• Journal of The Korean Dental Society of Anesthesiology
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.41-47
• /
• 2014

Background: Autophagy is a self-eating process that is important for balancing sources of energy at critical times in development and in response stress. Autophagy also plays a protective role in removing clearing damaged intracellular organelles and aggregated proteins as well as eliminating intracellular pathogens. The purpose of the present study was to examine the protective effect of propofol against hypoxic damage using keratinocytes. Methods: Human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection. Propofol which were made by dissolving them in DMSO were kept frozen at $-4^{\circ}C$ until use. The stock was diluted to their concentration with DMEM when needed. Prior to propofol treatment cells were grown to about 80% confluence and then exposed to propofol at different concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75, $100{\mu}M$) for 2 h pretreatment. Cell viability was measured using a quantitative colorimetric assay with thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT assay), and fluorescence microscopy and western blot analysis were used for evaluation of autophagy processes. Results: The viability of propofol-treated HaCaT cells was increased in a dose-dependent manner. Propofol did not show any significant toxic effect on the HaCaT cells. The autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine, reduced cell viability of hypoxia-injured HaCat cells. Fluorescence microscopy and western blot analysis showed propofol induce autophagy pathway signals. Conclusions: Propofol enhanced viability of hypoxia-injured HaCaT cells and we suggest propofol has cellular protective effects by autophagy signal pathway activation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.1037-1047
• /
• 2016

HOX transcription factors are evolutionarily conserved in many different species and are involved in important cellular processes such as morphogenesis, differentiation, and proliferation. They have also recently been implicated in carcinogenesis, but their precise role in cancer, especially in cervical cancer (CC), remains unclear. In this work, using microarray assays followed by the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), we found that the expression of 25 HOX genes was downregulated in CC derived cell lines compared with non-tumorigenic keratinocytes. In particular, the expression of HOXA9 was observed as down-modulated in CC-derived cell lines. The expression of HOXA9 has not been previously reported in CC, or in normal keratinocytes of the cervix. We found that normal CC from women without cervical lesions express HOXA9; in contrast, CC cell lines and samples of biopsies from women with CC showed significantly diminished HOXA9 expression. Furthermore, we found that methylation at the first exon of HOXA9 could play an important role in modulating the expression of this gene. Exogenous restoration of HOXA9 expression in CC cell lines decreased cell proliferation and migration, and induced an epithelial-like phenotype. Interestingly, the silencing of human papilloma virus (HPV) E6 and E7 oncogenes induced expression of HOXA9. In conclusion, controlling HOXA9 expression appears to be a necessary step during CC development. Further studies are needed to delineate the role of HOXA9 during malignant progression and to afford more insights into the relationship between downmodulation of HOXA9 and viral HPV oncoprotein expression during cercical cancer development.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.385-392
• /
• 2009

Purpose: In the partial thickness burn management, despite of several advantages, the use of human amniotic membrane has been limited. The authors applied dried bovine amniotic membrane(DBAM) to overcome disadvantages of amniotic membrane for partial thickness burn and compared the effectiveness with cultured allogenic keratinocytes(CAK) that have been recently used for the management of burn. Methods: 16 patients with partial thickness burn, the mean age of 38 ranging 12 to 59 years, between August 2007 and May 2008 were assigned to this study. Either DBAM or CAK was applied, and the secondary dressing was removed on the following day. To compare treatment effect, time for epithelization, Vancouver scar scale and chromameteric results were evaluated. Results: The time for epithelization of DBAM was 10.1 days, that of CAK was 9.1 days, and they were shorter than the previous 2 - 3 weeks. At the follow up Vancouver scar scale was 2.8 for DBAM and 3.0 points for CAK and showed good results. The result of chromameter showed that the $L^*$, $a^*$, and $b^*$ values of the area applied DBAM were 60.1, 13.6, and 13.3, respectively, and the values of the area applied CAK were 60.1, 12.4, and 12.4, respectively. It was found that the skin color of the healed area after burn was darker, the redness was higher, and the yellowness was lower. After dressing, significant side effects were not observed, and in the cases of applying CAK, it was inconvenient as the moving area had to be fixed. Conclusion: With CAK, DBAM has several advantages such as the shortening of the epithelization period, reduction of scar and pigmentation, and convenient application, etc. Thus it is an effective method for the partial thickness burn management.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.604-614
• /
• 2020

