• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.683-694
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• 2021

Background: Ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1) has been well documented to be effective against various cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of Rg1 on mechanical stress-induced cardiac injury and its possible mechanism with a focus on the calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) signaling pathway. Methods: Mechanical stress was implemented on rats through abdominal aortic constriction (AAC) procedure and on cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts by mechanical stretching with Bioflex Collagen I plates. The effects of Rg1 on cell hypertrophy, fibrosis, cardiac function, [Ca²⁺]_i, and the expression of CaSR and calcineurin (CaN) were assayed both on rat and cellular level. Results: Rg1 alleviated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, and improved cardiac decompensation induced by AAC in rat myocardial tissue and cultured cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts. Importantly, Rg1 treatment inhibited CaSR expression and increase of [Ca²⁺]_i, which similar to the CaSR inhibitor NPS2143. In addition, Rg1 treatment inhibited CaN and TGF-b1 pathways activation. Mechanistic analysis showed that the CaSR agonist GdCl₃ could not further increase the [Ca²⁺]_i and CaN pathway related protein expression induced by mechanical stretching in cultured cardiomyocytes. CsA, an inhibitor of CaN, inhibited cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac fibrosis, [Ca²⁺]_i and CaN signaling but had no effect on CaSR expression. Conclusion: The activation of CaN pathway and the increase of [Ca²⁺]_i mediated by CaSR are involved in cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, that may be the target of cardioprotection of Rg1 against myocardial injury.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.567-575
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• 2024

Objective: This study aimed to identify genes regulated by cyclin dependent kinases 5 (CDK5) that participate in hair pigmentation in mice. Methods: The mRNA expression profiles of skin samples from CDK5-knockdown mice were constructed using high-throughput RNA sequencing and compared with those of wild-type mice. Results: In total, 8,002 known genes were differentially expressed between CDK5-knockdown and wild-type mice. Of these, 3,658 were upregulated and 4,344 were downregulated in the skin of CDK5-knockdown mice. An additional 318 previously unknown genes were also differentially expressed, with 171 downregulated and 147 upregulated genes in the skin of CDK5-knockdown mice. Of the known genes expressed in mouse skin, 80 were associated with hair color, with 61 showing lower expression and 19 exhibiting higher expression in skin of CDK5-knockdown mice. Importantly, the expression of the tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1) and the calcium signaling pathway were also found to be regulated by CDK5, suggesting that pigmentation is regulated by CDK5 via the calcium signaling pathway and TYRP1. Conclusion: The transcriptome profiles obtained from the skin of CDK5-knockdown mice compared to wild-type mice provide a valuable resource to help understand the mechanism by which CDK5 regulates melanogenesis in mice and other animals.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3223-3228
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• 2016

Reports indicate that 15-deoxy-delta-12,14-prostaglandin-J2 (15d-PGJ2) has anticancer activities, but its mechanisms of action have yet to be fully elucidated. We therefore investigated the effects of 15d-PGJ2 on the human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 (estrogen receptor $ER{\alpha}+/ER{\beta}+$) and MDA-MB-231 ($ER{\alpha}-/ER{\beta}+$). Cellular proliferation and cytotoxicity were determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays while apoptosis was determined by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry using annexin V-propidium iodide (PI) staining. ER expression was determined by Western blotting. Intracellular calcium was stained with Fluo-4 AM while intracellular caspase activities were detected with Caspase-$FLICA(R)$ and measured by flow cytometry. We showed that 15d-PGJ2 caused a significant increase in apoptosis in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. $ER{\alpha}$ protein expression was reduced in treated MCF-7 cells but pre-incubation with the $ER{\alpha}$ inhibitor' ICI 182 780' did not affect the percentage of apoptotic cells. The expression of $ER{\beta}$ was unchanged in both cell lines. In addition, 15d-PGJ2 increased intracellular calcium ($Ca^{2+}$) staining and caspase 8, 9 and 3/7 activities. We therefore conclude that 15d-PGJ2 induces caspase-dependent apoptosis that is associated with an influx of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ with no involvement of ER signaling.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.449-457
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• 2016

