• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.19
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• pp.8225-8228
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• 2014

Glioma is one of the most common tumors in China and chemotherapy is critical for its treatment. Recent studies showed that benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) could inhibit the growth of glioma cells, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. This study explored the inhibitory effect of BITC on invasion and angiogenesis of U87MG human glioma cells in vitro and in vivo, as well as potential mechanisms. It was found that BITC could inhibit invasion and angiogenesis of human glioma U87MG cells by inducing cell cycle arrest at phase G2/M. It also was demonstrated that BITC decreased expression of cyclin B1, p21, MMP-2/9, VE-cadherin, CD44, CXCR4 and MTH1, the activity of the telomerase and $PKC{\zeta}$ pathway. Microarray analysis was thus useful to explore the potential target genes related to tumorigenic processes. BITC may play important roles in the inhibition of invasion and angiogenesis of human glioma cells.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.690-699
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• 2022

Background: Few studies reported the therapeutic effect of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) in lung inflammatory diseases. However, the anti-inflammatory role and underlying molecular in cadmium-induced lung injury have been poorly understood, directly linked to chronic lung diseases (CLDs): chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer etc. Therefore, in this study we aim to investigate the therapeutic activities of water extract of KRG (KRG-WE) in mouse cadmium-induced lung injury model. Method: The anti-inflammatory roles and underlying mechanisms of KRG-WE were evaluated in vitro under cadmium-stimulated lung epithelial cells (A549) and HEK293T cell line and in vivo in cadmium-induced lung injury mouse model using semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), luciferase assay, immunoblotting, and FACS. Results: KRG-WE strongly ameliorated the symptoms of CdSO4-induced lung injury in mice according to total cell number in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and severity scores as well as cytokine levels. KRG-WE significantly suppressed the upregulation of inflammatory signaling comprising mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and their upstream enzymes. In in vitro study, KRG-WE suppressed expression of interleukin (IL)-6, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and IL-8 while promoting recovery in CdSO₄-treated A549 cells. Similarly, KRG-WE reduced phosphorylation of MAPK and c-Jun/c-Fos in cadmium-exposed A549 cells. Conclusion: KRG-WE was found to attenuate symptoms of cadmium-induced lung injury and reduce the expression of inflammatory genes by suppression of MAPK/AP-1-mediated pathway.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1340-1348
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• 2017

Sanguinarine is a benzophenanthridine alkaloid derived from the roots of Sanguinaria canadensis L., which is used for the purpose of treating various diseases. Although studies of anticancer activities have been performed using various cancer cell lines, the phenomenon of inducing apoptosis in cancer cells by using sanguinarine requires more research. Therefore, this study investigated the anti-cancer activities and related mechanisms of sanguinarine used with Hep3B human hepatocellular carcinoma cells in terms of the regulation of apoptosis. Sanguinarine inhibited the proliferation of Hep3B cells in a concentration-dependent manner, which was associated with the induction of apoptosis. Sanguinarine also increased the activity of caspase-3, which is a typical effector caspase, and the activities of caspase-8 and caspase-9, which are key when initiating extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis pathways, respectively. In addition, sanguinarine increased the expression of death receptor-related genes and pro-apoptotic BAX, which belongs to the Bcl-2 family, while suppressing the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2. Sanguinarine promoted the truncation of Bid and enhanced the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the cytoplasm due to a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, the reduction of a survival rate that was induced by sanguinarine and the induction of apoptosis disappeared with the inhibition of artificial caspase activity. Therefore, the results of the study indicated that sanguinarine-induced apoptosis in Hep3B cells involves both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways; such apoptosis is a caspase-dependent phenomenon.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.393-399
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• 2012

