• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2007.12a
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• pp.57-58
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• 2007

Purpose: Ginseng is a well-known medical plant used in traditional Oriental medicine. Korean red ginseng (KRG) has been known to have potent biological activities such as radical scavenging, vasodilating, anti-tumor and anti-diabetic activities. However, the mechanism of the beneficial effects of KRG on diabetes is yet to be elucidated. The present study was designed to investigate the anti-diabetic effect and mechanism of KRG extract in C57BL/KsJ db/db mice. Methods: The db/db mice were randomly divided into six groups: diabetic control group (DC), red ginseng extract low dose group (RGL, 100 mg/kg), red ginseng extract high dose group (RGH, 200 mg/kg), metformin group (MET, 300 mg/kg), glipizide group (GPZ, 15 mg/kg) and pioglitazone group (PIO, 30 mg/kg), and treated with drugs once per day for 10 weeks. During the experiment, body weight and blood glucose levels were measured once every week. At the end of treatment, we measured Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), blood glucose, insulin, triglyceride (TG), adiponectin, leptin, non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA). Morphological analyses of liver, pancreas and white adipose tissue were done by histological observation through hematoxylin-eosin staining. Pancreatic islet insulin and glucagon levels were detected by double-immunofluorescence staining. To elucidate an action of mechanism of KRG, DNA microarray analyses were performed, and western blot and RT-PCR were conducted for validation. Results: Compared to the DC group mice, body weight gain of PIO treated group mice showed 15.2% increase, but the other group mice did not showed significant differences. Compared to the DC group, fasting blood glucose levels were decreased by 19.8% in RGL, 18.3% in RGH, 67.7% in MET, 52.3% in GPZ, 56.9% in PIO-treated group. With decreased plasma glucose levels, the insulin resistance index of the RGL-treated group was reduced by 27.7% compared to the DC group. Insulin resistance values for positive drugs were all markedly decreased by 80.8%, 41.1% and 68.9%, compared to that of DC group. HbA1c levels in RGL, RGH, MET, GPZ and PIO-treated groups were also decreased by 11.0%, 6.4%, 18.9%, 16.1% and 27.9% compared to that of DC group, and these figure revealed a similar trend shown in plasma glucose levels. Plasma TG and NEFA levels were decreased by 18.8% and 16.8%, respectively, and plasma adiponectin and leptin levels were increased by 20.6% and 12.1%, respectively, in the RGL-treated group compared to those in DC group. Histological analysis of the liver of mice treated with KRG revealed a significantly decreased number of lipid droplets compared to the DC group. The control mice exhibited definitive loss and degeneration of islet, whereas mice treated with KRG preserved islet architecture. Compared to the DC group mice, KRG resulted in significant reduction of adipocytes. From the pancreatic islet double-immunofluorescence staining, we observed KRG has increased insulin production, but decreased glucagon production. KRG treatment resulted in stimulation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation in the db/db mice liver. To elucidate mechanism of action of KRG extract, microarray analysis was conducted in the liver tissue of mice treated with KRG extract, and results suggest that red ginseng affects on hepatic expression of genes responsible for glycolysis, gluconeogenesis and fatty acid oxidation. In summary, multiple administration of KRG showed the hypoglycemic activity and improved glucose tolerance. In addition, KRG increased glucose utilization and improved insulin sensitivity through inhibition of lipogenesis and activation of fatty acid $\beta$-oxidation in the liver tissue. In view of our present data, we may suggest that KRG could provide a solid basis for the development of new anti-diabetic drug.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1991

