• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.447-454
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• 1995

Cytokine release from alveolar macrophages and subsequent interaction of these cytokines with the bronchial epithelium can induce epithelial cells to release inflammatory mediators. Nitric oxide(NO), a highly reactive gas formed from arginine by nitric oxide synthase(NOS), is known to be involved in inflammation and edema formation, and the inducible form of NOS(iNOS) can be increased by cytokines. In this context, we hypothesized that lung epithelial cells could be stimulated by cytokines released by alveolar macrophages to express iNOS. To test this hypothesis, the murine lung epithelial cell line, LA-4, or the human lung epithelial cell line, A549, were stimulated with culture supernatant fluids from alveolar macrophages. NO production was assessed by evaluating the culture supernatant fluids for nitrite and nitrate, the stable end products of NO. Both murine and human cell culture supernatant fluids demonstrated an increase in nitrite and nitrate which were time- and dose-dependent and attenuated by $TNF{\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$ antibodies(p<0.05, all comparisons). Consistent with these observations, cytomix a combination of $TNF{\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$, and $\gamma$-interferon, stimulated the lung epithelial cell lines as well as primary cultures of human bronchial epithelial cells to increase their NO production as evidenced by an increase in nitrite and nitrate in their culture supernatant fluids, an increase in the iNOS staining by immunocytochemistry, and an increase in iNOS mRNA by Northern blottin(p<0.05, all comparisons). The cytokine effects on iNOS were all attenuated by dexamethasone. To determine if these in vitro observations are reflected in vivo, exhaled NO was measured and found to be increased in asthmatics not receiving corticosteroids. These data demonstrate that alveolar macrophage derived cytokines increase iNOS expression in lung epithelial cells and that these in vitro observations are mirrored by increased exhaled NO levels in asthmatics. Increased NO in the lung may contribute to edema formation and airway narrowing.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.605-614
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• 2005

Objectives : Ojawhan was formulated to contain various natural products known to cure erectile dysfunction. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of Ojawhan on the nitric oxide synthase(NOS) activity, nitrite level, antioxidation and erectile responses in rat's corpus cavernosum penis. Methods : Ojawhan was washed, dried in the shade and crushed. The crushed Ojawhan ,was extracted 3 times, each time with 3 volumes of methyl alcohol at $60^{\circ}C$ for 24 h. The extract was filtered and evaporated under a reduced pressure using a rotary evaporator to yield 62g. Ojawhan extract oral-administered 100 mg per 1 kg of body weight for 30 days. First, samples were treated with Ojawhan, then ethanol-treated rats and L-N-Nitroarginine methyl ester(L-NAME) treated rats were put with the samples. Result : The level of urethral lipid peroxide in the ethanol-Ojawhan double administered rats was decreased as low as in the normal group, while the one in the ethanol-treated group was increased. The urethral NOS activity, the level of urethral nitrite, the level of testosterone and the erectile response to cavernous nerve stimulation in the ethanol-Ojawhan double administered rats were increased as high as in the normal group while the one in the ethanol-treated group was decreased. The electile response to cavernous nerve stimulation and the level of nitrite in L-NAME ($10^{-4}$)-treated rats was restored by the administration of Ojawhan as high as in the normal group. Conclusions : Ojawhan was effective in restoring the ethanol-induced or L-NAME-induced erectile dysfunction in rats.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.234-241
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• 2011

Mantidis Vagina Ovorum was formulated to contain various natural products known to cure erectile dysfunction. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of Mantidis Vagina Ovorum on the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, nitrite level, antioxidation and erectile responses in rat's corpus cavernosum penis. The crushed Mantidis Vagina Ovorum was extracted 3 times, each time with 3 volumes of methyl alcohol at $60^{\circ}C$ for 24 h. The extract was filtered and evaporated under a reduced pressure using a rotary evaporator to yield 16.6 g. Mantidis Vagina Ovorum extract oral-administered 75 mg per 1 kg of body weight for 30 days. First, samples were treated with Mantidis Vagina Ovorum, and then cimetidine-treated rats and L-N-Nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME) treated rats were put with the samples. The level of urethral lipid peroxide in the cimetidine-Mantidis Vagina Ovorum double administered rats was decreased as low as in the normal group, while the one in the cimetidine-treated group was increased. The urethral NOS activity, the level of urethral nitrite, the level of testosterone and the electile response to cavernous nerve stimulation in the cimetidine-Mantidis Vagina Ovorum double administered rats were increased as high as in the normal group while the one in the cimetidine-treated group was decreased. The electile response to cavernous nerve stimulation and the level of nitrite in L-NAME ($10^{-4}$)-treated rats was restored by the administration of Mantidis Vagina Ovorum as high as in the normal group. Mantidis Vagina Ovorum was effective in restoring the cimetidine-induced or L-NAME-induced erectile dysfunction in rats.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.300-306
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• 2000

