• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.26-36
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• 2015

Objectives In this study, effect of Geumsuyukgunjeon (GYJ) on the increase in airway epithelial mucosubstances of rats with acute bronchitis and EGF-induced MUC5AC mucin production from human airway epithelial cells were investigated. Materials and Methods Hypersecretion of airway mucus was induced by exposure of rats to SO2 during 3 weeks. Effect of orally-administered GYJ during 2 weeks on increase in airway epithelial mucosubstances from tracheal goblet cells of rats was assesed using histopathological analysis after staining the epithelial tissue with PAS-alcian blue. Possible cytotoxicity of GYJ was assessed by examining the potential damage of kidney and liver functions by measuring serum GOT/GPT activities and serum BUN and creatinine concentrations of rats and the body weight gain during experiment, after administering GYJ orally. Effect of GYJ on EGF-induced MUC5AC mucin production from human airway epithelial cells (A549) was investigated. Confluent A549 cells were pretreated for 30 min in the presence of GYJ and treated with EGF (25 ng/ml) for 24 hrs, to assess the effect of GYJ on EGF-induced MUC5AC mucin production using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results (1) GYJ decreased the amount of intraepithelial mucosubstances of trachea of rats. (2) GYJ did not show kidney and liver toxicities and did not affect body weight gain of rats during experiment. (3) GYJ significantly inhibited EGF-induced MUC5AC mucin production from A549 cells. Conclusions The result from the present study suggests that GYJ might control both the mucus hypersecretion in vivo and do not show in vivo toxicity to liver and kidney functions after oral administration and the production of pulmonary mucin.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.80-90
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• 2003

Background : Goblet cell hyperplasia is a critical pathological feature in hypersecretory diseases of the airways. A bacterial infection of the lung is also known to induce inflammatory responses, which can lead to the overproduction of mucus. Recently, mucin synthesis in the airways has been reported to be regulated by neutrophilic inflammation-induced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression and activation. In addition, it was reported that migration of the activated neutrophils is dependent on the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), especially MMP-9. In this study, bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced goblet cell hyperplasia and mucus hypersecretion by EGFR cascade, resulting from the MMPs-dependent neutrophilic inflammation were investigated in the rat airways. Methods : Pathogen-free Sprague-Dawley rats were studied in vivo. Various concentrations of LPS were instilled into the trachea in $300{\mu}{\ell}$ PBS (LPS group). Sterile PBS ($300{\mu}{\ell}$) was instilled into the trachea of the control animals (control group). The airways were examined on different days after instilling LPS. For an examination of the relationship between the LPS-induced goblet cell hyperplasia and MMPs, the animals were pretreated 3 days prior to the LPS instillation and daily thereafter with the matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor (MMPI; 20 mg/Kg/day of CMT-3; Collagenex Pharmaceuticals, USA). The neutrophilic infiltration was quantified as a number in five high power fields (HPF). The alcian blue/periodic acid-Schiff (AB/PAS) stain were performed for the mucus glycoconjugates and the immunohistochemical stains were performed for MUC5AC, EGFR and MMP-9. Their expressions were quantified by an image analysis program and were expressed by the percentage of the total bronchial epithelial area. Results : The instillation of LPS induced AB/PAS and MUC5AC staining in the airway epithelium in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Treatment with the MMPI prevented the LPS-induced goblet cell hyperplasia significantly. The instillation of LPS into the trachea induced also EGFR expression in the airway epithelium. The control airway epithelium contained few leukocytes, but the intratracheal instillation of LPS resulted in a neutrophilic recruitment. A pretreatment with MMPI prevented neutrophilic recruitment, EGFR expression, and goblet cell hyperplasia in the LPS-instilled airway epithelium. Conclusion : Matrix metalloproteinase is involved in LPS-induced mucus hypersecretion, resulting from a neutrophilic inflammation and EGFR cascade. These results suggest a potential therapeutic role of MMPI in the treatment of mucus hypersecretion that were associated with a bacterial infection of the airways.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.126-137
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• 2006

In the present study, the author intended to investigate whether three oriental medical prescriptions named Jeongcheonhwadam-tang(JHT), Haengso-tang(HST), Socheungryong-tang(SCRT) significantly affect mucin release from cultured hamster tracheal surface epithelial (HTSE) cells. The results were as follows: (1) JHT significantly inhibited mucin release from cultured HTSE cells, without significant cytotoxicity : (2) HST significantly inhibited mucin release from cultured HTSE cells, without significant cytotoxicity : (3) SCRT significantly inhibited mucin release from cultured HTSE cells, without significant cytotoxicity : (4) JHT, HST chiefly inhibited the 'mucin' release and did not significantly affect the release of the other releasable glycoproteins with less molecular weight than mucin. These results suggest that the three herbal prescriptions specifically inhibit the release of mucin: (5) JHT significantly inhibited the expression levels of MUC SAC mRNA. This result suggests that JHT affects the synthesis of mucin at gene level in cultured HTSE cells. All agents showed no significant cytotoxicity. In view of these results, further investigation of the effects of JHT and HST are likely to be instrumental in yielding novel agents from oriental medical prescriptions which have inhibitory effects or expectorative effects on airway mucus secretion.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.447-453
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• 2015

