• Molecules and Cells
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• 제43권5호
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• pp.438-447
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• 2020

The aim of this study was to explore the role of IL-6-miR-210 in the regulation of Tregs function and atrial fibrosis in atrial fibrillation (AF). The levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 in AF patients were detected by using ELISA. Proportions of Treg cells were detected by fluorescence activated cell sorting analysis in AF patients. The expression of Foxp3, α-SMA, collagen I and collagen III were determined by western blot. The atrial mechanocytes were authenticated by vimentin immunostaining. The expression of miR-210 was performed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). TargetScan was used to predict potential targets of miR-210. The cardiomyocyte transverse sections in AF model group were observed by H&E staining. The myocardial filaments were observed by masson staining. The level of IL-6 was highly increased while the level of IL-10 (Tregs) was significantly decreased in AF patients as compared to normal control subjects, and IL-6 suppressed Tregs function and promoted the expression of α-SMA, collagen I and collagen III. Furthermore, miR-210 regulated Tregs function by targeting Foxp3, and IL-6 promoted expression of miR-210 via regulating hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). IL-6-miR-210 suppresses regulatory T cell function and promotes atrial fibrosis by targeting Foxp3.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.30-39
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• 2015

Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the heavy metal contents in commercial herbal medicines in Korea. Methods: Monitoring of lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury was carried out on 116 samples of eleven types of herbal medicines. Among the total samples, 71 samples were domestic and 45 were imported. The samples were digested using the microwave method. The heavy metal contents were measured by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and a mercury analyzer. ICP-AES was used to analyze lead, arsenic cadmium. Mercury was analyzed by the amalgamation method. Results: The mean values of the heavy metal contents in the herbal medicines were Pb 0.64mg/kg, As 0.26mg/kg, Cd 0.07mg/kg and Hg 0.004mg/kg. Of the total samples, one violated the MFDS (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) regulatory guidance on heavy metals in herbal medicines. Lead was detected at more than 5mg/kg in one sample. The measured values of arsenic, cadmium and mercury in the herbal medicines showed levels lower than the recommended levels for herbal medicines in MFDS regulatory guidance. In the comparison of domestic samples with imported herbal medicines, it was found that one domestic sample surpassed the maximum residue limits for lead. Conclusion: These results will be used to establish the regulation and control of heavy metal contents in herbal medicines. In addition, continuous monitoring is needed to ensure confidence in and the safety of these herbal medicines.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.197-202
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• 2004

골다공증 치료제로 이용되고 있는 hPTH는 체내의 혈중 칼슘 농도를 조절하는 인간의 부갑상선 호르몬이다. 본 연구에서는 hPTH를 효율적으로 생산하는 돼지세포를 구축하고자 다양한 retrovirus vector를 이용하였는데 다음과 같은 결과를 관찰하였다. 1) hPTH 유전자의 전이를 확인하기 위해 RT-PCR을 수행한 결과, 형질전환된 모든 돼지세포에서 420 bp의 hPTH에 해당하는 단편을 확인할 수 있었으며, WPRE가 도입되지 않은 실험군보다 WPRE서열이 도입된 실험군에서 더 강한 밴드를 확인하였다. 2) ECLIA 측정 결과 hPTH 유전자가 도입된 모든 세포에서 hPTH가 생성되었으며, 특히 Tet-On system에서는 doxycycline을 처리한 실험군에서 hPTH의 발현이 유도되었음을 확인하였다. 또한 RT-PCR과 ECLIA을 수행하여 hPTH의 도입 여부와 단백질 생산을 비교한 결과, WPRE 서열이 hPTH 유전자의 downstream 위치에 도입된 실험군에서 가장 많은 단백질이 생산됨을 확인할 수 있었다.

• 한국미생물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국미생물학회 2002년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.68-72
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• 2002

While the biosynthetic gene cluster encoding the pigmented antibiotic actinorhodin is present in the two closely related bacterial species, Streptomyces lividans and Streptomyces coelicolor, it normally is expressed only in S. coelicolor---generating the deep blue colonies responsible for the S. coelicolor name. However, multiple copies of the afsR2 gene, which activates actinorhodin synthesis, result in the ability of S. lividansto also synthesize large amounts of actinorhodin. Here we report that the phenotypic property that historicially distinguishes these two Streptomycesspecies is determined conditionally by the carbon source used for culture. Whereas growth on glucose repressed actinorhodin production in S. lividans, culture on solid media containing glycerol as the sole carbon source dramatically increased the expression of afsR2 mRNA---leading to extensive actinorhodin synthesis by S. lividansand obliterating its phenotypic distinction from S. coelicolor. afsR2 transcription under these conditions was developmentally regulated, rising sharply at the time of aerial mycelium formation and coinciding temporally with the onset of actinorhodin production. Our results, which identify media-dependent parallel pathways that regulate actinorhodin synthesis in S. lividans, demonstrate carbon source control of actinorhodin production through the regulation of afsR2 mRNA synthesis. The nucleotide sequences of afsR2 revealed two putative important domains; the domain containing direct repeats in the middle and the domain homologous to sigma factor sequence in the C-terminal end. In this work, we constructed various sized afsR2-derivatives and compared the actinorhodin stimulating effects in S. lividans TK21. The experimental data indicate that the domain homologous to sigma factor sequence in the C-terminal end of afsR2 plays a critical role as an antibiotic stimulating function. In addition, we also observed that the single copy integration of afsR2 regulatory gene into S. lividans TK21 chromosome significantly activates antibiotic overproduction.

