• THE JOURNAL OF KOREAN ORIENTAL ONCOLOGY
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.61-75
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• 1999

To examine the effect of Xuefuzhuyutang on the metastasis of cancer, the following experiments were carried out. Before the main experiments, the cytotoxicity was measured by putting Xuefuzhuyutant sample in HT1080. Then zymography was made to examine the change of gelatinolytic activity. Western blotting was carried out to examine the changes of Fos, Jun, Ets, Erk, md JNK. In vitro invasion assay with transwells coated by collagen and matrigel was carried out. From the above results the following conclusions were obtained. 1. The experimental result about cytotoxicity of Xuefuzhuyutang agaitst HT1080 was a below. The stained cell count after being treated by by Xuefuzhuyutang sample $400{\mu}g/ml$ for 24 hours was 0.9% of total cells, and the stained cell count by Xuefuzhuyutang sample $100{\mu}g/ml$ was 1.5% of total cells. Both were near the level of control group which showed 0.6% stained. 2. The result of collagenase assay was as below. In Xuefuzhuyutang sample $400{\mu}g/ml$, MMP2 was reduced as compared with TPA control group, and the band of MMP-9 induced by TPA disapappeared. In Xuefuzhuyutang samle $800{\mu}g/ml$ both bands of MMP-2 and MMP-9 disapeared. 3. The results of western blots for Jun, Fos, Ets, Erk, JNK were a below. In Xuefuzhuyutang sample $200{\mu}g/ml$, Ets was reduced, and Jun, Fos were increased. 4 The result of invasion assay was as below. The number of cells which migrated across transwell membrane in Xuefuzhuyutang-treated group was less than that of control(+TPA) group. From the above results, it was concluded that Xuefuzhuyutang might inhibit the activity of collagenase not by the MMP-2, MMP-9 promoter but by the other way.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.70-78
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• 2009

Coptis japonica (C. japonica) is a perennial medicinal plant that has anti-inflammatory activity. C. japonica contains numerous biologically active alkaloids including berberine, palmatine, epi-berberine, and coptisine. The most well-known anti-inflammatory principal in C. japonica is berberine. For example, berberine has been implicated in the inhibition of iNOS induction by cytokines in microglial cells. However, the efficacies of other alkaloids components on microglial activation were not investigated yet. In this study, we investigated the effects of three alkaloids (palmatine, epi-berberine and coptisine) from C. japonica on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microglial activation. BV2 microglial cells were immunostimulated with LPS and then the production of several inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were examined as well as the phosphorylation status of Erk1/2 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK). Palmatine and to a lesser extent epi-berberine and coptisine, significantly reduced the release of NO, which was mediated by the inhibition of LPS-stimulated mRNA and protein induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) from BV2 microglia. In addition to NO, palmatine inhibited MMP-9 enzymatic activity and mRNA induction by LPS. Palmatine also inhibited the increase in the LPS-induced MMP-9 promoter activity determined by MMP-9 promoter luciferase reporter assay. LPS stimulation increased Erk1/2 phosphorylation in BV2 cells and these alkaloids inhibited the LPS-induced phosphorylation of Erk1/2. The anti-inflammatory effect of palmatine in LPS-stimulated microglia may suggest the potential use of the alkaloids in the modulation of neuroinflammatory responses, which might be important in the pathophysiological events of several neurological diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease (PD) and stroke.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.143-151
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• 2004

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are capable of degrading extracellular matrix, a process that is necessary for angiogenesis, tumor invasion and metastasis. Platelet-activating factor (PAP) increases angiogenesis, tumor growth and metastasis through nuclear factor (NF)-$\kappa$B activation. Based on these facts, the involvement of MMPs in PAF-induced pulmonary metastasis was investigated in murine sarcoma cells, MMSV-BALB/3T3. Messenger RNA expression and enzymatic activity of MMP-9 were assessed by RT-PCR and zymography, and cell migration and metastasis were done for the detection of MMP-9 functional activity. PAP induced mRNA expression and enzymatic activity of MMP-9, and its effects were either inhibited by the PAP antagonist, WEB 2170 or by the NF-$\kappa$B inhibitor, parthenolide, or p65 antisense oligonucleotide in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, PAF induced promoter activity of MMP-9, which was inhibited by WEB 2170, phenanthroline, NAC, PDTC. These results indicate that PAF induces mRNA expression and enzymatic activity of MMP-9 in NF-$\kappa$B dependent manner. Cell migration assay showed that PAF induced MMSV-BALB/3T3 migration, and its effect was significantly inhibited by treatment with phenanthroline. PAF enhanced pulmonary metastasis of murine sarcoma cells, MMSV-BALB/3T3 was also reduced by phenanthroline. These results suggest that PAF-enhanced cell migration and pulmonary metastasis is mediated through the expression of MMP. In conclusion, It is suggested that PAF enhances pulmonary metastasis by inducing MMP-9 expression via the activation of NF-$\kappa$B.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.889-896
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• 2015

Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) is an endopeptidase, mainly responsible for degradation of extracellular matrix components, which plays an important role in cancer disease. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at -1306 disrupts a Sp1-type promoter site. The results from the published studies on the association between MMP2 -1306 C>T polymorphism and cancer risk are contradictory and inconclusive. In the present study, a meta-analysis was therefore performed to evaluate the strength of any association between the MMP2 -1306 C>T polymorphism and risk of cancer. We searched all eligible studies published on association between MMP2 -1306 C>T polymorphism and cancer risk in PubMed (Medline), EMBASE and Google Scholar online web databases until December 2013. Genotype distribution data were collected to calculate the pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) to examine the strength of the association. A total of 8,590 cancer cases and 9,601 controls were included from twenty nine eligible case control studies. Overall pooled analysis suggested significantly reduced risk associated with heterozygous genotype (CT vs CC: OR=0.758, 95%CI=0.637 to 0.902, p=0.002) and dominant model (TT+CT vs CC: OR=0.816, 95%CI=0.678 to 0.982, p=0.032) genetic models. However, allelic (T vs C: OR=0.882, 95%CI=0.738 to 1.055, p=0.169), homozygous (TT vs CC: OR=1.185, 95%CI=0.825 to 1.700, p=0.358) and recessive (TT vs CC+CT: OR=1.268, 95%CI=0.897 to 1.793, p=0.179) models did not show any risk. No evidence of publication bias was detected during the analysis. The results of present meta-analysis suggest that the MMP2 -1306 C>T polymorphism is significantly associated with reduced risk of cancer. However, further studies with consideration of different populations will be required to evaluate this relationship in more detail.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2009

Mutations in DLX3 are associated with both autosomal dominant hypoplastic hypomaturation amelogenesis imperfecta (ADHHAI) and tricho-dento-osseous (TDO) syndrome. ADHHAI is caused by a c.561_562delCT (2bp-del DLX3) mutation whereas TDO syndrome is associated with a c.571_574delGGGG (4bp-del DLX3) mutation. However, although the causal relationships between DLX3 and an enamel phenotype have been established, the pathophysiological role of DLX3 mutations in enamel development has not yet been clarified. In our current study, we prepared expression vectors for wild type and deletion mutant DLX3 products (4bp-del DLX3, 2bp-del DLX3) and examined the effects of their overexpression on the expression of the enamel matrix proteins and proteases. Wild type DLX3 enhanced the expression of matrix metalloprotease 20 (MMP20) mRNA and protein in murine ameloblast-like cells. However, neither a 4bp-del nor 2bp-del DLX3 increased MMP20 expression. Wild type DLX3, but not the above DLX3 mutants, also increased the activity of reporters containing 1.5 kb or 0.5 kb of the MMP20 promoter. An examination of protein stability showed that the half-life of wild type DLX3 protein was less than 12 h whilst that of both deletion mutants was longer than 24 h. Endogenous Dlx3 was also found to be continuously expressed during ameloblast differentiation. Since inactivating mutations in the gene encoding MMP20 are associated with amelogenesis imperfecta, the inability of 4bp-del or 2bp-del DLX3 to induce MMP20 expression suggests a possible involvement of such mutations in the enamel phenotype associated with TDO syndrome or ADHHAI.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.197-205
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• 2007

