous DNA following the treatment of Triton X-100+NaCl, GFP expression was observed in high percentage (58.8%) of embryos, suggesting that transgenic pigs may efficiently be produced using ICSI.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.185-190
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• 2005

The chicken oviduct is a dynamic organ that produces secretory proteins such as ovalbumin and its cells undergo cell proliferation and differentiation. There has been no study of the cellular mechanism involved in cell death in the chicken oviduct. Therefore, this study has focused on the study of apoptosis in primary oviduct cells. Because ceramide is known to activate apoptosis in tumor cells and is produced in the oviduct, we used an exogenous ceramide analog to induce cell death. The viability of ceramide-treated chicken oviduct cells decreased in a dose-dependent manner and apoptotic cells were detected by staining with annexin V. The expression of apoptosis-related genes was assessed by RT-PCR and bcl-2 mRNA was found to decrease after exposure to ceramide while Bcl-x mRNA increased 12 h post-treatment. In addition, caspase-3 was expressed strongly in the early stages of apoptosis, while caspase-1 and -9 transcripts increased at later times. We conclude that ceramide induces apoptosis in oviduct-derived primary cells via a caspase- and bcl-2-dependent pathway.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 2016

Objectives: Lung cancer remains a deadly disease with unsatisfactory overall survival. Cisplatin, a standard platinum (Pt)-based chemotherapeutic agent, has the potential to inhibit the growth of lung cancer. Its use, however, is occasionally limited by severe organ toxicity. However, until now, no systematic study has been conducted to verify its efficacy with proper experimental support in vivo. Therefore, we examined whether biosynthesized Pt nanoparticles (NPs) inhibited human lung cancer in vitro and in vivo to validate their use in alternative and complementary medicine. Methods: We evaluated the in vitro and the in vivo anticancer efficiencies of biosynthesized Pt NPs in a subcutaneous xenograft model with A549 cells. Severe combined immune deficient mice (SCID) were divided into four groups: group 1 being the vehicle control group and groups 2, 3 and 4 being the experimental groups. Once the tumor volume had reached $70-75mm^3$, the progression profile of the tumor growth kinetics and the body weights of the mice were measured every week for 6 weeks after oral administration of Pt NPs. Doses of Pt NPs of 500, 1,000 and 2,000 mg/kg of body weight were administered to the experimental groups and a dose of honey was administered to the vehicle control group. The efficacy was quantified by using the delay in tumor growth following the administration of Pt NPs of A549 human-lung-cancer xenografts growing in SCID mice. Results: The in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation indicated that Pt NPs, in a dose-dependent manner, inhibited the growth of A549 cells, and the in vivo evaluation showed that Pt NPs at the mid and high doses effectively inhibited and delayed the growth of lung cancer in SCID mice. Conclusion: These findings confirm the antitumor properties of biosynthesized Pt NPs and suggest that they may be a cost-effective alternative for the treatment of patients with lung cancer.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.188-207
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• 2018

Recently, three-dimensional (3D) printing of biological tissues and organ has become an attractive interdisciplinary research topic that combines a broad range of fields including engineering, biomaterials science, cell biology, physics, and medicine. The 3D bioprinting can be used to produce complex tissue engineering scaffolds based on computer designs obtained from patient-specific anatomical data. It is a powerful tool for building structures by printing cells together with matrix materials and biochemical factors in spatially predefined positions within confined 3D structures. In the field of the 3D bioprinting, three major categories of the 3D bioprinting include the stereolithography-based, inkjet-based, and dispensing-based bioprinting. Some of them have made significant process. Each technique has its own advantages and limitations. Compared with non-biological printing, the 3D bioprinting should consider additional complexities: biocompatibility, degradability of printing materials, cell types, cell growth, cell viability, and cell proliferation factors. Numerous 3D bioprinting technologies have been proposed, and some of them have been making great progress in printing several tissues including multilayered skin, cartilaginous structures, bone, vasculature even heart and liver. This review summarizes basic principles and key aspects of some frequently utilized printing technologies, and introduces current challenges, and prospects in the 3D bioprinting.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.696-703
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• 2015

We investigated the characteristics of embryonic and abnormal organ development in haploid olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, by comparing egg development and histological sections in haploid and diploid individuals. After the mid-blastula transition, abnormal development was observed in haploid fish, including delayed epiboly and malformation of the germ ring and embryonic body. In haploid flounder, Kupffer’s vesicles are irregularly shaped and of variable size compared to diploids. The embryonic body of haploids was shorter and broader than that of diploids and the tail length and size were variable. Most haploid embryos failed to hatch and the few larvae that did, did not survive for more than 6 h. The histological analysis of haploid larvae revealed deformed development in diverse organs, including the eye, otic vesicles, notochord, and neural tube. These results may be related to an abnormality in the axial system of haploid larvae. This study confirmed that the abnormalities of haploid olive flounder were similar to the reported characteristics of haploid syndrome. The abnormalities are caused by delayed epiboly and involution and deformity of Kupffer’s vesicle during egg development.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.169-177
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• 2014

