• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.267-273
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• 2017

The p53-inducible gene 3 (PIG3), initially identified as a gene downstream of p53, plays an important role in the apoptotic process triggered by p53-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Recently, several studies have suggested that PIG3 may play a role in various types of cancer. However, the functional significance of PIG3 in cancer remains unclear. Here, we found that PIG3 was highly expressed in human colon cancer cell lines compared to normal colon-derived fibroblasts. Therefore, we attempted to elucidate the functional role of PIG3 in colon cancer. PIG3 overexpression increases the colony formation, migration and invasion ability of HCT116 colon cancer cells. Conversely, these tumorigenic abilities were significantly decreased in in vitro studies with PIG3 knockdown HCT116 cells. PIG3 knockdown also attenuated the growth of mouse xenograft tumors. These results demonstrate that PIG3 is associated with the tumorigenic potential of cancer cells, both in vitro and in vivo, and could play a key oncogenic role in colon cancer.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.10
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• pp.532-537
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• 2018

Prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$), a major product of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), plays an important role in the carcinogenesis of many solid tumors, including colorectal cancer. Because $PGE_2$ functions by signaling through $PGE_2$ receptors (EPs), which regulate tumor cell growth, invasion, and migration, there has been a growing amount of interest in the therapeutic potential of targeting EPs. In the present study, we investigated the role of EP4 on the effectiveness of cordycepin in inhibiting the migration and invasion of HCT116 human colorectal carcinoma cells. Our data indicate that cordycepin suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-enhanced cell migration and invasion through the inactivation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 as well as the down-regulation of COX-2 expression and $PGE_2$ production. These events were shown to be associated with the inactivation of EP4 and activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Moreover, the EP4 antagonist AH23848 prevented LPS-induced MMP-9 expression and cell invasion in HCT116 cells. However, the AMPK inhibitor, compound C, as well as AMPK knockdown via siRNA, attenuated the cordycepin-induced inhibition of EP4 expression. Cordycepin treatment also reduced the activation of CREB. These findings indicate that cordycepin suppresses the migration and invasion of HCT116 cells through modulating EP4 expression and the AMPK-CREB signaling pathway. Therefore, cordycepin has the potential to serve as a potent anti-cancer agent in therapeutic strategies against colorectal cancer metastasis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.8 s.88
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• pp.1063-1067
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• 2007

The Bcl-2 family proteins play critical roles in regulation of apoptosis, and the balanced interaction of pro- and anti-death members is a key factor in determining the cell fate. Noxa, a BH3-only Bcl-2-family member, has been originally identified as a target gene of p53. To understand the mechanism by which human Noxa (hNoxa) regulates the cell death, we screened the hNoxa binding partner using the yeast two hybrid screening and found that anti-death protein Mcl-1 binds to hNoxa. The binding of hNoxa to Mcl-1 was confirmed by immunoprecipitation in human colon cancer cell line HCT 116 cells. Mcl-1 significantly inhibited the hNoxa-induced cell death in HCT 116 cells. During the cell death induced by hNoxa, Mcl-1 protein was degraded. Its degradation was inhibited by z-VAD-fmk, a pancaspase inhibitor, suggesting caspase is responsible for Mcl-1 degradation in response to hNoxa. Together, the results indicate that hNoxa binds to Mcl-1 that is degraded by cas-pases during hNoxa-induced cell death.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.320-327
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• 2016

Columbianadin (CBN), a natural coumarin from Angelica decursiva (Umbelliferae), is known to have various biological activities including anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. In this study, the anti-proliferative mechanism of actions mediated by CBN was investigated in HCT-116 human colon cancer cells. CBN effectively suppressed the growth of colon cancer cells. Low concentration (up to $25{\mu}M$) of CBN induced apoptosis, and high concentration ($50{\mu}M$) of CBN induced necroptosis. The induction of apoptosis by CBN was correlated with the modulation of caspase-9, caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2, Bim and Bid, and the induction of necroptosis was related with RIP-3, and caspase-8. In addition, CBN induced the accumulation of ROS and imbalance in the intracellular antioxidant enzymes such as SOD-1, SOD-2, catalase and GPx-1. These findings demonstrate that CBN has the potential to be a candidate in the development of anti-cancer agent derived from natural products.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.482-488
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• 2016

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subset of tumor cells, which are characterized by resistance against chemotherapy and environmental stress, and are known to cause tumor relapse after therapy. A number of molecular mechanisms underlie the chemoresistance of CSCs, including high expression levels of drug efflux transporters. We investigated the role of the antioxidant transcription factor NF-E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) in chemoresistance development, using a CSC-enriched colonosphere system. HCT116 colonospheres were more resistant to doxorubicin-induced cell death and expressed higher levels of drug efflux transporters such as P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) compared to HCT116 monolayers. Notably, levels of NRF2 and expression of its target genes were substantially elevated in colonospheres, and these increases were linked to doxorubicin resistance. When NRF2 expression was silenced in colonospheres, Pgp and BCRP expression was downregulated, and doxorubicin resistance was diminished. Collectively, these results indicate that NRF2 activation contributes to chemoresistance acquisition in CSC-enriched colonospheres through the upregulation of drug efflux transporters.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.1168-1178
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• 2018

