Search

AIM: To characterize the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat corneal epithelium and human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) exposed to a high-glucose environment. METHODS: HCECs were incubated in 0, 5, 50 mmol/L glucose medium, or 50 mmol/L glucose medium with NAC for 24h. Diabetes was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of 65 mg/kg STZ and some of these rats were topically administered NAC to corneas with 3 mice per group. We characterized receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) expression using immunofluorescence, and interleukin (IL)-1β and cleaved caspase-3 (CCAP-3) expression using immunohistochemistry. Circulating tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α concentration was measured by ELISA and cleaved poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) concentration was quantified by Western blotting. Apoptotic cells were detected using TUNEL assay and annexin V and propidium iodide staining. RESULTS: Diabetic rats had higher expression of RAGE (2.46±0.13 fold), IL-1β, and CCAP-3 in apoptotic cells of their corneas than control rats. The expression of RAGE (1.83±0.11 fold), IL-1β, and CCAP-3, and the number of apoptotic cells, were reduced by topical NAC treatment. HCECs incubated in 50 mmol/L glucose medium showed high concentrations of TNF-α (310±2.00 pg/mL) and cleaved PARP (7.43±0.56 fold), and more extensive apoptosis than cells in 50 mmol/L glucose medium. However, the addition of NAC reduced the concentrations of TNF-α (153.67±2.31 pg/mL) and cleaved PARP (5.55±0.31 fold) and the number of apoptotic cells. CONCLUSION: NAC inhibits inflammation and apoptosis in the corneas of diabetic rats and HCECs maintained in a high-glucose environment.

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of a newly developed epithelial removal brush with conventional methods in a rabbit model of corneal epithelial defects. The corneal epithelia of thirty-seven rabbits were removed by three different methods including blades (blade group), newly developed epithelial brushes (Ocu group), and conventional rotating brushes (Amo group). The defect area was measured with light microscopy immediately and at 4, 18, 24, and 50 hours after removal. Corneas were obtained immediately and at 24 and 50 hours and subjected to hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunofluorescence staining using proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and phosphorylated heat shock protein 27 (pHSP27) antibodies. The residual stromal surface was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In the Ocu group, epithelia were significantly recovered at 18, 24, and 50 hours compared with immediately after removal, and in the blade and Amo groups, epithelia were significantly recovered only at 50 hours after epithelial removal. The expression levels of PCNA and pHSP27 did not differ among three groups. There was significantly more inflammatory cell infiltration in the blade group than in the other groups. SEM showed a more regular and uniform residual stromal surface in the Ocu group than in the other groups. The newly developed epithelial brush showed better polishing ability and led to earlier significant epithelial recovery and a more regular and uniform stromal surface than conventional methods in this rabbit model of epithelial defects. Accumulation of clinical data is expected to expand the scope of application of new brushes for laser surface ablation.

We investigated levels of genetic diversity, population genetic structure, and gene flow in Eurya japonica, a widespread and broad-leaved evergreen dioecious tree native to Japan, China, Taiwan, and the southern and southwestern coast of the Korean Peninsula. Starch-gel electrophoresis was conducted on leaves collected from 1,000 plants in 20 Korean populations. All 12 loci examined were polymorphic in at least one population, and the mean number of alleles per locus was 3.79. In addition, mean observed population heterozygosity ([Ho.sub.p] = 0.425), expected heterozygosity ([He.sub.p] = 0.462), and total genetic diversity ([H.sub.T] = 0.496) were substantially higher than average values for species with similar life history traits. Although significant differences in allele frequency were detected between populations at all loci (P < 0.001),

Secretory clusterin (sCLU)/apolipoprotein J is a multifunctional glycoprotein that is ubiquitously expressed in various tissues. Reduced sCLU in the joints of patients with bone erosive disease is associated with disease activity; however, its exact role has yet to be elucidated. Here, we report that CLU is expressed and secreted during osteoclastogenesis in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) that are treated with receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). CLU-deficient BMMs obtained from CLU-/- mice exhibited no significant alterations in OC differentiation in comparison with BMMs obtained from wild-type mice. In contrast, exogenous sCLU treatment significantly inhibited OC formation in both BMMs and OC precursor cultures. The inhibitory effect of sCLU was more prominent in BMMs than OC precursor cultures. Interestingly, treating BMMs with sCLU decreased the proliferative effects elicited by M-CSF and suppressed M-CSF-induced ERK activation of OC precursor cells without causing apoptotic cell death. This study provides the first evidence that sCLU reduces OC formation by inhibiting the actions of M-CSF, thereby suggesting its protective role in bone erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: We investigated the mechanism by which cannabinoid receptors-1 (CB1) and -2 (CB2) modulate inflammatory activities of macrophages. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Provides information on a study which analyzed the genetic diversity and genetic population structure of species of Hemerocallis in Korea through starch gel electrophoresis. Materials and methods; Results; Discussion.

We investigated the spatial distribution of genotypes among Korean populations of Calystegia soldanella and C. japonica. Calystegia soldanella grows only on sand and beach dunes in East Asia and reproduces both sexually and asexually, whereas C. japonica inhabits fields and roadsides in this region, and the species reproduces exclusively by underground rhizomes. Spatial autocorrelation analysis was used to investigate the spatial distribution of genotypes of 15 and 12 alleles among 13 and eight Korean populations of C. soldanella and C. Japonica, respectively. For C. soldanella, within a distance of 0-123 km, all eight significant Moran's/values were positive, indicating genetic similarity among populations within the circumference. On the other hand, in C. Japonica, three significant negative autocorrelation coefficients within a 0-121 km distance were detected. The observed patterns of spatial genetic structure in both species may result from differences between them in life history and ecological traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camellia Japonica and Eurya japonica, broad-leaved evergreen woody plants, are widely distributed in eastern Asia. Eurya japonica is dioecious, whereas flowers of C. japonica are perfect. We Investigated the spatial distribution of genotypes among 15 and 21 Korean populations of C. japonica and E. japanica using spatial autocorrelation analysis of enzyme polymorphisms to test the previous prediction that dioecy is a primary factor which Increases interpopulational gene flow. The patterns of spatial genetic distribution among populations of both species are very similar: percentage of significant Moran's/values (15 vs. 17 for C. japanica and E. japonica) and percentage of significant overall correlogram (18 vs. 20 for C. japonica and E. Japonica). For both species, the patterns of average Moran's / values for each distance class were very similar as in an isolation by distance model. It may be concluded that dioecy may not a primary factor in shaping spatial genetic structure in E. Joponica. Instead, abundant and continuously distributed patterns observed in E. japonica and an occasional pollen transfer by birds between isolated island populations of C. japonica in Korea may play roles in shaping spatial genetic structure among Korean populations of the two species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]