• Toxicological Research
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.91-98
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• 2003

Alkylating agents form alkylated base adducts in the DNA and cause DNA lesions leading to cell killing. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of apoptosis induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) in PC-3 and DU145 human prostate carcinoma cell lines. MNNG treatment resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner to a similar extent in both cell lines. This anti-proliferative effect of PC-3 and DU145 cells by MNNG was associated with morphological changed such as membrane shrinking, cell rounding up and formation of apoptotic bodies. MNNG treatment also induced a proteolytic cleavage of specific target proteins such as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and $\beta$-catenin proteins in DU145 cells but in PC-3 cells. Furthermore, we observed an increase of proapoptotic protein Bax family expression and a decrease of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 family by MNNG treatment in a concentration-dependent manner MNNG also induced a proteolytic activation of caspase-3 and -9, which is believed to play a central role in the apoptotic signaling pathway.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제14권6호
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• pp.391-397
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• 2010

E2F transcription factors and their target genes have been known to play an important role in cell growth control. We found that curcumin, a polyphenolic phytochemical isolated from the plant Curcuma longa, markedly suppressed E2F4 expression in HCT116 colon cancer cells. Hydrogen peroxide was also found to decrease E2F4 protein level, indicating the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in curucmin-induced downregulation of E2F4 expression. Involvement of ROS in E2F4 downregulation in response to curcumin was confirmed by the result that pretreatment of cells with N-acetylcystein (NAC) before exposure of curcumin almost completely blocked the reduction of E2F4 expression at the protein as well as mRNA level. Anti-proliferative effect of curcumin was also suppressed by NAC which is consistent to previous reports showing curcumin-superoxide production and induction of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage as well as apoptosis. Expression of several genes, cyclin A, p21, and p27, which has been shown to be regulated in E2F4-dependent manner and involved in the cell cycle progression was also affected by curcumin. Moreover, decreased (cyclin A) and increased (p21 and p27) expression of these E2F4 downstream genes by curcumin was restored by pretreatment of cells with NAC and E2F4 overexpression which is induced by doxycycline. In addition, E2F4 overexpression was observed to partially ameliorate curcumin-induced growth inhibition by cell viability assay. Taken together, we found curcumin-induced ROS down-regulation of E2F4 expression and modulation of E2F4 target genes which finally lead to the apoptotic cell death in HCT116 colon cancer cells, suggesting that E2F4 appears to be a novel determinant of curcumin-induced cytotoxicity.

• BMB Reports
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.223-229
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• 2003

The product of a tree (Tabebuia avellanedae) from South America, $\beta$-lapachone, is known to exhibit various pharmacological properties, the mechanisms of which are poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to further elucidate the possible mechanisms by which $\beta$-lapachone exerts its anti-proliferative action in cultured human prostate cancer cells. We observed that the proliferation-inhibitory effect of $\beta$-lapachone was due to the induction of apoptosis, which was confirmed by observing the morphological changes and cleavage of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase protein. A DNA flow cytometric analysis also revealed that $\beta$-lapachone arrested the cell cycle progression at the G1 phase. The effects were associated with the down-regulation of the phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (pRB) as well as the enhanced binding of pRB and the transcription factor E2F-1. Also, $\beta$-lapachone suppressed the cyclindependent kinases (Cdks) and cyclin E-associated kinase activity without changing their expressions. Furthermore, this compound induced the levels of the Cdk inhibitor $p21^{WAF1/CIP1}$ expression in a p53-independent manner, and the p21 proteins that were induced by $\beta$-lapachone were associated with Cdk2. $\beta$-lapachone also activated the reporter construct of a p21 promoter. Overall, our results demonstrate a combined mechanism that involves the inhibition of pRB phosphorylation and induction of p21 as targets for $\beta$-lapachone. This may explain some of its anticancer effects.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제16권6호
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• pp.1177-1183
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• 2002

