• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1543-1548
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• 2007

Recent experiments investigating the analgesic or anti-stress effects of electro-acupuncture provide extensive evidence that opioid or stress hormone system is involved in those effects, respectively. It has been also suggested that opioid or stress hormones modulate long-term memory consolidation or retrieval in animals and human subjects. This article reviews the possibilitythat electroacupuncture can modulate memory consolidation or retrieval. The release of serum cortisol is enhanced or reduced by high-frequency or low-frequency electroacupuncture, respectively. Also the release of beta endorphin and enkephalin is enhanced by low-frequency electroacupuncture and the release of dynorphin is enhanced by high-frequency electroacupunture. The memory consolidation is enhanced by post-training injection of Glucocorticoids, Naloxone or Dynorphin. So this review suggests strongly that memory consolidation can be modulated by electroacupuncture.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2011

Tocopherols belong to the plant-derived poly phenolic compounds known for antioxidant functions in plants and animals. Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) is a common reaction of plant cells in defense-related signal transduction pathways. We report a novel non-antioxidant function of ${\alpha}$-tocopherol in higher plants linking the physiological role of tocopherol with stress signalling pathways. Pre-incubation of a low concentration of $50{\mu}M$ ${\alpha}$-tocopherol negatively interferes with MAPK activation in elicitor-treated tobacco BY2 suspension culture cells and wounded tobacco leaves, whereas pre-incubated BY2 cells with ${\alpha}$-tocopherol phosphate did not show the inhibitory effect on stimuli-induced MAPK activation. The decreased MAPK activity was neither due to a direct inhibitory effect of ${\alpha}$-tocopherol nor due to the induction of an inhibitory or inactivating activity directly affecting MAPK activity. The data support that the target of ${\alpha}$-tocopherol negatively regulates an upstream component of the signaling pathways that leads to stress dependent MAPK activation.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.382-387
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• 2008

It is known that the stable protein 1 (SP1) detected in aspen plants remains soluble upon boiling and that sp1 expression in transgenic aspen is resistant to salt stress. Presently, we analyzed the effect of expression of SP1 in Arabidopsis thaliana plants and their response to high temperature stress. After $45^{\circ}C$ for 16 h, relative to wild type plants, sp1 transgenic plants exhibited stronger growth and were better in several physiological properties including chlorophyII, chlorophyII fluorescence, water content, proline content, and malondialdehyde content. These preliminarily results suggest that the over-expression of SP1 may notably enhance heat-tolerant level of transgenic A. thaliana plants.

• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.8
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• pp.391-397
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• 2013

The ATP-inhibited Plant Mitochondrial $K^+$ Channel ($PmitoK_{ATP}$) was discovered about fifteen years ago in Durum Wheat Mitochondria (DWM). $PmitoK_{ATP}$ catalyses the electrophoretic $K^+$ uniport through the inner mitochondrial membrane; moreover, the co-operation between $PmitoK_{ATP}$ and $K^+/H^+$ antiporter allows such a great operation of a $K^+$ cycle to collapse mitochondrial membrane potential (${\Delta}{\Psi}$) and ${\Delta}pH$, thus impairing protonmotive force (${\Delta}p$). A possible physiological role of such ${\Delta}{\Psi}$ control is the restriction of harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS) production under environmental/oxidative stress conditions. Interestingly, DWM lacking ${\Delta}p$ were found to be nevertheless fully coupled and able to regularly accomplish ATP synthesis; this unexpected behaviour makes necessary to recast in some way the classical chemiosmotic model. In the whole, $PmitoK_{ATP}$ may oppose to large scale ROS production by lowering ${\Delta}{\Psi}$ under environmental/oxidative stress, but, when stress is moderate, this occurs without impairing ATP synthesis in a crucial moment for cell and mitochondrial bioenergetics.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.214-218
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• 2009

The occlusal force of the tooth leads to loss of tooth tissue owing to attrition and abrasion, and may cause abfraction and pathological change of the dentin. Thus, we developed finite element models, examined them by applying ordinary occlusal force, and analyzed the stress distribution. Specimens used were mandibular first premolars from 15 Korean males and 13 females and were made into finite element models from medical images that were obtained using a Micro-CT. We have found that the irregular feature of the tooth is not only useful to masticating and pronouncing as well known, but it is also suitable for protecting inner tissue by dispersing stress and delivering proper pressure to periodontal tissue to continue a physiological action. Also, image analysis could let us know the factor that is the cause of a disorder due to stress concentration in the cervical line. These results are expected to support the field of dental treatment planning, operating procedure and clinical trial, and the advance of technical expertise to develop implants and dentures.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.151-161
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• 2011

