• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.489-497
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• 2009

In this study, we evaluated and compared the protective effects of two major constituents, baicalein and baicalin, against oxidative DNA and cell damages caused by hydroxyl radical. Antioxidant properties were evaluated using DPPH and hydroxyl radicals scavenging assays and $Fe^{2+}$ chelating assay. ${\varphi}X$ 174 RFI plasmid DNA and intracellular DNA migration assay were used to evaluate the protective effect against oxidative DNA damage. Also, MTT and lipid peroxidation assays were used to evaluate their protective effects against oxidative cell damage. Both baicalein and baicalin prevented intracellular DNA and cells from oxidative damage caused by hydroxyl radical via antioxidant activities. Baicalein demonstrated a stronger antioxidant activity in scavenging DPPH radicals and chelating $Fe^{2+}$ while baicalin scavenged hydroxyl radicals more efficiently. The differences in the level of baicalein and baicalin pose a different pathological pathway for each. The antioxidant activity of baicalin was due to its ability to scavenge hydroxyl radical whilst baicalein was a stronger $Fe^{2+}$ chelator. Further investigation to compare the molecular mechanisms of antitumor activities of baicalein and baicalin is vital to anticancer research.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.291-299
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• 2006

Vitexin, a natural flavonoid compound identified as apigenin-8-C-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranoside, has been reported to exhibit antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we investigated its effect on hypoxiainducible factor-$1{\alpha}$ (HIF-$1{\alpha}$) in rat pheochromacytoma (PC12), human osteosarcoma (HOS) and human hepatoma (HepG2) cells. Vitexin inhibited HIF-$1{\alpha}$ in PC12 cells, but not in HOS or HepG2 cells. In addition, it diminished the mRNA levels of hypoxia-inducible genes such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), smad3, aldolase A, enolase 1, and collagen type III in the PC12 cells. We found that vitexin inhibited the migration of PC12 cells as well as their invasion rates, and it also inhibited tube formation by human umbilical vein endothelium cells (HUVECs). Interestingly, vitexin inhibited the hypoxia-induced activation of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), but not of extracellular-signal regulated protein kinase (ERK), implying that it acts in part via the JNK pathway. Overall, these results suggest the potential use of vitexin as a treatment for diseases such as cancer.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.295-301
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• 2014

SIFamide receptor (SIFR) is a Drosophila G protein-coupled receptor for the neuropeptide SIFamide (SIFa). Although the sequence and spatial expression of SIFa are evolutionarily conserved among insect species, the physiological function of SIFa/SIFR signaling remains elusive. Here, we provide genetic evidence that SIFa and SIFR promote sleep in Drosophila. Either genetic ablation of SIFa-expressing neurons in the pars intercerebralis (PI) or pan-neuronal depletion of SIFa expression shortened baseline sleep and reduced sleep-bout length, suggesting that it caused sleep fragmentation. Consistently, RNA interference-mediated knockdown of SIFR expression caused short sleep phenotypes as observed in SIFa-ablated or depleted flies. Using a panel of neuron-specific Gal4 drivers, we further mapped SIFR effects to subsets of PI neurons. Taken together, these results reveal a novel physiological role of the neuropeptide SIFa/SIFR pathway to regulate sleep through sleep-promoting neural circuits in the PI of adult fly brains.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.485-494
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• 2017

Oleanolic acid (OA) has neurotrophic effects on neurons, although its use as a neurological drug requires further research. In the present study, we investigated the effects of OA and OA derivatives on the neuronal differentiation of rat hippocampal neural progenitor cells. In addition, we investigated whether the class II histone deacetylase (HDAC) 5 mediates the gene expression induced by OA. We found that OA and OA derivatives induced the formation of neurite spines and the expression of synapse-related molecules. OA and OA derivatives stimulated HDAC5 phosphorylation, and concurrently the nuclear export of HDCA5 and the expression of HDAC5 target genes, indicating that OA and OA derivatives induce neural differentiation and synapse formation via a pathway that involves HDAC5 phosphorylation.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.7
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• pp.515-522
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• 2017

CD133, a pentaspan transmembrane glycoprotein, is generally used as a cancer stem cell marker in various human malignancies, but its biological function in cancer cells, especially in glioma cells, is largely unknown. Here, we demonstrated that forced expression of CD133 increases the expression of IL-$1{\beta}$ and its downstream chemokines, namely, CCL3, CXCL3 and CXCL5, in U87MG glioma cells. Although there were no apparent changes in cell growth and sphere formation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo, in vitro trans-well studies and in vivo tumor xenograft assays showed that neutrophil recruitment was markedly increased by the ectopic expression of CD133. In addition, the clinical relevance between CD133 expression and IL-$1{\beta}$ gene signature was established in patients with malignant gliomas. Thus, these results imply that glioma cells expressing CD133 are capable of modulating tumor microenvironment through the IL-$1{\beta}$ signaling pathway.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.444-453
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• 2018