The B-lymphocyte differentiation from committed B-cell progenitors to antibody-secreting cells was discussed. B-cell progenitors derived from hematopoietic stem cells undergo the rearrangement of immunoglobulin(Ig) gene. The earliest cells as B-cell precursors have cytoplasmic Is(${\mu}$ chain). The entire Is molecule is expressed on the surface after synthesis of L chain. The resting B cells(Go stage) stimulated by binding antigen via Ig-receptors are activated(G$_1$ stage) and followed by proliferation(S stage), coupled with further selection(affinity maturation. class switch). The production of antibody against a particular antigen depends on the activation of B cells with surface Is capable of reacting with that antigen. This process does not occur in isolation but is controlled by helper and suppressor T cells and antigen presenting cells(APC). The mechanism of T cell-dependent B-cell response for production of antibody is largely explained by the cell to cell cooperation and soluble helper factors of T cells. 1) The antigen specific B cells and helper T cells are linked by Is-receptors, leading to the delivery of helper signals to the B cells. 2) Helper T cells recognize the processed antigen-derived peptides with the MHC class II molecules(la antigen) and is stimulated to secrete B-cell proliferation and differentiation factors which activate B cells of different antigenic specificity. The two models are shown currently 1) At low antigen concentration, only the antigen-specific B cell binds antigen and presents antigen-derived peptides with la molecules to helper T cells, which are stimulated to secrete cytokines(IL-4, IL-5, etc.) and 2) At high antigen concentration, antigen-derived peptides are presented by specific B cells, by B cells that endocytose the antigens, as well as by APC Cytokines secreted from helper T cells also lead to the activation of B cells and even bystander B cells in the on- vironmment and differentiate them into antibody-secreting plasma cells.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.207-218
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• 2014

Chronic virus infection leads to the functional impairment of dendritic cells (DCs) as well as T cells, limiting the clinical usefulness of DC-based therapeutic vaccine against chronic virus infection. Meanwhile, B cells have been known to maintain the ability to differentiate plasma cells producing antibodies even during chronic virus infection. Previously, ${\alpha}$-galactosylceramide (${\alpha}GC$) and cognate peptide-loaded B cells were comparable to DCs in priming peptide-specific $CD8^+$ T cells as antigen presenting cells (APCs). Here, we investigated whether B cells activated by ${\alpha}GC$ can improve virus-specific T cell immune responses instead of DCs during chronic virus infection. We found that comparable to B cells isolated from naïve mice, chronic B cells isolated from chronically infected mice with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) clone 13 (CL13) after ${\alpha}GC$-loading could activate CD1d-restricted invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells to produce effector cytokines and upregulate co-stimulatory molecules in both naïve and chronically infected mice. Similar to naïve B cells, chronic B cells efficiently primed LCMV glycoprotein (GP) 33-41-specific P14 $CD8^+$ T cells in vivo, thereby allowing the proliferation of functional $CD8^+$ T cells. Importantly, when ${\alpha}GC$ and cognate epitope-loaded chronic B cells were transferred into chronically infected mice, the mice showed a significant increase in the population of epitope-specific $CD8^+$ T cells and the accelerated control of viremia. Therefore, our studies demonstrate that reciprocal activation between ${\alpha}GC$-loaded chronic B cells and iNKT cells can strengthen virus-specific T cell immune responses, providing an effective regimen of autologous B cell-based therapeutic vaccine to treat chronic virus infection.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.797-804
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• 2000

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Tat is one of the viral gene products essential for HIV replication. The exogenous Tat protein is transduced through the plasma membrane and then accumulated in a cell. The basic domain of the Tat protein, which is rich in arginine and lysine residues and called the protein transduction domain (PTD), has been identified to be responsible for this transduction activity. To better understand the nature of the transduction mediated by this highly basic domain of HIV-1 Tat, the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) was expressed and purified as a fusion protein with a peptide derived from the HIV-1 Tat basic domain in Escherichia coli. The transduction of Tat-GFP into mammalian cells was then determined by a Western blot analysis and fluorescence microscopy. The cells treated with Tat-GFP exhibited dose- and time-dependent increases in their intracellular level of the protein. the effective transduction of denatured Tat-GFP into both the nucleus and the cytoplasm of mammalian cells was also demonstrated, thereby indicating that the unfolding of the transduced protein is required for efficient transduction. Accordingly, the availability of recombinant Tat-GFP can facilitate the simple and specific identification of the protein transduction mediated by the HIV-1 Tat basic domain in living cells either by fluorescence microscopy or by a fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.34-50
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• 1996

