• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.387-389
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• 2003

The young developing leaves of willow (Salix safsaf, Salicaceae) trees have antileukemic activity. After a 24-h incubation in vitro, the crude water extracts of the leaves killed a majority of the blasts of acute myeloid leukemia (AML, 73.8%).

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.643-647
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• 2003

The Methylene Chloride(MC) fraction of Trichosanthis kirilowii Maxim has been investigated anti-tumor activities in vitro. The MC fraction of Trichosanthis kirilowii Maxim significantly inhibited the proliferation of human leukemic U937 cell with an IC50 of approximately 10μg/ml in a dose-dependent manner. We found that the MC fraction upregulated of caspase9 and caspase-3 activity and cleaved PARP expression but it didn't affect bax and bcl-2. which were demonstrated by western blot analysis. Taken together, these results exerted that the MC fraction suppessed human leukemic U937 cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis, suggesting the MC fraction of Trichosanthis kirilowii Maxim is possible to show anti-cancer activity in vivo.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1636-1639
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• 2005

To develop novel anti-leukemic medicine, we have prepared a Korean traditional medicine, named Hang-baek-Tang, which is composed of 8 kinds of anti-leukemic medicinal plants. The water extracts was examined anti-leukemic activity using the human leukemia cell line, HL-60 cells. HL-60 cells showed the growth inhibition and several apoptotic features, including DNA ladders, morphological changes, by treatment of the cells with Hang-Daek-Tang. We have observed that Hang-baek-Tang induced the activation of caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9. Further molecular analysis demonstrated that Hang-baek-Tang induced cleavage of PARP and increase of hypodiploid (Sub-G1) population in flow cytometric analysis. These results indicate that Hang-baek-Tang has been considered to exert anti-leukemic activity through the procaspase-3 activation pathway.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 2014

Refractoriness of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells to chemotherapeutics represents a major clinical barrier. Suicide gene therapy for cancer has been attractive but with limited clinical efficacy. In this study, we investigated the potential application of herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase/ganciclovir (HSV-TK/GCV) based system to inhibit chemoresistant AML cells. We first generated Ara-C resistant K562 cells and doxorubicin-resistant THP-1 cells. We found that the HSV-TK/GCV anticancer system suppressed drug resistant leukemic cells in culture. Chemoresistant AML cell lines displayed similar sensitivity to HSV-TK/GCV. Moreover, HSV-TK/GCV killing of leukemic cells was augmented to a mild but significant extent by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) with concomitant upregulation of Connexin 43, a major component of gap junctions. Interestingly, HSV-TK/GCV killing was enhanced by expression of vesicular stomatitis virus G glycoprotein (VSV-G), a fusogenic membrane protein, which also increased leukemic cell fusion. Co-culture resistant cells expressing HSV-TK and cells stably transduced with VSV-G showed that expression of VSV-G could promote the bystander killing effect of HSV-TK/GCV. Furthermore, combination of HSV-TK/GCV with VSV-G plus ATRA produced more pronounced antileukemia effect. These results suggest that the HSV-TK/GCV system in combination with fusogenic membrane proteins and/or ATRA could provide a strategy to mitigate the chemoresistance of AML.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.73-83
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• 2009

Objective : In vitro proapoptotic effect of Hangbaek-Tang (HBT) has been documented by one of us. In the present study, we aimed to demonstrate in vivo effect of HBT on tumor growth. Methods : In vitro selective cytotoxicity of HBT was examined by enumeration of viable cell numbers using BC3A mouse leukemic cells and normal spleen cells. In vivo effect of HBT (25 and 50 mg/mouse) on tumor growth was assayed using BC3A cells innoculated subcutaneously in the flank. Annexin-V apoptosis assay and PI staining was performed to determine the effective serum factor in HBT-treated mice. Leukocyte recruitment into peritoneum were analyzed by microscopy with a stained cytosmear of peritoneal lavage fluid. Results : HBT exhibited in vitro selective cytotoxicity to leukemic cells and did not show any toxicity on immune organs. In vivo i.p. administration of HBT induced significant reduction in tumor growth but not complete regression. Sera obtained from HBT-treated mice strongly inhibited BC3A cell growth in vitro and were revealed to markedly enhance apoptosis and accompanying cell death, when compared to those from PBS-treated mice. Abundant extravasation of leukocytes, especially neutrophils, into peritoneum was observed in HBT-treated mice. Conclusions : HBT causes leukemic, BC3A cell death in vivo via apoptosis as well as in vitro, for which functional involvement of leukocytes is suggested.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.275-283
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• 2002