Aberrations in histone modifications are being studied in mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL)-AF9-driven acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this study, we focused on the regulation of the differentiation of the MLL-AF9 type AML cell line THP-1. We observed that, upon phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) treatment, THP-1 cells differentiated into monocytes by down-regulating Aurora kinase A (AURKA), resulting in a reduction in H3S10 phosphorylation. We revealed that the AURKA inhibitor alisertib accelerates the expression of the H3K27 demethylase KDM6B, thereby dissociating AURKA and YY1 from the KDM6B promoter region. Using Flow cytometry, we found that alisertib induces THP-1 differentiation into monocytes. Furthermore, we found that treatment with the KDM6B inhibitor GSK-J4 perturbed the PMA-mediated differentiation of THP-1 cells. Thus, we discovered the mechanism of AURKA-KDM6B signaling that controls the differentiation of THP-1 cells, which has implications for biotherapy for leukemia.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.7
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• pp.684-694
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• 2018

Upregulation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) expression is an important factor in the cellular survival and cancer. Although growing evidence suggests that hTERT inhibits cellular apoptosis by telomere-independent functions, the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. Here, we show that hTERT contains a BH3-like motif, a short peptide sequence found in BCL-2 family proteins, and interacts with anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins MCL-1 and BCL-xL, suggesting a functional link between hTERT and the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. Additionally, we propose that hTERT can be categorized into the atypical BH3-only proteins that promote cellular survival, possibly due to the non-canonical interaction between hTERT and antiapoptotic proteins. Although the detailed mechanisms underlying the hTERT BH3-like motif functions and interactions between hTERT and BCL-2 family proteins have not been elucidated, this work proposes a possible connection between hTERT and BCL-2 family members and reconsiders the role of the BH3-like motif as an interaction motif.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2007

To elucidate a potential molecular link between diabetes and atherosclerosis, we investigated the role of Janus tyrosine kinase(JAK) for NAD(P)H oxidase-derived superoxide generation in the enhanced proliferative capacity of vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMC) of Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty(OLETF) rat, an animal model of type 2 diabetes. An enhanced proliferative response to 10% fetal bovine serum(FBS) and superoxide generation with an increased NAD(P)H oxidase activity were observed in diabetic(OLETF) VSMC. Both the enhanced proliferation and superoxide generation in diabetic VSMC were significantly attenuated by AG490, JAK2 inhibitor, and PP2, Src kinase inhibitor. Tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins in diabetic VSMC, especially JAK2, was increased compared to control VSMC. Furthermore, the enhanced NAD(P)H oxidase activity in diabetic VSMC was significantly attenuated by AG490 in a dose-dependent manner. Together, these results indicate that the signal pathway which leads to diabetes-associated activation of Src kinase/JAK is critically involved in the diabetic VSMC proliferation through NAD(P)H oxidase activation and superoxide generation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.281-286
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• 2008

Although the interaction between gp130 and the ErbB family has frequently been shown in cancer cells, the mechanism of this interaction remains unclear and controversial. In the present study, we found that specific tyrphostin inhibitors of ErbB2 (AG825 and AG879), but not ErbB1 inhibitor (AG1478), suppressed IL-6-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3 in schwannoma cells. However, biochemical evidence for transactivation of ErbB2 by IL-6 was not observed. Additionally, the inhibition of ErbB2 expression, with either a specific RNAi or transfection of an ErbB2 mutant lacking the intracellular domain did not inhibit the IL-6-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3. Thus, it seems that tyrphostins, which are known as specific inhibitors of the ErbB2 kinase, may have non-specific suppressive effects on the IL-6/STAT3 pathway.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.179-184
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• 2014

Xenobiotics causing a variety of toxicity in biological systems could be classified as two types, inorganic and organic chemicals. It is estimated that the organic xenobiotics are responsible for approximately 80~90% of chemical-induced toxicity in human population. In the class for toxicology, we have encountered some difficulties in explaining the mechanisms of toxicity caused especially by organic chemicals. Here, a simple flowchart was introduced for explaining the mechanism of toxicity caused by organic xenobiotics, as the central dogma of molecular biology. This flowchart, referred to as a central dogma, was described based on a view of various aspects as follows: direct-acting chemicals vs. indirect-acting chemicals, cytochrome P450-dependent vs. cytochrome P450-independent biotransformation, reactive intermediates, reactivation, toxicokinetics vs. toxicodynamics, and reversibility vs. irreversibility. Thus, the primary objective of this flowchart is to help better understanding of the organic xenobiotics-induced toxic mechanisms, providing a major pathway for toxicity occurring in biological systems.