d-pinitol regulates Th1/Th2 balance via suppressing Th2 immune response in ovalbumin-induced asthma

Lee, J.S.,Lee, C.M.,Jeong, Y.I.,Jung, I.D.,Kim, B.H.,Seong, E.Y.,Kim, J.I.,Choi, I.W.,Chung, H.Y.,Park, Y.M. North-Holland Pub ; Elsevier Science Ltd 2007 FEBS letters Vol.581 No.1

d-pinitol has been demonstrated to exert insulin-like and anti-inflammatory activities. However, its anti-allergic effect in the Th1/Th2 immune response is poorly understood. Recently, it was shown that T-bet and GATA-3 are master Th1 and Th2 regulatory transcription factors. In this study, we have attempted to determine whether d-pinitol regulates Th1/Th2 cytokine production, T-bet and GATA-3 gene expression in OVA-induced asthma model mice. We also examined to ascertain whether d-pinitol could influence eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) activity. After being sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) showed typical asthmatic reactions. These reactions included an increase in the number of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, an increase in inflammatory cell infiltration into the lung tissue around blood vessels and airways, airway luminal narrowing, and the development of airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR). The administration of d-pinitol before the last airway OVA challenge resulted in a significant inhibition of all asthmatic reactions. Accordingly, this study may provide evidence that d-pinitol plays a critical role in the amelioration of the pathogenetic process of asthma in mice. These findings provide new insight into the immunopharmacological role of d-pinitol in terms of its effects in a murine model of asthma, and also broaden current perspectives in our understanding of the immunopharmacological functions of d-pinitol.

Y Beam형 모노레일의 가이드 레일 및 클램프의 특성과 안전성에 관한 연구

고형근(Ko H K),김영순(Kim. Y S),남대희(Nam D H),정승연(Jung S Y),천성욱(Cheon S W) 한국철도학회 2010 한국철도학회 학술발표대회논문집 Vol.2010 No.7

모노레일은 그동안 과좌식과 현수식으로 분류 되어 왔으나 세계 최초로 도입한 중앙 안내 방식의 인천 월미은하레일은 신개념의 Y Beam을 가이드 레일로 사용한 새로운 형식의 모노레일이라 할 수 있다. Y Beam 은 안내륜을 통해 모노레일의 수평 하중을 전달하는 역할을 담당하고 있기 때문에 수직 하중을 타이어를 통해 전달 받는 콘크리트 바닥 및 강재 Beam과 함께 모노레일의 주행 안전에 없어서는 안 될 가장 중요한 구조물이다. 본 연구에서는 수평 하중을 감당하고 있을 뿐만 아니라 모노레일의 안정과 안내를 함께 보장 하면서 급전선을 지지하는 역할도 동시에 담당하고 있는 Y Beam과 Y Beam을 고정하는 클램프의 특성과 안전성에 대해 고찰하였다. Monorail has been classified as straddled type and suspended type. However, Inchon Wolmi Eunha rail, a center guide type first ever introduced in the world, uses a new concept Y-Beam as guide rail. Since Y-Beam takes horizontal loads of monorail through guide wheels, it is an essential structure for the safe operation along with concrete surface and steel beam which take vertical loads through main tires. This study presents the characteristic and reliability of Y-Beam and Y-Beam fixture, clamp, which are not only taking horizontal loads but also guarantying both guiding and stability of monorail and holding power supply line.

열처리에 따른 Y₂O₃박막의 미세 구조 변화와 전기적 특성 변화에 대한 고찰

정윤하(Y. H. Jung),강성관(S. K. Kang),김은하(E. H. Kim),고대홍(D. H. Ko),조만호(M. H. Cho),황정남(C. N. Whang) 한국진공학회(ASCT) 1999 Applied Science and Convergence Technology Vol.8 No.3(1)

