• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.286-290
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• 2009

In the course of screening for substances inhibiting apoptosis of U937 human leukemia cells induced by etoposide ($10\;{\mu}g/ml$), Forsythiae fructus, which showed a high level of inhibition, was selected. The regulating compounds were purified from the ethyl acetate extract by silica gel column chromatography and HPLC. The active substance was purified and identified as rengyolone by spectroscopic methods. This compound showed inhibitory activity on caspase-3 induction, a major protease of the apoptosis cascade, with an $IC_{50}$ value of $38.96\;{\mu}M$ after 8 h of etoposide treatment in U937 cells. The expression level of caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were dose-dependently inhibited by the compound, suggesting that rengyolone inhibits etoposide-induced apoptosis via downregulation of caspases.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권8호
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• pp.3293-3299
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• 2015

Background: Arm protein lost in epithelial cancers, on chromosome X (ALEX) is a novel subgroup within the armadillo (ARM) family, which has one or two ARM repeat domains as opposed to more than six-thirteen repeats in the classical Armadillo family members. Materials and Methods: In the study, we explore the biological functions of ALEX1 in breast cancer cells. Overexpression of ALEX1 and silencing of ALEX1 were performed with SK-BR3 and MCF-7 cell lines. Cell proliferation and colony formation assays, along with flow cytometry, were carried out to evaluate the roles of ALEX1. Results: ALEX1 overexpression in SK-BR3 breast cancer cells inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis. Furthermore, depletion of ALEX1 in MCF-7 breast cancer cells increased proliferation and inhibited apoptosis. Additional analyses demonstrated that the overexpression of ALEX1 activated the intrinsic apoptosis cascades through up-regulating the expression of Bax, cytosol cytochrome c, active caspase-9 and active caspase-3 and down-regulating the levels of Bcl-2 and mitochondria cytochrome c. Simultaneouly, silencing of ALEX1 inhibited intrinsic apoptosis cascades through down-regulating the expression of Bax, cytosol cytochrome c, active caspase-9, and active caspase-3 and up-regulating the level of Bcl-2 and mitochondria cytochrome c. Conclusions: Our data suggest that ALEX1 as a crucial tumor suppressor gene has been involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis in breast cancer, which may serve as a novel candidate therapeutic target.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.199-205
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• 2003

Osteoblasts are affected by TNF-${\alpha}$ overproduction by immune cells during inflammation. It has been suggested that functional $NF-{\kappa}B$ sites are involved in TNF-${\alpha}$-induced bone resorption. Thus, we explored the effect of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), which potently blocks the activation of nuclear factor $(NF-{\kappa}B)$, on the induction of TNF-${\alpha}$-induced activation of JNK/SAPK, AP-1, cytochrome c, caspase and apoptosis in MC3T3E1 osteoblasts. Pretreatment of the cells with PDTC blocked TNF-${\alpha}$-induced $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation. TNF-${\alpha}$-induced activation of AP-1, another nuclear transcription factor, was suppressed by PDTC. The activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, implicated in the regulation of AP-1, was also down regulated by PDTC. TNF-${\alpha}$-induced apoptosis, release of cytochrome c and subsequent activation of caspase-3 were abolished by PDTC. TNF-${\alpha}$-induced apoptosis was partially blocked by Ac-DEVD-CHO, a caspase-3 inhibitor, suggesting that caspase-3 is involved in TNF-${\alpha}$-mediated signaling through $NF-{\kappa}B$ in MC3T3E1 osteoblasts. Thus, these results demonstrate that PDTC, has an inhibitory effect on TNF-${\alpha}$-mediated activation of JNK/SAPK, AP-1, cytochrome c release and subsequent caspase-3, leading to the inhibition of apoptosis. Our study may contribute to the treatment of TNF-${\alpha}$-associated immune and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal diseases.

• 대한한방부인과학회지
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.18-33
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• 2008

Purpose: The research is to investigate the effect of TFE on apoptosis of human-derived breast cancer cells, to find out the relationship with apoptosis. Methods: Human-derived breast adenocarcinoma cell line, MCF-7 cells were treated by TFE with various concentration. The inducement effect of TFE on cell apoptosis was observed with MTT assay and the relationship between the treatment and apoptosis was investigated with FACS analysis, TUNEL assay and DNA laddering assay and the change in the protein levels of PARP and caspase-3 activities were also observed. The release of cytochrome-c was observed to find out the pathway of apoptosis induced by TFE. Results: The cell apoptosis was significantly induced in MCF-7 cells treated with TFE in concentration-dependent and time-dependent manner. It was verified by FACS analysis, TUNEL assay, DNA laddering assay that cell-death was caused not by necrosis but by apoptosis. The activity of PARP and caspase were increased concentration-dependently. The release of cytocrome-c was decreased in proportion to the concentration of the fruit extract. It therefore demonstrated that mitochondria were involved in apoptosis induced by TFE. The appearance of Bcl-2 protein was decreased concentration-dependently. Conclusion: The treatment by TFE induced apoptosis of human breast adenocarcinoma cell line, MCF-7. It seems likely that cell-death was caused by apoptosis and mitochondria were involved in it. The mechanism of protein change causing apoptosis seems related to the inhibition of Bcl-2 protein, the promotion of inversion from cytochrome-c into cytosol, the activation of caspase and the promotion of PARP cleavage.

