• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.266-278
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• 2008

Erythrina stricta, a deciduous tree widely used traditionally in indigenous system of medicine for various ailments such as rheumatism, fever, leprosy, epilepsy etc. The leaves of Erythrina stricta was extracted with ethanol (70%) and used for the evaluation of various in vitro antioxidant assays which includes H - donor activity, nitric oxide scavenging, superoxide anion scavenging, reducing ability, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, total antioxidant activity by thiocyanate and phosphomolybdenum method, metal chelating, $\beta$-carotene bleaching, total peroxy radical assays. The pro-oxidant activity was measured using bleomycin-dependent DNA damage. Ex vivo models like lipid peroxidation and erythrocyte haemolysis were also used to study the antioxidant property of the extract. The various antioxidant activities were compared with suitable standard antioxidants such as ascorbic acid, butylated hydroxyl toluene, $\alpha$-tocopherol, curcumin, quercetin and Trolox. The generation of free radicals viz. $O_2^{{\cdot}-}$, $OH^{\cdot}$, $H_2O_2$, $NO^{\cdot}$ and peroxyl radicals were effectively scavenged by the ethanolic extract of Erythrina stricta. In all the methods, the extract offered strong antioxidant activity in a concentration dependent manner. The total phenolic content, flavonoid content and total antioxidant activity in Erythrina stricta were determined as microgram (g) pyrocatechol, quercetin and $\alpha$-tocopherol equivalent/mg respectively. The extract did not exhibit any prooxidant activity when compared with ascorbic acid. The results obtained in the present study clearly indicates that Erythrina stricta scavenges free radicals and reduces lipid peroxidation, ameliorating the damage imposed by oxidative stress in different disease conditions and serve as a potential source of natural antioxidant.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제24권12호
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• pp.1345-1355
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• 2014

약초 추출물을 이용한 혈관신생 억제는 많은 고형종양을 치료하기 위한 효과적인 방안으로 인식되어 왔다. 현재까지 가장 효과적으로 종양을 억제하는 방법은 VEGF-유도성 혈관형성 경로를 목표로 하는 것이다. 본 연구에서는 처음으로 복분자 온수추출물의 혈관형성 억제효과를 in vitro와 ex vivo 실험을 통해서 확인하였다. 복분자 온수추출물은 VEGF-유도성 혈관신생을 억제할 뿐만 아니라 ERK와 p38의 인산화, MMP의 활성화를 억제하였다. 또한, 복분자 온수추출물은 VEGF에 의해서 유도된 VEGFR2 인산화를 억제하였다. 이 결과들은 복분자 온수추출물이 VEGFR2의 인산화를 저해함으로써 혈관신생을 억제하고 이것은 혈관신생과 관련된 질병을 치료하는데 좋은 소재가 될 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.213-224
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• 2014

Previously we have shown that human abdominal adipose derived-stem cells (ADSCs) could aggregate during the high-density culture in the presence of human serum (HS). In the present study, we observed that human cord blood serum (CBS) and follicular fluid (HFF) also induced aggregation. Similarly, porcine serum could induce aggregation whereas bovine and sheep sera induced little aggregation. qRT-PCR analyses demonstrated that, compared to FBS-cultured ADSCs, HS-cultured cells exhibited higher level of mRNA expression of CLDN3, -6, -7, -15, and -16 genes among the tight junction proteins. ADSCs examined at the time of aggregation by culture with HS, BSA, HFF, CBS, or porcine serum showed significantly higher level of mRNA expression of JAM2 among JAM family members. In contrast, cells cultured in FBS, bovine serum or sheep serum, showed lower level of JAM2 expression. Immunocytochemical analyses demonstrated that the aggregates of HS-cultured cells (HS-Agg) showed intense staining against the anti-JAM2 antibody whereas neither non-aggregated cells (HS-Ex) nor FBS-cultured cells exhibited weak staining. Western blot results showed that HS-Agg expressed JAM2 protein more prominently than HS-Ex and FBS-cultured cells, both of latter reveled weaker intensity. These results suggest that the aggregation property of ADSCs during high-density culture would be dependent on the specific components of serum, and that JAM2 molecule could play a role in the animal sera-induced aggregation in vitro.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.33-40
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• 1988