The present experiment was desinged to investigate the effects of Tongdosan water extracts on the Cardiovascular System in the Experimental Animals. Thus, the changes of blood pressure and heart rate were measured after oral admini- stration. Measurment of Mortality rate was observed for measuring the effect of Tongdosan water extract. Tongdosan water extract against pulmonary thrombo- embolism induced by collagen the mixture(0.1ml/10g, 2mg/kg B.W) plus serotonin(5mg/kg B.W) in mouse. The effect of Tongdosan water extract was examined by observing the change of collagen-induced platelet aggregation, coagulation activity, ex vivo and in vitro fibrinolytic activity of euglobulin fraction in rats. The results were summarized as followings. 1. Tongdosan dropped the blood pressure in spontaneous hypertensive rat. 2. The drug increased the auricular blood flow in rabbit. 3. The drug relaxed the artery contraction by pretreated norepinephrine in rat. 4. The drug inhibited the death rate of mouse which was led to thromboembo- lism by serotonin and collagen. 5. The drug inhibited the platelet aggregation in rat. 6. The drug prolonged the prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time on the test of plasma coagulation factor activity in rat, but was not valuable. 7. The drug reduced the fibrinogen lyses time of rat ex vivo assay and lyses area was increased. 8. Tongdosan reduced fibrinogen lyses time of rat in vitro assay. According to the above mentioned results, Tongdosan increased the blood flow and dropped the blood pressure by the dilation of blood vessel. And the drug presented the antithrombin acivity, inhibited the platelet aggregation.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.28-30
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• 2004

Effect of dietary brown seaweed (Undaria pinnatifida) levels on the performance, nutrients utilization, and blood anti-oxidant system was studied in broiler chicks activated innate immune response. Brown seaweed 2.0 % diet improved performance of broiler chicks and resulted in enhanced feed efficiency due to the increased NB and decreased UAN excretion significantly (P<0.05). Dietary brown seaweed reduced SOD activity in erythrocyte cytosol and enhanced peroxidase activity in plasma significantly(P<0.05). Activation of innate immune response increased SOD activity and peroxide levels in blood. The results indicated that dietary brown seaweed affected SOD and peroxidase activity and the increased performance in birds fed brown seaweed 2.0 % diet related with decreased decomposition of body protein and the change of anti-oxidant systems in blood of broiler chicks during activation of innate immune response.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.525-547
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• 1989

Hemorrhagic tendency observed in open heart surgery patients has been attributed, among other causes, to increased fibrinolytic activity during extracorporeal circulation. But the exact mechanism of enhanced fibrinolytic activity which occurs during extracorporeal circulation is still unknown. So, we studied and compared the changes of parameters of fibrinolytic and protein C system according to time obtained from the plasma of 31 adult open heart surgery patients[EGG group] and 10 adult general thoracic surgery patients[control group], in order to confirm the hypothesis that the activated protein C system might affect the fibrinolytic system during extracorporeal circulation. In ECC group, the nature of the enhanced fibrinolytic activity that evolved during extracorporeal circulation was characterized by significant increase in fibrin degradation products[P < 0.01] and significant decrease in plasminogen and alpha2-antiplasmin[P < 0.05, P < 0.01] in spite of adequate amount of heparin administration. These changes were most pronounced in the early phase of extracorporeal circulation and normalized after termination of extracorporeal circulation. The results of these observations were the same after volume correction with the value of hematocrit. The change of volume corrected protein C ratio during extracorporeal circulation revealed similar pattern to those of plasminogen and alpha2-antiplasmin [P < 0.01], but volume corrected ratio of free protein S showed significant increase after the commencement of extracorporeal circulation then decreased after extracorporeal circulation. Although the above mentioned changes occur similarly in both bubble type oxygenator-used and membrane oxygenator-used patients groups, but the degree of decrease was more severe in membrane oxygenator-used patients group [P < 0.01] and showed much slower recovery to reach to the preextracorporeal circulation level. These results confirm the hypothesis that the enhanced fibrinolysis during extracorporeal circulation might be caused by the activation of protein C system and the activation is possibly linked to the appearance of thrombin from contact activation of blood after wide exposure to the synthetic surfaces of extracorporeal circuit. Key words: Extracorporeal circulation, Enhanced fibrinolysis, Protein C system.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2006

