• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.144-150
• /
• 2001

The cytotoxic activity of Cratalariae sessiliflorae on cultured NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and human oral epithelioid carcinoma cells (KB) were evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazoliumbromide (MTT) colorimetric method These fractions of methanol extract of Cratalariae sessiliflorae showed inhibitory effect in vitro in the milligram range against KB cell lines. In general, the antitumor activities of these fractions were does-dependent over the milligram range. The comparison of IC50 values of these fractions in tumor cell lines showed that their susceptibility to these fractions decrease in the following order: Fr. 4> Fr. 6> Fr. 10> Fr. 2> Fr. 11> Fr. 3> Fr. 8> Fr. 7> Fr. 9> Fr. 1> Fr. 5 by the MTT assay. These fractions were tested for their cytotoxic effects on NIH 3T3 fibroblasts using MTT assay. They exhibited potent cytotoxic activities in vitro in the milligram range against NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. In general, the cytotoxic activities of these fractions were does-dependent over the milligram range. The comparison of CD50 values of these fractions in NIH 313 fibroblasts shows that their susceptibility to these fractions in decrease the following order: Fr. 10> Fr. 9> Fr. 2 = Fr. 4> Fr. 8> Fr. 11> Fr. 1 = Fr. 7> Fr. 3> Fr. 5 = Fr. 6 by the MTT assay. These results suggests that fraction 5 has the most growth - inhibitory activity against KB cell lines.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.503-509
• /
• 2014

Paraquat has been suggested to induce apoptosis by generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, little is known about the mechanism of paraquat-induced apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate that extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) is required for paraquat-induced apoptosis in NIH3T3 cells. Paraquat treatment resulted in activation of ERK, and U0126, inhibitors of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway, prevented apoptosis. Moreover, paraquat-induced apoptosis was associated with cytochrome C release, which could be prevented by treatment with the MEK inhibitors. Taken together, our findings suggest that ERK activation plays an active role in mediating paraquat-induced apoptosis of NIH3T3 cells.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.17 no.5 s.85
• /
• pp.671-677
• /
• 2007

This study was performed to investigate the effect of the water-extract from non-fermented or fermented Chaga mushrooms (Inonotus obliquus) on the proliferation and apoptosis of the NIH3T3 mouse normal fibroblast cells and various human cancer cell lines including HCT-15 human colon carcinoma, AGS human gastric carcinoma, MCF-7 human breast adenocarcinoma, Hep3B human hepatocellular carcinoma and HeLa human cervical carcinoma using MTT(3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl] -2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay and DNA fragmentation. In an anti-cancer test using various human cancer cells, fermented Chaga mushroom extract showed higher antiproliferating effect than that of non-fermented Chaga mushroom extract. Mouse normal NIH3T3 cells were exhibited 80% above survival under fermented or non-fermented Chngn mushroom extract of various concentrations(0, 0.5 and 1 mg/ml). Fermented Chaga mushroom extract significantly inhibited cell growth on HCT-15 cells in a dose-dependent manner. HCT-15 cells treated with non-fermented or fermented Chaga mushrooms extract produced a distinct oligonucleosomal ladder with different sizes of DNA fragments, a typical characteristic of cells undergoing apoptosis. These results suggest that fermented Chaga mushroom extract suppresses growth of HCT-15 human colon carcinoma cells through apoptosis.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.50 no.10
• /
• pp.1011-1017
• /
• 2007

Purpose : We tried to assess the optimal conditions to improve low transduction efficiency and their effect on target cells. Methods : Cultured NIH 3T3 cells were incubated with retroviral vectors bearing an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) gene. We varied the ratio of viral vectors to target cells (1:1-1:8) and the number of transfections (${\times}1$, ${\times}2$), and compared transduction efficiencies. Also, the effects of polybrene on transduction efficiency and viability of target cells were assessed. Transduction of the eGFP gene was evaluated by observing NIH 3T3 cells under a fluorescence microscope and efficiencies were measured by the percentage of eGFP positive cells using FACscan. Results : As the ratio of retroviral vectors to target cells increased, transduction efficiency was greatly improved, from 7% (1:1) to 38% (1:4). However, transduction efficiency did not increase any more when the ratio increased from 1:4 to 1:8. Cells transfected twice showed higher transduction efficiencies than cells transfected once, at a ratio of 1:8. The eGFP gene transduced to NIH 3T3 cells sustained its expression during repeated passages. However, after the third passage (day 9), the percentage of eGFP positive cells began to decline. The degree of this decline in eGFP expression was lower in cells transfected twice than in cells transfected once (P<0.05). The addition of polybrene did not have any toxic effect on NIH 3T3 cells and greatly increased transduction efficiency (P=0.007). In addition to vector component, transduction efficiency was very sensitive to culture confluence. Cells cultured and transfected in 24-well plate showed higher transduction efficiency, although cells cultured in 6- well plate proliferated more (P=0.024). Conclusion : Our data could be used as a basis for retrovirus-based gene therapy. Further study will follow using human cells as target cells.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.175-181
• /
• 2015

In order to examine the effect of Smilax china L. (SC) extract on the cytotoxicity of methymercuric chloride (MMC), allergic contact dermatitis, The cytotoxicity of MMC was assessed after cultured NIH3T3 fibroblasts were treated with various concentrations of MMC for 72 hours. And also, the following results were obtained by measuring the antioxidative effect of SC extract on the cytotoxicity of MMC. In this study, MMC remarkably decreased the cell viability of NIH3T3 fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner, and MMC was seen to be highly-toxic below 100 uM of $XTT_{50}$ value. In addition, the toxicity of MMC was involved in oxidative stress via a blockage of MMC-induced cytotoxicity by vit. E as antioxidant. In the protective effect of SC extract on MMC-induced cytotoxicity, SC extract defended the cytotoxicity of MMC by a significant increase of cell viability which was decreased by MMC-induced cytotoxicity. It also showed antioxidative effects such as electron donating ability (EDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity (SLA) and the lipid peroxidation activity (LPA). From these results, the natural component as SC extract may be a putative resource as the antioxidative agent for the treatment of inflammatory skin disease associated with the oxidative stress.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.27 no.11
• /
• pp.1269-1275
• /
• 2017

