• 대한수의학회지
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.571-578
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• 2001

방사선 피폭선량의 예측을 위한 방사선 민감 지표 모델 개발의 일환으로 apoptotic fragment assay법이 방사선에 피폭된 후 체내 피폭선량을 예측할 수 있는 지표로의 이용 가능성을 평가하기 위하여 코발트-60 감마선과 의료용 싸이크로트론 50MeV($p{\rightarrow}Be^+$) fast neutron 을 0.25Gy에서 1Gy의 선량을 마우스에 각각 전신 조사한 후 소장 음와세포내 apoptotic crypt cell의 수적 변화를 관찰하였다. 저선량 조사군에서 apoptotic crypt cell의 출현 빈도가 1Gy까지 급격하게 증가한 것으로 보아 방사선이 stem cell 지역에 있는 crypt cell의 형태학적 변화를 유발하는 것으로 나타났다. 이상의 결과는 아포토시스가 손상된 세포를 제거하므로 손상된 방사선 민감 표적 장기의 항상성 유지에 중요한 역할을 하는 것으로 판단되었다. Apoptotic fragments의 발생빈도에 대한 선량-반응 곡선에 있어서 음와세포는 중성자조사군이 $y=0.18+(9.728{\pm}0.887)D+(-4.727{\pm}1.033)D^2$ ($r^2=0.984$)으로, 반면에 감마선조사군은 $y=0.18+(5.125{\pm}0.601)D+(-2.652{\pm}0.7000)D^2$ ($r^2=0.970$)의 식을 얻었다. 이와 같이 중성자조사군과 감마선조사군은 공히 linear quadratic model 로 관찰되었다. apoptotic fragments 의 발생빈도와 조사 선량간에 유의한 효과가 있는 것으로 확인되었다. 이상의 결과에서 조사선량의 증가에 비례하여 방사선 민감 세포의apoptotic fragments 가 수적으로 증가하였으며, 고준위 방사선과 저준위 방사선은 선량 반응 관계식과 시간 경과에 따른 영향이 매우 유사하였으며, 마우스 음와세포의 apoptosis 유도에 대한 중성자선의 방사선 생물학적 효과비(RBE)는 2.072이였다. 그리고 모든 방사선조사군에서 방사선피폭 후 4시간과 6시간에 apoptosis 유도가 가장 많았으며, 음와세포의 형태학적 소견은 정상 대조군에서 관찰되지 않는 전형적인 apoptotic fragments 가 나타났다. 따라서 음와 세포에서의 아포토시스 유도는 방사선 피폭으로 발생된 세포 손상의 생물학적 영향 평가검색, 방사선 방호제의 민감도 검사, 방사성 동위원소의 체내 오염에 대한 체내 피폭선량 예측의 지표 및 방사선 민감 표적장기의 손상정도 파악에 이용 가능할 것임. Apoptotic fragment assay 법은 0.25Gy에서 1Gy 까지의 선량에서 간편하고 빠르며 재현성이 있는 지표로서 방사선 민감 표적 장기의 선량 반응 평가와 방사선 피폭후 조기 피폭선량 예측을 위한 방사선 생물학적 선량측정법의 좋은 지표로 사용할 수 있을 것으로 사료됨.

• BMB Reports
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• 제40권6호
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• pp.936-943
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• 2007

Previously it was reported that promoter of groES-groEL operon of Staphylococcus aureus is induced by various cellwall active antibiotics. In order to exploit the above promoter for identifying novel antistaphylococcal drugs, we have cloned the promoter containing region ($P_g$) of groES-groEL operon of S. aureus Newman and found that the above promoter is induced by sublethal concentrations of many antibiotics including cell-wall active antibiotics. A reporter S. aureus RN4220 strain (designated SAU006) was constructed by inserting the $P_g$-lacZ transcriptional fusion into its chromosome. Agarose-based assay developed with SAU006 shows that $P_g$ in single-copy is also induced distinctly by different classes of antibiotics. Data indicate that ciprofloxacin, rifampicin, ampicillin, and cephalothin are strong inducers, whereas, tetracycline, streptomycin and vancomycin induce the above promoter weakly. Sublethal concentrations of ciprofloxacin and ampicilin even have induced $P_g$ efficiently in microtiter plate grown SAU006. Additional studies show for the first time that above promoter is also induced weakly by arsenate salt and hydrogen peroxide. Taken together, we suggest that our simple and sensitive assay systems with SAU006 could be utilized for screening and detecting not only novel antistaphylococcal compounds but also different toxic chemicals.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.15-21
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• 1995

