• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.247-268
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• 1996

It has been known for a long time that gonadotropins and steroid hormones play a pivotal role in a series of reproductive biological phenomena including the maturation of ovarian follicles and oocytes, ovulation and implantation, maintenance of pregnancy and fetal growth & development, parturition and mammary development and lactation. Recent investigations, however, have elucidated that in addition to these classic hormones, multiple growth factors also are involved in these phenomena. Most growth factors in reproductive organs mediate the actions of gonadotropins and steroid hormones or synergize with them in an autocrine/paracrine manner. The insulin-like growth factor(IGF) system, which is one of the most actively investigated areas lately in the reproductive organs, has been found to have important roles in a wide gamut of reproductive phenomena. In the present communication, published literature pertaining to the intrauterine IGF system will be reviewed preceded by general information of the IGF system. The IGF family comprises of IGF-I & IGF-II ligands, two types of IGF receptors and six classes of IGF-binding proteins(IGFBPs) that are known to date. IGF-I and IGF-II peptides, which are structurally homologous to proinsulin, possess the insulin-like activity including the stimulatory effect of glucose and amino acid transport. Besides, IGFs as mitogens stimulate cell division, and also play a role in cellular differentiation and functions in a variety of cell lines. IGFs are expressed mainly in the liver and messenchymal cells, and act on almost all types of tissues in an autocrine/paracrine as well as endocrine mode. There are two types of IGF receptors. Type I IGF receptors, which are tyrosine kinase receptors having high-affinity for IGF-I and IGF-II, mediate almost all the IGF actions that are described above. Type II IGF receptors or IGF-II/mannose-6-phosphate receptors have two distinct binding sites; the IGF-II binding site exhibits a high affinity only for IGF-II. The principal role of the type II IGF receptor is to destroy IGF-II by targeting the ligand to the lysosome. IGFs in biological fluids are mostly bound to IGFBP. IGFBPs, in general, are IGF storage/carrier proteins or modulators of IGF actions; however, as for distinct roles for individual IGFBPs, only limited information is available. IGFBPs inhibit IGF actions under most in vitro situations, seemingly because affinities of IGFBPs for IGFs are greater than those of IGF receptors. How IGF is released from IGFBP to reach IGF receptors is not known; however, various IGFBP protease activities that are present in blood and interstitial fluids are believed to play an important role in the process of IGF release from the IGFBP. According to latest reports, there is evidence that under certain in vitro circumstances, IGFBP-1, -3, -5 have their own biological activities independent of the IGF. This may add another dimension of complexity of the already complicated IGF system. Messenger ribonucleic acids and proteins of the IGF family members are expressed in the uterine tissue and conceptus of the primates, rodents and farm animals to play important roles in growth and development of the uterus and fetus. Expression of the uterine IGF system is regulated by gonadal hormones and local regulatory substances with temporal and spatial specificities. Locally expressed IGFs and IGFBPs act on the uterine tissue in an autocrine/paracrine manner, or are secreted into the uterine lumen to participate in conceptus growth and development. Conceptus also expresses the IGF system beginning from the peri-implantation period. When an IGF family member is expressed in the conceptus, however, is determined by the presence or absence of maternally inherited mRNAs, genetic programming of the conceptus itself and an interaction with the maternal tissue. The site of IGF action also follows temporal (physiological status) and spatial specificities. These facts that expression of the IGF system is temporally and spatially regulated support indirectly a hypothesis that IGFs play a role in conceptus growth and development. Uterine and conceptus-derived IGFs stimulate cell division and differentiation, glucose and amino acid transport, general protein synthesis and the biosynthesis of mammotropic hormones including placental lactogen and prolactin, and also play a role in steroidogenesis. The suggested role for IGFs in conceptus growth and development has been proven by the result of IGF-I, IGF-II or IGF receptor gene disruption(targeting) of murine embryos by the homologous recombination technique. Mice carrying a null mutation for IGF-I and/or IGF-II or type I IGF receptor undergo delayed prenatal and postnatal growth and development with 30-60% normal weights at birth. Moreover, mice lacking the type I IGF receptor or IGF-I plus IGF-II die soon after birth. Intrauterine IGFBPs generally are believed to sequester IGF ligands within the uterus or to play a role of negative regulators of IGF actions by inhibiting IGF binding to cognate receptors. However, when it is taken into account that IGFBP-1 is expressed and secreted in primate uteri in amounts assessedly far exceeding those of local IGFs and that IGFBP-1 is one of the major secretory proteins of the primate decidua, the possibility that this IGFBP may have its own biological activity independent of IGF cannot be excluded. Evidently, elucidating the exact role of each IGFBP is an essential step into understanding the whole IGF system. As such, further research in this area is awaited with a lot of anticipation and attention.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.879-887
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• 2020

