• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.381-392
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• 2004

Arsenic trioxide($As_2O_3$) was introduced into the treatment of refractory or relapsed acute promyelocytic Ieukemia. Some investigators have reported that arsenic trioxide had induced apoptosis in a variety of solid human tumor cell lines, including non-small cell lung cancer. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) are powerful chemopreventive agents for gastrointestinal cancers and the growth of established tumors are reduced by inducing apoptosis. It's also reported that NSAIDs enhanced tumor response to chemotherapeutic drugs or radiation. In this study, we aimed to determine whether combination of arsenic trioxide with sulindac augmented its apoptotic potential in NCI-H157 human lung cancer cells. The human lung cancer cell line NCI-H157 was treated with arsenic trioxide and sulindac. Cell viability was measured by the MTT assay. Apoptosis was measured by nuclear staining and flow cytometric analysis. The catalytic activity of the caspase families were measured by the fluorogenic cleavage of biosubstrates. The western blotting were also performed to define the mechanical basis of apoptosis. Combination treatment of arsenic trioxide and sulindac decreased the viability of NCI-H157 human lung cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. The catalytic activity of caspase-3, 8 and 9 proteases were increased after combination treatment. Consistently PARP was cleaved from 116kDa to 85kDa fragments, and the expression of ICAD was decreased by time-dependent manner. Also combination treatment increased the expression of Fas and Fas/L. Combination therapy of arsenic trioxide with sulindac augments cell death and induces apoptosis via the activation of caspase cascade in NCI-H157 human lung carcinoma cells.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.63-69
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• 2015

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a constituent of turmeric powder derived from the rhizome of Curcuma longa, has been shown to inhibit the growth of various types of cancer cells by regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis. However, a need exists to design more effective analogs because of curcumin's poor intestinal absorption. EF-24 (diphenyl difluoroketone), the monoketone analog of curcumin, has shown good efficacy in anticancer screens. However, the effects of curcumin and EF-24 on salivary gland epidermoid carcinoma cells are not clearly established. The main goal of this study was to investigate the effects of curcumin and EF-24 on cell growth and induction of apoptosis in human salivary gland epidermoid carcinoma cells. Our studies showed that curcumin and EF-24 inhibited the growth of HTB-41 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and the potency of EF-24 was > 34-fold that of curcumin. Treatment with curcumin or EF-24 resulted in nuclear condensation and fragmentation in HTB-41 cells, whereas the control HTB-41 cell nuclei retained their normal regular and oval shape. Curcumin and EF-24 promoted proteolytic cleavages of procaspase-3/-7/-9, resulting in an increase in the amount of cleaved caspase-3/-7/-9 in the HTB-41 cells. Caspase-3 and -7 activities were detected in viable HTB-41 cells treated with curcumin or EF-24. These results suggest that the curcumin and EF-24 inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in HTB-41 human salivary gland epidermoid carcinoma cells, and that they may have potential properties as an anti-cancer drug therapy.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.426-434
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• 2014

Peptidylarginine deiminase type 2 (PADI2) deiminates (or citrullinates) arginine residues in protein to citrulline residues in a $Ca^{2+}$-dependent manner, and is found in lymphocytes and macrophages. Vimentin is an intermediate filament protein and a well-known substrate of PADI2. Citrullinated vimentin is found in ionomycin-induced macrophage apoptosis. Citrullinated vimentin is the target of anti-Sa antibodies, which are specific to rheumatoid arthritis, and play a critical role in the pathogenesis of the disease. To investigate the role of PADI2 in apoptosis, we generated a Jurkat cell line that overexpressed the PADI2 transgene from a tetracycline-inducible promoter, and used a combination of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and ionomycin to activate Jurkat cells. We found that PADI2 overexpression reduced the cell viability of activated Jurkat cells in1a dose- and time-dependent manner. The PADI2-overexpressed and -activated Jurkat cells presented typical manifestations of apoptosis, and exhibited greater levels of citrullinated proteins, including citrullinated vimentin. Vimentin overexpression rescued a portion of the cells from apoptosis. In conclusion, PADI2 overexpression induces apoptosis in activated Jurkat cells. Vimentin is involved in PADI2-induced apoptosis. Moreover, PADI2-overexpressed Jurkat cells secreted greater levels of vimentin after activation, and expressed more vimentin on their cell surfaces when undergoing apoptosis. Through artificially highlighting PADI2 and vimentin, we demonstrated that PADI2 and vimentin participate in the apoptotic mechanisms of activated T lymphocytes. The secretion and surface expression of vimentin are possible ways of autoantigen presentation to the immune system.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.442-450
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• 2009

