• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.86-94
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• 2003

It has been known that transglutaminase C (TGase C, TGase II) is directly participated in the DNA organization of chromosome, and affects the cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of cells, but still not known what mechanism is working on. In this study, the cytogenetic and the immunohistochemical methods were used to observe the TGase C expression in the nuclear chromosome of the proliferating cells, especially in mitotic stage. The human gastric adenocarcinoma (SNU-1) cell line was used for immunohistochemistry and antisense inhibition study in vitro. The present study was also aimed to disclose the efficiency of antisense inhibition by using antisense oligonucleotide DNA labeled with fluorescence, and found that anti-TGase C probe was diffusely infiltrated into the cytoplasm and the nucleus of the cell. By the antisense inhibition the nuclei of SNU-1 cells became rough nuclear shape, as they were greatly reduced in TGase C immunoreactivity both for the normal and apoptotic SNU-1 cells. However, it is clearly presumed that the TGase C directly interacts with the chromosome of SNU-1 cells and it may play an important role in the division and organization of the chromosome during the mitotic stage.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.595-607
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• 2008

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) extract in urethane-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice. Methods : We examined change of body weight, histological, apoptosis, immunohistochemical and gene expression of cyclooxygenase (COX-2) in lung tumors. Mice were divided into 3 groups: normal, saline, and experimental group administered SM extract after injection with urethane. Results : Histological observation showed shrunken alveoli in the control group, but recovered from damage in the SM extract administered group. The COX-2 positive materials were observed in the smooth muscle of terminal bronchiole and alveoli from the control group, but these positive materials decreased in the SM extract treatment group. The results of electron microscopical observation, dilated capillary and degenerated endothelia were observed in the control group. The apoptotic nuclei increased more in the control group compared with the normal and SM extract administered groups. Serial sections of the whole lung showed solid and papillary tumors. The size and number of tumors decreased in the SM groups compared with the control groups. Conclusions : These results suggest the possibility that SM may exert an anti-tumor effect on urethane-induced lung tumorigenesis.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.173-180
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• 2020

Galectin-3 is a carbohydrate-binding protein and regulates diverse functions, including cell proliferation and differentiation, mRNA splicing, apoptosis induction, immune surveillance and inflammation, cell adhesion, angiogenesis, and cancer-cell metastasis. Galectin-3 is also recommended as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker of various diseases, including heart disease, kidney disease, and cancer. Galectin-3 exists as a cytosol, is secreted in extracellular spaces on cells, and is also detected in nuclei. It has been found that galectin-3 has different functions in cellular localization: (i) Extracellular galectin-3 mediates cell attachment and detachment. (ii) cytosolic galectin-3 regulates cell survival by blocking the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, and (iii) nuclear galectin-3 supports the ability of the transcriptional factor for target gene expression. In this review, we focused on the role of galectin-3 on translocation from cytosol to nucleus, because it happens in a way independent of carbohydrate recognition and accelerates cancer progression. We also suggested here that intracellular galecin-3 could be a potent therapeutic target in cancer therapy.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.311-320
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• 2007

The present study was designed to estimate the protective effect of (-) epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on ethanol-induced liver injury in rats. Chronic ethanol administration (6 g/kg/day ${\times}$ 60 days) caused liver damage that was manifested by the elevation of markers of liver dysfunction - aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, bilirubin and ${\gamma}$-glutamyl transferase in plasma and reduction in liver glycogen. The activities of alcohol metabolizing enzymes such as alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase were found to be altered in alcohol-treated group. Ethanol administration resulted in the induction of cytochrome p450 and cytochrome-$b_{5}$ activities and reduction of cytochrome-c reductase and glutathione-S-transferase, a phase II drug metabolizing enzyme. Further, ethanol reduced the viability of isolated hepatocytes (ex vivo) as assessed by trypan blue exclusion test and induced hepatocyte apoptosis as assessed by propidium iodide staining. Treatment of alcoholic rats with EGCG restored the levels of markers of liver injury and mitigated the alterations in alcohol metabolizing and drug metabolizing enzymes and cyt-c-reductase. Increased hepatocyte viability and reduced apoptotic nuclei were observed in alcohol + EGCG-treated rats. These findings suggest that EGCG acts as a hepatoprotective agent against alcoholic liver injury.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Pathology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1998

