• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제29권8호
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• pp.666-676
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• 2006

Gangliosides are widely distributed in mammalian cells and play important roles in various functions such as cell differentiation and growth control. In addition, diabetes and obesity cause abnormal development of reproductive processes in a variety of species. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects, and how they are related, are not fully understood. This study examined whether the differential expression of gangliosides is implicated in the abnormal follicular development and uterine architecture of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced and db/db diabetic mice. Based upon the mobility on high-performance thin-layer chromatography, mouse ovary consisted of at least five different ganglioside components, mainly gangliosides GM3, GM1, GD1a and GT1b, and diabetic ovary exhibited a significant reduction in ganglioside expression with apparent changes in the major gangliosides. A prominent immunofluorescence microscopy showed a dramatic loss of ganglioside GD1a expression in the primary, secondary and Graafian follicles of STZ-induced and db/db diabetic mice. A significant decrease in ganglioside GD3 expression was also observed in the ovary of db/db mice. In the uterus of STZ-induced diabetic mice, expression of gangliosides GD1a and GT1b was obviously reduced, but gangliosides GM1, GM2 and GD3 expression was increased. In contrast, the uterus of db/db mice showed a significant increase in gangliosides GM1, GD1a and GD3 expression. Taken together, a complex pattern of ganglioside expression was seen in the ovary and uterus of normoglycemic ICR and $db/^+$ mice, and the correspoding tissues in diabetic mice are characterized by appreciable changes of the major ganglioside expression. These results suggest that alterations in ganglioside expression caused by diabetes mellitus may be implicated in abnormal ovarian development and uterine structure.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• 제30권6호
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• pp.39-46
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• 2015

Objectives : The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Schizonepeta Spica water extract (SS) on the OVA-induced BLAB/c mice allergic rhinitis model.Methods : Thirty two BALB/c mice were equally assigned to 4 groups; the sham group, the control group, the cetirizine hydrochloride (Cet) treatment group, and the SS treatment group. Sham group was sensitized and challenged with saline, and the other groups were sensitized and challenged with OVA. The dosage of SS was 7.6 mg /kg·day, and Cet was 10 mg/kg·day. Nasal rubbing and sneezing were measured by the behavior observation. The concentrations of IL-1β, IL-10, TNF-α and MIP-2 in the sera of allergic rhinitis model were measured by mouse cytokine/chemokine magnetic bead panel kits. Total IgE and OVA-specific IgE were measured by ELISA method. Epithelial thickness and eosinophil infiltration of nasal septum was investigated by histological examination.Results : The clinical symptoms that increased in control group were significantly reduced in SS-treated group. Serum total IgE and OVA-specific IgE in the SS-treated group were significantly reduced compared to the control group. The concentration of IL-1β, IL-10, TNF-α and MIP-2 in SS-treated group showed a significant reduction compared to the control group. The infiltration of eosinophil into nasal tissues of SS-treated group decreased markedly compared to control group, and thickness of nasal septum in nasal mucosa showed a significant reduction compared to control group.Conclusions : According to the above result, it is suggested that SS may inhibit the early and late phase of allergic rhinitis reaction.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제43권3호
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• pp.276-285
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• 2020

Circadian rhythm is an endogenous oscillation of about 24-h period in many physiological processes and behaviors. This daily oscillation is maintained by the molecular clock machinery with transcriptional-translational feedback loops mediated by clock genes including Period2 (Per2) and Bmal1. Recently, it was revealed that gut microbiome exerts a significant impact on the circadian physiology and behavior of its host; however, the mechanism through which it regulates the molecular clock has remained elusive. 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid (4-OH-PPA) and 3-phenylpropionic acid (PPA) are major metabolites exclusively produced by Clostridium sporogenes and may function as unique chemical messengers communicating with its host. In the present study, we examined if two C. sporogenes-derived metabolites can modulate the oscillation of mammalian molecular clock. Interestingly, 4-OH-PPA and PPA increased the amplitude of both PER2 and Bmal1 oscillation in a dose-dependent manner following their administration immediately after the nadir or the peak of their rhythm. The phase of PER2 oscillation responded differently depending on the mode of administration of the metabolites. In addition, using an organotypic slice culture ex vivo, treatment with 4-OH-PPA increased the amplitude and lengthened the period of PER2 oscillation in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and other tissues. In summary, two C. sporogenes-derived metabolites are involved in the regulation of circadian oscillation of Per2 and Bmal1 clock genes in the host's peripheral and central clock machineries.

