• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제48권2호
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• pp.171-180
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• 2024

Background: Epimers of ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) have a low bioavailability and are prone to deglycosylation, which produces epimers of ginsenoside Rh2 (S-Rh2 and R-Rh2) and protopanaxadiol (S-PPD and R-PPD). The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and potency of these molecules as anti-cancer agents. Methods: Crystal violet staining was used to study the anti-proliferatory action of the molecules on a human epithelial breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and compare their potency. Cell death and cell cycle were studied using flow cytometry and mode of cell death was studied using live cell imaging. Anti-angiogenic effects of the drug were studied using loop formation assay. Molecular docking showed the interaction of these molecules with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) and aquaporin (AQP) water channels. VEGF bioassay was used to study the interaction of Rh2 with VEGFR2, in vitro. Results: HUVEC was the more sensitive cell line to the anti-proliferative effects of S-Rh2, S-PPD and R-PPD. The molecules induced necroptosis/necrosis in MDA-MB-231 and apoptosis in HUVEC. S-Rh2 was the most potent inhibitor of loop formation. In silico molecular docking predicted a good binding score between Rh2 or PPD and the ATP-binding pocket of VEGFR2. VEGF bioassay showed that Rh2 was an allosteric modulator of VEGFR2. In addition, SRh2 and PPD had good binding scores with AQP1 and AQP5, both of which play roles in cell migration and proliferation. Conclusion: The combination of these molecules might be responsible for the anti-cancer effects observed by Rg3.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.639-645
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• 2001

Angiogenesis is a fundamental process in reproduction and wound healing. Under these condition, neovascularization is tightly regulated. Unregulated angiogenesis may lead to several angiogenic diseases, and is thought to be indispensible for solid tumor growth and metastsis. The construction of new vascular network is a multistep cascade involving basement membrane degradation, endothelial cell proliferation, endothelial cell migration, and tube formation. Newly reported anti-angiogenic agents in oriental medical field have targeted both specific and multistep stages in the angiogenic process. From recent approach in oriental medical field with several herb medicines including activating blood flow and removing blood stasis medicine(活血化瘀藥), it may be possible in the future to develope specific anti-angiogenic agents that offer a less toxic potential therapy for cancer and angiogenic disease.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.422-429
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• 2009

Invasion and metastasis is the main cause of cancer mortality. Angiogenesis is a prerequisite for the tumor growth and metastasis. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are the key enzymes playing in the invasive growth and metastasis of cancer as well as angiogenesis. Xanthohumol, a prenylated chalcone of the Hop plant (Humulus lupulus L), has been reported to suppress cancer invasion and angiogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the antiinvasive effects of xanthohumol (1) and its synthetic derivatives, 4'-O-methylxanthohumol SEM ether (2), xanthohumol C (3), and xanthohumol C MOM ether (4) in relation to MMP expression in HT-1080 human fibrosarcoma cells. The compound 1 and its derivative, 3 and 4, significantly inhibited serum-induced HT-1080 cell invasion, and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-enhanced activity and expression level of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in a concentration-dependant manner. In addition, they inhibited TPA-enhanced expression of MT1-MMP with relatively weak inhibition in tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2 level. The compound 1 significantly decreased the cell viability, whereas the derivatives, 2 and 3 showed no cytotoxicity, and compound 4 showed slight cytotoxicity in the cells. Furthermore, in a chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay, the derivatives 3 and 4 dose-dependently suppressed vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced angiogenesis, which is similar to that of compound 1. Taken together, the results indicate that compounds 3 and 4 may be valuable anti-angiogenic agents in the treatment of chronic diseases such as cancer and inflammation working through suppression of MMP-2 and MMP-9.