p-type Si (100) 기판 위에 습식 산화법으로 SiO₂ 층을 형성한 후, Ionized Cluster Beam(ICB) 증착 방법으로 200 Å 두께의 Y₂O₃ 박막을 증착 하였다. Y₂O₃ 박막이 증착 된 시편을 산소, 아르곤 분위기에서 열처리한 후, Atomic Force Microscopy(AFM)과 Transmission Electron Microscopy(TEM)을 사용하여 Y₂O₃ 박막의 표면과 계면을 관찰하였다. 열처리를 수행한 후 Y₂O₃ 박막과 Si 기판 사이에서 SiO₂층이 성장하고, 이트륨실리 케이트 층이 형성되는 것을 관찰할 수 있었다. 산소 분위기에서 열처리를 수행한 시편의 Y₂O₃ 박막 표면을 관찰한 결과, 표면 상부에 아르곤 분위기에서 열처리한 시편에서는 보이지 않았던 새로운 상이 형성되었음을 알 수 있었다. 또한 전기적 특성을 측정하기 위하여 Al/Y₂O₃/p-type Si (100) 의 캐패시턴스-전압 특성을 관찰하였고, 그 결과 Y₂O₃ 박막의 유전 상수 값이 약 9정도임을 알 수 있었다. We investigated the interfacial reactions between the Y₂O₃ film deposited by ICB processing and p-type (100) Si substrates upon annealing treatments in O₂ and Ar gas ambients. We also investigated the evolution of surface morphology of ICB deposited Y₂O₃ films upon annealing treatments. We observed that the root-mean-square (RMS) value of surface roughness measured by AFM increased with annealing time at 800℃ in O₂ ambient, while the change of surface roughness was not observed in Ar ambient. We also found the growth of SiO₂ layer and the formation of yttrium silicate layer. From the capacitance values (C_(acc)) measured by C-V measurements, the relative dielectric constant of Y₂O₃ film in metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure was estimated to be about 9.

Effects of Y₂O₃ additions on the oxygen diffusion in top-seeded melt growth processed YBa₂Cu₃O_7-y superconductors

Jun, B.H.,Jung, S.A.,Park, S.D.,Park, B.J.,Han, Y.H.,Kim, C.J. North-Holland 2011 Physica. C, Superconductivity Vol.471 No.21

To understand the effect of Y<SUB>2</SUB>BaCuO<SUB>5</SUB> (Y211)/YBa<SUB>2</SUB>Cu<SUB>3</SUB>O<SUB>7-y</SUB> (Y123) interfaces on the oxygen diffusion in single grain YBa<SUB>2</SUB>Cu<SUB>3</SUB>O<SUB>7-y</SUB> superconductors, single grain Y123 superconductors with 0.05 and 0.3moles of Y<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> additions were fabricated by a top-seeded melt growth (TSMG) process. Y123 compacts with Y<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> additions were subjected to melt growth heating cycles with a cooling rate of 1<SUP>o</SUP>C/h through a peritectic temperature (1015<SUP>o</SUP>C) and then annealed at 450<SUP>o</SUP>C for 200h in flowing oxygen. The superconducting temperature (T<SUB>c</SUB>) and critical current density (J<SUB>c</SUB>) were estimated for the three different regions (top surface (s), intermediate (i) and center (c)) of samples. The amount of Y211/Y123 interface area in single grain Y123 superconductors was successfully controlled by Y<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> additions. The T<SUB>c</SUB> values of s regions were higher than those of i and c regions, which indicates the presence of more oxygen at the sample surfaces. In addition, the T<SUB>c</SUB> values of i and c regions of the Y123 sample with 0.3mole Y<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> addition were higher than those of the same regions of the Y123 sample with 0.05mole Y<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> addition due to the promoted oxygen diffusion through Y211/Y123 interfaces and other related defects. In spite of the promoted oxygen diffusion by Y<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> addition, the large T<SUB>c</SUB> difference among the regions still existed, which suggests sluggish oxygen diffusion into single Y123 grains.

Valeriana officinalis extract and its main component, valerenic acid, ameliorate d-galactose-induced reductions in memory, cell proliferation, and neuroblast differentiation by reducing corticosterone levels and lipid peroxidation

Nam, S.M.,Choi, J.H.,Yoo, D.Y.,Kim, W.,Jung, H.Y.,Kim, J.W.,Kang, S.Y.,Park, J.,Kim, D.W.,Kim, W.J.,Yoon, Y.S.,Hwang, I.K. Pergamon Press ; Elsevier Science Ltd 2013 Experimental Gerontology Vol.48 No.11

Valeriana officinalis is used in herbal medicine of many cultures as mild sedatives and tranquilizers. In this study, we investigated the effects of extract from valerian root extracts and its major component, valerenic acid on memory function, cell proliferation, neuroblast differentiation, serum corticosterone, and lipid peroxidation in adult and aged mice. For the aging model, d-galactose (100mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously to 6-week-old male mice for 10weeks. At 13weeks of age, valerian root extracts (100mg/kg) or valerenic acid (340μg/kg) was administered orally to control and d-galactose-treated mice for 3weeks. The dosage of valerenic acid (340μg/kg), which is the active ingredient of valerian root extract, was determined by the content of valerenic acid in valerian root extract (3.401+/-0.066mg/g) measured by HPLC. The administration of valerian root extract and valerenic acid significantly improved the preferential exploration of new objects in novel object recognition test and the escape latency, swimming speeds, platform crossings, and spatial preference for the target quadrant in Morris water maze test compared to the d-galactose-treated mice. Cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation were significantly decreased, while serum corticosterone level and lipid peroxidation in hippocampus were significantly increased in the d-galactose-treated group compared to that in the control group. The administration of valerian root extract significantly ameliorated these changes in the dentate gyrus of both control and d-galactose-treated groups. In addition, valerenic acid also mitigated the d-galactose-induced reduction of these changes. These results indicate that valerian root extract and valerenic acid enhance cognitive function, promote cell proliferation and neuroblast differentiation, and reduce serum corticosterone and lipid peroxidation in aged mice.

