• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.457-466
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• 1997

The effects of DFMO or/and putrescine on the dexamethasone-induced apoptosis of CEM cells were studied to investigate the role of polyamines in anti-leukemic glucocorticoid action. Dexamethasone- induced apoptosis was preceded by significant decreases of cellular polyamine contents and putrescine uptake activity. But DFMO produced decreases of putrescine and spermidine contents and marked increase of putrescine uptake activity, but did not induce apoptosis. However, dexamethasone and DFMO, respectively, induced $G_1-arrest$ in cell cycle and hypophosphorylation of pRb, resulting in the increase of $G_1$ to S ratio and decrease of CEM cell count. DFMO enhanced the dexamethasone-induced apoptosis and $G_1-arrest$. On the other hand, putrescine little affected the apoptotic and $G_1-arresting$ activities of dexamethasone, but almost suppress the effects of DFMO and also the DFMO-dependent enhancement of dexamethasone effects. These results suggested that the dexamethasone-induced apoptosis to be associated with pRb hypophosphorylation and $G_1-arrest$ in CEM cells might be ascribed to the concomitant decreases of cellular polyamine contents and putrescine uptake activity.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.67-67
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• 2009

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.152-162
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• 1999

Purpose: To determine whether $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI is recognized by the multidrug resistant P-glycoprotein (Pgp), we have measured quantitatively $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI uptake in cancer cells. The effects of various Pgp reversing agents on cellular $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI uptake were also investigated in the presence of multidrug resistance gene-1 (mdr1 gene) overexpression. Materials and Methods: We measured percentage uptake of $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI at different incubation temperatures both in mdr1 positive and negative cells. The effects of verapamil, cyclosporin, and dipyridamole on cellular uptake of $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI were also evaluated with or without overex-pression of mdr1 gene in cultured murine leukemia Ll210 cells. Results: The mdr1 gene expressing cell lines were effectively induced in in vitro with continuous application of low-dose adriamycin or vincristine. Cellular uptake of $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI was higher in mdr1 negative Ll210 cells than those of mdr1 positive cells, and higher when incubated in $37^{\circ}C$ than $4^{\circ}C$. In the presence of verapamil, cyclosporin or dipyridamole, $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI uptake was increased upto 604% in mdr1 positive cells. Conclusion: Cellular uptake of $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI is lower in leukemia cells over-expressing mdr1 gene, and MBR-reversing agents increase cellular uptake. These results suggest that $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI can be used for characterizing Pgp expression and developing MDR-reversing agents in vitro.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.851-860
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• 1999

The effects of antimycin A(AA), dodium azide ($NaN_3$) and 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), which inhibit mitochondrial ATP production, on cellular functions of cultured astrocytes were studied. High concentrations of AA $(50{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml),{\;}NaN_3$ (100mM) and DNP (20mM) significantly decreased 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction, which was known to be related to mitochondrial function and then cel viability. AA ($50{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml$) increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and decreased [$^3H$] glutamate uptake, suggesting severe damage of cellular function by the concentrations of the compounds. Meanwhile, low concentrations of AA $(\leq{;\}10{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml),{\;}NaN_3{;\}(\leq{\;}50mM)$ and DNP ($\leq{\;}5mM$) significantly increased MTT reduction, the effect of which was specific to astrocytes. AA (5 and $10{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml$) did not affect LDH release and [$^3H$] glutamate uptake, indicating that these compounds increased MTT reduction at the low concentrations without cellular membrane damage. However, the low concentrations of AA produced significant decrease of MTT reduction in a glucose-free medium. Low concentrations of AA (1 and $5{\;}\mu\textrm{g}/ml$) did not change ATP production of astrocytes in the medium containing 10 mM glucose, but completely inhibited in a glucose-free medium, suggesting marked increase of cytosolic ATP production by the blockade of mitochondrial ATP production with low concentrations of AA. These results suggest that astrocytes have ability to enhance neuronal function or survival under conditions of incomplete ischemia or early by enhancement of glycolysis, and that cellular reduction of MTT occurs not only mitochondrially but also extramitchondrially.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2007

