• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.282-287
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• 2009

Ochnaflavone is a natural biflavonoid and mainly found in the caulis of Lonicera japonica (Caprifoliaceae). Biological activities such as anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic effects have been previously reported. The anticancer activity of ochnaflavone, however, has been poorly elucidated yet. In the present study, we investigated the effect of ochnaflavone on the growth inhibitory activity in cultured human colon cancer cell line HCT-15. Ochnaflavone inhibited the proliferation of the cancer cells with an $IC_{50}$ value of $4.1{\mu}M$. Flow cytometric analysis showed that ochnaflavone arrested cell cycle progression in the G2/M phase, and induced the increase of sub-G1 peak in a concentration-dependent manner. Induction of cell cycle arrest was correlated with the modulation of the expression of cell cycle regulating proteins including cdc2 (Tyr15), cyclin A, cyclin B1 and cyclin E. The increase of sub-G1 peak by the higher concentrations of ochnaflavone (over $20{\mu}M$) was closely related to the induction of apoptosis, which was evidenced by the induction of DNA fragmentation, activation of caspase-3, -8 and -9, and cleavage of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase. These findings suggest that the cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis might be one possible mechanism of actions for the anti-proliferative activity of ochnaflavone in human colon cancer cells.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Inonotus obliquus (I. obliquus, Chaga mushroom) has long been used as a folk medicine to treat cancer. In the present study, we examined whether or not ethanol extract of I. obliquus (EEIO) inhibits cell cycle progression in HT-29 human colon cancer cells, in addition to its mechanism of action. MATERIALS/METHODS: To examine the effects of Inonotus obliquus on the cell cycle progression and the molecular mechanism in colon cancer cells, HT-29 human colon cancer cells were cultured in the presence of $2.5-10{\mu}g/mL$ of EEIO, and analyzed the cell cycle arrest by flow cytometry and the cell cycle controlling protein expression by Western blotting. RESULTS: Treatment cells with $2.5-10{\mu}g/mL$ of EEIO reduced viable HT-29 cell numbers and DNA synthesis, increased the percentage of cells in $G_1$ phase, decreased protein expression of CDK2, CDK4, and cyclin D1, increased expression of p21, p27, and p53, and inhibited phosphorylation of Rb and E2F1 expression. Among I. obliquus fractions, fraction 2 (fractionated by dichloromethane from EEIO) showed the same effect as EEIO treatment on cell proliferation and cell cycle-related protein levels. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that fraction 2 is the major fraction that induces $G_1$ arrest and inhibits cell proliferation, suggesting I. obliquus could be used as a natural anti-cancer ingredient in the food and/or pharmaceutical industry.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.233-237
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• 2003

It has been known that ATM plays a central role in response of cells to ionizing radiation by enhancing DNA repair. We have investigated the feasibility of increasing radiosensitivity of tumor cells with the use of ATM inhibitors such as caffeine, pentoxifylline and wortmannin. Human colorectal cancer RKO.C cells and RKO-ATM cells (RKO cells overexpressing ATM) were used in the present study. The clonogenic cell survival in vitro indicated that RKO-ATM cells were markdely radioresistant than RKO.C cells. Treatment with 3 mM of caffeine significantly increased the radiosensitivity of cells, particulary the RKO-ATM cells, so that the radiosensitivity of RKO.C cells and RKO-ATM cells were almost similar. The radiation induced G2/M arrest in RKO-ATM cells was noticeably longer than that in RKO.C cells and caffeine treatment significantly reduced the length of the radiation induced G2/M arrest in both RKO.C and RKO-ATM cells. Pentoxifylline and wortmannin were also less effective than caffeine to radiosensitize RKO.C or RKO-ATM cells. However, wortmannin was more effective than caffeine against human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells indicating the efficacy of ATM inhibitor to increase radiosensitivity is cell line dependent. For in vivo study, RKO.C cells were injected s.c. into the hind-leg of BALB/C-nuslc nude mice, and allowed to grow to 130mm3 tumor. The mice were i.p. injected with caffeine solution or saline and the tumors irradiated with 10 Gy of X-rays. The radiation induced growth delay was markedly increased by 1-2 mg/g of caffeine. It was concluded that caffeine increases radiosensitivity of tumor cells by inhibiting ATM kinase function, thereby inhibiting DNA repair, that occurs during the G2/M arrest after radiation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.703-712
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• 2016

