• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 2011

Purpose : Norovirus infection, a common cause of community-acquired gastroenteritis, can also lead to severe illness in immunocompromised patients. We investigated clinical manifestations of norovirus infection in pediatric cancer patients. Methods : Stool specimens were collected from pediatric patients with gastrointestinal symptoms between November 2008 and September 2009 at Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. Norovirus infection was identified by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A retrospective chart review was performed in pediatric cancer patients who were diagnosed with norovirus infection. Results : Ten patients were diagnosed with norovirus infection by RT-PCR in stool samples. The median age was 0.83 years (range 0.25-5.5 years) and the male to female ratio was 1.5:1 (6 males and 4 females). Underlying diseases were hematologic malignancies (4/10, 40%), neuroblastoma (4/10, 40%), and brain tumors (2/10, 20%). Three patients were infected before hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and four patients after HCT. All patients had diarrhea (10/10, 100%), with a median frequency of diarrhea of 8.5 times/day (range 4-22 times/day). Median virus shedding duration was 72.5 days (range 19-299 days). Four patients with pneumatosis intestinalis were conservatively treated with bowel rest and total parenteral nutrition. One patient with severe diarrhea and bloody stool had concomitant chronic gut graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Norovirus infection-related mortality was not observed. Conclusion : Norovirus infection can cause significant clinical manifestations with prolonged viral shedding in immunocompromised patients. Norovirus should be considered in pediatric cancer patients with severe gastrointestinal symptoms.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.97-103
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• 2006

Vitellogenin(Vg) is a sex specific serum protein present in sexually maturing female blood of oviparous vertebrates. Estrogen($E_2$) is a main inducer of hepatic Vg synthesis. We investigated the effects of androgen and growth hormone(GH) on regulation of Vg and estrogen receptor(ER) genes in Japanese eel. Immature eels($200{\sim}250\;g$) were given a single injection of $E_2(5{\sim}5,000\;{\mu}g/kg\;bw)$ alone, or in combination with eel recombinant GH(eGH, $1{\sim}10\;{\mu}g/kg$) or methyltestosterone(MT, $1{\sim}5\;mg/kg$) and sacrificed 10 days after the hormone treatments. Expression levels of ER and Vg genes from the liver were determined by means of reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). Administration of $E_2$ stimulated Vg gene expression in a dose dependent manner. Levels of Vg mRNA after the injection of $E_2(500\;{\mu}g/kg)$ with MT(5mg/kg) or eGH($10\;{\mu}g/kg$) were much higher than in that of $E_2$ alone($500\;{\mu}g/kg$). Whereas, injection of either vehicle, eGH ($10\;{\mu}g/kg$) or MT(5mg/kg) alone did not induce the expression of Vg gene in the liver. ER mRNA was detected from the fish treated with vehicle alone. $E_2$ injection($5{\sim}500\;{\mu}g/kg\;bw$) increased this ER expression but dose dependent response was not clear. Addition of MT(5mg/kg) or eGH($10\;{\mu}g/kg$) did not affect $E_2-stimulated$ ER mRNA expression. This study confirms the necessity of $E_2$ as the primary factor for Vg gene expression and requirement of additional hormones such as MT or GH for the full expression of Vg mRNA, and suggests that the additive effect of MT or GH on Vg gene expression would be mediated by some unknown factors other than ER.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.94-100
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• 2001

