• Toxicological Research
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.325-332
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• 2017

3-Bromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (BDB) is a natural bromophenol compound that is most commonly isolated from red algae. The present study was designed to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of BDB on atopic dermatitis (AD) in mice induced by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) and on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophages. BDB treatment (100 mg/kg) resulted in suppression of the development of AD symptoms compared with the control treatment (induction-only), as demonstrated by reduced immunoglobulin E levels in serum, smaller lymph nodes with reduced thickness and length, a decrease in ear edema, and reduced levels of inflammatory cell infiltration in the ears. In RAW 264.7 murine macrophages, BDB (12.5, 25, 50, and $100{\mu}M$) suppressed the production of interleukin-6, a proinflammatory cytokine, in a dose-dependent manner. BDB also had an inhibitory effect on the phosphorylation of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-${\kappa}B$) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1; Tyr 701), two major signaling molecules involved in cellular inflammation. Taken together, the results show that BDB treatment alleviates inflammatory responses in an atopic dermatitis mouse model and RAW 264.7 macrophages. These results suggest that BDB may be a useful therapeutic strategy for treating conditions involving allergic inflammation such as atopic dermatitis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제25권8호
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• pp.1307-1314
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• 2015

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a member of the IL-6 cytokine family, having pleiotropic actions such as maintaining stem cell pluripotency and enabling blastocyst implantation. Because the action of LIF is mediated by a ligand-receptor interaction with the LIF receptor (LIF-R), an antagonist for LIF-R has been developed to inhibit LIF-induced signaling. In this study, we present a novel method for the production and purification of an antagonist to human LIF-R (hLA). His-tagged hLA was expressed in E. coli, and simple purification methods without any endopeptidase cleavage were designed. In addition, we determined the optimal temperature conditions for enhancing the production of soluble hLA. Finally, the bioactivity of His-tagged hLA was examined using STAT3 phosphorylation and receptivity of human endometrial ECC-1 cells. Our strategy provides a rapid and efficient method to produce biologically active recombinant hLA.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.402-409
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• 2016

It has been found that 4-isopropyl-2,6-bis(1-phenylethyl)phenol (KTH-13), a novel compound isolated from Cordyceps bassiana, is able to suppress tumor cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis. To mass-produce this compound, we established a total synthesis method. Using those conditions, we further synthesized various analogs with structural similarity to KTH-13. In this study, we aimed to test their anti-cancer activity by measuring anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities. Of 8 compounds tested, 4-methyl-2,6-bis(1-phenylethyl)phenol (KTH-13-Me) exhibited the strongest anti-proliferative activity toward MDA-MB 231 cells. KTH-13-Me also similarly suppressed the survival of various cancer cell lines, including C6 glioma, HCT-15, and LoVo cells. Treatment of KTH-13-Me induced several apoptotic signs in C6 glioma cells, such as morphological changes, induction of apoptotic bodies, and nuclear fragmentation and chromatin condensation. Concordantly, early-apoptotic cells were also identified by staining with FITC-Annexin V/PI. Moreover, KTH-13-Me highly enhanced the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9, and decreased the protein level of Bcl-2. In addition, the phosphorylation levels of Src and STAT3 were diminished in KTH-13-Me-treated C6 cells. Therefore, these results suggest that KTH-13-Me can be developed as a novel anti-cancer drug capable of blocking proliferation, inducing apoptosis, and blocking cell survival signaling in cancer cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.1457-1461
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• 2012

Purpose: Non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading worldwide source of cancer-related deaths. Although some drugs targeting EGFR mutations have been developed, most advanced cases are still incurable. New targets for anticancer drugs are demanded. The kringle 1 domain of hepatocellular growth factor alpha chain (HGFK1) is a potent anti-angiogenesis factor. It has also emerged as a potential anticancer factor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The expression of HGFK1 protein in patients with NSCLC has not been reported to date. Method: Here, we assessed HGFK1 expression by Western blotting in 103 cases with advanced NSCLC to investigate the impact of HGFK1 on survival. Results: Results revealed 33 (30.1%) patients were classified as high expressors, this being significantly associated with less remote metastasis (P = 0.002) but not with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.062). There was also a significant association between HGFK1 expression and tumor size (P = 0.025) as well as clinical stage (P = 0.012). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that both overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) of patients with HGFK1 expression were longer than those of patients without HGFK1 expression (P = 0.004 and P = 0.001 respectively). HGFK1 reversed gefitinib inhibition in the resistent NSCLC cell line A431/GR but did not inhibit the proliferation of NSCLC cells A431 and A431/GR directly. Reversion of gefitinib inhibition in A431/GR cells by HGFK1 was related to decreased phosphorylation of ERK and STAT5. Conclusions: HGFK1 may be a useful prognostic factor of advanced NSCLC patients and a potential drug for gefitinib resistant patients.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• 제63권1호
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• pp.95-101
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• 2020