Cancer metastasis is a major determinant of cancer patient mortality. Mounting evidence favors a strong positive role for $TGF-{\beta}$ in human cancer progression. The complex pattern on cross-talk of $TGF-{\beta}$ and the related other signaling pathways is an important area of investigation that will ultimately contribute to understanding of the bifunctional role of $TGF-{\beta}$ in cancer progression. This review summarizes some of the current understanding of $TGF-{\beta}$ signaling with a major focus in its contribution to the tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Five issues are addressed in this review: (1) $TGF-{\beta}$ signaling, (2) $TGF-{\beta}$ and EMT, (3) $TGF-{\beta}$ and MMP, (4) $TGF-{\beta}$ and Ras, and (5) Role of $TGF-{\beta}$ in invasion and metastasis. Due to the bifunctional cellular effects of $TGF-{\beta}$, as a tumor promoter and a tumor suppressor, more precisely defined $TGF-{\beta}$ signaling pathways need to be elucidated. According to the current literature, $TGF-{\beta}$ is clearly a major factor stimulating tumor progression through a complex spectrum of the interplay and cross-talk between various signaling molecules. Understanding the role of $TGF-{\beta}$ in invasion and metastasis will provide valuable information on establishing strategies to manipulate $TGF-{\beta}$ signaling which should be a high priority for the development of anti-metastatic therapeutics.

• BMB Reports
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• v.52 no.12
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• pp.706-711
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• 2019

Cisplatin (Cis-DDP) is one of the most widely used anti-cancer drugs. It is applicable to many types of cancer, including lung, bladder, and breast cancer. However, its use is now limited because of drug resistance. p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (p90RSK) is one of the downstream effectors in the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) pathway and high expression of p90RSK is observed in human breast cancer tissues. Therefore, we investigated the role of p90RSK in the Cis-DDP resistance-related signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in breast cancer cells. First, we discovered that MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited more Cis-DDP resistance than other breast cancer cells, including MCF-7 and BT549 cells. Cis-DDP increased p90RSK activation, whereas the inactivation of p90RSK using a small interfering RNA (siRNA) or dominant-negative kinase mutant plasmid overexpression significantly reduced Cis-DDP-induced cell proliferation and migration via the inhibition of matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)2 and MMP9 in MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, p90RSK activation was involved in EMT via the upregulation of mRNA expression, including that of Snail, Twist, ZEB1, N-cadherin, and vimentin. We also investigated NF-κB, the upstream regulator of EMT markers, and discovered that Cis-DDP treatment led to NF-κB translocation in the nucleus as well as its promoter activity. Our results suggest that targeting p90RSK would be a good strategy to increase Cis-DDP sensitivity in triple-negative breast cancers.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.266-271
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• 2020

Breast cancer encompasses a major portion of human cancers and must be carefully monitored for appropriate diagnoses and treatments. Among the many types of breast cancers, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has the worst prognosis and the least cases reported. To gain a better understanding and a more decisive precursor for TNBC, two major histone modifications, an activating modification H3K4me3 and a repressive modification H3K27me3, were analyzed using data from normal breast cell lines against TNBC cell lines. The combination of these two histone markers on the gene promoter regions showed a great correlation with gene expression. A list of signature genes was defined as active (highly enriched H3K4me3), including NOVA1, NAT8L, and MMP16, and repressive genes (highly enriched H3K27me3), IRX2 and ADRB2, according to the distribution of these histone modifications on the promoter regions. To further enhance the investigation, potential candidates were also compared with other types of breast cancer to identify signs specific to TNBC. RNA-seq data was implemented to confirm and verify gene regulation governed by the histone modifications. Combinations of the biomarkers based on H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 showed the diagnostic value AUC 93.28% with P-value of 1.16e-226. The results of this study suggest that histone modification analysis of opposing histone modifications may be valuable toward developing biomarkers and targets for TNBC.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.79-92
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• 2007

