• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.351-358
• /
• 2014

Pumpkin seed oil (PSO) was investigated for its parasite elimination activity and efficacy in treating disorders of the prostate gland and urinary bladder. We confirmed the composition of PSO and identified its ability to improve vessels. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometric (GC-MS) system was used for PSO composition analysis. Cytotoxicity and cell proliferation were confirmed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Nitric oxide(NO) production was measured with Griess reagent, and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 mRNA expression levels were measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). As a result, PSO revealed the presence of several components such as linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid. Cytotoxic effects of PSO were not observed, and PSO increased nitric oxide production in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Additionally, TNF-${\alpha}$-induced cell proliferation and ICAM-1 expression in HUVEC were inhibited by PSO treatment, whereas VCAM-1 expression was not significantly reduced. Taken together, these results show that PSO is worthy of study as a candidate food material for improvement of vascular disease.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.482-490
• /
• 2018

Candida albicans infections are often problematic to treat owing to antifungal resistance, as such infections are mostly associated with biofilms. The ability of C. albicans to switch from a budding yeast to filamentous hyphae and to adhere to host cells or various surfaces supports biofilm formation. Previously, the ethanol extract from Paeonia lactiflora was reported to inhibit cell wall synthesis and cause depolarization and permeabilization of the cell membrane in C. albicans. In this study, the P. lactiflora extract was found to significantly reduce the initial stage of C. albicans biofilms from 12 clinical isolates by 38.4%. Thus, to assess the action mechanism, the effect of the P. lactiflora extract on the adhesion of C. albicans cells to polystyrene and germ tube formation was investigated using a microscopic analysis. The density of the adherent cells was diminished following incubation with the P. lactiflora extract in an acidic medium. Additionally, the P. lactiflora-treated C. albicans cells were mostly composed of less virulent pseudohyphae, and ruptured debris was found in the serum-containing medium. A quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated that P. lactiflora downregulated the expression of C. albicans hypha-specific genes: ALS3 by 65% (p = 0.004), ECE1 by 34.9% (p = 0.001), HWP1 by 29.2% (p = 0.002), and SAP1 by 37.5% (p = 0.001), matching the microscopic analysis of the P. lactiflora action on biofilm formation. Therefore, the current findings demonstrate that the P. lactiflora ethanol extract is effective in inhibiting C. albicans biofilms in vitro, suggesting its therapeutic potential for the treatment of biofilm-associated infections.

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

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.7
• /
• pp.2813-2818
• /
• 2015

Objective: To investigate the regulatory effect of curcumin on expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in skin squamous cell carcinoma tissues as well as possible mechanisms of curcumin in prevention and treatment of skin squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Highly invasive A431 cells were treated with curcumin at various doses .The cytotoxic effects of treatment with 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 50 umol/L curcumin for 24, 48 and 72 hours on A431 cells were measured by MTT assay. The invasion capacity of cells treated with 5, 10 and 15 umol/L curcumin was measured by Transwell test, while adhesive ability was assessed by cell adhesion assay. The effects of 5,10 and 15 umol/L curcumin on expression levels of STAT3 were determined by Western blotting and on transcription levels of STAT3 mRNA by RT-PCR. Results: Treatment with curcumin at a doses of more than 15 umol/L for more than 24 hour inhibited the growth of A431 cells in a time-and dose-dependent fashion (p<0.001). The doses of 15 umol/L and less for 24 hours showed no significant cytotoxic effects on the cells, survival rates being more than 85%.The invasion and adhesive abilities decreased gradually with the increasing curcumin concentration, 15 umol/L exerting the strongest inhibitory effects (p<0.05). Curcumin showed significant dose-dependent inhibitory effects on the transcription level of STAT3 mRNA (p<0.05). Conclusions: Curcumin may reduce the invasive ability of A431 cells by inhibiting the activation of STAT3 signal pathway and expression of STAT3 as a target gene in the pathway.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.30 no.7
• /
• pp.581-591
• /
• 2020