• 한국대기환경학회지
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.353-368
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• 2013

All Koreans had suffered heavily from municipal and industrial air pollution problems since 1960's to 1980's. However the levels of $SO_2$, CO, and Pb have been dramatically decreased since 1990's due to various air pollutants' reduction policies under the provisions of the 1978 Environmental Preservation Act and the 1990 Air Quality Preservation Act such as increasing the supply of low-sulfur fuel, the use of cleaner fuel, no use of solid fuel, and so on. Even though the national ambient air quality standard has been strengthened to protect public health and welfare, the levels of $NO_2$, $O_3$, and $PM_{10}$ frequently exceed the corresponding standards; for example, only 4 stations (1.7%) out of 239 nationwide monitoring stations satisfied the 24-hr based PM10 standard in 2011. Moreover, upto the present time, since there are serious underlying policies of economism and growth-first which can not be solely solved by the environmental laws, it is difficult to root out undesirable social evils such as public indifference, passive academic activities, complacent government bureaucracy, insufficient social responsibility of enterprise, and radical activities of environmental groups. The paper initially reviewed air pollution history of Korea with surveying various environmental factors affecting in/out-door air pollution in the past Korea. Further this study extensively investigated legal and political changes on air pollution control and management for the last 50 years, and then intensively discussed the present environment-related laws and policies unreasonably enforced in Korea. It is necessary to practically revise many outdated legal policies based on health-oriented thinking and on our current economic levels as well.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.227-233
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• 2011

The Nramp1/Slc11a1 locus encodes a proton-coupled divalent cation transporter, expressed in late endosomes/lysosomes of macrophages, that constitutes a component of the innate immune response to combat intracellular pathogens and it was shown to play an important role in regulating inherent immunity. The previously identified Z-DNA forming polymorphic repeat(GT)n in the promoter region of the human Nramp1 gene does act as a functional polymorphism influencing gene expression. Research has shown that INF-${\gamma}$, TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$ and bacteria LPS increase the level of Nramp1 expression. However, the molecular mechanism for Nramp1 gene regulation is unclear. In this research, bovine Nramp1 5'-flanking region (-1748~+769) was cloned and analyzed by bioinformatics. Then to find the core promoter and the cis-acting elements, deletion analysis of promoter was performed using a set of luciferase reporter gene constructs containing successive deletions of the bovine Nramp1 5'-flanking regions. Promoter activity analysis by the dual luciferase reporter assay system showed that the core promoter of Nramp1 was located at +58~-89 bp. Some positive regulatory elements are located at -89~-205 bp and -278~-1495 bp. And the repressor elements were in region -205~-278 bp, intron1 and -1495~-1748 bp. LPS-responsive regions were located at -1495~-1748 bp and -278~-205 bp. The present study provides an initial effort to explore the molecular mechanism of transcriptional activation of the bovine Nramp1 gene and should facilitate further studies to decode the complex regulatory process and for molecular breeding for disease resistance in bovines.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.431-436
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• 2016

Background: Although numerous studies of the anticancer activities of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) have been performed, the therapeutic effect of KRG on leukemia has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the antileukemia activities of KRG and its cellular and molecular mechanisms. Methods: An established leukemia tumor model induced by xenografted T cell lymphoma (RMA cells) was used to test the therapeutic activity of KRG water extract (KRG-WE). Direct cytotoxic activity of KRG-WE was confirmed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The immunomodulatory activities of KRG-WE were verified by immunohistochemistry, nitric oxide production assay. The inhibitory effect of KRG-WE on cell survival signaling was also examined. Results: Orally administered KRG-WE reduced the sizes of tumor masses. Levels of apoptosis regulatory enzymes and cleaved forms of caspases-3 and -8 were increased by this extract. In addition, expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9, a metastasis regulatory enzyme, was decreased by KRG-WE treatment. The proportion of CD11c+ cells was remarkably increased in the KRG-treated group compared to the control group. However, KRG-WE did not show significant direct cytotoxicity against RMA cells. Conclusion: Our results strongly suggest that the KRG might have antileukemia activity through CD11c+ cell-mediated antitumor immunity.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• 제34권3호
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• pp.229-254
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• 2004

