• 대한수의학회지
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• 제56권2호
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• pp.67-74
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• 2016

Tomato extract has been shown to exert antiplatelet activity in vitro and to change platelet function ex vivo, but with limitations. In this study, antiplatelet activity of water soluble tomato concentrate (Fruitflow I) and dry water soluble tomato concentrate (Fruitflow II) was investigated using rat platelets. Aggregation was induced by collagen and adenosine diphosphate and granule-secretion, $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, thromboxane B2, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels were examined. The activation of integrin ${\alpha}_{IIb}{\beta}_3$ and phosphorylation of signaling molecules, including mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and PI3K/Akt, were investigated by flow cytometry and immunoblotting, respectively. Prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) were examined. Moreover, in vivo thrombus weight was tested by an arteriovenous shunt model. Fruitflow I and Fruitflow II significantly inhibited agonist induced platelet aggregation, adenosine triphosphate and serotonin release, $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, and thromboxane B2 concentration, while having no effect on cAMP and cGMP levels. Integrin ${\alpha}_{IIb}{\beta}_3$ activation was also significantly decreased. Moreover, both concentrates reduced phosphorylation of MAPK pathway factors such as ERK, JNK, P38, and PI3K/Akt. In vivo thrombus formation was also inhibited. Taken together, these concentrates have the potential for ethnomedicinal applications to prevent cardiovascular ailments and can be used as functional foods.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.263-268
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• 2015

5-Lipoxygenase (5-LO) plays a pivotal role in the progression of atherosclerosis. Therefore, this study investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in 5-LO expression on monocytes induced by LPS. Stimulation of THP-1 monocytes with LPS ($0{\sim}3{\mu}g/ml$) increased 5-LO promoter activity and 5-LO protein expression in a concentration-dependent manner. LPS-induced 5-LO expression was blocked by pharmacological inhibition of the Akt pathway, but not by inhibitors of MAPK pathways including the ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPK pathways. In line with these results, LPS increased the phosphorylation of Akt, suggesting a role for the Akt pathway in LPS-induced 5-LO expression. In a promoter activity assay conducted to identify transcription factors, both Sp1 and NF-${\kappa}B$ were found to play central roles in 5-LO expression in LPS-treated monocytes. The LPS-enhanced activities of Sp1 and NF-${\kappa}B$ were attenuated by an Akt inhibitor. Moreover, the LPS-enhanced phosphorylation of Akt was significantly attenuated in cells pretreated with an anti-TLR4 antibody. Taken together, 5-LO expression in LPS-stimulated monocytes is regulated at the transcriptional level via TLR4/Akt-mediated activations of Sp1 and NF-${\kappa}B$ pathways in monocytes.

• 대한한방부인과학회지
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.34-47
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• 2021

Objectives: This study was designed to examine anti-inflammatory effect and mechanism of Citri Reticulatae Viride Pericarpium water extract (CRE). Methods: Cell cytotoxicity was tested with RAW 264.7 cells. To investigate anti-inflammatory effect of CRE in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cell, we measured nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10). In addition, mitrogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) were examined by western blotting in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cell with treated CRE. Results: In cytotoxicity analysis, CRE does not affect cell cytotoxicity. As compared with the control group, the expression of NO, PGE2, TNF-α, IL-6 were significantly decreased, and IL-10 was significantly increased in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cell with treated CRE. As a result of Western blotting, there was concentration-dependent inhibition of pp38, pERK in MAPK pathway and significant reduction of pp65 in the NF-κB pathway. Conclusions: CRE might have anti-inflammatory effect in LPS-induced macrophages by promoting the production of IL-10.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제31권6호
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• pp.775-783
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• 2021

