• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.55-59
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• 2006

This study was designed to investigate the optimum manufacturing condition of germanium-fortified yeast, and the binding properties of germanium (Ge) in germanium-fortified yeast. The nutritional optimum conditions were glucose 3.0 (w/v) %, yeast extracts 0.3 (w/v) % and peptone 0.5 (w/v) %, and the amounts of yeast cells were 67.4 mg/ml. And, the standard germanium-fortified yeast was produced under the condition at the ratio of yeast cell and germanium solution was 1 : 0.5 (50%), pH 6.5 and $35-40^{\circ}C$ during fermentation. In results of the identification, binding of germanium-protein showed structural difference between the inorganic Ge $(GeO_2)$ added during fermentation process and germanium-fortified yeast. Therefore, germanium-fortified yeast made by biosynthetic technology formed structurally safe organic germanium during fermentation process. Germanium-fortified yeast can be applied as a new functional material far the improvement of health, the prevention and treatment of chronic degenerative disease like cancer, and the enforcement of immune system.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2017

Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery are major methods to treat cancer. However, current cancer treatments report severe side effects and high recurrences. Recent studies about engineering nanoparticles as a drug carrier suggest possibilities in terms of specific targeting and spatiotemporal release of drugs. While many nanoparticles demonstrate lower toxicity and better targeting results than free drugs, they still need to improve their performance dramatically in terms of targeting accuracy, immune responses, and non-specific accumulation at organs. One possible way to overcome the challenges is to make precisely controlled nanoparticles with respect to size, shape, surface properties, and mechanical stiffness. Here, we demonstrate $500{\times}200nm$ discoidal polymeric nanoconstructs (DPNs) as a drug delivery carrier. DPNs were prepared by using a top-down fabrication method that we previously reported to control shape as well as size. Moreover, DPNs have multiple payloads, poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), lipid-Rhodamine B dye (RhB) and Salinomycin. In this study, we demonstrated a potential of DPNs as a drug carrier to treat cancer.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.468-475
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• 1992

This study was carried out to observe the effects of dietaryn-6, n-3 fatty acids and vitamin A levels on humoral immunity in rat. Sixty eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed 6 different experimental diets for 6 weeks. The diets were composed of 10% of either corn oil or fish oil with various levels of vitamin A ; deficient(12450 IU/kg diet) adequate(4000IU/kg diet) and excess(400,000 IU/kg diet) The weight of spleen from the excess vitamin A-fish oil group showed the lowest value of all the groups when spleen weight was expressed/100g body weight. The number of PFC to SRBC was not affected by dietary at type and vitamin A levels. Hemagglutination titers were significantly lower in fish oil groups compared to corn oil groups and the values of vitamin A deficient groups were lower than the ones of adequate and excess vitamin A groups. IgM contents is serum were significantly lower in fish oil groups than in corn oil groups. IgG contents were higher in fish oil groups than in corn oil groups and the highest levels was recorded in excess vitamin A-fish oil group which showed the smallest speen size. Light microscopical examination showed that spleen tissues of fish oil groups were well developed than those of the corn oil groups and vitamin A deficient and excessive groups showed poor development than the adequate groups. Therefore it is suggested that adequate amounts of vitamin A consumption is necessary for healthy individuals and fish oil intake along with excess vitamin A should be avoided in order to maintain immune function properly.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.624-629
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• 2007

Hizikia fusiforme(sea weed fusiforme) has long been used for food source in this country. This study was performed to evalute the immunomodulative effects of Hizikia fusiforme (sea weed fusiforme) in mouse, using in vivo experiments. In vivo experiment, different concentration (0, 50, 500 mg/kg B.W.) of Hizikia fusiforme water extracts were orally administrated into mouse every other day for two weeks. The proliferation of mouse splenocytes, the production of three cytokines ($IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, $TNF-{\alpha})$ secreted by activated macrophage. Splenocyte proliferation was enhanced in mouse orally administrated with 50 mg/kg B.W. and 500 mg/kg B.W. concentration compared to that of control group. Especially, the highest proliferation of spleoncyte was seen from the mouse orally administrated at the concentration of 50 mg/kg B.W. Also, the mouse of Hizikia fusiforme water extracts supplementation group in the both concentrations showed enhanced levels of cytokine production by activated peritoneal macrophages compared to those in control group. The highest level of cytokine ($IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, $TNF-{\alpha})$ production was observed at 50 mg/kg B.W. supplementation group with LPS stimulation in all cases.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.179-186
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• 2002

