• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.173-180
• /
• 2014

Estrogen can promote or inhibit cellular proliferation depending on tissue cell types and physiological condition and acts through the signal transduction pathways mediated primarily by estrogen receptors. This study examined the effects of fulvestrant (Ful), a well-known antagonist for the estrogen receptor, on the action of $17{\beta}$-estradiol (E2) with respect to the proliferation and apoptosis of Chinese hamster ovarian (CHO) cells. We used different concentrations of E2, Ful, and E2 plus Ful during different treatment durations. Treatment with 15-40 ${\mu}M$ E2 significantly inhibited proliferation in a time-dependent manner, although it had no influence in concentrations up to 1 ${\mu}M$. Interestingly, Ful at 10-40 ${\mu}M$ also inhibited cellular proliferation in both a concentration- and time-dependent manner. In addition, Ful enhanced rather than decreased the inhibitory effect on cellular proliferation by E2 in combined treatment for 10 days. Thus, Ful does not appear to have an antagonistic effect on estrogen's anti-proliferative action in CHO cells. In TUNEL assays to confirm DNA fragmentation by E2 and/or Ful, CHO cells treated with 20 ${\mu}M$ E2 showed a TUNEL-positive reaction in most DAPI-stained nuclei, and cells treated with either 40 ${\mu}M$ Ful or 40 ${\mu}M$ Ful plus 20 ${\mu}M$ E2 also exhibited a TUNEL-positive reaction but at a lower rate compared to the E2-treated cells. These results indicate that Ful does not have an antagonistic effect on estrogen's anti-proliferative action in CHO cells, suggesting that the anti-proliferative and apoptosis-related mechanism(s) through DNA fragmentation by E2 and Ful may be mediated by different signal transduction pathways.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.169-176
• /
• 1996

Tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis is still an important cause of neck mass in Korea. Tuberculosis is an important differential diagnosis in patients of cervical lymphadenopathy. Rapid and sensitive test for the diagnosis of tuberculosis is essential for the approapiate treatment. Up to now, conventional diagnostic methods for M. tuberculosis were acid-fast bacilli(AFB) stain and culture of M. tuberculosis. The direct microscopic examination of AFB by Ziehl-Neelsen stain is rapid, but often negative. The culture for M. tuberculosis is time-consuming, taking 4 to 8 weeks. Recently various methods to detect Mycobacterial DNA, including PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP) analysis have been reported. Here we represent a simple method for the confirmation of M. tuberculosis and exclusion of the other Mycobacterial species by RFLP analysis and silver staining of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis after nested PCR for a repetitive DNA sequence(IS986) specific for M. tuberculosis from fresh or paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens. This result leads us to conclude that this method is simple, rapid and possibly applicable to confirm M. tuberculosis and rule out the other Mycobacteria species from the clinical specimens in the clinical laboratories.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.95-101
• /
• 2008

Purpose: Hydrogen peroxide which is one of the reactive oxygen species has been seen to cause various diseases, various cellular disinfections, gene transformation and cell death. The goals of this study were to determine the protective effect of EGCG against $H_2O_2$-induced apoptotic death in conjunctival cell lines. Methods: We measured cell viability by MTT assay and analyzed DNA fragmentation to check up a distinctive feature in cell death and measured the removal ability of free radicals by DPPH free radical scavenging assay and evaluated the oxygen free radical's quantity in the cell by DCFH-DA assay. The mRNA expression in the cell were examined by RT-PCR. Results: Cell viability and free radical scavening activites was significantly increased in dose dependently after cell was exposed to EGCG. And DNA fragmentation and intracellular ROS was decreased. It was showed the mRNA expression which increase of bcl-2, bcl-xL expression and decrease of bax expression. Conclusions: From these results, it suggests that EGCG has an antioxidant effect and protects conjunctival cell lines from the $H_2O_2$-mediated apoptosis through the modulation of the mRNA expression.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.475-479
• /
• 2004

