• BMB Reports
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.143-148
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• 2024

Pulmonary fibrosis is a serious lung disease that occurs predominantly in men. Genistein is an important natural soybean-derived phytoestrogen that affects various biological functions, such as cell migration and fibrosis. However, the antifibrotic effects of genistein on pulmonary fibrosis are largely unknown. The antifibrotic effects of genistein were evaluated using in vitro and in vivo models of lung fibrosis. Proteomic data were analyzed using nano-LC-ESI-MS/MS. Genistein significantly reduced transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-induced expression of collagen type I and α-smooth muscle actin (SMA) in MRC-5 cells and primary fibroblasts from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Genistein also reduced TGF-β1-induced expression of p-Smad2/3 and p-p38 MAPK in fibroblast models. Comprehensive protein analysis confirmed that genistein exerted an anti-fibrotic effect by regulating various molecular mechanisms, such as unfolded protein response, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling, cell death, and several metabolic pathways. Genistein was also found to decrease hydroxyproline levels in the lungs of BLM-treated mice. Genistein exerted an anti-fibrotic effect by preventing fibroblast activation, suggesting that genistein could be developed as a pharmacological agent for the prevention and treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.417-426
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• 2017

4-O-methylhonokiol, a neolignan compound from Magnolia Officinalis, has been reported to have various biological activities including hair growth promoting effect. However, although transforming growth factor-${\beta}$ (TGF-${\beta}$) signal pathway has an essential role in the regression induction of hair growth, the effect of 4-O-methylhonokiol on the TGF-${\beta}$ signal pathway has not yet been elucidated. We thus examined the effect of 4-O-methylhonokiol on TGF-${\beta}$-induced canonical and noncanonical pathways in HaCaT human keratinocytes. When HaCaT cells were pretreated with 4-O-methylhonokiol, TGF-${\beta}1$-induced G1/G0 phase arrest and TGF-${\beta}1$-induced p21 expression were decreased. Moreover, 4-O-methylhonokiol inhibited nuclear translocation of Smad2/3, Smad4 and Sp1 in TGF-${\beta}1$-induced canonical pathway. We observed that ERK phosphorylation by TGF-${\beta}1$ was significantly attenuated by treatment with 4-O-methylhonokiol. 4-O-methylhonokiol inhibited TGF-${\beta}1$-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and reduced the increase of NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) mRNA level in TGF-${\beta}1$-induced noncanonical pathway. These results indicate that 4-O-methylhonokiol could inhibit TGF-${\beta}1$-induced cell cycle arrest through inhibition of canonical and noncanonical pathways in human keratinocyte HaCaT cell and that 4-O-methylhonokiol might have protective action on TGF-${\beta}1$-induced cell cycle arrest.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.52-68
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• 2008

Objectives and Methods : Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix (SMR) promotes blood circulation to remove blood stasis, cools the blood to relieve carbuncle, clears away heat from the heart and tranquilizes the mind. This study was designed to investigate the effects of SMR on immuno-potentiative action in terms of changes in the genetic profile of dendritic cells (DC) using by microarray analysis. Results and Conclusion: In this experiment, treatments with more than 250 ${\mu}g/ml$ upto 1000 ${\mu}g/ml$ of SMR elevated the proliferation rates of DC. Microscopic observations confirmed the tendency on proliferation rates. Expression levels of genes related with cellular methabolic process, cell communication, and macromolecule metabolic process were elevated by treatment with SMR in comparison of functional distribution in a Biological Process. In molecular functions, expression levels of genes related with receptor activation, nucleotide binding and nucleic acid binding were elevated. In cellular components, expression levels of genes related to cellular membrane-bound organelles were elevated. In addition, expression levels of genes related to Wnt signalling pathways and the glycerophospholipid metabolism were elevated through analysis using pathway analysis between up-and down-regulated genes in cells treated with SMR. Finally, genes related to JAK2, GRB2, CDC42, SMAD4, B2M, FOS and ESRI located the center of Protein interaction network of genes through treatment with SMR.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.261-268
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• 2013

The ginseng plant (Panax ginseng Meyer) has a large number of active ingredients including steroidal saponins with a dammarane skeleton as well as protopanaxadiol and protopanaxatriol, commonly known as ginsenosides, which have antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-adipocyte, and sexual enhancing effects. Though several discoveries have demonstrated that ginseng saponins (ginsenosides) as the most important therapeutic agent for the treatment of osteoporosis, yet the molecular mechanism of its active metabolites is unknown. In this review, we summarize the evidence supporting the therapeutic properties of ginsenosides both in vivo and in vitro, with an emphasis on the different molecular agents comprising receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B, and matrix metallopeptidase-9, as well as the bone morphogenetic protein-2 and Smad signaling pathways.

• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.58-59
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• 2017

The beneficial paracrine roles of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in tissue repair have potential in therapeutic strategies against various diseases. However, the key therapeutic factors secreted from MSCs and their exact molecular mechanisms of action remain unclear. In this study, the cell-free secretome of umbilical cord-derived MSCs showed significant anti-fibrotic activity in the mouse models of liver fibrosis. The involved action mechanism was the regulation of hepatic stellate cell activation by direct inhibition of the $TGF{\beta}$/Smad-signaling. Antagonizing the milk fat globule-EGF factor 8 (MFGE8) activity blocked the anti-fibrotic effects of the MSC secretome in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, MFGE8 was secreted by MSCs from the umbilical cord as well as other tissues, including teeth and bone marrow. Administration of recombinant MFGE8 protein alone had a significant anti-fibrotic effect in two different models of liver fibrosis. Additionally, MFGE8 downregulated $TGF{\beta}$ type I receptor expression by binding to ${\alpha}v{\beta}3$ integrin on HSCs. These findings revealed the potential role of MFGE8 in modulating $TGF{\beta}$-signaling. Thus, MFGE8 could serve as a novel therapeutic agent for liver fibrosis.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.3 s.67
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• pp.26-37
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• 2006

Determination and differentiation of cells in the skeletal muscle lineage is positively regulated by cell-cell contact. Differentiation proteins proposed to mediate this effect include both classical MyoD and MEF members; potential interactions between the promyogenic activities of these classes of protein, however, are unknown. We show here that MyoD and MEF, two promyogenic family members that relate to each other in a cis fashion, form interactions with MyoD and MEF. These proteins contain myosin-heavy chainsand are enriched at sites of cell-cell contact between myoblasts. Therefore, in differentiation of MyoD and MEF from Chungsimyeonjaeum interact dependently, suggesting that the interactions occur in a cis fashion; consistent with this conclusion, MyoD-mediated differentiation is required for myoblasts to occur by Chungsimyeonjaeum. Inhibition in myoblasts of a MyoD by Staurosporine in its ability to associate with MEF interferes with differentiation as assessed by morphological and transcription levels, suggesting that this interaction is functionally important in myogenesis. Also, some of the differentiation-mediated proteins that are required for myogenesis seem to be based on interdependent activities of the promyogenic classical smad-subfamily.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.160-165
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• 2023

Vascular calcification is common in cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis, and is associated with an increased risk of pathological events and mortality. Some semaphorin family members play an important role in atherosclerosis. In the present study, we show that Semaphorin 4D/Sema4D and its Plexin-B1 receptor were significantly upregulated in calcified aorta of a rat chronic kidney disease model. Significantly higher Sema4D and Plexin-B1 expression was also observed during inorganic phosphate-induced calcification of vascular smooth muscle cells. Knockdown of Sema4D or Plexin-B1 genes attenuated both the phosphate-induced osteogenic phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells, through regulation of SMAD1/5 signaling, as well as apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells, through modulation of the Gas6/Axl/Akt survival pathway. Taken together, our results offer new insights on the role of Sema4D and Plexin-B1 as potential therapeutic targets against vascular calcification.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.321-332
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• 2019

The brain is the most common metastatic site of lung adenocarcinoma; however, the mechanism of this selective metastasis remains unclear. We aimed to verify the hypothesis that exposure of tumor cells to the brain microenvironment leads to changes in their gene expression, which promotes their oriented transfer to the brain. A549 and H1299 lung adenocarcinoma cells were exposed to human astrocyte-conditioned medium to simulate the brain microenvironment. Microarray analysis was used to identify differentially expressed genes, which were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. Knockdown experiments using microRNAs and the overexpression of genes by cell transfection were performed in addition to migration and invasion assays. In vitro findings were confirmed in clinical specimens using immunohistochemistry. We found and confirmed a significant increase in insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP3) levels. Our results also showed that the up-regulation of IGFBP3 promoted A549 cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration, and invasion, while the knockdown of IGFBP3 resulted in decreased cell motility. We also found that Transforming growth factor-${\beta}$ (TGF-${\beta}$)/Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 (Smad4)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition was likely IGFBP3-dependent in A549 cells. Finally, expression of IGFBP3 was significantly elevated in pulmonary cancer tissues and intracranial metastatic tissues. Our data indicate that up-regulation of IGFBP3 might mediate brain metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma, which makes it a potential therapeutic target.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.329-342
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• 2022

The liver is the predominant metastatic site for pancreatic cancer. However, the factors that determine the liver metastasis and the specific molecular mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we used human pancreatic cancer cell line Hs766T to establish Hs766T-L3, a subline of Hs766T with stable liver metastatic ability. We performed RNA sequencing of Hs766T-L3 and its parental cell line Hs766T, and revealed huge differences in gene expression patterns and pathway activation between these two cell lines. We correlated the difference in pathway activation with the expression of the four core transcriptional factors including STAT1, NR2F2, GATA2, and SMAD4. Using the TCGA database, we examined the relative expression of these transcription factors (TFs) in pan-cancer and their relationship with the prognosis of the pancreatic cancer. Among these TFs, we considered GATA2 is closely involved in tumor metastasis and may serve as a potential metastatic driver. Further in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that GATA2-mediated transcriptional activation of Notch3 promotes the liver metastasis of Hs766T-L3, and knockdown of either GATA2 or Notch3 reduces the metastatic ability of Hs766T-L3. Therefore, we claim that GATA2 may serve as a metastatic driver of pancreatic cancer and a potential therapeutic target to treat liver metastasis of pancreatic cancer.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.357-365
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• 2022

We examined the lung anti-fibrotic properties of flavanones and flavones, which are flavonoid compounds, in bleomycin- and TGF-β1-stimulated A549 cells. Taken together, treatment with Bleomycin and TGF-β1 increased intracellular ROS by increasing the expression of various NOX families in A549 cells; further, the increased ROS levels resulted in increased fibrosis markers and induced pulmonary fibrosis. Flavonoid treatment has been demonstrated to alleviate or inhibit pulmonary fibrosis by modulating Smad-dependent and -non-dependent TGF-β mechanisms by modulating intracellular NOX expression.