Purpose : Enterovirus is a common cause of aseptic meningitis and nonspecific febrile illness in young children. During the summer and fall months, enterovirus-infected young children are frequently admitted and evaluated to rule out bacterial sepsis and/or meningitis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between nonpolio enterovirus infection and febrile illness in infants under 3 months of age during the summer, fall months by using a stool culture to identify the presence of enterovirus. Methods : Patients included febrile infants under 3 months of age admitted to Masan Fatima Hospital for sepsis evaluation from May 1999 to September 1999. Cultures were performed from stool and Cerebrospinal fluid samples and then were tested for enterovirus infection. Viral isolation and serotype identification were performed by cell culture and immunofluorescent testing. Enteroviruses not typed by immunofluorescent testing were confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Results : A total of 44 febrile infants were enrolled; of those, 20(45%) were positive for enterovirus. Two enterovirus culture-positive infants had concomitant urinary tract infection and one had Kawasaki disease. All infants infected with an enterovirus recovered without complications. Serotype of 20 enteroviruses were isolated from stool, 3 of echovirus type 9, 1 of echovirus type 11, 1 Coxsachievirus type B4, 15 of untyped enteroviruses. One untyped enterovirus was isolated in the CSF. Conclusion : Nonpolio enterovirus infections are associated with nonspecific febrile illnesses in infants under 3 months of age.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.437-444
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• 2006

This study was aimed to elucidate the biological function of OD314 (Apin protein), which is related to ameloblast differentiation and amelogenesis. Apin protein, calcifying epithelial odontogenic (pindborg) tumors (CEOTs)-associated amyloid, were isolated from CEOTs, and has similar nucleotide sequences to OD314. We examined expression of the OD314 mRNA using in-situ hybridization during tooth development in mice. Expression of OD314 and several enamel matrix proteins were examined in the cultured ameloblast cell line up to 28 days by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification. After inactivation and over-expression of the OD314 gene in ameloblast cell lines using U6 vectordriven RNA interference and CMV-OD314 construct, RT-PCR were performed to evaluate the effect of the OD314 during amelogenesis. The results were as follows: 1. In in-situ hybridization, OD314 mRNAs were more strongly expressed in ameloblast than odontoblast. 2. When ameloblast cells were cultured in the diffcrentiation and mineralization medium for 28 days, the tuftelin mRNA expression was maintained from the beginning to day 14, and then gradually decreased to day 28. The expressions of amelogenin and enamelin were gradually decreased according to the ameloblast differentiation. 3. Inactivation of OD314 by U6-OD314 siRNA construct down-regulated the expression of OD314, MMP-20, and tuftelin, whereas over-expression of OD314 by CMV-OD314 construct up-regulated the expression of OD314 and MMP-20 without change in tuftelin. These results suggest that OD314 is considered as an ameloblast-enriched gene and may play the important roles in ameloblast differentiation and mineralization.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.562-571
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• 2017

In this study, we investigated the anti-oxidant activities [electron-donating ability (EDA), 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging ability, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibitory activity], anti-wrinkle activities [collagenase inhibitory activity, suppression and/or phosphorylation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activity], and mRNA expression levels using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay in ultraviolet (UV) B ray ($50mJ/cm^2$)-irradiated human keratinocyte HaCaT cells. Josaengheugchal, Sinneungheugchal (SE), Shintoheug rice, Heugjinju rice, and Heugseol (HE) among colored rice varieties were reported to have excellent antioxidant properties. In the EDA and ABTS radical scavenging assays, extracts of the five colored rice varieties had scavenging activities of 72% at concentrations higher $50{\mu}g/mL$. In the collagenase inhibition assay, ethanol extracts of the five colored rice varieties showed high inhibitory effects of about 60% at concentrations higher $25{\mu}g/mL$. In the ROS inhibition assay, ethanol extracts of HE and SE showed very excellent inhibition efficacies at all concentrations. We determined molecular biological mechanisms of MMPs (MMP-1, -3, -8, and -13) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) with HE, and the results show that HE suppressed expression of MMPs and phosphorylation of MAPK and increased expression of pro-collagen type I in UVB-irradiated cells. It was also confirmed by RT-PCR that HE reduced expression of MMPs mRNA. Therefore, these results suggest that HE has anti-wrinkle and collagen production effects and may be used as a material in the development of functional food and cosmetic industries.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.622-632
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to investigate activities as functional cosmetic materials, focusing on Rhododendron brachycarpum (RB) and Rhododendron fortunei (RF). The tyrosinase inhibitory effect, related to skin-whitening, was 32.6% and 39.3% respectively at the concentration of 1,000 ㎍/ml. The elastase inhibitory effect, related to skin anti-wrinkling activity, was 30% and 36.2% at 1,000 ㎍/ml concentration. Collagenase inhibitory activity showed 77.7%, and 80.2% respectively at 1,000 ㎍/ml concentration, which demonstrated excellent inhibitory activity. For a cell viability test, that measured on fibroblast cells by RB and RF extracts. Furthermore, the cell viability test showed 100.9% and 98.9% with cell viability at 100 ㎍/ml concentration in CCD-986Sk. The protein expression inhibitory effect of RB and RF extracts was measured by western blot at 25, 50, and 100 ㎍/ml concentrations, and the β-actin was used as a positive control. As a result, western blot of RB and RF extracts was measured by the expression inhibition rate of the MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3 protein, and was decreased by 67.2%, 65.5%, 13.6%, and 89.1%, 85.0%, and 62.7% at 100 ㎍/ml concentration. The mRNA expression inhibitory effect of RB and RF extracts was measured by RT-PCR at 25, 50, and 100 ㎍/ml concentrations, and the GAPDH was used as a positive control. According to the results of RT-PCR of RB and RF extracts, the expression inhibition rate of the MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-3 mRNA was decreased by 70.1%, 9.1%, 37.9%, and 38.2%, 8.3%, 57.3% at 100 ㎍/ml concentrations. So, RB and RF extracts showed the anti-wrinkle effectiveness as a functional cosmetic material.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.231-240
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• 2023

