• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.240-245
• /
• 2010

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different height of drainpipe and growing media soilless cultivated cut rose in container culture. Two experiment were to examine the effect of the drainpipe height and media composition on yield and quality of cut rose, Four different drainpipe height (0, 3, 6, 9 cm) were treated to determine of optimal container type. Yield was the highest at 3 cm drainpipe height, but quality was not significantly affected by drainpipe height. Survival rate of rose was 100%, 100%, 92%, and 92%, respectively. Two different drainpipe height (0, 3 cm) and 7 media composition (pure coir and pelite, and mixed with two media 3 : 1, 2 : 1, 1 : 1, 1 : 2, 1 : 3 v/v) was treated to determine of media composition related to drainpipe height. The supply of nutrient solution was controlled by the signal of water potential at -5 kPa using frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) sensor in mixed coir with pelite 3 : 1, 1 : 1, 1 : 3 (v/v), respectively. Irrigation frequency reduced in high ratio of coir media and 3 cm height of drainpipe. Quality of cut rose except for flower weight and yield until 2nd harvest was not significantly affected by drainpipe height, but yield after 3rd was higher at 3 cm than 0 cm height of darinpipe. In the media composition, yield and qulity of cut rose was increased at high ratio of coir media.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.532-541
• /
• 2020

In this study, we describe the inhibition of adipocyte differentiation by the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation product of Chrysanthemum indicum L. (CI) extract to control obesity. Preparation of LAB-fermented products was performed to overcome the cytotoxicity of CI extract. During fermentation and 3T3-L1 cell line experiment, cytotoxicity was not induced in the CI fermentation products over 1 day in culture. Fermented materials from highly proliferative cultures were selected for treatment of 3T3-L1 cells and for comparison with unfermented control groups. Cell survival and undifferentiated cell populations were decreased differentiation population in all experimental groups compared with controls, as measured using fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis. Akt pathway activity increased upon treatment with these fermented extracts in 3T3-L1 cells. Gli2 depleted at the protein level in association with adipocyte differentiation. LAB KCTC 3115- and 3109-fermented extract treatment caused controlled Gli2 protein accumulation. Moreover, KCTC 3115 and 3109 were found to reduce C/EBPα and FAS was depleted, whereas pACC was increased at the protein level upon treatment with the fermentation products of each of the four LAB used in this study. With Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis KCTC 3115 fermentation, the regulation of adipose differentiation and hedgehog signaling were also suppressed, thereby inhibiting the differentiation of progenitor cells. The basis for the activation of hedgehog signaling may provide insights into the treatment of obesity and the inhibition of adipocyte differentiation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.39-47
• /
• 2010

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophic factor involved in neuronal differentiation, plasticity, survival and regeneration. BDNF draws massive attention mainly due to the potential as a therapeutic target in neurological diseases such as depression and Alzheimer's disease. In a primary screening for the natural compounds enhancing BDNF release from cultured rat primary cortical neuron, we found that compounds such as baicalein, tanshinone IIa, cinnamic acid, epiberberine, genistein and wogonin among many others increased BDNF release. All the compounds at $0.1{\mu}M$ of concentration barely showed stimulatory effect on BDNF induction, however, their combination (mixture 1; baicalein, tanshinone IIa and cinnamic acid, mixture 2; epiberberine, genistein and wogonin) showed synergistic increase in BDNF release as well as mRNA and protein expression. The level of BDNF expression was comparable to the maximum BDNF stimulation attainable by a positive control oroxylin A ($20{\mu}M$) without cell toxicity as determined by MTT analysis. Both mixtures synergistically increased the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) as well as cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), an immediate and essential regulator of BDNF expression. Similar to these results, mixture of these compounds synergistically inhibited the up-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) induced by lipopolysaccharide treatments in rat primary astrocytes. These results suggest that the combinatorial treatment of natural compounds in lower concentration might be a useful strategy to obtain sufficient BDNF stimulation in neurological disease condition such as depression, while minimizing potential side effects and toxicity of higher concentration of a single compound.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.223-229
• /
• 2015

In this study, extract from Artemisia annua in L. (AAE) is known as a medicinal herb that is effective against cancer. The cell cycle is regulated by the activation of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)/cyclin complex. We will focus on regulation of CDK2 by cyclin E. cyclin E is associated with CDK2 to regulate progression from G1 into S phase. Akt is known to play an important role in cell proliferation and cell survival. Activation of Akt increases mTOR activity that promotes cell proliferation and cancer growth. In this study, we investigated that AAE-induced cell cycle arrest at G1/S phase in HCT116 colon cancer. Treatment of AAE shows that reduced activation of Akt decreases mTOR/Mdm2 activity and then leads to increase the activation of p53. The active p53 promotes activation of p21. p21 induces inactivation of CDK2/cyclin E complex and occurs cell cycle arrest at G1/S phase. We treated LY294002 (Akt inhibitor) and Rapamycin (mTOR inhibitor) to know the relationship between the signal transduction of proteins associated with cell cycle arrest. These results suggest that AAE induces cell cycle arrest at G1/S phase by Akt/mTOR pathway in HCT116 colon cancer cell.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.18 no.12
• /
• pp.1975-1983
• /
• 2008