The rate of apparent nitric oxide (NO) release, as measured in the exhaust gas of green alga, Scenedesmus obliquus, depended on the light intensity and pH. It doubled after lowering the temperature from $25^{\circ}C{\;}to{\;}15^{\circ}C$ and strongly decreased from $35^{\circ}C{\;}to{\;}42^{\circ}C$. The Scenedesmus cells, deficient in nitrogen or phosphorus, demonstrated a significant increase in NO production following their transfer to nitrate- and phosphate-rich media. The addition of herbicides (DCMU and glyphosate) or toxic concentrations of $Cu^{2+}{\;}or{\;}Fe^{3+}$ produced strong NO peaks, resembling those that occurred after sudden darkening. An increase in the $Ni^{2+}$ concentration to 20 ppm resulted in a gradual increase of NO release from the initial ~1.5 ppbv to>20 ppbv, whereas $Cd^{2+}$ instantaneously suppressed the NO by the cultures of Scenedesmus was not altered by L-NNA, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), or by its substrate, L-arginine. This seems to exclude the role of NOS in the NO formation under study. Accordingly, it can be assumed that the rate of NO formation is mainly a function of dynamic nitrite pool sizes and environmental factors significantly affect the NO production in algae.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.2072-2076
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• 2014

Sub-micrometer size gold particles were electrodeposited on a transparent fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) from acetonitrile solution containing $AuCl_4{^-}$ and tetramethylammonium tetraflouroborate (TMATFB) for detecting $NO_2{^-}$. A series of two-electron ($2e^-$) and one-electron ($1e^-$) reductions of the $AuCl_4{^-}-AuCl_2{^-}-Au$ redox systems were observed at FTO and a highly stable and homogeneous distribution of Au on FTO (Au/FTO) was obtained by stepping the potential from 0 to -0.55 V (vs. Ag/$Ag^+$). The Au/FTO electrode exhibited sufficiently high catalytic activity toward the oxidation of $NO_2{^-}$ with a detection limit (S/N = 3) and sensitivity of 2.95 ${\mu}M$ and 223.4 ${\mu}A{\cdot}cm^{-2}{\cdot}mM^{-1}$, respectively, under optimal conditions. It exhibited an interference-free signal for $NO_2{^-}$ detection with excellent recoveries from real samples.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.312-319
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• 2015

In this study, n-butanol and ethyl acetate extracts were prepared from raw yam (Dioscorea batatas DECNE.). Their antioxidative potencies were investigated employing various in vitro methods, such as ferrous ion chelating, ${\beta}$-carotene bleaching assay, lipid peroxidation inhibition and nitric oxide (NO) radical scavenging and nitrite scavenging activity. The n-butanol fraction was assayed to possess stronger antioxidant activity by ${\beta}$-carotene bleaching assay, lipid peroxidation inhibition and NO radical scavenging activity. However, ethyl acetate extract was more effective in chelating ferrous ion and scavenging nitrite. Based on the results obtained, yam is a potential active ingredient that could be applied in antioxidation as well as bio-health functional food to take a good part in prevention of human diseases and aging.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.343-351
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• 2001

This study was undertaken to investigate the mechanism of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and nitric oxide (NO) as a regulator of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. VSMC was primarily cultured from rat aorta and confirmed by the immunocytochemistry with anti-smooth muscle myosin antibody. The number of viable VSMCs were counted, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was measured to assess the degree of cell death. Concentrations of nitrite in the culture medium were measured as an indicator of NO production. LPS was introduced into the medium to induce the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in VSMC, and Western blot for iNOS protein and RT-PCR for iNOS mRNA were performed to confirm the presence of iNOS. Inhibitors of iNOS and soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and L-arginine were employed to observe the action of LPS on the iNOS-NO-cGMP signalling pathway. LPS and SNP decreased number of VSMCs and increased the nitrite concentration in the culture medium, but there was no significant change in LDH activity. A cell permeable cGMP derivative, 8-Bromo-cGMP, decreased the number of VSMCs with no significant change in LDH activity. L-arginine, an NO substrate, alone tended to reduce cell count without affecting nitrite concentration or LDH level. Aminoguanidine, an iNOS specific inhibitor, inhibited LPS-induced reduction of cell numbers and reduced the nitrite concentration in the culture medium. LY 83583, a guanylate cyclase inhibitor, suppressed the inhibitory actions of LPS and SNP on VSMC proliferation. LPS increased amounts of iNOS protein and iNOS mRNA in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that LPS inhibits the VSMC proliferation via production of NO by inducing iNOS gene expression. The cGMP which is produced by subsequent activation of guanylate cyclase would be a major mediator in the inhibitory action of iNOS-NO signalling on VSMC proliferation.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 1998

