• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.4965-4971
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• 2016

Objective: Breast cancer is global female health problem worldwide. Most of the currently used agents for breast cancer treatment have toxic side-effects. Ginseng root, an oriental medicine, has many health benefits and may exhibit direct anti-cancer properties. This study was performed to assess the effects of ginseng on breast cancer cell lines. Materials and Methods: Cytotoxicity of ginseng extract was measured by MTT assay after exposure of MDA-MB-231, MCF-10A and MCF-7 breast cancer cells to concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 and 2.5 mg/well. Expression levels of p21WAF, p16INK4A, Bcl-2, Bax and P53 genes were analyzed by quantitative real time PCR. Results: The treatment resulted in inhibition of cell proliferation in a dose-and time-dependent manner. p53, p21WAF1and p16INK4A expression levels were up-regulated in ginseng treated MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cancer cells compared to untreated controls and in MCF-10A cells. The expression levels of Bcl2 in the MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells were down-regulated. In contrast, that of Bax was significantly up-regulated. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that ginseng may inhibit breast cancer cell growth by activation of the apoptotic pathway.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 2012

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-cancer effects of Sophorae Radix and the effects of Doxorubicin (DOX) in human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7). Method : We used human breast adenocarcinoma cell line, MCF-7 cells. We examined cell death by MTT assay and caspase 3 assay with Sophorae Radix. To examine the inhibitory effects of Sophorae Radix, cell cycle analysis was done the MCF-7 cells after three days with Sophorae Radix. The reversibility of Sophorae Radix was examined on one day to five days treatment with 100 ${\mu}g/ml$ Sophorae Radix. Result : Sophorae Radix inhibited the growth of MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent fashion. Also we showed that Sophorae Radix induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells by MTT assay, caspase 3 assay and sub-G1 analysis. Sophorae Radix combined with DOX markedly inhibited the growth of MCF-7 cells compared to Sophorae Radix or DOX alone. After 3 days treatment of MCF-7 cells with Sophorae Radix, the fraction of cells in sub-G1 phase was much higher than that of the control group. Conclusion : Our findings provide insight into unraveling the effects of Sophorae Radix in human breast adenocarcinoma cells and developing therapeutic agents against breast cancer.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.162-168
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• 2014

Fruits of Schisandra chinensis (SC) Baill are considered a traditional herbal medicine for the treatment and alleviation of various diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-cancer effects of SC extract in human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7). We used human breast adenocarcinoma cell line, MCF-7 cells. We examined cell death by MTT assay and caspase 3 and 9 assay with SC extract. To examine the inhibitory effects of SC extract, cell cycle (sub G1) analysis and mitochondrial membrane depolarization was done the MCF-7 cells after one day with SC extract. In addition, to investigate the transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (TRPM7) currents, we used the whole cell patch clamp techniques. Furthermore, TRPM7 channels were overexpressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells to identify the role of TRPM7 channels in MCF-7 cell growth and survival. SC extract inhibited the growth of MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent fashion. Also we showed that SC extract induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells by MTT assay, caspase 3 and 9 assay, sub-G1 analysis and mitochondrial membrane depolarization. SC extract inhibited the TRPM7 currents in MCF-7 cells and in TRPM7 overexpressed HEK 293 cells. Furthermore, TRPM7 channel overexpression in HEK 293 cells exacerbated SC extract-induced cell death. Our findings provide insight into unraveling the effects of SC extract in human breast adenocarcinoma cells and developing therapeutic agents against breast cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6595-6599
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• 2013

Leptin and its receptor are involved in breast carcinogenesis as mitogenic factors. Therefore, they could be considered as targets for breast cancer therapy. Expression of the leptin receptor gene could be modulated by leptin secretion. Silibinin and curcumin are herbal compounds with anti-cancer activity against breast cancer. The aim of this study was to assess their potential to inhibit of expression of the leptin gene and its receptor and leptin secretion. Cytotoxic effects of the two agents on combination on T47D breast cancer cells was investigated by MTT assay test after 24h treatment. With different concentrations the levels of leptin, leptin receptor genes expression were measured by reverse-transcription real-time PCR. Amount of secreted leptin in the culture medium was determined by ELISA. Data were statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA test. The silibinin and curcumin combination inhibited growth of T47D cells in a dose dependent manner. There were also significant difference between control and treated cells in leptin expression and the quantity of secreted leptin with a relative decrease in leptin receptor expression. In conclusion, these herbal compounds inhibit the expression and secretion of leptin and it could probably be used as drug candidates for breast cancer therapy through leptin targeting in the future.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.35-39
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• 2017