건선(psoriasis)은 인체 피부조직 중 표피의 과증식 및 다양한 크기의 홍반, 인설 등이 동반되는 난치성 자가면역 피부질환이다. 건선 피부염 발병 기작은 명확히 규명되지 않았으나 각질 형성세포의 과분화 과정에 관여하는 염증성 cytokine과 Th17 세포를 포함한 면역세포를 염증부위로 유인하는 chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 20 (CCL20)이 발병과정에 관여하는 것으로 알려진다. 따라서 건선치료에 효과적인 천연 소재를 발굴하기 위해 예로부터 항염증 활성이 알려진 익지인(Alpiniaoxyphylla Miquel)의 유효성분인 yakuchinone-A의 건선 피부염 개선효과를 연구하였다. 먼저 CCK-8 assay 통해 human keratinocyte (HaCaT) 세포에 tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)와 yakuchinone-A를 동시 처리하여 세포독성을 관찰한 결과, yakuchinone-A는 10 ㎍/mL까지 세포독성이 관찰되지 않았다. TNF-α를 HaCaT 세포에 처리하여 염증을 유발한 후 yakuchinone-A를 농도별로 처리한 결과 IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α 등 건선 피부염 유발 cytokine의 mRNA 발현이 각각 61.4±7.5, 23.6±1.5, 46.0±4.8% 수준으로 감소하였고, Th17 세포를 유인하는 chemokine인 CCL20 또한 yakuchinone-A에 의해 유의적으로 억제되었다. 또한 CCL20 발현에 관여하는 NF-κB/IκB pathway에서 IκB 인산화 및 STAT3 인산화가 yakuchinone-A에 의해 79.1±5.0, 80.8±2.3% 수준만큼 농도 의존적으로 억제되었다. 마지막으로 Th17 세포에 의해 분비되는 IL-17A에 의해 활성화된 HaCaT 세포에 yakuchinone-A를 처리한 결과, CCL20 mRNA발현이 농도의존적으로 감소하였다. 이러한 결과들을 토대로 yakuchinone-A는 건선 피부염 개선 활성을 가지며, 향후 새로운 건선 피부염 개선 소재로 개발될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.367-373
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• 2015

Cordyceps species including Cordyceps bassiana are a notable anti-cancer dietary supplement. Previously, we identified several compounds with anti-cancer activity from the butanol fraction (Cb-BF) of Cordyceps bassiana. To expand the structural value of Cb-BF-derived anti-cancer drugs, we employed various chemical moieties to produce a novel Cb-BF-derived chemical derivative, KTH-13-amine-monophenyl [4-isopropyl-2-(1-phenylethyl) aniline (KTH-13-AMP)], which we tested for anti-cancer activity. KTH-13-AMP suppressed the proliferation of MDA-MB-231, HeLa, and C6 glioma cells. KTH-13-AMP also dose-dependently induced morphological changes in C6 glioma cells and time-dependently increased the level of early apoptotic cells stained with annexin V-FITC. Furthermore, the levels of the active full-length forms of caspase-3 and caspase-9 were increased. In contrast, the levels of total forms of caspases-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, and Bcl-2 were decreased in KTH-13-AMP treated-cells. We also confirmed that the phosphorylation of STAT3, Src, and PI3K/p85, which is linked to cell survival, was diminished by treatment with KTH-13-AMP. Therefore, these results strongly suggest that this compound can be used to guide the development of an anti-cancer drug or serve as a lead compound in forming another strong anti-proliferative agent.