Objective: Numerous studies have indicated that the apoptosis and proliferation of granulosa cells (GCs) are closely related to the normal growth and development of follicles and ovaries. Previous evidence has suggested that miR-126-3p might get involved in the apoptosis and proliferation of GCs, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 2 (PIK3R2) gene has been predicted as one target of miR-126-3p. However, the molecular regulation of miR-126-3p on PIK3R2 and the effects of PIK3R2 on porcine GCs apoptosis and proliferation remain virtually unexplored. Methods: In this study, using porcine GCs as a cellular model, luciferase report assay, mutation and deletion were applied to verify the targeting relationship between miR-126-3p and PIK3R2. Annexin-V/PI staining and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine assay were applied to explore the effect of PIK3R2 on GCs apoptosis and proliferation, respectively. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western Blot were applied to explore the regulation of miR-126-3p on PIK3R2 expression. Results: We found that miR-126-3p targeted at PIK3R2 and inhibited its mRNA and protein expression. Knockdown of PIK3R2 significantly inhibited the apoptosis and promoted the proliferation of porcine GCs, and significantly down-regulated the mRNA expression of several key genes of PI3K pathway such as insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R), insulin receptor (INSR), pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1), and serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1). Conclusion: MiR-126-3p might target and inhibit the mRNA and protein expressions of PIK3R2, thereby inhibiting GC apoptosis and promoting GC proliferation by down-regulating several key genes of the PI3K pathway, IGF1R, INSR, PDK1, and AKT1. These findings would provide great insight into further exploring the molecular regulation of miR-126-3p and PIK3R2 on the functions of GCs during the folliculogenesis in female mammals.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.262-274
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• 1999

Several alternatives for increasing the fluoride concentration in the mouth, such as water fluoridation, ingestion of fluoride supplements, fluoride paste, fluoride mouthrinse, application of fluoride gel are available. There is an impressive body of evidence that the topically deliverd fluorides are clinically effective in inhibiting the progression of dental caries. Recent studies on the cariostatic action of fluoride have indicated the importance of fluoride in the fluid environment of the teeth. The fluoride levels in unstimulated whole saliva can be considered indicative of F in the aqueous phase available for interaction with the tooth surface at a given time. The retention of F in the mouth after topical fluoride treatment is considered to be an important factor in the clinical efficacy of F. The aim of this study was to determine the elevation and clearance of fluoride in whole saliv after the following topical flouride treatments using HMDS-diffusion technique and fluoride ion electrode. The obtained results were as follow: 1. Average salivary fluoride concentration in the unstimulated whole saliva was $0.0152ppm{\pm}0.0091ppm$. Unstimulated salivary flow rate was between 0.34-0.36ml/min and there was no statistically significant difference among the groups(p>0.05). 2. Except for the immediate time after treatment, fluoride levels followed as APF gel>neutral gel>F-rinse>F-paste. There was no statistical difference between the salivary F concentration of F-paste group and that of control group after 2 hours. In case of F-rinse group, after 3 hours the concentration had dropped to baseline value. But there was statistically significant difference among the F concentraion of F gel groups and that of control group(p<0.05). 3. The mean $AUC_{0-120min}$ values were followed as neutral gel>APF gel>F-rinse>F-paste, and the values of the two former groups were significantly higher than those of the two latter groups(p<0.05).

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.476-481
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• 2020

This study investigated the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of Ainsliaea acerifolia water extract (AAWE) on HepG2 cells. Five types of caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) were detected in AAWE, namely, 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (4,5-DCQA; 11.16 mg/g), 3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3,4-DCQA; 5.23 mg/g), 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA; 4.88 mg/g), 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3,5-DCQA; 3.51 mg/g), and 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid (4-CQA; 3.31 mg/g). AAWE exerted ABTS⁺ antioxidant effects, evidenced by polyphenol content and 2,2'2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH radical scavenging) activities. AAWE (300 ㎍/mL) treatment significantly decreased the activities of gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), aspartate transaminase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as compared to control and exerted protective effects against the increase in liver function index induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/galactosamine (D-GalN) in HepG2 cells. In addition, the secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α by HepG2 cells induced by LPS/D-GalN significantly increased in all treatment groups compared to that in the control. However, AAWE (100-300 ㎍/mL) treatment significantly decreased the secretion of TNF-α compared to that in the control. These results suggest that AAWE treatment reduces hepatotoxicity by increasing antioxidant activities, reducing GGT, AST, and LDH activities, and inhibiting TNF-α secretion.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.205-211
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• 2018