In this study, the antioxidant and anti-wrinkling effects of extracts from Aruncus diocius var. kamtschaticus (ADV) were investigated. According to the results, the ethanol extract has better antioxidant and anti-wrinkling effects than the water extract. The amounts of total polyphenol and flavonoid compounds in the ethanol extract were 122 and 36 mg/g, respectively, while those in the water extract were 87 and 26 mg/g. The antioxidant activities of the ethanol and water extracts were 395 and 4,682 ${\mu}g/mL$ as the $RC_{50}$ values for the DPPH radical scavenging activity, and 227 and 366 ${\mu}g/mL$ for the $ABTS^+$ radical scavenging activity, respectively. The reducing power of the ethanol extract (1.58 at 2 mg/mL) was higher than that of the water extract (0.88 at 2 mg/mL). The astringent activities of the ethanol and water extracts were 91.27 and 16.35% at 10 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the ADV ethanol extract treatment of the fibroblast cell after UV irradiation resulted in increased cell viability (10% at 100 ${\mu}g/mL$) and collagen biosynthesis (33% at 100 ${\mu}g/mL$), with a lowering in the MMP-1 expression level (16.8 % at 100 ${\mu}g/mL$). These results demonstrate that AVD provides a remarkable and significant tensor and anti-wrinkling effect on the skin, which could be of a great use in anti-aging skin care products.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.688-696
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• 2017

In this study, the physicochemical properties and anti-wrinkle effect of polysaccharides with different molecular weights from Gloiopeltis furcata were investigated. Crude polysaccharides were isolated by viscozyme treatment followed by ethanol precipitation and lyophilization. Crude polysaccharides were hydrolyzed by acid (0.1 N HCl) and the molecular weight fractions were generated by centrifugal filter (<10 kDa, 10 to 100 kDa, and 100 kDa>). The yield of polysaccharides with different molecular weight fractions was 8.4-39.6%. The major constituents in molecular weight fractions were total sugar (81.37-85.82%), uronic acid (27.89-32.85 g/100 g), sulfate (33.38-39.04%), and protein (0.35-3.16%) The L, a, and b value of the 100 kDa group were decreased, but viscosity increased. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity of the 100 kDa group at $180.07{\mu}M$ was the highest among groups. The protective effects of 100 kDa group at 0.5 and $5{\mu}g/mL$ against $H_2O_2$-induced cytotoxicity in L132 cell were 87.34% and 103.85%, respectively. The matrix metalloproteinase-1 activity of 100 kDa group decreased in a dose-dependent manner. The pro-collagen synthesis activity of 100 kDa group at $0.05-0.5{\mu}g/mL$ was 64.91-77.80%. The polysaccharides with different molecular weights from Gloiopeltis furcata investigated herein are useful as a potential candidate for cosmedical materials.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.5023-5028
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• 2014

Sendai virus strain Tianjin is a novel genotype. Here, we investigate the antitumor and proapoptotic effects of ultraviolet-inactivated Sendai virus strain Tianjin (UV-Tianjin) on human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro, as well as the involvement of the apoptotic pathway in the mechanism of UV-Tianjin-induced antitumor effects. MTT assays showed that treatment with UV-Tianjin dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells but not normal MCF 10A breast epithelium cells. Hoechst staining and flow cytometric analysis revealed that UV-Tianjin induced apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, UV-Tianjin treatment resulted in reduction in the mitochondria membrane potential (MMP) and release of cytochrome complex (cyt c) via regulation of Bax and Bcl-2, as well as activation of caspase-9, caspase-3, Fas, FasL and caspase-8 in MDA-MB-231 cells. In summary, our study suggests that UV-Tianjin exhibits anticancer activity in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells through inducing apoptosis, which may involve both the endogenous mitochondrial and exogenous death receptor pathways.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1543-1551
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• 2020

Panax ginseng has a wide range of activities including a neuroprotective effect, skin protective effects, enhanced DNA repairing, anti-diabetic activity, and protective effects against vascular inflammation. In the present study, we sought to discover the inhibitory effects of a mixture of natural products containing Panax ginseng, Ziziphus jujube, Rubi fructus, Artemisiae asiaticae and Scutellaria baicalensis (PZRAS) on osteoclastogenesis and bone remodeling, as neither the effects of a mixture containing Panax ginseng extract, nor its molecular mechanism on bone inflammation, have been clarified yet. PZRAS upregulated the levels of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GSH-R) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, treatment with PZRAS decreased the production of IL-1β and TNF-α. PZRAS also inhibited osteoclast differentiation through inhibiting osteoclastspecific genes like MMP-2, 9, cathepsin K, and TRAP in RANKL-treated RAW264.7 cells. Additionally, PZRAS has inhibitory functions on the RANKL-stimulated activation of ERK and JNK, which lead to a decrease in the expression of NFATc1 and c-Fos. In an in vivo study, bone resorption induced by LPS was recovered by treatment with PZRAS in bone volume per tissue volume (BV/TV) compared to control. Furthermore, the ratio of eroded bone surface of femurs was significantly increased in LPS-treated mice compared to vehicle group, but this ratio was significantly reversed in PZRAS-treated mice. These results suggest that PZRAS could prevent or treat disorders with abnormal bone loss.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.203-208
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• 2007

