Ji-Eun Kim

Ms. Ji-Eun Kim


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

5Years (2022-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
8 June 2023 in Antioxidants
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Kyung-Hyun ChoKyung-Hyun Cho
Kyung-Hyun Cho
JKJi-Eun Kim
Ji-Eun Kim
ABAShutosh Bahuguna
AShutosh Bahuguna
DKDae-Jin Kang
Dae-Jin Kang
Ozonated sunflower oil (OSO) is a well-known functional oil with antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-allergic, and skin-moisturizing properties. However, studies on the effects of OSO on high-cholesterol diet (HCD)-induced metabolic disorders have been scarce. In the current study, we aimed to determine the anti-inflammatory effects of OSO on lipid metabolism in adult hypercholesterolemic zebrafish and its embryos. Microinjection of OSO (final 2%, 10 nL) into zebrafish embryos under the presence of carboxymethyllysine (CML, 500 ng) protected acute embryo death up to 61% survival, while sunflower oil (final 2%) showed much less protection at around 42% survival. The microinjection of OSO was more effective than SO to inhibit reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and apoptosis in the CML induced embryo toxicity. Intraperitoneal injection of OSO under the presence of CML protected acute death from CML-induced neurotoxicity with improved hepatic inflammation, less detection of ROS and interleukin (IL)-6, and lowering blood total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG), while the SO-injected group did not protect the CML-toxicity. Long-term supplementation of OSO (final 20%, wt/wt) with HCD for 6 months resulted in higher survivability than the HCD alone group or HCD + SO group (final 20%, wt/wt) with significant lowering of plasma TC and TG levels. The HCD + OSO group showed the least hepatic inflammation, fatty liver change, ROS, and IL-6 production. In conclusion, short-term treatment of OSO by injection exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity against acute neurotoxicity of CML in zebrafish and their embryo. Long-term supplementation of OSO in the diet also revealed the highest survivability and blood lipid-lowering effect through potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.

Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Kyung-Hyun ChoKyung-Hyun Cho
Kyung-Hyun Cho
JKJi-Eun Kim
Ji-Eun Kim
HNHyo-Seon Nam
Hyo-Seon Nam
DKDae-Jin Kang
Dae-Jin Kang
HNHye-Jee Na
Hye-Jee Na
Background: Hyperinflammation is frequently associated with the chronic pain of autoimmune disease and the acute death of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) via a severe cytokine cascade. CIGB-258 (Jusvinza®), an altered peptide ligand with 3 kDa from heat shock protein 60 (HSP60), inhibits the systemic inflammation and cytokine storm, but the precise mechanism is still unknown. Objective: The protective effect of CIGB-258 against inflammatory stress of N-ε-carboxymethyllysine (CML) was tested to provide mechanistic insight. Methods: CIGB-258 was treated to high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and injected into zebrafish and its embryo to test a putative anti-inflammatory activity under presence of CML. Results: Treatment of CML (final 200 μM) caused remarkable glycation of HDL with severe aggregation of HDL particles to produce dysfunctional HDL, which is associated with a decrease in apolipoprotein A-I stability and lowered paraoxonase activity. Degradation of HDL3 by ferrous ions was attenuated by a co-treatment with CIGB-258 with a red-shift of the Trp fluorescence in HDL. A microinjection of CML (500 ng) into zebrafish embryos resulted in the highest embryo death rate, only 18% of survivability with developmental defects. However, co-injection of CIGB-258 (final 1 ng) caused the remarkable elevation of survivability around 58%, as well as normal developmental speed. An intraperitoneal injection of CML (final 250 μg) into adult zebrafish resulted acute paralysis, sudden death, and laying down on the bottom of the cage with no swimming ability via neurotoxicity and inflammation. However, a co-injection of CIGB-258 (1 μg) resulted in faster recovery of the swimming ability and higher survivability than CML alone injection. The CML alone group showed 49% survivability, while the CIGB-258 group showed 97% survivability (p < 0.001) with a remarkable decrease in hepatic inflammation up to 50%. A comparison of efficacy with CIGB-258, Infliximab (Remsima®), and Tocilizumab (Actemra®) showed that the CIGB-258 group exhibited faster recovery and swimming ability with higher survivability than those of the Infliximab group. The CIGB-258 group and Tocilizumab group showed the highest survivability, the lowest plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride level, and the infiltration of inflammatory cells, such as neutrophils in hepatic tissue. Conclusion : CIGB-258 ameliorated the acute neurotoxicity, paralysis, hyperinflammation, and death induced by CML, resulting in higher survivability in zebrafish and its embryos by enhancing the HDL structure and functionality.

Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Kyung-Hyun ChoKyung-Hyun Cho
Kyung-Hyun Cho
HNHyo-Seon Nam
Hyo-Seon Nam
JKJi-Eun Kim
Ji-Eun Kim
HNHye-Jee Na
Hye-Jee Na
MDMaria del Carmen Dominguez-Horta
Maria del Carmen Dominguez-Horta
GMGillian Martinez-Donato
Gillian Martinez-Donato
Inflammation and atherosclerosis are intimately associated via the production of dysfunctional high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and modification of apolipoprotein (apo) A-I. A putative interaction between CIGB-258 and apoA-I was investigated to provide mechanistic insight into the protection of HDL. The protective activity of CIGB-258 was tested in the CML-mediated glycation of apoA-I. The in vivo anti-inflammatory efficacy was compared in paralyzed hyperlipidemic zebrafish and its embryo in the presence of CML. Treatment of CML induced greater glycation extent of HDL/apoA-I and proteolytic degradation of apoA-I. In the presence of CML, however, co-treatment of CIGB-258 inhibited the glycation of apoA-I and protected the degradation of apoA-I, exerting enhanced ferric ion reduction ability. Microinjection of CML (500 ng) into zebrafish embryos resulted in acute death with the lowest survivability with severe developmental defects with interleukin (IL)-6 production. Conversely, a co-injection of CIGB-258 or Tocilizumab produced the highest survivability with a normal development speed and morphology. In hyperlipidemic zebrafish, intraperitoneal injection of CML (500 μg) caused the complete loss of swimming ability and severe acute death with only 13% survivability 3 h post-injection. A co-injection of the CIGB-258 resulted in a 2.2-fold faster recovery of swimming ability than CML alone, with higher survivability of approximately 57%. These results suggest that CIGB-258 protected hyperlipidemic zebrafish from the acute neurotoxicity of CML. Histological analysis showed that the CIGB-258 group had 37% lower infiltration of neutrophils in hepatic tissue and 70% lower fatty liver changes than those of the CML-alone group. The CIGB-258 group exhibited the smallest IL-6 expression in the liver and the lowest blood triglyceride level. CIGB-258 displayed potent anti-inflammatory activity in hyperlipidemic zebrafish by inhibiting apoA-I glycation, promoting rapid recovery from the paralysis of CML toxicity and suppression of IL-6, and lowering fatty liver changes.

15 May 2023 in Preprints.org
Verified
Preprint
Open access
PDF file
Kyung-Hyun ChoKyung-Hyun Cho
Kyung-Hyun Cho
JKJi-Eun Kim
Ji-Eun Kim
DBDr. Ashutosh Bahuguna
Dr. Ashutosh Bahuguna
DKDae-Jin Kang
Dae-Jin Kang
Ozonated sunflower oil (OSO) is well known functional oil with its antioxidant, antimi-crobial, anti-allergic, and skin-moisturizing properties. However, studies on the effects of OSO on high-cholesterol diet (HCD)-induced metabolic disorders have been scarce. In the current study, we aimed to determine the anti-inflammatory effects of OSO on lipid me-tabolism in adult hypercholesterolemic zebrafish and its embryo. Microinjection of OSO (final 2%, 10 nL) into zebrafish embryos under presence of carboxymethyllysine (CML, 500 ng) protected acute embryo death upto 61% survival, while sunflower oil (final 2%) showed much less protection around 42% survival. The microinjection of OSO was more effective than SO to inhibit reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and apoptosis in the CML induced embryo toxicity. Intraperitoneal injection of OSO under presence of CML protected acute death from CML-induced neurotoxicity with improved hepatic inflamma-tion, less detection of ROS and interleukin (IL)-6, and lowering blood total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG), while SO-injected group did not protect the CML-toxicity. Long-term supplementation of OSO (final 20%, wt/wt) with HCD for 6 months resulted higher sur-vivability than HCD alone group or HCD+SO group (final 20%, wt/wt) with significant lowering of plasma TC and TG levels. The HCD+OSO group showed the least hepatic in-flammation, fatty liver change, ROS, and IL-6 production. In conclusion, short-term treat-ment of OSO by injection exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity against acute neuro-toxicity of CML in zebrafish and its embryo. Long-term supplementation of OSO in diet also revealed the highest survivability and blood lipid-lowering effect through potent an-ti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.

