• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.12-22
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• 2016

Objectives: The aim of this study was to confirm the dose-dependent skin moisturizing effects of dried pomegranate concentrate powder (PCP) and pomegranate concentrate solution (PCS) in ICR mice. Materials and methods: To observe the in vivo skin moisturizing effects and possible underlying mechanisms of PCP and PCS, oral PCP (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) and PCS (1, 2, and 4 mL/kg) were administered to normal ICR mice. Changes in body weight, skin water content, and skin type I collagen and hyaluronan contents were measured. Additionally, the mRNA expression levels of hyaluronan synthase (Has) 1, 2, and 3, and collagen type I alpha (COL1A) 1 and 2 were determined in the dorsal skin of mice by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Significant and dose-dependent increases in dorsal skin water content and type I collagen and hyaluronan contents were seen in PCP and PCS-treated mice. Moreover, the mRNA levels of Has 1, 2, and 3, involved in hyaluronan synthesis, and of COL1A1 and COL1A2, involved in collagen synthesis, were significantly and dose-dependently upregulated in PCS- and PCP-treated mice. Conclusions: In this study, PCP and PCS led to favorable skin moisturizing effects as indicated by increased skin water content and the upregulation of hyaluronan and collagen synthesis enzymes in mice treated with PCS (4 mL/kg) and PCP (200 mg/kg).

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.56-71
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• 2014

Objectives In this study, the author tried to investigate whether piryongbang-gamgil-tang (PGGT) significantly affect in vitro airway mucin secretion, PMA- or EGF- or TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin production / gene expression from human airway epithelial cells and increase in airway epithelial mucosubstances and hyperplasia of tracheal goblet cells of rats. Materials and Methods For in vitro experiment, confluent RTSE cells were chased for 30 min in the presence of PGGT to assess the effect of PGGT on mucin secretion by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Also, effect of PGGT on PMA- or EGFor TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin production and gene expression from human airway epithelial cells (NCI-H292) were investigated. Confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated for 30 min in the presence of PGGT and treated with PMA (10 ng/ml) or EGF (25 ng/ml) or TNF-${\alpha}$ (0.2 nM) for 24 hrs, to assess both effect of PGGT on PMA- or EGF- or TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin production by ELISA and gene expression by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). For in vivo experiment, the author induced hypersecretion of airway mucus and goblet cell hyperplasia by exposure of rats to $SO_2$ during 3 weeks. Effect of orally-administered PGGT during 2 weeks on increase in airway epithelial mucosubstances from tracheal goblet cells of rats and hyperplasia of goblet cells were assesed by using histopathological analysis after staining the epithelial tissue with alcian blue. Possible cytotoxicities of PGGT in vitro were assessed by examining LDH release from RTSE cells and the rate of survival and proliferation of NCI-H292 cells. In vivo liver and kidney toxicities of PGGT were evaluated by measuring serum GOT/GPT activities and serum BUN/creatinine concentrations of rats after administering PGGT orally. Results (1) PGGT did not affect in vitro mucin secretion from cultured RTSE cells. (2) PGGT significantly inhibited PMA-, EGF-, and TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MUC5AC mucin productions and the expression levels of MUC5AC mRNA from NCI-H292 cells. (3) PGGT decreased the amount of intraepithelial mucosubstances and showed the tendency of expectorating airway mucus already produced. (4) PGGT increased LDH release from RTSE cells. However, PGGT did not show in vivo liver and kidney toxicities and cytotoxicity to NCI-H292 cells. Conclusion The result from this study suggests that PGGT can regulate the production and gene expression of airway mucin observed in diverse respiratory diseases accompanied by mucus hypersecretion and do not show in vivo toxicity to liver and kidney functions after oral administration. Effect of PGGT with their components should be further studied using animal experimental models that reflect the diverse pathophysiology of respiratory diseases through future investigations.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.351-358
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• 2014

Pumpkin seed oil (PSO) was investigated for its parasite elimination activity and efficacy in treating disorders of the prostate gland and urinary bladder. We confirmed the composition of PSO and identified its ability to improve vessels. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometric (GC-MS) system was used for PSO composition analysis. Cytotoxicity and cell proliferation were confirmed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Nitric oxide(NO) production was measured with Griess reagent, and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 mRNA expression levels were measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). As a result, PSO revealed the presence of several components such as linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid. Cytotoxic effects of PSO were not observed, and PSO increased nitric oxide production in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Additionally, TNF-${\alpha}$-induced cell proliferation and ICAM-1 expression in HUVEC were inhibited by PSO treatment, whereas VCAM-1 expression was not significantly reduced. Taken together, these results show that PSO is worthy of study as a candidate food material for improvement of vascular disease.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.363-369
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• 2009