Rebaudioside A is a natural sweetener isolated from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, one of the glycosides based on steviol. Recent studies have shown that rebaudioside A inhibits the inflammatory response by inhibiting cytokines secretion such as interleukin-$1{\alpha}/1{\beta}$ in activated RAW264.7 mouse macrophage cells by LPS. However, the inhibitory mechanism of inflammation by rebaudioside A in the presence of LPS has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, in this study, we tried to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of rebaudioside A at the protein level when RAW264.7 cells were stimulated by LPS. The inducible nitric oxide synthase protein expression level was reduced in the group treated with $250{\mu}M$ rebaudioside A compared to the LPS-treated group. In addition, the mRNA expression level of $NF-{\kappa}B$, which is a representative nuclear transcription factor by inflammatory signal, was also decreased as compared with that of LPS-treated group. In addition, $NF-{\kappa}B$ and inhibitor-${\kappa}B$ ($I-{\kappa}B$) complexes that are known to be dissociated by $I-{\kappa}B$ phosphorylation and ubiquitination were less phosphorylated than LPS treated group in the presence rebaudioside A. Finally, we could find that rebaudioside A was involved in the $NF-{\kappa}B$ pathway through reducing extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 phosphorylation in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that rebaudioside A might suppress inflammatory reaction through MAPK and $NF-{\kappa}B$ regulation in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2001

Risk assessment traditionally are conducted on individual chemicals; however, humans are exposed to multiple chemicals in daily life. The organophosphorus (OP) pesticides are considered in a single risk assessment because they act by a common mechanism of toxicity, and there is likely to be expose to multiple OP pesticides simultaneously or sequentially. The OP pesticides act by inhibiting the enzyme acetylcholinesterasc (AChE) and have available extensive database. AChE is widely distributed throughout the body, most importantly in the nervous system. Inhibition of AChE results in accumulation of acetylcholine in the nervous system that results in clinical signs of cholinergic toxicity, including increased salivation and lacrimation, nausea and vomiting, muscle fasciculation, lethargy and fatigue, among others. To conduct an exposure assessment for pesticides in the diet, we need to know the food consumption patterns of the populations, and the pesticide residue levels in the foods that are consumed. This study was conducted to identify cumulative dietary risk due to multiple OP pesticides that can be exposed through various foods. Total 22 food samples including cereals, vegetables and fruits were collected randomly two times from food markets in several sites (4 cities). The subjected foods were selected by regarding of highly consumed foods to general Korean people. The 12 OP pesticides including Acephate, Azinphos-methyl, Chlorpyrifos, and Diazinon were monitored. For the exposure assessment, general adult group of 60 kg body weight was regarded as target population and food consumption data suggested by Lee et al. (2000) were used as consumed value of individual food. Analyses of samples for OP pesticides have been carried out according to the multiclass multiresidue analysis method and acephate and methamidophos analysis method of Korea Food Code. In general the levels of OP pesticides found in the food samples were very low or not detected.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.992-997
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• 2008

In this study, we investigated the indirect effect of silk-fibroin on osteoclastic differentiation of RAW264.7 cells. The conditioned medium were collected from MC3T3-E1 osbeoblasts treated with $0.001\;mg/mL{\sim}0.1\;mg/mL$ silk fibroin for 6 days, mixed in 1:1 ratio with osteoclast medium, and then added into RAW264.7 cells with receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL), a differentiation inducer for 3 days. Of osteoclastic cytokines in the conditioned medium, the protein expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) with silk-fibroin was not significantly different. However, the protein expression of interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ was specifically lower in a dose dependent manner. In RAW264.7 cells, the conditioned medium with silk-fibroin inhibited RANKL induced osteoclastic differentiation as total number of multinucleated tartrate-resistant alkaline phosphatase (TRAP)-positive osteoclasts in a dose dependent manner. Taken together, we demonstrated that the conditioned medium of silk-fibroin treated osteoblasts inhibits RANKL induced differentiation of osteoclasts with inhibiting selective expression of IL-$1{\beta}$.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.122-134
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• 2001

