Inhibition of Growth and Induction of Differentiation of SMMC-7721 Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Oncostatin M

Kong, N.,Zhang, X.M.,Wang, H.T.,Mu, X.P.,Han, H.Z.,Yan, W.Q. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.2

Oncostatin M (OSM) is a multifunctional cellular regulator acting on a wide variety of cells, which has potential roles in the regulation of gene activation, cell survival, proliferation and differentiation. Previous studies have shown that OSM can induce morphological and/or functional differentiation and maturation of many tumor cells. However, the action of OSM on the induction of differentiation of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been reported. Here, we investigated the effects of different concentrations of OSM on human HCC cell line SMMC-7721 growth, proliferation, cell cycling, apoptosis and differentiation in vitro. Cell growth was determined via MTT assay, proliferation by cell cycle analysis, apoptosis by flow cytometry, morphology by transmission electronic microscopy, and cell function by detection of biochemical markers. Our results demonstrated that OSM strongly inhibited the growth of SMMC-7721 cells in a dose-dependent manner, associated with decreased clonogenicity. Cell cycle analysis revealed a decreased proportion of cells in S phase, with arrest at G0/G1. The apotosis rate was increased after OSM treatment compared to the control. These changes were associated with striking changes in cellular morphology, toward a more mature hepatic phenotype, accompanied by significant reduction of the expression of AFP and specific activity of ${\gamma}$-GT, with remarkable increase in secretion of albumin and ALP activity. Taken together, our findings indicate that OSM could induce the differentiation and reduce cell viability of SMMC-7721 cells, suggesting that differentiation therapy with OSM offers the opportunity for therapeutic intervention in HCC.

The Current Trends in SBS and phase conjugation

Omatsu, T.,Kong, H.J.,Park, S.,Cha, S.,Yoshida, H.,Tsubakimoto, K.,Fujita, H.,Miyanaga, N.,Nakatsuka, M.,Wang, Y.,Lu, Z.,Zheng, Z.,Zhang, Y.,Kalal, M.,Slezak, O.,Ashihara, M.,Yoshino, T.,Hayashi, K.,T Cambridge University Press 2012 Laser and particle beams Vol.30 No.1

<B>Abstract</B><P>The current trends in stimulated Brillouin scattering and optical phase conjugation are overviewed. This report is formed by the selected papers presented in the “Fifth International Workshop on stimulated Brillouin scattering and phase conjugation 2010” in Japan. The nonlinear properties of phase conjugation based on stimulated Brillouin scattering and photo-refraction can compensate phase distortions in the high power laser systems, and they will also open up potentially novel laser technologies, e.g., phase stabilization, beam combination, pulse compression, ultrafast pulse shaping, and arbitrary waveform generation.</P>

Intramuscular Administration of Zinc Metallothionein to Preslaughter Stressed Pigs Improves Anti-oxidative Status and Pork Quality

Li, L.L.,Hou, Z.P.,Yin, Y.L.,Liu, Y.H.,Hou, D.X.,Zhang, B.,Wu, G.Y.,Kim, S.W.,Fan, M.Z.,Yang, C.B.,Kong, X.F.,Tang, Z.R.,Peng, H.Z.,Deng, D.,Deng, Z.Y.,Xie, M.Y.,Xiong, H.,Kang, P.,Wang, S.X. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2007 Animal Bioscience Vol.20 No.5

This study was conducted to determine the effects of exogenous zinc-metallothionein (Zn-MT) on anti-oxidative function and pork quality. After feeding a corn-soybean meal-based diet for two weeks, 48 pigs ($Duroc{\times}Landrace{\times}Chinese\;Black Pig$) were assigned randomly to four groups. Pigs in Group 1 were maintained under non-stress conditions, whereas pigs in Groups 2, 3 and 4 were aggressively handled for 25 min to produce stress. Pigs in Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 received intramuscular administration of saline (control group; CON), 0 (negative control group; NCON), 0.8 (low dose group; LOW), and 1.6 (high dose group; HIGH) mg rabbit liver Zn-MT per kg body weight, respectively. Pigs were slaughtered at 3 and 6 h post-injection. Zn-MT treatment increased (p<0.05) the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-PX) while decreasing the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver. These responses were greater (p<0.05) at 6 h than at 3 h post Zn-MT injection. Zn-MT treatment increased (p<0.05) hepatic SOD mRNA levels in a time and dose-dependent manner and decreased (p<0.05) serum glutamate-pyruvate transaminase and lactate dehydrogenase activities (indicators of tissue integrity). Zn-MT administration decreased (p<0.05) lactate concentration and increased (p<0.05) pH and water-holding capacity in the longissimus thorasis meat. Collectively, our results indicate that intramuscular administration of Zn-MT to pre-slaughter stressed pigs improved tissue anti-oxidative ability and meat quality.

