• 대한약침학회지
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• 제16권3호
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• pp.11-22
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• 2013

Objectives: The present investigation aimed at examining if post-cancer treatment with a potentized homeopathic drug, Condurango 30C, which is generally used to treat oesophageal cancer, could also show an ameliorating effect through apoptosis induction on lung cancer induced by benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in white rats (Rattus norvegicus). Methods: Lung cancer was induced after four months by chronic feeding of BaP to rats through gavage at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight for one month. After four months, the lung-cancer-bearing rats were treated with Condurango 30C for the next one ($5^{th}$), two ($5^{th}-6^{th}$) and three ($5^{th}-7^{th}$) months, respectively, and were sacrificed at the corresponding time-points. The ameliorating effect, if any, after Condurango 30C treatment for the various periods was evaluated by using protocols such as histology, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), annexinV-FITC/PI assay, flow cytometry of the apoptosis marker, DNA fragmentation, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry, and western blot analyses of lung tissue samples. Results: Striking recovery of lung tissue to a near normal status was noticed after post-cancerous drug treatment, as evidenced by SEM and histology, especially after one and two months of drug treatment. Data from the annexinV-FITC/PI and DNA fragmentation assays revealed that Condurango 30C could induce apoptosis in cancer cells after post-cancer treatment. A critical analysis of signalling cascade, evidenced through a RT-PCR study, demonstrated up-regulation and down-regulation of different pro- and anti-apoptotic genes, respectively, related to a caspase-3-mediated apoptotic pathway, which was especially discernible after one-month and two-month drug treatments. Correspondingly, Western blot and immunohistochemistry studies confirmed the ameliorative potential of Condurango 30C by its ability to down-regulate the elevated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression, a hallmark of lung cancer. Conclusion: The overall result validated a positive effect of Condurango 30C in ameliorating lung cancer through caspase-3-mediated apoptosis induction and EGFR down-regulation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권14호
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• pp.5767-5772
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• 2014

Background and Aim: B7-H1, a co-inhibitory molecule of the B7 family, is found aberrantly expressed in ovarian cancer cells and infiltrating macrophage/dendritic-like cells, and plays a critical role in immune evasion by ovarian cancer. IL-12, an inducer of Th1 cell development, exerts immunomodulatory effects on ovarian cancer. However, whether IL-12 regulates B7-H1 expression in human ovarian cancer associated-macrophages has not been clarified. Therefore, we investigated the effects of IL-12 on the expression of B7-H1 in ovarian cancer-associated macrophages and possible mechanisms. Methods: PMA induced THP-1-derived macrophages or human monocyte-derived macrophages were treated with recombinant IL-12 (rIL-12) or infected with adenovirus carrying human IL-12 gene (Ad-IL-12-GFP) for 24 h, then cocultured with the SKOV3 ovarian cancer cell line for another 24 h. Macrophages were collected for real-time PCR and Western blot to detect the expression of B7-H1, and activation of the NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling pathway. Moreover, supernatants were collected to assay for IL-12, IFN-${\gamma}$ and IL-10 by ELISA. In addition, monocyte-derived macrophages treated with IFN-${\gamma}$ were cocultured with SKOV3 and determined for the expression of B7-H1. Furthermore, the expression of B7-H1 in monocyte-derived macrophages was also evaluated after blocking NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling. Results: The expression of B7-H1 was significantly upregulated in monocyte-derived macrophages treated with rIL-12 or Ad-IL-12-GFP compared with the control groups (p<0.05), accompanied by a remarkable upregulation of IFN-${\gamma}$ (p<0.05), a marked downregulation of IL-10 (p<0.05) and activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling. However, the upregulation of B7-H1 was inhibited by blocking the NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling pathway (p<0.05). Expression of B7-H1 was also increased (p<0.05) in monocyte-derived macrophages treated with IFN-${\gamma}$ and cocultured with SKOV3. By contrast, the expression of B7-H1 in THP-1-derived macrophages was significantly decreased when treated in the same way as monocyte-derived macrophages (p<0.05), and IL-10 was also significantly decreased but IFN-${\gamma}$ was almost absent. Conclusions: IL-12 upregulates the expression of B7-H1 in monocyte-derived macrophages, which is possible though inducing the secretion of IFN-${\gamma}$ and further activating the NF-${\kappa}B$ signal pathway. However, IL-12 downregulates the expression of B7-H1 in THP-1-derived macrophages, associated with a lack of IFN-${\gamma}$ and inhibition of expression of IL-10.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.175-183
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• 1993

