• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.134-147
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• 2022

The anti-oxidant enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is known to exert anti-inflammatory effects. From a library of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines, we identified a novel compound KKC080096 that upregulated HO-1 at the mRNA and protein levels in microglial BV-2 cells. KKC080096 exhibited anti-inflammatory effects via suppressing nitric oxide, interleukin1β (IL-1β), and iNOS production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged cells. It inhibited the phosphorylation of IKK and MAP kinases (p38, JNK, ERK), which trigger inflammatory signaling, and whose activities are inhibited by HO-1. Further, KKC080096 upregulated anti-inflammatory marker (Arg1, YM1, CD206, IL-10, transforming growth factor-β [TGF-β]) expression. In 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridinetreated mice, KKC080096 lowered microglial activation, protected the nigral dopaminergic neurons, and nigral damage-associated motor deficits. Next, we elucidated the mechanisms by which KKC080096 upregulated HO-1. KKC080096 induced the phosphorylation of AMPK and its known upstream kinases LKB1 and CaMKKbeta, and pharmacological inhibition of AMPK activity reduced the effects of KKC080096 on HO-1 expression and LPS-induced NO generation, suggesting that KKC080096-induced HO-1 upregulation involves LKB1/AMPK and CaMKKbeta/AMPK pathway activation. Further, KKC080096 caused an increase in cellular Nrf2 level, bound to Keap1 (Nrf2 inhibitor protein) with high affinity, and blocked Keap1-Nrf2 interaction. This Nrf2 activation resulted in concurrent induction of HO-1 and other Nrf2-targeted antioxidant enzymes in BV-2 and in dopaminergic CATH.a cells. These results indicate that KKC080096 is a potential therapeutic for oxidative stress-and inflammation-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.446-455
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• 2023

The mechanistic functions of 3-deoxysappanchalcone (3-DSC), a chalcone compound known to have many pharmacological effects on lung cancer, have not yet been elucidated. In this study, we identified the comprehensive anti-cancer mechanism of 3-DSC, which targets EGFR and MET kinase in drug-resistant lung cancer cells. 3-DSC directly targets both EGFR and MET, thereby inhibiting the growth of drug-resistant lung cancer cells. Mechanistically, 3-DSC induced cell cycle arrest by modulating cell cycle regulatory proteins, including cyclin B1, cdc2, and p27. In addition, concomitant EGFR downstream signaling proteins such as MET, AKT, and ERK were affected by 3-DSC and contributed to the inhibition of cancer cell growth. Furthermore, our results show that 3-DSC increased redox homeostasis disruption, ER stress, mitochondrial depolarization, and caspase activation in gefitinib-resistant lung cancer cells, thereby abrogating cancer cell growth. 3-DSC induced apoptotic cell death which is regulated by Mcl-1, Bax, Apaf-1, and PARP in gefitinib-resistant lung cancer cells. 3-DSC also initiated the activation of caspases, and the pan-caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-FMK, abrogated 3-DSC induced-apoptosis in lung cancer cells. These data imply that 3-DSC mainly increased mitochondria-associated intrinsic apoptosis in lung cancer cells to reduce lung cancer cell growth. Overall, 3-DSC inhibited the growth of drug-resistant lung cancer cells by simultaneously targeting EGFR and MET, which exerted anti-cancer effects through cell cycle arrest, mitochondrial homeostasis collapse, and increased ROS generation, eventually triggering anti-cancer mechanisms. 3-DSC could potentially be used as an effective anti-cancer strategy to overcome EGFR and MET target drug-resistant lung cancer.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.73-82
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• 2023