Chabazite structures with Li⁺, Na⁺, Ag⁺, K⁺, NH₄⁺, Rb⁺ and Cs⁺ as extra-framework cations

Kong, M.,Liu, Z.,Vogt, T.,Lee, Y. Elsevier 2016 Microporous and mesoporous materials Vol.221 No.-

<P>Chabazites with Li+, Na+, Ag+, K+, NH4+, Rb+, Cs+ as monovalent extra-framework cations have been prepared from natural chabazite (ORI-CHA, Ca1.6Na0.5Si8.4Al3.6O24 center dot 143H(2)O) and characterized using a combination of Rietveld analyses of high-resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data and synchrotron infrared (IR) spectroscopy. All monovalent cation-exchanged chabazites crystallize in the rhombohedral space group R (3) over barm; Li-CHA (Li2.9Si8.6Al3.4O24 center dot 13.2H(2)O), a = 9.4068(6), alpha = 94.9156(9); Na-CHA (Na3.4Si8.6Al3.4O24 center dot 11.4H(2)O), a = 9.4216(3), alpha = 94.0773(6); Ag-cHA (Ag3.5Si8.5Al3.5O24 center dot 15.9H(2)O), a = 9.4402(4), alpha= 94.1354(9); K-CHA (K3.2Si8.7Al3.3O24 center dot 10.7H(2)O), a = 9.4420(1), alpha = 94.2540(3); NH4-CHA ((NH4)(2.1)Si8.4Al3.6O24 center dot 11.6H(2)O), a = 9.4378(9), alpha = 94.6101(1); Rb-CHA (Rb4.1Si7.9Al4.1O24 center dot 6.5H(2)O), a = 9.4318(4), alpha = 94.533(1); Cs-CHA (Cs3.4Si8.6Al3.4O24 center dot 6.4H(2)O), a = 9.4447(4), alpha = 94.2604(8). We establish correlations between the unit-cell volume, extra-framework cation distribution, and cation selectivity in chabazites. We establish that the unit cell volume of monovalent-cation exchanged chabazites decreases in the order of decreasing ion selectivity, based on the standard free hydration energies of exchange i.e., Cs+ > K+ > g(+)> Rb+ > Na+ > Li+ and not the cation size. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.</P>

Design of artificial neural network using particle swarm optimisation for automotive spring durability

Y. S. Kong,S. ABDULLAH,D. Schramm,M. Z. Omar,S. M. Haris 대한기계학회 2019 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.33 No.11

This paper presents the optimisation of spring fatigue life based on an artificial neural network (ANN) architecture and particle swarm optimisation algorithm (PSO) using ISO 2631 vertical vibration as input. The road-induced vibration of a ground vehicle caused the spring to fail due to fatigue and human discomfort. Hence, there is a need to model the relationship between these two parameters for spring design assistance. Vibration and force signals were extracted from a quarter car model simulation for fatigue life and ISO 2631 vertical vibration estimations. PSO was applied to the datasets for ANN weights and biases adjustments while the mean squared error (MSE) was set as the objective function. For validation purposes, a set of independent datasets was applied to the ANN. The residuals were analysed using Lilliefors normality and error histogram. For prediction accuracy, the predicted fatigue lives were analysed using scatter band approach and compared with traditional trained ANN. The results have shown that most of the PSO-based ANN predicted fatigue lives were in the acceptable region and the root mean square error (RMSE) value of 0.6391 life cycles in natural logarithm was obtained. The PSO-based ANN has shown improved performance compared to the conventional ANN approach in predicting fatigue life.

Effects of Different Products and Levels of Selenium on Growth, Nutrient Digestibility and Selenium Retention of Growing-finishing Pigs

Tian, J.Z.,Yun, M.S.,Kong, C.S.,Piao, L.G.,Long, H.F.,Kim, J.H.,Lee, J.H.,Lim, J.S.,Kim, C.H.,Kim, Y.Y.,Han, In K. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2006 Animal Bioscience Vol.19 No.1