Piperine is an alkaloid-amine found in pepper and has been reported to have anticarcinogenic properties. To explore the possibility that piperine has cancer chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effects in colon cancer, we examined whether piperine inhibits the growth of HT-29 human colon cancer cells and investigated the mechanisms for this effect. Cells were cultured with various concentrations ($0{\sim}40{\mu}M$) of piperine. Piperine decreased the cell viability and induced apoptosis of HT-29 cells. Western blot analysis of total cell lysates revealed that piperine decreases the protein levels of Bcl-2, Mcl-1, and intact Bid but increases Bik levels. Piperine increased the percentage of cells with depolarized mitochondrial membrane, and the release of cytochrome c into cytoplasm. Piperine induced the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and caspases 8, 9, 7, and 3 and increased the Fas levels. In addition, piperine significantly decreased the protein levels of survivin. The present results indicate that piperine inhibits the growth of HT-29 colon cancer cells by the induction of apoptosis, which may be mediated by its ability to change the Bcl-2 family proteins, increase the activation of caspases, and decrease survivin levels. Overall, our findings suggest that piperine has cancer chemotherapeutic effects in colon cancer.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.151-159
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• 2014

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether light-emitting diodes (LED) irradiation could be effective in a noninvasive, therapeutic device for the treatment of osteoarthritis(OA). METHODS: Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: Vehicle control (saline); monosodium iodoacetate-injection (MIA); LED irradiation after MIA injection (MIA-LED); indomethacin-treatment after MIA injection (MIA-IMT). OA was induced by intra-articular injection of 3 mg MIA through the patellar ligament of the right knee. Vehicle control rats were injected with an equivalent volume of saline. The LED was irradiated for 15 min/day for a week after 7 days of MIA treatment. To compare with the effect of LED irradiation, the indomethacin was administrated 20 mg/kg twice a week orally after 7 days of MIA treatment. Knee joints were removed and fixed overnight in 10% neutral buffered formalin and decalcified by EDTA for 2 week before being embedded in paraffin. The assessment of OA induction were monitored by knee movement and radiographic finding. Histologic analysis were performed following staining with hematoxylin and eosin, safranin O-fast green, or toluidine blue, picrosirius red, and histologic changes were scored according to a modified Mankin system. Apoptotic cell in tissue sections was detected using TUNEL method. RESULTS: Radiographic examination could not show the differences between the MIA-treated and the MIA-LED-treated rats. In the histologic analysis, however, LED irradiation prevented cartilage damage and subchondral bone destruction, and significantly reduced mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration and pannus formation. LED irradiation also reduced apoptosis of cartilage cells, but it prevented apoptosis of infiltrated inflammatory cells in synovium. In addition, LED irradiation showed an increase of collagen production in the meniscus. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the 840 nm LED irradiation would be a suitable non-thermal phototherapy for the treatment of OA, as a cartilage protection and anti-inflammatory modality.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.954-959
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• 2021

Apoptosis is an important mechanism that regulates cellular populations to maintain homeostasis, and the caspases, a family of cysteine proteases, are key mediators of the apoptosis pathway. Caspase-8 is an initiator caspase of the extrinsic apoptotic pathway, which is initiated by extracellular stimuli. Caspase-8 have two conserved domains, N-terminal tandem death effector domains (DED) and C-terminal two catalytic domain, which are important for this extrinsic apoptosis pathway. In extrinsic apoptosis pathway, death receptors which members of TNF superfamily are activated by binding of death receptor specific ligands from cell outside. After the activated death receptors recruit adaptor protein Fas-associated death domain protein (FADD), death domains (DD) of death receptor and FADD bind to each other and FADD combined with death receptor recruits procaspase-8, a precursor form of caspase-8. The DED of FADD and procaspase-8 bind to one another and FADD-bound procaspase-8 is activated by cleavage of the prodomain. This death receptor-FADD-caspase-8 complex called death inducing signaling complex (DISC). Cellular FLICE-inhibitory proteins (c-FLIPs) regulate caspase-8 activation by acting both anti- and pro-apoptotically, and caspase-8 activation initiates the activation of executioner caspases such as caspase-3. Finally activated executioner caspases complete the apoptosis by acting critically DNA degradation, nuclear condensation, plasma membrane blebbing, and the proteolysis of certain caspase substrates.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.286-293
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• 2019

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by accumulation of amyloid beta ($A{\beta}$) in the brain. In the present study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of four flavonoids such as kaempferol, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, quercetin, and quercetin-3-${\beta}$-D-glucoside against neuronal apoptosis induced by $A{\beta}$ in SH-SY5Y neuronal cells. Treatment with $A{\beta}$ decreased cell viability compared to the non-treated normal group. However, treatment with the four flavonoids increased cell viability in SH-SY5Y cells treated with $A{\beta}$. In addition, we measured the expression of apoptosis-related proteins such as Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and cleaved caspase-9. Treatment with the four flavonoids down-regulated Bax and cleaved caspase-9 in $A{\beta}$-treated SH-SY5Y neuronal cells. Overall, the results of the present study demonstrated the neuroprotective effect of flavonoids by anti-apoptotic activity in $A{\beta}$-induced SH-SY5Y neuronal cells. These results suggest that these four flavonoids would be useful therapeutic and prevention agents for AD.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2019.04a
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• pp.112-112
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• 2019

