• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.156-165
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• 2001

Leptin is a circulating non-glycosylated protein that is mainly produced in adipocytes. Leptin acts in the brain to regulate food intake and energy expenditure. Previously we reported our success in the isolation of a partial cDNA of the long form of the leptin receptor, OB-Rb, from rat spleen, and showed that leptin might also play a role in peripheral immune organs. In the present study, for the first time, the complete coding region of OB-Rb cDNA was cloned from rat splenocytes, and its nucleotide sequence was determined. The cDNA was then further expressed in E. coli and mammalian cells, thereby confirming the functional integrity of this receptor. Prokaryotically overexpressed OB-R protein was then used as an immunizing antigen in BALE/c mice to produce leptin receptor-specific antibodies. By using them, we confirmed the cell surface expression of OB-Rb in transfected CHO cells. It is our belief that the reagents, as produced in this study, will be of great use in further studies of the biological role of rat leptin.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7289-7294
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• 2013

We here document discovery of a new and simple model of tumor seeding involving the mouse peritoneum. Irradiated tumor cells administered by i.p. injection provided effective vaccination against peritoneal carcinomatosis and distal metastasis with colorectal carcinomas. In flow cytometric analysis, CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), which are easy to obtain in the peritoneal cavity, were revealed to have significant differences between immunized and non-immunized mice and these contributed to antitumor responses. We also observed that both serum and peritoneal lavage fluid harvested from immunized mice showed the presence of CT26-specific autoantibodies. In addition, increase in level of TGF-${\beta}1$ and IL-10 in serum but a decrease of TGF-${\beta}1$ in peritoneum was found. Taken together, these findings may provide a new vaccine strategy for the prevention of peritoneal and even systemic metastasis of carcinomas through induction of an autoimmune response in the peritoneum.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.66-69
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• 2012

The immunological death induction by EY-6 on the human tumor cell lines was screened. Human colon carcinoma (HCT15, HCT116), gastric carcinoma (MKN74, SNU668), and myeloma (KMS20, KMS26, KMS34) cells were died by EY-6 treatment with dose-dependent manner. CRT expression, a typical marker for the immunological death, was increased on the EY-6-treated colorectal and gastric cancer cells. Interestingly, the effects on the myeloma cell lines were complicated showing cell line dependent differential modulation. Cytokine secretion from the EY-6 treated tumor cells were dose and cell-dependent. IFN-${\gamma}$ and IL-12 secretion was increased in the treated cells (200% to over 1000% of non-treated control), except HCT116, SNU668 and KMS26 cells which their secretion was declined by EY-6. Data suggest the potential of EY-6 as a new type of immuno-chemotherapeutics inducing tumor-specific cell death. Further studies are planned to confirm the efficacy of EY-6 including in vivo study.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.132-139
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• 2007

A four-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary soybean meal (SBM) and powdered Cheongkukjang (CKJ) on non-specific immune responses of parrotfish Oplegnathus fasciatus. Three isonitrogenous (42% crude protein) and isocaloric (17.1 MJ/kg) diets were formulated to replace fish meal by 0, 25% SBM or 25% CKJ (designated as FM, 25SBM and 25CKJ, respectively). Ninety fish (initial body weight 122 g) were randomly allotted into nine 150 L tanks. One of the three experimental diets was fed to triplicate groups of fish for 4 weeks. After the feeding trial, no differences were observed in growth performances and feed utilization among fish groups. Liver superoxide dismutase activity of the fish fed CKJ containing diet was significantly higher than that of the control groups. DPPH radical scavenging and $Fe^{2+}-chelating$ activities of the experimental diets containing SBM or powdered CKJ were significantly higher than that of the control diet. The results of the present study suggest that dietary inclusion of powdered 25CKJ significantly increased liver superoxide dismutase activity and did not affect the growth performances, feed utilization, morphological parameters, as well as hematological values of parrotfish.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.223-229
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• 2017

Fungal infections by human pathogenic fungi are increasing globally in elderly, children and immune suppressed or deficient patients. Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the well-known pathogenic fungi and causes aspergilloses in human world widely. However, current identification and classification methods based on its phenotypic characteristics still have limitations. Therefore, currently, molecular biological tools using their DNA sequences are used for genotype identification and classification. In the present study, in order to analyze genetic variations of A. fumigatus clinical isolates, a total of six housekeeping genes were amplified by PCR using specific primer pairs and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) assay. Results from phylogenetic tree analysis showed that most A. fumigatus strains (88.9%) from respiratory specimens were classified into cluster A and B, and approximately half of A. fumigatus strains (46%) from non-respiratory specimens were classified into cluster C and D. Although the sample size was limited, genetic characteristics of A. fumigatus clinical isolates according to their origins were very similar and well-correlated with other clinical data.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.19 no.3 s.31
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• pp.118-133
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• 2006

