• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.542-548
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• 2005

In recent years, propolis has attracted much attention as an useful substance in medicine and functional food, even if it is known as a natural remedy in folk medicine since ancient times. propolis was registered as natural food since 1995 on Korean Food Act by Korean Food and Drug Administration(KFDA). The present study demonstrated the optimization of isolation of crude propolis by ethanol, and tumoricidal effect of pro polis. The optimal concentration of ethanol to separate a high quantity of propolis was $60\%$. The cytotoxic effect of ethanol extracted propolis against various cancer cell lines including murine lymphoma (Sarcoma-180), murine T-lymphoma (YAC-1), human breast carcinoma (MCF-7), human gastric carcinoma (KATOIII) and human hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep3B) and human lung adenocarcinoma (A-549) was observed using SRB and MIT assay. In order to investigate the curative activity by oral administration of propolis on tumor, ICR mice was subcutaneously implanted Sarcoma 180. In 300mg/kg and 600mg/kg propolis administered group, development of implanted tumors was inhibited by $40.9\%\;and\;67.9\%$ at 16th day, respectively. In the same dose of propolis administered group, development of implanted tumors was inhibited more strongly with dose dependent manner. Therefore, these data suggested propolis may show tumoricidal effects. In conclusion, these results indicate that propolis, one of the few natural remedies, can be used as functional food with tumoricidal effects.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.221-226
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• 2004

This study was carried out to determine the antimutagenic and anticancer effects of Allium victoriolis using Ames test and cytotoxicity. Allium victorialis extracted with ethanol and then further fractionated to chloroform, ethyl acetate and water. The inhibition rate of ethanol extract (200 $\mu\textrm{g}$/plate) of Allium victorialis in the Salmonella typhimurium TA100 strain showed 88.2% against the mutagenesis induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine(MNNG). The suppression ratio against 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide(4NQO) in the Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 strains showed 76.4% and 83.0%, respectively. The cytotoxicity effects of Allium victorialis extract against the cell lines with human lung carcinoma (A549), human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) and human gastric cacinoma (KATOIII) were inhibited with the increase of extract concentration. The treatment of 0.5 $\mu\textrm{g}$/plate Allium victorialis of ethanol extract showed strong cytotoxicities of 74.2%, 71.3% and 67.4% against A549, MCF-7 and KATOIII, respectively.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.677-683
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• 1997

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma was initially recognized as occurring only in the salivary gland and only later was it appreciated that it occurred in the bronchus and trachea as well. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of bronchial gland origin is extremely rare, and little is known about their natural history. This carcinoma is derived from the minor salivary gland of the proximal tracheobronchial tree and it is divided into low-grade and high-grade by gross, histologic, and ultrastructural criteria. Also its clinical and biologic behaviors are closely related with histologic grade of carcinoma. We have experienced a rare case of bronchial mucoepidermoid carcinoma associated with adenocarinoma which obstructed the left main bronchus and was successfully removed by the pneumonectomy.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.397-406
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• 2009

The low quality fresh ginseng was extracted by water at $80^{\circ}C$ and 240 bar for 20 min (HPE, High pressure extraction process). The cytotoxicity on human normal kidney cell (HEK293) and human normal lung cell (HEL299) of the extracts from HPE showed 28.43% and 21.78% lower than that from conventional water extraction at $100^{\circ}C$ in adding the maximum concentration of $1.0\;mg/m{\ell}$. The human breast carcinoma cell and lung adenocarcinoma cell growth were inhibited up to about 86%, in adding $1.0\;mg/m{\ell}$ of extracts from HPE. This values were 9-12% higher than those from conventional water extraction. On in vivo experiment using ICR mice, the variation of body weight of mice group treated fresh ginseng extracts from HPE of 100 mg/kg/day concentration was very lower than control and other group. The extracts from HPE was showed longer survival times as 35.65% than that of the control group, and showed the highest tumor inhibition activities compared with other group, which were 70.64% on Sarcoma-180 solid tumor cells. On the high performance liquid chromatogram (HPLC), amount of ginsenoside-$Rg_2$, $Rg_3$, $Rh_1$ and $Rh_2$ on fresh ginseng were increased up to 43-183% by HPE, compared with conventional water extracts. These data indicate that HPE definitely plays an important role in effectively extracting ginsenoside, which could result in improving anticancer activities. It can be concluded that low quality fresh ginseng associated with this process has more biologically compound and better anticancer activities than that from normal extraction process.