Tenebrio molitor samples were investigated as novel biomaterials and sources of food in several recent studies. However, the insects' effects on hair growth were not sufficiently researched. To develop novel and natural materials for preventing alopecia and promoting hair growth, this study investigated the antioxidant activities and hair-growth promotion effects of TMEs. To determine the antioxidant activities, the TMEs' DPPH radical- and nitrite-scavenging activities were examined. To determine hair-growth promotion effects, proliferations of human dermal papilla cells (DPCs) and the murine fibroblast cell line NIH3T3 were evaluated by using an MTS assay. In addition, estimations were made for cell viabilities against cell death induced by dihydrotesterone (DHT) in DPCs and inhibitory effects against potassium channel blocking induced by tolbutamide (TBM) in NIH3T3 cells. The DPPH radical scavenging activity was 81.17%, and the nitrite scavenging activity was 43.69%; the activities were similar to the activities of blueberry extracts. Moreover, the TMEs promoted the proliferation of human DPCs and NIH3T3 cells, which were concentrated dependently. The TMEs prevented not only DHT-induced DPC cytotoxicity but also TBM's action as a potassium channel blocker in NIH3T3 cells. The results suggested that TME could be used as a functional therapeutic alopecia reagent, to prevent hair loss and to promote hair growth.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.267-276
• /
• 2020

T In the present study, we investigated the effect of oncogenic H-Ras on rat mdr1b expression in NIH3T3 cells. The constitutive expression of H-Ras^V12 was found to downregulate the mdr1b promoter activity and mdr1b mRNA expression. The doxorubicin-induced mdr1b promoter activity of the H-Ras^V12 expressing NIH3T3 cells was markedly lower than that of control NIH3T3 cells. Additionally, there is a positive correlation between the level of H-Ras^V12 expression and a sensitivity to doxorubicin toxicity. To examine the detailed mechanism of H-Ras^V12-mediated down-regulation of mdr1b expression, antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenylene iodonium (DPI) were used. Pretreating cells with either NAC or DPI significantly enhanced the oncogenic H-Ras-mediated down-regulation of mdr1b expression and markedly prevented doxorubicin-induced cell death. Moreover, NAC and DPI treatment led to a decrease in ERK activity, and the ERK inhibitors PD98059 or U0126 enhanced the mdr1b-Luc activity of H-Ras^V12-NIH3T3 and reduced doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. These data suggest that Ras^V12 expression could downregulate mdr1b expression through intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and ERK activation induced by ROS, is at least in part, contributed to the downregulation of mdr1b expression.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.47 no.12
• /
• pp.685-690
• /
• 2014

The Ras/Raf/MEK/Erk signaling pathway is important for regulation of cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, survival, and apoptosis in response to a variety of extracellular stimuli. Lack of Erk MAPK activation is observed in several cancer cells despite active activation of Ras. However, little is known about the modulation of Erk1/2 activity by active Ras. Here, we show that overexpression of active H-Ras (H-RasG12R) in NIH3T3 fibroblasts impaired FGF2-induced Erk1/2 phosphorylation, as compared to wild-type cells. Northern blot analysis revealed that prolonged expression of active Ras increased MAP kinase phosphatase 3 (MKP3) mRNA expression, a negative regulator of Erk MAPK. Inhibition of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway abrogated active Ras-induced up-regulation of MKP3 expression, leading to the rescue of Erk1/2 phosphorylation. Our results demonstrated that the Ras/Raf/MEK/Erk signaling cascade is negatively regulated by the PI3K/Aktdependent transcriptional activation of the MKP3 gene.

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
• /
• 2002.05a
• /
• pp.81-81
• /
• 2002

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.157-164
• /
• 1999

To determine molecular mechanisms of Aquaporin-CD (AQP2) gene regulation, the promoter region of the AQP2 gene was examined by transiently transfecting a promoter-luciferase reporter fusion gene into mouse renal collecting duct cell lines such as mIMCD-3, mIMCD-K2, and M-1 cells, and NIH3T3 mouse embryo fibroblast cells. PCR-Southern analysis reveals that mIMCD-3 and mIMCD-K2 cells express AQP2, but M-1 and NIH3T3 cells do not, and that the treatment with cpt-cAMP $(400\;{\mu}M)$) or forskolin/isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX) increased the AQP2 expression in IMCD cells. In both IMCD and NIH3T3 cells, the constructs containing the promoter of AQP2 gene showed promoter activities, indicating lack of tissue-specific element in the 1.4 kb 5'-flanking region of the mouse AQP2 gene. Luciferase activity in the IMCD cells transfected with the construct containing 5-flanking region showed responsiveness to cpt-cAMP, indicating that the 1.4 kb 5'-flanking region contains the element necessary for the regulatory mechanism by cAMP. The promoter-luciferase constructs which do not have a cAMP-responsible element (CRE) still showed the cAMP responsiveness in IMCD cells, but not in NIH3T3 cells. Increase in medium osmolarity did not affect AQP2 promoter activity in mIMCD-K2 cells. These results demonstrate that AQP2 gene transcription is increased with cAMP treatment through multiple motifs including CRE in the 5'-flanking region of the gene in vitro, and the regulatory mechanism may be important for in vivo regulation of AQP2 expression.