The development potential of bovine somatic cells was evaluated using nuclear transfer. A single donor cell derived from fetus of HanWoo(Korean Native Cattle) was selected and deposited into perivitelline space of each enucleated oocyte before electrical fusion and activation. Nuclei of donor cells starved for 7 days (37%) tended to support the development of reconstitute embryo the blastocyst stage better than those of donor cells starved 3, 14 and 30 days. The cleavage rate was significantly lower(P<0.05) in reconstitute embryos derived from large size donor cells(51.2%), than those from small medium size donor cells(76.6 and 73.5, respectively). The developmental rate to blastocyst of reconstructed embryos from medium size donor cells was higher than those from small and medium size donor cells. This study demonstrates that an appropriate culture period for induction into quiescent stage and the size of donor cells effect on the efficiency of nuclear transfer using cultured bovine cells.

In order to study the antitumoral effect of Selaginella tamariscina extracts, the cytotoxicities to human histiocytic leukemia cells (U937) and lymphocyte were measured by MTT method. The water extract of Selaginella tamariscina was partitioned into chloroform (CHCl₃), ethylacetate (EtAc), n-butanol (BuOH) and water (H₂O), successively. CHCl₃, EtAc and BuOH fractions of Selaginella tamariscina showed the cytotoxicity to the U937 cells but they had no effect on the cytotoxicity of lymphocyte under the same conditions. The tumor-specific cytotoxicity of Selaginella tamariscina fractions might have been attributed to their genotoxic effect on actively proliferating cells. The expression of p53 tumor suppressor gene was then evaluated by northern blotting. The increased expression of p53 was induced by Selaginella ramariscina fraction V but no expression of p53 was induced by CHCl₃, EtAc, and BuOH fractions of Selaginella tamariscina. These results suggested that the increased expression of p53 induced by Selaginella tamariscina water extract (fraction V) should be required for the cytotoxicity on U937 and the other fractions of Selaginella tamariscina mediated the U937 disruption.

생쥐 배반포로부터 내부세포괴(inner cell mass, ICM)를 outgrowth로 분리하여 증식 시킴으로써 배아주(embryonic stem, ES)세포를 확립하고자 본 실험을 실시하였다. 과배란처리와 교미에 의해 생산된 ICR 생쥐의 3.5일 배반포를 sDMEM내의 배아성 섬유아단흥배양층에 배양하여 ICM세포의 증식을 조사한 결과, 3.5일부터 분리한 ICM세포들은 배양 7, 8일에 각각 1,500 및 3,200세포의 미분화세포로 증식하였다.

레드 클로-버의 액체배양세포로부터 내산성 세포선발에 대한 몇가지 요인들의 영향을 규명하기 위한 실험으로 부터 다음과 같은 결과들을 얻었다. 액체배양세포의 유도에는 auxin원으로 2,4-D 2 mg/l와 cytokinin으로 BAP 0.5 mg/l를 혼합처리한 것이 가장 좋았으며, 여러가지 기본배지중 PC배지가 액체배양세포의 유도에 가장 효과적이었다. 내산성 세포를 선발하기 위하여 EMS를 여러가지 농도에서 4시간 처리했을 때, 가장 효율적인 EMS농도

A new embryonic cell line (OFEC-17FEN) derived from olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus was developed. OFEC-17FEN cells were subcultured for <30 passages over ~200 days. OFEC-17FEN cells had a doubling time of 114.34 h and modal diploid chromosome number was 48. The pluripotency genes POU5f1 and NANOG were expressed in OFEC-17FEN cells. However, the lack of several pluripotency-related genes expression indicates that OFEC-17FEN cells are not stem cells. OFEC-17FEN cells transfected with plasmid pEGFP-c1 exhibited a strong green fluorescent signal at 48 h after transfection. Accordingly, OFEC-17FEN cells may be useful for both basic research and biotechnological application.

