• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.186-194
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• 2016

Epidemiological evidence suggests that bone is especially sensitive to oxidative stress, causing bone loss in the elderly. Previous studies indicated that human amnion-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HAMSCs), obtained from human amniotic membranes, exerted osteoprotective effects in vivo. However, the potential of HAMSCs as seed cells against oxidative stress-mediated dysfunction is unknown. In this study, we systemically investigated their antioxidative and osteogenic effects in vitro. Here, we demonstrated that HAMSCs significantly promoted the proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation of $H_2O_2$-induced human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (HBMSCs), and down-regulated the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. Further, our results suggest that activation of the ERK1/2 MAPK signal transduction pathway is essential for both HAMSCs-mediated osteogenic and protective effects against oxidative stress-induced dysfunction in HBMSCs. U0126, a highly selective inhibitor of extracellular ERK1/2 MAPK signaling, significantly suppressed the antioxidative and osteogenic effects in HAMSCs. In conclusion, by modulating HBMSCs, HAMSCs show a strong potential in treating oxidative stress- mediated bone deficiency.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.341-346
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• 2016

Phagocytosis is a primary and an essential step of host defense, and is triggered by the interaction of particles with specific receptor of macrophages. In this study, we investigated the effect of extracts of Rudbeckia laciniata (RLE) on the phagocytic activity of macrophage, by monitoring the phagocytosis-associated signal transduction. RLE markedly increased phagocytosis of serum-opsonized zymosan particles (SOZ), while phagocytosis of IgG-opsonized zymosan particles (IOZ) or none-opsonized zymosan particles (NOZ) remained unaffected. However, RLE did not affect the binding of opsonized zymosan particles (OZ) with the cell surface of macrophage. This suggests that RLE may regulate SOZ-induced intracellular signaling during phagocytosis of macrophage. To confirm this hypothesis, we investigated whether RLE was involved in the RhoA-mediated signal transduction during phagocytosis of SOZ. Inhibitors of the RhoA-mediated signaling pathway, such as Y-27632 (for ROCK), ML-7 (for MLCK), and Tat-C3 (for RhoA), totally blocked phagocytosis of SOZ enhanced by RLE, as well as phagocytosis of SOZ. Additionally, RhoA activity was markedly increased when cells were treated with RLE, suggesting that RLE could increase the phagocytic activity of macrophage via RhoA-ROCK/MLCK signal pathway. Thus, RLE may be used to develop functional foods for immunity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.281-289
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• 2005

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling is mediated via two distinct receptors, TNFR2 and TNFR1, which shows partially overlapping signaling mechanisms and biological roles. In the present study, TNFR2 and TNFR1 signal transduction mechanisms involved in activation of $NF{\kappa}B$ and CMV promoter-enhancer were compared with respect to their susceptibility towards inhibitors of intracellular signaling. For this, we used SW480 cells, where we have shown that TNF-signaling can occur independently through each of the two receptors. The TNFR1 response was inhibited by D609, bromophenacyl bromide (BPB), nordihydroguararetic acid (NDGA), and by sodium salicylate, while TNFR2-mediated activation of $NF{\kappa}B$ and CMV promoter-enhancer was resistant to these compounds. The signaling mechanisms known to be affected by these inhibitors include phospholipases as well as redox- and pH-sensitive intracellular components. Our results imply that TNFR2 signaling involved in $NF{\kappa}B$ activation proceeds independently of these inhibitor-sensitive signaling components, indicating distinct signaling pathways not shared with TNFR1.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.398-406
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• 2019

Cancer immunotherapy using gene-modified tumor cells is safe and customized cancer treatment method. In this study, we made gene-modified tumor cells by transferring costimulatory molecules, 4-1BBL and OX40L, into tumor cells using lentivirus vector, and identified anti-cancer effect of gene-modified tumor cells in CT26 mouse colorectal tumor model. We construct pLVX-puro-4-1BBL, -OX40L vector for lentivirus production and optimized the transfection efficiency and transduction efficiency. The transfection efficiency is maximal at DNA:cationic polymer = 1:0.5 and DNA 2 ㎍ for lentivirus production. Then, the lentiviral including 4-1BBL and OX40L was used to deliver CT26 mouse tumor cells to establish optimal delivery conditions according to the amount of virus. The transduction efficiency is maximal at 500 μL volume of lentiviral stock without change in cell shape or growth rate. CT26-4-1BBL, CT26-OX40L significantly inhibited the tumor growth compare with CT26-WT or CT26-β-gal cell line. These data showed the possibility the use of genetically modified tumor cells with costimulatory molecule as cancer immunotherapy agent.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.661-665
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• 1995

Ginsenoside-Rg$_{1}$(G-Rg$_{1}$) has been shown to stimulate DNA synthetic activity in SK-HEP-1 cells. This study was therefore designed to determine in SK-HEP-1 cells whether the stimulatory effect of G-Rg$_{1}$ may be mediated by protein kinase C (PKC) which is known to play a key role in the signal transduction pathway leading to the cell proliferation. Using the tn situ PKC assay method, the PKC enzyme activity was determined in SK-HEP-1 cell cultures in response to G-Rg$_{1}$ at 3*10$^{-5}$ M or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate(PMA) at 10$^{-6}$ M which in the enzyme activity by 1.5- and 7-fold, respectively. Furthermore, G-Rg$_{1}$, was also able to synergistically increase the enzyme activity by 11-fold m the cell cultures in the presence of PMA. These stimulatory effects of G-Rg$_{1}$ or PMA on the DNA synthetic activity and the PKC activity were ablished by a specific PKC inhibitor, GF109203X. These results suggest that the stimulatory effect of G-Rg$_{1}$ on the DNA synthetic activity may be partly due to stimulation of PKC-mediated signal transduction pathway leading to the proliferation of SK-HEP-1 cells.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.153-164
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• 1998