This study investigated the probiotic properties and physiological activities of Korean fermented foods such as sikhae, young radish kimchi, and bean-curd dregs. Among the isolated lactic acid bacteria, Pediococcus inopinatus BZ4, Lactobacillus plantarum SH1, Lactobacillus brevis SH14, Pediococcus pentosaceus YMT1, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides YMT6 demonstrated a greater than 60% survival rate at pH 2.5, along with an excellent survival rate even at 0.3% bile acid. These five bacteria showed strong flocculation ability in autoaggregation and coaggregation tests, indirectly clustering useful micro-organisms and inhibiting the attachment of pathogenic bacteria. In a cell surface hydrophobicity test, these bacteria showed adhesion to three solvents (ethyl acetate, chloroform, and xylene) and high hydrophobicity, thereby indicating excellent indirect cell adhesion to intestinal cells. The cell-free supernatants and intracellular extracts of the five lactic acid bacteria showed antioxidative activity in the form of 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging ability and lipid peroxidation inhibition. Antimicrobial activities were also observed in four pathogenic bacteria, namely E. coli KCTC 2571, H. pylori HPKCTC B0150, L. monocytogenes KCTC 13064, and S. aureus KCTC 1916. These results demonstrate that these five lactic acid bacteria could be used as probiotics with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.581-585
• /
• 2005

Five lactic acid bacteria (LAB) including 2 Lactobacillus strains isolated from Kimchi were evaluated to determine the binding ability to Caco-2 cells and $AFB_1$. LAB were divided into three different groups ; viable, heat-treated, and acid-treated cells. In the radioactive-labeling assay for bound cell counting, viable Lactobacillus Plantarum KCTC 3099 showed the higher adhesion to Caco-2 cells with the binding capacity of $39.2\%$, which was $149\%$ higher than Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG as a positive control. Leuconostoc mesenteroids KCTC 3100 showed the similar binding ability to L. rhamnosus GG. After 1 hour incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ with $AFB_1$, viable L. Planterum KTCC 3099 removed the toxin by $49.8\%$, which was similar level to L. rhamnosus GG. Both heat- and acid-treated groups showed high binding effect but acid-treated group was more effective for both Caco-2 cell binding and $AFB_1$ removal than the other. These results indicate that components of bacterial cell wall might be involved in tile binding to intestinal cells and toxins.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.59 no.2
• /
• pp.106-116
• /
• 2016

Objective : Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) acts as a chaperone on the cell surface, and it has been reported that PDI is associated with the tumor cell migration and invasion. The aims of this study are to investigate the anti-migration effect of bacitracin, which is an inhibitor of PDI, and the associated factor in this process. Methods : U87-MG glioma cells were treated with bacitracin in 1.25, 2.5, 3.75, and 5.0 mM concentrations. Western blot with caspase-3 was applied to evaluate the cytotoxicity of bacitracin. Adhesion, morphology, migration assays, and organotypic brain-slice culture were performed to evaluate the effect of bacitracin to the tumor cell. Western blot, PCR, and gelatin zymography were performed to investigate the associated factors. Thirty glioma tissues were collected following immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Results : Bacitracin showed a cytotoxicity in 3rd (p<0.05) and 4th (p<0.001) days, in 5.0 Mm concentration. The cell adhesion significantly decreased and the cells became a round shape after treated with bacitracin. The migration ability, the expression of phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase (p-FAK) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) decreased in a bacitracin dose- and time-dependent manner. The U87-MG cells exhibited low-invasiveness in the 2.5 mM, compared with the untreated in organotypic brain-slice culture. PDI was expressed in the tumor margin, and significantly increased with histological glioma grades (p<0.001). Conclusion : Bacitracin, as a functional inhibitor of PDI, decreased the phosphorylated FAK and the secreted MMP-2, which are the downstream of integrin and play a major role in cell migration and invasion, might become one of the feasible therapeutic strategies for glioblastoma.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.142-147
• /
• 2022

