• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.9-21
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• 2015

Cancer, a serious public health problem in worldwide, results from an excessive and uncontrolled proliferation of the body cells without obvious physiological demands of organs. The gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus, stomach and intestine, is a unique organ system. It has the highest cancer incidence and cancer-related mortality in the body and is influenceed by both genetic and environmental factors. Among the various chemical elements recognized in the nature, some of them including zinc, iron, cobalt, and copper have essential roles in the various biochemical and physiological processes, but only at low levels and others such as cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic, and nickel are considered as threats for human health especially with chronic exposure at high levels. Cadmium, an environment contaminant, cannot be destroyed in nature. Through impairment of vitamin D metabolism in the kidney it causes nephrotoxicity and subsequently bone metabolism impairment and fragility. The major mechanisms involved in cadmium carcinogenesis could be related to the suppression of gene expression, inhibition of DNA damage repair, inhibition of apoptosis, and induction of oxidative stress. In addition, cadmium may act through aberrant DNA methylation. Cadmium affects multiple cellular processes, including signal transduction pathways, cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Down-regulation of methyltransferases enzymes and reduction of DNA methylation have been stated as epigenetic effects of cadmium. Furthermore, increasing intracellular free calcium ion levels induces neuronal apoptosis in addition to other deleterious influence on the stability of the genome.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.625-633
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• 2017

Sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC) is one of the bioactive phospholipids that has many cellular functions such as cell migration, adhesion, proliferation, angiogenesis, and $Ca^{2+}$ signaling. Recent studies have reported that SPC induces invasion of breast cancer cells via matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) secretion leading to WNT activation. Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is a matricellular and calcium-binding protein that binds to a wide variety of integrin and non-integrin cell surface receptors. It regulates cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis in inflammation, angiogenesis and neoplasia. TSP-1 promotes aggressive phenotype via epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). The relationship between SPC and TSP-1 is unclear. We found SPC induced EMT leading to mesenchymal morphology, decrease of E-cadherin expression and increases of N-cadherin and vimentin. SPC induced secretion of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) during SPC-induced EMT of various breast cancer cells. Gene silencing of TSP-1 suppressed SPC-induced EMT as well as migration and invasion of MCF10A cells. An extracellular signal-regulated kinase inhibitor, PD98059, significantly suppressed the secretion of TSP-1, expressions of N-cadherin and vimentin, and decrease of E-cadherin in MCF10A cells. ERK2 siRNA suppressed TSP-1 secretion and EMT. From online PROGgene V2, relapse free survival is low in patients having high TSP-1 expressed breast cancer. Taken together, we found that SPC induced EMT and TSP-1 secretion via ERK2 signaling pathway. These results suggests that SPC-induced TSP-1 might be a new target for suppression of metastasis of breast cancer cells.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.193-199
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to determine whether britanin, isolated from the flowers of Inula japonica (Inulae Flos), modulates the generation of allergic inflammatory mediators in activated mast cells. To understand the biological activity of britanin, the authors investigated its effects on the generation of prostaglandin $D_2$ ($PGD_2$), leukotriene $C_4$ ($LTC_4$), and degranulation in IgE/Ag-induced bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs). Britanin dose dependently inhibited degranulation and the generations of $PGD_2$ and $LTC_4$ in BMMCs. Biochemical analyses of IgE/Ag-mediated signaling pathways demonstrated that britanin suppressed the phosphorylation of Syk kinase and multiple downstream signaling processes, including phospholipase $C{\gamma}1$ ($PLC{\gamma}1$)-mediated calcium influx, the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs; extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, c-Jun $NH_2$-terminal kinase and p38), and the nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ ($NF-{\kappa}B$) pathway. Taken together, the findings of this study suggest britanin suppresses degranulation and eicosanoid generation by inhibiting the Syk-dependent pathway and britanin might be useful for the treatment of allergic inflammatory diseases.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.188-194
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• 2005

The Angelicae dahuricae radix (ADR) has been used a traditional medicine to treat acne, erythema, headache, toothache, sinusitis, colds, and flu in Korea, Japan and China. Here, we report the effect of ADR on compound 48/80-induced ear-swelling and the phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) plus calcium ionophore A23187-induced inflammatory cytokine secretion in the human mast cell line, HMC-1. ADR dose-dependently inhibited the ear-swelling response induced by intradermal injection of compound 48/80, In vitro model, PMA plus A23187 significantly increased interleukin $(IL)-1{\beta}$, IL-8, granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$ secretion compared with media control. We also show that the increased cytokines $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-8, GM-CSF, and $TNF-{\alpha}$ level was significantly inhibited by treatment of ADR. In addition, ADR partially blocked PMA plus A23187-induced extracelluar signal-regulated kinases phosphorylation. These results suggest that ADR might explain its beneficial effect in the treatment of mast cell-mediated inflammatory diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.369-376
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• 1998

