• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.431-438
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• 2016

The tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is considered a promising anticancer agent due to its unique ability to induce cancer cell death having only negligible effects on normal cells. However, many cancer cells tend to be resistant to TRAIL. In this study, we investigated the effects and molecular mechanisms of sodium butyrate (SB), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, in sensitizing TRAIL-induced apoptosis in 5637 human bladder cancer cells. Our results indicated that co-treatment with SB and TRAIL significantly increased the apoptosis induction, compared with treatment with either agent alone. Co-treatment with SB and TRAIL effectively increased the cell-surface expression of death receptor (DR) 5, but not DR4, which was associated with the inhibition of cellular Fas-associated death domain (FADD)-like interleukin-1β-converting enzyme (FLICE) inhibitory protein (c-FLIP). Furthermore, the activation of caspases (caspase-3, -8 and -9) and degradation of poly(ADP-ribose) were markedly increased in 5637 cells co-treated with SB and TRAIL; however, the synergistic effect was perfectly attenuated by caspase inhibitors. We also found that combined treatment with SB and TRAIL effectively induced the expression of pro-apoptotic Bax, cytosolic cytochrome c and cleave Bid to truncated Bid (tBid), along with down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL expression. These results collectively suggest that a combined regimen of SB plus TRAIL may offer an effective therapeutic strategy for safely and selectively treating TRAIL-resistant bladder cancer cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.24
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• pp.10697-10703
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• 2015

The laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors occurring in the head and neck. Tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis induce ligand (TRAIL) and TRAIL-receptors (DR4, DR5, DcR1, DcR2) are known as important members of TRAIL-mediated biochemical signaling pathway. Associations between polymorphisms in these genes and clinicopathological characteristics of human laryngeal carcinoma are not well defined. This study therefore aimed to investigate a possible relationship among the TRAIL and TRAIL-DR4 polymorphisms and sTRAIL levels in the risk or progression of LSCC. A total of 99 patients with laryngeal cancer and 120 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. DR4 C626G and TRAIL 1595 C/T genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis and sTRAIL levels were measured by ELISA. There were significant differences in the distribution of DR4 C626G genotypes and frequencies of the alleles between laryngeal cancer patients and controls (p<0.001) but not in TRAIL 1595 C/T. We found the increased frequency of the DR4 C626G homozygote CC genotype in patients than in controls (p<0.001). Haplotype analysis revealed that there was also a statistically significant relationship between TRAIL and TRAIL-DR4 polymorphisms and laryngeal cancer. Serum sTRAIL levels in the laryngeal patients with CC genotype who had advanced tumour stage were lower than those of patients with early tumor stage (p=0.014). Our findings suggest that DR4 C626G genotypes and sTRAIL levels might be associated with progression of laryngeal cancer in the Turkish population.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.206-211
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• 2010

The Fas (TNF receptor superfamily, member 6) (FAS)/FAS ligand (FASLG) interaction plays a central role in the regulation of programmed cell death. FAS and FASLG polymorphisms in promoter regions affect transcriptional activities. To investigate whether FAS and FASLG polymorphisms are associated with the development and clinical phenotypes of stroke, 2 promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FAS (rs1800682, -670C/T) and FASLG (rs763110, -844C/T) were selected and genotyped by direct sequencing in 220 stroke patients [107 ischemic stroke (IS), 77 intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and 36 subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)] and 369 control subjects. For the analysis of clinical symptoms, all stroke patients were divided into 3 clinical phenotypes according to the respective results of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Survey (NIHSS) and the Modified Barthel Index (MBI) and the presence or absence of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The SNPStats, SNPAnalyzer, and Helixtree programs were used to analyze the genetic data. Multiple logistic regression models (codominant, dominant, and recessive) were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs), 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and p-values. The promoter SNP rs1800682 was associated with stroke in the codominant (OR=0.48, 95% CI=0.25-0.94, p=0.04) and dominant models (OR=0.51, 95% CI=0.30-0.87, p=0.011). However, a FASLG SNP (rs763110) was not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p<0.05). In the analysis of stroke types, rs1800682 was associated with IS in the codominant (OR=0.30, 95% CI=0.12-0.74, p=0.025), dominant (OR=0.44, 95% CI=0.23-0.88, p=0.018), and recessive models (OR=0.45, 95% CI=0.21-0.99, p=0.042). The genotype frequencies of rs1800682 were different between ICH and controls in the dominant model (OR=0.49, 95% CI=0.26-0.94, p=0.031) but not between SAH and controls. In the analysis of clinical symptoms, however, rs1800682 was not related to the 3 clinical phenotypes (NIHSS, MBI, and CRPS). These results suggest that a promoter SNP (rs1800682, -670C/T) in FAS may be associated with the development of stroke in the Korean population.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.89-97
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• 2016