Purpose : Cymbopogon citratus, also known as lemongrass, has widely spread around the world and its essential oil is usually applied in food, perfume, and other industrial purposes. In addition, C. citratus has also been used for the treatment of inflammation, digestive disorders, and diabetes in traditional medicine. In this study, the antioxidative activity of C. citratus ethanol extract (CCEE) was analyzed in RAW 264.7 cells through the induction of one of phase II enzymes, heme oxygenase (HO)-1 by nuclear factor-erythroid 2 p45-related factor (Nrf)2, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt. Methods : The antioxidative activity of CCEE against oxidative stress and its underlying molecular mechanisms were analyzed by the cell viability assay, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation assay, and Western blot analysis in RAW 264.7 cells. Results : The results exhibited that CCEE potently attenuated tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) induced intracellular ROS levels in a dose-dependent manner without any cytotoxicity. CCEE treatment significantly induced the expression of HO-1 which is known for its antioxidative capacity. In addition, CCEE treatment significantly upregulated the expression of Nrf2, a corresponding transcription factor for the regulation of antioxidative enzymes, which was in accordance with the HO-1 overexpression. MAPK and PI3K/Akt were also evaluated for their important roles in the regulation of cellular redox homeostasis against oxidative damage. As a result, the potent HO-1 expression was mediated by not extracellular regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun NH2 terminal kinase (JNK), p38, but phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) phosphorylation. To confirm the antioxidative activity of CCEE-induced HO-1 expression, oxidative damage was initiated by t-BHP and attenuated by CCEE treatment, which was identified by HO-1 selective inhibitor and inducer. Conclusion : Consequently, CCEE potently induced the HO-1-mediated antioxidative potential through the modulation of Nrf2 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways in RAW 264.7 cells. These results suggest that CCEE could be a promising strategy for the mitigation against cellular oxidative damage.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.303-314
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• 2024

Objective: Rutin, also called vitamin P, is a flavonoids from plants. Previous studies have indicated that rutin can alleviate the injury of tissues and cells by inhibiting oxidative stress and ameliorating inflammation. There is no report on the protective effects of rutin on goat rumen epithelial cells (GRECs) at present. Hence, we investigated whether rutin can alleviate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced damage in GRECs. Methods: GRECs were cultured in basal medium or basal medium containing 1 ㎍/mL LPS, or 1 ㎍/mL LPS and 20 ㎍/mL rutin. Six replicates were performed for each group. After 3-h culture, the GRECs were harvested to detect the relevant parameters. Results: Rutin significantly enhanced the cell activity (p<0.05) and transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) (p<0.01) and significantly reduced the apoptosis rate (p<0.05) of LPS-induced GRECs. Rutin significantly increased superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase activity (p<0.01) and significantly decreased lactate dehydrogenase activity and reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in LPS-induced GRECs (p<0.01). The mRNA and protein levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-1β, and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8) and the mRNA level of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and chemokine C-C motif ligand 5 (CCL5) were significantly increased in LPS-induced GRECs (p<0.05 or p<0.01), while rutin supplementation significantly decreased the mRNA and protein levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and CXCL8 in LPS-induced GRECs (p<0.05 or p<0.01). The mRNA level of toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), and the mRNA and protein levels of TLR4 and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) was significantly improved in LPS-induced GRECs (p<0.05 or p<0.01), whereas rutin supplementation could significantly reduce the mRNA and protein levels of TLR4 (p<0.05 or p<0.01). In addition, rutin had a tendency of decreasing the protein levels of CXCL6, NF-κB, and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B alpha (0.05

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.250-257
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• 2023

Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter distributed in the central nervous system of mammals. However, high concentrations of glutamate are known to cause neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and stroke by causing nerve cell death. In this study, the antioxidant activity and neuroprotective effect of subtropical natural products were analyzed. Among 11 subtropical plant extracts mainly tested, Sallacca wallichiana extract (SE) showed the greatest free radical scavenging activity. Then, we confirmed through WST-1 assay that SE protected HT22 cells against glutamate-induced cell death in a concentration-dependent manner. The protective effects of SE against glutamate-induced apoptosis in HT22 cells were also confirmed by flow cytometry analysis using Annexin V/PI double staining. We also confirmed using H₂DCF-DA single staining that SE inhibits glutamate-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species. And we were confirmed through that SE inhibited glutamate-induced phosphorylation of Mitogen-activated Protein kinases. Consequently, our results propose that SE may contribute to the development of therapeutics to prevent neurodegenerative diseases.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.169-176
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• 2008

