• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.39 no.6
• /
• pp.269-273
• /
• 2013

Objectives: This study is designed to evaluate the mechanical stability of orthodontic mini-implants with vertical grooves in rabbits. Materials and Methods: This study was done from March 2011 to February 2012 in Dental Research Institute of Seoul National University. Thirty-two mini-implants in the control group and 32 in the rotation bump (RB) group were inserted in the tibias of 16 rabbits and were removed after two weeks and four weeks, respectively. The maximum insertion torque (MIT), maximum removal torque (MRT), torque ratio (TR) of MRT to MIT and removal angular momentum (RAM) were all measured at the time of removal. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups in MIT and MRT at two weeks or four weeks. However, TR and RAM at four weeks in the RB group were significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.05). TR of the RB group was significantly increased at four weeks (P<0.05). In both groups, RAM at four weeks was significantly higher than at two weeks (P<0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that RB of the mini-implant could provide resistance to the removal rotation, although it did not increase the MRT.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.49 no.1
• /
• pp.18-27
• /
• 2016

Purpose: Our previous study demonstrated the hypoglycemic effects of mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaf and the underlying mechanisms. Here we explored the potency of mulberry twigs (TW) and root barks (RB) in postprandial hypoglycemic effects in vitro and in vivo. Methods: The major components of TW and RB were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Alpha-glucosidase inhibition and glucose/fructose uptake inhibition in Caco-2 cells were determined for TW, RB, and their major components, followed by an oral sugar tolerance test (OSTT) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Male Wistar rats were fed a high-fat diet for 2 weeks and then a single dose of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg B.W) was administered by intraperitoneal injection. Rats with fasting blood glucose levels above 126 mg/dL were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 8/group) for the following treatments by gavage for 4 weeks: vehicle (normal control and diabetic control), 200 mg/kg B.W of TW or RB or 100 mg/kg B.W of oxyresveratrol (OXY). Results: OXY and mulberroside A were identified as the major components of TW and OXY, mongolicin, and kuwanon H for RB. A significant inhibitory activity on ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ was found for TW, RB, and OXY (p = 0.0099). There was a dose-dependent inhibition of TW and RB on the intestinal sugar uptakes in Caco-2 cells, showing a greater impact on fructose compared to glucose. The OSTT showed that TW and RB significantly delayed time to maximal concentration (p = 0.0088) and decreased maximal concentration (p = 0.0043) compared to the control group. Conclusion: These results suggest that TW and RB may have a postprandial hypoglycemic effect, particularly in the case of high fructose or sucrose intake. OXY was suggested as a contributor to the hypoglycemic effect of TW and RB. Further studies are needed for the systemic effect of TW and RB in circulation.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.26 no.9
• /
• pp.1015-1021
• /
• 2016

5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a pyrimidine analog, is a widely used anticancer drug, which works through irreversible inhibition of thymidylate synthase. In the present study, it was investigated the anti-proliferative effects and molecular mechanisms of 5-FU using Ewing's Sarcoma CHP-100 Cells. The present data indicated that treatment of 5-FU to CHP-100 cells induced a G1 phase arrest of the cell cycle in a time-dependent manner. 5-FU-induced G1 arrest was correlated with the accumulation of the hypophosphorylated form of the retinoblastoma protein (pRB) and association of pRB with the transcription factors E2F-1 and E2F-4. Although 5-FU treatment did affect the levels of cyclin-dependent kinases, the levels of cyclin A and B were markedly down-regulated as compared with the untreated control group. In addition, 5-FU-induced G1 arrest of CHP-100 cells was also associated with the induction of apoptosis, as determined by apoptotic cell morphologies, degradation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and Annexin V staining. Furthermore, 5-FU induced the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential with up-regulated pro-apoptotic Bax expression, down-regulated anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression and cytochrome c release from mitochondria to cytosol. Collectively, the data suggest that 5-FU is effective in inducing cell growth reduction and apoptosis, in part, by reducing phosphorylation of pRB and activating mitochondrial dysfunction in CHP-100 cells.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.221-229
• /
• 2015