Obesity is caused by excess accumulation of body fat and contributes to various pathological disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. In this study, we investigated the effect of a 30% ethanol extract of Fructus Rosae laevigata (RLE) on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, measured by triglyceride accumulation and expression of adipogenesis-related transcription factors during differentiation of pre-adipocytes into adipocytes. RLE decreased the intracellular triglyceride contents (assessed by Oil Red-O staining) in a dose-dependent manner. It also downregulated the expression of adipogenic transcription factors and inhibited cell proliferation during the mitotic clonal expansion phase of adipocyte differentiation by inducing G1 phase arrest. We investigated the alterations in the levels of G1 phase arrest-related proteins. The expression of p21 protein significantly increased, while the levels of Cyclin E, Cdk2, and phospho-Rb decreased in a dose-dependent manner in 3T3-L1 cells treated with RLE. These results suggest that RLE inhibits the differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes by suppressing the expression of adipogenic transcription factors and inducing G1 phase arrest in the early stages of adipocyte differentiation.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.31-48
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• 2011

Objectives : In order to investigate the anti-obesity effects of Wolbi-tang(here in after referred to WBT) on the obese gene and obese inhibitory, C57BL/6 mice were induced by high-fat diet. Methods : C57BL/6 mice were divided into 5 groups(normal, only high-fat diet, high-fat diet with Reductil, high-fat diet with WBT 400, 200 mg/kg extract) and fed for 5 weeks. And observed body weight change, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-cholesterol), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol), triglyceride, glucose, leptin change, alanine transaminase(ALT), aspartate transaminase(AST), serum creatinine, the expression of ${\beta}3$-adrenergic receptor(${\beta}3AR$), leptin, uncoupling protein(UCP2) gene in 3T3-L1 adipocyte, 3T3-L1 adipocyte proliferation, histological analysis of adipose tissue and liver tissue. Results : 1. Refer to cell cytotoxicity, viability of human fibroblast cells(hFCs) showed not significant changes. 2. The amount of ALT, AST was decreased significantly in WBT 400 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg groups. The amount of creatinine showed not significant changes. 3. Body weight was decreased significantly in WBT 400 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg groups. 4. The amount of total cholesterol and triglyceride was decreased significantly in WBT 400 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg groups. LDL-cholesterol was decreased and HDL-cholesterol was increased significantly in WBT 400 mg/kg groups. 5. The amount of glucose was decreased significantly in WBT 400 mg/kg groups. 6. The amount of serum leptin was decreased significantly in WBT 400 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg groups. 7. The revelation of ${\beta}3AR$ in 3T3-L1 adipocyte was increased significantly in WBT $100{\mu}g/ml$, $50{\mu}g/ml$ groups. The revelation of leptin was decreased significantly in WBT $100{\mu}g/ml$, $50{\mu}g/ml$ groups. The revelation of UCP2 was decreased significantly in WBT $100{\mu}g/ml$ group. 8. 3T3-L1 adipocyte proliferation was decreased significantly in WBT $100{\mu}g/ml$, $50{\mu}g/ml$ groups. The size of adipocyte was decreased relative to the control group in WBT 400 mg/kg group. 9. The adipose vacuoles in liver tissue was decreased relative to the control group. Conclusions : These results suggested that WBT has inhibitory effects of obesity. WBT might be applicated on treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Further studies analysing its effects were needed.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.299-306
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• 2015

Chrysanthemum zawadskii, a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Compositae, grows wild in Asian countries, including Japan, China, and Korea. The biological, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities of C. zawadskii have been reported, its antiobesity activity has not been elucidated. In the present study, the effect of C. zawadskii methanol extract (CZME) on pancreatic lipase enzyme activity, adipocyte differentiation, and adipogenesis was investigated using an in vitro assay and a cell model system. CZME effectively suppressed lipase enzyme activity in a dose-dependent manner. CZME also inhibited insulin, dexamethasone, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (MDI)-induced adipocyte differentiation, lipid accumulation, and the level of triglyceride in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner, without cytotoxicity. The antiobesity effect of CZME might be modulated by gene and protein expression of cytidine-cytidine-adenosine-adenosine-thymidine (CCAAT)/enhancer binding proteins (C/EBP) α, C/EBPβ, and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR γ). CZME also triggered lipolysis in a dose-dependent manner in MDI-induced 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Taken together, these results provide important new insights into the antiobesity activities of C. zawadskii, showing that they involve pancreatic lipase inhibition, as well as antiadipogenic and lipolysis effects. CZME might be a promising source in the field of nutraceuticals. However, the active compounds that confer the antiobesity activities of CZME need to be identified.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.1008-1013
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• 2011

