• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.8-13
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• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of mycelia of Lentinus edoes mushroom-cultured Astragalus membranaceus Bunge (LAM) on proliferation of cancer cell lines (Hep3B, MCF-7 and HeLa), sarcoma 180 (S-180), and anti-allergy. In an anti-cancer test using Hep3B (hepatic cancer cell), MCF-7 (breast cancer cell) and HeLa (uterine cancer cell), LAM extract showed higher antiproliferating effect than that of Astragalus membranaceus Bunge (AM) extract. In an anti-cancer testing using Hep3B cells and MCF-7 cells, LAM extract showed growth-inhibitory effect of 65.23% at 3 mg/mL and 69.23% at 5 mg/mL, respectively. In an anti-cancer testing using HeLa cells, LAM extract showed growth-inhibitory effect of 42.01% at 5 mg/mL. In addition, LAM showed the tumor suppressive effect in mice injected with S-180 cells. The growth-inhibitory rates against tumor cells were 47% for LAM and 37% for AM. LAM inhibited histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells activated by compound 48/80. These results suggest that Lentinus edodes mushroom-cultured herb has an antiproliferating effect against cancer cell lines (Hep3B, MCF-7 and HeLa), S-180 tumor and will be beneficial in the treatment of allergic reaction.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.282-291
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• 2023

Despite the recent progress in public health measures, malaria remains a troublesome disease that needs to be eradicated. It is essential to develop new antimalarial medications that are reliable and secure. This report evaluated the pharmacokinetics and antimalarial activity of 1,2,6,7-tetraoxaspiro[7.11]nonadecane (N-89) using the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei in vivo. After a single oral dose (75 mg /kg) of N-89, its pharmacokinetic parameters were measured, and t_1/2 was 0.97 h, T_max was 0.75 h, and bioavailability was 7.01%. A plasma concentration of 8.1 ng/ml of N-89 was maintained for 8 h but could not be detected at 10 h. The dose inhibiting 50% of parasite growth (ED₅₀) and ED₉₀ values of oral N-89 obtained following a 4-day suppressive test were 20 and 40 mg/kg, respectively. Based on the plasma concentration of N-89, we evaluated the antimalarial activity and cure effects of oral N-89 at a dose of 75 mg/kg 3 times daily for 3 consecutive days in mice harboring more than 0.5% parasitemia. In all the N-89-treated groups, the parasites were eliminated on day 5 post-treatment, and all mice recovered without a parasite recurrence for 30 days. Additionally, administering oral N-89 at a low dose of 50 mg/kg was sufficient to cure mice from day 6 without parasite recurrence. This work was the first to investigate the pharmacokinetic characteristics and antimalarial activity of N-89 as an oral drug. In the future, the following steps should be focused on developing N-89 for malaria treatments; its administration schedule and metabolic pathways should be investigated.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2023

The discovery of new antimalarial drugs can be developed using asynchronized Plasmodium berghei malaria parasites in vivo in mice. Studies on a particular stage are also required to assess the effectiveness and mode of action of drugs. In this report, we used endoperoxide 6-(1,2,6,7-tetraoxaspiro [7.11] nonadec-4-yl) hexan-1-ol (N-251) as a model antimalarial compound on P. chabaudi parasites. We examined the antimalarial effect of N-251 against ring-stage- and trophozoite-stage-rich P. chabaudi parasites and asynchronized P. berghei parasites using the 4-day suppressive test. The ED₅₀ values were 27, 22, and 22 mg/kg, respectively, and the antimalarial activity of N-251 was verified in both rodent malaria parasites. To assess the stage-specific effect of N-251 in vivo, we evaluated the change of parasitemia and distribution of parasite stages using ring-stage- and trophozoite-stage-rich P. chabaudi parasites with one-day drug administration for one life cycle. We discovered that the parasitemias decreased after 13 and 9 hours post-treatment in the ring-stage- and trophozoite-stage-rich groups, respectively. Additionally, in the ring-stage-rich N-251 treated group, the ring-stage parasites hindered trophozoite parasite development. For the trophozoite-stage-rich N-251 treated group, the distribution of the trophozoite stage was maintained without a change in parasitemia until 9 hours. Because of these findings, it can be concluded that N-251 suppressed the trophozoite stage but not the ring stage. We report for the first time that N-251 specifically suppresses the trophozoite stage using P. chabaudi in mice. The results show that P. chabaudi is a reliable model for the characterization of stage-specific antimalarial effects.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 2003

