• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.1012-1018
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• 2014

Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai (Korean name, Jeju-Joritdae) is one of the most abundant plants on Mt. Halla, Jeju Island, and it has long been used in traditional medicines. Recent studies have reported it as possessing various beneficial functions, including anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertension, anti-gastritis, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer effects. However, the molecular mechanisms of its anti-cancer activity have not been clearly elucidated. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer effects and mechanism of S. quelpaertensis on human colon cancer HT-29 cells. Cell growth inhibition by S. quelpaertensis was determined by MTT assay. Apoptosis was performed by DNA fragmentation, flow cytometry with propidium iodide staining (PI), and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to confirm the anti-apoptotic factors, such as inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family members. $NO^{\bullet}$ production was determined by Griess assay. S. quelpaertensis treatment resulted in the time- and dose-dependent inhibition of the cell viability of HT-29 cells by inducing apoptosis, as evidenced by the accumulation of the sub-G1 cell population stained by PI, as well as the ladder-like DNA fragmentation in a dose-dependent manner. S. quelpaertensis-inducing apoptosis was accompanied by the induction of S cell cycle arrests, increasing $NO^{\bullet}$ concentrations, and the down-regulation of IAPs, including X-chromosome-linked IAP (XIAP), cellular IAP-1 (cIAP-1), cIAP-2, and survivin. Taken together, these findings have important implications for future clinical developments of S. quelpaertensis in colon cancer treatment.

• 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.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.260-264
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• 2007

Gleditsiae Semen (GS) has been used in both Korea and China as herbal medicine for the treatment of cephalalgia, catharsis, and other diseases. However, the apoptosis of GS against human cancer cells has not previously been investigated. The primary objective of this study was to determine the mechanisms inherent in GS-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis, using methanolic extract of GS (GSE) in HT-29 human colon carcinoma cells. We found that GSE induced cytotoxicity in HT-29 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and this effect was verified via a lactate dehydrogenase release assay and a colony formation assay. In particular, HT-29 cells showed extensive cell death when treated with $50\;{\mu}g/mL$ of GSE; the calculated $IC_{50}$ value was $20\;{\mu}g/mL$. It induced characteristic apoptotic signs in HT-29 cells, including chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation, occurring within 6-24 hr when the cells were treated at a concentration of $50\;{\mu}g/mL$. Interestingly, we detected the activation of caspase-3 and -9, but not caspase-8, and apoptotic bodies in GSE-treated HT-29 cells. Collectively, our results indicate that GSE induces apoptosis via a mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathway, and these findings may be significant with regard to the development of a new drug for the treatment of human colon carcinoma cells.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1253-1257
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• 2004

6-Methoxydihydrosanguinarine (6ME), a benzophenanthridine alkaloid derived from the methanol extracts of Hylomecon hylomeconoides, showed a dose-dependent effect at 1-10 ${\mu}M$ on causing apoptotic cell death in HT29 colon carcinoma cells $(IC_{50} = 5.0{\pm}0.2 {\mu}M)$. Treatment of HT-29 cells with 6ME resulted in the formation of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Treatment of the cells with 6ME caused activation of caspase-3, -8 and 9 protease and subsequent proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase. 6ME increased the expression of p53 and Bax and decreased the expression of Bid. These results indicate that p53 and proapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins might participate in the antiproliferative activity of 6ME in HT29 cells.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.11
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• pp.750-755
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• 2010

Crude Orostachys japonicus polysaccharide extract (OJP) was prepared by hot steam extraction. Polysaccharides (OJPI) were separated from OJP by gel filtration chromatography and phenol-sulfuric acid assay. The average molecular weight of the OJPI was 30-50 kDa. The anti-proliferative effect of OJPI on HT-29 human colon cancer cells was investigated via morphology study, cell viability assay, apoptosis assay, cell cycle analysis, and cDNA microarray. OJPI inhibited proliferation and growth of HT29 cells and also stimulated apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In cell cycle analysis, treatment with OJPI resulted in a marked increase of cells in the G0 (sub G1) and G2/M phases. To screen for genes involved in the induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, the gene expression profiles of HT-29 cells treated with OJPI were examined by cDNA microarray, revealing that a number of genes were up- or down-regulated by OJPI. Whereas several genes involved in anti-apoptosis, cell proliferation and growth, and cell cycle regulation were down-regulated, expression levels of several genes involved in apoptosis, tumor suppression, and other signal transduction events were up-regulated. These results suggest that OJPI inhibits the growth of HT-29 human colon cancer cells by various apoptosis-aiding activities as well as apoptosis itself. Therefore, OJPI deserve further development as an effective agent exhibiting anticancer activity.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.84-88
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• 2007

In this study, we investigated antimutagenic and anticancer activities of leaf mustard (LM, Brassica juncea) and leaf mustard kimchi (LMK) during their fermentation period. Methanol extracts were prepared from raw mustard, brined leaf mustard in 10% Gueun salt solution for 2 hrs, leaf mustard fermented at 15$^{\circ}C$ for 5 days after brined in 10% Guenun salt solution for 2 hrs (Fr-LM), fresh leaf mustard kimchi (Fresh-LMK) and optimally ripened leaf mustard kimchi fermented at 5$^{\circ}C$ for 30 days (OR-LMK). OR-LMK showed the strongest inhibitory activities against the mutagenicities induced by aflatoxin B1 in Salmonella Typhimurium TA100. LMs and LMKs inhibited the survival or growth of AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells and HT-29 human colon carcinoma cells in MTT assay and growth inhibition test. Among the extracts, OR-LMK and FR-LM exhibited strong antiproliferative effect against cancer cells, especially HT-29 cells. DAPI staining assay showed that OR-LMK induced apoptosis cell death of HT-29 cells in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that leaf mustards and leaf mustard kimchi have chemopreventive activities.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.359-368
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• 2022

