• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
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• 2001.10b
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• pp.149-149
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• 2001

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.21-28
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• 2001

Naturally-ocurring short-lived decay products of radon gas in indoor air are the dominant source of ionizing radiation exposure to the general public. It is written in BEIR VI Report(l999l the radon progeny were identified as the second cause of lung cancer next to cigarette or 10 % to 14 %(15,400 to 21,800 persons p.a.) of all lung cancer deaths in USA. Indoor radon concentrations in houses typically result from radon gaining access to houses mainly from the underlying soil. In the States, they have "Indoor Radon Abatement Act" which was converted from "Toxic Substance Control Act" in 1988 to establish the national long-term goal that indoor air should be as free of radon as the ambient air outside of buildings. To review and study techniques for controlling radon, two test cells were constructed for a series of tests and are under measuring indoor and soil gas (underneath of floor slab)radon concentrations according to EPA's measurement protocol. In this paper, important theoretical studies are previewed and the following paper will explain the test results and confirm the theories reviewed to find out suitable coefficients. On the basis of test analysis, it will be described and evaluated various techniques that can be used to mitigate elevated indoor concentration of radon including the control of radon and its decay products.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.267-274
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• 2005

Formaldehyde (FA) is an important industrial chemical, but it can cause allergic reactions, sick building syndrome and so on. It has also been observed to cause cancer in scientific studies using laboratory animals, and it even causes cancer in humans. Natural products such as ginseng and pine needle containing complicated mixtures of organic chemicals are widely used in the world, because their effective components are responsible for some pharmacological activities including antioxidative effect, anticancer effect. We investigate the effect of Korean ginseng (GE), pine needle extract (PE) and combined GE and PE (cNPE) on mouse lung injury by FA exposure. GE, PE and cNPE was directly transported to pulmonary cells through respiratory organ by nebulizer inhalation. In the case of FA exposure, the pulmonary structure was damaged and its function became abnormal. However, cNPE-FA, GE-FA, and PE-FA treated groups showed similar with the control group compared with FA group. Among them, GE was proved to be more effective than any other extracts. These results demonstrate that natural product extracts could protect pulmonary structure and function against FA exposure.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1109-1117
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• 2013

Induction of G1 Arrest by Methanol Extract of Lycopus lucidus in Human Lung Adenocarcinoma A549 Cells Lycopus lucidus, a herbaceous perennial, is used as a traditional remedy in East Asia, including China and Korea. It has been reported that L. lucidus has anti-allergic effects, inhibitory effects on cholesterol acyltransferase in high glucose-induced vascular inflammation, and anti-proliferative effects in human breast cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanisms of the anti-cancer effects of L. lucidus have not yet been fully determined. In this study, we evaluated the anti-cancer effect and the mechanism of action of L. lucidus in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells using methanol extracts of L. lucidus (MELL). MELL treatment showed cytotoxic activity in a dose-dependent manner and induced G1 arrest in A549 cells. The induction of G1 arrest by MELL was associated with the up-regulation of phospho-CHK2 and the down-regulation of Cdc25A phosphatase. In addition, MELL treatment induced decreased expression of G1/S transition-related proteins, including CDK2, CDK4, CDK6, cyclin D1 and cyclin E. MELL also regulated the mRNA expression of CDK2 and cyclin E. On the other hand, the expression of p53 and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 was not induced by MELL. Collectively, these results suggest that MELL may exert an anti-cancer effect by cell cycle arrest at G1 phase through the ATM/CHK2/Cdc25A/CDK2 pathway in A549 cells.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.594-598
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• 2004

Signet ring cell carcinoma of lung is an unique variant of mucin producing adenocarcinoma which is characterized by abundant intracellular mucin accumulation. Only a few cases of primary signet ring cell carcinoma of lung have been reported in the world wide literature. And we have, recently experienced one case of primary signet ring cell carcinoma of lung. A 55 years old man was evaluated for paralysis of lower extremities and was found to have lung cancer in the left upper and lower lobe with pleural, multiple spinal, bone and liver metastases. Signet ring tumor cells were revealed by cytologic examination of pleural fluids. And there were no evidence of signet ring cell carcinoma of other organs. Primary signet ring cell carcinoma of lung seems to have an aggressive behavior and therapeutic modalities could be different from those for signet ring cell carcinomas from other organs. Therefore it is important to separate primary signet ring cell adenocarcinoma of lung from metastatic tumors.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.759-766
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• 2004

In the present study, we investigated the effects of aqueous extract of the healthful decoction utilizing Phellinus linteus (HDPL) on the cell growth of human lung carcinoma tumor cell line A549. Exposure of A549 cells to HDPL resulted in growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner as measured by hemocytometer counts, fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometric analysis. This increase in apoptosis was associated with inhibition and/or degradation of apoptotic target proteins such as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), b-catenin and phospholipase C- 1 (PLC- 1) protein. HDPL treatment induced the down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression, an anti-apoptotic gene, however, the level of Bax. a pro-apoptotic gene, was increased by HDPL treatment. In addition, HDPL-induced apoptotis of A549 cells was connected with activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9 protease in a dose-dependent manner, however, the levels of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins family were remained unchanged. Taken together, these results indicated that the anti-proliferative effects of HDPL were associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death through regulation of several major growth regulatory gene products such as Bcl-2 family expression and caspase protease activity, and HDPL may have therapeutic potential in human lung cancer.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.101-105
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• 2004