We determined the optimal culture conditions for obtaining the maximum number of intestinal bacteria from the olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus, and studied bacterial diversity using both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. Using six culture conditions, mean bacterial numbers were greater than $10^6$ per gram of gut mucus, regardless of the medium. However, the bacterial diversity, based on colony morphology, appeared much higher on Marine agar (MA) and Zobell 2216 agar than on other media. We found eight and 17 cultured bacterial phylotypes with 99% minimum similarity in gut mucus grown on MA and tryptic soy agar, respectively. Furthermore, we used genomic DNA extracted from gut mucus to generate 78 random clones, which were grouped into 25 phylotypes. Of these, six were affiliated with Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia, and were not found using our culture-dependent methods. Consequently, we believe that Marine agar and Zobell 2216 agar are optimal media for culturing diverse intestinal microbes; we also discovered several novel sequences not previously recognized as part of the gut microbiota of olive flounder.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.177-182
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• 2004

Alcohol consumption and exposure to endocrine disruptors and industrial solvents have been implicated in impaired spermatogenesis, increase in the incidence of malformed sperm and decrease in the percentage of moving sperm. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the direct effects of some organic solvents(bisphenol A; BPA, dibutyl phthalate; DBP, formaldehyde; HCHO, dimethylsulphoxide; DMSO, ethanol) on mucus penetration distance, motility and survival rate of human sperm in vitro. Semen samples from 3 health subjects were prepared using swim-up method and 0.0005-0.5% organic solvents were added to the test medium. BPA, DBP, HCHO and DMSO produced significant decreases in the motility and survival rate with a different potency. The most potent inhibition of mucus penetration distance, motility and survival rate was observed after exposure to HCHO. A concentration of 0.0005% HCHO significantly inhibited sperm motility. When ethanol m.: added directly to sperm, at concentrations equivalent to that in serum after heavy drinking, these damaging effects were lowest compared with other solvents. Present study shows that each compound has different toxic potency to human sperm and we need special caution for the use of HCHO.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.906-911
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• 2003

We previously reported that the butanol (BuOH) fraction of the head of Panax ginseng exhibited gastroprotective activity in peptic and chronic ulcer models. In order to identify the active constituent, an activity-guided isolation of the BuOH faction was conducted with a HCI$.$ethanol-induced gastric lesion model. The BuOH fraction was passed through a silica-gel column using a chloroform-methanol gradient solvent system, and six fractions (frs. 1-6) were obtained. The active fr. 5 was further separated by silica-gel column, to yield 6 subfractions (subfrs. a-f). Subfr. d was composed of ginsenosides Re, Rc and $Rb_1$. The most active constituent was ginsenoside $Rb_1$ ($GRb_1$), a protopanaxadiol glycoside, which was investigated for its anti-ulcer effect. Gastric injury induced by HCI$.$ethanol, indomethacin and pyloric ligation (Shay ulcer) was apparently reduced with oral $GRb_1$ doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg. $GRb_1$ at these dosage significantly increased the amount of mucus secretion in an ethanol-induced model. The anti-ulcer effects were consistent with the result of histological examination. These results suggest that the major active constituent in the head of Panax ginseng is $GRb_1$ and that anti-ulcer effect is produced through an increase in mucus secretion.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.591-595
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• 2000

Objective : This experiment was performed in order to study the effects of Scrophulariae Radix on the injured tracheal tissue induced So, in rats. Methods : Healthy adult male rats weighting about 250g were divided into 4 groups - the Normal group, the Control group, the group of Scrophulariae Radix administration for 5 days after $SO_2$, gas exposure(Sample I), and the group of Scrophulariae Radix administration for 10 days before and for 5 days after $SO_2$, gas exposure(Sample II). Results : In the trachea Control group, the lesion of the ciliated epithelium was severe and the mucus secretion of the respiratory tract was increased significantly. In the trachea of Sample I group, the lesion of the ciliated epithelium and the mucus secretion of the respiratory tract were decreased compared with Control group. In the trachea of Sample II group, the lesion of the ciliated epithelium and the mucus secretion of the respiratory tract were decreased compared with Control and Sample I group. conclusions : According to the above results, Scrophulariae Radix has significant effects on the injuried tracheal tissue caused by $SO_2$ in rats.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.226-235
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• 1996

This experiment was performed in order to study the effects of Gyumsuyukgunjun on the injured tracheal tissue induced $SO_2$ in rats. Healthy adult male rats weighting about 250g were divided into 4 groups - the Normal group, the Control group, the group of Gyumsuyukgunjun administration for 5 days after $SO_2$ gas exposure (Sample I), and the group of Gyurnsuyukgunjun administration for 10 days before and for 5 days after $SO_2$ gas exposure (Sample II). The results were obtained as follows ; 1. In the trachea Control group, the lesion of the ciliated epithelium was severe and the mucus secretion of the respiratory tract was increased significantly. 2. In the trachea of Sample I group, the lesion of the ciliated epithelium and the mucus secretion of the respiratory tract were decreased compared with Control group. 3. In the trachea of Sample II group, the lesion of the ciliated epithelium and the mucus secretion of the respiratory tract were decreased compared with Control and Sample I group. According to the above results, Gyumsuyukgnjun has significant effects on the injuried tracheal tissue caused by $SO_2$ in rats.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1998

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.83-89
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• 2005

Morphology, histology, and histochemical characteristics of the digestive tract of the guirine goby (Rhinogobius giurinus: Gobiidae), collected from the coast of Jeju Island, Korea, were investigated. The digestive tract of R. giurinus, which is a brackish water species, has a short (relative length of gut=0.42), simple, and narrow gut. The gastric glands are well developed in the stomach, but pyloric caeca are absent. The mucosal folds are regularly branched, and the muscularis extern a is thickest in the esophagus, which also contained the most mucus-secreting goblet cells (P<0.05). In R. giurinus, digestive function occurs in the anterior portion of the digestive tract, where mucus protects the tract from the actions of digestive enzymes and functions to activate digestion.