In this study, the quality characteristics of kimchi, such as its salinity, pH, and acidity, were measured and compared, and the HT-29 human colon cancer cells were used to show the anticancer effects of kimchi. The kimchi samples used herein included standard kimchi (SK), turnip kimchi (TK), and turnip-powder-added kimchi (TPK). The measured pH and acidity of TK and TPK showed no significant differences with those of SK. Compared to SK and TK, TPK had higher DPPH scavenging activity and higher total flavonoid content, confirming its antioxidant activity. The cancer cell growth inhibition rates of TK and TPK were significantly higher than that of SK. In HT-29 cells treated with TPK, the mRNA expression of Bcl-xL, an anti-apoptosis-related gene, was lower, and the mRNA expressions of the apoptosis-related genes Bax, Bad, and caspase-9 were higher. TPK showed significantly higher levels of mRNA expressions for the cell-cycle-related genes p53 and p21 than the other samples, in addition to suppression effects on cancer cell proliferation. Compared to SK, TK and TPK suppressed the growth of colon cancer cells and showed higher anticancer effects. Therefore, it is shown that kimchi with added turnip powder had high anticancer effects.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.338-346
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• 2015

This study was performed to elucidate the anti-proliferative and apoptotic mechanism of flavonoids in HT-29 human colon cancer cells. We investigated the anti-proliferative activity of flavonoids in HT-29 human colon cancer cells via cell viability assay (MTT assay), caspase-3 activity, RT-PCR, and western blotting. We cultured HT-29 cells in the presence of various flavonoids (apigenin, rutin, naringenin, and myricetin) at a concentration of $100{\mu}M$. In the MTT assay, naringenin showed the strongest effect on cell viability in HT-29 colon cancer cells. Caspase-3 activity, a marker of apoptosis, significantly increased upon naringenin treatment. For RT-PCR, myricetin significantly increased Bax protein levels, naringenin increased p53 protein levels, and rutin reduced expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. Western blotting of HT-29 colon cancer cells showed that myricetin increased cleaved caspase-3 protein levels, naringenin significantly increased poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase protein levels, and rutin increased E-cadherin protein levels. These results indicate that flavonoid exerts anticancer effects on human colon HT-29 cells through a caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.2569-2574
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• 2015

Necroptosis, also known as "programmed necrosis", has emerged as a critical factor in a variety of pathological and physiological processes and is considered a cell type-specific tightly regulated process with mechanisms that may vary rather greatly due to the change of cell line. Here we used HT-29, a human colon cancer cell line, to establish a necroptosis model and elucidate associated mechanisms. We discovered that cobalt chloride, a reagent that could induce hypoxia-inducible $factor-1{\alpha}(HIF1{\alpha})$ expression and therefore mimic the hypoxic microenvironment of tumor tissue in some aspects induces necroptosis in HT-29 cells when caspase activity is compromised. On the other hand, apoptosis appears to be the predominant death form when caspases are functioning normally. HT-29 cells demonstrated significantly increased RIPK1, RIPK3 and MLKL expression in response to cobalt chloride plus z-VAD treatment, which was accompanied by drastically increased $IL1{\alpha}$ and IL6 expression, substantiating the notion that necrosis can induce profound immune reactions. The RIPK1 kinase inhibitor necrostatin-1 and the ROS scavenger NAC each could prevent necrosis in HT-29 cells and the efficiency was enhanced by combined treatment. Thus by building up a necroptosis model in human colon cancer cells, we uncovered that mechanically RIP kinases collaborate with ROS during necrosis promoted by cobalt chloride plus z-VAD, which leads to inflammation. Necroptosis may present a new target for therapeutic intervention in cancer cells that are resistant to apoptotic cell death.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.184-188
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• 2009

Fluorouracil (5-FU) is one of the most widely used chemotherapeutic drugs in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer patients. Capsaicin (N-vanillyl-8-methyl-alpha-nonenamide), a spicy component of hot pepper, is a homovanillic acid derivative that preferentially induces cancer cells to undergo apoptosis. The purpose of the present study is to examine whether capsaicin enhances the anticancer effect of 5-fluorouracil in HT-29 human colon cancer cells by inducing apoptosis, and whether PPARgamma is involved in the capsaicin action in combination treatment with 5-FU. Treatment of the cells with either 5-FU or capsaicin alone for 48 h had little effect on the cell viability up to $50{\mu}M$ concentration, whereas co-treatment of the cells with capsaicin in the presence of 5-FU for 48 h significantly decreased the cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, caspase-3 activity, a marker enzyme for apoptosis, was significantly increased by the combined treatment with 5-FU and capsaicin compared to the 5-FU or capsaicin alone treatment. Also, treatment with troglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ($PPAR{\gamma}$) agonist, further enhanced the effect of the combination treatment on the cell viability and caspase-3 activity, and bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE), a $PPAR{\gamma}$ antagonist, blocked the effect of the combination treatment. These results suggest that the combination treatment of HT-29 cells with 5-FU and capsaicin induces apoptotic cell death at relatively low concentration than each drug alone, and the combination treatment may be associated with the $PPAR{\gamma}$ pathway activation.