Salicylic acid(SA) is a phytohormone that is related to plant defense mechanism. The SA accumulation is triggered by abiotic and biotic stresses. SA acts as a signal molecular compound mediating systemic acquired resistance and hypersensitive response in plant. Although the role of SA has been studied extensively, an understanding of the SA regulatory mechanism is still lacking in plants. In order to comprehend SA regulatory mechanism, we have been transformed with a SID2 promoter:GUS::LUC fusion construct into siz1-2 mutant and wild plant(Col-0). SIZ1 encodes SUMO E3 ligase and negatively regulates SA accumulation in plants. SID2(SALICYLIC ACID INDUCTION DEFICIENT2) is a crucial enzyme of SA biosynthesis. The Arabidopsis SID2 gene encodes isochorismate synthase(ICS) that controls SA level by conversion of chorismate to isochorismate. We compared the regulation of SID2 in wild-type and siz1-2 transgenic plants that express SID2 promoter:GUS::LUC constructs respectively. The expressions of $\beta$-GLUCURONIDASE and LUCIFERASE were higher in siz 1-2 transgenic plant without any stress treatment. SID2 promoter:GUS::LUC/siz1-2 transgenic plant will be used as a starting material for isolation of siz1-2 suppressor mutants and genes involved in SA-mediated stress signaling pathway.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.929-937
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Acanthopanax senticosus extract (ASE) (ethanol : DW=1:1, v/v) on inhibition of type 2 diabetes using an OLETF rat model via regulation of HbA1c and AGEs levels. Supplementation with ASE 0.1% and 0.5% effectively lowered levels of glucose, insulin, oral glucose tolerance test, and Homa-insulin resistance, suggesting reduced insulin resistance. Blood levels of HbA1c and AGEs were significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner. As oxidative stress plays a key role in accelerating production of HbA1c and AGEs, which worsen symptoms of type 2 diabetes, levels of malonaldehyde and pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured. Lipid peroxidation in both blood and liver tissues was significantly reduced, and induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-${\beta}$ and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, which elevate production of HbA1c and AGEs, was inhibited (P<0.05). To evaluate the possible cellular events after AGEs receptor activation, genetic expression of protein kinase C (PKC)-${\delta}$ and transforming growth factor (TGF)-${\beta}$ was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Supplementation with both ASE 0.1% and 0.5% significantly inhibited mRNA expression of PKC-${\delta}$ and TGF-${\beta}$, indicating that ASE may have beneficial effects on preventing insulin-resistant cells or tissues from progressing to diabetic complications. Taken together, ASE has potential to improve type 2 diabetes by inhibiting insulin resistance and protein glycosylation, including production of HbA1c and AGEs. Anti-oxidative activities of ASE are a main requisite for reducing production of HbA1c and AGEs and are also related to regulation of the PKC signaling pathway, resulting in suppression of TGF-${\beta}$, which increases synthesis of collagen, prostaglandin, and disease-related proteins.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2015.05a
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• pp.59-59
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• 2015

Cryptococcus neoformans causes life-threatening meningoencephalitis in humans, but the treatment of cryptococcosis remains challenging. To develop novel therapeutic targets and approaches, signaling cascades controlling pathogenicity of C. neoformans have been extensively studied but the underlying biological regulatory circuits remain elusive, particularly due to the presence of an evolutionarily divergent set of transcription factors (TFs) in this basidiomycetous fungus. In this study, we constructed a high-quality of 322 signature-tagged gene deletion strains for 155 putative TF genes, which were previously predicted using the DNA-binding domain TF database (http://www.transcriptionfactor.org/). We tested in vivo and in vitro phenotypic traits under 32 distinct growth conditions using 322 TF gene deletion strains. At least one phenotypic trait was exhibited by 145 out of 155 TF mutants (93%) and approximately 85% of the TFs (132/155) have been functionally characterized for the first time in this study. Through high-coverage phenome analysis, we discovered myriad novel TFs that play critical roles in growth, differentiation, virulence-factor (melanin, capsule, and urease) formation, stress responses, antifungal drug resistance, and virulence. Large-scale virulence and infectivity assays in insect (Galleria mellonella) and mouse host models identified 34 novel TFs that are critical for pathogenicity. The genotypic and phenotypic data for each TF are available in the C. neoformans TF phenome database (http://tf.cryptococcus.org). In conclusion, our phenome-based functional analysis of the C. neoformans TF mutant library provides key insights into transcriptional networks of basidiomycetous fungi and ubiquitous human fungal pathogens.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.651-663
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• 2016

