• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2009

Clusterin is a heterodimeric sulfated glycoprotein and plays a role in many different types of cancer as a cell survival factor and helps cancerous cells to evade stress-induced apoptosis. To investigate whether the regulation of clusterin expression is involved in the mechanism of anticancer agent, we studied the effect of tamoxifen on clusterin expression in human prostate cancer PC-3 cells. Treatment of PC-3 cells with tamoxifen reduced cellular proliferation. Western blot analyses showed that treatment with tamoxifen suppressed clusterin expression in a concentration-dependent manner. Transfection with clusterin siRNA plasmid showed that clusterin is required for PC-3 cell survival. We found that tamoxifen resulted in a rapid decrease in the phosphorylation of Akt on Ser473 leading to prevent kinase activity. Expression of myristoylated Akt prevented tamoxifen-mediated clusterin downregulation. Interestingly, MG132, a wellknown proteasome inhibitor also recovered clusterin expression suppressed by tamoxifen. These data indicate that clusterin expression may be regulated by activation of Akt and ubiquitin-proteasome pathway plays an important role in tamoxifen-mediated clusterin suppression.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.1103-1109
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• 2022

Deoxypodophyllotoxin (DPT), a naturally occurring flavonolignan, possesses several pharmacological properties, including anticancer property. However, the mechanisms underlying DPT mode of action in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the anticancer effects of DPT on OSCC and the underlying mechanisms. Results of the MTT assay revealed that DPT significantly reduced the cell viability in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that DPT induces apoptosis in OSCC cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, DPT enhanced the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) in OSCC cells. Mechanistically, DPT induced apoptosis in OSCC cells by suppressing the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway while activating the p38 MAPK signaling to regulate the expression of apoptotic proteins. Treatment with SC79, an AKT activator, reversed the effects of DPT on AKT signaling in OSCC cells. Taken together, these results provide the basis for the use of DPT in combination with conventional chemotherapy for the treatment of oral cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.16
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• pp.6939-6944
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• 2014

Sulfasalazine (SSZ) is an anti-inflammatory drug that has been used to treat inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis for decades. Recently, some reports have suggested that SSZ also has anti-cancer properties against human tumors. However, little is known about the effects of SSZ on oral cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-cancer effects of SSZ in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells and to elucidate the mechanisms involved. The authors investigated the anti-proliferative effect of SSZ using the MTT method in HSC-4 cells (an OSCC cell line). Cell cycle analysis, acidic vesicular organelle (AVO) staining, monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining and Western blotting were also conducted to investigate the cytotoxic mechanism of SSZ. SSZ significantly inhibited the proliferation of HSC-4 cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, SSZ induced autophagic cell death, increased microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain (MAP1-LC; also known as LC) 3-II levels, as well as induced punctate AVO and MDC staining, resulted in autophagic cell death. Furthermore, these observations were accompanied by the inhibition of the Akt pathway and the activation of ERK pathway. These results suggest that SSZ promotes autophagic cell death via Akt and ERK pathways and has chemotherapeutic potential for the treatment of oral cancer.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1830-1840
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• 2019

Loliolide is one of the most ubiquitous monoterpenoid compounds found in algae, and its potential therapeutic effect on various dermatological conditions via agent-induced biological functions, including anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic properties, was demonstrated. Here, we investigated the effects of loliolide on hair growth in dermal papilla (DP) cells, the main components regulating hair growth and loss conditions. For this purpose, we used a three-dimensional (3D) DP spheroid model that mimics the in vivo hair follicle system. Biochemical assays showed that low doses of loliolide increased the viability and size of 3D DP spheroids in a dose-dependent manner. This result correlated with increases in expression levels of hair growth-related autocrine factors including VEGF, IGF-1, and KGF. Immunoblotting and luciferase-reporter assays further revealed that loliolide induced AKT phosphorylation, and this effect led to stabilization of β-catenin, which plays a crucial role in the hair-inductive properties of DP cells. Further experiments showed that loliolide increased the expression levels of the DP signature genes, ALP, BMP2, VCAN, and HEY1. Furthermore, conditioned media from loliolide-treated DP spheroids significantly enhanced proliferation and the expression of hair growth regulatory genes in keratinocytes. These results suggested that loliolide could function in the hair growth inductivity of DP cells via the AKT/β-catenin signaling pathway.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.72 no.4
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• pp.343-351
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• 2012

