• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.135-154
• /
• 2011

The great discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) has revolutionized current cell biology and medical science. miRNAs are small conserved non-coding RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression by targeting the 3' untranslated region of specific messenger RNAs for degradation or translational repression. New members of the miRNA family are being discovered on a daily basis and emerging evidence has demonstrated that miRNAs play a major role in a wide range of developmental process including cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell differentiation, metabolism, apoptosis, developmental timing, neuronal cell fate, neuronal gene expression, brain morphogenesis, muscle differentiation and stem cell division. Moreover, a large number of studies have reported links between alterations of miRNA homeostasis and pathological conditions such as cancer, psychiatric and neurological diseases, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disease. Interestingly, in addition, miRNA deficiencies or excesses have been correlated with a number of clinically important diseases ranging from cancer to myocardial infarction. miRNAs can repress the gene translation of hundreds of their targets and are therefore well-positioned to target a multitude of cellular mechanisms. As a consequence of extensive participation in normal functions, it is quite logical to ask the question if abnormalities in miRNAs should have importance in human diseases. Great discoveries and rapid progress in the past few years on miRNAs provide the hope that miRNAs will in the near future have a great potential in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. Currently, an explosive literature has focussed on the role of miRNA in human cancer and cardiovascular disease. In this review, I briefly summarize the explosive current studies about involvement of miRNA in various human cancers and cardiovascular disease.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.229-235
• /
• 2011

Sloan-Kettering virus gene product of a cellular protooncogene c-Ski is an unique nuclear pro-oncoprotein and belongs to the Ski/Sno proto-oncogene family. Ski plays multiple roles in a variety of cell types, it can induce both oncogenic transformation and terminal muscle differentiation when expressed at high levels. Ski protein is implicated in proliferation/differentiation in a variety of cells. The alternative fate of granulosa cells other than apoptosis is to differentiate to luteal cells, however, it is unknown whether Ski is expressed and has a role in granulosa cells undergoing luteinization. Thus, the aim of this study was, by means of immunohistochemical methods, to locate Ski protein in the rat ovaries during ovulation and corpora lutea (CL) formation to predict the possible involvement of Ski in luteinization. In addition, we performed to examine whether the initiation of luteinization with luteinizing hormone (LH) directly regulates expression of Ski in the luteinized granulosa and luteal cells after ovulation by in vivo models. In order to examine the expression pattern of Ski protein along with the progress of luteinization, follicular growth was induced by administration of equine chorionic gonadtropin to immature female rat, and luteinization was induced by human chorionic gonadtropin treatment to mimic luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. While no Ski-positive granulosa cells were present in preovulatory follicle, Ski protein expression was induced in response to LH surge, and was maintained after the formation of corpus luteum (CL). These results indicate that Ski is profoundly expressed in the luteinized granulosa cells and luteal cells of CL during luteinization, and suggest that Ski may play a role in luteinization of granulosa cells.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.20 no.7
• /
• pp.1115-1119
• /
• 2007

This study was conducted to determine the difference between satellite cells (porcine) and myoblasts (C2C12) in their differentiation under the influence of 2, 4-thiazolidindion. C2C12 myoblast cells and porcine satellite cells (isolated from 10 d old $Landrace{\times}Duroc$ piglets) were grown to absolute confluency. Post confluent cells (day 0) were further exposed to adipogenic induction medium along with 2, 4-thiazolidindion ($8{\mu}M$) for 2 d. Thereafter, cells were exposed to 2, 4-thiazolidindion alone every 2 d till day 10 and analysed. The control was cultured in differentiation medium without any treatment. Increased (p<0.05) expression of transcriptional factors i.e. C/EBP-${\alpha}$ and PPAR-${\gamma}$ and transition of cells to adipocyte morphology was noticed from 2 d and 4 d onwards in satellite cells (Porcine) and myoblasts (C2C12) respectively. Myogenesis was observed to be suppressed completely in case of satellite cells compared to myoblasts in response to 2, 4-thiazolidindion. Pax-7 (transcriptional factor) appeared as a sole entity to satellite cells only, as it was not identified in case of myoblasts. Although both the cells were converting to adipoblasts, the degree of their conversion was different in response to 2, 4-thiazolidindion. Therefore, the hypothesis that satellite cells contribute various domains to the growing myoblasts appeared obscured and found to be dependent on the proliferative energy/or degree of fusion. However, it revealed satellite cells as currency to myoblasts/muscle.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.18 no.10
• /
• pp.1451-1456
• /
• 2005

