Young Hye Kwon

Rat hepatocytes cultured for 3 days in basal medium expressed low levels of cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) and high levels of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS). When the medium was supplemented with 2 mmol/l methionine or cysteine, CDO activity and CDO protein increased by >10-fold and CDO mRNA increased by 1.5- or 3.2-fold. In contrast, GCS activity decreased to 51 or 29% of basal, GCS heavy subunit (GCS-HS) protein decreased to 89 or 58% of basal, and GCS mRNA decreased to 79 or 37% of basal

Although a dietary phytochemical luteolin has been shown to regulate various anticancer mechanisms, a role of luteolin in autophagy regulation is mostly unidentified. Here, we investigated whether luteolin exhibits its anticancer effects by induction of apoptosis and autophagy in a p53-dependent manner in colon cancer cells. Cell viability was determined using trypan blue exclusion test. The expressions of proteins and mRNAs were measured by immunoblotting and reverse transcription polymerase ch

SCOPE: Genistein (GEN) is a compound that has been shown to alleviate hepatic steatosis. Here, we investigated its protective effects against non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) development in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE(-/-) ) mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). METHODS AND RESULTS: Wild-type and ApoE(-/-) mice were fed an HFD with or without GEN (0.5 g/kg diet) for 24 weeks. Body weights were reduced and fecal cholesterol excretion was increased by GEN. GEN supplementation lowered serum and

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a complex disorder which includes simple steatosis, steatohepatitis, fibrosis and ultimately cirrhosis. Previous studies have reported that genistein, a soy phytoestrogen, attenuates steatohepatitis induced in obese and type 2 diabetic models. Here we investigated the effect of dietary genistein supplementation (0.05%) on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) development induced by a methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet in db/db mice. MCD-diet-fed mice exhibi

Urediospore germlings of Uromyces appendiculatus sense topographical signals inherent in host stomata over which they develop appressoria. The site of signal recognition by the fungus is invariably within the apical 6 μm of the germling. The organization of the germling apex before and during initiation of appressorium formation was examined by both electron microscopy and laser scanning confocal microscopy. Most notable were changes in the distribution and organization of the microtubules and a

Liver injury and repair were examined in wild type, p21Waf1/Cip1, and p27Kip1-deficient mice following carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) administration. In wild type liver, p21 expression is induced in a biphasic manner following injection of CCl4, with an early peak of p21 expression occurring in pericentral hepatocytes at 6 h, prior to evidence of injury, and a second peak succeeding regenerative proliferation. In contrast, p27 is present throughout the quiescent liver, but its expression decreases

Hepatocytes rarely proliferate in the healthy adult liver. We explored the roles of the cyclin kinase inhibitors p21 and p27 in maintaining hepatocyte quiescence. p27 is expressed throughout the wild-type liver, but the related protein p21 was not detected. However, p21 was detected in livers of p27-deficient mice. Increased p21 protein levels did not result from an increase in p21 mRNA expression, indicating that p21 expression is regulated post-transcriptionally. p21 protein levels increased i

Obesity is considered a risk factor for neurodegeneration. Because fermentation of soybean increases contents of various bioactive compounds with anti-obesity and anti-diabetic activities, we investigated the protective effect of doenjang, a Korean traditional fermented soybean paste, against neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in the cortex and hippocampus of mice fed a high-fat (HF) diet. C57BL/6J mice were fed a low-fat diet, an HF diet, an HF-containing steamed soybean diet, or an HF-con