• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6191-6196
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• 2012

Aims and Background: Traditional chemotherapy strategies for human leukemia commonly use drugs based on cytotoxicity to eradicate cancer cells. One predicament is that substantial damage to normal tissues is likely to occur in the course of standard treatments. Obviously, it is urgent to explore therapies that can effectively eliminate malignant cells without affecting normal cells. Our previous studies indicated that ginsenoside $Rg_1$ ($Rg_1$), a major active pharmacological ingredient of ginseng, could delay normal hematopoietic stem cell senescence. However, whether $Rg_1$ can induce cancer cell senescence is still unclear. Methods: In the current study, human leukemia K562 cells were subjected to $Rg_1$ exposure. The optimal drug concentration and duration with K562 cells was obtained by MTT colorimetric test. Effects of $Rg_1$ on cell cycle were analyzed using flow cytometry and by SA-${\beta}$-Gal staining. Colony-forming ability was measured by colony-assay. Telomere lengths were assessed by Southern blotting and expression of senescence-associated proteins P21, P16 and RB by Western blotting. Ultrastructural morphology changes were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Results: K562 cells demonstrated a maximum proliferation inhibition rate with an $Rg_1$ concentration of $20{\mu}\;mol{\cdot}L^{-1}$ for 48h, the cells exhibiting dramatic morphological alterations including an enlarged and flat cellular morphology, larger mitochondria and increased number of lysosomes. Senescence associated-${\beta}$-galactosidase (SA-${\beta}$-Gal) activity was increased. K562 cells also had decreased ability for colony formation, and shortened telomere length as well as reduction of proliferating potential and arrestin $G_2$/M phase after $Rg_1$ interaction. The senescence associated proteins P21, P16 and RB were significantly up-regulated. Conclusion: Ginsenoside $Rg_1$ can induce a state of senescence in human leukemia K562 cells, which is associated with p21-Rb and p16-Rb pathways.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.227-234
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• 2006

There has been increasing concern in recent years about the occurrence, fate and toxicity of pharmaceutical products in aquatic environment. Although these compounds have been detected in a wide variety of environmental samples including sewage effluent, surface waters, ground water and drinking water, their concentrations generally range from the low ppt to ppb levels. It is therefore often thought to be unlikely that pharmaceuticals will have a detrimental effect on the environment. This study was conducted to determine the endocrine disruption effects of the several pharmaceutical residues in water using adult Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes). The common antibiotics were used sulfa durgs (sulfamethoxazole and sulfamethazine) and tetracycline drugs (oxytetracycline and tetracycline). Positive control that was induced Vtg (vitellogenin) in male fish was used $17\beta$-estradiol. Vtg was qualified and quantified through Western blotting and ELISA. After SDS gel electrophoresis, the dominant protein band was identified to molecular weight approximately 205 kDa in whole body samples of vitellogenic female. In female medaka exposed to $17\beta$estradiol, there was no significant difference in total protein induction. In contrast, three to five day exposure of male fish to $17\beta$-estradiol resulted in more than 60.0% increase of total protein compared to that of control males (p<0.01). In case of antibiotics, female fish didn't show significant difference, but male fish was showed significant difference. In addition, Vtg induction in male fish was observed with all the test chemicals. On concentrations greater than 0.1 ppm of sulfamethoxazole, 1 ppm of sulfamethazine, 1 ppm of oxytetracycline and 20 ppm of tetracycline, Vtg induction was increased in a dose response manner. This study is one of the early reports suggesting potential endocrine disruption mechanism of antibiotic pharmaceutical products in aquatic ecosystem. Although the effect concentrations obtained from this study were high as unrealistically as in environments, it is endocrine disruption that we should be considered as one of the important consequences of pharmaceutical contamination at water environment, and warrants due attention in future researches.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.21-30
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• 1996

MAP kinases are a family of serine/threonine specific protein kinases becoming activated in response to different proliferative stimuli by phosphorylation at both threonine and tyrosine residue. Present study shows that MAP kinase was purified from P388 murine leukema cells by SP sephadex C-50, phenyl superose and Mono Q column chromatography and identified with anti-ERKl antibody by western blotting. Immnublotting analysis to the crude extract of P388 cell lysate shows 44 kD and other minor bands but partial purified fraction eluted from phenyl supherose column have 44kD and 66 kD isoform. Subcloned GST-fusion protein from N-terminal of $p56^{kk}$ was tested as a substrate for MAP kinase phosphorylation. It was showed that the wild type and mutant forms(S42A) were fully phosporylated by purified MAP kinase fraction as com-pare with the other mutant form(S59A). This finding suggest that those GST-fusion proteins may be used as substrate for the in vitro test of MAP kinase.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10245-10250
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• 2015

