• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.1714-1718
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• 2002

Twelve prepubertal Karan Fries heifers (15 months, $167.7{\pm}13.5kg$) were divided into two equal groups. Group 1 was fed as per NRC requirements and group 2 was fed 20% more protein than group 1 heifers. The experimental feeding was continued until the onset of puberty in both the groups. Blood samples were collected at fortnightly intervals and analyzed for amino acids using HPLC. Group 1 and 2 heifers required $178.6{\pm}33.8$ and $152.8{\pm}33.2$ days of experimental feeding to exhibit first estrus resulting in total age at puberty as $639.4{\pm}27.3$ and $618.6{\pm}24.6$ days in the two groups respectively. The concentration of total amino acids averaged 4.40 and 4.89 mmol/l and those of non-essential amino acids (NEAA) was 2.32 and 2.49 mmol/l in groups 1 and 2, respectively. The concentration of plasma essential amino acids i.e. histidine, threonine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine and phenylalanine were higher (p<0.01) in group 2 than group 1. Plasma concentration of large neutral amino acids (LNAA) was significantly higher in group 2 (1.28 mmol/l) than in group 1 (1.12 mmol/l). Increased levels of leucine, isoleucine and valine are implicated in increased follicular growth and development in prepubertal heifers and resulted in a 26 day earlier attainment of puberty by 26 days in an experimental period of six months in group 2 heifers. Increased concentrations of aspartate and tyrosine in group 2 heifers might be associated with the release of GnRH from the hypothalamus influencing LH release from anterior pituitary in such animals. It is therefore evident that increased availability of certain amino acids in heifers fed high protein diet might have led to early onset of puberty.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.409-415
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• 2008

Moutan cortex, the root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews (Paeoniaceae), has pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, analgesic and antioxidant activities. We investigated a methanol extract of Moutan cortex for neuroprotective effects on neurotoxicity induced by amyloid ${\beta}$ protein ($A{\beta}$) (25-35) in cultured rat cortical neurons. Exposure of cultured cortical neurons to $10\;{\mu}M\;A{\beta}$ (25-35) for 24 h induced neuronal apoptotic death. Moutan cortex inhibited $10\;{\mu}M\;A{\beta}$ (25-35)-induced neuronal cell death at 30 and $50\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, which was measured by a 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and Hoechst 33342 staining. Moutan cortex inhibited $10\;{\mu}M\;A{\beta}$ (25-35)-induced elevation of intracellular calcium concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$), and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which were measured by fluorescent dyes. Moutan cortex also inhibited glutamate release into medium induced by $10\;{\mu}M\;A{\beta}$ (25-35), which was measured by HPLC. These results suggest that Moutan cortex prevents $A{\beta}$ (25-35)-induced neuronal cell damage by interfering with the increase of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, and then inhibiting glutamate release and ROS generation. Moutan cortex may have a therapeutic role in preventing the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.283-290
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• 2020

Oxidative stress is one of the contributors of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease. According to previous studies, Aster yomena (Kitam.) Honda (AY) possesses variable pharmacological activities including anti-coagulant and anti-obesity effect. In this study, we aimed to determine the neuroprotective effect of ethyl acetate fraction from Aster yomena (Kitam.) Honda (EFAY) against oxidative stress. Therefore, we carried out 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,3-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate assays in SH-SY5Y neuronal cells treated with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). H₂O₂-treated control cells exhibited reduced viability of cells, and increased LDH release and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production compared to normal cells. However, treatment with EFAY restored the cell viability and inhibited LDH release and ROS production. To investigate the underlying mechanisms by which EFAY attenuated neuronal oxidative damage, we measured protein expressions using Western blot analysis. Consequently, it was observed that EFAY down-regulated cyclooxygenase-2 and interleukin-1β protein expressions in H₂O₂-treated SH-SY5Y cells that mediated inflammatory reaction. In addition, apoptosis-related proteins including B-cell lymphoma-2-associated X protein/B-cell lymphoma-2 ratio, cleaved caspase-9, and cleaved-poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase protein expressions were suppressed when H₂O₂-treated cells were exposed to EFAY. Our results indicate that EFAY ameliorated H₂O₂-induced neuronal damage by regulating inflammation and apoptosis. Altogether, AY could be potential therapeutic agent for neurodegenerative diseases.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.1-14
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• 2007