Oxysterols are known to be involved in the physiopathology of atherosclerosis. Since 7-ketocholesterol (7-KC) is found in large amounts in oxysterols and in atherosclerotic plaque, the study on how 7-KC may affect monocyte differentiation induced by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) in the monocytic cell line, THP-1, is essential. 7-KC induced a dose-dependent reduction in cell proliferation without inducing cytotoxicity, and the substantial staining of Nile red demonstrates the increased absorption of intracellular lipids. Although 7-KC itself did not increase cell adhesion, it markedly decreased the adhesion of cells treated with PMA. Furthermore, by observing the effect of 7-KC on phagocytosis using fluorescent-labeled latex beads, 7-KC's ability to abolish phagocytosis in PMA-stimulated macrophages was illustrated. The effect of 7-KC on the expression of selected protein markers on the process of differentiation induced by PMA in THP-1 cells was also examined. 7-KC inhibited expression of ICAM-1, CD11a, SR-A1, and SR-B2 (CD36) in PMA-stimulated THP-1 cells. Conversely, 7-KC drastically increased the expression of SR-D1 (CD68)in PMA-stimulated THP-1 cells. In conclusion, these results suggest that 7-KC modulates monocyte differentiation and activation via the intracellular accumulation of lipid droplets.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.11
• /
• pp.4751-4758
• /
• 2015

Echinodermata use saponins in chemical defense against pathogens and predators. The molecular mechanisms of antimetastatic effects of brittle star saponins are still unknown. The present study examined antioxidant capacity and invasive ability in HeLa carcinoma cells exposed to brittle star crude saponins. Discolorating methods with DPPH and ABTS and expression of SOD-2 with RT-PCR were used to estimate the antioxidant activity. The anti-invasive activity of extracted saponins was examined through adhesion of HeLa cells to extracellular matrix, wound healing and evaluation of the mRNA levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 by real time-PCR. The results showed that extracted saponins had cytotoxicity against cervical cancer cells and ABTS and DPPH scavenging properties with $IC_{50}$ values of 604.5, $1012{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Further, we found that, in wound healing assay, brittle star saponins could prevent invasion of HeLa cells in a concentration dependent manner. Furthermore, cell adhesion assay demonstrated blockage of cell attachment to extracellular matrix with an $IC_{50}$ concentration of $16.1{\mu}g/ml$. The significant dose dependent down regulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in treated cells demonstrated that isolated saponins can decline tumor metastasis in vitro. The brittle star saponins remarkably prevented cervical cancer invasion and migration associated with down regulation of matrix metalloproteinase expression. Therefore, saponins could be suggested as an anti-invasive candidate against cervical cancer and an antioxidant as well.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.10 no.5
• /
• pp.525-532
• /
• 1995

Chitosan derivative, of a sulfated N-acetyl chitosan was synthesized, and the inhibitory effects of this compound on the experimental and spontaneous lung metastallc B16/BL6 melanoma bearing mice were investigated. Position of substitution with sulfate in water-soluble sulfated derivatives of chitosan were analysed by 13C-nmr. The structure of N-acetyl chitosan 3,6 0-disulfate were confirmed. The tumor growth inhibition of B16/BL6 melanoma cells has been shown at the highest level of 77.6% when sulfated N-acetyl chitosan were administered at the dose of 100mg/kg. In the lung metastasls, the sulfated N-atetyl chitosan was administered to C57BL/6B mice bearing B16/BL6 melanoma cells by I.V. injection and the number of metastasis foci of melanoma were decreased by the dose dependent manner ranging from 20 to 100mg/kg. In the spontaneous metastasis, I.V. administrations of sulfated N-acetyl chitosan after tumor inoculation resulted in marked reduction of metastatic colonies. A sulfated N-acetyl chitosan was able to partially inhibit the tumor cell adhesion by migration to laminin. These results suggested that chitosan derivative, a sulfated N-acetyl chitoasn was able to inhibit to the experimental and spontaneous metastasis models as well as cell adhesion ability.