• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.131-137
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• 1994

Drug delivery system by the use of red blood cells was established to sustain the release of drugs in the circulatory system by the intravenous injection. The entrapment method by the preswelling technique was re-examined and evaluated for searching the new entrapping conditions without hemolysis. The addition of 4 volume of $0.6{\times}\;hank's$ balanced salt solution (HBSS) into 1 volume of 50% red blood cells suspension did not induce the hemolysis and change the hematocrit level in this experimental condition (within 15 min). Most of daunorubicin could be entrapped into red blood cells within 15 min. While the intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level followed by the entrapment was reduced to 86% of normal ATP level, the membrane fluidity and the shape factor of red blood cells were not altered. The release rate of daunorubicin from red blood cells was affected by the hemolysis under this condition. To maintain the intracellular ATP in red blood cells, the new reaction buffer was made With the addition of ATP and sodium pyruvate during the entrapment procedure because the hemolysis during the release test would reflect the loss of intracellular ATP that might result in the decrease of the viability in vivo. The addition of ATP raised the intracellular ATP level, which protect the hemolysis during the release test.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.103-112
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• 2009

Objectives : This study was to evaluate the pharmacological effect of Korea Red Ginseng aqueous extract (KRGE) on serum-deprived apoptosis of neuronal-like pheochromocytoma PC12 cells and to investigate its underlying action mechanism. Methods : KRGE was prepared by extracting Korea Red Ginseng with hot water and concentrating using a vacuum evaporator. Cell viability was determined after incubation of cells with KRGE or chemical inhibitor in serum-deprived medium for 60 h by counting intact nuclei following lysing of the cell membrane. Caspase activities were measured using chromogenic substrates and signal-associated protein phosphorylation and cytochrome c release were determined by Western blot analyses using their specific antibodies. Results : Serum deprivation induced PC12 cell death, which was accompanied by typical morphological features of apoptotic cell, such as nuclear fragmentation, caspase-3 activation, and cytochrome c release. This apoptotic cell death was significantly inhibited by KRGE and caspase-3 inhibitor, but not by the addition of NMA, ODQ, and PD98059. KRGE promoted phosphorylation of Akt and Bad, and this phosphorylation was inhibited by the PI3K inhibitor LY92004. In addition, this inhibitor also reversed KRGE-mediated protection of PC 12 cells from serum deprivation. These results suggested that KRGE protects PC12 cells from serum deprivation-induced apoptosis through the activation of PI3K/Akt-dependent Bad phosphorylation and cytochrome c release, resulting in caspase-3 activation. Conclusions : KRGE should be considered as a potential therapeutic drug for brain diseases including stroke induced by apoptosis of neuronal cells.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 1974

The effect of saponin on the sodium plus potassium activated ATPase activity was studied in the rabbit red cell ghosts and the experiments were also designed to determine the mechanism of action of saponin on the APTase activity. The following results were observed. 1. The ATPase activity of rabbit red cell ghosts is inhibited by low concentration of saponin but increased by high concentration. The activating effect of saponin on the $Na^{+}-K^{+}-ATPase$ activity is inhibited by ouabain but the stimulation of the $Mg^{++}-ATPase$ by high concentration of saponin is not inhibited by ouabain. 2. The activity ratio of $Na^{+}-K^{+}-ATPase$ by high concentration of saponin is decreased by raising the potassium concentration, and is increased by raising the sodium concentration. 3. The ATPase activity is increased by small amounts of calcium but inhibited by larger amounts. The activity ratio of the enzyme by saponin is decreased by raising the calcium concertration 4. The action on the ATPase activity was not related to the amino group of lysine, the hydroxyl group of threonine, the imidazole group of histidine, or the carboxyl group of aspartic acid. 5. The action of saponin on the ATPase activity is due to sulfhydryl group of the enzyme of $Na^{+}-K^{+}-ATPase$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1707-1716
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• 2019