Bacterial soft rot by Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora is one of the diseases causing the biggest problem in Chinese cabbage. Chemical screening was conducted to select effective agents for controlling bacterial soft rot. Control effect of antibiotics, plant activator, and Biokeeper (avirulent Erwinia) to soft rot were tested by in vitro assay, nursery test, and field experiment. The in vitro assay was done by paper disc method and potato slice method. The nursery test was performed by using mineral oil inoculation method with consistent disease induction. The in vitro assay showed that streptomycin, oxolinic acid, bronopol, and copper hydroxide significantly suppressed the growth of pathogenic bacterium and the decomposition of potato slice. However, plant activators including acibenzolar-S-methyl did not show the suppressive effect on the growth of pathogenic bacterium and the decomposition of potato slice. When applied by the nursery test condition using mineral oil inoculation method with Chinese cabbage 'Kangruckyeurum', Biokeeper, oxolinic acid, antibiotics streptomycin, validamycin, and copper compound provided 83.5%, 95.2%, 91.2%, 57.5% and 79.9% in control efficacy, respectively. However, the control effect of acibenzolar-S-methyl showed to be low to cause phytotoxicity. Also acibenzolar-S-methyl showed a significant control effect in the field experiment with Chinese cabbage 'Sanchon' in 2000, but the field experiment with Chinese cabbage 'Kangruckyeurum' in 2001 revealed it had phytotoxicity to Chinese cabbage. Such a difference was considered to be caused by differences in phytotoxic reaction of Chinese cabbage cultivars to the chemical. Streptomycin+copper, copper hydroxide and Biokeeper showed 79.7%, 71.9% and 60.9% in control efficacy, respectively, in the field experiment with Chinese cabbage 'Sanchon' in 2002.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1168-1175
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• 2017

Probiotics are usually defined as intestinal bacteria that provide healthy benefit to the host and may offer new therapeutic materials for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Enterococcus are known as typical probiotics. But, these bacteria have mostly a weak viability and thus decreased probiotics-mediated effects in the intestinal tract. Asthma is an inflammatory airway disease, which is characterized by the releases of inflammatory mediators including cytokine and IgE. They are mainly associated with the recruitment, activation and disregulation of specific inflammatory cells, especially mast cells, monocytes, T cells, eosinophils and neutrophils in asthma. We performed these studies as in vitro and in vivo test the human inflammatory cell lines and ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma mouse model. And then the inhibitory effects of Enterococcus faecalis whole extract on inflammatory responses were examined. For our examinations, the E. faecalis whole extract (Ef extract) was acquired from whole bacteria of E. faecalis using freeze/thawing after ultrasonication method. As results, OVA-mediated THP-1 cell viability was decreased by the treatment of Ef extract. In the asthmatic mouse model, Ef extract inhibited the infiltration of inflammatory cells into the inflammatory sites and blood. This whole extract may have anti-asthmatic effects associated with the regulation of IL-5 and IgE expression. It may also be a promising candidate in anti-allergic medicine for the treatment of asthma.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.46-53
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• 2005

Purpose: Bisphosphonates (BPs) are the analogues of endogenous pyrophosphates: they have been used in the treatment of skeletal diseases such as Paget's disease, osteoporosis, and tumorinducing ostelysis, and are used in treatment of osteolytic metastasis of breast cancer recently. They are also used as one of the therapeutic agents for metastasis of prostatic cancer of which metastasis makes the mixed nature of osteolysis and ostegenesis. Although the action mechanism of BPs are well known for diseases with excessive osteoclastic bone resorption, the direct effect of BPs has not been known yet. This study was intended to see the tumor suppression capability of Zoledronic acid(ZOL) using nude mouse with osteosarcoma. Materials and Methods: MG-63 and HOS osteosarcoma cell lines were used and the transforemed MG-63-GFP and HOS-GFP cells, which were made for detection under fluorescent light, were subcutaneously injected to make osteosarcoma. The five 6-week male mice were used for the experiment at each group. After the injection, mice were cultivated until tumor pieces grow up to $3{\times}3{\times}3$ $mm^3$ and ZOL of 120 ug/kg was subcutaneously injected twice a week. Sizes of tumor were measured twice a week and photographed under fluorescent light. Results: In in vivo test with HOS osteosarcoma cell lines, mean size of tumors was 2,520 $mm^3$ in control group and was 131 $mm^3$ in ZOL group, which showed 94% of reduction comparing with the control ; with MG-63 osteosarcoma cell lines, mean size of tumors was 2,866 $mm^3$ in control group and was 209 $mm^3$ in test group with 72% of reduction (p<0.05). Conclusion: In in vivo tests with nude mice, we suggest that ZOL has direct effect on osteosarcoma cells and it would be used as one of the therapeutic agents for osteosarcoma, especially to ZOL-sensitive osteosarcoma cells.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.337-346
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• 1992