Osteoporosis is the leading underlying cause of fractures, particularly in postmenopausal women, due to the loss of estrogen-mediated suppression of bone resorption. More than 50% of adults 50 years of age or older are estimated to have osteoporosis. Osteoclast which is main target for treatment of osteoporosis is originated from hematopoietic cell line. Aloe has been widely used in worldwide country as a coadjuvant medicine. Extracts of the leaves of Aloe have been used in condition to improve dermatologic problem such as seborrheic dermatitis, aphthous stomatitis, xerosis, lichen planus and has been known to exert anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-tumor effects. However, despite the popularity of aloe as a plant food supplements, the evaluation of its efficacy as a possible therapeutic option for osteoporosis remains scarce. Thus, we evaluated the effect of Aloe on receptor activator of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation. Here we found that Aloe significantly inhibited osteoclast differentiation induced by RANKL. Aloe suppressed the activation of p38 pathway and $NF{\kappa}B$ in bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) treated with RANKL. Also, Aloe significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of c-Fos, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), osteoclast-associated receptor (OSCAR), nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)c1 and cathepsin K in BMMs treated with RANKL. Particularly, Aloe greatly inhibited the protein expression of c-fos and NFATc1. Taken together, our results suggested that Aloe may be useful tool for treatment of osteoporosis by inhibition of osteoclast differentiation.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.160-165
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• 2012

Osteoporotic fracture became a serious social problem, which related with mortality and morbidity in old age population. Osteoclast which is responsible for bone resorption is originated from hematopoietic cell line and plays a key role osteoporotic bone loss. Cynanchum wilfordii (Asclepiadaceae) roots have been used in Korean folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and aging progression. Also, recent studies have shown that the extract and fractions of Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix have various pharmacological actions including scavenging free radicals, enhancing immunity, reducing high serum cholesterol, and anti-tumor activity. However, the effect of extract of Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix in osteoclast differentiation had not been reported. Thus, we evaluated the effect of Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix on receptor activator of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation. Through our study, we found that Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix significantly inhibited osteoclast differentiation induced by RANKL. Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix suppressed the activation of p38 pathway and $NF{\kappa}B$ in bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) treated with RANKL. Also, Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of c-Fos, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), osteoclast-associated receptor (OSCAR), nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)c1 and cathepsin K in BMMs treated with RANKL. Particularly, Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix inhibited the protein expression of c-fos and NFATc1. Taken together, our results demonstrated that Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix may be useful treatment option of bone-related disease such as osteoporosis leads to fracture of bone and rheumatoid arthritis.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.169-174
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• 2004

A hot water extract(HWE-P4) was separated from the fruit bodies of PMO-P4, and its antitumor and immunomodulatory activities against sarcoma-180 in ICR mice were investigated. The internal transcribed spacer(ITS) regions from PMO-P4 were amplified using polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and sequenced. The results revealed that PMO-P4 was belong to the Phellinus baumii. When oral administration at the dose of 160mg/kg/day in the mice until the end of the experiment with 2 week's pre-feeding of the HWE-P4, the survival rate of the mice was 152% for 50days after the inoculation of sarcoma-180 and the suppression rate of the tumor growth was 35.3%(p<0.05) for 28 days after inoculation of sarcoma-180. The HWE-P4 increased 71.4% of the CD4/CD8 ratio and 5-fold of the expression of CD25(IL-2 receptor chain) compared with the control. From these results, the antitumor activity of HWE-P4 is exerted through its immunomodulating activity on the host's immune system.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.309-316
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• 2017

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 3 (TRPV3) is a non-selective cation channel with modest permeability to calcium ions. It is involved in intracellular calcium signaling and is therefore important in processes such as thermal sensation, skin barrier formation, and wound healing. TRPV3 was initially proposed as a warm temperature sensor. It is activated by synthetic small-molecule chemicals and plant-derived natural compounds such as camphor and eugenol. Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill (SC) has diverse pharmacological properties including antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing activities. It is extensively used as an oriental herbal medicine for the treatment of various diseases. In this study, we investigated whether SC fruit extracts and seed oil, as well as four compounds isolated from the fruit can activate the TRPV3 channel. By performing whole-cell patch clamp recording in HEK293T cells overexpressing TRPV3, we found that the methanolic extract of SC fruit has an agonistic effect on the TRPV3 channel. Furthermore, electrophysiological analysis revealed that ${\gamma}$-schisandrin, one of the isolated compounds, activated TRPV3 at a concentration of $30{\mu}M$. In addition, ${\gamma}$-schisandrin (${\sim}100{\mu}M$) increased cytoplasmic $Ca^{2+}$ concentrations by approximately 20% in response to TRPV3 activation. This is the first report to indicate that SC extract and ${\gamma}$-schisandrin can modulate the TRPV3 channel. This report also suggests a mechanism by which ${\gamma}$-schisandrin acts as a therapeutic agent against TRPV3-related diseases.