• Applied Microscopy
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.53-77
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• 1993

In this study, an attempt was made to investigate the probable organelles participating in the secretion of biligrafin. The animals (ICR male mice, 25-30gm) were divided into normal control and 6 biligrafin injected groups to which 30% biligrafin (0.006ml/gm b.w.) were injected at 10, 20, 40, 80, 160 and 320 min prior to the sampling. The mice of each group were perfused through the heart with ice-cold 2.5% glutaraldehyde buffered with 0.1M Na-cacodylate (pH. 7.4) under the Na-pentobarbital (Nembtal 0.0015mg/gm b.w.) anesthesia and liver tissues were taken from each group. Some specimens were immersed 1 hr in the same solution used in the perfusion. After an overnight rinse in 0.1M Na-cacodylate buffer containing 10% DMSO and 7.6% sucrose, $75{\mu}m$ fronzen sections were made for cytochemical study. The sections were incubated in thiamin pyrophosphatase (TPPase) and inosine diphosphatase (ID Pase) media for 70 min at $37^{\circ}C$ respectively and acid phosphatase (AcPase) medium for 40 min at $37^{\circ}C$. They were postfixed in 1 % $OsO_4$ for 1 hr. The other specimens were immersed for 8 hrs in the fixative consisting of 2.5% glutaraldehyde and 3.0% paraformaldehyde buffered with Na-cacodylate (pH. 7.4). All of the osmificated specimens were processed for electron microscopy. In both normal and biligrafin injected groups, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), vacuoles, Golgi apparatus and lysosomes were seen in the vicinity of bile canaliculus. In the biligrafin injected groups, however, the Golgi apparatus appeared to be decreased and ER and vacuoles were dilated and increased. The rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) having a few attached ribosomes appeared to be the round saccule, especially at 20 min after biligrafin injection. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) seemed to be formed by the detachment of ribosomes at the cisternal end of RER. The cistern of SER showed saccules which probably budded off to form the vacuole. The vacuoles were devoid of visible centents. This finding seemed to be in agreement with the biochemical property of the bile constituents. The fusion between the vacuoles and bile canaliculus were frequently seen in the groups injected with biligrafin. The lysosome did not show any changes in the biligrafin injected groups. Accumulation of some material and lipid droplets were seen at the 40 and 80 min after biligrafin injection, especially at the latter. At 160 and 320 min after biligrafin injections, however, they were decreased successively while the RER stack, free ribosomes and polysomes were increased. Although the reactive products of TPPase and IDPase were observed in the ER saccules and vesicles of the normal control and biligrafin injected groups, the fusion between the bile canaliculus and saccules or vesicles could easily be seen in the latter. The AcPase activity, however, was observed in the cistern at the maturing face of Golgi apparatus and lysosomes in both normal and biligrafin groups. The results suggest that the biligrafin is excreted via the vesicles, vacuoles or sacoules probably derived from the SER without the participation of Golgi apparatus and lysosomes, and the excess amount of material is stored as inclusions during the repairing of the organelles being overactive.

• Development and Reproduction
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.99-111
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• 2004

The present study aimed to investigate whether the expression of ADAM-8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 17 and ADAMTS-1 genes is controlled by ovarian steroid hormones. Ovariectomized mice were injected with 17 ${\beta}$-estradiol ($E_2$), progesterone ($P_4$, or $E_2+P_4$. Uterine tissues were processed for RT-PCR and immunoblotting. The results of RT-PCR showed that administration of $E_2$ increases the level of ADAM-8, 12 and ADAM17 expression compared to $P_4$ or control group. In contrast, administration of $P_4$ markedly stimulated the expression of ADAM-9, 10, 15 and ADAMTS-1, whereas $E_2$ did not. Immunoblotting analysis using anti-mouse ADAM polyclonal antibodies demonstrated that $E_2$ alone or $E_2+P_4$ treatment results in the strong expression of ADAM-8, 12 and ADAM17 proteins but $P_4$ alone or control group gave weak expression. In contrast, $P_4$ alone or $E_2$ plus $P_4$ treatment increased the expression level of ADAM-9, 10, 15 and DAMTS-1 proteins. $E_2$ alone or control group did not increase the expression. These results indicate that expression of ADAM-8, 12 and ADAM17 genes is upregulated by $E_2$ and that of ADAM-9, 10, 15 and ADAMTS-1 gene is upregulated by $P_4$.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• 제32권6호
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• pp.516-522
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• 2008

Biodegradable polymers have been used extensively as scaffolding materials to regenerate new tissues and the ingrowth of tissue have been reported to be dependent directly of the porosity, pore diameter, pore shape, and porous structure of the scaffold. In this study, porous poly (L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) scaffolds with five different pore sizes were fabricated to investigate the effect of pore sizes for AF tissue regeneration. Cellular viability and proliferation were assayed by MTT test. Hydroxyproline/DNA content of AF cells on each scaffold was measured. sGAG analyses were performed at each time point of 2 and 6 weeks. Scaffold seeded AF cells were implanted into the back of athymic nude mouse to observe the difference of formation of disc-like tissue depending on pore size in vivo. We confirmed that scaffold with $180{\sim}250{\mu}m$ pores displayed high cell viability in vitro and produced higher ECM than scaffold with other pore sizes in vivo.

