• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.15-23
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• 2003

Cellular redox state is known to be perturbed during ischemia and that $Ca^{2+}$ and $K^2$ channels have been shown to have functional thiol groups. In this study, the properties of thiol redox modulation of the ATP-sensitive $K^2$ ($K_{ATP}$) channel were examined in rabbit ventricular myocytes. Rabbit ventricular myocytes were isolated using a Langendorff column for coronary perfusion and collagenase. Single-channel currents were measured in excised membrane patch configuration of patch-clamp technique. The thiol oxidizing agent 5,5'-dithio-bis-(2-nitro-benzoic acid) (DTNB) inhibited the channel activity, and the inhibitory effect of DTNB was reversed by dithiothreitol (disulfide reducing agent; DTT). DTT itself did not have any effect on the channel activity. However, in the patches excised from the metabolically compromised cells, DTT increased the channel activity. DTT had no effect on the inhibitory action by ATP, showing that thiol oxidation was not involved in the blocking mechanism of ATP. There were no statistical difference in the single channel conductance for the oxidized and reduced states of the channel. Analysis of the open and closed time distributions showed that DTNB had no effect on open and closed time distributions shorter than 4 ms. On the other hand, DTNB decreased the life time of bursts and increased the interburst interval. N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), a substance that reacts with thiol groups of cystein residues in proteins, induced irreversible closure of the channel. The thiol oxidizing agents (DTNB, NEM) inhibited of the $K_{ATP}$ channel only, when added to the cytoplasmic side. The results suggested that metabolism-induced changes in the thiol redox can also modulate $K_{ATP}$ channel activity and that a modulatory site of thiol redox may be located on the cytoplasmic side of the $K_{ATP}$ channel in rabbit ventricular myocytes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.699-706
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• 2013

We have previously reported that N-acetylcysteine (NAC) not only delayed apoptosis but also enhanced the production of recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell culture. To investigate the production enhancement mechanism, the effects of similar thiol-reducing agents were studied. Intriguingly, all mild reducing agents examined including mercaptoethanesulfonic acid (MESNA), thiolactic acid (TLA), and thioglycolate (TG) were shown to block apoptosis and increase EPO production. A pulse-chase study of EPO secretion revealed that all four thiol-reducing agents increased the EPO secretion rate; among them TLA showed the highest rate. In terms of product quality, the sialic acid content of the glycoprotein is one of the most important factors. It was reported that a number of glycoproteins produced by CHO cells often have incomplete sialylation, particularly under high-producing conditions. Human ${\alpha}2,3$-sialyltransferase (${\alpha}2,3$-ST) was introduced into EPO-producing CHO cells in order to compensate for the reduced sialylation during supplementation with NAC. When ${\alpha}2,3$-ST was expressed in the presence of NAC, reduced sialylation was restored and an even more sialylated EPO was produced. Thus, our study is significant in that it offers increased EPO production while still allowing the prevention of decreased sialylation of EPO.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1029-1034
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• 2007

Curcumin (diferuloyl methane), originated rhizomes of Curcuma longa L. has been suggested as an anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic agent. In the present study, modulation of cytotoxic effects of curcumin on HeLa cells by different types of antioxidants was investigated. Cytotoxic effects of curcumin were significantly enhanced in the presence of superoxide dismutase (SOD) by decreasing $IC_{50}$ to 15.4 from $26.0\;{\mu}M$ after 24 hr incubation; the activity was not altered by catalase. The effect of curcumin was significantly less pronounced in the presence of 4 mM N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Low concentration (<1 mM) of NAC, however, increased the efficacy of curcumin. Cysteine and ${\beta}$-mercaptoethanol that have a thiol group, showed the similar biphasic patterns as NAC for modulating curcumin cytotoxicity, which was, however, constantly enhanced by ascorbic acid, a non-thiol antioxidant. In the presence of SOD, ascorbic acid, and 0.5 mM NAC, cellular levels of curcumin were significantly increased by 31-66%, whereas 4 mM NAC decreased the level. The present results indicate that thiol reducing agents showed a biphasic effect in modulating cytotoxicity of curcumin; it is likely that their thiol group is reactive with curcumin especially at high concentrations.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.133-140
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• 2016

