• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 2019

Drosophila melanogaster (fruits fly) is a representative model system widely used in biological studies because its brain function and basic cellular processes are similar to human beings. The whole head of the fly is often used to obtain the key function in brain-related diseases like degenerative brain diseases; however the biomolecular distribution of the head may be slightly different from that of a brain. Herein, lipid profiles of the head and dissected brain samples of Drosophila were studied using electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). According to the sample types, the detection of phospholipid ions was suppressed by triacylglycerol (TAG), or the specific phospholipid signals that are absent in the mass spectrum were measured. The lipid distribution was found to be different in the wild-type and the microRNA-14 deficiency model ($miR-14{\Delta}^1$) with abnormal lipid metabolism. A few phospholipids were also profiled by comparison of the head and the brain in two fly model systems. The mass spectra showed that the phospholipid distributions in the $miR-14{\Delta}^1$ model and the wild-type were different, and principal component analysis revealed a correlation between some phospholipids (phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), and phosphatidylserine (PS)) in $miR-14{\Delta}^1$. The overall results suggested that brain-related lipids should be profiled using fly samples after dissection for more accurate analysis.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.219-226
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• 2023

Furanocoumarin 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) is the parent compound that naturally occurs in traditional medicinal plants used historically. 8-MOP has been employed as a photochemotherapeutic component of Psoralen + Ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy for the treatment of vitiligo and psoriasis. Although the role of 8-MOP in PUVA therapy has been studied, little is known about the effects of 8-MOP alone on human gastric cancer cells. In this study, we observed anti-proliferative effect of 8-MOP in several human cancer cell lines. Among these, the human gastric cancer cell line SNU1 is the most sensitive to 8-MOP. 8-MOP treated SNU1 cells showed G1-arrest by upregulating p53 and apoptosis by activating caspase-3 in a dose-dependent manner, which was confirmed by loss-of-function analysis through the knockdown of p53-siRNA and inhibition of apoptosis by Z-VAD-FMK. Moreover, 8-MOP-induced apoptosis is not associated with autophagy or necrosis. The signaling pathway responsible for the effect of 8-MOP on SNU1 cells was confirmed to be related to phosphorylated PI3K, ERK2, and STAT3. In contrast, 8-MOP treatment decreased the expression of the typical metastasis-related proteins MMP-2, MMP-9, and Snail in a p53-independent manner. In accordance with the serendipitous findings, treatment with 8-MOP decreased the wound healing, migration, and invasion ability of cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, combination treatment with 8-MOP and gemcitabine was effective at the lowest concentrations. Overall, our findings indicate that oral 8-MOP has the potential to treat early human gastric cancer, with fewer side effects.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.3.1-3.12
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• 2022

Background: Domestic yaks are the most important livestock species on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Adult female yaks normally breed in the warm season (July to September) and enter anestrous in the cold season (November to April). Nevertheless, it is unclear how ovarian activity is regulated at the molecular level. Objectives: The peculiarities of yak reproduction were assessed to explore the molecular mechanism of postpartum anestrus ovaries in yaks after pregnancy and parturition. Methods: Sixty female yaks with calves were observed under natural grazing in Haiyan County, Qinghai Province. Three yak ovaries in pregnancy and postpartum anestrus were collected. RNA sequencing and quantitative proteomics were employed to analyze the pregnancy and postpartum ovaries after hypothermia to identify the genes and proteins related to the postpartum ovarian cycle. Results: The results revealed 841 differentially expressed genes during the postpartum hypoestrus cycle; 347 were up-regulated and 494 genes were down-regulated. Fifty-seven differential proteins were screened: 38 were up-regulated and 19 were down-regulated. The differential genes and proteins were related to the yak reproduction process, rhythm process, progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation, PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway categories. Conclusions: Transcriptome and proteomic sequencing approaches were used to investigate postpartum anestrus and pregnancy ovaries in yaks. The results confirmed that BHLHE40, SF1IX1, FBPX1, HSPCA, LHCGR, BMP15, and ET-1R could affect postpartum hypoestrus and control the state of estrus.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.493-505
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• 2023

In recent years, an increasing number of reports have explored the wound healing mechanism of these two traditional Chinese herbal medicines- Panax ginseng and Panax notoginseng, but there is no systematic research on the related core functions and different mechanisms in the treatment of wound healing up to now. Based on network pharmacology and meta-analysis, the present work aimed to comprehensively review the commonality and diversity of P. ginseng and P. notoginseng in wound healing. In this study, a wound healing-related "ingredients-targets" network of two herbs was constructed. Thereafter, meta-analysis of the multiple target lists by Metascape showed that these two medicines significantly regulated blood vessel development, responses to cytokines and growth factors and oxygen levels, cell death, cell proliferation and differentiation, and cell adhesion. To better understand the discrepancy between these two herbs, it was found that common signaling pathways including Rap1, PI3K/AKT, MAPK, HIF-1 and Focal adhesion regulated the functions listed above. In parallel, the different pathways including renin-angiotensin system, RNA transport and circadian rhythm, autophagy, and the different metabolic pathways may also explained the discrepancies in the regulation of the above-mentioned functions, consistent with the Traditional Chinese Medicine theory about the effects of P. ginseng and P. notoginseng.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1437-1444
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• 2017

