PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Y J Choi

Publications and source records attributed to Y J Choi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Down-regulation of PPARgamma2-induced adipogenesis by PEGylated conjugated linoleic acid as the pro-drug: Attenuation of lipid accumulation and reduction of apoptosis.

This study is designed to evaluate whether the PEGylated conjugated linoleic acid (PCLA) as the pro-drug can have favorable stability, bioavailability, and anti-adipogenic activity in 3T3-L1 cells for anti-obesity when compared with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) itself. The CLA was simply coupled to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) at the melting state without solvents or catalysts through ester linkages between the carboxylic group of CLA and the hydroxyl group of PEG. To confirm of PCLA as the pro-drug, CLA release from PCLA was investigated by using high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC), showing that CLA release from PCLA was almost 90% in a nearly continuous fashion over the next 75h. Apoptosis was promoted by both CLA- and PCLA-treatments with increasing concentrations. However, the level of cell apoptosis induced by PCLA was lower than that induced by CLA owing to the biocompatible and hydrophilic properties of PEG. Moreover, the PCLA decreased glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity in 3T3-L1 cells by acting upon major adipocyte marker proteins such as PPARgamma2, C/EBPalpha, and aP2 modulators. Furthermore, either CLA or PCLA stimulated basal, but not isoproterenol-sensitive, lipolysis in our cell model, suggesting that both CLA and PCLA may stimulate lipolysis via hormone sensitive lipase (HSL)-independent mechanisms. These results suggest that the PCLA may prove to be a stable pro-drug to control the deposition of fat in the human body, and that the anti-adipogenic effect of the PCLA on 3T3-L1 cells will offer a challenging approach for anti-obesity.

3T3-L1 Cells↗

Regulation of adipocyte differentiation by PEGylated all-trans retinoic acid: reduced cytotoxicity and attenuated lipid accumulation.

Obesity is major risk factor for many disorders, including diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of therapeutic agents available to clinicians for the treatment of obesity. The principal aim of this study was to investigate whether PEGylated all-trans retinoic acid (PRA) can have favorable stability and biological activity in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes as an antiobesity drug. Here, we found that PRA inhibits the process of adipogenesis, including survival of adipocytes and differentiation to mature adipocytes. The results showed that RA nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by PEGylation; below 200 nm, PRA-NPs were obtained. Moreover, PRA decreased glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes by acting with major adipocyte marker proteins such as PPARgamma2, C/EBPalpha and aP2 modulators. Apoptosis, in addition, increased as the level of RA increased from 10 to 20 microM, whereas PRA reduced apoptosis with increasing concentrations. Our data suggest that PRA-NP has potential as an antiobesity drug carrier due to its small particle size and PEGylated core-shell structure. In addition, our results suggest that PRA inhibits the process of adipogenesis and may be developed to treat obesity. Based on these results, PRA is suitable for adipocyte studies, and an enhanced effect of PRA with adipocyte differentiation offers a challenging approach for pharmaceutical applications.

3T3 Cells↗

Microarray analysis of BeWo and JEG3 trophoblast cell lines: identification of differentially expressed transcripts.

Trophoblast cell lines are important research tools used as a surrogate for primary trophoblast cells in the study of placental function. Because the cellular origins of transformed trophoblasts are likely to be diverse, it would be of value to understand the unique and shared phenotypes of the cells on a global scale. We have compared two widely used cell lines, BeWo and JEG3, by microarray analysis in order to identify differentially expressed genes. Results indicated that approximately 2700 genes were differentially expressed between the cell lines, with principal differences observed in the biological processes of response to stress, cell adhesion, signal transduction, and protein and nucleobase metabolisms. These data suggest that BeWo and JEG3 cell lines, and perhaps other trophoblast cell lines, are sufficiently dissimilar from each other such that they will be differentially suited for specific experimental paradigms.