D-chiro-inositol (DCI) is a secondary messenger in insulin signal transduction. It is produced in vivo from myo-inositol via action of epimerase. In this study, we evaluated antitumor activity of DCI against human breast cancer both in vitro and in vivo. In order to determine the inhibitory effects of DCI on growth of human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231), two different assessment methods were implemented: MTT assay and mouse xenograft assay. MTT assay demonstrated downturn in cell proliferation by DCI treatment (1, 5, 10, 20 and 40 mM) groups by 18.3% (p < 0.05), 17.2% (p < 0.05), 17.5% (p < 0.05), 18.4% (p < 0.05), and 24.9% (p < 0.01), respectively. Also, inhibition of tumor growth was investigated in mouse xenograft model. DCI was administered orally at the dose of 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg body weight to treat nude mouse for 45 consecutive days. On the 45th day, tumor growth of DCI (500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg) groups was suppressed by 22.1% and 67.6% as mean tumor volumes were $9313.8{\pm}474.1mm^3$ and $3879.1{\pm}1044.1mm^3$, respectively. Furthermore, breast cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype ($CD44^+/C24^-$) was measured using flow cytometry. On the 46th day, CSC ratios of DCI (500 mg/kg) and co-treatment with doxorubicin (4 mg/kg) and DCI (500 mg/kg) group decreased by 24.7% and 53.9% (p < 0.01), respectively. Finally, from tumor recurrence assay, delay of 5 days in the co-treatment group compared to doxorubicin (4 mg/kg) alone group was observed. Based on these findings, we propose that DCI holds potential as an anti-cancer drug for treatment of breast cancer.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.125-134
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• 2015

Background: Black ginseng (Ginseng Radix nigra, BG) refers to the ginseng steamed for nine times and fine roots (hairy roots) of that is called fine black ginseng (FBG). It is known that the content of saponin of FBG is higher than that of BG. Therefore, in this study, we examined antitumor effects against MCF-7 breast cancer cells to target the FBG extract and its main component, ginsenoside Rg5 (Rg5). Methods: Action mechanism was determined by MTT assay, cell cycle assay and western blot analysis. Results: The results from MTT assay showed that MCF-7 cell proliferation was inhibited by Rg5 treatment for 24, 48 and 72 h in a dose-dependent manner. Rg5 at different concentrations (0, 25, 50 and $100{\mu}M$), induced cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase through regulation of cell cycle-related proteins in MCF-7 cells. As shown in the results from western blot analysis, Rg5 increased expression of p53, $p21^{WAF1/CIP1}$ and $p15^{INK4B}$ and decreased expression of Cyclin D1, Cyclin E2 and CDK4. Expression of apoptosiserelated proteins including Bax, PARP and Cytochrome c was also regulated by Rg5. These results indicate that Rg5 stimulated cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase via regulation of cell cycle-associated proteins in MCF-7 cells. Conclusion: Rg5 promotes breast cancer cell apoptosis in a multi-path manner with higher potency compared to 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) in MCF-7 (HER2/ER+) and MDA-MB-453 (HER2+/ER) human breast cancer cell lines, and this suggests that Rg5 might be an effective natural new material in improving breast cancer.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.903-909
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to compare and analyze the effect of changes in the patient's central position on the exposure dose and image quality of surrounding organs during a chest lateral examination using an Auto Exposure Control(AEC). The experiment was conducted on a human body phantom. A needle was attached to the lower part of the center of the coronal plane of the phantom, and a lead ruler was attached to the lower part of the detector so that the 50 cm point was located at the lower center of the AEC ion chamber. The exposure conditions were 125 kVp, 320 mA, the distance between the source and the image receptor was 180 cm, and the exposure field size was 14 × 17 inches. Only one AEC ion chamber was used at the bottom center, and the density was set to '0' and sensitivity to 'Middle', and the central X-ray was incident vertically toward the 6th thoracic vertebra. With AEC mode applied, the 50 cm point of the needle and lead ruler were aligned and the phantom was moved 5 cm toward the stomach (F5) and 5 cm toward the back (B5), and the dose factor was analyzed by measuring ESD. The ESD of the thyroid gland according to the change in patient center position was 232.60±2.20 μGy for Center, 231.22±1.53 μGy for F5, and 184.37±1.19 μGy for B5, and the ESD of the breast was 288.54±3.03 μGy for Center, F5 was 260.97±1.93 μGy, B5 was 229.80±1.62 μGy, and the ESD of the center of the lung was 337.02±3.25 μGy for Center, F5 was 336.09±2.29 μGy, and B5 was 261.76±1.68 μGy. As a result of comparing the average values of dose factors between each group, the difference in average values was statistically significant (p<0.01), and each group appeared to be independent. As a result of the study, there was no significant difference in the dose to the thyroid, breast, and center of the lung according to the change in the patient's central position, except for the breast (10%) when the patient moved forward about 5 cm. However, movement of about 5 cm posteriorly resulted in an average dose reduction of 23.7%. Additionally, when the patient's central position was moved to the rear, image quality deteriorated.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.120-127
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• 2005

