• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.169-175
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• 2000

Epidemiological and experimental studies provide evidences that diet and intestinal microflora play an important role in colon carcinogenesis. In recent years, it has been suggested that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) used to ferment dairy products have an inhibitory effect on the colon cancer. This study was designed to determine the effect of Bifidobacterium longum HY8001 (Bif) and Lactobacillus acidophilus HY2104(Lac) of Korean origin on azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colonic preneoplastic lesions such as aberrant crypt foci(ACF) formation and cecal pH. At five weeks of age, Spraque-Dawley rats were divided at random into four (AOM alone, Bif, ,Lac, and Bif+Lac) groups. Animals were weighed weekly and oral administration of LAB cultures were performed daily until the termination of the study. Two weeks later, all animals were given a subcutaneous injection of AOM dissolved in normal saline at a dose of 15 mg/kg of body weight once per week for 2 weeks. All rats were necropsied 7 weeks after the last AOM injection , and the ACF were visualize under light microscopy in the formalin-fixed, unsectioned methylene blue-stained colons. The total number of aberrant crypt in Bif, Lac, and Bif+Lac groups were significantly lower than that of the AOM alone group and the percentage of inhibitions weas 35.0, 45.6%, respectively. Significant inhibition (p<0.001) in the total number of ACF was also observed in LAB treated groups (Bif , Lac, and Bif+Lac group by 3003, 38.6, and 41.2%, respectively). Furthermore, cecal pH appeared to significantly decrease by LAB administration. The results of present study provide some evidences for potential colon tumor-inhibitory properties of lactic cultures and fermented dairy products.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1171-1176
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• 2014

Objective: The tumor suppressor gene, Ras-association domain family (RASSF)2A, is inactivated by promoter hypermethylation in many cancers. The current study was performed to evaluate the methylation status of RASSF2A in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) tissues and plasma, and correlations with gene expression and clinicopathologic characteristics. Method: We detected methylation of the RASSF2A gene in tissues and corresponding plasma samples from 47 EOC patients and 14 patients with benign ovarian tumors and 10 with normal ovarian tissues. The methylation status was determined by methylation-specific PCR while gene expression of mRNA was examined by RT-PCR. The EOC cell line, SKOV3, was treated with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-azadC). Results: RASSF2A mRNA expression was significantly low in EOC tissues. The frequency of aberrant methylation of RASSF2A was 51.1% in EOC tissues and 36.2% in corresponding plasma samples, whereas such hypermethylation was not detected in the benign ovarial tumors and normal ovarian samples. The expression of RASSF2A mRNA was significantly down-regulated or lost in the methylated group compared to the unmethylated group (p<0.05). After treatment with 5-aza-dC, RASSF2A mRNA expression was significantly restored in the Skov3 cell line. Conclusion: Epigenetic inactivation of RASSF2A through aberrant promoter methylation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of EOC. Methylation of the RASSF2A gene in plasma may be a valuable molecular marker for the early detection of EOC.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.164-169
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• 2013

Objectives : We assessed the availability of Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) for the evaluation of the pharmacological effect in autistic disorder. Methods : A retrospective review of the medical records of 27 children with autistic disorder, who visited the department of child and adolescent psychiatry of Kyungpook National University Hospital, from October 2011 to February 2013, was conducted. After treatment with risperidone, changes in the severity and improvement of symptoms were measured using ABC at the baseline, 2nd visit and 3rd visit, respectively. Results : The mean daily dose of risperidone increased from $0.66{\pm}0.27mg$ (baseline, initial dose) to $1.02{\pm}0.50mg$, 2nd visit, and $1.19{\pm}0.50mg$, 3rd visit. According to ABC, irritability, lethargy, hyperactivity, and inappropriate speech subscale scores decreased significantly from the baseline to 2nd visit. Irritability and Hyperactivity subscale scores decreased significantly from the 2nd to 3rd visit. All subscales and total scores of ABC decreased significantly from the baseline to 3rd visit. Conclusion : The results of this study suggest that ABC can be used as an efficient tool to measure the symptoms of autistic disorder and to evaluate the medication effect on continuous treatment.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.942-947
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• 2006