Cytokines regulate proliferation, differentiation and functions of haemotopoietic cells. Each cytokine possesses a variety of activities on various target cells (pleiotropy) and various cytokines have similar and overlapping activities on the same target cells (redundancy). The nature of these cytokine activities predicts unique feature of cytokine receptors, namely, cytokine has multiple receptors, different cytokines share a common receptor, and different cytokine receptors are linked to common signaling pathways. cDNA cloning of genes for cytokine receptors revealed distinct sets of receptor family with different structural features. The cytokine receptor superfamily consists of a largest family, and contains more than twenty cytokine receptor subunits. This receptor has common structural features in both extracellular and intracellular regions without tyrosine kinase domain. Another striking feature of the receptor is to share common subunit of multiple cytokines, which partly explains the redundancy of activities of some cytokines. Recent studies revealed detailed signaling events of the cytokine receptor, the primary activation of JAK and subsequent phosphorylation of tyrosine residues of receptor, and various cellular proteins. Many SH2 containing adapter proteins play an important role in cytokine signals, and this system has similarities with tyrosine kinase receptor signal transduction. STAT may mainly account for cytokine specific functions as suggested by knockout mice studies. It is of importance to note that cytokine activates multiple signaling pathways and the balance and combination of related signaling events may determine the specificity of functions of cytokines.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 2004

This work aims at examining the cellular uptake behavior of poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles derivatized with a protein transduction domain (PTD) using HeLa cells. For this purpose, $Tat_{49-57}$ peptide derived from transcriptional activation (Tat) protein of HIV type-1 was covalently conjugated to the terminal end of PLGA. Nanoparticles were ten prepared with the $Tat_{49-57}-PLGA$ conjugates by a spontaneous phase inversion method. The prepared particles had a mean diameter of ca. 84 nm, as measured by dynamic light scattering. The interaction of the Tat-PLGA nanoparticles with cells was examined by using confocal laser scanning microscopy. It was found tat Tat-PLGA nanoparticles incubated with HeLa cells could efficiently translocate into cytoplasm, while plain PLGA nanoparticles showed negligible cellular uptake. In addition, even at $4^{\circ}C$ or in the presence of sodium azide significant cellular internalization of Tat-PLGA nanoparticles was still observed. These results indicate that a non-endocytotic translocation mechanism might be involved in the cellular uptake of Tat-PLGA nanoparticles.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.2017-2022
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• 2014

Novel baculovirus vector systems recombined with coding genes of polyhedron promoter, vesicular stomatitis virus G (VSVG), polyA, cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), and protein transduction domain (PTD) were constructed. These recombinant baculovirus vector systems were applied into human foreskin fibroblast cells and compared the effects of gene transfer and gene expression of these recombinant baculovirus vector systems with control vector system. From this study, it showed that these novel recombinant baculovirus vector systems were superior efficacy to control vector system in view of gene transfer and gene expression.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2005

The last two decades have shown a marked expansion in publications of diverse effects of Panax ginseng. Ginsenosides, as active ingredients of Panax ginseng, are saponins found in only ginseng. Recently, a line of evidences shows that ginsenosides regulate various types of ion channel activity such as $Ca^{2+},\;K^+,\;Na^+,\;Cl^-$, or ligand gated ion channels (i.e. $5-HT_3$, nicotinic acetylcholine, or NMDA receptor) in neuronal, non-neuronal cells, and heterologously expressed cells. Ginsenosides inhibit voltage-dependent $Ca^{2+},\;K^+,\;and\;Na^+$ channels, whereas ginsenosides activate $Ca^{2+}-activated\;Cl^-\;and\;Ca^{2+}-activated\;K^+$ channels. Ginsenosides also inhibit excitatory ligand-gated ion channels such as $5-HT_3$, nicotinic acetylcholine, and NMDA receptors. This review will introduce recent findings on the ginsenoside-induced differential regulations of ion channel activities and will further expand the possibilities how these ginsenoside-induced ion channel regulations are coupled to biological effects of Panax ginseng.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.251-261
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• 2019

Allergic asthma, is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the airway presenting with airway hyperresponsiveness and airway remodelling. T helper cells-derived cytokines are critically associated with asthma pathogenesis. Janus kinase-signal transduction and activation of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling is found to be involved in asthma. Magnolol is a plant-derived bioactive compound with several pharmacological effects. The study aimed to assess the effects of magnolol in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthmatic model. BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged with OVA. Magnolol (12.5, 25, or 50 mg/kg body weight) was administered to separate groups of animals. Dexamethasone was used as the positive control. Cellular infiltration into the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were reduced on magnolol treatment. The levels of Th2 and Th17 cytokines were reduced with noticeably raised levels of interferon gamma. Lung function was improved effectively along with restoration of bronchial tissue architecture. OVA-specific immunoglobulin E levels in serum and BALF were decreased by magnolol. Magnolol reduced Th17 cell population and effectively modulated the JAK-STAT and Notch 1 signaling. The results suggest the promising use of magnolol in therapy for allergic asthma.