Background: The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling axis has emerged as a novel target for cancer therapy. Agents that inhibit this pathway are currently under development for lung cancer treatment. In the present study, we have tested whether dual inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling can lead to enahnced antitumor effects. We have also examined the role of autophagy during this process. Methods: We analyzed the combination effect of the mTOR inhibitor, temsirolimus, and the Akt inhibitor, GSK690693, on the survival of NCI-H460 and A549 non-small cell lung cancer cells. Cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay and apoptosis induction was evaluated by flow cytometry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Autophagy induction was also evaluated by acridine orange staining. Changes of apoptosis or autophagy-related proteins were evaluated by western blot analysis. Results: Combination treatment with temsirolimus and GSK690693 caused synergistically increased cell death in NCI-H460 and A549 cells. This was attributable to increased induction of apoptosis. Caspase 3 activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage accompanied these findings. Autophagy also increased and inhibition of autophagy resulted in increased cell death, suggesting its cytoprotective role during this process. Conclusion: Taken together, our results suggest that the combination of temsirolimus and GSK690693 could be a novel strategy for lung cancer therapy. Inhibition of autophagy could also be a promising method of enhancing the combination effect of these drugs.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.241-246
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• 2005

PDK-1 activates PI3-kinase/Akt signaling and regulates fundamental cellular functions, such as growth and survival. NF-${\kappa}B$ is involved in the induction of a variety of cellular genes affecting immunity, inflammation and the resistance to apoptosis induced by some anti-cancer drugs. Even though the crucial involvement of the PI3-kinase/Akt pathway in the anti-apoptotic activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ is well known, the exact role of PDK-1 as well as PI3-kinase/Akt in NF-vactivation is not understood. Here we demonstrate that PDK-1 plays a pivotal role in transcriptional activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ by dissociating the transcriptional co-repressor HDAC1 from the p65 subunit of NF-${\kappa}B$. The association of CBP with p65 was not directly modulated by PDK-1 or by PI3-kinase. Etoposide activated NF-${\kappa}B$ through PI3-kinase/Akt, and the transcription activation domain (TAD) of p65 was further activated by wild-type PDK-1. Overexpression of a dominant negative PDK-1 mutant decreased etoposide-induced NF-${\kappa}B$ transcription and further down-regulated the ectopic HDAC1-mediated decrease in NF-${\kappa}B$ transcriptional activity. Thus activation of PDK-1 relieves the HDAC1-mediated repression of NF-${\kappa}B$ that may be related to basal as well as activated transcription by NF-${\kappa}B$. This effect may also explain the role of the PI3-kinase/PDK-1 pathway in the anti-apoptotic function of NF-${\kappa}B$ associated with the chemoresistance of cancer cells.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.762-770
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• 2018

Adiponectin, a hormone produced by adipose tissue, is very abundant in plasma, and its anti- and pro-inflammatory effects are reported. However, the mechanisms of these pro- and anti-inflammatory effects are not fully defined. Herein, we evaluated the dual inflammatory response mechanism of adiponectin in macrophages. Short-term globular adiponectin (gAd) treatment induced $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation, $NF-{\kappa}B$ nuclear translocation, and $TNF-{\alpha}$ production in RAW 264.7 cells. Polymyxin B pretreatment did not block gAd-induced $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation, and heated gAd was unable to degrade $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$, suggesting that the effects of gAd were not due to endotoxin contamination. gAd activated IKK and Akt, and inhibition of either IKK or Akt by dominant-negative $IKK{\beta}$ ($DN-IKK{\beta}$) or DN-Akt overexpression blocked gAd-induced $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation, suggesting that short-term incubation with gAd mediates inflammatory responses by activating the $I{\kappa}B/NF-{\kappa}B$ and PI3K/Akt pathways. Contrastingly, long-term stimulation with gAd induced, upon subsequent stimulation, tolerance to gAd, lipopolysaccharide, and CpG-oligodeoxynucleotide, which is associated with gAd-induced downregulation of IL-receptor-associated kinase-1 (IRAK-1) due to IRAK-1 transcriptional repression. Conclusively, our findings demonstrate that the pro- and anti-inflammatory responses to gAd in innate immune cells are time-dependent, and mediated by the activation of the $I{\kappa}B/NF-{\kappa}B$ pathway, and IRAK-1 downregulation, respectively.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.539-545
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• 2016

