• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.97-104
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• 2006

Endostatin is a tumor-derived angiogenesis inhibitor, and the endogenous 20 kDa carboxyl-terminal fragment of collagen XVIII. In addition to inhibiting angiogenesis, endostatin inhibits tumor growth and the induction of apoptosis in several endothelial cell types. However, the mechanisms that regulate endostatin-induced apoptotic cell death are unclear. Here, we investigated apoptotic cell death and the underlying regulatory mechanisms elicited of endostatin in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Endostatin was found to induce typical apoptotic features, such as, chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation in these cells. Thus, as the phosphoinositide 3-OH kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB) signaling pathway has been shown to prevent apoptosis in various cell types, we investigated whether this pathway could protect cells against endostatin induced apoptosis. It was found that the inhibition of PI3K/PKB significantly increased endostatin-induced apoptosis, and that endostatin-induced cell death is physiologically linked to PKB-mediated cell survival through caspase-8.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.85-90
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• 2012

Our previous study demonstrated that CopA3, a disulfide dimer of the coprisin peptide analogue (LLCIALRKK), has antibacterial activity. In this study, we assessed whether CopA3 caused cellular toxicity in various mammalian cell lines. CopA3 selectively caused a marked decrease in cell viability in Jurkat T, U937, and AML-2 cells (human leukemia cells), but was not cytotoxic to Caki or Hela cells. Fragmentation of DNA, a marker of apoptosis, was also confirmed in the leukemia cell lines, but not in the other cells. CopA3-induced apoptosis in leukemia cells was mediated by apoptosis inducing factor (AIF), indicating induction of a caspase-independent signaling pathway.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.21
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• pp.9153-9157
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• 2014

Background: Capparis spinosa L., a Uygur medicine, had been shown to have anti-tumor activity in our early experiments with an N-butanol extract (CSBE) as its active fraction. However, the mechanisms responsible for its effects are not clearly understood. Here, we report that treatment of SGC-7901 cells with CSBE resulted in dose-dependent reduction of cell viability and induction of apoptosis. Materials and Methods: To observe the inhibitory and killing effects of CSBE on SGC-7901, the SRB method was adopted, apoptosis being observed by electron microscopy. To clarify the mechanisms of apoptosis, Western blot and enzyme-labeled methods were used to examine the release of cytochrome c (Cyt c) and the activation of the caspase cascade. Results: By electron microscopy, apoptotic morphologic changes were detectable after CSBE administration. In this study, it was also demonstrated that CSBE induced apoptosis in SGC-7901 cells by inhibiting mPTP open, mitochondrial cytochrome c release, caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation. Conclusions: The findings indicated that CSBE induces aap optosis through mitochondrial pathway.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.237-242
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• 2013

Cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer in women and has a high mortality rate. Cisplatin, an antitumor agent, is generally used for its treatment. However, the administration of cisplatin is associated with side effects and intrinsic resistance. Morinda citrifolia (Noni), a natural plant product, has been shown to have anti-cancer properties. In this study, we used Noni, cisplatin, and the two in combination to study their cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing effects in cervical cancer HeLa and SiHa cell lines. We demonstrate here, that Noni/Cisplatin by themselves and their combination were able to induce apoptosis in both these cell lines. Cisplatin showed slightly higher cell killing as compared to Noni and their combination showed additive effects. The observed apoptosis appeared to be mediated particularly through the up-regulation of p53 and pro-apoptotic Bax proteins, as well as down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, Bcl-$X_L$ proteins and survivin. Augmentation in the activity of caspase-9 and -3 was also observed, suggesting the involvement of the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis for both Noni and Cisplatin in HeLa and SiHa cell lines.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.349-354
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• 2006

Induction of apoptosis allows the organism to get rid of abnormal cells and also of tumor cells. Understanding the mechanism involved in Ultraviolet radiation (UV) induced apoptosis may improve its therapeutic efficacy. In this study, we present expression of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) during apoptosis induced by UV in HeLa $S_3$ cells. Four different assays were performed in this study: morphological assessment of apoptotic cells and cell viability, DNA fragmentation analysis by agarose gel electrophoresis, quantitative assay of fragmented DNA, and expression of PARP by the western blot analysis. The percentages of apoptotic HeLa $S_3$ cells irradiated with $75J/m^2$ UV was increased continuously from 3 hrs incubation. DNA ladder pattern was appeared at 6 hrs. The amount of nucleosomal DNA fragments in cells treated UV increased from 3 to 12 hrs incubation and gradually decreased. The cleavage of PARP in HeLa $S_3$ cells irradiated with UV was induced, and the cleavage of PARP was more delayed in the cells pretreated with $5J/m^2$ UV and subsequently irradiated with $75J/m^2$ UV. than that in the cells only irradiated with $75J/m^2$ UV. Thus these data suggest that the cleavage of PARP relates with DNA fragmentation associated with apoptosis.