Background: Angiogenesis mediated by VEGF constitutes a new target for anti-cancer therapy which has explored through different ways of intervention aiming at the blocking of the tumoral angiogenesis. In the present study, we developed the assays by which efficacies of anti-VEGF inhibitor candidates are evaluated at the various levels. Methods & Results: First, we developed two sandwich ELISAs using coated anti-VEGF Ab and soluble Flt-1 receptor fusion protein (sFlt-1/Fc). As low as 200 pg/ml of hVEGF diluted in human sera was detectable by these assays. In addition, we found that VEGF inhibitors ($2{\mu}g/ml$ of either anti-VEGF Ab or sFlt-1/Fc) completely block 5 ng/ml VEGF in these ELISAs. Subsequently, two bioassays, wound healing and HUVEC tube formation assays, revealed that anti-VEGF Ab $(1{\mu}g/ml)$ & sFlt-1/Fc Ab $(1{\mu}g/ml)$, or SU5416 (VEGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, $1{\mu}M$) prevents the activity of VEGF $(1{\sim}10ng/ml)$. Finally, secretion of MMP-9 by VEGF-stimulated macrophages was abolished by treatment of anti-VEGF Ab $(1{\mu}g/ml)$ in gelatin zymography. Conclusion: ELISAs together with bioassays developed in this study are appropriate for evaluation of the efficacy of inhibitors of VEGF.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.23-33
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• 2014

Several studies have shown that curcumin, which is derived from the rhizomes of turmeric, possesses antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The antitumor properties of curcumin have also now been demonstrated more recently in different cancers. This study was undertaken to investigate the modulation of cell cycle-related proteins and the mechanisms underlying apoptosis induction by curcumin in the SCC25 human tongue squamous cell carcinoma cell line. Curcumin treatment of the SCC25 cells resulted in a time- and dose-dependent reduction in cell viability and cell growth, and onset of apoptotic cell death. The curcumin-treated SCC25 cells showed several types of apoptotic manifestations, such as nuclear condensation, DNA fragmentation, reduced MMP and proteasome activity, and a decreased DNA content. In addition, the treated SCC25 cells showed a release of cytochrome c into the cytosol, translocation of AIF and DFF40/CAD into the nuclei, a significant shift in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and the activation of caspase-9, caspase-7, caspase-6, caspase-3, PARP, lamin A/C, and DFF45/ICAD. Furthermore, curcumin exposure resulted in a downregulation of G1 cell cycle-related proteins and upregulation of $p27^{KIP1}$. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that curcumin strongly inhibits cell proliferation by modulating the expression of G1 cell cycle-related proteins and inducing apoptosis via proteasomal, mitochondrial, and caspase cascades in SCC25 cells.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.231-239
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• 2018

Parkinson's disease (PD), one of common neurodegenerative diseases, is caused by the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The loss of dopaminergic neurons in PD is associated with oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Hyperoside (quercetin 3-O-${\beta}$-D-galactopyranoside) was reported to have protective properties against oxidative stress by reducing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increasing antioxidant enzyme activity. In this study, we examined the neuroprotective effect of hyperoside against 1-methyl-4-phenyl pyridinium ($MPP^+$)-induced cell model of PD and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Hyperoside significantly decreased $MPP^+$-induced cell death, accompanied by a reduction in poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Furthermore, it attenuated $MPP^+$-induced intracellular ROS and disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), with the reduction of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Moreover, hyperoside significantly increased the phosphorylation of Akt, but it has no effects on $GSK3{\beta}$ and MAPKs. Pharmacological inhibitor of PI3K/Akt abolished the cytoprotective effects of hyperoside against $MPP^+$. Taken together, these results demonstrate that hyperoside significantly attenuates $MPP^+$-induced neurotoxicity through PI3K/Akt signaling pathways in SH-SY5Y cells. Our findings suggest that hyperoside might be one of the potential candidates for the treatment of PD.