Background: Minor ginsenosides, those having low content in ginseng, have higher pharmacological activities. To obtain minor ginsenosides, the biotransformation of American ginseng protopanaxadiol (PPD)-ginsenoside was studied using special ginsenosidase type-I from Aspergillus niger g.848. Methods: DEAE (diethylaminoethyl)-cellulose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were used in enzyme purification, thin-layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used in enzyme hydrolysis and kinetics; crude enzyme was used in minor ginsenoside preparation from PPD-ginsenoside; the products were separated with silica-gel-column, and recognized by HPLC and NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance). Results: The enzyme molecular weight was 75 kDa; the enzyme firstly hydrolyzed the C-20 position 20-O-${\beta}$-D-Glc of ginsenoside Rb1, then the C-3 position 3-O-${\beta}$-D-Glc with the pathway $Rb1{\rightarrow}Rd{\rightarrow}F2{\rightarrow}C-K$. However, the enzyme firstly hydrolyzed C-3 position 3-O-${\beta}$-D-Glc of ginsenoside Rb2 and Rc, finally hydrolyzed 20-O-L-Ara with the pathway $Rb2{\rightarrow}C-O{\rightarrow}C-Y{\rightarrow}C-K$, and $Rc{\rightarrow}C-Mc1{\rightarrow}C-Mc{\rightarrow}C-K$. According to enzyme kinetics, $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ of Michaelis-Menten equation, the enzyme reaction velocities on ginsenosides were Rb1 > Rb2 > Rc > Rd. However, the pure enzyme yield was only 3.1%, so crude enzyme was used for minor ginsenoside preparation. When the crude enzyme was reacted in 3% American ginseng PPD-ginsenoside (containing Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd) at $45^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.0 for 18 h, the main products were minor ginsenosides C-Mc, C-Y, F2, and C-K; average molar yields were 43.7% for C-Mc from Rc, 42.4% for C-Y from Rb2, and 69.5% for F2 and C-K from Rb1 and Rd. Conclusion: Four monomer minor ginsenosides were successfully produced (at low-cost) from the PPD-ginsenosides using crude enzyme.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.61-66
• /
• 2011

P2Y receptors are metabotropic G-protein-coupled receptors, which are involved in many important biologic functions in the central nervous system including retina. Subtypes of P2Y receptors in retinal tissue vary according to the species and the cell types. We examined the molecular and pharmacologic profiles of P2Y purinoceptors in retinoblastoma cell, which has not been identified yet. To achieve this goal, we used $Ca^{2+}$ imaging technique and western blot analysis in WERI-Rb-1 cell, a human retinoblastoma cell line. ATP ($10\;{\mu}M$) elicited strong but transient $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increase in a concentration dependent manner from more than 80% of the WERI-Rb-1 cells (n=46). Orders of potency of P2Y agonists in evoking $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ transients were 2MeS-ATP>ATP>>UTP=${\alpha}{\beta}$-MeATP, which was compatible with the subclass of $P2Y_1$ receptor. The $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ transients evoked by applications of 2MeS-ATP and/or ATP were also profoundly suppressed in the presence of $P2Y_1$ selective blocker (MRS 2179; $30\;{\mu}M$). $P2Y_1$ receptor expression in WERI-Rb-1 cells was also identified by using western blot. Taken together, $P2Y_1$ receptor is mainly expressed in a retinoblastoma cell, which elicits $Ca^{2+}$ release from internal $Ca^{2+}$ storage sites via the phospholipase C-mediated pathway. $P2Y_1$ receptor activation in retinoblastoma cell could be a useful model to investigate the role of purinergic $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ signaling in neural tissue as well as to find a novel therapeutic target to this lethal cancer.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.49 no.4
• /
• pp.369-376
• /
• 2013

We isolated the ${\beta}$-glucosidase producing bacteria (BGB) in ginseng root system (rhizosphere soil, rhizoplane, inside of root). Phylogenetic analysis of the 28 BGB based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences, BGB from rhizosphere soil belong to genus Stenotrophomonas (3 strains), Bacillus (1 strain), and Pseudoxanthomonas (1 strain). BGB isolates from rhizoplane were Stenotrophomonas (16 strains), Streptomyces (1 strain) and Microbacterium (1 strain). BGB from inside of root were categorized into Stenotrophomonas (3 strains) and Lysobacter (2 strains). Especially, Stenotrophomonas comprised the largest portion (approximately 90%) of total isolates and Stenotrophomonas was a dominant group of the ${\beta}$-glucosidase producing bacteria. We selected strain 4KR4, which had high ${\beta}$-glucosidase activity (108.17 unit), could transform ginsenoside Rb1 into Rd, Rg3, and Rh2 ginsenosides. In determining its relationship on the basis of 16S rRNA sequence, 4KR4 strain was most closely related to Stenotrophomonas rhizophila e-$p10^T$ (AJ293463) (99.62%). Therefore, on the basis of these polyphasic taxonomic evidence, the ginsenoside Rb1 converting bacteria 4KR4 was identified as Stenotrophomonas sp. 4KR4 (=KACC 17635).

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.237-243
• /
• 2004

Background: The normal functions of the cell cycle inhibitor p16INK4a are frequently inactivated in many human cancers. Over 80% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases lack a functional p16/Rb pathway. p16/Rb pathway, as well as p53 pathway, is considered as one of key components of tumor suppression. Methods: To study the roles of p16INK4a in HCC, a stable cell line expressing exogenous p16 was generated from SNU-449 hepatocellular carcinoma cells lacking endogenous p16, and suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was performed in parallel with the control cells. Results: 1) SSH identifies fibronectin (FN1), crystallin ${\alpha}B$ (CRYAB), Rac1, WASP, RhoGEF, and CCT3 as differentially-expressed genes. 2) Among the selected genes, the up-regulation of FN1 and CRYAB was confirmed by Northern blot, RT-PCR and by proteomic methods. Conclusion: These genes are likely to be associated with the induction of stress fiber and stabilization of cytoskeleton. Further studies are required to clarify the possible role of p16 in the signal transduction pathway.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.30 no.7
• /
• pp.985-993
• /
• 2017

