• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.241-248
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• 2015

Although studies on probiotics have been performed mostly with viable microbes, the beneficial functions of dead or heat-killed form of probiotic strains have also been examined. In this study, live and heat-killed forms of Lactobacillus acidophilus CBT LA1 were investigated in vitro and in vivo to evaluate the properties necessary for gut barrier protection. Cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), autoaggregation (AA), cell adhesion, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding properties were evaluated. In addition, the suppressive effect on LPS-induced interleukin (IL)-8 expression was investigated in HT-29 cells. To identify optimal conditions for CBT LA1 to adhere to HT-29 cells, CBT LA1 cells were heat-treated at 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, or $121^{\circ}C$ for 10 min; cells treated at $80^{\circ}C$ for 10 min showed the highest adhesion. Heat-killed bacteria at $80^{\circ}C$ showed higher levels of LPS-binding, CSH, AA, adhesion to HT-29, and suppression of IL-8 expression than did live CBT LA1. In vivo imaging was performed to evaluate the ability of live or heat-killed CBT LA1 to remove LPS from the intestine in a rat model of infection. At 16 h after infection, fluorescence from FITC-conjugated LPS had mostly disappeared from the intestine of the rats administered with live or heat-killed CBT LA1; the effect was greater with heat-killed CBT LA1 at $80^{\circ}C$. These results suggest that heat-killed CBT LA1 as well as its live form can be applied as a pharmabiotic for protection of the gut barrier.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2004

The use of artificial nerve conduit containing viable Schwann cells is one of the most promising strategies to repair the peripheral nerve injury. To fabricate an effective nerve conduit whose microstructure and internal environment are more favorable in the nerve regeneration than existing ones, a new three-dimensional Schwann cell culture technique using $Matrigel^{(R)}$. and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) was developed. Nerve conduit of three-dimensionally arranged Schwann cells was fabricated using direct seeding of freshly harvested DRG into a $Matrigel^{(R)}$ filled silicone tube (I.D. 1.98 mm, 14 mm length) and in vitro rafting culture for 2 weeks. The nerve regeneration efficacy of three-dimensionally cultured Schwann cell conduit (3D conduit group, n=6) was assessed using SD rat sciatic nerve defect of 10 mm, and compared with that of silicone conduit filled with $Matrigel^{(R)}$ and Schwann cells prepared from the conventional plain culture method (2D conduit group, n=6). After 12 weeks, sciatic function was evaluated with sciatic function index (SFI) and gait analysis, and histomorphology of nerve conduit and the innervated tissues of sciatic nerve were examined using image analyzer and electromicroscopic methods. The SFI and ankle stance angle (ASA) in the functional evaluation were $-60.1{\pm}13.9$, $37.9^{\circ}{\pm}5.4^{\circ}$ in 3D conduit group (n=5) and $-87.0{\pm}12.9$, $32.2^{\circ}{\pm}4.8^{\circ}$ in 2D conduit group (n=4), respectively. And the myelinated axon was $44.91%{\pm}0.13%$ in 3D conduit group and $13.05%{\pm}1.95%$ in 2D conduit group to the sham group. In the TEM study, 3D conduit group showed more abundant myelinated nerve fibers with well organized and thickened extracellular collagen than 2D conduit group, and gastrocnemius muscle and biceps femoris tendon in 3D conduit group were less atrophied and showed decreased fibrosis with less fatty infiltration than 2D conduit group. In conclusion, new three-dimensional Schwann cell culture technique was established, and nerve conduit fabricated using this technique showed much improved nerve regeneration capacity than the silicone tube filled with $Matrigel^{(R)}$ and Schwann cells prepared from the conventional plain culture method.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.430-436
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• 2010