Erosive oral lichen planus (EOLP) and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) are T-cell mediated inflammatory immune disorders. It was investigated mRNA expression pattern of several regulatory factors, such as, CD28, CD45, CD152, CD154, CD279, which influence T lymphocyte in unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) of EOLP and RAS patients. It was collected unstimulated whole saliva during 10 minute in EOLP 18 people, RAS patients 12 people, healthy control 8 people. We investigated mRNA expression of T lymphocyte regulatory factors, such as, CD28, CD45, CD152, CD154, CD279, with real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In EOLP group, CD45, CD279 expressed higher and CD154 expressed lower than control. In RAS, CD45, CD270 expressed higher and CD28, CD154 expressed lower than control. In addition CD152 salivary mRNA expression of EOLP is higher than that of RAS. The above results were suggested that the mRNA expression of T lymphocyte regulatory factors in unstimulated whole saliva of EOLP and RAS contributes to diagnosis of diseases.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.704-716
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• 2020

Background: Ginsenoside Rh2 (GRh2) is a characterized component in red ginseng widely used in Korea and China. GRh2 exhibits a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. However, its effects on Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection have not been clarified yet. Methods: The effect of GRh2 against T. gondii was assessed under in vitro and in vivo experiments. The BV2 cells were infected with tachyzoites of T. gondii RH strain, and the effects of GRh2 were evaluated by MTT assay, morphological observations, immunofluorescence staining, a trypan blue exclusion assay, reverse transcription PCR, and Western blot analyses. The in vivo experiment was conducted with BALB/c mice inoculated with lethal amounts of tachyzoites with or without GRh2 treatment. Results and conclusion: The GRh2 treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation of T. gondii under in vitro and in vivo studies. Furthermore, GRh2 blocked the activation of microglia and specifically decreased the release of inflammatory mediators in response to T. gondii infection through TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. In mice, GRh2 conferred modest protection from a lethal dose of T. gondii. After the treatment, the proliferation of tachyzoites in the peritoneal cavity of infected mice markedly decreased. Moreover, GRh2 also significantly decreased the T. gondii burden in mouse brain tissues. These findings indicate that GRh2 exhibits an antieT. gondii effect and inhibits the microglial activation through TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, providing the basic pharmacological basis for the development of new drugs to treat toxoplasmic encephalitis.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.405-411
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• 2008

Purpose : Cyclosporine A (CsA) is a versatile immunosuppresive agent used to prevent graft rejection syndrome and treat autoimmune disease. One of the major side effects associated with CsA is the abnormal gingival hyperplasia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the mRNA expression of the MMP-1, TIMP-1, and $TGF-{\beta}_1$ and the concentration of CsA in cultured human gingival keratinocytes. Materials & Methods : Gingival keratocytes were obtained from gingival tissues of 4 healthy donors. The cultured gingival keratocytes were incubated with increasing concentrations of CsA (0-2000 ng/ml) for 24 hours and the expression of MMP-1, TIMP-1, and $TGF-{\beta}_1$ were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results : The expressions of MMP-1 and $TGF-{\beta}_1$ were not significantly different according to the concentrations of CsA. The expression of TIMP-1 was significantly increased at the CsA concentration of 500 ng/ml. Conclusion : We concluded that the gingival hyperplasia induced by CsA was more related with TIMP-1 than MMP-1 or $TGF-{\beta}_1$ on gingival collagen metabolism in patients treated with CsA.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.419-427
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• 2008

The present study aimed to investigate the osteogenic potentials of differentiated osteoblast-like cells (DOCs) induced from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on ${\beta}-tricalcium$ phosphate (${\beta}-TCP$) with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP-2) in vitro. Osteoblast differentiation was induced in confluent cultures by adding 100 nM dexamethasone, 10 mM ${\beta}$-glycerophosphate, 50 mM L-ascorbic acid. The Alizarin red S staining and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were perfomed to examine the mRNA expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone sialoprotein (BSP), osteocalcin (OCN), receptor activator for nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL), runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), collagen-Ⅰ (COL-Ⅰ). There were no significant differences in the osteogenic potentials of DOCs induced from MSCs on ${\beta}-TCP(+/-)$. According to the incubation period, there were significant increasing of Alizadin red S staining in the induction 3 weeks. The mRNA expression of ALP, RUNX2, and RANKL were higher in DOCs/${\beta}-TCP(-)$ than DOCs/${\beta}-TCP(+)$. According to rhBMP-2 concentrations, the mRNA expression of BSP was significantly increased in DOCs/${\beta}-TCP(+)$ compared to that of DOCs/${\beta}-TCP(-)$ on rhBMP 10 ng/ml. Our study presented the ${\beta}-TCP$ will have the possibility that calcium phosphate directly affect the osteoblastic differentiation of the bone marrowderived MSCs.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.1012-1018
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• 2014

Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai (Korean name, Jeju-Joritdae) is one of the most abundant plants on Mt. Halla, Jeju Island, and it has long been used in traditional medicines. Recent studies have reported it as possessing various beneficial functions, including anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertension, anti-gastritis, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer effects. However, the molecular mechanisms of its anti-cancer activity have not been clearly elucidated. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer effects and mechanism of S. quelpaertensis on human colon cancer HT-29 cells. Cell growth inhibition by S. quelpaertensis was determined by MTT assay. Apoptosis was performed by DNA fragmentation, flow cytometry with propidium iodide staining (PI), and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to confirm the anti-apoptotic factors, such as inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family members. $NO^{\bullet}$ production was determined by Griess assay. S. quelpaertensis treatment resulted in the time- and dose-dependent inhibition of the cell viability of HT-29 cells by inducing apoptosis, as evidenced by the accumulation of the sub-G1 cell population stained by PI, as well as the ladder-like DNA fragmentation in a dose-dependent manner. S. quelpaertensis-inducing apoptosis was accompanied by the induction of S cell cycle arrests, increasing $NO^{\bullet}$ concentrations, and the down-regulation of IAPs, including X-chromosome-linked IAP (XIAP), cellular IAP-1 (cIAP-1), cIAP-2, and survivin. Taken together, these findings have important implications for future clinical developments of S. quelpaertensis in colon cancer treatment.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.357-366
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• 2015

Quorum sensing (QS) is involved in the process of cell-to-cell communication and as a gene regulatory mechanism, which has been implicated in bacterial pathogenicity. Bacteria use this QS system to control a variety of physiological processes. In this study, pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel extract (PPE) was first screened for its ability to inhibit QS in bio-reporter strains (Chromobacterium violaceum and C. violaceum CV026). Next, the ability of PPE to inhibit swimming motility and biofilm formation was examined in Y. enterocolitica. Additionally, changes in the expression of specific genes involved in the synthesis of the N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs; yenI and yenR) and in the flagellar regulon (fliA, fleB and flhDC) were evaluated by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. The results show that PPE specifically inhibited and reduced QS-controlled violacein production by 78.5% in C. violaceum CV026, and decreased QS-associated biofilm formation and swimming motility in Y. enterocolitica without significantly affecting bacterial growth. These inhibitory effects were also associated with the down-regulation of gene expression involved in the synthesis of AHLs and in motility. Our results suggest that PPE could be a potential therapeutic agent to prevent enteropathogens in humans, as well as highlight the need to further investigate the in vivo properties of PPE for clinical applications.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.118-122
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• 2015

Suicidal gene therapy is based on the transduction of tumor cells with "suicide" genes encoding for prodrug-activating enzymes that render target cells susceptible to prodrug treatment. Suicidal gene therapy results in the death of tumor with the expression of gene encoding enzyme that converts non-toxic prodrug into cytotoxic product. Cytochrome P450 4B1 (CYP4B1) activates 4-ipomeanol (4-IPO) or 2-aminoanthracene (2-AA) to cytotoxic furane epoxide and unsaturated dialdehyde intermediate.In this study, therapeutic effects of suicidal gene therapy with rabbit CYP4B1/2-AA or 4-IPO system were evaluated in HT-29 (human colon cancer cell). pcDNA-CYP4B1 vector was transfected into HT-29 by lipofection and stable transfectant was selected by treatment of hygromycin ($500{\mu}g/mL$) for 3 weeks. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was performed for confirmation of CYP4B1 expression in CYP4B1 gene transduced cell. The cytotoxic effects of CYP4B1 transduced cell were determined using dye-exclusion assay after treatment of 2-AA or 4-IPO for 96 hrs. Dye-exclusion assay showed that $IC_{50}$ of HT-29 and CYP4B1 transduced HT-29 was 0.01 mM and 0.003 mM after 4-IPO or 2-AA treatment at 96 hrs exposure, respectively. In conclusion, CYP4B1 based prodrug gene therapy probably have the potential for treatment of colorectal adenocarcinoma.