• 생명과학회지
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.86-93
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• 2022

Lupeol은 pentacyclic triterpene의 일종으로 다양한 질병에 약리 효과가 있는 것으로 보고되어 있으나, lupeol이 포도당 흡수에 미치는 영향은 아직 보고된 바 없다. 본 연구에서 3T3-L1 지방세포에서 포도당 흡수에 대한 lupeol의 효과를 조사하였다. 그 결과, Lupeol은 3T3-L1 지방세포에서 GLUT4를 원형질막으로 이동시켜 포도당 흡수를 촉진하였으며, 이는 PI3K/AKT 및 AMPK 경로의 활성화와 관련되어 있었다. PI3K/AKT 경로에서 lupeol은 PI3K를 활성화시키는 insulin receptor substrate 1의 인산화와 AKT의 인산화를 촉진하지만 비정형 단백질 키나아제 C isoforms ζ 및 λ의 인산화는 촉진하지 않았다. 반면, lupeol은 5 'AMP-activated protein kinase의 인산화를 촉진하였고, Lupeol의 의한 AMPK의 활성화는 원형질막-GLUT4의 발현과 세포내 포도당 흡수를 증가시키는 것으로 확인되었다. 3T3-L1 지방세포에서 lupeol에 의한 포도당 흡수 효과는 PI3K 억제제인 wortmannin 및 AMPK 억제제인 Compound C에 의해 억제됨을 통해 확인하였다. 본 연구 결과는 lupeol이 3T3-L1 지방세포에서 PI3K/AKT 및 AMPK 경로를 통해 원형질막 GLUT4의 발현을 자극함으로써 인슐린 감수성을 증가시켜 포도당 흡수를 촉진할 수 있음을 제시하고 있다.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.308-313
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• 2014

Activator protein-1 (AP-1) is an inducible transcription factor that contributes to the generation of chronic inflammation in response to oxidative and electrophilic stress. Previous studies have demonstrated that the PI3K/Akt1 pathway plays an important role in the transcriptional regulation of AP-1 expression. Although the histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) are assumed to affect the AP-1 transcriptional regulation by the PI3K/Akt pathway, the detailed mechanisms are completely unknown. In the present study, we show that heterochromatin 1 gamma ($HP1{\gamma}$) plays a negative role in TPA-induced c-Jun and c-Fos expression. We show that TPA-induced Akt1 directly phosphorylates $HP1{\gamma}$, abrogates its suppressive function and increases the interaction between histone H3 and 14-3-$3{\varepsilon}$. Collectively, these our data illustrate that the activation of PI3K/Akt pathway may play a permissive role in the recruitment of histone readers or other coactivators on the chromatin, thereby affecting the degree of AP-1 transcription.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권5호
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• pp.2157-2162
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• 2012

Objective: The PI3K/PTEN/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway has been implicated in resistance to cisplatin. In the current study, we determined whether common genetic variations in this pathway are associated with platinum-based chemotherapy response and clinical outcome in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods: Seven common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in core genes of this pathway were genotyped in 199 patients and analyzed for associations with chemotherapy response, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: Logistic regression analysis revealed an association between AKT1 rs2494752 and response to treatment. Patients carrying heterozygous AG had an increased risk of disease progression after two cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy compared to those with AA genotype (Adjusted odds ratio (OR)=2.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00-4.77, which remained significant in the stratified analyses). However, log-rank test and cox regression detected no association between these polymorphisms in the PI3K pathway genes and survival in advanced NSCLC patients. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that genetic variants in the PI3K/PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathway may predict platinum-based chemotherapy response in advanced NSCLC patients in a Chinese population.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.383-398
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• 2023

Dihydroaustrasulfone alcohol (DA), the synthetic precursor of a natural compound (austrasulfone) isolated from the coral species Cladiella australis, has shown cytotoxic effects against cancer cells. However, it is unknown whether DA has antitumor effects on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In this study, we determined the antitumor effects of DA and investigated its mechanism of action on human NPC cells. The MTT assay was used to determine the cytotoxic effect of DA. Subsequently, apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) analyses were performed by using flow cytometry. Apoptotic and PI3K/AKT pathway-related protein expression was determined using Western blotting. We found that DA significantly reduced the viability of NPC-39 cells and determined that apoptosis was involved in DA-induced cell death. The activity of caspase-9, caspase-8, caspase-3, and PARP induced by DA suggested caspase-mediated apoptosis in DA-treated NPC-39 cells. Apoptosis-associated proteins (DR4, DR5, FAS) in extrinsic pathways were also elevated by DA. The enhanced expression of proapoptotic Bax and decreased expression of antiapoptotic BCL-2 suggested that DA mediated mitochondrial apoptosis. DA reduced the expression of pPI3K and p-AKT in NPC-39 cells. DA also reduced apoptosis after introducing an active AKT cDNA, indicating that DA could block the PI3K/AKT pathway from being activated. DA increased intracellular ROS, but N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger, reduced DA-induced cytotoxicity. NAC also reversed the chances in pPI3K/AKT expression and reduced DA-induced apoptosis. These findings suggest that ROS-mediates DA-induced apoptosis and PI3K/AKT signaling inactivation in human NPC cells.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제54권5호
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• pp.551-562
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• 2003