Monoclonal antibodies with specific antigens have been widely used as targeted therapy for cancer. Hep88 mAb is a monoclonal antibody which shows specific binding with anti-cancer effects against the HepG2 cell line. However, its mechanisms of action are still not completely understood. We examined cell cycling and apoptosis by flow cytometry and mRNA expression of factors involved in apoptosis and paraptosis in Hep88 mAb-treated HepG2 cells by real-time PCR. The cell-cycle analysis demonstrated that growth-inhibitory activity was associated with G2/M cell cycle arrest. Hep88 mAb induced a significant increase in apoptotic cell populations in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The mRNA expression results also suggested that the process triggered by Hep88 mAb involved up-regulation of tumor suppressor p53, pro-apoptotic Bax, Cathepsin B, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9, with a decrease of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 - thus confirming paraptosis and apoptosis programmed cell death. These findings represent new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-cancer properties of Hep88 mAb in liver cancer cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6369-6374
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• 2012

Vitexicarpin (3', 5-dihydroxy-3, 4', 6, 7-tetramethoxyflavone), a polymethoxyflavone isolated from Viticis Fructus (Vitex rotundifolia Linne fil.), has long been used as an anti-inflammatory herb in traditional Chinese medicine. It has also been reported that vitexicarpin can inhibit the growth of various cancer cells. However, there is no report elucidating its effect on human prostate carcinoma cells. The aim of the present study was to examine the apoptotic induction activity of vitexicarpin on PC-3 cells and molecular mechanisms involved. MTT studies showed that vitexicarpin dose-dependently inhibited growth of PC-3 cells with an $IC_{50}{\sim}28.8{\mu}M$. Hoechst 33258 staining further revealed that vitexicarpin induced apoptotic cell death. The effect of vitexicarpin on PC-3 cells apoptosis was tested using prodium iodide (PI)/Annexin V-FITC double staining and flow cytometry. The results indicated that vitexicarpin induction of apoptotic cell death in PC-3 cells was accompanied by cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. Furthermore, our study demonstrated that vitexicarpin induction of PC-3 cell apoptosis was associated with upregulation of the proapoptotic protein Bax, and downregulation of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, release of Cytochrome c from mitochondria and decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. Our findings suggested that vitexicarpin may become a potential leading drug in the therapy of prostate carcinoma.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.77-85
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• 2005

Cadmium is an environmental pollutant exposed from contaminated foods or cigarette smoking and known to cause oxidative damage in organs. We investigated the cadmium-induced apoptosis and cell arrest in human breast cancer cells, MCF-7 cells and MDA-MB-231 cells. Obvious apoptotic cell death was shown in CdCl₂ 100 μM treatment for 12 hr, which were determined by DAPI staining and flow cytometric analysis. In cell cycle analysis, MCF-7 cells and MDA-MB-231 cells were arrested in S phase and G2/M phase respectively. These could be explained by the induction of cell cycle inhibitory protein, p21/sup Waf1/Cip1/ and p27/sup Kip1/, expression and reduction of cyclin/Cdk complexes in both cell lines. The decreased expression of cyclin A and Cdk2 in MCF-7 cells and cyclin B1 and Cdc2 in MDA-MB-231 cells were consistent with the flow cytometric observation. p-ERK expression was increased dose-dependent manner in both cell lines. It suggests that ERK MAPK pathway are involved in cadmium-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, cotreatment of zinc (100 μM, 12 hr) recovered the cadmium-induced cell arrest in both cells, which shows cadmium-induced oxidative stress mediates apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in human breast cancer cells.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.12
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• pp.1679-1684
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• 2009

