• 생명과학회지
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• 제29권12호
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• pp.1393-1400
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• 2019

본 연구에서는 사람의 제대정맥 내피세포에서 고농도 당에 의해 유도되는 세포사멸과 연관된 미토콘드리아의 기능적 지표 변화에 미치는 diazoxide의 효과를 관찰하였다. 고농도 당에 노출된 내피세포에서 세포사멸이 시간에 따라 증가하였고, caspase 3와 8, 9의 활성 증가가 동반되었다. Caspase 3와 9의 억제제들이 세포사멸을 감소시킨 반면 caspase 8의 억제제는 효과가 없었다. 고농도 당에 노출된 세포에서 미토콘드리아 막전위의 탈분극과 막투과도의 증가, 치토크롬 C (cytochrome C)의 유리가 동반됨을 관찰할 수 있었다. Diazoxide는 고농도 당에 의한 미토콘드리아 의존성 세포사멸 신호의 활성화를 억제하였다. Diazoxide의 이러한 효과들은 미토콘드리아막의 ATP-억제성 칼륨통로 차단제인 5-hydroxydecanoate에 의해 차단되었다. 이상의 결과들을 종합하면 diazoxide가 미토콘드리아막의 ATP-억제성 칼륨통로 개방을 통해 미토콘드리아 의존성 세포사멸 신호기작의 활성화를 차단하여 고농도 당에 의해 유도되는 세포사멸을 억제하는 것으로 사료된다.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.121-128
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• 2006

Maitotoxin (MTX) is known as one of the most potent marine toxins involved in Ciguatera poisoning, but intracellular signaling pathways caused by MTX was not fully understood. Thus, we have investigated whether intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in MTX-induced cellular responses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. MTX induced a dose-dependent increase of intracellular [$Ca^{2+}$]. MTX stimulated the production of intracellular ROS in a dose- and time-dependent manner, which was suppressed by BAPTA-AM, an intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ chelator. Ionomycin also elevated the ROS production in a dose-dependent manner. MTX elevated transamidation activity in a time-dependent manner and the activation was largely inhibited by transfection of tissue transglutaminase siRNA. The activation of tissue transglutaminase and ERK1/2 by MTX was suppressed by BAPTA-AM or ROS scavengers. In addition, MTX-induced cell death was significantly delayed by BAPTA-AM or a ROS scavenger. These results suggest that [$Ca^{2+}$]-dependent generation of intracellular ROS, at least in part, play an important role in MTX-stimulated cellular responses, such as activation of tTGase, ERK phosphorylation, and induction of cell death, in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.158-164
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• 2017

Methylglyoxal (MGO) is a highly reactive metabolite of glucose which is known to cause damage and induce apoptosis in endothelial cells. Endothelial cell damage is implicated in the progression of diabetes-associated complications and atherosclerosis. Hypericin, a naphthodianthrone isolated from Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's Wort), is a potent and selective inhibitor of protein kinase C and is reported to reduce neuropathic pain. In this work, we investigated the protective effect of hypericin on MGO-induced apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Hypericin showed significant anti-apoptotic activity in MGO-treated HUVECs. Pretreatment with hypericin significantly inhibited MGO-induced changes in cell morphology, cell death, and production of intracellular reactive oxygen species. Hypericin prevented MGO-induced apoptosis in HUVECs by increasing Bcl-2 expression and decreasing Bax expression. MGO was found to activate mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Pretreatment with hypericin strongly inhibited the activation of MAPKs, including P38, JNK, and ERK1/2. Interestingly, hypericin also inhibited the formation of AGEs. These findings suggest that hypericin may be an effective regulator of MGO-induced apoptosis. In conclusion, hypericin downregulated the formation of AGEs and ameliorated MGO-induced dysfunction in human endothelial cells.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.231-240
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• 2023