Two new nitro analogs of tranylcypromine, (E)-2-(p-nitrophenyl)cyclopropylamine ((E)-p-NTCP) and (E)-2-(m-nitrophenyl)cyclopropylamine ((E)-m-NTCP) were synthesized in order to examine the effect of aromatic nitro substitution on the MAO-inhibitory activity of 2-phenylcyclopropylamines. The compounds were obtained by treating t-butyl (E)-2-(p-nitrophenyl) cyclopropanecarbamate and t-butyl (E)-2-(m-nitrophenyl)cyclopropanecarbamate with p-toluenesulfonic acid in $CH_3$CN. Inhibitions of rat brain mitochondrial MAO-A and B by the compounds were examined using serotonin and benzylamine as the substrate at both in vitro and ex vivo levels. It was found from in vitro measurements that (E)-p-NTCP at $6.0{\times}10^{-5}M$ elicited merely 22.5% inhibition against MAO-B without any effect on MAO-A. In contrast, (E)-m-NTCP showed fair degrees of inhibitions of MAO-A and B with $IC_{50}$ values, $2.5{\times}10^{-7}M\;and\;1.4{\times}10^{-6}M$, respectively. It was also noted from (E)-m-NTCP that m-nitro substitution caused a shift of selectivity of the inhibition toward MAO-A. According to ex vivo measurements at 1.5, 3, 6, and 12 hr following the administration of a dose of 0.015 mmol/kg, i.p. to the rats, the inhibition percents of MAO-A by (E)-m-NTCP were 58.6, 63.7 63.6, and 46.6%, slightly lower than those observed by tranylcypromine. Whereas, (E)-m-NTCP at the same dose level did not show significant inhibitions against both MAO-A and MAO-B. Possible reasons for the difference in potencies between (E)-m-NTCP and (E)-p-NTCP were sought in relation to differing electron withdrawing effects of m- and p-substituents which will influence electron density of the side chain amino functions and the partitions.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.255-262
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• 2022

Oxytocin is a neuropeptide produced primarily in the hypothalamus and plays an important role in the regulation of mammalian birth and lactation. It has been shown that oxytocin has important cardiovascular protective effects. Here we investigated the effects of oxytocin on vascular reactivity and underlying the mechanisms in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro and in rat aorta ex vivo. Oxytocin increased phospho-eNOS (Ser 1177) and phospho-Akt (Ser 473) expression in HUVECs in vitro and the aorta of rat ex vivo. Wortmannin, a specific inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), inhibited oxytocin-induced Akt and eNOS phosphorylation. In the rat aortic rings, oxytocin induced a biphasic vascular reactivity: oxytocin at low dose (10^-9-10^-8 M) initiated a vasorelaxation followed by a vasoconstriction at high dose (10^-7 M). L-NAME (a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), endothelium removal or wortmannin abolished oxytocin-induced vasorelaxation, and slightly enhanced oxytocin-induced vasoconstriction. Atosiban, an oxytocin/vasopressin 1a receptor inhibitor, totally blocked oxytocin-induced relaxation and vasoconstriction. PD98059 (ERK1/2 inhibitor) partially inhibited oxytocin-induced vasoconstriction. Oxytocin also increased aortic phospho-ERK1/2 expression, which was reduced by either atosiban or PD98059, suggesting that oxytocin-induced vasoconstriction was partially mediated by oxytocin/V1aR activation of ERK1/2. The present study demonstrates that oxytocin can activate different signaling pathways to cause vasorelaxation or vasoconstriction. Oxytocin stimulation of PI3K/eNOS-derived nitric oxide may participate in maintenance of cardiovascular homeostasis, and different vascular reactivities to low or high dose of oxytocin suggest that oxytocin may have different regulatory effects on vascular tone under physiological or pathophysiological conditions.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제25권6호
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• pp.693-702
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• 2015