• 대한약학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한약학회 2002년도 Proceedings of the Convention of the Pharmaceutical Society of Korea Vol.2
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• pp.325.2-325.2
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• 2002

We investigated the effect of bovine lactoferricin (Lfcin-B) on cell cycle regulation and caspase activation in tumor cells. Treatment with Lfcin-B resulted in the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) during apoptosis of THP-1 cells. Biochemical analysis revealed that Lfcin-B-induced apoptosis. the cell cycle arrest and caspase activation were completely abrogated by addition of an antioxidant such as N-acetylcysteine(NAC). (omitted)

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.33-40
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• 2004

Objective : This study investigated the apoptotic effect and its mechanism of Radix Aconiti (RA) extract and aconitine, which is a major constituent of RA, in HepG2 human hepatoma cells. Methods : We used MTT and DNA fragmentation assay to investigate cell viability and apoptotic effect on RA extract-treated HepG2 cells. In addition, to clarify the mechanism of RA extract-induced apoptosis, we applied caspase-3 enzyme activity assay and Western blotting method on poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) protein expression. Results : Treatment with RA extract resulted in the decrease of cell viability, and this effect was caused from apoptosis as confirmed by discontinuous fragmentation of DNA in HepG2 cells, but aconitine did not. Also, RA extract-treated HepG2 cells induced the activation of caspase-3 enzyme activity in time- and dose-dependent manners, which was accompanied by the cleavage of 116 kD PARP to 85 kD product. Conclusions : These results suggest that the apoptotic effects of RA extract on HepG2 cells could not be explained by aconitine. Additionally, RA extract induced apoptosis in hepatoma cells through caspase-3 activation and subsequent PARP cleavage.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.509-511
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• 2002

In this study, we investigated apoptotic cell death induced by photodynamic therapy using 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA-PDT) in human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60). ALA-PDT induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells as confirmed by DNA agarose gel electrophoresis and nuclear staining with Hoechst 33342. The apoptotic cell death was inhibited by addition of broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor Z-Asp-CH$_2$-DCB, indicating that the apoptotic cell death was induced in a caspase-dependent manner. Actually, western blotting analysis revealed that caspase-3 was processed as early as 1.5 h after ALA-PDT. Cytoplasmic cytochrome c released from mitochondria was detected by western blotting. However, inhibitor of caspase-9, a cysteine protease located in the downstream of cytochrome c release, was not able to reduce the apoptotic cell death. Therefore, the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway was not involved in the ALA-PDT-induced apoptosis. On the other hand, it was found that ALA-PDT-induced apoptosis was clearly inhibited by pretreatment of caspase-8 inhibitor. These data suggest that caspase-8-mediated apoptotic pathway is important in ALA-PDT-induced cell death.

• 약학회지
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• 제59권1호
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• pp.17-22
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• 2015

In this study, we examined the effect of acacetin on the apoptosis induction of HeLa human cervical cancer cells. The results showed that acacetin inhibited the cell viability and induced apoptosis, leading to PARP cleavage and activation of caspase-9, -3, and -7. Moreover, acacetin-induced apoptosis was attenuated by a broad caspase inhibitor, z-VAD-fmk. Also, acacetin resulted in a loss of mitochondria membrane potential. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the induction of apoptosis by acacetin in HeLa cells is associated with caspase activation via the mitochondria pathway.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.802-810
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• 2005

The tetrahydroisoquinolines included potent cytotoxic agents that showed antitumor activity,antimicrobial activity, and other biological properties. We studied the effect of CDST, 1-Chloromethyl-6,7-dimethoxy-3,4-dihydro-1H-isoquinoline-2-sulfonic acid amide, a newly synthesized anti-cancer agent. The cytotoxic activity of CDST in HL-60 cells was increased in a dose-dependent manner. CDST, tetrahydroisoquinolines derivative, was cytotoxic to HL-60 cells, with IC50 of $80{\mu}g/ml$. Treatment of CDST to HL-60 cells showed the fragmentation of DNA in a dose- and time dependent manner, suggesting that thesecells underwent apoptosis. Treatment of HL-60 cells with CDST was induced in a dose- and time-dependent activation of caspase-3, caspase-8 and proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. In caspase activity assay, caspase-3 and -8 was activated after 12 h and 6 h posttreatment, respectively. CDST also caused the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria into the cytosol. CDST-induced cytochrome c release was mediated by caspase-8-dependent cleavage of Bid and Bax translocation. These results suggest that caspase-8 induced Bid cleavage and Bax translocation, caused mitochondrial cytochrome c release, and induce caspase-3 activationduring CDST-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.18-23
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• 2003

We studied the effects of hot water extract of Inonotus obliquos mushroom on the proliferation and apoptosis of the human colon adenocarcinoma, HT-29 and the human stomach adenocarcinoma, SNU-484 cell. Cells were maintained with Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium/Ham's F-12 nutrient mixture supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum at 37$^{\circ}C$ in a humidified $CO_2$. For the cell proliferation experiments, cells were seeded in 35 mm dishes, and were treated with the various concentrations of the extract for the different time course. Apoptosis was measured by caspase-3 activity. When we incubated HT-29 cells for 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours after treatments, the cell proliferation was more suppressed with more treatment time. In case of the human stomach cancer cell, SNU484, the extract significantly decreased the cell number. Thus, the treatment of 1.5 mg/$m\ell$ extract decreased almost half of the cell number. Caspase-3 activity in HT-29 was increased by the treatment of mushroom extracts. In SNU484, caspase-3 activity tended to increase in proportion to the amounts of the extracts and the treatment of Inonotus obliquos affected the activity a lot. Therefore, Inonotus obliquos is suggested for the prevention of gastro-intestinal cancer and strongly recommended for the treatment of stomach cancer. (Korean J Nutrition 36(1) : 18~23, 2003)