Fungal metabolite, gliotoxin is an epipolythiodioxopiperazin (ETP) class and has various roles including immunomodulatory and apoptotic effects. This study was designed to evaluate the mechanism by which gliotoxin exerts the apoptosis on human promyelocytic leukemic HL-60 cells. Herein, we demonstrated that the gliotoxin decreased the cell viability in a time-dependent manner Gliotoxin-induced cell death was confirmed us apoptosis characterized by chromatin condensation and ladder-pattern fragmentation of genomic DNA. Gliotoxin increased the catalytic activities of caspase-3 and caspase-9. Activation of caspase-3 was further confirmed by degradation of procaspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) by gliotoxin in HL-60 cells. Furthermore, gliotoxin induced the changes of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MTP). Antioxidants, including GSH and NAC, markedly inhibited apoptosis with conistent suppression of enzymatic activity of caspase-3, caspase-9, and MTP loss in gliotoxin-treated cells. Taken together, we suggest that gliotoxin function as an oxidant and ploys proapoptotic roles in HL-60 cells via activation of intrinsic caspase cascades as well as mitochondrial dysfunction.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.161.2-161.2
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• 2002

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2004

Backgroud: Immunotherapy using dendritic cells (DC) loaded with tumor antigens may represent a potentially effective method for inducing antitumor immunity. We evaluated the effectiveness of DC-based antitumor immune response in various conditions. Methods: DC were cultured from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) in myelogenous leukemia (ML) and lysates of autologous leukemic cells are used as tumor antigen. The effectiveness of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and CD40L (CD154) on the antigen presenting function of lysates-loaded DC was analyzed by proliferation, cytokine production, and cytotoxicity tests with activated PBMNC (mainly lymphocytes). For generating antigen-loaded DC, direct fusion of DC with ML was studied. Results: Antigen loaded DC induced significantly effective antitumor immune response against autologous leukemic cells. Administration of IL-12 on the DC based antitumor immune response showed higher proliferation activity, IFN-$\gamma$ production, and cytotoxic activity of PBMNC. Also, fused cell has a potent antitumor immune response. Conclusion: We conclude that lysates-loaded DC with IL-12 may be effectively utilized as inducer of antitumor immune reaction in ML and in vivo application with DC-based antitumor immunotherapy or tumor vaccination seems to be feasible.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.944-951
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• 2007

3-Hydrogenkwadaphnin (3-HK) is a daphnane-type diterpene ester isolated from Dendrostellera lessertii (Thymelaeaceae) with high differentiation and apoptotic potency in leukemic cells without any measurable adverse effects on normal cells (Moosavi et al., 2005b). In this study, we report that 3-HK (12 nM) has the ability to cease proliferation, induce differentiation and apoptosis in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) K562 cell line. The treated cells lost erythroid properties and differentiated along the megakaryocytic lineage based on the morphological features apparent after Wright-Giemsa staining, DNA content analysis and the expression of cell surface marker glycoprotein IIb as analyzed by flow cytometry. Moreover, using Hoechst 33258 and Annexin V double staining indicated the occurrence of apoptosis among the treated cells. On the other hand, restoration of the depleted GTP pool size by exogenous addition of guanosine ($50{\mu}M$) reduced the effect of the drug regarding the extent of differentiation while no further enhancement of 3-HK effect was obtained by addition of exogenous hypoxanthine ($100{\mu}M$). These interesting results necessitate further investigation regarding the mechanism of action of this unique anti-leukemic agent.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.95-105
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• 1988

The effects of polyacetylenes on living membrances, rat erythrocyte and murine leukemic L1210 cell as well as artificial lipid bilayer were determined to investigate the cytotoxic mechanism of polyacetylenes against cancer cell lines. As results, panaxydol and panaxynol caused erythrocyte hemolysis dose-dependently while panaxytriol had no lysis. For liposomes composed of phosphatidyl choline (PC) and phosphatidic acid(PA), all three polyacetylenes supressed the osmotic behavior at the same degree.