Phytolacca americana inhibits the high glucose-induced mesangial proliferation via suppressing extracellular matrix accumulation and TGF-beta production.

This study describes a potential of Phytolaccaceae (Phytolacca americana var.) as an inhibitor of high glucose-stimulated production of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and TGF-beta in cultured glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs). Raising the ambient glucose concentration for 24 hrs caused a dose-dependent increase in [3H]thymidine incorporation of GMCs, and the maximal response was achieved at 20 mM.

Alkaloids from Alstonia angustifolia.

Six new alkaloids, viz., alstolactone, affinisine oxindole, lagumicine, N(4)-demethylalstonerine, N(4)-demethylalstonerinal, and 10-methoxycathafoline N(4)-oxide, in addition to 36 other known alkaloids, were obtained from the leaf extract of Alstonia angustifolia var. latifolia.

Involvement of nitric oxide during in vitro fertilization and early embryonic development in mice.

Nitric oxide (NO) has emerged as an important intracellular and intercellular messenger, controlling many physiological processes and participating in the fertilization process via the autocrine and paracrine mechanisms. This study investigated whether nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitior (L-NAME) and L-arginine could regulate in vitro fertilization and early embryonic development in mice. Mouse epididymal spermatozoa, oocytes, and embryos were incubated in mediums of variable conditions with and without L-NAME or L-arginine (0.

Seungnoidan increases cerebrocortical ATP and acetylcholine contents in ovariectomized rats.

This study investigated the effects of Seungnoidan (SND), which has been widely used as a remedy for cerebroneuronal diseases in Korean folk medicine, on the cerebrocortical adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and acetylcholine (ACh) contents in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized and maintained for 12 weeks to deplete ovarian steroid hormones, followed by oral administration of SND at 500 mg/kg/day for 14 weeks. SND markedly attenuated the high rate of body weight increase in OVX rats, and also reduced the decline of cerebral weight caused by ovariectomy (p < 0.

[Diagnostic usefulness of intradermal test for clonorchiasis in patients with pancreatobiliary diseases].

Background/aims: The diagnosis of clonorchiasis is based on demonstrating eggs in stool or bile. It is believed that bile examination is the most precise method for detecting eggs. We evaluated diagnostic usefulness of intradermal test (IDT) by comparing it with the result of bile examination.

Effects of hwangryunjihwang-tang on in vitro ertilization and ovulation in mice fed a high-fat diet.

It has been generally accepted that hwangryunjihwang-tang (h-tang) is a useful prescription for treating polydipsia and to prevent obesity induced by a high-fat diet. The aim of this study was to clarify whether h-tang improved reproductive dysfunction caused by obesity in mice. Mice were fed a high density protein and lipid diet for 4 weeks, followed by administration of h-tang at 480 mg/kg body weight per day for 4 days.

Expressional changes of ganglioside GM3 during ovarian maturation and early embryonic development in db/db mice.

Diabetes and obesity cause abnormal development of reproductive processes in a variety of species, but the mechanisms that underlie this effect have not been fully elucidated. This study examined the expressional changes of ganglioside GM3 during ovarian maturation, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and early embryonic development in diabetic/obese db/db mice. In high-performance thin-layer chromatography studies, GM3 expression was conspicuously low in the ovaries of db/db mice compared to non-diabetic db/+ mice.

Decreases of ganglioside GM3 in streptozotocin-induced diabetic glomeruli of rats.

Ganglioside GM(3) (NeuAcalpha3Galbeta4Glcbeta1Cer) is known to regulate the proliferation of many cell types and to maintain the charge-selective filtration barrier of glomeruli. Based on these, this study examined whether altered expression of ganglioside GM(3) was pathologically related with glomerular hypertrophy and proteinuria occurring in diabetic human and rat kidneys. Diabetic rats were produced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (80 mg/kg, I.

Repression of the HIV-1 5' LTR promoter and inhibition of HIV-1 replication by using engineered zinc-finger transcription factors.

Zinc finger domains are small DNA-binding modules that can be engineered to bind desired target sequences. Functional transcription factors can be made from these DNA-binding modules, by fusion with an appropriate effector domain. In this study, eight three-zinc-finger proteins (ZFPs) that bound HIV-1 sequences in vitro were engineered into transcription repressors by linking them to the Krüppel-associated box (KRAB) repressor domain (KOX1).

Inhibition of herpes simplex virus 1 gene expression by designer zinc-finger transcription factors.

The herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) replicative cycle begins by binding of the viral activator, VP16, to a set of sequences in the immediate-early (IE) gene promoters. With the aim of inhibiting this cycle, we have constructed a number of synthetic zinc-finger DNA-binding peptides by using recently reported methods. Peptides containing either three or six fingers, targeted to a viral promoter, were engineered as fusions with a KOX-1 transcription repression domain.

Regulation of gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana by artificial zinc finger chimeras.

The artificial regulation of endogenous gene expression in plants is limited to only a few approaches. Here, we describe the use of artificial zinc finger chimeras to regulate the expression of a known reporter construct. The artificial zinc finger chimera TFIIIAZif is a fusion protein consisting of the four zinc fingers of TFIIIA linked through a spacer region to the three zinc fingers of Zif268.

In vitro activity of gemifloxacin against recent clinical isolates of bacteria in Korea.