Background: It is generally accepted that skeletal muscle contraction is triggered by nerve impulse and intracellular $Ca^{2+}\;([Ca^{2+}]_i)$ released from intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ stores such as sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Specifically, this process, called excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling, takes place at intracellular junctions between the plasma membrane, the transverse (T) tubule L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel (dihydropyridine-sensitive L-rype $Ca^{2+}$ channel, DHPR, also called tetrads), and the SR $Ca^{2+}$ release channel (ryanodine-sensitive $Ca^{2+}$ release channel, RyR, also called feet) of internal $Ca^{2+}$ stores in skeletal muscle cells. Furthermore, it has been reported that the $Ca^{2+-}$ dependent and -independent contraction determine the expression of skeletal muscle genes, thus providing a mechanism for tightly coupling the extent of muscle contraction to regulation of muscle plasticity-related excitation-transcription (E-T) coupling. Purpose: Expression and activity of plasticity-associated enzymes in gastrocnemius muscle strips have not been well studied, however. Methods: Therefore, in this study the expression and phosphorylation of E-C and E-T coupling-related mediators such as protein kinases, ROS(reactive oxygen species)- and apoptosis-related substances, and others in gastrocnemius muscles from rats was examined. Results: I found that expression and activity of MAPKs (mitogen-activated protein kinases, ERK1/2, p38MAPK, and SAPK/JNK), apoptotic proteins (cleaved caspase-3, cytochrome c, Ref-1, Bad), small GTP-binding proteins (RhoA and Cdc42), actin-binding protein (cofilin), PKC (protein kinase C) and $Ca^{2+}$ channel (transient receptor potential channel 6, TRPC6) was observed in rat gastrocnemius muscle strips. Conclusion: These results suggest that MAPKs, ROS- and apoptosis-related enzymes, cytoskeleton-regulated proteins, and $Ca^{2+}$ channel may in part functionally import in E-C and E-T coupling from rat skeletal muscles.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.18-33
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• 2008

Purpose: The research is to investigate the effect of TFE on apoptosis of human-derived breast cancer cells, to find out the relationship with apoptosis. Methods: Human-derived breast adenocarcinoma cell line, MCF-7 cells were treated by TFE with various concentration. The inducement effect of TFE on cell apoptosis was observed with MTT assay and the relationship between the treatment and apoptosis was investigated with FACS analysis, TUNEL assay and DNA laddering assay and the change in the protein levels of PARP and caspase-3 activities were also observed. The release of cytochrome-c was observed to find out the pathway of apoptosis induced by TFE. Results: The cell apoptosis was significantly induced in MCF-7 cells treated with TFE in concentration-dependent and time-dependent manner. It was verified by FACS analysis, TUNEL assay, DNA laddering assay that cell-death was caused not by necrosis but by apoptosis. The activity of PARP and caspase were increased concentration-dependently. The release of cytocrome-c was decreased in proportion to the concentration of the fruit extract. It therefore demonstrated that mitochondria were involved in apoptosis induced by TFE. The appearance of Bcl-2 protein was decreased concentration-dependently. Conclusion: The treatment by TFE induced apoptosis of human breast adenocarcinoma cell line, MCF-7. It seems likely that cell-death was caused by apoptosis and mitochondria were involved in it. The mechanism of protein change causing apoptosis seems related to the inhibition of Bcl-2 protein, the promotion of inversion from cytochrome-c into cytosol, the activation of caspase and the promotion of PARP cleavage.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.171.2-172
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• 2000

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.107-112
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• 2007

