Publications by authors named "Won-K Kim"

Polystyrene nanoparticles pose significant toxicological risks to aquatic ecosystems, yet their impact on zebrafish ( ) embryonic development, particularly erythropoiesis, remains underexplored. This study used single-cell RNA sequencing to comprehensively evaluate the effects of polystyrene nanoparticle exposure on erythropoiesis in zebrafish embryos. validation experiments corroborated the transcriptomic findings, revealing that polystyrene nanoparticle exposure disrupted erythrocyte differentiation, as evidenced by the decrease in mature erythrocytes and concomitant increase in immature erythrocytes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Lifetime treatment of aortic valve disease is a matter of increasing debate. Although the risks of a second aortic valve intervention are recognized, little attention has been given to the challenges of a third.

Objectives: This study delves into the clinical characteristics, indications, and outcomes of patients undergoing 3 aortic valve interventions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Aims: Vascular smooth muscle cells are pivotal in atherosclerosis, transitioning from a contractile to a synthetic phenotype, which is associated with increased proliferation and inflammation. FRZB, a Wnt signaling modulator, has been implicated in vascular pathology, but its specific role in vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype modulation is not well understood. This study investigates the role of FRZB in regulating vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aims: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is widely recognized as the most common form of hair loss and can significantly affect individuals' quality of life. The association between alcohol consumption and AGA remains uncertain and controversial. Our primary objective is to investigate the relationship between alcohol consumption and AGA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Recent studies have focused on identifying novel genes involved in the browning process of inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT). In this context, we propose that the mitochondrial ATPase gene lactation elevated 1 (Lace1) utilizes lactate to regulate the browning capacity of iWAT, specifically in response to challenge with CL-316,243 (CL), a beta3-adrenergic receptor (β3-AR) agonist. The mice were injected with CL over a span of 3 days and exposed to cold temperatures (4-6 °C) for 1 week.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Despite the high incidence of dry mouth in postmenopausal women, its underlying mechanisms and therapeutic interventions remain underexplored. Using ovariectomized (OVX) mouse models, here this study identifies ferroptosis, an iron-dependent regulated cell death, as a central mechanism driving postmenopausal salivary gland (SG) dysfunction. In the OVX-SGs, TGFβ signaling pathway is enhanced with the aberrant TGFβ2 expression in SG mesenchymal cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • FAM19A5 is mainly a protein found in the brain, but recent studies suggest it plays a role in regulating smooth muscle function as an adipokine derived from fat cells.
  • Our research examined FAM19A5 levels in different tissues from various mouse models, finding that its transcript levels were significantly higher in the brain compared to peripheral tissues like fat.
  • We also discovered that the FAM19A5 protein was barely detectable in fat and reproductive tissues, and it doesn't seem to interact with the S1PR2 receptor in key cellular functions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In situ CO mixing technology is a potential technology for permanently sequestering CO during concrete manufacturing processes. Although it has been approved as a promising carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) method, its effect on the leachability of heavy metals from cementitious compounds has not yet been studied. This study focuses on the effect of in situ CO mixing of cement paste on the leaching of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The escalating utilization of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in response to global infertility rates has spurred research into its complications. Short-term and long-term outcomes have been extensively studied, particularly the neurological concerns surrounding attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among ART-conceived children. This study aims investigate the association between ART and ADHD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Desensitization of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) is a general regulatory mechanism adopted by biological organisms against overstimulation of G protein signaling. Although the details of the mechanism are extensively studied, it is not easy to gain an overarching understanding of the process constituted by a multitude of molecular events with vastly differing time scales. To offer a semiquantitative yet predictive understanding of the mechanism, we formulate a kinetic model for the G protein signaling and desensitization by considering essential biochemical steps from ligand binding to receptor internalization.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In Li metal batteries (LMBs), which boast the highest theoretical capacity, the chemical structure of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) serves as the key component that governs the growth of reactive Li. Various types of additives have been developed for electrolyte optimization, representing one of the most effective strategies to enhance the SEI properties for stable Li plating. However, as advanced electrolyte systems become more chemically complicated, the use of additives is empirically optimized.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The rise of obesity and overweight, particularly among children and adolescents, is a pressing societal concern that hasn't been effectively addressed despite known risk factors.
  • - This study investigates the impact of environmental nanoplastic pollutants, specifically from polystyrene and polypropylene, on weight gain in mouse offspring whose mothers were exposed to these substances during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
  • - Findings reveal that the exposure to nanoplastics leads to abnormal weight gain in offspring, linked to changes in maternal breast milk's lipid composition and gut microbiota in the young mice, suggesting that these pollutants can contribute to obesity in childhood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) targeting androgen/androgen receptor (AR)- signaling pathways is the main therapy for advanced prostate cancer (PCa). However, ADT eventually fails in most patients who consequently develop castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). While more potent AR antagonists and blockers for androgen synthesis were developed to improve clinical outcomes, they also show to induce more diverse CRPC phenotypes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Scrub typhus, a mite-borne infectious disease, is caused by . Despite many attempts to develop a protective strategy, an effective preventive vaccine has not been developed. The identification of appropriate Ags that cover diverse antigenic strains and provide long-lasting immunity is a fundamental challenge in the development of a scrub typhus vaccine.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Diffuse-type gastric cancer (GC) is a type of stomach cancer that occurs in small clusters of cells that are widely spread. It does not typically manifest with symptoms until the advanced stages and often goes undetected in routine imaging tests. In addition, there is no specific targeted therapy for diffuse-type GC and it has a high mortality risk.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a complex condition characterized by impaired epithelial barriers and dysregulated immune cells. In this study, we demonstrated Forsythia velutina Nakai extract (FVE) simultaneously inhibits basophils, macrophages, keratinocytes, and T cells that are closely interrelated in AD development.