We investigated the effects of Sabaek-san (SBS) water extract on the cell proliferation of human lung carcinoma A549 cells. SBS treatment resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. This anti-proliferative effect of A549 cells by SBS treatment was associated with morphological changes such as membrane shrinking and cell rounding up. DNA flow cytometric histograms showed that population of G1 phase of the cell cycle was increased by SBS treatment in a concentration-dependent manner. SBS treatment induced a marked accumulation of tumor suppressor p53 and a concomitant induction of cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21WAF1/CIP, which appears to be transcriptionally upregulated and is p53 dependent. In addition, SBS treatment resulted in down-regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) as determined by RT-PCR analysis. The present results indicated that SBS-induced inhibition of lung cancer cell proliferation is associated with the blockage of G1/S progression the induction of apoptosis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권12호
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• pp.6017-6022
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• 2012

Background: Resveratrol has been reported to have potential chemopreventive and apoptosis-inducing properties in a variety of tumor cell lines. Objective: In this study, to investigate the effects of resveratrol on protein kinase C (PKC) activity and apoptosis in human colon carcinoma cells, we used HT-29 cells and examined the $PKC{\alpha}$ and ERK1/2 signaling pathways. Methods: To test the effects of resveratrol on the growth of HT-29 cells, the cells were exposed to varying concentrations and assessed with the the MTT cell-viability assay. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis was applieded to determine the effects of resveratrol on cell apoptosis. Western blotting was performed to determine the protein levels of $PKC{\alpha}$ and ERK1/2. In inhibition experiments, HT-29 cells were treated with G$\ddot{o}$6976 or PD98059 for 30 min, followed by exposure to $200{\mu}M$ resveratrol for 72 h. Results: Resveratrol had a significant inhibitory effect on HT-29 cell growth. FACS revealed that resveratrol induced apoptosis. Western blotting showed that e phosphorylation of $PKC{\alpha}$ and ERK1/2 was significantly increased in response to resveratrol treatment. Pre-treatment with $PKC{\alpha}$ and ERK1/2 inhibitors (G$\ddot{o}$6976 and PD98059) promoted apoptosis. Conclusion: Resveratrol has significant anti-proliferative effects on the colon cancer cell line HT-29. The PKC-ERK1/2 signaling pathway can partially mediate resveratrol-induced apoptosis of HT-29 cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권10호
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• pp.5849-5854
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• 2013

Background: Apoptosis may be induced after Bcl-2 expression is inhibited in proliferative cancer cells. This study focused on the effect of autophagy activation by ABT737 on anti-tumor effects of epirubicin. Methods: Cytotoxic effects of ABT737 on the HepG2 liver cancer cell line were assessed by MTT assay and cell apoptosis through flow cytometry. Mitochondrial membrane potential was measured by fluorescence microscopy. Monodansylcadaverin (MDC) staining was used to detect activation of autophagy. Expression of p53, p62, LC3, and Beclin1, apoptotic or autophagy related proteins, was detected by Western blotting. Results: ABT737 and epirubicin induced growth inhibition in HepG2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Both ABT737 and epirubicin alone could induce cell apoptosis with a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential as well as increased apoptotic protein expression. Further increase of apoptosis was detected when HepG2 cells were co-treated with ABT373 and epirubicin. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that ABT373 or epirubicin ccould activate cell autophagy with elevated autophagosome formation, increased expression of autophagy related proteins and LC3 fluorescent puncta. Conclusions: ABT737 influences cancer cells through both apoptotic and autophagic mechanisms, and ABT737 may enhance the effects of epirubicin on HepG2 cells by activating autophagy and inducing apoptosis.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제30권5호
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• pp.50-60
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• 2009

Objectives: To elucidate the antitumor activities of Hang-Am-Dan (HAD), we investigated the anti-proliferative effects and related mechanisms of HAD, the main ingredients such as Cordyceps Militaris and Santisigu Tuber, and its main effective components cordycepin and colchicin, respectively. Methods: We cultivated Calu6 and MCF-7 cells and gave them phosphate-buffered saline extracts of HAD, each ingredient of HAD, and the main effective components of each ingredient. After these processes, we performed MTT assay, BrdU assay, TUNEL assay, SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis and observed the results. Results: The survival rate of these two cancer cells in HAD were 34-38%. The survival rate in extract of Cordyceps militaris (ECM) and extract of Santisigu tuber (EST) were both about 50%. Cordycepin showed decreased survival rate in both cancer cells, 32% and 89%. Colchicin also showed decreased survival rate, 30% and 16%. We observed that all of the cancer cells got apoptotic bodies after adding the extracts and they have more apoptotic bodies when they were exposed to more extracts. The expression of caspase-3 was increased in Calu6 cell lines treated with the ECM, cordycepin and colchicin. The expression of p53 and p21 were increased in the MCF-7 cell lines treated with the ECM and cordycepin. Conclusions: HAD showed cytotoxic activities on the two kinds of human cancer cell lines, Calu6 and MCF-7. Additionally, HAD and its main ingredients caused a dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation and induced the apoptotic cell death.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.151-155
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• 1997