연구배경 : NF-${\kappa}B$는 많은 염증 유발성 물질들을 발현시키는데 필요한 전사 인자로서, 염증성 폐질환 발병에 관여한다는 사실이 확인되었다. 이러한 NF-${\kappa}B$의 활성화에는 여러 신호전달 체계가 관여한다는 사실이 밝혀지고 있으며 최근 PI3K/Akt 경로도 NF-${\kappa}B$ 활성화에 관여한다는 연구 결과가 보고되고 있으나, 실험 대상 세포주마다 활성화 기전이 다르고 호흡기 상피세포에 대한 결과도 알려져 있지 않아 호흡기 상피세포에서의 NF-${\kappa}B$ 활성화에 PI3K/Akt 경로가 관여하는지를 밝히기 위하여 본 연구를 시행하게 되었다. 방법 : 인체 기관지 상피세포주인 BEAS-2B와 폐암 세포주인 A549, NCI-H157을 사용하여 Akt 활성화와 $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ 분해 여부를 확인하기 위해 western blot을 시행하였다. Wortmannin, LY294002 및 DN-Akt를 이용하여 Akt 경로를 억제하였고, NF-${\kappa}B$ 활성화와 전사 활성을 측정하기 위하여 각각 EMSA와 luciferase assay를 시행하였다. 결과 : BEAS-2B, A549 및 NCI-H157 세포주에 TNF-$\alpha$ 및 insulin을 처리한 경우 Akt 활성화가 유도되었다. Insulin 으로 Akt 경로를 활성화시킨 경우 $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ 분해가 일어나지는 않았다. Wortmannin, LY294002 및 DN-Akt 를 이용하여 Akt 경로를 억제한 경우 TNF-$\alpha$에 의한 $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ 분해 및 IKK 활성화가 억제되지는 않았으며, NF-${\kappa}B$ 활성화도 억제되지 않았다. Wortmannin을 처리한 경우 TNF-$\alpha$에 의한 NF-${\kappa}B$ 전사 활성이 오히려 증가하는 양상을 보였으나, DN-Akt 이입시킨 경우에는 관찰되지 않았다. 결론 : 인체 호흡기 상피세포에서는 $I{\kappa}B$/NF-${\kappa}B$ 경로의 활성화는 PI3K/Akt 경로와 무관한 것으로 판단된다.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제27권5호
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• pp.493-511
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• 2023

Hippo/YAP signaling hinders cancer progression. Inactivation of this pathway contributes to the development of esophageal cancer by activation of Akt. However, the possible interaction between Akt and Hippo/YAP pathways in esophageal cancer progression is unclear. In this study, we found that ursolic acid (UA) plus 3'3-diindolylmethane (DIM) efficiently suppressed the oncogenic Akt/Gsk-3β signaling pathway while activating the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway in esophageal cancer cells. Moreover, the addition of the Akt inhibitor LY294002 and the PI3K inhibitor 3-methyladenine enhanced the inhibitory effects of UA plus DIM on Akt pathway activation and further stimulated the Hippo pathway, including the suppression of YAP nuclear translocation in esophageal cancer cells. Silencing YAP under UA plus DIM conditions significantly increased the activation of the tumor suppressor PTEN in esophageal cancer cells, while decreasing p-Akt activation, indicating that the Akt signaling pathway could be down-regulated in esophageal cancer cells by targeting PTEN. Furthermore, in a xenograft nude mice model, UA plus DIM treatment effectively diminished esophageal tumors by inactivating the Akt pathway and stimulating the Hippo signaling pathway. Thus, our study highlights a feedback loop between the PI3K/Akt and Hippo signaling pathways in esophageal cancer cells, implying that a low dose of UA plus DIM could serve as a promising chemotherapeutic combination strategy in the treatment of esophageal cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권6호
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• pp.3631-3634
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• 2013

MicroRNAs (MiRNAs) play important roles in coordinating a variety of cellular processes and abnormal expression has been linked to the occurrence of several cancers. The miRNA miR-451 is downregulated in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cells, suggested by several research groups including our own. In this study, synthetic miR-451 mimics were transfected into the SW620 human CRC cell line using Lipofectamine 2000 and expression of miR-451 was analyzed by real time PCR, while expression of CAB39, LKB1, AMPK, AKT, PI3K and Bcl2 was analyzed by Western blot, and cell growth was detected by MTT assay. In comparison to the controls, a significant increase in the expression of miR-451 was associated with significantly decreased expression of CAB39, LKB1, AMPK, AKT, PI3K and Bcl2. The capacity of cell proliferation was significantly decreased by miR-451 expression, which also inhibited cell growth. Our study confirmed that miR-451 has a repressive role in CRC cells by inhibiting cell growth through down-regulating the P13K/AKT pathway.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.345-356
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• 2023