Background: Glucocorticoids are commonly co-administered with chemotherapy to prevent drug-induced allergic reactions, nausea, and vomiting, and have anti-tumor functions clinically; however, the distinct effects of GC on subtypes of tumor cells, especially in breast cancer cells, are still not well understood. In this study, we aimed to clarify the effect of GC on subtypes of T47D breast cancer cells by focusing on apoptosis, cell organization and migration, and underluing molecular mechanisms. Materials and Methods: The cell scratch test was performed to observe the cell migration rate in T47D cells treated with dexamethasone (Dex). Hoechst and MTT assays were conducted to detect cell survival and rhodamine-labeled phalloidin staining to observe cytoskeleton dynamics. Related factors in the AKT/mTOR pathway were determined by Western blotting. Results: Dex treatment could effectively inhibit T47D breast cancer cell migration with disruption of the cytoskeletal dynamic organization. Moreover, the effect of Dex on cell migration and cytoskeleton may be mediated by AKT/mTOR/RhoA pathway. Although Dex inhibited T47D cell migration, it alone may not induce cell apoptosis in T47D cells. Conclusions: Dex in T47D human breast cancer cells could effectively inhibit cell migration by disrupting the cytoskeletal dynamic organization, which may be mediated by the AKT/mTOR/RhoA pathway. Our work suggests that glucocorticoid/Dex clinical use may prove helpful for the treatment of breast cancer metastasis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2897-2901
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• 2012

Invasion is usually recognized as the main reason for the high recurrence and death rates of glioma and restricts the efficacy of surgery and other therapies. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the mechanism involved in promotion effects of mda-9/syntenin on human glioma cell migration. The wound healing method was used to test the migration ability of human glioma cells CHG-5 and CHG-hS, stably overexpressing mda-9/syntenin. Western blotting was performed to determine the expression and phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and JNK in CHG-5 and CHG-hS cells. The migration ability of CHG-hS cells was significantly higher than that of CHG-5 cells in fibronectin (FN)-coated culture plates. Phosphorylation of FAK on tyrosine 397, 576, and 925 sites was increased with time elapsed in CHG-hS cells. However, phosphorylated FAK on the tyrosine 861 site was not changed. Phosphorylated Src, JNK and Akt levels in CHG-hS cells were also significantly upregulated. Phosphorylation of JNK and Akt were abolished by the specific inhibitors SP600125 and LY294002, respectively, and the migration ability of CHG-hS cells was decreased, indicating that the JNK and PI3K/Akt pathways play important roles in regulating mda-9/syntenin-induced human brain glioma migration. Our results indicate Mda-9/syntenin overexpression could activate FAK-JNK and FAK-Akt signaling and then enhance the migration capacity of human brain glioma cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.355-362
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• 2014

Objective: Altered regulation of many transcription factors has been shown to play important roles in the development of leukemia. hMSH2 can modulate the activity of some important transcription factors and is known to be a regulator of hematopoietic differentiation. Herein, we investigated epigenetic regulation of hMSH2 and its influence on cell growth and overall survival of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. Methods: hMSH2 promoter methylation status was assessed by COBRA and pyrosequencing in 60 ALL patients and 30 healthy volunteers. mRNA and protein expression levels of hMSH2, PCNA, CyclinD1, Bcl-2 and Bax were determined by real time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The influence of hMSH2 on cell proliferation and survival was assessed in transient and stable expression systems. Results: mRNA and protein expression of hMSH2 and Bcl-2 was decreased, and that of PCNA, CyclinD1 and Bax was increased in ALL patients as compared to healthy volunteers (P<0.05). hMSH2 was inactivated in ALL patients through promoter hypermethylation. Furthermore, hMSH2 hypermethylation was found in relapsed ALL patients (85.7% of all cases). The median survival of patients with hMSH2 methylation was shorter than that of patients without hMSH2 methylation (log-rank test, P=0.0035). Over-expression of hMSH2 in cell lines resulted in a significant reduction in growth and induction of apoptosis. Conclusions: This study suggests that aberrant DNA methylation and epigenetic inactivation of hMSH2 play an important role in the development of ALL through altering cell growth and survival.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7187-7191
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• 2013