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate increasing doses of a novel microbial phytase (Cibenza Phytaverse, Novus International, St. Charles, MO, USA) on standardized total tract digestibility (STTD) of P in canola meal (CM), corn, corn-derived distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS), rice bran (RB), sorghum, soybean meal (SBM), sunflower meal (SFM), and wheat. Methods: Two cohorts of 36 pigs each (initial body weight = $78.5{\pm}3.7kg$) were randomly assigned to 2 rooms, each housing 36 pigs, and then allotted to 6 diets with 6 replicates per diet in a randomized complete block design. Test ingredient was the only dietary source of P and diets contained 6 concentrations of phytase (0, 125, 250, 500, 1,000, or 2,000 phytase units [FTU]/kg) with 0.4% of $TiO_2$ as a digestibility marker. Feeding schedule for each ingredient was 5 d acclimation, 5 d fecal collection, and 4 d washout. The STTD of P increased (linear or exponential $p{\leq}0.001$) with the inclusion of phytase for all ingredients. Results: Basal STTD of P was 37.6% for CM, 37.6% for corn, 68.6% for DDGS, 10.3% for RB, 41.2% for sorghum, 36.7% for SBM, 26.2% for SFM, and 55.1% for wheat. The efficiency of this novel phytase to hydrolyze phytate is best described with a broken-line model for corn, an exponential model for CM, RB, SBM, SFM, and wheat, and a linear model for DDGS and sorghum. Based on best-fit model the phytase dose (FTU/kg) needed for highest STTD of P (%), respectively, was 735 for 64.3% in CM, 550 for 69.4% in corn, 160 for 55.5% in SBM, 1,219 for 57.8% in SFM, and 881 for 64.0% in wheat, whereas a maximum response was not obtained for sorghum, DDGS and RB within the evaluated phytase range of 0 to 2,000 FTU/kg. These differences in the phytase concentration needed to maximize the STTD of P clearly indicate that the enzyme does not have the same hydrolysis efficiency among the evaluated ingredients. Conclusion: Variations in enzyme efficacy to release P from phytate in various feedstuffs need to be taken into consideration when determining the matrix value for phytase in a mixed diet, which likely depends on the type and inclusion concentration of ingredients used in mixed diets for pigs. The use of a fixed P matrix value across different diet types for a given phytase concentration is discouraged as it may result in inaccurate diet formulation.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.273-281
• /
• 2015

The follistatin (FST) gene encodes a monomeric glycoprotein that plays a role in binding and inhibiting the functions of members of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-${\beta}$ superfamily. Thus, FST facilitates a wide variety of functions, ranging from muscle growth, to inflammation and immunity. In this study, we sought to characterize an FST counterpart, RbFST, which was identified from rock bream Oplegnathus fasciatus. The RbFST cDNA sequence (2,419 bp) contains a 933-bp open reading frame (ORF) that encodes a putative amino acid sequence for RbFST (35 kDa). The putative amino acid sequence contains a Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor domain (51-98 residues) and an EF-hand, calcium-binding domain (191-226 residues). Additionally, this sequence shares a high identity (98.7%) with the Siniperca chuatsi FST sequence, with which it also has the closest evolutionary relationship according to a phylogenetic study. Omnipresent distribution of RbFST transcripts were detected in the gill, liver, spleen, head kidney, kidney, skin, muscle, heart, brain, and intestine of healthy animals, with significantly higher expression levels in the heart, followed by the liver tissue. Under pathogenic stress caused by two bacterial pathogens, Streptococcus iniae and Edwardsiella tarda, RbFST transcription was found to be significantly up-regulated. Altogether, our findings suggest the putative role of RbFST in immune related responses against pathogenic infections, further prefiguring its significance in rock bream physiology.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.301-307
• /
• 2011

To evaluate the difference in expressing pharmacological effects of ginseng by intestinal microflora between Koreans, metabolic activities of ginseng, ginsenoside $Rb_1$ and $Rg_1$ by 100 fecal specimens were measured. The ${\beta}$-glucosidase activity for p-nitrophenyl-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranoside was 0 to 0.42 mmol/min/mg and its average activity (mean${\pm}$SD) was $0.10{\pm}0.07$ mmol/min/mg. The metabolic activities of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1 were 0.01 to 0.42 and 0.01 to 0.38 pmol/min/mg, respectively. Their average activities were $0.25{\pm}0.08$ and $0.15{\pm}0.09$ pmol/min/mg, respectively. The compound K-forming activities from ginsenoside Rb1 and ginseng extract were 0 to 0.11 and 0 to 0.02 pmol/min/mg, respectively. Their average compound K-forming activities were $0.24{\pm}0.09$ pmol/min/ mg and $2.14{\pm}3.66$ fmol/min/mg, respectively. These activities all were not different between males and females, or between ages. Although compound K-forming activity from the aqueous extract of ginseng was low compared to that from ginenoside $Rb_1$, their profiles were similar to those of isolated compounds. Based on these findings, we believe that the intestinal bacterial metabolic activities of ginseng components are variable in individuals and may be used as selection markers for responders to ginseng.