Background : Some chemotherapeutic drugs induce NF-${\kappa}B$ activation by degrading the $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ protein in cancer cells which contributes to anticancer drug resistance. We hypothesized that inhibiting $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation would block NF-${\kappa}B$ activation and result in increased tumor cell mortality in response to chemotherapy. Methods : The "superrepressor" form of the NF-${\kappa}B$ inhibitor was transferred by an adenoviral vector (Ad-$I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$-SR) to the human lung cancer cell lines (NCI H157 and NCI H460). With a MIT assay, the level of sensitization to cisplatin and paclitaxel were measured. To confirm the mechanism, an EMSA and Annexin V assay were performed. Results : EMSA showed that $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$-SR effectively blocked the NF-${\kappa}B$ activation induced by cisplatin. Transduction with Ad-$I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$-SR resulted in an increased sensitivity of the lung cancer cell lines to cisplatin and paclitaxel by a factor of 2~3 in terms of $IC_{50}$. Annexin-V analysis suggests that this increment in chemosensitivity to cisplatin probably occurs through the induction of apoptosis. Conclusion : The blockade of chemotherapeutics induced NF-${\kappa}B$ activation by inducing Ad-$I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$-SR, increased apoptosis and increasing the chemosensitivity of the lung cancer cell lines tested, subsequently. Gene transfer of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$-SR appears to be a new therapeutic strategy of chemosensitization in lung cancer.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.2008-2020
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• 2020

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary corn resistant starch (RS) on the intestinal morphology and barrier functions of broilers. Methods: A total of 320 one-day-old broilers were randomly allocated to 5 dietary treatments: one normal corn-soybean (NC) diet, one corn-soybean-based diet supplementation with 20% corn starch (CS), and 3 corn-soybean-based diets supplementation with 4%, 8%, and 12% corn resistant starch (RS) (identified as 4% RS, 8% RS, and 12% RS, respectively). Each group had eight replicates with eight broilers per replicate. After 21 days feeding, one bird with a body weight (BW) close to the average BW of their replicate was selected and slaughtered. The samples of duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum digesta, and blood were collected. Results: Birds fed 4% RS, 8% RS and 12% RS diets showed lower feed intake, BW gain, jejunal villus height (VH), duodenal crypt depth (CD), jejunal VH/CD ratio, duodenal goblet cell density as well as mucin1 mRNA expressions compared to the NC group, but showed higher concentrations of cecal acetic acid and butyric acid, percentage of jejunal proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive cells and delta like canonical Notch ligand 4 (Dll4), and hes family bHLH transcription factor 1 mRNA expressions. However, there were no differences on the plasma diamine oxidase activity and D-lactic acid concentration among all groups. Conclusion: These findings suggested that RS could suppress intestinal morphology and barrier functions by activating Notch pathway and inhibiting the development of goblet cells, resulting in decreased mucins and tight junction mRNA expression.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.1134-1141
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• 2002

Adhesion of leukocytes to the activated vascular endothelium and their subsequent recruitment/migration into the artery wall are key features in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and inflammatory diseases. These features have been mediated by cell adhesion molecules including vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and in tracellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). This study examined whether flavonoids inhibit the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-$\alpha$-induced monocyte adhesion via a modulation of the protein expression of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). TNF-$\alpha$ markedly increased the adhesion of THP-1 monocytes to endothelial cells and induced the expression of VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and E-selectin proteins in HUVECs. Micromolar concentrations of the flavones luteolin and apigenin and the flavonol quercetin near completely blocked the monocyte adhesion to the activated endothelial cells and the induction of these adhesion molecules. However, equimicromolar catechins of (-)epigallocatechin gallate and (+)catechin, the flavonol myr- icetin and the flavanones of naringin and hesperidin had no effect on TNF-$\alpha$-activated monocyte adhesion. (-)Epigallocatechin gallate, (+) catechin, and naringin did not attenuate the TNF-$\alpha$ induction of these adhesion molecules. Furthermore, culture with luteolin and apigenin strongly blocked the expression of TNF-$\alpha$-induced VCAM-1 mRNA and modestly attenuated ICAM-1 mRNA. Quercetin modestly decreased the TNF-$\alpha$-activated VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 mRNAs. These results demonstrate that flavonoids classified as flavones and flavonols may inhibit monocyte adhesion to the TNF-$\alpha$-activated endothelium, most likely due to a blockade of expression of functional adhesion molecules down-regulated at the transcriptional level, indicating a definite linkage between the chemical structure of flavonoids and the expression of cell adhesion molecules. Furthermore, the antiathero-genic feature of flavonoids appears to be independent of their antioxidant activity.