This report shows that hydroxyl radical, generated by a Fenton reaction involving adenosine $5'-diphosphate/Fe^{2+}$ complex ($5-15\;{\mu}M$) and $H_2O_2$ ($2\;{\mu}M$), induced differentiation of HL-60 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This is evidenced by the increases in 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate- and fMLP-stimulated superoxide production capability. The cells exposed to hydroxyl radical for defined periods (24∼96 hr) continued to differentiate even after the hydroxyl radical generating system had been removed. The differentiated cells displayed fMLP-stimulated calcium mobilization and increased expression of myeloid-specific antigen CD11b and CD14. The extent of the differentiation was markedly reduced by desferrioxamine ($100\;{\mu}M$), dimethylthiourea (5 mM), N,N'-diphenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine ($2\;{\mu}M$), and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (5 mM). The induction of differentiation by hydroxyl radical was enhanced by 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine ($200\;{\mu}M$) and Ro-20-1724 ($8\;{\mu}M$), and inhibited by dipyridamole (2 ${\mu}M$). These results suggest that hydroxyl radicals may induce commitment of HL-60 cells to differentiate into more mature cells of myelomonocytic lineage through specific signal-transduction pathway that is modulated by phosphodiesterase inhibitors.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2001

Hyperpolarization of arterial smooth muscle by acetylcholine is considered to be produced by the release of an unidentified chemical substance, an endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). Several chemicals have been proposed as the candidate for EDHF. However, none of them fulfil completely the nature and property of EDHF. Ultrastructural observation with electron microscope reveals that in some arteries, gap junctions are formed between endothelial and smooth muscle cells. In small arterioles, injection of gap junction permeable dyes into an endothelial cell results in a distribution of the dye to surrounding cells including smooth muscle cells. These observations allow the speculation that myoendothelial gap junctions may have a functional significance. Simultaneous measurement of the electrical responses in both endothelial and smooth muscle cells using the double patch clamp method demonstrates that these two cell types are indeed electrically coupled, indicating that they behave as a functional syncytium. The EDHF-induced hyperpolarization is produced by an activation of $Ca^{2+}-sensitive\;K^+-channels$ that are inhibited by charybdotoxin and apamin. Agonists that release EDHF increase $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ in endothelial cells but not in smooth muscle cells. Inhibition of gap junctions with chemical agents abolishes the agonist-induced hyperpolarization in smooth muscle cells but not in endothelial cells. All these observations can be explained if EDHF is an electrotonic signal propagating from endothelium to smooth muscle cells through gap junctions.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.373-382
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• 2015

Fura-2 analogs are ratiometric fluoroprobes that are widely used for the quantitative measurement of [$Ca^{2+}$]. However, the dye usage is intrinsically limited, as the dyes require ultraviolet (UV) excitation, which can also generate great interference, mainly from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) autofluorescence. Specifically, this limitation causes serious problems for the quantitative measurement of mitochondrial [$Ca^{2+}$], as no available ratiometric dyes are excited in the visible range. Thus, NADH interference cannot be avoided during quantitative measurement of [$Ca^{2+}$] because the majority of NADH is located in the mitochondria. The emission intensity ratio of two different excitation wavelengths must be constant when the fluorescent dye concentration is the same. In accordance with this principle, we developed a novel online method that corrected NADH and Fura-2-FF interference. We simultaneously measured multiple parameters, including NADH, [$Ca^{2+}$], and pH/mitochondrial membrane potential; Fura-2-FF for mitochondrial [$Ca^{2+}$] and TMRE for ${\Psi}_m$ or carboxy-SNARF-1 for pH were used. With this novel method, we found that the resting mitochondrial [$Ca^{2+}$] concentration was $1.03{\mu}M$. This $1{\mu}M$ cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ could theoretically increase to more than 100 mM in mitochondria. However, the mitochondrial [$Ca^{2+}$] increase was limited to ${\sim}30{\mu}M$ in the presence of $1{\mu}M$ cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$. Our method solved the problem of NADH signal contamination during the use of Fura-2 analogs, and therefore the method may be useful when NADH interference is expected.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.31.1-31.8
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• 2023

