• Toxicological Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to determine the role of substituted groups in phenolic compounds to develop an anticancer agent having strong cytotoxicity against cancer cells but weak against normal cells. The phenolic compounds used in this study were gallic acid and ferulic acid with hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, syringic acid with hydroxyl, carboxyl and methoxy groups, and pyre-gallol with hydroxyl groups. Cytotoxicities of these compounds were evaluated by MTT assay for cell viability and XTT assay for cell adhesion activity in normal human skin fibroblast (Detroit 551) and human skin melanoma (SK-MEL-3) cells. Syringic acid, gallic acid and ferulic acid decreased the cell viability and cell adhesion activity in SK-MEL-3 cells but not in Detroit 551 cells while pyrogallol decreased in both cells. The susceptibility of cell viability based on the $IC_{50}$ values of MTT assay in Detroit 551 cells was in the following order: pyrogallol > gallic acid > ferulic acid > syringic acid, while it was in SK-MEL-3 cells: Syringic acid > progallol > ferulic acid > gallic acid. These results suggest that carboxyl and methoxy groups of these compounds play an important role in selectivity of cytotoxicity in normal and cancer cells.

• 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.14 no.11
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• pp.6669-6672
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• 2013

Colon cancer (CRC) is a serious health problem throughout the world. Development of novel drugs without side effects for this cancer is crucial. Luteolin (LUT), a bioflavonoid, has many beneficial effects such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative potential. was a potent chemical carcinogen used for the induction of colon cancer. Colon carcinogenesis was initiated by intraperitoneal injection of azoxymethane (AOM) to mice at the dose of 15 mg/body kg weight in Balb/C mice for 3 weeks. Mice were treated with LUT at the dose of 1.2 mg/body kg weight orally. Mitochondrial enzymes such as isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH), ${\alpha}$-keto dehydrogenase (${\alpha}$-KDH), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and the activities of respiratory chain enzymes NADH dehydrogenase and cytochrome c oxidase were found to be elevated in AOM-treated animals. Treatment with LUT decreased the activities of all the parameters significantly. Hence, LUT might be a potent anticancer agent against colorectal cancer.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.82-93
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• 1994

DA-125, a new anthracycline antitumor antibiotic, was at dose levels of 0, 0.1, 0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg/day administered intravenously to pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats during the organogenetic period. Two-third of dams per group were subjected to caesarean section on day 20 of pregnancy and the remaining 10 dams per group were allowed to deliver. Effects of test substance on dams, embryonal development of Fl fetuses, as well as growth, behaviour and mating performance of Fl offspring were examined. 1. At 1 mg/kg, one out of the 10 dams showed difficult delivery. A decrease in food consumption, a loss in body weight and a decrease of spleen weight were found in this dose level group. At 0.3 mg/kg, difficult deliverys were observed in two out of the 10 dams. 2. At 1 mg/kg, an increased resorption rate and a decreased fetal weight were found. In addition, various types of external, visceral and skeletal malformations occurred at an incidence of 11.9, 41.8 and 14.5%, respectively. 3. At 1 mg/kg, body weight reduction, small eyeball, hydrocephalus and atrophy of sexual organs were observed in Fl offspring. One male pup receiving 0.3 mg/kg died on day 2 of lactation. The results show that the no-effect dose levels (NOELs) for dams and Fl offspring are 0.1 mg/kg/day and NOEL for Fl fetuses is 0.3 mg/kg/day.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.6061-6066
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• 2015

Methotrexate (Mtx), used for its anticancer and immunsuppresive properties, is known to be a nephrotoxic agent. We aimed to investigate the effects of lycopene (Lyc) alone or combined with melatonin (Mel) on Mtxinduced nephrotoxicity since both of these agents have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Nephrotoxicity was induced by intraperitoneal administration of methotrexate at a dose of 20 mg/kg. Treatment both with Lyc alone and Lyc combined with Mel provided significant reduction in tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin 1-beta and ceruloplasmin levels in Mtx administered rats. Hovewer, Lyc combined with Mel provided a significant reduction also in NO levels. Hstopathological examination showed that there was an obvious improvement in the degenerative changes compared to Mtx administrated group with the Lyc combined Mel group giving best protection. In conclusion Lyc alone and combined with Mel provided significant improvement against renal damage caused by Mtx, preseumably via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.2133-2139
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• 2014