Trichoderma spp. are an effective control agent for damping-off or other plant diseases. The interaction between. T. hamatum and Rhizoctonia solani on the rhizosphere or surface soil were examined to assess the possible roles of antibiosis or competition in the mechanisms of biological control agents as a basic research. In a proportional comparison, total bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and Trichoderma spp were 65%, 8.8%, 25.9% and 0.28% respectively in their distribution in the soil. Among Trichoderma spp isolated, the 5 species of Trichoderma spp were indentified as T. koninggii, T. pseudokoninggii, T. aureoviridi, T. hamatum and T. viride respectively. In a mycoparasitic test, one isolate of T. hamatum strain Tr-5 showed an enzymatic ability to break fungal hyphae into piecies and infected on the R. solani hyphae showing a parasitism. Spore germination of the all isolates of Trichoderma spp showed a 1.7-7.3% of germination in natural soil conditions, but the percentage was high in sterile soil indicating all the natural soil were fungistatic on conidia of Trichoderma spp. In rhizosphere competent assay in pea plant, the antagonistic T. hamatum, T. viride, T. koninggii, T. pseudokoninggii showed a colonizing upper soil depth in rhizosphere around 1-3 cm in root zone, but the colonizing ability was much reduced along the deeper the soil depth. Propagule density was decreased in deeper the soil layer. Disease development rate treated alone with plant pathogens, Fusarium solani, Rhizoctonia solani, Cylindrocarpon destructans increased, but disease incidence rate reduced in treatment with combinations with antagonistic T. hamatum strain Tr-5.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 1988

To investigate germination characteristics of soils on Fusarium species under different soil conditions, this study was carried out to test spore germination of 4 Fusarium species. Among 102 soil samples, spore germinations of Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi, F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerium, F. oxysporum f. sp. raphani and F. coccophilum were under 50% in 98, 85, 82 and 83 soil samples, respectively. The highest spore germination of F. solani f. sp. pisi, F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerium and F. coccophilum was obtained in 21 soil samples of pH 5.1-6.0, whereas F. oxysporum f. sp. raphani was in 33 soil samples of pH 4.1-5.0. The highest spore germination of F. solani f. sp. pisi, F. coccophilum and F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerium was obtained in 4 soil samples holding soil moisture content of 41-60%, while F. oxysporum f. sp. raphani was in 22 soil samples of 21-30%. F. oxysporum f. sp. raphani only showed a direct correlation(r=0.29) between spore germination and soil moisture content. On the basis of each spore germination in cultivated and non-cultivated soils, there was significant difference(p=0.01) in 4 Fusarium species. F. solani f. sp. pisi only indicated significant difference(p=0.0l) between two contrasting-soils, cultivated and non-cultivated soils. The numbers of microbial population were higher in soils suppressive to spore germination than soils conducive to spore germination.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.27-40
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• 2010