신생혈관형성을 억제하는 것은 최근들어 많은 고형암의 치료에 있어서 매우 유용한 접근 방법이다. 현재까지 가장 잘 알려진 접근 방법은 신생혈관형성의 핵심인자인 혈관내피세포성장인자(VEGF)를 표적으로 하는 방법이다. 다양한 화학예방 물질들을 포함하는 많은 자연의 생산물들이나 추출물들은 그들의 항신생혈관형성 성질을 통하여 악성종양의 성장을 억제하고 있다. 황백은 항종양, 항균, 항염증 및 그외 다른 생물학적 작용을 가지고 있는, 오래전부터 널리 사용되어온 한국 전통 약재이다. 우리는 종양의 성장, 침투, 전이에 있어서 매우 중요한 과정인 신생혈관형성에 미치는 황백 온수추출물의 효과를 연구하였다. 황백 온수추출물의 항신생혈관형성 효과를 확인하기 위해서 혈관 내피세포의 성장, 이동, 침투, 관형성 그리고, 자이모그램 분석을 수행하였으며, 흰쥐 대동맥 주변 미세혈관 발아실험을 진행하였다. 그 결과, 황백 온수추출물은 혈관내피세포성장인자(VEGF)에 의해 유도되는 혈관내피세포의 성장, 이동, 침투, 관형성 그리고, 대동맥의 혈관발아를 억제하는 효과를 in vitro와 ex vivo 실험을 통해서 확인하였다. 또한, 황백 추출물은 VEGF에 의해 유도되는 기질금속단백질분해효소 (MMP)-2와 -9의 활성화를 저해하였다. 본 연구 결과들은 황백 온수추출물의 신생혈관형성 억제작용이 암과 같은 혈관신생과 관련된 질병을 치료하는데 좋은 소재가 될 수 있음을 시사한다

• 한방안이비인후피부과학회지
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.134-149
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• 2016

Objectives : Gal-Geun-Tang (GT) has been described from SANGHAN in Korean traditional medicine and known to act against cold, fever, hypertension, and nasal catarrh. However, little has yet been learned about the effect of GT on immune function. In the current study, in vitro and in vivo immunomodulatory activity of GT (water extract) was investigated.Methods : Water extract of GT induced in vitro proliferation of spleen cells and significantly increased their proliferative responses during anti-CD3 activation. Using purified splenic T and B cells, it was revealed that GT has a mitogenic activity to B cells and promotes their proliferation induced by lipopolysaccharide, whereas T cell proliferation was not triggered and GT was rather inhibitory to T cell activation caused by anti-CD3 antibody. In the presence of antigen presenting cells (APC), GT addition resulted in a significant increase of IFNγ and IL-4, but not IL-2, production. However, addition of high concentration (1,000㎍/㎖) of GT led to a marked reduction in T cell cytokine production and under such condition, GT facilitated apoptosis of T cells when examined by flow cytometry with propidium iodide staining.Results : In vivo immunomdulation of GT was also investigated using a mouse model. Following keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) immunization, GT (1 ㎎/day) was orally administered for 9 days. Cell numbers in thymus, spleen and peripheral blood were not altered by GT administration, indicating that such dose is not immunotoxic. Cell numbers in draining lymph nodes (LN) and ex vivo Ag-specific proliferation of LN cells were significantly elevated by GT administration. However, any preferential stimulation of T or B and CD4⁺ or CD8⁺ T cell subpopulations was not observed in a flow cytometric analysis of LN cells. This result shows that GT does not promote in vivo B cell proliferation while GT enhances Ag-specific proliferation of LN cells, unlike what was observed in vitro.Conclusions : For a further understanding of in vivo immunomodulatory activity of GT, ex vivo cytokine production of LN cells obtained from KLH-immunized mice was evaluated. Ag-specific IFNγ production was significantly higher in GT-treated mice when compared to PBS-treated control mice. In contrast, IL-4 production in GT-treated group was comparable to control group unlike to in vitro data. In addition, GT administration did not result in any significant differences in serum levels of Ig (IgM, IgG1 and IgG2a) between GT-treated and control groups. Taken together, these data strongly support that GT promotes immune response, more profoundly type 1 helper T cell (Th1) activity and GT may be applicable for treatment of intracellular parasite infection such as viral diseases.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.53-65
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• 2020