Baicalein is one of the main flavonoids derived from roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, a traditional Oriental medicine. Although baicalein has high antitumor effect on several human carcinomas, the mechanism responsible for this property is not unclear. In this study, the data revealed that baicale-ininduced growth inhibition was associated with the induction of apoptosis connecting with cytochrome c release, down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-xl and increased the percentage of cells with a loss of mitochondria membrane permeabilization. Baicalein also induced the proteolytic activation of caspases and cleavage of PARP; however, blockage of caspases activation by z-VAD-fmk inhibited baicalein-induced apoptosis. In addition, baicalein enhanced the formation of autophagosomes and up-regulated LC3-II/LC3-I ratio. Interestingly, the pretreatment of bafilomycin A1 recovered baicalein-induced cell death suggesting that autophagy by baicalein roles as protective autophagy. Taken together, our results indicated that this flavonoid induces apoptosis and cell protective autophagy. These data means combination treatment with baicalein and autophagy inhibitor might be a promising anticancer drug.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.95-103
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• 2019

Periodontal inflammation, a major kind of periodontal diseases, is characterized to bleed, pain, and teeth loss, and it is resulted from oxidative stress. Membrane-free stem cell extract could avoid the immunogencity rejection by removal of cell membrane. In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of membrane-free stem cell extract from oxidative stress-induced periodontal inflammation in human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPLF). In the cell viability measurement, membrane-free stem cell extract showed significant increase of cell viability, compared with the $H_2O_2$-treated control group. To further investigation of molecular mechanisms, we measured inflammation and apoptosis related protein expressions. Membrane-free stem cell extract attenuated inflammation-related protein expressions such as nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and interleukin-6. In addition, the treatment of membrane-free stem cell extract decreased apoptotic protein expressions such as cleaved caspase-9, -3, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)-associated X protein/Bcl-2 ratio in the $H_2O_2$-treated HPLF cells. In conclusion, membrane-free stem cell extract exhibited anti-oxidative stress effects by regulation of inflammation and apoptosis in HPLF, suggesting that it could be used as the treatment agents for periodontal inflammatory disease.

• Yonsei Medical Journal
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• v.59 no.9
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• pp.1096-1106
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• 2018

Purpose: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the sixth most common cause of death in the United States. MicroRNAs have been identified as vital players in neurodegenerative diseases, including AD. microRNA-128 (miR-128) has been shown to be dysregulated in AD. This study aimed to explore the roles and molecular mechanisms of miR-128 in AD progression. Materials and Methods: Expression patterns of miR-128 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ($PPAR-{\gamma}$) messenger RNA in clinical samples and cells were measured using RT-qPCR assay. $PPAR-{\gamma}$ protein levels were determined by Western blot assay. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. Cell apoptotic rate was detected by flow cytometry via double-staining of Annexin V-FITC/PI. Caspase 3 and $NF-{\kappa}B$ activity was determined by a Caspase 3 Activity Assay Kit or $NF-{\kappa}B$ p65 Transcription Factor Assay Kit, respectively. Bioinformatics prediction and luciferase reporter assay were used to investigate interactions between miR-128 and $PPAR-{\gamma}$ 3'UTR. Results: MiR-128 expression was upregulated and $PPAR-{\gamma}$ expression was downregulated in plasma from AD patients and $amyloid-{\beta}$ $(A{\beta})-treated$ primary mouse cortical neurons (MCN) and Neuro2a (N2a) cells. Inhibition of miR-128 decreased $A{\beta}-mediated$ cytotoxicity through inactivation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ in MCN and N2a cells. Moreover, $PPAR-{\gamma}$ was a target of miR-128. $PPAR-{\gamma}$ upregulation attenuated $A{\beta}-mediated$ cytotoxicity by inactivating $NF-{\kappa}B$ in MCN and N2a cells. Furthermore, $PPAR-{\gamma}$ downregulation was able to abolish the effect of anti-miR-128 on cytotoxicity and $NF-{\kappa}B$ activity in MCN and N2a cells. Conclusion: MiR-128 inhibitor decreased $A{\beta}-mediated$ cytotoxicity by upregulating $PPAR-{\gamma}$ via inactivation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ in MCN and N2a cells, providing a new potential target in AD treatment.