• Toxicological Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.177-186
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• 1993

Previous results from several laboratories have demonstrated that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) depressed cytochrome P-450 (P-450)-dependent drug metabolism in vivo. However, there is some debate whether the action of TNFalpha is mediated by its direct effects on hepatocytes, or is indirectly mediated through the release of other mediators like IL-1 from macrophages. In the present studies, we investigated the effects of TNFalpha on P-450-dependent drug metabolizing enzyme as measured by 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.342-347
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• 2011

T cells play a key role in viral infection. However, in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, HCV-specific T cells are dysfunctional and impaired in the liver, which is the primary site for HCV replication. There are multiple potential mechanisms for HCV-specific T cell dysfunction including induction of immune inhibitory pathways (program death-1; PD-1, cytotoxic t lymphocyte associated antigen-4; CTLA-4) and immune tolerance induced specific for the liver. However, the interaction between hepatocytes and HCV-specific CD8 T cells has not clearly established. In this study, we confirmed huh (human hepatoma) 7.5 cells expressing HLA (human leukocyte antigen) A2 presented antigen to activate HCV-specific CD8 T cells in HLA A2-restricted manner and expression of PD-L (program death ligand) 1 on huh7.5 cells reduced HCV-specific CD8 T cell activation, suggesting an immune modulatory activity. Loss of HCV-specific tetramer responses following antigenic stimulation correlated with increased caspase-3 activity. In addition, PD-L1 on huh7.5 cells rescued HCV-specific CD8 T cells from apoptosis. Our results suggest that the interaction between PD-L1 and PD-1 can recover the function of HCV-specific CD8 T cells in the liver, which could be applied in therapy of HCV chronic infection.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.261-268
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• 1999

Lonicerae flos aqua-acupuncture solution (LFAS) and Lonicerae flos water-extracted solution (LFWS) were prepared and tested for chemopreventive potentials. Three biomarkers [quinone reductase (QR), ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), glutathione(GSH)] were used to test chemopreventive potential of LFAS. LFAS was potent inducer of QR activity in Hepa1c1c7 murine hepatoma cells, whereas LFWS is less potent. LFAS and LFWS were also induced QR activities in cultured human hepatoma Hep3B cells. The effect of LFAS and LFWS were tested on the growth of Acanthamoeba castellanii. Proliferation of Acanthamoeba castellanii was inhibited by LFAS and LFWS at concentrations of $0.1{\times},\;0.5{\times}\;1{\times},\;and\;3{\times}.$ In addition, GSH levels were increased about 2-fold with LFAS and 1.5-fold with LFWS in cultured murine hepa1c1c7 cells. LFAS and LFWS were also shown to increase GSH levels in human Hep3B cells. These results suggest that LFAS has chemopreventive potential by inducing QR activity, inhibition of ODC activity and increasing GSH levels.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1245-1252
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• 2004

Although ascorbate (vitamin C) has been shown to have anti-cancer actions, its effect on human hepatoma cells has not yet been investigated, and thus, the exact mechanism of this action is not fully understood. In this study, the mechanism by which ascorbate induces apoptosis using HepG2 human hepatoblastoma cells is investigated. Ascorbate induced apoptotic cell death in a dose-dependent manner in the cells, was assessed through flow cytometric analysis. Contrary to expectation, ascorbate did not alter the cellular redox status, and treatment with antioxidants (N-acetyl cysteine and N,N-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine) had no influence on the ascorbate-induced apoptosis. However, ascorbate induced a rapid and sustained increase in intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. EGTA, an extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ chelator did not significantly alter the ascorbate-induced intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ increase and apoptosis, whereas dantrolene, an intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release blocker, completely blocked these actions of ascorbate. In addition, phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitors (U-73122 and manoalide) significantly suppressed the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release and apoptosis induced by ascorbate. Collectively, these results suggest that ascorbate induced apoptosis without changes in the cellular redox status in HepG2 cells, and that the PLC-coupled intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release mechanism may mediate ascorbate-induced apoptosis.

• 대한약리학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.58-58
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• 2006

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.206.1-206
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• 2000

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.914-919
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• 2006