There are many report suggesting that influx and intracellular calcium concentration $([Ca^{2+}]_i)$ are related to cell signalling in various cells. However, it has not been reported that calcium channel activation is affected by the substances involved in signal transduction pathways in the mouse eggs. In this study, the effects of isoprenaline (ISP) and cyclic AMP on calcium influx through calcium channels were investigated to show their relationship with the signal transduction process in unfertilized mouse eggs. Using whole cell voltage clamp techniques, calcium currents, elicited by the depolarizing pulses of 300 ms duration (from -50 mV to 50 mV in 10 mV increments) from a holding potential of -80 mV, were recorded. The current-voltage (I-V) relation of calcium currents was shown to be bell-shaped; the current began to activate at -50 mV and reached its maximum $(-1.33{\pm}0.16\;nA:\;mean{\pm}S.E.,\;n=7)$ at -10 mV, then decayed at around 50 mV. Calcium currents were fully activated within $7\;ms{\sim}20\;ms$ and completely inactivated 200 ms after onset of the step pulse. ISP within the concentration ranges of $10^{-8}\;M{\sim}10^{-4}\;M$ dose-dependently increased the amplitude calcium current. The permeable cyclic AMP analogue,8-bromocyclic AMP, also increased its maximal amplitude by 46ft at $10^{-5}\;M$, while protein kinase inhibitor (PKI), which is known to inhibit 0.02 phosphorylating units of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) per microgram decreased calcium currents. Currents recorded in the presence of PKI were resistant to increase by the application of $10^{-5}\;M$. Also, PKI inhibited the calcium current increase elicited by ISP treatment. These results suggest that $\beta-adrenergic$ regulation of the calcium channel is mediated by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. This signal transduction pathway might play a role in regulating $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, level due to the increase of calcium influx in mouse eggs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권12호
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• pp.6311-6318
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• 2012

Background: HER2/neu overexpression due to gene amplification is an important factor in breast cancer, modifying the sensitivity to anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody therapy. The clinical significance of HER2 expression in non small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is currently under evaluation. The tumor suppressor gene PTEN negatively regulates the HER2/PI3K/Akt signalling pathway. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of simultaneous alteration in HER2 and PTEN protein expression in relation to biological behaviour of NSCLCs. Materials and Methods: Protein expression was determined by immunohistochemistry in sixty-one (n=61) NSCLC cases along with CISH for HER2 gene analysis and detection of chromosome 17 aneuploidy. Patients were followed-up for a period of 34 to 41 months after surgery. Results: HER2 overexpression (2+/3+score) was detected in 17 (27.9%) patients while loss of PTEN expression was observed in 24 (39.3%) cases, low expression in 29 (47.6%) and overexpression in 8 (13.1%). Simultaneous HER2 overexpression and PTEN low/loss of expression were correlated with metastasis (71.4% vs 36.2% p=0.03). Analysis in the subgroup of 22 patients of pTNM stage III with lymph node status N1 or N2 revealed that there was a relationship between the number of positive regional lymph node groups and simultaneous deregulation of the two genes (p=0.04). Multivariate analysis determined that HER2 overexpression was associated with an increasing risk of developing metastases (OR: 4.3; 95%CI: 1.2-15.9; p: 0.03) while PTEN overexpression was associated with lower risk (OR: 0.1; 95%CI: 0.1, 1.0; p: 0.05). Conclusions: Simultaneous HER2/PTEN deregulation is a significant genetic event that leads to a more aggressive phenotype of NSCLC.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.39-50
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• 2001

In order to investigate the effect of Transforming growth factor ${\beta}1$(below TGF-${\beta}1$) and osteogenic protein-1(below Op-1) onto the myogenic differentiation, C2C12 satellite myoblastic cell line was cultured and treated with both growth factors. At first morphological changes with microscopical examination were examined, and isolated total RNA to analyse mRNA expression of bone marker proteins, muscle regulatory proteins, TGF-${\beta}$ receptor and their ligands by Northern blot analysis. And cellular proliferative inducibility of both growth factors was also tested to C2C12 cells. Incubating the cell with $5ng/m{\ell}$ of TGF-${\beta}1$ until 4 days almost inhibited multinucleated myotube formation expressing muscular regulatory proteins, and induced decreasing Id proteins. However, no osteoblastic phenotypes was induced by TGF-${\beta}1$ in C2C12 cells. The mRNA expression of TGF-${\beta}$ receptors with TGF-${\beta}1$ was conversed after 48 hours cultured. Type I TGF-${\beta}$ receptor was seemed to play a role in negative signalling for inhibition of myogenic differentiation. OP-1 dose dependently induced ALP activity, osteopontine production and bone sialoprotein production at concentrations above $100ng/m{\ell}$ and osteocalcin production at concentrations above $300ng/m{\ell}$. The concentration of OP-1 required to induce these osteoblastic phenotypes was the same as that required to almost completely inhibit myotube formation. Incubation with above $100ng/m{\ell}$ OP-1 suppressed the expression of mRNA for muscular egulatory proteins from 2 days after incubation. Expression of Id-1, 2, 3 mRNA were stimulated by OP-1 at concentration above $300ng/m{\ell}$. When C2C12 cells were treated with both growth factors, TGF-${\beta}1$ potentiated the inhibitory effect of OP-1 on myotube formation and expression of mRNA for myogenin at 12 days. And TGF-${\beta}1$ reduced osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein production induced by OP-1 at 12 days in C2C12 cells. Both growth factor had no mitogenic effect. These results indicate that OP-1 converts the differentiation pathway of C2C12 myoblasts into that of osteoblastic lineage cells and it's not heritable, but TGF-${\beta}1$ does not and has reversible inhibitory activity on the myogenic differentiation. TGF-${\beta}1$ and OP-1 play a role in myogenic differentiation via different mechanism between them.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제32권8호
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• pp.1095-1103
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• 2019