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytological examination is an appropriate method for the evaluation of pulmonary nodules. In major types of lung cancer, Its diagnostic accuracy is quite high. However, it is sometimes difficult, using this technique, to differentiate between some unusual phenotypes including adenosquamous carcinoma, bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC), neuroendocrine tumor, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and sclerosing hemangioma. Here, we present a case involving extremely well differentiated adenosquamous carcinoma, mimicking benign lesions, such as pulmonary scar and adenomatoid malformation with squamous metaplasia. The patient was a 68-year-old man presenting with a solitary pulmonary nodule$(1.6\times1.6cm)$, which was incidentally found at the periphery of the right lower lobe. FNA revealed some clusters of glandular cells with minimal atypia, in addition to squamous cells at a nearly full maturational state. Histological examination verified the cytological diagnosis on a lobectomy specimen. The tumor exhibited a well differentiated adenocarcinoma component, mimicking the bronchioles in scarred lung tissue. and a well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma component, mimucking the squamous cell nests of adenoacanthoma, in the other organs. In the present case, the possibility of adenosquamous carcinoma should have been considered if squamous cells were seen in the FNA from the peripheral pulmonary nodule, even though they appeared to be benign.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.165-173
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• 2021

One of the major sources of air pollution is urban particulate matter (UPM), which causes lung diseases involving oxidative stress, inflammation, and cancer. Codonopsis lanceolata (CL) has been used in East Asia as a traditional oriental medicinal ingredient for lung diseases (e.g., asthma and bronchitis). However, the connection between the impact of CL and UPM in the lungs has rarely been investigated. This study aimed to confirm the inhibitory activity of the ethanol extract of CL (ECL) against oxidative stress and disruption of tight cell junctions in human pulmonary epithelial cells after exposure to UPM. As the lung cells were pre-treated with ECL, the UPM-induced increase in cellular reactive oxygen species production suppressed tight junction proteins (e.g., N-cadherin, fibronectin, occludin, zonula occludens-1, and claudin-4). These results suggest that ECL prevents the possible effects of UPM toxicity on the lungs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5551-5556
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• 2012

Cytological examination is widely used as a diagnostic tool because of the ease of collecting cells from the involved area. However, the diagnostic yield of cytological examination is unsatisfactory; the reasons include sampling error, poorly prepared samples, small numbers of malignant cells, and low grades of cellular atypia. In this study, we focused on the high infectivity of adenovirus towards epithelial cells and applied the luciferase-expressing adenoviral vector to a new cancer cell detection tool. In addition, adenoviral infectivity was enhanced by modifying viral fiber proteins. The sensitivity of the diagnostic tool was tested using the NCI-H1299 lung cancer cell line, and validated in body fluid samples from cancer patients with a variety of etiology. Results showed that the adenovirus efficiently transfected NCI-H1299 with high sensitivity. Only 10 cancer cells were sufficient for detection of luciferase signals. In body fluid samples, the adenovirus confirmed the diagnosis for malignant and benign cancer, but not in non-epithelial cell derived samples. This study provides proof-of-concept for a more reliable and sensitive diagnostic tool for epithelium-derived cancer.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.44-50
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• 1996

Small cell carcinoma of the lung is characterized by cells with finely stippled chromatin and scanty cytoplasm as well as a particularly aggressive clinical course and favorable response to the chemotherapy. Recently percutaneous fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy has become both widely established and highly respected for the diagnosis of lung cancer. However metastatic small cell carcinoma of lymph node should be cytologically differentiated from the small round cell tumor of particular sites, especially malignant lymphoma, because small ceil carcinoma of classic oat cell type nay simulate small cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. We report five cases of metastatic small cell carcinoma of in-termediate cell type diagnosed by FNA of the enlarged lymph nodes of the neck and axilla. The cytologic smears contained diffuse small neoplastic cells larger than lymphocytes with dense, pyknotic nuclei and extremely scanty cytoplasm. Apparently viable large tumor cells have vesicular nuclei with granular, sometimes very coarse chromatin. The characteristic cytologic features of small cell carcinoma as compared to malignant lymphoma were as follows.: 1) small cells with dense pyknotic nuclei are evenly distributed in the background of apparently viable larger tumor cells, admixed with mature lymphocytes and phagocytic macrophages. 2) small loose aggregates of cells with nuclear melding are indicative of small cell carcinoma rather than non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. 3) the cytoplasmic and nuclear fragments of tumor necrosis are more dominant in the smears of small cell carcinoma. 4) nuclear membrane and nucleoli are generally indistinct in small cell carcinoma due to condensation of chromatin.