Fabry disease is a lysosomal storage disorder characterized by the lysosomal accumulations of glycosphingolipids in a variety of cytotypes, which include endothelial cells. The disease is inherited and originates from an error in glycosphingolipid catabolism caused by insufficient α-galactosidase A activity, which causes uncontrolled progressive storage of intracellular globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) in the vasculature and extracellular accumulation of lyso-Gb3 (a deacetylated soluble form of Gb3). Necrosis can lead to inflammation, which exacerbates necrosis and creates a positive feedback loop that triggers necroinflammation. However, the role played by necroptosis, a form of programmed necrotic cell death, in the cell-to-cell inflammatory reaction between epithelial and endothelial cells is unclear. Thus, the present study was undertaken to determine whether lyso-Gb3 induces necroptosis and whether necroptosis inhibition protects endothelial dysfunction against lyso-Gb3 inflamed retinal pigment epithelial cells. We found lyso-Gb3 induced necroptosis of a retinal pigment epithelial cell line (ARPE-19) in an autophagy-dependent manner and that conditioned media (CM) from ARPE-19 cells treated with lyso-Gb3 induced the necroptosis, inflammation, and senescence of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In addition, a pharmacological study showed CM from lyso-Gb3 treated ARPE-19 cells induced endothelial necroptosis, inflammation, and senescence were significantly inhibited by an autophagy inhibitor (3-MA) and by two necroptosis inhibitors (necrostatin and GSK-872), respectively. These results demonstrate lyso-Gb3 induces necroptosis via autophagy and suggest that lyso-Gb3 inflamed retinal pigment epithelial cells trigger endothelial dysfunction via the autophagy-dependent necroptosis pathway. This study suggests the involvement of a novel autophagy-dependent necroptosis pathway in the regulation of endothelial dysfunction in Fabry disease.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.416-424
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• 2015

피노실빈은 소나무 등에서 흔히 관찰되는 스틸벤노이드이다. 혈관내피세포에서 ~pM에서 ~nM 정도의 낮은 농도의 피노실빈은 세포성장, 세포이동, 항염증반응을 유도한다. 그러나 최근에 고농도의 피노실빈이 소 대동맥 내피세포의 세포사를 유발하고 있음이 보고되었으나, 그 자세한 기전이나 경로 연구가 미흡하여 이번 연구에서 고농도 피노실빈의 세포사 유발 경로를 규명하기 위한 실험을 수행하였다. 고농도의 피노실빈은 caspase-3 절단, 포스파티딜 세린의 플립플롭, 핵 분절 등을 유도하는 것으로 보아 세포사멸을 통한 세포사를 유발함을 알았다. 또한 혈청기아나 100 μM etoposide에 의하여 촉발하는 caspase-3 활성/핵분절이 추가적으로 증가하는 현상이 관찰되었다. 이는 피노실빈이 일으키는 세포사멸은 혈청기아나 etoposide에 의해 일어나는 세포사멸과는 다른 경로로 진행됨을 의미하므로 고농도의 피노실빈에 의해 촉발되는 세포신호전달을 탐색한 결과, JNK와 eNOS가 관여함을 알았다. 두 신호전달 물질 중에 어느 것이 피노실빈 유도 세포사에 중요한 지를 알기 위한 추가적인 실험을 진행하였다. 그 결과, JNK 억제자인 SP-600125는 피노실빈에 의한 세포사멸을 억제하였으나, eNOS 억제자인 L-NAME은 아무런 영향이 없는 것으로 보아 JNK가 피노실빈에 의해 유발되는 세포사멸에 관여하는 세포신호 전달물질임을 알았다.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.352-359
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• 2011

Korean red ginseng (KRG) is used worldwide as a popular traditional herbal medicine. KRG has shown beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and hypertension. Up-regulation of a cytoprotective protein, heme oxygenase (HO)-1, is considered to augment the cellular defense against various agents that may induce cytotoxic injury. In the present study, we demonstrate that KRG water extract induces HO-1 expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and possible involvement of the anti-oxidant transcription factor nuclear factor-eythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). KRG-induced HO-1 expression was examined by western blots, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence staining. Specific silencing of Nrf2 genes with Nrf2-siRNA in HUVECs abolished HO-1 expression. In addition, the HO inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin blunted the preventive effect of KRG on $H_2O_2$-induced cell death, as demonstrated by terminal transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Taken together, these results suggest that KRG may exert a vasculoprotective effect through Nrf2-mediated HO-1 induction in human endothelial cell by inhibition of cell death.