Sea cucumber, Holothuria scabra, is a well-known traditional Asian medicine that has been used for suppressing inflammation, promoting wound healing, and improving immunity. Moreover, previous studies demonstrated that the extract from H. scabra contains many bioactive compounds with potent inhibitory effect on tumor cell survival and progression. However, the effect of the methanolic extract from the body wall of H. scabra (BWMT) on human prostate cancer cells has not yet been investigated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects and underlying mechanism of BWMT on prostate cancer cell viability and metastasis. BWMT was obtained by maceration with methanol. The effect of BWMT on cell viability was assessed by MTT and colony formation assays. The intracellular ROS accumulation was evaluated using a DCFH-DA fluorescence probe. Hoechst 33342 staining and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining were used to examine the apoptotic-inducing effect of the extract. A transwell migration assay was performed to determine the anti-metastasis effect. BWMT significantly reduced cell viability and triggered cellular apoptosis by accumulating intracellular ROS resulting in the upregulation of JNK and p38 signaling pathways. In addition, BWMT also inhibited the invasion of PC3 cells by downregulating MMP-2/-9 expression via the ERK pathway. Consequently, our study provides BWMT from H. scabra as a putative therapeutic agent that could be applicable against prostate cancer progression.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.395-401
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• 2016

Endochondral bone formation is the process by which mesenchymal cells condense into chondrocytes, which are ultimately responsible for new bone formation. The processes of chondrogenic differentiation and hypertrophy are critical for bone formation and are therefore highly regulated. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of aloe-emodin on chondrogenic differentiation in clonal mouse chondrogenic ATDC5 cells. Aloe-emodin treatment stimulated the accumulation of cartilage nodules in a dose-dependent manner. ATDC5 cells were treated with aloe-emodin and stained with alcian blue. Compared with the control cells, the ATDC5 cells showed more intense alcian blue staining. This finding suggested that aloe-emodin induced the synthesis of matrix proteoglycans and increased the activity of alkaline phosphatase. Aloe-emodin also enhanced the expressions of chondrogenic marker genes such as collagen II, collagen X, BSP and RunX2 in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, examination of the MAPK signaling pathway showed that aloe-emodin increased the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), but had no effect on p38 and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Aloe-emodin also enhanced the protein expression of BMP-2 in a time-dependent manner. Thus, these results showed that aloe-emodin exhibited chodromodulating effects via the BMP-2 or ERK signaling pathway. Aloe-emodin may have potential future applications for the treatment of growth disorders.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제39권6호
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• pp.508-513
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• 2016

To investigate the potential therapeutic effects of polyphenols in treating Pb induced renal dysfunction and intoxication and to explore the detailed underlying mechanisms. Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control groups (CT), Pb exposure groups (Pb), Pb plus Polyphenols groups (Pb+PP) and Polyphenols groups (PP). Animals were kept for 60 days and sacrificed for tests of urea, serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine. Histological evaluations were then performed. In vitro studies were performed using primary kidney mesangial cells to reveal detailed mechanisms. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to evaluate cell viability. Pb induced cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and scavenging were tested by DCFH-DA. Expression level of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukin-1-${\beta}$ (IL-1-${\beta}$) and IL-6 were assayed by ELISA. Western blot and qPCR were used to measure the expression of ERK1/2, JNK1/2 and p38. Polyphenols have obvious protective effects on Pb induced renal dysfunction and intoxication both in vivo and in vitro. Polyphenols reduced Pb concentration and accumulation in kidney. Polyphenols also protected kidney mesangial cells from Pb induced apoptosis. Polyphenols scavenged Pb induced ROS generation and suppressed ROS-mediated ERK/JNK/p38 pathway. Downstream pro-inflammatory cytokines were inhibited in consistency. Polyphenol is protective in Pb induced renal intoxication and inflammatory responses. The underlying mechanisms lie on the antioxidant activity and ROS scavenging activity of polyphenols.

