Bo-Ae Lee

An oxysterol, 25-Hydroxycholesterol (25OHChol), is produced through cholesterol oxidation and is involved in various cellular processes, including apoptosis. However, the precise mechanisms underlying 25OHChol-induced apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells remain unclear. The aim of this study was to elucidate the detailed molecular mechanisms by which 25OHChol induces apoptosis in human neuroblastoma cells. This study explores the apoptotic effects of 25OHChol and the associated signaling pathways in BE(2)-C cells, a widely used human neuroblastoma cell model for neuronal differentiation and cancer research. To evaluate the cytotoxicity of 25OHChol, cell viability was assessed using the CCK-8 assay, which demonstrated a concentration-dependent decline, indicating a potential induction of cell death. Morphological changes characteristic of apoptosis, such as nuclear condensation and fragmentation, were confirmed via DAPI staining. Additionally, Annexin V/PI flow cytometry analysis revealed an increase in late apoptotic cell populations, further corroborating apoptosis induction. To investigate the molecular mechanisms, we analyzed the expression of Bcl-2 family proteins via Western blotting. The results showed an elevated Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, suggesting activation of the intrinsic mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. This was further supported by a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), as measured by flow cytometry. Increased caspase-9 and caspase-3/7 activity provided additional evidence for caspase-mediated apoptosis. Moreover, treatment with the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK led to a dose-dependent increase in cell viability, confirming the essential role of caspases in 25OHChol-induced apoptosis. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that 25OHChol triggers apoptosis in BE(2)-C neuroblastoma cells through activation of the intrinsic mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. These findings provide new insights into the cytotoxic effects of 25OHChol and its potential role in neuroblastoma cell death.

Swimming is a widely practiced exercise in modern society, where there is a heightened interest in health. The exceptional benefits of swimming are well-known, yet the issue of water quality management inevitably arises due to its nature as an aquatic exercise. Several studies reported that chlorine disinfectants commonly used in swimming pool water disinfection could degrade into toxic disinfection by-products (DBPs) and suggested that the DBPs might induce respiratory disorders, including asthma. Conversely, there were also reports that the DBPs had no significant effects on respiratory conditions. In this study, we investigated the influence of swimming exercise and DBPs on asthma. The decomposition products had little effect on the number of T cells in various immune organs. However, swimming exercise was found to increase the cell count in proportion to the exercise duration. Nevertheless, there were no significant changes in other immune cells and the secretion of asthma-related cytokines. These findings indicate that the effects of swimming pool DBPs on respiratory conditions during swimming exercise are either negligible or absent, and instead, the immunological benefits gained through consistent swimming exercise outweigh any potential drawbacks.

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the effects of regular aerobic exercise on cardiovascular health factors and heart function in sedentary male office workers.METHODS To achieve this aim, 20 individuals were selected as subjects: 10 in the exercise group (who have been regularly exercising for over 5 years, more than 4 times per week, for 1 hour or more per workout) and 10 in the control group (defines sedentary behavior more of moderate-intensity exercise for 30 minutes or longer, at least three days a week ). For data processing, the average and standard deviation were calculated using the SPSS 21.0 statistical program, and the difference in the mean value change between groups was verified by performing an independent t-test.RESULTS There were significant differences between groups in factors related to cardiovascular health, such as resting heart rate, maximum systolic blood pressure, maximum oxygen intake, and exercise duration. Regarding heart function, there were significant differences between both groups in peak velocities of early and atrial fillings, as well as in early and late diastolic annulus velocities.CONCLUSIONS Taken together, regular aerobic exercise appears to have a positive impact on cardiovascular health factors and heart function in sedentary male office workers.

Swimming in pools is a popular and healthy recreational activity. However, potential adverse health effects from disinfection byproduct (DBP) exposure in pool water are concerning. This study evaluated how such DBP exposure affects the respiratory system. DBP exposure was simulated with an animal-specific pool environment model. Experimental animals were exposed to DBPs for a specified duration and frequency over 4 weeks. The wet and dry weights of murine lungs were measured, with no significant differences observed. There were no significant differences in interkeukin (IL)-2/4/10, and interferon-γ levels. However, IL-6 expression decreased in the experimental group. To investigate the effects of DBP exposure on immune cell response, various samples, such as bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus, were collected for T-cell isolation and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Asthma-related blood cell distribution was analyzed using a complete blood count test; no significant differences were found. Thus, DBP exposure through this model did not induce substantial lung tissue damage, major alterations in cytokine expression (besides IL-6), significant immune cell responses, or changes in asthma-associated blood cell distribution. However, considering earlier results, future studies should focus on specific types, intensity, and duration of exercise that could affect DBP exposure-related immune-inflammatory responses.