Chronological aging and photoaging affect appearance, causing wrinkles, pigmentation, texture changes, and loss of elasticity in the skin. Phragmites communis is a tall perennial herb used for its high nutritional value and for medicinal purposes, such as relief from fever and vomiting and facilitation of diuresis. In this study, we investigated the effects of ethanol extract of P. communis rhizome (PCE) on skin aging. The total flavonoid and total phenolic content in PCE were 2.92 ± 0.007 ㎍ of quercetin equivalents (QE) and 231.8 ± 0.001 ㎍ of gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per 100 mg of dried extract (n = 3). The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of PCE for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activities were 0.96 and 0.97 mg/mL, respectively. PCE showed inhibitory effects on tyrosinase when L-tyrosine (IC50 = 1.25 mg/mL) and L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (IC50 = 0.92 mg/mL) were used as substrates. PCE treatment up to 200 ㎍/mL for 24 h did not cause any significant cytotoxicity in B16F10 melanocytes, human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), and HaCaT keratinocytes. In B16F10 melanocytes, PCE (25 and 50 ㎍ /mL) inhibited melanin production and cellular tyrosinase activity after challenge with α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH; p < 0.05). In HDFs, PCE suppressed the mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and reduced the activity of elastase (p < 0.05). In addition, ultraviolet B (UVB)-mediated downregulation of hyaluronic acid synthase-2 gene expression in HaCaT keratinocytes was also effectively suppressed by PCE treatment. Overall, our results showed that PCE has potential anti-skin aging activity associated with the suppression of hyperpigmentation, wrinkle formation, and reduction in dryness. PCE is a promising candidate for the development of an anti-skin aging cosmetic ingredient.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.47 no.1
• /
• pp.75-84
• /
• 2021

In this study, we investigated inhibitory effect of Tripeptide against particulate matter (PM)-induced damage in human keratinocytes. PM-induced cell death was inhibited by Tripeptide and the activity of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) also inhibited by Tripeptide resulting in reduced expression of its downstream targets, cytochrome P450 family 1 subfamily A member 1 (CYP1A1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which are responsible for toxic metabolites production and inflammation. Furthermore, PM-induced expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and apoptosis-related factors were decreased by anti-oxidant activity of Tripeptide. From these results, it has been shown that the Tripeptide has protective effect against PM-induced skin damage not only through the inhibiting of keratinocyte death but also through the inhibiting the secretion of several damage-inducing factors to adjacent skin tissue. And the results suggested that Tripeptide with anti-pollution effect could be applied as a new functional cosmetic material.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.50 no.3
• /
• pp.239-250
• /
• 2024

In this study, we investigated the skin safety, antioxidant, moisturizing, and anti-inflammatory effects of a composite extract of Prunus mume flower, Lonicera japonica flower, Chrysanthemum indicum flower, and Phyllostachys bambusoides (Royal TheraTea Guard^TM, RTG), which has been used as an internal medicine in the royal medical treatment for preventing skin damage caused by external environmental factors. In a cytotoxicity test on HaCaT cells, RTG complex extract showed no change in cell viability at concentrations of 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, and 1%, and a skin irritation index of 0.00 in a human patch test, confirming that it is non-irritating to the skin. The antioxidant effects was confirmed by the presence of 497.83 ㎍ GAE/g of polyphenols and increased DPPH radical scavenging activity, with a significant increase in catalase activity in the stratum corneum, showing potential as an antioxidant that protects cells from oxidative stress. The anti-inflammatory effects was observed through reduced erythema in skin stimulated by tape stripping and treated with fine dust in keratinocytes. The moisturizing effects was shown by increased expression of hyaluronan synthase (HAS)2, 3 and keratin1 in keratinocytes treated with fine dust compared to the control group, as well as increased skin moisture content and decreased skin roughness. These results suggest RTG can be used as a cosmetic ingredient to prevent skin damage caused by external environmental factors.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.61-72
• /
• 2009

Chios gum mastic (CGM) is a resin produced from the stem and leaves of Pistiacia lentiscus L var chia, a plant which grows only on Chios Island in Greece. CGM has been used for many centuries as a dietary supplement and folk medicine for stomach and duodenal ulcers in many Mediterranean countries and is known also to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in some cancer cells. In this study, we further investigated the induction and mechanisms underlying the apoptotic response to CGM treatment in the SCC25 human tongue squamous cell carcinoma cell line. The viability of SCC25 cells, human normal keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) and human gingival fibroblasts (HGF-1 cells), and the growth inhibition of SCC25 cells were assessed by MTT assay and clonogenic assay, respectively. Staining with Hoechst and hemacolor dyes and TUNEL assays were employed to detect SCC25 cells undergoing apoptosis. SCC25 cells were treated with CGM, and this was followed by western blotting, immunocytochemistry, confocal microscopy, FACScan flow cytometry, MMP activity and proteasome activity analyses. CGM treatment of SCC25 cells was found to result in a time- and dosedependent decrease in cell viability, a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth, and apoptotic cell death. Interestingly, CGM showed a remarkable level of cytotoxicity in SCC25 cells but not in normal cells. Tested SCC25 cells also showed several lines of apoptotic manifestation. Taken together, our present findings demonstrate that CGM strongly inhibits cell proliferation by modulating the expression of G1 cell cycle-related proteins and induces apoptosis via the proteasome, mitochondria and caspase cascades in SCC25 cells.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.117-127
• /
• 2012

