• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.613-618
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• 2005

This study was carried out to examine the effects of gamma irradiation on the cytotoxicity and multidrug-resistance reversing activity of methanol extracts from Coix lachryma-jobi L. var. me-yuen Stapf seed. The seed was irradiated with doses of 1, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 Gy of the gamma radiation, and then extracted by methanol. The extracts were examined for cytotoxicity on the human cancer cell lines, MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma pleural effusion), Calu-6 (human pulmonary carcinoma) and SNU-601 (human gastric carcinoma) cells, and investigated for multidrug-resistance reversing activity using drug sensitive AML-2/WT and multidrug-resistant AML-2/D100 cells. The growth inhibitory activity of irradiated seed extracts on human cancer cell lines was higher than that of the control. In the case of Calu-6 cell line, the effect of cytotoxicity was observed in the extracts of 4, 8 and 16 Gy. $IC_{50}$ value in the MCF-7 cell line was measured in the only 8 Gy extract. And in the SNU-601 cell line as Calu-6, the effect of cytotoxicity was observed in the extracts of 4, 8 and 16 Gy. But the extracts of gamma-irradiated seed over 32 Gy showed little growth inhibitory effect against human cancer cell lines. In this result, 8 Gy extract had significant growth inhibitory in all human cancer cell lines $(Calu-6:\;633\;{\mu}g/mL,\;MCF-7:\;653\;{\mu}g/mL\;and\;SNU-601:\;683\;{\mu}g/mL)$. The extracts of 4, 8 and 16 Gy strongly potentiated vincristine cytotoxicity in AML-2/D100 cells. The reversal fold (RF) of 4, 8 and 16 Gy extracts was 1.7, 1.8 and 1.6, respectively. But their cytotoxicities to both sensitive AML-2/WT and resistant AML-2/D100 cells were in the same order of magnitude. These results indicate that the above samples would contain some principles which have cytotoxicity and multidrug-resistance reversing activity. Irradiation technology can be applied to promote physiological activities of medicinal plant seeds.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.6963-6966
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• 2015

Background: During the past few years, Hesa-A, a herbal-marine mixture, has been used to treat cancer as an alternative medicine in Iran. Based on a series of studies, it is speculated that Hesa-A possesses special cytotoxic effects on invasive tumors. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the selective anticancer effects of Hesa-A on several cancer cell lines with different metastatic potential. Materials and Methods: Hesa-A was prepared in normal saline as a stock solution of 10 mg/ml and further diluted to final concentrations of $100{\mu}/ml$, $200{\mu}g/ml$, $300{\mu}g/ml$ and $400{\mu}g/ml$. MTT-based cytotoxicity assays were performed with A549 (lung non small cancer), MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), SKOV3 (ovarian cancer), and PC-3 (prostate adenocarcinoma) cells. Results: All treated cancer cells showed significant (P<0.01) or very significant (P<0.0001) differences in comparison to negative control at almost all of the tested doses ($100-400{\mu}g/ml$). At the lower dose ($100{\mu}g/ml$), Hesa-A reduced cell viability to 66%, 45.3%, 35.5%, 33.2% in SKOV3, A549, PC-3 and MCF-7 cells, respectively. Moreover, at the highest dose ($400{\mu}g/ml$), Hesa-A resulted in 88.5%, 86.6%, 84.9% and 79.3% growth inhibition in A549, MCF-7, PC-3 and SKOV3 cells, respectively. Conclusions: Hesa-A exert potent cytotoxic effects on different human cancer cells, especially those with a high metastatic potential.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.216-221
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• 2003