The neuropeptide ${\alpha}$-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (${\alpha}$-MSH) has anti-inflammatory property by down regulating the expressions of proinflammatory cytokines. Because ${\alpha}$-MSH elicits the anti-inflammatory effect in various inflammatory disease models, we examined the therapeutic effect of oral administration of recombinant Lactobacillus casei, which secretes ${\alpha}$-MSH (L. casei-${\alpha}$-MSH), on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in Balb/c mice. Thus, we constructed the ${\alpha}$-MSH-secreting Lactobacillus casei by the basic plasmid, pLUAT-ss, which was composed of a PldhUTLS promoter and ${\alpha}$-amylase signal sequence from Streptococcus bovis strain. Acute colitis was induced by oral administration of 5% DSS in drinking water for 7 days. To investigate the effect of L. casei-${\alpha}$-MSH on the colitis, L. casei or L. casei-${\alpha}$-MSH was orally administered for 7 days and their effects on body weight, mortality rate, cytokine production, and tissue myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were observed. Administration of L. casei-${\alpha}$-MSH reduced the symptom of acute colitis as assessed by body weight loss (DSS alone: $14.45{\pm}0.2\;g$; L. casei-${\alpha}$-MSH: $18.2{\pm}0.12\;g$), colitis score (DSS alone: $3.6{\pm}0.4$; L. casei-${\alpha}$-MSH: $1.4{\pm}0.6$), MPO activity (DSS alone: $42.7{\pm}4.5\;U/g$; L. casei-${\alpha}$-MSH: $10.25{\pm}0.5\;U/g$), survival rate, and histological damage compared with the DSS alone mice. L. casei-${\alpha}$-MSH-administered entire colon showed reduced in vitro production of proinflammatory cytokines and $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation. The ${\alpha}$-MSH-secreting recombinant L. casei showed significant anti-inflammatory effects in the murine model of acute colitis and suggests a potential therapeutic role for this agent in clinical inflammatory bowel diseases.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.521-527
• /
• 2011

Recently, Korean ginseng, as immuno-activator, was actively investigated on its effect and mechanism. But purified fermented red ginseng (PFRG) has not been researched enough compared to red ginseng (RG, steamed and dried root of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, family Araliaceae) and fermented red ginseng (FRG, fermented red ginseng by Lactobacillus brevis 13094). In this study, we examined RG, FRG and PFRG to compare their anti-inflammatory effect by LPS. According to the result, RAW 264.7 cells survival rates did not largely change by RG and FRG. Only PFRG expressed weak toxicity at 10 ug/ml. The expression of iNOS and production of Nitric Oxide (NO) decreased depending on the concentration of RG, FRG and PFRG. And the expression of COX-2 also decreased. We tried western blotting for detecting that the expression of iNOS, COX-2 was caused by NF-${\kappa}B$. The result supported that the inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ by RG, FRG and PFRG suppressed the expression of iNOS, COX-2 and affected the production of TNF-${\alpha}$. While the anti-inflammatory effect was confirmed from all three types of red ginseng (RG, FRG, PFRG), the effect of PFRG was superior to others. Further research is required on other effects of PFRG.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.26 no.5
• /
• pp.487-493
• /
• 2018

Cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), a cell surface receptor for hyaluronic acid (HA), is involved in aggressive cancer phenotypes. Herein, we investigated the role of the CD44 standard isoform (CD44s) in hypoxia-inducible $factor-1{\alpha}$ ($HIF-1{\alpha}$) regulation using MCF7 overexpressing CD44s (pCD44s-MCF7). When pCD44s-MCF7 was incubated under hypoxia, levels of $HIF-1{\alpha}$, vascular endothelial growth factor, and the $HIF-1{\alpha}$ response element-derived luciferase activity were significantly increased compared to those in the control MCF7. Incubation of pCD44s-MCF7 cells with HA further increased $HIF-1{\alpha}$ accumulation, and the silencing of CD44s attenuated $HIF-1{\alpha}$ elevation, which verifies the role of CD44s in $HIF-1{\alpha}$ regulation. In addition, the levels of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) was higher in hypoxic pCD44s-MCF7 cells, and $HIF-1{\alpha}$ accumulation was diminished by the pharmacological inhibitors of ERK. CD44s-mediated $HIF-1{\alpha}$ augmentation resulted in two functional outcomes. First, pCD44s-MCF7 cells showed facilitated cell motility under hypoxia via the upregulation of proteins associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition, such as SNAIL1 and ZEB1. Second, pCD44s-MCF7 cells exhibited higher levels of glycolytic proteins, such as glucose transporter-1, and produced higher levels of lactate under hypoxa. As a consequence of the enhanced glycolytic adaptation to hypoxia, pCD44s-MCF7 cells exhibited a higher rate of cell survival under hypoxia than that of the control MCF7, and glucose deprivation abolished these differential responses of the two cell lines. Taken together, these results suggest that CD44s activates hypoxia-inducible $HIF-1{\alpha}$ signaling via ERK pathway, and the $CD44s-ERK-HIF-1{\alpha}$ pathway is involved in facilitated cancer cell viability and motility under hypoxic conditions.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.98-106
• /
• 2007