Sulfasalzine is a widely administered drug against inflammatory-based disorders in human. However several cases of liver injury are associated with its administration. There is no stabilized safe protective agent against sulfasalazine-induced liver injury. Current investigation was designed to evaluate if N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and dithioteritol (DTT) as thiol reducing agents and/or vitamins C and E as antioxidants have any protective effects against sulfasalazine-induced hepatic injury in an ex vivo model of isolated rat liver. Rat liver was canulated and perfused via portal vein in a closed recirculating system. Different concentrations of sulfasalazine and/or thiol reductants and antioxidants were administered and markers of organ injury were monitored at different time intervals. It was found that 5 mM of sulfasalazine caused marked liver injury as judged by rise in liver perfusate level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (p < 0.05). A significant amount of lipid peroxidation and hepatic glutathione depletion were detected in drug-treated livers, accompanied with significant histopathological changes of the organ. Administration of NAC ($500{\mu}M$), DTT (${400\mu}M$), Vitamin C ($200{\mu}M$), or vitamin E ($200{\mu}M$) significantly alleviated sulfasalazine-induced hepatic injury in isolated perfused rat liver. The data obtained from current investigation indicate potential therapeutic properties of thiol reductants and antioxidants against sulfasalazine-induced liver injury.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.364-370
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• 2005

We show that sulforaphane inhibits osteoclastogenesis in the presence of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and receptor for activation of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL) in osteoclast (OC) precursors. Sulforaphane, an aliphatic isothiocyanate, is a known cancer chemo-preventative agent with anti-oxidative properties. Nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) is a critical transcription factor in RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) and assay of NF-${\kappa}B$-mediated secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) revealed that sulforaphane selectively inhibited NF-${\kappa}B$ activation induced by RANKL. Inhibition may involve interaction of sulforaphane with thiol groups, since it was prevented by reducing agents.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.227-237
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• 2021

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a cardioprotectant and potential cardiovascular therapeutic agent. Human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs) are important determinants of myocardial structure and function. Large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channel is a potential therapeutic target for cardiovascular disease. We investigated whether CO modulates BK channels and the signaling pathways in HCFs using whole-cell mode patch-clamp recordings. CO-releasing molecules (CORMs; CORM-2 and CORM-3) significantly increased the amplitudes of BK currents (IBK). The CO-induced stimulating effects on IBK were blocked by pre-treatment with specific nitric oxide synthase (NOS) blockers (L-NG-monomethyl arginine citrate and L-NG-nitroarginine methyl ester). 8-bromo-cyclic GMP increased IBK. KT5823 (inhibits PKG) or ODQ (inhibits soluble guanylate cyclase) blocked the CO-stimulating effect on IBK. Moreover, 8-bromo-cyclic AMP also increased IBK, and pre-treatment with KT5720 (inhibits PKA) or SQ22536 (inhibits adenylate cyclase) blocked the CO effect. Pre-treatment with N-ethylmaleimide (a thiol-alkylating reagent) also blocked the CO effect on IBK, and DL-dithiothreitol (a reducing agent) reversed the CO effect. These data suggest that CO activates IBK through NO via the NOS and through the PKG, PKA, and S-nitrosylation pathways.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.128-134
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• 2000

Cysteine, a thiol group-containing reducing agent which is known to relax the strain and increase the viscosity of dough, was added to Korean and imported wheat flour noodles to investigate the effect on the properties of raw, dried, and cooked noodles and to determine the optimum cooking time and amount to improve the color of noodles. Addition of cysteine up to 1% of flour (8.25 mmole/100 g flour) was not effective in increasing the brightness of raw and dried noodles and in changing the water activity of dried noodle. However, cysteine improved the brightness of cooked noodle made of both Korean and imported wheat flours. Also, there were notable differences in cooking and sensory properties of cysteine-added cooked noodles such as less firm and stickier texture due to the extraction of organic compounds into broth. When the noodles were cooked for their optimum cooking time, no difference was noticed in the texture and overall preference regardless of the addition of cysteine. Overall, the addition of 1 % cysteine increased the brightness of cooked noodles and reduced the cooking time.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.285-291
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• 1987

