The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of extract mixture of C. wilfordii and P. umbrosa (IPLUS-CWPU) on bone growth in 4-week old young male SD rats. To confirm the effect of IPLUS-CWPU, we measured the length of bone growth plate, the ratio of proliferative zone to the length of growth plate and the expression level of insulin-like growth factor, IGF-1. The IPLUS-CWPU treatment shows a significant increase of tibial and femoral growth plate and the ratio of proliferative zone in growth plate. Especially, the length increased by 13.9% and 25.3% in the tibia and femur, respectively, in the high-dose group compared to the normal group. Moreover, the expression of IGF-1 gene in liver was upregulated in IPLUS-CWPU treated groups. These results indicated that IPLUS-CWPU administration could increase the proliferative zone of bone growth plate in early developmental stage by upregulation of IGF-1 gene.

Ginsenosides are major constituents of ginseng and are known to be responsible for its pharmacological properties. This study aimed to investigate the detoxification effect of a mixture containing black red ginseng powder, red ginseng extract, Puerariae radix extract, and Hovenia dulcis extract, on SD (Sprague Dawley) rats treated with 30% ethanol. Thirty minutes before treatment, the animals were orally administered different concentrations of the mixture or water. Results revealed that the concentration of ethanol in blood serum was significantly decreased in the black red ginseng mixture treated group in a dose-dependent manner, as compared with that of the control group. The blood level of acetaldehyde increased until 1 hr after alcohol administration, but the levels rapidly decreased later. Furthermore, ADH and ALDH activities in the hepatic tissue were also increased in the black red ginseng mixture administered group, than in the control group. These results indicate that the black red ginseng mixture has the ability of decomposing alcohol by increasing the ADH and ALDH activities responsible for alcohol metabolism.

This study was performed to investigate the effects of Acer tegmentosum Maxim. extract (ATE) on non-alcoholic fatty liver in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. During oral administration of ATE, non-alcoholic fatty liver was induced by treatment with DL-ethionine. The lipid, total cholesterol (T-CHO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver tissue of ATE-fed rats showed lower levels, as compared to ATE-unfed rats. In ATE-fed rats, the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) were lower than the case of ATE-unfed rats. Oil red staining of the liver showed that the lipid deposits were decreased by feeding ATE. These results strongly indicated that ATE has positive effects of protection against non-alcoholic fatty liver formation.

This study was conducted in order to investigate the effects of Acer tegmentosum Maxim. extract (ATE) in prevention of liver injury. After oral administration of ATE to SD rats, liver injuries were induced by treatment with CCl₄, galactosamine, or ethionine. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglyceride, and cholesterols in blood were used as indicators of liver damage. When acute hepatitis was induced by CCl₄ or galactosamine, ATE-fed rats showed a lower level of AST and ALT in plasma than ATE-unfed rats. In the case of ethionine-induced fatty liver, triglyceride levels in plasma were reduced in ATE-fed rats, compared with ATE-unfed rats. These results indicate that Acer tegmentosum Maxim. extract protected against hepatic failure.

Avian Influenza (AI) is an avian disease that break out by AI virus (AIV). As Hemagglutinin (HA) that is a main antigen surface protein of influenza virus that causes these influenza infection changes continuously, HA escapes bond of guided antibody by host"s immunity system. Specification region (HA91-261) of HA molecule that reconize receptor (sialic acid) of host cell is well-preserved without changing relatively, but is gotten buried on inside of trimer structure in natural conditions, is reported that development of effective vaccine or cure for HA protein is difficult because is not exposed to immunity system. Aptamer is relatively small strand DNA or RNA, and has high affinity to specific proteins. In this study, new aptamer DNAs were screened which can specifically bind to the receptor binding region of HA H9 protein.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a predominantly pediatric disease involving uncontrolled proliferation of white blood cells within the bone marrow, is strongly associated with chromosomal translocations. The human chromosomal translocation t(12;21)(p12;q22) is the most frequently encountered chromosomal rearrangement in pediatric B-lineage ALL, and results in fusion of the TEL and RUNX1 genes. The resulting TEL/RUNX1 fusion protein is generally thought to be a transcriptional repressor that interferes with RUNX1-mediated transactivation. We used a luciferase assay system to investigate the effects of TEL/RUNX1 and PEBP2β on RUNX1-mediated transactivation. TEL/RUNX1 blocked the synergistic transactivation achieved by PEBP2β and RUNX1, and coimmunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence analyses showed that PEBP2β interacted with TEL/RUNX1 and was sequestered in the cytoplasm. Theses results suggest that TEL/RUNX1 inhibits RUNX1-mediated transactivtion via cytoplasmic sequestration of coactivator(s) such as PEBP2β.