• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.59-61
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• 2000

The cytotoxic activities of the methanol extracts of 44 plant species in 31 families against five human solid A549 (lung), SK-OV-2 (ovarian), SK-MEL-2 (melanoma), XF-498 (central nervous system), and HCT-15 (colon) tumor cell lines were examined using the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. Responses varied with both cell line and plant species used. Potent cytotoxic activities ($ED_{50}$, <$40{\mu}g/ml$) against all model tumor cell lines were produced from the extracts of Rhus chinensis gall (Galla rhois), Betula platyphylla var. japonica bark, Inula helenium root, Cinnamomum cassia bark, Cinnamomum sieboldii root bark, Lysimachia davurica whole plant, and Evodia rutaecarpa fruit. These plants may be useful for developing new types of naturally occurring anti-tumor agents.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.420-438
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• 1998

Herba Xanthii(HX), Radix Xantluii(RX) and Fructus Xanthii(FX) is one of the oriental medicine that has been used for the treatment of such infectious diseases and tumors. However, the mechanism of the drug is not investigated much. This study was done to know the effects of HX, RX and FX extract on the such innate immunities as phagocytic function and reactive radical formtions from phagocytes and the such acquired immunities as humoral and cell-mediated immunities. The followings are the results obtained from this study: 1. HX2 and FX1 groups increases the in vivo phagocytic activity of mononuclear phagocytes. 2. HXB, RXB, RXC, FXB and FXC groups increase the in vitro phagocytic activities. 3. RXB group stimulated the macrophages to produce nitric oxide in the presence of $interferon-{\gamma}$ $(IFN-{\gamma})$. 4. HX and RX whole groups increased the luminol-amplified reactive oxygen intermediate production in vivo. 5. HX whole and RX1, FX2 groups increased the lucigenin-amplified reactive oxygen intennediate production in vivo. 6. HXC group only increased the luminol-amplified reactive oxygen intermediate production in vitro. 7. HXB, FXB and FXC groups increased the lucigenin-amplified reactive oxygen intermediate production in vitro. 8. HX2, RX1 and FX whole groups increased the hemolysin formations from B cells. 9. HX, RX and FX whole groups significantly increased the rosette forming cells from the spleen. 10. HX, RX and FX whole groups significantly decreased the delayed-type hypersensitivity measured by footpad swelling. The above results demonstrate that HX, RX and FX has enhancing effects on innate immunity selectively and decreasing effects on delayed-type hypersensitivity of cell-mediated immunity according to medicinal part and diluted condition. This immunomodulating effects of HX, RX and FX might be responsible for the treatment of immune-mediated disorders.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.471-479
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• 2018

Objectives: This study was aimed to analyze the correlation of clinical characteristics of cancer patients treated with Korean Medicine and their natural killer cell activity (NKA). Methods: The medical records of 52 cancer patients who conducted NKA test at Cheonan Korean Medicine Hospital of Daejeon University from March 2016 to May 2018 were reviewed. NKA was determined at Seegene Medical institute using NK Vue Gold(R) kit, evaluating activated $IFN-{\gamma}$ by enzyme immunoassay after incubation of whole blood. Careful investigations were conducted by categorizing the patients by their sex, origin, stage, ECOG scale, and conventional treatment type. We used data from the medical records and statistical analysis using SPSS 25.0 V. Results: The average NKA of all patients was $623.1{\pm}722.0pg/mL$. The NKA value was higher for females than for males. No correlation was evident between age and NKA, but patients aged over 70 years had the lowest NKA average result. Stage III and IV patients showed clearly lower NKA values when compared to stage I and II patients. NKA and ECOG scale values showed no evident relationship. Conclusions: This study presented the characteristics of NKA in cancer patients treated with Korean medicine. The NKA result differed by gender and stage. Based on these findings, further study is needed regarding the clinical meaning of NKA.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2018

