• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.499-503
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• 2012

The present study was based on the unexpected discovery that norcantharidin exerted anti-angiogenesis activity when effects on growth of human colon cancer were studied. The aim was to further verify this finding and explore possible mechanisms using a tumor xenograft model in nude mice. We confirmed that norcantharidin (5 or 15 mg/kg) could inhibit angiogenesis of human colon cancer in vivo. In vitro, crossing river assay, cell adhesion assay and tube formation assay indicated that NCTD could reduce the migration, adhesion and vascular network tube formation ability of HUVECs. At the same time, the expression levels of VEGF and VEGFR-2 proteins which play important roles in angiogenesis were reduced as examined by western blotting analysis. Taken together, the results firstly showed NCTD could inhibit angiogenesis of human colon cancer in vivo, probably associated with effects on migration, adhesion and vascular network tube formation of HUVECs and expression levels of VEGF and VEGFR-2 proteins.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.8
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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.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.97-104
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• 2006

Endostatin is a tumor-derived angiogenesis inhibitor, and the endogenous 20 kDa carboxyl-terminal fragment of collagen XVIII. In addition to inhibiting angiogenesis, endostatin inhibits tumor growth and the induction of apoptosis in several endothelial cell types. However, the mechanisms that regulate endostatin-induced apoptotic cell death are unclear. Here, we investigated apoptotic cell death and the underlying regulatory mechanisms elicited of endostatin in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Endostatin was found to induce typical apoptotic features, such as, chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation in these cells. Thus, as the phosphoinositide 3-OH kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB) signaling pathway has been shown to prevent apoptosis in various cell types, we investigated whether this pathway could protect cells against endostatin induced apoptosis. It was found that the inhibition of PI3K/PKB significantly increased endostatin-induced apoptosis, and that endostatin-induced cell death is physiologically linked to PKB-mediated cell survival through caspase-8.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.244-251
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• 2003

Plant nutrients are believed to provide protection against various diseases including inflammation. Since interactions of the cell adhesion molecules are known to play important roles in mediating inflammation, inhibiting adhesion protein upregulation is a possible therapeutic target. In this study, the interacellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) was induced in human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs) after stimulation with $TNF-{\alpha}$. In addition, alginate, ascorbic acid and allicin were demonstrated to inhibit the $TNF-{\alpha}$ induced expression of ICAM-1 on the HUVECs in a dose-dependent manner. These compounds also inhibited the production of NO and $H_2O_2$ induced by $TNF-{\alpha}$, which suggests that the inhibition of ICAM-1 expression by the three compounds may be due to the modulated production of the reactive oxygen/nitrogen components. Overall, these results indicate that these dietary components have a therapeutic potential in the treatment of various inflammatory disorders associated with an increase in endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecules.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.160-164
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• 2019

Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), Tannerella forsythia (Tf), Prevotella intermedia (Pi), and Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) are major periodontal pathogens. Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) from periodontal bacteria play an important role in periodontal pathogenesis by stimulating host cells to produce inflammatory cytokines. In this study, highly pure LPSs from the five major periodontopathogens were prepared, and their monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-inducing activities were compared in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and THP-1 macrophagic cells, respectively. In HUVECs, LPSs from Aa and Fn were potent stimulators for MCP-1 induction; however, LPSs from Pg, Pi, and Tf were much weaker MCP-1 inducers. In THP-1 cells, LPSs from Pg, Aa, and Fn were relatively strong inducers of TNF-α, whereas LPSs from Pi and Tf produced little activity. The Toll-like receptor (TLR)2/TLR4 dependency of various LPSs was also determined by measuring NF-κB reporter activity in TLR2- or TLR4-expressing 293 cells. LPSs from Aa, Fn, and Tf stimulated only TLR4; however, LPSs from Pg and Pi stimulated both TLR2 and TLR4. These results suggest that LPSs from major periodontal bacteria differ considerably in their cell-stimulating activity.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.406-411
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• 2005