To study the acute effect of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, $C_{22:6}$) on the expression of adipocyte determination and differentiation-dependent factor 1 (ADD1) mRNA in pig tissues, weaned, crossbred pigs (28 d of age) were fed with either 10% (on as-fed basis) tallow (high stearic acid), soybean oil (high linoleic acid), or high DHA algal oil for 2 d. The plasma and liver DHA reflected the composition of the diet. The adipose tissue and skeletal muscle DHA did not reflect the diet in the short term feeding. The results also showed that the diet containing 10% algal DHA oil significantly decreased the total plasma cholesterol (39%) and triacylglycerol (TG; 46%) in the pigs. Soybean oil significantly decreased plasma TG (13.7%; p<0.05), but did not have an effect on plasma cholesterol. The data indicate that different dietary fatty acid compositions have different effects on plasma lipids. The ADD1 mRNA was decreased (p<0.05) in the liver of DHA oil-treated pigs compared with the tallow-treated pigs. The diets did not have significant effect on the ADD1 mRNA in adipose tissue. Addition of algal DHA oil in the diet increased acyl CoA oxidase (ACO) mRNA concentration in the liver, suggesting that dietary DHA treatment increases peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation in the liver. However, dietary soybean oil supplementation did not affect mRNA concentrations of ADD1 or ACO in the tissues of pigs. Because ADD1 increases the expression of genes associated with lipogenesis, and ACO is able to promote fatty acid oxidation, feeding DHA oil may change the utilization of fatty acids through changing the expression of ADD1 and ACO. Therefore, feeding pigs with high DHA may lead to lower body fat deposition.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.141-153
• /
• 2005

Objectives : This survey was accomplished to find out how Korean medical doctors take acupuncture treatment in real clinics. Methods : The survey questions were developed by the consensus from the professors who major in acupuncture and moxibustion. The questionnaire was given the 2731 Korean medical doctors at the mending education site; In addition, it was given to 793 doctors working at the 105 Korean medical hospitals listed on the National Korean Medical Hospital Associations Address book by postal mail; and also it was given to the 142 public health care Korean medical doctors who attended the conference for the municipal and provincial representatives of the public health service Korean medical doctors. Total of 1277 questionnaires were retrieved out of the 3666 subjects. Results : 1. Nine hundred out of 1277 Korean medical doctors used method of differentiation syndromes(70.4%) and 1184 out of 1277 Korean medical doctors convalescence decide with subjective symptom improvement of patient(92.6%). 2. Nine hundred eight out of 1277 Korean medical doctors used both local and remote points(71.0%) and 916 out of 1277 Korean medical doctors treat with method of reinforcement-reduction(71.7%). 3. Eleven hundred fifth five out of 1277 Korean medical doctors used cupping a boil(90.3%) and 1023 out of 1277 Korean medical doctors used moxibustion(80.1%). Conclusion : When Korean medical doctors treat with acupuncture, most of them diagnose with differentiation methods and meridian theory, decide convalescence with subjective symptom improvement of patient, select out of both local and remote acupuncture points, treat with method of basic reinforcement-reduction, apply moxa and cupping a boil when they are necessary. The cupping a boil comes to be used when being muscle and joint disease. The moxa comes to be used when being chronic disease.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.7-15
• /
• 2010

Complex human tissues harbor stem cells and precursor cells, which are responsible for tissue development or repair. Recently, dental tissues such as dental pulp, periodontal ligament (PDL), dental follicle have been identified as easily accessible sources of undifferentiated cells. These tissues contain mesenchymal stem cells that can be differentiate into bone, cartilage, fat or muscle by exposing them to specific growth conditions. In this study, the authors procured the stem cell from pulp, PDL, and dental follicle and differentiate them into osteoblast and examine the bone induction capacity. Dental pulp stem cell (DPSC), periodontal ligament stem cell (PDLSC), and dental follicle precursor cell (DFPC) were obtained from human 3rd molar and cultured. Each cell was analyzed for presence of stem cell by fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACs) against CD44, CD105 and CD34, CD45. Each stem cell was cultured, expanded and grown in an osteogenic culture medium to allow formation of a layer of extracellular bone matrix. Osteogenic pathway was checked by alizarin red staining, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity test and RT-PCR for ALP and osteocalcin (OCN) gene expression. According to results from FACs, mesenchymal stem cell existed in pulp, PDL, and dental follicle. As culturing with bone differentiation medium, stem cells were differentiated to osteoblast like cell. Compare with stem cell from pulp, PDL and dental follicle-originated stem cell has more osteogenic effect and it was assumed that the character of donor cell was able to affect on differential potency of stem cell. From this article, we are able to verify the pulp, PDL, and dental follicle from extracted tooth, and these can be a source of osteoblast and stem cell for tissue engineering.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.40 no.6
• /
• pp.1015-1025
• /
• 2019