Chickens at 3-weeks of age were inoculated with a highly virulent strain (SH/92) of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus(IBDV) through ocular and cloacal routes. The infected chickens were killed at 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hrs post inoculation (PI) and Bursa of Fabricius(BF) were collected. The sizes of bursal follicules in infected chickens decreased at 48 to 96 hrs PI. Histologically the cellular changes were first evident at 12 hrs PI and characterized by condensation of nuclear chromatin of bursal lymphocytes indicating apoptosis. By 24 hrs PI apoptotic lymphocytes dramatically increased. In addition infiltration of heterophils were also seen in the follicles and in the interfollicular connective tissues. At 48 hrs PI, cystic cavities were observed in the follicles. As the infection advanced the bursal follicles showed atrophy accompanied by disappearance of heterophils and reduction in number of lymphocytes in the cystic cavities which was replaced by proteineous materials. The nuclei of most affected lymphocyte stained positively with the in situ end labeling for apoptosis. Electron microscopy showed viral particles with crystalline array in the lymphocytes of BF infected with IBOV. These results indicated that SH/92 IBDV infection in chickens caused increased apoptosis in the BF.

• BMB Reports
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.361-366
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• 2017

Tetraploidy, a potential precursor of cancer-associated aneuploidy, is produced either by cell fusion or failure of cytokinesis. In this study, low p53-expressing HeLa cells were used to address the fate of cancer cells after fusion. We found that massive cell death or growth arrest occurred a few days after fusion. Interestingly, cells with larger nuclei preferentially died after fusion, suggesting that a larger deviation of DNA content is a strong inducer of apoptosis. Notably, a fraction of cells escaped cell death. Also, the stability of survivin increased, and its localization changed preferentially to the cytosol in fused cells. Knockdown of survivin decreased the survival of fused cells, more than observed in unfused cells, showing increased dependency of fused cells on survivin. Collectively, after cancer cell fusion, some fused cells avoid the apoptotic crisis partly owing to survivin, and continue to proliferate, a process that contributes to human cancer progression.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 1999

Induction of apoptosis is considered to be the underlying mechanism that accounts for the efficiency of chemotherapeutic drugs. It has recently been proposed that doxorubicin (DOX) can induce apoptosis in human leukemic cells via the Fas/Fas Ligand (FasL) system. Comparison of Fas and FasL mRNA expression between drug- and anti-Fas antibody(Fas-Ab)- induced apoptosis was analyzed for examining the role of Fas/FasL system in the mediation of drug-induced apoptosis. After HL-60 cells were routinely cultured, MTT assay was performed for cytotoxicity test. Giemsa staining was carried out to monitor the apoptosis morphologically. By semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis, the expression of Fas and FasL at 4, 10, 24 hours was determined after DOX and Fas-Ab treatment. Dose-dependent cytotoxicity was induced by DOX-treatment, while Fas-Ab treatment showed the similar dose-dependent pattern but the cytotoxicity is not reached at LD$_{50}$ at 100 ng/ml concentration of Fas-Ab. In the 10ng/m1 DOX and 10ng/m1 Fas-Ab treated group, typical apoptotic cell morphology was shown such as fragmented nuclei and cell membrane budding in the Giemsa-stained slide. Fas mRNA expression was not changed significantly in the both groups. But, FasL mRNA expression was induced significantly at initial period of apoptosis. In this study, Fas/FasL interaction assumed to be involved in drug-induced apoptosis.s.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.951-957
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• 2017