Seborrheic dermatitis is characterized by the appearance of red, flacking, greasy lesions in regions rich in sebaceous glands. There are various opinions about the relation between seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff. Considering all available data, we consider seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff to be differing severity manifestations of similar origin. The known etiologies of seborrheic dermatitis are the abnormality of lipid and hormnes, Malassezia species, immune response. We recently focus on the relation between seborrheic dermatitis and HIV positive and AIDS patients, seborrheic dermatitis and neurological disease. The treatments of seborrheic dermatitis include topical treatments, oral treatments. There are non-specific agents, antifungal medication, corticosteroids in the topical treatments. Narrow band UVB and oral medications are known as the prophylaxis of seborrheic dermatitis but we need further study. In traditional korean medicine, the literature studies and case reports have been published. But we don't know what herbal medicine has antifungal effect against Malassezia species. So we should discriminate herbal medicines which have antifungal effect against Malassezia specieses. Then we could treat seborreic dermatitis by traditional korean medicine effectively.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.165-172
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• 2006

This study was performed to verify the stability and efficacy of Streptococcus iniae formalin killed cells on storage at refrigerator temperature in olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. The vaccines preserved for 6, 12 and 15months showed high stability of potency. The antibody titers and protection efficacy to challenge test were significantly higher in booster immunized groups than prime immunized groups during storage. Especially, above 60% of relative percent survival obtained at low antibody revel in prime immunized groups indicates that innate and non-specific immune system might act against the S. iniae challenged.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.161-166
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• 2015

Early growth response (Egr)-1 is a $Cys_2-His_2-type$ zincfinger transcription factor. It has been shown to induce survival and proliferation of immature and mature B cells, respectively, but its role in the differentiation of B cells into plasma cells remains unclear. To examine the effects of Egr-1 deficiency on the activation of B cells, naive B cells from $Egr1^{-/-}$mice and their wild-type (WT) littermates were activated to proliferate and differentiate, and then assayed by FACS. Proportions of cells undergoing proliferation and apoptosis did not differ between $Egr1^{-/-}$ and WT mice. However, $Egr1^{-/-}$ B cells gave rise to fewer plasma cells than WT B cells. Consistently, $Egr1^{-/-}$ mice produced significantly lower titer of antigen-specific IgG than their WT littermates upon immunization. Our results demonstrate that Egr-1 participates in the differentiation program of B cells into plasma cells, while it is dispensable for the proliferation and survival of mature B cells.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.15.1-15.7
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• 2017

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to study the effect of dietary supplementation of a biofloc powder on growth performance and non-specific immune response of Litopenaeus vannamei. Seven experimental diets were prepared with supplementation of graded levels of dried biofloc powder by 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, and 8.0% (designated as Con, BF0.5, BF1, BF2, BF4, BF6, and BF8, respectively). Triplicate groups of shrimp ($1.01{\pm}0.01g$) were hand-fed with one of the diets four times a day. At the end of the feeding trial, significantly (P<0.05) higher growth performance and feed utilization were obtained in BF4 groups compared to those fed the Con diet. The innate immunity of shrimp was improved by the dietary supplementation of biofloc. Dietary inclusion of biofloc at the level of 4.0% significantly increased disease resistance of shrimp against Vibrio harveyi. The results indicate that biofloc might be used as a dietary supplement for growth performance, innate immunity and disease resistance of Pacific white shrimp.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.991-995
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• 2003

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of unripened fruits and ripened fruits of Rubus coreanus Miquel on murine peritoneal macrophages. The 70% ethyl alcohol extracts (20 or 100 mg/kg) of unripened fruits (RCE-I) and of ripened fruits (RCE-II) were administered p.o. once a day for 7 days to mice. RCE-I and RCE-II decreased the phagocytic activity of murine peritoneal macrophages and the production of nitric oxide. Also, RCE-I and RCE-II increased the production of tumor necrosis factor- a from peritoneal macrophages. In general, the immuno-suppressive action of RCE-I on macrophages was more potent than those of RCE-II. These results suggest that the fruits of Rubus coreanus Miquel regulates the non-specific immune response via decrease of phagocytic activity and increase of production of tumor necrosis factor- a from murine peritoneal macrophages.