• International Journal of Stem Cells
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.215-233
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: MYC, also known as an oncogenic reprogramming factor, is a multifunctional transcription factor that maintains induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Although MYC is frequently upregulated in various cancers and is correlated with a poor prognosis, MYC is downregulated and correlated with a good prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma. MYC and two other MYC family genes, MYCN and MYCL, have similar structures and could contribute to tumorigenic conversion both in vitro and in vivo. Methods and Results: We systematically investigated whether MYC family genes act as prognostic factors in various human cancers. We first evaluated alterations in the expression of MYC family genes in various cancers using the Oncomine and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and their mutation and copy number alterations using the TCGA database with cBioPortal. Then, we investigated the association between the expression of MYC family genes and the prognosis of cancer patients using various prognosis databases. Multivariate analysis also confirmed that co-expression of MYC/MYCL/MYCN was significantly associated with the prognosis of lung, gastric, liver, and breast cancers. Conclusions: Taken together, our results demonstrate that the MYC family can function not only as an oncogene but also as a tumor suppressor gene in various cancers, which could be used to develop a novel approach to cancer treatment.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.83-89
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in not only cancer development and metastasis but also non-cancerous conditions. Hypoxia is one of the proposed critical factors contributing to formation of chronic rhinosinusitis or nasal polyposis. Wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum) has antioxidant, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we analyzed whether wheatgrass has an inhibitory effect on the EMT process in airway epithelial cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells were incubated in hypoxic conditions ($CO_2$ 5%/$O_2$ 1%) for 24 h in the presence of different concentrations of wheatgrass extract (50, 75, 100, and $150{\mu}g/mL$) and changes in expression of epithelial or mesenchymal markers were evaluated by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. Accordingly, associated EMT-related transcriptional factors, Snail and Smad, were also evaluated. RESULTS: Hypoxia increased expression of N-cadherin and reduced expression of E-cadherin. Mechanistically, E-cadherin levels were recovered during hypoxia by silencing hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-$1{\alpha}$ or administering wheatgrass extract. Wheatgrass inhibited the hypoxia-mediated EMT by reducing the expression of phosphorylated Smad3 (pSmad3) and Snail. It suppressed the hypoxia-mediated EMT processes of airway epithelial cells via HIF-$1{\alpha}$ and the pSmad3 signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that wheatgrass has potential as a therapeutic or supplementary agent for HIF-1-related diseases.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.213-217
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• 1998

This study was performed to observe cytotoxic effect of the pine needle extracts against cancer cell lines including human gastric carcinoma (KATOIII), human lung carcinoma (A549), human hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep3B) and human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) using MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) and SRB (sulforhodamine B) method. The extracts were prepared by step-wise fractionation of ethanol extract of pine needles using diethylether, chloroform, ethylacetate, butanol and water. The growth of the cancer cells in medium containing pine needle extracts were significantly inhibited degree in proportion to the increase of the extract concentration. A significant shrinkage of Hep3B cells was observed when the cells were exposed into 0.5, 1 mg/mL of pinus rigida extract.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.266-270
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• 1998

The management of malignant pleural effusion is a difficult problem. Tetracycline was probably the most commonly used sclerosing agent, but parenteral tetracycline is no longer available. This prospective study was designed to determine the efficacy of insufflated talc in producing plerodesisin patients with malignant pleural effusions. Fifteen patients managed between March 1995 and March 1997 underwent thoracoscopy and had 4 gm sterile asbestos-free talc insufflation throughout the pleural space. The mean interval between the procedure and last follow-up was 101 days(range: 25-233 days). The results of treatment were clinically and radiologically compared with pre-operative status. The results were as follows: 1. The patients were 6 men and 9 women with a mean age of 55.1 years(range: 31-74 years). The primary tumors were lung cancer in 10 patients, breast cancer in two, hepatoma in one, stomach cancer in one, and adenocarcinoma of unkown origin in one. 2. Cancer cell positive ratio was 36% in sputum cytology study and 100% in thoracoscopic biopsy. 3. Symptoms improved in 94% of patients treated by talc pleurodesis. 4. After 30 days of the procedure, there was radiologically no recurrence of plural fluid in 94% patients. 5. There were wound infection in one, respiratory failure in one. In conclusion, the insufflation of 4 gm sterile asbestos-free talc in the pleural space is an effective method to control malignant pleural effusions and patients selection is important factor for reexpansion the lung.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.141-148
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• 2015

Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the first step in metastasis and implicated in the phenotype of cancer stem cells. Therefore, understanding and controlling EMT, are essential to the prevention and cure of metastasis. In the present study, we examined, by Western blot, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and confocal microscopy, the effects of cardamonin (CDN) on transforming growth factor-${\beta}1$ (TGF-${\beta}1$)-induced EMT of A549 lung adenocarcinoma cell lines. TGF-${\beta}1$ induced expression of N-cadherin and decreased expression of E-cadherin. CDN suppressed N-cadherin expression and restored E-cadherin expression. Further, TGF-${\beta}1$ induced migration and invasion of A549 cancer cells, which was suppressed by CDN. TGF-${\beta}1$ induced c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation during EMT, but CDN blocked it. Protein serine/threonine phosphatase 2A (PP2A) expression in A549 cancer cells was reduced by TGF-${\beta}1$ but CDN restored it. The overall data suggested that CDN suppresses TGF-${\beta}1$-induced EMT via PP2A restoration, making it a potential new drug candidate that controls metastasis.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.27-30
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• 2024

Fungal sinusitis is relatively rare, but it has become more common in recent years. When fungal sinusitis invades the orbit, it can cause proptosis, chemosis, ophthalmoplegia, retroorbital pain, and vision impairment. We present a case of an extensive orbital floor defect due to invasive fungal sinusitis. A 62-year-old man with hypertension and a history of lung adenocarcinoma, presented with right-side facial pain and swelling. On admission, the serum glucose level was 347 mg/dL, and hemoglobin A1c was 11.4%. A computed tomography scan and a Waters' view X-ray showed right maxillary sinusitis with an orbital floor defect. On hospital day 3, functional endoscopic sinus surgery was performed by the otorhinolaryngology team, and an aspergilloma in necrotic inflammatory exudate obtained during exploration. On hospital day 7, orbital floor reconstruction with a Medpor Titan surgical implant was done. In principle, the management of invasive sino-orbital fungal infection often begins with surgical debridement and local irrigation with an antifungal agent. Exceptionally, in this case, debridement and immediate orbital floor reconstruction were performed to prevent enophthalmos caused by the extensive orbital floor defect. The patient underwent orbital floor reconstruction and received intravenous and oral voriconazole. Despite orbital invasion, there were no ophthalmic symptoms or sequelae.