Objective: Among stress responses, the unfolded protein response (UPR) is a well-known mechanism related to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. ER stress is induced by a variety of external and environmental factors such as starvation, ischemia, hypoxia, oxidative stress, and heat stress. Inositol requiring enzyme $1{\alpha}$ ($IRE1{\alpha}$)-X-box protein 1 (XBP1) is the most conserved pathway involved in the UPR and is the main component that mediates $IRE1{\alpha}$ signalling to downstream ER-associated degradation (ERAD)- or UPR-related genes. XBP1 is a transcription factor synthesised via a novel mechanism called 'frame switch splicing', and this process has not yet been studied in the horse XBP1 gene. Therefore, the aim of this study was to confirm the frame switch splicing of horse XBP1 and characterise its dynamics using Thoroughbred muscle cells exposed to heat stress. Methods: Primary horse muscle cells were used to investigate heat stress-induced frame switch splicing of horse XBP1. Frame switch splicing was confirmed by sequencing analysis. XBP1 amino acid sequences and promoter sequences of various species were aligned to confirm the sequence homology and to find conserved cis-acting elements, respectively. The expression of the potential XBP1 downstream genes were analysed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: We confirmed that splicing of horse XBP1 mRNA was affected by the duration of thermal stress. Twenty-six nucleotides in the mRNA of XBP1 were deleted after heat stress. The protein sequence and the cis-regulatory elements on the promoter of horse XBP1 are highly conserved among the mammals. Induction of putative downstream genes of horse XBP1 was dependent on the duration of heat stress. We confirmed that both the mechanisms of XBP1 frame switch splicing and various binding elements found in downstream gene promoters are highly evolutionarily conserved. Conclusion: The frame switch splicing of horse XBP1 and its dynamics were highly conserved among species. These results facilitate studies of ER-stress in horse.

• 한국식품영양과학회지
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• 제43권7호
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• pp.963-971
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• 2014

본 연구에서는 4주간의 고지방식이와 지구성 운동이 골격근의 PGC-$1{\alpha}$, PPAR-${\gamma}$ 및 인슐린 저항성(glucose uptake, GLUT-4)에 미치는 영향을 분석하였다. 인슐린 민감도 지표인 혈당내성검사에서는 일반식이와 비교하여 고지방식이에서 포도당 투여 후 30분과 60분에서 유의하게 증가하였으며, 운동집단에서는 일반식이와 고지방식이집단에 비해 유의하게 감소한 것을 알 수 있었다. 골격근의 포도당 운반률, PGC-$1{\alpha}$, GLUT-4, PPAR-${\gamma}$의 결과에서는 일반식이에 비해 고지방식이집단에서 감소하는 경향이 나타났으나 통계적으로 유의한 차이가 없는 것으로 나타났다. 그러나 운동집단(저/중/고강도운동)에서는 일반/고지방식이집단과 비교하여 유의하게 증가한 것으로 나타났다. 운동집단의 운동강도 차이에서 GLUT-4와 PPAR-${\gamma}$는 집단 간 유의한 차이가 없는 것으로 나타났다. 그러나 골격근의 포도당 운반률과 PGC-$1{\alpha}$ 단백질 발현은 저/중강도 운동과 비교하여 고강도 운동이 유의하게 증가한 것을 알 수 있었다. 이상의 결과를 종합해 볼 때 4주간의 고지방식이는 whole body의 인슐린 저항성을 발생시켰으나 근육 내 인슐린 저항에는 영향을 미치는 못한 것으로 사료된다. 그러므로 추후 고지방식이의 함량, 섭취 기간 등을 고려한 연구가 필요할 것으로 생각된다. 또한 4주간의 지속적인 지구성 운동이 고지방식이로 인해 발생된 골격근 인슐린 저항성을 감소시키는데 효과적인으로 나타났으나 운동 강도에 따른 골격근의 포도당 운반률, PGC-$1{\alpha}$, GLUT-4, PPAR-${\gamma}$의 변화가 인슐린 저항성이 개선시켰다고 설명하기는 부족한 것으로 판단된다. 그러므로 추후 본 연구의 결과를 바탕으로 운동 형태(운동 기간, 운동강도)에 따른 골격근의 PGC-$1{\alpha}$와 insulin signalling pathway에 대한 세부적인 연구가 필요할 것으로 생각된다.