This study aimed to investigate the relaxation effects and its underlying mechanisms of Epimedium koreanum Nakai(EK) in phenylephrine(PE) treated isolated rabbit corpus cavernosum smooth muscle. The dose-dependent relaxation responses of phenylephrine(PE, $1{\times}10^{-6}M$)-precontracted strips to EK at $0.01-3.0mg/m{\ell}$ were measured and also observed after endothelial denudation using organ bath. To analyze the underlying mechanisms of EK-induced relaxation, $N{\omega}$-nitro-L-arginine(L-NNA), methylene blue(MB), tetraethylammonium chloride(TEA), indomethacin(IM) were pretreated before EK extract infused into precontracted strips induced by PE. To investigate cytotoxic activity and nitric oxide(NO) concentration of EK extract on EA.hy926 cells, mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity(MTT) assay and nitric oxide detection kit were used. The cavernous strips were significantly relaxed by EK extract at $0.3mg/m{\ell}$, $1.0mg/m{\ell}$, $3.0mg/m{\ell}$ and the relaxation responses of PE-precontracted strips denuded endothelium also inhibited in comparison with intact endothelium. The pretreatment of L-NNA, MB, TEA reduced EK extract-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation, but the pretreatment of IM didn't affect EK extract-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation. When EK extract was applicated on EA.hy926 cells, the NO concentration was increased. Our findings have shown that EK extract exerts a relaxing effect on corpus cavernosum in part by suppressing influx of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ through activating the NO-cGMP system.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.194-198
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• 2000

Taurine, 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid is widely distributed in animal tissues and has a variety of bio-logical activities. A recent worldwide study demonstrated beneficial effects of taurine on aging and age-associated disorders. In general, taurine levels in the brain decease when an animal is subjected to pathologic conditions such as ischemia-anoxia and seizure. But the taurine levles tend to increase in the brain in hypertensive state. In the present study, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) transport of [$^3$H]taurine was compared between spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Sprague-Dawley rats (SD) using intravenous injection technique in vivo. We also obtained pharmacokinetic parameters of plasma volume maker, [$^{14}$ C] sucrose and [$^3$H]taurine after inject to rats simulatenously. BBB permeability surface area product (PS) value of [$^3$H]taurine in SHR (16$\pm$2.9$\times$10$^{-3}$ ml/min/g) was significantly higher than that in SD (7.4$\pm$0.8$\times$10$^{-3}$ ml/min/g). There is also significant difference for brain uptake of [$^3$H]taurine between SHR (0.195$\pm$0.031%ID/g) and SD (0.058$\pm$0.003% ID/g). This is due to difference of area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and that of total clearance (Class) between SHR and SD. No significant difference was indicated from other organ uptakes such as lung, heart, liver SHR and SD. But also kidney uptake was much higher in SHR. In conclusion, [$^3$H]taurine in plasma was slowly eliminated in SHR than in SD and uptake of [$^3$H]taurine in SHR is much higher than that of SD. This results suggest increased taurine level in the brain in hypertension state have an any effect on the brain uptake of taurine.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.183-187
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• 2012

Adult stem cell transplantation has been increased every year, because of the lack of organ donors for regenerative medicine. Therefore, development of reliable and safety cryopreservation and bio-baking method for stem cell therapy is urgently needed. The present study investigated safety of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) such as common cryoprotectant on porcine bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (pBM-MSCs) by evaluating the activation of Caspase-3 and -7, apoptosis related important signal pathway. pBM-MSCs used for the present study were isolated density gradient method by Ficoll-Paque Plus and cultured in A-DMEM supplemented 10% FBS at $38.5^{\circ}C$ in 5% $CO_2$ incubator. pBM-MSCs were cryopreserved in A-DMEM supplemented either with 5%, 10% or 20% DMSO by cooling rate at $-1^{\circ}C$/min in a Kryo 360 (planner 300, Middlesex, UK) and kept into $LN_2$. Survival rate of cells after thawing did not differ between 5% and 10% DMSO but was lowest in 20% DMSO by 0.4% trypan blue exclusion. Activation of Caspase-3 and -7 by Vybrant FAM Caspase-3 and -7 Assay Assay Kit (Molecular probes, Inc.OR, USA) was analyzed with a flow cytometer. Both of cryopreserved and control groups (fresh pBM-MSCs) were observed after the activation of Caspase-3 and -7. The activation did not differ between 5% and 10% DMSO, but was observed highest in 20% DMSO. Therefore 5% DMSO can be possibly used for cell cryopreservation instead of 10% DMSO.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 2007

Twenty-two strains of nematophagous fungi were isolated from 100 soil samples. Nematophagous fungi were classified into three categories; 3-dimensional adhesive nets (A group), 2-dimensional adhesive nets (B group) and constricting ring (C group). Nine strains were selected and identified on the basis of morphological characteristics (hypha, conidiophore, form and size of conidia, number of conidia, node of conidophore, number and location of septa, size and color of chlamydospore) and ITS (internal transcribed spacer) region of rDNA sequences. As the results, the isolated were identified as belonging to the species of Monacrosporium thaumasium (Kan-2, Kan-4, Kan-11), Arthrobotrys oligospora (Kan-9, Kan-13, Kan-20, Kan-21), A. musiformis (Kan-12), and A. dactyloides (Kan-22).