Purpose: To investigate the modulation of radiosensitivity by celecoxib, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, on cancer cells over- and under-expressing COX-2. Materials and Methods: A clonogenic radiation survival analysis was performed on A549 human lung and MCF-7 human breast cancer cell lines incubated in both 1 and $10\%$ fetal bovine serum (FBS) containing media. The apoptosis in both cell lines was measured after treatment with radiation and/or celecoxib. Results: Celecoxib enhanced the radiation sensitivity of the A549 cells in the medium containing the $10\%$ FBS, with radiation enhancement ratios of 1.58 and 1.81 respectively, at surviving fractions of 0.1, with $30\muM\;and\;50\muM$ celecoxib. This enhanced radiosensitivity disappeared in the medium containing the $1\%$ FBS. Celecoxib did not change the radiation sensitivity of the MCF-7 cells in either media. The induction of apoptosis by celecoxib and radiation was not synergistic in either cell line. Conclwsion: Celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, preferentially enhanced the effect of radiation on COX-2 over-expressing cancer cells compared to the cells with a low expression, and this effect disappeared on incubation of the cells during drug treatment in the medium with suboptimal serum concentration. Apoptosis did not appear to be the underlying mechanism of this radiation enhancement effect due to celecoxib on the A549 cells. These findings suggest radiosensitization by a selective COX-2 inhibitor is COX-2 dependent.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.836-843
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment on proliferation of human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, HCT-116, PC-3 and AGS) of crude soyasaponin extracts in germinated black soybean. Black soybean was germinated and subjected to HHP, followed by preparation of crude soyasaponin extracts. Cell treatments done with extracts less than $400{\mu}g/mL$ concentrations had no significant effect on 3T3-L1 adipocyte cell viability. The inhibitory effect of crude soyasaponin extracts with germination periods and applied pressure on breast cancer cell (MCF-7), human colon cancer cell (HCT-116), human gastriccancer cell (AGS) and prostate cancer cell (PC-3) growth were investigated using MTT assay. The highest anti-proliferation of human cancer cell line of crude soyasaponin extracts was observed at 150 MPa treatment after germination for 4 days (150 MPa-Day 4). The cell viability on MCF-7, HCT-116, PC-3 and AGS cell lines of crude soyasaponin extract in 150 MPa-Day4 was 48.82%, 57.37%, 39.89% and 23.94% at $400{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. These results suggest that soyasaponin extracts from black soybean subjected to HHP after germination may mediate physiological activity.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.199-203
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• 2014

Background: Rosuvastatine, doxazosin, repaglinide and oxcarbazepin are therapeutic drugs available in the market for the treatment of different diseases. Potential to display antitumor activities has also been suggested. The aim of the current study was to evaluate their in vitro effects on some human transformed cell lines. Materials and Methods: Cytotoxicity of the four drugs was tested in MCF-7, HeLa and HepG2 cells by the neutral red assay method and also the effect of rosuvastatine and doxazosin against Ehrlich Ascities Carcinoma Cells (EACC) by trypan blue assay. Results: Rosuvastatine exerted the greatest cytotoxic effect against HepG2 cells with an $IC_{50}$ value of $58.7{\pm}69.3$; in contrast doxazosin showed least activity with $IC_{50}=104.4{\pm}115.7$. Repaglinide inhibited the growth of both HepG2 and HeLa cells with $IC_{50}$ values of $87.6{\pm}117.5$ and $89.3{\pm}119.5$, respectively. Oxcarbazepine showed a potent cytotoxicity against both HeLa ($IC_{50}=19.4{\pm}43.9$) and MCF7 cancer cells (($IC_{50}=22{\pm}35.7$).On the other hand the growth of EACC was completely inhibited by doxazosine (100% inhibition) while rosuvastatine had weak inhibitory activity (11.6%). Conclusions: The four tested drugs may have cytotoxic effects against hepatic, breast and cervical carcinoma cells; also doxazosine may inhibit the growth of endometrial cancer cells. Further investigations in animals are needed to confirm these results.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.5797-5804
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• 2013

In order to enhance the bioavailability of curcumin its conjugates with piperic acid and glycine were synthesized by esterifying the 4 and 4' phenolic hydroxyls, the sites of metabolic conjugation. Antiproliferative and apoptotic efficacy of synthesized conjugates was investigated in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. $IC_{50}$ values of di-O-glycinoyl (CDG) and di-O-piperoyl (CDP) esters of curcumin were found to be comparable with that of curcumin. Both conjugates induced chromatin condensation fragmentation and apoptotic body formation. CDP exposure to MCF-7 cells induced apoptosis initiating loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (${\Delta}{\Psi}m$) followed by inhibition of translocation of transcription factor NF-${\kappa}B$ and release of Cytochrome-C. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was evaluated by fluorescent activated cell sorter. Change in ratio of Bcl2/Bclxl was observed, suggesting permeablization of mitochondrial membrane leading to the release of AIF, Smac and other apoptogenic molecules. DNA fragmentation as a hallmark for apoptosis was monitored by TUNEL as well as agrose gel electrophoresis. Thus, it was proven that conjugation does not affect the therapeutic potential of parent molecule in vitro, while these could work in vivo as prodrugs with enhanced pharmacokinetic profile. Pharmacokinetics of these molecules under in vivo conditions is a further scope of this study.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6047-6053
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• 2012