Gap junction protein, connexin, is expressed in endothelial cells of vessels, glomerulus, and renin secreting cells of the kidney. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of gap junction in renin secretion and its underlying mechanisms using As 4.1 cell line, a renin-expressing clonal cell line. Renin release was increased proportionately to incubation time. The specific gap junction inhibitor, 18-beta glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) increased renin release in dose-dependent and time-dependent manners. Heptanol and octanol, gap junction blockers, also increased renin release, which were less potent than GA. GA-stimulated renin release was attenuated by pretreatment of the cells with amiloride, nifedipine, ryanodine, and thapsigargin. GA dose-dependently increased intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration, which was attenuated by nifedipine, nimodipine, ryanodine, and thapsigargin. However, RP-cAMP, chelerythrine, tyrphostin A23, or phenylarsine oxide did not induced any significant change in GA-stimulated increase of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. These results suggest that gap junction plays an important role on the regulation of renin release and intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration in As 4.1 cells.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.249-252
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• 2005

The mammalian unfolded protein response (UPR) protects the cell. against the stress of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). It has recently demonstrated that IRE1, PERK, ATF6, and X-box protein 1 (XBP-l) directly or indirectly participate in this process. Upon accumulation of unfolded/misfolded proteins in the ER lumen, release of BiP from Ire1p permits dimerization and autophosphorylation to activate its kinase and endoribonulease activities to initiate XBP-1 mRNA splicing. Spliced XBP-1 mRNA removed middle part of 23 bp and encodes a potent transcription factor, XBP-l protein that binds to the unfolded protein response element (UPRE) or endoplasmic reticulum stress element (ERSE) sequence of many UPR target genes and produces several kind of ER chaperones. In this study, we described both the result and the detailed experimental procedures of XBP-1 mRNA splicing induced by ER stress, this result might help to elucidate the roles of the UPR and early diagnosis in a number of human diseases involving endoplasmic reticulum storage disease (ERSD).

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.712-719
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• 1998

Thyroid function is mainly regulated through cAMP and phophatidylinositol, and it is well known that TSH-stimulated thyroxine ($T_4$) release is inhibited by catecholamine from mouse thyroids via the ${\alpha}_1$-adrenoceptor stimulation. Previous study has established that the inhibition of $T_4$ release by ${\alpha}_1$-adrenoceptor stimulation results in activated protein kinase C (PKC). The purpose of this study was to determine if ion transport systems are involved in the inhibition of $T_4$ release elicited by ${\alpha}_1$-adrenergic agonist in mouse thyroids. TSH-, IBMX- and cAMP analogue-stimulated $T_4$ release were significantly inhibited by methoxamine, R59022 (diacylglycerol kinase inhibitor), and MDL (adenylate cyclase inhibitor). TSH-stimulated $T_4$ release could be inhibited by Bay K 8644 and cyclopiazoic acid, but not by verapamil and tetrodotoxin. The addition of nifedipine ($Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker), tetrodotoxin and lidocaine ($Na^+$ channel blockers), but not amiloride (EIPA) and ryanodine, completely blocked the inhibitory effects of methoxamine on $T_4$ release. TSH-stimulated $T_4$ release was also inhibited by benzamil ($Na^+-Ca^{2+}$ exchange inhibitor). TSH-, IBMX- and cAMP-stimulated $T_4$ release were inhibited by methoxamine or R59022, these effects were reversed by nifedipine. but not by verapamil. Furthermore, nifedipine reversed the inhibitory effects of benzamil and R59022 on TSH-stimulated $T_4$ release. These data suggest that the observed ${\alpha}_1$-adrenoceptor-mediated inhibition of $T_4$ release in mouse thyroids is the result of an increase in intracellular $Na^+$ or $Ca^{2+}$ effected via activation of fast $Na^+$ or nifedipine-sensitive $Ca^{2+}$ channels, and that $Na^+-Ca^{2+}$ exchange may play an important role in reducing thyroid hormone by increasing intracellular $Ca^{2+}$.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.250-256
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• 2011

In this work, the effects of surfactant and solvents, such as benzyl alcohol and n-propyl alcohol, on the human hair dyeing with acid dye was investigated including the amount of dyes in hair according to dyeing time, temperature, and pH. And the damage of dyed hair was assessed by water retention, protein release, and SEM images of the dyed hairs. By adding benzyl alcohol in acid dyeing, the dyeing rate was increased and the dyeing equilibrium was established at early stage. The water retention of the dyed hair was increased and the protein release of the dyed hair was decreased. Therefore the hair was damaged less during the dyeing.