• BMB Reports
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• 제48권9호
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• pp.531-536
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• 2015

Gecko proteins have long been used as anti-tumor agents in oriental medicine, without any scientific background. Although anti-tumor effects of Gecko proteins on several cancers were recently reported, their effect on bladder cancer has not been investigated. Thus, we explored the anti-tumor effect of Gecko proteins and its cellular mechanisms in human bladder cancer 5637 cells. Gecko proteins significantly reduced the viability of 5637 cells without any cytotoxic effect on normal cells. These proteins increased the Annexin-V staining and the amount of condensed chromatin, demonstrating that the Gecko proteinsinduced cell death was caused by apoptosis. Gecko proteins suppressed Akt activation, and the overexpression of constitutively active form of myristoylated Akt prevented Gecko proteins-induced death of 5637 cells. Furthermore, Gecko proteins activated caspase 9 and caspase 3/7. Taken together, our data demonstrated that Gecko proteins suppressed the Akt pathway and activated the intrinsic caspase pathway, leading to the apoptosis of bladder cancer cells. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(9): 531-536]

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.85-90
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• 2003

Microtubule-binding molecules have been developed as anti-cancer agents to overcome the toxicities of current chemotherapeutics and also have potential for use as anti-angiogenic agents. In this work, we examined the effect of novel triazine compounds, Tubulyzines (microTUBUle LYsing triaZINE), derived from the orthogonal synthesis of a triazine library, on endothelial progenitor cell differentiation. When mononuclear cells isolated from human cord blood were cultured on fibronectin-coated plates for 7 days, all the Tubulyzine compounds A, B, and C (TA, TB, and TC) tested decreased the number of adherent cells in a dose-dependent manner in a coo. centration ranges of 2-5 to $80\mu\textrm{M}$. TA ($IC_{50}$=$20\mu\textrm{M}$) showed slightly more potent activity than TB and TC. Adherent cells treated with TA also exhibited a lower level of ability to ac-LDL uptake, with low ratios of positive cells out of total adherent cells, in a dose-dependent manner and weak expression of endothelial lineage markers, KDR, CD31, and vWF at $20\mu\textrm{M}$. Therefore, these results suggest that tubulyzine A (TA) can be effectively used for the inhibition of new vessel growth by inhibiting differentiation of endothelial progenitor cells.

• 한국응용약물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국응용약물학회 2003년도 Annual Meeting of KSAP : International Symposium on Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences on Obesity
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• pp.101-101
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• 2003

Prostaglandins (PGs) and nitric oxide (NO) produced by inducible cyclooygenase (COX-2) and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), respectively, have been implicated as important mediators in the process of inflammation and carcinogenesis. On this line, the potential COX-2 or iNOS inhibitors have been considered as anti-inflammatory and cancer chemopreventive agents. In our continuing efforts of searching for novel cancer chemopreventive agents from natural products, we isolated natural sesquiterpenoids as potential COX-2 and iNOS inhibitors in cultured lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Alantolactone, a natural eudesmane-type sesquiterpenoid, exhibited a potent inhibition of COX-2 (IC50 = 0.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$) and iNOS activity (IC50 = 0.08 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$) in the assay system determined by PGE2 and NO accumulation, respectively. The inhibitory potential of alantolactone on the PGE2 and NO production was well coincided with the suppression of COX-2 and iNOS protein and mRNA expression in LPS-induced macrophages. Furthermore, alantolactone inhibited NF-kB but not AP-l binding activity on nuclear extracts evoked by LPS-stimulated macrophage cells, suggesting the possible involvement of NF-kB in the regulation of COX-2 and iNOS expression. In further study with COX-2-expressing human colon HT-29 cells, alantolactone inhibited the cell proliferation, down-regulated COX-2, and inhibited the ERK phosphorylation in the early time. These results suggest that a natural sesquiterpenoid alantolactone might be a potential lead candidate for further developing COX-2 or iNOS inhibitor possessing cancer chemopreventive or anti-inflammatory activity

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권18호
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• pp.8113-8117
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• 2016