17 August 2023 in Antioxidants
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Kyung-Hyun ChoKyung-Hyun Cho
Kyung-Hyun Cho
JKJi-Eun Kim
Ji-Eun Kim
ABAShutosh Bahuguna
AShutosh Bahuguna
DKDae-Jin Kang
Dae-Jin Kang
Ozonated sunflower oil (OSO) is an established therapeutic agent and nutraceutical harboring various therapeutic values, including antiallergic, derma-protective, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Conversely, the medicinal aspects of OSO for wound healing, tissue regeneration, and treatment of inflammation in dyslipidemia have yet to be fully elucidated. Herein, a comparative effect of OSO and sunflower oil (SO) was investigated to heal cutaneous wound and tissue regeneration of zebrafish impediment by carboxymethyllysine (CML) toxicity, following impact on hepatic inflammation and blood lipid profile. After OSO (final 2%, 1 μL) and SO’s (final 2%, 1 μL) treatment, substantial healing was elicited by OSO in the cutaneous wound of zebrafish impaired by CML (final 25 μg). As an important event of wound healing, OSO scavenges the reactive oxygen species (ROS), rescues the wound from oxidative injury, and triggers the essential molecular events for the wound closer. Furthermore, the intraperitoneal injection of OSO was noted to counter the CML-induced adversity and prompt tissue regeneration in the amputated tail fin of zebrafish. Additionally, OSO counters the CML-induced neurotoxicity and rescues the zebrafish from acute mortality and paralysis, along with meticulous recovery of hepatic inflammation, fatty liver changes, and diminished ROS and proinflammatory interleukin (IL)-6 production. Moreover, OSO efficiently ameliorated CML-induced dyslipidemia by alleviating the total blood cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and increasing high-density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-C). The outcome of multivariate assessment employing principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis supports a superior therapeutic potential of OSO over SO against the clinical manifestation of CML. Conclusively, OSO owing to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential, counters CML-induced toxicity and promotes wound healing, tissue regeneration, hepatoprotection, improved blood lipid profile, and survivability of zebrafish.

26 April 2024 in Antioxidants
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Kyung-Hyun ChoKyung-Hyun Cho
Kyung-Hyun Cho
JKJi-Eun Kim
Ji-Eun Kim
MLMyeong-Sung Lee
Myeong-Sung Lee
ABAShutosh Bahuguna
AShutosh Bahuguna
Research on ozonated sunflower oil (OSO) is mostly restricted to its topical application, whereas the functional and toxicological assessment of oral OSO consumption is yet to be solved. Herein, OSO was orally supplemented in rats to assess the impact on plasma antioxidant status, low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Also, the functionality of HDL from the OSO-supplemented rats (OSO-HDL) was tested against carboxymethyllysine (CML)- induced hyperinflammation in embryo and adult zebrafish. The results revealed that four weeks of OSO supplementation (3 g/kg BW/day) had no adverse effect on rats’ hematological and blood biochemical profiles. Nonetheless, decreased interleukin (IL)-6, and LDL-C levels, along with enhanced ferric ion reduction ability (FRA) and sulfhydryl content, were observed in the plasma of OSO-supplemented rats compared to the control and sunflower oil (SO) supplemented group. In addition, OSO supplementation stabilized apoA-I/HDL and augmented HDL-allied paraoxonase (PON)-1 activity. The microinjection of OSO-HDL (10 nL, 2 mg/mL) efficiently prevented the CML (500 ng)-induced zebrafish embryo mortality and developmental deformities. Similarly, OSO-HDL thwarted CML-posed neurotoxicity and demonstrated a significant hepatoprotective effect against CML-induced fatty liver changes, hepatic inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis, as well as exhibiting a noticeable influence to revert CML-induced dyslipidemia. Conclusively, OSO supplementation demonstrated no toxic effects on rats, ameliorated plasma antioxidant status, and positively influenced HDL stability and functionality, leading to a protective effect against CML-induced toxicity in zebrafish.