• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2010

Objective : Notochordal cells in the intervertebral disc interact with nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and support the maintenance of disc homeostasis by regulation of matrix production. However, the influence of notochordal cells has not been evaluated in the annulus fibrosus (AF), which is the primary pain generator in the disc. We hypothesized that the notochordal cell has the capacity to modulate inflammatory mediators secreted by AF cells secondary to stimulation. Methods : Notochordal and AF cells were isolated from adult New Zealand white rabbits. AF pellets were cultured with notochordal cell clusters or in notochordal cell-conditioned media (NCCM) for 24 or 48 hours with proinflammatory cytokines at varying concentrations. Gene expression in AF pellets were assayed for nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2, and interleukin (IL)-6 by real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results : AF pellet in NCCM significantly decreased the iNOS and COX-2 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels compared to AF pellets alone and AF pellets with notochordal cells (p < 0.05). AF pellet resulted in dose-dependent iNOS and COX-2 expression in response to IL-$1{\beta}$, stimulation, demonstrating that 1 ng/ml for 24 hours yielded a maximal response. AF pellet in NCCM significantly decreased the expression of iNOS and COX-2 in response to 1ng/ml IL-$1{\beta}$, stimulation at 24 hours (p < 0.05). There was no difference in IL-6 expression compared to AF pellets alone or AF pellets with notochordal cell clusters. Conclusion : We conclude that soluble factors from notochordal cells mitigate the gene expression of inflammatory mediators in stimulated AF, as expected after annular injury, suggesting that notochordal cells could serve as a novel therapeutic approach in symptomatic disc development.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.7
• /
• pp.2701-2705
• /
• 2015

Chondrosarcoma, the second most common type of bone malignancy, is characterized by distant metastasis and local invasion. Previous studies have shown that treatment by pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) has beneficial effects on various cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of PEMF applied for 3 and 7 days on the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) levels in chondrosarcoma SW1353 cells stimulated with two different doses of $IL-1{\beta}$. SW1353 cells were treated with (0.5 and 5 ng/ml) $IL-1{\beta}$ and PEMF exposure was applied either 3 or 7 days. MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels were measured in conditioned media by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results were relative to protein levels. Statistical analyses were performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). P<0.05 was considered significant. PEMF treatment significantly decreased MMP-9 protein levels in human chondrosarcoma cells stimulated with 0.5 ng/ml $IL-1{\beta}$ at day 7, whereas it did not show any effect on cells stimulated with 5 ng/ml $IL-1{\beta}$. There was no significant change in TIMP-1 protein levels either by $IL-1{\beta}$ stimulation or by PEMF treatment. The results of this study showed that PEMF treatment suppressed $IL-1{\beta}$-mediated upregulation of MMP-9 protein levels in a dual effect manner. This finding may offer new perspectives in the therapy of bone cancer.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.175-182
• /
• 2007

The lysozyme II gene of cabbage butterfly Artogeia rapae was cloned from fat body of the larvae injected with E. coli and its nucleotide sequence was determined by the RACE-PCR. It has an open reading frame of 414 bp nucleotides corresponding to 138 amino acids including a signal sequence of 18 amino acids. The estimated molecular weight and the isoelectric point of the lysozyme II without the signal peptide were 13,649.38 Da and 9.11, respectively. The A. rapae lysozyme II (ARL II) showed the highest identity (81%) in the amino acid sequence to Manduca sexta lysozyme among other lepidopteran species. The two catalytic residues ($Glu^{32}$ and $Asp^{50}$) and the eight Cys residue motifs, which are highly conserved among other c-type lysozymes in invertebrates and vertebrates, are also completely conserved. A phylogenetic analysis based on amino acid sequences indicated that the ARL II was more closely related to M. sexta, Hyphantria cunea, Heliothis virescens, and Trichoplusia ni lysozymes. The ARL II gene was expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda 21 insect cells and the recombinant ARL II (rARL II) was purified from cell-conditioned media by cation exchange column chromatography and reverse phase FPLC. The purified rARL II was able to form a clear zone in lysoplate assay against Micrococcus luteus. The lytic activity was estimated to be 511.41 U/mg, 1.53 times higher than that of the chicken lysozyme. The optimum temperature for the lytic activity of the rARL II was $50^{\circ}C$, the temperature dependency of the absolute lytic activity of rARL II was higher than that of the chicken lysozyme at low temperatures under $65^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.102-108
• /
• 2016