Sargassum macrocarpum is a widely distributed marine brown algae found in the North Pacific. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of an ethanol extract of S. macrocarpum (EESM). First, we investigated the anti-inflammatory activities of EESM in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. EESM treatment suppressed nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) production and inhibited the expressions of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) at the mRNA and protein levels. In addition, the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) and interleukin-1 beta ($IL-1{\beta}$), was decreased in a dose dependent manner. Investigation of the signaling pathways of nuclear factor kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$), phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt, and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) revealed suppression of $NF-{\kappa}B$ translocation from the cytosol to nucleus by EESM treatment. The phosphorylation of the Akt and ERK proteins was also inhibited by EESM treatment. EESM treatment also stimulated the expression of the heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) enzyme and its upstream transcription factor, nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). These results suggest that EESM has anti-inflammatory activity and could have potential uses in the field of nutraceuticals.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.107-113
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• 2013

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is a member of serine protease inhibitor family, which regulates the activity of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). In CNS, tPA/PAI-1 activity is involved in the regulation of a variety of cellular processes such as neuronal development, synaptic plasticity and cell survival. To gain a more insights into the regulatory mechanism modulating tPA/PAI-1 activity in brain, we investigated the effects of proteasome inhibitors on tPA/PAI-1 expression and activity in rat primary astrocytes, the major cell type expressing both tPA and PAI-1. We found that submicromolar concentration of MG132, a cell permeable peptide-aldehyde inhibitor of ubiquitin proteasome pathway selectively upregulates PAI-1 expression. Upregulation of PAI-1 mRNA as well as increased PAI-1 promoter reporter activity suggested that MG132 transcriptionally increased PAI-1 expression. The induction of PAI-1 downregulated tPA activity in rat primary astrocytes. Another proteasome inhibitor lactacystin similarly increased the expression of PAI-1 in rat primary astrocytes. MG132 activated MAPK pathways as well as PI3K/Akt pathways. Inhibitors of these signaling pathways reduced MG132-mediated upregulation of PAI-1 in varying degrees and most prominent effects were observed with SB203580, a p38 MAPK pathway inhibitor. The regulation of tPA/PAI-1 activity by proteasome inhibitor in rat primary astrocytes may underlie the observed CNS effects of MG132 such as neuroprotection.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1701-1707
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• 2005

This study deals with the characterization of porcine PIK3C3 and association tests with quantitative traits. PIK3C3 belongs to the class 3 PI3Ks that participate in the regulation of hepatic glucose output, glycogen synthase, and antilipolysis in typical insulin target cells such as those in the such as liver, muscle system, and fat. On the analysis of full-length mRNA sequence, the length of the PIK3C3 CDS was recorded as 2,664 bps. As well, nucleotide and amino acid identities between human and pig subjects were 92% and 99%, respectively. Five SNPs were detected over 5 exons. We performed genotyping by using a SNP C2604T on exon24 for 145 F$_2$ animals (from a cross between Korean native boars and Landrace sows) by PCR-RFLP analysis with Hpy8I used to investigate the relationship between growth and fat depot traits. In the total association analysis, which doesn' consider transmission disequilibrium, the SNP showed a significant effect (p<0.05) on body weight and carcass fat at 30 weeks of age as well as a highly significant effect (p<0.01) on back fat. In an additional sib-pair analysis, C allele still showed positive and significant effects (p<0.05) on back fat thickness and carcass fat. Moreover, the effects of C allele on the means of within-family components for carcass fat and back fat were estimated as 2.76 kg and 5.07 mm, respectively. As a result, the SNP of porcine PIK3C3 discovered in this study could be utilized as a possible genetic marker for the selection of pigs that possess low levels of back fat and carcass fat at the slaughter weight.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.648-657
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• 2015

H9, a novel herbal extract, demonstrated cytotoxicity in A549 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines. In this study, we investigated whether H9, and/or co-treatment with an anticancer drug, pemetrexed (PEM), inhibited tumor growth in BALB/c nude mice models bearing A549 NSCLC cells. The mice were separated into groups and administered H9 and PEM for 2 weeks. Protein and mRNA levels were detected using western blotting and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, respectively; immunohistochemistry (IHC) was also performed on the tumor tissues. H9 and co-treatment with PEM induced the cleavage of proapoptotic factors, such as caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, and poly(ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP). Expression levels of cell-death receptors involving Fas/FasL, TNF-related apoptosisinducing ligands (TRAIL), and TRAIL receptors were increased by H9 and co-treatment with PEM. Furthermore, analysis of levels of cell-cycle modulating proteins indicated that tumor cells were arrested in the G1/S phase. In addition, the phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt survival signaling pathways were inhibited by H9 and co-treatment with PEM. In conclusion, H9 and co-treatment with PEM inhibited tumor growth in BALB/c nude mice models bearing A549 NSCLC cells. These results indicate that H9 and co-treatment with PEM can be used as an anticancer therapy in NSCLC.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.46 no.12
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• pp.742-754
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• 2008