Anti-inflammatory activity of SMP30 modulates NF-κB through protein tyrosine kinase/phosphatase balance

Jung, K. J.,Lee, E. K.,Kim, S. J.,Song, C. W.,Maruyama, N.,Ishigami, A.,Kim, N. D.,Im, D. S.,Yu, B. P.,Chung, H. Y. Springer Science + Business Media 2015 Journal of molecular medicine Vol.93 No.3

<P>Recent studies on senescence marker protein-30 (SMP30) have shown that it has an important functional role in the aging process, but its precise participation in cellular works has not been fully determined. We hypothesize that SMP30 plays crucial roles in signaling processes by modulating the balance of protein tyrosine kinase (PTK)/protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) and in activating proinflammatory NF-kappa B. An experimental paradigm of gain and loss of SMP30 function was established using SMP30-overexpressed YPEN-1 cells (herein referred to as 'SMP30(+) cells') and SMP30 (Y/-) knockout mouse kidneys. The resulting data show that SMP30 expression suppressed oxidative stress-induced PTK/PTP dysregulation and PP1/2A inactivation in SMP30(+) cells, leading to the suppression of NF-kappa B activation. In the kidneys of SMP30 (Y/-) mice, SMP30 deficiency was found to induce NF-kappa B activation via the upstream signaling of NIK/IKK and MAPKs and to upregulate downstream NF-kappa B-responsive gene expression. In this study, we also demonstrate for the first time that SMP30 deficiency induced PTK activity in SMP30 (Y/-) kidneys, thereby significantly increasing the tyrosine phosphorylation of a catalytic subunit of PP2A (PP2Ac-Tyr307). Based on these findings, we propose that SMP30 involves NF-kappa B regulation through the PTK/PTP balance and that the age-related decrease of SMP30 causes NF-kappa B activation, which contributes to an exacerbation of the inflammatory process during aging. Key message SMP30-deficient mice induced a shorter lifespan and redox changes. Overexpression of SMP30 prevented oxidative stress insults. The depletion of SMP30 increased redox-related PTK/PTP imbalance and PP1/PP2A inactivation. The depletion of SMP30 caused an elevation of NF-kappa B-responsive inflammatory markers. SMP30 may be a potent inhibitory protein against oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.</P>

Aberrant ventral striatal responses during incentive processing in unmedicated patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder

Jung, W. H.,Kang, D.‐,H.,Han, J. Y.,Jang, J. H.,Gu, B.‐,M.,Choi, J.‐,S.,Jung, M. H.,Choi, C.‐,H.,Kwon, J. S. Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011 Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica Vol.123 No.5

<P>Jung WH, Kang D‐H, Han JY, Jang JH, Gu B‐M, Choi J‐S, Jung MH, Choi C‐H, Kwon JS. Aberrant ventral striatal responses during incentive processing in unmedicated patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder.</P><P><B>Objective: </B> Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by the dysfunction of control and reward mechanisms. However, only few neuroimaging studies of OCD have examined the reward processing. We examined the neural responses during incentive processing in OCD.</P><P><B>Method: </B> Twenty unmedicated patients with OCD and 20 age‐, sex‐, and IQ‐matched healthy controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a modified monetary incentive delay task.</P><P><B>Results: </B> Compared with controls, patients with OCD showed increased ventral striatal activation in the no‐loss minus loss outcome contrast and a significant positive correlation between the ventral striatal activation and compulsion symptom severity. In addition, patients with OCD showed increased activations in the frontostriatal regions in the gain minus no‐gain outcomes contrast. During loss anticipation, patients with OCD showed less activations in the lateral prefrontal and inferior parietal cortices. However, during gain anticipation, patients with OCD and healthy controls did not differ in the ventral striatal activation.</P><P><B>Conclusion: </B> These findings provide neural evidence for altered incentive processing in unmedicated patients with OCD, suggesting an elevated sensitivity to negatively affect stimuli as well as dysfunction of the ventral striatum.</P>

The antimicrobial peptide human cationic antimicrobial protein-18/cathelicidin LL-37 as a putative growth factor for malignant melanoma

