• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.63-70
• /
• 1998

This study was carried out to investigate the interaction of selenate and sulfate ion in nutrient solution supplyed with selenate ion. At early growth stage, the growth of Mongolian wormwood was best at 3mM sulfate ion and 2mg/$\ell$Na$_2$SeO$_4$ treatment. As they were grown and matured, at the later growth stage, the effect of antagonism between selenate and sulfate ion on the growth of each plant decreased. At supplying with selenate ion in nutrient solution, the uptake of selenate by plant had negative correlation with sulfate ion concentration in nutrient solution. The higher sulfate ion concentration, the less selenium uptake. However, the effect of antagonistic interaction of selenate and sulfate ion on the selenium uptake increased with plant age. Whereas, the uptake of sulfate ion had positive correlation with sulfate ion concentration in nutrient solution at supplying with selenate ion in nutrient solution. The uptake of sulfate ion increased with increase of sulfate ion concentration in nutrient solution. The effect of this interaction with selenate and sulfate ion increased with growth and maturity of plant. However, at 3mM sulfate ion concentration in nutrient solution, sulfate ion concentration in plant tissue decreased markedly.

• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.51-58
• /
• 2001

Synchrotron radiation (SR) has several advantages over convetional x-rays, including its phase, collimation, and high flux. A synchrotron radiation beamline 5C1 at Pohang Light Source (PLS) was recently built for imaging applications. We have shown that a SR imaging system is useful in imaging microscopic structures. SR with broad-band energy spectrum were adjusted to an object by Si wafers and their energy were approximately ranging from 6 keV to 30 keV. SR were passed through an object and finally transformed into visible lights by CdWO$_4$ scintillator screen. The visible lights which were reflected at an angle of 90 degrees by gold plated mirror were detected by a CCD camera and the image data were acquired using image acquisition system. A high-resolution phantom, capacitor, adult tooth, child tooth, cancerous breast tissue, and mouse lumbar vertebra were imaged with SR imaging system. The Objects were rotated within the field of view of the CCD detector, and their projection image data were obtained at 250 steps over 180 degrees rotation. Image reconstructions were carried out in a PC by using IDLTM(Research systems, Inc., US) program. The spatial resolution of the images acquired by the SR imaging system was measured with a high-resolution chart manufactured for several micrometer resolution. The specimens were also imaged with conventional x-ray radiography system to compare the image quality of radiography obtained with the SR imaging system. The results showed more structural details and high contrast images with SR imaging system than conventional x-ray radiography system. The SR imaging system may have a potential for imaging in biological researches, material applications, and clinical radiography.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.45-52
• /
• 1991

The inhibitory effects of GS354 and GS389 on cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ level ($[Ca^{2+}]_{1}$; measured with fura-2 fluorescence) and muscle tension in vascular smooth muscle of rat thoracic aorta were investigated. Both GS354 and GS389 inhibited the contractions induced by high $K^+$ or by norepinephrine. The vasodilator effect of GS354 was accompanied by a decrease in $[Ca^{2+}]_{1}$. The inhibitory effect on high $K^+-stimulated$ $[Ca^{2+}]_{1}$ was antagonized by a $Ca^{2+}$ channel activator, Bay K8644. However, the inhibitory effect on muscle tension was not antagonized by Bay K8644. These results suggest that GS354 inhibits $Ca^{2+}$ channels to decrease $[Ca^{2+}]_{1}$ and also decreases $Ca^{2+}$ sensitivity of contractile elements. The inhibitory effects of GS389 was accompanied by the increase in tissue fluorescence. This increment was not due to fura-2 fluorescence but to endogeneous pyridine nucleotides, suggesting that GS389 has an effect to inhibit mitochondrial function. Because of this interference, effects of GS389 on $[Ca^{2+}]_{1}$ was obscured. However, since sequential addition of Bay K8644 in the presence of GS389 further increased the fluorescence but not muscle tension, this compound seems to have the effects to inhibit $Ca^{2+}$ channels and to decrease $Ca^{2+}$ sensitivity of contractile elements.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.73-80
• /
• 2010