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is an acute, highly contagious, and immunosuppressive disease in young chickens, and causes considerable economic losses to the poultry industry. More than 30 years ago, an antigenic variant IBDV (avIBDV) was reported in chicken farms in the United States. Recently, a novel avIBDV exhibited clear differences in molecular characteristics compared with previous variant strains. This study investigated the molecular characteristics of recently isolated avIBDV strains in Korea. Strains of avIBDV were confirmed by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and were propagated in 10-day-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) embryonated chicken eggs through chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) inoculation. Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analyses of hypervariable regions VP2 gene revealed that the strains originated from two different avIBDV lineages (G2a and G2d). In our results, we confirmed the co-existence and prevalence of avIBDV genogroup G2a and G2d in chicken farms. It is necessary to study the protective efficacy of current vaccines against avIBDVs.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.279-286
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• 2019

This study evaluated the anti-oxidant and whitening effects of a 70% ethanol extract of the Sambucus sieboldiana var. pendula (Nakai) (SS). At $1,000{\mu}g/ml$ concentration, the electron donating ability of this SS extract was found to be 86.21% and the ABTS+ radical scavenging ability was 97.9%. In terms of whitening activity, the tyrosinase inhibitory effect of the extract was 37%, also at $1,000{\mu}g/ml$ concentration. To explore the extractefftoxicity to B16F10 melanoma cells, a 3-[4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazoliumbromide assay was performed. Results showed 90% or more cells remained viable at $100{\mu}g/ml$ concentration. A Western blot of the SS extract was used to measure microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), tyrosinase relate protein-2 (TRP-2), and the tyrosinase protein expression inhibitory effect at 25, 50, $100{\mu}g/ml$ concentrations; ${\beta}-actin$ was used as a positive control. Consequently, the MITF, TRP-1, TRP-2, and the tyrosinase protein expression inhibitory effect were seen to decrease by 34.5%, 45.6%, 58.4%, and 79.6%, respectively, at $100{\mu}g/ml$ concentration. These were also then measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction at 25, 50, $100{\mu}g/ml$ concentrations with GAPDH as a positive control. As a result, the SS extract was seen to decrease MITF, TRP-1, TRP-2, and the tyrosinase protein expression inhibitory effect by 85.4%, 67.5%, 85.2%, 67.1%, respectively at the $100{\mu}g/ml$ concentration. We therefore confirmed the possibility of Sambucus sieboldiana var. pendula (Nakai) extract as a whitening material.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.148-157
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• 2019

