• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.19-27
• /
• 2004

Objective: This study was to examine the in vitro neural cell differentiation patterns of human embryonic stem (hES) cells following treatment of various neurotrophic factors [basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), retinoic acid (RA), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-$\alpha$], particulary in dopaminergic neuron formation. Methods: The hES cells were induced to differentiate by bFGF and RA. Group I) In bFGF induction method, embryoid bodies (EBs, for 4 days) derived from hES were plated onto gelatin dish, selected for 8 days in ITSFn medium and expanded at the presence of bFGF (10 ng/ml) for another 6 days followed by a final differentiation in N2 medium for 7, 14 and 21 days. Group II) For RA induction, EBs were exposed of RA ($10^{-6}M$) for 4 days and allowed to differentiate in N2 medium for 7, 14 and 21 days. Group III) To examine the effects of additional neurotrophic factors, bFGF or RA induced cells were exposed to either BDNF (10 ng/ml) or TGF-$\alpha$ (10 ng/ml) during the 21 days of final differentiation. Neuron differentiation and dopamine secretion were examined by indirect immunocytochemistry and HPLC, respectively. Results: The bFGF or RA treated hES cells were resulted in similar neural cell differentiation patterns at the terminal differentiation stage, specifically, 75% neurons and 11% glial cells. Additionally, treatment of hES cells with BDNF or TGF-$\alpha$ during the terminal differentiation stage led to significantly increased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression of a dopaminergic neuron marker, compared to control (p<0.05). In contrast, no effect was observed on the rate of mature neuron (NF-200) or glutamic acid decarboxylase-positive neurons. Immunocytochemistry and HPLC analyses revealed the higher levels of TH expression (20.3%) and dopamine secretion (265.5 $\pm$ 62.8 pmol/mg) in bFGF and TGF-sequentially treated hES cells than those in $\alpha$ RA or BDNF treated hES cells. Conclusion: These results indicate that the generation of dopamine secretory neurons from in vitro differentiated hES cells can be improved by TGF-$\alpha$ addition in the bFGF induction protocol.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.117-127
• /
• 2002

Objective: This study was to investigate the generation of the functional neuron derived from human embryonic stem (hES, MB03) cells on in vitro neural cell differentiation system. Methods: For neural progenitor cell formation derived from hES cells, we produced embryoid bodies (EB: for 5 days, without mitogen) from hES cells and then neurospheres (for $7{\sim}10$ days, 20 ng/ml of bFGF added N2 medium) from EB. And then finally for the differentiation into mature neuron, neural progenitor cells were cultured in i) N2 medium only (without bFGF), ii) N2 supplemented with 20 ng/ml platelet derived growth factor-bb (PDGF-bb) or iii) N2 supplemented with 5 ng/ml brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) for 2 weeks. Identification of neural cell differentiation was carried out by immunocytochemistry using $\beta_{III}$-tubulin (1:250), MAP-2 (1:100) and GFAP (1:500). Also, generation of functional neuron was identified using anti-glutamate (Sigma, 1:1000), anti-GABA (Sigma, 1:1000), anti-serotonin (Sigma, 1:1000) and anti-tyrosine hydroxylase (Sigma, 1:1000). Results: In vitro neural cell differentiation, neurotrophic factors (PDGF and BDNF) treated cell groups were high expressed MAP-2 and GFAP than non-treated cell group. The highest expression pattern of MAP-2 and $\beta_{III}$-tubulin was indicated in BDNF treated group. Also, in the presence of PDGF-bb or BDNF, most of the neural cells derived from hES cells were differentiated into glutamate and GABA neuron in vitro. Furthermore, we confirmed that there were a few serotonin and tyrosine hydroxylase positive neuron in the same culture environment. Conclusion: This results suggested that the generation of functional neuron derived from hES cells was increased by addition of neurotrophic factors such as PDGF-bb or BDNF in b-FGF induced neural cell differentiation system and especially glutamate and GABA neurons were mainly produced in the system.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.391-395
• /
• 2004