Curcumin and its analogues(Tetrahydrocurcumin THC, demethoxycurcumin ; BDMC and dimethoxycurcumin DiMC) were compared for their ability to inhibit the growth of human leukemia HL-60 cells. The growth of HL-60 cells was inhibited by curcumin, DeMC and DiMC, but not by THC lacking ${\alpha},{\beta}-unsaturated$ carbonyl groups thus suggesting that ${\alpha},{\beta}-unsaturated$ carbonyl groups are crucial for antiproliferative activity. The order of antiproliferative activity was DiMC, curcumin and BDMC indicating that the number of methoxy groups on the aromatic rings of the active compounds plays an important role in enhancing anti-proliferating activity. In comparison with cellular uptake of the active compounds, uptake capacity was found to be highest with DiMC, followed by curcumin and BDMC. Therefore, it is most likely that the differential antiproliferative activities of DiMC, curcumin and BDMC are associated with their capacities of cellular uptake resulting in building up of enough concentration inside the cells.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.199-203
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• 1995

The focus of this study was to investigate that cellular parameters and glucose uptake might be altered by extracellular calcium and starvation. Addition of 1 mM $Ca^{++}$ to hepatocytes (equalling to the free calcium concentration of blood) significantly increased intracellular $Na^+$ and decreased $Na^+$ & LDH leakage. This pertains to the hepatocytes of control rats as well as those of rats fasted for 24 and 48. hr. These effects might be come from the membrane-stabilizing effects of calcium. But calcium had no effects on cell volumes, superoxide-formation and glucose uptake. Actually hepatocytes of starved rats showed changes in several cellular parameters. Starvation increased LDH leakage, glucose uptake and the total concentration of $Na^+$ and $Na^+$ whereas it markedly decreased cell volumes. Since total tonicity remained unchanged, intracellular $Na^+$ and $Na^+$ could contribute to a higher share of total osmolarity in starvation. Starvation increased the cytoplasmic pH because $R-NH^{3+}$ions and their corresponding counterions disappeared. This increase may be related to suppress the protonization of amino groups in proteins. Starvation decreased hepatic glycogen, a major compound that affects cytosolic volume of hepatocytes. The data indicate that starvation increases the glucose transport activity. The possible molecular basis will be discussed.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.1282-1292
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• 2011

The biotin-attached G8 molecular transporter (5) was synthesized and used together with quantum dots in preparing the complexes (QD-MT). The QD-MT complexes were studied in terms of the cellular uptake and the internalization mechanism in live HeLa cells with the aid of various known endocytosis inhibitors. It has been concluded that the QD-MT complex is internalized largely by macropinocytosis. The mouse tissue distribution of the QD-MT complex by i.p. and i.v. routes showed some organ selectivity and a good ability to cross the BBB.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.33-43
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• 2016

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short amino acids that have been widely used to deliver macromolecules such as proteins, peptides, DNA, or RNA, to control cellular behavior for therapeutic purposes. CPPs have been used to treat immunological diseases through the delivery of immune modulatory molecules in vivo. Their intracellular delivery efficiency is highly synergistic with the cellular characteristics of the dendritic cells (DCs), which actively uptake foreign antigens. DC-based vaccines are primarily generated by pulsing DCs ex vivo with various immunomodulatory antigens. CPP conjugation to antigens would increase DC uptake as well as antigen processing and presentation on both MHC class II and MHC class I molecules, leading to antigen specific CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell responses. CPP-antigen based DC vaccination is considered a promising tool for cancer immunotherapy due to the enhanced CTL response. In this review, we discuss the various applications of CPPs in immune modulation and DC vaccination, and highlight the advantages and limitations of the current CPP-based DC vaccination.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.575-584
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• 2014

Potassium is a macronutrient that is crucial for healthy plant growth. Potassium availability, however, is often limited in agricultural fields and thus crop yields and quality are reduced. Therefore, improving the efficiency of potassium uptake and transport, as well as its utilization, in plants is important for agricultural sustainability. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms involved in potassium uptake and transport in plants, and the molecular response of plants to different levels of potassium availability. Based on this information, four strategies for improving potassium use efficiency in plants are proposed; 1) increased root volume, 2) increasing efficiency of potassium uptake from the soil and translocation in planta, 3) increasing mobility of potassium in soil, and 4) molecular breeding new varieties with greater potassium efficiency through marker assisted selection which will require identification and utilization of potassium associated quantitative trait loci.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.260-261
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• 2003

Tc-99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) and Tl-201/technetium subtraction scintigraphy have been used for localization of abnormal parathyroid gland. The uptake mechanism of tracers has been postulated to be increased cellular density and vascularity, or dependent on the presence of mitochondria-rich cells. However, the uptake of these tracers was not specific for abnormal parathyroid gland. The author report a case of thymic carcinoma that would have been mistaken for carcinoma of parathyroid because of Tc-99m MIBI and Tl-201 uptake.