N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and cysteine have been implicated in a number of human neutrophils' functional responses. However, though $Ca^{2+}$ signaling is one of the key signalings contributing to the functional responses of human neutrophils, effects of NAC and cysteine on intracellular calcium concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) in human neutrophils have not been investigated yet. Thus, this study was carried out with an objective to investigate the effects of NAC and cysteine on $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ in human neutrophils. We observed that NAC ($1{\mu}M{\sim}1mM$) and cysteine ($10{\mu}M{\sim}1mM$) increased $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ in human neutrophils in a concentration-dependent manner. In NAC pre-supplmented buffer, an additive effect on N-formyl-methionine-leucine-phenylalanine (fMLP)-induced increase in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ in human neutrophils was observed. In $Ca^{2+}$-free buffer, NAC- and cysteine-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increase in human neutrophils completely disappeared, suggesting that NAC- and cysteine-mediated increase in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ in human neutrophils occur through $Ca^{2+}$ influx. NAC- and cysteine-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increase was effectively inhibited by calcium channel inhibitors SKF96365 ($10{\mu}m$) and ruthenium red ($20{\mu}m$). In $Na^+$-free HEPES, both NAC and cysteine induced a marked increase in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ in human neutrophils, arguing against the possibility that $Na^+$-dependent intracellular uptake of NAC and cysteine is necessary for their $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increasing activity. Our results show that NAC and cysteine induce $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increase through $Ca^{2+}$ influx in human neutrophils via SKF96365- and ruthenium red-dependent way.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.69.1-69.11
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• 2023

Background: Kalkitoxin (KT) is an active lipopeptide isolated from the cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula found in the bed of the coral reef. Although KT suppresses cell division and inflammation, KT's mechanism of action in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is unidentified. Therefore, our main aim was to investigate the impact of KT on vascular calcification for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Objectives: Using diverse calcification media, we studied the effect of KT on VSMC calcification and the underlying mechanism of this effect. Methods: VSMC was isolated from the 6 weeks ICR mice. Then VSMCs were treated with different concentrations of KT to check the cell viability. Alizarin red and von Kossa staining were carried out to examine the calcium deposition on VSMC. Thoracic aorta of 6 weeks mice were taken and treated with different concentrations of KT, and H and E staining was performed. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot were performed to examine KT's effect on VSMC mineralization. Calcium deposition on VSMC was examined with a calcium deposition quantification kit. Results: Calcium deposition, Alizarin red, and von Kossa staining revealed that KT reduced inorganic phosphate-induced calcification phenotypes. KT also reduced Ca⁺⁺-induced calcification by inhibiting genes that regulate osteoblast differentiation, such as runtrelated transcription factor 2 (RUNX-2), SMAD family member 4, osterix, collagen 1α, and osteopontin. Also, KT repressed Ca²⁺-induced bone morphogenetic protein 2, RUNX-2, collagen 1α, osteoprotegerin, and smooth muscle actin protein expression. Likewise, Alizarin red and von Kossa staining showed that KT markedly decreased the calcification of ex vivo ring formation in the mouse thoracic aorta. Conclusions: This experiment demonstrated that KT decreases vascular calcification and may be developed as a new therapeutic treatment for vascular calcification and arteriosclerosis.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.283-291
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• 2006

The survival and growth of epithelial cells depends on adhesion to the extracellular matrix. An adhesion signal may regulate the initiation of differentiation, since epidermal keratinocytes differentiate as they leave the basement membrane. A metabolically dead cornified cell envelope is the end point of epidermal differentiation so that this process may be viewed as a specialized form of programmed cell death. In order to investigate the precise cellular signaling events loading to terminal differentiation of keratinocytes, we have utilized HaCaT cells to monitor the biological consequences of $Ca^{2+}$ stimulation and numerous downstream signaling pathways, including activation of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase(ERK) pathway and activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K). The results presented in this study show that $Ca^{2+}$ function as potent agents for the differentiation of HaCaT keratinocytes, and this differentiation depends or the activation of ERK, Protein kinase B(PKB) and p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase(p70S6K). Finally, the results show that the expression of Activator protein 1(AP-1; c-Jun and c-Fos) increased following $Ca^{2+}$-mediated differentiation of HaCaT cells, suggesting that ERK-mediated AP-1 expression is critical for initiating the terminal differentiation of keratinocytes.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.217-239
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• 2011

