• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.2425-2430
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• 2015

Clinical resistance to chemotherapeutic agents is one of the major hindrances in the treatment of human cancers. EHZ2 is involved in drug resistance and is overexpressed in drug-resistant cancer cell lines. In this study, we investigated the effects of EHZ2 on cisplatin -resistance in A549/DDP and AGS/DDP cells. EHZ2 mRNA and protein were found to be significantly overexpressed in A549/DDP and AGS/DDP cells, compared to parental cells. EHZ2 siRNA successfully silenced EHZ2 mRNA and protein expression. Proliferation was inhibited and drug resistance to cisplatin was improved. Flow cytometry showed that silencing of EHZ2 arrested A549/DDP and AGS/DDP cells in the G0/G1 phase, increasing apoptosis, rh-123 fluorescence intensity and caspase-3/8 activities. Silencing of EHZ2 also significantly reduced the mRNA and protein expression levels of cyclin D1 and MDR1,while up-regulating p15, p21, p27 and miR-218 in A549/DPP cells. Furthermore, silencing of EHZ2 also significantly increased the expression level of tumor suppressor factor miR-218. We also found down-regulating EHZ2 expression increased methylation in A549/DDP and AGS/DDP cells. This study demonstrates that drug resistance can be effectively reversed in human cisplatin-resistant lung and gastric cancer cells through delivery of siRNAs targeting EHZ2.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.369-377
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• 2014

In order to find out anticancer activity of Korean pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), the cytotoxicity against 8 cell lines including 293 (normal kidney cells) and A-431 (epidermoid carcinoma cells) of extracts by extraction solvents and plant parts were investigated using MTT assay. Also the correlation between content of capsaicin known as anticancer ingredient and cytotoxicity of extracts from pepper were analyzed. The distilled water extracts from seed and germinated seed showed very high cytotoxicity against 6 cancer cell lines including A549 (lung carcinoma cells), AGS (stomach adenocarcinoma cells), HeLa (cervix adenocarcinoma cells), HepG2 (hepatoblastoma cells), HT-29 (colon adenocarcinoma cells), and MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma cells). But 80% ethanol and methanol extracts showed cytotoxicity against 293 and AGS. The $RC_{50}$, that was, the concentration of sample required for 50% reduction of cell viability, of seed and germinated seed extracts against AGS were $33.4{\sim}389.1{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ and $63.9{\sim}1,316.7{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, respectively, so anticancer activity was higher in seed than in germinated seed. In capsaicin contents, seed with high cytotoxicity and pericarp with a little cytotoxicity contained $47.4{\sim}1,260.0{\mu}g/g$ and $58.3{\sim}1,498.0{\mu}g/g$, respectively. As these results, the correlation was not between cytotoxicity and capsaicin content.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.466-470
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-cancer effects of Carthami Flos in some kinds of human gastric cancer cells. We used two kinds of human gastric cancer cell lines, such as AGS cells and MKN45 cells. We examined cell death by MTT assay and observed the morphological changes with Carthami Flos. Also, we showed that the combination of sub-optimal doses of Carthami Flos and cisplatin noticeably suppresses in AGS cells and doxorubicin in MKN45 cells. Furthermore, we studied the caspase 3 activity to identify the apoptosis. Therefore, our findings provide insight into unraveling the effects of Carthami Flos in human gastric cancer cells and developing therapeutic agents against gastric cancer.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1784-1791
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• 2010

In this study, we investigated the effects of ethyl alcohol extracts of Hizikia fusiforme (EHF) on the correlation between tightening of tight junctions (TJs) and anti-invasive activity in human gastric adenocarcinoma AGS cells. Inhibitory effects of EHF on cell proliferation, motility, and invasiveness were found to be associated with increased tightness of the TJs, which was demonstrated by an increase in transepithelial electrical resistance. Activities of matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-2 and -9 in AGS cells were dose-dependently inhibited by treatment with EHF, and this was also correlated with a decrease in expression of their mRNA and proteins; however, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and -2 mRNA levels were increased. Additionally, immunoblotting results indicated that EHF repressed the levels of claudin proteins (claudin-1, -3, and -4), major components of TJs that play key roles in control and selectivity of paracellular transport. Furthermore, EHF decreased expression of insulin such as growth factor-1 receptor proteins, while concurrently increasing that of thrombospondin-1 and E-cadherin. In conclusion, these results suggest that EHF treatment may inhibit tumor cell motility and invasion, and therefore act as a dietary source to decrease the risk of cancer metastasis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.15
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• pp.6753-6759
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• 2015