Here, we describe an efficient and rapid protocol for the micropropagation of Thymus pallidus Cosson ex Batt., a very rare medicinal and aromatic plant in Morocco. After seed germination, we tested the effect of different macronutrients, cytokinins alone or in combination with gibberellic acid (GA₃) or auxins, on T. pallidus plantlet growth. We found that Margara macronutrients (N₃₀K) had the best effect on the in vitro development of the plantlets. The addition of 0.93 μM/L 1,3-diphenylurea (DPU), 0.46 μM/L adenine (Ad), and 0.46 and 0.93 μM/L kinetin (Kin) resulted in the best shoot multiplication and elongation. In addition, the combination of 0.46 μM/L Kin, DPU, or Ad with gibberellic acid, in particular, 0.46 μM/L Ad + 0.58 μM/L GA₃ and 0.46 μM/L Kin + 1.15 μM/L GA₃, led to better bud and shoot multiplication. Moreover, the integration of the combinations of 0.46 μM/L Kin and auxins, namely 0.46 μM/L Kin + 2.85 μM/L indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 0.46 μM/L Kin + 2.85 or 5.71 μM/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), and 0.46 μM/L Kin + 0.3 or 0.57 μM/L 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), in the culture medium led to better root development and optimized aerial growth. Finally, the in vitro plants from the medium containing N₃₀K + 0.46 μM/L Kin + 2.85 μM/L IAA were successfully acclimatized; these plants served as a source for repeating in vitro culture.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.247-257
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• 2005

An efficient, rapid and large-scale in vitro clonal propagation of agronomically important Indian cereal crop genotypes (NSH27 & K5) of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. by enhanced shoot proliferation in shoot tip segments was designed. MS medium fortified with plant growth regulators and coconut water markedly influenced in vitro propagation of Sorghum bicolor. In vitro plantlet production system has been investigated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with the synergistic combination of 6-benzyladenine ($22.2\;{\mu}M$), kinetin ($4.6\;{\mu}M$), adenine sulphate ($2.8\;{\mu}M$), 5% coconut water and 3% sucrose which promoted the maximum number of shoots as well as beneficial shoot length. Subculturing of shoot tip segments on a similar medium enabled continuous production of more than 100 healthy shoots with similar frequency. When the healthy shoot clumps were cultured on MS medium fortified with 6-benzyladenine ($22.2\;{\mu}M$), kinetin ($4.6\;{\mu}M$), adenine sulphate ($2.8\;{\mu}M$), ${\alpha}$-naphthaleneacetic acid ($2.7\;{\mu}M$), ascorbic acid ($30.0\;{\mu}M$) and 5% coconut water, a rapid production of axillary and adventitious buds was developed after 8 wk culture. More than 300 shoots were produced 10 wk after culture. Rooting was highest (100%) on half strength MS medium containing 22.8 mM IAA. Micropropagated plants established in garden soil, farmyard soil and sand (2:1:1) were uniform and identical to the donor plant with respect to growth characteristics. These plants grew normally without showing any traits.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제15권4호
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• pp.218-223
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• 2007

T cell proliferation is a pivotal to an effective immune response. Cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibitor, $p27^{kip1}$ is degraded to initiate T cell expansion. In this study, we show that although the expression of $p27^{kip1}$ protein was down-regulated, that of $p21^{cip1}$, another cdk inhibitor, was up-regulated in $CD8^+$ T cells following in vitro stimulation. Ex vivo gB antigen-stimulation following HSV immunization increased $p21^{cip1}$ positive cells that co-expressed IFN-$\gamma$. Moreover, $p21^{cip1}$ was co-expressed with IFN-${\gamma}$ in E7 antigen-stimulated $CD8^+$ T cells, whereas $p27^{kip1}$ was not. Our findings imply a role of $p21^{cip1}$ proteins in antigen-induced effector $CD8^+$ T cells differentiation in vivo.