Der p 2 is the major allergen of the house dust mite (HDM) associated with the development of allergic diseases. The pathogenic mechanism of the allergy is related to cytokine release of lymphocytes and constitutive apoptosis of neutrophils. In the present study, we examined whether Der p 2 induces cytokine release of lymphocytes, which is involved in regulation of neutrophil apoptosis. In normal and allergic subjects, Der p 2 enhanced the secretion of IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, and GM-CSF in a time-dependent manner. Although Der p 2 was weakly effective against neutrophil apoptosis, conditioned media collected from normal and allergic lymphocytes after Der p 2 treatment inhibited the apoptosis of normal and allergic neutrophils. Der p 2 showed stronger inhibition of apoptosis of allergic neutrophils cocultured with allergic lymphocytes than normal neutrophils cocultured with normal lymphocytes. These findings improve our understanding of the role of Der p 2 in regulation of lymphocytes and neutrophils and will enable elucidation of allergy pathogenesis.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.9-18
• /
• 2016

Bone matrix is properly maintained by osteoclasts and osteoblasts. In the tumor microenvironment, osteoclasts are increasingly differentiated by the various ligands and cytokines secreted from the metastasized cancer cells at the bone metastasis niche. The activated osteoclasts generate osteolytic lesions. For this reason, studies focusing on the differentiation of osteoclasts are important to reduce bone destruction by tumor metastasis. The N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) has been known to contribute to the suppression of tumor growth and metastasis, but the precise role of NDRG2 in osteoclast differentiation induced by cancer cells has not been elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that NDRG2 expression in breast cancer cells has an inhibitory effect on osteoclast differentiation. RAW 264.7 cells, which are monocytic preosteoclast cells, treated with the conditioned media (CM) of murine breast cancer cells (4T1) expressing NDRG2 are less differentiated into the multinucleated osteoclast-like cells than those treated with the CM of 4T1-WT or 4T1-mock cells. Interestingly, 4T1 cells stably expressing NDRG2 showed a decreased mRNA and protein level of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1), which is known to enhance osteoclast maturation. Osteoclast differentiation was also reduced by ICAM1 knockdown in 4T1 cells. In addition, blocking the interaction between soluble ICAM1 and ICAM1 receptors significantly decreased osteoclastogenesis of RAW 264.7 cells in the tumor environment. Collectively, these results suggest that the reduction of ICAM1 expression by NDRG2 in breast cancer cells decreases osteoclast differentiation, and demonstrate that excessive bone resorption could be inhibited via ICAM1 down-regulation by NDRG2 expression.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.155-161
• /
• 2016

Dental pulp is a highly vascularized tissue with high regenerative potential. Revascularization of severed vasculature in the tooth is required for pulp healing during avulsed tooth treatment. In this study, the relative expression of angiogenesis-related proteins was determined in human dental pulp cells using a human angiogenesis proteome profiler array. The proteome profiler array detected differentially expressed angiogenesis-related factors under conditions of hypoxia, which enhances the angiogenic potential of dental pulp cells. We confirmed that hypoxia regulates the mRNA expression of angiogenesis-related factors, including CXCL16 in dental pulp cells. Furthermore, conditioned media of hypoxic pulp cells induced tube-like structures of vascular endothelial cells, which were reduced by the neutralization of CXCL16 function. In conclusion, our data show that angiogenesis-related factors are differentially expressed by hypoxia in dental pulp cells and suggest that CXCL16 may involve in the revascularization of hypoxic dental pulp.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.514-522
• /
• 1995

In order to examine the interaction of albumin with the sperm during capacitation in mouse, proteins of cauda epididymal sperm were extracted under various conditions and analyzed with SDS-PAGE. Sperm surface labeling patterms were also examined using fluorochroin~conjugated wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA). Albumin was detached from the sperm surface during the incubation and seemed to be constituted the major protein components of the conditioned media in which sperm incubated for 90 mm. Detachment of albumin from the sperm was not affected by the Ca2+ in the medium. WGA-FITC labeling confirmed that Triton X-100 permeabilired plasma membrane overlaying the apical segment of sperm head and detached plasma membrane associated proteins having negatively charged glycoconjugates. BSA-FITC labeling of epididymal sperm occurred on the apical segment of periacrosoinal region and postacrosomal region of the head. BSA-FITC labeling was not observed in periacrosoinal region of the sperm treated with Ca2+-ionophore ~3187 (10 MM)~ whereas the postacrosome region of acrosome-reacted sperm was still labeled after the AR. These results suggest that albumin bound to the surface of epididymal sperm is detached during the capacitation process, and it might be involved In physiological change of sperm plasma membrane accompanying the capacitation.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.110-118
• /
• 2018