Background : Obesity, a global health problem and a chronic diseases, is associated with increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and coronary heart diseases. A wide variety of natural remedies have been explored for their obesity treatment potential. To elucidate the anti-obesity effect of ginsenoside Rg5 : Rk1 (Rg5 : Rk1), a mixture of protopanaxadiol type ginsenosides isolated from Panax ginseng Meyer in a 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Methods and Results : In order to determinate the anti-obesity effect of Rg5 : Rk1, Oil Red O staining and triglyceride (TG) content was assessed. Furthermore, to elucidate the possible mechanism whether Rg5:Rk1 affects lipid accumulation, mRNA and protein expression analyses of adipocyte markers such as STAT3, PPARγ, CBEPα and ap2 were carried out. Rg5:Rk1 treatment showed an inhibition of lipid droplet accumulation and decrease on TG content. In addition, expression of STAT3, PPARγ, CEBPα and ap2 were decreased in dose dependent manner. Similar to these results, Rg5:Rk1 treatment reduced PPARγ and CEBPα protein expression. Conclusion : Rg5 : Rk1 treatment exhibits anti-adipogenic activity by down-regulation of the STAT3PPARγ/CEBPα pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocyte cell line.

Rubia cordifolia has been used to treat diseases for many years in China and India. Although the biological properties and major compounds of R. cordifolia have been extensively studied, the underlying mechanisms of its biological effects remain elusive. In terms of immunological effects, anti-inflammation effect of macrophage (Raw 264.7) simply has been reported. In this study, R. cordifolia was extracted in 70% ethanol and the extract did not affect to macrophage (Raw 264.7) pro-inflammation and T cell (Molt-4). However, in mast cell (RBL-2H3), it showed inhibition of degranulation. The inducing inhibitory effect on degranulation was related to concentration dependent variation in phosphorylation of ERK-1/2 and upregulating the JNK phosphorylation in RBL-2H3 cells. Based on these data, we concluded that R. cordifolia newly have anti-allergenic effects in RBL-2H3 and might be used as a therapeutic agent to treat or prevent allergic diseases such as asthma and atopic dermatitis.

Potentially lethal damage repair (PLDR) in HFL-I was investigated by delayed plating experiments. The surviving fraction data were fitted to the linear Quadratic equation (LogSn=-nγ(αd+βd2) where γ=1 for immediate plating). And a repair factor γ was developed to compare survival for immediate and delayed plating . When we only took into account the repair factor of PLDR γ which was derived from the delay assay, the cell survival response th fractionated carbon ion irradiation was not fully matched. This gap suggested that consideration of another repair process is necessary. So this suggests that the various repair process plays an important role in the fractionated irradiations.

Background: There is an increasing surplus of chestnut that are abandoned due to their failure to meet customer awareness. Thus, we investigated the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of chestnut (Castanea crenata) inner shell extracts in hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells as a potential source of anti-cancer materials. Methods and Results: Distilled water extract (CI-W) and ethanol extract (CI-E) were prepared from chestnut inner shell and evaluated their anti-proliferative effects in vitro. Each extract significantly decreased the cell viability of HepG2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Indeed, the morphology of HepG2 cells treated with CI-W or CI-D was distorted to shrunken cell masses. Furthermore, it was revealed that their extracts induced cell death as evidenced by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), formation of apoptotic body and condensation. In addition, Their extracts clearly modulated the down regulated of Bcl-2 (anti-apoptoic)/ Bax (pro-apoptotic) family and cleaved caspase-3 as an effector caspase in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: These results indicate that the extracts of chestnut inner shell can be used as an anti-proliferative therapeutic agent or functional food.

Background: This study was performed to evaluate the protective effect of Saururus chinensis ethanol extract (SCE) against styrene toxicity in mouse spermatocyte cells [GC-2spd (ts) cell line]. Methods and Results: Cytotoxicity in mouse spermatocyte cells was measured using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was determined using 2’,7’-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) assay. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting were performed to quantify the mRNA and protein expression levels, resepectiviely, of stress or apoptosis-related genes including p21, p53, heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3. The results of the MTT assay showed that 50 ㎍/㎖ SCE did not affect cell viability. ROS generation in mouse spermatocyte cells increased by treatment with 100 μM styrene, and decreased by co-treatment with SCE. SCE repressed the mRNA expression of stress-related genes, which increased by styrene treatment. In addition, SCE inhibited the apoptosis of mouse spermatocyte cells by ameliorating mRNA and protein levels of apoptotic genes that were altered by styrene treatment. Conclusions: These results suggest that SCE may alleviate styrene toxicity in mouse spermatocyte cells by reducing ROS stress and regulating genes related to styrene toxicity.