The proteinpolysaccharides (PPS) from Polyporus umbellatus (P. umbellatus) screlotium is composed by 78.2% of saccharide, 16.8% of protein, and 4.0% of ash. PPS from P. umbellatus showed antitumor activities against 180 solid tumor in ICR mice at the concentration of 20-160 mg/kg/day. PPS from P. umbellatus inhibited cell viability to 47.4% and 45.0% in leukemia cell lines, L-1210 and K-562 cells at 50-400 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL concentration, respectively. But the hall mark of cell apoptosis, DNA fragmentation was not observed at those concentration. 2.5-10.0% of PPS from P. umbellatus inhibited mutagenecity evoked by 2-nitrofluorene and sodium azide in Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100. From these results, it is suggested that the PPS of P. umbellatus has antitumor and antimutagenic effect, and its cytotoxic effect may not be ascribed to the apoptosis.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.20 no.9
• /
• pp.1287-1293
• /
• 2010

The spatial distribution of alleles and geographical distances of a Carex humilis population on Mt. Giri in Korea were studied. A total of 102 DNA fragments (bands) were found among 107 plants. Among these 102 bands, 48 (47.1%) bands were polymorphic. In a simple variability of subpopulations by the percentage of polymorphic bands, distances I and V exhibited the lowest variation (16.7%). Distance VIII showed the highest variation (22.6%). The total genetic diversity (H) was 0.076 across species. Class VIII had the highest H (0.093), while class I had the lowest (0.063). Genetic similarity of individuals was found among subpopulations at up to a scale of 60 m distance, and this was partly due to a combination of alleles. Within the Mt. Giri population, a strong spatial structure was observed for RAPD markers, indicating a very low amount of migration among subpopulations and that the distribution of individual genotypes of a given population was clumped. The present study demonstrated that analysis of RAPD markers could be successfully used to study the spatial and genetic structures of C. humilis.

• The Journal of Natural Sciences
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.31-37
• /
• 1997

Apoptosis is an important event in the anticancer drug therapy. p53 was demonstrated to serve a key component to lead tumor cell death by inducing apoptosis. However, recent study showed the presence of p53 independent apoptotic pathway (Gaftenhaus et al., 1996). We were curious to know it apoptosis induced by adriamycin, a genotoxic anticancer agent, involved p53 gene mutation. Thus this study investigated the p53 gene mutation status among HeLa cell population during apoptosis induced by adriamycin. Under our experimental condition, 12 hour treatment of 1 ${\mu}m$ adriamycin caused apoptosis which was monitored by DNA fragmentation assay. In order to see the p53 gene mutation status, exons of 5, 7 and 8 of p53 gene, where previously reported p53 mutation hot spots reside, were amplified by PCR and nucleotide sequence change was scanned. However, no nucleotide change was observed among apoptotic HeLa cell population. Therefore this study demonstrated that adriamycin induced apoptosis without causing p53 gene damage.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.121-136
• /
• 1996

In order to understand affinities and phylogeny of three families of the Superfamily Entomobryoidea allozyme analysis was performed with three species presumably representing each family, in addition to four species belonging to the neighboring Superfamily Poduroidea together. Electrophoresis for this purpose produced data for calculating allele frequency and enabled to obtain genetic distance and to depict dendrograms as well. The species of Isotomidae, Entomobryidae and Tomoceridae were clustered together whereas those of Hypogastruridae, Onychiuridae and Neanuridae were grouped as monophylies, respectively. Even though Tomoceridae and Entomobryidae were brought together they are considered complete families by showing high genetic distance value between them, thus supporting the hypothesis on their affinity among others. Gulgastrura reticulosa has been revealed to be separated from Hypogastruridae by being clustered rather with Onychiuridae. However, its high genetic distance value suggests the status as an independent family. The present result agreed with the phylogeny of Suborder Arthropleona divided into two Superfamilies mentioned above as in conventional systematics and also when compared with analysis of data of their morphological characters as well as 18S rDNA performed and published elsewhere by the present writers.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.215-223
• /
• 2001