Bracken fern [Pteridium aquilinem (L.) kuhn (Dennstaedtiaceae)] is one of the most common species on the planet. It has been consumed by humans and animals for centuries. Use by some human groups is because they believe bracken fern is good for health as plant medicine. However, it is also one of the few known plants that can cause tumors in farm animals. Many interested groups have focused their attention on bracken fern because of these interesting features. In order to evaluate the biological effects of exposure to this plant in cellular level, human cancer cell lines were treated with the fern dichloromethane extracts and the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects were studied. Anti-proliferative/cytotoxic effects were evaluated by cell count, MTT assay and flow cytometry methods with three different cancer cell lines, TCC, NTERA2, and MCF-7, and two normal cells, HDF1 and HFF3. Pro-apoptotic effects of the extracts were determined by DAPI staining and comet assay, on TCC cancer cells compared to the normal control cell lines. Cellular morphology was examined by light microscopy. Our present study showed that the extract caused DNA damage and apoptosis at high concentrations ($200{\mu}g/mL$) and also it may induce cell cycle arrest (G2/M phase) at mild concentrations (50 and $30{\mu}g/mL$) depending on the cell type and tumor origin. These results indicate that bracken fern extract is a potent source of anticancer compounds that could be utilized pharmaceutically.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.115.1-115.1
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• 2003

Cadmium, a human carcinogen, can induce apoptosis in various cell lines. Despite extensive research, the mechanisms of cadmium-induced apoptosis are poorly understood, and its toxicity and estrogenic potential in human are not clear. This study was performed to investigate the apoptotic activities of cadmium on two human breast cancer cell lines: MCF-7 cells, an estrogen receptor (ER) positive cell line, and MDA-MB-231 cells, an ER negative cell line. Both cells were treated with $CdCl_2$ 100$\mu$M for 12hrs, and the spoptosis was determined by DNA fragmentation, DAPI staining, and expression of caspase-9. (omitted)

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.749-754
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• 2009

The polysaccharide (BB-pol) extracted from Bifidobacterium bifidum BGN4 showed growth inhibitory effects on several colon cancer cell lines such as HT-29 and HCT-116. To increase the yield of polysaccharide, B. bifidum BGN4 was cultured in various culture media with different compositions. When B. bifidum BGN4 was cultured in modified MRS broth containing phytic acid, the cells showed increased branch formation and enlarged morphology. The content of total carbohydrate and the ability of adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells were also increased by phytic acid. The polysaccharide obtained from the cells grown in the presence of phytic acid inhibited the proliferation of cancer cell lines such as HT-29 and MCF-7 cells but not normal colon cell line, FHC. Taken together, Bifidobacterium grown in the presence of phytic acid may confer enhanced beneficial function for the host.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.3293-3299
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• 2015

Background: Arm protein lost in epithelial cancers, on chromosome X (ALEX) is a novel subgroup within the armadillo (ARM) family, which has one or two ARM repeat domains as opposed to more than six-thirteen repeats in the classical Armadillo family members. Materials and Methods: In the study, we explore the biological functions of ALEX1 in breast cancer cells. Overexpression of ALEX1 and silencing of ALEX1 were performed with SK-BR3 and MCF-7 cell lines. Cell proliferation and colony formation assays, along with flow cytometry, were carried out to evaluate the roles of ALEX1. Results: ALEX1 overexpression in SK-BR3 breast cancer cells inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis. Furthermore, depletion of ALEX1 in MCF-7 breast cancer cells increased proliferation and inhibited apoptosis. Additional analyses demonstrated that the overexpression of ALEX1 activated the intrinsic apoptosis cascades through up-regulating the expression of Bax, cytosol cytochrome c, active caspase-9 and active caspase-3 and down-regulating the levels of Bcl-2 and mitochondria cytochrome c. Simultaneouly, silencing of ALEX1 inhibited intrinsic apoptosis cascades through down-regulating the expression of Bax, cytosol cytochrome c, active caspase-9, and active caspase-3 and up-regulating the level of Bcl-2 and mitochondria cytochrome c. Conclusions: Our data suggest that ALEX1 as a crucial tumor suppressor gene has been involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis in breast cancer, which may serve as a novel candidate therapeutic target.