The development of new antimicrobial agents is essential for the effective treatment of diseases such as sepsis. We previously developed a new short peptide, Pap12-6, using the 12 N-terminal residues of papiliocin, which showed potent and effective antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we investigated the antimicrobial mechanism of Pap12-6 and a newly designed peptide, Pap12-7, in which the 12^th Trp residue of Pap12-6 was replaced with Val to develop a potent peptide with high bacterial selectivity and a different antibacterial mechanism. Both peptides showed high antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria, including multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. In addition, the two peptides showed similar anti-inflammatory activity against lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, but Pap12-7 showed very low toxicities against sheep red blood cells and mammalian cells compared to that showed by Pap12-6. A calcein dye leakage assay, membrane depolarization, and confocal microscopy observations revealed that the two peptides with one single amino acid change have different mechanisms of antibacterial action: Pap12-6 directly targets the bacterial cell membrane, whereas Pap12-7 appears to penetrate the bacterial cell membrane and exert its activities in the cell. The therapeutic efficacy of Pap12-7 was further examined in a mouse model of sepsis, which increased the survival rate of septic mice. For the first time, we showed that both peptides showed anti-septic activity by reducing the infiltration of neutrophils and the production of inflammatory factors. Overall, these results indicate Pap12-7 as a novel non-toxic peptide with potent antibacterial and anti-septic activities via penetrating the cell membrane.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2002.10b
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• pp.371-372
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• 2002

It is well known that red blood cells (RBCs) are suffered from chronic stresses in systemic circulation. The objective of this study is to clarify the effect of the aging of RBCs on rheological properties and hemolysis. Initially, RBCs age fractionation was performed by using a high-speed centrifugation (15[min] at 1500[G]), then young and aged RBCs were suspended in plasma to adjust the hematocrit level of 40[%]. After this pretreatment, the viscosity was measured by using a capillary type and a cone-plate type viscometers, respectively, and the hemolysis test was carried out by a seesaw type shaker. Results from these experiments showed that the viscosity of the aged RBCs measured by the capillary viscometer was increased by 10[%] as compared with that of the young RBCs. Under the condition of all shear zones, the viscosity of the aged RBCs was increased in case of using the cone-plate type viscometer. And the hemolytic level was increased twice as the aging. The data obtained in this study indicated that the ability of aggregation of RBCs was increased and the deformability of RBCs membrane got lower with the aging. Furthermore, it was exhibited that the fragility of RBCs ’ membrane was increased with the aging.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.112-115
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• 2013

Purpose: To investigate the association between necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and red blood cell transfusions in very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants. Methods: We studied were 180 VLBW preterm infants who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of CHA Gangnam Hospital from January of 2006 to December of 2009. The subjects were divided into 2 groups: an NEC group (greater than stage II on the modified Bell's criteria) and a control group (less than stage II on the modified Bell's critieria). We defined red blood cell transfusion before NEC diagnosis as the frequency of transfusion until NEC diagnosis (mean day at NEC diagnosis, day 18) in the NEC group and the frequency of transfusion until 18 days after birth in the control group. Results: Of the 180 subjects, 18 (10%) belonged to the NEC group, and 14 (78%) of these 18 patients had a history of transfusion before NEC diagnosis. The NEC group received $3.1{\pm}2.9$ transfusions, and the control group received $1.0{\pm}1.1$ transfusions before the NEC diagnosis (P=0.005). In a multivariate logistic regression corrected for gestational age, Apgar score at 1 minute, the presence of respiratory distress syndrome, patent ductus arteriosus, premature rupture of membrane, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy and death were confounding factors. The risk of NEC increased 1.63 times (95% confidence interval, 1.145 to 2.305; P=0.007) with transfusion before the NEC diagnosis. Conclusion: The risk for NEC increased significantly with increased transfusion frequency before the NEC diagnosis.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.214-223
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• 2004

The study examines the anti-cancer effects of the hot water extract of Mylabris phalerata(MP) using SNU-C5 cell lines. Microscopic analysis showed that 12 hours after MP treatment, the number of dead cells increased prominently. Significant cell death was observed 12, 24, and 48 hours after MP treatment through trypan blue exclusion testing. This suggests that MP is time-dependently cytotoxic. Mitotracker Red CMXRos staining and flowcytometry revealed that MP decreased mitochondrial membrane potentials. The absence of peaks on PI staining showed that DNA damage occurred in MP treated cells. Taken together, measurements suggest that MP has a strong anti-cancer effect on SNU-5 cell lines, and that this is likely to be due to the destruction of mitochondria and DNA damage.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.1-10
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• 2005