Methods: We analyzed the effect of FVE on nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in macrophages, basophil degranulation, T cell activation, and tight junctions in damaged keratinocytes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Arachidonic and adrenic acids in the membrane play key roles in ferroptosis. Here, we reveal that lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) controls intracellular phospholipid metabolism and contributes to ferroptosis resistance. A metabolic drug screen reveals that darapladib, an inhibitor of Lp-PLA2, synergistically induces ferroptosis in the presence of GPX4 inhibitors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • This work introduces a comprehensive theory for understanding how chemical reactions in olfactory sensing involve G-protein-coupled receptors (ORs), applicable to various odorant mixtures and ORs.
  • A key aspect of the theory is the "odor activity vector," which measures the strength of signals from ORs relating to background G-protein activity, aiding in the interpretation of olfactory responses.
  • The theory effectively explains interaction effects among odorants, such as inhibition and synergy, and is illustrated through analysis of a mixture with two distinct odorants, highlighting the roles of rate constants and G-protein levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) frequently show KIT mutations, accompanied by overexpression and aberrant localization of mutant KIT (MT-KIT). As previously established by multiple studies, including ours, we confirmed that MT-KIT initiates downstream signaling in the Golgi complex. Basic leucine zipper nuclear factor 1 (BLZF1) was identified as a novel MT-KIT-binding partner that tethers MT-KIT to the Golgi complex.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a progressive liver disease that can progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), NASH-related cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). NAFLD ranges from simple steatosis (or nonalcoholic fatty liver [NAFL]) to NASH as a progressive form of NAFL, which is characterized by steatosis, lobular inflammation, and hepatocellular ballooning with or without fibrosis. Because of the complex pathophysiological mechanism and the heterogeneity of NAFLD, including its wide spectrum of clinical and histological characteristics, no specific therapeutic drugs have been approved for NAFLD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ferroptosis, a type of cell death induced by lipid peroxidation, has emerged as a novel anti-cancer strategy. Cancer cells frequently acquire resistance to ferroptosis. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • CrebH is a key transcription factor primarily found in the liver and small intestine, and its role in gut-liver interactions, particularly in relation to liver disease and IBD, is not well understood.
  • In models of IBD and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), CrebH deficiency resulted in accelerated liver injury and enhanced inflammatory responses, indicating its significant influence on these conditions.
  • The study identified miR-29a-3p as a crucial factor in promoting inflammation through adhesion molecule expression, showing that exosomes from CrebH-deficient mice can trigger inflammatory signals in the liver of wild-type mice with IBD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has abundant mitochondria with the unique capability of generating heat via uncoupled respiration. Mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) is activated in BAT during cold stress and dissipates mitochondrial proton motive force generated by the electron transport chain to generate heat. However, other mitochondrial factors required for brown adipocyte respiration and thermogenesis under cold stress are largely unknown.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the aorta and the iliofemoral arteries is crucial for preprocedural planning of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS), because it provides details on a variety of aspects required for heart team decision-making. In addition to providing relevant diagnostic information on the degree of aortic valve calcification, CTA allows for a customized choice of the transcatheter heart valve system and the TAVI access route. Furthermore, current guidelines recommend the exclusion of relevant coronary artery disease (CAD) prior to TAVI.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF