Young-Il Yoon

Anti‐obesity effect of Allomyrina dichotoma (Arthropoda: Insecta) larvae ethanol extract on 3T3‐L1 adipocyte differentiation

Although Korean horn beetle (Allomyrina dichotoma) larvae have been long used as an oriental medicine for the treatment of liver diseases in Korea, there is little scientific evidence of their effects. In this study, we investigated the anti‐obesity activity of A. dichotoma larvae extract (ADE) by using 3T3‐L1 cells as an in vitro model of adipogenesis. To analyze its role as an inhibitor of adipogenesis, 3T3‐L1 cells were treated with both ADE and differentiation inducer (DM) at the same time, and then the amount of lipid was quantified. We then analyzed the mRNA and protein expression level of adipogenic or lipogenic genes. The results showed that formation of lipid droplets in differentiated 3T3‐L1 cells was markedly decreased, and triglyceride content was reduced by 22.15% in response to 2000 μg/mL ADE. In addition, ADE downregulated mRNA and protein expression of transcription factors peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR)‐γ and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)‐α implicated in adipogenesis, and significantly decreased the expression levels of adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (aP2), fatty acid synthase (FAS), stearoyl‐coenzyme desaturase‐1 (SCD1), and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) related to lipogenesis. Our results demonstrate that ADE suppressed adipogenesis and lipogenesis in 3T3‐L1 cells, suggesting that ADE has anti‐obesity activity as a food supplement.

Allomyrina dichotoma (Arthropoda: Insecta) larvae confer resistance to obesity in mice fed a high-fat diet.

To clarify the anti-obesity effect of Allomyrina dichotoma larvae (ADL), we previously reported that ADL block adipocyte differentiation on 3T3-L1 cell lines through downregulation of transcription factors, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARG) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α (CEBPA). In this study, we tested whether ADL prevent obesity in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and further investigated the mechanism underlying the effects of ADL. All mice were maintained on a normal-fat diet (NFD) for 1 week and then assigned to one of five treatment groups: (1) NFD; (2) HFD; (3) HFD and 100 mg·kg−1·day−1 ADL; (4) HFD and 3000 mg·kg−1·day−1ADL; or (5) HFD and 3000 mg·kg−1·day−1 yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis, positive control). ADL and yerba mate were administered orally daily. Mice were fed experimental diets and body weight was monitored weekly for 6 weeks. Our results indicated that ADL reduced body weight gain, organ weight and adipose tissue volume in a dose-dependent manner. Body weight gain was approximately 22.4% lower compared to mice fed only HFD, but the difference did not reach the level of statistical significance. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis revealed that gene expression levels of PPARG, CEBPA and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in the epididymal fat tissue of HFD-fed mice receiving 3000 mg·kg−1·day−1 ADL were reduced by 12.4-, 25.7-, and 12.3-fold, respectively, compared to mice fed HFD only. Moreover, mice administered ADL had lower serum levels of triglycerides and leptin than HFD-fed mice that did not receive ADL. Taken together our results suggest that ADL and its constituent bioactive compounds hold potential for the treatment and prevention of obesity.

Primary Cultures of Drosophila melanogaster Gut Cells for Studies of Intestinal Stem Cell Regulation

Drosophila melanogaster has been used as a useful model to study development and disease. In this study, we established the primary culture method of Drosophila in the intestine to understand how intestinal stem cells (ISCs) mediate tissue repair during infection and disease. To obtain intestinal cells, we separated intestines from adult flies and isolated single cells by enzymatic treatment. The survival of cultured cells was measured using MTS-analysis. The maximum growth rate of the cells was observed on the 9th day after seeding. In addition, the presence of ISCs and enteroendocrine cells was confirmed by delta and prospero staining. Accordingly, we supposed that Drosophila melanogaster gut cells established in this study are probably useful in studies about intestinal stem cell regulation and various diseases occurring in the intestine.

Pre-treatment of the White-Spotted Flower Chafer (Protaetia brevitarsis) as an Ingredient for Novel Foods

The pharmacological efficacy of Protaetia (P.) brevitarsis larvae has been described in the Dongui Bogam. It is believed that the larvae are particularly useful for hepatic disorders. However, natural aversion has made it difficult to consume these larvae as food. Thus, we sought to make an eatable form of the larvae by establishing optimal conditions for larvae preparation. Larvae were selectively bred, sterilized, and a powder of larvae generated by freeze-drying. Afterward, the CellTiter AQueous Non-Radioactive Cell Proliferation Assay (MTS) with the RAW 264.7 cell line was used to validate the safety of the powder as a food ingredient. We determined that oak sawdust sterilized by water vapor for 5 minutes could be used for larvae feed, and a feeding for 3~5 days followed by a fasting for 3 days were optimal conditions for larvae preparation. In addition, sterilization of larvae at and (to avoid contamination of pathogenic bacteria and fungi) was successfully applied in the production of edible powder from P. brevitarsis. The optimized processes established in our experiments can be used in the industrial production of P. brevitarsis as a food ingredient.