Objectives: There have been many studies reporting the clinical value of Euphorbia kansui Radix or Melonis Calyx, but few systematic studies of the changes that may occur after taking such herbal medication. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of the patient group, possible changes in blood test and InBody test results, and to discover the current state and future direction of clinical use of Euphorbia kansui Radix or Melonis Calyx. Methods: This study investigated patients who were hospitalized at Kyung-Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital for at least two days from 1 March 2016 to 1 March 2019, specifically evaluating patients aged 19 and over who underwent blood tests, including an electrolyte test and an InBody test before and after taking Euphorbia kansui Radix or Melonis Calyx. Results: Among a total of 134 patients, 72 patients (53.7%) were treated with Euphorbia kansui Radix and 62 patients (46.3%) were treated with Melonis Calyx, in the context of previously diagnosed abnormal weight gain. Laboratory findings were that Na and K levels were significantly reduced in both groups. In an InBody test, body mass index (BMI), intracellular water, extracellular water, protein, mineral, and skeletal muscle were significantly reduced in both groups. Conclusions: From these results, we suggest that, although Euphorbia kansui Radix and Melonis Calyx may not induce serious adverse effects, attention should be paid to the electrolyte level with the use of these treatments. In terms of syndrome differentiation, more clinical uses will be available in the future.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.29 no.7
• /
• pp.1037-1043
• /
• 2016

Epigenetic processes in the development of skeletal muscle have been appreciated for over a decade. DNA methylation is a major epigenetic modification important for regulating gene expression and suppressing spurious transcription. Up to now, the importance of epigenetic marks in the regulation of Pax7 and myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) expression is far less explored. In the present study, semi-quantitative the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses showed MyoD and Myf5 were expressed in activated and quiescent C2C12 cells. MyoG was expressed in a later stage of myogenesis. Pax7 was weakly expressed in differentiated C2C12 cells. To further understand the regulation of expression of these genes, the DNA methylation status of Pax7, MyoD, and Myf5 was determined by bisulfite sequencing PCR. During the C2C12 myoblasts fusion process, the changes of promoter and exon 1 methylation of Pax7, MyoD, and Myf5 genes were observed. In addition, an inverse relationship of low methylation and high expression was found. These results suggest that DNA methylation may be an important mechanism regulating Pax7 and MRFs transcription in cell myogenic differentiation.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.167-172
• /
• 2001

Nebulin is an approximately 700 kDa filamentous protein in vertebrate skeletal muscle. It binds to the Z line and also binds side-by-side to the entire thin actin filament in a sarcomere. The correlation of nebulin size with thin filament length have led to the suggestion that nebulin acts as a molecular ruler for the length of thin filaments. The C-terminal part of human nebulin is anchored in the sarcomeric Z-disk and contains an SH3 domain. SH3 domains have been identified in an ever-increasing number of proteins important for a wide range of cellular processes, from signal transduction to cytoskeleton assembly and membrane localization. However, the exact physiological role of SH3 domains remains, in many cases, unclear. To explore the role of nebulin SH3 in the cytoskeletal rearrangement that accompanies myoblast differentiation, we transfected sense and antisense nebulin SH3 domain fused to enhanced green fluorescent protein in myoblast. Cells expressing nebulin SH3 fragment showed decrease of cell-cell adhesion, and cells transfected with antisense nebulin SH3 gene showed a rounded cell morphology and loss of cell-matrix adhesion. No alteration in cell shape and differentiation were observed in control cells expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein. Perturbation of nebulin altered the cell shape and disrupted cell adhesion in myoblast, demonstrating that nebulin can affect cytoskeleton rearrangement.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.196-203
• /
• 2013

Recent accumulating studies have reported that hypoxic preconditioning during ex vivo expansion enhanced the self-renewal or differentiation of various stem cells and provide an important strategy for the adequate modulation of oxygen in culture conditions, which might increase the functional bioactivity of these cells for cardiac regeneration. In this study, we proposed a novel priming protocol to increase the functional bioactivity of cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) for the treatment of cardiac regeneration. Firstly, patient-derived c-$kit^+$ CPCs isolated from the atrium of human hearts by enzymatic digestion and secondly, pivotal target molecules identified their differentiation into specific cell lineages. We observed that hCPCs, in response to hypoxia, strongly activated ERK phosphorylation in ex vivo culture conditioning. Interestingly, pre-treatment with an ERK inhibitor, U0126, significantly enhanced cellular proliferation and tubular formation capacities of CPCs. Furthermore, we observed that hCPCs efficiently maintained the expression of the c-kit, a typical stem cell marker of CPCs, under both hypoxic conditioning and ERK inhibition. We also show that hCPCs, after preconditioning of both hypoxic and ERK inhibition, are capable of differentiating into smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and cardiomyocytes (CMs), but not endothelial cells (ECs), as demonstrated by the strong expression of ${\alpha}$-SMA, Nkx2.5, and cTnT, respectively. From our results, we conclude that the functional bioactivity of patient-derived hCPCs and their ability to differentiate into SMCs and CMs can be efficiently increased under specifically defined culture conditions such as short-term hypoxic preconditioning and ERK inhibition.