The objective of the present studies was to develop and validate a system for isolation, purification and extended culture of pigment-producing cells in alpaca skin (melanocytes) responsible for coat color and to determine the effect of alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone treatment on mRNA expression for the melanocortin 1 receptor, a key gene involved in coat color regulation in other species. Skin punch biopsies were harvested from the dorsal region of 1-3 yr old alpacas and three different enzyme digestion methods were evaluated for effects on yield of viable cells and attachment in vitro. Greatest cell yields and attachment were obtained following dispersion with dispase II relative to trypsin and trypsin-EDTA treatment. Culture of cells in medium supplemented with basic fibroblast growth factor, bovine pituitary extract, hydrocortisone, insulin, 12-O-tetradecanolphorbol-13-acetate and cholera toxin yielded highly pure populations of melanocytes by passage 3 as confirmed by detection of tyrosinase activity and immunocytochemical localization of melanocyte markers including tyrosinase, S-100 and micropthalmia-associated transcription factor. Abundance of mRNA for tyrosinase, a key enzyme in melanocyte pigment production, was maintained through 10 passages showing preservation of melanocyte phenotypic characteristics with extended culture. To determine hormonal responsiveness of cultured melanocytes and investigate regulation of melanocortin 1 receptor expression, cultured melanocytes were treated with increasing concentrations of ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone. Treatment with ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone increased melanocortin receptor 1 mRNA in a dose dependent fashion. The results demonstrated culture of pure populations of alpaca melanocytes to 10 passages and illustrate the potential utility of such cells for studies of intrinsic and extrinsic regulation of genes controlling pigmentation and coat color in fiber-producing species.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.281-289
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• 2011

The objective of this study was to investigate the effective cryoprotectants for the cryopreservation of porcine mesenechymal stem cells (pMSCs). In order to understand the effectiveness of various cryoprotectants on pMSCs, we studied the most commonly used cryoprotectants; dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), ethylene glycol (EG), DMSO and EG. pMSCs were isolated from bone marrow matrix of piglet (2 month) and characterized by alkaline phopshatase (AP) activity, colony forming, and differentiation to adipocyte. In slow cooling cryopreservation, the pMSCs were exposed to cell medium containing Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% DMSO, 1.5M EG and 5% DMSO/0.75M EG, respectively, and freezed to $-1^{\circ}C$/min from $25^{\circ}C$ up to $-80^{\circ}C$ in a cryo-container. The proportion of viable cells and the growing rates in fresh pMSCs were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of other groups, but did not differ between the cryopreserved groups. The expression of Sox-2 and Nanog gene was increased by extending culture time in cryopreserved groups. The expression of Bax gene in cryopreserved groups was similar with fresh pMSCs. Moreover, the gene expression of adipocyte-specific marker as well as chondrogenic/osteogenic factors in cryopreserved groups was similarly to fresh pMSCs. Taken together, our results suggested that all these cryoprotectants of 10% DMSO, 1.5M EG and 5% DMSO/0.75M EG could be used for cryopreservation of the pMSCs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.12
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• pp.1679-1684
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• 2009

Opuntia humifusa, widely distributed in the southern regions of the Korean peninsula, is known to have bioactive functions and medicinal benefits for treating various diseases such as arteriosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, gastritis, and hyperglycemia. In this study total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of fruit and its anticarcinogenic effects on human breast cancer were investigated. As expected, O. humifusa showed high concentrations of total polyphenol as well as flavonoid as compared to other kinds of cactus. Effects of the water extracts of O. humifusa on the proliferation, G1 arrest and apoptosis of the MCF-7 human breast cancer cells were also examined using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assays, and G1 cycle arrest and apoptotic effect of O. humifusa were analyzed by flow cytometry. When MCF-7 cells were treated with different concentrations of hexane, ethyl acetate and water extracts of O. humifusa, water extracts of the fruit significantly decreased viable cell numbers in a concentration dependent manner. A G1 arrest in MCF-7 cells was induced as well. The overall results indicate that water extracts of fruit of O. humifusa would inhibit MCF-7 human breast cancer cell proliferation and induce G1 arrest.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2015

In this study, a DNA-launched reverse genetics system was developed from a type 2 porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) strain, KNU-12. The complete genome of 15,412 nucleotides was assembled as a single cDNA clone and placed under the eukaryotic CMV promoter. Upon transfection of BHK-tailless pCD163 cells with a full-length cDNA clone, viable and infectious type 2 progeny PRRSV were rescued. The reconstituted virus was found to maintain growth properties similar to those of the parental virus in porcine alveolar macrophage (PAM) cells. With the availability of this type 2 PRRSV infectious clone, we first explored the biological relevance of ORF5a in the PRRSV replication cycle. Therefore, we used a PRRSV reverse genetics system to generate an ORF5a knockout mutant clone by changing the ORF5a translation start codon and introducing a stop codon at the 7^th codon of ORF5a. The ORF5a knockout mutant was found to exhibit a lack of infectivity in both BHK-tailless pCD163 and PAM-pCD163 cells, suggesting that inactivation of ORF5a expression is lethal for infectious virus production. In order to restore the ORF5a gene-deleted PRRSV, complementing cell lines were established to stably express the ORF5a protein of PRRSV. ORF5a-expressing cells were capable of supporting the production of the replicationdefective virus, indicating complementation of the impaired ORF5a gene function of PRRSV in trans.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.317-323
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• 2012

This study was performed to elucidate the anticancer activities and the mechanism of chloroform fractions from cultivated Orostachys japonicus (CFCOJ) in human colon cancer cells. CFCOJ markedly decreased viable cell numbers in both a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner within SW480 cells. Cell death induced by CFCOJ increased cell populations in the sub-G1 phase, as well as the formation of apoptotic bodies, nuclear condensation, and induced DNA fragmentation. CFCOJ-induced apoptosis was associated with the activation of initiator caspase-8 and -9, as well as the effector caspase-3. CFCOJ also stimulated Bid cleavage, indicating that the apoptotic action of caspase-8-mediated Bid cleavage leads to the activation of caspase-9. CFCOJ increased the expression of the proapoptotic protein, Bax, and decreased the expression of the antiapoptotic protein, Bcl-2. These results indicate that CFCOJ exert anticancer effects on human colon cancer SW480 cells through a caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1738-1741
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• 2010

Caliper measurements of tumor volume have been widely used in the assessment of tumors in animal models. However, experiments based on caliper data have resulted in unreliable estimates of tumor growth, due to necrotic areas of tumor mass. To overcome this systematic bias, we engineered a new luciferase-expressing rat prostate cancer cell line (MLL-Luc) that produces bioluminescence from viable cancer cells. MLL-Luc cells showed a strong correlation between bioluminescence intensity and cell number ($R^2$=0.99) and also accurately quantified tumor growth, with reduced bioluminescence signals caused by necrotic cells in a subcutaneous MLL-Luc xenograft model. The accurate quantification of tumor growth with bioluminescence imaging (BLI) was confirmed by a better antitumor effect of combination chemotherapy, compared to that based on caliper measurements with a correlation between the bioluminescence signal and tumor volume ($R^2$=0.84). These data suggest that bioluminescent MLL xenografts are a powerful and quantitative tool for monitoring tumor growth and are useful in evaluating the efficacy of anticancer drugs, with less systematic bias.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.368-374
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• 1999

This study was designed to investigate effects of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment on physiological changes of microbial cells, using domestically fabricated pilot scale PEF device. The effect of non-thermal PEF treatment on physiological characteristics of microorganisms was determined by salt resistance, the amount of UV absorbents, cell staining, recovery rate of defected cells, and changes in structure of cell membrane. Salt resistance of Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Rhodotorula minuta was examined after PEF treatment at 40 kV/cm, 84 pulse, $10{\mu}s$ pulse duration. Approximately $1\;log_{10}$ cell number of viable microorganisms was decreased by addition of salt. PEF treatment significantly increased the amount of UV absorbents at 260 and 280 nm because of leakage from damaged cell membrane by PEF treatment. Although three kinds of microorganisms treated by PEF were difficult to be observed due to their cell membrane damage, untreated cells were clearly observed by a microscope. PEF-treated R. minuta was not stained by methylene blue due to cell membrane defect. When E. coli, B. subtilis and R. minuta were cultured after PEF treatment, they showed 5, 4, and 8 hr longer lag phase, respectively, compared to control, but growth rates were not affected.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.402-407
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• 2005

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown potential for cardiac repair following myocardial injury, but this approach is limited by their poor viability after transplantation. To reduce cell loss after transplantation, we introduced the fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) gene ex vivo before transplantation. The isolated MSCs produced colonies with a fibroblast-like morphology in 2 weeks; over 95% expressed CD71, and 28% expressed the cardiomyocyte-specific transcription factor, Nkx2.5, as well as ${\alpha}$-skeletal actin, Nkx2.5, and GATA4. In hypoxic culture, the FGF-2-transfected MSCs (FGF-2-MSCs) secreted increased levels of FGF-2 and displayed a threefold increase in viability, as well as increased expression of the anti-apoptotic gene, Bcl2, and reduced DNA laddering. They had functional adrenergic receptors, like cardiomyocytes, and exposure to norepinephrine led to phosphorylation of ERK1/2. Viable cells persisted 4 weeks after implantation of $5.0{\times}10^5$ FGF-2-MSCs into infarcted myocardia. Expression of cardiac troponin T (CTn T) and a voltage-gated $Ca^{2+}$ channel (CaV2.1) increased, and new blood vessels formed. These data suggest that genetic modification of MSCs before transplantation could be useful for treating myocardial infarction and end-stage cardiac failure.