Nafamostat mesilate (NM), a synthetic serine protease inhibitor, has anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory properties. The intracellular mediator and external anti-inflammatory external signal in the vascular wall have been reported to protect endothelial cells, in part due to nitric oxide (NO) production. This study was designed to examine whether NM exhibit endothelium dependent vascular relaxation through Akt/endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation and generation of NO. NM enhanced Akt/eNOS phosphorylation and NO production in a dose- and time-dependent manner in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and aorta tissues obtained from rats treated with various concentrations of NM. NM concomitantly decreased arginase activity, which could increase the available arginine substrate for NO production. Moreover, we investigated whether NM increased NO bioavailability and decreased aortic relaxation response to an eNOS inhibitor in the aorta. These results suggest that NM increases NO generation via the Akt/eNOS signaling pathway, leading to endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation. Therefore, the vasorelaxing action of NM may contribute to the regulation of cardiovascular function.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.319-329
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• 2023

Resistance to hypomethylating agents (HMAs) in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a concerning problem. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a key cell cycle modulator and is known to be associated with an activation of the PI3K pathway, which is related to the stabilization of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), a target of HMAs. We investigated the effects of volasertib on HMA-resistant cell lines (MOLM/AZA-1 and MOLM/DEC-5) derived from MOLM-13, and bone marrow (BM) samples obtained from patients with MDS (BM blasts >5%) or AML evolved from MDS (MDS/AML). Volasertib effectively inhibited the proliferation of HMA-resistant cells with suppression of DNMTs and PI3K/AKT/mTOR and ERK pathways. Volasertib also showed significant inhibitory effects against primary BM cells from patients with MDS or MDS/AML, and the effects of volasertib inversely correlated with DNMT3B expression. The DNMT3B-overexpressed AML cells showed primary resistance to volasertib treatment. Our data suggest that volasertib has a potential role in overcoming HMA resistance in patients with MDS and MDS/AML by suppressing the expression of DNMT3 enzymes and PI3K/AKT/mTOR and ERK pathways. We also found that DNMT3B overexpression might be associated with resistance to volasertib.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.139-151
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• 2020

Purpose: Globally, there is a high incidence of gastric cancer (GC). Leucine zipper-EF-hand containing transmembrane protein 1 (LETM1) is reported to play a vital role in several human malignancies. However, there is limited understanding of the role of LETM1 in GC. This study aims to investigate the effects of LETM1 on proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells. Materials and Methods: The expression levels of LETM1 in the normal gastric mucosal epithelial cells (GES-1) and GC cells were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. CCK-8, wound healing, and Transwell invasion assays were performed to evaluate the effect of LETM1 knockdown or overexpression on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of the GC cells, respectively. Additionally, the effect of LETM1 knockdown or overexpression on GC cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. Furthermore, the effect of LETM1 knockdown or overexpression on the expression levels of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway-related proteins was evaluated by western blotting. Results: The GC cells exhibited markedly higher mRNA and protein expression levels of LETM1 than the GES-1 cells. Additionally, the knockdown of LETM1 remarkably suppressed the GC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promoted the apoptosis of GC cells, which were reversed upon LETM1 overexpression. Furthermore, the western blotting analysis indicated that LETM1 facilitates GC progression via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Conclusions: LETM1 acts as an oncogenic gene to promote GC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Therefore, LETM1 may be a potential target for GC diagnosis and treatment.