• Journal of Life Science
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.461-466
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• 2008

Transforming growth $factor-{\beta}$ ($TGF-{\beta}$)-dependent apoptosis is important in the elimination of damaged or abnormal cells from normal tissues in vivo. Gadd45b has been known to participate in $TGF-{\beta}-induced$ apoptosis by the activation of p38 kinase. In this report, we show that Gadd45b is an immediate-early response gene for $TGF-{\beta}$ during apoptosis in EpH4 cells. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of $TGF-{\beta}-induced$ Gadd45b gene expression, we cloned the 5'-flanking region of the mouse Gadd45b gene. When transfected into EpH4 cells, this 5'-flanking region conferred promoter activity and inducibility by $TGF-{\beta}$. Deletion analyses demonstrated that the minimal promoter activity was detected in the proximal region 220 bp upstream of the transcription initiation site. We also found that the proximal Gadd45b promoter is activated by $TGF-{\beta}$ through the action of Smad2, Smad3, and Smad4. Finally, we show that the expression of Gadd45b gene by $TGF-{\beta}$ is suppressed in EpRas cells in which $TGF-{\beta}$ could not induce apoptosis, suggesting that Gadd45b may be a crucial target for $TGF-{\beta}-induced$ apoptosis in EpH4 cells.

• Anatomy & Biological Anthropology
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.41-49
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• 2013

Dental epithelial and mesenchymal cells that form the teeth undergo dynamic changes in cell cycle during tooth development and morphogenesis. Although proliferation has been known as a key event during odontogenesis, the cell cycle phases and their relations with the complicated molecular mechanisms of tooth development are not fully understood yet. This study comparatively examined the expression patterns of Ki-67, cyclin A, and cyclin D1 during tooth development in the mouse incisor and molar in order to identify the cell-cycle characteristics during odontogenesis. We found that Ki-67 and cyclin A were expressed in the proliferating cells in the dental epithelial and mesenchymal tissues at the bud, cap and bell stages. Cycln D1 showed distinct expression in the incisor odontoblast region and the enamel knot, in which Ki-67 nor cyclin A was expressed. Our results provide specific information on the cell cycle phases during tooth development that may provide clues to relate them with the complex odontogenic mechanisms. Furthermore, we suggest that our findings enlightened the previous studies on the incisor odontoblasts and the enamel knot during tooth development.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• 제64권3호
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• pp.291-298
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• 2021

In this study, we investigated whether the combined administration of berberine (BBR) and silibinin (SBN) was effective in improving hyperlipidemia and anti-obesity efficacy using a high-fat diet (HFD)-fed obese mouse model. HFD-induced obese mice were supplemented with the BBR and SBN combination (BBR-SBN) along with the HFD administration for 8 weeks. During the experiment, body weight, food intake, and levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol were analyzed. Consumption of HFD in the mice caused rapid increases in body weight and the levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides compared to the normal control (NC) group. However, supplementation of BBR-SBN in these obese mice significantly reduced body weight gain and suppressed the levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride with the increment of HDL cholesterol level. In the HFD-fed group, abdominal fat weight was significantly increased and the adipocytes within the epididymal adipose tissue were found to have expanded sizes compared to the NC group. However, in the BBR-SBN group, the sizes of the adipocytes were comparable to those of the NC group and abdominal fat weight was significantly reduced. Moreover, the deposition of giant vesicular fat cells in liver tissues seen in the HFD-fed group was considerably reduced in the BBR-SBN group. These results suggest that the BBR-SBN combination tends to have synergic potential as an anti-obesity agent by significantly reducing body weight gain as well as lowering serum lipid levels and thus improving anti-obesity efficacy in HFD-induced obese mice.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• 제55권3호
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• pp.206-212
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• 2019

Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) lives in the hair follicles and pores, and it uses cell debris, sebum and metabolic byproducts of surrounding skin tissues as energy and nutrients. Increased production of sebum due to sebaceous hyperplasia or blockage of the follicle can cause growth and proliferation of P. acnes. The rapid growth of P. acnes in follicles produces cell damage, metabolic byproducts and bacterial chips, which can cause inflammation. In this study, we examined the possibility of Senecio iscoensis Hieron. (S. iscoensis) extract to regulate P. acnes-induced inflammatory signaling pathways. We observed that S. iscoensis extract effectively inhibited P. acnes-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine expressions such as IL-$1{\beta}$, TNF-${\alpha}$, and iNOS in mouse macrophage cell line Raw 264.7. The inhibitory effect of S. iscoensis in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels was accompanied by the inhibition of the transcription factors NF-${\kappa}B$ and NF-AT. However, S. iscoensis did not alter the P. acnes-induced MAPK signaling pathways. This study first suggests the potential of using S. iscoensis extract as an alternative agent for the treatment of acne.