Gemifloxacin is an enhanced-affinity fluoroquinolone with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. In Korea, resistant bacteria are relatively more prevalent than in other industrialized countries. In this study, we studied the in vitro activities of gemifloxacin, gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and other commonly used antimicrobial agents against 1,689 bacterial strains isolated at four Korean university hospitals during 1999-2000.

Isolation and characterization of the promoter region of the human GM3 synthase gene.

GM3 synthase, which transfers CMP-NeuAc with an alpha2,3-linkage to a galactose residue of lactosylceramide, plays a key role in the biosynthesis of all complex gangliosides. The expression of this gene is highly restricted in both human fetal and adult tissues. To elucidate the mechanisms that regulate the tissue-specific expression of the human GM3 synthase (hST3Gal V) gene, we have isolated and characterized its 5'-flanking region.

The Hexapeptide inhibitor of Galbeta 1,3GalNAc-specific alpha 2,3-sialyltransferase as a generic inhibitor of sialyltransferases.

The mammalian Galbeta1,3GalNAc-specific alpha2,3-sialyltransferase (ST3Gal I) was expressed as a secreted glycoprotein in High Five (Trichoplusia ni) cells. Using this recombinant ST3Gal I, we screened the synthetic hexapeptide combinatorial library to explore a sialyltransferase inhibitor. We found that the hexapeptide, NH(2)-GNWWWW, exhibited the most strong inhibition of ST3Gal I among five different hexapeptides that were finally selected.

Anti-angiogenic activities of Cnidium officinale Makino and Tabanus bovinus.

This study investigated the anti-angiogenic activities of Cnidium officinale Makino and Tabanus bovinus by using cultured glomerular capillary endothelial cells (GECs), chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and rat cornea. Treatment of GECs with several concentrations (5-50 microg/ml) of C. officinale Makino and T.

Developmental expression patterns of alpha1H T-type Ca2+ channels during spermatogenesis and organogenesis in mice.

The objectives of the present study were to investigate the expression patterns of T-type Ca2+ channel mRNA during spermatogenesis and organogenesis in mice. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to identify the subtypes of calcium channels present in the round spermatids isolated from mouse testes by flow cytometry. Transcripts of L-type (alpha1D), non-L-type (alpha1E) and T-type Ca2+ channels were detected in round spermatids.

Effects of high molecular weight water-soluble chitosan on in vitro fertilization and ovulation in mice fed a high-fat diet.

A high molecular weight water-soluble chitosan (WSC) with an average molecular weight of 300 kD and a deacethylation level of over 90% was produced using a simple multi-step membrane separation process. It is known that WSC prevents obesity induced by a high-fat diet. Consequently, this study investigated whether or not WSC improved the ovarian dysfunction caused by obesity in mice.

Life history and spatial distribution of Oriental beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in golf courses in Korea.

Larval and adult activity of the oriental beetle Exomala orientalis (Waterhouse), a pest of turfgrass in Korea, was investigated at four golf clubs in Pusan, Korea, from 1995 to 1999. Adult emergence was first observed on the greens in late May with peak activity occurring 2 wk later. During the day, E.

Inhibitory effect of a Korean traditional medicine, Honghwain-Jahage (water extracts of Carthamus tinctorius L. seed and Hominis placenta) on interleukin-1-mediated bone resorption.

A Korean herbal formulation, Honghwain-Jahage (HJ), which is comprised of a herb of Carthamus tinctorius L. seed and Hominis Placenta, was investigated for inhibiting effects on IL-1 beta-stimulated bone resorption in the fetal mouse bone culture system. Results of in vitro cytotoxicities showed that HJ extracts have no any cytotoxicities in concentrations of 1-200 microg/ml on the cultured osteoblast cells derived from mouse calvarial bone explants.

Differential distribution of ganglioside GM3 in seminiferous tubule and epididymis of adult rats.

Gangliosides are ubiquitous membrane components in mammalian cells and are suggested to play important roles in various functions such as cell-cell interaction, adhesion, cell differentiation, growth control and signaling. Among all ganglio-series gangliosides, GM3 has the simplest carbohydrate structure, and has been shown as a major ganglioside in male reproductive system. To study GM3 distribution in the seminiferous tubule and epididymis, frozen sections were stained with specific monoclonal antibody (MAb) against ganglioside GM3.

Developmental patterns of ceramide glucosyltransferase (GlcT-1) expression in the mouse: in situ hybridization using DIG-labeled RNA probes.

Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) play significant roles in a variety of cell membrane events, including cellular interactions, signaling, and trafficking. Ceramide glucosyltransferase (glucosylceramide synthase, GlcT-1, EC 2.4.

A rapid, generally applicable method to engineer zinc fingers illustrated by targeting the HIV-1 promoter.

DNA-binding domains with predetermined sequence specificity are engineered by selection of zinc finger modules using phage display, allowing the construction of customized transcription factors. Despite remarkable progress in this field, the available protein-engineering methods are deficient in many respects, thus hampering the applicability of the technique. Here we present a rapid and convenient method that can be used to design zinc finger proteins against a variety of DNA-binding sites.

Exploring the DNA-binding specificities of zinc fingers with DNA microarrays.

A key step in the regulation of networks that control gene expression is the sequence-specific binding of transcription factors to their DNA recognition sites. A more complete understanding of these DNA-protein interactions will permit a more comprehensive and quantitative mapping of the regulatory pathways within cells, as well as a deeper understanding of the potential functions of individual genes regulated by newly identified DNA-binding sites. Here we describe a DNA microarray-based method to characterize sequence-specific DNA recognition by zinc-finger proteins.