Anticoagulant activities of a fermented edible brown alga, Laminaria ochotensis was investigated. L. ochotensis was fermented with 15% sugar (w/v) at $25^{\circ}C$ for 10 weeks. Anticoagulant activity was measured from the supernatant of algal mixture at biweekly intervals up to $10^{th}$ week by activated partial thromboplastin (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) and thrombin time (TT) assay using citrated human plasma. Sample having high APTT activity $(6^{th}\;week)$ was filtered, ethanol precipitated and freeze-dried. The polysaccharide compound having anticoagulant activity was purified by DEAE ion exchange chromatography followed by Sepharose-4B gel filtration chromatography. Anticoagulant activity, polysaccharide concentration, and heparin like activity were determined for the collected fractions by APTT, $phenol-H_2SO_4$, and glycosaminoglycan assay, respectively. The anticoagulant activity assay showed that the activity was increased up to $6^{th}$ week, and decreased thereafter. The concentration of our purified compound was $31.0{\mu}g/ml$ and showed higher APTT activity than commercial heparin. At the same concentration of $31.0{\mu}g/ml$, the heparin showed 186.5 sec activity while our purified compound showed an activity of 386 sec. Single spot on agarose gel electrophoresis showed that the compound was purified and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) results revealed that the molecular mass of the purified polysaccharide compound was between 60 and 500 kDa. Therapeutic interest of the algal polysaccharide as an anticoagulant has recently been in highlighted. This purified anticoagulant compound from fermented L. ochotensis can be used as a model for anticoagulant agent or could be developed as an anticoagulant agent. This study can be extended to identify the structure and chemical composition of the purified polysaccharide, and to establish a relationship between structure and the function of the identified anticoagulant compounds.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.97-113
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• 1997

The present experiment was designed to investigate the effects of Sambutang water extracts on the serum cholesterol levels and the cardiovascular system in the experimental animals. Thus, the changes of blood pressure and heart rate were measured after oral administration. Measurment of Mortality rate was observed for measuring the effect of Sambutang water extract. Sambutang water extract against pulmonary thromboembolism induced by collagen the mixture(0.1 ml/10 g, 2 mg/kg) plus serotonin(5 mg/kg) in mouse. The effect of Sambutang water extract was examined by observing the change of collagen-induced platelet aggregation, coagulation activity, ex vivo and in vitro fibrinolytic activity of euglobulin fraction in rats. The results were summarized as follows. 1. Sambutang decreased the serum cholesterol levels in rats. 2. Sambutang dropped the blood pressure in spontaneous hypertensive rat. 3. The drug increased the auricular blood flow in rabbit. 4. The drug relaxed the artery contraction by pretreated norepinephrine in rat. 5. The drug inhibited the death rate of mouse which was led to thromboembolism by serotonin and collagen. 6. The drug inhibited the platelet aggregation in rat. 7. The drug prolonged the prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time on the test of plasma coagulation factor activity in rat, but was not valuable. 8. The drug increased the antithrombin activity in rat and the fibrinogen lysis time was reduced and lysis area was increased. 9. Sambutang reduced fibrinogen lysis time of rat in vitro assay. According to the above mentioned results. Sambutang increased the blood flow and dropped the blood pressure by the dilation of blood vessel. And the drug presented the antithrombin activity, inhibited the platelet aggregation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2003

General pharmacological properties of DA-8159, a new pyrazolopyrimidinone derivative were examined in laboratory animals to investigate its safety profile. The oral administration of DA-8159 (1, 5 or 30 mg/kg) in mice and rats had no effect on general behaviors and central nervous system of the animals in test systems, such as hexobarbital-induced sleeping time, motor coordination, normal body temperature, writhing syndromes induced by 0.75% acetic acid solution, chemo-shock produced by pentetrazole solution and rotar rod test. Anesthetized cats treated intravenously with DA-8159 (0.1, 0.3, 1, 3 or 10 mg/kg) showed transient and mild decrease in blood pressure. However, heart rate, respiration rate and tidal volume were not changed by intravenous DA-8159. In the isolated organs including ileum, heart (sinus rate of atria and contractility of papillary muscle), trachea of guinea pigs and phrenic nerve of rats, DA-8159 ($10^{-8}$ ∼$10^{-5}$ mg/L) did not elicit any effect or inhibitory action on the chemically or electrically stimulated contraction. DA-8159 did not influence gastric secretion, pH and total acid output in rats and intestinal propulsion in mice. The administration of DA-8159 in rats had no effect on the platelet aggregation induced by ADP in rabbit plasma, urinary volume and electrolyte ion ($Na^{+}$, $K^{+}$, $Cl^{-}$) excretion in rats. Prothrombin time (PT) of the rats showed a mild but significant increase after administration of DA-8159. Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), however, was not affected by DA-8159. These results indicate that DA-8159 does not exert any of serious pharmacological effects.