The effect of oat bran extracts on the formation of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in the colon induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) was studied in F344 male rats. Extracts were prepared using various combinations of temperature (40, 45, 50, 55, or 60$^{\circ}C:\;X_1$), ethanol concentration (0,5, 10, 15, or 20%: $X_2$), and pH (5, 6, 7, 8, or 9: $X_3$). Among the various extracts tested, one ethanol extract (EE; $45^{\circ}C$, 15% ethanol at pH 6) and one water extract (WE; $50^{\circ}C$ at pH 5) were selected based on their in vitro antitumor activity. The animals were fed with basal diet alone or basal diet supplemented with 0.25 or 0.5% of EE or WE for 6 weeks. During the initial 2 weeks of the 6-week test period, the rats were subcutaneously injected with DMH (30 mg/kg) 4 times for the induction of ACF. DMH induced an average of 322.7 and 142.9 aberrant crypts (AC) and ACF, respectively. A low dose (0.25%) of EE (containing 38.3% ${\beta}$-glucan) and WE (containing 22.8% ${\beta}$-glucan) greatly reduced the numbers of DMH-induced AC and ACF. Significantly, ACF consisting of more than 3 AC were reduced by half in which the effect of EE, containing a higher concentration of ${\beta}$-glucan, was superior to that of WE. These results demonstrate that oat bran extracts may confer protection against colon carcinogenesis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.3881-3885
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• 2015

Obesity markedly increases the risk of colorectal cancer. Recently, the preventive effects of edible mushrooms on triglyceride elevation and visceral fat accumulation have been reported. Here, the effects of Pleurotus eryngii (Eringi) and Hypsizygus marmoreus (Bunashimeji) on azoxymethane (AOM)-induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF; precancerous lesions) in the colorectums of mice fed a high-fat diet were examined. Eringi (ER) and Bunashimeji (BU) mushroom powder samples were used. Six-week-old male C57BL/6J mice received an intraperitoneal injection of AOM (10 mg/kg) once a week for two weeks, and were sacrificed and dissected at 6 weeks after the start of the experiment. After the initiation of the experiment, they received a normal diet (ND), high-fat diet (HFD), HFD + ER (1 or 5% of diet), or HFD + BU (1 or 5% of diet). As a result, body and fat weights were significantly lower in the 5% ER and BU groups than in the HFD group. Liver triglyceride levels were also significantly lower in the 5% ER and BU groups. Total liver cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the 5% ER group. The numbers of ACF (especially large ACF) showed strong inhibitory effects in both ER and BU groups. Measurement of the cell proliferation marker Ki-67 labeling index in the colonic mucosa demonstrated more significant suppression in both ER and BU groups than in the HFD group. These results suggest that the simultaneous intake of ER and BU may inhibit colorectal tumorigenesis in HFD-fed mice.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7561-7566
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• 2015

Ziziphus jujuba (ZJ) fruit is rich in bioactive functional components such as polysaccharides, triterpenoid acid, flavonoids and oleamide. It has been commonly used in the treatment of various diseases including diabetes, digestive disorders, diarrhea, skin infections, liver and urinary diseases. However, its dietary effect on chemoprevention of colon cancer has never been studied. The present study was to evaluate the protective effects of dietary ZJ on colitis-associated colon carcinogenesis in azoxymethane (AOM)-dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-treated mice. AOM was injected (10 mg/kg b.wt., i.p.) and three cycles of 2% DSS in drinking water for 7 days with 14 days of normal drinking water in-between was administered to induce colitis-associated colon cancer. ZJ fruit was supplemented in feed as 5 and 10%. Dietary ZJ significantly attenuated aberrant crypt foci (ACF) formation thereby decreasing the progression of hyperplasia to dysplasia. In addition, it significantly reduced circulating white blood cells, lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils and platelets compared to colon cancer mice. We conclude that ZJ supplementation delayed the progression of colon cancer from hyperplasia to dysplasia and ultimately adenocarcinoma and cancer. In addition, it decreased circulating tumor-related leucocytes, main regulators of cancer inflammation. Therefore, dietary consumption of ZJ fruit attenuated the formation of ACF and delayed the progression of colon cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.13
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• pp.5233-5237
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• 2014

Epigenetic modifications of tumour suppressor genes are involved in all kinds of human cancer. Aberrant promoter methylation is also considered to play an essential role in development of lung cancer, but the pathogenesis remains unclear.We collected the data of 112 subjects, including 56 diagnosed patients with lung cancer and 56 controls without cancer. Methylation of the FHIT, RASSF1A and RAR-${\beta}$ genes in DNA from all samples and the corresponding gene methylation status were assessed using the methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR, MSP). The results showed that the total frequency of separate gene methylation was significantly higher in lung cancer compared with controls (33.9-85.7 vs 0 %) (p<0.01).Similar outcomes were obtained from the aberrant methylation of combinations of any two or three genes (p<0.01). There was a tendency that the frequency of combinations of any two or three genes was higher in stage I+II than that in stage III+IV with lung cancer. However, no significant difference was found across various clinical stages and clinic pathological gradings of lung cancer (p>0.05).These observations suggest that there is a significant association of promoter methylation of individual genes with lung cancer risk, and that aberrant methylation of combination of any two or three genes may be associated with clinical stage in lung cancer patients and involved in the initiation of lung cancer tumorigenesis. Methylation of FHIT, RASSF1A and $RAR{\beta}$ genes may be related to progression of lung oncogenesis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5069-5074
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• 2012