Cell Line↗

Phase II study of capecitabine and irinotecan combination chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a combination regimen of capecitabine plus irinotecan in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Patients with previously untreated metastatic or recurrent, measurable gastric cancer received oral capecitabine 1000 mg m(-2) twice daily from day 1 to 14 and intravenous irinotecan 100 mg m(-2) on days 1 and 8, based on a 3-week cycle. Forty-one patients were enrolled in the current study, among whom 38 were assessable for efficacy and 40 assessable for toxicity. Three complete responses and 16 partial responses were confirmed, giving an overall response rate of 46.3%. At a median follow-up of 269 days, the median time to progression and overall survival were 5.1 and 8.6 months, respectively. Grade 3/4 neutropenia occurred in four patients and grade 3 febrile neutropenia was observed in two patients. Grade 3 diarrhoea and grade 2 hand-foot syndrome occurred in six patients and eight patients, respectively. The combination of capecitabine and irinotecan was found to be well tolerated and effective in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Accordingly, this regimen can be regarded as one of first-line treatment options for advanced gastric cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Detection of donor-specific anti-HLA class I and II antibodies using antibody monitoring system.

The antibody monitoring system (AMS, GTI Inc) is a solid enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) crossmatch test for the detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody to donor-specific solubilized HLA class I and class II antigens. The objective of this study was to compare the results of the AMS assay with donor-specific anti-HLA IgG antibodies (DS-HLA Abs), as determined by ELISA panel reactive antibody (PRA) and the flow cytometric crossmatch test (FCXM). A total of 107 sera were screened for the presence of HLA Abs by ELISA PRA (LAT-M, One-Lambda Inc), the DS-HLA Abs were determined in 34 serum samples (31.8%) by an ELISA panel (LAT class I and class II, One-Lambda Inc) and FCXM. The FCXM and AMS assays were performed with matched lymphocytes from 56 donors. There was a significant degree of concordance (89.7%) between the two tests (P < .001). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of AMS assay to detect DS-HLA Abs was 88.2%, 94.5%, 88.2%, and 94.5%, respectively. The AMS is a simple, objective test, which has several advantages over the cell-based crossmatch test, such as elimination of non-HLA antibody reactivity, elimination of non-donor-specific antibody reactivity, no need for viable cells, and preparation of the donor's HLA antigens in advance. In summary, this study suggested that AMS may be useful as a supportive crossmatch test or as a monitoring test after transplantation to detect class I or class II DS-HLA Abs.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay↗

Effects of dietary protein and growth hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP-2) on plasma IGF-1 and IGFBPs in Holstein steers.

This study was conduct to determine the influence of dietary protein on the response of plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) to exogenous growth hormone releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2 or KP 102) in Holstein steers. Eight 16-month-old Holstein steers were grouped by liveweight to two feeding treatments; high protein (HP; CP 1.38 kg/day and TDN 4.5 kg/day DM intake, n=4) or low protein (LP; CP 0.66 kg/day and TDN 4.42 kg/day DM intake, n=4). The experiment was a single reverse design whereby each group was injected twice daily with GHRP-2 (12.5 microg/kg body weight (BW)/day) or saline solution into the jugular vein for a 6-day period. Plasma IGF-1 in the HP group were higher than in the LP group (P<0.05), but plasma 34 kDa IGFBP-2 was lower in the HP than the LP group (P<0.05). The amplitude of the maximum growth hormone (GH) peaks responding to GHRP-2 injection were higher at day 1 than at day 6 of saline or GHRP-2 treatment in both LP and HP steers (P<0.05). The area under the GH response curve for 180 min after the GHRP-2 injection was not significantly different between the LP and the HP groups at days 1 and 6. A response in plasma IGF-1 concentration to GHRP-2 treatment in the HP group was observed at day 1 (198.9+/-18.1 ng/ml), day 2 (195.2+/-21.1 ng/ml) and day 6 (201.3+/-14.8 ng/ml) (P<0.05). No increase in plasma IGF-1 was observed from GHRP-2 administration in the LP group. Although the response of plasma IGF-1 concentration to GHRP-2 administration was increased in the HP group (P<0.05), there was no apparent effect of GHRP-2 treatment on plasma 38-43 kDa IGFBP-3 and 34 kDa IGFBP-2 at days 2 and 6 of treatment. In conclusion, it is proposed that the 34 kDa IGFBP-2 is sensitive to dietary protein level and may play an important role in the regulation of circulating IGF-1 in ruminant. In addition, increased plasma IGF-1 concentration observed in the HP group in response to the GHRP-2 treatment did not appear to affect plasma IGFBPs.