Kim, J.E.;Kim, H.J.;choi, J.M.;Lee, K.H.;Kim, T.Y.;Cho, B.K.;Jung, j.Y.;Chung, K.Y.;Cho, D.;Park, H.J. Sookmyung Women's University Research Institute of 2011 여성과 건강 Vol.6 No.2

Background Recent evidence suggests cathelicidin LL-37 to be a growth factor for various human cancers such as lung cancer, ovarian cancer and breast cancer. However, the effect of LL-37 against malignant skin cancer has not been reported. Objectives To investigate whether the human cathelicidin LL-37 is involved in the carcinogenesis of various skin tumours. Methods Human cationic antimicrobial protein-18 (hCAP-18)/LL-37 production in several cell lines including HaCaT, a chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) cell line and various melanoma cell lines was examined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunohistochemical analysis of melanoma, nonmelanoma skin cancer and precancerous and benign skin lesions was performed. After adding LL-37 to a melanoma cell line, tumour cell proliferation, migration and invasion were investigated. Results Human malignant melanoma cell lines overexpressed hCAP-18/LL-37 mRNA and peptide compared with HaCaT and CML cell lines. Immuno- histochemistry showed that the peptide was strongly expressed in malignant melanoma and moderately expressed in squamous cell carcinoma, whereas basal cell carcinoma, precancerous lesions and seborrhoeic keratosis showed no or weak expression. LL-37 also stimulated melanoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. Conclusions Cathelicidin LL-37 was primarily expressed in human malignant skin cancer. LL-37 promoted melanoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. We report that an increase in the level of LL-37 is associated with malignant skin tumours such as malignant melanoma. These results highlight the importance of LL-37 in the malignant tendency of skin tumours.

레이저에 의한 폐활성슬러지의 전처리에 관한 기초연구

정병길,김대용,최수한,김용윤,성낙창 동아대학교 환경문제연구소 2006 硏究報告 Vol.28 No.1

The objective of this study have been carried out to investigate the solubilization and optimum operation of waste activated sludge by laser for sewage sludge reduction. The concentration of waste activated sludge was adjusted to 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, 1.0%, 1.5% of total solids, respectively. Laser modules were used for pretreatment of waste activated sludge out to use laser module(wavelength : 635~650nm, powermax : <5mW, operating electric power : 6V) in the laser pretreatment. Waste activated sludge was evaluated the temperature, pH, SCOD, SCOD/TCOD rate for the 24 hours. The results showed that SCOD/TCOD rates were increased at the low concentration of total solids, because permeability characteristics of laser were largely interrupted by medium in the sludge. The SCOD/TCOD rates were gradually increased until 1hr of irradiation. At the 0.4% of TS concentration, SCOD/TCOD rates were most effective by increasing sludge temperature from 20.0℃ to 26.3℃, decreased pH from 7.1 to 6.5 and increased concentration of SCOD from 58mg/L to 85mg/L.

Eclalbasaponin II Ameliorates the Cognitive Impairment Induced by Cholinergic Blockade in Mice

Jung, W. Y.,Kim, H.,Jeon, S. J.,Park, H. J.,Choi, H. J.,Kim, N. J.,Kim, D. H.,Jang, D. S.,Ryu, J. H. Springer Science + Business Media 2018 Neurochem Res Vol.43 No.2

<P>Eclalbasaponin II derived from Eclipta prostrata L. (Asteraceae) has been reported to have anti-fibrotic, anti-bacterial and autophagic activities, but its effect on cognitive function has not been investigated. We studied the effect of eclalbasaponin II on cholinergic blockade-induced memory impairment in mice using the passive avoidance, Y-maze, and Morris water maze tasks. Eclalbasaponin II (10 or 20 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly ameliorated the cognitive dysfunction induced by scopolamine in the passive avoidance, Y-maze, and the Morris water maze tasks. To identify the mechanism of the memory-ameliorating effect of eclalbasaponin II, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity assay, Western blot analysis and electrophysiology were conducted. Eclalbasaponin II inhibited the AChE activity in ex vivo study, and the administration of eclalbasaponin II and its metabolite, echinocystic acid, increased the phosphorylation levels of memory-related signaling molecules, including protein kinase B (Akt) and glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3 beta), in the hippocampus. Although eclalbasaponin II did not affect hippocampal long term potentiation (LTP), echinocystic acid significantly enhanced hippocampal LTP formation (30 mu M). These results suggest that eclalbasaponin II ameliorates cholinergic blockade-induced cognitive impairment via AChE inhibition, LTP formation and the activation of Akt-GSK-3 beta signaling, and that eclalbasaponin II may be a useful to treat cognitive impairment derived from cholinergic dysfunction.</P>