The demand for the production of gene-defective mice from embryonic stem (ES) cells is increasing to clarify decisive gene function in vivo. Although blastocyst injection is widely used to generate ES cell-mediated knockout mice, coculture method has been alternatively used because of several advantages, such as low cost and simple procedure. Thus, this experiment was designed to demonstrate the feasibility of the coculture method using J1 ES cells, which are known to be efficient for blastocyst injection. Eight-cell embryos were harvested from 2.5 days post-coitum (dpc), denuded with acid tyrode's solution, and transferred onto trypsinized J1 ES cells. Aggregation was carried out following two typical methods, which are simple coculture method and aggregation in groove prepared by aggregation needle. Successfully aggregated-embryos were developed to blastocysts for 24 h and transferred into uterus of pseudo-pregnant foster mother. Chimeric offspring was judged by coat pigmentation. In this study, we could obtain chimeric mice from all the two aggregation methods, but the chimera production efficiencies in coculture using groove were three times higher at least than those in the other group. In conclusion, these observations suggest that coculture method should be available for production of knockout mice from J1 ES cells. Presently, the germ-line transmission rates of the chimeras produced from the two methods are under investigation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.9
• /
• pp.4223-4231
• /
• 2016

Background: Development of new apoptosis-inducing drugs is a promising trend in anticancer therapy. For this purpose several formamidinoderivatives of doxorubicin were synthesized. The aim of our study was to investigate effects of the five formamidinodoxorubicins in the ES-2 human ovarian clear cell carcinoma line, for comparison with data obtained previously for SKOV-3 human ovarian adenocarcinoma cells, to answer the question of whether and to what extent the histological cell type is a possible determinant of sensitivity to tested anthracyclines. Materials and Methods: In our experimental work the following methods were used: spectrophotometric assays with MTT; fluorimetric assays - double staining with Hoechst 33258 and propidium iodide (PI), measurement of caspase-3, -8, -9 activity, intracellular accumulation of DOX and analogues, estimation of drug uptake, mitochondrial transmembrane potential; flow cytometry - phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization with annexin V-FITC and PI fluorochromes. Results: Effects of the derivatives of doxorubicin were partially linked with the specific type of cancer cell although intracellular accumulation and cellular uptake of DOX and derivatives were similar in both. All of the investigated derivatives were considerably more cytotoxic than DOX. Formamidinodoxorubicins were able to induce caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death in both cell types. Conclusions: All new formamidine derivatives of DOX were able to induce caspase - dependent apoptosis in human ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV-3 and ES-2. Obtained results suggested that formamidine derivatives of DOX may be promising candidates for the prospective chemotherapeutic agents for the two different histological subtypes of ovarian cancer.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2004.11a
• /
• pp.67-68
• /
• 2004

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.186-191
• /
• 2009

Eriocaulon sieboldianum (ES) is used in traditional oriental medicine for various medicinal purposes including headache, toothache, and inflammation. However, the anti-cancer effect of the ES is still not fully understood. In the present study, the human leukemia cell line HL-60 was used to characterize the apoptotic effects of ES. ES induced cytotoxicity of HL-60 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. ES induced the generation of reactive oxygen species, and the release of cytochrome c in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, we showed that ES-induced apoptosis was accompanied by activation of caspase-3. Taken together, our results demonstrate that ES possesses anti-cancer activity in HL-60 cells.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.171-178
• /
• 2006