Animals↗

Release of ciprofloxacin from chondroitin 6-sulfate-graft-poloxamer hydrogel in vitro for ophthalmic drug delivery.

The system was designed to use Poloxamer as a vehicle for ophthalmic drug delivery using in situ gel formation property. To enhance the wound healing and cell adhesion as well as transparency of Poloxamer hydrogel, chondroitin 6-sulfate (C6S) was introduced into Poloxamer. For this purpose, mono amine-terminated Poloxamer (MATP), which was end-capped with ethylene amine group only in one side of terminal hydroxyl groups of Poloxamer, was synthesized. Subsequently, C6S-graft-Poloxamer copolymer (C6S-g-Poloxamer) was prepared by reaction between the amine groups of MATP and carboxyl groups of C6S in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carboimide (EDC). The coupling of MATP with C6S was clarified by 1H-NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy. The gelation temperature of graft copolymers was determined by measuring the temperature at which immobility of the meniscus in each solution was first noted. Release behavior of ciprofloxacin from C6S-g-Poloxamer hydrogel in vitro was investigated as a function of C6S content in the graft copolymer by a spectrophotometric assay at 287 nm using an UV spectrophotometer. Differences in the adhesion and morphology of human lens cell between Poloxamer- and C6S-g-Poloxamer-coated surfaces were also investigated. The gelation temperatures of C6S-g-Poloxamer copolymers were lowered with increasing of the concentration of the copolymer and decreasing of C6S content. The release of ciprofloxacin from the graft copolymer was sustained compared with Poloxamer itself and decreased with increasing the content of C6S in the copolymer due to the in situ gel formation of the copolymer and viscous properties of C6S. Human lens cells (B3) adhered to C6S-g-Poloxamer-coated surface were observed as transformed shapes after 2 days. The bioadhesive and thermally gelling of these graft copolymers will be expected to be an excellent drug carrier for the prolonged delivery to surface of the eye.

Cells, Cultured↗

Delivery of all trans-retinoic acid (RA) to hepatocyte cell line from RA/galactosyl alpha-cyclodextrin inclusion complex.

All trans-retinoic acid (RA) plays a role in regulation of P450RAI gene expression. In this study, hepatocyte cell line (HepG2) was used to study an effect of RA released from RA/galactosyl alpha-cyclodextrin (GCD) inclusion complex on regulation of P450RAI gene expression. A delivery system composed of RA/GCD inclusion complex was applied because RA is poorly water soluble, and organic solvents used to dissolve it often interfere with cytotoxicity. Solubility of RA in water was increased by forming complex with GCD. Inclusion complex between GCD and RA was checked by (1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transformation infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The chemical shifts of the interior and exterior GCD protons in the presence of RA indicated that the RA was included within the GCD macrocycle cavity. The carbonyl band of RA and crystalline peak of RA in RA/GCD inclusion complex disappeared from FT-IR and XRD measurements, respectively, indication of inclusion complex between RA and GCD. From the observation of fluorescence micrograph of hepatocytes and flow cytometry measurement of HepG2, the internalization of fluorescein isothiocyanate-GCD by the hepatocyte occurred. Gene expression of P450RAI in HepG2 by delivery of RA from RA/GCD complex was observed.

Cell Line↗

Effects of Lactobacilli and an acidophilic fungus on the production performance and immune responses in broiler chickens.

