• Applied Microscopy
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.293-306
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• 2008

The essential factor of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), an acute lung injury accompanied commonly by sepsis syndrome is accumulation of neutrophils in lung tissue. The study attempted to confirm whether a lung injury would be decreased with the anti-inflammatory effect of germanium by the treated germanium prior to the development of ARDS and whether nitric oxide influence in suppressing a lung injury. Test groups were divided in the following structure for experiment; CON that has been administered with sodium chloride to airway, LPS administered with endotoxin for 5 hours in the same amount and 5 hours of endotoxin administered Ge+LPS following 1 hours of pre-treated germanium. The result of a test using experimental animals, infilteration of neutrophils (p<0.001) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was significantly decreased, the structure of lung tissue was preserved relatively well, and much neutrophils with distinct positive were observed on tunel staining which showed increase of apoptotic neutrophils in the pre-treated germanium group compare to the endotoxin administrated group. In observation of ultrastructural changes of cell in BALF, phagocytic alveolar macrophage was increased in alveolar space, the nucleus of most engulfed neutrophils were condensed, and some apoptosis neutrophils appears to be DNA fragmentation and effacement of cellular organelles were found in intercellular matrix in the pre-treated germanium group. However, the nitric oxide showed increase in all the groups excluding CON, and the nitric oxide effect such as degranulation diminishing of mast cells and apoptosis increase of neutrophils in the pre-treated group only. The situation appears that there was change in internal environment of the experimental animal by the pre-treated germanium before the nitric oxide is produced and the anti-inflammatory effect activated the pre-processed germanium by nitric oxide which activated following the change. Therefore, the nitric oxide created from macrophage in accordance with the pre-treated germanium appears to influence in alleviating a lung injury. Accordingly, acute lung injury is alleviated by the anti-inflammatory effect of germanium such as inhibition of neutrophils migration, induction of neutrophil apoptosis and increase of phagocytic function of phagocyte, and the nitric oxide produced from activated macrophage by germanium would influence in suppressing a lung injury.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.255-262
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• 2002

This experiment was performed to improve the stability of Lactobacillus fermentum YL-3 as a poultry probiotics. The culture conditions that improve acid tolerance of L. fermentum YL-3 were investigated by changing several factors such as medium composition, temperature, anaerobic incubation and culture time. Also, L. fermentum YL-3 was encapsulated with alginate, calcium chloride and chitosan. The stable culture conditions of L. fermentum YL-3 were obtained in anaerobic incubation using MRS media without tween 80 for 20 hour at $42^{\circ}C$. The capsule after treatment with 1% chitosan was formed close membrane by a bridge bond. Immobilization of L. fermentum YL-3 in capsule was observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy, and cell viability was $2.0{\times}10^9\;CFU/g$ above the average. L. fermentum YL-3 capsule after acid treated at pH 2.0 for 3 hour survived about 40%, but those encapsulated with 1% chitosan survived about 65%. Survival rate of capsule stored at room temperature decreased about $2{\sim}3$ log cycle during 3 weeks, but viability of capsule stored at $4^{\circ}C$ during 3 weeks maintained almost $10^8\;CFU/g$ levels.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.303-311
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• 2000

Purpose: Thallium behaves similarly to potassium in vivo. Potassium channel opener (K-opener) opens ATP-sensitive $K^+$-channel located at cell membrane, resulting in potassium efflux from cytosol. We have previously reported that K-opener can alter biokinetics of Tl-201 in cultured cells and in vivo. Malignant tumor cells have high Na-K ATPase activity due to increased metabolic activities and dedifferentiation, and differential delineation of malignant tumor can be possible with Tl-201 imaging. K-opener may affect tumoral uptake of Tl-201 in vivo. To investigate the effects of pinacidil (one of the potent K-openers) on the localization of the tumor with Tl-201 chloride, we evaluated the changes in biodistribution of Tl-201 with pinacidil treatment in tumor-bearing mice. Materials and Methods: Baltic mice received subcutaneous implantation of murine breast cancer cells in the thigh and were used for biodistribution study 3 weeks later. $100{\mu}g$ of pinacidil dissolved in $200{\mu}l$ DMSO/PBS solution was injected intravenously via tail vein at 10 min after 185 KBq ($5{\mu}Ci$) Tl-201 injection. Percentage organ uptake and whole body retention ratio of Tl-201 were measured at various periods after injection, and values were compared between control and pinacidil-treated mice. Results: Pinacidil treatment resulted in mild decrease in blood levels of Tl-201, but renal uptakes were markedly decreased at 30-min, 1- and 2-hour, compared to control group. Hepatic, intestinal and muscular uptake were not different. Absolute percentage uptake and tumor to blood ratios of Tl-201 were lower in pinacidil treated mice than in the control group at all time points measured. Whole body retention ratio of Tl-201 was lower in pinacidil treated mice ($58{\pm}4%$ ), than in the control group ($67{\pm}3%$) at 24 hours after with injection of $100{\mu}g$ pinacidil. Conclusion: K-opener did not enhance, but rather decreased absolute tumoral uptake and tumor-to-blood ratios of Tl-201. Decreased whole body retention ratio and renal uptake were observed with pinacidil treatment in tumor-bearing mice.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.341-350
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• 2015