Several populations of lymphocytes possess receptors for autonomic neurotransmitter, which make lymphocytes susceptible to autonomic stimulation. This study was to evaluate the functional alternation of effector cells of the immune system. Female Balb/C mice, 15-20 g, were injected with MA subcutaneously under various conditions. Mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) showed certain T cell subsets were affected by MA. The level of interleukin-2 (IL-2) production was inhibited due to a defect in expression of the IL-2 receptor. In mice injected with 20 mg MA/kg, 1 day before assay, phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages showed $14.07\pm3%$, which was similar degree to 5 mg MA/kg treatment for 4 consecutive days. Phagocytosis was almost recovered to that of control after 4 day in 20 mg/kg injected mice. Maximum inhibition of plaque forming cell (PFC) occurred when MA was given early, indicating the inductive time point of antibody production was affected. The cortisol level increased in the MA treated group (0.05, 0.20, and $0.08{\mu}g$/dl for control, low, and high dose-MA treated mice, respectively). Based on these results, MA has general suppression effects on the immune systems by functional alteration of effector cells. Considering the increment of serum cortisol levels, MA partially impacts the neuroendocrine system to lead to failure of immune response.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제28권6호
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• pp.722-729
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• 2005

With the aim to improve the specificity and to reduce the cytotoxicity of polyethylenimine (PEI), we have synthesized the conjugates of the branched PEI (25 kDa) with transferrin. The trans-ferrin-PEI (TP) conjugates with five compositions were synthesized using periodate oxidation method and confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. The free amine contents of TP conjugates, which were able to condense and deliver DNA, increased as the amount of PEI increased. TP/DNA polyplexes were characterized by measuring gel elec-trophoresis, ethidium bromide fluorescence quenching, particle size and zeta potential of complexes. Complete complexation of the polyplexes was observed above the N/P ratio of 5 in TP/DNA, and above 3 in PEI/DNA, respectively. The zeta potential of the complexes decreased as the amount of transferrin in TP conjugates increased. Transfection efficiency of TP conjugates was evaluated in HeLa cell and Jurkat cell systems. Among the five compositions of TP conjugates, TP-2 system mediated a higher $\beta$-galactosidase gene expression than PEI system in Jurkat cell which was known to express elevated numbers of transferrin receptors. From the results of the cell viability based on MTT assay, TP conjugates showed lower cytotoxicity com-pared with the PEI system. We expect that the TP conjugate can be used efficiently as a non-viral gene delivery vector.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제34권4호
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• pp.357-362
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• 2006

A growth inhibition assay using Chlorella sp. AG 10002 based on the OECD 201 standard test procedure was applied to the toxicity testing of endosulfan and its reported metabolites. Comparison of dry cell weight, optical density (OD) at 680 nm, and chlorophyll a concentration indicated that optical density at 680 nm of culture broth is convenient, rapid, and accurate method for cell growth. In this microalgae system, the $IC_{50}$ values of endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, endosulfan lactone, and endosulfan ether were determined as 9.45, 18.8, 18.2 and 37.5 mg/L, respectively. In a while, endosulfan diol did not show a significant toxicity up to 50 mg/L. Since endosulfan is liable at acidic or alkaline conditions, treatment of endosulfan in pH 3, 4, and 11 for 3 days resulted in reduced toxicity, as expected. These results suggested that the microalgae system is useful to evaluate various toxic chemicals and provide a new notion for bioremediation of endosulfan in aqueous systems.

• BMB Reports
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• 제34권4호
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• pp.371-378
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• 2001

The Glycoprotein D (gD) gene of the HSV-1 strain F was cloned, sequenced, recombinated into the HcNPV (Hyphantria cunea nuclear polyhedrosis virus) expression vector and expressed in insect cells. The gD gene was located in the 6.43 kb BamHI fragment of the strainF. The open reading frame (ORF) of the gD gene was 1,185 by and codes 394 amino acid residues. Recombinant baculoviruses, GD-HcNPVs, expressing the gD protein were constructed. Spodoptera frugiperda cells, infected with the recombinant virus, synthesized a matured gX-gD fusion protein with an approximate molecular weight of 54 kDa and secreted the gD proteins into the culture media by an immunoprecipitation assay The fusion gD protein was localized on the membrane of the insect cells, seen by using an immunofluorescence assay The deduced amino acid sequence presents additional characteristics compatible with the structure of a viral glycoprotein: signal peptide, putative glycosylation sites and a long C-terminal transmembrane sequence. These results indicate the utility of the HcNPV-insect cell system for producing and characterizing eukaryotic proteins.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.59-65
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• 2018

An isoform of NADPH oxidase (NOX), NOX2 is a superoxide-generating enzyme involved in diverse pathophysiological events. Although its potential as a therapeutic target has been validated, there is no clinically available inhibitor. Herein, NOX2-inhibitory activity was screened with the constituents isolated from Schisandra chinensis, which has been reported to have antioxidant and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging effects. Among the partitions prepared from crude methanolic extract, a chloroform-soluble partition showed the highest NOX2-inhibitory activity in PLB-985 cell-based NOX2 assay. A total of twenty nine compounds (1 - 29) were identified from the chloroform fraction, including two first isolated compounds; dimethyl-malate (25) and 2-(2-hydroxyacetyl) furan (27) from this plants. Of these constituents, two compounds (gomisin T, and pregomisin) exhibited an NOX2-inhibitory effect with the $IC_{50}$ of $9.4{\pm}3.6$, and $62.9{\pm}11.3{\mu}M$, respectively. They are confirmed not to be nonspecific superoxide scavengers in a counter assay using a xanthine-xanthine oxidase system. These findings suggest the potential application of gomisin T (6) and other constituents of S. chinensis to inhibit NOX2.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제25권6호
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• pp.782-787
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• 2015