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy. It is widely believed that genetic factors play a significant role in the development of MM, as investigated in numerous studies. However, the application of genomic information for clinical purposes, including diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, remains largely confined to research. In this study, we utilized genetic information from the Genomic-Driven Clinical Implementation for Multiple Myeloma database, which is dedicated to clinical trial studies on MM. This genetic information was sourced from the genome-wide association studies catalog database. We prioritized genes with the potential to cause MM based on established annotations, as well as biological risk genes for MM, as potential drug target candidates. The DrugBank database was employed to identify drug candidates targeting these genes. Our research led to the discovery of 14 MM biological risk genes and the identification of 10 drugs that target three of these genes. Notably, only one of these 10 drugs, panobinostat, has been approved for use in MM. The two most promising genes, calcium signal-modulating cyclophilin ligand (CAMLG) and histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2), were targeted by four drugs (cyclosporine, belinostat, vorinostat, and romidepsin), all of which have clinical evidence supporting their use in the treatment of MM. Interestingly, five of the 10 drugs have been approved for other indications than MM, but they may also be effective in treating MM. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the genomic variants involved in the pathogenesis of MM and highlight the potential benefits of these genomic variants in drug discovery.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.254-261
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• 2000

The present study has attempted to look into the mechanism of ras-induced carcinogenesis in a human epithelial cell system. Human epithelial cells immortalized with Ad12-SV40 hybrid virus were used to assess carcinogenic potential of the ras-oncogene. Cells transfected with pSV2-ras showed characteristics of cellular transformation. The transformation parameters such as cell density, soft-agar colony formation, and cell aggregation were significantly increased in the cells expressing ras oncoprotein. In addition, the duration required for the appearance of foci was shortened in the ras-transfected cells. Consistent with other reports, our results demonstrated an evidence that the ras-oncogene induced the cellular transformation of human epithelial cell system. When a high concentration of glucocorticoid was added into the media, transformation process was accelerated. It is speculated that glucocorticoid may provide an advantageous environment for the proliferation of the transformed cells. The induction of the intracellular free calcium concentrations following agonist treatment was significantly lower in the transformed cells than in the control cells. These effects were more manifested in the presence of extracellular cacium, indicating that the transformation process may alter the influx pathway of extracellular calcium. The induction of $IP_3$ following agonist treatment was also lower in the transformed cells than in the control cells. Thus, it is suggested that phospholipase C-coupled pathway was down-regulated in the process of the ras-induced transformation. While the levels of $TGF-{\beta}_1$ and PAI-2 mRNAs were decreased, the level of fibronectin mRNA was increased. The results indicate that mechanism of the ras-induced transformation may be associated with the altered expressions of growth regulatory factors. The present study demonstrates an evidence that the ras-induced cellular transformation may be associated with alteration of signal transduction and growth regulatory factors. The study will contribute to improve the understanding of molecular mechanism of epithelium-derived cancers including oral cancer.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.223-230
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• 2007

We have previously reported that green tea catechins(GTC) displayed potent antithrombotic effect, which was due to the antiplatelet activity. In the present study, the antiplatelet activity of each green tea catechin components was compared in vitro. Galloylated catechins including (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), (-)-gallocatechin gallate (GCG), (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) and (-)-catechin gallate (CG), significantly inhibited collagen $(5{\mu}g/mL)-induced$ rabbit platelet aggregation with $IC_{50}$ values of 79.8, 63.0, 168.2 and $67.3{\mu}M$, respectively. EGCC GCG and CG also significantly inhibited arachidonic acid (AA, $100{\mu}M$)-induced rabbit platelet aggregation with $IC_{50}$ values of 98.9, 200.0 and $174.3{\mu}M$, respectively. However catechins without gallate moiety showed little inhibitory effects against rabbit platelet aggregation induced by collagen or AA compared with galloylated catechins. These observations suggest that the presence of gallate moiety at C-3 position may be essential to the antiplatelet activity of catechins and the presence of B ring galloyl structure may also contribute to the antiplatelet activity of GTC. In line with the inhibition of collagen-induced platelet aggregation, EGCG caused concentration-dependent decreases of cytosolic calcium mobilization, AA liberation and serotonin secretion. In contrast, epigallocatechin (EGC), a structural analogue of EGCG lacking a galloyl group in the 3' position, although slightly inhibited collagen-stimulated cytosolic calcium mobilization, failed to affect other signal transductions as EGCG in activated platelets. Taken together, these observations suggest that the antiplatelet activity of EGCG may be due to inhibition of arachidonic acid liberation and inhibition of $Ca^{2+}$ mobilization and that the antiplatelet of EGCG is enhanced by the presence of a gallate moiety esterified at carbon 3 on the C ring.