A 70% ethanol extract of Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers. was investigated for its whitening activity for application as a functional ingredient in cosmetic products. At the E. annuus extract concentration of $100{\mu}g/ml$, the electron-donating ability was found to be 67.83%, the tyrosinase inhibitory effect (related to skin-whitening) was 69%, the elastase inhibitory effect (related to skin-wrinkling) was 69%, and the astringent effect was 80%. The $ABTS^+$ radical-scavenging ability was 87% at the $500{\mu}g/ml$ concentration. In the cell viability test measured on melanoma cells, 96% of the cells treated with $100{\mu}g/ml$ of the extract were viable. According to the western blot results, the protein expression of the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1, and TRP-2 was decreased by 60.22%, 47.83%, 54.79%, and 67.88%, respectively, at the extract concentration of $100{\mu}g/ml$. The protein expression of phosphorylated extracellular signal regulated kinase (p-ERK) and phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB) was decreased with increasing concentrations of the extract. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction of the extract showed that the mRNA expression of MITF, tyrosinase, TRP-1, and TRP-2 was decreased by 86.51%, 85.22%, 74.26%, and 66.66%, respectively, at $100{\mu}g/ml$ extract concentration. The findings suggest that the 70% ethanol extract from E. annuus (L.) Pers. has potential as a cosmeceutical ingredient with whitening effect.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.28 no.1 s.66
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• pp.165-174
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• 1998

The turnover of collagen is controlled by the balance between collagen synthesis and degradation. The production of collagenase (matrix metalloproteinase-1) and its inhibitor, tissue inhibitor of matrix metallopmteinase-1 (TIMP-1) are one of the substances which regulate this balance. The periodontal ligament fibroblast plays an important role in collagen metabolism during orthodontic treatment and is believed to be an origin of the osteoblast in the alveolar bone. The collagenase secreted by the periodontal ligament fibroblast and the osteoblast initiates the bone resorption by removing the osteoid layer in the alveloar bone. The interleukin-$1{\beta}$ is secreted by the macrophage during orthodontic treatment. The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of mechanical stress and interleukin-$1{\beta}$ on the expression of collagenase and TIMP-1 in the periodontal ligament fibroblasts using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical staining. The periodontal ligament fibroblasts were stitched by placing the $Petriperm dish^{\circledR}$ dish on the top of spheroidal convex watch glass ($5\%$ surface increase) and tented with interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (1.0 ng/ml), or treated with both of them. Treatment with mechanical stress and/or interleukin-$1{\beta}$ resulted in increased collagenase mRNA expression. The mechanical stress treated group (1.61, 1.62, 1.37 fold increase), the interleukin-$1{\beta}$, tented group (1.68, 1.60, 3.78 fold increase), the mechanical stress and interleukin-$1{\beta}$ treated group (1.89, 1.72, 5.48 fold increase) induced increases in collagenase mRNA compared with the control group after 2, 4, 8 hours respectively. But TIMP-1 mRNA expressions at experimental groups were decreased after 2, 4 hours and increased after 8 hours. The mechanical stress treated group (0.16, 0.49 fold decrease and 3.77 fold increase), the interleukin-$1{\beta}$ treated group (0.15,0.44 fold decrease and 4.46 fold increase), the mechanical stress and interleukin-$1{\beta}$ tented group (0.15, 0.69 fold decrease and 4.81 fold increase) induced changes in TIMP-1 mRNA compared with the control group after 2, 4, 8 hours, respectively. Immunohistochemical stain showed that increased collagenase and TIMP-1 staining of the mechanical stress tented group, the interleukin-$1{\beta}$ treated group, and the mechanical stress and interleukin-$1{\beta}$ treated group compared with that of the control group after 8 hours. These findings suggest that mechanical stress and interleukin-$1{\beta}$ regulate expression of collagenase and TIMP-1.