In this study, we developed an assay system for missense mutations in human phenylalanine hydroxylases (hPAHs). To demonstrate the reliability of the system, eight mutant proteins (F39L, K42I, L48S, I65T, R252Q, L255V, S349L, and R408W) were expressed in a mutant strain (pah^-) of Dictyostelium discoideum Ax2 disrupted in the indigenous gene encoding PAH. The transformed pah - cells grown in FM minimal medium were measured for growth rate and PAH activity to reveal a positive correlation between them. The protein level of hPAH was also determined by western blotting to show the impact of each mutation on protein stability and catalytic activity. The result was highly compatible with the previous ones obtained from other expression systems, suggesting that Dictyostelium is a dependable alternative to other expression systems. Furthermore, we found that both the protein level and activity of S349L and R408W, which were impaired severely in protein stability, were rescued in HL5 nutrient medium. Although the responsible component(s) remains unidentified, this unexpected finding showed an important advantage of our expression system for studying unstable proteins. As an economic and stable cell-based expression system, our development will contribute to mass-screening of pharmacological chaperones for missense PAH mutations as well as to the in-depth characterization of individual mutations.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제26권5호
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• pp.503-511
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• 2018

Triclosan (TCS) and bisphenol A (BPA) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that interfere with the hormone or endocrine system and may cause cancer. Kaempferol (Kaem) and 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) are phytoestrogens that play chemopreventive roles in the inhibition of carcinogenesis and cancer progression. In this study, the influence of TCS, BPA, Kaem, and DIM on proliferation and apoptotic abilities of VM7Luc4E2 breast cancer cells were examined. MTT assay revealed that TCS ($0.1-10{\mu}M$), BPA ($0.1-10{\mu}M$) and E2 ($0.01-0.0001{\mu}M$) induced significant cell proliferation of VM7Luc4E2 cells, which was restored to the control (0.1% DMSO) by co-treatment with Kaem ($30{\mu}M$) or DIM ($15{\mu}M$). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production assays showed that TCS and BPA inhibited ROS production of VM7Luc4E2 cells similar to E2, but that co-treatment with Kaem or DIM on VM7Luc4E2 cells induced increased ROS production. Based on these results, the effects of TCS, BPA, Kaem, and DIM on protein expression of apoptosis and ROS production-related markers such as Bax and Bcl-xl, as well as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related markers such as $eIF2{\alpha}$ and CHOP were investigated by Western blot assay. The results revealed that TCS, and BPA induced anti-apoptosis by reducing ROS production and ER stress. However, Kaem and DIM effectively inhibited TCS and BPA-induced anti-apoptotic processes in VM7Luc4E2 cells. Overall, TCS and BPA were revealed to be distinct xenoestrogens that enhanced proliferation and anti-apoptosis, while Kaem and DIM were identified as natural chemopreventive compounds that effectively inhibited breast cancer cell proliferation and increased anti-apoptosis induced by TCS and BPA.

• Integrative Medicine Research
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• 제3권2호
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• pp.67-73
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• 2014

Background: The transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3)is constitutively activated in many human cancers. It promotes tumor cell proliferation,inhibits apoptosis, induces angiogenesis and metastasis, and suppresses antitumor hostimmune responses. Therefore, Stat3 has emerged as a promising molecular target for cancertherapies. In this study, we evaluated the Stat3-suppressive activity of 38 herbal medicinestraditionally used in Korea.Methods: Medicinal herb extracts in 70% ethanol were screened for their ability to suppressStat3 in the A549 human lung cancer cell line. A Stat3-responsive reporter assay system wasused to detect intracellular Stat3 activity in extract-treated cells, and Western blot analyseswere performed to measure the expression profiles of Stat3-regulated proteins.Results: Fifty percent of the 38 extracts possessed at least mild Stat3-suppressive activities(i.e., activity less than 75% of the vehicle control). Ethanol extracts of Bupleurum falcatumL., Taraxacum officinale Weber, Solanum nigrum L., Ulmus macrocarpa Hance, Euonymus alatusSieb., Artemisia capillaris Thunb., and Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill inhibited up to 75% of thevehicle control Stat3 activity level. A549 cells treated with these extracts also had reducedBcl-xL, Survivin, c-Myc, and Mcl-1 expression.Conclusion: Many medicinal herbs traditionally used in Korea contain Stat3 activity-suppressing substances. Because of the therapeutic impact of Stat3 inhibition, these resultscould be useful when developing novel cancer therapeutics from medicinal herbs.