To understand the cytotoxic activity of Machilus thunbergii, which has been used as a traditional oriental medicine, the mechanism underlying the cytotoxic effect of its extract on human acute Jurkat T cells was investigated. The methanol extract of roots (3 kg) of M. thunbergii was evaporated, dissolved in, and then extracted by water. The water-extracted active substance was designated MTWE. When Jurkat T cells were treated with MTWE at concentrations of 0, 25, 50, and $100{\mu}g/ml$, the apoptotic phenomenon of cells accompanying several subsequent biochemical reactions, such as mitochondrial cytochrome c release, activation of caspase-3, and ICAD degradation, was detected in the Jurkat T cells. Moverover. the expression of Bcl-xL, which is a suppressor for mitochondrial cytochrome c release pathway, was reduced in the Jurkat T cells. As DUSP6, a growth suppressor of cancer cells, ranged from 0, 25, 50, $100{\mu}g/ml$ of MTWE, the expression level was elevated in the Jurkat T cells. The apoptotic morphological change of the nuclei was observed by DAPI staining. Although the potential involvement of the other factors and DUSP6 is currently being investigated in more detail, these findings support the notion that MTWE is able to achieve the apoptosis of Jurkat T cells, and it seems that MTWE is useful as a method of evaluating a chemotherapeutic agent or tonic materials for human acute leukemia.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.129-135
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• 2008

Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid used in traditional Chinese medicine and has been isolated from a variety of plants, such as Coptis chinensis and Phellodendron amurense. It has a wide spectrum of clinical applications such as in anti-tumor, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, it is still unknown that berberine related with reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated apoptosis pathway in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. In the present study, we are examined the molecular mechanism of ROS- and p38 MAP kinase-mediated apoptosis by berberine in HepG2 cells. Berberine increased cytotoxicity effects by time- and does-dependent manner. $LD_{50}$ was detected 50 ${\mu}M$ at 48h of exposure to berberine. Nuclei cleavage and apoptotic DNA fragmentation were observed in cells treated with 50 ${\mu}M$ of berberine for 48h. Moreover, berberine induced the activating of caspase-3, p53, p38 and Bax expression, whereas the expression of anti-apoptotic signaling pathways, Bcl-2, was decreased. Additionally, berberine-treated cells had an increased level of generation of ROS and nitric oxide (NO). These results indicated that berberine induces apoptosis of HepG2 cells may be mediated oxidative injury acts as an early and upstream change, triggers mitochondrial dysfunction, Bcl-2 and Bax modulation, p38 and p53 activation, caspase-3 activation, and consequent leading to apoptosis.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.207-215
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• 2003

Purpose: Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), which is part of the mitogen-activated protin kinase cascade, opposes initiation of the apoptotic cell death which is programmed by diverse cytotoxic stimuli. In this regard, the inhibition of ERK may be useful in improving the therapeutic efficacy of established anticancer agents. Materials and Methods: Murine hepatocarcinoma, HCa-I is known to be highly radioresistant with a TCD50 (radiation dose yield in $50\%$ cure) of more than 80 Gy. Various anticancer drugs have been found to enhance the radioresponse of this particular tumor but none were successful. The objective of this study was to explore whether the selective inhibition of MEK could potentiate the antitumor efficacy of radiation in vivo, particularly in the case on radioresistant tumor. C3H/HeJ mice hearing $7.5\~8\;mm$ HCa-I, were treated with PD98059(intratumoral injection of $0.16\;\mug/50\;\mul$). Results: Downregulation on ERK by PD98059 was most prominent 1h after the treatment. In the tumor growth delay assay, the drug was found to Increase the effect of the tumor radioresponse with an enhancement factor (EF) of 1.6 and 1.87. Combined treatment of 25 Gy radiation with PD98059 significantly increased radiation induced apoptosis. The peak apoptotic index (number on apoptotic nuclei in 1000 nuclei X100) was $1.2\%$ in the case of radiation treatment alone, $0.9\%$ in the case of drug treatment alone and $4.9\%,\;5.3\%$ in the combination treatment group. An analysis of apoptosis regulating molecules with Western blotting showed upregulation of p53, p$p21^{WAF1/CIP1}\;and\;Bcl-X_s$ in the combination treatment group as compared to their levels in either the radiation alone or drug alone treatment groups. The level of other molecules such as $Bcl-X_L4, Bax and Bcl-2 were changed to a lesser extent. Conclusion: The selective inhibition of MEK in combination with radiation therapy may have potential benefit in cancer treatment.