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between methylation status of the Dact1 gene and MTHFR a1298c polymorphic forms in transitional cell carcinoma tissues in a Chinese population. Methods: Polymorphisms of folate metabolism enzyme gene MTHFR were assessed by restrictive fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) methods and PCR-based DNA methylation analysis was used to determine the CpG island methylation status of the Dact1 gene. Associations between the methylation status of the Dact1 gene and clinical characteristics, as well as MTHFR a1298c polymorphisms, were analyzed. Results: aberrant methylation of the Dact1 gene was found in 68.3% of cancer tissues and 12.4% of normal tissues,. The methylation rate of the Dact1 gene in cancer tissues was significantly higher in patients with lymph node metastasis than in those without lymph node metastasis (46.3% vs. 17.2%, P = 0.018). No association was found between aberrant DNA methylation and selected factors including sex, age, tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and green tea consumption. After adjusting for potential confounding variables, variant allele of MTHFR a1298c was found to be associated with methylation of the Dact1 gene. Compared with wild type CC, the odds ratio was 4.33 (95% CI: 1.06-10.59) for AC and 4.95 (95% CI: 1.18-12.74) for AA. The N stage in TNM staging and the occurrence of lymph node metastasis were associated with an MTHFR 1298 AA+AC genotype (P<0.05). Conclusion: MTHFR 1298 AC and AA genotypes might help maintain a normal methylation status of the Dact1 gene, aberrant CpG island methylation of which is closely related to the genesis and progression of transitional cell carcinoma.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.749-755
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• 2014

Background: Purple rice has become a natural product of interest which is widely used for health promotion. This study investigated the preventive effect of purple rice extract (PRE) mixed diet on DMH initiation of colon carcinogenesis. Materials and Methods: Rats were fed with PRE mixed diet one week before injection of DMH (40 mg/kg of body weight once a week for 2 weeks). They were killed 12 hrs after a second DMH injection to measure the level of $O^6$-methylguanine and xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme activities. Results: In rats that received PRE, guanine methylation was reduced in the colonic mucosa, but not in the liver, whereas PRE did not affect xenobiotic conjugation, with reference to glutathione-S-transferase or UDP-glucuronyl transferase. After 5 weeks, rats that received PRE with DMH injection had fewer ACF in the colon than those treated with DMH alone. Interestingly, a PRE mixed diet inhibited the activity of bacterial ${\beta}$-glucuronidase in rat feces, a critical enzyme for free methylazoxymethanol (MAM) release in the rat colon. These results indicated that purple rice extract inhibited ${\beta}$-glucuronidase activity in the colonic lumen, causing a reduction of MAM-induced colonic mucosa DNA methylation, leaded to decelerated formation of aberrant crypt foci in the rat colon. Conclusions: The supplemented purple rice extract might thus prevent colon carcinogenesis by the alteration of the colonic environment, and thus could be further developed for neutraceutical products for colon cancer prevention.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.157-165
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• 2008

Cancer-preventive effects of ethanol extract of elm tree root (EEE) were investigated. In the in vitro cytotoxicity assay, colon cancer cells were incubated with a chloroform fraction of EEE (CF-EEE). CF-EEE significantly inhibited the proliferation of cells and induced apoptotic cell death in a dose-dependent manner. For the assessment of chemopreventive efficacy in vivo, male F344 rats were fed with EEE (0.5 or 1%) in diet for 8 weeks, and were subcutaneously injected with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) to induce colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF). EEE (0.5 and 1%) significantly decreased both the numbers of AC (1191.1/colon) and ACF (529.3/colon) induced by DMH. In addition, in the Western blot analysis on the colonic mucosa, administration of EEE triggered expression of caspase-3, a key factor of an apoptotic cascade. These results suggest that extract of elm tree root may have potential chemopreventive principles that lead to apoptosis of cancer cells, and thereby suppress colorectal carcinogenesis during the initiation stage.