The approximate rates, stoichiometries and products of the reaction of potassium triethylborohydride $(KEt_3BH)$ with selected organic compounds containing representative functional groups under the standard condition $(0^{\circ}C,$ THF) were examined in order to explore the reducing characteristics of this reagent as a selective reducing agent. Primary alcohols, phenols and thiols evolve hydrogen rapidly whereas secondary and tertiary alcohols evolve very slowly. n-Hexylamine is inert to this reagent. Aldehydes and ketones are reduced rapidly and quantitatively to the corresponding alcohols. Reduction of noncamphor gives 3% exo- and 97% endo-norboneol. Anthraquinone is cleanly reduced to 9,10-dihydro-9,10-dihydroxyanthracene stage. Carboxylic acids liberate hydrogen rapidly and quantitatively but further reduction does not occur. Anhydrides utilize 2 equiv of hydride to give an equimolar mixture of acid and alcohol. Acid chlorides, esters and lactones are rapidly and quantitatively reduced to the corresponding alcohols. Epoxides are reduced at moderate rates with Markovnikov ring opening to give the more substituted alcohols. Primary amides liberate 1 equiv of hydrogen rapidly. Further reduction of caproamide is slow whereas benzamide is not reduced. Tertiary amides are reduced slowly. Benzonitrile utilizes 2 equiv of hydride in 3 h to go to the amine stage whereas capronitrile takes only 1 equiv. The reaction of nitro compounds undergo rapidly whereas azobenzene and azoxybenzene are reduced slowly. Cyclohexanone oxime rapidly evolves hydrogen without reduction. Phenyl isocyanate utilizes 1 equiv of hydride to proceed to formanilide stage. Pyridine N-oxide and pyridine is reduced rapidly. Disulfides are rapidly reduced to the thiol stage whereas sulfoxide, sulfonic acid are practically inert to this reagent. Sulfones and cyclohexyl tosylate are slowly reduced. Octyl bromide is reduced rapidly but octyl chloride and cyclohexyl bromide are reduced slowly.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.483-488
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• 2012

We successfully decorated multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) with silver by reacting Ag-NPs with thiolfunctionalized MWNT-SH. Ag alkylcarbamate complex was used as an Ag precursor. Uniform Ag-NPs (5-10 nm) were effectively prepared by microwaving within 60 s using 1-amino-4-methylpiperazine (AMP), which acts as a reaction medium, reducing agent, and stabilizer. The MWNTs were functionalized with 2-aminoethanethiol. Exploiting the chemical affinity between thiol and Ag-NPs, Ag-MWNT nanohybrids were obtained by spontaneous chemical adsorption of MWNT-SH to Ag through Ag-S bonds. The Ag-S-MWNTs were characterized by TGA, XRD, and TEM to confirm that Ag-NPs were uniformly decorated onto the MWNTs. The Ag-S-MWNTs were then employed as conducting filler in epoxy resin to fabricate electrically conducting polymer composites. The electrical properties of the composites were measured and compared with that containing MWNT-SH. The electrical conductivity of composites containing 0.4 wt % Ag-S-MWNT was four orders of magnitude higher than those containing same content of MWNT-SH, confirming Ag-S-MWNT as an effective conducting filler.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.473-479
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• 2016

We report a highly selective and sensitive 200 MHz Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) sensor that can detect cyanide ion in aqueous solution using surface immobilized thioester molecules in combination with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). To construct the sensor device, a monolayer of thioester compound was immobilized on the SAW sensor surface. At the sensor surface, hydrolysis of thioester group by nucleophilic addition of cyanide occurred and the resulting free thiol unit bound to AuNP to form thiol-AuNP conjugate. For the signal enhancement, gold staining signal amplification process was introduced subsequently with gold (III) chloride trihydrate and reducing agent, hydroxylamine hydrochloride. The SAW sensor showed a detection ability of $17.7{\mu}M$ for cyanide in aqueous solution and demonstrated a saturation behavior between the frequency shift and the concentration of cyanide ion. On the other hand, our SAW sensor had no activities for other anions such as fluoride ion, acetate ion and sulfate ion, moreover, no significant interference observed by other anions. Finally, all the experiments were carried out in-house developed sensor and fluidics modules to obtain highly reproducible results.