Objective: Lectins are cell-agglutinating and sugar specific proteins or glycoproteins of non-immune origin that precipitate glycoconjugates having saccharides of appropriate complementarity. Because of these properties, plant lectins have been used to help characterize the carbohydrate moieties of glycoproteins in the zona pellucida (ZP) of several mammalian species including pigs. Treatment of oocytes with various lectins blocks sperm binding to the ZP in various mammalian species. This study was undertaken to examine the distribution of sugar residues in the ZP of pig oocytes matured in vitro and the ability of spermatozoa to bind to ZP and in vitro penetration in oocytes treated with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled lectins. Materials and Methods: The lectins of Banderiaea simplicifolia (BS-II, bind to $\beta$-D-N-acetylglucosamine), Canavalin ensiformis (Con A, bind to $\alpha$-D-Mannose), Lens culinaris (LCA, bind to a-D-Mannose), Ricinus communis (RCA-I, bind to $\beta$-D-Galactose) and Ulex europaeus (UEA-I, bind to $\alpha$-L-Fucose) were examined for spermatozoa penetration, binding capacity to ZP and distribution of lectins. Results: The penetration rates were significantry (p<0.05) higher in control oocytes (63%) than those treated with all lectins, but penetration rates ($40{\sim}49%$) were simililar in group treated with lectins. The incidence of monospermy was similar in oocytes untreated and UEA-I, but it was higher in oocytes treated with BS-II, Con A, RCA-I and LCA. The porcine oocytes cultured for 48 h in TC-199 medium were freed from cumulus cells and treated for 30 min with fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled lectins. When examined under fluorescein illumination, higher (p<0.001) proportions of oocytes showed fluorescein of zona pellucida after treatment with Con A (93%), LCA (93%) and RCA-I (100%) than BS-II (37%) and UEA-I (50%). All of the oocytes treated with RCA-I exhibited strong fluorescein in the outer region of the zona pellucida while those treated with LCA exhibited strong fluorescein throughout the zona pellucida. BS-II bounded mainly to the outer region and UEA-I bounded mainly to the inner region of the zona pellucida, with either strong or weak fluorescein. At 120 min after insemination in vitro, fewer spermatozoa were bound to the zona pellucida of the oocytes treated with BS-II, Con-A and RCA-I. Of the lectins, Con A most inhibited sperm binding. Conclusions: These results suggest that $\beta$-D-Galactose residues in the porcine zona pellucida may act as primary sperm receptors and inducers of the sperm acrosome reaction and these sugar residues may be involved in the block to polyspermy.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2008

Objective: This study was attempted to look at the effect of dexamethasone on the luteolysis of corpus luteum in rats by immunohistochemical study. Methods: Counting with an optical microscope was conducted to make a comparison on difference in luteolysis and penetration of macrophage into three groups: control group of 30 female rats at 8 weeks of age, dexamethasone 0.1 mg administered group, and dexamethasone 1mg administered group. Results: As a result of TUNEL immunostaining, the percentage of luteolysis was significantly reduced in both dexamethasone 0.1 mg administered group and 1 mg administered group, and after ED1 immunostaining, macrophage invasion was reduced in dexamethasone 1 mg administered group. As a consequence of ED1 immunostaining, the immune response of macrophage was much decreased in dexamethasone 1 mg administered group than control group. Conclusion: Dexamethasone works on luteal cell, so it can suppress apoptosis. It can suppress luteolysis by suppression macrophage invasion into corpus luteum or suppress macrophage activation in corpus luteum.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.2146-2152
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• 2015

Apios americana Medik (hereinafter Apios) has been reported to treat diseases, including cancer, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. The therapeutic effect of Apios is likely to be associated with its anti-inflammatory activity. This study was conducted to evaluate the protective effects of Apios in animal models of acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza A virus (H1N1). Mice were exposed to LPS or H1N1 for 2-4 days to induce acute lung injury. The treatment groups were administered Apios extracts via oral injection for 8 weeks before LPS treatment or H1N1 infection. To investigate the effects of Apios, we assessed the mice for in vivo effects of Apios on immune cell infiltration and the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, and histopathological changes in the lung. After induction of acute lung injury, the numbers of neutrophils and total cells were lower in the Apios-treated groups than in the non-Apios-treated LPS and H1N1 groups. The Apios groups tended to have lower levels of tumor necrosis factor-a and interleukin-6 in BAL fluid. In addition, the histopathological changes in the lungs were markedly reduced in the Apios-treated groups. These data suggest that Apios treatment reduces LPS- and H1N1-induced lung inflammation. These protective effects of Apios suggest that it may have therapeutic potential in acute lung injury.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2009