• BMB Reports
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.316-322
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• 1995

The GTPase activating protein (GAP) can function both as a negative regulator and an effector of $p21^{ras}$. Overexpression of GAP in NIH-3T3 cells has been shown to inhibit transformation by ms or src. To investigate the function of GAP in a differentiative system, we overexpressed this protein in the nerve growth factor (NGF)-responsive PC12 cell line. Two-fold overexpression of GAP caused a delay of several days in the onset of NGF- but not FGF-induced neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells. However, the NGF-induced activation or tyrosine phosphorylation of upstream (Trk, PLC-${\gamma}1$, SHC) and downstream (B-Raf and $p44^{mapk/erk1}$) components of $p21^{ras}$, signalling cascade was not altered by GAP overexpression. Therefore, the change of phenotype induced by GAP was probably not due to GAP functioning as a negative regulator of $p21^{ras}$. Rather, we found that NGF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of SNT, a specific target of neurotrophin-induced tyrosine kinase activity, was inhibited by GAP overexpression. SNT is thought to function upstream or independent of $p21^{ras}$. Thus in PC12 cells, overexpressed GAP may control the rate of neuronal differentiation through a pathway involving SNT rather than the $p21^{ras}$ signalling pathway.

• Bioinformatics and Biosystems
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.51-60
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• 2006

The paradigm in biology is currently changing from that of conducting hypothesis-driven individual experiments to that of utilizing the results of a massive data analysis with appropriate computational tools. We present LayMap, an implemented visualization system that helps the user to deal with a high volume of the biomedical literature such as MEDLINE, through the layered maps that are constructed on the results of an information extraction system. LayMap also utilizes filtering and granularity for an enhanced view of the results. Since a biomedical information extraction system gives rise to a focused and effective way of slicing up the data space, the combined use of LayMap with such an information extraction system can help the user to navigate the data space in a speedy and guided manner. As a case study, we have applied the system to datasets of journal abstracts on 'MAPK pathway' and 'bufalin' from MEDLINE. With the proposed visualization, we have successfully rediscovered pathway maps of a reasonable quality for ERK, p38 and JNK. Furthermore, with respect to bufalin, we were able to identify the potentially interesting relation between the Chinese medicine Chan su and apoptosis with a high level of detail.

• 한국한의학연구원논문집
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• 제16권3호
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• pp.155-166
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• 2010

Objetives : The purpose of this study was to examine the pathway of anti-allergic effects of Aconiti Ciliare Tuber (ACT). Methods : We examined cell viability, ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase release, pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion and mRNA expressions, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) (p65) activation, inhibitor kappa B-alpha ($I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$) degradation, and MAPKs activation from RBL-2H3 cells pre-treatment by ACT of 1.0 mg/ml, 2.0 mg/ml separately. Results : We observed that ACT reduced the secretion of ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase, TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-4 and the expression of COX-2 mRNA in RBL-2H3 cells. Futhermore, ACT inhibited the levels of activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ (p65) protein, ERK MAPK, and degradation of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$ in RBL-2H3 cells. Conclusions : These results show that ACT has an anti-histamine effect and inhibitory effect of NF-${\kappa}B$ (p65) through regulation of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$ degradation. This improves that ACT could be used as an anti-allergic medicine.

• 대한한방소아과학회지
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.93-103
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• 2010

Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the pathway of anti-allergic effects of Cheonmaec-tang (CMT). Methods We examined the cell viability, $\beta$-hexosaminidase release, pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion and mRNA expressions, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) (p65) activation, inbibitor kappa B-alpha ($I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$) degradation, and MAPKs activation in RBL-2H3 cells pre-treated by CMT of 2.0 mg/ml, 4.0 mg/ml separately. Results We observed that CMT reduced the secretion of $\beta$-hexosaminidase, TNF-$\alpha$, IL-4 and the expression of COX-2 mRNA in RBL-2H3 cells. Furthermore, CMT inhibited the levels of activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ (p65) protein, ERK MAPK, and degradation of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$ in RBL-2H3 cells. Conclusions These results show that CMT has an anti-histamine effect and inhibitory effect of NF-${\kappa}B$ (p65) through regulation of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$ degradation. These suggest that CMT could be used as an anti-allergic medicine.