이 연구의 목적은 초기 및 중등도 치주염 환자에서 전동칫솔을 사용할 경우 임상 지수의 향상 정도와 치주원인균의 정량적 감소 효과를 12주의 연구 기간 동안 평가하는 것이다. $25{\sim}55$세의 환자 80명을 대상으로 12주 동안 진행하였으며, 치태지수 0.5 이상, 치은지수 0.5 이상을 나타내는 대상에서 일반 칫솔 혹은 전동칫솔 ($Sonicare^{(R)}$ Elite, Philips Oral Healthcare Inc., Snoqualmie, Washington, USA) 사용 군을 임의로 선정하였다. 하루 2회, 매 회 2분 간 사용하고, 각 군의 칫솔 사용을 교육하였다. 임상지수는 치태지수 (PI; Silness & $L{\ddot{o}}e$), 치은지수 (GI; $L{\ddot{o}}e$ & Silness), 탐침 후 출혈 부위 (%), 치주낭 깊이 부착소실을 초진 1, 4, 12주에 측정하였다. Interleukin-1 (IL-1), MMP-8과 치은연하치태샘플에서 채취한 4 종류의 치주원인균 (Actinomyces visco년, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Streptococcus sanguis, Tannerella forsythensis)에 대한 16S rRNA test는 초진, 1주, 12주에 측정하였다. 측정 결과 전동칫솔과 일반 칫솔 모두 임상지수의 유의한 감소가 나타났으며, 치은지수는 일반칫솔에 비해 전동칫솔에서 감소효과가 통계적으로 더 우수하게 나타났다 (p<0.001). 탐침 후 출혈의 감소는 전동칫솔에서 76.73%, 일반칫솔에서 44.57% 정도로 전동칫솔 군이 더 우수하게 나타났다. 치주낭 깊이 감소는 초진에 비해 전동칫솔 군에서 18.55%, 일반칫솔 군에서 14.81% 정도로 나타났으며, 초진과 비교하였을 때 부착수준의 향상 정도는 전동칫솔 25.24%, 일반 칫솔 16.94% 정도로 두 군 모두 통계적으로 유의하게 개선되었다 (p < 0.001). 두 군 모두 IL-1 beta, MMP-8 농도의 감소가 있었으며, 치주원인균 중 A.viscosus, P.gingivalis, T.forsythensis 역시 두 군 모두에서 초진에 비해 12주에 유의한 감소를 나타내었으나, S.sanguis는 전동칫솔 군에서만 12주에 유의한 감소가 있었다. 이상의 결과에서 12주 간의 연구 기간 동안 초기 및 중등도 치주염 환자에서 소니케어 전동칫솔의 사용은 임상지수 및 치주 원인균 감소에 통계적으로 유의한 개선 효과를 나타내었다.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.461-474
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• 2005

The ultimate goal of periodontal therapy is the regeneration of periodontal tissue and the repair of function. For more than a decade there have been many efforts to develop materials and methods of treatment to promote periodontal tissue regeneration. Recently many efforts are concentrated on the regeneration potential of material used in traditional medicine. Safflower(Carthamus tinctorius L.) seed extract(SSE) have long clinically used in Korea to promote bone formation and prevent osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of SSE on bone formation in human osteoblastic cell line. Human fetal osteoblastic cell line(hFOB 1.19) was cultured with DMEM and SSE($1{\mu}g/ml$, $10{\mu}g/ml$, $100{\mu}g/ml$, $1mg/ml$) at $34^{\cdot}C$ with 5% $CO_2$ in 100% humidity. The proliferation, differentiation of the cell was evaluated by several experiments. Cell proliferation was significantly increased at $10{\mu}g/ml$, $100{\mu}g/ml$, 1mg/ml of SSE after 3 and 7 days incubation(p<0.05). Cell spreading assay was significantly increased at $100{\mu}g/ml$ of SSE after 3 days and $1{\mu}g/ml$, $10{\mu}g/ml$, $100{\mu}g/ml$, 1mg/ml of SSE after 7 days(p<0.05). Alkaline Phosphatase(ALP) level was significantly increased in $10{\mu}g/ml$, $100{\mu}g/ml$, 1mg/ml of SSE(p<0.05). Collagen synthesis was significantly increased at $10{\mu}g/ml$, $100{\mu}g/ml$, 1mg/ml of SSE(p<0.05). A quantified calcium accumulation was significantly increased at $10{\mu}g/ml$, $100{\mu}g/ml$ of SSE(p<0.05). ALP and osteocalcin mRNA was expressed in $100{\mu}g/ml$ of SSE by RT-PCR. These results indicate that SSE are capable of increasing osteoblasts mineralization and may play an important role in bone formation.