In this study, swimming was performed for 12 weeks, 3 times a week, once for 60 minutes for normal middle-aged women living in P city. Health physical fitness, blood lipid and stress hormone were measured and analyzed using SPSS Ver.21.0 statistical program. The result was as follows. 1. Within the group, muscle endurance, flexibility, and lean mass significantly increased and body fat percentage significantly decreased in the exercise group. There was no significant difference in muscle strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, cardiorespiratory endurance, body fat percentage, and lean mass in the control group. There was no significant difference in all items between groups. 2. Within the group, there were no significant differences in all items in the exercise group. In the control group, only high-density lipoprotein cholesterol showed a significant decrease, and there was no significant difference in total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. 3. Within the group, there was no significant difference in both the exercise group and the control group, and there was no significant difference in all items between groups. Summarizing the above results, regular swimming exercise had a significant effect on health, but did not significantly effect on blood lipids and stress hormones. Regular and continuous aerobic exercise, such as swimming, proper personal fitness level, has a positive effect on preventing the increase of blood lipids and stress hormones. In the future, it is expected that many follow-up studies on changes in blood lipids and stress hormones will be studied for safe and systematic exercise intensity setting.

IL-7 is an essential, nonredundant growth factor for T and B cell generation and maintenance. While IL-7 deficiency results in lymphopenia, overexpression of IL-7 can cause neoplasia in experimental models. IL-7’s involvement in neoplasia has been appreciated through studies of IL-7 transgenic (Tg) mice models and human lymphoma patients. Since we recently found that a soluble form of the common γ-chain (γc) cytokine receptor (sγc) antagonistically regulates IL-7 signaling, IL-7 and sγc double-Tg mice were generated to investigate the effects of sγc overexpression in IL-7-mediated lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs). The overexpression of sγc prevents IL-7Tg-induced abnormal increase of LN cell numbers and the development of splenomegaly, resulting in striking amelioration of mortality and disease development. These results suggest that modification of γc cytokine responsiveness by sγc molecules might control various γc cytokine-associated hematologic malignancy, and also provide an alternative view to approach antitumor therapy.

The purpose of this study is to verify the effects of aquatic exercise on the health-related physical fitness, blood fat, and immune functions of children with disabilities. To achieve the aforementioned purpose, the researchers studied 10 children with grade 1 or grade 2 disabilities who do not exercise regularly. The researchers used SPSS 21.0 to calculate the averages and standard deviations of the data and performed a paired t-test to verify the differences in averages before and after an exercise. The study showed significant differences in lean body weight, muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, and muscular endurance. The researchers found statistically significant differences in triglyceride as well as in immunoglobulin G. The findings suggest that aquatic exercise affects the health-related physical fitness, blood fat, and immune functions of children with disabilities.

Pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) is a therapeutic option for urinary incontinence (UI). However, studies of the efficacy of PFME on UI in patients with cognitive impairment (CI) are lacking. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of PFME on UI in elderly women with mild CI. A total of 150 women with mild CI or Alzheimer disease and UI were screened using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF). Cognitive function and behavioral symptoms were evaluated by the Mini-Mental State Examination and Barthel's Activities of Daily Living. The patients were randomly divided into a control group (n=46) and a PFME group (n=52, 6 sessions of PFME for 12 weeks). The primary outcome was the change in UI episodes measured with a frequency volume chart (FVC). The secondary outcomes were other FVC parameters and the ICIQ-SF scores. A total of 82 women (control group: 40 and PFME group: 42) completed the study. After 12 weeks of PFME, the mean number of UI episodes per 24 hours decreased by 1.6 (from 3.3 to 1.7) in the PFME group and by 0.5 (from 3.4 to 2.9) in the control group (P<0.001 between groups). The mean number of micturition episodes and total ICIQ-SF scores improved in the PFME group to a significantly greater extent than in the control group (P<0.001). Supervised PFME can be a good therapeutic option for improving UI in elderly women with CI.

The verification results of the differences among the groups according to academic adaptability at the bottom 20% showed that there was a significant difference in terms of body fat mass and body fat rates.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of strenuous exercises on resting heart rate, blood pressure, and maximal oxygen uptake. To achieve the purpose of the study, a total of 30 subjects were selected, including 15 people who performed continued regular exercises and 15 people as the control group. With regard to data processing, the IBM SPSS Statistics ver. 21.0 was used to calculate the mean and standard deviation. The difference of mean change between groups was verified through an independent t-test. As a result, there were significant differences in resting heart rate, maximal heart rate, maximal systolic blood pressure, and maximal oxygen uptake. However, the maximal systolic blood pressure was found to be an exercise-induced high blood pressure. Thus, it is thought that a risk diagnosis for it through a regular exercise stress test is necessary.