• Applied Microscopy
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.31-46
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• 1997

Ultrastructure of mouse thymus was evaluated, following the administration of potassium dichromate and mercuric chloride, the heavy metals of evironmental pollutants. Potassium dichromate (20 mg/kg) or mercuric chloride solutions (10 mg/kg) were subcutanously injected to the mice. Six hours, three days and two weeks after the injections, animals were sacrificed. Thymic tissues were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde-1.5% paraformaldehyde solutions. The procedure was followed by the fixation in 1% osmium tetroxide solutions. Washed and dehydrated tissue-blocks were embedded in the araldite mixture. Ultra-thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate-lead citrate solutions. Results observed were as follows: 1. In electron microscopy, cortical population of thymocytes in the thymus of experimental groups were reduced. especially in the outer cortex. Subcapsular cortices of potassium dichromate treated mice were filled with many epithelial reticular cells, whereas the similar area of mercuric chloride-treated mice exhibited large intercellular spaces. 2. In the thymus of mercuric chloride treated group, large intercellular spaces were formed by shrinkage of epithelial reticular cells, and the space was invaded by numerous cytoplasmic projections of macrophages. Thymocytes nuded out from the shrunken cytoplasm of epithelial reticular cells, presented numerous microvilli. 3. In the thymus of potassium dicromate treated group, many activated macrophages and plasma cells migrated into thymic cortices. 4. In the perivascular spaces of thymic cortices of potassium dichromate- and mercuric chloride-treated mice, activated macrophages. plasma cells, collagen fibrils, and flocculent substance of exudated materials were exhibited. From the above findifgs, it was concluded that potassium dichromate or mercuric chloride could disturb the normal differentiation or 'education' of T cells in the thymic cortex. In turn, these heavy metals may hurt the immunological defense mechanism.

• Macromolecular Research
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• 제16권8호
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• pp.695-703
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• 2008

Nanoparticles have tremendous potential in cancer prevention, detection and augmenting existing treatments. They can target tumors, carry imaging capability to document the presence of tumors, sense pathophysiological defects in tumor cells, deliver therapeutic genes or drugs based on the tumor characteristics, respond to external triggers to release an appropriate agent, document the tumor response, and identify the residual tumor cells. Nanoparticles < 30 nanometers in diameter show unexpected and unique properties. Furthermore, particles < 5 nanometers in size can easily penetrate cells as well as living tissues and organs. This study evaluated the safety of nano materials in a living body and the relationship between the living tissue and synthetic nano materials by examining the in-vitro cytotoxicity of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nano-spheres and fluorescein isothiocynate(FITC)-labeled dendrimers as polymer nanoparticles. PLGA was chosen because it has been used extensively for biodegradable nanoparticles on account of its outstanding bio-compatibility and its acceptance as an FDA approved material. The dendrimer was chosen because it can carry a molecule that recognizes cancer cells, a therapeutic agent that can kill those cells, and a molecule that recognizes the signals of cell death. Cytotoxicity in L929 mouse fibroblasts was monitored using MTT assay. Microscopic observations were also carried out to observe cell growth. All assays yielded meaningful results and the PLGA nanoparticles showed less cytotoxicity than the dendrimer. These nano-particles ranged in size from 10 to 100 nm according to microscopy and spectroscopic methods.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제1권4호
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• pp.657-663
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• 1997

The CD4 and CDS coreceptors, in conjunction with the T cell receptor (TCR) , make important contributions to the differentiation of thymocytes. They have been shown to be involved in the clonal deletion and positive selection processes during T cell development in thymus. To further analyze the role of CD4 and CDS proteins during T cell differentiation, we have generated transgenic mice constitutively expressing high levels of a native CD4 and a CD4{CDSa hybrid protein. The hybrid protein is composed of CD4 extracellular domain linked to the CD8a transmembrane region and cytoplasmic tail. The transgenes were driven by human beta-actin promoter, and therefore, they were expressed in all tissues examined including thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes. The resulting CD4 and CD4{CD8${\alpha}$transgenic mice were found to express the CD4 and CD4{CD8${\alpha}$ respectively, in developing thymocytes and peripheral T cells. The expression levels of transgenic proteins were 5-10 times higher than that of endogenous CD4 in thymus. However, total surface CD4 expression (CD4 or CD4{CD8${\alpha}$ transgenic protein plus endogenous CD4) of the transgenic mice were main. tained at similar levels compared to control littermates. Surface CD4 expression on CDS T cells, however, was significantly lower than that on cells expressing endogenous CD4. These results suggest that a total avidity between developing thymocytes and thymic stromal cells is impor. tant for differentiation of thymocytes.