Oxidative stress have known to be a risk factor for the degenerative processes and closely related to a lot of diseases. It is well established that antioxidants are good in protection and therapeutic means against oxidative damage. There is increasing interest in natural antioxidants and many natural antioxidants have been found and utilized as the possible protection for various diseases and skin aging. We have screened natural antioxidant agents for cosmeceuticals, nutraceuticals, and drugs as therapeutic and preventive means against oxidative stress, and have developed a number of novel antioxidants from various natural sources. A novel melanin synthesis inhibitor, Melanocin A, isolated from the metabolite of a fungal strain Eupenicillium shearii F80695 inhibited mushroom tyrosinase and melanin biosynthesis of B16 melanoma cells with $IC_{50}$ value of 9.0 nM and MIC value of $0.9\;{\mu}M$, respectively. Melanocin A also exhibited potent antioxidant activity by scavenging of DPPH and superoxide anion radicals. UV was found to increase the level of hydrogen peroxides and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) in skin tissues. This increase in ROS may not only alter the structure and function of many genes and proteins directly but may also modulate their expressions through signal transduction pathways and, ultimately, lead to skin damage. We investigated the effect of Melanocin A on UV-induced premature skin aging. Firstly, the effect of Melanocin A on UV-induced matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 expression in an immortalized human keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT in vitro was investigated. Acute UV irradiation induced MMP-9 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels and Melanocin A suppressed this expression in a dose-dependent manner. We then investigated UV-induced skin changes in hairless mice in vivo by Melanocin A. Chronic exposure of hairless mouse dorsal skin to UV increased skin thickness and induced wrinkle formation and the gelatinase activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Moreover, Melanocin A significantly suppressed UV-induced morphologic skin changes and MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. These results show that Melanocin A can prevent the harmful effects of UV that lead to skin aging. Therefore, we suggest that Melanocin A should be viewed as a potential therapeutic agent for preventing and/or treating premature skin aging. Terrein is a bioactive fungal metabolite isolated from Penicillium species. Terrein has a relatively simple structure and can be easily synthesized. However, the biologic effects of terrein are comparatively unknown. We found for the first time that terrein potently inhibit melanin production in melanocytes and has a strong hypopigmentary effect in a spontaneously immortalized mouse melanocyte cell line, Mel-Ab. Treatment of Mel-Ab cells with terrein (10-100 mM) for 4 days significantly reduced melanin levels in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, terrein at the same concentration also reduced tyrosinase activity. We then investigated whether terrein influences the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) pathway and the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), which is required for tyrosinase expression. Terrein was found to induce sustained ERK activation and MITF down-regulation, and luciferase assays showed that terrein inhibits MITF promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner. To elucidate the correlation between ERK pathway activation and a decreased MITF transcriptional level, PD98059, a specific inhibitor of the ERK pathway, was applied before terrain treatment and found to abrogate the terrein-induced MITF attenuation. Terrein also reduced the tyrosinase protein level for at least 72 h. These results suggest that terrain reduces melanin synthesis by reducing tyrosinase production via ERK activation, and that this is followed by MITF down-regulation.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.171-180
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• 2001

Purpose : Expression of TIMP, intrinsic inhibitor of MMP, is regulated by signal transduction in response to genotoxins and is likely to be an important step in metastasis, angiogenesis and wound healing after ionizing radiation. Therefore, we studied radiation mediated TIMP expression and its mechanism in head and neck cancer cell lines. Materials and Methods : Human head and neck cancer cell lines established at Asan Medical Center were used and radiosensitivity $(D_0)$, radiation cytotoxicity and metastatic potential were measured by clonogenic assay, n assay and invasion assay, respectively. The conditioned medium was prepared at 24 hours and 48 hours after 2 Gy and 10 Gy irradiation and expression of TIMP protein was measured by Elisa assay with specific antibodies against human TIMP. hTIMP1 promoter region was cloned and TIMP1 luciferase reporter vector was constructed. The reporter vector was transfected to AMC-HN-1 and -HN-9 cells with or without expression vector Ras, then the cells were exposed to radiation or PMA, PKC activator. EMSA was peformed with oligonucleotide (-59/-53 element and SP1) of TIMP1 promoter. Results : $D_0$ of HN-1, -2, -3, -5 and -9 cell lines were 1.55 Gy, 1.8 Gy, 1.5 Gt, 1.55 Gy and 2.45 Gy respectively. n assay confirmed cell viability, over $94\%$ at 24hrs, 48hrs after 2 Gy irradiation and over 73% after 10 Gy irradiation. Elisa assay confirmed that cells secreted TIMP1, 2 proteins continuously. After 2 Gy irradiation, TIMP2 secretion was decreased at 24hrs in HN-1 and HN-9 cell lines but after 10 Gy irradiation, it was increased in all cell lines. At 48hrs after irradiation, it was increased in HN-1 but decreased in HN-9 cells. But the change in TIMP secretion by RT was mild. The transcription of TIMP1 gene in HN-1 was induced by PMA but in HN-9 cell lines, it was suppressed. Wild type Ras induced the TIMP-1 transcription by 20 fold and 4 fold in HN-1 and HN-9 respectively. The binding activity to -59/-53, AP1 motif was increased by RT, but not to SP1 motif in both cell lines. Conclusions : We observed the difference of expression and activity of TIMPs between radiosensitive and radioresistant cell line and the different signal transduction pathway between in these cell lines may contribute the different radiosensitivity. Further research to investigate the radiation response and its signal pathway of TIMPs is needed.