Most of the exogenous and endogenous chemical compounds are metabolized by enzymes of xenobiotic processing pathways, including the phase I cytochrome p450 species. Carcinogens and their metabolites are generally detoxified by phase II enzymes like glutathione-S-transferases (GST). The balance of enzymes determines whether metabolic activation of pro-carcinogens or inactivation of carcinogens occurs. Under certain conditions, deregulated expression of xenobiotic enzymes may also convert endogenous substrates to metabolites that can facilitate DNA adduct formation and ultimately lead to cancer development. In this study, we aimed to test the association between deregulation of metabolizing genes and brain tumorigenesis. The expression profile of metabolizing genes CYP1A1 and GSTP1 was therefore studied in a cohort of 36 brain tumor patients and controls using Western blotting. In a second part of the study we analyzed protein expression of GSTs in the same study cohort by ELISA. CYP1A1 expression was found to be significantly high (p<0.001) in brain tumor as compared to the normal tissues, with ~4 fold (OR=4, 95%CI=0.43-37) increase in some cases. In contrast, the expression of GSTP1 was found to be significantly low in brain tumor tissues as compared to the controls (p<0.02). This down regulation was significantly higher (OR=0.05, 95%CI=0.006-0.51; p<0.007) in certain grades of lesions. Furthermore, GSTs levels were significantly down-regulated (p<0.014) in brain tumor patients compared to controls. Statistically significant decrease in GST levels was observed in the more advanced lesions (III-IV, p<0.005) as compared to the early tissue grades (I-II). Thus, altered expression of these xenobiotic metabolizing genes may be involved in brain tumor development in Pakistani population. Investigation of expression of these genes may provide information not only for the prediction of individual cancer risk but also for the prevention of cancer.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1557-1567
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• 2012

Glutathione reductase (GR, E.C. 1.6.4.2) is an important enzyme that reduces glutathione disulfide (GSSG) to a sulfydryl form (GSH) in the presence of an NADPH-dependent system. This is a critical antioxidant mechanism. Owing to the significance of GR, this enzyme has been examined in a number of animals, plants, and microbes. We performed a study to evaluate the molecular properties of GR (OsGR) from rice (Oryza sativa). To determine whether heterologous expression of OsGR can reduce the deleterious effects of unfavorable abiotic conditions, we constructed a transgenic Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain expressing the GR gene cloned into the yeast expression vector p426GPD. OsGR expression was confirmed by a semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (semiquantitative RT-PCR) assay, Western-blotting, and a test for enzyme activity. OsGR expression increased the ability of the yeast cells to adapt and recover from $H_2O_2$-induced oxidative stress and various stimuli including heat shock and exposure to menadione, heavy metals (iron, zinc, copper, and cadmium), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), ethanol, and sulfuric acid. However, augmented OsGR expression did not affect the yeast fermentation capacity owing to reduction of OsGR by multiple factors produced during the fermentation process. These results suggest that ectopic OsGR expression conferred acquired tolerance by improving cellular homeostasis and resistance against different stresses in the genetically modified yeast strain, but did not affect fermentation ability.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.129-137
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• 2003

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is characterized by reproductive failures in sows and respiratory problems in piglets. The nucleocapsid(N) protein, encoded by the open reading frame 7 (ORF7) gene, is known to be the most abundant and antigenic protein in PRRS virus. Therefore, it was suggested that the N protein could be a suitable candidate for the detection of PRRS virus-specific antibodies and diagnosis of PRRS. In the present study, the ORF7 gene encoding the N protein was cloned and expressed as a fusion protein with the glutathione S-transferase (GST) in Escherichia coli. The resulting GST-N recombinant protein was used as an antigen for an indirect sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (i-ELISA). Expressed GST-N recombinant protein was migrated at 41 kDa and reacted with ORF7-specific monoclonal antibody by Western blotting. In order to increase the specificity of the ELISA for the detection of PRRS virus-specific antibodes, an i-ELISA was developed using an anti-GST antibody as a capture antibody. The sensitivity and specificity of developed i-ELISA were 92% and 96%, respectively. Based on these results, it was suggested that the i-ELISA is a simple and rapid test for screening a large number of swine sera for the anti-PRRS virus antibodies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.2813-2818
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• 2015

Objective: To investigate the regulatory effect of curcumin on expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in skin squamous cell carcinoma tissues as well as possible mechanisms of curcumin in prevention and treatment of skin squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Highly invasive A431 cells were treated with curcumin at various doses .The cytotoxic effects of treatment with 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 50 umol/L curcumin for 24, 48 and 72 hours on A431 cells were measured by MTT assay. The invasion capacity of cells treated with 5, 10 and 15 umol/L curcumin was measured by Transwell test, while adhesive ability was assessed by cell adhesion assay. The effects of 5,10 and 15 umol/L curcumin on expression levels of STAT3 were determined by Western blotting and on transcription levels of STAT3 mRNA by RT-PCR. Results: Treatment with curcumin at a doses of more than 15 umol/L for more than 24 hour inhibited the growth of A431 cells in a time-and dose-dependent fashion (p<0.001). The doses of 15 umol/L and less for 24 hours showed no significant cytotoxic effects on the cells, survival rates being more than 85%.The invasion and adhesive abilities decreased gradually with the increasing curcumin concentration, 15 umol/L exerting the strongest inhibitory effects (p<0.05). Curcumin showed significant dose-dependent inhibitory effects on the transcription level of STAT3 mRNA (p<0.05). Conclusions: Curcumin may reduce the invasive ability of A431 cells by inhibiting the activation of STAT3 signal pathway and expression of STAT3 as a target gene in the pathway.