This study aimed to assess the effects of exogenous hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) on abdominal aorta coarctation (AAC) induced myocardial fibrosis (MF) and autophagy in rats. Forty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group, AAC group, AAC + H₂S group, and H₂S control group. After a model of rats with AAC was built surgically, AAC + H₂S group and H₂S group were injected intraperitoneally with H₂S (100 µmol/kg) daily. The rats in the control group and the AAC group were injected with the same amount of PBS. We observed that H₂S can improve left ventricular function and the deposition of myocardial collagen fibers, inhibit pyroptosis, down-regulate the expression of P-eif2α in myocardial tissue, and inhibit cell autophagy by activating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT1 signaling pathway (p < 0.05). In addition, angiotensin II (1 µM) H9c2 cardiomyocytes were injured in vitro experiments, and it was also observed that pyroptosis was inhibited after H₂S (400 µmol/kg) intervention, the expression of P-eif2α in cardiomyocytes was significantly down-regulated, and the PI3K/AKT1 signaling pathway was activated at the same time. Therefore, increasing the expression of P-eif2α reverses the activation of the PI3K/AKT1 signaling pathway by H₂S. In conclusion, these findings suggest that exogenous H₂S can ameliorate MF in rats with AAC by inhibiting pyroptosis, and the mechanism may be associated with inhibiting the phosphorylation of eif2α and activating the PI3K/AKT1 signaling pathway to inhibit excessive cell autophagy.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.184-189
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• 2023

Normal activation of platelets and their aggregation are crucial during hemostasis process. It appears excessive or abnormal aggregation of platelets may bring about cardiovascular diseases like stroke, atherosclerosis, and thrombosis. For this reason, finding a substance that can regulate platelet aggregation or suppress aggregation will aid in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Artemisinin, a compound derived from Artemisia or Scopolia plants, has shown potential in various areas such as anticancer and Alzheimer's disease research. However, the specific role and mechanisms by which artemisinin influences platelet activation and thrombus formation are not yet fully understood. This study investigated the effects of artemisinin on platelet activation and thrombus formation. This study examined the effect of artemisinin on regulation of U46619-induced platelet aggregation, granule secretion. In addition, the effects of artemisinin on phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathway involved in platelet aggregation was studied. As a result, artemisinin significantly downregulated of PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathway. In addition, artemisinin significantly reduced granule secretion, and platelet aggregation was inhibited by artemisinin. Therefore, we suggest that artemisinin is an anti-platelet substance that regulates PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathway and is valuable as a therapeutic and preventive agent for platelet-derived cardiovascular disease.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권7호
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• pp.2645-2651
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• 2015

Background: The phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase/Akt (PI3K/Akt) pathway is a key regulator for HER2-overexpressing breast cancer, but data about whether activation of PI3K/Akt is associated with poor prognosis and resistance to trastuzumab therapy is controversial. In this study we investigated predictive and prognostic significance of expression of p27, Akt, PTEN and PI3K, which are components of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC), retrospectively. Materials and Methods: Fifty-four HER2-positive MBC patients who had received first-line trastuzumab-based therapy were recruited for the study group. All of the patient's breast tissue samples were examined for p27 and Akt expression. In addition, twenty-five patients with sufficient amount of tumor tissue were also examined for PTEN and PI3K expression. p27, Akt, PTEN and PI3K were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and their relationship with patient demographic features, tumor characteristics, response to trastuzumab-based treatment and survival outcomes were analyzed. Results: p27, Akt, PTEN and PI3K were positive in 25.9%, 70.4%, 24% and 96% of the cases, respectively. Nomne were significantly associated with response to trastuzumab and time to progression (TTP). A trend toward statistical significance for longer overall survival (OS) was found for PTEN-positive patients (p=0.058); there was no significant relationship between the other immunohistochemical variables and OS. When we analyzed groups regarding co-expression, the PTEN-negative/Akt-negative group had a significantly lower objective response rate (ORR) (20% vs 80%, p=0.023) and the PTEN-negative/p27-negative and PTEN-negative/Akt-negative groups had significantly lower median OS compared to other patients (26.4 months vs 76.1 months, p=0.005 and 25.6 months vs 52.0 months, p=0.007, respectively). Conclusions: p27, Akt, PTEN and PI3K expression is not statistically significantly associated with ORR, TTP and OS, individually. However, the combined evaluation of p27, Akt and PTEN could be helpful to predict the response to trastuzumab-based therapy and prognosis in HER2-positive MBC.