Anti-inflammatory Effect of Oxya chinensis sinuosa Ethanol Extract in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 Cells

Although the grasshopper Oxya chinensis sinuosa has long been used as food in Korea, there is little data on its functional effects. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of O. c. sinuosa ethanol extract (OCE) in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for induction of inflammation. First, we determined that there is no cytotoxicity at 2,000 μg/ml or less of OCE in RAW 264.7 cells. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of OCE, we investigated expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6, and pro-inflammatory enzymes such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclo-oxygenase- 2 (COX-2) in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, we examined whether OCE could inhibit translocation of NF-κB p65 into the nucleus in LPS induced RAW 264.7 cells. As a result, we found that the mRNA and protein levels of TNF-α and IL-6 decreased in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells after treatment with OCE in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, we confirmed a 2,000 ug/ml concentration of OCE inhibited translocation of NF-κB p65 by immunnostaining and Western blot analysis, and a decrease in the protein expression levels of iNOS and COX-2. Accordingly, we suppose that OCE has an anti-inflammatory effect through down-regulation of TNF-α, IL-6, iNOS, and COX-2 related to NF-κB p65 inflammatory signaling pathways.

Identification of the unfolded protein response (UPR)-related genes from Bombyx mori cell lines by a subtractive hybridization approach

The baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is one of the powerful insect cell systems for heterologous protein expression. However, over-expression of heterologous proteins in this system sometimes results in protein misfolding and aggregation because of insufficient levels of folding catalysts. In previous study using the differential screening (DS) method, we isolated only 40 differentially expressed genes after treatment with tunicamycin, an unfolded protein response (UPR) inducer. To isolate more protein folding catalysts from insect, we performed suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) with untreated and tunicamycin-treated Bm5 cell lines in this study. We could isolate 366 differentially expressed clones by SSH method and produced expressed sequence tags (ESTs). ESTs included the UPR pathway-related genes involved in protein folding, including heat shock proteins, molecular chaperones, foldases, as well as glycosylation and secretory pathway related genes. Identification of the tunicamycin responsive genes using SSH provides more information about the UPR-related genes in insect cells, and will facilitate modifications of the protein folding pathway in the ER to improve heterologous protein expression.

Microarray expression profiling of Spodoptera litura in response to oxidative stress

To examine the expression profile of oxidative stress responsive genes in Spodoptera litura, we constructed a cDNA library from S. litura injected with hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). Using a microarray chip composed of 2,964 cDNAs, we screened gene expression at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 h post H(2)O(2) injection. Data were clustered into 15 groups of genes that behave similarly across each time course. Seventy-three genes were identified as being at least twofold up- or downregulated after treatment with H(2)O(2) in S. litura. We constructed expressed sequence tags (ESTs) for genes that changed at least twofold after treatment with H(2)O(2) . The functional classification of these ESTs based on Gene Ontology showed that the ESTs are rich in genes involved in oxidoreductase activity (5.7%), defense (14.3%), cellular process (22.9%), and development (17.1%).

Inhibition of Inflammation by Popillia flavosellata Ethanol Extract in LPSinduced RAW264.7 Macrophages

The beetle Popillia flavosellata has been no reported its functional effects. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of P. flavosellata ethanol extract (PFE) on RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for the induction of inflammation. First, we examined the cytotoxicity of PFE in the RAW 264.7 cells at a concentration of 2,000 μ g/ml or less. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of PFE, we investigated the expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6, and proinflammatory enzymes, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, we examined whether PFE inhibited the translocatio n of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 into the nucleus in the LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. We found that the protein levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were decreased in the LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells after the treatment with PFE in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, we confirmed that PFE inhib ited the translocation of NF-κB p65 into the nucleus, as well as the protein expression levels of iNOS and COX-2. Accordingly, we pro- pose that PFE exerts an anti-inflammatory effect through the down-regulation of NF-κB p65, TNF-α, IL-6, iNOS, and COX-2 via the toll like receptor (TLR)-4 inflammatory signaling pathway.The beetle Popillia flavosellata has been no reported its functional effects. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of P. flavosellata ethanol extract (PFE) on RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for the induction of inflammation. First, we examined the cytotoxicity of PFE in the RAW 264.7 cells at a concentration of 2,000 μg/ml or less. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of PFE, we investigated the expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6, and proinflammatory enzymes, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, we examined whether PFE inhibited the translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 into the nucleus in the LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. We found that the protein levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were decreased in the LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells after the treatment with PFE in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, we confirmed that PFE inhibited the translocation of NF-κB p65 into the nucleus, as well as the protein expression levels of iNOS and COX-2. Accordingly, we propose that PFE exerts an anti-inflammatory effect through the down-regulation of NF-κB p65, TNF-α, IL-6, iNOS, and COX-2 via the toll like receptor (TLR)-4 inflammatory signaling pathway.