The objective of this study was to induce the production of isthmic organizer (IsO)-like cells capable of secreting fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 8 and WNT1 from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The precise modulation of canonical Wnt signaling was achieved in the presence of the small molecule CHIR99021 ($0.6{\mu}M$) during the neural induction of human ESCs, resulting in the differentiation of these cells into IsO-like cells having a midbrain-hindbrain border (MHB) fate in a manner that recapitulated their developmental course in vivo. Resultant cells showed upregulated expression levels of FGF8 and WNT1. The addition of exogenous FGF8 further increased WNT1 expression by 2.6 fold. Gene ontology following microarray analysis confirmed that IsO-like cells enriched the expression of MHB-related genes by 40 fold compared to control cells. Lysates and conditioned media of IsO-like cells contained functional FGF8 and WNT1 proteins that could induce MHB-related genes in differentiating ESCs. The method for generating functional IsO-like cells described in this study could be used to study human central nervous system development and congenital malformations of the midbrain and hindbrain.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.21 no.11
• /
• pp.1174-1178
• /
• 2011

Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are microbial polysaccharides that are released outside of the bacterial cell wall. There have been few studies on EPS-producing lactic acid bacteria that can enhance macrophage activity and the underlying signaling mechanism for cytokine expression. In the current study, EPS-overproducing Lactobacillus (L.) paracasei KB28 was isolated from kimchi and cultivated in conditioned media containing glucose, sucrose, and lactose. The whole bacterial cells were obtained with their EPS being attached, and the cytokine-inducing activities of these cells were investigated. Gas chromatography analysis showed the presence of glucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, arabinose, and rhamnose in EPS composition. EPS-producing L. paracasei KB28 induced the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-12 in mouse macrophages. This strain also caused the degradation of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ and phosphorylation of the major MAPKs: Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2. The use of pharmacological inhibitors showed that different signaling pathways were involved in the induction of TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-6 and IL-12 by L. paracasei KB28. Our results provide information for a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the immunomodulatory effect of food-derived EPS-producing lactic acid bacteria.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.6 no.5
• /
• pp.269-274
• /
• 2002

A large number of factors such as osteotropic hormones, cytokines, or growth factors are related to the bone remodeling which is characterized by the coupling of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and osteoblast-mediated bone formation. Recent investigations have indicated that cytokines such as $interleukin-1{\beta}\;(IL-1{\beta})$ and tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}\;(TNF-{\alpha})$ play a potential role in the bone resorption associated with a variety of pathological conditions such as inflammatory osteolytic disease. Collagen is the most abundant protein of the extracellular matrix of bone, and the participation of collagenase in bone resorption has been widely investigated. In this study, effects of $IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ on the release of collagenase from osteoblastic cells were measured. The gelatinase activity was also measured by gel substrate analysis (zymography) after electrophoresis of conditioned media of osteoblastic cell culture. $IL-1{\beta}$ increased the collagenase activity in ROS17/2.8 and HOS cell culture. $TNF-{\alpha}$ also increased the collagenase activity of osteoblastic cells. When two kinds of cytokines were treated simultaneously in the culture of osteoblastic cells, synergistic increase of collagenase activity was seen in ROS17/2.8 cells. $IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ significantly increased the collagenase activity after 6 hour treatment in the osteoblastic cell culture, and there was no additional increase according to the culture period. Osteoblastic cells released the gelatinase and molecular weight of this enzyme was measured about 70 KDa as assessed by zymogram. $IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ showed increase of the gelatinase activity produced by ROS17/2.8 and HOS cells. Taken together, this study suggested that $IL-1{\beta}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ can modulate bone metabolism, at least in part, by increased release of collagenase and gelatinase from osteoblasts.