• 대한약침학회지
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.19-26
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• 2015

Objectives: Quercetin, a flavonoid compound, has been reported to induce apoptosis in cancer cells, but its anti-inflammatory effects, which are also closely linked with apoptosis, if any, on non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have not so far been critically examined. In this study, we tried to determine if quercetin had any demonstrable anti-inflammatory potential, which also could significantly contribute to inducing apoptosis in a NSCLC cell line, A549. Methods: In this context, several assays, including cytotoxicity, flow cytometry and fluorimetry, were done. Gene expression was analyzed by using a western blot analysis. Results: Results revealed that quercetin could induce apoptosis in A549 cells through mitochondrial depolarization by causing an imbalance in B-cell lymphoma 2/Bcl2 Antagonist X (Bcl2/Bax) ratio and by down-regulating the interleukine-6/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (IL-6/STAT3) signaling pathway. An analysis of the data revealed that quercetin could block nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-${\kappa}B$) activity at early hours, which might cause a down-regulation of the IL-6 titer, and the IL-6 expression, in turn, could inhibit p-STAT3 expression. Down-regulation of both the STAT3 and the NF-${\kappa}B$ expressions might, therefore, cause down-regulation of Bcl2 activity because both are major upstream effectors of Bcl2. Alteration in Bcl2 responses might result in an imbalance in the Bcl2/Bax ratio, which could ultimately bring about mitochondria mediated apoptosis in A549 cells. Conclusion: Overall, the finding of this study indicates that a quercetin induced anti-inflammatory pathway in A549 cells appeared to make a significant contribution towards induction of apoptosis in NSCLC and, thus, may have a therapeutic use such as a strong apoptosis inducer in cancer cells.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제63권1호
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• pp.52-58
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• 2007

연구배경: 광역학 치료는 폐암 치료에 실질적으로 이용 가능하며, 많은 연구들에서 폐암 세포에서 세포사멸을 일으킨다는 것이 이미 알려져 있다. 그러나 이 세포사멸의 기전은 아직 정확히 알려져 있지 않으며, 이에 암세포의 전사에서 초기 변화가 어떻게 일어나는 지를 알아보기 위하여 실험을 수행하였다. 방 법: 광과민성 물질인 DH-I-180-3으로 A549 세포에 처리를 하고 광역학 치료를 한 후 관찰하였다. 광역학 치료 후 DEG kit를 이용하여 폐암 세포주에서의 유전자 발현을 보았으며, 유세포 분석기를 이용하여 세포 사멸을 측정하였다. 광역학 치료 후 의미있는 변화를 보인 유전자는 염기서열분석으로 확인하였다. 결 과: 유세포분석 결과 폐암세포주는 대부분 세포괴사에 의하여 사멸되었다.광역학 치료 후, 9개의 유전자에서 명확한 변화가 있음을 발견했으며 이 중8개의 유전자를 밝혀내었다. 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase와 리보솜 단백질 S29의 유전자 발현이 증가되어 있었으며, carbonic anhydrase XII, clusterin, MRP3s1 protein, complement 3, membrane cofactor protein, ${\beta}$-1 integrin의 유전자 발현은 감소되어 있었다. 결 론: 본 연구는 광과민성 물질인 DH-I-180-3을 이용한 광역학 치료에서 폐암 세포의 세포사멸의 주된 기전이 세포괴사에 의해 이루어 진 것임을 밝혀냈으며, 이와 관련된 유전자들 대부분이 막단백의 변화를 통해 이루어짐을 알 수 있었다.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.46-50
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• 2018

Cancer, a leading mortality disease following cardiovascular disease worldwide, has high incidence as one out of every four adults in Korea. It was known to be caused by several reasons including somatic mutation, activation of oncogene and chromosome aneuploidy. Cancer cells show a faster growth rate and have metastatic and heterogeneous cell populations compared to normal cells. Cancer stem cells, the most invested field in cancer biology, is a theory to explain heterogeneous cell populations of cancer cells among several characteristics of cancer cells, which is providing the theoretical background for incidence of cancer and treatment failure by drug resistance. Cancer stem cells initially explain heterogeneous cell populations of cancer cells based on the same markers of normal stem cells in cancer, in which only cancer stem cells showed heterogeneity of cancer cells and tumor initiating ability of leukemia. Based on these results, cancer stem cells were reported in various solid cancers such as breast cancer, liver cancer, and lung cancer. Breast cancer stem cells were first reported in solid cancer which had tumor initiating ability and further identified as anti-cancer drug resistance. There were several identification methods in breast cancer stem cells such as specific surface markers and culture methods. The discovery of cancer stem cells not only explains heterogeneity of cancer cells, but it also provides theoretical background for targeting cancer stem cells to complete elimination of cancer cells. Many institutes have been developing new anticancer drugs targeting cancer stem cells, but there have not been noticeable results yet. Many researchers also reported a necessity for improvement of current concepts and methods of research on cancer stem cells. Herein, we discuss the limitations and the perspectives of breast cancer stem cells based on the current concept and history.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제87권1호
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• pp.22-30
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• 2024