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of different selenium (Se) products (inorganic, organic A, organic B) added at two supplemental dietary Se levels (0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and Se retention in growing-finishing pigs. A $3{\times}2$ factorial arrangement of treatments was used in a RCB design, with a non-Se-fortified basal diet serving as the negative control. A total of 56 crossbred pigs (28 male and 28 female pigs) initially weighing an average $28.45{\pm}0.53kg$ BW were allotted to each treatment with four pigs per pen on the basis of sex and weight. Two pigs per pen were selected and bled from the anterior vena cava at 3- weekly intervals to analyze Se concentration. In the growing phase (0-6 weeks), increased ADFI was observed when pigs were fed organic Se compared to those fed the control diet or inorganic Se treatment (p<0.05). Pigs fed inorganic Se had a great ADFI than pigs fed organic Se (p<0.05) in the late finishing phase (7-12 weeks), although there were no differences in whole period ADFI between organic or inorganic Se products. During 12 weeks of the whole experimental period, serum Se concentration increased linearly when dietary Se level increased regardless of Se products (p<0.05). Both dietary Se source (p<0.05) and Se level (p<0.01) influenced the Se concentration of various pig tissues at end of this experiment and Se content was the highest in the kidney. For the determination of nutrient digestibility, a metabolic trial was conducted in 3 replicates in randomized complete block (RCB) design. A total of 21 barrows ($50.21{\pm}0.62kg$ of average BW) were used in the metabolic study. Selenium supplementation had no effect on nutrient digestibility except for crude protein. Crude protein digestibility increased with dietary supplementation of organic Se (A) compared with other forms of Se products or control diet (p<0.05). Consequently, this experiment indicated that dietary Se products and levels had no effect on growth performance of pigs. Se concentration in tissues and serum was increased in proportion to dietary Se level, especially when organic Se was provided. Although pigs were fed organic forms of Se, bioavailability of organic forms varied among products, consequently bioactivity of organic products to the animals should be evaluated before practical application in animal feed.

Survival and Neural Differentiation of Xenografted Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Bone Marrow of RFP-Transgenic Cat in Rat Brain

Y. S. Lee,G. Z. Jin,W. J. Jeong,K. M. Oh,E. G. Choi,I. K. Kong 한국동물번식학회 2008 Reproductive & Developmental Biology(Supplement) Vol.32 No.2s

Survival and Neural Differentiation of Xenografted Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Bone Marrow of RFP-Transgenic Cat in Rat Brain

Y. S. Lee,G. Z. Jin,W. J. Jeong,K. M. Oh,E. G. Choi,I. K. Kong 한국동물생명공학회(구 한국동물번식학회) 2008 Reproductive & developmental biology Vol.32 No.2

2-Methoxystypandrone improves in vitro-produced bovine embryo quality through inhibition of IKBKB

Mesalam, A.,Khan, I.,Lee, K.L.,Song, S.H.,Chowdhury, M.M.R.,Uddin, Z.,Park, K.H.,Kong, I.K. Butterworths, etc 2017 Theriogenology Vol. No.

2-Methoxystypandrone (2-MS), a naphthoquinone from Polygonum cuspidatum, has been reported to exhibit antioxidant activities. However, its pharmacological properties have not been fully studied in vitro culture system of oocytes and embryos development. In this study, we examined the effects of 2-MS on bovine blastocyst developmental competency during preimplantation using TUNEL assay, qRT-PCR and immunocytochemistry. Oocytes were treated with 1 μM 2-MS during maturation, followed by in vitro fertilized and the zygotes were cultured. We observed that blastocyst development was significantly higher in the 2-MS treated oocytes (45.29%) compared to control groups (32.21%). We also found that 2-MS treatment significantly increased total cell number and decreased the apoptotic cells in Day-8 blastocyst. Finally, we examined the signal pathway affecting the embryo development after the 2-MS treatment. We detected a significant decrease in the mRNA levels of NFKB1, IKBKB, COX2, NOS2, BAX, CASP3, and JAK2 after 2-MS treatment, however, the mRNA level of the anti-apoptotic gene BCL2 was significantly higher than that in the control. Moreover, protein expression levels of NFKB1, IKBKB, and COX2, and 8-oxoG DNA lesion decreased significantly in the 2-MS treatment group, compared to the control. In summary, our findings suggested that treatment of oocytes with a potential anti-oxidant, 2-MS during IVM improved in vitro developmental competence of bovine embryos.

Black Hole Mass and Accretion Rate of Active Galactic Nuclei

Xue-Bing Wu,F.K. Liu,J.L. Han,M.Z. Kong,R. Wang 한국물리학회 2006 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.49 No.4

The determination of the central black hole mass is crucial to the understanding of active galactic nuclei physics. In this paper, we brie°y review some methods that are currently used to estimate the black hole mass of AGNs. Particularly, we demonstrate the importance of two correlations: one between the black hole mass and the stellar velocity dispersion and the other one between the broad line region (BLR) size and the optical continuum luminosity. Besides applying these relations in deriving the black hole masses of various types of AGNs, we also employ the fundamental plane of elliptical galaxies to estimate the central velocity dispersions of AGN host galaxies, and then the black hole masses of AGNs, including BL Lac objects. In addition, we derive another empirical relation between the BLR size and the H. emission line luminosity from AGNs with the BLR size measured by reverberation mapping studies, and we argue that more accurate black hole masses of extremely radio-loud AGNs can be obtained with it than by using the usual R ¡ L 5100ºA relation because of the jet contribution to the optical continuum. Finally, we point out that black hole mass estimation is very much helpful in determining the accretion rate and in understanding the accretion process in AGNs.