The effects of white ginseng and red ginseng ethanol extracts on the proliferation, nitric oxide (NO) production and tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$ (TNF-$\alpha$) in human Band T lymphocytes isolated from blood cell of sasang constitution were examined in vitro. White ginseng extract known as medicine suitable for soeumin constitution showed the highest immune activities such as proliferation, NO production and TNF-$\alpha$ in soeumin constitution, and followed by taeeumin and soyangin, respectively (P<0.05). However, there were immunologically insignificant differences among sasang constitution lymphocytes treated by red ginseng ethanol extract. Both white and red ginseng ethanol extracts showed significantly higher immunological activities than LPS-induced sasang constitution lymphocytes on NO production and TNF-$\alpha$ release (P<0.05). The different immunological activities of white and red ginseng extracts in sasang constitution lymphocytes might be due to the component changes during the processing of ginseng. Thus, the findings of components suitable for all constitutions from red ginseng extract could be applied as a new constitution marker.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.186-200
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• 2000

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of Indongdeungjikolpitang water extract(IJTE) on the complication of diabetes. IJTE did not affect the level of blood glucose in alloxan- or streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemic mice, but inhibited the motility of gastrointestine. IJTE inhibited the writhing syndrome induced by acetic acid, the permeability of evans blue into peritoneal cavity induced by acetic acid, the paw edema induced by histamine, and the formation of cotton pellet granuloma. IJTE increased the cell viability of thymocytes and splenocytes. IJTE decreased the release of ${\gamma}-interferone$(${\gamma}-IFN$) and interleukin-2(IL-2), but did not affect the release of interleukin-4(IL-4) from murine thymocytes. IJTE increased the release of IL-4 and decreased the release of tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$($TNF-{\alpha}$) and $interleukin-1{\beta}$($IL-1{\beta}$), but did not affect of ${\gamma}-IFN$ and IL-2 from murine splenocytes. IJTE decreased the release of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and $IL-1{\beta}$ from murine peritoneal macrophages. IJTE decreased the production of niric oxide(NO) from murine peritioneal macrophages and increased the phagocytic activity of murine peritoneal macrophages. These results suggest that IJTE has an anti-inflammatory action via the inhibition of $TNF-{\alpha}$, $IL-1{\beta}$ and NO production from immune cells.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.242-256
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• 2007

1. Objectives Purpose of this study is to prove anti-aging and anti-oxidative effects of Gongjinhugwon-dan decoction. 2. Methods The SD rats used in this experiment were 6, 18, and 36 weeks old. Each age group was again divided into three groups. These nine groups consisted of 8 rats each. One group was given no treatment, another group was dosed $200{\mu}l$ of normal saline daily, and the last group was dosed $200{\mu}l$ of 1 % Gongjinhugwon-dan and saline mixture. At the conclusion of the experiment, the age groups were relabelled accordingly (10 weeks, 22 weeks, and 40 weeks). After 4 weeks, change of weight and liver markers were measured. Serum LDL cholesterol, total bilirubin, albumin, glucose, GOT and GPT levels were observed in order to check the hematological modification. Also, each organ tissue was biopsied in order to measure the SOD activity and the glutathione content change. 3. Results & Conclusions Aging did not cause any significant change in GOT and LDH, but GPT and albumin levels showed increase after GHD intake. Serum GPT was lower in the experimental group. Serum total bilirubin of the 40 w GHD group was significantly increased. The populations of dendritic cells in the spleens of the GHD groups were significantly increased. The levels of GSH in the liver of the 40 w GHD group and in the kidney of 22w-GSD were significantly increased in comparison with those of the normal groups. The degenerative change of brain tissue was decreased in the 40 w GHD group compared with those of the 40w normal group and the 40 w saline group. These results suggest that anti-oxidative GSH concentration of liver and kidney in rats treated with GHD showed significant increase in the 40 w GHD group. GHD was effective on increasing anti-oxidative substance in liver and dendritic cells in spleen, thus helping immune system and preventing cell mutation and degenerative change of brain tissues. Further studies and clinical investigation with GHD is needed.