Tumor immune evasion is a complex process that involves various mechanisms, such as antigen recognition restriction, immune system suppression, and T cell exhaustion. The tumor microenvironment contains various immune cells involved in immune evasion. Recent studies have demonstrated that granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) induce immune evasion in lung cancer by modulating neutrophils and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Here we describe the origin and function of G-CSF and GM-CSF, particularly their role in immune evasion in lung cancer. In addition, their effects on programmed death-ligand 1 expression and clinical implications are discussed.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.158-164
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• 2008

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) affects many biological processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and angiogenesis. L-buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) is an inhibitor of GSH synthesis. We tested whether ATO reduced the viability of lung cancer A549 cells in vitro, and investigated the in vitro effect of the combination of ATO and BSO on cell viability in relation to apoptosis and the cell cycle. ATO caused a dose-dependant decrease of viability of A549 cells with an $IC_{50}$ of more than $50{\mu}m$. Low doses of ATO or BSO ($1{\sim}10{\mu}m$) alone did not induce cell death. However, combined treatment depleted GSH content and induced apoptosis, loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (${\Delta}{\Psi}_m$) and cell cycle arrest in G2. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased or decreased depending on the concentration of ATO. In addition, BSO generally increased ROS in ATO-treated A549 cells. ROS levels were at least in part related to apoptosis in cells treated with ATO and/or BSO. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that A549 lung cells are very resistant to ATO, and that BSO synergizes with clinically achievable concentration of ATO. Our results suggest that combination treatment with ATO and BSO may be useful for treating lung cancer.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.142-149
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• 2015

Lung fibrosis is a life-threatening disease caused by overt or insidious inflammatory responses. However, the mechanism of tissue injury-induced inflammation and subsequent fibrogenesis remains unclear. Recently, we and other groups reported that Th17 responses play a role in amplification of the inflammatory phase in a murine model induced by bleomycin (BLM). Osteopontin (OPN) is a cytokine and extracellular-matrix-associated signaling molecule. However, whether tissue injury causes inflammation and consequent fibrosis through OPN should be determined. In this study, we observed that BLM-induced lung inflammation and subsequent fibrosis was ameliorated in OPNdeficient mice. OPN was expressed ubiquitously in the lung parenchymal and bone-marrow-derived components and OPN from both components contributed to pathogenesis following BLM intratracheal instillation. Th17 differentiation of $CD4^+$ ${\alpha}{\beta}$ T cells and IL-17-producing ${\gamma}{\delta}$ T cells was significantly reduced in OPN-deficient mice compared to WT mice. In addition, Th1 differentiation of $CD4^+$ ${\alpha}{\beta}$ T cells and the percentage of IFN-$\gamma$-producing ${\gamma}{\delta}$ T cells increased. T helper cell differentiation in vitro revealed that OPN was preferentially upregulated in $CD4^+$ T cells under Th17 differentiation conditions. OPN expressed in both parenchymal and bone marrow cell components and contributed to BLM-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis by affecting the ratio of pathogenic IL-17/protective IFN-$\gamma$ T cells.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제46권1호
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• pp.138-146
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• 2022

Background: Red Ginseng has been used for many years to treat diseases. Ginsenoside Rg3 has documented therapeutic effects, including anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the anticancer effect of Rg3-enriched red ginseng extract (Rg3-RGE) and its underlying mechanisms have not been fully explored. We investigated whether Rg3-RGE plays an anti-tumor role in lung cancer cells. Methods: To examine the effect of Rg3-RGE on lung cancer cells, we performed cell viability assays, flow cytometry, western blotting analysis, and immunofluorescence to monitor specific markers. Results: Rg3-RGE significantly inhibited cell proliferation and induced mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. Furthermore, Rg3-RGE also increased expression of mitophagy-related proteins such as PINK1 and Parkin. In addition, treatment with Rg3-RGE and mitophagy inhibitors stimulated cell death by inducing mitochondria dysfunction. Conclusions: Rg3-RGE could be used as a therapeutic agent against lung cancer.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.83-91
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• 2024