Background: Chronic pain reportedly exerts complex effects on immune function. Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes that play a critical role in cellular and innate immunity. This study examined changes in the subset populations and cytotoxic activity of peripheral blood NK cells in patients with chronic pain. Methods: Thirty patients with chronic moderate-to-severe pain (group P) and age-matched pain-free subjects (group NoP) were enrolled. Peripheral whole blood was analyzed for the percentage and expression of NK cell surface markers (CD56 and CD16) by flow cytometry. Cytotoxic activity was assayed by evaluating CD69 expression on $CD3^-/CD56^+NK$ cells. Results: The percentage of NK cells among total lymphocytes was not significantly different between groups P and NoP ($16.3{\pm}9.3$ vs. $20.2{\pm}10.5%$). Likewise, the percentages of two major NK cell subsets, $CD56^{bright}$ and $CD56^{dim}$, were also not significantly different between the two groups. However, the percentage of $CD56^{bright}/CD16^+$ subset, was slightly but significantly increased in group P ($1.0{\pm}0.9%$; P< 0.01) compared with group NoP ($0.5{\pm}0.6%$). The cytotoxicity of NK cells was not different between the two groups, showing similar CD69 expression (P vs. $NoP=29.2{\pm}15.2$ vs. $32.0{\pm}15.0%$). These findings were not influenced by pain intensity, opioid use, or disease causing pain in group P. Conclusions: NK cell cytotoxic activity and major subset populations, with the exception of an increased percentage of the $CD56^{bright}/CD16^+$ subset, are not significantly altered in patients with chronic severe pain.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.1586-1592
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• 2016

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a gram-negative, non-motile, rod-shaped, and encapsulated bacterium in the normal flora of the intestines, mouth, skin, and food, and has decarboxylation activity, which results in generation of diamines (cadaverine, agmatine, and putrescine). However, there is no specific information on the exact mechanism of decarboxylation in K. pnuemoniae. Specifically lysine decarboxylases that generate cadaverine with a wide range of applications has not been shown. Therefore, we performed a functional study of lysine decarboxylases. Enzymatic characteristics such as optimal pH, temperature, and substrates were examined by overexpressing and purifying CadA and LdcC. CadA and LdcC from K. pneumoniae had a preference for L-lysine, and an optimal reaction temperature of 37℃ and an optimal pH of 7. Although the activity of purified CadA from K. pneumoniae was lower than that of CadA from E. coli, the activity of K. pneumoniae CadA in whole cell bioconversion was comparable to that of E. coli CadA, resulting in 90% lysine conversion to cadaverine with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate L-lysine.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.209-213
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• 2005

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) are the pacemaker cells that generate slow waves in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In the present study, we investigated the effect of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (mitoKATP) channel on pacemaking activity in cultured ICCs from murine small intestine by using whole-cell patch clamp techniques. Under current clamp mode, at 10μM glibenclamide, there was no change in pacemaking activity of ICCs. At $30{\mu}M$ glibenclamide, an inhibitor of the ATP sensitive $K^+$ channels, we could find two examples. If pacemaking activity of ICCs was irregulating, pacemaking activity of ICCs was changed into regulating and if in normal conditions, membrane potential amplitude was increased. At $50{\mu}M$ glibenclamide, the resting membrane potential was depolarized. At 3mM 5-HDA, an inhibitor of the mitoKATP channels, inhibited the pacemaking activity of ICCs. Both the amplitude and the frequency were decreased. At 5 mM 5-HDA, both the amplitude and the frequency were completely abolished. Diazoxide, an opener of the mitoKATP channels, was applied to examine its effect on pacemaking activity of ICCs. At $50{\mu}M$ concentration, the pacemaking activity of ICCs was inhibited. Both the amplitude and the frequency were decreased. At 1 mM concentration, both the amplitude and the frequency were completely abolished and the resting membrane potential was shaked.These results indicate that mitoKATP channel has an important role in pacemaking activity of ICCs.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.244-249
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• 2005