Liver regeneration is a result of highly coordinated proliferation of hepatocytes and nonparenchymal liver cells. Partial hepatectomy (PH) is the most often used stimulus to study liver regeneration because, compared with other methods that use hepatic toxins, it is not associated with the tissue injury and inflammation, and the initiation of the regenerative stimulus is precisely defined. Granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), which is a cytokine able to regulate the proliferation and differentiation of epithelial cells, was first identified as the most potent mitogen for bone marrow. Particularly, rrhGM-CSF, which is highly glycosylated and sustained longer than any other types of GM-CSF in the blood circulation, was specifically produced from rice cell culture. In this experiment, effects of rrhGM-CSF administration were evaluated in the regenerating liver after 78% PH of rats. Morphological changes induced by PH were characterized by destroyed hepatocyte plate around the central vein and enlarged nuclear cytoplasmic ratio and increased hepatocytes with two nuclei. And then, proliferation of liver cells (parenchymal and nonparenchymal) and rearrangement of plates and lobules seemed to be carried out during liver regeneration. These alterations in the experimental group preceded those of the control. Since proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is known to be a nuclear protein maximally elevated in the S phase of proliferating cells, the protein was used as a marker of liver regeneration after PH in rats. PCNA levels by western blot analysis and immunohistology were compared between the two groups. PCNA protein expression of two groups at 12 hr and 24 hr after injury showed similar pattern. The protein expression showed the peak at 3 days in both groups, however, the protein level of the experimental group was higher than that of the control. On immunohistochemical observations, the reaction product of PCNA was localized at the nuclei of proliferating cells and the positive reaction in experimental group at 3 days was clearly stronger than that in control group. The results by Western blotting and immunohistology for PCNA showed similar pattern in terms of the protein levels. In conclusion, rrhGM-CSF administration during liver regeneration after 78% PH accelerated breakdown and restoration of the hepatic plate and expression of PCNA. These results suggest that rrhGM-CSF might play an important role during liver regeneration in rats.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.222-229
• /
• 1999

Histopathological study has been carried out to elucidate the protective effect of Korean red ginseng water extract (KRG-WE) on 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced acute toxicity in male guinea pigs. Forty male guinea pigs ($200{\pm}20g$) were divided into 4 groups: normal controls (group 1) received vehicle and saline; group 2 (single TCDD-treated) received TCDD (5 ${\mu}g/kg$, single dose) and saline; group 3 received KRG-WE (200 mg/kg, i.p.) for 2 weeks starting 1 week before TCDD-exposure; group 4 received same dose of KRG-WE for 7 days from the day of TCDD-exposure. Weights of liver, testis, kidney, spleen and lung of the TCDD-exposed guinea pigs were significantly decreased. Thymus was severely shrunken, thereby could not be distinguished from adipose tissue in group 2 animals. Focal interstitial inflammation and fibrosis were observed from the lung parenchyma of group 2 animals. Furthermore, moderate swelling of hepatocyte, diffused aggregates of hemosiderin-laden macrophages from the Prussian blue stained spleen, marked decrease in spermatogenesis, and pyknotic and degenerative changes in the renal tubules were observed from intestinal organs of group 2 animals. On the other hand, histopathological damage was moderately to markedly alleviated in groups 3 and 4, but pretreatment of KRG-WE was more effective than the simultaneous treatment. In particular, TCDD-induced testicular atrophy was significantly attenuated by KRG-WE (p<0.01). From these results, it could be suggested that Korean red ginseng might be a useful herb that prevented TCDD-induced toxicity on liver, testis, kidney and spleen.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.1-26
• /
• 1997

