• BMB Reports
• /
• 제43권8호
• /
• pp.541-546
• /
• 2010

We utilized a mammalian expression system to purify and characterize autotaxin (ATX)/lysophospholipase D, an enzyme present in the blood responsible for biosynthesis of lysophosphatidic acid. The human ATX cDNA encoding amino acids 29-915 was cloned downstream of a secretion signal of CD5. At the carboxyl terminus was a thrombin cleavage site followed by the constant domain (Fc) of IgG to facilitate protein purification. The ATX-Fc fusion protein was expressed in HEK293 cells and isolated from conditioned medium of a stable clone by affinity chromatography with Protein A sepharose followed by cleavage with thrombin. The untagged ATX protein was further purified to essential homogeneity by gel filtration chromatography with a yield of approximately 5 mg/liter medium. The purified ATX protein was enzymatically active and biologically functional, offering a useful tool for further biological and structural studies of this important enzyme.

• 한국생명과학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국생명과학회 2005년도 국제학술심포지움 The 44th Annual Meeting of Korean Society for Life Science
• /
• pp.37-40
• /
• 2005

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제48권4호
• /
• pp.223-228
• /
• 2015

The Drosophila lymph gland is the hematopoietic organ in which stem-like progenitors proliferate and give rise to myeloid-type blood cells. Mechanisms involved in Drosophila hematopoiesis are well established and known to be conserved in the vertebrate system. Recent studies in Drosophila lymph gland have provided novel insights into how external and internal stresses integrate into blood progenitor maintenance mechanisms and the control of blood cell fate decision. In this review, I will introduce a developmental overview of the Drosophila hematopoietic system, and recent understandings of how the system uses developmental signals not only for hematopoiesis but also as sensors for stress and environmental changes to elicit necessary blood responses. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(4): 223-228]

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제16권18호
• /
• pp.8197-8201
• /
• 2016

Background: To investigate the expression of the fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and its clinical significance. Materials and Methods: The level of expressed FHIT mRNA in peripheral blood from 50 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and in 50 peripheral blood samples from healthy volunteers was measured via RT-PCR. Correlation analyses between FHIT gene expression and clinical characteristics (gender, age, white blood count, immunophenotype of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and percentage of blast cells) of the patients were performed. Results: The FHIT gene was expressed at $2.49{\pm}7.37$ of ALL patients against $14.4{\pm}17.9$ in the healthy volunteers. The difference in the expression levels between ALL patients and healthy volunteers was statistically significant. The rate of gene expression did not significantly vary with immunophenotype subtypes. Gene expression was also found to be correlated with increase of total leukocyte and decrease in platelets, but not with age, gender, immunophenotyping or percentage of blast cells. Conclusions: FHIT gene expression is low in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and could be a useful marker to monitor minimal residual disease. This gene is also a candidate target for the immunotherapy of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제15권10호
• /
• pp.4217-4224
• /
• 2014

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a slow growing but highly metastatic tumor, is highly prevalent in Northeast Thailand. Specific tests that predict prognosis of CCA remain elusive. The present study was designed to investigate whether peripheral blood leukocyte (PBL) transcriptional profiles might be of use as a prognostic test in CCA patients. Gene expression profiles of PBLs from 9 CCA and 8 healthy subjects were conducted using the Affymetrix HG_U133 Plus 2.0 GeneChip. We indentified informative PBLs gene expression profiles that could reliably distinguish CCA patients from healthy subjects. Of these CCA specific genes, 117 genes were up regulated and 60 were down regulated. The molecular and cellular functions predicted for these CCA specific genes according to the Gene Ontology database indicated differential PBL expression of host immune response and tumor progression genes (EREG, TGF ${\beta}1$, CXCL2, CXCL3, IL-8, and VEGFA). The expression levels of 9 differentially expressed genes were verified in 36 CCA vs 20 healthy subjects. A set of three tumor invasion related genes (PLAU, CTSL and SERPINB2) computed as "prognostic index" was found to be an independent and statistically significant predictor for CCA patient survival. The present study shows that CCA PBLs may serve as disease predictive clinically accessible surrogates for indentifying expressed genes reflective of CCA disease severity.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• 제16권1호
• /
• pp.15-20
• /
• 2008

The enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect is used extensively for the passive targeting of many macromolecular drugs for tumors. Indeed, the EPR concept has been a gold standard in polymeric anticancer drug delivery systems. This study investigated the tumoral distribution of self-assembled nanoparticles based on the EPR effect using fluorescein and radio-labeled nanoparticles. Self-assembled nanoparticles were prepared from amphiphilic chitosan derivatives, and their tissue distribution was examined in tumor-bearing mice. The size of the nanoparticles was controlled to be 330 run, which is a size suited for opening between the defective endothelial cells in tumors. The long-circulating polymer nanoparticles were allowed to gradually accumulate in the tumors for 11 days. The amount of nanoparticles accumulated in the tumors was remarkably augmented from 3.4%ID/g tissue at 1 day to 25.9%ID/g tissue at 11 days after i.v. administration. The self-assembled nanoparticles were sustained at a high level throughout the 14 day experimental period, indicating their long systemic retention in the blood circulation. The ${\gamma}$-images provided clear evidence of selective tumor localization of the $^{131}I$-labeled nanoparticles. Confocal microscopy revealed the fluorescein-labeled nanoparticles to be preferentially localized in the perivascular regions, suggesting their extravasation to the tumors through the hyperpermeable angiogenic tumor vasculature. This highly selective tumoral accumulation of nanoparticles was attributed to the leakiness of the blood vessels in the tumors and their long residence time in the blood circulation.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
• /
• 제2권1호
• /
• pp.35-47
• /
• 2006