Opuntia humifusa, widely distributed in the southern regions of the Korean peninsula, is known to have bioactive functions and medicinal benefits for treating various diseases such as arteriosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, gastritis, and hyperglycemia. In this study total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of fruit and its anticarcinogenic effects on human breast cancer were investigated. As expected, O. humifusa showed high concentrations of total polyphenol as well as flavonoid as compared to other kinds of cactus. Effects of the water extracts of O. humifusa on the proliferation, G1 arrest and apoptosis of the MCF-7 human breast cancer cells were also examined using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assays, and G1 cycle arrest and apoptotic effect of O. humifusa were analyzed by flow cytometry. When MCF-7 cells were treated with different concentrations of hexane, ethyl acetate and water extracts of O. humifusa, water extracts of the fruit significantly decreased viable cell numbers in a concentration dependent manner. A G1 arrest in MCF-7 cells was induced as well. The overall results indicate that water extracts of fruit of O. humifusa would inhibit MCF-7 human breast cancer cell proliferation and induce G1 arrest.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.167-171
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• 2005

The anticancer and apoptotic effect of chloroform extract from 24 month-fermented doenjang were investigated in AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. The chloroform extract of 24 month-fermented doenjang inhibited the AGS gastric cancer cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. It has been confirmed by observing the cell distribution under inverted microscope. Approximately, 48 hour treatment of $100\;{\mu}g/mL$ doenjang extract inhibited AGS cancer cell growth by $76.7\%$, respectively. The growth inhibition may be caused by apoptosis of AGS cancer cells after 48 hour treatment of 24 month-fermented doenjang extract. It has been demonstrated by cell cycle arrest that revealed the shift from $G_2+M\;to\;G_0+G_1$ phase and the formation of apoptotic bodies. The fermentation period playa critical role in cell cycle arrest, in which 24 month-fermented doenjang extract was more effective than 12 month-fermented doenjang extract. The treatment of 24 month-fermented doenjang extract for 48 hours has induced intercellular Bax and decreased Bcl-2 level, indicating that it may regulate the expression level of Bax/Bcl-2 proteins. Thus, 24 month-fermented doenjang extract seems to have anticancer effect via cancer cell growth inhibition induced by apoptosis process.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.91-94
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• 2010

A number of epidemiological studies as well as biological experiments, showed that genistein, one of the isoflavone, prevents prostate cancer occurrence. In this study, we showed that genistein inhibited the cell proliferation of human promyeoltic leukemia HL-60 cells and induced G2/M phase arrest. In addition, combination of genistein treatment and ${\gamma}$-irradiation displayed synergistic effect in apoptotic cell death of HL-60 cells. This means that the repair of genistein-induced DNA damage was hindered by ${\gamma}$-radiation and thus cell death was increased. In conclusion, genistein is one of the important chemicals that sensitize radiation-induced cell death.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6481-6486
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• 2013

Background: Our previous study demonstrated cytotoxicity of a crude extract from Patrinia heterophylla Bunge (PHEB). In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of isovaltrate acetoxyhydrin (IA) isolated from PHEB on the gastric cancer cell SGC-7901, in order to explore a potential treatment for gastric cancer. Methods: MTT assays were employed to determine the effects of IA on cell vitality and proliferation, with monitoring of cell morphology changes and examination of apoptosis with Annexin V-PI staining. Flow cytometry was used to assess cell cycle progression and mitochondrial membrane potential. The activity of caspase 3, 9 was evaluated by spectrophotometry, and the protein levels of Bax, Bcl2 and Cyclin B1 were analyzed with Western blotting of total proteins extracted from cultured cells. Results: The results demonstrated direct toxicity of IA towards SGC-7901 cells. Evidence of apoptosis included blebbing and chromatin condensation. Annexin V-PI assays revealed early apoptosis, involving rapid depolarization of mitochondrial membranes and activity of caspase 3, 9 signaling pathways. Western blotting showed that Bcl2 and Bax proteins was down- and up-regulated, respectively, and cyclin B1 was up-regulated. Cell cycle analysis further indicated that IA could induce G2/M phase arrest in SGC-7901 cells. Conclusions: In conclusion, we believe that IA induces apoptosis of SGC-7901 cells, therefore providing a potential therapeutic agent for treatment of gastric cancer.