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) is a transcription factor activated under hypoxic conditions, and it plays a crucial role in cellular stress regulation. While HIF-1α activity is essential in normal tissues, its presence in the tumor microenvironment represents a significant risk factor as it can induce angiogenesis and confer resistance to anti-cancer drugs, thereby contributing to poor prognoses. Typically, HIF-1α undergoes rapid degradation in normoxic conditions via oxygen-dependent degradation mechanisms. However, certain cancer cells can express HIF-1α even under normoxia. In this study, we observed an inclination toward increased normoxic HIF-1α expression in cancer cell lines exhibiting increased HDAC6 expression, which prompted the hypothesis that HDAC6 may modulate HIF-1α stability in normoxic conditions. To prove this hypothesis, several cancer cells with relatively higher HIF-1α levels under normoxic conditions were treated with ACY-241, a selective HDAC6 inhibitor, and small interfering RNAs for HDAC6 knockdown. Our data revealed a significant reduction in HIF-1α expression upon HDAC6 inhibition. Moreover, the downregulation of HIF-1α under normoxic conditions decreased zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 expression and increased E-cadherin levels in lung cancer H1975 cells, consequently suppressing cell invasion and migration. ACY-241 treatment also demonstrated an inhibitory effect on cell invasion and migration by reducing HIF-1α level. This study confirms that HDAC6 knockdown and ACY-241 treatment effectively decrease HIF-1α expression under normoxia, thereby suppressing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. These findings highlight the potential of selective HDAC6 inhibition as an innovative therapeutic strategy for lung cancer.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제42권4호
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• pp.562-570
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• 2018

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In this study, we used a bioactivity-guided isolation technique to identify constituents of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) with antiproliferative activity against human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Methods: Bioactivity-guided fractionation and preparative/semipreparative HPLC purification were used with LC/MS analysis to separate the bioactive constituents. Cell viability and apoptosis in human lung cancer cell lines (A549, H1264, H1299, and Calu-6) after treatment with KRG extract fractions and constituents thereof were assessed using the water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-1) assay and terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, respectively. Caspase activation was assessed by detecting its surrogate marker, cleaved poly adenosine diphosphate (ADP-ribose) polymerase, using an immunoblot assay. The expression and subcellular localization of apoptosis-inducing factor were assessed using immunoblotting and immunofluorescence, respectively. Results and conclusion: Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the KRG extract revealed that its ethyl acetate-soluble fraction exerts significant cytotoxic activity against all human lung cancer cell lines tested by inducing apoptosis. Chemical investigation of the ethyl acetatesoluble fraction led to the isolation of six ginsenosides, including ginsenoside Rb1 (1), ginsenoside Rb2 (2), ginsenoside Rc (3), ginsenoside Rd (4), ginsenoside Rg1 (5), and ginsenoside Rg3 (6). Among the isolated ginsenosides, ginsenoside Rg3 exhibited the most cytotoxic activity against all human lung cancer cell lines examined, with $IC_{50}$ values ranging from $161.1{\mu}M$ to $264.6{\mu}M$. The cytotoxicity of ginsenoside Rg3 was found to be mediated by induction of apoptosis in a caspase-independent manner. These findings provide experimental evidence for a novel biological activity of ginsenoside Rg3 against human lung cancer cells.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.15-23
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• 2010

Objectives : In order to confirm the anti-cancer effect of Trichosanthes kirilowii pharmacopuncture fluid, this study was proceeded. Methods : A549 lung cancer cells were cultured to be treated by Trichosanthes kirilowii pharmacopuncture fluid as dose dependent manner for 72 hours. And then the cell viability, nucleus fragmentaion, p21 and p53 protein expression, Bcl-2 and Bax protein expression, procaspase-3 PARP protein expression. Results : 1. Trichosanthes kirilowii pharmacopuncture fluid decrease A549 cell viability as dose dependent manner. 2. Trichosanthes kirilowii pharmacopuncture fluid induced the nucleus fragmentation in A549 lung cancer cells as dose dependent manner. 3. Trichosanthes kirilowii pharmacopuncture fluid increase the p21 and p53 protein expression. 4. Trichosanthes kirilowii pharmacopuncture fluid decrease the Bcl-2 protein expression but cannot affect the Bax protein expression. 5. Trichosanthes kirilowii pharmacopuncture fluid increase the activation of caspase-3 and PARP protein. Conclusions : As the above results, it was conclused the Trichosanthes kirilowii pharmacopuncture fluid had the anti-cancer effects to induce apoptosis.