Skin carrys out protective role against harmful outer environment assaults including ultraviolet radiation, heavy metals and oxides. Especially, ultraviolet-B (UVB) light causes inflammatory reactions in skin such as sun burn and erythma and stimulates melanin pigmentation. Furthermore, the influx of UVB into skin cells causes DNA damage in keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts, inhibition of extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis which leads to a decrease in elasticity of skin and wrinkle formation. It also damages dermal connective tissue and disrupts the skin barrier function. Prolonged exposure of human skin to UVB light is well known to trigger severe skin lesions such as cell death and carcinogenesis. Haloarcula vallismortis is a halophilic microorganism isolated from the Dead Sea, Its growth characteristics have not been studied in detail yet. It generally grows at salinity more than 10%, but the actual growth salinity usually ranges between 20 to 25%. Because H. vallismortis is found mainly in saltern or salt lakes, there could exist defense mechanisms against strong sunlight. One of them is generation of additional ATP using halorhodopsin which absorbs photons and produces energy by potential difference formed by opening the chloride ion channel. It often shows a color of pink or red because of their high content of carotenoid pigments and it is considered to act as a defense mechanism against intense UV irradiation. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effect of the halophilic microorganism, H. vallismortis, extract was investigated. It was found that H. vallismortis extract had protective effect on DNA damage induced by UV irradiation. These results suggest that the extract of halophilic bacterium, H. vallismortis could be used as a bio-sunscreen or natural sunscreen which ameliorate the harmful effects of UV light with its anti-inflammatory and DNA protective properties.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.74-78
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• 2018

Purpose $[^{11}C]$acetate has been proved useful in detecting the myocardial oxygen metabolism and various malignancies including prostate cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma and brain tumors. The purpose of study was to improve the radiosynthesis yield of $[^{11}C]$acetate on a automated radiosynthesis module. Materials and Methods $[^{11}C]$acetate was prepared by carboxylation of grignard reagent, methylmagnesium chloride, with $[^{11}C]$$CO_2$ gas, followed by hydrolysis with 1 mM acetic acid and purification using solid phase extraction cartridges. The effect of the reaction temperature ($0^{\circ}C$, $10^{\circ}C$, $-55^{\circ}C$) and cyclotron beam time (10 min, 15 min, 20 min, 25 min) on the radiosynthesis yield were investigated in the $[^{11}C]$acetate labeling reaction. Results The maximum radiosynthesis yield was obtained at $-10^{\circ}C$ of reaction temperature. The radioactivities of $[^{11}C]$acetate acquired at $-10^{\circ}C$ reaction temperature was 2.4 times higher than those of $[^{11}C]$acetate acquired at $-55^{\circ}C$. Radiosynthesis yield of $[^{11}C]$acetate increased with increasing cyclotron beam time. Conclusion This study shows that radiosynthesis yield of $[^{11}C]$acetate highly dependent on reaction temperature. The best radiosynthesis yield was obtained in reaction of grignard reagent with $[^{11}C]$$CO_2$ at $-10^{\circ}C$. This radiolabeling conditions will be ideal for routine clinical application.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2023

To examine the antitumor effect of proso millet grains, whether proso millet grains exert apoptotic activity against human cancer cells was investigated. When the cytotoxicity of 80% ethanol (EtOH) extract of proso millet grains was tested against various cancer cells using MTT assay, more potent cytotoxicity was observed against human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells than against other cancer cells. When the EtOH extract was evaporated to dryness, dissolved in water, and then further fractionated by sequential extraction using four organic solvents (n-hexane, methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol), the BuOH fraction exhibited the highest cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231 cells. Along with the cytotoxicity, TUNEL-positive apoptotic nucleosomal DNA fragmentation and several apoptotic responses including BAK/BAX activation, mitochondria membrane potential (Δψm) loss, mitochondrial cytochrome c release into the cytosol, activation of caspase-8/-9/-3, and degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were detected. However, human normal mammary epithelial MCF-10A cells exhibited a significantly lesser extent of sensitivity compared to malignant MDA-MB-231 cells. Irrespective of Fas-associated death domain (FADD)-deficiency or caspase-8-deficiency, human T acute lymphoblastic leukemia Jurkat cells displayed similar sensitivities to the cytotoxicity of BuOH fraction, excluding an involvement of extrinsic apoptotic mechanism in the apoptosis induction. These results demonstrate that the cytotoxicity of BuOH fraction from proso millet grains against human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells is attributable to intrinsic apoptotic cell death resulting from BAK/BAX activation, and subsequent mediation of mitochondrial damage-dependent activation of caspase cascade.