Promoter of the Drosophila proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) gene contains DRE (Drosophila DNA replication-related element) required for the high level expression of replication-related genes. Recently, we found that promoter region of the D-raf (a Drosophila homolog of the human c-raf-1) contains two sequences homologous to the DRE and demonstrated the DRE/DREF (DRE-binding factor) involvement in regulation of the D-raf gene. In this study, using ursolic acid (UA), a pentacyclic triterpene acid reported to possess antitumor activities, we examined effects of UA on proliferation of the Drosophila cultured Kc cells and on expression of the PCNA and D-raf genes. UA showed an inhibitory effect on proliferation of the Kc cells in a concentration-dependent manner in DNA content assays and [3H]thymidine incorporation assays. The IC50 value of anti-proliferative effects of UA in DNA content assays was about 7.5uM. UA showed inhibitory effects on expression of the PCNA as well as on that of the D-raf, which were examined with the reporter plasmic p5'-168DPCNACAT or p5'-878DrafCAT, respectively. The results obtained in the present study suggest that expression of the PCNA and D-raf genes is coordinately regulated in at least UA-treated Kc cells and that down-regulation of expression of the PCNA and D-raf genes might be related with the antitumor activities of UA.

• 약학회지
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• 제60권3호
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• pp.101-106
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• 2016

Allylthiopyridazine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for anti-proliferative activities in the previous study. In this study, selected two allylthiopyridazine derivatives (compound I, 3-heptylamino-6-allylthiopyridazine and compound II, 3-dipentylamino-6-allylthiopyridazine) were assessed for cytotoxicity and chronic proliferation in human colon carcinoma RKO cells. Two derivatives dose-dependently inhibited cell viability and proliferation. To elucidate the anticancer mechanism of two derivatives, we investigated the expression level of apoptosis-related proteins in RKO cells. Compound I induced the activation of JNK and expression of p53 and p21. On the other hand, compound II showed no change of p53 level. Interestingly, compound II inhibited the nuclear translocation of NF-${\kappa}B$. This result suggested that compound II suppressed cell proliferation. These different mechanisms of these compounds might have occurred through different steric conformation.

• 한국자원식물학회지
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.297-304
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• 2016

The seed of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L) has been reported to suppress human cancer cell proliferation. However, the mechanisms by which safflower seed inhibits cancer cell proliferation have remained nuclear. In this study, the inhibitory effect of the safflower seed (SS) on the proliferation of human colorectal cancer cells and the potential mechanism of action were examined. SS inhibited markedly the proliferation of human colorectal cancer cells (HCT116, SW480, LoVo and HT-29). In addition, SS suppressed the proliferation of human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7). SS treatment decreased cyclin D1 protein level in human colorectal cancer cells and breast cancer cells. But, SS-mediated downregulated mRNA level of cyclin D1 was not observed. Inhibition of proteasomal degradation by MG132 attenuated cyclin D1 downregulation by SS and the half-life of cyclin D1 was decreased in SS-treated cells. In addition, SS increased cyclin D1 phosphorylation at threonine-286 and a point mutation of threonine-286 to alanine attenuated SS-mediated cyclin D1 degradation. Inhibition of ERK1/2 by PD98059 suppressed cyclin D1 phosphorylation and downregulation of cyclin D1 by SS. In conclusion, SS has anti-proliferative activity by inducing cyclin D1 proteasomal degradation through ERK1/2-dependent threonine-286 phosphorylation of cyclin D1. These findings suggest that possibly its extract could be used for treating colorectal cancer.