The present study aimed to characterise anti-oxidant peptides from water-soluble protein extracts of Hanwoo beef and evaluate their anti-proliferative effect on human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT116). Antioxidant peptides were purified from the low-molecular-weight fraction (<3 kDa) of Hanwoo beef extract. Antioxidant activity of peptide fractions was determined using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. Purified peptide (P3) displayed higher ORAC activity than the low-molecular-weight fraction ($202.66{\mu}M\;TE/g$ vs $167.38{\mu}M\;TE/g$ of dry matter, respectively) (p<0.05). The peptide sequence of P3 was Cys-Cys-Cys-Cys-Ser-Val-Gln-Lys (888.30 Da). The novel peptide P3, at $250{\mu}g/mL$, also significantly inhibited HCT116 cell proliferation up to 25.24% through phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, and p38 kinase (p<0.05). Hence, antioxidant peptide P3 from Hanwoo beef extract can be used as an antioxidative and anticancer agent in the functional food industry.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.102-108
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• 2018

Rubiae radix is root of Runia akane Nakai, it has been used to hemostasis and blood stasis in Korean and China. This study investigated that anti-oxidant and anti-colorectal cancer effect of ERA (ethanol extract of Rubiae radix) and WRA (water extract of Rubiae radix) using RAW 264.7 (murine macrophage from blood) and HCT-116 cells (human colorectal cancer cell line). ERA contained polyphenol ($45.77{\pm}2.03mg/g$) and flavonoid ($22.82{\pm}1.33mg/g$). $500{\mu}M$ $H_2O_2$-induced ROS generation was diminished by $500{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ ERA treatment in RAW 264.7 cells, but not WRA (125, 250, and $500{\mu}g/m{\ell}$). Moreover, caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation increased by $500{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ ERA treatment during apoptotic cell death in HCT-116. Results demonstrated that anti-cancer effect of ERA against human colorectal cancer cells is mediated apoptotic cell death and DNA fragmentation through caspase-3 activation. However, further study is required to what active ingredient of ERA are important for anti-oxidant and anti-colorectal cancer effect in vivo.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.9
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• pp.1248-1252
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• 2012

Potassium added with bamboo salt showed better antioxidative effects than bamboo salt, solar salt, or purified salt. It also showed inhibitory effects on the mutagenicity of MNNG (N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine) in a Salmonella Typhimurium TA100 tester strain. At concentrations of 1.25 and 2.5 mg/plate, potassium bamboo salt and bamboo salt showed weaker co-mutagenicity effects than either purified salt or solar salt, respectively. Anticancer effects of salts were evaluated using MTT assay in HCT-116 human colon carcinoma cells. At a 1% salt concentration, the growth inhibitory rate of potassium bamboo salt was 54%, higher than that of 1 time baked bamboo salt (36%). However, purified salt and solar salt showed relatively lower inhibitory effects of 19% and 23%, respectively. To determine the inhibitory mechanisms of potassium bamboo salt, the expression levels of Bax and Bcl-2 genes in HCT-116 cells were determined by RT-PCR. Potassium bamboo salt significantly increased Bax and decreased Bcl-2 expression levels unlike bamboo salt, purified salt, and solar salt (p<0.05). Therefore, addition of potassium to salt decreased co-mutagenicity and increased in vitro antioxidative and anticancer effects.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2023.04a
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• pp.50-50
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• 2023

Prostaglandin E2(PGE2), a major product of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), plays an important role in the carcinogenesis of many solid tumors, including colorectal cancer. Because PGE2 functions by signaling through PGE2 receptors (Eps), which regulate tumor cell growth, invasion, and migration, there has been a growing amount of interest in the therapeutic potential of targeting Eps. In the present study, we investigated the role of EP4 on the effectiveness of cordycepin in inhibititing the migration and invasion of HCT116 human colorectal carcinoma cells. Our data indicate that cordycepin suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-enhanced cell migration and invasion through the inactivation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-9 as well as the down-regulation of COX-2 expression and PGE2 production. These events were shown to be associated with the inactivation of EP4 and activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Moreover, the AMPK inhibitor, compound C, as well as AMPK knockdown via siRNA, attenuated the cordycepin-induced inhibition of EP4 expression. Cordycepin treatment also reduced the activation of CREB. These findings indicate that cordycepin suppresses the migration and invasion of HCT116 cells. Through modulating EP4 expression and the AMPK-CREB signaling pathway. Therefore, cordycepin has the potential to serve as a potent anti-cancer agent in therapeutic strategies against colorectal cancer metastasis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.207-212
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• 2013

In this paper, we investigated whether resveratrol could induce the expression of cysteine-rich angiogenic inducer 61 (CYR61), which is a member of the CCN families. We showed that resveratrol up-regulated CYR61 protein expression in three different human colorectal cancer cell lines. In addition, resveratrol induced CYR61 protein expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner in a HCT116 cell line. To investigate the relationship between various biological activities of resveratrol and CYR61 expression, HCT116 cells were incubated with several NSAIDs, antioxidants, or resveratrol. Interestingly, resveratrol only induced CYR61 protein expression. The expression of CYR61 was not related to the presence of p53. A promoter assay revealed that the 786-bp promoter region (-732/+54) contains a regulatory region and that indole-3-carbinol and 6-gingerol could not induce CYR61 expression. In conclusion, our results indicate up-regulation of CYR61 is extremely resveratrol specific. The results can help to shed light on the unique biological function of resveratrol.