Corn silk, Job's tears, Lentinus edodes, and apple peel 70% ethanol extracts (CS, JT, LE, and AP) were studied for their antioxidant activities. CS among all extracts showed the highest antioxidant activities based on total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, 2,2-diphenyl-${\beta}$-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) radical scavenging activity, and reducing power. Adipocyte differentiation was investigated by Oil Red O staining assay using CS, JT, LE, AP, and extract of developed bread containing corn silk, Job's tears, Lentinus edodes, and apple peel (DB) treated to 3T3-L1 adipocytes. DB1 and DB2 showed anti-adipogenic and antioxidant effects. Triglyceride (TG) accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells was measured, and among the samples tested (CS, JT, LE, and AP), CS was found to have the highest inhibitory activity against TG accumulation of differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes and regulated factors associated with adipogenesis. CS suppressed lipid droplet formation and adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. We examined the effects of CS on the levels of CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein ${\beta}(C/EBP{\beta})$, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor ${\gamma}(PPAR{\gamma})$, and adipocyte-specific lipid binding protein (aP2) mRNA as well as protein levels in 3T3-L1 cells treated with CS at various concentrations (0, 10, 50, and $100{\mu}g/mL$) during adipocyte differentiation and treatment with CS in 3T3-L1 adipocytes down-regulated expression of $PPAR{\gamma}$ and aP2 mRNA. CS also significantly inhibited up-regulation of $C/EBP{\beta}$, $PPAR{\gamma}$, and aP2 proteins during adipocyte differentiation. These data indicate that DBs have anti-adipogenic activity induced by CS in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, and CS exerts anti-adipogenic activity by inhibiting expression of $C/EBP{\beta}$, $PPAR{\gamma}$, and aP2 signaling pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. JT, LE, and AP had no inhibitory effects on differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes but displayed strong antioxidant effects. These results suggest that the developed bread may be a health beneficial food that can prevent or treat obesity and diseases induced by oxidative stress.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.165-176
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• 2005

Studies on molecular plasticity of Bermann glia (BG) after harmaline-induced Purkinje cell (PC) degeneration in the rat cerebellum. The intimate structural relationship between BG and PC, evidenced by the sheathing of the PC dendrites by veil-like process from the BG has been suggestive of the close functional relationship between these two cell types. However, little is known about metabolic couplings between these cells. This study designed to investigate molecular plasticity of BG in the rat cerebellum in which PCs were chemically ablated by harmaline treatment. Immunohistochemical examination reveals that harmaline induced PC degeneration causes a marked glial reaction in the cerebellum with activated BG and microglia aligned in parasagittal stripes within the vermis. In these strips, activated BG were associated with upregulaion of metallotheionein, while GLAST and was down regulated, as compared with nearby intact area where both BG are in contact with PCs. The data from this study demonstrate that BG can change their phenotypic expression when BG loose their contact with PCs. It is conceivable that activated BG may upregulate structural proteins, metallothionein expression to use for their proliferation and hypertrophy; metallothionein expression to cope with oxidative stress induced by PC degeneration and microglial activation. On the contrary, BG may down regulated expression of GLAST because sustained loss of contact with PCs would eliminate the necessity for the cellular machinery involved glutamate metabolism. In conclusion, BG might respond man to death of PCs by undergoing a change in metabolic state. It seems possible that signaling molecules released from PCs regulates the phenotype expression of BG. Also ultrastructures in the organelles of normal PC and BG are distinguished by mitochondrial appearance, and distributed vesicles at the synaptic area in the cytoplasm.