Glehnia littoralis (GL) is widely used as an oriental medicine for cough, fever, stroke and other disease conditions. However, the anti-cancer properties of GL on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells have not been investigated. In order to elucidate anti-cancer properties and underlying cell death mechanisms, MCF-7cells ($5{\times}10^4/well$) were treated with Glehnia littoralis root extract at 0-400 ug/ml. A hot water extract of GL root inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Analysis of the cell cycle after treatment of MCF-7 cells with increasing concentrations of GL root extract for 24 hours showed significant cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis both revealed that GL root extract significantly increased the expression of p21 and p27 with an accompanying decrease in both CDK4 and cyclin D1. Our reuslts indicated that GL root extract arrested the proliferation of MCF-7 cells in G1 phase through inhibition of CDK4 and cyclin D1 via increased induction of p21 and p27. In summary, the current study showed that GL could serve as a potential source of chemotherapeutic or chemopreventative agents against human breast cancer.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제27권7호
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• pp.834-839
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• 2017

Propolis는 꿀벌들이 나무로부터 수집한 천연물로서 항산화, 항염증, 항암 효과를 가지고 있어 전통의학에서 사용되고 있으며, 이러한 생리활성은 여러 가지 유용성분들이 혼합된 것과 관련이 있다. 난소암은 우리나라 여성에서 두 번째로 발병률이 높은 암이다. 대부분의 난소암 환자들은 초기에 수술적 기법과 항암요법에 우수하게 반응하지만, 항암제 내성에 의한 재발이 발생하게 되면 항암요법제에 의한 반응률이 매우 저조하여 높은 사망률을 보인다. 따라서, 난소암의 높은 치사율을 극복하기 위한 새로운 치료제 및 항암보조제의 개발이 필요하다. 본 연구에서는 인체 상피성 난소암 세포주인 A2780를 이용하여 Austalian propolis의 항암 효과와 활성기전을 조사하였다. Propolis 추출물은 농도 의존적으로 난소암 세포의 증식을 억제했으며. Flow cytometric 분석을 통해 G0/G1기에서 세포 주기 억제와 apoptosis 유도 효과를 확인하였다. 이러한 결과는 Austalian propolis의 인간 난소암에 대한 예방과 치료를 위한 보조제로서의 가능성을 제시한다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권3호
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• pp.1059-1063
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• 2012

Objective: Angiogenesis represents a key element in the pathogenesis of malignancy. There are no robust data on prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-targeted therapy. The present study was conducted to establish a prognostic model for patients using an oxaliplatin-based or irinotecan-based chemotherapy plus bevacizumab in metastatic colorectal cancer. Methods: Baseline characteristics and outcomes on 170 patients treated with FOLFIRI or XELOX plus anti-VEGF therapy-naive metastatic colorectal cancer were collected from three Turkey cancer centers. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify independent prognostic factors for OS. Results: The median OS for the whole cohort was 19 months (95% CI, 14.3 to 23.6 months). Three of the seven adverse prognostic factors according to the Anatolian Society of Medical Oncology (ASMO) were independent predictors of short survival: serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) greater than the upper limit of normal (ULN; p<0.001); neutrophils greater than the ULN (p<0.0014); and progression free survival (PFS) less than 6 months (p =0.001). Conclusion: Serum LDH and neutrophil levels were the main prognostic factors in predicting survival, followed by PFS. This model validates incorporation of components of the ASMO model into patient care and clinical trials that use VEGF-targeting agents.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제17권7호
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• pp.3619-3622
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• 2016

Background: Triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are high grade aggressive tumors generally with a poor prognosis, not responding to hormonal and anti Her2 Neu therapy. Expression of the antiapoptotic B cell lymphoma 2 gene (Bcl-2) is associated with low grade, slowly proliferating hormone receptor positive tumors with improved survival. Anti Bcl2 agents can be used as alternative targeted therapy in triple negative cancers. Materials and Methods: The objective of this study was to determine the immunohistochemical expression of Bcl2 in triple negative breast cancers and any correlation with clinicopathological variables in Northern Pakistan. Results: All 52 patients were females, aged between 28 and 80 years(average $48.0{\pm}12.1$). 28 cases (53.8%) were positive for Bcl2, this being associated with low grade invasive ductal carcinomas, lymph node metastasis and lymphovascular invasion. Conclusions: Bcl-2 may be an important prognostic factor and its expression might be used for targeted therapy using Anti Bcl2 drugs.