Fermented materials with enterobacteria isolated from fusiform fish, have strong anti-angiogenesis effect and anti-cell adhesion effect. PLM-f74 got from 74th fraction of size exclusion chromatography from fermented material, showed strong anti-cell adhesion effect between HUVECs and U937 monocytic cell. Adhesion of U937 cell to HUVEC stimulated with IL-1b was clearly inhibited by PLM-f74 in a dose-dependent manner by 12.1, 21.2, 50.9, and 78.2%, when U937 cells treated with each of the PLM-f74 and stimulated with PMA (100 mg/L) was added onto untreated and unstimulated HUVECs, adhesion was observed by 15.8, 31.9, 70.8, and 102%, when both cell types were pretreated with PLM-f74, the adhesion was prominently decreased by 83.7, 99.2, 110, and 120.8%, with 0.74, 3.7, 7.4, and 18.5ug/mL of PLM-f74, respectively. PLM-f74, also, reduced IL-1-stimulated HUVEC expression of adhesion molecules, VCAM-1, ICAM-1, and E-selectin dose-dependently by ELISA method.

• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.10
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• pp.484-489
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• 2013

Piperlonguminine (PL), an important component of Piper longum fruits, is known to exhibit anti-hyperlipidemic, antiplatelet and anti-melanogenic activities. Here, the anticoagulant activities of PL were examined by monitoring activated-partial-thromboplastin-time (aPTT), prothrombin-time (PT), and the activities of thrombin and activated factor X (FXa). The effects of PL on the expressions of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) were also tested in tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) activated HUVECs. The results showed that PL prolonged aPTT and PT significantly and inhibited the activities of thrombin and FXa. PL inhibited the generation of thrombin and FXa in HUVECs. In accordance with these anticoagulant activities, PL prolonged in vivo bleeding time and inhibited TNF-${\alpha}$ induced PAI-1 production. Furthermore, PAI-1/t-PA ratio was significantly decreased by PL. Collectively, our results suggest that PL possesses antithrombotic activities and that the current study could provide bases for the development of new anticoagulant agents.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.872-882
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• 2009

Sachil-Tang (SCT) has been traditionally used as a prescription of spasm of the esophagus by stress, pectoralgia and oppressive feeling of the chest in Oriental medicine. This study was carried out to investigate the antioxidant activities of the ethanol extract of SCT and its inhibitory effect on intracellular oxidation and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) using various methods. The SCT extract showed a strong inhibitory effect on free radical generating model systems, including DPPH radical, superoxide anions, hydroxyl radical, peroxynirite and nitric oxide. Besides, the SCT extract exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation in rat liver homogenate induced by $FeCl_2$-ascorbic acid, and protected plasmid DNA against the strand breakage in a Fenton's reaction system. The SCT extract also inhibited copper-mediated oxidation of human low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and repressed relative electrophoretic mobility of LDL. Furthermore, the SCT extract protected intracellular oxidation induced by various free radical generators and inhibited expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in HUVECs. These results suggest that SCT can be an effective natural antioxidant and a possible medicine of atherosclerosis.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.397-401
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• 2001

In the search for new naturally occurring angiogenic inhibitory we found that culture broths from two unidentified fungal strains exerted potent inhibitory activities on capillary-like tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in vitro. Two active compounds were isolated by bioassay-guided separation and their structures were identified as gliotoxin (1) and its derivative methylthiogliotoxin (2) by spectroscopic analyses. These compounds significantly inhibited the migration of HUVEC assessed by in vitro wounding migration assay and exhibited at least 10 times more potent inhibition of proliferation of HUVECs as compared with that of cancer cell lines such as HeLa, MCF-7, and KB 3-1 cells. Especially, gliotoxin having disulfide group exerted more potent activities than methylthiogliotoxin, suggesting that gliotoxin could be a useful compound for further study as an anti-angiogenic agent.

• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.323-328
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• 2017

Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) is a major phospholipid component of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and is implicated in its atherogenic activity. This study investigated the effects of LPC on cell viability, intracellular calcium homeostasis, and the protective mechanisms of chlorogenic acid (CGA) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). LPC increased intracellular calcium ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) by releasing $Ca^{2+}$ from intracellular stores and via $Ca^{2+}$ influx through store-operated channels (SOCs). LPC also increased the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased cell viability. The mRNA expression of Transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channel 1 was increased significantly by LPC treatment and suppressed by CGA. CGA inhibited LPC-induced $Ca^{2+}$ influx and ROS generation, and restored cell viability. These results suggested that CGA inhibits SOC-mediated $Ca^{2+}$ influx and ROS generation by attenuating TRPC1 expression in LPC-treated HUVECs. Therefore, CGA might protect endothelial cells against LPC injury, thereby inhibiting atherosclerosis.