Background: Loss of function of the p53 gene is implicated in defective apoptotic responses of tumors to chemotherapy. Although the pro-apoptotic roles of eugenol and capsaicin have been amply reported, their dependence on p53 for apoptosis induction in gastric cancer cells is not well elucidated. The aim of the study was to elucidate the role of p53 in the induction of apoptosis by eugenol and capsaicin in a human gastric cancer cell line, AGS. Materials and Methods: AGS cells were incubated with or without various concentrations of capsaicin and eugenol for 12 hrs, in the presence and absence of p53 siRNA. Cell cycling, annexin V and expression of apoptosis related proteins Bax, Bcl-2 ratio, p21, cyt c-caspase-9 association, caspase-3 and caspase-8 were studied. Results: In the presence of p53, capsaicin was a more potent pro-apoptotic agent than eugenol. However, silencing of p53 significantly abrogated apoptosis induced by capsaicin but not that by eugenol. Western blot analysis of pro-apoptotic markers revealed that as opposed to capsaicin, eugenol could induce caspase-8 and caspase-3 even in the absence of p53. Conclusions: Unlike capsaicin, eugenol could induce apoptosis both in presence and absence of functional p53. Agents which can induce apoptosis irrespective of the cellular p53 status have immense scope for development as potential anticancer agents.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.13
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• pp.5325-5329
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• 2015

Farnesiferol C is a natural compound with various anti-cancer properties that belongs to the class of sesquiterpene coumarins. However, the low bioavailability of farnesiferol C limits its therapeutic potential. Here, we overcame this problem utilizing dendrosome nano-particles and evaluated the anti-cancer effect of dendrosomal farnesiferol C (DFC) on the AGS gastric cancer cell line. The 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2yl)-2,5- diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were respectively used to detect the anti-proliferative properties of DFC and expression ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 as a hallmark of apoptosis. Compared to the void farnesiferol C (FC), our data showed that DFC significantly suppresses the proliferation of AGS cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner (P<0.01). Also, DFC meaningfully increased the expression ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 in AGS cells (P<0.01). The findings demonstrate that our nano-based formulation of farnesiferol C could be considered as a potential therapeutic agent in cancer targeting.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.644-648
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• 2009

Antiproliferative effects of soy milk fermented with Bacillus subtilis from chungkukjang was studied in AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. The fermented soy milk by B. subtilis (B. subtilis-F-SM) exhibited 82% growth inhibitory effect at 2 mg/mL concentration, while non-fermented soy milk (Non-F-SM) showed 68%. B. subtilis-F-SM treated AGS cells induced more apoptotic bodies than the Non-F-SM treated cells. In mRNA expressions, B. subtilis-F-SM showed decreased expression of anti-apoptotic bcl-2 and increased expression of pro-apoptotic bax. The expressions of tumor suppressor genes of p53 and p21 were also increased. These results suggest that fermented soy milk by B. subtilis exhibited higher antiproliferative activities compared with non-fermented soy milk.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.283-288
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• 2021

This study investigated the anticancer activity of methanol extract from Platycarya strobilacea leaf in AGS human gastric cancer cells. We determined the cell viability effect of P. strobilacea using MTS assay. Apoptosis induction and cell cycle arrest were confirmed by fluorescein isothiocyanate and propidium iodide staining using cellometer K2. The mRNA expression levels of the Bcl-2 family were confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The cell viability was decreased in a dose-dependent manner treated with different concentrations of P. strobilacea. Total, early, and late apoptotic cells were dramatically increased, and the cell cycle was arrested at the sub-G1 phase. The mRNA expressions of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were reduced, whereas pro-apoptotic factors, Bax and Bak, were increased in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggested that P. strobilacea leaf extract induced significant apoptotic activity through an intrinsic mitochondria pathway.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2021.04a
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• pp.58-58
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• 2021

Although hypoxic/ischemic injury is thought to contribute to the incidence of Alzheimer disease (AD), the molecular mechanism that determines the relationship between hypoxia-induced β-amyloid (Aβ) generation and development of AD is not yet known. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of Acorus gramineus Soland. (AGS) on oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R)-induced A β production in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Pretreatment of these cells with AGS significantly attenuated OGD/R-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and elevation of levels of malondialdehyde, nitrite (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) and glutathione, as well as superoxide dismutase activity. AGS also reduced OGD/R-induced expression of the apoptotic protein caspase-3, the apoptosis regulator Bcl-2, and the autophagy protein becn-1. Finally, AGS reduced OGD/R-induced Aβ production and cleavage of amyloid precursor protein, by inhibiting secretase activity and suppressing the autophagic pathway. Although supporting data from in vivo studies are required, our results indicate that AGS may prevent neuronal cell damage from OGD/R-induced toxicity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.1113-1118
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• 2010

The antioxidative activities and growth inhibitory effects of fermented soymilk (FS) by Bacillus subtilis KC-3 (KCCM 42923) in AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells were studied during fermentation at pH 5.5, 5.25 and 5.0. The pH of B. subtilis KC-3 from Cheonggukjang, decreased from 6.8 to 5.0 during the fermentation. The acidity decreased, but amino and ammonia type nitrogen contents increased significantly as pH decreased. FS at pH 5.0 (FS 5.0) exhibited the highest DPPH free radical scavenging activities among other samples. The hydroxy radical scavenging activity of FS 5.0 was found to be approximately 2.5 times higher than that of the non-fermented soymilk (NFS). The SOD-like activity of FS 5.0 was 32.1% at 1.0 mg/mL and 50.6% at 2.0 mg/mL compared to the NFS of 9.1% and 17.3%, respectively. FS, especially FS 5.0, showed increased anticancer effect in AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. These results suggest that soymilk fermented by B. subtilis KC-3 has increased antioxidative activities and anticancer effects during fermentation (pH 6.0 to pH 5.0).