4-Methylsulfinyl-3-butenyl isothiocyanate (MTBITC) found in the radish (Raphanus sativus L.), is a wellknown anticancer agent. In this study, the mechanisms of the MTBITC induction of cell apoptosis in human A549 lung cancer cells were investigated. Our PI staining results showed that MTBITC treatment significantly increased the apoptotic sub-G1 fraction in a dose-dependent manner. The mechanism of apoptosis induced by MTBITC was investigated by testing the change of mitochondrial membrane potential (${\Delta}{\Psi}m$), the expression of mRNAs of apoptosis-related genes by RT-PCR, and the activities of caspase-3 and -9 by caspase colorimetric assay. MTBITC treatment decreased mitochondrial membrane potential by down-regulating the rate of Bcl-2/Bax and Bcl-xL/Bax, and activation of caspase-3 and -9. Therefore, mitochondrial pathway and Bcl-2 gene family could be involved in the mechanisms of A549 cell apoptosis induced by MTBITC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.sup3
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• pp.299-304
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• 2016

Cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) is a secreted tripartite genotoxin produced by many pathogenic gram-negative bacteria. It is composed of three subunits, CdtA, CdtB and CdtC, and CdtB-associated deoxyribonuclease (DNase) activity is essential for the CDT toxicity. In the present study, to design a novel potentially antitumor drug against lung cancer, the possible mechanisms of cdtB anticancer properties were explored in the A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cell line. A recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1/cdtB was constructed expressing CdtB of human periodontal bacterium Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and investigated for toxic properties in A549 cells and possible mechanisms. It was observed that plasmid pcDNA3.1/cdtB caused loss of cell viability, morphologic changes and induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, measurement of caspase activity indicated involvement of an intrinsic pathway of cell apoptosis. Consequently, the recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1/cdtB may have potential as a new class of therapeutic agent for gene therapy of lung cancer.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.303-306
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• 2012

Anti-angiogenesis therapy is one of the most promising strategies for the treatment of cancer. We investigated the anti-angiogenesis activity of an extract from the ark shell Scapharca subcrenata and attempted to purify the active compounds. The crude extract of the ark shell inhibited the proliferation of human vein endothelial cells (HUVEC-1) and tube formation by human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1). The methanol extract of the viscera of the ark shell showed activity. The ark shell extract acts as an angiogenesis inhibitor and could be developed further as a health substance, functional food, and anticancer agent.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.219-226
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• 1998

Cytosine arabinoside(AraC) inhibits DNA synthesis and ${\beta}$-DNA polymerase, an enzyme involved in DNA repair. This, a potent antimitotic agent, is clinically used as an anticancer drug with side effect of severe neurotoxicity. Earlier reports suggested that inhibition of neuronal survival by AraC in sympathetic neuron may be due to the inhibition of a 2'-deoxycytidine-dependent process that is independent of DNA synthesis or repair and AraC induced a signal that is triggers a cascade of new mRNA and protein synthesis, leading to apoptotic cell death in cultured cerebellar granule cells. The present study would suggest whether caspase family(ICE/CED-3-like protease) involved in AraC-induced apoptosis pathway of PC12 cells. It was observed that treatment of PC12 cells with AraC led to decrease of viability by MTT assay and morphology changes, which did not suggest that AraC induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. The mRNA of caspase-1/caspase-3 were expressed in PC12 cells constitutively, and AraC did not activate caspase family. These results suggest that caspase-1/caspase-3 may not be required for AraC-induced cell death pathway in PC12 cells.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.305-308
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• 2002

Decursinol angelate, a new anticancer agent, was produced by root cultures of Angelica gigas Nakai. In addition, difference of specific yields between primary and secondary root was investigated. It was found that specific yield of secondary root was much higher than that of primary root at various conditions, so that it was thought that the formation and growth of secondary root were feasible. From this point of view, effects of root segmentation and plant growth regulators (NAA, IBA) on root morphology and decursinol angelate production were examined. Root segmentation increased secondary root mass and product formation. On the other hand, addition of NAA or IBA at various concentrations promoted secondary root formation and production of decursinol angelate significantly. Five-fold increase of production was obtained at 4 mg/L of IBA compared to control without NAA and IBA.