Electron beam irradiation was applied to examine the microbial growth and qualities of vacuum-packaged chicken breasts. Chicken breast samples were irradiated at dose of 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 kGy, respectively. After irradiation, chicken breast samples were individually vacuum-packaged and stored at $4^{\circ}C$. Microbiological change of irradiated vacuum-packaged chicken breasts showed that populations of total bacteria, yeast and mold, total coliform, and salmonella spp. in chicken breasts were significantly reduced with increasing irradiation dose. The pH values of vacuum-packaged chicken breasts were not significantly changed among treatments. Lipid oxidation measurements showed that TBARS values of vacuum-packaged chicken breasts increased with increase of irradiation dose, and gradually increased during storage. Color measurements showed that irradiation reduced Hunter a value of vacuum-packaged chicken breasts with increasing irradiation dose. However, Hunter L and b values of vacuum-packaged chicken breasts were not significantly altered among treatments. Sensory quality results of vacuum-packaged chicken breasts showed that there were no significant changes among the samples irradiated. These results indicate that irradiation can be used to improve the microbial safety and qualities of poultry products.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.93-97
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• 2016

In this study, we evaluate the effect of respiration on the dose distribution in patient target volume (PTV) during intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and research methods to reduce this impact. The dose distributions, homogeneity index (HI), coverage index (CVI), and conformity index of the PTV, which is calculated from the dose-volume histogram (DVH), are compared between the maximum intensity projection (MIP) image-based plan and other images at respiration phases of 30%, 60% and 90%. In addition, the reducing effect of complication caused by patient respiration is estimated in the case of a bolus and the expended PTV on the skin. The HI is increased by approximately twice, and the CVI is relatively decreased without the bolus at other respiration phases. With the bolus and expended PTV, the change in the dose distribution of the PTV is relatively small with patient respiration. Therefore, the usage of the bolus and expended PTV can be considered as one of the methods to improve the accuracy of IMRT in the treatment of breast cancer patients with respiratory motion.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5709-5714
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• 2012

Objective: To evaluate the effects of curcumin on matrixmetalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and invasion ability induced by transforming growth factor-${\beta}1$ (TGF-${\beta}1$) in MDA-MB-231 cells and potential mechanisms. Methods: Human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells were used with the CCK-8 assay to measure the cytotoxicity of curcumin. After treatment with 10 ng/ml TGF-${\beta}1$, with or without curcumin (${\leq}10{\mu}M$), cell invasion was checked by transwell chamber. The effects of curcumin on TGF-${\beta}1$-stimulated MMP-9 and phosphorylation of Smad2, extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK), and p38 mitogen activated protein kinases (p38MAPK) were examined by Western blotting. Supernatant liquid were collected to analyze the activity of MMP-9 via zymography. Following treatment with PD98059, a specific inhibitor of ERK, and SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38MAPK, Western blotting and zymography were employed to examine MMP-9 expression and activity, respectively. Results: Low dose curcumin (${\leq}10{\mu}M$) did not show any obvious toxicity to the cells, while $0{\sim}10{\mu}mol/L$ caused a concentration-dependent reduction in cell invasion provoked by TGF-${\beta}1$. Curcumin also markedly inhibited TGF-${\beta}1$-regulated MMP-9 and activation of Smad2, ERK1/2 and p38 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Additionally, PD98059, but not SB203580, showed a similar pattern of inhibition of MMP-9 expression. Conclusion: Curcumin inhibited TGF-${\beta}1$-stimulated MMP-9 and the invasive phenotype in MDA-MB-231 cells, possibly associated with TGF-${\beta}$/Smad and TGF-${\beta}$/ERK signaling.