Chunggeumtang has been used in Korea for many centuries as a treatment for respiratory disease. The effect of Chunggeumtang on tracheal smooth muscle is not konwn. The purpose of the present study is to determine the effect of Chunggeumtang on histamine and acetylcholine induced tracheal smooth muscle contraction in rats and guinea pigs. Guinea pig(500g, male) and Sprague Dawley rats (250g, male) were killed by $CO_2$ exposure and a segment (8-10mm) of the thoracic trachea from each rat and guinea pig was cut into equal swegments and mounted 'in pairs' in a tissue bath. Contractile force was measured with force diplacement transducers under 0.5g loading tension. The dose of histamine (His) and acetylcholine (Ach) which evoked 50% of maximal response ($ED_{50}$) was obtained from cumulative dose response curves for histamine and acetylcholine($10^{-7}{\sim}10^{-4}M$). Contractions evoked by His ($ED_{50}$) and Ach ($ED_{50}$) were inhibited significantly by Chunggeumtang. In guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle, the mean percent inhibition of acetylcholine induced contraction was $6.1%after\;30{\mu}l/ml$ Chunggeumtang, and 49.4% (p<0.01) after $100{\mu}l/ml$ Chunggeumtang. In rat tracheal smooth muscle, the mean percent inhibition of acetylcholine induced contraction was $6.7%\;after\;30{\mu}l/ml$ Chunggeumtang, and $54.2%\;(p<0.01)\;after\;100{\mu}l/ml$ Chunggeumtang. Also, in guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle, the mean percent inhibition of histamine induced contraction was $30.6%\;(p<0.05)\;after\;30{\mu}l/ml$ Chunggeumtang, and $53.0%\;(p<0.01)\;after\;100{\mu}l/ml$ Chunggeumtang. In rat tracheal smooth muscle, the mean percent inhibition of histamine induced contraction was $24.1%\;(p<0.05)\;after\;30{\mu}l/ml$ Chunggeumtang, and $55.3%\;(p<0.01)\;after\;100{\mu}l/ml$ Chunggeumtang. Propranolol and indomethacin($10^{-7}M$) slightly but significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of Chunggeumtang. Following treatment with propranolol, the mean percent inhibition caused by $100{\mu}l/ml$ Chunggeumtang fell to 27.6% in guinea pig induced by acetylcholine contraction and by $100{\mu}l/ml$ Chunggeumtang fell to 28.7% (p<0.05) in rat induced by acetylcholine contraction and the mean percent inhibition caused by $100{\mu}l/ml$ Chunggeumtang fell to 16.2% in guinea pig induced by histamine contraction and by $100{\mu}l/ml$ Chunggeumtang fell to 28.7% (p<0.05) in rat induced by histamine contraction. Indomethacin, the mean percent inhibition caused by $100{\mu}l/ml$ Chunggeumtang fell to 20.0% in guinea pig induced by acetylcholine contraction and by $100{\mu}l/ml$ Chunggeumtang fell to 16.9% (p<0.05) in rat induced by acetylcholine contraction and the mean percent inhibition caused by $100{\mu}l/ml$ Chunggeumtang fell to 16.4% in guinea pig induced by histamine contraction and by $100{\mu}l/ml$ Chunggeumtang fell to 23.1% (p<0.05) in rat induced by histamine contraction. Methylene blue($10^{-7}M$) did not significantly alter the inhibitory effect of Chunggeumtang. Also, I could find the effects of Chunggeumtang and Chunggeumtanggamorphine on the tracheal smooth muscle in guinea pig and rat did not change significantly. These results indicate that Chunggeumtang can relax histamine and acetylcholine-induced contraction of guinea pig and rat tracheal smooth muscle, and that this inhibition involves sympathetic effects and the release of cyclooxygenase products.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.183-193
• /
• 2011

Migration and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells are crucial for tissue regeneration in response to injury. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive lipid that regulates a variety of biological processes, including proliferation, survival, differentiation and motility. In the present study, we determined the role of S1P in migration and differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). S1P stimulated migration of BMSCs in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and pre-incubation of the cells with pertussis toxin completely abrogated S1P-induced migration, suggesting involvement of Gi-coupled receptors in S1P-induced cell migration. S1P elicited elevation of intracellular concentration of $Ca^{2+}$ ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) and pretreatment with VPC23019, an antagonist of $S1P_1/S1P_3$, blocked S1P-induced migration and increase of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$. Small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of endogenous $S1P_1$ attenuated S1P-induced migration of BMSCs. Furthermore, S1P treatment induced expression of $\alpha$-smooth muscle actin ($\alpha$-SMA), a smooth muscle marker, and pretreatment with VPC23019 abrogated S1P-induced $\alpha$-SMA expression. S1P induced phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and pretreatment of cells with SB202190, an inhibitor of p38 MAPK, or adenoviral overexpression of a dominant-negative mutant of the p38 MAPK blocked S1P-induced cell migration and $\alpha$-SMA expression. Taken together, these results suggest that S1P stimulates migration and smooth muscle differentiation of BMSCs through an $S1P_1$-p38 MAPK-dependent mechanism.