Background and Objective : Increasing interest in anti-aging and anti-wrinkling agents for the skin has triggered the recent outflow of researches and studies in this field. This study was designed to investigate the effects of bee venom on skin wrinkling and skin aging by testing the skin wrinkling, skin elasticity, trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), free radical level, anti-oxidative agent level, and skin tissue after infusion of bee venom on hairless mouse. Materials and Methods : Fifteen hairless mice aged between 36~40 weeks were divided randomly into 3 Group; the Bee Venom Syringe Group, the Bee Venom Needle Group, and the control group. The Bee Venom Syringe Group were injected subcutaneously with bee venom (0.1cc in total) using an insulin syringe on three spots in the lumbar spine (one spot on the center and two spots 1~2cm to the side bilaterally). The Bee Venom Needle Group were pricked with bee venom-smeared acupuncture needles on three longitudinal spots in the lumbar spine each 1cm apart, after which the needles were removed 10 minutes later. The Control Group did not receive any form of intervention. All procedures took place thrice a week for four weeks, during which the mice were allowed free access to water and fodder. The mice were measured and compared in the weight, skin wrinkling scale, skin elasticity, and TEWL before and after the experiment. After the experiment, blood samples were taken to measure the free radical and anti-oxidative agent level, and the skin tissue was sliced for examination. Data was analyzed using the SPSS program (ver 12.0). The ANOVA analysis was used to compare and contrast the three groups, and t-test for paired samples was used to evaluate skin-wrinkling before and after experiment. The cut-off p-value of significance was set at p<0.05. Results : 1. Administration of bee venom did not cause serious weight loss or gain. 2. Compared to the control group, the Bee Venom Syringe Group and the Bee Venom Needle Group both showed a decrease in skin wrinkling scale after intervention. Especially, the Bee Venom Syringe Group showed a significant decrease (p<0.05). 3. Compared to the control group, the Bee Venom Syringe Group and the Bee Venom Needle Group both showed an increase in skin elasticity. Especially, the Bee Venom Syringe Group showed a significant increase (p<0.05). 4. No significant change in TEWL was found in the mice in all the three groups before and after experiment. 5. Free radical level was normal in all 15 mice in all the three groups, and anti-oxidative agent was not significantly different across the three groups. 6. The Bee Venom Syringe Group, the Bee Venom Needle Group, and the control group did not show any significant difference in the thickness of epidermis and dermis, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and skin wrinkling. The epidermis layer was relatively better preserved in the Bee Venom Syringe Group as compared to the Bee Venom Needle Group and the control group. Conclusion : Direct injection of bee venom on the hairless mouse using a syringe was found to improve wrinkling of the skin and increase skin elasticity but did not show effectiveness on skin dryness due to water loss. The bee venom appears to have suppressive effects on skin wrinkling, one of the symptoms of skin aging, through a process independent of suppression of free radicals or increase of anti-oxidative agent.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.226-233
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• 2004

Background : Interferon-gamma (IFN-${\gamma}$) is a critical cytokine in the defense against a Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Even though IFN-${\gamma}$ has occasionally been used in the treatment of refractory multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) with some promising results, there is still some controversy regarding the therapeutic efficacy of IFN-${\gamma}$. This study was performed to examine the effect of subcutaneous IFN-${\gamma}$ in the treatment of MDR-TB patients. Methods : Six patients with refractory MDR-TB were enrolled in this study. Two million IU of IFN-${\gamma}$ was administered subcutaneously three times a week with the concomitant administration of antituberculous drugs for at least for 28 weeks. During the IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy, the sputum smear and culture, radiological and clinical evaluations were performed every 4 weeks throughout the study period. Results : The mean age of the 6 patients was 37 years (ranges, 15-61 years). The drug susceptibility test to standard antituberculous drugs revealed resistance to an average of 6.8 (${\pm}1.2$) agents including isoniazid and rifampicin. An average of 10.8 (${\pm}1.3$) antituberculous drugs were prescribed before IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy. The culture became negative in 2 patients (33%) after initiating IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy; one at 8 weeks, and the other at 24 weeks. Finally, after stopping the IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy after 28 weeks, the culture became positive again in the two patients who were culture-negative. The other 4 patients who failed in the culture conversion are still on antituberculous treatment except for one who died of tuberculosis. Conclusion : Even though 28 weeks of subcutaneous IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy in combination with antituberculous drugs was successful in inducing the culture-negative conversion in some patients with refractory MDR-TB, the culture became positive again after stopping the IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy. This suggests that subcutaneous IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy may have suppressive effect on tuberculosis only during the IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy period in some patients. Further studies will be needed to determine the optimum dose, the administration route, the duration of therapy, and the predicting factors of the response to adjuvant IFN-${\gamma}$ therapy.