Cadmium is an ubiquitous toxic metal and chronic exposure to cadmium results in the accumulation of cadmium in the liver and kidneys. In contrast, acute exposure leads to damage mainly in the liver. Apoptosis induced by cadmium has been shown in many tissues in vivo and in cultured cells in vitro. However, the molecular mechanism of cadmium-induced apoptosis is not clear in hepatocyte. To investigate the induction of apoptosis in the hepatocyte, we used mouse hepatoma cell line, Hepalclc7 cells, and analysed the molecules that involved in cadmium-induced apoptosis. Cadmium induced the genomic DNA fragmentation, PARP cleavage, and activation of caspase-3 like protease. Caspase-9 cysteine protease was activated in a time-dependent manner but caspase-8 cysteine protease was not significantly activated in cadmium-treated Hepalclc7 cells. Cadmium also induced mitochondrial dysfunction including cytochrome c release from mitochondria, change oj mitochondrial membrane potential tranition, and tranlocation of Bax Protein into mitochondria. These results strong1y indicated that the signal Pathway of apoptotic death in cadmium-treated Hepalclc7 cells is modulated by caspase cascade via mitochondria.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.191-197
• /
• 1994

It is generally known that mutations in any of several genes encoding photoreceptor-specific proteins have resulted in retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a disease characterized by losing photoreceptor function with progressive degeneration of photoreceptor cells and eventually leading to blindness. To study the procure and cure of photoreceptor degeneration, we produced transgenic mice. Transgene consisted of a 12.5kb genomic DNA fragment that contains mutated pig rhodopsin gene (Pro-347-Ser) including both the 5'-franking (4.0 kb) and the 3'-franking (2.9 kb) sequences. This gene was used for the production of transgenic mouse. The mutated rhodopsin DNA was microinjected into male pronuclei of fertilized mouse (C57BL /6]) embryos. We detected transgenic animals harboring mutated rhodopsin gene by PCR and Southern blot analysis. These transgenic mice showed stable transmission of microinjected rhodopsin gene into their offspring. Therefore these animals will provide a novel approach to study the mechanism of the photoreceptor degeneration and be provided as a disease model for the treatment of the blind in human.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.66-72
• /
• 2009

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness among adults in the western countries. Hyperglycemia is a condition, that induces apoptotic cell death in a variety of cell types in diabetes, but the mechanism remains unclear. The aim of the study is to understand the effects of high Glucose on Human Retinal Endothelial Cells. Retinal endothelial cells were cultured in Iscove's Modified Dulbecco's Medium (IMDM) containing 5, 25 and 50 mM Glucose, incubated for 24, 36 and 48 hours in humidified 5 % CO$_2$ incubator at 37$^{\circ}C$. Human Retinal Endothelial Cell Line (HREC) were characterized for morphology with different treatment by phase contrast microscopic analysis. Number of dead and viable cells was counted by trypan blue exclusion and supported by MTT assay. The intracellular Hydrogen peroxide (H$_2$O$_2$), a Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) generation in high glucose conditions was assessed by FOX II assay and apoptosis by caspase-3 assay. The high glucose treated cells undergoing DNA fragmentation was witnessed by Agarose gel electrophoresis. We found that the cells incubated with 25 and 50 mM glucose containing medium for 48 hours altered the morphology of the cell, induced apoptosis and DNA fragmentation. The dead cell number were high in 25 and 50 mM when compared to the cells incubated with 5 mM glucose for 24, 36, and 48 hours. Also, the H$_2$O$_2$ levels and the activity of caspase-3 were increased in high glucose treated cells. Conclusions/interpretation: Our results demonstrated that elevated glucose induces apoptosis in cultured HREC. The hyperglycemia-induced increase in apoptosis may be dependent on caspase activation. The association between ROS generation and caspase-3 activation on high glucose treated cells is yet to be investigated.