Plant proteomics is the large-scale studies of proteins, particularly on their structures and functions, governed by the physiological metabolism of plant cells. With the development of techniques and strategies in proteomics, proteomics approach is moving forward in systems biology handling sophisticated components of major signaling and biochemical pathways in plants responding to their environment. In Korea, pioneers in plant proteomics are trying to catch up with global trends in plant proteomics; these researchers are not only improving existing techniques in protein extraction but also developing new techniques in proteomics context. In the hot field of abiotic and biotic stress proteomics, 29 and 9 out of 74 papers have been published during the review period from 2005 to 2010, respectively. This present review article provides an overview on the output of Korean plant proteomers while paying special attention to both abiotic and biotic stress proteomics.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.147-154
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• 2014

Heat stress is a significant burden to animal production in most areas of the world. Improving our knowledge of physiological and metabolic mechanisms of acclimation may contribute to the development of procedures that may help to maintain health and production efficiency under hot temperature. The effect of Ulmus pumila (UP) extract in inducing Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs) expression in heat-stressed RAW264.7 macrophage cells was investigated. Cell viability assay showed a dose dependent increase in cells after treatment with UP for 24 hours. RT-PCR and western blot analysis showed that increasing concentrations of UP induce the expression of Heat Shock Factor 1 (HSF1) and dose dependently upregulated the expression of Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and Hsp90. LPS-induced nitric oxide was dose-dependently reduced while phagocytic activity greatly recovered with UP treatment. These data demonstrated that UP can be a potential candidate in the development of cytoprotective agent against heat stress.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.536-541
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• 2017

Hyperglycemia found in diabetes mellitus causes several physiological abnormalities including the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and oxidative stress. Accumulation of AGEs and elevation of oxidative stress plays major roles in the development of diabetic complications. Adiponectin secreted from adipocytes is known to improve insulin sensitivity and blood glucose level. Curcumin (CCM), a bioactive component of turmeric, has been reported as a potent antioxidant. Present work aimed to elucidate the roles of CCM in high glucose-induced protein glycation and intracellular events in mature adipocytes. The results demonstrated that CCM inhibited the formation of fluorescent AGEs by approximated 52% at 3 weeks of bovine serum albumin (BSA) glycation with glucose. Correspondingly, CCM decreased the levels of fructosamine and ${\alpha}-dicarbonyl$ compounds during BSA glycation with glucose. These data suggested that CCM might be a new promising anti-glycation agent. Also, CCM reduced high glucose-induced oxidative stress in a dose dependent manner, whereas CCM treatment time-dependently elevated the expression of adiponectin gene in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The findings from this study suggested the possibility of therapeutic use of CCM for the prevention of diabetic complications and obesity-related diseases.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.71-77
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• 2012

Many of biochemical or physiological processes can be regulated by non-coding RNAs as well as coding RNAs in plants, animals and microbes. Recently, many small RNAs including microRNAs (miRNAs) and endogenous small interference RNAs (siRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs have been discovered from ubiquitous organisms including plants. Biotic and abiotic stresses are main causal agents of crop losses all over the world. Much efforts have been performed for understanding the complex mechanism of stress responses. Up to date, many of these researches have been related with the identification and investigation of stress-related proteins, showing limitation to resolve the complex mechanism. Recently, non-coding RNAs as well as coding genes have been gradually interested because of its potential roles in plant stress responses as well as other biophysical aspects. In this review, various potential roles of non-coding RNAs, especially miRNAs and siRNAs, are reviewed in relation with plant biotic and abiotic stresses.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 2020

Several recent studies have reported that reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), play important roles in various cellular signaling networks. NADPH oxidase (Nox) isozymes have been shown to mediate receptor-mediated ROS generation for physiological signaling processes involved in cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and fibrosis. Detectable intracellular levels of ROS can be induced by the electron leakage from mitochondrial respiratory chain as well as by activation of cytochrome p450, glucose oxidase and xanthine oxidase, leading to oxidative stress. The up-regulation and the hyper-activation of NADPH oxidases (Nox) also likely contribute to oxidative stress in pathophysiologic stages. Elevation of the renal ROS level through hyperglycemia-mediated Nox activation results in the oxidative stress which induces a damage to kidney tissues, causing to diabetic nephropathy (DN). Nox inhibitors are currently being developed as the therapeutics of DN. In this review, we summarize Nox-mediated ROS generation and development of Nox inhibitors for therapeutics of DN treatment.