Objective: Human embryonic stem (ES) cells have a great potential in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. The human ES cells could be differentiated into specific cell types by treatments of growth factors and alterations of gene expressions. However, the efficacy of guided differentiation and isolation of specific cells are still low. In this study, we characterized isolated cells from differentiated human ES cells by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) system using specific antibodies to cell surface markers. Methods: The undifferentiated hES cells (Miz-hESC4) were sub-cultured by mechanical isolation of colonies and embryoid bodies were spontaneously differentiated with DMEM containing 10% FBS for 2 weeks. The differentiated cells were isolated to positive and negative cells with MACS system using CD34, human epithelial antigen (HEA) and human fibroblast (HFB) antibodies, respectively. Observation of morphological changes and analysis of marker genes expression were performed during further culture of MACS isolated cells for 4 weeks. Results: Morphology of the CD34 positive cells was firstly round, and then it was changed to small polygonal shape after further culture. The HEA positive cells showed large polygonal, and the HFB positive spindle shape. In RT-PCR analysis of marker genes, the CD34 and HFB positive cells expressed endodermal and mesodermal genes, and HEA positive cells expressed ectodermal genes such as NESTIN and NF68KD. The marker genes expression pattern of CD34 positive cells changed during the extension of culture time. Conclusion: Our results showed the possibility of successful isolation of specific cells by MACS system from undirected differentiated human ES cells. Thus, MACS system and marker antibodies for specific cell types might be useful for guided differentiation and isolation of specific cells from human ES cells.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.237-242
• /
• 2002

It was found that the purified extract from A. gigas Nakai (polysaccharide, M.W., 25 kD) controled differentiating human ES cells. Its optimal supplementation concentration was decided as 0.8 $({\mu}g/ml)$ to efficiently control the differentiation. It also enhanced the cell growth, compared to the control. However, most widely used and commercially available differentiating agent, Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) negatively affected on the cell growth even though it controls the differentiation of ES cells, down to 40-50 % based on morphological observation and telomerase activity. It was presumed that the extract first affected on cell membrane and resulted in controlling signal system, then amplify gene expression of telomere, which enhanced the telomerase activity up to three times compared to the control. LIF only increased the enzyme activity up to two times. It was confirmed that the extract from A. gigas Nakai could be used for substituting currently used differentiation controlling agent, LIF from animal resources as a cheap plant resource and not affecting the cell growth. It can broaden the application of the plants not only to functional foods and their substitutes but also to fine chemicals and most cutting-edge biopharmaceutical medicine.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.25-33
• /
• 2006

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether embryonic stem (ES) cells can be established from isolated blastomeres of mouse embryos. Methods: Blastomeres were separated from mouse (C57Bl/6J) 2- or 4-cell embryos. Isolated blastomeres or whole 4-cell embryos were co-cultured with mitosis-arrested STO feeder cells in DMEM supplemented with recombinant murine leukemia inhibitory factor and ES-qualified fetal bovine serum. After the tentative ES cell lines were maintained from isolated blastomeres or whole embryos, some of them were frozen and the others were sub-cultured continually. Characteristics of tentative ES cell lines as were evaluated for specific genes expressions with immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR. Results: One ES cell line (3.0%) was established from isolated blastomere of 2-cell embryo and one cell line (4.0%) from isolated two blastomeres of 4-cell embryo. And five cell lines (16.7%) were established from whole 4-cell embryos. Both cell lines from isolated blastomere and whole embryo expressed mouse ES cell specific markers such as SSEA-1, Oct-4 and alkaline phosphatase. Marker genes of three germ layers were expressed from embryoid bodies of both cell lines. Conclusion: This study suggests that mouse ES cells could be established from isolated blastomeres, although the efficiency is lower than whole embryos. This animal model could be applied to establishment of autologous human ES cells from biopsied blastomeres of preimplantation embryos in human IVF-ET program.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
• /
• 2004.06a
• /
• pp.272-272
• /
• 2004

The objective of this study is to test whether human embryonic stem cells expressing Nurr1 (Nurr1-transfected hES cells) could be expressed TH according to neuronal differentiation. As an effort to direct differentiation of hES (MB03 registered in NIH) cells to dopamine-producing neuronal cells, Nurr1 was transfected using conventional transfection protocol into MB03 cell and examined the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) after differentiation induced by retinoic acid (RA) and ascorbic acid (AA). (omitted)