We investigated the catechin content in green tea leaf (GTL) and green tea seed (GTS), the antiproliferative and detoxifying phase II enzyme-inducing activities of the methanolic (80%, v/v) extracts from GTL and GTS. GTL and GTS contained $8,685{\pm}1,061$ and $108{\pm}32\;{\mu}g/g$ epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), $11,486{\pm}506$ and $116{\pm}72\;{\mu}g/g$ epigallocatechin (EGC), $3,535{\pm}308$ and $821{\pm}95\;{\mu}g/g$ epicatechin gallate (ECG), and $1,429{\pm}177$ and $37{\pm}44\;{\mu}g/g$ epicatechin (EC), respectively. The methanolic extract of GTS showed a greater increase in quinone reductase activity and antiproliferation potential against mouse hepatoma cells than GTL extract did. GTS treatment resulted in the accumulation at sub-G1 phase of mouse hepatoma hepa1c1c7 cells as assessed by flow cytometry. Enhancement of phase II enzyme activity by GTS extract was shown to be mediated, directly or indirectly, via interaction with the antioxidant response element (ARE) sequence in the genes encoding the phase enzymes. As the catechin content in GTS was significantly lower than that in GTL, components other than catechins appear to be responsible for the anticarcinogenic activity of the seed. In summary, these results suggest that the 80% methanolic extract of GTS deserves further study to evaluate its potential as an anticarcinogenic agent and to investigate its mechanism of action.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.442-450
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• 2013

The aim of this study was to determine and compare the preventive effect of Korean White Ginseng and Red Ginseng on oxidative stress in $H_2O_2$-treated HepG2 cells. The roots of ginseng were extracted with 70% methanol and partitioned with butanol to obtain saponin fractions, which have been known as bioactive constituents of ginseng. 2',7'-Dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) assay and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were measured for evaluating intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Also, mRNA expressions and activities of antioxidant enzymes were analyzed to determine the antioxidant activity of saponin or non-saponin fractions of ginsengs. According to DCF-DA assay, $H_2O_2$-induced MDA release and ROS generation were significantly reduced by treatment with saponin fractions of white and red ginseng roots. Also, saponin fractions increased effectively intracellular antioxidant enzyme activities including catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in $H_2O_2$-treated HepG2 hepatoma cells. In general, red ginseng was more effective than white ginseng for reducing oxidative stress. These results indicate that administration of red ginseng may certainly contribute relatively stronger than white ginseng to prevent from damaging liver function by oxidative stress.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.268-273
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• 2014

The induction of detoxification enzymes by benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) and its synthetic N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) conjugate (NAC-BITC) was examined in Hepa1c1c7 murine hepatoma cells. BITC and NAC-BITC inhibited Hepa1c1c7 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. Cell growth was 4.5~57.2% lower in Hepa1c1c7 cells treated with $0.1{\sim}1.0{\mu}M$ BITC than in control-treated Hepa1c1c7 cells. The NAC-BITC treatment had a similar inhibitory pattern on Hepa1c1c7 cell growth; $0.5{\mu}M$ and $10{\mu}M$ NAC-BITC decreased cell growth by 13.6% and 47.4%, respectively. Treatment of Hepa1c1c7 cells with $0.1{\sim}2.0{\mu}M$ BITC also elicited a dose-response effect on the induction of quinone reductase quinone reductase (QR) activity and QR mRNA expression. Treatment with $1{\mu}M$ and $2{\mu}M$ BITC caused 1.8- and 2.8-fold inductions of QR mRNA, respectively. By comparison, treatment with $1{\mu}M$ and $2{\mu}M$ NAC-BITC caused 1.6-and 1.9-fold inductions of QR mRNA, respectively. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 and CYP2E1 induction were lower in $0.1{\sim}2{\mu}M$ BITC-treated cells than in control-treated cells. CYP2E1 activity was 1.2-fold greater in $0.1{\mu}M$ NAC-BITC-treated cells than in control-treated cells. However, the CYP2E1 activity of cells treated with higher concentrations (i.e., $1{\sim}2{\mu}M$) of NAC-BITC was similar to the activity of control-treated cells. Considering the potential of isothiocyanatesto prevent cancer, these results provide support for the use of BITC and NAC-BITC conjugates as chemopreventive agents.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.3 s.70
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• pp.323-331
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• 2005

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of $\beta-lapachone$, a quinone obtained from the bark of the lapacho tree (Tabebuia avellanedae) in South America, on the cell growth of human hepatoma (HepG2) and bladder (T24) carcinoma cells. Exposure of cancer cells to $\beta-lapachone$ resulted in growth inhibition, morphological changes and apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner, which could be proved by MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analyses revealed that $\beta-lapachone$ did not affect the levels of tumor suppressor p53 and cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21 (WAFl/CIPl) expression. However, the transcriptional factor Sp-l and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) protein levels were significantly down-regulated by $\beta-lapachone$ in both cell lines. Moreover, $\beta-lapachone$ treatment caused a dose-dependent inhibition of the expression of telomere regulatory gene products such as human telomere reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and telomerase-associated protein-l (TEP-l). Taken together, these findings suggest that $\beta-lapachone$-induced inhibition of human hepatoma and bladder carcinoma cell proliferation is associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death via modulation of several major growth regulatory gene products, and provide important new insights into the additional mechanisms of the anti-cancer activity of $\beta-lapachone$.