Accumulated lines of evidence indicate that inactivated probiotics could have beneficial effects similar to those of live probiotics. Two strains of disrupted, cobalt-enriched, lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei) and a disrupted fungal mycelium (Scytalidium acidophilum) were spray-mixed onto a mash basal feed, in 2 concentrations, prior to pelleting. The effects of these probiotics on production performance and immune response in broiler chickens were investigated. The production parameters, including BW, feed intake (FI), BW gain (BWG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR), were monitored weekly during a 6-wk trial. The immune response was evaluated by immunizing the birds with the antigen keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) followed by a serological assay to measure blood IgA and IgG titers. Some of the production parameters were significantly improved by low L. casei (LCL; for BW and BWG), high L. acidophilus (LAH; for BW and BWG), and high fungal (FH; for BW, BWG, and FI) in comparison with the nonadditive control (NC-). However, these 3 treatments (LCL, LAH, and FH) did not enhance the measured immune responses. Instead, the titers of serum KLH-specific IgA in high L. casei (LCH) and low L. acidophilus (LAL) were significantly higher than those of NC-, 10 d after immunization. None of the probiotic treatments increased the titer of KLH-specific IgG in blood. Our results indicate that disrupted and cobalt-enriched L. acidophilus or L. casei was able to enhance production performance of broiler chickens. The fungal mycelium, S. acidophilum, when used at a high concentration, also demonstrated its potential for the first time to be used as a probiotic. In addition, the optimal concentration for administering probiotics is strain dependent. A higher dose does not always result in a better performance.

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗

Hyperhomocysteinemia as an independent risk factor for silent brain infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent risk factor for silent brain infarction (SBI), and to determine the relationship between homocysteine and folate in each type of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphism, in order to identify a way of reducing the risk for SBI. METHODS: The authors enrolled 161 patients with SBI and 126 healthy people, checked their fasting homocysteine and folate levels, and analyzed for the MTHFR C677T polymorphism. RESULTS: The mean plasma homocysteine level in patients with SBI (12.17 +/- 5.35 micro mol/L) was significantly higher than in normal healthy people (9.37 +/- 4.11 micro mol/L; p < 0.05). By subgroup analysis, based on the classification of plasma homocysteine levels as high (>or=11.77 micro mol/L), moderate (8.71 to 11.76 micro mol/L), and low (<or=8.70 micro mol/L), the adjusted OR (AOR) of the high group for SBI was significantly greater than that of the low group (AOR, 4.78; 95% CI, 2.45 to 9.33). The homocysteine level showed a significant inverse correlation with folate level only in patients with SBI with the MTHFR 677TT genotype (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent risk factor for SBI, and provides the possibility of reducing the risk for SBI in the MTHFR 677TT genotype by folate supplementation.

Brain Infarction↗

Galactosylated chitosan (GC)-graft-poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) as hepatocyte-targeting DNA carrier. Preparation and physicochemical characterization of GC-graft-PVP/DNA complex (1).

Galactosylated chitosan was conjugated with poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) as a hydrophilic group. The complex formation of GC-graft-PVP (GCPVP)/DNA complexes was confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The morphology of the complex observed by atomic force microscopy had a compact and spherical shape, around 40 nm particle sizes at a charge ratio of 3. The binding strength of GCPVP 10K/DNA complex measured by ethidium bromide binding assay was superior to that of the GCPVP 50K/DNA one, probably attributable to its higher flexibility due to the smaller size, whereas the DNase I protection of GCPVP 10K/DNA complex was inferior to that of the GCPVP 50K/DNA one. This indicated that effective complex formation required both higher binding strength and minimal molecular weight of polycation enough to induce the condensation of DNA. The DNA-binding property of GCPVP mainly depended on the molecular weight of chitosan and composition of PVP.

Animals↗

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. Thereafter, changes of body weight, ovulation rate, in vitro and in vivo fertilization, embryonic development and implantation rate were measured. H-tang markedly reduced the body weight of obese mice fed a high-fat diet, but not mice fed a normal diet. H-tang significantly improved ovulation rates, in vitro and in vivo fertilization rates and embryonic development. These results indicate pharmacological reversal of reproductive dysfunction caused by obesity, perhaps by adjusting internal secretions and metabolic functions.

Animals↗

The expression of Bok is regulated by serum in HC11 mammary epithelial cells.