• 대한한방소아과학회지
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.19-29
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• 2018

Objectives This study investigated the effects of Cheongyeonsan for allergic rhinitis. Methods First, the GS/MS was used to analyze the effects of Cheongyeonsan by measuring inflammatory markers. Second, 3 groups of 10 6-week-old BALB/c mice were divided into Ctrl (no treatment), ARE (allergic rhinitis-induced without treatment), and CRT (allergic rhinitis-induced after Cheongyeonsan treatment) groups. Ovalbumin (OVA) was used as an antigen to induce allergic rhinitis and sensitization was performed by intraperitoneal injection of 0.1% OVA solution 21, 14, and 7 days before the onset of allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis was induced by dropping OVA solution on the nasal cavity of each mouse for 5 days after the last sensitization. Seven days after the first induction, second induction was introduced by the same method. After making the section, MMP-9, substance P, $TNF-{\alpha}$, $NF-{\kappa}B$ p65, COX-2, iNOS and Nrf, apoptotic cells were observed by Masson trichrome staining, immunohistochemical staining, TUNEL of nasal mucosal tissues of each group. Results GC/MS results showed undecanoic acid. Masson trichrome results showed that the CRT group had less respiratory epithelial damage. Immunohistochemical staining showed CRT group had 58% decrease in MMP-9, 61% decrease in substance P, 55% decrease in $TNF-{\alpha}$, 38% decrease in $NF-{\kappa}B$ p65, 53% decrease in COX-2, 54% decrease in iNOS, 87% increase in Nrf compared to those of the ARE group. TUNEL showed a positive reaction of 84% increase in apoptotic cells greater than that of the ARE group. Conclusions Cheongyeonsan alleviates nasal mucosal damage and reduces inflammatory mediators from allergic rhinitis-induced mice.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.68-78
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• 2011

Background: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a huddle for success of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In this study, effects of irradiation dose on immune kinetics of GVHD were investigated using B6 ${\rightarrow}$ BALB.B system, a mouse model for GVHD after MHC-matched allogeneic transplantation. Methods: BALB.B mice were transplanted with bone marrow and spleen cells from C57BL/6 mice after irradiation with different doses. Leukocytes residing in the peripheral blood and target organs were collected periodically from the GVHD hosts for analysis of chimerism formation and immune kinetics along the GVHD development via flow cytometry. Myeloid cells were tested for production of IL-17 via flow cytometry. Results: Pre-conditioning of BALB.B hosts with 900 cGy and 400 cGy resulted in different chimerism of leukocytes from the blood and affected survival of GVHD hosts. Profiles of leukocytes infiltrating GVHD target organs, rather than profiles of peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs), were significantly influenced by irradiation dose. Proportions of IL-17 producing cells in the infiltrating $Gr-1^+$ or $Mac-1^+$ cells were higher in the GVHD hosts with high does irradiation than those with low dose irradiation. Conclusion: Pre-conditioning dose affected tissue infiltration of leukocytes and cytokine production by myeloid cells in the target organs.

• BMB Reports
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• 제52권12호
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• pp.712-717
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• 2019

Translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20 (TOMM20) plays an essential role as a receptor for proteins targeted to mitochondria. TOMM20 was shown to be overexpressed in various cancers. However, the oncological function and therapeutic potential for TOMM20 in cancer remains largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism of TOMM20's contribution to tumorigenesis and to explore the possibility of its therapeutic potential using colorectal cancer as a model. The results show that TOMM20 overexpression resulted in an increase in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, while siRNA-mediated inhibition of TOMM20 resulted in significant decreases in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. TOMM20 expression directly impacted the mitochondrial function including ATP production and maintenance of membrane potential, which contributed to tumorigenic cellular activities including regulation of S phase cell cycle and apoptosis. TOMM20 was overexpressed in CRC compared to the normal tissues and increased expression of TOMM20 to be associated with malignant characteristics including a higher number of lymph nodes and perineural invasion in CRC. Notably, knockdown of TOMM20 in the xenograft mouse model resulted in a significant reduction of tumor growth. This is the first report demonstrating a relationship between TOMM20 and tumorigenesis in colorectal cancer and providing promising evidence for the potential for TOMM20 to serve as a new therapeutic target of colorectal cancer.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.71-76
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• 2004

Gene delivery is one of the keen interests in animal industry as well as research on gene functions. Some of the in vivo gene delivery techniques have been successively used in various tissues for the gene therapy and transgenesis. Despite intensive efforts, it still remains to overcome problems of limited local and regional administration and low transgene expression. To improve the efficiency of gene delivery, a new procedure was tested. We injected exogenous DNA containing LacZ into the female or male gonads and then pulsed electric field. Electroporated gonads showed positive X-gal staining in many seminiferous tubules of the porcine fetal gonads. Exogenously introduced LacZ genes were also expressed in female porcine gonad. In addition, we demonstrated efficient gene delivery in gonad of adult mouse. Furthermore, we succeed to generate genetically modified germline cells showing GFP and positive X-gal signals. The results suggest that the newly developed gene delivery is an effective way of in vivo transfection in mammals. The developed gene delivery procedure should be useful in producing transgenic animals when combined with primary cell culture and nuclear transplantation.

• 정보처리학회논문지D
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• 제12D권5호
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• pp.719-728
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• 2005

2DE는 조직 내의 단백질을 규명하는 단백질 분리 기술이다. 그러나 2DE 이미지는 실험 조건, 스캐닝 상태와 같은 환경에 민감하게 영향을 받는다. 이러한 이미지간의 변화를 극복하기 위해서 사용자는 각각의 서로 다른 이미지에 수동으로 기준점을 입력해주어야 한다. 그러나 이 과정은 에러를 발생시키며 긴 시간을 요구하는 작업으로, 빠른 분석에 장애 요인이 된다. 따라서 본 논문에서는 기준점 프로파일에 기반 하여 기준점을 자동으로 추출하는 방법을 개발하였다. 기준점 프로파일은 이미 확인된 이미지들의 기준점들에 대한 클러스터링 방법을 통하여 생성하며, 각 클러스터의 다양한 속성을 정의한다. 새로운 이미지가 입력되면 기준점의 후보 스팟들을 대상으로 프로파일과 비교하석 기준점을 추출한다. 그리고 $A^*$알고리즘을 이용하여 기준점 선정 과정을 최적화한다. 본 논문에서는 실제 사람의 간 조직 이미지를 이용하여 기준점 추출 방법의 성능을 분석하였다

• Mycobiology
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• 제48권5호
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• pp.399-409
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• 2020

Many of the 𝛽-glucans are known to have antihypertensive activities, but, except for angiotensin-converting enzyme II inhibition, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Corin is an atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP)-converting enzyme. Activated corin cleaves pro-ANP to ANP, which regulates water-sodium balance and lowers blood pressure. Here, we reported a novel antihypertensive mechanism of 𝛽-glucans, involved with corin and ANP in mice. We showed that multiple oral administrations of 𝛽-glucan induced the expression of corin and ANP, and also increased natriuresis in mice. Microarray analysis showed that corin gene expression was only upregulated in mice liver by multiple, not single, oral administrations of the 𝛽-glucan fraction of Phellinus baumii (BGF). Corin was induced in liver and kidney tissues by the 𝛽-glucans from zymosan and barley, as well as by BGF. In addition to P. baumii, 𝛽-glucans from two other mushrooms, Phellinus linteus and Ganoderma lucidum, also induced corin mRNA expression in mouse liver. ELISA immunoassays showed that ANP production was increased in liver tissue by all the 𝛽-glucans tested, but not in the heart and kidney. Urinary sodium excretion was significantly increased by treatment with 𝛽-glucans in the order of BGF, zymosan, and barley, both in 1% normal and 10% high-sodium diets. In conclusion, we found that the oral administration of 𝛽-glucans could induce corin expression, ANP production, and sodium excretion in mice. Our findings will be helpful for investigations of 𝛽-glucans in corin and ANP-related fields, including blood pressure, salt-water balance, and circulation.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.141-148
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• 2007

Purpose: The object of this study was to evaluate the development of continuous osteogenic differentiation and bone formation after the subcutaneous implantation of the tissue-engineered bone, in vitro. Methods: Human adipose-derived stem cells were obtained by proteolytic digestion of liposuction aspirates. Adipose-derived stem cells were seeded in PLGA scaffolds after being labeled with PKH26 and cultured in osteogenic differentiation media for 1 month. The PLGA scaffolds with osteogenic stimulated adipose-derived stem cells were implanted in subcutaneous layer of four nude mice. Osteogenesis was assessed by RT-PCR for mRNA of osteopontin and bone sialoprotein(BSP), and immunohistochemistry for osteocalcin, and von Kossa staining for calcification of extracellular matrix at 1 and 2 months. Results: Implanted PLGA scaffold with adipose-derived stem cells were well vascularized, and PLGA scaffolds degraded and were substituted by host tissues. The mRNA of osteopontin and BSP was detected by RT-PCR in both osteogenic stimulation group and also osteocalcin was detected by immunohistochemistry at osteogenic stimulation 1 and 2 months, but no calcified extracellular deposit in von Kossa stain was found in all groups. Conclusion: In vivo, it could also maintain the characteristics of osteogenic differentiation that adipose-derived stem cells within PLGA scaffold after stimulation of osteogenic differentiation in vitro, but there were not normal bone formation in subcutaneous area. Another important factor to consider is in vivo, heterologous environment would have negative effect on bone formation as.[p1]