We carried out a series of experiment demonstrating the role of mitochondria in the cytosolic and mitochondrial $Ca^{2+}$ transients and compared the results with those from computer simulation. In rat ventricular myocytes, increasing the rate of stimulation (1~3 Hz) made both the diastolic and systolic [$Ca^{2+}]$ bigger in mitochondria as well as in cytosol. As L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel has key influence on the amplitude of $Ca^{2+}$ -induced $Ca^{2+}$ release, the relation between stimulus frequency and the amplitude of $Ca^{2+}$ transients was examined under the low density (1/10 of control) of L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel in model simulation, where the relation was reversed. In experiment, block of $Ca^{2+}$ uniporter on mitochondrial inner membrane significantly reduced the amplitude of mitochondrial $Ca^{2+}$ transients, while it failed to affect the cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ transients. In computer simulation, the amplitude of cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ transients was not affected by removal of $Ca^{2+}$ uniporter. The application of carbonyl cyanide 4-(trifluoromethoxy) phenylhydrazone (FCCP) known as a protonophore on mitochondrial membrane to rat ventricular myocytes gradually increased the diastolic [$Ca^{2+}$] in cytosol and eventually abolished the $Ca^{2+}$ transients, which was similarly reproduced in computer simulation. The model study suggests that the relative contribution of L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel to total transsarcolemmal $Ca^{2+}$ flux could determine whether the cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ transients become bigger or smaller with higher stimulus frequency. The present study also suggests that cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ affects mitochondrial $Ca^{2+}$ in a beat-to-beat manner, however, removal of $Ca^{2+}$ influx mechanism into mitochondria does not affect the amplitude of cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ transients.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.892-898
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• 2009

MIF is a progesterone analogue and is known as a potent progesterone antagonist. Although MIF has been known to inhibit prostate cancer cell growth, its molecular mechanisms are not yet clear. In the present study, when the cells were treated for 2-4 days with 5-40 $\mu$M of MIF, the growth and viability of LNCaP cells were significantly decreased in a dose- and time-dependent manner. When the cells, cultivated in a normal 2 mM calcium concentration medium, were treated with 15 $\mu$M MIF for 1 day, the intracellular calcium level increased by 26% compared to the control. Similar results were also found in cells located in the calcium-free reaction buffer, indicating that MIF induced the increase of intracellular Ca$^{2+}$ levels, regardless of the presence of calcium in the surrounding medium. In the cells treated with various concentrations of MIF, the intracellular calcium levels increased in a dose dependent manner. Cells treated with MIF revealed typical early apoptotic signs, i.e., chromosome condensation and nuclei fragmentation. In cells treated with 40 11M MIF, Bcl-2 decreased to 19% of the control. The expression of Bax increased to almost 2 fold of the control. These results demonstrated very clearly that MIF treatment blocks the expression of Bcl-2 but stimulates the expression of Bax. According to the results of the present investigation, the apoptotic mechanism of MIF is triggered by intracellular modulation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.84.1-84
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• 2003

Magnaporthe grisea, the casual agent of rice blast, forms an appressorium to penetrate its host. Much has been learned about environmental cues and signal transduction pathways, especially those involving CAMP and MAP kinases, on appressorium formation during the last decade. More recently, pharmacological data suggest that calcium/calmodulin-dependent signaling system is involved in its appressorium formation. To determine the role of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) on appressorium formation, a gene (WPLCl) encoding PI-PLC was cloned and characterized from M. grisea strain 70-15. Sequence analysis showed that MPLCl has alt five conserved domains present in other phospholipase C genes from several filamentous fungi and mammals. Null mutants (mplcl) generated by targeted gene disruption exhibited pleiotropic effects on conidial morphology, appressorium formation, fertility and pathogenicity. mplcl mutants developed nonfunctional appressoria and are also defective in infectious growth in host tissues. Defects in appressorium formation and pathogenicity in mplcl mutants were complemented by a mouse PLCdelta-1 cDNA under the control of the MPLCl promoter. These results suggest that cellular signaling mediated by MPLCl plays crucial and diverse roles in development and pathogenicity of M. grisea, and functional conservation between fungal and mammalian Pl-PLCs.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.23 no.2 s.58
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• pp.152-156
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• 2005

Ionizing radiation is a well- known therapy factor for human carcinoma cells. Genotoxic stress mediates cell cycle control, transcription and cellular signaling. In this work, we have used a microarray hybridization approach to characterize the cell type-specific transcriptional response of human carcinoma MCF-7 and HeLa cell line to $\gamma-radiation$, such as 4Gy 4hr. We found that exposure to $\gamma-ray$ alters by at least a $log_2$ factor of 1.0 the expression of known genes. Of the 27 genes affected by irradiation, 11 are down- regulated in MCF-7 cells and 2 genes induced by radiation,15 are repressed in HeLa cells. Many genes were involved in known damage- response pathways for cell cycling, transcription factor and cellular signaling response. However, in MCF-7 cells, we observed gene expression pattern in chromatin, apoptosis, stress, differentiation, cytokine, metabolism, ribosome and calcium. In HeLa cells, it showed clearly the expression changes in adhesion and migration, lysosome, brain, genome instability and translation. These insights reveal new therapy directions for studying the human carcinoma cell response to radiation.