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Angiotensin II (Ang II), a potent vasoconstrictor, has been implicated in vascular inflammation through induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and pro-inflammatory genes. Among the chemokines, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 induced by Ang II acts as a central mediator of the inflammatory responses. In the present study, we found that the water extract of ZoaGumHwan (ZGH), a Korean herbal remedy, dose-dependently inhibited Ang II-induced U937 monocyte adhesion to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and mRNA expression of MCP-1 in HUVECs and C-C chemokine receptor 2 (CCR-2) in U937 cells. In addition, ZGH water extract inhibited Ang II-induced generation of reactive oxygen species in HUVECs in a dose-dependent manner. Berberine, a major component of Coptis chinensis Franch, also showed similar effects on ROS production and MCP-1 expression induced by Ang II. These results suggest that Korean herbal remedy, ZGH, effectively protects against Ang II-induced endothelial inflammation.

Chromosomal abnormalities are implicated as important markers for the pathogenesis in patients with schizophrenia. In this study, with using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) array-based comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), we analyzed DNA copy-number changes among 30 patients with schizophrenia. The most frequent changes were partial gain of Xq23 (52%) and loss of 3q13.12 (32%). Other frequent gains were found in: 1p, 6q, 10p, 11p, 11q, 14p, and 15q regions, and frequent losses were found in: 2p, 9q, 10q, 14q, 20q, and 22q regions. The set of abnormal regions was confirmed by real-time PCR (9q12, 9q34.2, 11p15.4, 14q32.33, 15q15.1, 22q11.21, and Xq23). All real-time PCR results were consistent with the array-CGH results. Therefore, it is suggested that array-CGH and real-time PCR analysis could be used as powerful tools in screening for schizophrenia-related genes. Our results might be useful for further exploration of candidate genomic regions in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.

Objectives: Oxidative DNA damage is a known risk factor of lung cancer. The glutathione peroxidase (GPX) antioxidant enzyme that reduces hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxides plays a significant role in protecting cells from the oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species. The aim of this case-control study was to investigate effects of oxidative stress and genetic polymorphisms of the GPX1 genes and the interaction between them in the carcinogenesis of lung cancer., Methods: Two hundreds patients with lung cancer and 200 age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled in this study. Every subject was asked to complete a questionnaire concerning their smoking habits and their environmental exposure to PAHs. The genotypes of the GPX1 and 8-oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) genes were examined and the concentrations of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), 2-naphthol and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) were measured., Results: Cigarette smoking was a significant risk factor for lung cancer. The levels of urinary 8-OH-dG were higher in the patients (p < 0.001), whereas the urinary 1-OHP and 2-naphthol levels were higher in the controls. The GPX1 codon 198 polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. Individuals carrying the Pro/Leu or Leu/Leu genotype of GPX1 were at a higher risk for lung cancer (adjusted OR = 2.29). In addition, these individuals were shown to have high urinary 8-OH-dG concentrations compared to the individuals with the GPX1 Pro/Pro genotype. On the other hand, the polymorphism of the hOGG1 gene did not affect the lung cancer risk and the oxidative DNA damage., Conclusions: These results lead to a conclusion that individuals with the GPX1 Pro/Leu or Leu/Leu genotype would be more susceptible to the lung cancer induced by oxidative stress than those individuals with the Pro/Pro genotype.

The genetic relatedness of 7 Korean type O field strains of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in clinical specimens collected from 5 different geographic locations in 2000 was investigated. The sequence of 162 nucleotides (nt 478-639) at the 3' end of the 1D (VP1) genes was determined from amplified cDNA fragments, and subjected to the analysis for the sequence identity/divergence and phylogenetic relationship. The overall nucleotide sequence divergence among the 7 field strains was 0 to 3.8%, suggesting that they are closely related to each other. Phylogenetic analysis with the known Middle East-South Asia (ME-SA) topotype strains showed that the 7 Korean field strains formed two distinct clusters within the same lineage of the ME-SA topotype strains. Cluster 1 consisted of the strains of the primary foci of infection (Paju and Hongseong), and closely related to the strains prevailed in the Far East. Cluster 2 comprised those of subsequently affected regions (Boryeong, Yongin, and Chungju), and was further diverged from the Cluster 1. The result of phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Korean strains may have evolved from a common ancestor of the Pan Asia strains, and that at least 2 phylogenetically clustered variants within the same lineage were prevalent during the epidemic. The potential origin and sources of the virus introduction to Korea were discussed.