Genotoxic stress triggers a variety of biological responses including the transcriptional activation of genes regulating DNA repair, cell survival and cell death. In this study, we investigated to examine gene expression profiles and genotoxic response in TK6 cells treated with DNA damaging agents MNNG (N-methyl-N'-nitrosoguanidine) and hydrogen peroxide $(H_2O_2)$. We extracted total RNA in three independent experiments and hybridized cRNA probes with oligo DNA chip (Applied Biosystems Human Genome Survey Microarray). We analyzed raw signal data with R program and AVADIS software and identified a number of deregulated genes with more than 1.5 log-scale fold change and statistical significancy. We indentified 14 genes including G protein alpha 12 showing deregulation by MNNG. The deregulated genes by MNNG represent the biological pathway regarding MAP kinase signaling pathway. Hydrogen peroxide altered 188 genes including sulfiredoxins. These results show that MNNG and $H_2O_2$ have both uniquely regulated genes that provide the potential to serve as biomarkers of exposure to DNA damaging agents.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.197-212
• /
• 2014

Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of the most common malignant primary bone tumors and NF-${\kappa}B$ appears to play a causative role, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. OS is one of the pleomorphic, highly metastasized and invasive neoplasm which is capable to generate osteoid, osteoclast and osteoblast matrix. Its high incidence has been reported in adolescent and children. Cell signal cascade is the pivotal functional mechanism acquired during the differentiation, proliferation, growth and survival of the cells in neoplasm including OS. The major limitation to the success of chemotherapy in OS is the development of multidrug resistance (MDR). Answers to all such queries might come from the knock-in experiments in which the combined approach of miRNAs with NF-${\kappa}B$ pathway is put into use. Abnormal miRNAs can modulate several epigenetical switching as a hallmark of number of diseases via different cell signaling. Studies on miRNAs have opened up the new avenues for both the diagnosis and treatment of cancers including OS. Collectively, through the present study an attempt has been made to establish a new systematic approach for the investigation of microRNAs, bio-physiological factors and their target pairs with NF-${\kappa}B$ to ameliorate oncogenesis with the "bridge between miRNAs and NF-${\kappa}B$". The application of NF-${\kappa}B$ inhibitors in combination with miRNAs is expected to result in a more efficient killing of the cancer stem cells and a slower or less likely recurrence of cancer.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.389-399
• /
• 2018

Background: The antioxidant effects of Panax ginseng have been reported in several articles; however, little is known about the antimelanogenesis effect, skin-protective effect, and cellular mechanism of Panax ginseng, especially of P. ginseng calyx. To understand how an ethanol extract of P. ginseng berry calyx (Pg-C-EE) exerts skin-protective effects, we studied its activities in activated melanocytes and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced keratinocytes. Methods: To confirm the antimelanogenesis effect of Pg-C-EE, we analyzed melanin synthesis and secretion and messenger RNA and protein expression levels of related genes. Ultraviolet B (UVB) and hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) were used to induce cell damage by ROS generation. To examine whether this damage is inhibited by Pg-C-EE, we performed cell viability assays and gene expression and transcriptional activation analyses. Results: Pg-C-EE inhibited melanin synthesis and secretion by blocking activator protein 1 regulatory enzymes such as p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), and cyclic adenosine mono-phosphate response element-binding protein. Pg-C-EE also suppressed ROS generation induced by $H_2O_2$ and UVB. Treatment with Pg-C-EE decreased the expression of matrix metalloproteinases, mitogen-activated protein kinases, and hyaluronidases and increased the cell survival rate. Conclusion: These results suggest that Pg-C-EE may have antimelanogenesis properties and skin-protective properties through regulation of activator protein 1 and cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein signaling. Pg-C-EE may be used as a skin-improving agent, with moisture retention and whitening effects.