• BMB Reports
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• 제45권8호
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• pp.464-469
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• 2012

Endothelial cells (ECs) apoptosis induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is thought to play a critical role in atherosclerosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNAs that posttranscriptionally regulate the expression of genes involved in diverse cell functions, including differentiation, growth, proliferation, and apoptosis. MiRNA let-7 family is known to be involved in the regulation of cell apoptosis. However, the function of let-7 in ox-LDL induced ECs apoptosis and atherosclerosis is still unknown. Here, we show that let-7c expression was markedly up-regulated in ox-LDL induced apoptotic human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Let-7c over-expression enhanced apoptosis in ECs whereas inhibition of let-7c could partly alleviate apoptotic cell death mediated by ox-LDL. Searching for how let-7c affected apoptosis, we discovered that antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xl was a direct target of let-7c in ECs. Our data suggest that let-7c contributes to endothelial apoptosis through suppression of Bcl-xl.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.142-145
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• 2001

Changes in the Activities of several antioxidant enzymes in transformed human dermal microvascular endothelial Cells (HMEC-1) by infection with the obligate intracellular bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, the causative agent of scrub typhus, were investigated. The activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase were significantly decreased in HMEC-1 cells infected with Ο. tsutsugamushi. However, the level of superoxide dismutase increased slightly. Furthermore, Increased levels of intracellular peroxide was observed in HMEC-1 during infection. These results support the hypothesis that cells infected by this intracellular bacterium experience oxidant-mediated injury that may eventually contribute to cell death.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.173-183
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• 2004

Objectives : Oxidative stress can induce negative responses such as growth inhibition or cell death by necrosis or apoptosis due to the intensity of the oxidative stress, as well as positive responses such as cellular proliferation or activation. We examined the effect of Jihwangeumja on this process. Methods and Results : We analyzed the influence of oxidative stress and agents that modify its effect in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC). Oxidative stress was induced by $B_2O_2$. With induced oxidative stress the results obtained indicate that it has a harmful effect over cell function and viability, and that this effect is dose and time dependent. When oxidative stress increased, Jihwangeumja reduced cell damage and had protective functions. $B_2O_2$, induced the apoptosis of HUVEC through the activation of intrinsic caspases pathway as well as mitochondrial dysfunction. A significant increase in cell survival was observed in culture cells with oxidative stress when they were treated with Jihwangeumja. Conclusions : These results suggest that Jihwangeumja may be potentially useful to treat HUVEC against oxidative damages mediated by modulation of caspase protease and mitochondrial dysfunction.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.195-203
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• 2016

Copper is an essential element required for a variety of functions exerted by cuproproteins. An alteration of the copper level is associated with multiple pathological conditions including chronic ischemia, atherosclerosis and cancers. Therefore, copper homeostasis, maintained by a combination of two copper ions ($Cu^+$ and $Cu^{2+}$), is critical for health. However, less is known about which of the two copper ions is more toxic or functional in endothelial cells. Cubic-shaped $Cu_2O$ and CuO crystals were prepared to test the role of the two different ions, $Cu^+$ and $Cu^{2+}$, respectively. The $Cu_2O$ crystal was found to have an effect on cell death in endothelial cells whereas CuO had no effect. The $Cu_2O$ crystals appeared to induce p62 degradation, LC3 processing and an elevation of LC3 puncta, important processes for autophagy, but had no effect on apoptosis and necrosis. $Cu_2O$ crystals promote endothelial cell death via autophagy, elevate the level of reactive oxygen species such as superoxide and nitric oxide, and subsequently activate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) through superoxide rather than nitric oxide. Consistently, the AMPK inhibitor Compound C was found to inhibit $Cu_2O$-induced AMPK activation, p62 degradation, and LC3 processing. This study provides insight on the pathophysiologic function of $Cu^+$ ions in the vascular system, where $Cu^+$ induces autophagy while $Cu^{2+}$ has no detected effect.