2, 3, 7, 8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) are well known as the most toxic environmental compound in these days. Many researches are reported that dioxin produces multiple toxic effects, such as endocrine toxicity, reproductive toxicity, immunotoxicity and cancer. In this study, we carried to discover novel evidence for previously unknown gene expression patterns in human exposed to dioxin by using radioactive cDNA microarray. 548 workers who were divided into experimental and control groups according to their urinary Naphthol levels were enrolled in our study. Blood mRNA in human was isolated, and the gene expression profiles were analyzed by cDNA microarray. Gene expression analysis identified 52 genes which exhibited a significant change. In our study, most notably, genes involved in cell cycle, cell proliferation, signal transduction and apoptosis in human exposed to dioxin, such as CCND3, TSHR, and EFRN5, were up-regulated. In the current study, we observed gene expression of people that are exposed to dioxin using radioactive cDNA microarray. Through these results, we suggest when objects are exposed to toxic compounds, such as dioxin, the radioactive cDNA microarray may be using in sensitively detecting of cancerous change.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• 제30권9호
• /
• pp.1253-1260
• /
• 2017

Objective: Purpose was to determine the effects of grazing system and floor type on concentrations of blood metabolites, activity of creatine kinase, body weight and carcass characteristics of castrated Nguni goats. Methods: Forty eight, 7 month old goats were randomly allocated to herding and tethering treatments from 0800 to 1300 hours and accommodated on slatted and earth floors daily. Blood samples were collected by jugular venipuncture every fifteenth day for metabolite analysis. Slaughter was done at a commercial abattoir following 5 months of monitoring. Results: Tethered goats had significantly higher concentrations of urea (5.19 mmol/L) (p<0.001), creatinine ($55.87{\mu}mol/L$) (p<0.05), total protein (64.60 g/L) (p<0.01), and globulin (49.79 g/L) (p<0.001), whereas herded goats had higher glucose (3.38 mmol/L) (p<0.001), albumin (15.33 g/L) (p<0.05), albumin/globulin ratio (0.34) (p<0.01), and body weight (24.87 kg) (p<0.001). Slatted floors caused higher (p<0.01) albumin at 15.37 g/L. The interaction of grazing system and floor type affected creatinine, total protein, globulin at (p<0.01) and albumen/globulin ratio at (p<0.01). The least creatinine concentration and albumin/globulin ratio was in herded and tethered goats that were accommodated on earth floors, respectively. The highest total protein and globulin concentrations were in serum of tethered goats that were accommodated on earth floors. The highest (p<0.05) dressing percentage (45.26%) was in herded goats accommodated on slatted floors. Conclusion: Herding of goats lowered globulin concentration, improved estimated feed intake, blood glucose and albumin concentrations, albumin globulin ratio, increased body weights and weight related carcass characteristics. Floor type had very little effects on metabolites where earth floors only reduced albumin concentration. Tethering and housing goats on earth floors resulted in double stress that increased chronic infections.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제41권5호
• /
• pp.345-352
• /
• 2008

The cerebral microvessels possess barrier characteristics which are tightly sealed excluding many toxic substances and protecting neural tissues. The specialized blood-neural barriers as well as the cerebral microvascular barrier are recognized in the retina, inner ear, spinal cord, and cerebrospinal fluid. Microvascular endothelial cells in the brain closely interact with other components such as astrocytes, pericytes, perivascular microglia and neurons to form functional 'neurovascular unit'. Communication between endothelial cells and other surrounding cells enhances the barrier functions, consequently resulting in maintenance and elaboration of proper brain homeostasis. Furthermore, the disruption of the neurovascular unit is closely involved in cerebrovascular disorders. In this review, we focus on the location and function of these various blood-neural barriers, and the importance of the cell-to-cell communication for development and maintenance of the barrier integrity at the neurovascular unit. We also demonstrate the close relation between the alteration of the blood-neural barriers and cerebrovascular disorders.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제50권11호
• /
• pp.566-571
• /
• 2017

Weight loss ${\geq}5$ percent is sufficient to significantly reduce health risks for obese people; therefore, development of novel weight loss compounds with reduced toxicity is urgently required. After screening of natural compounds with anti-adipogenesis properties in 3T3-L1 cells, we determined that kahweol, a coffee-specific diterpene, inhibited adipogenesis. Kahweol reduced lipid accumulation and expression levels of adipogenesis and lipid accumulation-related factors. Levels of phosphorylated AKT and phosphorylated JAK2, that induce lipid accumulation, decreased in kahweol-treated cells. Particularly, kahweol treatment significantly increased AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation. We revealed that depletion of AMPK alleviated reduction in lipid accumulation from kahweol treatment, suggesting that inhibition of lipid accumulation by kahweol is dependent on AMPK activation. We detected more rapid reduction in blood glucose levels in mice administrated kahweol than in control mice. We suggest that kahweol has anti-obesity effects and should be studied further for possible therapeutic applications.