Epithelial cells within the mammary gland undergo apoptosis during weaning. To determine the expression of Bok mRNA (a member of the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family) in the mammary gland and its regulation, we examined the expression of the Bok transcript in the mouse mammary gland and HC11 mammary epithelial cells in culture through RT-PCR. The Bok mRNA expression was found in the mammary gland. The expression of the Bok mRNA level was induced through serum starvation and overexpression of Bok induced apoptosis in HC11 cells in culture. These results indicate that the expression of Bok mRNA in the mammary gland is regulated through serum starvation. It also may be related to the mammary involution.

Animals↗

Cytological observation of two environmental genic male-sterile lines of rice.

We report here two environmental genic male-sterilities (EGMS) in rice. These two EGMS rice lines, thermo-sensitive genic male-sterility (TGMS) and photoperiod-sensitive genic male-sterility (PGMS), are controlled by temperature and photoperiod, respectively, in determining their male-sterility. Male-sterility of the TGMS and PGMS was found to be induced when they were grown at 32 degrees C/26 degrees C (day/night) with 14 h daylight, while they were fertile at 26 degrees C/20 degrees C (day/night) with 10 h daylight in a growth chamber. We also examined their anther structures under a light microscope. The light microscopic observation revealed that the EGMS lines showed a complete pollen abortion at the sterile growth condition while they produced normal fertile pollens at the fertile growth condition.

Fertility↗

Involvement of ERK and protein tyrosine phosphatase signaling pathways in EGCG-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression in Raw 264.7 cells.

Prostaglandins play regulatory roles in a variety of physiological and pathological processes in immune response and inflammation. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is known to potent antitumor agent with antioxidant property. We first investigated the effect of EGCG on the production of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) and the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of PGE(2), using macrophage cell line, Raw264.7. Our results showed that COX-2 expression and PGE(2) production are upregulated by EGCG treatment and that this induction of COX-2 is regulated in part at the transcriptional level. In addition, we demonstrated the signal transduction pathway of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) in EGCG-mediated COX-2 expression. The MEK inhibitor (PD098059) prevented EGCG-induced COX-2 expression, whereas sodium orthovanadate (protein-tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor) significantly enhanced COX-2 expression and PGE(2) production. These results suggest that EGCG mediated COX-2 expression and PGE(2) production is associated with the activation of both the ERK and protein-tyrosine phosphatase signaling pathways.

Animals↗

Arsenic trioxide induces G2/M growth arrest and apoptosis after caspase-3 activation and bcl-2 phosphorylation in promonocytic U937 cells.

Arsenic trioxide has recently been shown to inhibit growth and induce apoptosis in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), but little is known about the molecular mechanisms mediating these effects. Here we demonstrate that treatment of promonocytic U937 cells with arsenic trioxide leads to G2/M arrest which was associated with a dramatic increase in the levels of cyclin B and cyclin B-dependent kinase and apoptosis. We further show that apoptosis occurs after bcl-2 phosphorylation and caspase-3 activation followed by cleavage of PARP and PLC-gamma1 degradation and DNA fragmentation. The arsenic trioxide-induced apoptosis could be blocked by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. In addition, pretreatment of U937 cells with the DNA polymerase inhibitor aphidicolin also blocked apoptosis, but did not cause the arrest of cells in the G2/M phase. The findings suggest that arsenic trioxide exerts its growth-inhibitory effects by modulating expression and/or activity of several key G2/M regulatory proteins. Furthermore, arsenic trioxide-mediated G2/M arrest correlates with the onset of apoptosis.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Binding and regulation of HIF-1alpha by a subunit of the proteasome complex, PSMA7.

The hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) is an important transcription factor for cellular responses to oxygen tension. It is rapidly degraded under normoxic conditions by the ubiquitin-dependent proteasome pathway. Here we report a critical role of the 20S proteasome subunit PSMA7 in HIF-1alpha regulation. PSMA7 was found to interact specifically with two subdomains of HIF-1alpha. PSMA7 inhibited the transactivation function of HIF-1alpha under both normoxic and hypoxia-mimicking conditions. In addition, we show that the PSMA7-mediated regulation of HIF-1alpha activity is associated with the proteasome pathway.

Binding Sites↗