To investigate the effect of Holstein colostrum peptide fraction on proliferation of immune cell, polypeptide fractions were separated from acid whey into 3 fractions depending on molecular weight by ultrafiltration: Fraction I, which contains the polypeptide larger than 10,000 Da, Fraction n, which contains the polypeptide ranging from 1,000 Da to 10,000 Da and Fraction III, which contains the polypeptide smaller than 1,000 Da. EL-4 cell (murine T lymphoma cell) was used to evaluate immune enhancing effect of each fraction from Holstein colostrum. Fraction n showed the highest proliferative effect of the colostrum whey fractions on EL-4 cell at 1mg/mL compared with whole whey and other fractions and this proliferative activity was shown in dose dependent manner. Fraction n showed the highest proliferative effect on PMA (Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate) stimulated EL-4 cell. Heated Fraction n showed similar effect to native one on proliferation of both EL-4 cell and PMA stimulated EL-4 cell.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2007

The plant Ichnocarpus frutescens (Linn) R.Br. (Family-Apocynaceae) has been indicated for the treatment of various diseases, one amongst it is cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate experimentally the possible antitumor activity and antioxidant role of Ichnocarpus frutescens in the mice transplanted with Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC). The chloroform and methanol extract of whole plant of Ichnocarpus frutescens (CEIF and MEIF) were administered intraperitoneally at the dose of 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg, body weight per day for 7 days after 24 h of tumor inoculation in mice. Treatment with CEIF at the dose of 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg remarkably decreased the tumor volume, packed cell volume, viable cell count and increased the nonviable cell count of EAC tumor bearing mice when compared to e effect of MEIF at 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg. Further the EAC mice treated with CEIF and MEIF showed significant decrease in the level of lipid peroxidation and significant increase in the level of antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), however the decreasing and increasing capacity of CEIF was less in both doses as compared to MEIF. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the chloroform and methanol extact of Ichnocarpus frutescens exhibit significant antitumor and antioxidant activity in EAC bearing mice.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.183-189
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• 1977

Studies were made of the continuous production of Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (pyridoxal-p) on simultaneously immobilized cell column. Whole-cell of Pseudomonas polycolor having high activity of pyridoxine 5'-phosphate (pyridoxine-p) oxidase and Kloeckera sp. No. 2201 having high activity of catalase were used as the enzyme materials. The enzyme sources were entrapped in a polyacrylamide gel. Enzymatic properties of the simultaneously immobilized cells were investigated, comparing with those of the mixed whole-cells of the microorganisms. The simultaneously immobilized cells had higher enzyme activity than singly immobilized cells of Pseudomonas polycolor. From this result, the simultaneously immobilized pyridoxine-p oxidase-catalase system could be available to exert a protective effect upon the pyridoxine-p oxidase by destroying $H_2O_2$ which is a by-product of pyridoxine-p oxidation. The optimum pH was 9.0 for the immobilized cells and the whole-cells. The optimum temperature was $45^{\circ}C$ for the immobilized cells and $40^{\circ}C$ for the whole-cells. The pyridoxine-p oxidase of the immobilized cells were activated by $Hg^{++}$ and some SH-compounds.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1803-1808
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• 2008

For practical application, the stability of permeabilized Ochrobactrum anthropi SY509 needs to be increased, as its half-life of enzymatic denitrification is only 90 days. As the cells become viable after permeabilization treatment, this can cause decreased activity in a long-term operation and induce breakage of the immobilization matrix. However, the organic solvent concentration causing zero cell viability was 50%, which is too high for industrial application. Thus, whole-cell immobilization using glutaraldehyde was performed, and 0.1% (v/v) glutaraldehyde was determined as the optimum concentration to maintain activity and increase the half-life. It was also found that 0.1% (v/v) glutaraldehyde reacted with 41.9% of the total amine residues on the surface of the cells during the treatment. As a result, the half-life of the permeabilized cells was increased from 90 to 210 days by glutaraldehyde treatment after permeabilization, and no cell viability was detected.