The beneficial effects of adipose-derived stem cell conditioned media (ADSC-CM) for skin regeneration have previously been reported, despite the precise mechanism of how ADSC-CM promotes skin regeneration remaining unclear. ADSC-CM contains various secretomes and this may be a factor in it being a good resource for the treatment of skin conditions. It is also known that ADSC-CM produced in hypoxia conditions, in other words Advanced Adipose-Derived Stem cell Protein Extract (AAPE), has excellent skin regenerative properties. In this study, a human primary skin cell was devised to examine how AAPE affects human dermal fibroblast (HDF) and human keratinocyte (HK), which both play fundamental roles in skin regeneration. The promotion of collagen formation by HDFs was observed at 0.32 mg/ml of AAPE. AAPE treatment significantly stimulated stress fiber formation. DNA gene chips demonstrated that AAPE in HKs (p<0.05) affected the expression of 133 identifiable transcripts, which were associated with cell proliferation, migration, cell adhesion, and response to wounding. Twenty five identified proteins, including MMP, growth factor and cytokines such as CD54, FGF-2, GM-CSF, IL-4, IL-6, VEGF, TGF-${\beta}2$, TGF-${\beta}3$, MMP-1, MMP-10, and MMP-19, were contained in AAPE via antibody arrays. Thus, AAPE might activate the HK biological function and induce the collagen synthesis of HDF. These results demonstrate that AAPE has the potential to be used for clinic applications aimed at skin regeneration.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.413-421
• /
• 2014

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is involved in the stress response and there is increasing evidence that stress influences skin disease such as hair loss. In cultured human hair follicles, CRF inhibits hair shaft elongation, induces premature regression and promotes the apoptosis of hair matrix keratinocytes. We investigated whether CRF influences the dermal papilla cells (DPC) that play pivotal roles in hair growth and cycling. Human DPCs were treated with CRF, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol, key stress hormones along the hypothalamic-pituitary -adrenal (HPA) axis for 1-24 h. Interestingly, CRF modulated the expression of cytokines related to hair growth (KGF, Wnt5a, $TGF{\beta}-2$, Nexin) and increased cAMP production in cultured DPCs. CRF receptors were down-regulated by negative feedback systems. Pretreatment of CRF receptor antagonists or protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor prevented the CRF-induced modulation. Since the CRF induces proopiomelanocortin (POMC) expression through the cAMP/PKA pathway, we analyzed POMC mRNA. CRF stimulated POMC expression in cultured human DPCs, yet we were unable to detect ACTH levels by western blot. These results indicate that CRF operates within DPCs through CRF receptors along the classical CRF signaling pathway and CRF receptor antagonists could serve as potential therapeutic and cosmetic agents for stress-induced hair loss.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.26-37
• /
• 2021

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) cause cellular hyperproliferation-associated abnormalities including cervical cancer. The HPV genome encodes two major viral oncoproteins, E6 and E7, which recruit various host proteins by direct interaction for proteasomal degradation. Recently, we reported the structure of HPV18 E7 conserved region 3 (CR3) bound to the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) domain of PTPN14, a well-defined tumor suppressor, and found that this intermolecular interaction plays a key role in E7-driven transformation and tumorigenesis. In this study, we carried out a molecular analysis of the interaction between CR3 of HPV18 E7 and the PTP domain of PTPN21, a PTP protein that shares high sequence homology with PTPN14 but is putatively oncogenic rather than tumor-suppressive. Through the combined use of biochemical tools, we verified that HPV18 E7 and PTPN21 form a 2:2 complex, with a dissociation constant of 5 nM and a nearly identical binding manner with the HPV18 E7 and PTPN14 complex. Nevertheless, despite the structural similarities, the biological consequences of the E7 interaction were found to differ between the two PTP proteins. Unlike PTPN14, PTPN21 did not appear to be subjected to proteasomal degradation in HPV18-positive HeLa cervical cancer cells. Moreover, knockdown of PTPN21 led to retardation of the migration/invasion of HeLa cells and HPV18 E7-expressing HaCaT keratinocytes, which reflects its protumor activity. In conclusion, the associations of the viral oncoprotein E7 with PTPN14 and PTPN21 are similar at the molecular level but play different physiological roles.