The objective of this study was to scrutinize the rationale of SUPAC-MR and its application in processing postapproval changes to modified release solid oral dosage forms. The types of postapproval changes that were primarily covered with SUPAC-MR included variations in the components and composition, the site of manufacturing, batch size, manufacturing equipment, and manufacturing process. SUPAC-MR defined levels of postapproval changes that the industry might make. Classification of such categories was based on the likelihood of risk occurrence and potential impact of changes upon the safety and efficacy of approved drug products. In most cases, the changes could be classified into 3 levels. It described what chemistry, manufacturing, and control tests should be conducted for each change level. The important tests specified in SUPAC-MR were batch release, stability, in vitro dissolution, and in vivo bioequivalence tests. It then suggested what type of a filing report should be submitted to the FDA for each change level. In general, level 1 changes could be reported in an annual report, whereas level 2 and/or 3 changes could be submitted in changes-being-effected or prior approval supplements. It could be understood that the purpose of SUPAC-MR was to maintain the safety and quality of approved modified release solid oral dosage forms undergoing certain changes. At the same time, it contributed to providing a less burdensome regulatory process with the manufacturers when they wanted to make postapproval changes. European regulatory agencies also implemented SUPAC-like regulations in handling such changes to drug products. Therefore, in this study a recommendation was made for KFDA and the Korean industry to evaluate thoroughly the usefulness of these guidances and regulations in dealing with postapproval changes to modified release solid oral dosage forms.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.249-258
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• 1998

Obesity, one of the most common metabolic diseases in industrial countries is characterized by an increase in the number or size of adipocytes. In an effort to create transgenic mouse models for the study of obesity we developed a novel technique in which adipose tissue can be ablated genetically at will, at any specific developmental stage and/or physiological condition, by the treatment of ganciclovir. We made a series of adipocytespecific expression vectors using minimal regulatory regions of brown adipocyte-specific uncoupling protein (UCP-1) gene and adipocyte-specific aP2 gene, and then analyzed their expression characteristics in cultured cell lines. When both constructs pUCP-LacZ and paP2-LacZ were transfected transiently into differentiating 3T3-L1 (pre-while adipocytes) and HIB-1B (pre-brown adipocytes) cell lines in vitro and then monitored by X-gal staining of cells, these regulatory regions were sufficient to show proper differentiation stage-specific expression in adipocvtes. To confirm that adipocytes expressing HSV-TK controlled by these minimal requlatory elements are sufficient to kill themselves with ganciclovir treatment pUCP-TK and paP2-TK expression constructs were transfected stably into HIB-1B and 3T3-L1 cells, respectively, and their ganciclovir sensitivities were tested during in vitro differentiation of cells. As expected more than 80% of cells were dead by the 7th day of treatment with ganciclovir while negative control cells were not affected at all. The data suqqest that the constructed vectors are suitable for obtaining novel obese transqenic models based on a conditional genetic tissue ablation method.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.309-318
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• 2018

The present study was conducted to investigate the regulatory mechanism of plasminogen activators (PAs) activation by $17{\beta}$-estradiol ($E_2$) and progesterone ($P_4$) in porcine uterine epithelial cells (pUECs). pUECs were collected from porcine uterine horn and cultured at 80% confluence. Then, 0.1% (v/v) DMSO, 20 ng/mL $E_2$, and $P_4$ with or without fetal bovine serum (FBS) treated to cultured cells for 24 hours. The supernatants were used for measurement of PAs activity and expression of urokinase-type PA (uPA), tissue-type PA (tPA), uPA specific receptor (uPAR), and type-1 PA inhibitor (PAI-1) mRNA were analyzed by real-time PCR. The expression of PAs-related genes was not affect by steroid hormones in both of serum treatment groups. However, PAs activity was increased by treatment of $E_2$ compared to 0.1% DMSO treatment in serum-free group (p<0.05). Then, $E_2$ and $P_4$ were diluted with 0.002% (v/v) DMSO for reduction of its effect and treated to cultured cells without FBS. Only tPA mRNA was significantly increased by $E_2$ treatment (p<0.05). PAs activity was enhanced in $E_2$ treated group compared to control groups (p<0.05). These results indicate that serum-free condition is more proper to evaluate effect of steroid hormones and activation of PAs in pUECs was mainly regulated by estrogen. These regulation of PAs activation may be associated with uterine remodeling during pre-ovulatory phase in pigs, however, further studies are needed to investigate precise regulatory mechanism.