Brown algae is variety of biological compounds, including xanthophyll, pigments, fucoidans, phycocolloids, and phlorotannins. Several studies concerning these types of compounds have pointed out the variety of biological benefits associated with the algae, including antioxidant, anticoagulant, antihypertension, antibacterial, and antitumor activities. Diphlorethohydroxy- carmalol (DPHC) is a phlorotannin compound isolated from the brown algae Ishige okamurae, with various biological activities in vitro and in vivo. Numerous studies have shown that antioxidant assist inhibition of accumulation of fat. So we studied that effect of DPHC isolated from Ishige okamurae modified the accumulation of fat on preadipocyte, 3T3-L1 cells in vitro. First, the viability of cell was analyzed after 0.4, 2, 10, 50 μg/ml of DPHC treatment using MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazo-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay. Second, proliferation of cell was analyzed after 0.4, 2, 10, 50 μg/ml of DPHC treatment through measure doubling time. 3T3-L1 cell differentiation into adipocyte was analyzed after induction in the induction medium containing DPHC. The metabolic activity was suppressed by DPHC in concentration dependent manner. Doubling of 3T3-L1 was delayed by the treatment of DPHC in concentration dependent manner. DPHC also inhibit accumulation of triglyceride in the adipocyte. The expression of the marker genes for adipocyte differentiation coincided with cytochemical results. Base on them, it is suggested that DPHC suppress proliferation of adipose precursor cell and differentiation into adipocytes.

우리는 평생 동안 하루도 빠짐없이 치약과 같은 구강관리 제품들을 사용한다. 이와 같이 매일 입에 사용되는 제품의 안전성이 담보되어야 함은 매우 중요한 일이다. 이전까지 이루어진 동물시험이나 임상시험에서 치약 내 계면활성제 등에 의한 구강 자극이 유발될 수 있음이 알려져 있다. 하지만, 동물복지를 위하여 유럽 화장품 법안은 화장품과 그에 사용하는 원료에 대한 동물 시험을 금지했다. 그로 인해 여러 분야에서 동물을 대체하거나 동물의 사용을 줄일 수 있는 동물대체 시험법의 개발이 활발하게 이루어지고 있다. 하지만, 현재까지 구강 점막 독성을 측정할 수 있는 방법으로 임상시험과 동물시험이 있었으며, 최근에는 구강 점막 조직 모델이나 구강 세포들을 활용한 방법들이 연구되고 있다. 이번 연구의 목적은 구강관리 제품의 안전성을 확보할 수 있는 동물대체 시험법을 개발하는 것이다. 구강 세포주(YD-38 cell)를 활용해 불용성 물질을 포함한 치약에 대한 시험이 가능하도록 구강 점막 자극 시험법을 개발하였고, 이 시험법으로 이전에 이루어진 동물시험에서 자극유발원으로 알려진 물질에 의한 자극을 구별해낼 수 있었다. 또한, 유아와 어린이 치약의 자극 수준이 일반 성인 치약에 비해 낮음을 증명하였다. 이 결과를 바탕으로 동물을 사용하지 않고 인체에 대한 위해성을 줄일 수 있도록, 구강관리 제품의 구강 점막 자극 수준을 평가할 수 있는 이 시험법이 하나의 새로운 구강 자극 시험 방법으로 사용될 수 있으리라 사료된다.

To search for immunoactive natural products exerting anti-inflammatory activity, we have evaluated the effects of the ethanol extracts of Rubus coreanus Miq. (ERC) on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production by RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. Our data indicate that this extract is a potent inhibitor of NO production and it also significantly decreased IFN-γ and TNF-α production. Consistent with these results, the protein level of inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was inhibited by ethanol extracts of ERC in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that ERC may exert anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects possibly by suppressing the inducible NO synthase and COX-2 expressions.