The changes of contents of trimethylamine oxide nitrogen (TMAO-N), trimethylamine nitrogen (TMA-N), dimethylamine nitrogen (DMA-N), nitrite nitrogen (nitrite-N), nitrate nitrogen (nitrate-N) and N-nitrosamine (NA) of salt-fermented small shrimp were investigated during fermentation. The contents of TMAO-N decreased, while TMA-N and DMA-N increased during fermentation in all samples. Contents of nitrite-N decreased in the samples supplemented with sodium nitrite during fermentation, whereas the formation of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) increased. Treatment of ascorbic acid revealed inhibiting effort on NDMA formation compared with the control. The model system was used for the evaluation of ascorbic acid (inhibitor) or thiocyanate (promoter) on the formation of NDMA using salt-fermented small shrimp supplemented with sodium nitrite, The optimum pH for the formation of NDMA was 3.5, and ascorbic acid inhibited the formation of NDMA whereas thiocyanate promoted.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.333-337
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• 2003

This study was conducted to estimate the biofunctional characteristics, namely nitrite scavenging effect of barley leaves (BL) and their mixture (AM) with other antioxidants. Aqueous or methanol extracts were obtained from BL and AM. Aqueous and methanol extracts from barley leaves had relatively higher nitrite scavenging effects and its activities and contents increased in a concentration-dependent manner. The activities and contents of methanol extracts obtained from BL and AM were higher than those of aqueous extracts. Especially, AM containing BL and other antioxidant mixture had the highest activities and contents increased in a concentration-dependent manner. BL or AM were added to macrophage cells of RAW 264.7. Survival rates of the cells treated with BL and AM were measured to be different. $IC_{50}$ value decreased in a concentration-dependent manner by the addition of aqueous or methanol extracts from BL and AM. Especially, methanol extracts of AM had the highest nitrite scavenging effects. Thus, BL and AM may have protective effect against carcinogen and immune ability against reactive molecules through NO (nitric oxide) signal pathway. From the above results, barley leaves appear to contain natural anticancer and immune-related agents and may have potentiality to be used as functional food ingredients.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.512-526
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• 2020

Synthetic nitrite is considered an undesirable preservative for meat products; thus, controlling synthetic nitrite concentrations is important from the standpoint of food safety. We investigated 1,000 species of microorganisms from various kimchi preparations for their potential use as a starter culture for the production of nitrites. We used 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis to select a starter culture with excellent nitrite and nitric oxide productivity, which we subsequently identified as Staphylococcus hominis subspecies hominis WiKim0113. That starter culture was grown in NaCl (up to 9%; w/v) at 10℃-40℃; its optimum growth was observed at 30℃ at pH 4.0-10.0. It exhibited nonproteolytic activity and antibacterial activity against Clostridium perfringens, a bacterium that causes food poisoning symptoms. Analysis of Staphylococcus hominis subspecies hominis WiKim0113 with an API ZYM system did not reveal the presence of β-glucuronidase, and tests of the starter culture on 5% (v/v) sheep blood agar showed no hemolytic activity. Our results demonstrated the remarkable stability of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus hominis subspecies hominis WiKim0113, especially in strain negative for staphylococcal enterotoxins and sensitive to clinically relevant antibiotics. Moreover, Staphylococcus hominis subspecies hominis WiKim0113 exhibited a 45.5% conversion rate of nitrate to nitrite, with nitrate levels reduced to 25% after 36 h of culturing in the minimal medium supplemented with nitrate (200 ppm). The results clearly demonstrated the safety and utility of Staphylococcus hominis subspecies hominis WiKim0113, and therefore its suitability as a starter culture.