Objectives : We investigated the anti-aging effect on skin with the extract of the needles of red pine, Pinus densiflora. Methods : We measured various effects related to skin such as the anti-oxidant effect, the protection against ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, the inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, the induction of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), the reduction of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) synthesis and senescent cell. Results : The results were as follows : The extract of the needles of red pine (RP) had the potent anti-oxidant effect and the ROS scavenging effect. Also RP preserved the systemic anti-oxidant enzyme system (superoxide dismutase and catalase) from UVB irradiation. RP protected the cell membrane from the damages induced by UVB irradiation. RP induced HSP70, a mediator of resistance to UVB irradiation. RP reduced the synthesis of MMP-2 induced by UVB irradiation. And RP inhibited the amount of senescent-associated (SA) ${\beta}-galactosidase$ staining, as a marker of replicative senescence. Conclusions : The results of our study indicate that the extract of the needles of red pine, Pinus densiflora, has anti-aging effects on skin.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.266-271
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• 1994

Lipsome system composed of egg phosphatidylcholine was employed to reduce the membrane toxicity of Amphotericin B(Amp. B). Liposomal Amp. B, which showed a free drug equivalent antibiotic effect on fungi, displayed a remarkable reduction of toxicity of the drug against the membrane of red blood cell than that of fungizone which has been used in clinical treatment, and it shows conspicuously lowered toxicity on red blood cells. However liposomal Amp. B which contains cholesterol as a component of liposome lowered the antibiotic effect and toxicity than that phosphatidylcholine liposome. This due to the affinity between Amp. B and cholesterol. In addition to this, ${\beta}$-glucuronidase from snail juice crude enzyme reveals synergistic effect on liposomal Amp. B and free Amp. B. We also obtained positively raised antibiotic effect, when enzyme which is coupled with palmitic acid using NHSP inserted into liposome bilayer From these results, we suppose that the use of liposomal system in the case of Amp. B shows increasing antibiotic effect and dramatically lowered toxicity, thus, we think that we can solve the problem of Amp. B toxicity, which cause hesitate of clinical use.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2012

Korean red ginseng (KRG) has been used worldwide as a traditional medicine for the treatment of various reproductive diseases. Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons are the fundamental regulators of pulsatile release of gonadotropin required for fertility. In this study, an extract of KRG (KRGE) was applied to GnRH neurons to identify the receptors activated by KRGE. The brain slice patch clamp technique in whole cell and perforated patch was used to clarify the effect of KRGE on the membrane currents and membrane potentials of GnRH neurons. Application of KRGE (3 ${\mu}g$/${\mu}L$) under whole cell patch induced remarkable inward currents (56.17${\pm}$7.45 pA, n=25) and depolarization (12.91${\pm}$3.80 mV, n=4) in GnRH neurons under high $Cl^-$ pipette solution condition. These inward currents were not only reproducible, but also concentration dependent. In addition, inward currents and depolarization induced by KRGE persisted in the presence of the voltage gated $Na^+$ channel blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX), suggesting that the responses by KRGE were postsynaptic events. Application of KRGE under the gramicidin perforated patch induced depolarization in the presence of TTX suggesting its physiological significance on GnRH response. Further, the KRGE-induced inward currents were partially blocked by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX; non-NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist, 10 ${\mu}M$) or picrotoxin (PIC; $GABA_A$ receptor antagonist, 50 ${\mu}M$), and almost blocked by PIC and CNQX mixture. Taken together, these results suggest that KRGE contains ingredients with possible GABA and non-NMDA glutamate receptor mimetic activity, and may play an important role in the endocrine function of reproductive physiology, via activation of $GABA_A$ and non-NMDA glutamate receptors in GnRH neurons.