• 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.14 no.5
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• pp.2885-2889
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• 2013

Goniothalamin is an active compound extracted from Goniothalamus griffithii, a local plant found in northern Thailand. Goniothalamin inhibits cancer cell growth but is also toxic to normal cells. The aims of this study were to identify the cytotoxic effect of goniothalamin and the mechanism of cell death in human HL-60 and U937 cells. Cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay and cell cycle profiles were demonstrated by staining with propidium iodide (PI) and flow cytometry. Apoptosis was confirmed by staining with annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) and flow cytometry. Reduction of mitochondrial transmembrane potential was determined by staining with dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide and flow cytometry and expression of Smac, caspase-8 and -9 was demonstrated by Western blotting. Goniothalamin inhibited growth of HL-60 and U937 cell lines. An increase of SubG1 phase was found in their cell cycle profiles, indicating apoptosis as the mode of cell death. Apoptosis was confirmed by the flip-flop of phosphatidylserine using annexin V-FITC/PI assay in HL60 and U937 cells in a dose response manner. Furthermore, reduction of mitochondrial transmembrane potential was found in both cell types while expression of caspase-8, -9 and Smac/Diablo was increased in HL-60 cells. Taken together, our results indicate that goniothalamin-treated human leukemic cells undergo apoptosis via intrinsic and extrinsic pathways.

• THE JOURNAL OF KOREAN ORIENTAL ONCOLOGY
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2001

Objective: This experimental study was carried out to evaluate the effects of Saussurea Radix and Plantaginis Herba on cellular viability, proliferation, apoptosis and expression of the cell cycle-related genes in cultured gastric cancer cells. Method :MTT assay for analysis of cellular toxicity and the effect on suppression of cellular viability, $[^{3}H]$ thymidine incorporation assay for evaluation of the effect on suppression of DNA replication, tryphan blue exclusion assay for measurement of induction of apoptosis and Quantitative RT-PCR for analysis of the effects on expression of cell cycle or apoptosis-related genes were performed. Results: Antitumor activity of Saussurea Radix associated with inhibition of cell cycle progression and promotion of apoptosis caused by transcriptional regulation of p53, p21/Wafl and the other related genes was observed.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.8-18
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the genotypic characterization of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetemcomitans) using arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR), to investigate the cytotoxicity of both clinical isolates and standard strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans for the human Jurkat T cells, and to measure the osteoclastogenic cytokines released by Jurkat cells infected with these bacterial strains. The random sequence primer 15 and 16 could distinguish different AP-PCR profiles between clinical isolates of A. actinomycetemcomitans. A. actinomycetemcomitans significantly suppressed Jurkat cell viability in time dependent fashion and the results of DNA fragmentation assay indicated that this bacterial species induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells undergoing apoptosis released the osteoclastogenic cytokine, IL-1$\beta$, IL-6, TNF-$\alpha$. These data support the hypothesis that induction of apoptosis is at least one essential step in A. actinomycetemcomitans induced local immunosuppressive pathway, and that A. actinomycetemcomitans can modulate the immunomodulatory cell population in the periodontal tissue by inducing T cell death through apoptosis, and that apoptosis of local resident T cells may play an active role in bone resorption by releasing osteoclastogenic cytokines, e.g. IL-1$\beta$, IL-6, TNF-$\alpha$.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.53-61
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• 2000

Objectives: This study was camed out to examine the effect of five fractions of aqueous extract from Artemisia capillaris THUNB(ACT), on TGF, 1-induced apoptosis, cell viability, cell cycle progression and mRNA expression of apoptosis-related genes in human hepatocyte cell line HepG2. Methods: This study employed Tryphan blue exclusion assay, DNA fragmentation assay, Cpp32 protease activity assay and Quantitative RT-PCR analysis. Results: In the Tryphan blue exclusion assay, the butanol fraction of ACT with $TGF{\beta}$, l showed magnificent (Nice word, ut is it appropriate in a medical abstract\ulcorner) viability and the H2O fraction of ACT with $TGF{\beta}$, l also showed higher viability than only $TGF{\beta}$, l-treated group. DNA fragmentation assay showed that the butanol fraction and the H2O fraction carried inhibitory effects on apoptosis induction, with the butanol fraction displaying greater effects. The Cpp32 protease activity assay showed that the butanol fraction decreased Cpp32 protease activity. The H2O fraction of ACT had no significant effect on the Cpp32 protease activity. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that the butanol fraction suppressed Bax, p 15/INK4B, p21/Waf1, PAI-1 and increased Bcl-2 gene. Conclusions: The data shows that butanol fraction of ACT increases the hepatocyte viability and has the hepatocellular protective effect by the suppression of $TGF{\beta}$, l induced-apoptosis through gene regulation.